Impact of growing media on growth of Mexican carpet grass in commercial trays for terrace gardening
Abstract
Lawn, a fundamental feature in garden landscapes, enhances the aesthetic appeal of both large and small spaces, providing a green backdrop for trees, shrubs, and vibrant flower beds. In addition to recreational use, lawns contribute to erosion control, biodiversity, and offer numerous environmental benefits. Recently, lawns have also been established in terrace gardens, where traditional soil, though common, poses challenges such as heavy weight, weed growth, pest infestations, and disease occurrences. Soil less media, on the other hand, offer advantages like being lightweight, easy to handle, pest-free, and disease-resistant. These attributes make soilless media especially suitable for terrace gardening, as they reduce roof loads and maintain a clean, weed-free environment while being cost-effective. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth of Mexican carpet grass in soilless media for terrace gardening applications. Five soilless media i.e., cocopeat, wood ash, vermiculite, rice hulls, and sand were used individually and in equal combinations, with 17 treatments and 4 replications using soil as the control. Growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters were observed at 30-day intervals from 30 to 120 days after planting (DAP). The results indicated that T1 (Cocopeat) proved as the best performer, followed by T3 (Vermiculite) and T7 (Cocopeat + Vermiculite). Conversely, T4 (Rice hulls) exhibited the poorest growth and establishment among all treatments.
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Introduction
A lawn is a green space covered with grass, serving both aesthetic and recreational purposes, and is often considered the heart of a garden (Desh Raj, 2008) [2] . Lawns occupy a large proportion of urban green spaces globally (Stewart et al., 2009) [11] . Grasses, belonging to the Poaceae family, include around 9,000 species, with 20-25 used for turf production. Turf grasses beautify home lawns, provide safe playing surfaces for athletes, and support recreational activities like golf, while offering economic opportunities for seed and sod producers. Turf grass is part of the "Hidden Agricultural Industry" as it's not commonly surveyed like other crops (Janakiram et al., 2015) [4] . Proper maintenance boosts property values by 15-20% and contributes significantly to the million-dollar "Green Industry" (Randhawa and Mukhopadhyay, 1986; Roshini et al., 2017) [8,9] . Lawn provide functional, aesthetic, and recreational benefits, offering comfort and pride to owners. Lawns promote cardiovascular health by improving circulation and reducing the risk of heart attacks (Janakiram et al., 2015) [4] . Additionally, one square meter of uncut grass can supply enough oxygen for one person for a year (Minke and Witter, 1982) [7] . Rapid urban expansion has significantly reduced green spaces (Alireza and Mohammad, 2019) [10] . Terrace gardening offers city dwellers a solution by allowing plant cultivation on rooftops and balconies. Green roofs help cool buildings in summer and retain heat in winter (Chidambaram et al., 2022) [1] . Additionally, green roofs and walls can improve air quality and enhance the well-being of urban residents. Incorporating a lawn into terrace gardening enhances beauty, reduces heat, and creates a serene space. However, using traditional soil presents challenges like excessive weight, poor drainage, and the risk of waterlogging and root rot. Transporting heavy soil can also be costly and labor-intensive, while it may introduce weeds. To address these issues, soilless media like coco peat and vermiculite offer practical, lightweight alternatives with better drainage, making them ideal for terrace gardens. Cocopeat, also known as coir pith is a natural fiber from coconut husks, valued for its aeration, moisture retention, and resistance to bacteria and fungi. It holds 8-9 times its weight in water and can be reused for up to 4 years. Wood ash, rich in potassium, calcium, and trace elements, is an alkaline soil amendment that neutralizes acidity and improves nutrient content. Vermiculite, a heat-expanded mineral, has high water retention and is ideal for hydroponics and propagation. Rice hulls, a by-product of rice milling, improve drainage, while sand, made of fine rock particles, is used in potting and propagation media.
