CULTURE CONNECTION PERENNIAL SOLUTIONS HYPERICUM By Paul Pilon ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ MULTI-SEASONAL LANDSCAPE APPEAL MAKES ST. JOHN’S-WORT A SHOWSTOPPER FOR SUNNY GARDENS, SMALL PLACES AND CONTAINERS. n recent years, the lines between plant, in containers or in mass plant- plants marketed as herbaceous ings. It attracts butterflies and birds perennials and ornamental into the landscape and is resistant to shrubs have become somewhat deer feeding. blurred. Many growers pro- With its multi-seasonal land- duceI and market both perennials and scape appeal, reliable performance shrubs in their commercial offerings. and ease of production, Hypericum Hypericum ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ is a great is a great plant that is typically catego- perennial for sunny gardens, small ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ is topped with yellow star-shaped flowers in late spring. rized as a shrub, but it can easily be places and containers. This often- (Photos: Green Leaf Plants) grown and marketed as a perennial. overlooked perennial could help ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ has growers extend their retail sales into numerous appealing characteristics the summer and fall. and landscape attributes. It offers beautiful deep green foliage in the Propagation spring, topped with yellow-gold star- Hypericum ‘Hypearls Compact shaped flowers in the late spring, fol- Star’ is propagated from softwood lowed by showy deep pink berries in cuttings. A U.S. Plant Patent has the summer. These morphological been applied for (USPPAF); propa- stages lend well to marketing this gation without permission of the plant over an extended period of time applicant is illegal. — from late spring through early Stick 1- to 1.5-inch single node or autumn. Its compact size works well tip cuttings into moistened propaga- for both growers and landscapers; tion substrate. It is recommended to ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ grows 10 to spray 1,000-ppm IBA soluble salts 14 inches in height in containers and after sticking to improve rooting. up to 18 inches tall in the landscape. Place the cuttings under a high Once established, St. John’s-wort misting regime for the first few days is heat tolerant and drought tolerant. of propagation, then ramp down It grows well in full sun to light to moderate misting levels until shade throughout USDA Hardiness approximately 10 days after sticking. Zones 6 to 9. With its good texture Gradually reduce the misting further Showy deep pink berries appear in summer. and form, ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ until the cuttings are rooted. can be used as a border or accent It is beneficial to begin constant WWW.GPNMAG.COM | 29 CULTURE CONNECTION PERENNIAL SOLUTIONS liquid feeding with 75- to 100-ppm nitrogen at each irriga- Production tion, beginning 10 days from sticking. The cuttings generally ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ are suitable for production in require three to four weeks in the propagation environment. 2-quart to 2-gallon containers. To improve fullness, it is After the cuttings are rooted, pinch or shear the plants to best to plant one to two liners per container in 1-gallon promote branching. Allow three to four additional weeks for or smaller containers or two to three liners for 8-inch or rooting and plant development prior to planting or shipping. larger pots. The liners should be planted so the original ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ is suit- able for production in 2-quart to 2-gallon containers. With its good texture and form, The Right Dose Matters! ‘Hypearls Compact The Star’ can be CD2-Chemdose used as a measures precise doses of chemicals every time. border or accent plant, in containers or in mass plantings. soil line of the plug is even with the surface of the growing medium of the new container. Accurate Doses Easy to Program Portable They perform best when grown in a moist, well-drained growing mix. Many commercially avail- able peat or bark-based growing scan to see mixes work well provided there is the CD2 good water holding ability and ade- in action quate drainage. Hypericum have an average to above-average water Perfect for precise PGR and systemic insecticide requirement. As the plants mature, applications. they will require more frequent irri- Integrated Plant Health gations as they will dry out slightly Call to learn how the CD2 can accurately dispense your chemicals. [email protected] www.dramm.com 920.684.0227 CULTURE CONNECTION PERENNIAL SOLUTIONS faster. Avoid letting them reach a hard wilting point or foliage burn will occur. When irrigation ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ can be