Evaluation of Different Organic Growing Media for Growth and Flowering of Petunia

Studies were carried out at Punjab Agricultural University Landscape Nursery from November 2009 to July 2010 to evaluate the different soil-based and soilless media compositions on growth and flowering of petunia hybrids. Different media compositions comprising leaf mold, sewage sludge, vermicompost, farmyard manure, cocopeat, and soil were evaluated in definite ratios to select an ideal potting media for raising potted (6-inch pots) petunia plants. Results revealed that media composition M6 was the best potting media to raise petunia plants. Petunia plants raised in this media [soil + sewage sludge (K) (2:1)] exhibit maximum (55.3 days) number of days of flowering duration, maximum (129.5 days) number of days to flowering withering, recorded minimum (74.2 days) number of days to bud emergence, and counted more (30.0) number of buds and maximum (15.0) number of branches. This media composition was observed to be ideal for raising petunia seedlings to full-grown floriferous potted petunia plants with all the desirable characteristics essential for a specimen display.