2009 Easter Lily Crop
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 10:52
Rich McAvoy, University of Connecticut provided a good article on scheduling the 2009 Easter Lily crop. Below is a little information from the article. To see the entire article including energy saving options for growing Easter Lilies see: High Oil, Tough Choices - Scheduling The 2009 Easter Lily Crop. Tina Smith, University of Massachusetts
With record high energy prices lily growers will be looking for ways to reduce oil consumption or cut production costs. Tighter crop spacing, increased double cropping and lower forcing temperatures are the steps most growers resort to first. Last year some growers added an extra layer of plastic film, suspended above the truss, to provide some extra insulation. Any reduction in light, from overhead structures or baskets, will affect lily development. Every time you add an extra layer of plastic film, you reduce light transmission by as much as 10%. If the film collects condensation and dust, light transmission is further reduced, and of course more overhead baskets reduce light even more. Easter lilies are a high light crop. The best quality lilies grow under maximum light conditions. As light is reduced, stem stretch and the incidence of lower leaf yellowing increases. If increased overhead shading is combined with tighter spacing, the incidence of stem stretch and leaf yellowing will increase even more.
In 2009 Easter falls on April 12, this is mid-date Easter that will allow plenty of time for forcing (see the 2009 Easter lily schedule (PDF) for details). This is good news since you can grow cool for most of the schedule and still bring the crop in on time.
The normal Easter lily schedule for pot-cooled bulbs takes a total of 23 weeks. This includes 3-weeks in the pot at 60-62°F to stimulate root development, 6-weeks of bulb cooling at 40-45°F and then 14-weeks of greenhouse forcing at 60-65°F or higher as needed. For case-cooled bulbs the process is still 23 weeks but this includes 6-weeks bulb cooling at 40-45°F and then 17-weeks of greenhouse forcing.
This season start bulb programming by November 2 (23 weeks before Easter). However, bulb programming must begin as soon as bulbs arrive and they may arrive early (24-25 weeks before Easter).
