Easter lily – Lilium longiflorum Christian holiday in spring 3 rd most widely produced flowering potted crop in U.S. –12+ million pots produced annually –6 th based on wholesale value (03) Unique challenge to schedule because… –First Sun following first full moon on or after vernal equinox (Mar. 22-Apr. 25) –April 16, 2006 –Need 120 days of forcing time in gh, but early Easters may only allow for 90 days

Neal Mast & Sons (Grand Rapids, MI) produced 3% of the Easter lilies sold in the U.S. in 2003 Primary customer: Wal-Mart

Easter lily – Growth habit Liliaceae Bulb morphology –Scaly bulb –Compressed shoot with basal plate (stem) and many flesh scales (modified…) Origin –S. islands of Liu-Chiu Archipelago of S. Japan; maritime spp.; grows in soils derived from coral reefs –So…

Easter lily – Growth habit Petals + sepals = tepals –white Root systemS –Stem roots –Basal roots Two cultivars –‘Nellie White’ 93% of market Shorter; fewer, wider lvs –‘Ace’ Rest of market more flwr/plnt Fewer tip burn problems –‘Eden’ Incr buds, shorter, faster forcing

Easter lily – Bulb production Smith River Valley –N. California – S. Oregon coast (Brookings) –All prod’n for N. America –Cool, dry summers; mild, wet winters –Fewer than 10 growers produce 10 million+ bulbs/yr Japan –Major producer of lily bulbs prior to 1940s

Easter lily – Bulb production Bulb production, mid-July

Easter lily – Propagation Seed: Breeding, not commercial Scaling: Major method of veg prop’n –Bulbs lifted fr fields early Sept, scales removed –Scales planted in field, adventitious buds form during winter –Scalets replanted, etc. Scale  Scalet or bulblet  Yearling  Commerical  Plant-back

Propagation Stem bulblets –Fr buds of axils of underground leaf nodes –Consist of roots, scales, basal plate, meristem –When bulbs dug, bulblets detached and replanted –Saves 1 yr bulb prod’n time Leaf cuttings –Detached lvs form bulblets at base –Lvs fr upper plant best regeneration (80% v. 40% for basal lvs) Tissue culture –Easily done, esp new cvs Stem bulblets, Asiatic hybrid Korean research

Easter lily – Production AceNellie White Bulbs/ case 6.5 – 7 Not sold up – 8/9 cost $170 in $62 shipping = $232/case or $1.86/bulb 125 – 8/9 cost $236 in 2000 incl shipping, or $1.89/bulb 125 – 8/9 cost $193 in 2001 incl shipping, or $1.54/bulb Typically, larger bulb = more flwr Single-nosed = 1 shoot or Double-nosed = 2 shoots < 5% bulbs produced in a season are double-nosed

Easter lily – Production Cycle Vernalization –Cold-moist treatment, 1000 hrs –May be potted up before or after Greenhouse Forcing –I. Planting to FBI Late Jan, plants 3-5” tall –II. FBI to Visible Bud (VB) VB = Ash Wednesday, 6.5 wks before Easter Buds 0.5 – 1” in size –III. VB to flowering 6 wks Harvest –Must be ready to ship on Palm Sunday, 1 wk b/Easter

Easter lily – FBI Vernalization Treatment –U.S.: 6 wk (1000 hr) vernalization trt –38 – 40 F for ‘Ace’ –40 – 45 F for ‘Nellie White’ –Length is critical; as extended: Shoot emerge earlier Shoot emergence more uniform Days fr shoot emergence to flwr will… Flwr # will decrease Internode length will increase –Over-cooled bulbs Low leaf #, long internodes –Under-cooled bulbs High leaf #, short internodes May not flwr by Easter Long photoperiod in gh after cold –LD + cooling are additive –1 week LD = 1 week cooling –Not effective till 2 wks after emergence; why? –LD not used commercially b/c uncooled lilies do not emerge evenly & requ lots gh space

