Improving Snapdragon Cut Flower Production through High Tunnel Season Extension, Transplant Timing, and Cultivar Selection

Abstract

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.

Anemone Cut Flower Timing, Yield, and Quality in a High-Elevation Field and High Tunnel

“…High tunnel temperatures were managed throughout the season by manually venting the structure based on field weather conditions reported from an automatic weather station located 0.2 km away [28] according to [36]. Low tunnels in the high tunnel and field were covered with fabric row cover (AG-50, 50.6 g•m −2 , Arbico Organics, Oro Valley, AZ, USA), and manually vented when ambient air temperature was over 15 • C [39].…”

“…High tunnels are passively heated and cooled structures that can increase air temperature from between 10 • C (with venting) to 30 • C (without venting) compared to the outside air on a sunny day [31,32]. The protected environment of a high tunnel also allows for winter planting, roughly one month of growing season advancement, and improved yields and stem lengths compared to field production [33][34][35][36][37][38]. Despite high tunnel benefits, many Utah cut flower farms are considered micro-farms and are limited to field production due to lack of space [39].…”

Effect of Transplanting Date and Pot Shapes on Vegetative Growth and Flowering of Antirrhinum Majus L. Plants

“…Depending on the group to which a IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1158/4/042056 2 particular variety of Snapdragon belongs, each has different requirements. Groups I and II require a shorter day and cooler temperatures than Group III and IIII, so seeding dates for groups I and II are determined in accordance with American conditions in the early months of February, while the dates of seedlings for cultivars of Group III and IIII are determined in the early months of April [5]. Growing decorative plants in pots offers a number of benefits, including flexibility and the potential to streamline coordinating and transportation processes in display locations [6,7].…”

Effect of Transplanting Date and Pot Shapes on Flowering and Seed Production of Antirrhinum Majus L. Plants

“…Because the first and second groups of Snapdragon require a shorter day and lower temperatures than the third and fourth groups, the United States of America sets the sowing dates for the first and second groups in early February, while it sets the sowing dates for the third and fourth groups in early April. As a result, these dates will significantly affect the quality of inflorescences, which will inevitably affect its prices [5]. The main benefits of growing ornamental plants in pots over growing them directly in the ground are flexibility, mobility, and culture in suitable places [6,7].…”