338 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1960 be enough. More than this number will bunch will have developed. can then be set out the vines too closely together, making picking in the field. I have found that the vines do as more difficult and theinner vines will not well in sandy loam as in black muck receive the sunlight. After placing the runners soil, providing that when the plants are first over the support wires the spaces between the set out they are well watered. Also during hot rows should be cultivated clean. Prior to the dry spells they must be watered until they have January fertilizing the vines should again be sent down a good deep root system. of their checked for lifting and looping along the sup own. port wires. For propagating the tips of short runners can be pressed into the ground near Thousands of Flordagrand Blackberry the parent . These will produce good plants have been bought for home plantings. well rooted new plants, which can then be cut This one large planting in Geneva is expect off and set out. The other method is to take ed to produce about twenty thousand pints the heaviest surplus vine stems, cut these in this next season, and will keep on expand into lengths approximately six inches long, ing each year, so there is plenty of room for leaving at least two or three leaves on the more commercial growers. There is no reason top end of the stem. The lower end is treated why this industry could not equal strawberry with a plant hormone powder and planted on production, even to just take care of the Flor six inch centers in a moist soil bed. A mist ida home consumption, as the Flordagrand spray is kept on them to constantly wet the Blackberries have been developed by the plants during the daylight hours for at least University of Florida for Florida soils and two weeks. Then the time is shortened until at climate. Flordagrand Blackberry growing the end of ten to twelve weeks a root system is a new industry for Florida.

A PROMISING NEW CHEMICAL DIP FOR THE CONTROL OF IN ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

H. N. Miller and V. G. Perry wood reported the use of hot-water-formalin treatments for the control of the bulb nema- Florida Agricultural Experiment Station tode in narcissus (1). Since the recent introduction of nematicid- Gainesville al chemicals which could be used on or around Several workers have reported the use of living plants, consideration has been given to hot-water treatments for the control of endo- the possibility of dipping bare-rooted plants parasitic nematodes on ornamental plants. Hot- in such chemicals to rid the roots of nema water treatments for the control of root-knot todes. A chemical dip would have certain ad nematodes havebeen tried with varying vantages over hot-water treatments. The degrees of success on gladiolus (8), iris (8), mechanics of theoperation would be far peony (4), rooted rose cuttings (5) and tube simpler. Less damage to the plants and great rose (7). Hot-water treatment for the control er effectiveness might be expected. of meadow nematodes in lily-of-the-valley Unpublished data obtained by workers at rhizomes has been reported (3).Christie and the Florida State Plant Board in 1959 showed Crossman obtained effective control of foliar l,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) to be and bud nematodes on Chrysanthemum and a promising chemical dip for the control of begonia by hot-water treatments (2). Chit- the citrus-root . DBCP at 1700 ppm. MILLER AND PERRY: NEMATODE CHEMICAL DIP 339

(active) destroyed the nematode on nursery the solutions for the lengths of time indicated. stock after 5 minutes of a bare-root dip with In later tests only the roots were dipped. out phytotoxic effects. Sher (6) tested a num ber of chemicals for plant-parasitic nematode The treatments used are given in Table 1. control on bare-root nursery stock. Thimet, Table 1. Dip treatments for nematode control on DBCP, Dimethoate, Diazinon and Phosphami- selected ornamental plants. dan were effective in eliminating

