Abstract:

To address the resource scarcity of peat, a key component of cultivation substrates for bedding plants, a three factors and three levels orthogonal experimental design was employed. Utilizing garden waste compost, peat, and bare soil as primary raw materials, four common ornamental species (Begonia semperflorens, Catharanthus roseus, Petunia hybrida, and Torenia fournieri) as test plants, a comprehensive evaluation of plant growth performance was conducted by the membership function method based on twelve growth indicators: plant height, crown width, branch number, root length, flower number, flower diameter, leaf number, leaf area, above-ground fresh weight, below-ground fresh weight, above-ground dry weight, and below-ground dry weight. The results demonstrated that among the nine substrate formulations tested, the substrate composed of 40% peat, 40% green waste compost, 10% perlite, and 10% vermiculite yielded the optimal growth performance across all four plant species. Conversely, the substrate with 80% green waste compost, 10% perlite, and 10% vermiculite resulted in the poorest growth outcomes. Additionally, a substrate formulation comprising 18.46% peat, 36.92% green waste compost, 24.62% garden soil, 10% perlite, and 10% vermiculite also supported favorable growth for B. semperflorens, P. hybrida and T. fournieri. In conclusion, green waste compost can partially substitute peat in cultivation substrates for B. semperflorens, C. roseus, P. hybrida and T. fournieri.

Key words: garden waste, compost maturity products, Begonia cucullata, Catharanthus roseus, Petunia×atkinsiana, Torenia fournieri, culture substrate, orthogonal experimental design, membership function method