Influence of Compost from Post-Consumer Wood on Development, Nutrition State of Plants, Microbiological and Biochemical Parameters of Substrates in Zonal Pelargonium (Pelargonium zonale)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the possibility of using compost made from post-consumer wood in zonal pelargonium (Pelargonium zonale) cv. ‘Tex Mex’ cultivation. The influence of compost on the plant’s development and nutritional state, as well as the microbiological and enzymatic activity of the substrate was examined. Two variants of compost marked with the following letters: OPA and OPB were used. Both variants consisted of post-consumer wood waste (OP) (70% of weight) mixed with powdery waste from processing MDF boards (6%), mature compost from fiberboard waste (19%), high peat (4%), water and a biological inoculum “Activit Las”. Thirty kilograms of urea in two portions per prism were added to the OPA variant while ammonium nitrate (1.5 kg per prism), magnesium sulphate (0.4 kg per prism), potassium phosphate (0.8kg per prism) and calcium phosphate (0.9 kg per prism) were added to the OPB variant. The plants were cultivated into pots 12 cm in diameter and a capacity of 659 dm3 in the substrates consisting of peat with the addition of compost at different volume ratios. It was found that the medium type had a significant influence on the growth and flowering of the zonal pelargonium. The type of compost used was the determinant for microbiological total counts and activity. The chemical composition of the substrates significantly modified the plants’ nutritional state in terms of macro- and microelements. In summary, the study demonstrated that good quality ornamental plants can be successfully grown in peat substrate containing 25% or 50% of post-consumer wood compost.