Effects of Media and Nutrient Levels on Growth and Flowering of Cymbidium hybridium Seedlings

Effects of two media and fertilizer levels on the growth of Cymbidium hybridium were studied. Results demonstrated that peanut-hull mixed sand (abbreviated as PH/S=1/1)medium had higher total porosity and la rger air space and lower water holding capacity in comparison with sphagnum (abbreviated as SP)medium. Leaf growth rate, chlorophyll contents, fresh weight and photosynthetic rate change along with the changes of nitrogen concentrations of both SP and PH/S media. According to the investigation,when the nitrogen concentration was 222.75 mg·L^-1, the photosynthetic rate of SP-medium reached the highest. The practical nitrogen content was 180.00 mg·L^-1 for PH S medium. The maximum of flower quantity (number per spike)was gotten by treating of N/P₂O₅/K₂O=10/30/20 on PH S medium, and N/P₂O₅/K₂O=0/23/29 treatment was the lowest on PH S medium. The differences in small flowers, stem length and flower quantity among the two media and the three fertilization methods reached significant at 0.05 level, respectively.