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Avoiding ethylene in the greenhouse: e-GRO Alert
March 5, 2015 By Dr. Neil S. Mattson Cornell University
March 5, 2015 – Heater maintenance and proper ventilation will help you avoid this common spring problem.
What do the following grower observations have in common?
1. Geraniums in hanging baskets near a natural gas furnace had yellow lower leaves and flowers that did not fully open.
2. New Guinea impatiens in a double poly house did not come into 2015 Sponsors flower until June.
3. Fibrous begonias did not flower until several weeks after their counterparts in a neighbouring greenhouse.
4. On a cold night, tomatoes in a high tunnel were kept from freezing with a portable ventless propane heater. By morning, leaves on plants near the heater were bending down and had yellow leaf edges.
The cause of all four problems was exposure to ethylene.
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