Easter lily – Vernalization Natural Cooling –Non-cooled bulbs potted on arrival, watered in –Placed in sheds, cold frames, minimally-heated poly gh –Exposed to naturally-occurring cold temps of Oct-Dec –“Maintain” 35-40F –Split-cooling = bulbs in cooler first 3 wks then move outside for last 3 wks –Biggest problem? Commercial Case-Cooling –Forcer receives bulbs in case that were vernalized at commercial cold storage facility –Vernalized bulbs potted immediately after arrival –Greatest advantage? –Biggest problem? –Generally less uniform than with pot cooling

Easter lily – Vernalization Home Case Cooling –Non-cooled bulbs shipped to forcer, placed in cooler upon arrival –7-10 d may be necessary for bulbs in center of case to reach 40 F –Water content of peat critical; if peat dries out, bulbs receive less vernalization than required –So, sources of variability seen in uniformity of lily crops attributed to… Pot-Cooling or Controlled Temperature Forcing (CTF) –Non-cooled bulbs POTTED, watered in, and given 3 wks of warm temps for rooting –Bulbs ROOT prior to vernalization –Early Easters: rooting period may be sacrificed, but not length of vernalization (1000 hr = ~ 6 wks) –Advantgs: incr flwr bud #s, reduced forcing time because… –Highest quality plants, but…

Easter lily – Vegetative Growth Planting –Plant bulbs deep, 0.5 – 1” from bottom of a 6” STANDARD pot; why? Bulb mite damage

Easter lily – Vegetative Growth Planting –Dip bulbs in fungicide and miticide before potting, or drench immediately after potting Root rot High salts Bulb mites, Rhizoglyphus echinopus Bulb mite damage

Easter lily – Disease Root rot is a serious problem during all stages of production Leaf scorch fr Subdue overappl’n

Easter lily – Environment Root Medium –Well-drained; soilless common –Sensitive to fluoride (Fl); leaf scorch –Common rec: no perlite, but… –pH 6.3 – 7.0 –pH incr if Fl present because… –EC 0.5 – 0.8 mmhos –Superphosphate not added pre-plant b/c contains Fl Leaf scorch fr Fl

Easter lily – Environment Watering –Excessive dry-down can result in FB abortion –Overwatering contributes to root rot, leaf yellowing –Water > 1 ppm Fl may cause leaf scorch Phytophthora Leaf scorch fr Fl, Subdue

Easter lily – Environment Watering –Avoid getting foliage wet, but… Baucom’s Nursery, Charlotte, NC

Easter lily – Environment Nutrition –Moderate - high –200 ppm CLF N, K 2 O –High salts decr height –Ca(NO 3 ) 2 rec if pH low, esp after buds 0.5” long –High P formerly ass’d w/leaf scorch, but problem traced to Fl toxicity, not P toxicity; why? –CO 2 injection does not decr crop time or incr quality Cut Oriental Hybrid lilies Sun Valley Floral Farm, Arcata, CA High salts contribute to root rot Pythium Rhizoctonia

Easter lily – Vegetative Growth Height Control –Chemical growth regulators Very common Do not apply during FBI to avoid reduction in flwr # A-Rest spray or drench –25-50 ppm spray, 0.6 – 2.8 ppm drench –Bark root medium… Sumagic –10-30 ppm spray, ppm drench Triazole fungicides are effective in reducing lily height –As bulb dips or soil drenches –E.g. Banner (propiconazol) or Bayleton (triadimefon) Root rot High salts Bulb mites Bulb mite damage

Easter lily – Vegetative Growth Height Control –Negative DIF Very common Warmer night temps than day temps results in shorter plants Avg D/N temp controls rate of development Post-production problems: –Decr flwr longevity –Foliage yellowing –Because… Root rot High salts Bulb mites Bulb mite damage Only one person takes heights

