Caryopteris Blue Lagoon, grown from Farmer Bailey plugs by Meryl Gartside, Blue Lobster Farm
| Common Name | Bluebeard, blue spirea, blue mist |
| Genus | Caryopteris |
| Species | Caryopterus X clandonensis |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Life Cycle | Deciduous shrub |
| Tray Size | 50 |
| Plug Care | Plant or bump up soon after receiving, do not allow to become rootbound. |
| Netting / Staking | One to two layers of netting can be beneficial, but not absolutely necessary. |
| Temperature Range | Not reliably hardy. Will survive in low frost locations. |
| Spacing | 12-15" |
| Soil Preference | Very tolerant of soil conditions but performs best in fertile, moist but well draining soil of neutral pH. Will tolerate drier conditions once established. |
| Day Length | Short-day. Bloom later in the season when the days are less than 12 hours. Plant in full sun. |
| Pinching | One pinch when the plugs are about 6" tall, down to 3-4 pairs of leaves to promote vigorous side branching. This can be 3-9 weeks after planting, depending on temperature. |
| When to Plant | Plant in the spring when the threat of frost has passed for an early autumn harvest. |
| Harvesting | In Bailey's Vermont trial he got 8-10 stems per plant in year one, but this is probably dependent on a few factors. Harvest when the bottom 3 whorls of flowers are open, and the remaining buds will open in the vase. |
| Post Harvest Care | Cut stems should immediately be placed into cool water. Expect a 1-2 week vase life when floral conditioners are used. |
| Diseases / Insects | Watch for whitefly, thrips and caterpillars which can all be treated for if necessary. Over-irrigation can result in chlorotic (yellow) stems. |
| Bailey's Notes |
Caryopteris growth cycle is highly dependent on temperature. In hot climates, the harvest can start 4 months after planting and after the initial harvest, a second round of flowers can be expected from each plant. In cold climates, the growth will be much slower and only one flush should be expected in the fall. When new shoots emerge after pinching, it is recommended to thin down to the strongest 6-8 stems for the highest quality cuts. Not thinning the new growth will result in higher quantity of smaller stems. This crop is relatively new to North America so there is little written on its performance in the various zones found here. We would love to hear about the experience other growers have with these plugs in their zones; email info@farmerbailey.com to contribute! |
| Resources | Danziger Caryopteris Production Guide |