Peat extraction for horticultural production poses a threat to wetland ecosystems. The rapid growth rate of the horticulture industry has prompted an ongoing search for sustainable alternative growth media components to replace peat. The alternative components need to provide properties (physical and chemical) similar to or better than peat and provide conditions that will enhance ideal growth and yield of potted plants. Potted Dendranthema x grandiflorum is one of the most important pot plants cultivated worldwide in the floriculture industry. There is a global research effort to replace peat with a sustainable alternative growth media for potted plants; however, so far, no study has been conducted in South Africa that used similar treatments on potted Dendranthema x grandiflorum. The aim of this study was to determine a suitable alternative growth media to replace peat as a growth media for cultivation of potted D. x grandiflorum. A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the University of South Africa’s Horticulture centre in Florida, Johannesburg for 89 days. Eight growth media (100 % peat (T1) (control), 100 % bagasse (T2), 50:50 % v/v bagasse:peat (T3), 75:25 % v/v bagasse:peat (T4), 25:75 % v/v bagasse:peat (T5), composted bagasse (T6), Coir (T7), and pine bark (T8)) as treatments and one hybrid (Mount® Runca) of D. x grandiflorum were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. In this study, nutrient uptake, chlorophyll content, growth, and yield parameters were measured for potted D. x grandiflorum grown in all eight growth media. The results show that treatments had different chemical and physical properties compared to peat. The pH of 100 % bagasse and coir were within the ideal range recommended for growth media. The EC results indicated that after the experiment, other treatments were within the defined range except for composted bagasse due to high concentration of soluble salts. The BD of control and composted bagasse were similar and may have resulted in the low root response. The concentration of total N was high in the shoots of plants cultivated in 100 % peat with a subsequent increased fresh and dry shoots weight. The highest significant chlorophyll content was present in plants cultivated in composted bagasse, which contained high total N and, Fe and Zn concentrations in shoots. Taken together, the results showed that composted bagasse was the best alternative to replace peat for cultivation of potted D. x grandiflorum. / Turfonttrekking vir tuinboukundige produksie hou ʼn bedreiging vir moerasland-ekostelsels in. Die vinnige groeitempo van die tuinboubedryf het gelei tot ʼn voortdurende soektog na volhoubare groeimediakomponente om turf te vervang. Die alternatiewe komponente moet (fisiese en chemiese) eienskappe kan bied wat soortgelyk aan, of beter as dié van turf is, en moet toestande gee wat die ideale groei en opbrengs van potplante verbeter. Potplant- Dendranthema x grandiflorum is een van die belangrikste potplante wêreldwyd wat in die blomboerderybedryf aangeplant word. Daar word wêreldwyd navorsing gedoen om turf met ʼn volhoubare groeimedium vir potplante te vervang; sover is daar egter nog nie in Suid-Afrika ʼn studie gedoen wat soortgelyke behandelings vir potplante- Dendranthema x grandiflorum gebruik nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ʼn gepaste alternatiewe groeimedium te bepaal om turf as ʼn groeimedium te vervang vir die aanplanting van D. x grandiflorum-potplante. ʼn Kweekhuis-eksperiment is by die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika se Tuinbousentrum in Florida, Johannesburg uitgevoer vir 89 dae. Agt groeimedia (100% turf (T1) (beheer), 100% bagasse (T2), 50:50% v/v bagasse:turf (T3), 75:25% v/v bagasse:turf (T4), 25:75 % v/v bagasse:turf (T5), bagasse wat tot kompos verwerk is (T6), klapperhaar (T7), en dennebas (T8)) as behandelings en een hibried (Mount® Runca) van D. x grandiflorum is in ʼn verewekansigde, volledige blokontwerp met vier repliserings gerangskik. In hierdie studie is voedingstofopname-, chlorofilinhoud-, groei- en opbrengs-parameters gemeet vir potgroei van D. x grandiflorum in al agt groeimedia. Die resultate toon dat die behandelings verskillende chemiese en fisiese eienskappe in vergelyking met turf het. Die pH van 100% bagasse en klapperhaar val binne die ideale reikwydte wat