Download Bedding Plant Production

Bedding Plant Production
Topic 2174
Aaron Gearhart
What are Bedding Plants?
• Flower and vegetable transplants that are
planted each spring
• Started in greenhouses during the winter so
they can be transplanted when danger of
frost is past.
Why Do We Do It?
• To have flowers that are a part of our
landscaping in bloom longer
• Leave the difficulties of germination and
juvenile stages to the pros
• So we can see the final product when we
buy it
• Save time, Save time, Save time
Here are Some Examples of
Bedding Plants
Ageratum
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/Annuals/ageratum.htm
Begonia
http://www.landscapeflowergrowers.com/Flower_Pictures.htm
Celosia
http://www.landscapeflowergrowers.com/Flower_Pictures.htm
Petunias
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/AnnualPics.htm
Marigold
http://www.overthegardengate.net/garden/archives/
Nicotiana
http://www.landscapeflowergrowers.com/Flower_Pictures.htm
Pansy
http://www.overthegardengate.net/garden/archives/
Salvia
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/Annuals/ageratum.htm
Zinnia
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/AnnualPics.htm
Impatiens
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/Annuals/ageratum.htm
Favorite Bedding Plants
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Petunias
Geraniums
Impatiens
Begonias
Pansies
http://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/A&P/Pictures/Annuals
Some Favorite Vegetable
Bedding Plants
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Cabbage
http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/vege008/vege008.htm
Soilless Media
• Most bedding plants
are grown in soilless
media
• This is due to the fact
that regular mineral
soil like that in
agricultural fields
becomes quickly
waterlogged when in
flats
http://www.piggypoop.com/
Characteristics of Good Media
• Light weight
• Porous (having a high
percentage of air
pockets)
• Well-drained
• Most common media
is a peat and perlite
mix…often called
peat-lite
Perlite and Vermiculite
• Perlite is a volcanic rock that is “puffed” by
baking it at high temperatures. It is very
poor at holding water and is thus excellent
for lightening up your soilless media (white
bumps in the media)
• Vermiculite is also a volcanic rock but is
brown and can hold water fairly well.
Sowing Seed
• In commercial
applications seed is often
sowed into plug trays
• This saves space, which is
vital in order to maintain
profits
• Excellent care is needed in
order to keep the seed
moist in such a small
volume of media
http://www.mccalif.com/Product/plugs.htm
Germinating Seeds
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Seeds are sown onto a fine germinating media
A thin layer of vermiculite is often placed on top
Must be kept constantly moist
General temperature of 70 – 75 F
Some seeds require light (impatiens,lettuce)
Label type and variety on the plug trays to avoid
mixups
• Fertilizing the plug trays with a high phosphorous
fertilizer solution will result in less transplant
shock
Transplanting to Flats
• Usually done when the
plants show about four
true leaves
• One plug to each flat
• One 512 count plug tray
can fill about 14 36 cell
flats.
• Each flat must be carefully
labeled with the plant type
and variety to avoid
mixups
http://www.dillen.com/inj_flats.asp
Important Things to Remember
When Transplanting
• Plants are fragile so be very careful.
• Transplants should be watered in
immediately after being placed in the plug
tray.
• As a general rule, while growing, plants
should be watered with 100ppm Nitrogen
and Phosphorous once per week.
Fertilizer
• This is where the plants get their food
• Soilless media has very few nutrients in it so we
must supply these nutrients with fertilizers
• Excessive fertilizer will result in tall bushy plants
which will be hard to sell
• By keeping fertilizer rates at a minimum compact
flowering plants that are easy to ship can be
attained
Watering
• Just like fertilizer, excessive watering can result in
tall bushy plants
• Yet too little watering can result in weak and
sometimes dead plants
• Media should never be waterlogged and never be
completely dry. A happy medium should be
reached.
• For this reason it is important to check the plants
in the morning and afternoon of every day.
Temperature
• Temperature requirements are going to be
different for every plant
• Temperature is a great way to regulate plant
height using DIF.
• Some plants require a specific temperature
to get into flower
• Lowering the temperature will “harden
plants”
Hardening Plants
• By lowering temperatures before sales you
can achieve:
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Stiffer stems
Harder leaves
Darker colored flowers
Easier transition from the perfect greenhouse
environment to the less forgiving outdoor
environment
– Not to be used for every plant
DIF
• Stem elongation increases as the difference
between day and night temperature
increases
• Day temperature – Night temperature=DIF
• Can reduce stem elongation by lowering
day temperatures for most bedding plants
and bulb plants
Good Ideas
• Every plant is different
in its environmental
needs
• It is a good idea to
look in a flower
production book or
seed catalog for
excellent information
on scheduling and
raising your plants
http://www.merrygardensrareplants.com/
Scheduling
• Often times plants will need to be ready at
the end of May for shipping and sales
• Each plant grows at different rates so proper
scheduling must be done
• This is easily done by taking the total
production time and counting backwards
from the desired finish date to determine
sowing time
Common Plant Disorders
• Can arise from
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Improper watering
Improper fertilizing
Pests
Diseases
Tip of the Iceberg
The best information is obtained from
actually getting into the greenhouse
and getting firsthand experience.