Favourable conditions for flower cultivation

The favourable environmental conditions of mid and high hills are ideally suited for
flower cultivation on commercial scale in naturally ventilated greenhouses. High
temperature coupled with hot winds during June to September makes it difficult to grow
quality flowers in north- western plains, therefore, causes shortage of flowers in the
major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Pathankot, where flower
prices shot up sharply during this period. The farmers from mid and high hills can take
this advantage of congenial mild climate during May to November and can earn higher
profit. It is evident from the progress made in flower cultivation in the state that the area
under flowers has gone up from 30 ha in 1993-94 to around 813 ha in 2010-11 and more
than 3000 farmers have taken up flower cultivation. The total area under protected
cultivation in the state has been estimated around 100 ha. The major flower crops being
brown under greenhouses in the state are Carnation, Lilium, Gerbera, Chrysanthemum,
Rose, Alstroemeria, Daffodils, etc. During 2010-11 floricultural products of about
Rupees Seventy-seven crores were sold from the state.

Protected cultivation: It is the technique of providing favourable environmental or

growth conditions to the plants. In greenhouses, the growing environment is altered to
suit the specific requirements of plants. It is rather used to protect plants from the adverse
climatic conditions by providing optimum conditions of light, temperature, humidity,
CO2 and air circulation for the best growth of plants to achieve maximum yield and best
quality.

Principle of greenhouse cultivation: • The greenhouse is covered with a transparent

material such as plastic, pvc sheet or polycarbonate sheet or FRP (Fiber reinforced
plastic) or glass. Based upon its transparency the greenhouse cover transmits most of the
sunlight. The crop, floor and other objects inside the greenhouse absorb the sunlight
admitted inside the greenhouse. These objects in turn emit long wave thermal radiations
for which the greenhouse covering material has lower transparency and as a result of this
the solar energy is trapped thus leading to increased temperature inside the greenhouse.
This is known as greenhouse effect.

History of protected cultivation of ornamentals in India: Indo-American Hybrid

Seeds Company has made greenhouses for cultivation of ornamental plants before 1970.
M/s Feroz Masani and Sons of Nasik started growing carnations in greenhouses during
1980. M/s Pune flowers started growing roses on rock wool in 1/4th acre greenhouse in
late eighties for export at Pune. Presently over 250 private companies have started
producing flowers in greenhouses in India. Total area under greenhouses in India has
been estimated over 700 ha.

Advantages of growing flower crops in greenhouses:

• Ensures the production of any plant at any place and throughout the year

• Blemish-free high quality product

• Easy to control insect-pests and diseases

• Water requirement reduces

• Labour requirement is less •

Earliness as it reduces crop duration

Advantages of protected cultivation under Indian context:

• Abundant sunshine throughout the year especially in autumn and winter

• The average radiation received at Quito-Equator and Nairobi is 434 and 462
cal/cm2/day, respectively at 1800m AMSL the best centres in the world producing
quality cut flowers, which is at par with radiation received at Bangalore (450 cal/cm2/day
at 1000m AMSL)

• Ideal temperature

• Shorter production cycle • Good production during the main international events when
demand for flowers is high in Europe and USA.

Basic considerations for flower cultivation in greenhouses: • Feasibility study • Type of

greenhouse structures

• Planting material, Growing system, Plant protection, Post harvest handling ,Supporting
facilities for analyzing quality of water and growing media, Management and
coordination

Growing systems for flower crops in greenhouses:

Ground beds

Raised beds

• Benches • Pots
Characteristics of growing medium: • Provide adequate nutrients to the crop • Support
or anchorage the plants grown • Good moisture holding capacity • Sufficiently porous
• Not saline • Withstand pasteurization with steam or solarization • Free from weed seeds,
nematodes, etc.

Decontamination of growing medium: • Chemical drenching/ fumigation:

formaldehyde, chloropicrin, hydrogen peroxide, captan and vapam • Steaming •
Pasteurization • Solarization

Managing High Temperature: • Using Naturally ventilated polyhouses with side (1.5m)
and top (1m) ventilation
• Use of fan and pad system for cooling • Use of 50% intensity shade nets (12 noon to 4
pm) installed inside the polyhouses
• Use of foggers/ misters during afternoons once/ twice only in vegetative phase of flower
crop
• Photo-selective shading paints with less reduction of PAR allowing 69% light and are
useful in late spring and summer@ 450kg/ha in a ratio of 1:3 (paint : water) says Evans,
2009.
Important flower crops commercially grown in greenhouses:

• Cut flowers (Rose, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Lilium, Gerbera, Tulip, Anthurium,

Orchids, Alstroemeria, Eustoma, Gypsophila, Statice, etc.)

