Mineral nutrition of ornamental plants: X. Inorganic nutrition of Anthurium andraeanum

Abstract

Young plants of Anthurium andraeanum were cultived in in nutrient solutions, lacking one of the following elements: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and B. Clear cut symptoms were observed for all the elemtns. The deficiencies were comproved by chemical analysis of the leaves. Chemical composition of the leaves expressed on the dry matter basis is as follows: N% -1.56; P% - 0.37; K% - 3.37; Ca% - 1.44; Mg% - 0.37; S%-0.18%; B ppm - 86. Inadequate: N% - 1.25; P% - 0.24;-K% - 0.53;Ca%-0.65; Mg% - 0.28; S% - 0.16; B ppm - 47. One, two and three years old anthurium plants were collected from a well fertilized field and analysed for the macro and mitronutrients, except for molibdenium. The data showed very great differences in the inorganic composition according to the age of the plants. Three year old plants extracted the following amounts of nutrients: N - 434 mg; P - 61 mg; K - 324 mg; Ca - 327 mg; Mg - 224 mg; S - 45 mg; B - 2434 µg; Cu - 204 µg; Fe - 7851 µg; Mn - 7842 µg and Zn - 237 µg.