Stocks

Stocks [ Matthiola incana (L.) W. T. Aiton] with red, purple, white, and yellow flowers is a legend floriculture crop in Taiwan. Flowers is with strong fragrant and is formed in dense cylindrics. Stocks might be quite common in Europe and other places, but it’s not common in Taiwan. Problems hampered stocks cultivation including insufficient low temperature in the winter season, technique to identify single/double flower plant type, and difficulties of crop protection. Tainan DARES has developed stock cultivars that can be easily grown and flowers after natural winter temperatures in lowland Taiwan with good flowering quality. The most important of all, single/double flowered seedlings of newly developed cultivars can be easily distinguished by leaf color or shape. Growers can now grow only double flowered seedling to ensure higher income. Either cut or potted flowers could serve as great decorations for Chinese New Year.