1. Rose:
Rose is the leading cut flower in the international cut flowers trade and is also the leading
cut flower exported from India. In India, over 90 per cent greenhouses grow rose as cut
flower. The leading export cultivars of rose are Cora, Corvetti, Diplomat, Femma, First
Red, Grand gala, Kiss, Konfetti, Lambada, Laser, Nicole, Noblesse, Osiana, Papillon,
Parea, Passion, Pavrotte, Rodeo, Rossini, Sacha, Samura, Sandy, Sangaria, Soledo,
Susanne, Texas, Tineke, Vivaldi. The salient characters of rose cultivars for cut flowers
are:

More number of petals, Petals open slowly, More longevity, Attractive colour, Long
and strong stem

Environmental factors:

Temperature (Day: 18-28 and night: 15-18o C)

Light (Photoperiod over 12 hours and intensity: 6000-8000 foot candles)

Relative humidity (50-60 %)

Aeration (Good in air and soil)

CO2 (1000-3000 ppm)

Soil and growing medium: Light, well drained, pH - around 6.5, EC less than 1.0

Humus 10-12%

Soilless growing medium: sand, coco-peat, rock-wool

Optimum spacing and planting density:

In greenhouse single, double or four row planting system in bed is being followed and
spacing of 30 x 25 cm is kept.

Optimum plating density in greenhouse is 60-70 thousand per hectare.

Propagation:

Shield or T-Budding (Commercial method)

Stenting method (Budding done on cuttings, which are planted for rooting in mist
chamber)

Cuttings (Propagation of rootstocks- 15 to 20 cm long stem cuttings of pencil thickness

having at least three buds)

Micro-propagation

Important root stocks:

Rosa bourboniana

Rosa indica var. Odorata

Rosa multiflora

Budding and pruning time:

N.I. plains: Nov.-Dec.

Low hills: Dec.-Feb.

Mid hills: Jan.-Mar.

High hills: Feb.-April.

Optimum nutrients (ppm) status:

pH: 6.2-6.8 Calcium: 55 EC: 0.7 Magnesium: 20 Nitrate: 180 Ammonium: 2 Phosphate:
4 Iron: 0.39 Potassium: 45 Manganese: 0.04

Sodium: 25 Zinc: 0.07 Chloride: 35 Boron: 0.08 Sulphate: 105 Copper: 0.05 Bi-
carbonate: 30 Calcium: 55

Pruning: Cultivar, Class or category of rose, Health and vigour of plant, Spacing, Soil
fertility, Desired quality

Other plant management practices:

Pinching, Disbudding, De-shooting, Defoliation, Removal of faded flowers

Bending of shoots (about 25 %)

Irrigation:

Irrigation is done through drip irrigation with one line along every row.

One drip if inserted about 15cm below the soil level helps to maintain optimum moisture
around root zone. Daily water requirement varies with the outside temperature from 2 to
5 litres/m2. Water soluble fertilizers are also given along with irrigation. During
vegetative phase irrigation through sprinkler/ mister/ fogger is beneficial.

Diseases:

Die back (Diplodia rosarum, Colletotrichum sp.)

Black spot (Diplocarpon rosae)

Powdery mildew (Spaerotheca pannosa)

Downey mildew (Peronospora sparsa)

Gray mould (Botrytis cinerea)

Rust (Phragmidium sp.)

Crown ball (Agrobacterium tumefaciens)

Wilt (Marmor flaccumfasciens)

 Insect-pests: Red scales, Red spider mites, White ants, Aphids, Thrips , Jassids,
Chafer beetles, Mealy bugs, Stem girdler, Sawflies

Physiological Disorders:

Bull head, Bent neck, Limp neck, Blind shoot, Vascular plugging

Stage of flower harvesting:

For local market: When outer one/two petals start unfurling.

For distant market: Fully coloured tight buds

White, pink and yellow cultivars are harvested earlier to red as red may not open if
harvested at tight bud stage

Popular grades:

Large flower cultivars: Stem length 60-90 cm and bud size 3-3.5 cm.

