Finesse®
- Vigorous sister of Vanity
- Long flowering season until frost
- Perfect for landscape application
- Excellent branching
- Heat and rain tolerant
- Attractive for beneficial insects
- Crop Time
- Spring: 12 - 14 weeks
- Height ∅
- 47 ″ / 120 cm
- Exposure
- Sun - Partial shade
- Seed Form
- ApeX
- Best Uses
- Bedding, Landscape
Culture guide
Usage
Pot and container plants, plants for window boxes, bedding, plants for planting in bowls, cut flower production
Sow time
February-April
Sowing method
3-5 seeds per plug
Germination
Germinates in 14-21 days at 72-75 °F (22-24 °C). Cover seed lightly with vermiculite after sowing.
Growing on
Transplant plugs after 5 weeks. Grow on at 60-65 °F (15-18 °C). Vernalization is not required for flower initiation. Reseeds freely.
Media
Use a well-drained, growing substrate with 20-30 % clay, 1-1,5 kg/m³ complete balanced fertilizer, 0-2 kg/m³ slow release fertilizer (3-6 months), iron-chelate, micronutrients, pH: 5.5-6.0. Field: humus, sandy loamy soils with good drainage. If necessary improve the soil with peat. Standard fertilization: 60- 80 g/m² of a slow release fertilizer.
Temperature
Grow at 14-18 °C. For early selling the plants should be hardened slowly at 10-12 °C for 14 days. Verbena does not tolerate frost.
Fertilization
High fertilization levels are required. Fertilize the crop weekly with 200-250 ppm nitrogen (at 0 kg/m³ slow release fertilizer in substrate), using alternating a calcium nitrate fertilizer and a potassium balanced fertilizer (N: K2O-ratio: 1:1,5). Avoid high ammonium and high nitrogen levels. Take care of a good potassium level in substrate. A good potassium nutrition decreases the risk of fungi infection, because the plant tissues get a high stability. The colour of the foliage and flowers is improved, too.
Prevent magnesium deficiency by applying magnesium sulphate (0,05 %) 1-2 times and in case of iron deficiency apply iron-chelate for 1-2 times.
Stage I Starts with the radicle breaking through the testa. The roots are touching the medium. Ends with fully developed cotyledons.
Stage II Starts from fully developed cotyledons. Ends with the fully developed true leaf or true leaf pair.
Stage III Starts from the fully developed true leaf or true leaf pair and ends with 80% of the young plants being marketable.
Stage IV All young plants are ready for sale and in the process of being hardened off. This stage lasts about 7 days.
The cultural recommendations are based on results from trials conducted under Central European conditions. Different conditions in other parts of the world may lead to deviations in results achieved.
