Combo Chef: White wedding

Proven Winners created this sophisticated, all-white combination to appeal to brides. Potted plants make an excellent choice for weddings in place of, or paired with cut flowers. Euphorbia Diamond Frost flutters around the large flowers of calibrachoa Superbells White.

Diamond Frost grows best in high light levels at temperatures between 60°F-70°F. It’s a moderate feeder at 150-200 parts per million. Maintain a growing medium pH between 5.8 and 6.2 and keep the medium moist. Finish time for a 4- or 5-inch plant is six to eight weeks. Finish time for a 6- or 8-inch plant is eight to 10 weeks. Diamond Frost is a tropical euphorbia. Do not confuse this with other temperate selections.

Shearing the plants is better than pinching, especially under lower light. Do not apply Florel, it will defoliate the plants.

Superbells White calibrachoa grows best in a peat-based growing medium blended slightly with bark and perlite. Maintain a pH of 5.5-5.8. A constant feed of 200-250 ppm nitrogen promotes fast growth and a lush green color. If stretching occurs, reduce ammonium levels. Do not stress plants by allowing them to wilt heavily.

Once plants are rooted out and starting to fill out the pot, maintain day and night temperatures of 63°F-65°F to slow growth and harden off the plants. High light levels -- at least 5,000 footcandles -- promote compactness and accelerate calibrachoa’s natural branching. Use a negative DIF to finish the crop by running days at 55°F and nights at 62°F-65°F. Harden off Superbells outdoors in spring. Superbells tolerate a mild frost around 28°F.

Use Florel at 500 ppm on the 4-inch and 4 1/2-inch Superbells White plants and do not pinch.

Production

Diamond Frost euphorbia: High light levels; temperatures from 60°F-70°F; growing medium pH 5.8-6.2; moderate fertilizer at 150-200 ppm; keep medium moist; no pinch necessary; shearing works best under lower light levels.

Superbells White calibrachoa: For rooted plants, keep day and night temperatures at 63°F-65°F; pH 5.5-5.8; 5,000 footcandles promotes compactness; harden off Superbells outdoors in spring; use Florel at 500 ppm on 4-inch plants; do not pinch.

For more: Proven Winners, (877) 895-8138; www.pwcertified.com/grower.

Recipe

a. Calibrachoa Superbells White

b. Euphorbia Diamond Frost

- Kelli Rodda

May 2008

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