Effects of growth-regulating chemicals on two cultivars of Mid-Century Hybrid lily

The effects on growth and flowering of Mid-Century Hybrid lilies ‘Enchantment’ and ‘Joan Evans’ of soil drench applications of ancymidol at 0, 5, 10 and 15 ppm have been compared with those produced by drenches of chlormequat chloride, chlorphonium chloride and ethephon at 25 000, 1000 and 1000 ppm, respectively.Ancymidol inhibited stem growth more effectively than a 5000-fold greater quantity of chlormequat chloride. Chlorphonium chloride had little dwarfing effect, and ethephon, although producing height reductions similar to those obtained with 5 ppm ancymidol, delayed flowering slightly in both cultivars (significantly in ‘Enchantment’), and adversely affected overall plant appearance.Ancymidol reduced the lateral spread of foliage, increased the proportion of the total stem length bearing dead leaves, did not significantly delay flowering in either cultivar and appeared to favour the initiation and survival of secondary flowers in ‘Enchantment’.