Commercial Pansy Production By Paul A. Thomas and Jean L. Woodward

The University of Georgia

2015 North Carolina Flower Growers Conference

Objectives:

Review Critical Production Decision Points.

Establish A Growth Control Strategy

Establish A Nitrate-Based Nutrition Program

Review Common Pansy Maladies

Establish A Consumer Education Program

Keep Accurate Records and Dates

Fall Pansies – The Crop That Grew The South!

In Georgia, Pansies used to provide bedding plant growers with 30% to 40% of their annual income. This also provided cash profits instead of poinsettia break even.

Many states are finding that the Pansy market is increasing, and report a 5 to 10 % increase in sales. The market will improve as companies can afford to plant fall pansies again.

Factors That Affect Pansy Scheduling

Plug Size – 288 trays finish in 4-5 weeks, whereas 406’s and 512’s finish in 6 to 7 weeks.

Outdoor Production - can delay crop schedules 2 to 3 weeks, however, quality of the plant is often much higher and transplant recovery faster.

Staggered Plug Arrivals - are more efficient that one crop shipment. Having a continuous supply in different stages of growth ensures you will have what your customer wants. Try to minimize plug tray holding time.

Containers

1801’s – Allows a larger root system, best for landscapers and pansies scheduled for color bowl construction.

606 Deep Cell - Allows 36 plants per tray, but with a greater root system. A hybrid container for upscale garden centers and landscapers looking for reduced prices.

1203’s - are more efficient that one crop shipment. Having a continuous supply in different stages of growth ensures you will have what your customer wants.

Slim Line 1203’s - 10% to 20% smaller than a standard 1203, and used in mass merchandizing outlets. Difficult!

Substrates

Low EC - Regardless of the soil you purchase, or construct yourself, plugs and seedlings must have a low EC. Be sure to ask if the soil product has a charge. avoid using a product with a charge greater than 0.75 mmhos.

Peat-Lite Mixes Are Best - Greenhouse grown pansies are very amenable to growing in peat-lite mixes but….

High Porosity – If you are growing pansies outdoors, or in the south where high temperatures are a problem, the increased rainfall or irrigation requires a high porosity mix. It also requires altered fertility schedules

Spring 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

Staggered Production – If you have the pansy market to support the volume, you can usually produce two to three turns of pansies per season. Note the effects temperature and light levels have on production schedules.

Turn-1 Turn -2

1801’s 4 wks 4 - 5 wks

1203’s Slims 4 wks 5 - 6 wks

606 - Deep 6 wks 7 - 8 wks

4” pots 6 wks 7 - 8 wks

Fall Production

Cooler than normal temperatures, over-watering and drought stress will lengthen production schedules. Application of some plant growth regulators may delay production schedules.

In Greenhouse - Gravel Bed Production

Make every effort to control delivery dates.

Educate your buyer on pansy requirements/flowering.

Provide a care sheet with instructions.

Some Thoughts On Market Planning

Provide suggestions on placement of product.

Follow up on care by visiting clients more often.

Assess your market carefully as some markets are becoming saturated with pansies.

Crop Diversification Is Essential

Violas,

Ornamental Cabbage

Flowering Kale

Snapdragons

Mustards

Swiss Chard

Dianthus

Water pH should be 5.6 to 6.0

Base EC should be less than .45 mmhos

Alkalinity should not exceed 125 ppm Ca(Co3)2

Chlorides should not exceed 30 ppm.

Boron should be less than 0.5 ppm.

Seek help if Alkalinity is very high.

Water should be checked in August and October

Water Quality

Soil pH should be between 5.4 and 5.8.

EC optimally should be 1.2 - 1.0 mmhos.

Use highest porosity soils available.

Pre-test pH drift prior to planting to test lime!

Do lab-tests for trace elements - all should be low.

Soil Test Recommendations

Clean greenhouse / benches between crops.

Keep head house / transplant area clean.

Have plug handlers wash hands often.

Establish a scouting program.

Dead-head spent precocious flowers.

Pull dead or diseased flats and discard. Do not just re-plug a cell. Disease spores are everywhere in that tray.

Important Points Of Sanitation

Establish slope, drainage - Sanitize growing area.

Elevate flats or trays - this is essential!

Record rainfall – It strongly affects fertility levels.

Space flats liberally to encourage air-flow.

Keep leaves and debris off plants.

Use high porosity soils and monitor soil moisture!

Use shade covering to reduce rain/hail damage.

Outdoor Pre-Production Tips

Keep soil temperature below 90 degrees F.

Place in shade, avoid wilting, keep moist, < 24 hr!

