ISHS Acta Horticulturae 394: Plant Bioregulators in Horticulture
ENHANCED WINTER FLOWERING OF PLUMERIA WITH ETHEPHON |
| Author: | R. A. Criley |
| Keywords: | Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), Defoliation, Dormancy, Plumeria rubra, Lei-flower |
| Abstract:
Over several seasons, foliar sprays of whole trees of plumeria ‘Celadine’ with 800 mg ethephon/liter of water plus 2 ml X-77 spreader caused complete defoliation in about two weeks. Four to six weeks after treatment, ethephon-treated trees were forcing new leaves and inflorescences, while untreated trees remained dormant. Treated trees flowered 10 to 13 weeks after treatment. September treatment brought flowering forward into December and October treatment into January, while November and December-treated trees produced buds and flowers at the same rate as untreated trees, peaking in March and April. The value of this research is to enhance the availability of a flower typically used to welcome tourists in Hawaii's vacation industry during a season when flower availability is low. | |
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