spp. from rose, orchid and cherry. DBCP was Dosage Time

phytotoxic to rose. None of the chemicals SD 4965 200 ppm. 2k hours used eliminated Meloidogyne spp. from to SD i«965 JtOO ppm. 2k hours mato, Gerber daisy or Shasta daisy. DBCP 1700 ppm. 5 min. Tests were conducted during 1959-60 at Water Gainesville with DBCP and an experimental 2k hours nematicide SD 4965 in an attempt to destroy Check No treatment root-knot and other nematodes on bare-rooted nursery plants. SD 4965 and the DBCP Root samples were taken from the treated (Nemagon) were supplied by Shell Develop plants when they were pulled from the solu ment Company. The chemical nature of SD tions. A pint jar was loosely filled with root 4965 has not been released. The experiments pieces clipped at random from the plants of reported are preliminary, and the results are each plant type from each treatment, including inconclusive. It is felt, however, that the the water dips and the checks. These root sam striking effectiveness of SD 4965 warranted ples were examined in the laboratory for this report. nematode types and relative numbers. A sec It is the further intent of the authors to ond set of gardenia and sansevieria root sam point up the need for a chemical plant dip ples were taken from each treatment including which could be used to eradicate nematodes the checks. The roots were cut into small from ornamental plants. Such a chemical pieces and mixed with steam sterilized soil. would have wide scale use in eliminating Ten 4 inch clay pots were filled with the soil nematodes from stock plants and propagating and root inoculum for each treatment of each material, and possibly could be used for treat plant type. Tomato seed were planted in the ing plants before shipment and thereby avoid pots and the pots placed on a clean green ing certain trade restrictions because of nema house bench. After 4 to 6 weeks the tomato tode infestations. seedlings were carefully washed from the soil and the root-knot nematode galls were Materials and Methods counted. Bare-root plants of gardenia, sansevieria, The solutions in which the plants were rose, pilea, pothos, and aglaonema were used treated were also checked for free nematodes. in the tests. All plant materials were known The soil particles were allowed to settle and to be infested with nematodes. Root-knot the samples drawn from the soil and solution nematodes were abundant on gardenia, san mixture. sevieria and rose. These were identified as All treated plants were planted, without mixed populations of Meloidogyne incognita washing, in methyl bromide fumigated peat acrita and M. arenaria arenaria. Other nema and allowed to grow for observations, on re todes found included spiral (Helicotylenchus covery, growth response and nematode build nannus), root-lesion (Pratylenchus brachyurus), up. and sting (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). The plants were carefully pulled from the Results and Discussion plant beds or removed from the containers in The nematode data obtained from labora which they were growing and bare-rooted by tory examinations of root samples taken from shaking or washing the soil from the roots. the first set of treated plants are shown in Except for the rose plants where sufficient Table 2. No live parasitic nematodes were numbers were not available, forty plants of recovered from any of the plant roots treated each type were dipped in each solution, and with SD 4965 at 200 and 400 ppm. DBCP forty of each were untreated. In the first set treatments were less effective. All nematodes of tests the entire plants were immersed in emerging from the roots into the SD 4965 340 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1960

Table 2. Nematode types and relative numbers from root samples of treated plants.

Plant I'reatment Root-knot" ' Spiral Rootiesion Sting Saprophy

Gardenia SD4965(200ppm) SD95(pp)4(4) DBCP(1700ppm) Water No treatment

Sansev i er i a SOWS (200ppm) it ^^pp)

ii DBCP(1700ppm)

n Water n No treatment

Aglaonema SD4965(200ppm) n 95(pp)

u DBCP(1700ppm) n Water

ii No treatment

Pothos SD4965(200ppm) it SD4965(400ppm)

ii DBCP(1700ppm)

ii Water ++

following symbols are used; WWhen the numbers^/ne^atodes are estimated the following symbols are used; - 4+|i*«« moderatelymnHAratftlv numerous to numerous + very few ++ few to moderately numerous ++++ very numerous

Table 3. Nematode types and relative numbers found in solutions in which plants were treated.

Treatment Root-knot Spiral Root lesion Saprophytes Plant

Gardenia * SD4965(200ppm) ii SD4965(400ppm)

n DBCP(1700ppm)

ii Water

Sansevieria SD4965(200ppm)

it SD^9^5(^OOppm)

it DBCP(1700ppm)

it Water

Aglaonema SD4965(200ppm) h SD4965 (400pptn)

ii DBCP(1700ppm)

ii Water

Pothos SD^965(200ppm) 11 DBCP(T700ppm)

