Overview:

Lisianthus are one of Phoenix's best-kept secrets! These flowers take the heat, and will actually last a few years with proper care. Dwarf lisianthus are relatively new to the market, and they are coming out with better and better varieties every year.

Adventure Level

2/5

Starting seeds:

I do not recommend starting these seeds indoors. But if you are feeling adventurous, start them inside under grow light sometime in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The are slow to start and usually have a 50-60% germination rate. surface sow two seeds per cell and lightly top with fine vermiculite. These seeds are prone to dampening off so make sure that they get good airflow post-germination.

When to plant outdoors:

You can plant lisianthus any time of the year, but I recommend either planting in the fall or the spring. Fall-planted lisianthus will bloom the following summer. Spring-planted lisianthus will bloom that same summer. Lisianthus like to get established when soil temperatures are still below 70 degrees, so don’t wait for to long to plant them in the spring. If you plant too late, do not fear, they may not bloom that year, but will the following year.

Pinching:

Pinch the enter growth of the plant when it starts to elongate. This will allow the plant to send up side shoots so you can get 3-5 bloom stalks per plant. I usually pinch my plants 1-4 weeks after planting depending on the plug.

Spacing:

3-4” apart

Sun:

Full sun, 6 or more hours per day.

Water:

Lisianthus like consistent moisture. Make sure they dry out between watering to avoid root rot. When watering try not to get the foliage wet. Containers are watered 2x per day during the hottest months in Phoenix. In-ground they are watered every day.

Flower Support:

not needed for dwarf varieties

Fertilizing:

Lisianthus are heavy feeders, feed them consistently with a weekly liquid fertilizer. In the summer we are watering plants a lot more and nutrients get leached out of the soil more quickly. This means that we need to be applying fertilizer on a more consistent basis to make for the constant leaching.

Succession plant?

I do not typically plant many successions. I like to plant all my dwarf lisianthus in March and April.

Post-summer care:

After the summer the plants can be cut back and left alone. Trim back any dead or diseased stems and keep on keeping an eye on it throughout the winter. Make sure that they aren’t getting too much water during this time as they can be susceptible to rot. Once you see new growth emerging in late February / early March, give it a good feeding and wait for them to green up.

Soucing:

It’s typically really hard to find lisianthus at nurseries around the valley let alone dwarf varieties. Source these from local growers such as myself.

Favorite Varieties:

Florida blue- single blue

Julietta blue- double blue- on the shorter side

Carmen series