USDA HARDINESS: 10 – 11
ROOTING: Torenia cuttings root easily within 12-14 days at temperatures of 64-75 F. Addition of rooting hormone is not necessary.
PLANTING:
For 4″ (10 cm) pot, use 1 plant per pot. Ready for sales (from rooted cutting) within 7-8 weeks.
For 6″ (15 cm) pot, use 1-2 plants per pot. Ready in 8-10 weeks.
When grown as 10″ (25 cm) hanging baskets or pots, use 3-4 plants. Ready in 10-13 weeks.
PINCHING: One soft pinch 1-2 weeks after planting according to plant size.
LIGHT INTENSITY: Moderate to high light is optimal for growth and flowering, min. 5000fc / 50000 LUX .
Partial shade is required in summer. Protect from direct sunlight.
During the winter, Torenia plants should be exposed to maximum light intensity.
TEMPERATURE: Day: 75-80 F; Night: 60-70 F. First 3 weeks 61-65 F. From 4th week, 64-70 F
Cool temperatures of 50-54 Â will turn foliage to bronze color and stunt growth,
except for Torenia Purple Moon, which tolerates even cooler temperatures.
Temperatures of 95 -104 F in summer is tolerable if shade and irrigation are provided properly.
FERTILIZATION: Constant feed with a well-balanced fertilizer containing adequate amounts of micronutrients, slightly higher FE.
NH4 up to 20% of total N. Use 200 ppm N as a starting point and then adjust in accordance to growth.
E.C 2 -2.5. Occasional leaching is required to prevent salinity.
IRRIGATION: Torenia dries out easily. Keep soil moist, but avoid over watering. Do not allow wilting.
Drip irrigation is recommended. Avoid wet foliage.
MEDIUM: Use a well-drained peat perlite mix, pH 5.8-6.2, EC 0.6 – 0.9.
For rooting, use a disease-free peat mix, or Jiffy pellets.
FLOWERING: 8-12 weeks, depending on growing conditions and variety.
Early: Torenia Purple Moon, Indigo Moon.
GROWTH REGULATORS: Maintain high light intensities and temperatures as recommended. Use cool morning drop and DIF. Soft pinch. Reduce feed.
Avoid products that have high levels of ammonium nitrogen or phosphorus. Space in time.
Use growth regulators as last option – use Alar at a concentration of 1700-2500 ppm as a foliar spray, 1-3 times.
Begin growth regulator treatment 2-4 weeks after transplant and discontinue when flowering buds are visible.
Expect delay in flowering. Varieties differ in response, so we recommend testing it first on a smaller scale.
DISEASES & PEST CONTROL:
Insects: Watch for Aphids and White Flies.
Diseases: Powdery mildew can be a problem.
Avoid moisture condensing on the foliage.
Spray with broad-spectrum fungicides as a preventative measure.
