Grower Facts

Trachelium Devotion(Trachelium caeruleum)

Germination
Sowing：Single-sow pelleted seed in 200-cell trays. Do not cover the seed. Chamber germination is recommended for better germination. Keep the plug media wet at sowing to help dissolve the seed pellet quicker and provide better germination performance.
Temperature：Provide germination temperatures of 72°F (21°C).
Humidity：Maintain relative humidity (RH) at 95%.
Light：Light is required for germination. A fluorescent light source in the germ chamber with 10 to 100 f.c. (100 to 1,000 Lux) of light is adequate.
Germination Schedule：Allow 7 to 9 days for germination.

Plug Production
NOTE: In general, Trachelium seedlings show a slow rate of development in the first few weeks.
Temperature：Bottom heat is not required for plug production.
Stages 2 & 3: Provide night temperatures of 65°F (18° C) and day temperatures of 70 - 72°F (21 to 22°C).
Stage 4: Provide night temperatures of 55 to 60°F (13 to 15°C) and day temperatures of 65°F (18°C). Cooler temperatures at Stage 4 produce well-toned plants.
Light：No supplemental lighting is required for plug production. While Devotion Trachelium needs long days after transplant to initiate, providing long days in the plug stage will not reduce total crop time.
Irrigation：After germination, avoid excess moisture in the plug media. During Stage 4, keep foliage dry at night to avoid Botrytis.
Fertilizer：Start fertilizing seedlings beginning at Stage 3, feeding two times per week with 50 ppm Nitrogen from 14-0-14, alternating with 20-10-20. Increase to 100 ppm N after 10 to 14 days and continue with this program until finishing the plugs.
Stage 2: Provide EC of 0.5 to 0.75 and pH of 5.8 to 6.2.
Stages 3 & 4: Provide EC of 1.00 and pH of 5.8 to 6.2.
Plant Growth Regulators：None required.

Growing On to Finish
Container Size：4.5-in. (11-cm) pot: use 1 plant per pot Gallon container (8-in./20-cm standard pot): use 3 plants per container. Transplant the plugs on time, as rootbound plugs take longer to fill the finish container.
Temperature：Nights: 60°F (15°C)，Days: 68 to 72°F (20 to 22°C)
Devotion Trachelium can be grown at temperatures as low as 50°F (10°C) nights and 60°F (15°C) days, but total crop time will increase.
Fertilizer：Starting 7 days after transplant, feed once a week with 150 ppm N using a combination of calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate fertilizer. Maintain an EC of 1.5 and a pH of 5.8 to 6.4 from transplant to finish; leaching a few times with clear water will be helpful.
Light：Trachelium needs long days (16 hours of total photoperiod) for faster flowering. Under short-day conditions, provide long days using either daylength extension or night interruption. Night interruption can produce flowering plants one week faster than with daylength extension. 150-watt incandescent bulbs provide sufficient supplemental light.
Plant Growth Regulators：Apply a foliar spray of A-Rest at 20 ppm or B-Nine at 5,000 ppm beginning two weeks after transplant for height control. A second application 2 weeks later can be used to control the late stretch typically seen in Trachelium after initiation until the point of shipping. This second application of PGRs will delay flowering by one week. When applying growth regulators, always follow the current manufacturer label instructions. In-house trials are recommended to determine the best rate for your growing location.

Common Problems
Insects: Leaf miners and thrips.
Shipping：Ship Devotion Trachelium when 25% of the primary umbel has open florets.

Crop Schedule
Sow to transplant: 7 to 9 weeks
Transplant to finish: 9 to 11 weeks
Total crop time: 16 to 20 weeks