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(Viburnum opulus 'Sterile')
Introduction
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 Viburnum opulus 'Sterile' has been valued for many years as a cut flower. It is also known as the Snowball tree and grows as a shrub in many gardens. Considerable skill and good shelter is needed to grow this crop successfully for market. It is one of the earliest flower crops exported out of New Zealand. Harvest occurs in October. Large numbers of stems are being produced in Canterbury and Otago with increasing production coming from Southland. |
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Growing Viburnum
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Propagation:
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Viburnum is propagated by rooted stem cuttings.
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Yields/ha:
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1–1.5m between plants and up to 15 saleable stems per plant when mature. Can be planted in double rows with 2–3m between rows to allow machinery access.
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First harvest:
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Some stems in Year 3. Mature by Year 5–6
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Training/Pruning:
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Cut back to ground level immediately following flowering
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Time of flowering:
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Late October in Southland
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Crop protection:
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Protection from the wind essential. Lots of spring wind is from the NE so make sure shelter plantings take this into account
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Soil type:
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Grows in a wide range of soil types but will prefer good quality horticultural soils to grow at optimum.
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Fertilisers:
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A general fertiliser such as Nitrophoska Blue applied in the spring seems to be adequate.
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Pest/Diseases:
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Ahids and leafrollers are the most serious insect pests. Also watch for stem blights and prune out infected tissue.
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Harvesting:
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Stems are cut when the flowers are at the moss green stage. Pruning immediately after harvest will allow the next season stems to start growing and ensure adequate length.
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Marketing:
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Established export markets for this crop but margins are reducing as more growers come on stream. Also competing with Italian greenhouse product in some markets.
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Further Info:
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Related Topics
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