Fittonia Lovers Rooted Cutting Liner

For best results with Lovers , grow one rooted plug per 6-inch container. Use a well-drained mix of 50/50 potting soil and peat moss with a pH of 5.0-6.5 and 3 tablespoons per half-bushel of a 5-10-5 fertilizer. Provide light at 1,500-2,500 fc, temperatures of 65-75 degrees, and humidity at 50% or more. Watch for mealybugs, scale, spider mites, fungus gnats, bacterial leaf spot, and rhizoctonia. 

This plant is prized for its attractive, colorful foliage.

This plant doesn't require pinching.

Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant.

This plant doesn't require PGRs.

Scout for mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and fungus gnats as part of your commercial greenhouse's Integrated Pest Management program.

Mealybugs are small, white, soft-bodied insects that feed on plant sap. They are covered in powdery wax, which gives them a cottony appearance. They reproduce and spread rapidly. Inspect plants regularly for signs of an infestation, including white, cottony masses on foliage. Always check new plants before bringing them into the greenhouse. Remove any highly infested plants from the greenhouse for quarantine or disposal. Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps as biological controls for mealybug populations and apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oils to disrupt lifecycles and feeding. Maintaining a sanitary greenhouse and eliminating debris can deter pest infestations.

Spider Mites are tiny pests that cause stippling, yellowing, and webbing on foliage by feeding on plant sap. They flourish in warm, dry environments. Use correct water and fertilizing practices; over-fertilizing can attract spider mites. Proper humidity levels, predatory mites or ladybugs, and insecticidal soaps or oils may prevent or address a spider mite infestation.

Scale are insect pests that feed on plant sap and look like small bumps on leaves or stems. Control damage from this pest by scouting, introducing natural predators, applying horticultural oils or insecticidal soap, and pruning and discarding infested plant parts or whole plants. Be sure to disinfect tools and always use a sanitary growing media and containers. Note that healthy plants are more resistant to pests and disease.

Fungus Gnats are small, dark flies that lay eggs in damp soil where larvae feed on plant roots, causing damage and death. Watch for adult gnats flying around the plants and check for larvae in the soil. Prevent infestations by allowing the soil to dry between waterings and controlling humidity in the greenhouse. Fungus Gnats thrive in moist conditions. Catch adult gnats with sticky traps to prevent them from laying eggs. Use beneficial nematodes or apply Bacillus thuringiensis. 

Watch for signs of bacterial leaf spot and rhizoctonia. Take preventative measures in your greenhouse, including using sanitary tools, growing media, and containers; watering at the base of each plant and allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings; and providing good airflow and adequate spacing between plants.

Bacterial Leaf Spot results from a bacterial pathogen and causes water-soaked yellow or brown lesions on foliage. These may merge and cause leaves to turn yellow and drop. Prevent bacterial leaf spot by practicing sanitation and hygiene, watering at the base of each plant, and space plants for adequate circulation and light penetration. At the first signs of infection, remove the affected leaves and treat the remaining plants with a copper-based fungicide like hydroxide, sulfate, oxychloride, or octanoate. Use fungicides carefully according to the label's instructions, and be aware that applying copper-based fungicides at high rates or during hot, dry weather can lead to phytotoxicity.

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.

We recommend planting one rooted plug per 4-inch container. Use a well-drained mix of potting soil and peat moss and completely bury the ellepot evenly spaced in the container.