Effect of home garden fertilizer on the growth of Dieffenbachia

A total of 96 pots were managed each contained 8kg Silt: FYM mixture (1:1 before application of HGF). Two pots were considered as one replication. The initial observations of already growing Dieffenbachia in pots were recorded. Treatments include HGF @ 6g, 12g, 18g, 24g, 30g and 36g pot-1. The Dieffenbachia pots fertilized with higher HGF levels of 36g and 30g pot-1 produced significantly greater lamina length of 31.20 and 30.86 cm, which shows 48.57 and 38.91% increase over initial length, respectively. The pots that received HGF @ 24g and 18g ranked third and fourth with mean lamina length of 27.70 and 25.05 cm and pots received 12g or 6g HGF had lower lamina length of 24.95 and 24.58 cm. The Dieffenbachia pots fertilized with highest HGF level of 36- pot-1 produced significantly maximum breadth of lamina of 12.94, closely followed by HGF levels @ 30g and 24g with mean lamina breadth of 12.62 and 11.41 cm. Minimum breadth of lamina (10.02 cm ) was recorded in case of lowest HGF level of 6g pot-1. Higher HGF levels of 36g and 30g pot-1 recorded, 90.23 and 77.36% increase over initial petiole length, respectively. Pots received 12g or 6g HGF had minimum petiole length of 5.15 and 4.88 cm, showing an increase of 35.53 and 26.42. The Dieffenbachia potted in soil media containing highest HGF level of 36g pot-1 produced significantly maximum stem girth of 2.13, closely followed by HGF levels @ 30g and 24g with mean stem girth of 1.99 and 1.79 cm, which suggested an increased of 53.23, 41.13 and 27.85 percent over initial stem girth, respectively. Minimum stem girth (1.56 cm) was recorded in case of lowest HGF level of 6g pot-1. Highest HGF level of 36g pot-1 produced significantly maximum number of leaves 11.50 plant-1 (119.05 % increase over initial number of leaves), closely by HGF levels a, 30g, 24g, 18g and 12g pot-1 with 11.00, 9.25, 9.00 and 9.00 mean number of leaves per plant showing an increase of 100.00, 94. 7 4, 76.47 and 73.07 percent, the lowest number of leaves (8.00 plant-1) was recorded in case of pots fertilized with lowest HGF rate of 6g pot-1. The pots fertilized with higher HGF levels of 36g and 30g pot-1 produced significantly more plant height of 87.50 and 82.00 cm with 97.29 and 88.07 percent while minimum plant height (58.20 cm) was recorded in case of lowest HGF level of 6g pot-1. It was concluded that in all the characters under observation, the HGF at all rates received positive response of Dieffenbachia. However, in most of the characters differences between 36g and 30g pot-1 HGF were non-significant. Hence 30g pot-1 HGF was considered as an optimum level.