Plant growth and nutrient uptake of Selliera radicans Cav. under soilless conditions and fertilized for cultivation purposes

Abstract

Selliera radicans is a creeping halophyte herb native to Australia, New Zealand and Chile. It is being used on the lawn to replace traditional grass in gardens. It holds up well against foot traffic and does not need to be mown. It is grown in nurseries, but nutritional or fertilizing aspects are unknown. The aims of this study were to assess plant coverage, dry matter (DM) content and nutrient accumulation in containerized plants started from two-node rhizome fragments in a growing season, and to develop a preliminary fertilizing guideline. The plants received mist (without fertilizer) and were watered twice a week with nutrient solutions of 0 (control), 150, and 300 mg L⁻¹ N based on a 18 N − 18 P₂O₅−18 K₂O fertilizer. Increasing fertilization rate resulted in higher DM, plant coverage and nutrient accumulation. The species occurs naturally in coastal areas under saline conditions; Na from the water used for irrigation (17 mg L⁻¹) was not detrimental, despite plant Na concentration being higher than 1 g 100 g⁻¹dry matter in all treatments. The general guideline proposes to fertilize with 1 g N, 0.5 g P and 0.95 g K per plant (plant started from a rhizome fragment and growing into a complex plant with several axis) during the growing season, under the experiment conditions.

Keywords:

• Halophyte
• dry matter
• rhizomatous plant
• mineral plant composition
• soluble fertilizer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to thank the Soil and Crops Center of Talca University for its financial support in the performed nutrient analyses.