PollyNation™ White

Flowering Type: FastraX perennial – first year flowering plants without vernalization. Facultative long day plant. Long days with higher light intensity result in faster flowering.

Flowering Mechanism: Flowering is affected by day length. A day length > 10 hours results in flower initiation, and > 13 hours promotes the fastest flowering. High light intensity and warmer temperatures shorten the total crop time.

Germination: Maintain optimal conditions for seedling development beginning on the day of sowing until radicle emergence. Expect the first seedlings to emerge after 5–10 days.

Cover: Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil or vermiculite.

Sowing Method: 1 seed per plug; 3 seeds per plug for big plugs.

Media: pH 5.5–5.8; EC 0.7. Raise to EC 1.2–1.5 from stage 3.

Temperature: Maintain 22–24 °C (72–76 °F) for the first 10 days. Use warm irrigation water above 18 °C (64 °F) only. Afterwards, maintain 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) day and night. When roots reach the bottom of the cell, lower temperatures to 16–18 °C (60–64 °F).

Moisture: Begin with wet (4) moisture for the first 10 days or until radicle emergence. Afterwards, dry back and alternate between wet (4) and medium (2). Constantly wet soil during overwinter production can lead to root rot and uneven plant development.

Humidity: 95–100% until day 10, then reduce to 40–60%. Provide proper ventilation and horizontal airflow to improve oxygen levels in the media.

Light: Light is not required for germination. Providing 1,500–2,000 ft. candles (15,000–20,000 lx) in stage 2 reduces stretching and improves seedling quality and uniformity. Increase light levels up to 3,000 ft. candles (30,000 lx) before transplanting. Always protect seedlings from direct sunlight.

Fertilizer: Begin fertilizing early to improve seedling quality. Start at 100 ppm nitrogen and gradually increase to 175–225 ppm once seedlings are established. Use a complete balanced fertilizer (15-5-15).

Plug Bulking and Flower Initiation: Maintain optimum vegetative conditions from cotyledon expansion to flower initiation. This stage occurs when seedlings root to the edge of the plug and reach the 4–6 true leaf stage, where flower initiation occurs.

Growth Regulators: Growth regulators are generally not necessary during plug production, as growth can be controlled through temperature and moisture management. If seedlings are uneven, a very light application of B-Nine (daminozide) can be applied two to three times.

Fungicides: Apply fungicides during extended periods of low light and high humidity, paying special attention during the young plant stage.

Media: pH 5.8–6.2; EC 1.5–2.0.

Light: The longer the day length and the higher the light intensity, the earlier the flowering. > 10 hours with high light intensity of 3,500–4,000 ft. candles (35,000–40,000 lx) or > 12 hours with lower light intensity of 1,500–2,000 ft. candles (15,000–20,000 lx) will result in 100% flowering plants.

Temperature: After transplanting, maintain 16–18 °C (60–64 °F) during the day and 14–16 °C (57–60 °F) at night throughout production. Lower night temperatures encourage basal branching and compact growth for higher quality plants. Avoid temperatures below 12 °C (54 °F) after transplanting to prevent red leaves and uneven growth. Protect plants from frost.

Moisture: Echinacea prefers warm and relatively dry conditions. Alternate between moist (3) and medium (2). Allow plants to dry back before re-saturating to moist (3). Constantly wet soil, especially during overwinter production, can lead to root rot, other diseases, and uneven plant development.

Humidity: 40–60% humidity is ideal. Provide good ventilation and horizontal airflow to reduce humidity and dry back the media, improving root oxygenation.

Fertilizer: Relatively high fertilization levels are required. Feed regularly with 175–225 ppm nitrogen, starting with a nitrogen-based fertilizer (25-8-16). Under higher light conditions in late spring and summer, use a complete balanced fertilizer (20-10-20). During overwinter production, use a high-potassium fertilizer (16-5-25) due to cool temperatures.

Growth Regulators: With proper moisture and temperature management, growth regulators are generally not required. If necessary, apply multiple sprays of Cycocel (chlormequat chloride) at 500–750 ppm per spray or B-Nine (daminozide) at 2,500 ppm. Consider varietal vigor, as “Orange Red” is the most vigorous and “Magenta” the most compact. Pinching is not necessary.

Fungicides: Apply fungicides during extended periods of low light and high humidity.

Common Diseases: Botrytis, powdery mildew, root rot.

Plug Crop Time
288 tray (1*): 5-6 weeks
128 tray (1*): 7-8 weeks
72 tray (3*) – big plug for overwintering: 11-13 weeks

Finished Crop Time (from 288 tray)
Annual production
Spring: 18-22 weeks
Summer: 14-18 weeks

Overwintering production: 32-36 weeks

12-15 cm (5-6") pots: 1 plant per pot
17-19 cm (7-8") pots: 2-3 plants per pot

*seeds per plug