Improved quality and quantity of winter flowering in rose (Rosa spp.) by controlling the timing and type of pruning applied in autumn.

Abstract: The present work aimed to improve rose flowering during Winter where most flowers are disappeared and marketing is very profitable. Pruning experiments were carried out on the essential oil yielding hybrid tea rose cultivar (Eiffel tower) at the Floriculture Experimental Farm of Agriculture Faculty, Sohag University, Egypt during two successive years of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. Four pruning types (light, medium, heavy and control without pruning) were applied at four different times during Autumn at three weeks intervals. Pruning in Autumn was essential to improve quantity and quality of rose flowering in Winter. The light pruning was the best type for increasing period, quantity and quality of flowers compared to other types. Beginning of Autumn or three weeks later were the best pruning times allowing the highest flowering rate and quality compared to the other tested times. The light prunings at these times were the best treatments increasing significantly all flowering measurements. The study of economical impact of both treatments showed that the light pruning of rose shrubs three weeks after beginning of autumn, the third week of October, is the best treatment for improving flowering in short time. Under this condition, flowers number per plant, flower weight and petals weight per flower were increased by 68.7%, 279.5 % and 219.4 % respectively compared to control. Flower-stem length was improved from 18.0 to 50.7 cm. Flowers and petals weight per feddan 2 (0.42 hectares or 4200 m) were also increased by 540.4 % and 439.0 % respectively. An increment percentage of 735.4 % was also obtained in essential oil content. The reported technique could provide 352.0 thousand flowers of 5.3 tons flowers, 3.8 tons petals and 11.3 liters essential oil per feddan during Winter. It presents a practical and economic solution for producers and commercials to meet out the shortage in rose flowers during this inactive period.