Optimization of media and nutrition for foliage plants grown under modular vertical green walls

An investigation was carried out to study the performance of various media and nutrients for three foliage plants viz., arrow head plant (Syngonium podophyllum), boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea) and spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) grown under modular vertical green walls. The experiment comprised of four media viz., coco peat, Greenosil, perlite and vermiculite and their combinations and two nutrients viz., foliar nutrition (NPK 19:19:19 and @ 1% twice (30 and 90 days after planting) and fertilizer stick (Greenstix sticks were inserted to the modular containers @ one per container at 30 and 90 days after planting). Results revealed that, among the media, plants grown under vermiculite showed better performance in exhibiting maximum values for plant height, leaf area, shoot weight, root weight and visual quality in all the three foliage ornamentals. However, among the nutrients, those plants inserted with fertilizer stick (N2) recorded highest for plant height, leaf area, shoot weight, root weight and visual quality in arrow head plant and spider plant. However, maximum values for plant height, leaf area, shoot weight and visual quality in boat lily were recorded under the treatment N1 (Foliar nutrient) except root weight. The interaction between media and nutrients was significant and plants grown under vermiculite and containers inserted with fertilizer stick showed superior performance w.r.t. all the characters in arrow head plant and spider plant, whereas, in boat lily, plants grown under vermiculite and plants sprayed with foliar nutrients showed better results.