New bulletin: Managing photoperiod in the greenhouse

Erik Runkle<runkleer@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Horticulture, and Roberto Lopez, Purdue University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture -

A free bulletin was just published by Purdue University with information on how to modify day length in commercial greenhouses.

Photoperiod bulletinMany ornamental crops, including common bedding plants and herbaceous perennials, flower earlier under a particular photoperiod. Some crops flower earlier when the day is short (the night is long), such as chrysanthemums and poinsettias. Many more ornamental crops flower when the day is long (the night is short) including ageratums, coreopsis, dianthus, petunias and rudbeckias. Delivering the proper photoperiod can help ensure plants are in flower in a relatively rapid and uniform manner.

Recently, a six-page bulletin was published by Purdue Extension by researchers at Purdue and Michigan State University Extension titled “Managing Photoperiod in the Greenhouse.” This resource is intended for commercial greenhouse and nursery producers who want to learn more about how to provide short or long days to promote flowering of crops. Several different strategies and lamp types to deliver low-intensity, long-day lighting are presented.

The publication is in pdf format and can be downloaded free from the MSU Floriculture website or the Education Store at Purdue.

Dr. Runkle’s work is funded in part by MSU’s AgBioResearch.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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