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- Author or Editor: Yin-Tung Wang x
It not clear how a prolonged period of cool days and warm nights affect Phalaenopsis hybrids which take up CO2 mainly at night. The `Lava Glow' clone of the hybrid Doritaenopsis (Phal. Buddha's Treasure × Doritis pulcherrima) 15 cm in leaf span were subjected to day/night (12 h each daily) temperatures of 30/25, 25/30, 25/20, or 20/25 °C at 170 umol.m-2 .s-1 PPF. After nine months, plants under the higher average daily temperature (ADT) produced more leaves. Those grown at 30/25 °C had the largest leaf span and total length of the new leaves. Plants under 30/25, 25/30, 25/20, or 20/25 °C had 5.0, 4.7, 3.6, and 2.8 new leaves and 72, 61, 42, and 28 cm in total new leaf length, respectively. Cool days and warm nights resulted in smaller leaf span and reduced leaf growth, particularly at 20/25 than at 25/30 °C. Within a given ADT, cooler days resulted in shorter leaves. Leaves produced by plants at the lower ADT had a smaller length to width ratio and the more desirable oval shape. The most striking effect of 20/25 °C was that 14 out of 15 plants bloomed, whereas only 5 plants under 25/20 °C and none in the 30/25 or 25/30 °C treatment flowered. In a second experiment, 18-22 cm plants were subjected to 30/20, 20/30, 25/15, or 15/25 °C. After 29 weeks, similar results were obtained. All plants under 15/25 °C bloomed, whereas none in the other treatments produced flowers. Long-term exposure to 15/25 °C resulted in slow leaf production and undesirable small leaves. These results suggest that, with day temperatures in the 20-15 °C range, nights 10-5 °C warmer are not desirable for rapid vegetative growth. However, cool days and warm nights may be used to effectively induce the flowering process.
Bougainvillea cuttings propagated in fall and winter often bloom profusely before putting out adequate shoot growth. These large flowers shade the small leaves, resulting in slow growth. In an attempt to solve this problem, rooted `Juanita Hatten' cuttings were planted in 11.5-cm pots, clipped to 5 cm, and placed under natural short day or a 4-hour night interruption on 7 Dec. Plants were sprayed on 8 Dec. and again on 2 Jan. with 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg GA3/L or a combination of GA3 and PBA at 200 mg·L–1. Data were taken on the uppermost new shoot of each plant. Under long-day conditions, the first inflorescence was produced on the first node of all control plants, whereas plants treated with GA3 at 100 or 200 mg·L–1 produced the first inflorescences on higher nodes. The number of inflorescences on this shoot was unaffected by any treatment. GA3 treatment resulted in longer shoots (6.7–10.2 cm vs. 2.4 cm) and more leaves (13.4–l6.2 vs. 7.5), with greater effects at higher concentrations. These shoots had several inflorescences at the base, followed by many nonflowering nodes and additional flowers near the tip. The GA3 + PBA treatment had no effect on the position of the first inflorescence. However, shoots had twice as many nodes and fewer inflorescences than the controls and were shorter than those treated with GA3 alone. Plants under short day responded similarly to respective treatments under the long-day conditions. Tests will be conducted to determine if stock plants need to be treated in early fall and cuttings collected from the new growth to prevent early flowering.
Blooming Phalaenopsis orchids have become a popular pot plant in recent years. Plants start producing spikes after experiencing cool air in early fall, bloom in early spring, and become limited in supply after April when market demand is strong. Deferring spiking and flowering by maintaining the greenhouse air constantly above 28°C is cost prohibitive. Previous research has discovered that plants must be given light while being exposed to cool air to induce spiking. In Fall 1994, 2-year old Phalaenopsis TAM Butterfly plants were exposed to repeated cycles of 1 day in darkness and another day in light (1D/1L), 4D/3L, 7D/7L, or 0D/7L (continuous lighted control) between 15 Sept. and 16 Dec. Each plant was removed from the treatment once it had started spiking. The control plants bloomed on 20 Jan. 1995, whereas the 4D/3L plants did not reach anthesis until April 17, nearly three months later. Flowering of the 1D/1L and 7D/7L plants was also deferred until early April. The treatments had no adverse effect on flower count or size. In 1995, 3-year old plants were exposed to 0D/7L (control), 2D/5L, 3D/4L, 4D/3L, or 5D/2L from 15 Sept. to 22 Jan. 1996. The control plants spiked on 17 Oct. and bloomed on 8 Feb. 1996 when spikes had just emerged from plants in the 5D/2L treatment. The 5D/2L plants are expected to bloom in late May or early June. The other treatments were not as effective as that in 1994 and resulted in blooming only 2–3 weeks after the untreated control. The results of this research will help producers to stagger or precisely program the time of flowering to meet the market demand.
Lilium longiflorum Thunb. `Nellie White' plants were selected when their first flower buds reached 2 or 5 cm in length, sprayed with 2 mL of PBA at 0 or 500 mg·L–1, and then placed under 1440 or 60 μmol·m–2·s–1 photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) during flowering. PBA resulted in delayed anthesis and increased dry matter accumulation in flowers under the high PPF but had no effect under the low PPF. PBA did not decrease the severity of flower bud abortion under the low PPF. Application of PBA induced the formation of numerous bulbils in the leaf axils. Regardless of PPF, PBA-treated plants had less dry weight in the main bulbs than the control plants. Chemical name used: N-(phenylmethyl)-9-(tetra-hydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-9H-purin-6-amine (PBA).
