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Snow Princess®
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Snow Princess® |  |
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| Sun or partial sun | 4 - 6 | ||
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Annual Lobularia hybrid |
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Cultural/Growing Information
pH: C (6.0 - 6.5)
EC (2:1 Extraction Method): B (.6 - .9)
Fertilization Recommendations: M (150-200 ppm)
Rooting Out: B (65-72°F or 18-22°C)
Growing On: A (55-65°F or 13-18°C)
Holding Temperature: B (50-60°F or 10-16°C)
Light Levels: High
Water Requirements: Moderate to Moist
Planting & Timing Information: Standard PPP. Early Spring through Fall Finish
Finish Time 4-5": 4-5
Finish Time 6"/Gallon: 5-6
Finish Time 8": 6-8
Finish Time 10-12": 8-10
Pinching/Growth Regulators: Pinch 1 to 2 times, as needed. A Sumagic spray at 5 ppm, 3 weeks after transplant is effective. Bonzi at 1 to 2 ppm is a good holding drench, do not apply too early - apply when the plant just starts over the edge of the pot. Snow Princess is also responsive to day/night temperature differential (DIF), and are shorter with a negative DIF.
Pest and Disease Management: Standard pest and disease practices as outlined in the notes.
Special Notes: This plant is much more vigorous and heat tolerant, continuing to bloom through the summer, than seed versions. This plant is vigorous and can be pinched or pruned to shape.
Winter Flowering: Yes
Vernalization: No
Spring Outdoor Finish?: B - Second to go outside
In-Depth Culture
So now you’ve met Snow Princess®…
And for many of you we gather it was not a good first date? From consumers we have gotten nothing but rave reviews, however, as with most of our really vigorous releases, growers are always less impressed by vigor as a rule than the end consumer. Proven Winners® philosophy is that the end consumer has to have a GREAT experience with gardening or we as an industry will lose them to all the other ways they could have been spending their time, like television, computer, movies, dining out. If we as an industry cannot provide that overwhelmingly positive experience for our gardening public then we have failed our consumers.
Review notes for growers:
- Snow Princess® is extremely vigorous, do not make the assumption it will grow like other Alyssum, it does not act at all like a seed Alyssum. Snow Princess® is more like a vigorous vegetative petunia than anything else. Snow Princess® will overrun less vigorous plants in mixed containers.
- We do not recommend selling Snow Princess® in a 4” pot, one reason is it grows too large too quickly and secondly a 4” pot leads people to believe it is just another alyssum, try using 5-6” pots (when not growing Snow Princess® in a basket or mixed container) and sell the plants as the unique and value added crop they are. We also refer to Snow Princess® as Lobularia NOT Alyssum to help consumers understand the difference.
- Ideal fertility is between 150-250 ppm, closer to 250 ppm likely will give the fastest crops
- Snow Princess® needs a lot of water because it is ALWAYS growing vigorously. Do not attempt to control size by drying the plant out as this causes lower leaf drop. Instead plan your shipments for fast turnover of the crop.
- Are the leaves turning gray? This is the first sign of drought stress, repeated dry downs will lead to leaf drop.
- So how do you control this crop? You can always do a shear back if you need to. As far as PGRs go, Snow Princess® responds well to both drench and spray applications of either Paclobutrazol or Uniconazole. Rates vary by location but Paclobutrazol drench rates of around 1 ppm one week after transplanting work for small pot production, or sprays of 5-7 ppm. Again the key time to treat is after transplanting but before initial surge of new growth falls over the pot edge. Liner drench rates will be available soon.
- In mixed containers or baskets: Snow Princess® must be paired with only the most vigorous of companion plants (Lantana, Ipomoea, vigorous vegetative petunias, etc.) and can be planted into containers later to give others a chance to start filling in. Usually only one liner is needs for a 10-12” mixed basket, and 3 liners if you are planting mono-culture Snow Princess® baskets.
- Larger container sizes are always better with vigorous crops: try doing some 18” baskets of Snow Princess® and definitely recommend this plant for the landscape where water availability is more consistent and the vigor of plants works in the consumer’s favor by giving quick fill in and long season performance. Slow release fertilizers are best for landscape plantings as they provide balanced nutrients over a longer period of time.
- Snow Princess® does literally snow: Old blooms fall in a continuous shower, consumers love this aspect and for growers it can pose some concerns. Crops planted under basket of Snow Princess® will need to be cleaned off and special care should be given to crops where quality can be affected by the dusting of Snow Princess® flowers over the time of production. The fallen petals remain white for a long period of time and can affect crop appearance in crops with sensitivity.
- Remember this about consumer satisfaction: Public trials all over the United States have rated Snow Princess® as an amazing plant, tolerating temperatures and conditions that no seed Alyssum ever could. From Miami Florida to the Canadian border Snow Princess® has garnered awards and consumer accolades for being easy to grow, high impact color and performance, and groundbreaking heat and humidity tolerance.
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