INFLUENCE OF PLANTING DEPTH ON GROWTH, FLOWER PRODUCTION AND BULB YIELD OF THE COMMON HYACINTH AND THE LILY

Journal Title: International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences - Year 2011, Vol 2, Issue 7

Abstract

Greenhouse pot studies were conducted at the University of Sussex, UK to determine the effects of planting depth on growth, flower quality and bulb yield of two ornamental geophytes, hyacinth and the lily. Bulbs were planted at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm depths from soil surface in plastic pots filled with compost and perlite mixture in a ratio of 2:1 by volume, and the units arranged on greenhouse benches using randomised complete block design. Results indicated that the deeper the depth of planting, the longer it took the bulbs to emerge from the soil after planting. The delay in emergence as a result of deep planting of bulbs gave rise to reduced growth, poor flower quality and reduction in bulb yield at harvest. Plants produced from shallow planting had competitive advantage in terms of acquisition of resources for growth, and were characterised by higher growth rate, whilst those from deep planting had prolonged life cycle which resulted in a delay in above-ground senescence. Too shallow planting of bulbs compelled the bulbs to pull themselves down into deeper ground, but once plants were at this unfavourable depth in the soil, they lacked any mechanism for raising themselves in the soil profile. In general, planting at the 5 cm depth gave the best performance, but in the case of hyacinth, bulbs could also be planted at the 0 cm depth (bulbs placed on soil surface) for optimum growth and to ensure good flower quality, but for the lily, planting at the 0 cm should be discouraged as planting at this depth this will lead to the death of the bulb.

Authors and Affiliations

ADDAI, I. K| Flat 38F, Park Village, Sussex University, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RD (Current address), or The Agronomy Department, UDS, P. O. Box 1350, Tamale, Ghana (Permanent address)., SCOTT, P| Biology and Environmental Science Department, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, UK, TAKYI, H| Kwame Ukrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.

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