Response of Four Container Grown Woody Ornamentals to Immature Composted Media Derived from Waxed Corrugated Cardboard

Abstract

Four containerized deciduous ornamental shrubs [deutzia (Deutzia gracilis L.), silverleaf dogwood (Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’), red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.), and ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius L.)] were grown during each of two separate growing seasons using 12 different immature (nonaged) composts as media (year one, 12 weeks from start of windrowing; year two, 16-weeks) and also two control nursery mixes (100 percent ground pine bark; and 80:15:5 by volume of pine bark:sphagnum peat:top soil). The compost formulations (volume basis) consisted of spent mushroom substrate (50 percent), waxed corrugated cardboard, 0 percent, 25 percent, or 50 percent), and/or pulverized wood wastes (50 percent, 25 percent, and 0 percent). Supplemental N was added to some composts as poultry manure (18 kg·m−3), soybean wastes (24·kg·m−3), or both at the same application rates. Despite the immaturity of the compost media and the presence of high initial contents of soluble salts primarily from the spent mushroom substrate (EC ≤6.4 dS·m−1, 1:1 v/v medium:water extracts), the top dry weight (averaged over two seasons) of each of the four species grown in compost media, regardless of waxed corrugated cardboard (WCC) level, exceeded that obtained in 100 percent pine bark. Compared with the 0 percent WCC compost, plants of all four species grew better in 25 percent and/or 50 percent WCC compost media and growth in these treatments was more (silverleaf dogwood), similar (deutzia and red-osier dogwood), or less than (ninebark) that in the 80:15:5 nursery mix. Rapid leaching of the potentially toxic soluble salts from the containerized compost media within days after planting minimized any adverse effects on the plants. There was no difference in foliar concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn due to WCC level, or to the N supplements which had little or no effect on growth. The foliar contents of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, Co, and Pb) were low and/or below detection limits.