Protected cultivation of Protected cultivation of AnthuriumAnthurium

Botanical Name : Anthurium andreanum Family:  Araceae

Ch.no: 20

• Grown for the showy cut flowers or for their unusually attractive foliage. 

• Used in the various floral decorations or for bouquet making.

• It has bold effect and lasting qualities of flowers when cut.

• The name Anthurium is derived form the Greek ‘anthos’, meaning flower, and ‘oura’, meaning tail, referring to the spadix.

• World trade is 2nd i.e just next to orchids among the tropical flowers.

• Cut Flowers are mainly produced at Coorg in Karnataka, Kerala, Yercurd in Tamil Nadu.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTHURIUM VARIETIES

• Compact plants with short internodes, producing sucker profusely

• Bright clear coloured, showy and heart shaped spathe

• Spadix shorterin length than the spathe

• An erect, long flower stem, about five times the length of the spathe

• Resistance to common diseases and pests

• Cultivars are based on spathe colour

Red: Tropical Orange: Casino

Chocolate: Tropic Night

Green: Midori Pink: Fair lady

White: Acropolis Bicoloured: Akapana

For pot culture

• Highly organic, well aerated with good water retention capacity and drainage

• Soil, coarse sand, farm yard manure layer-wise.

• Media for pots should have:-

high porosity

low salt concentration

pH must be 5.5-6.5

For raised beds

• 4 inches brick pieces, 3 inches charcoal, 2 inches coconut husk and small portion of coco peat & sand in 3: 1 ratio filled in the beds one after another in layers. And finally planting is done.

In pots

• Suitable for small scale planting

• Pot size must be 25-30 cm with minimum of 2-3 holes

On raised beds

• 30 cm raised beds with 3 inches slope, framed with cemented brick walls or bamboos in shadenets

• Bed size: 1-1.2 m breadth and length according to the convenience.

• Bed to bed: 50 cm

• Spacing:- 45 x 45 cm or 30 x 30 cm

1. Division

2. Cuttings

3. Tissue culture

• Temperature: 180C to 280C

• Light: 75-80% shading is essential

• Relative humidity: 50-80%

• Foliar application of 1g urea + 2g MOP/ lit ever week

• NPK 19:19:19 @ 2 gm/lit once a week

• Anthurium requires generous watering. 

• Plants are to be watered twice daily during summer months.

• Method of irrigation may be sprinkler, micro-sprinkler, manual watering etc.

• Old and diseased leaf should be removed, but there should be atleast 4-5 no. of leaves in the plant

• Most anthurium plants naturally produce small sucker at the base of the plant. The suckers should be removed at any stage.

• The maturity of the flowers for harvesting is determined by the firmness of the peduncle and the degree of colour of the spadix.

• Best time for harvest is when 1/3 to 2/3 of the flowers on the spike are open.

• Harvesting in the morning time is preferrable

• After cutting above 3 cm, stalks are dipped in water to prevent dry out.

• For distant markets the cut ends of each flower stem should be wrapped with cotton pad soaked with water covered with wax paper or polythene and secure tide.

• Soft protection material is put in between the spathe and spadix of flowers with soaked cotton pads at the cut ends. Foam plastic supports are provided in the box and flowers are secured carefully with tape. The spathe along with the spadix is then inserted into a polythene cover of appropriate size and there after placed in cartons. Lining of cartons with polythene sheet and moist paper insulation are necessary to maintain proper humidity as well as to prevent injuries to the flower.

• Anthurium can easily be stored at 130C for 2-3 weeks and will last 2-4 weeks in an arrangement.

• Exposure of flowers to temperature below 130C causes the red flowers to turn blue, dark red flowers being most succeptible.

Vase life

• Hydroxyquinoline resulted in additional bloom opening of the flowers and also increase the vase life.

The Federations of Dutch Flower Auctions grading specification for class-I flowers:-

• Absolute freshness

• Pest and disease free

• Fault free

• Stalks must be straight and significantly firm to carry the influorescence

• Green petal margins are permitted

Pest management

• Aphids: can be controlled by Malathion or Rogor application

• Mealy bugs: can be controlled by Malathion

Disease

• Black rot: application of captan

• Leaf spot: application of captan or systemic fungicide.

• Bacterial blight: controlled by cutting off the infected blossoms than sparying with fungicide like Captan or Thiram

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