*71_PerennialSolutions.qxd 4/6/06 8:20 AM Page 71 cultureconnection perennial solutions Bellis perennis Bellissima Series This vigorous series of English daisies forms compact, low-growing rosettes that produce large, double flowers in early spring. he English daisy is a ‘Bellissima White’ and ‘Bellissima across much of USDA Hardiness delicate, cool-season Mix’. English daisies form compact, Zones 4-8. As mentioned above, bel- By Paul Pilon perennial produced by low-growing rosettes reaching 4-6 lis are cool-season plants and per- growers for spring and inches in height and 5-8 inches in form best when grown under these Tautumn programs. diameter. The Bellissima series has conditions. They tend to struggle Bellis is considered a biennial and great flower power as it produces and may perish under extreme heat often is produced as an annual and masses of large, fully double flowers or during extended dry periods. marketed alongside bedding plants. in the early spring. Commercially, Like many cool-season plants, bellis Bellissima cultivars bloom for long Propagation does not tolerate the extreme summer durations, up to 18-20 weeks, when Bellissima is easily propagated by heat of much of the United States or produced under optimum conditions. seed and can have a 90-percent yield the severe Northern winters. Despite Bellis belongs to the asteraceae potential rating. Bellis seeds are com- its seemingly fragile nature, many family that includes many commer- monly sown in 288- or 220-cell plug growers and landscapers use bellis cially grown perennials including trays and covered lightly with germi- for the colorful displays it delivers achillea, aster, centaurea, doron- nation mix or medium-grade vermi- during cool production periods. icum, echinops, echinacea, erigeron, culite. The covering is optional, but it Bellis perennis Bellissima series is a gaillardia, helenium, heliopsis, leu- helps maintain a suitable environment reliable, vigorous series of cultivars canthemum, ligularia, rudbeckia around the seed during this phase that has been named Fleuroselect and stokesia. English daisies often and can improve the uniformity of Quality Mark winners. The series are used in containers, patio pots germination. Seed flats should be contains ‘Bellissima Red’, ‘Bellissima and small mass or border plantings. moistened and moved to a warm Rose’, ‘Bellissima Rose Bicolor’, The Bellissima series performs well environment where the temperatures can be maintained at 65-72° F for ger- mination. Starting bellis inside a ger- mination chamber will increase both the germination rate and percent ger- mination while decreasing the time necessary for all of the seeds to sprout. It is beneficial to maintain high humidity (95 percent) until the cotyle- dons have emerged. The seeds should be germinated in 3-7 days. Once germinated, seedlings can be grown with temperatures from 60 to 68° F. Following germination, reduce the moisture levels somewhat, allow- ing the growing medium to dry out slightly before watering to help pro- mote rooting. Fertilizers are usually applied once the true leaves are pre- sent. Apply 75-100 ppm nitrogen every third irrigation or 50 ppm with each irrigation using a balanced, water-soluble source. At these tem- peratures, Bellissima will finish the plug stage in 5-7 weeks. ± Left: ‘Bellissima Mix’ works well as a border plant. Right: Despite its seemingly fragile nature, many growers use bellis for the colorful displays it delivers during cool production periods. (Photos: Ball Horticultural Co.) Brought to you by *71_PerennialSolutions.qxd 4/6/06 8:21 AM Page 72 cultureconnection Growing On when grown in a moist, well-drained at rates of 50-75 ppm nitrates, or a Bellissima is often produced in medium with a slightly acidic pH controlled release fertilizer incorpo- 1-qt. or smaller containers with a sin- (5.5-6.5). They are light feeders. rated at a rate equivalent to three- gle plug planted in the center of the Providing moderate to high fertility fourths lb. of nitrogen per yard of pot. After the plug has been trans- levels causes them to appear lush growing medium. When irrigation is planted, the growing medium of the and leafy. Growers commonly deliv- necessary, I recommend watering pot should be even with the top of er nutrients using either a constant thoroughly then allowing the soil to the plug. English daisies perform best liquid fertilization program, feeding dry slightly between waterings. Top: ‘Bellissima Rose’. Bottom: ‘Bellissima Red’. Aphids are the most troublesome insect pests of bellis. Unless preven- tative programs have been put into place, I don’t recall observing an aphid-free crop of English daisies. I usually apply a preventative drench July 8-11, 2006 application of Marathon 60WP Columbus, Ohio (OHP) to ensure the absence of aphids