Search Results
You are looking at 1 - 10 of 13 items for
- Author or Editor: Robert G. Anderson x
Greenhouse grown cut stems of satin flower were used in a series of postharvest experiments to determine the effect of sucrose on flower life, flower quality and the overall vaselife. Experiments in 1993 compared 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% sucrose in tap water with and without a biocide (4 ppm sodium hypochlorite). Cut stems of `Grace Rose Pink,' `Grace Salmon and `Grace Red' were harvested, stored in a refrigerator overnight at l-2” C.; all cut stems were maintained in randomized individual vases in a room kept at 22-23 C with fluorescent lighting (50 ft.c.) from 0800-2000 HR. Postharvest performance was best in tap water, tap water + biocide, and 0.5% sucrose + biocide with excellent flower opening and flower quality for 10-14 days. Leaf yellowing and leaf necrosis increased greatly with the increasing concentrations of sucrose. Flowers of `Grace Salmon' showed significant petal necrosis in the treatments with higher concentrations of sucrose.
Commercial-quality cut roses were produced in a single-stem production system from single node cuttings. About 1800 rose cuttings in seven sequential crops were identified from 7500 cuttings grown from Feb. through May, 1995. More than 70% of the cut stems harvested from these cuttings were 46 to 75 cm long. Longer stem roses had significantly more nodes and grew from lower, older nodes than shorter rose stems. Longer stem roses required significantly more days to flower harvest because the number of days to axillary bud break was longer than for shorter rose stems. The number of days for rooting, days from axillary bud break to visible bud, and days from visible bud to flower harvest were similar in longer and shorter rose stems. Axillary buds began to grow before rooting in shorter stems and began to grow a mean of 8 days after rooting in the longest rose stems.
A segment of the greenhouse crop market would like to obtain vegetables and herbs that are certified organic. The technology for the use of biological controls for insects and diseases is well-developed and a significant part of greenhouse vegetable production. Organic fertilizers, however, have not been well-utilized in organic greenhouse vegetable production. Common organic fertilizers were analyzed for the levels of nutrients when mixed with water for use in greenhouse fertigation. Products derived from algae-Algamin (liquid) and Ohrstrom's Garden Maxicrop (powder), Bat Guano, and products derived from fish waste-GreenAll Fish Emulsion (liquid) and Mermaid's Fish Powder, demonstrated nutrient levels comparable to typical water-soluble fertilizers used for greenhouse plant production. Although the organic fertilizers could not be used as a concentrate for injector systems, readings from a conductivity meter were directly related to nitrate nitrogen levels and could be used for fertilizer management in the capillary mat subirrigation system used for plant production.
Different planting dates, plant densities and pinching practices were used to determine the production practices that produced the best quality cut stems from field grown godetia under Kentucky conditions. Godetia `Grace Salmon' transplants were planted at a plant density of 40 plants m-2 on Mar 23, Apr 8 and Apr 23, 1991 in ground beds with black plastic mulch. All plants flowered in early to mid June, but plants from the Mar 23 planting date had the highest yields of commercial quality stems (387 stems m-2) and over 80% of the stems were longer than 55 cm. In a separate experiment, transplants of `Grace Red' and `Grace Rose Pink' were planted on April 5 at plant densities of 4.5 m-2 (unpinched), 10 m-2 (soft pinch on May 1) and 23 m-2 (hard pinch on May 1). Pinching treatments were used to increase the number of secondary and tertiary branches on each plant. Although the pinching treatments produced more branches, a low percentage of the branches were commercial quality cut stems.
Commercial quality cut-roses were produced in a single-stem production system from single node cuttings. A significant advantage to single-stem rose production is that specific environments can be used for specific developmental stages of rose growth. In stage 1 (propagation), cuttings were treated with a 5-second dip in 500 ppm IBA/250 ppm NAA solution, placed in growing media in 8-cm pots, and placed under intermittent mist (5 second every 5 minutes) with growing medium temperature of 35°C. In stage 2 (axillary budbreak and stem development to visible pea size flower bud), rooted cuttings moved to benches (200 stems/m2) in a greenhouse at 14 to 16°C night, and plants received 12 hours supplemental light at 80 to 100 mol·m–2s–1. In stage 3 (stem elongation and flower bud development), small rose plants (30 to 35 cm tall with a pea-size flower bud) were moved to 100 stems/m2 in a greenhouse at 14 to 16°C night with ambient light. Through seven sequential crops of rose cuttings grown from Feb. through May 1995, rooting required a mean of 16 days, flower buds were visible in 42 days, and flower harvest required a mean of 58 days. Accumulated radiation and average temperatures through the spring had significant effects on the number of days in each developmental stage of rose growth.
