Lavender-hued Lisianthus is a pastel dream, but after months of careful cultivation, they can turn into a nightmare with sudden brown splotches or edges, rendering the blooms unsalable.
Though any color or variety of Lisianthus can suffer from brown spotting–ruffled, field-grown flowers especially–lavender and purple shades are particularly susceptible.
We receive SOS messages from flower farmers who have invested a great deal of time and resources to protect their precious blooms, and are still frustrated by discolored petals. To address concerns about browning Lisianthus, we consulted Bob Croft, technical support manager at Sakata. Sakata is a leading breeder of the premium Lisianthus series Voyage, Celeb, Rosanne, Viviana, and Solo.
Via email, Bob shared his expert insights on how to preserve the beauty of these exquisite flowers.
Farmer Bailey: We have been receiving feedback from customers that their lavender-colored Lisianthus are browning on the edges. I am aware that lavender shades seems to have a thinner petal texture and are more prone to browning; do you have any suggestions on ways to protect the blooms?
Bob Croft: In general, Lisianthus lavender varieties are more sensitive. However, Sakata will be introducing stronger genetics in the coming years.
In general brown edges are due to the following:
- Excess nitrogen that suppresses calcium uptake
- Poor root system that is not capable of supplying enough moisture or calcium; especially under stress conditions
- Lack of air movement or poorly aerated soil that suppresses calcium uptake
Max Systems produces
Exceed Nano Brown Sugar, and has provided a map with distributors and a contact form for more specific information on distributors. I suggest talking with the company about rates (acres to 100 square feet). Usually, 1 gallon of solution is applied to 100 square feet.
Farmer Bailey is committed to bringing you the finest Lisianthus plugs in the world and cultural information from leading experts. Consult our comprehensive
Lisianthus Growing Guide and
Lisianthus Forever video webinar for everything you need to succeed in growing this captivating flower.
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