A New Edge In Petunias

A New Edge In Petunias

Just when you thought you had seen every form of petunia available, something new comes along: ‘Pretty Much Picasso.’

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Is ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ a genetic modification? Nope, it’s good old-fashioned breeding. Unlike ‘Supertunia Raspberry Blast,’ a chimera, meaning each layer of tissue has a different pigment, ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ is non-chimeral. And that means it will be true-to-type in all environmental conditions.

Overall, ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ has similar growth requirements as other petunias, except it needs its space. This petunia is classified as vigorous, meaning it will do best in large container sizes and hanging baskets, and it thrives and performs amazingly in the landscape. Pairing it with varieties Illusions ipomoea or lobularia ‘Snow Princess’ would be excellent.

By selecting these varieties and many more, ‘Pretty Much Picasso’s’ unique, pronounced green edge will pop and stand out. For small container production, we recommend not bringing ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ in too early because it will finish quickly. Producing it in high-density growing environments may be challenging, but it’s possible with accurate timing and the use of plant growth regulators.

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Following the growing protocol will be critical. Performance under high temperatures and humidity is excellent, which will make it a winner for Southern growers.

Growing ‘Picasso’

Here are a few production tips for ‘Pretty Much Picasso.’

– Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs): If the crop is brought in early, use 10-15 ppm Sumagic spray or 1-3 ppm Bonzi drench to control stretch. Additional PGR use may be necessary if holding the crop for an extended period of time, which is not recommended. Crop rotation with this variety is key.

– Pinching/trimming: Pinch or trim if you need to hold plants or to generate a fuller container prior to sale. Based on your production style, secondary pinching will help fill out upright pots, but should not be necessary in mixed combination plantings.

– Fertility: ‘Pretty Much Picasso’ will benefit greatly from being well fed. There are no sensitivities to pH or fertilizer beyond optimum for all petunias, but due to its vigor it may require additional feed as the season progresses.

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