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perennial solutions paniculata Flame Series

Thanks to improved breeding and selection, garden phlox is regaining popularity.

hlox paniculata is tion, garden phlox is regaining pop- between 750 and 1,000 ppm is not most recognized by ularity as improved come essential for successful rooting but By Paul Pilon its long-lasting dis- into the market. does tend to provide a slightly play of fragrant, One of the better new introduc- higher rooting percentage and P intensely colored tions is the Flame series, a result of reduces rooting time. flower clusters during mid-sum- the breeding efforts of Bartel’s Place the cuttings under low mer. This old fashioned perennial Breeding in The Netherlands. It misting regimes for about the first also is commonly known as garden offers growers a compact alterna- 10 days of propagation. When pos- phlox or tall phlox. Because of tive, reaching 15-18 inches in height, sible, it is usually best to propagate improved breeding and plant selec- to the historically taller (30-48 inch- under high humidity levels (90-per- es) garden phlox cultivars. There cent relative humidity) with mini- are four colors in the Flame series: mum misting. The misting and Light Pink, Lilac, Pink and Purple. humidity levels can be reduced Phlox paniculata performs well gradually as the cuttings form cal- across a wide portion of the United luses and root primordia. Begin States, throughout USDA Hardiness feeding with 150 ppm nitrogen at Zones 3-8 and AHS Heat Zones 8-1. each irrigation using complete It prefers full sun, although in the water soluble fertilizers as the cut- South it performs best when partial tings are forming roots (usually shade is provided. This native between 10 and 14 days). With soil American perennial is commonly temperatures being maintained at used as an aromatic border plant to 68-74º F, usually will be well attract hummingbirds and butter- rooted in 3-4 weeks. flies to the garden, for accent planti- ngs and as a cut flower. With its Production shorter plant habit, the Flame series Phlox performs best when can be used in container plantings, grown in a moist, well-drained expanding the marketing opportu- medium with a slightly acidic pH nities for this popular perennial. of 6.0-6.5. When planting into 1- gal. or larger containers, I recom- Propagation mend growers use two 72-cell lin- The Flame series is vegetatively ers per container. Using multiple propagated using unrooted tip cut- liners creates fuller-appearing con- tings. Since a plant patent is being tainers with more shoots and sought (PPAF-Plant Patent Applied blooms per pot. Many growers For), unlicensed propagation of this plant liners during the late sum- is prohibited. mer of the year prior to the intend- Cuttings can be successfully ed date of sale. Planting liners of rooted by sticking them directly phlox in this manner will allow into a pre-moistened, well-drained them to bulk up, produce more growing medium in plug trays flowers per plant and bloom earli- with large cell sizes or directly into er than when they are planted and the final container. Dipping grown only in the spring. unrooted cuttings into a solution of Garden phlox are moderate indolebutyric acid (IBA) at rates feeders and perform best when ± Photo courtesy of Ball Horticultural Co.

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Left: ‘Flame Pink’. Middle: ‘Flame White’. Right: ‘Flame Purple’.

either a constant liquid fertilization thoroughly and allow the medium to be highly resistant to powdery conditions. If growers have histori- program is used feeding at rates of to dry between waterings. mildew infections; however, under cally faced these diseases on other 75-150 ppm or using higher rates Growers commonly observe severe conditions this disease may phlox cultivars, it may be highly of 150-200 ppm as needed. Fertility aphids, spider mites, thrips and still develop. Alternaria, Botrytis, beneficial to follow preventative also can be delivered using con- whiteflies feeding on garden phlox. Cercospora spot, Fusarium, programs using the appropriate trolled release fertilizers by top- Other insects commonly observed Pythium, Phytopthora, Rhizoctonia chemicals. dressing the media surface using on phlox include: caterpillar, and stem canker have also been With its compact growth habit, the medium rate listed on the grasshopper, leafhopper, slug and observed attacking garden phlox. controlling plant height is usually product’s label or incorporating spittlebug. In most cases, these To control foliar diseases, it is not necessary when producing the fertilizers into the growing medi- insects can be detected with routine best to manage the environment by Flame series. Many growers pro- um prior to planting at a rate crop monitoring and do not require providing the proper plant spacing duce plants at pot-tight configura- 1 equivalent to 1-1 ⁄4 lbs. of nitrogen proactive strategies. and adequate air movement, reduc- tions and still do not need to control per cubic yard of growing medium. Of the plant pathogens phlox are ing free moisture on the and stem elongation. The Flame series performs best the most susceptible to, powdery controlling the humidity. The onset under average watering regimes. mildew is observed the most fre- of root rot diseases often can be pre- Forcing When irrigation is needed, water quently. The Flame series appears vented by avoiding overly moist To improve marketability, the