When the numbers of nematodes are estimated the following symbols are moderately numerous to numerous + very few ++ few to moderately numerous very numerous MILLER AND PERRY: NEMATODE CHEMICAL DIP 341 and DBCP solutions were killed as shown by A few root-knot larvae were recovered from the data in Table 3. the roots of treated plants in this set of Root-knot gall counts (Table 4) from tomato tests. No explanation can be given as to why seedlings grown in soil inoculated with root SD 4965 appeared to be less effective than pieces from treated gardenia and sansevieria in earlier trials. Age of plants, severity of in plants showed a very high reduction in root- fection, size and age of root galls could be knot nematodes in roots dipped in SD 4965. important factors in nematicidal effectiveness. However, complete eradication did not occur. All treated plants were replanted in fumi Most of the tomato seedlings examined were gated soil. Because of bare rooting, additional free of nematode galls. A few infested plants root pruning and delay in replanting many of accounted for the figures in the table which the plants were slow in becoming established. are averages for 15 plants. Since parasitic SD 4965 at 400 ppm. resulted in injury nematode larvae were not recovered from the to gardenia, pothos, rose and aglaonema where root samples after treatment, yet the roots of the entire plants were dipped. This resulted the tomato seedling showed some galling, it in an overall burning and blackening of some appears likely that egg masses and possibly of the more tender growth. After the plants larvae deeply embedded within root galls were set in the ground injured leaves fell were not killed. These were later released into from the plants. The plant stems and twigs the soil from the root pieces used as inoculum. received none to slight injury. With the ex Tomato seedlings examined 2 to 3 weeks after ception of a few pothos vines which were planting showed no galling. Data given in blackened by the treatment, all plants re Table 4 were obtained after 6 weeks. covered and grew off normally. Sansevieria and Pilea were not injured. No root damage Table h. Rootknot galls on tomato seedlings grown in soi occurred to any of the plants. SD 4965 at infested with root pieces from treated plants. (Numbers in table are averages for 15 plants.) 200 ppm. caused none to slight injury on a few plants of Pothos and to tender leaves on reatment Galls gardenia. All phytotoxicity was avoided when Gardenia SD*i965(200ppm) k.k only the plant roots were dipped. 3*7 DBCP(1700ppm) 137.3 The roots of treated plants remained free || Water No treatment I5K3 of recoverable nematodes for 3 to 4 weeks. After several months a gradual build up of Sansevieria SD4965(200ppm) 1.2 0.4 root-knot nematodes occurred. No reoccur DBCP()700ppm) 26.2 ;: Water rence of other nematodes types was found. No treatment Summary A second set of tests were conducted using Bare-root plants of gardenia, sansevieria, plants of gardenia, sansevieria and rose, infect rose, aglaonema, pothos and pilea were ed with root-knot nematodes. Ten plants of dipped for 24 hours in Shell Development each were dipped in SD 4965 at 200 ppm. Company's experimental nematicide SD 4965. for 24 hours and 10 plants of each were dipped All plant materials were known to be in in water. Root samples of the treated plants fected with nematodes. Root-knot nematodes were examined for nematodes. Results are were abundant on gardenia, rose and sanse given in Table 5. vieria. Other nematodes found included spiral, root-lesion, and sting nematodes. Parasitic nematodes were eliminated from many of Table 5. Root-knot nematodes from roots of treated plants. the plants treated with SD 4965 at 200 and

Treatment Root-knot 400 ppm. Where complete eradication did

Gardenia SD*e65(200ppm) not occur numbers of nematodes were re Water duced to very low levels.

