Pentas Seeds

Butterfly Mix Pentas Seeds The large star-shaped flowers on umbels up to 3" are great attractant to butterflies. More >>

Item #A-940 | 25 Seeds | Price: $2.95 Qty:

How To Grow Pentas From Seed

Germination

• Do not cover the seed.
• Light during germination 10 f.c. will improve germination uniformity and seedling quality.

Plug Production

• Sowing
• Use a well-drained, disease-free seedling medium with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 and EC about 0.75.

Temperature

• Germination: 74 to 80�F (23 to 26�C)
• Cotyledon emergence: 68 to 72�F (20 to 22�C)
• True leaf expansion: 65 to 68�F (18 to 20�C)

Light

• Light during germination (10 f.c) will improve germination uniformity and seedling quality.
• Pentas have high light requirements. Seedlings must receive higher light levels immediately after germination to avoid elongation and promote rapid growth. After germination, maintain light levels between 1,000 and 2,500 f.c.. As seedlings mature, light levels may be increased up to 5,000 f.c. if temperature is controlled.

Humidity

• Maintain 100% relative humidity until cotyledons emerge. Avoid keeping the flats wet. Reduce the humidity to 50% as plugs mature to control foliar diseases.

Fertilization

• Fertilize with 50 ppm nitrogen from 15-0-15 or 15-5-15 as soon as radicles emerge.
• When cotyledons expand, increase fertilization to 50 to 75 ppm nitrogen. Use 20-10-20 with every other fertilization only if growth slows.
• During Stage 3, increase fertilizer to 100 to 150 ppm to promote rapid plug growth. Maintain medium EC between 1.0 and 1.5 . If the pH drops below 6.0 in the soil, plants will show severe iron toxicity and growth will slow or stop.

Temperature

• Butterfly pentas benefit from warm temperatures and high light conditions. Maintain minimum night temperatures of 62 to 65�F (17 to 18�C) and minimum day temperatures of 72 to 75�F (22 to 24�C).

Light

• Keep light levels as high as possible to promote compact growth. Butterfly pentas will tolerate higher temperatures than other crops.

Water

• Avoid both excess watering and drought, which will stress the plants and cause severe yellowing and necrosis.