Vol. 74 No: 6

Title:
The impact of within-row spacing on the productivity of glasshouse roses grown in two planting systems

Authors:
J.M. MOSHER and D.W. TURNER

pp: 721-728

Abstract:
Stem yield and quality of roses for cut flower production were evaluated. The plants were grown in two planting systems as an alternative to the traditional "vase-shaped" system. In the trellised system, two cultivars of Rosa hybrida (cvs Gabrielle and Kardinal) were planted in a commercial glasshouse in 3 m sections of bed. Within-row spacing was varied to give 6-16 plants m^-2. After a three-month establishment phase the basal shoots were bent to an angle of 30° above horizontal and restrained with a trellis wire. Flowering shoots sprouting from axillary buds along a basal shoot were harvested at their lowest node, minimizing branching. Compared with "vase-shaped" rose plants at the same density, trellised roses produced 24% more basal shoots, 46% more flowering shoots (cv. Gabrielle) and approximately 46% less blind shoots per plant over five months. Phenotypic variation was greater in cv. Gabrielle than in cv. Kardinal in response to within-row spacing, as indicated by the number of basal shoots formed. Within-row spacing, over the range explored, did not affect the number of flowering shoots per basal shoot. Trellising rose plants increased stem yield and quality, but production over the long-term requires further investigation. The single shoot planting system contained a mixed population of single-stemmed rose plants of Rosa hybrida (cvs Gabrielle and Gerdo). It was grown in a field over a range of within-row spacings to give 20-105 plants m^-2. Over three harvests, increasing the number of plants by 10 plants m^-2 reduced the proportion of flowering shoots by 4.4%. Expressed on a unit area basis, a five-fold increase in plants m^-2 produced a three-fold increase in stem production.

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