Aubrieta Royal

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Life Cycle:Perennial

Familiy, Origin:Brassicaceae, South Europe

Sitelocation:Full sun - partial shade

Garden Height:15 cm,5,91 inch

Natural flowertime:April - May

Crop Time:Plug crop: 6-8 weeks; Green pots: 10-12 weeks; Flowering pots: 6-10 months, with vernalization

Sell Period:June-September

Seed Form:Raw Seed

Seed Count:2381 K/g

Sowing Method:4-5 seeds per plug

Germination:14-20 days at 18-21 °C, in media with very low soluble salt levels and pH: 5.5-7.0. Requires light for germination. Keep soil slightly moist but not wet. Avoid direct sunlight by shading seeds after sowing.

Plug Culture:From Stage II* reduce the soil moisture, but the plug should not dry out and reduce the temperature to 15-18 °C . Do not let soluble salt level rise above 0,50 EC. Start fertilization at 50 ppm nitrogen in a well balanced formula. During Stage III and Stage IV fertilization levels can be increased to 80-100 ppm.

Growing On:4-6 weeks after sowing transplant 3-5 plants into a pack or pot (8-10 cm).

Media:Use a well-drained, growing perennial substrate with 0-15 % clay, 0-15 % organic parts (e.g. wood fibres, bark), 1-1,5 kg/m3 complete balanced fertilizer, 1-2 kg/m3 slow release fertilizer (3-9 months), iron-chelate, micronutrients, pH: 5.5-7.0.

Photoperiod / Light:Day length neutral plants. Keep light levels high. Start in early spring with supplemental lighting when the temperature rises above 15 °C for good plant quality. Avoid light deficiency, because Aubrieta develop very long sprouts and the plants will fall open.

Temperature:Grow at 10-15 °C. In winter indoors frost free at 3-5 °C or outdoors. Outdoors fleece cover needed. Aubrieta needs for vernalization a chilling period (outdoors or refrigerator) of least 8-12 weeks at 3-5°C. In spring the plants start to grow (from week 51 possible) for 9-12 weeks at 10-18 °C. A cold start in poly-tunnel at 7-10°C for flowering of April-May is possible.

Fertilization:Moderate fertilization levels are required. Fertilize the crop weekly with 60-80 ppm nitrogen (at 2 kg/m3 slow release fertilizer in substrate), using a complete balanced fertilizer. Avoid high ammonium and high nitrogen levels. Don't fertilize after mid September. In spring fertilize with 80-100 ppm nitrogen of a complete balanced fertilizer.

Cultural Hints:End of summer the plants should just cover the pot only. The plant centre show fast turning to brown. Bigger plants can not cover the brown foliages in spring with new foliage and the big brown plant centre remains visible. Do not remove the top plant in spring, because for the flower induction a chilling period for vernalization is necessary. The roots are very sensitive to wet substrates