» Indiana Growers Association Bulletin Cooperating with the Horticulture Department -Cooperative Extension Service Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 Summer, 1989 Edited by P. Allen Hammer Volume 3, No. 4 Poinsettia Tips 1989 Content P. Allen Hammer Grower Profile - Henning's Farm and Greenhouse GrowerExpo '90 Brian Whipker Section 24c registration for Carzol Coming Events Midwest Trade Fair and Design School Dilution Rates for Ornamental Fungicides Teleflora Design America 1989 Regional Runoffs The Way I See It page 2 7 7 8 9 9 10 11 s
floriculture indiana Vol. 3 No. 4 Poinsettia Tips 1989 P. Allen Hammer - A 70 F minimum night temperature is a must. Sterilize pots, benches, flats, and knives before taking cuttings. As cut tings begin to root, reduce the amount of mist (this is extremely important with poinsettias). Fertilize the cuttings as soon as roots form (even under the mistt. Fertilization- Poinsettias require rela tively high applications of nitrate nitrogen and potassium. We would recommend 300 ppm N and K at each watering. Be sure to use a high nitrate to ammonia nitrogen formulation Your fertilizer should also contain a phosphorus source. If you are using phosphoric acid for ph control, that addition will supply adequate phosphorus. We do not recommend calcium nitrate in Indiana because itjust adds to your ph problem. Add an Epsom salt (1 lb./100 gal. water) drench every 4 to 6 weeks to supply magnesium. Do not add to your normal fertilizer solution. Several have asked about molybdenum additions. I personally feel that the "peat-lite special" fertilizers or a soluble trace element mix has adequate molybdenum. However, it will not cause harm to add additional molybde num at the rate of 0.1 ppm. To add molybdenum at the rate of 0.1 ppm Mo: stock solution - 1 oz. (28.4 g) of ammonium or sodium molybdate/2-1/2 pt. (40 fl. oz.) (1200 ml) of water for application - 0.15 fl. oz. (4.5 ml) of stock solution/100 gal. of water at each watering. Pinching - a hard pinch leaving 4 to 5 nodes is recommended. Our research indicates a more attractive plant (form) and much greater uniformity in shoot growth is possible when only 4 to 5 nodes are left on the pinched plant. Height Control - Most are using cycocel spray at 1500 to 3000 ppm. A-Rest at 10 to 15 ppm also has been effective. Several sprays at the lower concentrations give more uniform control than a single spray at the higher concentrations. Consult your "Guide to Making Growth Retardant Summer 1989 Page 2 Solutions" (HO-130) for mixing instructions. Send me a note if you do not have a chart. We recommend growth retardants not be applied after mid-october unless you have a severe height problem. Bonzi can be used for height control of poinsettias. Our results suggest that 1 or 2 applications at 15 ppm may be adequate for the Hegg types and 1 or 2 applications at 30 ppm may be adequate for the V-14 types. Bonzi should not be applied after the start of short riavs Our concentrations are based on 1/2 gallon of spray material/100 square feet of bench area. Your results will be very different if you vary from this rateof application. Ifyou have not used Bonzi, I would try it on a trial basis for the first year. A trial is only a small part of your crop. Cycocel/ B-Nine combination sprays have also been used effectively. One application at 1500 ppm Cycocel/2500 ppm B-Nine can be used. I also do not recommend this combination after short davs Start or more than once. Note that some of the new cultivars are very short (Table 1) and may need little or no growth regulator chemicals. Time of first application is generally: 1 ) Pinched plants-when the new shoots following pinching are 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. 2 ) Single stemmed plants - when new growth is 1-1/2 to 2 inches after panning. Schedules - Lighting (long days) should be used on the Hegg cultivars. We recommend using incandescent lamps as in your chrysanthe mum program from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Timing is much easierwhen lighting is used. Once the crop is in flower, night temperatures can be reduced to save fuel in December and enhance bract color. Night temperature can be reduced by 2 degrees every 3 days to 60 F. The following schedules are guidelines to help in your planning. Everyone will need to make adjustments for your own greenhouse and production methods. Give me a call if you have questions. Note we have sepa rated the Hegg and V-14 types. Some of the new cultivars also vary in their flowering time (Table 2). We have allowed from short days to flowering for the Hegg types and 11 weeks for the V-14 types. Some of the newer cultivars may be adjusted accordingly.
