• Sutera (Bacopa) hybrida Betty®

    Crop Culture Report: Sutera (Bacopa) hybrida  Betty®

    Production Seasons: Spring and Fall
    Customer Use: Mixed Containers
    Garden Height: 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 cm) Garden Width: 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm)

    Crop planning from cell packs:
    Pot size: Plants per pot (pp) Crop Time (weeks)
    4” (10 cm) 1 pp 5 to 6

    Temperature: 58°-70° F (15°-21°C). Sutera responds best to cool ambient temperatures.

    Media & pH: Optimum pH for Sutera is 5.6 to 5.9 with an EC level below 1.0. Periodic leaching will help maintain low EC levels. Allow soil to slightly dry between irrigations. Media kept too dry will result in bud abortion and an extended period of lack of flowering. However, do not maintain consistently wet media or root rot may develop. Yellow foliage, similar to Fe or Mn deficiency symptoms, are a sign that media is kept too moist. Elevated pH’s will also cause yellowing and interveinal chlorosis.

    Fertilizer Requirements: 100 to 200 ppm N using a balanced feed to maintain color of foliage. Low Ammonium feeds will help control soft growth under lower light conditions. Include a Micro element source as part of fertilizer solution. Additional Iron (Fe) or Manganese (Mn) in feed may be necessary to maintain color of foliage. Remember to periodically leach to decrease salt levels, especially if feeding upwards of 200 ppm.

    Pinching Requirement: Pinch once or twice after transplant to help branching.

    Light: Medium to medium-high. Low light levels result in poor branching, stem stretch and reduced flowering. Light shading under extreme greenhouse heat conditions will help promote higher quality plants. Keep light intensities at 4,000 to 8,000 f.c. (40000 to 80000 Lux).

    Growth Regulators: Use high light and moderate temperatures to control growth.

    Pests/Disease: Insects: Aphids, thrips, whitefly, fungus gnats.
    Botrytis, Rhizoctonia, Pythium.
    Preventative drenches /sprays are recommended for crop.