Greenhouse production technology for important flowers

Rose

Normally one-year-old budded plants having at least 3 canes on rockstocks like Rosa
indica var. odorata or R.canina or R.manetti are most ideal for greenhouse
cultivation.

Cultivars: `Golden Gates’, `Grand Galla’, `First Red’, `Kiss’, `Konfetti’, `

Mercedez’, `Ravel’, `Noblesse’, `Vivaldi’ and `Starlite’.

Planting: Optimal planting time is October-December. The planting density should

be between 7-13 plants/m2 (50-60 thousand bushes/ha area). Planting should be
done preferably in 2-row system.

Temperature requirement: The greenhouse temperature is generally maintained

from 200C or 210C on cloudy days and 240C –280C on sunny days. However, the
temperature range of 15-270C is optimum.

Fertiliser dose: Liquid fertilizers containing 200 ppm nitrogen and 150 ppm
potassium plus iron and magnesium as needed, can be applied with good results in a
wide range of soil conditions. Binding of unproductive shoots leads to more number
of basal sprouts.

Harvesting and yield:

Red and pink cultivars are harvested when first 2 petals are beginning to unfold and
calyx is reflexed below the horizontal lane.

Yellow cultivars are harvested slightly earlier and white cultivars slightly later than
red and pink types.

After cutting the stem ends are dipped in 200-500 ppm citric acid or aluminium
sulphate and placed in cold storage at 10C till grading. Stem ends are recut, bunched
in 20’s and placed in preservative solution with sucrose up to 2%.

Flower yield of 250-350 stems/m2 is considered to be ideal.

Flower yield can be increased by spraying BAP 50-100 ppm before flowering flush.
Burning of saw-dust during winter months in the morning hours (7-10 AM) increases
flower yield and quality significantly.

Carnation

Perpetual carnations (Dianthus caryophyllyus)

Cultivars: Among standard type cultivars, Master, Tanga, Sonsara, Laurella, Solar,
Dakar, Raggio di Sole, Cabaret and Isac are most promising, while Bagatel,
Cherrybag, Fantasia, Picaro, Ondelia, Sintonia and Macarena are spray types.

Temperature requirement: temperature is maintained at 20-25 0C.

Planting: Plant density of 20-30 plants/m2 is optimal (1.5 –2.0 lakh/ha).Can be

planted round the year under greenhouse environment.

Fertilizer dose: A nutritional dose of 40 g N, 20 g P2O5 and 10g K2O is ideal. Liquid
feeding of carnation plants with nutrient levels of 190 ppm N and 156 ppm K, and 1
ppm B with each irrigation water results in high grade carnation. Overhead sprinkling
is quite effective and economical than soil surface irrigation. At bud appearance
stage, over-head sprinklers should be replaced with soil surface system.

Practices followed: Pinching, disbudding and deshooting are important practices

followed in the standard carnations. Pinching should generally be done by leaving 5-
6 nodes on the plant. In case of standard type, terminal buds are retained and all
auxiliary buds are removed and vice-versa in spray type. Plants need support [2-3
layers of nylon mesh (10x10 cm size)] when 45 cm in height. After pinching,
spraying BAP (100 ppm) increases production.

Harvesting and yield: Standard carnations are harvested at paint brush stage and
sprays when 2-3 upper flowers in the inflorescence are open and remainders showing
colour. The flowers after harvest should be pulsed with 10% sugar + 4 mM STS for
10-12 hr and at 2-4 0C. The flowers are kept in sugar 2% + 0.5 mM STS for
prolonging vase-life.

Yearly production of 300-400 flower/m2 is ideal and economical.

Lilies

Lilies, especially Asiatic and Oriental types are most fascinating, in international
floriculture trade.

Cultivars: Connecticut King, Gran Paradiso, Elite, Pollyanna, Prato and Solemio
among Asiatics, while Star Gazer, Marco Polo and Casablanca in case of Orientals are
highly promising. Easter lily (Lilium longiflorium) var. Osant (white) is also grown
under polyhouses.

Forcing: Forcing lily flower for normal durations, the bulbs require cold treatment at
2-40C for 6 weeks in case of Asiatic hybrids and 8 weeks for the Oriental ones. It is
possible to use "frozen-in" bulbs which are kept at 10C after pre-cooling treatment
for off-season flowering. A night temperature of 16 0C with a day temperature below
21 0C inside the greenhouse is recommended for forcing.