Use high nitrate fertilizer @ 75 ppm, EC @ 1.0 or less.

Avoid PGR’s at this stage. Use Fertility / Temperature.

Avoid holding plugs longer than 1 week.

Destroy entire plug trays that become diseased.

Handling Plugs

Observe trays upon receipt of shipment. Roots overgrown? Root system poor? Are they white and clean? Yellow leaves? Are the plugs leggy?

Under high light, look for mottling or streaks. Look for “bunched” growing tips.

Educate transplant crews to discard “abnormals”.and report them.

Scouting Plug Trays

Be sure pre-transplant soil fertility levels are appropriate.

Observe how staff are handling plugs…Often!

Be sure plugs are thoroughly watered in and at soil level.

Be sure to test soil 72 hours after transplant for pH shift.

Transplanting Tips

Plug Establishment Checklist

Grow-in period should be two weeks or less.

EC should still be less than 1.25 mmhos

Roots systems should be white with root hairs and breaking past the original root ball of the plug.

The newest expanded leaves should be much larger than the original plug leaves.

There should be no sign of crinkled leaves in the new growth even if PGR’s were used by plug grower.

Irrigation Overhead Irrigation – Check for uniformity and proper delivery.

Plan for a drying period to prevent disease and firm up roots. Using water stress to control height is tricky and requires diligence.

Leaching is essential – Clear water, 20-30% in excess of pot volume, the morning before every third fertilization.

Destroy plants that become diseased….splashed spores spread disease very rapidly.

Light and Photoperiod

Pansies and Violas are long-day plants. Violas require LD periods to flower.

Night interruption of 4 hours can greatly improve flowering in spring crops.

Pansies require high light levels. Supplemental lighting may be essential during very long cloudy periods

.

An average daily temperature above 85 F is a problem. Pansies will stretch and decline. Flowering will be reduced.

Preferred night temperature is 55oF.

Soil temperatures below 45oF can cause plants to become quiescent or grow very slowly. Below 28oF can inhibit water and nutrient uptake and growth will cease.

Leaves may turn purple during cold periods.

Temperature

Temperature

Soil temperatures above 80oF causes slow growth due to sugar loss from high levels of respiration.

Preferred daytime temperature is 80oF.

Stretching occurs as spread between low and high temperature increases.

Flower size is reduced with high temperature, as is root development.

Keep soil temperatures cool, especially at night.

Keep airflow high and continuous!

Use high nitrate fertilizers at moderate levels.

Grow plants on the dry side of moist.

Remove shading by September 20th in Fall and make sure greenhouses are shaded by May 20th in Spring. Too high light levels can cause cupping, and heat stress will delay crop.

DIF can be used if used in moderation. Do not drop temperatures excessively. Example: 62oF to 48oF.

Controlling Growth

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 .........……......... 500 ppm ( Northeast/Midwest Growers in the South should use LESS Florel ……..Start at 100 ppm and do repeated applications.

Plant Growth Regulators

Provide 24 hour HAF airflow, with open sides.

Attempt to reduce condensate at all times.

Elevate ground-grown flats on skids or boards if disease problems occur.

Provide 1" space between rows of flats

Install extra HAF fans if plants fail to dry out during extended periods of cloudy weather.

Humidity, Airflow and Spacing

Use 30% shading for early Fall production.

Use 55% shade for outdoor Fall production.

Retractable shading very effective.

Remove shading by Sept. 20th or as weather cools.

Buy a soil thermometer!

Light Levels and Shading

Fall Shading

Spring Shading

Apply shading by May 10th or as greenhouse gets hot.

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…usually one application stimulates growth.

Supplement with calcium-nitrate and monitor boron levels after 4 weeks.

Be sure to keep phosphorus levels low. Verify!

Never, ever apply fertilizer over the 275 ppm N level.

Managing Nitrogen

Ammoniacle nitrogen (NH4) 1. Is the “jet fuel” of horticulture. 2. Produces rapid, soft, leggy growth in most plants. 3. Is converted to NO3 by bacteria when soils are warm & porous. 4. NH4 is not taken up when roots are cold. 5. NH4 generates acidic soil solutions.

Nitrate (NO3)1. Generates alkaline soil solutions. 2. Produces slow growth, shorter stems, firmer growth.3. Can be taken up when soils are cold.

Urea formaldehyde (IBDU) 1. Is an organic compound that when broken down by microobes, 2. Produces ammoniacle nitrogen. 3. Is a slower-release fertilizer source.

