Effect of Growing Media, Bio-stimulants, and Ferrous Sulfate on Growth and Chemical Properties of Rosemary Plants (Rosmarinus officinalis)

This study investigates the effects of different growing media, biofertilizer applications, and foliar applications of ferrous sulfate on the growth performance and chemical properties of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) plants. A factorial experiment was conducted to assess how these factors influence plant height; the highest significant increase was obtained when using a growing medium containing river soil plus peat moss with the addition of 6 g of mycorrhiza and spraying with 15% Fe (46.667 cm). The greatest number of branches, 49.333 branches/plant, were observed when using a growing medium containing river soil plus manure with addition 6 g of mycorrhiza and spraying with 30% Fe. Regarding shoot dry weight and dry matter, the most significant result was recorded (21.740 and 65.336) g and was found when using a growing medium containing river soil plus peat moss with addition of 6 g of mycorrhiza and spraying with 30% Fe and river soil plus manure when adding 3 g of mycorrhiza and spraying with 15 % Fe respectively. Results indicated that the combination of organic growing media enriched with bio-fertilizer and ferrous sulfate significantly enhanced all plant growth parameters and key phytochemicals. The use of biofertilizer improved nutrient uptake and soil health, while ferrous sulfate supplementation contributed to improved carbohydrate and chlorophyll content and iron availability.