May 2020 - 35

CULTURE REPORT
The Main Street series is known
for its sun tolerance and being late
to flower. Once well established in
the garden, Main Street coleus can
withstand extreme heat and sun
conditions. Main Street varieties
are very late to flower, helping
them keep a full and robust habit
throughout the season. Flowers do
appear in autumn, adding beautiful
blue flower spikes to contrast the
vibrant foliage colors.
GROWING GUIDELINES
From a growing and cultural
perspective, all varieties in the Main
Street series can be treated similarly
during propagation, growing on and
finishing. Beale Street is available
as an unrooted cutting during
the spring and summer shipping
seasons. Propagation is efficient
with one cutting per cell and a
standard misting regime. Fertigation
during propagation is not necessary,
nor is the use of rooting hormone.
Plan for coleus to be sufficiently
rooted and ready to remove from
propagation mist within five to 10
days with the total propagation time,
including pinch and toning at three
to four weeks. Avoid excessive mist
to control stretch.
All Main Street coleus
varieties are well branching
naturally - but to achieve
the sturdiest liner for
transplant, a pinch is
recommended either
manually or with PGR.
Florel can be used 10
days after stick to
promote branching.
Tone liners with
high light levels
(greater than 4,000
foot-candles). Transplant on
time to minimize stress
and stretch in the liner
stage. Once the liner is
transplanted, a thorough
watering is necessary. Coleus will
flag when nearing drought and are
not easy to recover.
When established with roots
reaching the edge of the container,
maintain a moisture level of 2.
Allow the media to dry moderately
between irrigations. Fertigation
is beneficial, but the nitrogen
requirement for coleus is low. The
Osmocote is the original controlled release fertilizer used in greenhouses and nurseries
around the world by generations of professional growers. Decades of exhaustive research
and development have resulted in the most trialed, tested, and technologically advanced
product available. If you're not already one of the millions of satisfied users, contact ICL
today to learn more about Osmocote-the most trusted name in fertilizer.
recommended EC for coleus is 2.0
to 3.5.
Main Street coleus varieties are
well matched in vigor and can be
finished in almost any container
size when the finishing time
is adjusted to the ready week.
Production of premium packs is
best from a direct stick. Quarts
and gallons can be finished with
just one liner per container, while
baskets and larger containers
benefit from multiple liners. It is
important not to overschedule
your Main Street coleus crop.Too
much time for finishing results in
additional measures to control
growth and diminishes quality.
Emily Mason is the new product
development lead for Dümmen Orange,
North America for annuals and potted
crops. She can be reached at e.mason@
dummenorange.com or 614.425.0136.
The one
most
trusted
growwithosmocote.com
GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 35

http://www.growwithosmocote.com

May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2020