Tips for Producing Surdaisy Brachyscomes
T HIS DELIGHT from Down Under has been praised for its durability and floral display. Native to Australia, brachyscomes are commonly known as Swan River daisies. Surdaisy produces hundreds of flowers for continuous color March through October. Durable plants withstand cold, rain and sun. Surdaisy varieties were bred for excellent branching. Pink has the largest flowers and darkest foliage. Yellow is unique and has an airy, upright meadow look. White and Mauve make excellent groundcovers. The varieties work great in combinations and as a mono crop.
General Culture Grow Surdaisy as a bedding plant. It can be grown as a sum- mer annual, potting weeks 8-10 and finishing in 10-13 weeks as a 4-inch pot, depending on the temperature. Another option is to grow like a winter viola, potting in September and selling in late March, grown cold. Plants grow slowly in the cold. Sur- daisy also has small leaves, which makes it a slow starter. Grow at warmer temperatures in the young plant stage. Surdaisy is always in flower, so remove flowers regularly to enhance vegetative growth. Sur- daisy also needs several pinches to branch nicely. Watering Maintain moderately moist soil. During cold temperatures and in the young plant stage, avoid wa- tering too much. Surdaisy will use more water in warmer tempera- tures and when the plant is larger. Lighting Surdaisy prefers high to moder- ate light levels, between 5,000 and 8,000 footcandles.
Crop Timing • 4-inch pots finish in four to six weeks with one liner and one pinch. • 6-inch pots finish in six to eight weeks with one or two liners and one pinch. • 10-inch baskets finish in eight to 10 weeks with four to five liners and two pinches. Less pinching is required when plants are grown cool. Temperature Maintain day temperatures be- tween 65-75°F and night tem- peratures between 55-60°F. Feeding Maintain soil pH of 6.0-6.5. Feed with a complete water-soluble fertilizer at 100-200 ppm. Add chelated iron in the fertilizer program. Growth Regulators While no growth regulator is needed for Surdaisy plants, it does help prevent stretching. Pests & Diseases Monitor plants for thrips, white- flies, aphids and mites. Use a broad-spectrum fungicidal drench after planting.
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Suntory Spring Production Guide
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