Medium and Hydrogel Affect Production and Wilting of Tropical Ornamental Plants

Abstract

Viterra hydrogel at rates of 0, 1.75, or 2.50 kg·m −3 was tested for the production of three tropical ornamental plant species in two or all of the three media. These were a commercial peat-lite medium (SUN), a medium consisting of equal volumes of peatmoss, bark, and sand (PBS), and a mix containing equal volumes of peatmoss and bark (PB). Codiaeum was grown in SUN and PBS, Dieffenbachia was produced in all three media, and Hibiscus was planted in SUN and PB. Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Blume ‘Norma’ and Dieffenbachia ‘ Camille’ grew more and required a longer time to reach initial wilting when grown in SUN than PBS. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. ‘Brilliant Red’ had similar growth in SUN and PB. In general, hydrogel had no beneficial effect on plant growth in a greenhouse. Hydrogel extended the time required to reach initial wilting of C. variegatum by 3 days (from 24 to 27 days), but had no effect on Dieffenbachia . Leachate from PBS had higher pH and lower electrical conductance (EC) than that from SUN. Hydrogel had no effect on leachate pH, but decreased EC of the leachate for C. variegatum used at the 2.5 kg·m −3 rate and for H. rosa-sinensis at both rates.