Flower cultivation method and shading material for flower cultivation

Abstract

To provide a method of cultivating flowers that can increase the commercial value of flowers by making the flower color lighter and controlling it to a color close to white or cream, and to provide a method of cultivating flowers that does not inhibit the growth of flowers even when the flower color is lighter and can be controlled to a color close to white or cream.SOLUTION: Within 24 hours after Celosia argentea flowers 3 have bloomed, the area around the flowers 3 (two of four) are covered with aluminum foil 4 to block out the light, and then the shading is removed after a predetermined period of time has passed. The predetermined period of time may be 5 to 9.5 days if the average temperature of the cultivation environment during the shading period is 30°C, 7.3 to 13.9 days if it is 25°C, 10 to 19 days if it is 20°C, 13.8 to 26.2 days if it is 15°C, or 20 to 38 days if it is 10°C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] To provide a method for cultivating ornamental plants, capable of controlling the flower color of ornamental plants to a color that cannot be obtained by a normal cultivation method and without inhibiting the growth of the ornamental plants, and a shading body for use in such a method. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been known that when certain flowering plants are grown under a cover of an ultraviolet shielding covering material or under a different light environment, the flower color becomes paler or changes. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 9-205871) describes that when flowers such as gentians, chamomile, liatris, platycodon, and statice are grown under a cover of an ultraviolet-shielding agricultural covering material, the flowers grow well but the color of the flowers tends to become paler and the commercial value tends to decrease (see especially paragraph 0021). Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication 9-266724A) describes that when cultivating petunias, by using cultivation light with a specific wavelength distribution during the cultivation period from flower bud differentiation to flowering, it is possible to obtain petunia flowers that appear to be of a different species (see especially paragraph 0016). Furthermore, Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication No. 2003-158915) describes that if Hydrangea Annabelle plants are shaded when they flower, they begin to green up about 20 to 30 days after the start of shading (see in particular claim 2, paragraph 0006, and Figure 1).

[0003] However, in Patent Document 1, the authors consider a pale flower color to be a decrease in commercial value, and have completed an invention with the aim of providing an agricultural covering material that has good transmission of sunlight in the visible and ultraviolet regions. Furthermore, according to the method of cultivating petunias described in Patent Document 2, by using cultivation light of a specific light quality during the cultivation period from flower bud differentiation to flowering, it is possible to obtain petunia flowers that appear to be of a different type in appearance (specifically, flowers in which the outer margin of the corolla is wider than the colored part), but this is not intended to shade the flowers after flowering to make them paler in color. Furthermore, the cultivation method of Hydrangea Annabelle described in Patent Document 3 involves placing Hydrangea Annabelle plants in a shading state when they have flowered. However, since the shading treatment is performed by covering the top surface of the main body of a vinyl greenhouse or greenhouse (hereinafter referred to as the "house") with a shading material (1B), it becomes difficult for light to reach not only the flowers but also the leaves, resulting in the problem of inhibiting the growth of flowers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-205871 (Patent No. 2753477) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-266724 (Patent No. 2805003) [Patent Document 3] JP 2003-158915 A (Patent No. 3723120 A) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The first object of the present invention is to provide a method for cultivating flowers that does not regard a pale flower color as a decrease in commercial value, but on the contrary makes it possible to pale the flower color and control it to a color close to white or cream, thereby increasing the commercial value of flowers. A second object of the present invention is to provide a method for cultivating flowers that does not impede the growth of flowers even when the flower color is lightened and controlled to a color close to white or cream. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention according to claim 1 is A method for cultivating flowers grown in a greenhouse or in the open, comprising: Within 24 hours after the flowering plant has bloomed, the surroundings or only a part of the surroundings of the flowering plant are shaded so that at least one of the flowers is not irradiated with ultraviolet light; The light blocking is released after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the light blocking was implemented.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 relates to the floriculture method according to claim 1, The specified period is characterized in that if the average temperature of the cultivation environment after shading only the area around the flower or a portion of the area around the flower is 20 degrees or higher, it is 5 days or more and 19 days or less after the shading is implemented, and if the average temperature is 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees, it is 10 days or more and 38 days or less after the shading is implemented.

[0008] The invention according to claim 3 is a shading body for floriculture used in the floriculture method according to claim 1 or 2 to shade only the periphery or a part of the periphery of the flower, The shading body for floriculture is a circular body having a diameter equal to or greater than the circumference of the flower, or a film-like body having a planar figure including the circular shape, or a bag-like body having an opening whose total length is equal to or greater than the outer edge length of the flower and whose depth is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the flower, The film-like body and the bag-like body are characterized in that they are formed of a film that blocks at least ultraviolet light.

