Growth and Flowering Habits of Erigeron karvinskianus, Salvia roemeriana, and Penstemon smallii
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Cheng, Hui-Hsin
Abstract
Perennial herbaceous plants have become more important for potted flowers and landscaping uses. This study was to establish cultural information of Erigeron karvinskianus DC. ‘Stallone’, Salvia roemeriana Scheele ‘Hot Trumpets’, and Penstemon smallii Heller ‘Violet Dusk’ in Taiwan. Interests were attached to regulate flowering by temperature and photoperiod.
Seeds of Erigeron, Salvia, and Penstemon were sown under day/night temperatures of 15/13, 20/15, 25/20, 30/25, and 35/30℃. In Erigeron, plants grown at 25/20℃ had the highest shoot dry weight, but those grown at 15/13℃ had the highest root dry weight and the lowest nodes below the flower. Days from sowing to visible bud (VB) decreased with increasing temperature from 15/13 to 35/30℃. Days from VB to flowering and from sowing to flowering decreased with increasing temperature from 15/13 to 25/20℃. Plants at 15/13℃ had the most lateral shoots and biggest flowers. In Salvia, plants at 20/15℃ had the lowest nodes below the flower. Plants at 15/13 or 35/30℃ took the longest time to VB and flowering. Time from VB to flowering decreased with increasing temperature from 15/13 to 35/30℃. Plants at 15/13℃ had the longest inflorescence, while those at 20/15℃ had the most flowers. In Penstemon, plants at 15/13℃ exhibited the highest shoot and root dry weights. While plants at 20/15℃ took the shortest time to flower. Plants grown at 15/13 and 20/15℃ were higher than those at 25/20 to 35/30℃. The most lateral branches were formed in plants at 15/13℃, as compared with the most flowers in plants at 20/15℃.
Seedlings of Erigeron, Salvia, and Penstemon were vernalized at 5℃ for 0 to 42 d, and then moved to a 20/15℃ artifical light room. Erigeron with 42 d had the fewest nodes below the flower, earliest flowering, and shortest flowering shoot. In Salvia, plants had the fewest nodes below the flower when treated for 21-42 d, shortest time to flowering when treated for 28 d. In Penstemon, nodes below the flower and time to flowering decreased, and lateral branches increased with increasing vernalizing duration.
After plants had received natural cooling (ca. 15℃) from January to March, they were then transferred to phytotrons with day/night temperatures of 15/13, 20/15, 25/20, 30/25, 35/30℃. In Erigeron, time to VB, VB to flowering, and to flowering decreased with increasing temperature. Plants grown at 25/20℃ had the fewest nodes below the flower, while those grown at 15/13℃ had the most flowers and lateral branches. Estimated base temperature during forcing was 6.5℃ and thermal time requiring for flowering was estimated to be 667℃d. In Salvia, plants had the fewest nodes below the flower when grown at 20/15℃. Time to VB, VB to flowering, and to flowering were the shortest when grown at 30/25℃. Plants at 20/15℃ had the longest inflorescences but plants at 25/20℃ had the best flowering quality. In Penstemon, plants at 30/25℃ had the fewest nodes below the flower. Time to VB, VB to flowering, and to flowering were the shortest in plants at 25/20℃. Plants at 15/13℃ had the most lateral branches, but plants at 20/15℃ had the most flowers.
Plants of Erigeron, Salvia, and Penstemon were treated with natural short daylength (11-11.2 hr) or night interruption (NI) at 2200-0200 HR during winter. Plants with NI had fewer nodes below the flower, more shoot dry weight, and flowered earlier then those with natural short day conditions.
Year-round culture of Erigeron, Salvia, and Penstemon was conducted from September 2008 to August 2009. Results showed that plants of Erigeron, Salvia, and Penstemon flowered 50, 81 and 26 d earlier when sown in spring to summer compared to those sown in autumn to winter, but flowering quality was better in plants sown in autumn to winter. Erigeron and Penstemon plants tolerated summer conditions and become perennials in Taiwan.
Subjects
Perennial herbaceous plants
vernalization
forcing
night interruption
year-round culture
Type
thesis
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