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- Author or Editor: Jeffery K. Iles x
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A survey was conducted to identify and characterize the effectiveness of overwintering methods used to protect container-grown herbaceous perennials in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8. Survey questionnaires were sent by first-class mail on 20 Aug. 1996 to 634 firms involved in growing and/or selling container-grown herbaceous perennials identified from the Perennial Plant Association Membership Directory. Completed questionnaires were received from 293 individuals (46.2% response rate) in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and six Canadian provinces. Survey participants reported using several overwintering methods: structureless systems (71.0%), polyhouses (52.9%), polyhouses with inflated double polyethylene covers (30.7%), and low-profile polyhuts (12.3%). Over three-fourths of the respondents (78.8%) said their winter protection methods resulted in minimal to no plant loss (0-10%). Only 53 respondents (18.1%) reported losses >10%. The most frequently cited reason for plant loss across all hardiness zones was excessive moisture inside the overwintering environment (50.2%). Equal percentages (33.4%) indicated low temperatures and damage from animals as the next most likely factors responsible for plant loss. Respondents identified, in descending order, Iris, Delphinium, Lavandula, Papaver, and Lupinus as the five genera most difficult to overwinter.
Controlled-freezing tests were conducted in Dec. 1994 and Jan. 1995 to determine cold hardiness of garden mums (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev.) `Baby Tears', `Debonair', `Emily', `Megan', `Ruby Mound', and `Triumph' grown outdoors in central Iowa. Dormant, intact crowns were harvested from the field on 3 Dec. and held at 2 ± 2C until freezing tests began. Crowns were placed in moist cheesecloth, wrapped in aluminum foil, and subjected to –12, –18, –24, or –30C. Cooling was initiated from the storage temperature (2C) at 2 ± 0.5C/h. Treated crowns were allowed to thaw for 24 h at 2 ± 2C. Control and treated crowns then were planted in 3.5-liter (#1) plastic containers using a medium of 2 Canadian sphagnum moss: 2 perlite: 1 field soil (by volume), and transferred to a 21 ± 3C glasshouse for forcing under natural photoperiod. Regrowth data indicate `Ruby Mound' was the least cold hardy selection as most failed to resume growth after exposure to –12C. `Emily', `Megan', and `Triumph' survived exposure to –12C; however, vegetative regrowth was diminished compared to controls. `Baby Tears' and `Debonair' demonstrated no diminution of ornamental utility after exposure to –12C.
Pruning aboveground tissues back to the plant crown in preparation for winter is a common cultural practice for garden chrysanthemums [Dendranthema grandiflorum (Ramat.) Kitamura]. But some landscape managers suggest pruning immediately before the onset of low temperatures may be responsible for predisposing plants to winter injury. To evaluate the effect of pruning garden chrysanthemums in November and December on winter survival, rooted cuttings of 19 chrysanthemum cultivars were obtained from Yoder Brothers and were field-planted in a randomized complete-block design with five replications. Pruning treatments were 1) plants pruned to 2 cm above the crown on 1 Nov., 2) plants pruned to 2 cm above the crown on 1 Dec., and 3) plants not pruned. Survival and regrowth data were gathered the following summer. Cultivars differed in their response to the treatments, but in general, survival percentages and regrowth shoot dry weights were greater for plants that were not pruned.
Rewholesalers, garden centers, and other sellers of deciduous shrubs routinely receive bare-root stock in late winter or early spring for potting; however, bare-root plants are sometimes slow to establish in containers. Potted liners with well-developed root systems show potential for shortening the production cycle and permitting the development of higher-quality plants earlier in the growing season. To study the effect of nursery stock type and size on subsequent growth, two bare-root sizes and one potted liner size of `Cardinal' red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.), `Goldflame' spirea (Spiraea xbumalda Burv.), and `James MacFarlane' lilac (Syringa xprestoniae McKelv.) were grown in polyethylene containers of different sizes. Bare-root plants (15 and 30 cm in height) were grown in 2.7- and 6.1-L, and 6.1- and 10.3-L containers, respectively. Potted liners (0.4-L container size) were grown in 6.1- and 10.3-L containers. Plant performance was evaluated 10 and 20 weeks after potting. In general, plant quality ratings increased with container volume for all species. For `Goldflame' spirea and `James MacFarlane' lilac, best plant quality ratings occurred with 30-cm plants grown in 10.3-L containers. But for `Cardinal' redosier dogwood, plant quality ratings were highest and not significantly different for 30-cm bare-root plants and potted liners grown in 10.3-L containers.
Electrolyte leakage and regrowth were measured from September through January to determine cold hardiness of Sedum spectabile × telephium L. `Autumn Joy' and Sedum spectabile Boreau. `Brilliant' plants grown outdoors in central Iowa. Crowns were subjected to 0, –3, –6, –9, –12, –15, –18, –21, –24, or –27C. Regrowth tests were performed on whole crowns and electrolyte leakage was determined on excised tuberous root and crown tissue. Both cultivars were killed at –3C in September, but they acclimated gradually through January. Maximum hardiness was achieved in January, with killing temperatures of –27C for `Autumn Joy' and –21C for `Brilliant'. Regrowth quality ratings were significantly correlated with crown and tuberous root electrolyte leakage measurements, although the relationship was stronger for `Autumn Joy'.
