Some day-neutral herbaceous perennial species can be difficult to manage as vegetative stock plants because they initiate floral buds under most environmental conditions. Although flowering of many long-day plants can be inhibited by maintaining plants under short days, extension growth is often suppressed, which makes cuttings difficult to harvest. Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) is an ethylene-releasing chemical used to abort flowers, inhibit internode elongation, and promote branching of floriculture crops. The objective of this research was to determine whether ethephon is effective at maintaining vegetative growth and increasing the number of cuttings harvested for three popular perennial species that are difficult to maintain as vegetative plants. Spray applications of ethephon were applied for 10 weeks biweekly (every 2 weeks) or weekly at 0, 400, 600, or 800 mg·L−1. Biweekly applications at 600 mg·L−1 or weekly applications at 400 mg·L−1 increased branching and the number of vegetative cuttings in Coreopsis verticillata L. ‘Moonbeam’ and Veronica longifolia L. ‘Sunny Border Blue’, respectively. Ethephon application increased branching in Dianthus caryophyllus L. ‘Cinnamon Red Hots’, inhibited leaf expansion and stem extension, but did not abort flowers, and induced marginal leaf necrosis at all concentrations tested. Therefore, ethephon application has potential to maintain vegetative stock plants of C. verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ and V. longifolia ‘Sunny Border Blue’ but not D. caryophyllus ‘Cinnamon Red Hots’.
Herbaceous perennials comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of floriculture crop production. Little information has been published regarding their mineral nutrition requirements, specifically nutrient foliar standards and nutrient deficiency symptoms. Our research documents visual symptoms of nutrient deficiencies in the chronological order in which they appear from incipient to advanced stages, and establishes foliar analysis standards by correlating nutrient levels with initial and advanced stages of symptoms for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, and boron. Rooted cuttings were grown for as many as 12 weeks in a hydroponic system with modified Hoagland's solution minus the element of interest, along with complete nutrient solution controls. Taxa selected for study were representative of commonly grown varieties and of differing families; Verbena canadensis `Homestead Purple' (clump verbena), Heliopsis helianthoides `Bressingham Doubloon' (false sunflower) and Veronica × `Goodness Grows' (speedwell). Days to incipient deficiency symptoms ranged from 5 to 60. Chronological order of appearance was consistent with Fe and Ca symptoms appearing within 10 days for all three taxa. Other deficiency symptoms varied both by taxa and in chronology. Root and shoot dry weights were closely and positively correlated with time to incipient deficiency.
Common associates. The treatment replicates were installed in a completely randomized design on top of the Gro-Coir Rooftop Mix. Creeping chamomile ( Chamaemelum nobile ) and whitley’s speedwell ( Veronica whitleyi ) plants, grown in 6- and 3-inch pots
( Trifolium repens ), and birdeye speedwell ( Veronica persica ), all at the cotyledonary growth stage. The prevalent weeds were black medic and foxtail millet. The average temperature recorded was 14 °C in April and 17 °C in May ( Fig. 2 ). Warm
), and persian speedwell ( Veronica persica ). Among monocotyledons, bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon ) and hairy crabgrass ( Digitaria sanguinalis ) were observed. Substrate temperature. In both experiments, mulching materials did not reduce the substrate
of 600 mg·L −1 ethephon or weekly sprays of 400 mg·L −1 ethephon diminished flowering for threadleaf coreopsis and long-leaf speedwell ( Veronica longifolia ‘Sunny Border Blue’), whereas flowering of carnation ( Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Cinnamon Red
starting substrate pH. Materials and Methods Two perennial plant species were studied. Verbena bonariensis L. ‘Lollipop’ (purpletopvervain) and Veronica spicata L. ‘Goodness Grows’ (spiked speedwell), based on their response to foliar applications of
’s-purse [ Capsella bursa-pastoris (5%)], field-speedwell [ Veronica persica (3%)], and lamb’s quarters (3%). In 2004, weed densities were 354 and 24 plants/m 2 before and after hoeing with the hoe conformed rolling harrow, whereas in 2005, weed densities were 361
abscission directly postship occurred on ‘Sun Chimes Coral’ diascia and ‘Aromatica White’ nemesia. Both diascia and nemesia are members of Scrophulariaceae. Plants in that family, such as snapdragon ( Antirrhinum majus ) and spike speedwell ( Veronica spicata
( Trifolium repens ), and common field-speedwell ( Veronica persica ) to 45 °C for 3 d reduced germination and viability of most weed species, and that 55 °C for 3 d reduced viability and germination of all species. Typically, it is understood that optimum