Perfecting Pentas Production ft. Syngenta’s Dr. Jamie Gibson

Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Jamie Gibson joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to discuss best practices for growing high quality pentas—both seed and vegetative varieties. As Jamie said multiple times, one of the biggest keys to getting the most out of pentas is keeping them warm. But there’s a lot more to maximizing production and there are nuances to understand with vegetative types, like Syngenta’s Starcluster and Starcluster Cascades, as well as the seed range, which includes Beehive, BeeBright and HoneyCluster.

Jamie and Bill kick off the discussion with vegetative pentas in the Syngenta range—Starcluster and Starcluster Cascade. Jamie calls out some key attributes like huge umbels, thick foliage and major pollinator attraction before digging into propagation from URCs or callused cuttings. If you’re concerned about propagating pentas from cuttings, a good idea might be to bring in liners and just finish them in about 8 weeks or even start from enhanced, larger liners to cut off a few more weeks in production. Another tip is for growers in Northern climates to bring in cuttings after week 6 to reduce the risk of cold-chain damage. Remember, it’s a heat loving crop and receiving vegetative pentas after week 6 still gives plenty of time to finish the crop for Mother’s Day. Jamie follows production through finish and even teaches Bill a new term, “Xanthophyll,” the yellow pigmentation that sometimes makes pentas roots look like they’re struggling even though they’re completely healthy.

Then Jamie and Bill turn the page and start on the seed-raised types. Jamie suggests buying in plugs from experienced pentas propagators because nailing pentas plug production can be quite tricky. Transplanted plugs still need to be grown warm (66-75F), and it’s recommended to consistently test pH and make sure it stays above 6.2 and also consider adding calcium nitrate to keep the pH up and tone the crop. In terms of positioning the seed-raised series from Syngenta, Jamie suggests BeeBright for packs and smaller pots, HoneyCluster for quarts and Beehive for baskets.

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Resources:

Syngenta Flowers Website

Syngenta Flowers Technical Library (Search “Pentas” for culture on all varieties!)

Patio Playbook Guide