Lophospermum

Trailing and vining plants are receiving more attention with more production of combination planters and hanging baskets and increased use of trellises, columns and espaliers in gardens. One plant that lends itself to all of these formats is Lophospermum Great Cascade Wine Red, which is in the Suntory Collection available from Jackson & Perkins Wholesale Inc.

This annual plant reaches 84 inches long and 18-24 inches wide. Its vigorous, trailing habit makes it well-suited for use in combinations or as a staked or trellised specimen plant. Its velvet-red, 1 3/4-inch-long tubular flowers cover the plant from spring to fall. It produces hairy, pale-green, grape-shaped leaves. Plants are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11.

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Rooted cuttings of Lophospermum Great Cascade Wine Red are available from licensed propagators. Plant one cutting per 4-inch pot, two to three cuttings for 1-gallon containers and three cuttings for 10-inch baskets. Plant cuttings in a well-drained peat-perlite growing medium with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 and an electrical conductivity of 0.6-0.9.

Grow plants in moderate to high light (6,000-10,000 footcandles with temperatures at 65°F-75°F during the day and 55°F-60°F at night.

Keep the growing medium on the slightly dry side, but don’t allow plants to wilt. Fertilize plants with a constant feed of 200 parts per million nitrogen from a complete water-soluble fertilizer.

Plants in 4-inch pots can be pinched one to two times; 6-inch pots should be pinched twice; and 10-inch containers should receive two or three pinches.

Instead of pinching plants, the flexible stems can be wrapped back onto basket hangers or other plants in the containers. Flowering occurs at the end of stems, so this keeps flowering close to the container and encourages lateral branching with more flowers.

Potential pest problems include thrips, mites, aphids, whiteflies, snails and slugs. Cuttings should receive a broad-spectrum fungicidal drench after they are planted.

Finish time for a 4-inch pot with one cutting is five to six weeks. One-gallon containers with two to three cuttings finish in eight to nine weeks. Ten-inch hanging baskets planted with three cuttings take 10 to 12 weeks to finish.

For more: Jackson & Perkins Wholesale Inc., P.O. Box 9100, Medford, OR 97501; (800) 545-3444; fax (800) 826-5700; http://surfinia.com.

Specifics

Name: Lophospermum Great Cascade Wine Red.

Crop timing: From rooted cuttings: one cutting in a 4-inch pot pinched once or twice finishes in five to six weeks; two or three cuttings in a 1-gallon container pinched twice finish in eight to nine weeks; three cuttings in a 10-inch basket pinched two to three times are ready in 10-12 weeks.

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Grower benefits: Multiple uses in combinations or specimen plant. Relatively easy to grow.