Fertilization for potted foliage anthurium

Anthurium maricense Nadruz & Mayo is one of the anthurium species with potential for commercialization as a foliage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the NPK rates and the frequency of nitrogen foliar fertilization for pot cultivation of Anthurium maricense. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a split-plot scheme, with 04-14-08 NPK rates applied in the substrate (0; 3; 6; 9 and 12 kg m(-3)) as the main treatments and the frequency of nitrogen foliar fertilizer (no foliar fertilizer; once and twice a month at urea concentration of 20 g L-1) in subplots, with ten replicates. Ten months after planting the seedlings in the pots, the following evaluations were made: height, average plant diameter, number of leaves and inflorescences, leaf area and dry mass (leaves, inflorescence, shoots, roots and total). In the absence of nitrogen foliar fertilizer, maximum leaf area and leaf, shoot and total dry masses were obtained with NPK rates varying from 4.7 to 5.4 kg m(-3). With application of nitrogen foliar fertilizer as urea, twice a month, there is no need for NPK application in the commercial substrate used in the cultivation of foliage anthurium in pots.