MINIGLADIOLUS AS A FLOWERING POT PLANT

Three newly introduced cultivars of minigladiolus ("Orchidiola") were tested for their potential as flowering pot plants. The cultivars studied ('Adi', 'Kinneret' and 'Keren-Or') were found suitable for this purpose. Paclobutrazol and ancymidol were used as dwarfing agents. They were applied by either dipping or infiltrating the corms, drenching the growth medium or spraying the foliage. Flowering plants with foliage length of 30-50 cm and flower spikes of 30-65 cm were considered to be attractive, commercial pot plants. Such plants were obtained when 'Adi' and 'Kinneret' were treated with paclobutrazol as a drench at 10-20 mg per pot. However, at this level paclobutrazol reduced the percentage of flowering. A combined treatment consisting of vacuum-infiltration of the corms with 1 mg per corm paclobutrazol followed by drenching of the growth medium with the same dwarfing agent at levels of 5-10 mg per pot produced the desired product without reducing percent of flowering. With the shorter 'Keren-Or', an ancymidol drench at 2 or 4 mg per pot was sufficient to develop a commercially acceptable product.