Potassium silicate fertilization to promote growth of poinsettia plants

Abstract

Three fertilization treatments were tested on poinsettia plants in order to measure their effects on plant growth. The treatments were applied by drenching and foliar. In addition to the fertilization treatments, a Potassium Silicate (Sillisec K ®)-based product was also put to the test. Plant sizes, and bud and flower production were measured.  Differences among treatments were tested using the Kruskall-Wallis and chi-square test. The results demonstrated the superiority of all three treatments in comparison with the control sample, with the fertilization in drench + Sillisec K + foliar treatment yielding the best results.