Year: 1990
Type: article
Abstract: Table 1. Height and number of racemes of Southern bleeding heart plants receiving various growth retardants applied as drenches, gels, or tablets.z Southern bleeding heart (Clerodendrum thomsoniae Balf.) is a potted florist crop requiring growth regulators for the production of an acceptable product (Hildrum, 1972). Foliar sprays and media drenches are used on this crop, depending on the growth retardant used, timing, cost, and phytotoxicity. Generally, media-applied retardants are more effective than sprays, but are more laborand time-consuming to apply (Cathey, 1975) and their effectiveness can be greatly reduced when the medium contains pine bark (Larson and Kimmins, 1972). Murray (1982) found that drenches, the conventional method, resulted in concentration of much of the retardant in the upper few centimeters of the medium or in loss through drainage. Various attempts to improve the efficiency of mediaapplied retardants have been made (Wilfret et al., 1978; Read et al., 1974; Witte and Tjia, 1976; Einert, 1976; Holcomb and White, 1978; Sanderson et al., 1984). Based on the effectiveness of ancymidol, chlormequat, flurprimidol, and paclobutrazol as growth retardants on Southern bleeding heart in preliminary tests, we compared their relative effectiveness when applied to the medium as a drench, injected gel, or tablet. Rooted cuttings of Southern bleeding heart were transplanted on 15 Nov. 1985 into 1.5liter pots containing a 1 soil : 1 sphagnum peat :1 perlite (by volume) medium amended with 3.0 kg dolomitic limestone and 1.2 kg superphosphate/m 3, Plants were fertilized each week with a fertilizer solution containing 2 g of 20.0N–8.8P-16.6K per liter. Plants were grown in a greenhouse at a night minimum of 17C and daily radiation of ≈ 990 to 1500 μmol·s-1·m-2 (PAR). On 17 Dec., the plants were pinched (1.25 to 2.5 cm of plant apex removed). A single pot containing two plants served as an experimental unit in a 4
Source: HortScience
Authors: Kenneth C. Sanderson, Willis C. Martin, John McGuire
Institution: Auburn University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W15673902