Effect of potting media and nano urea on phenological and physiological parameters of philodendron (Philodendron scandens)

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the “Effect of potting media and nano urea on phenological and physiological parameters of Philodendron scandens” under container-grown conditions. The study was carried out at the College of Horticulture, Mojerla, SKLTSHU, India, during December 2021-May 2022. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with six nano urea levels (control, conventional urea @ 2 g L⁻¹, and nano urea @ 0.5-2.0 ml L⁻¹) and four potting media compositions. Enriched substrates significantly reduced days to bud sprouting (8.77 days) and full leaf expansion (3.32 days) compared to red earth alone. Nano urea @ 2 ml L⁻¹ recorded the highest Leaf Area Index at 65, 95 and 125 days after planting (1.89, 5.14 and 13.49, respectively), particularly when combined with red earth + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1). Relative Growth Rate and Specific Leaf Weight were not significantly influenced, whereas Specific Leaf Area showed significant variation among treatments. The results indicate that optimized substrate composition coupled with nano urea application improves physiological efficiency and vegetative growth of Philodendron.