Cotton gin trash compost and rice hulls as growing medium components for ornamentals

SummaryRooted cuttings of Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev., Nerium oleander L. and Lantana camara L., as well as seedlings of Pelargonium zonale L. were grown in media containing cotton gin trash compost, rice hulls, peat and perlite in various ratios, and their vegetative growth and flowering was determined and compared with a control medium of 1 peat:1perlite (by volume). When up to 60% of peat in the control medium was replaced by cotton gin trash compost plant height was slightly reduced, except in P. zonale, the number of flowers was increased, except in pot D. grandiflora, and flowering was accelerated in all species except N. oleander. When half or all the perlite of the control was replaced by rice hulls, plant height and flower number was similar to that of the control plants, except in pot D. grandiflora where the number of flowers was reduced and in cut D. grandiflora where both stem length and flower number were reduced; also, in L. camara total replacement of perlite by rice hulls gave short...