Evaluation of growing media and pot size for growth and flowering of Primula malacoides Franch Gupta Jagreeti*, Dilta BS1, Gupta YC, Kaushal Sapna Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh, India 1Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh, India *Email forcorrespondence: jagriti20.gupta@gmail.com
Online published on 25 July, 2018. Abstract The investigations were carried out at the experimental farm of Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP to work out the most suitable growing media and pot size for producing the best quality and most presentable potted primulas. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (factorial) having seven growing media viz T1 (Soil:FYM:sand, 1:1:1, v/v), T2 (Quercus semicarpifolia leaf mould:FYM:soil, 2:1:1, v/v), T3 (Rhododendron arboreum leaf mould:FYM:soil, 2:1:1, v/v), T4 (Picea smithiana leaf mould:FYM:soil, 2:1:1, v/v), T5 (Chirpine leaf mould:FYM:soil, 2:1:1, v/v), T6 (Cocopeat:FYM:sand, 1:1:1, v/v), T7 (Spent mushroom compost:FYM:soil, 2:1:1, v/v) and three pot sizes of 15, 20 and 25 cm diameter. The observations were recorded on various growth and flowering parameters. The growing medium comprising cocopeat:FYM:sand (1:1:1, v/v) recorded maximum values in terms of number of branches per plant (36.37), shoot length (25.38 cm), length of inflorescence stalk (17.43 cm), inflorescence diameter (5.89 cm), number of flowers per inflorescence (18.28), minimum days to flower bud formation (104.10 days) as well as earliest first flower opening (106.80 days). Further 25 cm diameter pots exhibited maximum number of branches or shoots per plant (35.16), shoot length (23.18 cm), days to flower bud formation (108.10 days), days to first flower opening (111.70 days), length of inflorescence stalk (16.78 cm), inflorescence diameter (5.89 cm) and number of flowers per inflorescence (20.13). Among interactions, growing media × pot size, maximum number of branches per plant (47.07), shoot length (27.67 cm), length of inflorescence stalk (18.31 cm), inflorescence diameter (6.40 cm) and number of flowers per inflorescence (21.02) were recorded in growing medium comprising cocopeat:FYM:sand (1:1:1,v/v) and using 25 cm diameter pot size. Hence primula plants grown in growing medium cocopeat:FYM:sand (1:1:1, v/v) and using 25 cm diameter pot size resulted in most desirable and presentable potted primula. Top Keywords Growing media, pot size, primula, growth, flowering. Top |