The seedlings’ development in the nursery and preparing them for planting depends on some main primary factors, including the pot size and fertilization. The timely study aimed to determine the effects of pot size and nanofertilizer levels on the growth and development of bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) seedlings, carried out in 2021 at the University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq. The study comprised two factors, with the first factor using pots with three different sizes (small, medium, and large), and the second factor was the treatment with NPK nanofertilizer at three concentrations (0, 2, and 4 g L-1). The results showed pot size, NPK nanofertilizers, and their interactions have a significant impact on all studied traits. The large pot size and increased level of NPK nanofertilizer (4 g L-1) individually exhibited the highest increase in seedling height, stem diameter, number of branches, number of leaves, and shoot dry weight. The interaction between the large pot and NPK nanofertilizer (4 g L-1) also showed the best performance for the traits: seedling height (131.73 cm), stem diameter (12.06 mm), number of branches (39.06 branch seedling-1), number of leaves (1,181.4 leaves seedling-1), and shoot dry weight (68.78 g).
Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), pot size, NPK nanofertilizer, morphological and growth traits
The large pot size and increased level of NPK nanofertilizer (4 g L-1) individually and in combination exhibited the highest increase in seedling height, stem diameter, number of branches and leaves, and shoot dry weight.