Lisianthus

March 20, 2023

Life Cycle	Annual
Zone 5 Treatment	Plant out 3-4 weeks before last frost (can handle down to 20 degrees F)
Seedling Care	Transplant within 2 weeks of receiving otherwise the roots can get too crowded and harm the overall health of the plant.
Netting / Staking	Yes
Temperature Range They Will Tolerate	20-95 degrees F
Spacing/Height	6” spacing18”-24” height
Soil Preference	Nutrient rich, break up heavy clay soils and amend with compost to allow better root potential
How to cut for maximum blooms	Harvest when one flower is fully covered (example: when a white lisi is fully white without any green tinting). Flowers do not need to be fully open, they will continue to open after cutting. Cut deeply into the plant, always above a leaf set, almost at ground level, to ensure production of more stems. You can also remove the first bud to allow several blooms to open before cutting. By cutting right when the flowers are ready I have found that I get a second flush, although shorter stems, in late summer/fall!
Pinching	Will produce more, but shorter stems per plant. I prefer not to pinch to get the impressive stem length.
When to Plant if you are NOT in Zone 5	2-4 weeks before your last frost. Cover if going to be below 20 degrees F
Post Harvest Care	Extremely long lasting and low maintenance. Will last longer with flower food, but they do fine in regular water too. Take off all of the leaves and foliage. Leaves and foliage of any cut flower should never be submerged underwater because they decay quickly in water and cause a fast build up of bacteria.
Diseases / Insects	Fusarium root rot – you’ll notice a gradual loss of leaf color, tan leaf flecks, browning of leaf veins, and ultimately browning of the stem and wilting of the whole plant happens. Treatment: dipping the roots in an organic fungicide as you are transplanting helps prevent it. If the plant contracts fusarium root rot, there is no cure and you have to dig up and throw it out to prevent spread.
Sweet Pea’s Notes	The fact that lisianthus can take such harsh weather conditions on both ends of the spectrum make it one of my favorite cutting flowers. Getting them started from seed is the hardest part. After that, they are hardy, keep producing all year as long as you cut, and give giant, super romantic, focal flowers for any occasions.
Vase Life	10-14 days, sometimes longer!