Rooting and Growth of Chrysanthemum morifolium after Cutting in the Media Containing Blast Furnace Slag

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of cutting media blended with blast furnace slag (BFS) and commercial substrate (CS) on their physicochemical properties and the growth of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) cutting.pH and bulk density of cutting media blending BFS were higher than those of CS, while electrical conductivity (EC) was lower.The correlation coefficient between BFS blending ratio and the pH and bulk density of media was significantly positive (p0.01).As compared to CS, the root length and root dry weight in CS:BFS = 1:1 treatment were increased by 54.7% and 76.2%, respectively.The root length and dry weight in the CS:BFS = 1:1 treatment were similar to those of the perlite treatment.These results indicated that the blend of BFS with CS in the chrysanthemum cutting substrate significantly enhanced the root growth of chrysanthemum cuttings, and their optimal ratio was found to be 1:1 (v/v).