Petunia Celebrity Blue Seedling Tray

For best results with Celebrity Blue, grow one seedling plug per 1801-cell or 4-inch container or four per 10-inch basket. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.4-6.0, EC of 1.5-2.0 mS/cm, and moderate feed (150-200 ppm N). Alternate potassium-based and calcium-nitrate-based fertilizers and apply additional magnesium sulfate and iron chelate once or twice each. This plant requires long days (14 hours) to bloom. Provide average daily temperatures of 57-61 degrees. Use daminozide before the buds are visible. Temperatures around 50 degrees will delay flowering. Watch for aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, shore flies, botrytis, rhizoctonia, and pythium.

Blue flowers 3-4" in diameter bloom all summer.

This plant doesn't require pinching.

Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant. Space cellpacks and 4-inch containers 8" apart and 10-inch baskets 24" apart. Adjust spacing as needed for sufficient circulation in your commercial greenhouse.

Celebrity Blue responds well to daminozide at 3,000-5,000 ppm or sprays of paclobutrazol or uniconazol. Apply daminozide before buds appear, or it can delay flowers and cause them to be smaller.

Scout for thrips, aphids, fungus gnats, and shore flies as part of your commercial greenhouse's Integrated Pest Management plan. 

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

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.

Shore Flies are small black flies attracted to algae and organic matter. Watch for adult flies around plants and larvae in the soil. Sanitize surfaces and prevent algae growth in your greenhouse. Remove any extraneous organic matter, use sticky traps to catch adult flies, and use beneficial nematodes to kill larvae.

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.

Watch for signs of Botrytis, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia, especially during short days and under low light or high humidity. Use preventative measures in your commercial greenhouse. Practice good sanitation, water at the base of each plant and allow the soil to dry between waterings, and provide good airflow in your greenhouse. Space containers for adequate circulation and sunlight penetration around the base of each plant.

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. Water plants in the morning and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.

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 growing one seedling plug per 1801-cell or 4-inch container or four per 10-inch basket. Use well-drained soil and completely bury the plug centered or evenly spaced in the container.