Floremara, LLC 1501 Lischey Ave. Nashville, TN 37207

PH 615-228-2683 FAX 615-228-5831

Peat Solenia® can be potted in every good quality peat. Most important, the peat must keep a good moisture level. Example for a good quality peat:

40% frozen peat 40% peat moss 15% peat moss fragments 5% clay 5.25 kg/m3 Dolokal 1 kg/m3 PG-mix

Pot Size Pink and Orange: 12-14 cm. Red: 10-12 cm. Solenias® are also very suitable for growing in dishes.

Pinching Red: For a good size, it is recommendable to pinch. Pink and Orange: You have to pinch for bigger pot sizes. Time: One week after potting or after three leaves appear.

Temperature After potting, keep a temperature of 19 to 20 c (day and night). As soon as the plants are well rooted, you can drop the temperature to 17 to 19 c. To harden off the plants, you should keep the last two weeks of the culture at the temperature of 14 c. If the plants stretch too much, you can use the cold drop which is a drop of 3 degrees from 2 hours before sunrise until two hours after sunrise.

Shading Solenia® must be grown under as much light as possible. Only at the start do you have to shade if the radiation is higher than 18000 lux (=252 W/m2 = 91 J/cm2).

Artificial Lighting For lighting Solenia®, there three possibilities:

1) Assimilation lighting during the complete time of culture. The light intensity should be 2500-3000 lux. This corresponds with about 35 watt/m. The total day length should range from 16-18 hours.

2) Another method is to grow the plants under assimilation lights during the first four weeks. After that, the plants are spaced and placed in another greenhouse where real lighting is simulated by TL- or Grow lamps (about 8 watt/m2). Especially in winter, this method results in quick and healthy start of the plant.

3) The whole culture under TL- or grow lamps with eventually cyclic lighting. In that case, the lighting should be 10 minutes per half hour.

Text Box: In cases 1 and 2, the dosing of CO2 can be continued during the period of lighting. However, it is of no use to dose CO2 in the case of lighting by TL- or grow lamps. A dose of 650 ppm is most economical, at any rate, never more than 800 ppm. Short Days This is not really necessary. For Red and Pink it may be preferable to use for more uniform crop with more compact plants. If you blackout, it must be in the first three weeks after potting, and for a period of at least 10 days. Stopping Solenia must be stopped, especially the Red and Orange. It also depends on whether you have pinched the plants. If you stop, start two weeks after planting, and then every week. Concentration of 1%. Of course, Stopping depends on the size of the plant you want, the temperature you grow, etc. It can be necessary to stop two times a week. Fertilizing After potting, give calcium nitrate 1 gr/liter. Later, fertilize with 12-12-36 and calcium nitrate. 6 weeks after potting, only potassium nitrate or 12-12-36 to harden off the plants. The plants must have been in the peat at an EC of at least 1. If you don’t fertilize enough, you will get a lot of single flowers. Also, the consumer should fertilize on a regular basis to get the best performance. Sticking For smaller plants it is not always necessary but sticking is advisable, especially for bigger plants. In 10 cm pot, you need 2 or 3, by 13 cm pot, you need 4 or 5. Sticking is important to avoid damages caused by transport. Culture Time The Culture time depends on the following: - growing conditions - pinching - pot size - how many flowers are needed - time of potting Growing time for 12 cm pots with open flowers is 8 weeks. Possibilities Make sure your customers are aware that Solenias® are not an indoor houseplant but an outdoor plant. Solenias® are best used in window baskets or as a patio plant. Solenias also grow well in gardens, either in the shade or in direct sunlight.

Growing Solenia® Begonias

Currently, our Solenia® Begonia assortment consists of three different

cultivars - red, orange and pink. All three are very weather resistant and specially

selected for outdoor performance.

Begonias Impatiens Poinsettias