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64 GPN March 2006 *62_PerennialSolutions.qxd 3/10/06 12:34 PM Page 65

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phlox Flame series can be forced to Availability Sons, Inc.; Center Greenhouse, Inc.; 366-8588 or E-mail at paul@perennial- bloom throughout the year. Forcing Phlox paniculata Flame is avail- Dickman Farms; Gro N Sell, Inc.; solutions.com. garden phlox into flower out of sea- able to the industry as unrooted cut- Gulley Greenhouse; and Skagit son involves following a few key tings exclusively from Ball Seed Gardens, Inc. GPN guidelines. (www.ballseed.com). Rooted liners LearnMore To produce full pots of high are available from many Ball Seed Paul Pilon is president of Perennial For more information quality, the Flame series should be rooting stations and perennial prop- Solutions Consulting, Jenison, Mich. related to this article, go to bulked up prior to forcing. After the agators including C. Raker and He can be reached by phone at (616) www.gpnmag.com/lm.cfm/gp030607 liners are planted into the final con- tainer, they should be grown at 12- to 13-hour photoperiods with tem- peratures of 64-70º F to keep them actively growing. The length of the bulking period depends on the size of the pot; 1-qt. pots may require three weeks of bulking, while 1-gal. containers might require four weeks and so on. To promote branching, it is recommended to pinch plants 4-6 weeks after planting, leaving 8-10 nodes just prior to or at the time of planting. The Flame series does not require vernalization for flowering but shows great benefits following a cold treatment. Vernalized plants grow more vigorously and tend to flower more rapidly and uniformly than plants with no exposure to cold. Flame can be vernalized in the final container or as a liner prior to transplanting. I recommend grow- ers provide at least six weeks of cold temperatures at 35-44º F. Phlox paniculata are long-day plants, requiring at least 14 hours of light each day for flowering. Shorter photoperiods will cause them to flower poorly or not at all. When the natural day lengths are short, it is recommended to provide 14-hour photoperiods or night-interruption Floramite controls mite pests lighting. The highest quality plants are produced in high light environ- in all life stages. ments (minimum 3,000 foot-can- Make Floramite® SC miticide the cornerstone of your mite dles). Under low light intensities, control program. A single application stops tough two-spotted the size and quantity of flowers per spider mites, from eggs to adults. Floramite miticide delivers plant are often reduced, and the more than 28 days of residual control. Its unique mode of stems are often weak and cannot action and highly selective activity goes easy on predacious support the weight of the flower mites and beneficial insects to help extend your IPM program. heads. During periods when the Safe on ornamentals and bedding plants, Floramite is light levels are naturally low, 300- economical and user-friendly. Ask your chemical supplier 400 foot-candles of supplemental for Floramite, the one that controls spider mites in all life lighting should be provided. stages - the one for all. The time it takes Flame to bloom after vernalization and the proper photoperiod have been provided is a function of temperature. The Flame series grown at 68° F will take 10-12 weeks to reach flowering, www.chemtura.com while plants grown at 62° F will flower in approximately 14 weeks. Always read and follow label directions. Floramite is a registered trademark of a Plants that have received a cold subsidiary of Chemtura Corporation. treatment typically flower 1-2 ©2005 Chemtura Corporation FL-ad01-0705 CCP-10905 weeks earlier than non-cooled plants. The time to bloom also varies with climate, season, location and environmental conditions.

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March 2006 GPN 65