floriculture indiana Vol. 3 No. 4 Summer 1989 Page 3 Suggested Poinsettia Production Schedules for Indiana Hegg Types Single Stem 3 Plants/6" Pot - - Lights On Lights Off July 30 August 27 2-1/ September 14 1-1/ August 12 September 9.1 week September 16 October 7 Night Temperatures July 30 - Aug. 26 7 0 F Aug. 27 - Nov. 26 6 5 F Aug. 12 - Sept. 8 7 0 F Sept. 9 - Dec. 9 6 5 F Hegg Types Pinched 1 plant/6" Pot - - Pinch Lights On Lights Off July 16 August 13 September 3 1-1/ September 14 1-1/ July 29 August 26 September 16 September 16 October 7 Niaht Temperatures July 16 - Aug. 12 7 0 F Aug. 13 - Nov. 26 6 5 F July 29 - Aug. 25 7 0 F Aug. 26 - Dec. 9 6 5 F C
floriculture Indiana Vol. 3 No. 4 Summer 1989 Page 4 Suggested Poinsettia Production Schedules for Indiana V-14 Types Single Stem 3 Plants/fi" Pnf - - Black Cloth Natural Days July 30 August 27 September 10 August 12 September 9 September 23 11 weeks NiQht Temperatures July 30 - Aug. 26 7 0 F Aug. 27 - Nov. 26 6 5 F V-14 Types Aug. 12 -Sept. 8 7 0 F Sept. 9 - Dec. 9 6 5 F Pinched 1 nlant/fi" Pnt Pinch Black Cloth Natural Days - July 9 August 6 August 27 September 10 9 week - July 22 August 19 September 9 September 23 11 weeks Niaht Temperatures July 9 - Aug. 5 7 0 F Aug. 6 - Nov. 26 6 5 F July 22 - Aug. 18 70 F Aug. 19 - Dec. 9 6 5 F S
floriculture indiana Vol. 3 No. 4 Summer 1989 Page 5 1 Table 1. Height of 13 poinsettia cultivars receiving no growth regulator treatment and grown in 6 I/2 inch azalea pots as single stem and pinched plants in West Lafayette, Indiana. 7 5/6 5 F day/night temperature. height in inches of finished plant from top of pot (including pot) Cultivar single stem1 pinched* H365-Red J Noel Hot Pink Noel Blush " Frost - Noel Regal Velvet J Angelika ^Jingle Bells 3 y Diva Starlight Supjibi j Glory i Lilo Celebrate 24.3 (29.3 22.0 (27.0 20.5 (25.5 20.3 (25.3 20.0 (25.0 19.9 (24.9 19.4 (24.4 19.1 (24.1 19.0 (24.0 17.1 (22.1 17.0 (22.o; 16.9* (21.9; 16.2 (21.2! 18.5 15.8 14.7 15.2 15.0 15.4 14.1 13.5 15.7 11.3 13.1 12.5 12.8 (23.5) (20.8) (19.7) (20.2) (20.0) (20.4) (19.1) (18.5) (20.7) (16.3) (18.1) (17.5) (17.8) Cutting- 8/26; panned- 9/23; short days- 10/14; lighted- 9/6-10/14 'cutting- 7/27; panned- 8/24; pinched- 9/7; short days- 9/28; lighted- 9/6-9/28 xmost of the single stem Lilo plants had split bracts. wojn^?, J days requlred for f,owerin9 for 13 poinsettia cultivars grown in West Lafayette Indiana in 1988. Single stem were grown as 3 plants per 61/2 inch azalea pot and pmched plants as single plant per 61/2 inch azalea pot 75/65 Fday/night?emperaxure. Cultivar WKs Of short davs tn fjnwprjpg single stem2 pinched* Jingle Bells 3 Regal Velvet Glory Angelika Supjibi Celebrate Diva Starlight Frost Noel Noel Hot Pink Noel Blush Lilo H365-Red 10.0 9.6 9.6 8.6 8.5 8.4 8.4 8.2 8.1 8.0X 8.0 9.6 9.1 9.7 8.2 8.4 8.9 ^B^BBBB^^-^-^