Small flower cultivars: Stem length 40-50 cm and bud size 2-2.5 cm.

Packaging of cut flowers:

In bundles of 10, 12, 20 or 25.

In corrugated card board boxes of 100 x 32.5 x 20 cm (L x W x H) accommodates about

80-100 cut roses of 60-65 cm length.

Wrap flower bunches in cellophane sleeves.

Inline the boxes with tissue paper or news paper.

Average yield:

Indian greenhouses: 150-200 stems/m2/year.

European greenhouses: 350-400 stems/m2/year.

2. Carnation:
Carnation is the leading cut flower grown in 52 ha area during 2009-10 under
greenhouses in Himachal Pradesh. This has become popular on account of its following
qualities:
 Excellent vase life, Wide range of flower colours and forms, Ability to withstand long
distance transportation, Rehydrate easily, Lighter weight

Florist carnations:

Standard

Spray

Mini

Micro

Popular carnation cultivars:

Dona, Pink Dona, Malaga, White Dona, Rony, Rhodos, Lipstick, Empire, Romana,
White Tendra, Corleone, Design, Natila, Dark Tempo, Bagatel

silvery pink, Solar, Cobra, Pendy, Lorella, Cabaret, Tanga, Sonsara, Dakar, Liberty,
Solar, Green Lady, Tempo, Varna, Sun Shine and Charment.

Environmental factors:

Light: Photoperiod (long days over 16 hours) and intensity (100 watts bulb spaced at
10.5m at 1.5m height)

Temperature: Night ( winter: 10-11o C, spring: 12.7o C and summer: 13-15.4o C) and
day ( 18-23o C)

Ventilation: Free circulation of air

Relative humidity: 50-60%.

CO2: 500-1500 ppm

Propagation:

Terminal stem cuttings (8-10 cm long with 4-6 leaf pairs)

Micro-propagation

Soil and growing medium:

Light texture loam or sandy loam soil which is well drained and aerated.

Soil pH: 6-7

Planting time:

N.I. plains: Sep.-Oct.

Low hills: Sep.-Nov.

Mid hills: Jan.-Feb.

High hills: Mar.-April

Staggered planting at 15 days interval ensure regular supply of cut flowers.

Planting density and spacing:

Ordinary: 25-32 plants/m2

High : 40 plants/m2

Standards: 20 x 20 cm

Spray: 30 x 30 cm

Optimum nutrition:

N: 5.4%, P: 0.31%, K: 3.8%

Standards: FYM: 5 kg, N: 30g, P: 20g, K: 10g/ m2

Spray: FYM: 5 kg, N: 40g, P: 20g, K: 10g/ m2

Now commercially nutrition is given through fertigation

Fertigation schedule 500 m2

Day 1: 19/19/19 - 800g

Day 2: plain water

Day 3: 0/52/34 - 700g

Day 4: plain water

Day 5: Ca(NO3)2 - 800g

Day 6: plain water

Day 7: 13/0/45 - 400g

Day 8: plain water

Day 9: MgSO4- 350g + Micronutrient- 300g

Day 10: plain water

Soil moisture and irrigation:

Optimum soil moisture is 300-500 cm tension

Irrigation is done through drip irrigation with three lines in five rows in a bed.

Daily water requirement varies with the outside temperature from 2 to 3 litres/m2.

Water soluble fertilizers are also given along with irrigation.

During vegetative phase irrigation through sprinkler/ mister/ fogger is beneficial.

Pinching:

In pinching terminal growing shoot about 2-3 cm long is removed to overcome apical
dominance and to promote side branching when the plants are at 6-8 leaf pair stage.

Pinching types:

Single

Pinch and half

Pinch plus pull pinch

Double

De-shooting:

When the side shoots after pinching are 3-5 cm long then retain 3-5 shoots per plant in
standard cultivars.

When the side shoots after pinching are 3-5 cm long then retain 6-10 shoots per plant in
spray cultivars.

Staking:

Wire mesh, plastic nets, string or bamboo canes are used to support plants.
 Wire mesh or plastic nets having inner size of 10-15 cm squares are placed on the
ground in three layers, which are erected at 20, 35 and 50 cm above the ground level with
the growing plants. String or rope is erected in three rows at the same distance along the
rows.

