Vinca Treasure Cultural Information

Plug Production

Sowing/Media: Use a well-drained, disease-free, peat-based plug medium with pH 5.5 – 5.8 and media EC <1.0 mmhos (saturated paste). May want to use 2 – 3 seeds per cell. Cover seed with coarse vermiculite after sowing.

Germination (Stages 1 and 2): Keep soil uniformly moist, but not saturated, until hooking is observed. Then dry off vermiculite covering before watering again. Soil temperature should be 68 – 72°F. Light is not needed for germination, but keep levels <1500 footcandles. Allow 9 – 10 days to finish germination.

Stage 3: Soil temperature should be 62 – 65°F. Practice a good wet/dry moisture cycle, but avoid wilt. Keep light levels 2500 – 3000 footcandles. Feed every other watering with 100 – 150 ppm N from 15-5-15, 17-5-17, or 13-2-13. Keep media pH <6.5 and EC 1.0 – 1.25 mmhos (saturated paste).

Stage 4: Soil temperature can be lowered to 60 – 62°F. Dry down between waterings, but avoid wilt. Keep light levels around 3000 footcandles, and feed as needed, but use more 13-2-13 if growing cooler than 60°F.

Plant Growth Regulators: Use a sprench of 1 ppm Bonzi when seedlings starting to emerge to prevent stretch and floppiness. Otherwise, spray with Bonzi at 10 ppm during Stage 3.

Crop Time: 4 weeks for 512 plugs, 5 weeks for 288 plugs.

Common Problems: Botrytis, Sclerotinia.

Growing on to finish

Container Size: Cell packs to 6-inch pots

Media: Transplant into a well-drained, disease-free, peat-based growing mix with pH of 5.5 – 5.8 and EC<1.5 mmhos (saturated paste).

Temperatures: Keep soil temperatures around 65°F for the first 2 weeks for rooting out, then lower to 60°F average daily temperature. This crop can be grown cool like pansies, and does not require vernalization to flower.

Light: Maintain light levels 3000 – 5000 footcandles, but keep cool temperatures as well. No supplemental lighting is needed.

Irrigation and Fertilization: Practice a good wet/dry moisture cycle, but avoid too wet or too dry. When growing cool, it is always best to keep from being too wet. Feed 1 – 2x/week with 150 – 200 ppm N from 15-5-15, 17-5-17, or 13-2-13. Keep media pH <6.5, and media EC 1.5 – 2.0 mmhos (saturated paste).

Plant Growth Regulators: Use sprays of Bonzi at 20 ppm or tank mix of B-Nine (2500 ppm) + Cycocel (1000 ppm) as needed. Plants grown in early spring under cool conditions will require less growth regulators.

Common Problems: Botrytis, Sclerotinia

Crop Time: 8 - 10 weeks.