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| Tips for growing Impatiens New Guinea | |
As for all crops, prior to cultivation all residual organic material should be removed from the area of cultivation that is then disinfected along with production equipment. Use new propagating material that guarantees uniformity, absence of viruses, other diseases and pests. Substrate A medium to thin structure made up from a mixture of blonde and vernalized black peat is recommended, with a pH of 5.5-6.0. The addition of 10-20% clay improves ionic exchanges that helps to stabilize pH and assist in mineral availability and uptake by the plant. A water soluble NPK fertilizer can be mixed in at a rate of 1.5kg/m3. Fertirrigation If the starting substrate contains an NPK fertilizer as described above, the plants will not require further feeding until the root system begins to invade the pot. At this point, an NPK feed of 20:10:20 + calcium should be applied at a rate of 1-1.5gm/litre roughly every two weeks. Toward the end of the crop cycle the relative phosphorus in the NPK fertilizer should be decreased (20:5:25) with the addition of iron. The conductibility recommended is 1.5-2.0mS. Excess salinity will cause delayed and irregular growth and leaves with be deformed with necrotic edges. Growing environment Light values should be relatively high to promote growth and branching, but shading is required when light intensity exceeds 50 K.lux The ideal temperatures is 20° - 24 °C. The relative humidity should be maintained no higher than 70% to avoid weak growth and the spread of disease. Pinching and production cycle Commercial varieties grown in pot sizes up to 14cm in diameter should not need pinching. In larger pot sizes, a pinch is recommended but this will extend the production cycle by up to 20 days. In 14cm diameter pots a production cycle of about 14 weeks is required to finish at a density of 16 plants/m2. Growth regulation Growth regulators will contribute to the production of more compact plants with greater tillering and greener leaves. The PGR’s should be applied in the morning to ensure maximum absorption by the plants. I-3 applications should be made according to plant vigour. Cycocel is recommended at a rate of 120-150 ml/hl; Alar-85 at 120-200 g/hl; TopFlor at 20-30 ml/hl. www.greenhousegrower.com |
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