For the cultivation of potted chrysanthemum, which is a relevant culture in the sector of ornamental plants, there is still a need of a consistent recommendation of electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution. An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to study the effect of electrical conductivity of nutrient solution and salt leaching on the growth of pot chrysanthemum, cv. Miramar. A completely randomized block design was used, with four replications and treatments distributed in a 5 x 2 factorial arrangement, representing the electrical conductivity (EC) levels of nutrient solution, EC = 2.1; 2.8; 3.5; 4.2 e 4.9 dS m-1, in substrate with and without salt percolation. Increasing EC inhibited plant development, but stimulated stem diameter. Salt leaching resulted in greater growth of the plant variables, except for stem diameter. An EC of 2.1 dS m-1 by periodical leaching of the substrate enables chrysanthemum production to obtain market quality standards.
Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev; leaching; growth medium
