Abstract

Studies were carried out at the Department of Horticulture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, to determine the rooting and vegetative growth responses of different stem cutting types (heel and straight) of Ixora coccineaand Ficus benjamina cv. ‘Starlight’ to different soilless media formulations over a 10-week period. Two experiments of a 2 × 6 factorial in randomised complete block design, replicated three times, were used. The different media formulated were 100% topsoil (control), 100% palmix (palm waste that is, bunch, fibre and mill mud), 50% teak sawdust + 50% coconut coir, 50% palmix + 50% coconut coir, 50% palmix + 50% teak sawdust and 50% palmix + 25% teak sawdust + 25% coconut coir. The study revealed that 50% teak sawdust + 50% coconut coir was the best soilless medium, in terms of physical and chemical properties, and produced the highest number of leaves (2.59) inI. coccinea. Also, 50% palmix + 25% teak sawdust + 25% coconut coir medium had more survived cuttings (1.13) and produced the longest root (1.05 cm) per cutting in F. benjamina cv. ‘Starlight’. The heel stem cutting produced higher number of leaves (2.32), eight weeks after planting, in Ixora coccinea while straight stem cuttings produced more leaves (2.49) in F. benjamina cv. ‘Starlight’ four weeks after planting.

Keys words: Ixora coccinea, Ficus benjamina cv. ‘Starlight’, media effect, stem cutting types.