Lantana Production Tips

Lantana 'Bandana Cherry Sunrise' from Syngenta Flowers

Propagation

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Rooting time: Lantanas should be stuck immediately upon arrival and should not be stored. If cuttings need to be stored, only store them overnight and not below 48°F. Lantanas are slow to moderate rooters and generally need five weeks of rooting time. A 1,000 parts per million (ppm) IBA hormone dip to the bottom of the stem can help to promote rooting.

Misting: Lantanas need consistent misting in low volumes until roots start to form. Group lantanas with other slow-rooting species and don’t stop misting until the cuttings begin to root. They need plenty of heat during propagation (bottom heat ideally at or above 72°F). To avoid Botrytis, apply preventative fungicide sprays of Daconil ULTREX, alternated with Palladium (4 to 6 ounces/100 gallons), Heritage (4 ounces/100 gallons), Chipco 26019 or Decree (1 pound/100 gallons) after sticking and seven to nine days later.

Growth regulators: On vigorous varieties, sprays of Sumagic at 5 ppm or a tank mix of B-Nine at 2,500 ppm and Cycocel at 1,000 ppm are effective. Lantana ‘Bandana Pink’ and Lantana ‘Bandana Trailing Gold’ are more vigorous than the other Bandana varieties.

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Finishing

Fertilizer: Lantanas are moderate feeders and will develop pale, yellowish foliage if underfed. They grow best at 200 to 250 ppm nitrogen using a blend of Cal-Mag (i.e. 15-5-15, 14-4-14, etc.) and ammonium-containing (i.e. 20-10-20, 15-15-15, etc.) fertilizers.

Media: 2 to 2.2 mS/cm EC in a saturated media extract (SME), pH: 5.6 to 6.2. Use a peat-based media such as Fafard 2 Mix or 1P Mix, or a bark-based media such as Fafard 4P Mix or 3B Mix.

Light and temperature: Lantanas grow best under high light (5,000 to 7,000 footcandles) and warm temperatures (70°F to 80°F day and 65°F to 70°F night) throughout production. Avoid cold and wet growing conditions, especially during dark and cloudy weather, which can cause fungal root rot, slow growth and/or small flowers.

Pinching: In general, lantanas need to be pinched several times to achieve a mounded plant. However, since the Bandana and Bandito series from Syngenta Flowers are bred for increased branching and a mounded habit, they require only one pinch.

Growth regulators: Sprays of Bonzi at 20 to 30 ppm, Sumagic at 10 to 20 ppm, or a tank mix of B-Nine at 2,500 ppm and Cycocel at 1,000 ppm work well. They will help keep plants toned, especially under tight spacing or low light levels, but will delay flowering. Bonzi drenches at 2 to 3 ppm at three to five weeks before sale work very well to control growth with no flower delay. Florel at 350 ppm improves branching and provides growth control but significantly delays flowering. Florel is not recommended on the Bandana series with the exception of Lantana ‘Bandana Trailing Gold.’

Insects: Aphid, Whitefly, Leafminer. Scout plants regularly and use appropriate chemical control materials such as Flagship, Citation and Avid integrated with biological products. Whitefly is often a common pest on lantanas.

Diseases: Lantanas are generally at low risk for disease, but can develop fungal root rot in overly saturated media, especially under dark and cloudy growing conditions. Subdue MAXX, Medallion and Heritage are effective products for managing common root diseases.

Lantana scheduling from rooted cuttings:

Container Weeks Plants per pot
4-inch 7 to 8 1
Quart 7 to 8 1
5-inch 8 to 9 1
6-inch 9 to 10 1
Gallon 11 to 12 1 to 2
10-inch basket 11 to 12 4
12-inch basket 11 to 12 5

 

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