Bidens Blazing Star Rooted Cutting Liner

For best results with Blazing Star, grow one rooted plug per 4-inch or three per 10-inch container. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.8-6.2, EC of 1.0-1.2 mS/cm, and low feed (100-200 ppm N). Provide average daily temperatures of 65-68 degrees and grow in cool temperatures for best quality and color. This plant is day-neutral, and pinching is optional, though beneficial. Apply a fungicide after transplant and use paclobutrazol and daminozide to control growth. Watch for aphids, thrips, botrytis, pythium, and rhizoctonia.

Yellow and red flowers bloom from early spring into summer. 

We recommend pinching Blazing Star once, 5-10 days after transplant.

Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant. We recommend 2' centers on baskets. Adjust for your greenhouse and container sizes as needed.

With high light intensity, PGRs may not be necessary. If they are, apply a daminozide spray at 1,500-2,500 as needed and a paclobutrazol drench at 1 ppm when the plant is 85% of its finished size.

Scout for aphids and thrips as part of your Integrated Pest Management program.

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.

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 Botrytis, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. Practice preventative measures in your commercial greenhouse, including watering at the base of each plant, allowing the soil to dry between waterings, providing adequate airflow, and spacing plants to allow sunlight and air to reach the soil level.

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 planting one rooted plug per 4-inch container or three per 10-inch basket. Use well-drained soil and completely bury the ellepot centered or evenly spaced in the container.