Physiological response of foliage ornamentals in different nutrient solutions under hydroponic culture

An experiment was conducted to study the response of different foliage ornamentals viz., Devil's ivy (Epipremunm aureum), Wandering Jew (Zebrina pendula), Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens), Boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea) on different nutrient solutions grown under passive hydroponic vertical garden module. The physiological parameters viz., Chlorophyll content, Membrane integrity (%) and Relative growth rate (g days⁻¹) was observed at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. Results of the experiment revealed that the foliage ornamentals viz., Devils ivy, Arrow head plant and Philodendron grown under treatment T₃ (Cooper's solution) recorded the maximum chlorophyll content, while the others two viz., Wandering Jew and Boat lily recorded maximum chlorophyll content in T₂ (Hoagland solution) at all three stages of observation. At all three stages of observation, the highest membrane integrity percent was observed under Hoagland solution and the lowest membrane integrity percent was observed in the control treatment (Irrigation water). In all foliage ornamentals, the highest relative growth rate was observed in Hoagland solution and the lowest growth rate was found with Saparamadu's solution.