The influence of water stress and air velocity on growth of Impatiens walleriana and Petunia × hybrid

Impatiens walleriana ‘DeZire’ and Petunia × hybrid ‘Tidal Wave’ were subjected to a combination of water stress and exposure to wind to evaluate the potential application of these treatments as an alternative to chemical growth retardation. Air velocities evaluated were 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.5, and 4.5 m s⁻¹ and irrigation treatments were either control or 45% water stress based on irrigation occurring when the weight of the plant (plant, pot and peat) was reduced by 25% (control) or 45% (water stress) of the initial weight. The experiment was repeated twice; once in spring and once in summer.