Easter lily – Lilium longiflorum

• Christian holiday in spring• 3rd most widely produced

flowering potted crop in U.S. – 12+ million pots produced

annually– 6th 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 2003Primary 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• 0.5-1 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 productionBulb 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 – ProductionAce Nellie

WhiteBulbs/case

6.5 – 7

Not sold

300

7-8 7-8 250

8-9 8-9 200

9-10 9-10 150

10-up 10-up 100

125 – 8/9 cost $170 in 1999 + $62 shipping = $232/case or $1.86/bulb125 – 8/9 cost $236 in 2000 incl shipping, or $1.89/bulb125 – 8/9 cost $193 in 2001 incl shipping, or $1.54/bulb

Typically, largerbulb = more flwr

Single-nosed = 1 shoot or Double-nosed = 2 shoots

< 5% bulbs producedin 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 rotHigh 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, K2O– High salts decr height– Ca(NO3)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?

– CO2 injection does not decr crop time or incr quality

Cut Oriental Hybrid liliesSun Valley Floral Farm, Arcata, CA

High salts contribute to root rot

PythiumRhizoctonia

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, 0.3-0.9 ppm drench

• Triazole fungicides are effective in reducing lily height– As bulb dips or soil drenches– E.g. Banner (propiconazol) or Bayleton (triadimefon)

Root rotHigh 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 rotHigh salts

Bulb mites

Bulb mite damageOnly 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/ft2 (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 rotHigh 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 flwrSchaefer’s Gh, Aurora, IL

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase

Greenhouse ForcingI. Planting to FBI

Late Jan, plants 3-5” tall

Phase I– Bulbs moved from cooler to gh– Roots develop, shoot emerges

• Temp is key; 60-62 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• 40-50 F night (60 F day)

during FBI incr bud count; why?

Easter lily – Greenhouse Phase

Greenhouse ForcingI. Planting to FBIII. FBI to Visible Bud

(VB)VB = Ash Wednesday,

6.5 wks before EasterBuds 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 ForcingI. Planting to FBIII. 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 50-70 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– GA4+7 and BA (benzyladenine) very effective

– Fascination = 1.8% benzyladenine + 1.8% GA4+7

– Fresco = 1.8% N-phenylmethyl-1H-purine-6-amine + 1.8% GA4+7

– Spray to leaves on lower half of plant

– 5-25 ppm GA4+7 is effective; influenced by ration of BA used

– It is translocated up; this can cause…

Application to lower leaves only

Harvest @ “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 buds 1 scallion 2 T cloud ear mushrooms 2 slices fresh ginger ½ lb shredded lean pork 2 eggs 1 T light soy sauce 1 ½ T peanut oil 1 t sugar ¼ t salt1. Separately soak lily buds and cloud ear shrooms2. Combine shredded pork with soy sauce & ginger3. Shred shrooms, scallion stalk. Mince ginger. Beat eggs4. Heat oil. Add eggs and scramble quickly; remove while still

moist5. Heat remaining oil. Add ginger root; stir-fry a bit, then add

pork and stir-fry till no pink is visible6. Add salt, scallion, lily buds, and shrooms. Stir-fry 1 min,

then cook, covered, 1-2 min over med heat7. Return scrambled eggs to pan and stir only to reheat.

Serve immediately