Disbudding:

Disbudding is the removal of visible (5-10 mm diameter) undesirable buds.

In standard cultivars terminal bud is retained and all the lateral buds are removed.

In spray cultivars terminal bud is removed and lateral buds are retained.

Weeding:

Three-four hand weeding.

Chemicals viz., oxidiazon and napropamide @ 2.2 and 4.5 kg a.i. per hectare are good in
greenhouse.

In open fluchloralin (basalin) and pendimethalin (stomp) @ 1.0 a.i. per hectare each are
effective.

Stages of flower harvesting:

Standard cultivars for local market are harvested when flowers are half opened or at
painting brush or outer petal is perpendicular to stem, while for distant market cross is
developed on buds and colour is visible.

Spray cultivars are harvested for local market when two flowers have opened and others
have shown colour, while for distant market when 50% flowers have shown colour.

Popular international grades:

Parameter Grade Bud diameter (mm) Blue or Fancy

Red or Standard

Green or Short Tight 50 44 None Fairly

tight 62 56 None Open 75 60 None Stem length (cm) 55 43 30

Common grades in India:

A: over 45 cm

B: 30-45 cm

C: less than 30 cm

Packaging:

In bundles of 10, 12, 20 or 25.

In corrugated card board boxes of 120 x 60 x 30 cm (L x W x H) accommodates about

800-1000 cut flowers of carnation. Wrap flower bunches in cellophane sleeves.

Diseases:

Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi)

Foot- rot (Phytophthora, Pythium, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiarum)

Stem rot (Fusarium roseum)

Flower bud rot (Alternaria dianthi)

Bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas caryophylli)

Rust (Uromyces caryophyllinus or U. dianthi)

Flower blight (Botrytis cinerea)

Fairy ring spot (Heterosporium echinulatum)

Viral diseases

Insect-pests:

Red spider mites

Thrips

Nematodes

Aphids

Helicoverpa/ Heliothis/Spodoptera caterpillars

Physiological disorders: Calyx splitting, Grassiness, Sleepiness, Splitting at nodes

and bushiness, Small narrow leaves and tied tips
Tinting in carnation:

A concentrated liquid or powder colour is mixed in small amount of warm pure water
(37oC) and stems are placed in it. The colour develops in different patterns on the petals
after 10-24 hours.

Average yield:

200-300 flower stems/m2/year.

3. Chrysanthemum:
Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora) has origin in Northern hemisphere in China.
Chrysanthemum is grown for cut flower, loose flower, pot mum, hanging baskets and
bedding and border plant. It has become popular on account of its excellent vase life,
wide range of flower colours and forms and lighter flower weight. It is classified on the
basis of inflorescence, photoperiod and temperature.

The important cultivars of chrysanthemum for export are Snow ball, Snow Don White,
Mountaineer, Sonar Bangla, Bright golden, Anne, Chandrama, Ajay, Birbal Sahni,
Lehmans, Nanako and Sonali Tara. Although, chrysanthemum is a short day plant
flowering when the critical day length is less than 9.5 hours. However, now the cultivars
have been developed which can flower in any season. The important off-season blooming
cultivars of chrysanthemum are given below:

• April-June: Himanshu, Jawala, Jyoti

• July-Aug.: Phuhar • Sep.-Oct.: Ajay, Sharda

• Oct.-Nov.: Makhmal, Megami, Mohini, Sharad har

• Nov.-Dec.: Normal season cultivars

• Jan.-Feb.: Jaya, Lilith, Suneel, Vasantica.

• Feb.-Mar.: Maghi.

• Flowering of these cultivars is recorded at NBRI, Lucknow as these cultivars are

developed in this institute.

Soil:

Sandy-loam having pH 6.2-6.7 is ideal for growing chrysanthemum.

Climate:

• Light (Intensity: 1.2-1.6 MJ/m2/day, Quality: 600-800nm, Photoperiod: less than 9.5
hours)

• Temperature (night: 10-16oC, day: 18-21oC) • CO2: 500-1000ppm

Propagation:

• Terminal stem cuttings (4-5 cm) during June-July, and • Suckers during February to
April

Planting density and spacing: • Greenhouse cut flowers: 40-54 plants/m2. • Loose
flowers: 30 x 20 cm or 20-25 plants/m2

• Standards: 20 x 20 cm • Sprays: 30 x 30 cm • Pot mums: 3-5 cuttings/pot (15 cm)

Nutrition: • FYM: 3-5 kg/ m2 • N:P:K::30:10:15g/m2 at monthly interval

• Loose flowers: FYM: 10-15 ton, N: 150kg, P: 100kg, K: 120 kg/ ha) • Spray of light
solution of cake + SSP at bud developing stage is very beneficial. Apply nitrogen through
CAN source as urea causes phyto-toxicity.

