THE INFLUENCE OF CULTIVATION METHOD ON THE FLOWERING OF SALVIA HORMINUM L

Salvia horminum L.) 'Oxford Blue' was grown from transplants or it was direct seeded. Four sowing dates were applied: 15 March or 30 March - in a greenhouse, in order to obtain transplants, 13 April, 27 April and 11 May - sown directly into the ground. Three plant densities were applied: 25 plants×m 2 , 16 plants×m 2 , 12 plants×m 2 . It was found that Horminum sage can be grown from transplants or direct seeded. The cultivation from transplants is more advantageous due to the earlier flowering of plants, by about two weeks, and a better quality of inflorescences evaluated in terms of their length and size of bracteoles. Direct sowing of Horminum sage at two-week intervals from the 2nd decade of April till the 2nd decade of May ensures that by the end of August mature inflorescence stems are obtained, ready for cutting. A delay in the date of sowing results in the development of significantly shorter inflorescence stems, irrespective of the plant density. Plant density does not affect significantly the length of the period of inflorescence formation and the date of flowering, but a larger spacing is favourable to plants growing big, what results in a larger fresh weight of the above-ground portion. Sage grown from transplants responses to favourable climatic conditions by the development of bigger inflorescences.


INTRODUCTION
Salvia horminum L. (S. viridis L., S. viridis var.horminum /L/.Batt.& Tr.) -(charming, green, erect) -is a border plant species, not very common in our country.In wild state, it is found in the Mediterranean Sea region.It is partly frost-resistant.In Poland it is grown as an annual plant.It fl owers throughout the whole summer, producing unusually ornamental, coloured bracteoles clustered in the upper part of rigid, erect, branched stems.Bracteoles are white or, depending on the variety, violet, red-violet, pink, pink-purple, violet-blue, purp-le-blue, blue.Horminum sage, planted in large groups, creates a strong colour accent in a fl ower bed.It is perfectly suitable for cut fl owers and for drying (N o w a k , 2002; K r a u s e et al. 2004).The sowing date and the spacing at which plants grow affect the fl owering pattern and morphological traits of annual plants, thereby the ornamental effect in a fl ower bed as well as the time of harvest maturity of infl orescence stems intended for cut fl owers and for drying (K r a u s e , 1997; B u r d a , 2000; L a s k o w s k a and K a r c z m a r z , 2000; K a rc z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a , 2003a, 2003b; P u c z e l and W a ź b i ń s k a , 2003; W r a g a and Z a w a d z i ńs k a , 2003; K a r c z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a , 2004).The aim of the study was to determine the infl uence of the date of sowing Salvia horminum L. seeds and the place of sowing: in a greenhouse or in the fi eld, as well as the infl uence of plant density on its fl owering.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The experiment was conducted in the years 2004 and 2005 on plants of Salvia horminum L. 'Oxford Blue'.Sage seeds were sown in a greenhouse -in order to obtain transplants, or directly into the ground.4 sowing dates were applied -the fi rst one on 15 March in 2004 and on 30 March in 2005 -in the greenhouse in boxes with peat substrate mixed with sand at a 3:1 ratio, enriched with Azofoska (0.2 g per dm 3 of substrate).At the 2-3 leaf stage, seedlings were transplanted into plug trays (6 cm x 6 cm) into the same substrate which was used for sowing.On 17 May in 2004, and on 21 May in 2005, the transplants were planted into the ground on plots with the dimensions of 1.40 m x 1.40 m.The second, third and fourth dates were dates of sowing directly into the ground (on the same plots) on, respectively: 13 April, 27 April and 11 May.The second factor in the experiment was 3 plant densities: 25 plants m 2 (20 cm x 20 cm spacing), 16 plants m 2 (20 cm x 30 cm spacing), 12 plants m 2 (25cm x 35cm spacing).The experiment was to be carried out in three replicates, with the plot being a replicate.In the fi eld, several seeds were sown into each hole at the a.m.spacing, and after emergence the seedlings were thinned, leaving the strongest one.The date of the start of fl owering of the plants was noted -3 coloured upper bracteoles on the fi rst fl owering stem -and the date of commercial maturity (a half of bracteoles coloured), and based on that, the length of the period from sowing to the start of fl owering and the date of commercial maturity of the fi rst fl owering stem were determined.The fi rst 10 fl owering plants on the plot were taken into account.At the commercial maturity stage, morphological traits of infl orescence stems were determined.The height of the infl orescence stem, the length of the coloured infl orescence and the diameter of the bracteole were determined.In the last decade of September, the experiment was terminated, estimating the fresh weight of the above-ground portion of the plants.The study results were analyzed statistically by means of variance analysis.In evaluating the signifi cance of differences between the means, Tukey's test was used, calculating confi dence half-intervals at the level of signifi cance of P=0.05.

Soil conditions
The experiment was carried out on grey-brown podzolic soil from loess-like deposits containing, on the average, 1.66% of humus in the arable layer.The average content of available nutrients, calculated based on results of the Chemical and Agricultural Station in Lublin, is presented in Tab. 1.It was similar in both years.