Nine herbaceous perennial species were evaluated for use as flowering pot plants for late winter and early spring sales. Plugs of Achillea `King Edward', Arabis sturii, Armeria `Alba', Bergenia `New Hybrid', Chrysogonum virginianum, Dianthus `War Bonnet', Phlox `Chattahoochee', Platycodon `Sentimental Blue', and Veronica `Sunny Border Blue' were established in 14-cm (0.8-liter) round plastic containers, grown for one season, and covered with a thermoblanket for winter. Five plants of each species were transferred to a 21 ± 3C glasshouse for forcing under natural daylength at six 10-day intervals beginning 1 Dec. 1993. By this date plants had experienced approximately four weeks of temperatures below 5C. Ambis, Chrysogonum, and Phlox, species that naturally flower in spring, were the most floriferous. Days to first flower for Arabis decreased from 30 to 26 while flower number increased 44% by the 20 Dec. forcing date. For Phlox, days to first flower decreased from 36 to 31 by 20 Dec., but flower numbers were similar regardless of forcing date. Chrysogonum averaged eight flowers throughout the study, but days to first flower increased from 25 (1 Dec.) to 31 in all following forcing dates.
Dormant, intact crowns were used to determine the cold hardiness of the herbaceous perennial Heuchera sanguinea `Chatterbox'. Crowns were placed in moist cheesecloth, wrapped in aluminum foil, and subjected to -4,-6,-8,-10,-12,-14, -16, or -18C in a programmable freezer. Regrowth quality ratings and dry-mass measurement decreased linearly with temperature. No regrowth was evident from any crown exposed to -12C or lower temperatures. Freezing dormant plant crowns proved an efficient and reliable technique for estimating cold hardiness of Heuchera `Chatterbox'.
Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. & Zucc.), an ornamental tree native to Japan and China, is valued for its broad pyramidal form and apricot-yellow fall leaf color. Another species, Cercidiphyllum magnificum (Nakai) Nakai, exists, but is rarely encountered outside of wild populations, except in a pendulous form. Propagation of katsura is by seed germination and softwood cuttings, although little information exists in the scientific literature regarding either method of propagation. To determine conditions for optimal seed germination, we subjected C. japonicum seed to a factorial combination of moist stratification and exposure to light. Two seed lots were obtained from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard Univ., accessions 1150-67 and 882. Half of the seeds in each lot were moist stratified in petri dishes on filter paper for 8 days at 3.5°C. All seeds then were germinated at 25°C with either a daily photoperiod of 15 hr or complete darkness. Those samples not exposed to light were placed in a light-tight container. Germination was defined as the average percentage of seeds per treatment combination that showed the emergence of a radicle. Unstratified seeds germinated at 44.7% over both seed lots. Moist stratification increased germination to 92.0% and 56.7% for 1150-67 and 882, respectively. Light did not affect germination for either seed lot. Optimal seed germination conditions for C. magnificum will be determined in future studies. We have shown that moist stratification of katsura seeds improves germination and recommend this method as a means of promoting seed germination.
The limited use of the katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum Sieb. & Zucc.) in the landscape may be due to its reputed, but uncharacterized, intolerance of drought. We examined the responses of katsura trees subjected to episodes of drought. Container-grown trees in a greenhouse were subjected to one of three irrigation treatments, each composed of four irrigation phases. Control plants were maintained under well-hydrated conditions in each phase. Plants in the multiple-drought treatment were subjected to two drought phases, each followed by a hydration phase. Plants in the single-drought treatment were exposed to an initial drought phase followed by three hydration phases. Trees avoided drought stress by drought-induced leaf abscission. Plants in the multiple- and single-drought treatments underwent a 63% and 34% reduction in leaf dry weight and a 60% and 31% reduction in leaf surface area, respectively. After leaf abscission, trees in the single-drought treatment recovered 112% of the lost leaf dry weight within 24 days. Leaf abscission and subsequent refoliation resulted in a temporary reduction in the leaf surface area: root dry weight ratio. After relief from drought, net assimilation rate and relative growth rate were maintained at least at the rates associated with plants in the control treatment. We conclude that katsura is a drought avoider that abscises leaves to reduce transpirational water loss. Although plants are capable of refoliation after water becomes available, to maintain the greatest ornamental value in the landscape, siting of katsura should be limited to areas not prone to drought.
A major limiting factor in producing container-grown herbaceous perennials is low-temperature injury to cold sensitive roots and crowns during above ground winter storage. Growers and retailers of these plants understand the need for protection systems, yet specific recommendations are unavailable. The ability of several structureless systems to moderate temperature and protect 16 species of container-grown herbaceous perennials from low-temperature injury was investigated. Two light-excluding treatments consisting of 30 cm of straw between 2 layers of 4 mil white copolymer, and 18 cm deep in-ground beds protected with 1 layer of 4 mil white copolymer and 30 cm of woodchips provided the greatest moderation of winter low and early spring high temperatures but resulted in severe etiolation among test plants, A bonded white copolymer-microform overwintering blanket with translucent properties provided comparable plant survival, and prevented etiolated growth allowing plants to grow rapidly after uncovering, despite dramatic temperature extremes observed beneath this cover.