Skip to content

Welcome to our store

It is unlikely Ready to Ship will be offered in August 2025 due to limited availability at this time of year

Previous article
Now Reading:
Lisianthus Tips & Tricks for Northern Growers

Lisianthus Tips & Tricks for Northern Growers

Farmer Bailey with Corelli White Lisianthus bunches

As many of you know, I wear several hats. We have our farm in Northeastern Vermont, and we also have our plug brokerage business which I accidentally started one winter. (When Mother Nature demands that you take a six-month break from growing flowers you have to get creative.)  Both on the farm, and in the plug realm, Lisianthus is kind of a big deal.

Lisianthus in its wild form is native to a number of the Plains states extending into the Gulf states and Northern Mexico. It occurs in dry sandy locations that get baked in the summer, but it occurs along stream beds where its roots penetrate deep into the soil to access water. When I’m trying to understand what a plant wants I always think about the native conditions first. It can be assumed that heat is no issue for Lisianthus, but access to water is important, and cool roots are appreciated. 

I’m no Lisianthus historian, but I do recall that when I started my floral and horticultural career in the early 90s, it wasn’t a flower often encountered. It seems that breeders really started getting serious about Lisianthus in the 80s and 90s, and it took them a couple of decades to refine the plant to the commercial standard we enjoy today. You will still find a high percentage of retail customers who have never seen or noticed Lisianthus before. Of course it’s an easy sell for those in the know, and most of what we grow in the US is superior to the imports. The exception is, of course, the famed Japanese Lisianthus. They have a few tricks up their sleeves that I learned when I visited growers in Japan in 2019. We now have access to the same varieties as the top Japanese growers, so I hope these tips will help you to fine tune your Lisianthus production.

There are many approaches to Lisianthus growing so experiment for yourself and find what works for you in your location. My recommendations are based on my own trials in cool Northeastern Vermont, but can be applied to most scenarios. 

Grow in Tunnels

It just works better. The big ruffled flowers hold water and are prone to spotting and rotting when grown in the field. Some grow in the field, but I’ve never had success outside of the tunnel. 

Buy plugs

Not because I’m a plug seller, but these things are simply tough to grow from seed. By all means get some seed and see how they go, but order plugs as well until you are confident that you are a Lisianthus master. Some people with heated greenhouses succeed with seed growing, as do some with good indoor light systems, but they’re easy to mess up. Frankly, I like to travel in the winter, and I don’t want to have to stay home to baby seedlings for 3-4 months straight. I prefer the beach.

The Bump Up

For most crops, and for most regions of the US, I recommend receiving plugs when you intend to plant them, and planting directly into your prepared beds on arrival. However, with our short 90 day growing season I have settled on getting Lisianthus early and bumping them into 50 cell trays. It is extra labor, extra potting mix, and it takes up bench space in the greenhouse, but it allows me to baby them for several extra weeks in our cool greenhouse until it’s safe to plant out into our high tunnels. We heat our greenhouse to just above freezing at night, and allow the sun to warm it in the day. Lisianthus copes just fine with the cool nights. I tend to get plugs about 8 weeks before intended transplant, and then grow them in the cool greenhouse until our weather turns and the soil is prepped. If your plugs arrive and you haven’t prepped your beds yet, or your weather prevents planting, bump them up. Don’t hold plugs in their trays for more than a week after arrival. 

If you plant directly from the plug tray, which is a completely valid approach in all but the coldest locations, be ready to water. The root portion of a plug is only 1” tall, and the top inch of soil dries out very quickly. Drip irrigation will only help once those roots have grown out into your existing soil. Sprinklers, misters, or a good old fashioned hose will be necessary until they are rooted in. 

Fight the Fungus

Lisianthus is susceptible to a wide range of root rot pathogens. Fusarium is the most common, but not the only one. If your soil is well watered but you see sudden spotty wilting, suspect root rot. At first sight of symptoms, yank that plant out and send it to your state plant pathologist to determine what you’re dealing with. It won’t get better on its own, and will likely spread rapidly. 

