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Secrets to Estblishing Perennial Plugs and Cuttings Handout Copy
Establishing Perennial Plugs Secrets for Predictable Perennials Secrets for Establishing Perennial Plugs & Cuttings Echinops ‘Ritro’ What does it mean to Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ www.swiftgreenhouses.com a perennial? chrisf@swiftgreenhouses.com www.swiftgreenhouses.com Or is this ‘established’? “establish” Who is Swift? Swift Greenhouses, Inc. Crew 2008 Larry and Carol Swift The Swift Team Grower Team Campanula ‘Blue Clips’ Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ 2011: 65 Full Time Team Members 20 Seasonal Team Members Management and Office Staff 1 What is Swift? P & P’s Attention To and Awareness Of Detail Quality Consistency Detailed and Documented Processes and Procedures Testing and Trialing Overview At Swift Greenhouses, we currently finish more than 1 million pots of our own product. Predictability The Swift Method Vegetative Production Seedling Production 2. Seed = Profitability • Quality • Treatments 4. Perennial Plug Culture •A well established perennial can flower predictably. •Focus is on flowering from the very beginning. • Light • Temperature • Humidity 2. Buying in URC 3. Sowing and Germination •Days of expecting to sell perennials green are over. Customers want color. Penstemon ‘Husker Red’ 1. Environmental Basics 1. Materials, Media, tray filling • Temperature • Light • Nutrition • Growth Regulating 3. Tissue Culture 4. Cuttings from Own Stock • Maintaining Stock Plants • Specs for consistent rooting • Sanitation Quality Driven Processes Establishing (Bulking) Perennials Seedling Media and Mixing Custom Media Mixer •Computer control. Mixes and injects water. 4 min total time. 1. Media 2. Container/Tray Size 3. Scheduling • Sowing Seed • Sticking Cuttings 4. Culture 4. Culture… • Water: Quantity/Quality • Growth Regulators •Gently tumbles mix to maintain structure of the peat •Amendments are mixed uniformly and consistently. 5. Finishing • Nutrition • Temperature • Temperature • Light • Photoperiod • Nutrition •Injects water to 70% moisture for proper tray filling. Peat Perlite Vermiculite Dolomitic Lime (Hydrated Lime) Nutrient Charge > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > MEDIA ANALYSIS ACCT # 4822007 NAME Swift Greenhouses, Inc. ADDRESS 2724 300th Street Gilman, IA 50106 PHONE 641-478-3217 FAX 1-641-478-3226call DATE REC. DATE COMP. TURNAROUND LAB I.D. SAMPLE I.D. 07/22/2011 07/23/2011 1 2803056 288 Plug Media SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE> TEST pH Soluble Salts Nitrate Ammonia Phosphorus Potassium Calcium Magnesium Sulfur Boron Iron Manganese Copper Zinc Molybdenum Aluminum Sodium Chlorides mmhos/cm ppm NO3-N ppm NH4-N ppm P ppm K ppm Ca ppm Mg ppm S ppm B ppm Fe ppm Mn ppm Cu ppm Zn ppm Mo ppm Al ppm Na ppm Cl RESULTS * 5.70 .993 21.8 L .000 8.69 69.1 61.6 34.8 110. .132 .977 .473 .013 .017 L .009 L .724 10.6 14.7 5.2 0.75 35 0 5 35 40 20 50 0.05 0.30 0.02 0.001 0.30 0.01 NORMAL RANGE - 6.3 - 3.5 - 180 - 20 - 50 - 300 - 200 - 100 - 250 - 0.5 - 3.0 - 3.0 - 0.5 - 3.0 - 0.1 N/A N/A N/A 2 Perennial Seed Variability in viability Gaillardia detailed Raw •Availability •Treatments Campanula multi pellet Storage 40ºF/5ºC 35% Humidity Lupine fungicide treated Many suppliers are now refining perennial seed. Aquilegia •Leprechaun Gold •Spring Magics •Clementines Tiarella wherryi Geranium ‘Vision’ Callirhoe Rosa chinensis Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ Leucanthemum ‘Alaska’ Lavender ‘Hidcote’ Delphinium (assorted) Hollyhock ‘Zebrina’ Polemonium ‘Apricot Delight’ Natives: aster, grasses, lobelia Saponaria soapwart •Reputable Source •Pricing Seed Treatments – Cold Stratification Aquilegia ‘Lime Frost’ Good Seed Trollius 40ºF/5ºC 2-4 Weeks ‘Golden Queen’ Callirhoe D28 at 40ºF/5ºC Dormant Seed Grass cleaned and coated Seed Treatments – GA soak 50% ‘Pro-Gibb’ solution 2% gibberellic acid AI •Physostegia Pink •Verbena ‘Bonariensis’ •Eupatorium Seed Treatments Seed Treatments – A-Rest spray Delphinium Pacific Giant Warm Water Soak 90ºF/30ºC Overnight •Hibiscus •Lupine Everclear alcohol Place seed in a coffee filter and soak for 15 minutes Acid Scarification Rinse seed and lay out to dry 93% sulfuric 5 minutes CAREFUL! Rinse well •Baptisia •Candy lily 95% grain alcohol 2-3 hours Do not rinse •Blackberry Lily •Baptisia 5ppm spray Lupines Apply at sowing 5-10 ppm Volume dependent! •Hibiscus •Delphinium •Many others potentially 3 Seeds per Cell (SPC) Check Points Germination Room Species and Variety Dependent Consistency •Growth habit •Price •Availability Temperature (media) pH 5.5-5.8 for most crops Campanula Heuchera Lavender Delphinium Dianthus 1 to 2 seeds Gaillardia Grasses Iberis Poppy Sedum 12+ seeds 4 to 8 seeds Aquilegia Hibiscus Astilbe Lupine Bellis Platycodon Geranium sanguineum Echinacea Many herbs Saxifraga Sagina Lobelia Echinacea Lewisia Aubrieta Geranium Hollyhocks R. Triloba Salvia R. Goldsturm Parsley Sempervivum Light Media Moisture Sterile Salt sensitive crops in stage 1 EC Campanula Heuchera Poppy Digitalis Saxifraga Alchemilla 1.0 – 1.2 SME Method Germination - Moisture Humidity (adjustable) 6.2-6.5 for high pH crops Greatest micro availability • Poppy • Myosotis • Aquilegia • Campanula Bench Germination Germination - Temperature Germination Tips – Poor Uniformity Not as critical as moisture (but acceptable germination %) Moisture is Critical! •Keep trays on the dry side •All crops at 4½ going in •Shelf Placement: 1-10 Hand water as necessary Leucanthemum Bellis Alyssum Lupine Filipendula Verbena Achillea Aubrieta Gaillardia Hollyhock Rosemary Geum Pyrethrum Aquilegia Lavender Campanula Alchemilla Heuchera Myosotis Poppy Platycodon Digitalis Dianthus •Bench germination: Ok for germ •Avoid high light •Avoid temperature extremes •Usually have alternating temps Cool Germinators Warm Germinators Primula ‘Pacific Giants’ Arenaria ‘Avalanche’ Iberis sempervirens Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ Armeria Oenothera missouriensis Doronicum Aquilegia Aruncus Astilbe Hibiscus Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Centurea montana •Less cover on seed •Temperature can be raised or lowered 2º to 4º to hasten or slow germination as necessary •Lower shelves wet Delphinium Coreopsis Aster Scabiosa Echinacea •Cooler temperature •Most crops germinate consistently between 68ºF and 72ºF •Top shelves dry •Humidity: 80%-90% Not taking up valuable growing space for germination •A-rest spray on seed •Leave in germ area longer •Lower humidity •Higher light Delphinium ‘Galahad’ •Delphinium •Echinacea •Aquilegia •Asters •Pyrethrum •Centurea •Lupine •Helenium •Physostegia •Scabiosa 4 Germination Tips – Hand Covering Environment Most large seeded crops are covered at sowing. Growing a high quality perennial plug requires understanding and integration of all factors affecting plant growth. Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ covered at sowing Some medium to large seeded crops germinate best uncovered, then lightly covered after germination. Crops that benefit from hand covering Anchusa Armeria Asclepias Carnation Centranthus Cherianthus Echinacea •Doubledecker •Ruby Star Eryngium Gaura Geranium ‘Vision’ Heliopsis Hesperis Malvas Kniphophia Linum Myosotis Polemonium Stachys Temperature Myosotis ‘Bluesylva’ Quality of growth depends on the day, night and DIF temperatures as they relate to light levels. •Temperature All must be considered together to produce an optimum crop! •Light Oenothera missouriensis Hand cover out of chamber •Water •Nutrients •Gasses Temperature - Day ‘Day’ begins when DIF ends. Approximately 2 hours after sunrise depending on the desired amount of DIF Quantity of growth depends on the average daily temperature (ADT) Temperature - Night Temperature - DIF DIF begins 2 hours before sunrise ‘Night’ begins when it is completely dark •Perennials are very responsive to DIF 72ºF/24ºC is ‘normal’ 68ºF/20ºC is ‘normal’ •Adjust DIF temp according to desired amount of control •After sunny day Warmer if: •After feeding •Sunny •Begin DIF earlier for greater height control and fuel savings •Not cost effective to heat to a warmer temp. •Behind schedule •Many younger crops •Longer night after a sunny day, shorter night after a cloudy day •Feeding day •Crop treatments Ramp •Extend DIF for greater height control •More DIF following a sunny day. Less following a cloudy day. •Crop is ahead of schedule and running a cooler day Cooler if: •Cloudy or several cloudy days in a row •Crop is ahead of schedule or ‘soft’ Cooler if: •After a low light (<7mol) or cloudy day •Conserving fuel Ramp period: Gradually reduce temp to the DIF temp. This can reduce fuel costs. •Many stage 3 and 4 crops 5 Light Summer Winter Most crops benefit from some shade in the summer. 55% shade curtain is closed above 4200fc. White shade cloth is used for additional cooling effect. Crops that require additional (double) shade •Campanula •Anemone •Astilbe •Poppy •Alchemilla •Aruncus •Platycodon •Heuchera Daily light sums can be 1mol or less •Supplemental lighting is added to achieve 11 hours of light maximum •400W High Pressure Sodium lamps 7’ above the crop Crops that grow better under short days •Coreopsis •Gaillardia •Rudbeckia •Monarda •Oenothera •Gaura •Physostegia •Sedum Vegetative Production Light – cont. Nutrition Crops that require long days General Feeding Program •Campanula •Echinacea •Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ •Hibiscus •Anemone •Solidago Stages 3 and 4 Saxifraga •Feed as often as necessary •More often if behind schedule •Once per week if to maintain color and activity ‘Purple Robe’ Day 18 •Asclepias-Needs a light bulb for long days to keep from going dormant. •Use formulation and ppm necessary •100-200ppm or 300ppm if desperate! •More ammonia or phosphorous for additional growth. •Nitrate for holding and toning Stages 1 and 2 1000W Metal Halide •Experimental •Much brighter than HPS •Keeps plugs more compact. •Cost effective? •Quality •Quicker finish •First feed day 14-21 •Germination complete •100ppm max •Nitrate fertilizer •Feed 100-120ppm every 2-3 days •Feed early and on sunny day •Must get dry cycle in between •Feed according to the crop and weather, not the calender Environmental Basics Environmental Basics Humidity Humidity Crops that require ‘less mist’ •90-95% •All Tissue Culture •Achillea ‘Moonshine’ ‘Coronation Gold’ •Artemisia-many •Perovskia •Polemonium •Sagina •Normally provided by boom •Fine mist (80015 flat fan nozzles) •Adjustable interval: 7-45 minutes •Reduced air flow Hibiscus ‘Lord Baltimore’ Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’ Echinacea ‘Magnus’ Day 32 Achillea ‘Moonshine’ Goal is to keep cuttings turgid without saturating the media. Applying a surfactant like CapSil® can help. Allow foliage to dry slightly between mistings. Do NOT use surfactant! 