F1 Purple Rain

The lisianthus is a member of the Gentian family and has a wide range of flower color, shape, size, and early to late flowering characteristics; and year-round production has been achieved in Japan.

Generally, in cold climates plant in spring for summer to fall harvest. In warm climates, plant in summer to fall for year end to spring harvest.

For January-February harvest, the temperature should be maintained higher than 12-15℃ at night and around 25℃ during the day. After planting, young plants should be covered with a plastic tunnel until they grow about 10 cm in length during the winter, the temperature should be maintained at 30°C during daytime. After having flower budding, the temperature should be kept below 25°C.

During the seedling period, pay attention to the damage by fungus gnat. Then later thrips, whiteflies, aphids, and mites should be paid attention. Repeating same crop triggers Fusarium wilt so the soil should be disinfected before planting.

After germination, gradually increase light to promote healthy seedling growth. 30 days after germination, apply Otsuka Chemical's OK-E9 (N.P.K. 15), diluted at 1,000 to 1,500 times to accelerate growth. Lisianthus has a relatively long nursery period, and its growth rate depends on good management. Excessive humidity is strictly prohibited. Irrigate every time the soil dries out, as extreme drought will cause the tree to wilt, making it difficult for the grass to grow. After planting, the irrigation frequency should be reduced as the tree becomes densely planted. When the buds begin to develop and bloom, it is advisable to irrigate the plants very sparingly to keep the trees tight. (Do not irrigate for 1 to 1.5 weeks before cutting flowers.)

Sowing: Lisianthus seeds are very fine but coated at the purchase stage. Sow using a well-drained seeding medium. Plug trays with 288 or 406 holes are common. In recent years, an increasing number of growers have been using solidified media. The optimum germination temperature is 25 to 30℃. Germination takes about 15 days. Rosette formation is more likely to occur when the night temperature exceeds 18℃. Use refrigerated seed treatment to avoid rosette formation when sowing during high temperatures. Generally, seeds should be kept in a refrigerator at 10°C for 30 days after sowing.

Planting: In Japan, the typical planting spacing is 10 cm x 10 cm with 4 rows (2 rows without middle) or 12 cm x 12 cm with 4 rows (1 row without middle). Cut flowers can be shipped 3 to 4 months after planting. The top flower of the main stem is plucked, and the first small flower is allowed to bloom before shipping.