Effect of different growing media on growth and flowering of lilium cultivars, namely colares and pavia, under protected conditions of the wet temperate zone of h.p

The present investigation was carried out during the year 2023-24 and 2024-25 to study the effect of different growing media on growth and flowering of lilium cultivars, namely Colares and Pavia. The earliest bulbs sprouting was recorded in the growing media leaf mould+control (23.50 days), followed by control+leaf mould+cocopeat (26.00 days). The minimum number of days taken to bud initiation was observed in the growing media leaf mould + control (127.50 days) compared to other growing media. Cultivar Colares recorded the earliest flower bud initiation (144.28 days). Flowering was observed earlier in growing media leaf mould + control (153.17 days), followed by control+leaf mould+cocopeat (159.33 days). The maximum number of flowers per plant among different growing media was observed in leaf mould+ control (5.50), followed by control+ leaf mould+cocopeat (5.53), when compared with cultivars Pavia recorded (4.50) maximum number of flowers per plant and minimum in Colares. The maximum flower diameter (18.00 cm) was recorded in the control + leaf mould + cocopeat, followed by leaf mould + control (17.66 cm) among cultivars, the maximum diameter observed in Colares (15.56 cm). Maximum stem length was (58.67 cm) was observed in growing media leaf mould+ control followed by control+ leaf mould+cocopeat (56.33 cm) and maximum stem length was recorded in cultivar Colares (43.83 cm) than Pavia. Over all, lilium growth and flowering parameters were found better in growing media leaf mould+ control followed by control+ leaf mould+cocopeat, and cultivars Colares performed better in all respect except number of flowers per plant.