Pinching:

Twice after 4 and 8 weeks of transplanting

De-shooting:

Retain 4-5 shoots in standard and 8-12 shoots in spray cultivars.

Disbudding: Remove lateral buds in standard and terminal bud in spray cultivars.

Irrigation:

Soil should have 60-70 per cent moisture. Depending upon weather 8-10 irrigations of
2.55 cm depth are required.

Staking:

Wire mesh, plastic nets, string or bamboo canes are used to support plants. Wire mesh or
plastic nets having inner size of 10-15 cm squares are placed on the ground in three
layers, which are erected at 20, 35 and 50 cm above the ground level with the growing
plants. String or rope is erected in three rows at the same distance along the rows. In pots
for standard cultivars single bamboo stick is used and in spray cultivars 3-4 sticks are
placed on the sides to protect the plant.

Weeding:

Three-four hand weedings are sufficient. Atrazine @ 1.0 a.i. per hectare is effective
before transplanting.

Diseases: Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. chrysanthemi) Stem and foot rot (Rhizoctonia
solani) Root rot (Pythium, Phytophthora spp.) Bacterial rot (Erwinia chrysanthemi)
Powdery mildew (Oidium chrysamthemi) Leaf spot and flower blight (Alternaria,
Septoria spp.) Gray mould (Botrytis cinerea) Viral diseases (chrysanthemum stunt,
tomato spotted wilt, tomato aspermy, flower distortion, chrysanthemum mosaic and
chrysanthemum rosette)

Insect-pests:

• Aphids • Red spider mites • Hairy caterpillars • Thrips • Grubs • Leaf miners, and •
Nematodes

Disorders:

• Premature budding • Quilling of florets • Crown bud formation • Heat delay, and

• Petal burn

Harvesting Stages:

Standards: When outer row of florets start unfurling for distant market and for local
market half opened flowers. Sprays: Harvested for local market when two flowers have
opened and others have shown colour, while for distant market when 50% flowers have
shown colour. Loose flowers: Fully open flowers Pot mums: 50% buds have developed
colour.

Grades of chrysanthemum cut flowers suggested by Society of American Florists:

Commodity Grade

Blue

Red

Green
Yellow

Stem length (cm) 75 75 60 60

Flower diameter (cm) 15 12.5 10.0 ------

Stem strength Strong

Packing:

In bunches of 10, 20 or 25 in corrugated card board boxes of 91 x 43 x 15 cm (L x W x

H) accommodates about 80-100 cut flowers of chrysanthemum. Wrap flower bunches in
cellophane sleeves.

Yield:

• Standard: 2.5 to 4.5 lakh/ ha • Spray: 1.5-1.75 lakh/ ha • Yield in Greenhouse: 150-250
flower stems/m2/year.

4. Gerbera:
Gerbera is commonly known as Transvaal daisy or Barberton daisy or African daisy. Its
name was coined in honour of German naturalist, Traugott Gerber and it has origin in
Natal and Transvaal in South African and Asian region. Important species in genus
Gerbera are given below:

asplenifolia

aurantiaca

jamesonii

kunzeana

viridifolia

Important cultivars of Gerbera:

Diana, Thalsa, Sonsara, Paganini, Anneke, Nette, Rosetta, Gloria, Ginna, Ingrid, Pricilla,
Alexias, Intense, Sunway, Zingaro, Balance and Monique.

Factors affecting growth and flowering of gerbera:

Light (Long days are good)

Temperature (Day: 16-22oC and night: 12-15oC)

Growth regulators (GA3 and CCC)

Propagation:

Seeds

Division of plants

Cuttings

Micro-propagation

Ideal planting density and spacing:

8-10 plants/m2 or 30 X 30 cm or 40 x 25 cm

Nutrient status in gerbera:

N: 2.7-3.1%, P: 0.19-.0.35%, K: 3.06-3.64%, Ca: 1.66-2.18% and Mg: 0.30.48%.