marketed from late spring through early autumn. is needed, water them thoroughly, ensuring the entire growing medium is wet or nearly saturated, and then allow the growing mix to dry slightly before the next irrigation is applied. St. John’s-wort requires moderate amounts of nutrition. Fertilizers can be applied using water- soluble or controlled-release sources. Growers using water-soluble fertilizers apply 100- to 150- ppm nitrogen with every irrigation, or use 200- to 250-ppm nitrogen as needed. Controlled-release fertilizers are commonly applied as a top-dress onto the media surface using the medium rec- ommended rate on the fertilizer label or incorpo- rated into the growing medium prior to planting at a rate equivalent to 1.0 to 1.25 pounds of elemental nitrogen per yard of growing medium. Maintain the media throughout the production cycle with a pH between 5.8 and 6.4. Avoid feeding Hypericum after the berries are present; continuing fertilization after this point encour- ages the next flush of vegetative growth over the top of the berries. With its compact habit, controlling plant height is not usually necessary when producing ‘Hypearls Compact Star’. Providing adequate Insects and Diseases can be generally grown without the incidence spacing between the plants will reduce plant ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ can be produced of plant pathogens, bacterial leaf spots, powdery stretch caused by competition. If toning is with relatively few problems from insect feeding mildew and rust diseases may be observed on occa- required, spray applications of 2,500-ppm or plant pathogens. Aphids, caterpillars and sion. Routine scouting should be sufficient to detect daminozide (B-Nine or Dazide) can be applied whiteflies are the most common insects observed the presence of any pests or diseases and to deter- as needed. feeding on Hypericum. Although St. John’s-wort mine if and when control strategies are necessary. GPN’s Root to foliar CULTURE CONNECTION disease protection NEWSLETTER in your greenhouse LEARN ABOUT: -New Varieties -Plant Trials -Crop Culture - Breakthrough Genetics Jasmina Dolce Managing Editor SP At Atlas, we inventory a vast selection of Atlas manufactures greenhouse biofungicide products for the Retail, Wholesale, and structures, shade structures, bench Commercial grower. Our unparalleled systems, curtain systems, and product line includes something for any more. Call today for more grower’s budget, all backed by our information or a FREE quote! exceptional customer service. Go to SCAN THE CODE ATLAS MANUFACTURING, INC. www.gpnmag.com TO THE LEFT TO WWW.ATLASGREENHOUSE.COM for more information GO OUR WEBSITE . 800-346-9902 ®Actinovate SP is a registered trademark of Natural Industries, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. WWW.GPNMAG.COM | 31 CULTURE CONNECTION PERENNIAL SOLUTIONS Scheduling Although, ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ can be grown Hypericum ‘Hypearls Compact Star’ is typically as a traditional perennial or shrub and be transplanted grown and marketed for sales between early summer and in the summer or early fall and grown for sales the early fall. Vernalization is not required for flowering. For following spring, growers can also grow it in a single best growth and flowering, it benefits from being pro- growing season. Transplanting into outside produc- duced under long day lengths. tion sites in March or April (where weather permits) The Must-Experience Event of the Year. This variety grows 10 to 14 inches tall in containers. will result in marketable plants by early to mid summer. Plant them into the final containers in late May to early June for late summer It used to be called Short Course. or fall sales. It is recommended to trim the plants back at the time of The name is new, and now it’s transplanting and again about two even bigger and better. weeks later to promote branching. For best appearance, do not trim the plants after July 1. Cultivate: Solutions Get easy-to-implement ideas to boost your Availability bottom line Unrooted cuttings and rooted liners of Hypericum ‘Hypearls Cultivate: Connections Compact Star’ are currently avail- Get face-to-face with customers, new leads, able from Green Leaf Plants (www. and old friends glplants.com). Paul Pilon is a horticultural Cultivate: New consultant, owner of Perennial Dig in to 1000s of New Varieties and Products Solutions Consulting (www. perennialsolutions.com), and author of Perennial Solutions: What will you A Grower’s Guide to Perennial Production. He can be reached Cultivate? at 616.366.8588 or paul@ perennialsolutions.com. July 12–15, 2014 Greater Columbus Convention Center Columbus, Ohio USA AmericanHort.org/Cultivate 32 | gpn | MARCH 2014 | WWW.GPNMAG.COM.