CROP PRODUCTION
Bedding Crops
Perennials
Production
Aspects For
Selected Crops
Containers Substrates
1801’s Low EC -- less
than 0.75 mmhos
606 Deep Cell
Peat-Lite Mixes
1203’s
High Porosity
Slim Line 1203’s
Spring Production
Staggered Production
Turn-1 Turn -2 Turn-3
1203’s / Slims 8 wks 4 - 5 wks 3 - 4 wks
606 Trays - flats 9 wks 5 - 6 wks 3 - 4 wks
1801 Trays - flats 9 wks 7 - 8 wks 5 - 6 wks
4”Pots 12 wks 9 - 11 wks 6 - 8 wks
Fall Production
Turn-1 Turn -2 Turn-3
1801’s 4 wks 4 - 5 wks 5 - 6 wks
1203’s Slims 4 wks 5 - 6 wks 6 - 7 wks
606 - Deep 6 wks 7 - 8 wks 8 - 9 wks
4"pots 6 wks 7 - 8 wks 8 - 9 wks
Scheduling a Bedding Plant Crop
• Experience and good records are the primary means for
developing a bedding plant schedule
• Weather patterns require the grower to be flexible
– Cloudy weather during production
– Rainy and cold weather during spring influencing sales
• Grower can manage two variables
– The amount of time a crop spends in a plug tray
– The amount of time a crop spends in a pack
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Impatiens Crop Time (606 cell
packs)
14 Which plug size is
used for the
12
Weeks of production
beginning of the
10 season?
8 Which plug size is
6 used for the end of
the season?
4
2
Go with the larger
0 plug sizes later in
ing lug lug lug lug the season…they
S eedl 8 00 p 5 12 p 3 90 p 2 88 p
After transplant to finishing flats spend less time on
Pre-transplant
the bench.
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Square Foot Weeks Scheduling
• SqFt for Impatiens 800 tray, Maturity 7 weeks.
– A standard 1020 flat occupies 1.69 ft 2
– That 1020 flat occupies 1.69 SqFtWk
• Let’s assume we have 3000 sq. ft of bench space.
• 3,000 ft2 of bench space / 1.69 = 1,775 flats in 7 weeks.
Healy, W. G. Szmurlo. 1995. Figuring time and space to maximize your
bedding plant turns. GrowerTalks 58(10):57-58
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Square Foot Weeks Scheduling
Crop Time (weeks)
Plug size Impatiens Petunia Begonia
800 7 8 8
512 6 7 7
390 5 6 6
288 4 5 5
144 3 4 4
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Square Foot Weeks Scheduling
• SqFt Impatiens 288 tray. Maturity in 4 weeks.
– A standard 1020 flat occupies 1.69 ft2
– That 1020 flat occupies 1.69 SqFtWk
• Let’s assume we have 3000 sq. ft of bench space.
• 3,000 ft2 of bench space / 1.69 = 1,775 x 2 = 3550 flats in 8 weeks.
Healy, W. G. Szmurlo. 1995. Figuring time and space to maximize your
bedding plant turns. GrowerTalks 58(10):57-58
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Square Foot Weeks Scheduling
• Difference in Profit?
• 800 plug size: $1.80 x 1775 = $3195.00 in 7 weeks
• 288 plug size: $1.45 x 3550 = $5147.00 in 8 weeks
• Net difference: $1952.00 more profit!
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Crop Finishing Times
Crop finishing times of plugs transplanted into 606 flats (weeks)
Crop Ageratum Alyssum Begonia Browallia Celosia Coleus
800 8 8 8 8 7 6
406 7 7 7 7 6 5
288 -- -- 6 -- 4 4
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Crop Finishing Times
Crop finishing times of plugs transplanted into 606 flats
(weeks)
Dusty African
Crop Dianthus miller Geranium Impatiens Lobelia marigold
800 8 8 -- 7 8 7
406 7 6 10 5 7 6
288 6 5 9 4 -- 5
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Crop Finishing Times
Crop finishing times of plugs transplanted into 606 flats
(weeks)
French
Crop marigold Nicotiana Pansy Petunia Portulaca Salvia
800 6 -- 8 8 7 8
406 5 6 7 6 6 6
288 4 5 5 5 -- 4
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Crop Finishing Times
Crop finishing times of plugs transplanted into 606 flats
(weeks)
Crop Snapdragon Verbena Vinca Viola Zinnia
800 7 -- 9 9 --
406 6 7 7 7 5
288 -- 6 6 -- 4
Styer, R.C. and D.S. Koranski. 1997. Plug and transplant production. Ball Publishing,
Batavia, IL.
H 412 – Floriculture Crops
Some Thoughts on Market Planning
Make every effort to control delivery dates.
Educate your buyer on pansy requirements.
Provide a care sheet with instructions.
Provide suggestions on
placement of product.
Important Points of Sanitation
Clean greenhouse / benches between crops.
Keep head house/transplant area clean.
Have plug handlers wash hands often.
Establish a
scouting program.
Deadhead spent
precocious flowers.
Pull dead or diseased
flats and discard.