Ideal fertilizer application schedule in gerbera:

Vegetative stage: N: P: K: Ca: Mg:: 3: 2: 3: 1: 1 @ 75g/m2

Flowering stage: N: P: K: Ca: Mg:: 3: 2: 4: 1: 1 @ 75g/m2

Diseases:

Root rot (Pythium irregularae, Rhizoctonia solani)

Foot rot (Phytophthora cryptogea)

Sclerotium rot (Sclerotium rolfsii)

Blight (Botrytis cinerea)

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum, Oidium crysiphoides)

Leaf spots (Phyllosticta gerberae, Alternaria spp.)

Viral disease (Cucumber mosaic virus and Tobacco rattle virus)

Insect-pests:

White fly, Red Spider Mites , Nematodes , Aphids, Leaf miner , Caterpillars
Harvesting stages of cut flowers:

Before outer row of ray florets show pollen

When outer row of petals is perpendicular on stalk.

Packaging of cut flowers:

In insulated boxes to avoid freezing injury

Plastic coated metal grids 50 x 70 cm with mesh size of 2 x 2 cm.

Average yield of gerbera cut flowers:

Greenhouse: 200-250 flowers/ m2/year

Open field: 120-150 flowers/ m2/year

5. Lilium:
Lilium species has origin in Asia (49), Europe (12) and North America (24). The genus
Lilium has two distinct groups as Oriental and Asiatic. The cultivars which do not stain
clothes and table with their pollen like Tiara (pink single), Aphrodite (pink double) and
sphinx (red double) are preferred by most of the flower lovers.

Characteristics of Oriental lilies:

• Derived from species Lilium aurantium, L. speciosum and L. rubellum. • These are late
flowering lilies. • Flowers are mostly white and pink. • Flowers are mostly fragrant. •
Leaves are broader and almost parallel to ground, and • Bulbs are large 16-22 cm.

• The important export cultivars are Star Gazer, Macropolo and Casablanca.
Characteristics of Asiatic lilies: • Derived from hybridization of 12 species viz., Lilium
amabile, L. bulbiferum, L. concolor, L. dauricum, L. davidii, L. hollandicum, L.
maculatum, L. leichtlinii, L. pumilum and L. tigrinum. • These have extended range of
flowering period. • Flower colour varies from orange, red, yellow, etc. • Flowers are
mostly odourless • Leaves are narrow and upward growing, and • Bulbs are small 10-16
cm. • Important export cultivars are Connecticut King, Gran, Paradiso, Elite, Pollyana,
Prato and Solemio.

Soil or growing medium:

Well drained soil, rich in organic matter and having pH 6.5-7.5. Adequate growing
medium is soil: peat moss:: 1:1 or soil: peat moss: perlite:: one part each.
Climate: • Temperature (Day: 18-25oC and Night: 12-18oC) • Partial shade (40-50%) •
Good aeration/ ventilation

Propagation:

Bulbs Bulblets Scales, and Bulbils in L. bulbiferum, L. sargentiae, L. tigrinum and L.

wallichianum

Planting time:

• Low hills: Oct.-Nov. • Mid hills: Feb.-Mar. and July-Sep. • High hills: March-April

Treatment of Bulbs:

Dip bulbs for about 20 minutes in a solution of Emisan (0.2%), Thiram (0.3%), Captan
(0.2%), Bavistin (0.2%) or Benlate (0.2%). Dry in shade before planting or storing.
Before planting treat bulbs in systemic fungicide and before storing in contact fungicide.
These must be thoroughly dried before planting or storage.

Planting density and spacing:

Planting density and spacing depends upon group of Lilium, bulb size and place of
cultivation. In open planting density is 20-40 bulbs/m2 and spacing is 40 x 15 cm.
Oriental: Bulb size (cm) 16-18 18-20 20-22 >22 Bulbs/m2 40-50 35-45 30-40 25-35
Asiatic: Bulb size (cm) 10-12 12-14 14-16 >16 Bulbs/m2 65-90 55-80 45-70 40-65

Nutrition:

NPK:: 30: 20: 20 g/m2 and for liquid feeding of NPK::14 : 10: 14. Fertilizers should not
come in direct contact with bulbs as it leads to rotting.

Weeding:

Three-four hand weedings and herbicides like Propyzamide @ 2.25kg/ha and chloropham
3.5 l/ha are applied as pre-emergence.

