Celosia plumosa Icecream

Description
Icecream series are bred for strong impact. The compact habit (30 cm/12") and excellent basebranching plants in 6 strong colours with a large and tight flowerhead, make it a convincing container product that is very suitable for landscaping and packs. Icecream is outstanding in flower quality and has sales appeal as a finished product. The strong garden performance and heat tolerance are a solid guarantee for a long season of full colour.
Please note the daylength reaction of Celosia plumosa and the schedule recommended.

Icecream is the new Celosia plumosa for pot, potio and garden use. The Icecream which does not melt in the sun.

-Compact (30 cm/12), basal branching
-Early flowering
-Large flowerheads
-Striking sales appeal
-6 strong colours
-Long lasting

General
-family: Amaranthaceae
-colours: see above
-height: 30 cm/12"
-life cycle: annual
-seedcount: 1.500-2.000
-plug time: 4-5 weeks
-finish time: 8-12 weeks
-flowering season: flowers all Summer long
-sales window: 4-5 months
-garden environment: full sun

Sowing instruction
-method: 1 seed per plug
-plug/tray size: 288 to 405
-temperature: 22-24°C(72-76oF)
-germination time: 5-7 days
-germination remarks: keep uniformly moist
-cover seed: yes

Growing on
-potsize and density: 16 pack or 12 to 16 cm /4.5-5.5"pots
-sowing to potting: 4-5 weeks
-potting to sale: 8-12 weeks (Strawberry is appr. 1 week earlier and Orange is appr. 1 week later)
-growing temperature: 17-18oC(62-64oF) minimum average
-soil requirements: well drained
-irrigation: moderate, prevent too wet soil
-pH and fertilization: pH 5,5-6,0; well balanced fertilizer
-growth regulation: Alar (B nine), provide sufficient spacing and active climate for container production
-diseases/pests: standard for Celosia, i.e. Sciara, aphids, thrips, leafminers, snail, leafspot and stemroot diseases
-daylength reaction: after potting grow at Short Days (12 hours )for 5 weeks to initiate flowering. The crop will be more compact, uniform and finish appr. 1-2 weeks earlier, compared to Long Day.