Perovskia Blue Steel Culture Information – Finish Plant
Perovskia Blue Steel Finish Plant Culture Information • • • • •
Light effect, photoperiod response PGR Response Pinch vs. no pinch Number of plants per pot Crop time
Light level effect on flower timing Sow
TP
Trial
date
date
Location
date
from transplant
A
2/12
4/2
1
6/25
84
12.0
1006
2
7/15
104
9.8
1017
1
6/1
89
11.5
1022
2
6/22
110
9.4
1035
B
1/22
3/4
50% FL
Light Days to 50% FL Average DLI Accumulation (mol.m-2.d-1)
Flower timing is related to light accumulation under the similar temperature condition. The higher light the faster flowering.
Light Effect
• Light accumulator for flowering. • Based on our previous trials , Perovskia Blue Steel is a day neutral plant. • High light requirement plant (≥ 12 mol.m-2.d-1, optimum ≥ 15 mol.m-2.d-1).
• During dark period in early spring, it is not necessary to sow seed too early.
Perovskia Blue Steel - PGR Response Tunnel, 14 weeks after potting PGR at 4, 6, 7 weeks after transplant
3x chlormequat 3x daminozide Control 3x paclobutrazol chlorure 30ppm sp 3900ppm 1500ppm sp
Responsive to paclobutrazol (makes stem thinner and softer) and daminozide (better branching).
Perovskia Blue Steel - Pinch vs. No Pinch • Pinch 2 weeks after transplant from 288 plug tray • Plug PGR: sprayed daminozide 1500ppm Before Pinch
After Pinch to leave 4 nodes
Perovskia Blue Steel - Pinch vs. No Pinch, Elburn (IL)
Pinched
No Pinch
Pinched
• Pinch made better branching with better and more uniform plant shape. • Pinch delayed flower time about 1-2 weeks
No Pinch
Perovskia Blue Steel - Pinch vs. No Pinch, Sta Paula (CA) Pinch at 2 weeks after transplant from 288 tray
Pinched 3x daminozide 5000ppm
No Pinch 3x daminozide 5000ppm
• Pinch made better branching with better and more uniform plant shape. • Pinch delayed flower time about 1-2 weeks
Perovskia Blue Steel - Pinch vs. No Pinch, Venhuizen (NL)
No Pinch
Daminozide + Pinched
6 weeks after potting - Left to Right: Control (no pinch) VS daminozide 750 ppm + Pinch @ 6 pairs of leaves
Plant number per pot with single sowing With single sowing, 3 plugs per 19 cm – 3.5L pot (3 ppp) is recommended
1 ppp
3 ppp
Plant number per pot With the same 3 seed input, plant looked fuller in 19 cm – 3.5L pot with 3 single sowing plugs than one triple sowing plug. Single sowing 3ppp
Triple sowing 1ppp
Recommend plug number per pot
Container Size
288-180 cell (1 seed/cell)
128 or larger (2-3 seed/cell)
1L / 12-cm pot
1
N/A
3.5L / 19 cm pot
1-3
1
7L / 30-cm pot
3-5
3
Total Crop Time Plug time (weeks): Plug Size
Spring
Summer
288 (1 seed/cell)
7-8
4-5
180 (1 seed/cell)
8-9
5-6
128 or larger (2-3 s/c)
9-11
6-8
Transplant to finish from 288 cell: Container Size
288 cell plugs per pot
Weeks from transplant
Total weeks
Spring*
Summer
Spring*
Summer
1L / 12-cm pot
1
11 to 13
9-10
18 to 20
14-15
3.5L / 19 cm pot
1-3
12 to 14
10-11
19 to 21
15-16
7L / 30-cm pot
3-5
13 to 15
12-13
20 to 22
16-17
*Add 2-3 more weeks for Northern Europe.
Growing on to finish Temperature: Day 16-20⁰C Night 13-16⁰C Light: High light requirement (≥ 12 mol.m-2.d-1, optimum ≥ 15 mol.m-2.d-1). Light accumulator for flowering. Photoperiod: Day neutral plant PGR: 3-4 applications of daminozide (Alar) 2500-5000ppm. Optional PGR: multiple paclobutrazol (Bonzi, Piccolo) 20-30ppm spray or multiple uniconazole (Sumagic, Concise) 10-15ppm spray Pinch: Pinch is recommended for 3.5L or smaller pots as it improves branching and plant shape, it can delay flower 1-2 weeks if pinch after transplant. However, for larger containers like 17 cm with 3 to 5 plugs per pot, it is not necessary to pinch.