Chiredzi Research Station. P. O. Box 97, Chiredzi, Zimbabwe 

Bagasse, leaf compost and cow dung are readily available to most nursery men in the lowveld of Zimbabwe. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of three sources of organic matter namely bagasse, leaf compost and cow dung and the effect of four mixing ratios 1 : 1 : 2, 2 : 1 : 2, 3 :1 : 2 and 3 : 2 : 1 (sand: organic media: soil) for potting on the growth of mango and lemon seedlings. There were no significant differences in plant height, number of leaves and stem diameter for seedlings grown in media containing bagasse and leaf compost for mango seedlings. Lemon seedling in media containing leaf compost had a significantly bigger stem diameter (0.61 cm) compared to those in media containing bagasse (0.49 cm) and cow dung (0.47 cm). Mango and lemon seedlings in media with cow dung had a significantly high mortality and slow growth due to high electrical conductivity. Mixing ratio 1 : 1 : 2 and 3 : 2 : 1 had significantly bigger seedlings for both mango and lemon. Mango seedlings in media containing leaf compost had significantly high root (25.8 g) and shoot (63.0 g) dry weight. Bagasse and leaf compost were better sources of organic matter for mango seedlings while leaf compost was better for lemon seedlings.