PHOTOPERIOD CONTROL OF LATERAL BRANCHING AND FLOWER PRODUCTION IN CARNATIONS

Short or long photoperiods, during the transition of the apex from the vegetative to the reproductive stage of development, maximizes total flower production by increasing lateral shoot production on the primary shoot and by hastening floral initiation of these lateral shoots.
Continued short day treatment, once the shoots initiates 15 nodes, increases the variability of the dates of flowering.
Short day treatments, beginning 45 days after removal of the terminal shoot, increases the number of lateral shoots remaining on the plant after flower harvest.
The window of time when short days can be used to increase lateral branching is dependent on the transitional stage of development.
Premature short day treatment can reduce the occurrence of lateral branching and increases the variability in days to flower.
Delaying the start of the short day treatment allows the shoot to be induced under long or natural day photoperiod, with a concomitant inhibition of lateral shoot development.
The exact timing of the short day treatment depends on the position from which lateral shoots arise on the stem.
The short day treatment may be used to delay floral initiation of the primary stem until initiation of the nodal positions from which lateral shoots arise.

II International Symposium on Carnation Culture

W. Healy, H. Wilkins

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1983.141.20