6 Environmental Basics Environmental Basics Environmental Basics Light Temperature Nutrition The optimum amount of light for rooting perennials is 4-6 mol/day. Nearly 19 mol inside! •Automatic 55% shade curtain •50% white shade cloth Feeding under mist? 70°-75°F soil temp is optimum for most perennials •Heavy misting can wash nutrients away. •30-50ppm N through the mist is beneficial to many perennials. Air temp is usually much warmer than soil temp Root zone heating is best when heat is needed. •Can also be applied at 150200ppm N 1-2 times per week. •Phosphorous is critical. 8-10ppm continuous or 25-50ppm per week. •Phlox Paniculata and Hibiscus benefit the most. Crops adversely affected by feed •Achillea •Perovskia •Amsonia •Anthemis •Polemonium •Geraniums •Buddleia •Sagina •Euphorbia •Artemisia •Veronica repens •Thymes Stock Plant Source Stock Plant Source Stock Plant Source Tissue Culture Tissue Culture Unrooted Cuttings Advantages: Advantages: Disadvantages: •Pre-rooted •Inexpensive •Takes more time to stick plantlets •Variety selection •Boom not necessary •Insect, disease and virus free •Takes more skilled labor •Excellent availability •Takes more care •Generally good quality •Expensive Echinacea ‘Big Sky’ Supplied as separated individuals or still in petri dishes ‘Pulmonaria’ TC Plantlets Sticking Echinacea TC Covering TC with germination fabric provides lower and even humidity Achillea ‘Moonshine’ •Cuttings are neatly packed, making sticking very efficient. 7 Stock Plant Source Stock Plant Source Unrooted Cuttings Cuttings From Own Stock Campanula ‘Birch Hybrid’ Cuttings From Own Stock Practice ‘Safe Propagation’ Maintaining Healthy Stock •Keep well fed, but not soft Disadvantages: •Increased micronutrients can hasten rooting •Heat/cold damage possible •Trim as necessary to maintain active, vegetative growth. •Inconsistency among suppliers •Avoid stresses: Heat Alcohol Soak Specific scissors for special crops Virus testing Light Supplier A Supplier B Avoid the spread of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases! Water Chemical Quality can vary among suppliers. Supplier ‘B’ rooted in 5 days. Supplier ‘A’ took 21+ days and had 20% losses. Stock plants ready for cutting Insects Disease Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Avoid cuttings which have initiated flowering Media Secret: A peat based media is fundamental Tray Size •Trim flowers Perlite-20% Cuttings From Own Stock 18’s / 3½” •Buy in URC •Avoid stresses which can induce flowering •Provide the proper photoperiod Crops which are difficult to propagate in Summer: Perovskia Cuttings Sphagnum Peat: Hypnum Peat •Course ground •Neutral pH •Long fibers •Nitrogen •Few fines •Micronutrients •Consistency •CEC Agastache ‘Honey Bee Blue’ •Sedums •Asters Tall sedums •Coreopsis vert. Rosy Glow •Gaillardia Vera Jameson •Plumbago 50 plugs •Large enough to establish nearly all perennials (Peony, Iris) •20% •60% •Agastache 32’s / 3” •Cost effective space wise Gypsum Amendments: •Economical -Trays vs Pots Micromax Calcined Clay Dolomitic Lime 50 plugs 8 Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Scheduling Secret: Get them going early Scheduling Secret: Get them going early Temperature and Light Secret: As much as possible Sow slow growers May/Early