Production of healthy and disease free planting material is difficult task and required lot of experience, planning and management. Since quality planting material (seed/saplings/bulbs etc.) is the basic requirement for successful flower (cut/loose) production for market or exhibition. Generally, plants are produced by two methods i.e. sexual and asexual or vegetative. In India sexual method is followed mostly in flowering annuals (seasonal flowers) and most of the shade, flowering or ornamental trees. Some annual creepers viz., Clitoria ternatea, Cobaea seandens, Lethyrus odoratus, Ipomea spp and Thunbergia alata are also produced from seeds. The other types of plants which are also commonly propagated in our country from seeds are palms, different cacti and succulents. There are several ornamentals which are not normally propagated from seeds but bred by breeders through seed to get new hybrids. Some of these plants are rose, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, carnation, orchid, dahlia, bougainvillea and hibiscus etc.
Large number of ornamental plants are also produced through vegetative means like cutting, layering, buddings and asexual organs like corm, bulb and tubers. Therefore, the vegetative production technology of major cut flowers is discussed below in order to facilitate the production of quality planting material.
Crops Calendar