Abstract

An investigation was carried out to accessthe impact of mulching materials on improving the floral attributes of rosecv. Lahar. The experiment was conducted at Modal Floriculture Centre, G. B. P. U. A. & T., Pantnagar during winter and spring seasons of the years 2011–12 and 2012–13. The treatments comprised 50, 100 and 200 μ thickness black and transparent polyethylene films, paddy straw and control. Each treatment was replicated thrice in a completely randomized block design. The results obtained from the investigation showed that during both the seasons i. e. winter and spring, minimum days taken to flowering (32.14 and 31.64 days, respectively) were observed of plants grown under the plots covered with 100 μ thick black polyethylene mulch which were statistically at par with 200 μ thick black polyethylene film (33.46 and 32.50 days). In both the seasons, maximum duration of flowering (5.49 and 5.01 days, respectively), flower longevity (11.55 and 10.73 days, respectively), flower diameter (8.62 and 6.54 cm), stem length (30.45 and 29.55 cm, respectively), number of flowers per plant (25.90 and 36.20, respectively), vase life (8.59 and 8.55 days, respectively) and water uptake (22.45 and 21.15 ml, respectively) were recorded from the plants grown under the plots mulched with 100 μ thick black polyethylene film. The results also revealed that plants grown under the plots covered with 200 μ thick black polyethene mulch also significantly improved the floral characters of the plants.