Articles
NEW SPECIES AND CULTIVARS OF SALVIA AS ORNAMENTAL POT PLANTS
Article number
1000_2
Pages
35 – 42
Language
English
Abstract
The genus Salvia includes more than 900 species spread out all over the world.
Thirty-one species and cultivars preliminary selected for their morphological, phenological and agronomical characteristics were evaluated for pot plant production in Mediterranean climate conditions.
Propagation performances by seed or by cutting were tested.
Plants were grown in 1.3- or 3.2 L pots during most part of spring and for all the summer period.
Three kind of final products were considered, depending on features of the different species: flowering plants, foliage plants, aromatic plants.
Nearly all the species showed good propagation results, with a germination or rooting percentage higher than 90% in most cases.
Ten flowering species or cultivars (S. blepharophylla, S. coccinea Lady in Red and Forest Fire, S. greggii Alba and Peach, S. microphylla Trenance, S. roemeriana, S. sinaloensis, S. ×jamensis La Luna and La Siesta), one foliage species (Salvia greggii Caramba) and four aromatic ones (S. dolomitica, S. dorisiana, S. elegans, S. somalensis) showed a good plant height-width ratio (0.9 to 1.4) and high branching, together with a good foliage compactness. S. aethiopis, S. argentea and S. lyrata Purple Volcano showed a height-width ratio of 0.2-0.3 due to their typical aspect in the rosette stage and were considered interesting new products for ornamental foliage.
The number of days to production (included propagation phase) ranged from 88.8 (S. elegans) to 151.5 days (S. greggii Peach): that shows the possibility of obtaining even flowering plants in a short cultivation cycle and confirms the usual high growth rate of Salvia species.
The eighteen species selected showed also uniform growth; on plants in anthesis, flowers were abundant and well distributed on the foliage.
Thirty-one species and cultivars preliminary selected for their morphological, phenological and agronomical characteristics were evaluated for pot plant production in Mediterranean climate conditions.
Propagation performances by seed or by cutting were tested.
Plants were grown in 1.3- or 3.2 L pots during most part of spring and for all the summer period.
Three kind of final products were considered, depending on features of the different species: flowering plants, foliage plants, aromatic plants.
Nearly all the species showed good propagation results, with a germination or rooting percentage higher than 90% in most cases.
Ten flowering species or cultivars (S. blepharophylla, S. coccinea Lady in Red and Forest Fire, S. greggii Alba and Peach, S. microphylla Trenance, S. roemeriana, S. sinaloensis, S. ×jamensis La Luna and La Siesta), one foliage species (Salvia greggii Caramba) and four aromatic ones (S. dolomitica, S. dorisiana, S. elegans, S. somalensis) showed a good plant height-width ratio (0.9 to 1.4) and high branching, together with a good foliage compactness. S. aethiopis, S. argentea and S. lyrata Purple Volcano showed a height-width ratio of 0.2-0.3 due to their typical aspect in the rosette stage and were considered interesting new products for ornamental foliage.
The number of days to production (included propagation phase) ranged from 88.8 (S. elegans) to 151.5 days (S. greggii Peach): that shows the possibility of obtaining even flowering plants in a short cultivation cycle and confirms the usual high growth rate of Salvia species.
The eighteen species selected showed also uniform growth; on plants in anthesis, flowers were abundant and well distributed on the foliage.
Authors
C. Cervelli, A. Capponi, C. Mascarello, B. Ruffoni, C. Del Gaudio
Keywords
flowering, morphology, pot plants, production, shape
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