[0009] The invention according to claim 4 is the shading body for flower cultivation according to claim 3, The film is characterized by being made of a material that blocks ultraviolet rays and transmits at least visible light. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the method of flower cultivation of the invention of claim 1, within 24 hours after the flowers have bloomed, only the surroundings or a part of the surroundings of the bloomed flowers are shaded to prevent at least one of the flowers from being exposed to ultraviolet light, and by simply removing the shading after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the shading was implemented, the flower color can be lightened and controlled to a color close to white or cream, thereby making it relatively easy to increase the commercial value of flowers. Also, since only the periphery or part of the periphery of the flower is shaded and the leaf portion is not shaded, light reaches the leaf portion as usual and the growth of the flowering plant is not hindered.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effects of the floriculture method of the invention of claim 1, the specified period is from 5 to 19 days after shading when the average temperature of the cultivation environment after shading only the surroundings or a part of the surroundings of the flowers is 20 degrees or higher, and from 10 to 38 days after shading when the average temperature is from 10 degrees or higher but less than 20 degrees, so that the change in color of flowers affected by temperature can be precisely controlled.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 3, the shading body for floriculture consists of a membrane-like body that is a circle whose diameter is equal to or greater than the circumference of the flower or a planar figure that encompasses the circle, or a bag-like body whose opening has a total length equal to or greater than the outer edge of the flower and a depth equal to or greater than the vertical length of the flower, and the membrane-like body and bag-like body are formed of a film that blocks at least ultraviolet light. Therefore, when used in carrying out the floriculture method of the invention of claim 1 or 2, it is possible to easily shade only the periphery or part of the periphery of the flower, thereby preventing ultraviolet light from irradiating the floriculture flower.

[0013] According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the shading material for floriculture of the invention of claim 3, by using a film that blocks ultraviolet rays but transmits visible light, the state of the flowers from which ultraviolet rays are blocked can be observed with the naked eye, so that the shading can be reliably removed when the flowers reach the desired color, and they can be displayed for viewing or picked and shipped. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] A picture showing cockscomb plants in bloom inside a greenhouse. [Diagram 2] A diagram showing the state of a blooming cockscomb flower with only the surrounding area shaded. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing the condition of cockscomb flowers that have been shaded for a specified period of time and flowers that have not been shaded. [Figure 4] A photograph showing the flower color of cockscomb plants that have been shaded for a specified period of time and those that have not. [Diagram 5] Photographs showing the difference in the color of cockscomb flowers depending on whether they are shaded for a long or short period and whether they are shaded at all. [Figure 6] A diagram showing cockscomb flowers being shaded by a bag. [Figure 7] A photo showing cockscomb flowers shaded by a bag. [Figure 8] A photograph showing the color of a cockscomb flower when it is partially shaded and after the shade is removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following examples. The floriculture method of the present invention according to Examples 1 and 2 is achieved by cultivating a cockscomb plant in a greenhouse, shading only the area around the cockscomb flower that has bloomed, and then releasing the shading after a predetermined period of time. However, cockscomb plants may be grown not only in greenhouses but also outdoors, and flowers grown in greenhouses or outdoors can be selected from various types of plants that can be used for ornamental purposes, including not only cockscomb plants but also carnations and chrysanthemums. EXAMPLES

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a cockscomb plant 2 in bloom inside a greenhouse 1, and FIG. 2 shows the state when the surroundings of a bloomed flower 3 (two of four flowers) have been shaded. The floriculture method according to the first embodiment includes the following steps 1 to 5. (Step 1) From late April to late August, celosia seeds are sown inside greenhouse 1 (in Figures 1 and 2, in two rows along the length of greenhouse 1). (Step 2) Once the seedlings have germinated, thin them out, leaving 10-20cm between plants for small species and 30-40cm between plants for large species. In addition, from the time the seeds are sown until the seedlings are small, be sure to water them regularly and take care not to let them dry out. (Step 3) Be careful of diseases and pests. For varieties with many branches, pinch off the tops when they reach 20-30 cm. For tall varieties, set up supports or pile up soil around the base of the plant when buds begin to appear. (Step 4) After 2 to 3 months have passed since sowing the seeds, when the cockscomb flowers 3 have bloomed as shown in Figure 1, within 24 hours thereafter, as shown in Figure 2, cover two of the four blooming flowers 3 with commercially available aluminum foil 4 to block out the light, so that only the two flowers 3 are not exposed to light (especially ultraviolet rays). (Step 5) After a predetermined period of time has passed since the periphery of the cockscomb flower 3 was shaded, the aluminum foil 4 is removed to release the shading. Figure 3 shows the state of a cockscomb flower 3' that has been shaded for a specified period of time and a flower 3 that has not been shaded. The shaded cockscomb flower 3' has a color that is closer to either white or pink, which is different from the usual red color, whereas the unshaded flower 3 has the usual red color. In addition, Figure 4 is a photograph showing the flower colors of celosia that was shaded for a certain period of time and celosia that was not shaded. From this photograph, it can be seen that the celosia flower on the upper right that was shaded for a certain period of time is a color close to cream, while the celosia flower on the lower left that was not shaded is a normal red (dark color).

