culture connection perennial solutions

Lavandula stoechas

By Paul Pilon ‘Bandera Purple’ A recent breeding breakthrough, ‘Bandera Purple’ is the first commercially compact spanish lavender from seed.

ith its aromatic herbal attributes and landscape presence, the demand for lavender continues to increase. English lavender (Lavandula angus- tifolia) is the most commonly grown lavender, but Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has Wmany uniquely appealing characteristics that sets it apart from others. They are known and easily recognized by their showy and more fragrant flowers. Recently, Kieft Seeds made a breeding break- through and developed Lavandula stoechas ‘Ban- dera Purple’. It is the first commercially compact Spanish lavender from seed. It branches very well and produces an abundance of eye-catching blooms that nearly cover the attractive silver- green colored foliage. The flower spikes contain dark purple-violet flowers with beautiful purple flags (bracts) on top of the inflorescences. Spanish lavender grows best in locations with full sun and can tolerate heat and humidity better than the other types of lavenders. With cold hardiness in Zones 7 to 10, some parts of the country will have to grow this one as an annual. ‘Bandera Purple’ forms attractive compact mounds reaching 7-9 inches tall and 10-12 inches across, which do not fall open with age. The showy, winged flower spikes appear in the late spring and last well into the summer. The flowers are self cleaning, and the plants produce a good secondary flush of fragrant blooms. This small, yet floriferous lavender is suitable for production in small containers or combination pots and is often utilized in border and container plantings. Other appealing attributes of interest to gardeners and landscapers, laven- ders are not attractive to deer or rabbits, and once they are established, they are drought tolerant. With its strong garden performance and desirable attributes, Lavandula stoe- chas ‘Bandera Purple’ received the Fleuroselect Gold Medal Winner in 2015. Propagation ‘Bandera Purple’ can easily be propagated from seed. Growers generally sow one seed per cell in 288- or 180-sized plug trays. Light is considered optional for germination; however, having some light present during this stage is

52 | gpn | JULY 2015 | www.gpnmag.com culture connection perennial solutions

Spanish lavender grows best in locations with full sun and can tolerate heat and humidity better than the other types of lavenders.

Small, yet floriferous, ‘Bandera Purple’ is suitable for small containers.

MARGARITA Attractive mounds reach 7-9 inches tall and 10-12 inches across. OSTEOSPERMUM beneficial and will reduce early stretching of the seedlings. The seeds MARGARITA RIOJA RED can be covered very lightly with ver- miculite after sowing. Covering them too deeply will greatly decrease the germination rate. If available, use a germination chamber to maintain temperatures of 65-68° F and the relative humidity at 95 percent. Keep the media moist, but not saturated until the roots emerge (level 4). To decrease early elongation, remove them from the chamber when 15 percent of the cells have radicles visible. Germination takes three to five days. After the seeds have germinated, MARGARITA SOFT PINK the temperature of the soil can be reduced slightly to 60-65° F; also reduce the soil moisture levels slightly Best Osteospermum series, (level 3 to 4) to encourage rooting. Fertilizers can be applied once the hands down. true leaves are present, applying 75- to 100-ppm nitrogen, using a nitrate- • Incredible color range based formulation with low amounts of phosphorous. As the plants • Perfect for early season programs develop, the fertility rate can be • High consumer appeal increased to 100-150 ppm. Growth regulators are usually not necessary, but if toning is required, spray appli- cations of 2,500-ppm daminozide See what’s blooming at (B-Nine or Dazide) can be applied. DummenOrange.com MARGARITA COOL PURPLE

ANNUALS | PERENNIALS | POTTED PLANTS | CUT FLOWERS culture connection perennial solutions

