Growing-Guides-Lantanas-Commercial-Production

Growing Lantanas Commercially

Uses:
Mounding varieties are excellent for rapidly establishing a summer hedge with perpetual blooming. Good for mass bed planting and ideal as floral specimen standards. Ultra compact varieties are good for ground cover, focal patio pots, and are also great for low borders. Weeping varieties are excellent for hanging baskets.

Planting:
Do not bury cuttings too deeply. Shallower planting speeds development and minimizes stem and root rot. Plant 3 to 5 plants per 10-inch basket. Ten inch crop time range from 12-16 weeks.

Pinching:
Unlike most lantanas, Patriot™ Petites™ Cowboy (PP #12,450) and Rainbow (PP #9,837) require little or no pinching for compact habit. Other Patriots™, pinch as typical.

Spacing:
Pot-tight spacing is preferred. Four to six 4″ pots per square foot produces a nice crop. Space 6″ pots on 12″ centers.

Light:
In the greenhouse, a light shade at planting helps plants become established more rapidly. Then give full sun. In late spring and summer, shade is also necessary to prevent heat and water stress. Adding high intensity light in short day periods, will improve propagation rate.

Plant Media:
Plant in your favorite well-drained growing mix. Soluble salt level should start out low, with a pH of 5.8 to 6.2.

Insects:
Check with your local floriculture extension office for preferred control measures. Rotate chemical classes to minimize chance of resistance. Use insect growth regulators as part of the rotation. Marathon works well on white flies.

Diseases:
Chance of root rot can be minimized by using clean media, proper watering and monthly drenching with fungicides.

Temperature:
Use 65°F nights and 75-80°F days for optimum growth. Cold temperatures (50-55°F) slow growth rate significantly.

Irrigation/Nutrition:
Avoid root and stem rot by letting lantana cutting dry slightly between irrigations. Once established, lantana has a huge water demand and is a heavy feeder. Use a constant, balanced (1:1:1 ratio) liquid feed program of 200 ppm nitrogen. Time-release fertilizers work well also.