vir groeimedia aanbeveel word. Volgens die EG (elektriese geleiding)-resultate was ander behandelings binne die gedefinieerde reikwydte – behalwe vir bagasse wat tot kompos verwerk is – vanweë die hoë konsentrasie oplosbare soute. Die BD van beheer en bagasse wat tot kompos verwerk is, was soortgelyk en kon die lae wortelrespons veroorsaak het. Die konsentrasie totale N was hoog in die lote van plante wat in 100% turf aangeplant is, met ʼn gevolglike verhoging in die gewig van vars en droë lote. Die hoogste beduidende chlorofilinhoud was teenwoordig in plante wat gekweek is in bagasse wat tot kompos verwerk is, en wat hoë totale konsentrasies van N, Fe en Zn in die lote bevat het. Alles in ag genome het die resultate getoon dat bagasse wat tot kompos verwerk is, die beste alternatief is om turf te vervang in die kweking van D. x grandiflorum in potte. / Go ntsha borubu mo kumong ya mokgwa wa temo go na le matshosetsi mo matshelong a diphologolo le ditlhare tsa lefatshe le le kolobileng. Kelo ya kgodiso e e bonako ya intaseteri ya matshelo a diphologolo le ditlhare e susumetsa patlo e e tswelelang ya dikarolo tsa mekgwa ya kgodiso ya thefosano e e tswelelang ya go emela go ntsha borubu. Dikarolo tse dingwe di tlhoka go neela dipharologantsho (sebopego le khemikale) tse di tshwanang le kgotsa botoka mo go ntsheng borubu le go neela mabaka a a ka tsholetsang kgodiso e e ikaeletsweng, mme ya ntsha dijalo tse di ka fa dipitseng. Dendranthema x grandiflorum e e ka fa dipitseng ke thefosano nngwe ya dijalo tsa ka fa dipitseng tse di botlhokwa thata tse di jadilweng mo lefatsheng ka bophara mo intasetering ya mokgwa wa temo ya dithunya. Go na le boiteko jwa patlisiso ya bogotlhe ya go emela go ntsha borubu ka mokgwa wa kgodiso wa thefosano o mongwe o o tswelelang wa dijalo tsa ka fa dipitseng; le gale, go le kalo, ga go na thuto e e setseng e dirilwe mo Aforikaborwa e e dirisang ditshwaro tse di tshwanang mo go Dendranthema x grandiflorum e e mo dipitseng. Maikaelelo a thuto eno e ne e le go tlhomamisa mekgwa ya grandiflorum e e mo dipitseng. Maikaelelo a thuto eno e ne e le go tlhomamisa mekgwa ya kgodiso ya thefosano e mengwe e e tshwanelang go emela go ntsha borubu jaaka mekgwa ya kgodiso ya go jala D. x grandiflorum ka mo dipitseng. Tekelelo ya ntlo e tala e ne ya dirwa kwa lefelong la Mokgwa wa matshelo a diphologolo le ditlhare ya Yunibesiti ya Aforikaborwa kwa Florida, Johannesburg mo matsatsing a le 89. Mekgwa ya kgodiso e merobedi (100 % ya go ntsha borubu (T1) (taolo), 100 % bagasse (T2), 50:50 % v/v bagasse: go ntsha borubu (T3), 75:25 % v/v bagasse: go ntsha borubu (T4), 25:75 % v/v bagasse: go ntsha borubu (T5), bagasse e e bodisitsweng (T6), Coir (T7), le kutu ya phaene (T8)) jaaka ditshwaro le lotswakwa lo lo longwe (Mount® Runca) ya D. x grandiflorum di ne di beilwe ka moakanyetso wa boloko e e feletseng ka kakaretso ka ditshwano di le nne. Mo thutong eno, go tsaya kotlo, diteng tsa setalafatsi, kgodiso le diparametara tse di ntshitsweng di ne tsa lekanyediwa mo go D. x grandiflorum e e mo dipitseng e e jadilweng mo mekgweng ya dikgodiso tse di robedi tse tsotlhe. Dipheto di bontsha gore ditshwaro di na le dikarolo tsa dikhemikale le dibopego tse di farologaneng fa di tshwantshanngwa le go ntsha borubu. Bagasse ya pH ya 100 % le coir di ne di le magareng ga paka ya botlhokwa ya kgodiso e e atlenegisitsweng mo mekgweng ya kgodiso. Dipheto tsa EC di bontsha gore morago ga tekelelo, ditshwaro tse dingwe di ne di le magareng ga paka e e tlhalositsweng kwa ntle ga bagasse e e bodisitsweng kwa kokoanong e e kwa godimo ya matswai a a tlhaolositsweng. BD ya taolo le bagasse e e bodisitsweng, mme go ka bo go dirile gore go nne le tsibogelo ya medi e e kwa tlase. Kokoano ya N yotlhe e ne e le kwa godimo mo matlhogeding a dijalo tse di jadilweng ka go ntsha borubu jwa 100 % ka koketso e e latelang ya bokete jwa matlhogedi a mantshwa le a a omileng. Diteng tsa setalafatsi se se botlhokwa se se kwa godimodimo di ne di le teng mo dijalong tse di jadilweng ka bagasse e e bodisitsweng, e e nang le kokoano ya bogotlhe jo bo kwa godimo jwa N, Fe le Zn mo matlhogeding. Di tserwe mmogo, dipheto di bontsha gore bagasse e e bodileng jaaka sengwe se se gaisang go emela go ntsha borubu mo jalong ya D. x grandiflorum ka mo dipitseng. / School of Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Ornamental Horticulture)