Pinching for Flower Regulation in Sim Carnation

Abstract

For a crop planted in 1st week of January under mid hills of Himachal Predesh, flowering can be spread over a period of five months [April, (2nd week) to mid-Sept.] by employing various piehing methods. Double pinching produced maximum number of cut blooms/m2 (177.77) and delayed flowering, but the stems were weak and short (21.10 cm). The unpinched plants were early to flower (100.53 days), had longest stems (48.77 cm) and maximum flower size (6.98 cm), but the flower yield/m2 was very low (11.11). The best treatment appeared to be pinch and a half method (with 6 laterals) which staggered the flower production in two flushes (3rd week of May to July end) and yielded 66.66 flowers/m2 of good quality in a cropping season.