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easy grow guide digitalis dottie (Digitalis purpurea)
Plug Production: 288 plugs, 128 plugs
Use a well-drained, disease-free, peat based plug medium with pH 5.8-6.2, EC <0.75 mmhos. Do not cover seed. Media moisture and humidity should be high for germination. Temperature should be 65-70°F (18-21°C). Light is necessary for germination and also helps to prevent stretch in low light conditions. Emergence should begin after 3-4 days Reduce moisture slightly between irrigations but keep uniformly moist during rooting. Media temperature can be lowered to 65-68°F (18-20°C), light levels of up to 2000 f.c. are beneficial. You can begin to fertilize with 75-100ppm N from a low phosphorous, nitrate based fertilizer. Allow media surface to dry to a pale brown colour before irrigating again to improve rooting, but avoid wilting. Media temperature can be reduced further to 60-65°F (16-18°C), light levels should be 2000-2500 f.c. Fertilizer rate can be increased to 100-150ppm N, keep media pH 5.8-6.2 and EC 0.7-1.0 mmhos. Maintain moisture levels the same as stage 3, maintain temperature as per stage 3, light levels can be increased to 4000-5000 f.c. but avoid high temperatures. Fertilize as per stage 3, keep media pH and EC as per stage 3. If needed, sprays of B-Nine (2000 ppm), or Bonzi (5ppm) are effective from stage 2 onwards. It is best to run your own trials, to avoid overdosing, as environmental conditions and cultural practices can affect results.
Sowing/Media:
Germination Stage 1: (5-7 days)
Germination Stage 2:
Germination Stage 3:
Germination Stage 4:
Growth Regulators:
Growing on to Finish: 6 ” (15cm) pots up to 10 ” (25cm) pots
Use a well-drained, disease free, peat-based growing mix with pH 5.8-6.2, EC <1.0-1.5mmhos.
Media:
Day temperatures of 60-65°F (16-18°C) are ideal with night temperatures of 45-55°F (8-12°C). Dottie will happily grow with a minimum temperature of 40°F (4°C) at night, but crop times will be longer. Growing at warmer temperatures will encourage more vigorous, leafy growth, so more PGR applications will be needed. Keep light levels as high as possible, but keep the temperature levels as recommended above. Supplementary lighting can be used to extend day length up to 14 hours, which will promote faster flowering earlier in the season. In high temperatures, for greenhouse production, it is beneficial to add some light shade to protect from midday sun. Irrigate well and allow to dry back until the surface of the media is dry, before irrigating again. Avoid wilting. Fertilize regularly with 100-150ppm N from a balanced fertilizer, alternating with a high potassium fertilizer to promote flowering and help control plant height. Keep media pH 5.8-6.2 and EC no higher than 1.5 mmhos. Sprays of B-Nine (2500-3500 ppm), or Bonzi (5-10ppm) are effective to control height. Drenching with Bonzi at 2-3 ppm is also effective. Ensure that any PGR applications are applied pre-flowering to avoid damage to flower spikes. It is best to run your own trials, to avoid overdosing, as environmental conditions and cultural practices can affect results
Temperatures:
Light:
Irrigation:
Fertilizer:
Growth Regulators:
Whiteflies, Aphids, Thrips
Pests:
Downy Mildew, Botrytis, allowing plants to wilt through drought can cause yellowing of the foliage.
Diseases:
Plug Times:
288 Plug:
4-5 weeks
128 Plug (2 seeds):
6-7 weeks
Transplant to Finish: Container
Plants/Container
Transplant to Finish
Total Crop Time
6 ” (15cm):
1x plug
11-12 weeks
15-17 weeks
10 ” ( 25cm):
3x plug
11-12 weeks
15-17 weeks
Crop times are based on UK trials in optimum conditions. Alternative environmental conditions and cultural regimes can alter the crop times stated above. www.floranova.com
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