floriculture Indiana Vol. 3 No. 4 GROWER PROFILE BRIAN WHIPKER1 Henning's Farm and Greenhouse 7160 West 1400 North DeMotte,IN 46310 (219) 987-2195 Owners: Adam and Jill Henning Growers: Adam and Jill Henning Production: Seven greenhouses totalling 18,000 square feet. Years in Business: Two Sales: 90% Wholesale and 10% Retail Hired Employees: Four full-time during the spring. Biggest Challenge: "Trying to expand the size of my operation, while still keeping the quality level that a smaller grower is able to produce." The name, Henning's Farm and Greenhouse, probably is not familiar to most growers in the state ofindiana. The spring of 1988 was their first growing season in DeMotte, after they purchased the range from Fred Moolenaar. "Although they are new to the area, they are not new to the business," says Adam. Adam's grandparents operated a flower shop and greenhouse in Brooklynsince the 1920's. (The operation contin ued until 1980, when his uncle passed away and theplacewas sold.) From there, his parents started a floral shop in Long Island, NY in 1946 and continued until 1967. At that time, they moved to Somerset, New Jersey and added a greenhouse to their floral shop. His parents' operation concen trated on cut flowers until competition from over seas forced them to expand into bedding plants as wellas tulips,chrysanthemums, liliesandpoinset tias. Even though Adam's parents are semi-re tired, they still are active in the familiy business, 'NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL EXTENSION SPE CIALIST FOR COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE AND VEGE TABLE CROPS Summer 1989 Page 6 which is now run by Adam's two oldest brothers. From his background, you can see thatgreenhouse production runs in the family. Adam and Jill currently have seven green houses totalling 18,000 squarefeet. That includes 10,000 square feet of poly, 3,000 square feet of glass and 5,000 square feet of fiberglass. In addition, they will be adding a 4,350 square feet Harnois poly greenhouse from Vaughan's this summer. The new house will be used for gerani ums. Adam said, "we have been putting off building an additional greenhouse until this year. I thought it was important to first become familiar with our current facilities, then to think about expanding." In order to increase his production, Adam concentrated on using his available space more efficiendy. From the look of this past sea sons crop, Adam is working hard to establish and maintain his level ofquality and doing a great job at it Henning's are primarily wholesale growers with only 10% of their production being sold retail. The sales radius is mainlywithin 30 miles, although they have suppliedcustomers as far away as Kokomo and Lafayette. As wholesale growers, Adam says, "we try to specialize by concentrating on a few crops, doing a good job and growing a lot of them." Zonal geraniums are by far their largest crop. Over 22,000 plants were produced in 4.5" pots, plus 4,200 cuttings were used in 1400-10" hang ing baskets with vinca vine. Adam purchases his cuttings from Olgelvee and gets them in around March 1st. They are planted in a growing media composed of: 25% Sunshinemix, 25% peatmoss, 25% perlite, 13%torpedo sand and 12%field soil. "I like using field soil because of its weight and extra security of providing micronutrients to the plant," says Adam. (Infact, Adam grows mostof hisplantsin the abovemixture.) The varietiesthat Adams liked the mostinclude: Yours Truely, Pink Fiat,Cherry Blossom and the newrisque variety. Sales were excellent in 1989, so next year he plans to order another 5,000 cuttings. Adam also produces ivy geraniums in both