RESEARCH RESULTS
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for
NURSERYMEN
No. 3
June, 1962
Department of Horticulture
Agricultural Experiment Station
Auburn University
E. V. Smith, Director Auburn, Alabama
RESEARCH RESULTS for NURSERYMEN
FOLIAR FEEDING CONTAINER GROWN ORNAMENTALS
Tok Furuta and W. C. Martin
Experiments reported in past years have shown that 
foliar feeding can be used
successfully to fertilize woody ornamental plants grown in containers. There 
are
many advantages such as flexibility of the fertilizer program, reduction 
of
fertilization and production costs, and combination of insecticides and fungicides
with fertilizer applications. Foliar feeding will not completely replace soil
applications for maximum growth. Therefore, a combination of soil and foliar
applications is needed. During 1961, experiments were continued 
to study the use of
foliar feeding on container-grown plants.
I. Comparison of different fertilizers. This experiment showed that several
different fertilizers are equally effective when used separately 
to foliar feed
woody ornamentals. Plant growth and quality were the same when similar 
amounts of
actual nutrient element from the different fertilizers were applied.
Small plants of Ilex cornuta rotunda, Banks Rose, Green Pittosporum and
Camellia japonica were grown to compare the effectiveness of three different
fertilizers for foliar feeding.
As a che , a soil application treatment that had given satisfactory 
results
was selected... Each time the check plants were irrigated, a 20-20-20 fertilizer
solution containing .013 oz. of actual nitrogen per gallon of water was applied.
This solution did not wet the foliage. Foliar treatments were urea (46-0-0), a
23-21-17 and a 21-21-21 complete fertilizer applied separately to different plants.
The concentration of the fertilizer in the foliar spray was 
adjusted so that the
spray solution contained .2 ounce of actual nitrogen per gallon of water. 
When
only nitrogen (urea) was applied to the foliage, soil applications of phosphorus
and potassium were made.
After 5 months, the plants were cut and weighed. All fertilizers tested for use
as foliar feeding material were equally effective in maintaining excellent plant
growth. When compared with the check treatment, all foliar treatments resulted in
larger plants of Banks Rose and Camellia japonica.
II. Use of a spreader-sticker. Two types of spreader-sticker, were tested on
four species of ornamental plants with urea. The use of spreader-sticker did not
result in greater plant growth.
III. Nitrogen incorporation and foliar feeding. Since past studies had shown
that nirogen incorporations at potting time were needed to obtain maximum plant
size, J studies were continued in 1961 to determine the effective amount of urea-
formaldehyde (UF) nitrogen to incorporate in the potting mixture before planting.
Seven species of woody ornamentals were grown, using No. 10 food cans and a soil
1/ Compiled by Tok Furuta
2/l Research Results for Nurserymen, No. 2, 1961.
3/ Op. 
cit.
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mixture of one-half 
peat moss, one-half 
bank sand. Liners 
of Camellia sasanqua
'Cleopatra', Roundleaf 
Japanese Holly, India Privet, 
and Southern Magnolia 
were
planted in March, 1961. 
Hardwood cuttings of Shrubalthea, 
Crape myrtle and Lilac
Chastetree were inserted directly into the soil mixture 
in the containers in April.
Four pre-plant and 2 
po-plant fertilizer treatments 
were used in all
combinations. Pre-plant 
fertilizer treatment 
consisted of incorporating 
in the
potting mixture 
the same amount of 
superphosphate 
and dolomitic limestone 
for all
plants and incorporating UF 
nitrogen at the rate of 0, 2, 
5, or 10 pounds per
cubic yard of soil.
Following planting for each rate 
of UF incorporation 2 subtreatments 
were
made (1) foliar and (23 soil 
applications. The foliar application 
was urea applied
weekly using a spray concentration 
of 2 ounces per gallon 
of water (.9 ounces of
actual nitrogen) with potassium 
and phosphorus being applied to 
the soil at monthly
intervals. The soil applications 
consisted of .20 ounces 
of UF nitrogen
(1 teaspoonful) plus .20 ounces 
of 0-8-8 (1 teaspoonful) per 
container each month.
This treatment was selected since 
prior studies during 1959 indicat 
its superiority
over the use of an 8-0-8 plus 
superphosphate at monthly intervals.
The results show that, when 
UF nitrogen was incorporated 
into the potting
mixture, the growth of plants 
that were foliar fed with 
nitrogen was equal to growth
obtained when UF nitrogen was applied 
to the soil. For maximum growth, a 
higher
rate of UF incorporation was 
necessary when the plants 
were foliar fed compared
with monthly soil applications.
In general incorporation 
of 2 pounds of UF was sufficient 
for maximum plant
growth when soil applications 
were made. Plants were smaller 
at lower and higher
rates of UF incorporation. 