Commercial quality cut-roses were produced in a single-stem production system from single-node cuttings. Single-node cuttings from cut stems of `Lady Diana' rose were characterized by the location of the node of origin in numerical sequence from the flower and initial stem size, large (thick stems, long length, many nodes), moderate (moderate thickness, moderate length, and node number), and small (generally not commercial quality). Cuttings were treated with a 5-second dip in 500 ppm IBA/250 ppm NAA solution, placed in growing media in 8-cm pots and placed under intermittent mist (5 second every 5 minutes) with growing medium temperature of 35°C. Seven sequential crops of rose cuttings were grown from Feb. through May 1995. The initial node of origin was significantly correlated to the final stem length of the single-stem rose and to the number of days for axillary budbreak on the cutting. The number of days to rooting was not effected by the initial node of origin of the cutting. The correlation with initial stem size had variable results.
Satin flower (Clarkia amoena subsp. whitneyi; syn. Godetia whitneyi) is a cool temperature, high light plant used as a cutflower in Japan, Europe and California. The stiking flower color patterns, large, long-lasting flowers and branching pattern could make this plant an important potted flowering plant. Cuttings, 6-8 cm long with flower buds (0.5-2.0 cm long), were harvested from secondary and tertiary stems of field-grown pinched plants of `Grace Red'. Cuttings were rooted in intermittent mist and potted in 10 cm pots two weeks later. The terminal flower buds and stem tip were removed one week later and the plants flowered within 4 weeks with 4-6 equal lateral branches. In the fall, `Grace Rose Pink' seed was sown Oct. 4, 1989, plants were grown under 100 umole s-1 cm-2 HPS 18 hr. supplemental light. Cuttings from the primary stem were harvested at the same stage, rooted in two weeks, potted and pinched one week later. Cuttings grown under supplemental light flowered 4 weeks later while cuttings grown under ambient light flowered over 10 weeks later. Over 70% of the terminal cuttings in supplemental light were 22-30 cm tall with 4-6 equal lateral branches that flowered uniformly.
Abstract
Slow and inconsistent germination of cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum Mill., seed appeared to be more related to seed and seedling vigor than to any type of seed dormancy. Pregermination and germination seed treatments such as immersion in hot water, still and flowing water, cool moist storage, alternating temperatures and fungicide treatments were of little value. Treatment with gibberellin (GA) solutions accelerated germination but created an expelled embryo problem. The grower is advised to surface disinfest fully imbibed seed in 5% sodium hypochlorite for 20 sec to 1 min.
Warm season annual flowers were trialed as field grown cutflowers in the summer of 1989. Plants were transplanted to the field in early or late May and grown at densities of 40 plants m-2 in beds with black plastic mulch, trickle irrigation and support wires. Tall ageratum, `Horizon Blue'., plants were harvested throughout the summer with total yields of 290 stems m-2with stem lengths over 36 cm long. Stem lengths increased significantly over the summer; 40% of the stems harvested in September were over 56 cm long. Spray asters, `Matsumoto Blue', Matsumoto Red' and `Serene Red', were harvested eight weeks after transplanting with yields of 20 to 30 stems m-2; 60% of the stems were 36-45 cm long and 40% were 46-55 cm long. Tall, crested celosia, `Red Chief', `Gold Chief' and `Fire Chief', plants were harvested 8 weeks after transplanting with yields of 45 stems m-2 over 60% of the stems were 45 cm long or longer. Godetia, `Grace Red' and `Grace Salmon', plants sown March 3 and planted in the field April 10, performed well; later plantings were much less successful. Plants were planted at a density of 5 m-2 and produced 25 to 50 flower stems per plant; stem lengths were 30 to 38 cm long.
Satin flower (Clarkia amoena ssp. whineyi: syn. Godetia whitneyi) is a cool temperature, high light plant grown as a cutflower in Japan, Europe and California. In preliminary greenhouse cutflower and pot plant trials, satin flower plants flowered in 10-11 weeks when grown under 24hr supplemental HID lighting compared to 20-22 weeks under ambient winter conditions. In Sept. and Nov. 1989, satin flower plants were treated with the following supplemental and photoperiodic lighting treatments ambient light; SD (ambient day, black cloth 1600 to 800 HR); LD (ambient day, incandescent light 1600 to 400 HR, 5 μmol s-1 m-2); SD-SPL (ambient day supplemented with 100 μmol s-1m-2 HPS, black cloth 1600 to 800 HR); LD-SPL (ambient day supplemented with 100 μmol s-1m-2 800 to 400 HR), Node number and days to flowering were significantly different between the treatments. Plants grown under LD-SPL flowered in 10 weeks and had 32 nodes, LD -13 weeks and 37 nodes (weak, spindly, few flowers), SD-SPL - 17 weeks and 70 nodes, SD - 21 weeks and 75 nodes. Strategies for supplemental lighting for greenhouse cutflower production will be discussed.