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PLANT CALENDARS

Erica's Original Notes: The length of day or night triggers Nature's switches, as in winter when the sap thickens, promoting resistance to cold. Plants may belong to one of the following groups:

Short day: These plants need a long uninterrupted night in order to form buds; violets and goldenrod belong to this group; just a flash of light will upset the rhythm. Chrysanthemums can tell the difference between 14 and 15 hours of light; growers use these time clocks in greenhouses to control flowering, and this is one of the boring reasons we find mums in florist shops throughout the year!

Long day: These plants are typified by irises and clover.

Neutral day: Roses, carnations and African violets are in this group, which needs 12 hours of night. Nighttime is plant growth time, while daytime is for photosynthesizing, a time for assimilating vitality. Arctic plants are stunted by light due to the long summer hours.

Rhythms: There are many rhythms affecting the plant world: circadian (daily), lunar, solar, and seasonal; so far, only the hands of the biological clock have been studied, but the nature of the clock itself is unknown.

Useful Links:
Plant Circadian Rhythms

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