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| Fischer USA's new 'Sonic Magic Pink' New Guinea impatiens: Sonic Bloom Lang, HarveyTHIS year Fischer USA introduces its new 'Sonic Magic Pink' New Guinea impatiens. This particular variety has a compact growth habit with extra large pink and white bicolor flowers. Its flower color is one-of-a-kind, and it can be used in several different landscape situations, including hanging baskets, upright patio containers, color bowls and landscape beds. continued below... |
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Read on for some key points to producing a great looking crop.
Potting Media
'Sonic Magic Pink' can be grown successfully in a wide range of potting media. Look for those media that have good, coarse sphagnum peat moss and are well-drained. Make sure the beginning pH is around to ( to in a saturated paste extract). Lower pH levels can lead to excessive uptake and toxicity of minor elements, such as iron and manganese.
Irrigation
Try to keep the plants on the moderately dry side early on, until the roots are well-established in the pot. New Guinea impatiens generally are slow starters and excessive over watering the first few weeks will keep the media too cool and wet, resulting in slow rooting. After roots establish and plants are actively growing, increase irrigation frequency to keep the medium moderately moist.
It is also a good idea to check your water quality before deciding to grow a crop of Magic Pink. They do not grow well with water that contains high soluble salts (> mS/cm) and/or high levels of sodium (> 50 ppm). If bicarbonates in the water are above 200 ppm, then the grower should consider acid injection. Plants grown under poor quality water generally are stunted, and have poor leaf expansion, burnt leaf tips and few flowers.
Nutrition
As mentioned earlier, New Guinea impatiens are sensitive to high salts and plants should be grown on the lean side. Established plants generally do well with fertilizer rates around 150 ppm nitrogen. Try to keep soluble salts in the media between to mS/cm and pH between to ( to in a saturated paste extract). Growers using subirrigation systems should reduce fertilizer rates to about 75 to 100 ppm and monitor the soluble salt level routinely.
Light And Temperature
For ideal vegetative growth, maintain day and night temperatures between 72°F to 78°F and 68°F to 70°F, respectively. Try to keep light intensity between 3500 to 4000 footcandles. As plants reach appropriate size, continue providing good light intensity and begin dropping night temperatures down to 65°F to 67°F to promote flower initiation and development. If temperatures exceed 85°F, shading will be required; otherwise flower size and number will be significantly reduced. Growers should be aware of the consequences of high temperatures, especially for late spring and summer crops.
Growth Regulation
Because of its compact growth habit, 'Sonic Magic Pink' should not need any growth regulation. However, some growers who grow New Guineas under tight spacing or under high day temperatures (late spring-early summer crops) feel that a light PGR spray helps keeps the plants under control. Under these conditions, growers can spray the plants with Bonzi at 1 to 2 ppm as needed. Avoid sprays late in the crop cycle because it will reduce flower size. Running relatively cool day temperatures (. less positive DIF) or early morning temperature dips will also reduce internode stretch and keep plants more compact.
About the author: Harvey Lang is a technical advisor at Fischer USA; 6899 Winchester Circle, Suite 102, Boulder, Co. 80301; phone 303-415-1466; e-mail .