Snow Ball

CROP TIME

From planting to harvest 20 weeks

From pruning: 18 weeks.

STEM HEIGHT

80 cm

PLANTING DENSITY

6 Plants/m2 net. Plants are spaced in a quincunx pattern with 40 cms between plants.

PRE-PLANTING

Soil: Loose and well-drained soil, at least 25 cms deep.

pH: 5.5 to 6.5

Netting: 2-3 levels

EC: 0.8 to 1.2

PINCH

Pinch apex when plants have 8 pairs of leaves. Four days after pinch apply GA3 at 150 ppm. A second GA3 application can be done selectively 8 days after the first application to plants with delayed growth.

PRUNING

Low approx. 2 to 3 cms (1 to 2 in).

If no drip system is used, to prevent diseases it must be higher (at 5 cms).

It is advised to seal with fungicides to protect from diseases.

THINING AFTER PRUNING

5 weeks after pruning, shoot selection must be completed leaving 12 to 15 uniform shoots for bouquet use and 8 to 10 for high end full bunches. After selection, apply GA3 at 180 ppm.

IRRIGATION

Use overhead irrigation for the first week after planting. Then, switch to drip irrigation. Keep the soil at field capacity during the establishment of the plant.  Apply 4-5 L/day/m2 (according to environmental conditions).

Reduce irrigation to 2-3 L/day/m2 when the floral bud appears.

One week before pruning, stop irrigation and restart 1 week after pruning at 2 L/day/m2 and increasing it gradually up to 4-5 L/day/m2 as leaves appears.

HARVEST

When grown under greenhouse, harvest when 70 to 80% of the flowers are open.

When grown outside, harvest when 30% of the flowers are open followed by  5 to 7 days inside an opening chamber at a temperature of 76° F to 81°F and high relative humidity (50%-60%).  Clean scisors twice per bed with disinfecting solution (Timsen 2 g/L).

POST HARVEST TREATMENT

Water Parameters

Use citric acid to bring the pH down to 4.0.

EC: < 400 µS/ cm

Harvest at 70% -80% flower opening

Immediately after harvest, hydrate stems in STS  harvesting solution for 24 hours.

Harvesting Solution:  Chrysal  AVB: 1 ml/L; AVB Booster: 1 ml/L

Then hydrate in a Chrysal Profesional 2 solution at 6 ml/L for 12 hours in a cold room.

Harvest at 30% flower opening

Apply same harvesting solutions and conditions as above,  then place stems in a opening solution until desired floral opening  (50%-80%).

Openning Solution:  Chrysal OVB: 2 ml/L; Professional 3: 10 gr/L; Sugar: 30 g/L

Rplace the solution every 2 days. 

Opening Room Conditions:  Temp  ≤28 ° C and RH 50%

PESTS & DISEASES

•Leaf miner, Thrips, Powdery mildewTM, Mites