Growing Bud-initiated Regals
Regals can be successfully flowered from Valentine's Day through spring. When purchasing bud initiated plants, growers should transplant into a well-drained bark or peat-lite mix and water thoroughly. Regals are sensitive to ec's of over 1.2 mo's, so feeding at 175 to 200 ppm with a balanced fertilizer is ideal. Oglevee's offer two bud initiated product forms; a single shoot Plant Pak which is ideal for 4" or small 6" production, as well as a pinched 2 ½" multi shoot which will produce a premium 6 ½" or larger. Maintain a maximum 56°f. night temperature and keep day temperatures in the 60's. Extended day length must be provided until April 1st in order to provide uniform flower development. Use incandescent lighting to provide 18 hours of continuous day length. Provide at least 10 f.c. of light at plant level by stringing 100 w bulbs at 4 foot centers 6 feet above the bench.
Once plants have become established in their final containers, moisture and humidity levels should be kept in the moderate range. Regals flower best when given slight moisture stress starting 3 to 4 weeks after transplant. If kept too wet, in a high humidity environment, they may revert to vegetative growth and abort initiated buds. Caution is advised since excessive dryness will result in root damage and leaf scorching in mature crops. Budding Non-budded Regals Non-budded Regals require a four week cooling/bud initiation period, followed by 8 to 10 weeks of growing on. During bud initiation, temperatures must be maintained at or below 56°f. at night and 68°f. during the day. The same extended day length (18 hours of 10 or more ftc.) requirements apply as for bud initiated product.
If plants are to be pinched, starting temperatures of 62°f. nights and 72°f. days are necessary. Plant in final containers and allow one week to establish roots. Pinch the plants leaving 4 to 5 leaf nodes below the pinch. Allow an additional two to three weeks at the higher temperatures for shoots to establish. At the end of this plant development period, drop temperatures to 56/68 and follow bud initiation schedule. Pinching will effectively add four weeks to the crop cycle in addition to the four weeks added for initiating buds. Below is a sample table:
Oglevee's current varieties flower in just 8 to 10 weeks after planting bud initiated liners. Cooler temperatures will delay flowering while warmer temperatures can cause bud abortion and loss of quality. Light levels are important to producing a high quality finished product. During the first 6 to 8 weeks of growth, maintain light levels between 3,000 and 4,000 f.c. When plants begin to show color, lower light levels to 2,500 f.c. to avoid burning flowers and upper leaves.
Regals are relatively insect and disease free with Whitefly and Botrytis being the most common. Marathon has been used effectively to control Whitefly and should be applied once roots have started to circle. The flowers of Regals are sensitive to Botrytis. Care should be taken with finished plant material to keep greenhouse humidities low and to keep water off the open flowers. Good air movement is essential and HAF are recommended for optimum finished quality. Additionally, using preventative sprays of Chipco 26019, Ornalin or Daconil prior to flowering, will dramatically reduce Botrytis levels in the finished product.
Ideally, Regals should be marketed when the first flowers are open. Kept in a cool, bright location like an Eastern exposure, Regals will flower for four to six weeks indoors and may then be placed in a semi-shade location in the garden for intermittent summer flowering. Through the advancements in breeding and selection work, Regals have become a profitable crop with greatly reduced crop times, improved reliability and high consumer appeal.