Form Of Nitrogen

All Plants Received 100 ppm Nitrogen

Combating Heat-Induced Early Root Loss With Proper Form Of Nitrogen

As Temperature Increases, The Negative Effects of Ammoniacle Nitrogen Increases

All Plants Received 100ppm Nitrogen

100 ppm

90oF

High Temperature Effect

Mature Fertility Management

Keep soil pH above 4.8 and below 5.8. Thelaviopsis !

Maintain EC at 1.5 mmhos … never any higher!

Record rainfall – It strongly affects fertility levels.

Consider Continuous vs Pulse Fertilization !!!

Adopt the Pour-Thru sampling and stick to it.

Purchase a High Quality pH / EC meter

Record pH, Ec and Growth Observations weekly

Nitrogen NO3 @ 100 ppm, Nh4 @ >20ppm

Phosphorus P2O5 @ 5 - 10 ppm

Potassium K20 @ 100-120 ppm

Magnesium Mg @ 60 -80 ppm

Calcium Ca @ 100 - 120

Iron Fe @ 100 - 130 ppm

Manganese Mn @ 70 -100ppm

Boron B@ 25-30 ppm

Copper Cu @ 5 - 10 ppm

Zinc Zn @ 35 - 85 ppm

Sulfur/Sulfates S @ <80 ppm, Sodium Na @> 50 ppm

Chlorides Cl @< 30 ppm,

Soil Test Guidelines

Total N @ 3.5 - 4.5 %

P @ 0.3 - 1.0 %

K @ 3.0 - 4.5 %

Ca @ 0.6 - 1.2 %

Mg @ 0.3 - 0.6 %

Na @ 0.1 - 0.4 %

B @ 20 - 50 ppm

Cu @ 5 - 15 ppm

Fe @ 100 - 300 ppm

Mn @ 100 - 300 ppm

Zn @ 35 - 100 ppm

Foliar Guidelines

Purpling of Lower leaves - Phosphorus deficiency

Can be caused by high light levels and keeping plants too dry.

Use 15-5-15 fertilizer, do not direct supplement!

Yellow Tip Growth - Iron deficiency

Elevated media pH over 6.5, high alkalinity, or excessive applications of CaNo3.

Iron sulfate can be added in increments to reduce pH.

Tip abortion / Stunting - Boron deficiency

Frequent applications of Ca-No3, or a soil pH over 6.5

Use Solubor or borax - be very careful!

Nutrient Deficiencies

1. Enhance air flow and cooling potential in your structures.

2. Schedule crops later in early fall to avoid heat.

3. Use larger plug sizes early for the first turn.

4. Handle plugs in an efficient manner. Discard weaklings.

5. Use nitrate based fertilizers that have low phosphorus.

6. Monitor pH to avoid thelaviopsis and micro-toxicities.

7. Scout daily for cercospora, cut worms and aphids.

Fall Crop Production Tips

Spring Production

1. Lighting the crop can dramatically speed up first spring crop and increaser flowering. Provide 12 to 13 total hours of light.

2. Use 20-20-20 for the first two fertilizations

3. Make every effort to maximize light levels

4. DIF can be used to control height of pansies, but be careful about how dramatic the temperature shift is…you may slow down production

5. Remember, spring production is usually longer than fall production. Night temp at 58o F is essential.

Shipping And Handling

Handle trays as little as is possible to prevent ethylene.

Ship dry, and be sure to deadhead spent flowers.

Avoid excess heat build up in truck box - ventilate

Ethylene DamageToo Much Handling

Pansies …The Dark Side

Pansy Maladies

The next series of slides are intended to familiarize you with all the things that can go wrong with a pansy crop.

This material is not intended to scare you off from growing pansies. Just be aware that problems occur.

Almost all of these maladies are preventable with common sense precautions being implemented prior to transplanting the plugs

Disease Management

Thelaviopsis

1. Make every effort to maximize sanitation prior to planting.

2. Have a management plan in place before planting. Plan for common diseases and have products ready. Timing is essential.

3. Make every effort to maximize air flow across crop

4. Minimize the splashing between flats. Always remove dead or dying plants immediately.

Thelaviopsis - Maintain an acidic soil pH!

Pythium

Rhizoctonia

Cercospora

Botrytis

Anthracnose

Powdery Mildew

DiseasesSee Our Handout!

Western Flower Thrips

Aphids

White flies

Fungus Gnats

Pansy Worms

Black Cutworm

Spider Mites

Slugs

Insect Pests

Cut Worms Are The Worst

Greenhouse Weed Control

Yup! Hand Removal!

Genetic Misadventures

Symptoms:

Irregular Color

Irregular Size

Malformed Flowers

Odd Leaf Shapes

Streaks and Lines

Symptoms:

Normal leaf shape

Normal flowers

White, grey-greenand dark greenmottled leaves

Genetic Variegation

Scout trays early - remove mottled plugs.