Abstract
Viterra hydrogel at rates of 0, 1.75, or 2.50 kg·m−3 was tested for the production of three tropical ornamental plant species in two or all of the three media. These were a commercial peat-lite medium (SUN), a medium consisting of equal volumes of peatmoss, bark, and sand (PBS), and a mix containing equal volumes of peatmoss and bark (PB). Codiaeum was grown in SUN and PBS, Dieffenbachia was produced in all three media, and Hibiscus was planted in SUN and PB. Codiaeum variegatum (L.) Blume ‘Norma’ and Dieffenbachia ‘Camille’ grew more and required a longer time to reach initial wilting when grown in SUN than PBS. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. ‘Brilliant Red’ had similar growth in SUN and PB. In general, hydrogel had no beneficial effect on plant growth in a greenhouse. Hydrogel extended the time required to reach initial wilting of C. variegatum by 3 days (from 24 to 27 days), but had no effect on Dieffenbachia. Leachate from PBS had higher pH and lower electrical conductance (EC) than that from SUN. Hydrogel had no effect on leachate pH, but decreased EC of the leachate for C. variegatum used at the 2.5 kg·m−3 rate and for H. rosa-sinensis at both rates.
Abstract
Compared to floriculture crops, relatively little research has evaluated the effects of growth retardants on production and interior quality of foliage plant species. Ancymidol decreased intemode length in several foliage plant species (1–3), but not china green or dieffenbachia (3). Ancymidol improved interior performance of Epipremnum aureum and Pilea depressa (2). This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of ancymidol on growth of Syngonium podophyllum ‘White Butterfly’ in production and simulated interior conditions.
Abstract
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum Blume cv. Craigii) cuttings, enclosed in polyethylene bags, were placed in light (20 μmol·s−1·m−2) or darkness at 15°, 20°, or 30°C for 5, 10 or 15 days (simulated shipping) and then placed in a mist bed to root for 4 weeks. Final leaf loss in most of the treatments was <7%. Cuttings in simulated shipping for 15 days at 30° in darkness and light had 31% and 56% final leaf drop, respectively. These cuttings also produced fewer roots than controls. Root length increased with increased shipping duration and shipping temperature from 15° to 20°, without further increase at 30°. Regardless of temperature and duration in simulated shipping, cuttings shipped in darkness had roots 2.5 to 5 cm longer than those shipped in the light.
Leaf blades, axillary buds, shoot tips, green bark, suberized bark, or the whole plant of container-grown Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. cv. Jane Cowl were treated with uniconazole. Applying uniconazole (50 mg·liter-1) to axillary buds or the green bark below a bud immediately after pruning limited elongation of the first three internodes. Length of the fourth internode was unaffected, regardless of the site of uniconazole application. When used on plants with 24-day-old shoots, uniconazole (40 mg·liter -1) applied to the whole plant provided the only satisfactory height control. Leaf size was reduced by nearly 50%, with a concomitant increase (12%) in fresh weight per unit area. GA3 (50 mg·liter-1, was more effective in promoting elongation of shoots previously retarded with a drench application of uniconazole (0.1 mg/2.6-liter pot) when applied to the whole shoot, leaf blades, or shoot tip. Application of GA, only to the stein surface, whether old or young, did not effectively encourage the growth of shoots of plants previously treated with uniconazole. Chemical names used: (E)-1-(p-chlorophenyl) -4,4-dimethyl-2-(1,2,4-triazole-1-yl)-1-penton-3-ol (uniconazole); analogue of (1α,2β,4 α,4bβ,10β)-2,4a,7-trihydroxy-1-methyl-8-methylenegibb-3-ene-1,10 dicarboxylic acid 1,4a-lactone (GA3).
Cuttings of a thornless mutation of Rosa odorata (RO) and R. multiflora (RM) were rooted in Feb., budded with Rosa `Queen Elizabeth' on 21 Apr. 1987, and planted in 2.6- or 5.2-liter containers. Five weeks after budding, over 50% of the buds on the thornless RO had developed into shoots, while only 4% of the buds on the RM were growing. After an additional 10 weeks, 80% and 60% of the buds on the thornless RO and RM, respectively, had development into shoots. Six months after budding, plants in the 5.2-liter pots produced 1 to 2 folds more flowers than those in 2.6-liter pots. Plants from all four production treatments were planted in a field with alkaline soil on 3 Nov. 1987. During the next four years, plants on RM showed severe chlorosis and had 5% and 45% survival for those produced in 2.6- and 5.2-liter pots, respectively. Those on the thornless RO had 85% and 100% survival when produced in 2.6- and 5.2-liter pots, respectively after four years. Leaves of plants on the thornless RO rootstock had higher concentrations of chlorophyll than those on the RM. However, analyses of leaves did not reveal differences in elemental concentrations among treatments.
The rate of full hydration for several hydrophilic polymers differed greatly (starch-based polymers > propenoate-propenoamid copolymer > polyacrylamide). Maximum water retention in distilled water varied from over 500 g to 57 g of water per of different dry materials. All polymers retained less water in the presence of metal ions or fertilizers, with substances releasing Fe+2 being the most detrimental. Potting media containing a polyacrylamide polymer reached maximum water retention after 6 irrigations, while those with Micromax (micronutrient source) required 10 irrigations to reach maximum hydration. The water-holding capacities of the media declined after repeated fertilization. Medium bulk density, total watet retention, and water retention per unit volume of medium were increased by the incorporation of the polymer, regardless of the presence of Micromax. Non-capillary porosity in medium amended with Micromax progressively decreased as the amount of the polymer increased, but remained unchanged in medium without Micromax. Repeated wet-dry cycles resulted in decreased water retention and increased non-capillary pore space of the media.