Effect of different fertilization practices on the growth of two plant species: Begonia sp. and Petunia sp.

Abstract

The study was carried out in a greenhouse, located in Griffin, Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Georgia. The experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design and aimed to verify the effect of the fertilizer concentration on Begonia (Begonia semperfloresns-cultorum Hort.) and Petunia (Petunia hybrida Hort. Vilm-Andr.) growth. It was verified that the dry weight varies with fertilizer concentration and over time. The fertilizer concentration that generated the maximum growth in dry weight was that with electrical conductivity (EC) around 1.5 dS/m. The EC values increased with fertilizer concentration and over time. The pH values decreased with fertilizer concentration and over time, reaching values that reduced the nutrient availability and limited the plant growth.