FIRST EVALUATION OF LIMONIUM SUITABILITY FOR SOILLESS CULTIVATION

Limonium cultivation is diffused in southern Italy and in Liguria and it is characterized by good productive results and long flowering period.
This species is cultivated in normal soil, in open air and greenhouse, as annual, biennal and poliennal crop for cut flower production.
Three cultivars of hybrid Limonium of the Misty series (Misty White, Misty Blue and Misty Pink) were grown in pumice with the aim of evaluating the suitability for soilless cultivation.
The trial was carried out in cold greenhouse with PE cover at Bagheria (Sicily, Italy). Plants showed fast growth rhythm and began to flower 3 months after planting.
Growing technique moderately affected production and influenced qualitative parameters: plants in pumice of all tested cultivars gave better quality stems than ones from plants in normal soil.
Stem yield, length and weight depended also on the cultivar: cv. “Misty White” produced, in both growing conditions, the highest amount of flower (12 and 11.5 stems/plant for soilless and traditional culture, respectively), while cv. “Misty Blue” gave the longest (106.6 and 90 cm) and heaviest (73.5 and 46.4 g) stems.

VI International Symposium on Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climate: Product and Process Innovation

G.V. Zizzo, G. Fascella, G. Costantino, S. Agnello

Plumbago family, Misty series, cut flower, growing technique

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.614.34