Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effects of root mass and benzyladenine (BA) on offset formation in hosta. Stock plants of two cultivars, ‘Francee’ and ‘Frances Williams’, were divided, and offsets were placed in either small, medium, or large root mass groups. Offsets were potted and, when surface root development was evident, half of the plants in each root mass group received a foliar spray application of 3000 ppm BA, while half served as BA controls. Offset formation was positively correlated with increasing root mass, regardless of BA application. BA stimulated the outgrowth of axillary and rhizomic buds in both cultivars. Offsets on plants treated with BA were at a more advanced stage of development (SOD) than offsets on BA controls, but root mass did not affect SOD. Root mass, but not BA, affected whole plant growth index, which increased with increases in root mass.