Pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of different commercial fertilizer levels on the growth, flowering and chemical composition of cineraria (Senecio cruentus) plants, during the two successive seasons 2005 and 2006.
The experiment was designed to investigate the effect of commercial fertilizers Super- Feed, Stimufol and Kristalon, each added at 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g /L, every 2 weeks throughout the period of study as soil drench.
The results showed that Kristalon fertilizer application at 3 g/ L significantly increased the growth parameters, represented as plant height, number of leaves per plant, root length, fresh and dry weights of shoots and leaves. Flowering parameters, i.e. number of flowers per plant and inflorescence diameter markedly increased by the application of Super-Feed fertilizer at 3 g /L. Super-Feed fertilizer at 3 g /L produced a significant increase in fresh and dry weight of roots. Meanwhile, Stimufol application at 3 g/ L increased the number of shoots / plant and fresh and dry weights of flowers, in both seasons.
The chemical analysis proved that N%, P% and K % were increased in the leaves of cineraria plants when the Kristalon fertilizers was applied at 3.0 g / L , whereas the highest percentage of chlorophyll (a) and (b) was obtained from the plants which received Super-Feed fertilizer at 3.0 g/L.