Begonia Ambassador White Seedling Tray

For best results with Ambassador White, use one seedling plug per 1801 cell or 4-inch container or two per 6-inch container. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-5.8, EC of 0.9-1.3 mS/cm (2:1), temperatures of 70-72 daytime and 62-68 nighttime, and light feed (100-150 ppm) of a 15-5-15 Cal/Mag fertilizer. Provide light at 3,500-4,500 fc and don't pinch or use PGRs. Watch for aphids, thrips, blight, botrytis, pythium, Rhizoctonia, and TSWV. 

White flowers bloom from late spring through late summer. 

This plant doesn't require pinching.

Space containers to allow for airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant. Ambassador White does well with 6-8" between containers; adjust spacing as the plants grow. Proper spacing helps prevent the spread of pests and diseases, encouraging healthy roots and foliage. 

Don't use PGRs with Ambassador White. Paclobutrazol, even in a tiny quantity, can damage plants irrevocably. Instead, provide sufficient light, warm temperatures, and appropriate spacing to prevent plants from becoming leggy and encourage healthy roots and strong starter seedling plugs.

You may see aphids and thrips. Carefully scout for pests regularly in your greenhouse and implement an Integrated Pest Management plan.

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that cause damage by sucking sap from plant tissue. They reproduce quickly. Curling and yellowed leaves, stunted growth, and stickiness on leaves are signs of an infestation. Use biological controls or horticultural oils to discourage and kill aphids.

Thrips are tiny insects that eat plant tissue and can transmit viruses. Watch for silvery-white streaks or black spots on foliage and distorted growth. Use natural predators (like predatory mites), insecticidal soap, neem oil, and sticky traps to control infestations and prevent spread. 

Follow label instructions with any insecticides or pest control products.

Watch for Blight, Botrytis, Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) with Wax Begonia seedling plugs. Use preventative care and an Integrated Pest Management plan to stop the spread of diseases in your greenhouse. 

Blight is a fungal disease that causes wilting, dark spots on foliage, and plant death. Remove and destroy infected plants, practicing good sanitization in the greenhouse. Apply copper-based fungicides as needed according to label instructions. 

Botrytis is a common fungal disease that causes brown spots on stems, leaves, and flowers. Remove and destroy affected plants, maintain appropriate humidity levels, and apply fungicides with boscalid, fenhexamid, or iprodione to control the spread.

Pythium and Rhizoctonia are fungal diseases that cause stunted growth, yellowed leaves, and plant death by eating away at the plant's roots. Use well-draining planting media and provide good airflow and spacing in your greenhouse. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings and apply fungicides with active ingredients abamectin, spinosad, or imidacloprid to combat these diseases.

TSWV is a common virus that stunts growth and causes yellowed, wilting foliage. Grow resistant varieties, remove and destroy infected plants, and control thrips populations that spread the virus. 

With any disease, take action at the first sign to prevent irrevocable damage. Carefully follow all label instructions for any fungicide or chemical control in your greenhouse and consider every factor when choosing a treatment option as part of IPM. 

We recommend planting one seedling plug per 1801 cell or 4-inch container or two per 6-inch container. Cell packs finish in three to four weeks, and 6-inch containers take 5-6 weeks. Use well-drained soil and completely bury the ellepot in the center of the container.