BARK COMPOSTS FOR POT CHRYSANTHEMUMS

A factorial experiment was run on the production of one cultivator of pot chrysanthemums using composted bark as the basic substrate with and without the addition of 20% peat, perlite, vermiculite or shale to increase the water holding capacity of the bark substrate.

Two ratios of N:P₂O₅:K₂O were used, 2:1:1 and 2:1:4, applied either as a liquid feed or as a base fertiliser.
The effects of supplementary lighting was also compared with unlit plants.

The results of this experiment demonstrated that with 2N:1P₂O₅:4K₂O ratio liquid feeding the best quality plants were obtained even though the higher "N" ratio 2N:1P₂O₅:1K₂O feed gave bigger plants, but flowering was delayed.

The addition of additives to the bark substrate improved the water holding capacity of the medium, but providing a careful check of the moisture content of the pots is kept, additives are unnecessary.

The use of supplementary lighting gave earlier, better quality flowers.

Symposium on Substrates in Horticulture other than Soils In Situ

G.C.S. Wilson

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1982.126.12