Penstemon Barbatus Pinacolada Series

culture c onnection perennial solutions

Penstemon barbatus Pinacolada Series By Paul Pilon Showy fl owers and a compact habit make the six colors in the penstemon Pinacolada series an intoxicating pick for containers and border plantings.

enstemon barbatus Pinacolada is an warm environment, where the temperatures easy-to-grow, fi rst-year-fl owering can be maintained at 64-68° F for germina- perennial recently introduced by tion. Keep the media moist but not wet during PSyngenta Flowers. This series offers germination (moisture is easily observed on several attributes growers commonly look for, the surface). It is best to use a germination including a compact growing habit, uniform chamber where uniform moisture levels and and showy fl owers, extended bloom time, short temperatures can be maintained; this increases production time and few cultural problems. the percent germination and improves the The Pinacolada series consists of six colors: germination rate. Blue, Deep Rose, Light Rose, Red, Violet and The seeds should be germinated in 10 to 15 White. These cultivars produce an abundant days after sowing. Once germinated, they can display of blooms that completely cover the be grown with temperatures from 60-64° F. Fol- entire plant. They branch freely, and blooming lowing germination, reduce the moisture levels is uniform across all of the colors. somewhat, keeping the media surface wet to the They produce compact plants reaching 8-12 touch but not saturated. As the plugs become inches tall and 6-8 inches wide at maturity. more developed, allow the growing media to Pinacolada is suitable for production in USDA dry slightly between irrigations. (Media color Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. It performs best when changes from dark black to medium brown.) grown in sunny locations in the North and Fertilizers can be applied once the true leaves under partial shade in the South. Penstemon are present, applying 150-ppm nitrogen every is commonly used in containers, patio pots, third irrigation or 50-75 ppm with every irri- and in small mass or border plantings. In the gation, using a balanced water-soluble source. landscape, they attract hummingbirds into the When the plugs are grown at these tempera- gardens, and once established, they are fairly tures, they are usually ready for transplanting drought tolerant. in six to seven weeks. With its container and garden performance, ease of production and fl ower power, the Pina- Production colada series is an impressive and reliable per- The Pinacolada series is most commonly former that will complement any commercial produced in small container sizes (1-quart to perennial program and can be marketed easily 1-gallon). With small container sizes, plant a alongside annuals in the spring. single plug in the center of the pot; with larger containers, plant multiple plugs in each pot (for Propagation example, three 288-cell plugs or two 128-cell Penstemon Pinacolada cultivars can be plugs into 1-gallon pots). When transplanting, easily propagated by seed and are commonly the growing medium should be even with the sown in 288- or 220-cell plug trays. Sow two top of the plug. From top: ‘Pinacolada Blue’, to three seeds per plug cell. Light is required Penstemon performs best grown in a slightly ‘Pinacolada Deep Rose’ (Photos: Syngenta Flowers) for germination; do not cover the seed with dry to moist, well-drained medium with a germination mix or vermiculite after sowing. slightly acidic pH: 5.8 to 6.2. Many commer- Moisten the seed flats and move them into a cially available peat- or bark-based growing

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mixes work well, provided there is adequate drainage. Early in production, they require an average amount of irrigation; when irrigation is necessary, water them thor- oughly, then allow the soil to dry slightly between irrigations. In late production, they will require an above-average amount of irri- Write in 793 gation and should be watered more frequently. They are moderate feeders. Nutrients can be applied using water-soluble sources, providing 75-125 ppm using a constant liquid fertilizer program or 150- 200 ppm as needed. Controlled- release fertilizers also can be incorporated into the growing mix before planting to effectively 830 County Road 75 provide nutrients to containerized Clearwater, MN 55320 penstemon; use an incorporation 320.558.2407 rate between the CRF’s low and www.toplastics.com medium recommended rate. With the compact growth habit of the Pinacolada series, it is usually not necessary to control plant height. However, under certain Round Pots circumstances, it may be benefi - cial to tone the plants as needed Round Pot using plant growth regulators. Spray applications of daminozide Carry Trays (B-Nine or Dazide) at 2,500 ppm, paclobutrazol (Bonzi, Paczol or Pic- colo) at 15-20 ppm, or uniconazole From top: Trays compatible with all (Concise or Sumagic) at 3-5 ppm ‘Pinacolada Red’, major pot manufacturers will effectively tone the plants. ‘Pinacolada Light Rose’

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Insects and Diseases treatment. Penstemon can be when they are grown under cool Although penstemon can be pro- safely overwintered and grown growing conditions. For the best duced relatively free of diseases and successfully following a vernal- quality, grow them with 24-hour insects, growers frequently observe ization period. There is also no average temperatures of 60-64° F. aphids, thrips and powdery mildew need to bulk them up to fi ll out the This can be obtained using consis- during production. Other pests or containers. Pinacolada cultivars tent day and night temperatures pathogens they may observe on can be grown using fresh, nonver- or using cool nights (55-60° F) and occasion include caterpillars, impa- nalized plugs in the spring. warm days (65-70° F). At these tiens necrotic spot virus, root rot, They are day-neutral plants temperatures, Pinacolada culti- rust and spider mites. Insects and that will flower under any pho- vars will reach fl owering nine to diseases can be detected with rou- toperiod and can be forced into 11 weeks after transplanting. tine crop monitoring; control strat- bloom under natural day lengths. egies may not be necessary unless The length of the photoperiod has Availability scouting activities indicate actions no effect on the time to flower or Penstemon barbatus Pinaco- should be taken. the number of blooms produced. lada cultivars are available to the For quicker and higher-quality industry as seeds, plugs and fi n- Forcing flowering, grow them under ished containers. Seeds can be Penstemon Pinacolada is a fi rst- high light intensities; they will obtained from Syngenta Flowers year-fl owering perennial and still bloom under lower light (www.syngentafl owersinc.com) or can easily be scheduled and levels, but the time to flower from many reputable seed distribu- grown to produce plants in bloom is increased slightly and the tors and plug growers. Plugs can be throughout the growing season. number of blooms and overall acquired from Gro-N-Sell (www.gro- ‘Pinacolada White’ They do not require cold for appearance is slightly reduced n-sell.com), Northwest Horticulture fl owering, and there are no ben- under low light conditions. (www.northwesthort.com), Pacifi c efi ts observed following a cold Plant quality also is improved Plug & Liner (www.ppandl.com)

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and many reputable perennial plug Guide to Perennial Production. producers or plant brokers. GPN He can be reached at paul@peren nial-solutions.com or (616) 366- See Us At The Paul Pilon is a horticultural con- 8588. Farwest Show sultant, owner of Perennial Solu- Booth 15162 tions Consulting (www.perennial- LearnMore For more information solutions.com) and author of related to this article, go to Perennial Solutions: A Grower’s www.gpnmag.com/lm.cfm/gp080905

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