When foliar feeding was used, 
incorporation of 5 to
10 pounds of UF resulted 
in larger plants. UF 
incorporation of 10 
pounds per cubic
yard of soil mixture id 
not supply sufficient plant 
food for one season under
Auburn conditions. 5
Hardwood cuttings of the deciduous 
ornamentals rooted well in all 
treatments.
The percentage of rooting 
was not influenced by 
the rate of UF incorporation.
An observation in the fall 
indicated there was less weed 
growth in the cans
that had been foliar fed as compared 
with soil applications.
During the winter of 1961-62, the plants 
were exposed to full sun and were not
given special protection. 
All Camellia sasanqua plants 
were killed. Of the other
plant species, 66 per cent of the 
Southern Magnolia plants, 53 per 
cent of the
India privet plants, and 34 per 
cent of the Roundleaf Japanese 
Holly plants
survived. Fertilizer treatments 
apparently influenced the number 
of plants
surviving the winter. Fewer plants 
survived the cold when 10 pounds 
of UF had been
incorporated than when lower 
rates of UF had been used. 
More foliar-fed plants
than soil-fed plants survived 
the winter.
/Research Results for Nurserymen, 
No. 1, 1960.
Op. cit.
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LEAF ANALYSIS of WOODY ORNAMENTALS
Henry Orr, Fred Perry, Tok Furuta
The use of foliar analysis as a tool is determining fertilizer requirements of
ornamental plants must await accumulation of research information on such matters
as sampling technique, plant parts that reflect fertilizer requirements most
precisely, and the proper time of sampling. There are many factors other than the
amount of fertilizer applied that influences the concentration of a nutrient element
in a given part of the plant. Some of these are the influence of the position or
location of the leaf in regard to height from the ground, compass direction, and
position on the shoot. Analysis of the leaves of the Southern Magnolia gathered
from trees during the summer of 1961 showed 
that these leaf location factors,
singly and in combination, influenced the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
calcium and magnesium present in the foliage.
CULTURE OF LY IDBUSH LYONIA LUCIDA, FETTERBUSH LYONIA
Henry Orr
Lyonia lucida, Fetterbush Lyonia, is a native evergreen shrub of Alabama's
coastal plain. It was found growing in sandy, organic, moist but well drained
hummocks in bogs and swamps of that area. It has desirable characteristics as an
ornamental shrub because of its landscape value and foliage for floral decorations.
Lyonia was easily propagated by seed and cuttings. The seed are very fine and
should be germinated on a finely shredded medium, such as sphagnum moss.
Germination was excellent under glass cover and under intermittent mist. Cuttings
made in June and July and in early fall rooted well.
Results of fertilizer requirement studies showed that the most outstanding
plants were grown in a one-half sand, one-half peat medium fertilized with a
5..-10-10 at the rate of 2000 pounds per acre per year. Better growth resulted from
split applications of the fertilizer than a single application in the spring.
Plants grew better under 25 to 75 per cent shade as compared with those in
full sun. Saran shade was more effective than lath shade.
PACKAGING WOODY ORNAMENTALS
Tok Furuta and Fred Perry
I. Coating material and moisture loss. Wax has been used for a number of
years to retard the loss of moisture from stems of deciduous ornamentals while
they are in storage or on display for sale. Cracking and chipping of the wax
frequently occurs during handling, which reduces its effectiveness.
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An emulsified polyethylene was used and its effectiveness in preventing
moisture loss was compared with wax. Uniform stem pieces were dipped in the
materials and kept at room temperature. Moisture loss was determined by weighing
the stems.
Wax effectively reduced moisture loss. On the other hand, moisture loss from
plastic-coated stem sections was as great as that of uncoated sections.
The wax hardened soon after dipping the stems which permitted rapid handling.
Drying of the plastic was slow, requiring an hour before the sections were dry
enough to handle.
II. Packaging materials. Influences of the medium around the roots and use
of a stem coating on keeping quality of packaged deciduous ornamentals were studied.
Plants of five deciduous ornamentals were packaged. Two media, a peat-perlite
mixture and sawdust, were used around the roots. This was overwrapped with plastic.
Stem coatings of wax and an emulsified polyethylene were used separately and
compared with uncoated plants. All possible combinations of stem coating and
medium around the roots were used.
The packaged plants were kept in a room in which the temperature ranged from
50 to 700 F. and the relative humidity varied from 48 to 85 per cent. At weekly
intervals, representative plants from each treatment were planted in the garden.
The medium placed around the roots did not influence moisture loss of the
plant during storage, plant survival in the 
garden , or subsequent growth.
The stem dip material influenced moisture loss during storage. Waxing
retarded moisture loss whereas the emulsified polyethylene did not. While growth
of the plants after planting was not influenced by coating the stem, approximately
twice as many uncoated plants failed to survive 
as compared with all coated plants.
