Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the effects of timing of benzyladenine (BA) application following division and potting of hosta on offset formation as a means of accelerating propagation. Stock plants of two cultivars, ‘Francee’ and ‘Frances Williams’, were divided and potted. Plants received a single foliar spray application of 3000 ppm BA immediately after potting (0) or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks after potting. BA stimulated the outgrowth of axillary and rhizomic buds in both cultivars, but in most cases, only for plants in which BA application was delayed 3 or more weeks after potting. Compared to the non-treated control, plants treated with BA 3 or more weeks after potting produced more offsets; however, plants treated 0, 1, or 2 weeks after potting produced similar numbers of offsets as the control. Offsets on plants treated with BA formed more leaves than offsets on non-treated control plants, but application timing did not affect leaf number. ‘Francee’ produced offsets with more leaves than offsets of ‘Frances Williams’. Neither application timing nor BA affected growth index.
Author notes
2Graduate Student.
3Professor.
4Assistant Professor.
5Professor, Department of Botany-Microbiology