Shade Cloth Impact on Field Grown Lilium Hybrids for Cut Flower Production

A field study was designed to evaluate the growth and development of Lilium hybrids treated with natural full sun (NFS), 50% black shade cloth (BSC) and 50% aluminet shade cloth (ASC). Lily bulbs were planted monthly from April to August in 2013 in raised bed at Stephen F. Austin State University, TX.  Lily cultivars were selected from Asiatic, Oriental, Longiflorum-Asiatic (LA) and Longiflorum Oriental (LO) hybrids. Each treatment included ten individual hybrid lilium cultivars and consisted of ten bulbs per cultivar with three replicates at each planting date. Shade cloth significantly affected plant growth and development. Lily stem length was significantly greater for lilies grown under ASC (47.3 cm) followed by BSC (45.3 cm) and NFS (34.7 cm). Planting date also influenced stem length. Lilies planted in April (50.8 cm) were significantly taller followed by June (42.4 cm), May (42.1 cm), August (39.4), and July (31.8 cm). Days-to-harvest were significantly shortened using ASC (60 days) followed by BSC (62 days) and NFS (64 days). Days-to-harvest was significantly greater for lilies planted in July (68 days) followed by August (62 days), April (62 days), May (61 days) and June (60 days). The number of flower buds per stem was significantly greater for lilies grown under ASC (4.5) when compared to NFS (4.3) and BSC (4.2). Lilies planted in April produced a significant greater numbers of flowers (5.2) followed by August (4.4), May (4.3), June (4.1), and July (3.3).