Consider pre-treatment with a bio-fungicide or two before planting. These products inoculate the roots with beneficial fungi and bacteria to fight off pathogens. Different products have different modes of action, and they can be used together to create a protective barrier around the root zone of your plants. We still see losses to rot even when using bio-fungicides, so for the first time this year we are trying a pretreatment with a systemic chemical fungicide. I am not qualified to make product recommendations, but if I find something that truly works I might let it slip. 

Traditionally chemical soil fumigation or soil steaming have been used to fight root pathogens. Chemical fumigation has some very negative environmental effects and is no longer fashionable. Soil steaming requires expensive and cumbersome equipment, and burns a significant amount of petroleum to give the desired effect. There is no perfect solution so explore your options. Keep an eye out for root rot, and rotate your Lisianthus to a new location every year.

Air Flow

Any crop that is susceptible to any fungus will benefit from good ventilation and consistent air flow. In Japan I saw that growers leave an open strip down the center of each bed to encourage air flow between plants. This may also slow down any possible fungal outbreaks, as the fungi are easily transmitted between neighboring plants and the gap will offer a barrier. We tried this in 2020 with good success and have planted accordingly this season.

Pinch me, don’t pinch me.

I don’t pinch my Lisianthus. I prefer to get one monster stem over several medium stems. You may be different. This will depend on your market. If you do pinch, simply remove the tip after you have a few pairs of leaves. I would space pinched plants wider than plants grown for single stems. Pinched plants get bushier, and 6” spacing is justified (4 plants per square foot). For single stem plants, I plant 8 plants per square foot and ultimately harvest 36” tall stems from most varieties. I always use a double layer of support netting, and I’m suspicious of those who don’t. 

Bud trimming, for the overachiever.

It is fairly widely known that cutting out the first flower will allow more buds to open on each stem, resulting in a more marketable stem. You can wait until this flower opens to cut it (some will sell this bloom separately for short design work). In Japan, they remove this bud while still immature to direct the plant’s resources to the next set of buds. Japanese growers also prune their Lisianthus to allow only a few blooms to develop per stem, resulting in much larger flowers. When your plants have achieved the desired height select the 3 or 4 best buds that are all roughly grape sized and at the same height in the plant. Trim off all of the tiny buds growing above this bud, leaving one additional bud above your desired flower as insurance in case your selected flower becomes damaged. 

I don’t think anyone else is using this technique in the US, but I have noticed that Lisianthus tends to grow especially large in northern latitudes, and a bit of additional fussing can result in a product worth a premium price. It’s extra work–so charge accordingly. Japanese cut Lisianthus sells at high-end wholesalers for $5-7 per stem; if you can achieve this quality, you should be able to get an enviable price. 

Rebloom

Many report getting a second and third flush of flowers from Lisianthus, but in the cool north this seems like pure mythology. I get one amazing stem per plant, and then it’s winter. 

Again, these ideas are simply what work for us. Have your own tips and tricks? Send them my way via our Contact Form, or leave a comment here or on Instagram

Wishing you a fungus-free Lisianthus season!

Related information: The complete Farmer Bailey Guide to Growing Lisianthus for Cut Flowers

28 comments on Lisianthus Tips & Tricks for Northern Growers

  • Shirley Rosenbersky
    Shirley RosenberskyJune 24, 2025

    I live in Milton, Ontario, Canada. I have grown lisianthus for two years. I now follow the advice you’ve to succeed and I have succeeded. I does take patience and follow the good advice. Self watering planters work for me. Order seeds that are coated. Plant as you said. Fertilize properly. Water as you suggested. I hope to prune some of them. My friends complement me on my recent flowers out.
    ———
    Farmer Bailey Inc. replied:
    Thank you for your comment, Shirley! It is wonderful to hear that you are succeeding growing Lisianthus from seed! We are glad that the guidance has helped you, well done! Enjoy your flowers! ~felicia

