While the majority of terrestial plants are colonized in soils by vesicular-arbuscular fungi (AM), that does not mean that these species can form a symbiosis with AM fungi in an artificial substrate under commercial production conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify those plants having a colonization potential. In Mar. 1998, 51 species and cultivars of ornamental plants were inoculated with two vesicular-arbuscular fungi (Glomus intraradices Schenk & Smith, and Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann; Premier Tech, Rivière-du-Loup, Quèbec). Periodic evaluations of colonization were done 5, 7, 9, 12, and 16 weeks after seeding. More than 59% of these plants tested were shown to have a good colonization potential with G. intraradices. Species belonging to the Compositae and Labiatae families all colonized. Species in the Solanaceae family showed slight to excellent colonization. Several species studied belonging to the Amaranthaceae, Capparidaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cruciferae, Gentianaceae, Myrtaceae et Portulaceae families were not colonized. Root colonization with G. etunicatum was not detected on these species and cultivars during this short experimental period.
Abstract
Foliage of 57 species of tropical ornamental plants was harvested and placed under a controlled indoor environment to determine its postharvest life. Foliage was placed in deionized water, pulsed for 4 hr with 2 mm silver thiosulfate, and then transferred to deionized water, pulsed for 4 hr with 800 mg·liter-1 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate (8-HQC) and 20 g·liter-1 sucrose and then transferred to deionized water, or held in 200 mg·liter-1, 8-HQC and 20 g·liter-1 sucrose for the duration of the experiment. Foliage of 40 species lasted longer than 20 days and 28 species lasted 30 days or more in deionized water alone. Pulsing or holding foliage in preservative solutions lengthened postharvest life over that in deionized water for 12 species, but deionized water alone was as good as or better than other solutions for 46 species.
Five species of tropical ornamental plants—artillery fern (Pilea serpyllacea), pleomele (Dracaena reflexa), fishtail palm (Caryota mitis), areca palm (Dypsis lutescens), and sunshine palm (Veitchia mcdanielsii)—were grown in containers under full sun, 55% shade, or 73% shade. They were fertilized every 6 months with Osmocote Plus 15-9-12 (15N-4P-10K) at rates of 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 g/pot (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.1, and 1.3 oz/pot). For pleomele and the three palm species, optimum shoot dry weights and color ratings were similar among the three light intensities tested. However, artillery fern grown in full sun required fertilizer rates at least 50% higher for optimum shoot dry weight and color than under 55% or 73% shade. Light intensit × fertilizer rate interactions were highly significant for pilea and fishtail palm color and dry weight and sunshine palm and pleomele color.
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are commonly used for ornamental plant production ( Whipker, 2013 ). Among PGRs, triazoles are one of the most popular and effective chemicals for compact ornamental plant production ( Arnold, 1998 ; Jiao et al., 1986
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.
Ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala L.) plants of cultivars `Osaka White' and `Nagoya Red' were treated with paclobutrazol and uniconazole as foliar sprays or soil drenches. These treatments were compared to the industry standard of daminozide foliar sprays. Ten plant growth regulator (PGR) drench treatments (in mg a.i./pot) were applied 22 days after potting: paclobutrazol at 1 to 16 and uniconazole at 0.125 to 2. Thirteen PGR foliar sprays (in mg/L) were also applied: paclobutrazol at 5 to 80, uniconazole at 2 to 32, daminozide at 2500, 2500 (twice, with the second application occurring 14 days later), or 5000, and an untreated control. Applying drenches of paclobutrazol at 4 mg or uniconazole at 0.5 mg controlled height by 16 to 25%, but at the cost of $0.11 per pot would not be economically feasible for growers to use. Paclobutrazol foliar sprays at concentrations of up to 80 mg/L were ineffective in controlling plant height and diameter of either `Osaka White' or `Nagoya Red'. Uniconazole foliar sprays between 2 and 8 mg/L were effective in controlling height (by 19%) and diameter (by 15%) as daminozide foliar sprays of 2500 mg/L, sprayed twice, with a cost to the grower of $0.02 per pot.
. Garden managers are left with unsightly patches of dead plants or bare soil. Identifying ornamental plants with resistance to white mold would allow growers to avoid disease problems in beds known to be infested with S. sclerotiorum . Over 400 plant
vegetative growth in stock plants of selected herbaceous ornamental species, thereby enhancing rooting of cuttings harvested from those stock plants. Materials and methods Three experiments were conducted. Expt. 1 was started 9 Feb 2022, Expt. 2 was
Five woody ornamentals Rosa rugosa, Cotoneaster acutifolia, Malus baccata, Picea glauca and Pinus contorta var. latifolia, were grown for 4 seasons mulched with one of five treatments: 2.5 cm or 5 cm of crushed basaltic quarry stone, 5 cm or 10 cm of quaking aspen wood chips, and an unmulched control. Maximum soil temperatures at the 10 cm depth on the wood chip plots were decreased by as much as 8°C over control plots, and soil moisture was increased. Stone mulch plots showed a slight increase in both temperature and moisture. Soil minimum temperatures were lower on the wood chip plots than the other treatments early in the season, but were slightly higher in September. Soil pH and available N, P and K did not differ among mulch treatments. Weed growth was suppressed by all mulch treatments but was best controlled on the wood chip plots followed by the 5 cm stone plots. Plant growth for all species except Rosa rugosa was greatest on the stone mulch plots. Roses growing on the stone mulch plots and the control were subject to significant dieback from winter injury and did not show any difference in total growth after 4 years when compared with the wood chip plots. Plants grown on the wood chip plots exhibited varying degrees of nitrogen deficiency which may be related to reduced nutrient uptake in cooler soils or to a significant amount of rooting in the mulch-soil interface.
Five woody ornamentals Rosa rugosa, Cotoneaster acutifolia, Malus baccata, Picea glauca and Pinus contorta var. latifolia, were grown for 4 seasons mulched with one of five treatments: 2.5 cm or 5 cm of crushed basaltic quarry stone, 5 cm or 10 cm of quaking aspen wood chips, and an unmulched control. Maximum soil temperatures at the 10 cm depth on the wood chip plots were decreased by as much as 8°C over control plots, and soil moisture was increased. Stone mulch plots showed a slight increase in both temperature and moisture. Soil minimum temperatures were lower on the wood chip plots than the other treatments early in the season, but were slightly higher in September. Soil pH and available N, P and K did not differ among mulch treatments. Weed growth was suppressed by all mulch treatments but was best controlled on the wood chip plots followed by the 5 cm stone plots. Plant growth for all species except Rosa rugosa was greatest on the stone mulch plots. Roses growing on the stone mulch plots and the control were subject to significant dieback from winter injury and did not show any difference in total growth after 4 years when compared with the wood chip plots. Plants grown on the wood chip plots exhibited varying degrees of nitrogen deficiency which may be related to reduced nutrient uptake in cooler soils or to a significant amount of rooting in the mulch-soil interface.