Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization
Promotion of sustainable horticulture via wider use of peat substrate substitutes makes wood fiber an increasingly popular substrate component. Interspecific geraniums are plants of huge potential in the floriculture market, but there are not enough specific guidelines on their cultivation. This stu...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/119 |
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| author | Agnieszka Zawadzińska Piotr Salachna Jacek S. Nowak Waldemar Kowalczyk |
| author_facet | Agnieszka Zawadzińska Piotr Salachna Jacek S. Nowak Waldemar Kowalczyk |
| author_sort | Agnieszka Zawadzińska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Promotion of sustainable horticulture via wider use of peat substrate substitutes makes wood fiber an increasingly popular substrate component. Interspecific geraniums are plants of huge potential in the floriculture market, but there are not enough specific guidelines on their cultivation. This study investigated the effectiveness of enriching peat substrate with 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% (by volume) waste wood fiber in the pot cultivation of interspecific geraniums cv. ‘Calliope Dark Red’. It also examined plant response to additional fertilization with nitrogen in the form of Ca(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>. Plants grown in the substrate with 10% and 20% of wood fiber did not differ in the leaf greening index, flower weight, and visual score from the plants grown in control (100% peat substrate). Wood fiber content of 40% negatively affected all growth parameters and leaf content of macro- and micronutrients. The plants growing in the peat substrate enriched with 20% of waste wood fiber and fertilized with nitrogen had the highest leaf greenness index, the greatest number of flowers, and the highest content of N, P, Ca, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn. In summary, the study demonstrated that high quality ornamental plants can be successfully grown in peat substrate containing 20% of waste wood fiber and additionally fertilized with nitrogen. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:04:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-609e20fcc9d94610b07ed1b15105fb1f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:04:20Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-609e20fcc9d94610b07ed1b15105fb1f2023-12-03T12:05:46ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722021-02-0111211910.3390/agriculture11020119Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional FertilizationAgnieszka Zawadzińska0Piotr Salachna1Jacek S. Nowak2Waldemar Kowalczyk3Department of Horticulture, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 3 Papieża Pawła VI Str., 71-459 Szczecin, PolandDepartment of Horticulture, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 3 Papieża Pawła VI Str., 71-459 Szczecin, PolandThe National Institute of Horticultural Research, 1/3 Konstytucji 3 Maja Str., 96-100 Skierniewice, PolandThe National Institute of Horticultural Research, 1/3 Konstytucji 3 Maja Str., 96-100 Skierniewice, PolandPromotion of sustainable horticulture via wider use of peat substrate substitutes makes wood fiber an increasingly popular substrate component. Interspecific geraniums are plants of huge potential in the floriculture market, but there are not enough specific guidelines on their cultivation. This study investigated the effectiveness of enriching peat substrate with 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% (by volume) waste wood fiber in the pot cultivation of interspecific geraniums cv. ‘Calliope Dark Red’. It also examined plant response to additional fertilization with nitrogen in the form of Ca(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>. Plants grown in the substrate with 10% and 20% of wood fiber did not differ in the leaf greening index, flower weight, and visual score from the plants grown in control (100% peat substrate). Wood fiber content of 40% negatively affected all growth parameters and leaf content of macro- and micronutrients. The plants growing in the peat substrate enriched with 20% of waste wood fiber and fertilized with nitrogen had the highest leaf greenness index, the greatest number of flowers, and the highest content of N, P, Ca, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn. In summary, the study demonstrated that high quality ornamental plants can be successfully grown in peat substrate containing 20% of waste wood fiber and additionally fertilized with nitrogen.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/119horticultural productionnutrient analysispeat moss<i>Pelargonium</i>potting media |
| spellingShingle | Agnieszka Zawadzińska Piotr Salachna Jacek S. Nowak Waldemar Kowalczyk Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization Agriculture horticultural production nutrient analysis peat moss <i>Pelargonium</i> potting media |
| title | Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization |
| title_full | Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization |
| title_fullStr | Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization |
| title_short | Response of Interspecific Geraniums to Waste Wood Fiber Substrates and Additional Fertilization |
| title_sort | response of interspecific geraniums to waste wood fiber substrates and additional fertilization |
| topic | horticultural production nutrient analysis peat moss <i>Pelargonium</i> potting media |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/2/119 |
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