Abstract:

In order to study the reduce of dependence on peat and cost in the soilless culture of flowers, the effects of experimenting different mixing substrates, taking sawdust, corn stalk and wheat-straw as the primary growing media of Euphorbia pulcherrima were investigated. The results indicated that the physical and chemical characteristics of the two treatments V(corn stalk):V(sawdust):V(perlite)2:1:1, and V(wheat-straw):V(sawdust):V(perlite)1:2:1 satisfied the general requirements of growing media. Not only the roots of Euphorbia pulcherrima in those treatments were robust, the comprehensive performance of growth and development were also significantly better than that in control. Thus, the treatments can be good substitutes as soilless growing media of Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Key words: Euphorbia pulcherrima, organic castoffs, substrate composition, peat moss