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- Author or Editor: A.A. De Hertogh x
- HortTechnology x
Dutch-grown Hippeastrum bulbs (`Apple Blossom' and `Red Lion') were packed in five readily available and economical packing systems and after transport and storage were evaluated as flowering potted plants. After being harvested and graded, bulbs were specially packed and placed in perforated cardboard boxes, shipped by boat to Raleigh, N.C., and stored in the original packing materials for 84 days at 48 °F (9 °C). At planting time, the best old basal root system and lowest disease incidence for both cultivars was obtained when bulbs were packed with hout-wol, a type of excelsior, in perforated polyethylene bags and placed in perforated cardboard boxes. Plants from bulbs with this system and those packed loose in polyethylene bags flowered the earliest. At full flower, the longest leaves were obtained with the hout-wol, box only, and wood chip systems. There were no significant effects of the five packing systems on floral stalk length, number of flowers produced per stalk, flower diameter, strength of the first floral stalk or leaves, or overall plant quality. After flowering, the root systems were harvested. The hout-wol packing system significantly increased the fresh weights of the old basal roots retained, secondary roots produced, and total weights of the root system. there were significant differences between cultivars. `Apple Blossom' produced fewer roots and lower quality plants (shorter leaves and taller floral stalks) than `Red Lion'. Other significant cultivar differences, e.g., days to flower, were attributed to genetic variation. Based on the most desirable forcing characteristics, the superior packing system for shipping and storing Dutch-grown Hippeastrum bulbus was hout-wol combined with perforated polyethylene bags.
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of applied ancymidol, chlormequat, daminozide, paclobutrazol, and uniconazole on early spring (March) and late (May) spring forcing of Dutch-grown Bleeding Heart [Dicentra spectabilis (L.) Lem.] as a flowering pot plant. Most of the plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments delayed flowering, however, the average time to flower after planting was from 17 to 21 days for untreated plants and delays were only 3 to 6 days with PGR treatments. Thus, the effect is not important commercially. Acceptable plant quality and height control not only at flowering but also 14 days later was obtained with two sprays of 3000 mg·L-1 (ppm) daminozide or two sprays of 50 mg·L-1 paclobutrazol. Uniconazole reduced total plant height, however, because the inflorescence did not elongate, plant quality was greatly reduced. Most ancymidol sprays were phytotoxic producing a chlorosis of the leaf margins. Media drenches of ancymidol or chlormequat did not control total plant height. Sprays and media drenches of ancymidol, daminozide, paclobutrazol, and uniconazole produced plants with a very deep green leaf color, but chlormequat did not. The total number of shoots per tuberous root, the number of shoots with flowers, and stem strength were not significantly affected by PGR treatments. If the tuberous roots have been properly cold treated, they initiate growth rapidly after planting. Thus, the first PGR spray must be applied immediately after shoot growth is initiated, which was 6 to 8 days after planting, followed by a second spray 5 days later. Two applications are necessary because of uneven shoot emergence and growth from the tuberous roots.