Fama® Deep Blue

Flowering Type: FastraX perennial – first year flowering plant without vernalization. Day neutral plant; will flower regardless of day length.

Flowering Mechanism: High light intensity and warmer temperatures shorten the total crop time.

Germination: Provide optimum conditions for seedling development beginning on the day of sowing until radicle emergence. Expect radicle emergence in 10–14 days.

Cover: Light is required for germination; cover the seeds only lightly with vermiculite.

Sowing Method: 1–2 seeds per plug.

Media: pH 5.8–6.2; EC 0.5–0.75.

Temperature: Maintain 18–20 °C (64–68 °F) for the first two weeks. Once cotyledons have expanded, reduce to 16–18 °C (60–64 °F).

Moisture: Begin with wet (4) media for germination. After 10 days, reduce to moist (3) and then further to medium (2) until transplanting. A relatively dry cultivation is recommended.

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

Light: After radicle emergence, provide 2,000–2,500 ft. candles (20,000–25,000 lx). Later, increase up to 4,000–5,000 ft. candles (40,000–50,000 lx). Harden plants before transplanting so they can tolerate full sun outdoors.

Fertilizer: Maintain EC < 1.2. Begin fertilizing early to improve seedling quality. Start at 50–100 ppm nitrogen and gradually increase to 100–175 ppm during plug production. Use a complete balanced fertilizer.

Plug Bulking and Flower Initiation: Maintain optimal vegetative conditions from cotyledon expansion to flower initiation. Vernalization is not required.

Growth Regulators: For cut flower production, no growth regulators should be used.

For transplanting as cut flower, 45 plants/m² are recommended. For the first harvest, expect 5–10 stems per plant, and 10–20 stems for the second harvest. Do not plant the plugs too deep.

Media: pH 5.5–6.0; EC 1.0–1.3.

Light: Once transplanted into the field or greenhouse, additional light is no longer possible. Long days are not required for flowering. High light intensity and warmer temperatures shorten the total crop time.

Temperature: For spring sowings, maintain 12–15 °C (54–59 °F) day and night after transplanting, as lower temperatures can cause premature flowering and poor performance. For overwintering indoors, ensure frost-free conditions at 3–5 °C (37–41 °F) minimum and low humidity. Plants can be forced for flowering with increasing temperatures: maintain 12–15 °C (54–59 °F) for 10–12 weeks or 16–18 °C (61–64 °F) for 6 weeks.

Moisture: Scabiosa does not like to stay wet, so avoid overwatering. If irrigation is possible, allow the media to dry back before re-saturating.

Fertilizer: Moderate fertilization levels are required. Fertilize weekly with 100–150 ppm nitrogen using a complete balanced fertilizer. Prevent magnesium and iron deficiency. During spring forcing, fertilize at 150–200 ppm nitrogen using a potassium-balanced fertilizer.

Growth Regulators: For cut flower production, no growth regulators are required.

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

Common Diseases: Botrytis, downy mildew, root rot.

Pests: Aphids, mites.

Harvest: Harvest stems once 50% of the florets have opened. Harvested buds will not open later. Three harvest cycles per planting can be expected.

Post Harvest: Include an ethylene-inhibiting product to avoid flower shattering and decay. Hydrate stems immediately after cutting and store in a cooler at 1–3 °C (34–38 °F) until use.

Plug Crop Time
288 tray: 6-7 weeks
128 tray: 7-8 weeks

Finished Crop Time (from 288 tray)
Autumn plantings: 26-30 weeks
Spring plantings: 12-14 weeks