Irrigation:

Soil should have 60-90 per cent moisture and no watering is required until bulbs sprout.
Depending upon weather 8-12 irrigations of 2.5-5 cm depth are required.

Staking:
Wire mesh or plastic nets having inner size of 15-20 cm squares are placed on the ground
in three layers, which are erected at 20, 35 and 50 cm above the ground level with the
growing plants. String or rope is erected in three rows at the same distance along the
rows.

Diseases:

• Gray mould (Botrytis elliptica, B. cinerea) • Soft bulb rot (Rhizopus stolonifer) •
Fusarium bulb rot (Fusarium oxysporum f. lilii) • Brown scale (Colletotrichum lilii) •
Root rot (Pythium splendens) • Bacterial soft rot (Pseudomonas spp.), and • Viral
diseases (mosaic)

Insect-pests:

• Aphids • Thrips , • White flies, and • Mites

Disorders:

Leaf scorch: It is due to deficiency of Mn, Al which occur at over dose of nitrate level
and add lime @ 10 ton/ha. Bud blast: It is due to storage of water at top of plant,
competition for nutrients, fluctuating carbohydrate level, low light intensity and high
nitrate level. Puffy foliage: It is due to frost injury and stunting of plants.

Harvesting Stages:

Local market: When 1-2 florets open Distant market: When 1-2 florets show colour. Cut
stems few centimeter above ground level for increasing bulb size.

Storage of Flowers: Store flowers at 1-2oC.

Harvesting and Storage of Lilium Bulbs:

Harvest bulbs after 40-50 days of flowering or foliage start turning yellow. Store the
bulbs in moist sand at -2o C for initial three weeks and later on at 0-2oC until two weeks
before planting. In hilly areas, bulbs can be stored in moist moss and sand. 6.
Alstroemeria: Alstroemeria was named in honour of Klas von Alstroemer who brought
rhizomes of Alstroemeria pelegrina to his tutor father of plant taxonomy Linneaeus in
1754. Alstroemeria species have origin in countries like Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru,
Paraguay, Venezuela and Argentina. Presently maximum acreage under this flower crop
is in the Netherlands, USA and UK. The different uses of Alstroemeria are cut flower, pot
plant, herbaceous border and garden flower, as it is regarded as herbaceous perennial in
warmer climatic regions. In India, so far it has not gained popularity and no effort has
been made to popularize it as either cut flower or pot plant. Recently, Directorate of
Horticulture, Himachal Pradesh has made an attempt to popularize it among the flower
growers after importing few cultivars from the Netherlands. Mid and high hill areas of
the state are very suitable for growing Alstroemeria. Its cut flowers are finding good
market in the adjoining flower markets in Delhi and Chandigarh and lucrative price of
Rs. 200-300 per dozen is being earned. Individual plant of this is sold by nurserymen @
Rs. 75-100. The flower lovers or consumers prefer to keep it in their homes or offices
because of its uniqueness and longer vase life up to 2-3 weeks in ordinary tap water in
comparison to lily or other cut flowers. There is also significant prospectus for export, as
demand in international market for the last one decade showed progressive increase in its
marketing.

The important cultivars of Alstroemeria for export are Sangria, King cardinal, Tiara,
Mona Lisa, Jessica, Gold finger, Aladdin, Victoria, Diana, Ursula, Azula, Amanda,
Rostita, Jupiter, Purple sensation and Granada.

Soil/ Growing Medium:

Cool well drained rich in organic matter medium is good for Alstroemeria. The optimum
soil pH is 6 to 7. The ideal medium has one part each of sphagnum peat-moss, soil and
sand or Soil, perlite, expanded clay and gravel.

Climate:

Alstroemeria prefers cool climate with partial shade. The control of flowering process
requires thermo and photo-phase and thermo-phase requirement must be fulfilled before
photo-phase. The optimum temperature in greenhouse during night and day is 15 and
18oC, respectively. The newly planted rhizomes/ plants should not get more than 13
hours light at least for 6-8 weeks, which will allow the roots to develop sufficiently
before flowering. After which supplementary light of more than 16 hours a day ensures
early, profuse flowering for longer duration. During summer, when the air- temperature
exceeds 30oC and soil temperature exceeds 18oC, the plants become dormant and should
normally be divided.

