GROWTH IN HEIGHT OF CONTAINERIZED Hibiscus elatus SEEDLINGS

Hibiscus elatus Sw. (blue mahoe) is a native species of Cuba included in the reforestation plans of the country because of its economic and ecological importance and also because it is a hardwood. This paper describes the growth in height of container-grown seedlings cultivated in four different growing media: S1- peat (40%), worm humus 40%, and pine bark compost (20 %); S2 - horse manure (45 %), compost (40%), and worm humus (15%); S3 - worm humus (30%), compost (25%), peat (25%), and horse manure (20%); S4 – control, consisting of soil from a plantation. Through regression analysis nine mathematical models of the polynomial, exponential and logarithmical types were tested. Based on the determination coefficient obtained from the residue analysis and the validation of the models, the function that better fits the growth in height of Hibiscus elatus Sw. for the growing media studied was b t y b e 1= 0 + .