Culture Information for TrixiLiner® Starting with TrixiLiner After their arrival, open the boxes and plant TrixiLiner as soon as possible. TrixiLiner can be temporarily stored in the trays. Take trays out of the box and place them on a table in the greenhouse with sufficient light and temperature. Avoid keeping them in too harsh a climate, as this may negatively influence rooting and branching after transplant. Growing On
Light: High light levels promote compact growth. Provide 4,000 - to maximum 5,000 - foot candles during the main growing period. Watering: Start with a moist media (wet, but not saturated); slightly water the TrixiLiner after transplant, but avoid saturation of media. Avoid excessive irrigation until after roots have established, keep the media constantly moist (but not saturated), and avoid going from one extreme to the other (from dry to wet and so on). Water in the morning so foliage is dry during the night. Excessive watering will leach out nutrients and raise the pH, resulting in nutrition deficiencies (especially iron = Fe) and root diseases. Don’t allow plants to dry out. Drought stress will increase crop time and may raise the salt level, which may burn the roots, promoting root diseases. Fertilizer: Start a constant feed program as soon as roots show with 200-250 PPM N, using a well-balanced fertilizer, including minor elements (especially Fe). Acid-based fertilizers will help to maintain pH levels below 6.0. Additional iron may be needed if pH levels rise above 6.0. Provide sufficient drainage to avoid excess salt accumulation. Optimum media EC levels are 1.8-2.2. Avoid high salt levels and fertilize in the morning. High salt levels or applications during high light levels and heat may result in burns. Use slow-release fertilizers to keep plants green at retail and at consumer. Pinching: TrixiLiner is pinched and a 2nd pinch is recommended. The 2nd pinch will improve branching and help to better fill larger pots and containers. Avoid stretch, which leads to poor branching and an unstable plant (and you may have to pinch another time). Spacing: Start pot tight (2 finger spacing!) and space before plants start to touch each other. Provide enough space so plants don’t grow into each other, reducing the overall quality. An additional pinch to correct late spacing will extend the crop time! Hanging the baskets will improve the overall look. PGR: Sprays with 2,500 PPM B-Nine or 5-20 PPM Sumagic can start about a week after transplant. Drenching the TrixiLiner works very well. For pots, use 0.25-0.5 PPM Sumagic as a drench the moment side shoots are about 1 inch long. Apply the drench before lowering the temperature of the crop. Baskets will get 1 or 2 more sprays when side shoots are about 1 inch long. Drench baskets with 2-4 PPM Bonzi when plants reach about 50-75% of the desired size. More spray application or a second drench application can be applied, if necessary. For very vigorous mixes, increasing the drench rates is recommended. Late PGR applications may delay the crop, especially when using B-Nine or Florel.
Scheduling: TrixiLiner is a quick-to-finish crop and should not be started too early. Consider the climate for your specific area and how it may influence scheduling; know your desired sales date. Depending on the time of the season, calculate for quarts and 6-inch pots with 5 to 7 weeks using 1 plant per pot. For gallons and 8-inch pots, use 2 plants per pot and calculate with 5 to 7 weeks as well. For 10-inch baskets, use 2 to 3 plants, and for 12-inch baskets, use 3 to 4 plants per pot and calculate with 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the time of the season and the desired size. Preparation: Have the growing area ready prior to arrival of TrixiLiners. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the area, and use only new pots and fresh, high-quality media. If you notice any problems upon arrival, make sure to notify your supplier immediately. Media: Choose a well-drained, aerated, peat-moss-based media.
pH: 5.4-5.8; pH levels above 6.0 may result in deficiencies (calibrachoa are in most mixes). Media EC: 1.0-1.5 to start with; high salt levels may result in slower and irregular rooting.
Getting Ready: Moisten finish media before transplanting, but avoid saturating the media. Best, if possible, to water the pots the day before planting. Before transplanting, thoroughly water the TrixiLiner until media is saturated. Transplanting: Plant into the finish container by dibbling a hole. Plant the TrixiLiner deep enough so the rooting media is level with the media in the container. Avoid planting too deep, as this will promote diseases, and avoid planting too high, as this will dry out the cutting much quicker. Temperature: After transplanting the TrixiLiner, keep the temperature up. Maintain night temperatures of 61-64°F (16-18°C) and day temperatures of 68-72°F (20-22°C) until plants have nicely branched, covering almost all the media surface of your pot, and have rooted well into the new media. Afterwards, lower temperatures to 55-60°F (13-16°C) and day temperatures of 64-72°F (18-22°C). Cool morning drops will result in a better plant habit and nicer colors. Drop temperature 2 hours before sunrise by 8-12°F (-13 to -11°C) until about 2 hours after sunrise. Flowering will not be delayed as long as the average day temperature is maintained consistently. In order to keep the average day temperature up during cold and cloudy days, you may want to raise the night temperature. Toward the end of the crop, you can lower the temperature further to 55-60°F (13-16°C) day and night. Humidity: Below 70%. Ventilation: Proper venting is one of the most important tools for preventing diseases (especially botrytis). Horizontal air flow fans will greatly improve results, especially in areas where venting during the Winter is difficult.
Pests and Diseases: Aphids (TMV virus vector), Thrips (TOSPO virus vector), Pythium, Botrytis, and Thielaviopsis. Always follow the labels.
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