Indie

Flowering Type: Facultative long day plant. A day length > 13 hours with high light levels will result in flower initiation.

Flowering Mechanism: No vernalization required. High light intensity and warm temperatures shorten the total crop time. Cooler temperatures improve uniformity of plants and promote more flowering.

Germination: Optimum conditions for seedling development, beginning on the day of sowing until radicle emergence. Expect radicle emergence in 7-10 days. A germination chamber promotes uniform germination.

Cover: Cover the seeds lightly with a thin layer of vermiculite.

Sowing method: 1-3 seeds per plug, depending on the pot size.

Media: pH 5.5-5.8, EC 0.8-1.2. Use a media with very low soluble salt levels.

Temperature: 22-24 °C (72-76 °F) until radicle emergence. Afterwards, ensure 20 °C (68 °F) during night and day. When the roots reach the bottom of the cell, the temperature can be lowered to 16-18 °C ( 60-64 °F).

Moisture: Begin with a wet (4) for germination. Then, a moist (3) is optimum for the seedlings. Good ventilation and horizontal airflow will always help.

Humidity: 95-100 % until day 10; then reduce to 40-60 %.

Light: Light is not necessary for germination but can be beneficial if using a germination chamber as it will reduce stretch and improve seedling quality. Protect the seedlings from direct sunlight until they are well established. Afterwards the light levels can be raised to 1,000-2,500 ft. candles (10,000- 25,000 lx).

Fertilizer: Begin fertilizing early to improve seedling quality. When the plants are well established, maintain an EC of 0.8-1.2 by using a complete balanced fertilizer (15-5-15).

Growth Regulators: No growth regulators are required as growth can be controlled by temperature and moisture management. To promote basal branching and to avoid long flower stems, a light application of Regalis can be used.

Media: pH 5.5-5.8; EC 1.2-1.5.

Light: High light levels reduce the overall crop time and promote early flowering. 

Temperature: 12-15 °C (54-58 °F) days and nights. Temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) will inhibit the flower development and will increase the risk of infects with diseases. In addition, the leaves get bigger. Cooler temperatures promote stable flower stems and a compact, well-branched plant habit in pots. A frost-free outdoor production at 3-5 °C (38-40 °F) is also possible, but Limonium does not tolerate frost.

Moisture: Alternate between moisture levels moist (3) and medium (2). Let plants dry back before re-saturating. A rather dry cultivation is recommended to support short flower stems and to prevent root problems. Avoid overwatering.

Humidity: 40-60 % humidity is ideal. Providing good ventilation and horizontal airflow will help lower the humidity and dry back the media, providing oxygen to the roots.

Fertilizer: Limonium requires medium levels of fertilization to build a healthly, stable plant structure. Use a complete balanced fertilizer. With high fertilization the leaves become very large.

Plug Bulking and Flower Initiation: Maintain optimal conditions during the vegetative stage from cotyledon expansion to flower initiation. For this, a chilling period at 5-10 °C (40-50 °F) for 4-6 weeks is required.

Growth Regulators: With proper moisture and temperature management, there should not be a need for growth regulators. Pinching is not necessary.

Fungicide: Apply fungicides during long periods of low light and high humidity. Outdoor productions under rainy conditions can be affected by botrytis or mildew.

Common Diseases: Root rot, leaf spot diseases, powdery mildew, pythium, rost

Pests: Primarily aphids.