Easter lily – Vegetative Growth Height Control –Spacing Pot-to-pot spacing = stretch Final spacing 8” x 7”, or 2.5 pots/ft 2 (after FBI) Pot-to-pot forcing requ high PGR, causes lower foliage yellowing –Dishing Move tallest plants to edge of bench and shortest plants to center of bench Why? Root rot High salts Bulb mites Bulb mite damage

Easter lily – FBI Long photoperiod in gh after cold –LD + vernalization are additive –‘Insurance lighting’ 1-3 wks LD after shoot emergence to ensure that inductive requ for FBI have been met If Easter b/n Mar. 20 – Apr. 2, light with no hesitation Temps > 70 F are devernalizing –If lilies kept above 70 F + SD, they will never flwr Schaefer’s Gh, Aurora, IL

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase Greenhouse Forcing I. Planting to FBI Late Jan, plants 3-5” tall Phase I –Bulbs moved from cooler to gh –Roots develop, shoot emerges Temp is key; F soil up to 70 F to speed emergence Higher temps = devernalization –FBI when shoot 3-5” tall in mid- late Jan When stem roots visible, FBI starting 65 F max during FBI or decr bud count –Temperature dipping F night (60 F day) during FBI incr bud count; why?

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase Greenhouse Forcing I. Planting to FBI II. FBI to Visible Bud (VB) VB = Ash Wednesday, 6.5 wks before Easter Buds 0.5 – 1” in size III. VB to flowering Phase II –Flwrs develop fr microscopic primordia to VB of 0.5-1” –About ½ plant ht developed –Leaf Counting Determinate plants Once FBI occurs, leaf # fixed Gh temps manipulated to control rate of leaf unfolding until VB

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase Greenhouse Forcing I. Planting to FBI II. FBI to Visible Bud (VB) III. VB to flowering 6 wks Phase III –Temp manipulation after VB must be done with care Most effective temp range b/n temp and forcing speed is F At higher temps, quality is dramatically reduced –Insects Aphids, leaf / bud distortion

Greenhouse Phase Physiological disorders –Flower bud abortion caused by… Low light intensity, root rot, ethylene, water stress, high temps Lower leaf yellowing caused by… Avid insecticide Pythium root rot

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase Physiological disorders –Leaf yellowing (esp lower) caused by… Gradual yellowing of lower lvs …excessive negative DIF …some PGRs …N deficiency Catastrophic leaf yellowing …excessive cold temp storage …lengthy shipping …very tight spacing …excessive fertility

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase Preventing lower leaf yellowing –GA 4+7 and BA (benzyladenine) very effective –Fascination = 1.8% benzyladenine + 1.8% GA 4+7 –Fresco = 1.8% N-phenylmethyl-1H-purine-6-amine + 1.8% GA 4+7 –Spray to leaves on lower half of plant –5-25 ppm GA 4+7 is effective; influenced by ration of BA used –It is translocated up; this can cause… Application to lower leaves only

“puffy white bud” stage Easter lily – Harvest

Create aisle to harvest lilies

Grade based on height: if too short, maybe sold at discount; if too tall, cannot be sold

Proper way to “eat” Easter liles Moo Shoo Pork ¼ C lily buds1 scallion 2 T cloud ear mushrooms2 slices fresh ginger ½ lb shredded lean pork2 eggs 1 T light soy sauce1 ½ T peanut oil 1 t sugar ¼ t salt 1.Separately soak lily buds and cloud ear shrooms 2.Combine shredded pork with soy sauce & ginger 3.Shred shrooms, scallion stalk. Mince ginger. Beat eggs 4.Heat oil. Add eggs and scramble quickly; remove while still moist 5.Heat remaining oil. Add ginger root; stir-fry a bit, then add pork and stir-fry till no pink is visible 6.Add salt, scallion, lily buds, and shrooms. Stir-fry 1 min, then cook, covered, 1-2 min over med heat 7.Return scrambled eggs to pan and stir only to reheat. Serve immediately