[0017] The color of shaded cockscomb flowers changes depending on the average temperature of the cultivation environment after shading begins and the specified period of time (the shading period from when shading is started to when it is removed). Through trial and error, it has been found that the shorter the shading period, the closer the color to red, and that as the shading period becomes longer, the color changes from pink to closer to white or cream. They then discovered that the number of days, D (days), until the color of the cockscomb flowers turns pale pink can be approximated by the following formula (1), where T (℃) is the average temperature mentioned above. D=7.5-T / 4+150 / T...Formula (1) Therefore, if the above average temperatures are measured and the specified period is the number of days calculated by formula (1), the flower color will be light pink overall; if the specified period is 20 to 50 percent longer than the number of days calculated by formula (1), the center will be light pink and only the edges will be a color close to white or cream; and if the specified period is 50 to 90 percent longer than the number of days calculated by formula (1), the flower color will be close to white or cream overall. When T is high (approximately 20°C or higher), the edges tend to become white or cream-colored, but when T is low (approximately 15°C or lower), it is difficult to make only the edges white or cream-colored.

[0018] Figure 5 is a photograph showing the difference in the flower color of cockscomb depending on the length of the shading period and whether there is any shading at all: the flower color of the cockscomb on the right is without shading, the flower color of the cockscomb in the center is when the specified period is the number of days calculated by formula (1), and the flower color of the cockscomb on the left is when the specified period is 70% longer than the number of days calculated by formula (1). As can be seen from this photograph, even for cockscomb flowers of the same variety, the flower color can be accurately controlled by measuring the average temperature of the cultivation environment during the shading period and removing the shading using the number of days calculated by formula (1) as a guide. For example, if the average temperature is 30° C., the predetermined period may be 5 to 9.5 days, if it is 25° C., the predetermined period may be 7.3 to 13.9 days, if it is 20° C., the predetermined period may be 10 to 19 days, if it is 15° C., the predetermined period may be 13.8 to 26.2 days, if it is 10° C., the predetermined period may be 20 to 38 days, and if it is a short number of days within the predetermined period, the color will be light pink, and if it is a long number of days, the color will be close to white or cream. That is, if the average temperature of the cultivation environment is 20° C. or higher, the predetermined period may be about 5 to 19 days, and if it is 10 to 20° C., the predetermined period may be about 10 to 38 days. EXAMPLES

[0019] 6 and 7 are a diagram and a photograph showing a state in which a cockscomb flower is shaded by the bag 5. In FIG. The floriculture method according to Example 2 is different from that according to Example 1 only in that step 4 is replaced by step 4', and the other steps are the same as those of Example 1. Therefore, in FIG. 6, the same components as those in the explanatory diagrams (FIGS. 1 to 3) of the floriculture method according to Example 1 are given the same numbers, and detailed explanations of steps other than step 4' are omitted. Next, step 4' in the floriculture method according to the second embodiment will be described. (Step 4') When the cockscomb flowers 3 begin to bloom, two to three months after sowing the seeds, within 24 hours thereafter, as shown in Figure 6, all of the blooming flowers 3 (two flowers in Figure 6) are covered within 24 hours with a bag 5 made of a rectangular piece of paper or sheet glued together on three sides to provide light protection and prevent light (especially ultraviolet light) from reaching only the flowers 3. In addition, the bag body 5 may be a brown envelope of appropriate width and length, or a bag made by cutting the sealing side of a brown envelope of appropriate width to an appropriate length (approximately twice the thickness of the flower 3). In addition, for the rectangular paper or sheet that constitutes the bag body 5, paper or sheet with high light-blocking properties is suitable, but if black paper or sheet that easily absorbs infrared rays is used, the temperature inside the bag body 5 may become too high, so it is better to use paper or sheet in green, blue, yellow, white, etc.

