Lantana Care for the Commercial Grower

Is this your first time growing Lantana in your commercial greenhouse? Your customers will love its long-blooming vibrant flowers, adaptability, and heat tolerance.

Our Lantana rooted liners arrive ready to be transplanted into your final containers. Follow the tips in this short guide on Lantana care to successfully finish and sell your starter plants. 

Learn: 

• The basics of transplanting and finishing Lantana rooted plugs
• How to time your starter plants
• Pointers for coaching your customers to succeed in growing their new plants

Care: Growing Lantana in Your Greenhouse

Plant one rooted plug in the center of each 4- or 6-inch container in well-drained soil. Lantana makes a lovely hanging basket for front porches or a colorful addition to mixed containers. Provide adequate space between containers for airflow and sunlight penetration around the base and foliage of each plant. 

Pinch your starter plants once at transplant and control growth with a paclobutrazol drench of 1-2 ppm if needed.

Maintain a daytime temperature of 73-75℉ and a nighttime temperature of 65-68℉. Do not allow the temperature to drop below 55℉. Lantana is day-neutral.

Lantana requires light feed, 100-150 ppm N. Maintain an EC of 1.0-1.2 and a pH of 5.8-6.2. 

Scout for aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and leafminers. Look for signs of botrytis and root rot, and take preventative measures against pests and diseases in your commercial greenhouse. 

1. Space containers so air and light reach the base and foliage of each plant. 
2. Provide sufficient airflow in your greenhouse. Horizontal airflow fans may help with air circulation.
3. Water early in the day, at the base of each plant, to keep the leaves dry and to allow the soil to dry out before nightfall. Do not allow for standing water. Use well-drained soil for transplanting.

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that cause damage by sucking sap from plant tissue. They reproduce quickly and are particularly attracted to young growth. Curling and yellowed leaves, stunted growth, and stickiness on leaves are signs of an infestation. These insects also spread diseases and reproduce rapidly. Use biological controls or horticultural oils to discourage and kill aphids.

Leafminers are small, fly-like insects that lay eggs on plant leaves. Larvae burrow into the leaves and create tunnels, damaging plant foliage. Address leafminer infestations with insecticides like spinosad or imidacloprid or with biological controls like parasitic wasps. Prevent them by maintaining a sanitary greenhouse free of debris and removing and destroying infested plants as you regularly scout for pests. Carefully follow label instructions for any insecticides.

Thrips are tiny insects that eat plant tissue and can transmit viruses. Watch for silvery-white streaks or black spots on foliage and distorted growth. Use natural predators (like predatory mites), insecticidal soap, neem oil, and sticky traps to control infestations and prevent spread.

Whiteflies are small, winged insects that eat plant sap and cause yellowed leaves and stunted growth. Severe infestations can lead to plants dying. Prevent infestations by sanitizing surfaces and tools and removing debris. Introduce natural predators and use sticky traps to control populations. Insecticidal soaps and oils are also effective against this pest.

Root Rot occurs in poorly drained or overly wet soil, which becomes the host for several types of fungi. It causes stunted growth, wilting, and root system decay. Prevention is the best treatment, and you will avoid most root rot problems by using clean, well-draining media, appropriate containers, and good watering practices for finishing seedling plugs. Inspect plants for signs of disease regularly. Repot infected plants in well-draining soil, adjust your watering schedule, provide better airflow, and use a fungicide if needed.

Botrytis is a common fungal disease that causes brown spots on stems, leaves, and flowers. Remove and destroy affected plants, maintain appropriate humidity levels, and apply fungicides with boscalid, fenhexamid, or iprodione to control the spread. Water plants in the morning and allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.

Starter Plant Timing

For 4- and 6-inch containers, start one plug per container 5-9 weeks before you’ll make them available to customers. How early to transplant will depend on the specific Lanta.

Varieties of Lantana

We offer about 60 varieties of Lantana, half patented and half non-patented. Patented plants are often superior in habit and color quality but include royalty fees and require tags. Non-patented plants are free to propagate and tend to be less expensive. Each category offers a wide range of colors, and Lantana typically grows in an upright, mounding, or trailing habit.

Flowers vary in color: white, pink, red, orange, yellow, and purple. Many Lantana blooms are multicolored, and foliage varies among cultivars from mint to lime or dark green. For non-patented varieties, propagate new plants from stem cuttings grown in a rooting medium.

How Your Customers Can Use Lantana

Are customers looking for a fast, easy way to add color to a patio, garden, or landscape border? They need to look no further than versatile and vibrant Lantana! Perfect for hanging baskets, mixed containers, and landscape borders, these plants offer a spreading or upright habit with long-lasting and brightly colored flower clusters. With so many variegated and single-color blooms to grow, this plant brings elegant texture to any landscape. Lantana is a favorite among customers, butterflies, and hummingbirds, who love its easy care and long-blooming flowers.

Make the most of your garden by planting Lantana alongside other stunning plants such as Canna, Mandevilla, Hibiscus, Angelonia, Penta, and Salvia.

Coach customers to space plants 16-30” apart, depending on which variety they choose to grow, in well-drained soil and full sun. Water Lantana about once a week or more often in hot or dry weather. 

Lantana is typically a tender perennial, evergreen to zone 7, although some varieties are less cold-hardy. Lantana also flourishes as an annual in any region. 

Enjoy the benefits of attractive, low-maintenance Lantana as part of your commercial greenhouse selection!