Sansevieria SD4965(200ppm) SD 4965, at the concentrations used, was Water phytotoxic to the foliage of several of the Rose SD*665(200ppm) + plants tested but no observable injury occur Water ii| red to the roots of any of the plants. When the numbers of nematodes are estimated the following symbols are used: + very few +++ moderately numerous to numerous REFERENCES ++ few to moderately numerous i < 11 very numerous 1. Chitwood, B. G. 1941. Hot water-formalin treatment at 110°-111° F. of field grown and of forced, narcissus 342 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1960 bulbs infected with the bulb or stem nematode, Ditylenchus infected plant roots. New Jersey Agr. Expt. Sta. Dept. Plant dipsaci. Proc. Helminth. Soc. Washington, 8: 44-50. Path., Plant Dis. Notes 13: 1-4 6. Sher, S. A. 1960. Chemical control of plant-parasitic 2. Christie, J. A. and Louise Crossman. 1935. Water nematodes in plant roots. (Abst.) Phytopathology 50: 654. temperature lethal to begonia, Chrysanthemum and straw 7. Sherman, Grace W. 1935. The control of the root- "strains" of the nematode Aphelenchoides fragarie. knot nematode, Heterodera Marioni (Cornu) (anguillulinidae) Proc. Helminth. Soc. Washington, 2: 98-104. on tuberose by hot-water and vapor heat. Helminth. Soc. 3. Hastings, R. J. 1939. The biology of the meadow Wash. Proc. 2: 111. nematode, Pratylenchus pratensis (de Man.) Filipjev. 1936. 8. Ustinov, A. A. 1939. The root-knot nematode Heterodera marioni (Cornu) in the U. S. S. R. (in Russian). Canad. Jour. Res. Sect. D. Zool. Sci. 17: 36-44. In E. S. Kirjanova, ed. A collected work on nematodes of 4. Nelson, R. 1931. Find method to control root-knot agricultural crops. Lenin Acad. Agr. Sci. U.S.S.R., Inst. of peony. Michigan Agr. Expt. Sta. Quart. Bui. 14: 10-16. Plant Protect. Leningrad, Moscow, p. 26-64. English sum 5. Pirone, P. P. 1940. Hotwater treatment of nematode mary p. 237.

THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOLIAGE

PLANT INDUSTRY IN FLORIDA

Verne Buck Actually, the bust of the Florida Boom coupled with the Market Crash of 1929, put a Apopka damper on this production. The fern growers On the shores of Lake Eola back in 1912, had already broadened their operations by something began to happen that was to growing not only the Boston Fern, but many greatly affect the whole state of Florida in other varieties of Ferns, many of which are much less time than the normal span of life. no longer produced commercially. Some of the varieties were Asparagus Plumosus, As Lake Eola, now a beautiful well-known lake in downtown Orlando, "with its highly paragus Sprengerii, Scotti, Roosevelt, Spring field, Wekiwa, Whitmani, Curly Compacta, publicized lighted water fountain, once was etc. But even at the same time, a few other the scene of an old abandoned pineapple slat varieties of plants had made their appearance shed. and were being tried out — Sansevierias, In this old deteriorating shed, the Boston Peperomias, Pothos, Philodendron Cordatum, Fern Industry of Florida was begun in 1912 Nephthytis Liberica, Cryptanthus, Agaves, by Harry Ustler and Walter Newell. These Crotons, etc., were in small patches here and were not cut ferns. there in various ferneries, as the slat sheds Two years later, they moved to Apopka were then called. and began to expand their production and As the popularity of ferns waned for various shipping operation. reasons, there began an ever increasing pro Ferns sold and sold well. The Industry duction of what are now termed Foliage continued to grow quite rapidly, especially Plants. More and more new varieties made after World War I. By 1925, there were over their appearance — Cactus, Rubber Plants, 100 Fern growers centered around the Apopka Ophiopogan, Yucca, Euphorbia splendens, area. Production was up to hundreds of Aspidistra, Tradescantia, Ivy, Allamanda, thousands a year. It was sometime in the Shrimp Plant, etc., were tried out. Crews were early 20's that Apopka became known as the even sent into the swamps and woods to Fern City. gather such items as Wild Cactus, Fly Catcher Let me pause a moment and tell you that Plants and Water Hyacinths, and these were many pages could be written of the old fern shipped North. It's a pity that they didn't industry and even more pages could be written clean out the Water Hyacinths at that time. of the fantastic growth of the Foliage Plant Industry. It's not my intent to bore you with Even though many of the fern growers details, but I do want to say — that many of went out of business in the late twenties and those pages could be humorous — many could early thirties, a few held on, even in spite of also be heartbreaking, but nearly all could low prices, few sales and very little demand point out the courage and great effort and for their products. Many shipments went out many contributions that were made to this at a low cash price — just so next week's pay great industry by the many leaders in this roll could be met. With hard work and a field of endeavor over the past 48 years. determined effort, they were able to carry on.