Effect of Different Media on Some Growth, Flowering and Biochemical Parameters of Two Cultivars of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) under Soilless Conditions

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of cocopeat: perlite medium with three ratios (v/v) (1:1, 3:1 and 1:3) on some vegetative, flowering and biochemical parameters of two gladiolus cultivars (Strong and White) under soilless conditions in 2016. Data indicated that most vegetative parameters such as plant height, leaf number and leaf area, flowering parameters such as spike emergence, spike diameter, spike length, and number of florets per spike and biochemical parameters like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, soluble sugars and N, P and K (%) uptake in leaf were significantly affected by cultivars, media and their interactions. As the results showed, there was a significant interaction between cultivars and media for plant height and dry weight of florets where taller plants were obtained from cv. White and cocopeat: perlite at the ratio of 1:3, while higher dry weight of florets were observed in cv. Strong and cocopeat: perlite at the ratio of 1:3. All the studied parameters showed significant increase in the treatment containing cocopeat: perlite at the ratio of 1:3 in both cultivars.