Growth and flowering response of flamingo flower on selected growth media

Abstract: Conventional vegetative propagation of flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum Lind.) is time consuming while commercial quantities can take years to develop. Hence, determination of a suitable and available potting media/ potting media mixes to provide solution to its propagation and flowering challenge is imperative. The growth response and sustainability of flamingo flower in different growth media were evaluated under nursery conditions between late planting season of 2011 (September) to early planting season of 2012 (February). Second planting was during the early planting season (June) to late planting season of 2012 (December) in the screen house of the National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Eight growth media viz. topsoil alone (TS) (control), topsoil + poultry manure (TSP) 3:1, sawdust + poultry manure (SP) 3:1, river sand + poultry manure (RSP) 3:1, coconut husk + poultry manure (CHP) 3:1, coconut coir + poultry manure (CcP) 3:1, maize cob + poultry manure (MCP) 3:1, oil palm empty fruit bunch + poultry manure (EFBP) 3:1 were tested. Suckers of Anthurium were planted in nursery bags arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with three (3) replicates in each planting year. Results indicated that growth media significantly affected the percentage of surviving plants. Sawdust + poultry manure (SP) (3:1) (93.33 %) was similar to those in coconut coir + poultry manure (CcP) (3:1) (80.00 %). Plants in the medium, coconut coir + poultry manure (CcP) (3:1) (7.33) were the better as compared to all the others in both planting years in terms of visual quality at 85 days after planting (85 DAP). Flower production in Anthurium was not significantly affected by growth media utilised in this study.