June 2019 - 41

CULTURE REPORT
you not need to fall plant for spring
sales, we strongly urge you to remove
those 12 to 20 weeks from your
production cycle. Scheduling of the
Constant Beauty Crush series, like all
First Light perennials, is annualized.
Back up your transplant date based
on desired sales week, just as you
would a petunia or a geranium. As the
culture in this article shows, grow the
plant, don't hold the plant!
CULTURE
Propagation of Constant Beauty
Crush series may be done under any
light level, although we do recommend
as high of light as possible given the
region. A KIBA foliar at 250 ppm both
day of stick and the second day from
stick for the accumulation factor is
recommended to hasten rooting time.
High relative humidity at 85 to 90%
is ideal to avoid dry down. Dianthus
require heavy moisture at time of
stick to rehydrate the cuttings. Wilting
the unrooted cutting will add days to
bench time.
Maintain a root zone temperature
of 68 to 72° F until root emergence is
visible at 10 to 12 days. Once roots
emerge, move from propagation and
place in a hardening house with 62
to 64° F average daily temperature
for maximum bulking. Feed in the
mist or by hand at 65-ppm nitrogen
will avoid nutritional deficiencies
related to high relative humidity. Total
rooting time in a 25mm tray will be
five weeks.
At time of transplant, a pinch is
recommended as the Constant Beauty
Crush series will often initiate buds in
propagation. We also recommend an
ethephon (Florel) application. Both will
aid in bulking the plant and a quicker
finish. All plant growth regulators
should be tested prior to commercial
use as environmental conditions can
alter results. Ideal results on the
Constant Beauty Crush series have
been when 450- to 500-ppm ethephon
is applied. This will decrease flower
initiation allowing for more vegetative
growth. When used in temperatures
of 62° F average daily temperature,
the ethephon response has been
documented to be six weeks until
flowering will resume. Finish time for
a 1-gallon container with one plant
Viking Pink on Green
per pot on the Crush series is nine
to 10 weeks from transplant.
We hope that you are able to
take advantage of the unique
breeding program that allows for
year-round dianthus production.
Please save the labor normally
required to " clean " dianthus and
schedule the crops the same way
you would a vegetative annual.
Weeks on the calendar, not
requirements of the plant, will
save time and money! Please find
more information on the Constant
Beauty Crush series and other
innovative plants at www.greenfuse.com.
Jim
Devereux is vice president of Green
Fuse Botanicals. He can be reached at
jdevereux@green-fuse.com.
Viking XL Red on Chocolate
Viking &
VikingXL
Begonia
Conquer the Garden!
The all-weather begonia for landscaping and large
containers. Available in green, bronze and deep chocolate
leaf colors-no other begonia series in this class offers
chocolate. Available in two sizes-Large and X-Large!
Viking XL Red on Chocolate has been identified as
a 2019 All-America Selections Winner for Superior
Garden Performance in the Ornamental Seed Trial.
To order, contact your preferred supplier.
www.sakataornamentals.com
©2019 Sakata Seed America, Inc.
Bloom!
It's in our nature.
http://www.green http://www.fuse.com http://www.sakataornamentals.com
June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2019
