Agastache

The Acapulco agastache series from Bodger Botanicals is suited for containers, window boxes and the landscape. The series contains five colors: Orange, Rose, Gold, Salmon & Pink and White & Yellow.

The flowers and leaves produce a mint scent that enhances the plant’s appeal. As plants mature, they form a round mass of foliage and flowers. The silver-toned foliage reflects the sun making it stand out. Acapulcos reach 18 inches tall in containers and 14 inches tall in the garden.

In the landscape, Acapulcos flower throughout summer and well into fall. They are heat and drought tolerant and make good season extenders. They are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5.

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Plants are available as unrooted and rooted liners. Rooted liners are delivered in 105-cell trays. Plant liners in a well-drained growing medium with a pH of 5.8 to 6.2 and electrical conductivity of 0.8-1.2.. Unrooted cuttings usually take five weeks to root.

Water thoroughly and let the medium dry between irrigations. Agastache is native to the Southwest and shouldn’t be overwatered. Keeping the medium consistently wet can result in root rot problems. The first signal of overly wet conditions is yellowing of the foliage and weak growth.

Maintain night temperatures of 60°F-63°F with a minimum day temperature of 65°F. Day temperatures of 68°F-70°F are not a problem.

Fertilize with a balanced feed of 200 parts per million nitrogen. In a soilless growing mix, additional iron may be required.

Plants are usually pinched twice: once in the cell tray and a second time in the finished containers. Rooted liners received from suppliers are usually pinched once. This builds a well-branched plant early in the production cycle. An additional soft pinch 10-14 days after transplanting is suggested to create a well-branched plant and to control height.

The plant growth regulators B-Nine, Sumagic, A-Rest and Bonzi can be applied at different rates depending on the growing conditions. It is best to trial these products before applying them to an entire crop. High light levels control plant height much more effectively than growth regulators.

Bonzi sprays (10-20 ppm) and drenches (2-5 ppm) are both effective in controlling height. Bonzi sprays may delay flowering and reduce flower size. Be especially careful when applying Bonzi late in the crop cycle. Allow the plants to reach 75-85 percent of their desired height before applying Bonzi.

A combination of 3,750 ppm B-Nine and 10 ppm A-Rest in a spray application also works to control height. Be cautious not to delay flowering or reduce flower size with late applications.

Watch for aphids and thrips during production, especially when greenhouse temperatures start to increase. Be on the look out for whitefly as the plant canopy continues to fill in.

Pythium and Phytophthora can be problems if the growing medium is kept wet. Drench with a preventive fungicide after transplanting and allow the medium to dry between waterings. Don’t plant rooted liners too deep to avoid covering the stems. Maintain good air movement around plants to prevent foliar diseases.

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For more: Bodger Botanicals, (626) 442-6161; www.bodger.com.

June 2008