Meteorological conditions
Thermal and soil moisture conditions in 2004 were less favourable to the vegetation of sage plants than in 2005.In the period after planting the transplants in May, June and July 2004, average monthly temperature was lower than long-term average temperature (Tab.2).In May and June, in the period of initial growth of the direct-seeded plants, there was also a shortage of rainfall.It was only in July that the monthly rainfall total was higher than the long-term average.In August the- re was high temperature with lower rainfall, compared to long-term values.In 2005, before planting the transplants, there was signifi cant rainfall positively affecting soil moisture.In the 3rd decade of May, in the initial period after planting the transplants, temperature maintained at a high level.The warmest month was July -monthly average temperature was higher than longterm temperature by 1.5 o C. In the 3rd decade of July and in the 1st decade of August, intensive rainfall occurred.
In the remaining period, rainfall was much smaller.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Based on the conducted study, it was found that the period from sowing to the stage of commercial maturity of Horminum sage stems is relatively short -it is from about 10 up to about 17 weeks.A short growing period, as reported by N o w a k ( 2002), allows the time of fl owering to be adapted to the needs of a producer specialising in the cultivation of plants for cut fl owers and for drying.Sage sown at different dates was characterised by signifi cant variations in the length of the period of infl orescence formation and the related start date of fl owering of the plants, as well as the date when infl orescence stems reach the commercial maturity stage (Tab. 3).When analyzing the two-year average of the length of the period of infl orescence formation, it was observed that the later seeds were sown, the shorter the period of infl orescence development was, which indicates a signifi cant participation of environmental factors (in addition to internal genetically controlled factors) in regulating the transition of plants from the vegetative to generative stage (Kopcewicz and Lewak, 2002).This correlation manifested itself more clearly in the fi rst year of observation, confi rming results obtained by Puczel and W a ź b i ń s k a (2003) in their study on Craspedia globosa.The period of infl orescence development in the plants produced from transplants obtained from the earliest date of sowing -in the greenhouse -was the longest, but the plants produced using this method fl owered fi rst (Tab.3).Sowing seeds of annual plants into boxes in a greenhouse is a proven method of obtaining earlier fl owering of species sensitive to low temperature (C h m i e l , 2000).In the fi rst year of study, when seeds

27.08.
Table 3 The infl uence of sowing date and plant density on the formation of the fi rst fl owering infl orescence stem of Salvia horminum.
Means marked with the same letter do not differ signifi cantly at α=0.05 level of probability

