The effect of various organic and mineral root media and their mixtures on the growth and flowering in Catharanthus roseus Madagascar periwinkle

The experiment was made to investigate the effect of various root media and their mixtures on the growth and flowering of Catharanthus roseus in the Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Department Conservatory.Five root media (perlite,pumice,cocopeat,zeolite and peat) and their seven mixtures, making 12 treatments, were used in the experiment. The experimental design was a randomised block with two blocks, 24 plots. There were two plants in each plot ,making 48 plants in the experiment.The planting pots were 330 ml and %100 perlites, pumice, zeolite had liquid feed reservoir in saucers and constant ½ Morgan(New Zeland) liquid feed were used to provide 20 % run off at each aplication.Cocopeat and cocopeat mixtures did not have a reservoir but the liquid feed started after planting.Peat and peat mixtures had no reservoir and liquid aplication started one month after planting. The mix with three mediums: 37.5 % peat + 37.5 % cocopeat + 25% perlite had liquid feed aplications without reservoir two weeks after planting. According to the analysis of variance, there was no statistically signicant effect of root media on the growth and flowering of Catharanthus roseus. Only the effect of treatments on the flower numbers/plant, was near the significance level. Therefore %75 cocopeat + %25 ponza and %75 torf + %25 pumice mediums can be recommended for flowering.