The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

In the commercial nursery, the Desert Rose plants are multiplied by cutting and grown with potting media enriched with 40% of forest soil and other mixes such as and other mixes such as river sand, coconut fiber and pumice. However, the plant quality is not adequate, and more time in nursery is required. An alternative is the use of organic substrates in the potting media for growth of Desert Rose. In the Sate of Colima this ornamental flower has been a good alternative for producers because present a great economical relevance. In this study, the effect of several organic substrates in the potting media for growth of Desert Rose under greenhouse conditions was evaluated during 75 days. The experiment was carried out in the Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias. Three organic substrates were evaluated, vermicompost, compost and bocashi, at three rates: 10, 20 and 30% (v/v). The control was san, coconut fiber and pumice mixture. Treatments were arranged in split plot design and completely randomized with six replicates. Three pots were considered as experimental unit. A. obesum were obtained by cutting from plants in commercial nursery. Substrates were physically and chemically well characterized and plants of 35 cm height were grown on them during 75 days. Plant growth was enhanced and several important horticultural parameters, such as stem diameter, plant height, shoots number and flower number, were improved in Desert Rose grown on vermicompost and compost-containing media. Results shown that plant height was had the highest values in treatment with 10 percent of vermicompost. Respecting to flower number, did not was detected statistical differences between treatments with organic fertilizers, similar effects were shown to stem diameter. Shoots number were measured at the final of the study and results shown that treatment with 30percent of vermicompost had the highest values (50), and control had only 18. Bocashi with 10 percent was the treatment where flower number was the lowest, and treatment with 30 percent of Bocashi and control were the highest values. Because of these observations and analyses, we concluded that bocashi incorporation in potting media had not beneficial effects on Desert Rosa plants growth.