[0020] Modifications of the first and second embodiments are listed below. (1) In Examples 1 and 2, the entire periphery of the cockscomb flower 3 was shaded to control the color of the entire flower. However, as shown in FIG. 8(A), within 24 hours after the cockscomb flower 3 opens, only a portion of the periphery of the flower 3 may be shaded by covering it with aluminum foil 4 or a film-like material such as the below-described variant 4, thereby preventing light (especially ultraviolet light) from reaching only a portion of the flower 3. In this modified example 1, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the shading may be removed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the shading of only the periphery of the flower 3. The predetermined period may also be determined in the same manner as the first and second embodiments. Figure 8(B) is a photograph showing the difference in color between a part of a cockscomb flower (right side) that was shaded for a given period of time and then released from the shade, and a part of a cockscomb flower (left side) that was not shaded. From this photograph, it can be seen that the right side of the cockscomb flower is a color close to cream, while the left side of the cockscomb flower is the usual red (dark color). (2) In Example 1, the periphery of two of the four flowers 3 that have reached a blooming state is shaded, and in Example 2, the periphery of all of the flowers 3 that have reached a blooming state is shaded. However, it is sufficient to shade the periphery of one or more of the flowers 3 that have reached a blooming state.

[0021] (3) In Example 1, commercially available aluminum foil 4 was used as a shading material for floriculture. However, the present invention is not limited to commercially available aluminum foil 4. It is also possible to use a film-like material that is formed of a film that blocks at least ultraviolet rays and has a shape that can cover the periphery of the flower whose color is to be controlled. As for the shape of the membrane, any shape that is a circle with a diameter equal to or greater than the circumference of the flower or a planar figure that includes such a circle (for example, a polygon circumscribing the circle or an ellipse whose minor axis is equal to or greater than the circumference of the flower) can be used since it can cover the periphery of the flower, block ultraviolet rays, and affect the flower color. The circumference of a flower is defined as the maximum length of the curve that connects two opposing points on the lower edge of the flower, runs along the periphery of the flower, and passes through the top of the flower. (4) In Example 2, a bag body 5 made of a rectangular piece of paper glued together on three sides was used as a shading material for floriculture. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of bag body 5. It is also possible to use a bag-like body made of a film that blocks at least ultraviolet rays and large enough to contain the entire flower whose color is to be controlled. As for the size of the bag-like body, if the total length of the opening is equal to or greater than the outer edge length of the flower and the depth is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the flower, it can accommodate the entire flower, block ultraviolet rays, and affect the flower color, and therefore can be used. Note that the outer edge length of a flower is defined as the maximum outer edge length of a cross section obtained by cutting the flower horizontally, and the vertical length of a flower is defined as the difference in height between the top of the flower and the bottom edge of the flower. (5) The film that blocks at least ultraviolet rays in the third and fourth modifications may be a film that blocks light rays from the infrared region to the ultraviolet region, a film that blocks light rays from the visible region to the ultraviolet region, or a film that blocks only light rays in the ultraviolet region. Among these, if the film blocks ultraviolet rays and transmits at least visible light, the color state of the flowers from which ultraviolet rays are blocked can be observed with the naked eye through the film, so that the light blocking can be reliably removed when the flowers reach the desired color, and the flowers can be displayed for viewing or picked and shipped. Furthermore, if a film that transmits visible light but blocks infrared and ultraviolet light is used, not only can the condition of the flowers that are being blocked from ultraviolet light be observed with the naked eye, but it is also better because infrared rays are not irradiated onto the shaded flowers, making it difficult for the surface temperature of the flowers to become too high. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 1 House 2 Cockscomb plant 3 Cockscomb flower 3' Cockscomb flower after shading 4 Aluminum foil 5 Bag body

Claims

1. A method for cultivating flowers grown in a greenhouse or in the open air, comprising: Within 24 hours after the flowering plant has bloomed, the surroundings or only a part of the surroundings of the flowering plant are shaded so that at least one or more of the flowers are not irradiated with ultraviolet light; The light blocking is released after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the light blocking was implemented. A method for cultivating flowers, comprising the steps of:

2. The predetermined period is: When the average temperature of the cultivation environment after shading only the periphery or a part of the periphery of the flower is 20° C. or higher, the period is 5 to 19 days after the shading is performed, When the average temperature is 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees, the period is 10 days or more and less than 38 days after the shading is performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

3. 3. The method for growing flowers according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a shading body for growing flowers used to shade only the periphery or a part of the periphery of the flower; The shading body for floriculture is a circular body having a diameter equal to or greater than the circumference of the flower, or a film-like body having a planar figure including the circular shape, or a bag-like body having an opening whose total length is equal to or greater than the outer edge length of the flower and whose depth is equal to or greater than the vertical length of the flower, The film-like body and the bag-like body are formed of a film that blocks at least ultraviolet light. A shading body for flower cultivation characterized by the above.

4. The film is made of a material that blocks ultraviolet rays and transmits at least visible light.

4. The shading body for floriculture according to claim 3.

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