Producing Fortunia Petunia

The Fortunia series was designed to offer a more compact mounding petunia, more extreme weather tolerance and a longer flowering period to the market. Here are a few tips from Fides on producing its Fortunia varieties.

Rooting

- Rooting hormones are not required.
- Maintain a rooting temperature between 70 to 75°F.
- Average rooting time is 21 days.

Pinching

- Fortunia petunias are naturally compact, so little pinching is necessary.
- In 6-inch and larger containers, pinch plants for extra fullness if desired.

Culture Information

- Maintain growing mix pH of 5.8 to 6.2 for better availability of iron.
- Allowing the growing mix to dry slightly between irrigations. Younger plants are especially sensitive to over watering.
- Good crop growth is obtained with 200 to 300 ppm N fertigation from a complete N-P-K water soluble fertilizer. Use "peat-lite" types.
- Growing mix EC of 2.0 to 3.0 mS/cm (SME).
- Flowering occurs only with long days (>13 hours photoperiod).
- When natural photoperiods are less than 13 hours, provide 10 foot candles night interruption or extended day lighting for 14 to 16 hours.
- Ideal day temperature: 65 to 70°F.
- Higher temperatures promote excessive growth/stretch.
- Lower temperatures (50 to 55°F) delay growth and flowering but may improve plant habit/quality.
- Crops can be moved to low heat structures (40 to 50°F) for holding.
- B-Nine or Bonzi (or others with similar active ingredients) are effective PGRs.

Learn more about Fides at FidesNorthAmerica.com.

Get the culture tips you need to know to produce Fides' Fortunia petunias.