Pot and bedding - Pentas lanceolata - Northern Lights Lavender

Best seller 2009
Pentas lanceolata
"Northern Lights Lavender"
Flowering period: May - October

Height 25 - 50 cm
Spread: 25 - 50 cm
Habit: Spherical
Flower type: Simple
Size: 5 - 10 cm
Leaf Color Light Green
Placement: Full sun to partial shade
Water Average
Fertilizer need: Average
Typical use Pot and bedding
Plant type: Multiannual

Class Best seller 2009

PENTAS LANCEOLATA, STAR-CLUSTER 'Northern Lights Lavender'

'Northern Lights Lavender' is a true breeding breakthrough in Pentas. More tolerant to cooler growing temperatures, more tolerant to low pH levels and equally free flowering in hot or cool landscape settings makes 'Northern Lights Lavender' a standout in traditional southern locales and brings a new dimension to northern settings. But the beauty of this new Pentas isn't just in its ease to grow and diversity of use, its most appealing features are found in the beauty of the unique flowers.
The soothing soft lavender color of 'Northern Lights Lavender' Pentas provides a peaceful ambience to the garden. The lacy flower umbels unfold in a graceful manner that leaves a vision of stars in the northern sky. Flowers continue to open over an extended period. New flower heads appear long before the last flowers of older heads are finished on 'Northern Lights Lavender', providing continuous color in the garden.
Perfect for container gardening or large landscape beds, 'Northern Lights Lavender' Pentas performs under the widest of conditions. The soft lavender color of 'Northern Lights Lavender' can be combined with Lavandula 'Vicenza Blue' and Gazania 'Talent White' or 'Talent Rose' for a subtle effect.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Life Cycle:   Annual

Familiy, Origin:   Rubiaceae, Tropic of Africa, Arabia

Sitelocation:   Full sun

Garden Height:   52 cm     20,47 inch

Crop Time:   14-18 weeks until finished plants, depending on the culture scheme, season and pot size

Sell Period:   from May on

Seed Form:   Pelleted Seed

Sowing Time:   from January on

Sowing Method:   1Pill per cell

Germination:   Stage I: 23-26 °C in 10-14 days; Stage II: 21-23 °C

Plug Culture:   Stage III: 18-21 °C; Stage IV: 17-19 °C

Growing On:   6-8 weeks after sowing transplants plugs into 10-15 cm pots or hanging baskets. Grow on at 18-21 °C. Fertilize at 100-150 ppm nitrogen in a well-balanced mix. Monitor soil pH levels and maintain a pH above 6.5.

Cultural Hints:   Pentas roots release hydrogen ions into the soil, which will drop the pH to toxic levels if not monitored and adjusted if necessary. Maintaining higher temperatures during germination and early plug stages are critical to germination and seedling uniformity. Maintain pH levels between 6.5 and 6.8 to avoid magnesium deficiencies or iron toxicity. Low magnesium levels cause leaf puckering. Overwatering and cool temperatures, below 10 °C delays flowering.

* Germination Stages (from seed to finished young plant)
Stage I: Starts with the radicle breaking through the testa. The roots are touching the medium. Ends with fully developed cotyledons.
Stage II: Starts from fully developed cotyledons. Ends with the fully developed true leaf or true leaf pair.
Stage III: Starts from the fully developed true leaf or true leaf pair and ends with 80% of the young plants being marketable.
Stage IV: All young plants are ready for sale and in the process of being hardened off. This stage lasts about 7 days.

Hint:
The cultural recommendations are based on results from trials conducted under Central European conditions. Different conditions in other parts of the world may lead to deviations in results achieved.

Instructions
http://www.benary.com/data/documents/Instructions1.pdf

FastraX Folder International
http://www.benary.com/index.cfm/startid/153.html