Effect of Sawdust Vermicompost in Pot Media on Nutrition and Growth of Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia amonea) Plant

To determine effects of vermicompost cow dung + sawdust (80% to 20% volume) with peat in peat + perlit (1: 2 ratio) growth media on ornamental plant (Dieffenbachia amonea) an experiment was carried out. Initially sawdust was introduced to worm and then vermicompost was produced, rooted stocks planted in peat+ perlit (1: 2 ratio) and beds with 25, 75, 50, 100% vermicompost of cow dung + sawdust was substituted with peat (peat+ perlit). Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium in plant leaves and growth media, plant height, stem diameter, shoot and leaf fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight of plant were measured. Results showed that the increase in vermicompost cow dung + sawdust substituted with peat significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in Dieffenbachia plant leaves and growth media. 50% vermicompost of cow dung + sawdust had the highest plant height(10.23 cm). 25% vermicompost of cow dung + sawdust had the greatest stem diameter (23.46 mm), shoot and leaf fresh (56.81 g) and dry (5.83 g) weight, root fresh (64.07 g) and dry (6.21 g) weight. By increasing vermicompost of cow dung + sawdust, water holding capacity in media increased as the %100 vermicompost of cow dung + sawdust had the highest water holding capacity (73.6%).