Nutritional Studies of Christmas Bell

Eighteen-month-old seedlings of Christmas Bell (Blandfordia grandiflora Sm.) in 800-ml containers were top dressed with 8- to 9-month Osmocote controlled-release fertilizer 18N-2.6P-10K at 0, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, or 10 kg·m -3 . Other plants were fertilized once or twice weekly with a complete liquid fertilizer supplying 100 mg N/ liter based on an N : K ratio of either 1:0.6 or 1:1.5. The former ratio was the same as the Osmocote while the latter was the N : K ratio in tops of healthy wild-growing plants of B. grandiflora. The highest fresh weights occurred at the Osmocote rate of 5 kg·m -3 and with the once-weekly liquid feed of 1 N : 1.5 K ratio. Plants fertilized with low rates of Osmocote were pale green but had extensive root systems that were white and predominantly fibrous. As the rate of Osmocote was increased, plants became greener and produced smaller root systems in which fleshy storage organs were pre- dominant over fibrous roots.