Cuphea Mexican Heather White Unrooted Cuttings

Cuphea Mexican Heather is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In warmer climates, it's considered a perennial but will still grow as an annual below zone 10. Cuphea is a great landscape or container plant. It has dense green foliage and small, colorful flowers. Cuphea may self-sow.

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General Growing Tips For Your Unrooted Cuttings

For best results with Cuphea Mexican Heather, we recommend using a well-drained soil with a balanced fertilizer on a constant feed program of 150-200 ppm N. Maintain a pH between 6.0 - 6.5. Cuphea may develop oedema and leaf yellowing if over-watered.

Your unrooted cuttings will arrive freshly cut. You will need to plant them immediately and begin a misting cycle to root the cuttings. This will leech the soil of nutrients, so during the propagation phase use a constant feed of 1/3 the normal recommended dosage of fertilizer until well rooted.

Pinching

We recommend that you pinch Mexican Heather White once about 10 days after transplanting to your final container.

Spacing

Cuphea Mexican Heather should be spaced adequately to allow airflow and light penetration between the foliage.

Height Control

No plant growth regulators are necessary.

Pests

Aphids, thrips, and whiteflies are the primary problem pests with Cuphea Mexican Heather.

Disease

Mexican Heather White are not prone to many diseases, but watch for botrytis while the days are short. This grey rot is usually associated with wet or humid conditions. You can prevent botrytis by allowing the plant to dry out between waterings, allowing for good airflow in your greenhouse, and spacing to allow the sun to penetrate to the soil level. The most common chemicals used to treat botrytis are Medallion and Banrot. Use them as a drench according to each label’s instructions.

Planting Mexican Heather White Liners

1. We recommend planting 5 starter plants per 10 inch basket. Use a well-drained soil in your baskets and plant your starter plants deep, allowing the ellepot to be completely covered by the soil. If you are planting 4” pots, 1 plant per pot should be sufficient. Plant it directly in the middle of your pot.
2. Pinch Mexican Heather White once about 10 days after transplanting to your final container.

Unrooted Cuttings

Cuttings vary in size between different plant families, but most can be described as tip cuttings (ivy are leaf-and-eye stem cuttings not tips) that stick nicely in small plug trays such as the 105-plug tray we use (some varieties are better suited for a 50 cell tray, i.e. Angelwing Begonia, Bougainvillea, Setcrecea, etc.). Please do not order unrooted cuttings unless you are an experienced propagator with mist systems and proper temperature control.

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