  • Blayne Davis
    Blayne DavisJune 13, 2025

    This is my 2nd year attempting to grow lisianthus. I haven’t had much luck so far. last year my plants only got to be 16" at best. They did produce beautiful blooms on very short stems that were unsuitable for market. This year I seem to have the same problem and they are already starting to bloom with the plant only being 8" tall. I live in Utah in zone 6b according to USU. I have been growing them in the open field in full sun with a plastic mulch and drip. I suspect one of my issues may be fertilization as they have not been fertilized since initial planting. So my question is how do I get my lisisanthus to grow 3’ tall and should I cut the buds that are starting to form? Thanks for your input.
    ———
    Farmer Bailey Inc. replied:
    Hi Blayne, thanks for your comment. We do suggest snipping out the first bloom on Lisianthus, this allows the lower buds to bloom at the same time, giving you the. max number of flowers per stem. Once they start to bloom they will not likely get much taller, though. Lisianthus do need to be fertilized after transplant and during the vegetative growth period. We recommend sending a soil sample to your state’s Ag Extension office so you know what your soil needs instead of guessing. The lack of fertilization is the likely culprit of the short stem length, as long as they were planted early enough. If you cut them down to the ground after the first round of blooms, you can get a second flush of flowers as long as your frost is not too early. ~felicia

  • Polly McKee
    Polly McKee May 30, 2025

    I received lisianthus seeds in the mail. However I do not have any experience on getting seeds to germinate. I don’t even have a grow light!
    I was wondering if I could put them in a pot and put them on my porch hoping they will germinate and grow?? These flowers are so beautiful!

    ———
    Farmer Bailey Inc. replied:
    Hi Polly, thanks for your comment! Lisianthus are tough to germinate, and will not receive enough light / controlled humidity to simply germinate outdoors in a pot. They are a bit tricky – we suggest getting a grow light setup (ordinary shop lights work fine!) and a rack to put them on. If you plan to transplant in the spring, you will want to start your seeds in January. Good luck! ~felicia

  • Ann Hondrogen
    Ann HondrogenMay 07, 2025

    Dear Bailey, I have managed to grow lisanthus from seed and now I’m ready to plant them out. For the life of me I can not find which type of row cover I need. I believe I am trying to protect them from torrential rain, right? Please help this old gardener. I am trying to grow these for my daughter’s wedding in August. Oi
    ———
    Farmer Bailey Inc. replied:
    Hi Ann, thanks for your message. Most people grow Lisianthus one of two ways – either under hoop houses, or out in the open field. If you live in a very rainy climate, they would do best under greenhouse plastic. If you live anywhere with an average or below average amount of precipitation, the Lisianthus will happily grow in the open field. I don’t think many people grow lisianthus under “low” tunnels per se because Lisis can get 3+ feet tall under the right conditions and need adequate airflow to avoid fungal diseases. Low tunnels with the sides up for cross-flow could work, as long as they are 4 feet tall or taller. ~Bobby

  • Laura Hoiland
    Laura Hoiland May 01, 2025

    Hello. I purchased Lisi plugs from a local nursery. They were removed from the plugs and put 6 in a 4 inch pot with soil for transport. They remained in those pots, inside my home for about a week, then into my cool garage for a week and then out side/in garage for a week to harden them off and then planted. I did use a mycorrhizal fungi powder when transplanting. This was in early April. We didn’t have any nights with prolonged temps below 32 degrees.
    They have grown and produced 2 new leaves. We are now in temps in the 60’s or 70’s during the day and 40’s and 50’s at night. Central Washington state.
    Are they growing at an expected rate? I’m going to start fertilizing with liquid fish fertilizer (this is a first for me). So…my question is are they on track and would you use a different fertilizer?

    ———
    Farmer Bailey Inc. replied:
    Hi Laura, thanks for your comment. Were the Lisi 4-6" pots under lights in the garage before your transplanted? Usually hardening off is done outside in a partially shaded location with increasing sun exposure every day so they can get used to the sun, wind and humidity gradually. Otherwise, yes, Lisis are very slow growers in general and will take off in the heat of summer. Liquid fish fertilizer is good for seedling and transplants, but may not be enough nutrition for growing plants in the field. Contact your local Ag Extension office to get a soil test, so you know what your soil needs, and base your fertilizer choice off that test. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to fertilizer because everyone’s soil is different. Good luck! ~felicia

  • 1 2 3 6 Next »

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published..

Cart

Close

Your cart is currently empty.

Start Shopping

Select options

Close

Wait, you still have space!

This order contains a partial box of plugs. You have room to add X trays at no additional shipping costs.

Please continue shopping, or click below to acknowledge that you are ordering a partial box of plugs and proceed to checkout

Want to learn more? Watch our "Whats in a box?" video for more information.

Do you require tags?