Application of Growmore Fertilizer to the Growth of Dendrobium sp. at the Acclimatization Stage

Abstrak

Orchid Dendrobium sp. is one type of ornamental plant with high potential to be developed in Indonesia both as a cut flower and as a potted ornamental plant.  The demand for orchids that continues to increase yearly has not been followed by adequate production.  In general, the orchid Dendrobium sp. propagated through tissue culture and the final stage of tissue culture is acclimatization.  Acclimatization is an essential stage in orchid cultivation, so it requires proper nutrition and maintenance so that it can support the growth and development of orchid seedlings.  One important aspect of acclimatization is fertilization.  To be fertile and fast flowering, orchid plants need to be fertilized with complete macro and micronutrients.  Growmore is a complete foliar fertilizer (N 20%, P2O5 20%, and K2O 20%) in the form of blue crystals, highly soluble in water, and easily absorbed by plants by spraying on the leaves.  The purpose of this study was to obtain a dose of Growmore fertilizer best to increase the growth of Dendrobium sp. at the acclimatization stage.  The research will be conducted from June 2022 – November 2022 at Floculture Farm, Lampung State Polytechnic. From the results, it was found that Growmore fertilizer affected the growth of Dendrobium sp. Orchids at the time of observation 3, 5, 7 and 9 WAP.