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perennial solutions
Campanula persicifolia
‘Takion Blue’
By Paul Pilon
This bellfl ower, a seed-propagated F1 hybrid, is a garden stunner with long, narrow leaves and upward-facing blue-violet fl owers.
B
Photos: American Takii, Inc.
ellfl owers have long been a favorite peren- nial of gardeners, landscapers and com- mercial growers. There
are numerous species in produc- tion, each offering a different set of characteristics and uses. Campanula persicifolia has
historically been
used as a cut fl ower or backdrop in landscape settings as it com- monly reaches 2-4 feet tall while blooming. American Takii, Inc. (www.takii.
com) recently introduced an out- standing F1 hybrid called ‘Takion Blue’, a genetically compact variety that produces an abundance of lav- ender-blue fl owers. Like other peach- leafed bellfl ower cultivars, the leaves are long and narrow, resembling those of the peach tree. This dwarf cultivar reaches 16 to 20 inches when in bloom and produces multiple fl ow- ering branches in the late spring and into the summer. One of the most notable attributes of ‘Takion Blue’ is that its fl owers are held facing up and out — while many varieties’ are dangling or facing down — which reveals their richly colored 2- to 2½ - inch wide blooms.
Campanula persicifolia performs
well throughout USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8 and AHS Heat Zones 9 to 1. With its compact growing habit and showy blooms, ‘Takion Blue’ can be grown in patio pots, mixed containers or as houseplants; in the garden, it is used as an accent plant, in border plantings or as cut fl owers. Its fl ower power and ease
34 GPN May 2010
of production make ‘Takion Blue’ ideal for many commercial peren- nial growers and a show stopper in the garden center.
Propagation
Campanula ‘Takion Blue’ is an
F1 hybrid propagated from seed. The seeds are small and may be dif- fi cult to handle; sow multiple seeds per cell. Do not cover the seed with germination mix or vermiculite after sowing, as they require light for germination. Moisten the seed fl ats and move them into a warm environment where temperatures can be maintained at 66-70° F for germination. It is benefi cial to ger- minate campanula in a chamber where you can maintain uniform moisture levels and temperatures. Seedlings typically emerge
within seven to 10 days of sowing. Reduce moisture levels after ger- mination, allowing the growing medium to dry out slightly before watering. Fertilizers are usu- ally applied once the true leaves are present, applying 100-ppm nitrogen every third irrigation or 50 ppm with every irrigation, using a balanced, water-soluble source. It takes six to seven weeks for plugs grown at 65° F in 288-cell trays to reach a transplantable size.
Production
‘Takion Blue’ is suitable for
production in medium-sized con- tainers; 5-inch to gallon pots work well. Campanula performs
when grown in a moist, well- best
drained medium with a slightly acidic pH of 5.5-6.0. Most commer- cially available peat- or bark-based growing mixes work well, provided there is adequate drainage. For best quality, grow in production facilities with high light intensities. When planting, take care to not bury the crown of the plant too deeply. After potting, the original soil line of the plug should be even with the sur- face of the growing medium of the new container. Planting them too deeply will lead to crop variability and losses. Campanula can be grown using
light to moderate fertility levels. Growers using water-soluble fertil- izers apply 75- to 100-ppm nitrogen with every irrigation or use 200 ppm as needed. Before planting, controlled-release fertilizers can be incorporated at a rate equivalent to 1.0 pound of elemental nitrogen per yard of growing medium or applied as a top-dress onto the media surface using the medium recommended rate on the fertilizer label. The roots can be sensitive to high fer- tility levels, especially under warm growing conditions; maintain low fertility levels under unseasonably warm production temperatures. Grow plants under average irrigation regimes;
‘Takion Blue’
does not tolerate wet or overly dry growing conditions. When irriga- tion is necessary, water them thor- oughly then allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. You may need to increase the leach frac- tion under warm temperatures to
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