Do not re-plug a cell.
Irrigation
Overhead irrigation – check
uniformity and proper delivery
Plan for a weekly drying period
to prevent disease and firm up
roots.
Water stress to control height is
tricky.
Leaching is essential.
Destroy diseased plants.
Light and Photoperiod
Most bedding plants are
long-day plants.
Night interruption of 4
hours can greatly improve
flowering in spring crops.
Some require high light
levels in February.
Supplemental lighting may
be essential during long
cloudy periods.
Temperature
Preferred daytime temperature is 80 oF. Average
daily temperature above 85o F can cause
problems.
Preferred night temperature is 65o F.
Soil temperatures below 55o F can cause
plants to become quiescent or grow very
slowly. Soil temperatures above 80oF cause slow
growth.
Flower size is reduced with high temperature, as is
root development.
Controlling Growth
Keep airflow high and continuous.
Use high nitrate fertilizers at moderate levels.
Grow plants on the dry side of moist.
Plant Growth Regulators
B-Nine ...............…..... 2500 ppm to 5000 ppm
B-Nine + Cycocel....... 1000 ppm B9 & 1000 ppm Cyc
Arest .......................... 5 - 10 ppm
Sumagic ..................... 1.0 - 3 ppm
Bonzi .......................... 3 - 20 ppm
Florel .........……......... 100 ppm (repeat applications)
Humidity, Airflow & Spacing
Provide 24 hour airflow, even with open sides.
Attempt to reduce condensate at all times.
Elevate ground-grown
flats on skids or boards.
Provide 1" space between
rows of flats.
Install extra HAF fans if
plants fail to dry out.
Light Levels & Shading
Use 30% shading for early greenhouse production.
Use 55% shade for outdoor production.
Retractable shading is very effective.
Add shading around April 15. Remove shading by
Sept. 20th.
Use soil thermometer.
Fertility Management
Hot Weather: Use high nitrate fertilizers such as 15-2-20.
Cool Weather: Use balanced ammonical/nitrate fertilizers such
as 20-10-20.
Stalled Growth: Use 20-20-20 sparingly (one time).
Supplement with calcium-nitrate and monitor boron levels
after 4 weeks.
Keep phosphorus levels low.
Do not apply fertilizer over 275 ppm N.
Keep soil pH between 5.8 and 6.2
Maintain EC at 1.5 mmhos.
Monitor pH and EC on a weekly basis.
Pot Crops
Kalanchoe
Target Dates: November –
April
First crop planted in August
Plant 3 pre-pinched liners
per 6 inch pot
Place under extended
photoperiod (LD) for 4
weeks
Remove from LD and move
into short days
Will bloom 8-9 weeks later
Kalanchoe
Irrigation – keep foliage dry
-- tube or ebb-and-flow
system.
Avoid over watering.
Fertilization -- 20-10-20
liquid feed; alternate with
calcium nitrate fertilizer.
Market when one-third to
one-half of the individual
flowers in an inflorescence
are open.
Bulb Crops
Need a cooler
Tulips, hyacinths,
daffodils, bulb gardens
Pot mid September to
early October
Tulips 7 per 6” pot;
hyacinths 3 per 6” pot;
daffodils 4 per 6” pot;
mixed bulbs in 8” pot.
Water thoroughly
Bulb Crops
Cooler temperatures 45
– 48 degrees till roots
emerge
Lower to 42 till shoots
emerge
Lower to 35 till
removal from cooler
Bulb Crops Need at least 13 weeks of
cooling
Can begin forcing in
Greenhouse time January but main target
• Tulips 18-26 days date is Valentine’s Day
• Hyacinths 18 days
• Daffodils 18-21 days
• Mixed Bulbs till first
color
Fertilization
• calcium nitrate only
and sparingly
Bulb Crops
Growth Regulators
• Arest or Bonzi for
Tulips
• Florel for Daffodils &
Hyacinths
Return to cooler if
showing color
Hydrangea
Target dates
• Valentine’s Day -- plant in
November
• Easter -- plant in late December
• Mother’s Day -- plant in
February
Starting material -- dormant
budded plants from California or
Canada
4” pots into 7” pots or 6” pots into
8” pots
Varieties
• Pink, Blue, White & Lace Caps
Hydrangea
Fertilization
• begin feeding 1 week after planting
• whites and blues 20-10-20 only
• pinks 20-10-20 alternate with calcium nitrate fertilizer
Color Manipulation
• Blues
• acidic pH (5.2 - 5.5) and keep phosphorus low
• aluminum sulfate on blues (10-15 lb/100 gal)
• Pinks
• pH 6.0 - 6.2
Growth control
• B-Nine 2 to 3 weeks after planting
Poinsettia
Poinsettia Facts
The poinsettia
“flower” is a
modified leaf called
a bract
True flowers are
cyathia
Cyathia are
subtended by boat-
shaped nectaries
Cultivars
Free - branching
• axillary shoots at
almost every node
after pinching
• most cultivars
Restricted -
branching
• 2-4 axillary shoots
after pinching
Poinsettia Cultivars
Cultivar colors: red, white, pink, marble,
yellow.