When produced at temperatures averaging 65° F, small 1-quart to 1-gallon sized containers. Spanish develop on the branches that are in direct contact they are usually ready for transplanting in seven lavender performs best when they are grown in with the moist soil. Since they branch freely, it is to eight weeks. a porous, well-drained medium with a slightly not necessary to pinch prior to potting or during acidic pH: 5.5-6.0. When planting, the growing production. Production medium should be even with the top of the liner. Like most types of lavandula, Spanish lav- ‘Bandera Purple’ is well suited for production in Avoid transplanting too deeply as Botrytis may ender require an average to slightly below average amount of irrigation, as they do not tolerate really wet or overly dry con- ditions. When wet conditions persist for extended periods, they are very susceptible to root rots. Keep in mind that while they are in containers they are not quite as drought tolerant as those grown in the landscape and should be kept slightly moist (level 3). Overly dry growing conditions can adversely affect the opening of the flowers. When irri- gation is necessary, water them thor- oughly then allow the growing mix to dry slightly between waterings. Spanish lavender need light to moderate fertilization. Growers using WHO DO YOU KNOW water-soluble fertilizers either apply 250 ppm of nitrogen as needed or IN THE feed with a constant liquid fertiliza- tion program using rates of 125- to 150-ppm nitrogen with every irriga- CLASS OF 2015? tion. Controlled-release fertilizers can also effectively deliver nutrients when incorporated into the growing medium prior to planting at a rate If you don’t know them now, you will know equivalent to 1.0 to 1.2 pounds them in the future! These bright, shining of elemental nitrogen per yard of growing medium. stars are the future of our industry — the ‘Bandera Purple’ has a naturally compact growth habit and usually individuals who will blaze new trails for will not require height control strate- growers, retailers, breeders, landscapers gies. The plants can be toned using spray applications of 2,500-ppm and more. daminozide (B-Nine or Dazide), 30-ppm paclobutrazol (Bonzi, Paczol, or Piccolo) or 5-ppm uni- Visit www.gpnmag.com/40-under-40 conazole (Concise or Sumagic). To to meet the class of 2015 and discover what improve plant quality, reduce stem elongation and avoid problems with makes these 40 Under 40 individuals tick. plant pathogens, grow lavender with high light intensities and low relative Do you know a candidate for the humidity levels (< 75 percent). Class of 2016? Perhaps a colleague? Insects and Diseases Or an employee? Nominations will open Although there are several insects which feed on lavandula, they can in November. Watch for details. generally be grown without signifi- cant damage. Be on the lookout for aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites and whiteflies. Of these, aphids and whiteflies are the most prevalent. There are several diseases including www.gpnmag.com bacterial leaf spots (Xanthomonas), Botrytis, fungal leaf spots (Colletot- richum and Septoria) and several root

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and crown rot pathogens (Fusarium, Phytophthora, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia) lavender are susceptible to. Routine scouting is useful and recommended to detect insect pests and plant diseases early, allowing the appropriate control strategies to be implemented before significant crop injury or mortality occurs. Temperature and Scheduling Lavandula stoechas ‘Bandera Purple’ is a first year flowering tender perennial, which can be easily grown and scheduled to bloom during the first growing season. Vernalization is not required for flowering and over-wintering should be avoided altogether in colder parts of the country. It is rec- ommended to use frost protection when the tem- peratures are below 39° F. Flower spikes contain dark purple-violet flowers with beautiful purple bracts on top ‘Bandera Purple’ is a facultative long day plant. of the inflorescences. This means that although it will flower under shorter day lengths, it blooms more uniformly and with ideal temperatures of 54-60° F at night and obtained through your Ball sales representative faster when it is grown with long day lengths (>14 65-68° F during the day. At these temperatures, or various reputable perennial plant brokers and hours). Growing them with short day lengths will ‘Bandera Purple’ takes 11 to 15 weeks after trans- propagators. g increase the time to flower and reduce the total planting to flower. number of blooms each plant produces. To further Paul Pilon is a horticultural consultant, owner of Perennial Solutions Consulting improve plant quality and increase the number Availability (www.perennialsolutions.com), and author of flowers they produce, grow ‘Bandera Purple’ Lavandula stoechas ‘Bandera Purple’ is brought of “Perennial Solutions: A Grower’s Guide to under high light intensities (> 4,000 foot-candles). to the market by Kieft Seed (www.kieftseed.com). Perennial Production.” He can be reached at For the best plant quality with the largest To obtain seed, contact your Ball Sales Represen- 616.366.8588 or [email protected]. flowers, grow Spanish lavender on the cool side tative (www.ballhort.com). Plug flats can also be

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