Investigation on the Growth of Several Medicinal Plants in a Rooftop Vegetable Garden

ABSTRACTThis study was carried out to investigate the growth responses of medicinal plants such as Glehnia littoralis, Cryptotaenia japonica, Angelica gigas, Reynoutria japonica, Saururus chinensis, Houttuynia cordata, Ligularia fischeri, and Aralia cordata under 70%-shading and full sunlight conditions on a rooftop condition using artificial soil as a growth media. Glehnia littoralis, Cryptotaenia japonica, Ligularia fischeri, Saururus chinensis, and Houttuynia cordata showed better growth on plant height, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length and leaf number under full sunlight conditions on a rooftop condition. Cryptotaenia japonica and Houttuynia cordata had high value of Hunter's a (red-green) under full sunlight, while had lower value of L(lightness) and b(blue-yellow) than those of 70% shading condition. As an index of plant stress response, Glehnia littoralis, Reynoutria japonica, Houttuynia cordata, Ligularia fischeri showed Fv/Fm values 0.79∼0.84 under full sunlight in August, indicating low stress on plant growth. Therefore they seemed to be suitable medicinal plats for rooftop conditions. Ligularia fischeri and Reynoutria japonica showed better growth under 70% shading treatment in August, while showed high growth response under full sunlight conditions in September. The 70% shading treatment was effective for the growth of Angelica gigas, Reynoutria japonica, and Aralia cordata. Angelica gigas and Reynoutria japonica, however, showed better plant growth under