AV 4F 47 '1 A~ ~/ -~ ~' CONTENTS GREENHOUSE CROPS Effects of Foliar Application of Growth Regulators on Coreopsis rosea ............ ........ ................... 2 BA Application Promotes Offset Formation in Hosta Cultivars ............ .... .... ........................ 3 Presence of Offsets Reduces Hosta's Response to Benzyladenine ............................... 4 Plant Growth Retardants Affect Growth and Flowering of Achillea x 'Coronation Gold' in 6-inch Pots.......... 5 Plant Growth Retardants Reduce Peduncle Elongation of Achillea x 'Coronation Gold' in 4-inch Pots .......... 6 Using Plant Growth Retardants to Produce Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbean' as a Greenhouse Pot Crop ...... 8 Application Timing of B-Nine and Cutless after Shearing Affects Growth and Flow ering of 'M oonbeam ' ................................................................................. ........... ............. 10 Shasta Daisy Response to Photoperiod and Vernalization ............................................ 12 Alabama Winter Bedding Plant Performance, 1996-97 .................................................... 14 Alabama Summer Bedding Plant Performance in 1997 ............................. ..................... 16 Herbaceous Perennial Variety Trials in Central Alabama, 1996-97 .............................. 18 1997 Poinsettia Cultivar Evaluations for Gulf Coast Greenhouse Conditions ............................................ 23 INSECT, DISEASE, AND WEED CONTROL Reduced Herbicide Use with Recycled Paper ............................................................ 25 What Consumers W ant from Organic Mulches ................................................................ ........................ 27 Evaluation of Garlic, Fish Oil, and Putrescent Egg Products as Deer Feeding Controls ...................... 29 Susceptibility of Indian Hawthorn Cultivars to Fireblight, Anthracnose, and Entomosporium Leaf Spot ...... 30 Sensitivity of Selected Cultivars of Ground Cover and Shrub Roses to Black Spot and Cercospora Leaf Spot ...... 32 Foliar-applied Fungicides Fail to Control Phytophthora Shoot Blight and Root Rot on Annual Vinca ........... 37 Evaluation of Bactericides for the Control of Fireblight on Crabapple ........................ ..... ................... 38 Comparison of Drenches and Directed Sprays of Heritage for Control of Phythophthora Shoot Blight of Annual Vinca ................................................... 39 Preemergence-applied Herbicides for Liriope ............................................................... 40 Herbicide Adsorption and Release Properties of Five Ronstar-coated Fertilizers ............................................ 42 Control of Tea Scale on 'Pink Snow' Camellia Using Root-absorbing Systemic Insecticides .................. 44 An Evaluation of Selected Miticides for Control of Two-spotted Spider Mites on Marigolds .................. 45 Outdoor Labeled Miticide Evaluation for Control of Southern Red Mite ...................... ........................47 WOODY ORNAMENTALS Effects of Primo on Selected Bedding and Woody Landscape Plants .............................................................. 48 Effect of Primo Rate and Application Volume on Selected Herbaceous and Woody Landscape Plants .......... 49 Screening Buddleia Cultivars for Acute Ozone Sensitivity ............................................................................ 51 Styrene-lined and Copper-coated Containers Affect Production of Dogwood ............................................... 52 Control of Basal Sprout Regrowth in 'Bradford' Pear with Tre-Hold ............................................................ 53 Pot-in-pot Production of Red Maple Influenced by Cyclic Microirrigation and Substrate .............................. 54 Propagation of Golden Barberry Improved in Shade ..................................................................................... 57 Flowering Dogwood Seed Sources Vary Little in Tolerance to Extreme Heat Stress ...................................... 58 Effect of Environment on Container-grown Red Maple in Alabama and Georgia ........................................... 59 Dolomitic Lime and Micronutrient Rates Affect Growth and Quality of Container-grown Ornamentals ....... 62 Dolomitic Limestone Form and Rate Affect Container-grown Woody Ornamentals ....................................... 63 Non-traditional Container Types Affect Growth of Wetland Plants ................................................................ 64 Effects of Cyclic Microirrigation and Copper Container Treatments on the Growth of White Cedar ............. 