September 2014 Culture

Crop Culture Report: Anytime Pansiola Series By Rick Schoellhorn

The Anytime pansiola series is a great new line of viola hybrid that combines the slightly larger flower size of pansies with the flower number and performance of violas. This series makes both spring and fall production of violas easier and faster than older hybrids!

The trailing habit of the Anytime series makes them perfect for small pots or hanging baskets and incredible landscape performance. Extend your season in both directions. They are extremely fast growing and very cold tolerant, so spring crops can be moved outside early, and fall crops can persist in many areas of the country through the winter (hardy through USDA Zone 5, and with good mulching can go slightly colder). Since day length has no effect on how quickly they flower, they come into bloom fast and make great, quick crops.

The series includes four colors:

• Anytime Sugarplum Pansiola – a great purple to blue/white bicolor
• Anytime Quartz Pansiola – a shimmering pale blue/white
• Anytime Dove Pansiola – a pure white
• Anytime Sunlight Pansiola – a bright clear yellow

All plants are well matched and can be grown as bench run items.

For the landscaper and homeowner these pansiolas get big ­— garden spacing on 12-inch centers with a mature height of 6 to 8 inches and a mature spread up to 24 to 30 inches.

Production Guidelines

pH: 5.5 to 5.8

EC: 1.2 to 1.5 (using 2:1 extraction method)

Fertilization: High (200 to 300 ppm). Keep phosphorus low as it can increase stem stretch under low light conditions. Low feed levels can cause chlorosis, purple foliage and small flowers.

Light requirements: High, avoid any low light production situations as it is very difficult to produce high-quality plants under low light levels.

Water categories: Moderate to moist

Rooting out temperature: 60 to 65° F

Growing on temperature: 55 to 65° F

Holding temperature: 40 to 50° F

Planting and timing information: Early spring through fall finish

Finishing times: Day length makes no difference in time to flower; so crop does not need to be lit in early-season production. See Table 1 (page 62).

Pinching and growth regulators: No pinching is needed; controlling stem elongation is best when done with a tank mix spray of 2,500-ppm daminozide (B-Nine) and chlormequat (Cycocel) at 500 ppm at transplant or shortly after. Ancymidol is not as effective across the entire series, so grower feedback indicates the tank mix is best.

Pest and disease management: Powdery mildew can become a problem under poor air circulation conditions in the greenhouse. Avoid wet foliage going into the afternoon hours.

For Fall Crops

Pinching and growth regulators: For fall crops with higher production temperatures, the growth regulator rates are slightly higher.

No pinching is needed; controlling stem elongation is best when done with a tank mix spray of 5,000-ppm daminozide (B-Nine) and chlormequat (Cycocel) at 500 ppm at transplant or shortly after. If holding plants at finish size, try drenching with 0.125-ppm paclobutrazol.