Stem Firmness and Flowering Response of Cut Lilies as Influenced by Medium Composition in Box Culture

Stem firmness and flowering response of cut lily as influenced by medium composition (Control: Upland soil, Pt: Peatmoss, Pe: Perlite, Ve: Vermiculite, Rrh: Rotted rice-hull, RPt: Russian Peatmoss) were studied. For 'Casa Blanca', plant height and length of flower stalk increased when bulbs were planted in Pt:Rrh:Ve(1:1:1, v/v), and dried leaves of lower part plants decreased by RPt:Pe:Rrh(1:1:1, v/v). In case of 'Marco Polo' plant height and length of flower stalk increased with Pt:Rrh(1:1, v/v) as compared to other treatment, number of leaves and dried leaves increased when bulbs were planted in RPt:Pe:Rrh(1:1:1, v/v) as compared to control. Flowering of 'Casa Blanca' was promoted in Pt:Pe:Ve(1:1:1, v/v) and 'Marco Polo' was accelerated in Pt:Rrh:Ve(1:1:1, v/v). Flower length of 'Casa Blanca' was increased by RPt:Pe:Rrh(1 :1 :1, v/v) as compared with control and 'Marco Polo' was increased when bulbs planted to Pt:Rrh(1 :1, v/v). Flower-bud blasting of two cultivars was increased with Pt as compared with other treatment. Stem firmness of 'Casa Blanca' was increased by Pt:Pe:Ve (1:1 :1, v/v), and especially, stem firmness of upper part plants was increased by Pt:Rrh(1 :1, v/v) in 'Marco Polo' as compared to control plants. but generally, stem firmness of 'Casa Blanca' was not influenced with all cultural media as compared to control.