Available as families.
Popular series – Freedom, Cortez, etc.
Growth rates vary.
Respond differently to chemical plant
growth regulators.
Cultivars vary by:
Height
Foliage color
Leaf retention
Postharvest life
Flowering date
Response group
Response group =
Time from start of
short day to flowering
Propagation
Terminal stem cuttings
Produce your own cuttings or purchase
unrooted or rooted cuttings
Sources of cuttings
• Paul Ecke Ranch www.ecke.com
• Fischer, U.S.A. www.fischerusa.com
• Oglevee www.oglevee.com
Propagate Your Own …
Order stock plants to arrive from March
to June.
Harvest 7/15 – 9/5.
Allow stock plant to develop 9-11 nodes
before first harvest.
Axillary shoots should have only 2 nodes
remaining after harvest.
Sanitation is crucial.
Floral Initiation
Short day crop (≤ 12.5 hrs) = long night crop
Naturally occurs from 9/25 - 10/10
Most growers use natural day length.
Black cloth for early flowering
≥ 3 wks of SD necessary for FI.
6.5 to 10 weeks of SD to flower
High temps inhibit FI
Target Market Date
Early: to market
before Thanksgiving,
plants may need
Short Day (black
cloth) before 9/25
Late: Long Day
(mum lighting) after
9/15 for late
marketing after
12/10
Cultivation
Plant 3 - 4 wks after sticking cutting
Direct rooting -- stick cuttings ~ 8/20
Pot sizes: 4”, 5”, 6”, 7”, 8”, baskets;
larger sizes for specialty (tree-type)
Spacing from 8 to 25 inch centers
Pinching
Pinching (one cutting per pot) vs.
growing straight-up (multiple cuttings
per pot)
No. cuttings & no. nodes left determine
no. flowering stems
Pinch for 4-7 blooms per plant
Pinch when roots are visible on outside of
media ball (2 wks after planting)
“Hard pinch” = leave 3-4 nodes
“Soft pinch” = leave 5-7 nodes
Temperature
Propagation 75-77 F
(media)
NT 65-68 F (air)
NT >70F may delay
flower initiation
NT >75F may delay
flower development
NT 55-60F (air) for last
2 weeks
Cultivars respond
different to temperature
Light
700 - 900 mols-1 m-2 for
darker foliage
1000 - 1200 mols-1m-2
for lighter foliage
30% shade cloth for 1-2
weeks after planting
rooted cuttings
400 mols-1 m-2 after
bracts are mature will
reduce fading
Water & Nutrition
Keep plants well watered
CLF: 240-360 ppm N (20-10-20)
Subirrigation: 100 - 225 ppm N
Osmocote (18-9-9) incorporated @ 7-10 lbs/cu yd
Weekly: 600-720 ppm N, w/ Osmocote top dress
(1 tsp/6” pot)
Electrical Conductivity (EC)
heavy feeders
Saturated Media Extract 2.0 to 3.5 mS/cm
PourThru Extract 2.6 to 4.6 mS/cm
Optimum pH 5.4 - 6.2
Growth Control
Cultivar selection
DIF or DROP temperature
control
• 70 D, 60 N = +10 DIF
• 60 D, 70 N = -10 DIF
• 100 2-hour DROP at
sunrise effective
Chemical plant growth
retardants
Plant Growth Retardants (PGRs)
Arest .25 to .5 ppm
Cycocel 1000 - 3000 ppm
B-Nine/Cycocel 2500/1500 ppm
Bonzi 10 - 30 ppm
Sumagic 2 - 10 ppm
Topflor 2.5 - 80 ppm
PGR Application
After pinching when axillary shoots are 1.5 – 2
inches long
In the morning when it is cool
Do not spray late in production because bract size
may be reduced
Possible undesirable side effects
• reduced bract size
• crinkling of bracts
• blotchy yellowing of leaves
• marginal leaf burn
• delayed flowering
Ensuring proper dosage
Keep Records
Scheduling
Culture Step Date Weeks
Plant rooted cuttings 8/28
2
Pinch 9/11
2
Natural SD begins 9/ 25
1
PGR 10/1
5
Reduce temperate 11/3-10
2-3
Stop fertilizer 11/3-10
Flowering late Nov.
Total 34 - 35
Pests
Whiteflies
Fungus gnats
Spider mites
Thrips
Diseases
Root and stem rots
Botrytis blight
Bacterial stem and
leaf rot
Powdery mildew
Fungal blight and
leaf spots
Viruses
Root rot
Physiological Disorders
Bract necrosis
Leaf edge necrosis
Leaf drop
Stem breakage
Splitting
Leaf crippling
Center bud drop
Rabbit tracks
Postharvest
Reduce temperature,
nutrition & light 2-3 weeks
before shipping.
Harvest when bracts are
expanded & pollen is
visible on 1-2 cyathia.
Keep temperatures above
500F during shipping.
Upon receipt, promptly
remove sleeves to prevent
ethylene damage
(epinasty).