Vol. 9, Special Issue 10, Part E (2025)

The present investigation entitled “Assessing the Influence of Different Potting Media on Vegetative and Floral Attributes of Marigold (Tagetes erecta) cv. Pusa Narangi Gainda” was conducted during Rabi season 2024-25 at the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, College of Horticulture and Research Station, Sankara, Patan, Durg, Chhattisgarh. Nine media combinations were evaluated in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Observations on vegetative (plant height, spread, branches, leaves, stem diameter) and floral traits (bud initiation, flower opening, 50% flowering, blooming period, number of flowers, diameter and flower weight) revealed significant differences among treatments. Vermicompost-based medium (Soil: Sand: Vermicompost, 1:1:2) consistently outperformed others by recording maximum vegetative growth and superior floral attributes, including earliest bud initiation (48 days), maximum flowers per plant (26), highest flower weight (213.43 g) and longest blooming duration (46.5 days). Poultry manure and mushroom compost also improved plant growth and flower yield but were comparatively less effective. The control (Soil: Sand) showed the poorest performance. The results emphasize the importance of organic amendments, particularly vermicompost, in enhancing growth, flowering and sustainability in marigold cultivation.