Evaluation of Different Potted Medium Containing Various Ratios of Organic and Inorganic Substrates on Ficus benjamina cv. Starlight

To compare the effect of the substrate on the cultivation of ornamental plants, Ficus benjamina cv. star light was chosen as a model plant. Nine treatments from 8 types of substrates with 6 replications were investigated in this study. Data analysis with SPSS software in (P≤0.05) showed the effect of different month were significant on stem diameter, height, leaf number and total length of new leaves. Also application of different substrates showed the effect of substrate wasn’t significant on stem diameter and plant height, while it was significant on number of new leaf, number of new lateral shoot and total length of new leaf. The interaction between the substrates and measuring time was significant on plant height, number of new leaf and total length of new leaf, but it wasn’t significant on increasing rate of stem diameter. According to the result of this study, substrate n containing [1/3 (3 perlite sand) 1/3 (1 leaf-mold 1 rice hull 1 cocopeat) 1/3 (2 mushroom compost 1 forest trees compost 1 rotted manure)] was the best substrate as for the most number of new leaf, number of new lateral shoots and total length of new leaf, also it was in suitable situation in height characteristic. Also in different measured month, the value of plant growth was increased with enhancement in air temperature in spring and summer seasons; insofar as the most increasing in plant height and number of new leaf were observed on July. So it is better that the plants growing should be delayed to warm seasons.