|
|
|
|
For Easter March 27, 2005 If you are case cooling your own bulbs they should be put in the cooler or other cool place upon arrival and stored at 55F to 65F until October 21 st ,2004. They also need to be checked often for moisture, and wet down if needed. (DO NOT ALLOW BULBS TO WARM TO 70F OR ABOVE AT ANYTIME, FROM TIME OF ARRIVAL UNTIL 5" TALL, AS ERRATIC GROWTH AND LOW BUD COUNT WILL RESULT!) On October 21 st , 2004, vernalization begins. Lower temperature to 40F to 45F and keep watching moisture content as vernalization is a cool moist process. Also, sprouting needs to be monitored and if it becomes heavy, drop temperature to 35F, as this should stop stem elongation. Temperature should be brought up to 66F on December 2 nd . Bulbs should be allowed to warm in the case two days. Cooling starts from the outside of case and takes a couple of days for the center to get to temperature, and it will warm from the outside also, giving the same cooling time for bulbs in the center of the case as on the outside. Follow October 18 th instructions for potting, then skip to December 2 nd instructions and grow the same as pot cooled from here on. For this early Easter date we have taken out the one-week temperature dip treatment that we had for the last mid Easter date. If you were late last year and used this time to make up for lost time, you may want to bring up the temperature to make up for lost time before making it past bud initiation. We recommend that you do not raise temperatures above 68F before bud initiation is over (shoots 5-6 inches). Raising temperatures before this stage will actually delay flowering and lower bud count considerably. The time to make up for lost time is after bud initiation. If you have questions, please give us a call at 1 (800) 469-9432. Also, for this early Easter date we are starting out at 65F and lowering temperature to 62F during bud initiation (shoots 3-5 inches) to enhance bud count. One last comment on vernalization, during this process bulbs are kept in tightly closed coolers. CO-2 levels can rise, as can ethylene gas levels. These both have detrimental effects on bulb crops. For ethylene control you need to have a clean cooler, since anything rotting will give off ethylene gas, as will propane-powered forklifts. As for CO-2, venting at regular intervals can help. But do not vent from an area where exhaust gas from a boiler or heater can contaminate the air.
There are notes on potting, drenching and other concerns at the bottom of this page. And as always, if you need further assistance please contact us or your supplier as early as possible. Most problems can be corrected with enough time.
Potting:Potting should be done as early as possible to allow root growth. The bulb should be placed deep in the pot as Easter lilies grow mostly from their stem roots. The pot should also be as deep as possible, not a 3/4 or azalea pot. The soil should offer good drainage and the addition of some bark has been suggested to control some root problems, however, more nitogen will be needed. With any soil used keep in mind that root problems are one of your main concerns.
Drenching:Drenching for fungus (Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium) and bulb mites at planting is highly recommended.Most people seem to be using Subdue and Terriclor, however, neither one of these seems to control Fusarium. You will need to add a good Fusarium control when lilies are potted as Fusarium left unchecked early on can cause spindly stems, split flowers, low bud count, and a very uneven crop. hat is about all we can say, as Oregon State law prohibits us from making any chemical use recommendations. You may contact your extension agent or state university for specific recommendations.
Insurance Lighting:Insurance lighting is to be used if bulbs did not receive enough cooling in the vernalization process. To start insurance lighting give plants 15-foot candles incandescent light from 10 pm to 3 am, maintaining temperature about 65F. One night will substitute for one lost day of cooling.
Phone:
Fax:
email:
Website:
|
|
Send mail to webmaster@easterlilies.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
