The demand for locally grown, specialty cut flowers is increasing and now includes nontraditional regions for production, such as the U.S. Intermountain West. The objective of this study was to evaluate snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.) as a cool season, cut flower crop in northern Utah, where the high elevation and semiarid climate result in a short growing season with strong daily temperature fluctuations. High tunnel and field production methods were trialed in North Logan, UT (41.77°N, 111.81°W, 1382 m elevation) with cultivars ‘Chantilly’, ‘Potomac’, and ‘Rocket’ in 2018 and 2019. Each year, five to six transplant timings at 3-week intervals were tested, beginning in early February in high tunnels and ending in late May in an unprotected field. Stems were harvested and graded according to quality and stem length. High tunnels advanced production by 5 to 8 weeks, whereas field harvests continued beyond the high tunnel harvests by 2 to 8 weeks. High tunnels yielded 103 to 110 total stems per m2 (65% to 89% marketability), whereas field yields were 111 to 162 total stems per m2 (34% to 58% marketability). Overall, production was the greatest with March transplant timings in the high tunnels and mid-April transplant timings in the field. ‘Chantilly’ consistently bloomed the earliest on 4 and 6 May each year, ‘Potomac’ had the highest percentage of long stem lengths, and ‘Rocket’ extended marketable stem production through July in high tunnels. Selecting optimal transplant dates in the high tunnel and field based on cultivar bloom timing maximizes marketable yields and results in a harvest window lasting 4.5 months.
Paeonia lactiflora is a high-value crop with a temperature-dependent growth response that requires worldwide production to satisfy year-round demand. The objective of this study was to evaluate production and timing of ‘Coral Charm’ peony as a cool-season crop in the US Intermountain West. High-tunnel and field production were trialed in North Logan, UT, USA (lat. 41.77°N, long. 111.81°W; elevation, 1382 m) with the addition of low tunnels and soil heating methods to advance growth in 2019–21. Soil and air temperatures, as well as the date and quality of harvested stems, were measured. High tunnels yielded 15.7 ± 3.3 to 19.4 ± 2.1 stems/m2 [± standard error (SE)] and the high tunnel alone advanced initial harvest 21 to 34 days earlier than natural field conditions. The field yielded 16.1 ± 1.9 to 20.8 ± 1.6 stems/m2 and staggered production, resulting in a harvest duration up to 38 days across the high tunnel and field. The use of a low tunnel with soil heating advanced the initial harvest date compared with natural (i.e., unmanipulated) high-tunnel and field conditions by 3 and 7 days in 2019, 6 days in 2020, and 16 and 6 days in 2021 in the high tunnel and field, respectively. However, the quality decreased significantly under low tunnels with soil heating within high tunnels, compared with unheated plants, as a result of superoptimal temperatures and humidity that damaged buds and led to an increase in disease and insect pressure. Overall, increasing soil temperature advanced early stages of production when the meristem was below or near the soil surface, whereas increased air temperatures accelerated stem elongation and advanced time to flowering.
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