Combo Chef: Dazzling jewel tones

Ball Horticultural Co. designed an alluring combination with lantana ‘Landmark Sunrise Rose’ in the center surrounded by talinum ‘Limon’, musa ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ as the backdrop and iresine ‘Purple Lady’ spilling over the edge of the container.

Musa perform best in a peat-based mix with good aeration and water-holding capacity. Maintain a pH of 5.5-6.2. Plants grow best between 60°F-90°F.

Musa prefer light levels of full sun to 30-percent shade, and light levels no less than 2,500 footcandles.

Keep the growing medium evenly moist, not saturated, and do not allow medium to dry between watering. Apply a slow-release fertilizer or constant feed at a rate of 200-300 parts per million nitrogen. Excess fertilizer can cause leaf tips and margins to burn.

Talinum ‘Limon’ requires a well-drained, soilless medium with a pH of 5.5-6.2.

Maintain night temperature of 62°F-66°F and day temperatures of 66°F-74°F. Growing under slightly shaded conditions will result in lighter lime-colored foliage. Too much shade will stretch plants.

Do not allow plants to wilt. Feed with 175-225 ppm nitrogen once a week from a nitrate-form fertilizer with low phosphorus. Plant growth regulators and pinching are not required.

Lantana ‘Landmark Sunrise Rose’ grows best in a well-drained, soilless medium with a pH of 5.8-6.2. Maintain light levels higher than 5,000 footcandles. Low light levels promote stem stretch and poor flowering.

Night temperatures should remain at 62°F-68°F and days at 75°F-85°F.

During the first 10 to 14 days, water the medium sparingly. Feed with 200-250 ppm nitrogen at every watering. Pinch plants one to three times. Do not apply Florel within eight weeks of sale.

Iresine ‘Purple Lady’ grows best in a well-drained, soilless medium with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Monitor light levels -- lower levels result in bronze-green foliage while higher light levels result in deeper purple foliage, but may also cause puckered leaves.

Allow the medium to dry slightly between waterings. Feed once a week with 150 to 200 ppm nitrogen. Red foliage is a sign that the plants are underfed.

Maintain temperatures of 62°F-65°F at night and 65°F-75°F during the day.

For more: Ball Horticultural Co., (630) 588-3457; www.ballhort.com.

- Kelli Rodda

Recipe

a. Musa ‘Dwarf Cavendish’

b. Talinum ‘Limon’

c. Lantana ‘Landmark Sunrise Rose’

d. Iresine ‘Purple Lady’

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August 2008