Organic residues are an important factor that directly affects fruiting tree seedlings' health at earlier stages. It provides a suitable environment for seedling growth by providing better nutrient ions, water, and aeration. However, low organic contents and high shrinkage of most organic materials mostly deteriorate ideal potting media characteristics. Low aeration, high water, and nutrients leaching decrease seedling growth and cause a significant loss of valuable resources. That is why the current study was conducted to screen out the best indigenous materials based on particle size to produce good characteristics bearing potting media. For that, eight different ingredients, i.e., "sugarcane", "coconut coir", "wheat straw", "rice straw", "corn cob", "leaf litter", "farmyard manure", and "sunflower heads" were collected. Initially, all the materials were air-dried and processes as per requirement. After grinding, three particles size (fine = < 2 mm, medium = 3 mm and coarse = 5 mm) were separated by sieving. Results showed that decreasing particle size in "rice straw", "corn cob", "farmyard manure," and "sunflower head" decreased leachate pH. Higher EC in leachates was negatively correlated with particle size in all potting media ingredients. Except for farmyard manure, fine particle size increases the water-holding ability of potting media ingredients. However, air-filled porosity was associated with a decrease in particle size of potting media in gradients. In conclusion, farmyard manure, "sunflower heads", "leaf litter" and "sugarcane" should be incorporated while making a combination for potting media. More investigations are suggested by mixing different particle size ingredients to prepare potting media.

Department of Agronomy The University of Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 21120 Pakistan

Department of Geology and Pedology Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology Mendel University in Brno Zemedelska1 61300 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Land Management Faculty of Agriculture Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia

Department of Physiology College of Medicine and King Khalid University Hospital King Saud University Medical City PO Box 2925 Riyadh 11461 Saudi Arabia

Department of Soil Science Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Punjab Pakistan

Department of Soil Science King Saud University P O Box 2460 Riyadh 11451 Saudi Arabia

Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource College of Tropical Crops Hainan University Haikou 570228 China

Horticultural Research Station Soon Valley Noswhera Khushab Punjab Pakistan

Mango Research Institute Old Shujabad Road Multan Punjab Pakistan

Mango Research Station Shujabad 59220 Punjab Pakistan

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