66 FIRST PRINTING 3M, SEPTEMBER 1999 NOTE: This publication reports the results of researchonly. It does not imply registrationof a pesticide nor is it intended as an endorsement of any namedproduct. Before using any of the products mentioned in this researchpaper, be certain of their registrationby appropriatestate and/orfederal authorities.Information contained herein is available to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, or national origin. 1999 ORNAMENTALS RESEARCH REPORT 1 AUTHORS J. Randall Akridge Douglas A. Findley John W. Olive Superintendent Assistant Professor Superintendent Brewton Experiment Field Department of Horticulture Ornamental Horticulture Station James E. Altland James M. Garner Harry G. Ponder Graduate Research Assistant Graduate Research Assistant Professor Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture James S. Bannon Charles H. Gilliam Darby M. Quinn Director Professor Horticulture Research Specialist E. V Smith Research Center Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Bridget K. Behe Tim L. Grey John M. Ruter Former Associate Professor Graduate Research Assistant Associate Professor, Horticulture Department of Horticulture Department of Agronomy and Soils University of Georgia Thomas J. Brass Austin K. Hagan Jeff L. Sibley Graduate Research Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Department of Horticulture Department of Plant Pathology Department of Horticulture Stephanie E. Burnett R. Brian Hardin Eric Simonne Graduate Research Assistant Graduate Research Assistant Assistant Professor Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Keith Causey Christine Harris Danita R. Smith Professor Graduate Research Assistant Estate Gardener and Curator Department of Zoology Department of Horticulture Ferrell Gardens and Wildlife Sciences LaGrange, GA Christine K. Hayes Joseph R. Chamberlin Graduate Research Assistant James C. Stephenson Field Market Development Specialist Department of Horticulture Associate Superintendent Valent Corporation, USA Ornamental Horticulture Station Charles Hesselein Arthur H. Chappelka Horticulture Specialist Ken M. Tilt Associate Professor Department of Horticulture Professor School of Forestry Department of Horticulture Kevin R. Keel D. Joseph Eakes NRCS-Soil Conservationist Robert C. Trawick Associate Professor Carrollton, GA Graduate Research Assistant Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Gary J. Keever James H. Edwards Professor Glenn R. Wehjte Soil Scientist Department of Horticulture Professor USDA/ARS Department of Agronomy and Soils J. Raymond Kessler Glenn B. Fain Assistant Professor J. David Williams Graduate Research Assistant Department of Horticulture Associate Professor Department of Horticulture Department of Horticulture Penelope A. Merritt Donna C. Fare Graduate Research Assistant Michael L. Williams Research Horticulturist Department of Horticulture Associate Professor U.S. National Arboretum Department of Entomology McMinnville, TN Brian H. Murphree Graduate Research Assistant Department of Horticulture 2 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION GREENHOUSE CROPS Effects of Foliar Application of Growth Regulators on Coreopsis rosea Stephanie E. Burnett, Gary J. Keever, J. Raymond Kessler, and Charles H. Gilliam Coreopsis rosea, or pink coreopsis, is a delicate, EFFECTS OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF PLANT GROWTH erect, finely branched herbaceous perennial, growing 12- REGULATORS ON COREOPSIS ROSEA 'AMERICAN DREAM' 18 inches tall, and producing 0.75-inch pink flowers. Growth Rate Height at first Days to Quality Characterized by rapid growth, pink coreopsis is often retardant (ppm) flower (cm) full flower' rating 2 difficult to manage during production, requiring time- 3 consuming pruning for size control. Various plant growth Control 0 37 46 1.4 B-Nine 2500 30 50 2.7 retardants (PGRs), including B-Nine, Cutless, and 5000 31 47 2.6 Sumagic, have been used to control excessive growth in 7500 28 47 2.8 horticultural crops including the closely related species Cutless 25 33 44 2.0 Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' and Coreopsis gran- 50 32 42 2.1 diflora. However, no previous work has been published 75 27 42 2.8 100 31 45 2.6 using PGRs on Coreopsis rosea. The objective of this 125 28 43 3.0 study was to determine the effectiveness of B-Nine, 150 27 44 3.0 Cutless, and Sumagic in controlling growth of pink core- Sumagic 10 30 45 2.3 opsis. 20 28 41 3.1 30 27 42 3.1 METHODS 40 26 42 3.3 Rooted cuttings of pink coreopsis were transplanted 'When one-third of flowers were fully opened. 2Quality rating: to 4-inch square pots containing Fafard #3 growing me- 1=poor, unmarketable; 2=fair, acceptable; 3=highly marketable; dium, and placed pot-to-pot. Before treatments were 4=excellent. 3Water application. applied, plants were sheared to 2.5 inches above the pot rim, spaced on 8-inch centers, and provided night-break