469.0B
Table 4 The infl uence of sowing date and plant density of Salvia horminum plants on their morphological traits.
Means marked with the same letter do not differ signifi cantly at α=0.05 level of probability The two-year average period from sowing to commercial maturity of infl orescence stems also depended on the date of sowing: the later seeds were sown, the lower the value of the investigated trait was.It could be observed more clearly in the second year than in the fi rst year.A similar correlation was observed by W r ag a and Z a w a d z i ń s k a ( 2003) in determining the length of the period from sowing to the fi rst harvest of Craspedia globosa stems.The length of the period from seed sowing to commercial maturity of infl orescence stems did not depend on plant density (Tab.3).
The commercial maturity of infl orescence stems was reached earliest by the plants produced from transplants: 26 June in the fi rst year, and 27 July in the second year of study, earlier by, respectively, 12 days and 15 days than the direct-seeded plants.K a r c z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a (2003b) report that the harvest of stems of yellow ageratum (Lonas annua) grown from transplants was hastened by over two weeks.In our own study, dates of sowing into the ground later by 2 weeks and 4 weeks resulted in the plants entering the stage of harvest maturity of stems later by, respectively, 13 and 3 days in the fi rst year of study, and by 4 and 13 days in the second year, in spite of the fact that, as stated above, the period of infl orescence formation shortened as the sowing was delayed.In the experiment of W r a g a and Z a w a d z i ń s k a ( 2003), the fi rst harvest of Craspedia globosa stems was carried out at the same time, in spite of the shift in the date of sowing by a month.
Cultivating plants with different densities resulted in differences in start dates of fl owering and in dates of the occurrence of the commercial maturity stage by 1 -5 days.A study of B u r d a (2000) on common sunfl ower (Helianthus annuus) shows that an increase in plant density does not affect the date of its fl owering.
The sowing date and the related plant cultivation method affected morphological traits of infl orescence stems (Tab.4).The plants obtained from transplants produced shorter infl orescence stems than the stems of the direct-seeded plants.J a d c z a k (2001) obtained similarly lower plants when cultivating common sage (Salvia offi cinalis) from transplants.A delay in the date of sowing directly into the ground resulted in the development of shorter infl orescence stems.The infl orescence stems of the plants obtained from the latest sowing into the ground (11 May) were almost 10 cm shorter than the stems of the plants obtained from the sowing a month earlier (13 April), what could be observed in both years of study, although W r a g a and Z a w ad z i ń s k a ( 2003), in their study on Craspedia globose, did not fi nd any effect of the date of sowing on the length of infl orescence stems.
The plant density had a signifi cant effect on the two-year average height of the infl orescence stem.For all the dates of sowing, the height of the infl orescence stem of the plants grown with the largest spacing was signifi cantly smaller than the height of the infl orescence stem of the plants grown with the largest plant density.Similarly, scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea) in an experiment of K r a u s e (1997) and ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) in an experiment of K o ł o d z i e j and W i ś n i e w s k i ( 2001), in which a larger plant density was used, grew stronger.In our own study, this correlation occurred clearly in the fi rst year of study.In the second year, a tendency to produce shorter stems was observed in the plants growing at a larger spacing.
The date of sowing and the related cultivation method affected the length of the coloured infl orescence (Tab.4).The plants grown from transplants produced the longest infl orescences compared to the direct-seeded ones, which was clearly marked in the second year of study.The plant density did not affect the length of the coloured infl orescence, although K r a u s e (1997) found that an increase in density of planting of scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea) plants resulted in the formation of longer infl orescences.However, K a r c z m a r z and L as k o w s k a (2003b) did not demonstrate any effect of plant spacing on the quality of yellow ageratum (Lonas annua) infl orescences, similarly as B u r d a (2000) on the quality of common sunfl ower (Helianthus annuus) infl orescences.It should be stressed that in the second year of our study the plants produced from transplants had signifi cantly longer infl orescences, in spite of the fact that seeds had been sown 2 weeks later compared to the fi rst year of study.An analogous difference was observed with respect to other traits characterising the quality of infl orescence stems, which was probably attributable to a longer period of maturation of infl orescences in the second year of study and which indicates a response of sage to the pattern of climatic conditions.In the period following planting the transplants and in subsequent months, average decade air temperature was generally higher in the second year of study.The monthly rainfall total was also higher during the time of infl orescence development, and soil moisture determines, among other things, the size of bracteoles (Nowak 2002).
Infl orescences of the plants produced from transplants were more ornamental: they had signifi cantly larger bracteoles -with a larger diameter, compared to infl orescences of the direct-seeded plants (Tab.4).It could be observed particularly in the second year of study.K a r c z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a (2003b) report that yellow ageratum (Lonas annua) stems of plants from transplants had a greater decorative value.In our own study, the smallest bracteoles were observed in the plants obtained from the latest date of direct sowing.The plant density did not affect signifi cantly the dimension of the bracteoles.However, this factor affected the fresh weight of the above-ground portion.The plants cultivated with a larger spacing, which had more room and less competition for nutrients, sunshine and water, (M o n i u s z k o and W i ś n i e w s k i , 2001), grew larger and branched out more, what translated into a larger fresh weigh of the above-ground portion (Tab.4), thereby fl owering abundance, since each lateral stem ends with an infl orescence and produces next branches -secondary stems -which also fl ower.The dependence of plant weight on spacing was studied by M o n i u s zk o and W i ś n i e w s k i (2001), noting that the weight of particular plants of valerian (Valeriana offi cinalis) decreased as their density per unit area increased.Karczmarz and L a s k o w s k a (2003b) obtained the highest yield of Lonas annua infl orescences from plants growing with the least density.Such plants were also most branched (K a r c z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a (2003a).M a r t y n i a k -P r z y b y s z e w s k a and W o j c i e c h o w s k i (2003) obtained the highest yield of fresh herb of common basil (Ocimum basilicum) with the largest spacing of these plants.In our own study, the plants grown from transplants -obtained from the earliest-sown seeds -were characterised by the highest fresh weight.Likewise, Biesiada and O s z m i a ń s k i (2003) obtained the highest fresh weight of Echinacea purpurea from plants from the earliest sowing, when investigating the effect of the date of planting resulting from different sowing dates on the growth of this plant.Z i o m b r a (2001), when studying the infl uence of cultivation method on the yielding of common basil (Ocimum basilicum), obtained a higher yield of herb from transplants compared to direct sowing.K a r c z m a r z and L a s k o w s k a (2003b) obtained more abundantly fl owering plants of Lonas annua when they were grown from transplants.CONCLUSIONS1.Salvia horminum L. can be grown from transplants or it can be direct seeded.The cultivation from transplants is more advantageous due to the earlier fl owering of plants, by about two weeks, and a better quality of infl orescences evaluated in terms of their length and size of bracteoles.2. Direct sowing of Salvia horminum at two-week intervals from the 2nd decade of April till the 2nd decade of May ensures that by the end of August mature infl orescence stems are obtained, ready for cutting.A delay in the date of sowing results in the development of signifi cantly shorter infl orescence stems, irrespective of the plant density.3. Plant density does not affect signifi cantly the length of the period of infl orescence formation and the date of fl owering, but a larger spacing is favourable to plants growing big, what results in a larger fresh weight of the above-ground portion, in spite of infl orescence stems being shorter.4.Sage grown from transplants responses to favourable climatic conditions by the development of bigger infl orescences.
Meteorological data according to measurements of the Felin Meteorological Station of the Agricultural University in the sage vegetation period in the study years2004-2005.
of June -86 days after sowing -confi rms a positive opinion of N o w a k (2002) relating to the suitability of this species for its use in fl ower beds, where it is important to obtain quickly the ornamental effect.The increasingly later sowing into the ground resulted in increa-singly later fl owering of the plants: a two-week