Vegetative development of orchids submitted to different macronutrient formulations and fertilization frequencies during the acclimatization phase

Abstract

The macronutrient concentration, the dose and the fertilizing application frequency affect the vegetative development of the plants in a significant way. The aim of this work was to evaluate the vegetative development of plants of Cattleya intermedia x Laelia purpurata in the acclimatization phase, fertirrigated with different formulations of N-P-K and with different fertilizing frequencies. The formulations of N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), applied to the plants with the irrigation water, were 10:10:10 and 6:6:8, to each seven or fifteen days, in the concentration of 2 g.L^-1, during 10 months, mantaining a control group of plants that did not receive the fertilizers. After that period, the following parameters were appraised: length of the aerial part; length of the largest root; pseudobulbs number; number of roots; total fresh mass; pH, and electric conductivity (µS) of the substratum. Considering all parameters, the fertirrigation with N-P-K 10:10:10 in the interval time of 15 days, in the concentration of 2 g.L^-1, provided the best vegetative development of the intergeneric hybrid Cattleya intermedia x Laelia purpurata during the acclimatization phase.