Avoid heat stress - it is the trigger for expression.

Avoid excess light - heat builds up in leaves.

Do not attempt to correct with calcium or boron.

Magnesium and iron can mask symptoms...don’t.

Plants will re-express so do not try to sell!

Mottled Pansy Syndrome

Mottle Pansy Syndrome

Some Examples

Finale Drift

Contact Herbicide Drift

Symptoms:

Cessation of Growth

White Leaves

Stunted Flowers

Necrosis / Death

Dishwashing Soap

Symptoms: Immediate

Cleared Tissue

Leaf Death

Symptoms: Delayed

Chlorosis

Growth Stunting

Horticultural Oil

Symptoms:

Tissue Clearing

Tissue Collapse

Necrosis

Disease if not cleaned up

Horticultural Oils

Malathion

Symptoms:

Spotting

Tip Burn

Oil-Based Insecticides

Orthene

Triazole

Symptoms:

Bunched leaves

Leaf cupping

Slow growth

Absent flowering

Overdose Of Triazole PGR

Gallery

Symptoms:

Leaf Purpling

Intra-veinal chlorosis

Necrosis

Growth Reduction

Irregular new leaves

Death

Improper Herbicide / Overdose

Symptoms:

Leaf curl

Petiole Curl

Leaf Bunching

Slowed Growth

1 Leaf abscission

Ethylene Danage

Symptoms:

Rapid elongation

Smaller Flowers

Fewer Flowers

Lower Leaf Chlorosis

Root Decline

Heat Shock / Stretch

Viola Starvation

Symptoms:

Leaf Purpling

Few Flowers

Chorotic Centers

Cold Weather Starvation

Under Fertilization

Symptoms:

Chlorosis

Cupped leaves

Strap Leaves

Very Slow Growth

Very Poor Roots

Pansy’s starving under warm temperatures

Boron Deficiency

Symptoms:

Thick, Irregular Leaves

Tightly Bunched Centers

Split Leaves w/ Holes

Deep Green-greyish Tint

Growth Stops

No Flowering

Re-growth Takes Forever

Symptoms:

Marginal Chlorosis

Entire Leaf Yellowing

Basal Leaf Yellowing

No New Blooms

Necrosis / Death

Root Damage

Over- Fertilization

Garden Center Tips

Staging:Bright light (Avoid direct sun) Do not stage flat to flat

Care:Fertilize & waterDead-head

Maintenance:Botrytis preventionOver-watering

Keep pansies in at least diffuse sunshine. Shade cloth or indirect sunlight is best. Keep plants cool.

Fertilize with 50 - 100 ppm 20-10-20 once a week.

Deadhead spent flowers daily.

Never let dry out, but allow soil to become light.

Maintain air movement over flats - fans best!

Order pansies for sale when temperatures cool for the least loss and the maximal # of return customers!

Advice For Garden Center Owners

Landscape TipsImproper spacing

Disease

Pansies and Violas are bedding plants with very specific bed requirements

Planning and good bed preparation are essential for success

Landscape Considerations

In most cases, pansies are planted on 6 to 8 inch centers.

Be sure that soil pH is pre-established at 5.8, and that sufficient mulch is available to insulate the soil.

Amendments that will benefit pansies include peat moss, very, very composted bark, sand, and general compost that is screened but not mucky.

Use liquid feed in conjunction with slow release. 150 ppm N is the preferred rate for outdoor application.

Test fertility often during wet weather. #1 Problem

Keep soil EC around 1.5 mmhos

Use nitrate-based fertilizers once soil temperature goes lower than 50 degrees F, and throughout the winter. Maintain steady levels of fertility.

Use an ammonical-nitrogen based fertilizer when soils warm to 55 degrees or higher in spring for fast growth.

Fertility Regime For Landscapers

Weed Control - Landscape

Pre & Post Emergent Herbicides

Pre-Emergent:BetasanPendulumPennantSurflanXL

Post-Emergent:EnvoyVantage

Mulches & Covers:Pine StrawPine BarkPeanut Hulls

Non-Selective Herbicides:Round-Up ProFinaleRewardScythe

Pansy Bed Maintenance Tips

Pansies do not bloom when soil is frozen!

Dead-head flowers every two weeks.

Replant diseased or inconsistently growing plants after three weeks.

Use pine straw to cover entire bed if prolonged severe cold is predicted without snow fall.

Scout beds weekly for disease and insects.

Pansy Production HandbookAnd Web Site*

* Project funded by the Gloeckner Foundation

The End

Thanks For Sticking Around!