Petunia Damask Blue Seedling Tray

For best results with Damask Blue, plant one seedling per 4-inch container or three per 10-inch basket. Use well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5-5.9, EC of 1.5-2.1 mS/cm (SME) or 2.3-3.2 mS/cm (PourThru), temperatures of 68-70 daytime and 58-60 nighttime, and light feed (125-175 ppm N). This plant is most successfully grown in cool temperatures with high light and moderately dry soil. Provide daylight extension to 14 hours at 4,000-6,000 fc. This plant responds to B-Nine or Bonzi if needed and doesn't require pinching. Watch for thrips, aphids, botrytis, and Rhizoctonia.

Blue flowers bloom from mid-spring through summer.

This plant doesn't require pinching.

Space containers for adequate airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant. We recommend spacing 4-inch pots 8" apart and 10-inch baskets 24" apart. 

Cool temperatures, moderately dry soil, and high light intensity are the best way to control growth. This variety will respond to B-Nine at 2,500-3,500 ppm or Bonzi at 5-15 ppm if needed.

Scout for thrips and aphids as part of your 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.

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