Sprouting or growth of buds during the storage period was influenced by
coating the stem with wax and by the medium. Plants of Lilac Chastetree and
Shrubalthea did not sprout during storage. Plants of Flowering Quince and Rugosa
Rose sprouted earlier when peat-perlite was used around the root. Peat-perlite
mixture held more water than the sawdust. Waxing the canes of Rugosa Rose
resulted in earlier sprouting.
AVAILABLE SOIL MOISTURE FOR PLANT GROWTH
Tok Furuta
I. Moisture-holding capacity of soil mixtures. The soil mixture used by
growers will influence the amount of water that is available for plant growth.
Measurements of available moisture in three typical soil mixtures were as follows:
Soil mixture Available moisture
per No. 10 can
' peat, perlite 0.96 pints
sand, 4 peat 0.37 pints
1/3 field soil, 1/3 sand,
1/3 peat moss 0.45 pints
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Loss of soil moisture (evapotranspiration) is the sum of soil surface
evaporation loss and plant transpiration loss. For large plants in containers,
transpiration accounts for the greatest amount of moisture loss.
Soil mixture does not influence the amount of transpiration provided moisture
is not deficient. Thus plants utilize the same amount of moisture each day, even
though they are grown in different soil mixtures. One can see that soils with
lower moisture capacity therefore would dry out faster, necessitating more
frequent irrigations.
The moisture-holding capacity also regulates the duration of an irrigation
period since smaller capacity means that less water must be applied to bring soil
to field capacity.
II. Determination of irrigation needs. For efficient use of irrigation,
reliable guides are needed to determine the amount of evapotranspiration or moisture
use by a crop. The amount of evapotranspiration determines the crop need for
irrigation. The problem of developing reliable guides to determine the amount of
evapotranspirat ion was studied under greenhouse conditions.
The results show that the two different measures studied indicate the amount
of evapotranspiration. These are: 1. the difference in evaporation through
black and white Livingston atmometers and, 2. measurements of solar energy.
Further preliminary experiments have shown that excellent plant growth
resulted when irrigation frequency was determined by measuring solar energy.
Instrumentation has been simple and inexpensive.
FLOWERING of CAMELLIA JAPONICA
Tok Furuta
I. Influence of Gibberellin on time of flowering. Repeated spraying during
the fall with potassium gibberellate resulted in earlier than usual flowering of
plants of Camellia japonica. Flower size and color were not affected.
Plants of the varieties Cheerful, Yuki-Botan, Jarvis Red, Alba Plena, and
Pink Perfection were used. All plants were grown in the garden in full sun.
Treatment began in late September.
Spraying with an 1,000-ppm solution using an emulsified form of potassium
gibberellate resulted in damage and death of the flower buds of all varieties.
The cause of this damage was traced to the emulsifier.
All concentrations of potassium gibberellate induced growth of vegetative
buds in the treated area. These shoots were killed by cold weather.
Earlier flowering (36 days after start of treatment) resulted when the
concentration of potassium gibberellate was 500 and 1,000 ppm, but not when a
concentration of 100 ppm was used. Repeated applications at weekly intervals
were required.
CHEMICAL CONTROL of GROWTH
Tok Furuta
I. CCC and azalea flowering. Azalea 
plants were grown in pots under 50 
per
cent saran shade and sheared in early July. 
An application (soil drench) of 2
grams per 6 inch pot of CCC (2-ohloroethyl 
trimethylammonium chloride) in early
September resulted in more uniform forced flowering 
of plants of Coral Bell
Azaleas during December. Treatment of plants 
in August resulted in poor flowering.
Both cold storage and gibberellic acid 
treatments were effective in overcoming
dormancy of the flower buds.
PROPAGATION STUDIES
Tok Furuta, Henry Orr, and W. C. Martin
I. Location of propagation and container. The 
use of peat pots for
propagation and growth of woody plant cuttings was 
studied and compared with
cuttings rooted in flats and later potted in peat pots. 
Rooting was done in a
saran shade house (approximately 
50 per cent light reduction) and 
in a greenhouse
using a medium of one-half peat moss, one-half perlite..Test plants were
'Coral Bells' Azalea, Pink Perfection 
Camellia, Lyonia, American 
Osmanthus,
Roundleaf Japanese Holly, and 
Cryptomeria. Cuttings were made 
in late June-early
July. Intermittent mist was 
used in both locations.
Neither location nor container 
influenced the rooting response 
of the test
cuttings.
II. Chemicals on Rooting of Osmanthus 
americanus. Cuttings were made 
in
July and treated with various 
commercially available rooting 
powders. Six powders
were used.
The only chemical treatment increasing 
the rooting response of American
Osmanthus was Rootone 'F'. Approximately 
88 per cent of the cuttings rooted 
when
treated with this material as 
compared with about 75 per cent 
of the untreated
cuttings, and lower percentages 
from other treatments.
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