Plants With Polish

Plants With Polish

Patina ageratum, from Syngenta Flowers, truly raises the bar for vegetative ageratum. Patina won’t set seed like typical seed ageratums so the plants won’t cycle in and out of flower or burn out in the heat and sun. This series is part of the Syngenta Flowers Heat Lovers program of plants that will stand up to the toughest summer conditions.

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This series is ideal for finishing in quart and 6-inch pots. They can be used in large patio containers for dramatic displays. Patina offers five outstanding colors including Blue, Burgundy, Purple, White and Delft (a unique blue/white bicolor). Patina ageratums are proven performers in the garden because of their exceptional heat tolerance.

The best attribute of Patina is how successful home gardeners can be with this product, because it is self-cleaning and will stay in constant color throughout the summer months. The free-flowering, well-branched habit allows for the new blooms to flower above the spent ones, completely covering them. With its heat and humidity tolerance, gardeners will have a hard time finding a spot that Patina won’t thrive.

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Patinas are fast rooters and generally root quickly and easily within three to three and a half weeks, with no need for rooting hormones. There is no need to pinch the cuttings; however, misting will help reduce stretching during propagation. It is important to transplant ageratum on time to avoid tall, stretched cuttings.

To finish rooted cuttings of Patina, transplant directly into the finished container. Allow the media to dry between irrigations, over-watering or constantly saturated media will cause fungal root rot.

Patinas are moderate feeders, needing 200 ppm N. Monitor EC levels, which should stay at 1.8 to 2.2 mS/cm. Leach with clear water as needed to avoid fertilizer salt buildup. This series will grow best when using a mix of (or alternating with) Cal-Mag and ammonium-containing fertilizers. The media pH levels should be 5.6 to 6.2.

There is no need to pinch Patinas when grown under high light and moderate temperatures. A soft pinch can be done on young plants if they appear to be stretching, but it is generally not needed under most growing conditions. The ideal temperature is 65ËšF to 75ËšF during the day and 60ËšF to 65ËšF at night, be sure to maintain warm temperatures early on as plants are getting established. This series grows best under high light conditions.

For more information on Patina, please visit the Syngenta Flowers Web site www.syngentaflowersinc.com.

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