Planting: The best time of planting hybrid lilies under north Indian climate is from
mid-September to mid-December. Planting density depends on cultivar, bulb size
and time of the year, with a range of 25-60 bulbs/m2.
Light requirement: Light is very important factor for lily culture. High light
intensity in summer reduces the stem length and therefore 50% shade nets are
recommended to cover the crop. Low light intensity in winter leads to flower abortion
and abscission. Supplementary lighting during winter increases yield, stem
sturdiness and quality of flowers.

Plants require liquid feeding or use of controlled released fertilizers. Supporting

plants with nylon mesh is advisable.

Harvesting and yield: Asiatic hybrids take 8-10 weeks, while Orientals 14-16
weeks from planting to harvesting, but `frozen –in’ (Eskimo) takes less time The
blooms are cut when the lower most flower bud is fully coloured but not open. Cut
lilies could efficiently be started both dry (sealed in plastic bags) or wet (1/10 portion
in 25 ppm silver nitrate) at 10C cold storage temperature up to 4-6 weeks provided
they are pulsed with 0.2 mM STS + 10% sucrose for 24 hr.

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is a very popular flower crop of commercial importance.

Chrysanthemums are grown in 2 ways for cut flowers, depending upon market
demand.

Disbudded inflorescence: All flower buds except terminal ones are removed to
allow one inflorescence/stem to develop. If the bloom is an incurved or reflexed type
and in between 10 and 15 cm in diameter, is usually referred as standard.

Spray inflorescence: The entire cyme is allowed to bloom but very often the
central inflorescence (oldest) is removed at the time colour begins to show in the ray
flowers. These groups are usually known as pompon or spray chrysanthemums.

Light and temperature requirement: Chrysanthemum is primarily a typical short

day plant and normally cannot form flower buds when day length exceeds 14 1/2 hr.
Light and temperature are important environmental factors influencing growth and
development. Chrysanthemums are broadly classified into 3 groups on the basis of
their response to temperature. Thermozero varieties flower at any temperature
ranging 10-270C but most consistently at a constant 160C night temperature.
Thermopositive varieties require higher temperature (270C) for bud initiation and
lower temperature inhibit completely. Thermonegative varieties flower at any
temperature between 10 and 270C, but flowering is delayed at higher temperature.

Cultivars: Selection of cultivars is very important while doing greenhouse

cultivation. Spiders are preferred in the Netherlands and Germany while single spray
types in Denmark, Sweden and Finland, UK and Japan prefer decorative types of
mums.
Most promising cultivars in the international trade are Snow Ball, Snow Don White,
Mountaineer, Sonar Bangla, Bright Golden Anne, and Chandrama among large
flowering types while Ajay, Birbal Sahani, Lehmans, Nanako, and Sonali Tara in case
of small flowering types as sprays are most common.

Planting: July-August is ideal time of planting chrysanthemum in north India.

However, if controlled photroperiod facilities are available planting can be done round
the year.

Planting density varieties from 32 to 56 plants/m2.

Practices: Pinching and disbudding are most important cultural practices for the
production of quality blooms. Growth regulator spraying of B-9 (Alar) or Cycocel 2-3
blooms of good quality.

Harvesting: Standard types are generally harvested when outer ray florets cease to
elongate, while decorative when petals in the centre of topmost flower are fully
developed. Single and anemones are harvested when flower is fully developed.

Gerbera

Cultivars: Jaffa, Sangria, Rosula, Oprab, Romona, Salina, Tecora and Starlight.

Planting: Planting medium should be adequately porous and well-drained. The

optimum planting, density recommended for large flowering cultivars is 8-10
plants/m2. Two –row or 4-row planting systems are generally used. Planting can be
done round-the-year but preferably during September-October. The plants should be
left undisturbed for 2 years for flower production (no separation of clumps). Treating
plants with GA3 (100 ppm) results in early flowering having long stems.

Temperature requirement: The temperature during day time should be 16-200C

and 120C during nights.

Harvesting and yield: The harvesting stage is critical as the flowers should not be
cut before the outer row of flowers show pollen, or the flowers will wilt and close at
night. Optimum storage temperature (wet) for gerbera is 40C. The flowers could be
stored efficiently up to 4 weeks. Most modern cultivars of gerbera yield 250-300
good quality flowers/m2/year.