June, transplant Mid July Propagate slow growers beginning in early May •Aquilegia •Heuchera •Amsonia •Anemone •Lewisia •Coreopsis vert. •Phlox subulata •Campanula •Saxifraga •Echinacea •Sedum-tall •Echinacea •Trollius •Geraniums •Vines (within reason) •Heat and light will bulk perennials •Heuchera •Take advantage of summer weather •Avoid having to heat in the fall Blackmore cylinder seeder Centranthus Ruber Establishing Perennials Nutrition Secret: “2-tank” Fertilizing Drawbacks: •Increased Ca and Mg •Consistent concentration of micronutrients •Macros and micros can be adjusted separately •Requires additional injector •Increases EC of fertilizer •Needs close monitoring •Custom blended fertilizers NPK + Ca Micros + MgSO4 Nutrition Campanula ‘Blue Clips’ Phosphorous 0 ppm 75 ppm •Directly related to: •Stretch •Root development •High light = More P •Low light = Less P Use 0% phosphorous formulations 17-0-17 fertilizer with added P Use MKP (23% P) to adjust ppm Adjust ppm in feed seasonally with light •Up to 10ppm with 25 mol + •6ppm or less with low light •Avoid deficiency 0 7.5 15 38 ppm P 75 •Anemone •Heuchera •Poppy •Astilbe •Ligularia •Campanula •Lamium Establishing Perennials Separating the Macros from the Micros Benefits: Shade: Phlox paniculata and subulata •Primula •Tiarella Establishing Perennials Nitrate Fertilizer Nutrition Ammonia Fertilizer •Must have at least 2 formulations available! Nitrate based: >80% •14-4-14 •15-5-15 Ammonia based: >20% •20-10-20 Crops that prefer nitrate Crops that prefer ammonia •20-2-20 •Coreopsis •Campanula 17-2-17 is feed of choice •Delphinium •Lavender •Digitalis •Leucanthemum •Hollyhock •Myosotis •Rudbeckia •Poppy •Achillea •Saxifraga •Hibiscus •Echinacea 14-2-14 20-2-20 Stachys byzantina 9 Establishing Perennials Water Municipal Or Surface Water? pH Alkalinity Sulfuric acid injection EC Na Fl Cl Copper ionization Pathogens Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Growth Regulators Secret:Feed heavy, ____ and GR Growth Regulators Secret:Feed heavy, ____ trim and GR Heavy Feed Sumagic •GR of choice for most perennials •Feed at transplant or after rooting cutting. 100-125ppm N. •Feed every irrigation till rooted out. •Increase feed after 3 weeks to 200-250ppm N every other irrigation. •50-60ppm Mg each feeding. •1-1.5ppm Fe (other micronutrients relative) each feeding. •Used as volume dependent spray •Apply early (variety dependent) •Apply weekly as necessary. •Always trial! Can stunt if: •Variety sensitive •Too much volume •Too high of ppm Why Trim? •Asters •Some varieties require too much GR. Too expensive. •Buddleia •Better plant. More branches. •Gaura •Can feed more (the ‘you are what you eat’ theory). •Monarda •Vines •Varieties too sensitive to GR. •GR can have adverse effects on finished product. •Trim off flowers. Sand filtration Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Establishing Perennials Finishing Finishing Secrets Revealed $ Long day crops must be bulked before the onset of short days. •Asters •Grasses •Boltonia •Hibiscus •Coreopsis •Perovskia •Echinacea •Phlox paniculata •Eupatorium Preparing for vernalization Early to Mid October Peat Based Media Start Early •Discontinue feed •Trim excessive top growth Rudbeckia Goldsturm Mid October Temp and Light •Discontinue lighting •Reduce watering 2-Tank Feeding •Move crops that are not •Plumbago bulked to a warm house •Reduce temperature Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ Feed, Trim and GR Mid December Aster ‘Alma Potschke’ $ Rudbeckia Goldsturm Mid November 10