for the duration of the pro- duction cycle. Whiteflies and leafhoppers may also be observed feeding on bellis. Rising Energy Costs Botrytis is likely to occur late in the crop cycle once the canopy closes in and plants begin to bloom. In most cases, Botrytis can be prevented Energy: A Crisis For Crops, or reduced by providing adequate spacing and good air circulation at Strategies for Coping all times, maintaining a relative humidity below 70 percent, selling 7/10/2006; 9:15-10:30 am plants when the flower buds just begin to open and, if necessary, Erik Runkle, Michigan State University implementing a preventative fungi- cide spray program using products “Most of the input costs affecting profitability such as Decree (SePro) and Daconil are fairly stable except energy! How growers (Syngenta Professional Products). With their compact growth habit, deal with the energy crisis is critical for long Bellissima usually does not need any term survival. This session will discuss height management. However, in strategies that maximize production through the winter months, during periods of the culture regimens that reduce the time low light levels, when grown at high from planting to sale by using the right plant densities or when grown with inputs at the right time” luxurient nutrient levels, excessive plant growth might occur, requiring — Erik Runkle some type of height management strategy. The growth of bellis can often be controlled by providing adequate spacing between the plants. It may be necessary, although [email protected] • www.ofa.org not common, to use PGRs to control 614-487-1117 • Fax: 614-487-1216 the growth of English daisies. In northern parts of the country, I rec- ommend applying a tank mixture of Write in 712 72 GPN April 2006 *71_PerennialSolutions.qxd 4/6/06 8:21 AM Page 73 cultureconnection Providing low temperatures will pro- Ball Seed. Plugs can be acquired LearnMore duce nice crops but will require addi- from many perennial plug produc- For more information GPN tional time for plants to flower. ers or plant brokers. related to this article, go to www.gpnmag.com/lm.cfm/gp040609 Availability Paul Pilon is president of Perennial The Bellissima series was brought Solutions Consulting, Jenison, Mich. to the market by PanAmerican Seed He can be reached at (616) 366-8588 or Company. Seed is available through [email protected]. Top: ‘Bellissima White’. Bottom: ‘Bellissima Rose Bicolor’. Same Bang. B-Nine (Chemtura Corp.) at 2,000 ppm plus Sumagic (Valent USA) at 3 ppm. Applying one or two applica- tions seven days apart should pro- vide adequate height control. Less Buck. Forcing The Bellissima series is easy to force into bloom and is most com- monly produced for early spring sales. Plants do not have a cold requirement, but cold is beneficial and will reduce the time to bloom slightly and increase the number of blooms produced. English daisies will flower under any photoperiod and can be forced into bloom under natural day lengths. There are three common practices Introducing the new standard in to produce flowering bellis: The first ™ method is to plant plugs into the final disease control from Quali-Pro. container during early to mid fall, allow them to bulk up slightly, ver- nalize them during the winter and With nearly 35% more active ingredient per pound than force them to bloom in the early competitors’ Thiophanate Methyl products, you get more spring using low production temper- coverage, more control and more value out of Quali-Pro’s atures of 50-60º F for 4-6 weeks. The Thiophanate Methyl 85 WDG. Packaged specially for easy, second practice entails transplanting convenient mixing and use in greenhouse applications, vernalized plugs in the late winter and forcing them at 55-60º F for 5-7 Quali-Pro TM85 WDG delivers the systemic, preventative protection that weeks. The drawback of this second helps you produce beautiful results plant after plant. method is the plants are often in full flower before the pots are completely Great Results. Great Value. That’s Beautiful. filled out. The third and most com- mon practice entails transplanting an For more information about Quali-Pro products,call 800-979-8994 or visit NEW! 1.2 POUND BOX unvernalized plug into the final con- www.quali-pro.com. tainer during the late winter and forc- WITH EASY-TO-USE MEASURING GUIDE ©2006 FarmSaver.com, LLC. Quali-Pro is a trademark of FarmSaver.com. ing it at 60-65º F for 5-7 weeks. Always read and follow label directions. Remember, bellis are cool-season plants and prefer to be grown at cool Professional products, performance and people, backed by the strength of Makhteshim-Agan Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of post-patent agrochemicals. temperatures. They can tolerate tem- peratures in the 40-45º F range. Write in 711 April 2006 GPN 73.