Northern Grower Strategy
Larger liners dramatically reduce crop time for a stunning show. Growers who don’t want to start production in early winter can still enjoy an early spring market for Senetti. “One challenge we’ve found is Senetti are difficult to time because the plants are so responsive to temperature,” says John Barone of Barone Gardens near Syracuse, NY. “Most Northern growers don’t want to start the crop in December or January for the recommended cold, slow-growing method at 40 ⁰ F. If you grow the plants at colder temperatures, the crop takes longer, plants are shorter and they need less growth regulator. But if you push them with warmer temperatures, it’s still a nice crop, but you need to sit on them with growth regulators.” He adds B-Nine is very effective. One solution is to purchase large liners, like Barone’s 32-cell 2-16 tray. “Growers can bring plants in weeks 9-12 and finish them for sales in late April/early May.” Another option is to purchase 102-sized liners for weeks 6-7 to finish the crop in late April, growing plants at moderate temperatures – 50-55 ⁰ F. “When we grow Senetti, we start warm, get the plants rooted, apply fungicide, and then cool them down,” Barone says. “Even growers who bring in large liners should grow the plants warm for a couple of weeks. We establish the plants at 65 ⁰ F to get the roots out to the edge of the container, use a broad-spectrum fungicide and then finish.”
Secrets of Success Once you’ve determined timing and temperature, these additional guidelines will help you finish a gorgeous Senetti crop.
Go Large – Senetti needs room to show it stuff. Plants will be happiest in pot sizes that are 8-inch or larger. You will also see the most impressive show and flower count in a larger pot, increasing the opportunity to command a premium price at retail. You want at least 20 flowers for consumers to see the “wow” factor. For smaller pots, choose the Baby Senetti series, which is more compact. Feeding – After transplanting, provide Senetti with 200 ppm nitrogen from an all-purpose feed. Senetti are also a heavy iron feeder, so keep soil pH between 5.5 and 6.0 with a monthly drench of STEM from Peter’s for additional micronutrients or as needed if plants show deficiencies. Watering – Senetti’s vigorous root system will require a lot of water on bright and warm days. We recommend Senetti be grown normally on the dry side. Managing Growth – Rooted liner usually arrive pinched, if not they will require one. Plants will break naturally and produce well- shaped plants. Senetti is very responsive to B-Nine, which can be used at 2,000 ppm every 14 days, depending on the crop timing and growing temperatures. Pests & Diseases – Aphids are the number one pest for this crop, but spider mites and whiteflies can also be present during production. Scout for thrips as flowers develop. Powdery mildew can be an issue during cool crop production. Keep humidity levels low in the greenhouse. A preventive drench with Subdue MAXX and Cleary’s every eight weeks will prevent root rot. Lighting – Senetti is a day-neutral plant. Light levels of 5,000- 6,000 footcandles are ideal.
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