Propagation:

The traditional method to propagate Alstroemeria is by division of rhizomes preferably

during dormancy. However, continuous division after 10 to 12 weeks in greenhouses is
practiced. The plants are cut back to 10 to 15 cm height several days before division. At
the time of division older part of rhizomes are removed.
Planting Time:

September-October or February-March

Planting Methods:

Alstroemeria is planted in the field and greenhouse conditions in the beds which should
be 15 to 20 cm deep allowing the roots to grow during the three- four year production
cycle. The growing-point of rhizomes is planted 7 to 10 cm deep.

Spacing:

The spacing varies with cultivar and purpose whether cultivation is for cut flower or
planting material production or both. The optimum spacing between plant to plant and
row to row is 40 to 50 cm. For growing Alstroemeria in pots the rhizomes should be
plated shallow with growing tips 2.5 to 3 cm deep from the surface of soil, which allows
plants to produce more branches, therefore, the pot looks filled.

Nutrition:

As Alstroemeria prefers soil with rich in organic matter, therefore, leaf mould or well
rotten farm yard manure @ 3 to 5 kg/m2 should be added to the soil. The recommended
dose of nutrients is N (3.8-5.6%), P (0.3-0.7%), K(3.7-4.8%) Ca (0.6-1.8%) and Mg (0.2-
0.4%).The mixture of (20N: 8.8P: 16.6K) @ 2.5g per litre is also ideal for growing
Alstroemeria. The nitrogen should be applied in nitrate form. The soluble salt reading
should always be less than 1.5m mhos/cm.

Irrigation:

Irrigation depends upon the prevailing weather condition. However, to keep the soil/
medium moist is beneficial for better growth, flowering and development of rhizomes for
which irrigation at 7-10 days interval is ideal. Nutrients can also be applied with the
irrigation water.

Staking:

Galvanized or plastic wire mesh having a square of 20x20 cm should be erected in three
rows at 30 cm height from one another. Bamboo sticks along with string can also used in
the beds in three rows for supporting Alstroemeria plants.

Diseases: Root rot (Rhizoctonia and Pythium) and plant or flower rot, (Botrytis spp.) are
important diseases of Alstroemeria.
Insect-pests:

• Thrips (These thrips also carry Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus) • Caterpillars • Spider mites
• Slugs • Snails • Aphids, and • White fly

Disorders:

Flower abortion or blasting: May occur due to low light or when roots are damaged by
excessive salts or over-watering. The aborted florets appear as small brownish bumps on
the tip of shoot within the whorl of cymes. Fluctuating humidity as very high or very low
within 24 hours causes blasting in which fully developed flower buds senesce before
reaching complete development, which is even not reduced by increasing light intensity
as well as duration.

Harvesting Stages:

Harvesting of spikes depends upon cultivar, market and consumer preference. For local
market the shoots/spikes are cut when 4-5 florets have opened. For distant market when
first floret has started opening and others have developed 50% colour. Shoots/spikes
should be pulled rather cut which will encourage further shoot production.

Post-harvest Handling:

Flowers are very sensitive to ethylene injury, therefore, spray of 0.5 mM Silver
Thiosulphate (STS) before harvesting protect the plants from wilting. The 0.5mM STS +
2% sucrose is ideal vase solution. Normally in fresh water the shoots/spikes remain
presentable for 2-3 weeks and vase life further increases a week by using preservative
solution. The flowers can be stored as wet at 4oC for 2-3 weeks in water buckets. These
are packed in bunches of 10/20 in corrugated cardboard boxes. The boxes should be
transported vertically to avoid negative geotropism of spikes.

References:

Bose, TK, Maiti, RG, Dhua, R S and Das P 1999. Floriculture and Landscaping. Naya
Prokash, Kolkatta. Chadha, KL and Bhattacharjee, SK 1995. Advances in Horticulture,
vol.12 Part I & II, Ornamental Plants. Malhotra Publishing House, New Delhi. Dadlani,
NK 1999. Development of new production technologies for rose in India. J. Ornam. Hort.
New Series 2(1): 25-31. Evans, A 2009. Reflection of short wave infrared. FloraCulture
International, 19 (2):18-19. Desh Raj 2005. Floriculture in Hills, Agrotech Publishing
Academy, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Desh Raj 2010. Floriculture at Glance. Kalyani
Publishers, Ludhiana.
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