Materials and Methods
The All the media and media combinations were mixed in equal proportions and filled in plastic trays which were obtained from local source at Tirupati and had dimensions of 30 x 24 x 4 cm with care was taken for proper drainage. Carpet grass was planted in the trays at 10x10 cm spacing following dibbling method of planting. All the trays were kept under screen house for one week and then shifted to main field. Irrigation was given daily with rose can throughout the experiment. Observations were taken from three plants per treatment and the data collected was statistically analyzed. Growth parameters and biochemical parameters such as leaf length (cm), leaf width (cm), stem thickness (mm), internodal length (cm), root length (cm), chlorophyll content (mg m -2 ), no. of days for tiller formation, no. of days for spreading were recorded at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAP.
Results and discussion
Leaf length (cm) Highest leaf length was observed in T 1 (Cocopeat) at 30 DAP (4.81), 60 DAP (5.59), 90 DAP (6.09) and 120 DAP (7.18) which is on par with T 3 (Vermiculite) 30 DAP (4.68), 60 DAP (5.33), 90 DAP (6.06) and 120 DAP (6.84) followed by T 7 (Cocopeat + vermiculite) 30 DAP (4.58), 60 DAP (5.14), 90 DAP (5.75) and 120 DAP (7.17). Poor performance was given by T 4 (Rice hulls) 30 DAP (3.48), 60 DAP (4.22), 90 DAP (4.73) and 120 DAP (6.11). The results of present study is in conformity with the findings of Gurusarithan et al., (2023) [3] who reported maximum leaf length in Perennial Rye grass when grown in Coir pith + Vermicompost + Paddy husk [3] when coir pith + vermicompost + paddy husk (1:1:1) were used in Perennial Rye grass. Cocopeat's high waterholding capacity and porous structure provide consistent moisture and oxygen to the roots, while its good drainage prevents waterlogging and root rot, creating an ideal environment for root development. [12] where maximum chlorophyll content was recoded in Coco peat + vermicompost treatments. Cocopeat's moisture retention, nutrient availability, and good aeration promote efficient nutrient uptake and photosynthesis, leading to higher chlorophyll content. Its neutral pH also supports optimal nutrient absorption.
Conclusion
Among all treatments, T 1 (Cocopeat) demonstrated the best performance, followed by T 3 (Vermiculite) and T 7 (Cocopeat + Vermiculite) and are on par with each other. In contrast, T 4 (Rice hulls) and T 15 (Wood ash + Rice hulls) exhibited suboptimal results, primarily due to their poor water retention and quick-drying nature, which hindered plant growth. Based on the morphological and biochemical observations either Cocopeat or combination of Cocopeat with Vermiculite (50:50 ratio) can be recommended as the ideal medium for the commercial growth and transport of Mexican carpet grass. Its lightweight properties facilitate ease of handling and application, while its excellent moisture retention, nutrient availability, and aeration promote robust root development and early tiller formation.
In conclusion, cocopeat not only proves to be economically feasible and suitable for ready-to-use trays in terrace gardening but also creates optimal conditions for successful plant growth. Vermiculite complements these benefits, making both media excellent choices for sustainable urban gardening practices. Together, they offer a highly effective solution for both commercial and home gardeners.
Future line of work
To investigate the suitability of organic (decomposable) trays for growing Mexican carpet grass. To explore the effectiveness of soil less media in vertical gardening for growing Mexican carpet grass. To explore the potential of incorporating organic additives into soil less media for cultivating carpet grass. To examine the long-term durability of Mexican carpet grass grown in soil less media.
Acknowledgement
AcknowledgementI would like to express my sincere gratitude to the advisory committee for their invaluable guidance and ongoing support throughout my research. I am also appreciative of Citrus Research Station, Tirupati, Dr. YSRHU and Department of Floriculture and Landscaping at the College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta-Dr. YSRHU for providing the essential resources and facilities needed to complete this project. Additionally, I extend special thanks to my family and friends for their unwavering encouragement during this project.
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