NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM NUTRITION OF CHRYSANTHEMUM MOTHER PLANTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE UPON QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF CUTTINGS

Within three experiments with mother plants of Chrysanthemum – Indicum – Hybriden (C. x hortorum L. H. Bailey) the influence of different amounts of nitrogen and potassium and forms of nitrogen upon the production of cuttings and their further growth was tested.

During cultivation of mother plants which were harvested six times in spring and summer increasing amounts of nitrogen and potassium up to 200 or 160 mg per litre substratum and week do not have great influence upon the yield of cuttings and the weight of a single cutting.
Increasing nitrogen decreases the amount of cuttings harvested in autumn and winter.

Augmenting percentage of nitrate-nitrogen (ammonium-nitrogen vice versa) reduces the weight of cuttings as well as the weight of a single cutting.
The number of roots per cutting is diminished too, but it increases as more nitrogen is given to the mother plants.
This is valid for cultivation in spring and summer.

The production of cuttings in autumn and winter is not influenced by the form of nitrogen.
After storage of the cuttings the weight of the roots becomes less the lower the percentage of nitrate-nitrogen given to the mother plants.
Depending upon potassium supply of the mother plants the weight of the roots decreases with increasing amounts of nitrogen differently.

Symposium on Production of Potted Plants and Cut Flowers

R. Röber

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1976.64.6