Bud Drop In Sweet Peas

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29767, 9 March 1962, Page 6

Bud Drop In Sweet Peas

Bud drop is fairly common in sweet pea growing, so the following comments will be of interest to readers. They are taken from the Journal of trie English Ministry of Agriculture. "Availability of nitrogen is closely related to bud drop. A vigorous, lush plant may have a high nitrogen level in relation to the sugar and starch supply. This is an un- j desirable condition and should be prevented, especi-

ally during the early part of the season. Being leguminous, the plants develop nodules during their early life in the absence of ample nitrogen, but as applications are gradually stepped up a larger and finer root structure is encouraged while nodulation decreases.

“Strong growing plants are more prone to bud-drop and every effort must be made to obtain balanced nitrogen carbohydrate supplies. Investigations in the Botany Department, Manchester University, into the relationship between calcium content of the soil and bud drop show that */.oz of chalk given to each plant at planting time and repeated when the flower buds appear increase the rate of growth and flowering to an appreciable degree." You may care to put these recommendations to the test. Avoid excess nitrogen applications; and use V.oz of chalk per plant at planting and when flowering commences.