Pinta plant update#

These pests can do serious damage, so when the weather gets hot keep your eyes open and treat with an insecticidal soap or strong spray of water. Pentas are not generally vulnerable to diseases but they do attract both spider mites and aphids. The best time to give the plant a hard pruning is in the early spring when new leaves are emerging. Dead flower heads should also be snipped off.īy contrast to how they are managed during the growing season, perennial Pentas should not be cut back during the cold weather months when its blooms slow down or stop.

Though it can feel like a waste to cut off branches that are flowering, doing so will result in more blooms in a few weeks and will keep the shrub looking full. When allowed to grow unfettered the stems will grow tall and the tops will flop over, so the plants benefit from being pruned on a regular basis. Pruningīecause Pentas are subshrubs, the bottom section of the plant’s stems become woody while new growth remains tender and green. Green shoots will emerge in two to three weeks, and seedlings grown indoors will need to be hardened off by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before moving them into the garden. Remember, they require both light and dark to germinate, so seeds planted indoors should not be kept under grow lights 24 hours a day, and all seeds should be placed on the top of the soil and not covered.

Start seeds in individual cells and then transplant them into a small pot once they have developed two pairs of real leaves. If you want to plant Pentas from seed, you can do so indoors two months before the first frost or outdoors when the weather is consistently warm. Make sure to provide new plantings with plenty of water. In a few weeks roots will begin to grow and the plant will be ready to be transplanted. Place the new plant in an area that is protected from sun and wind, keeping the soil moist. Take a cutting from the parent plant early in the morning, stripping away leaves that are near the cut end, and any blossoms, and then dipping the cut end into rooting hormone before placing it in the prepared pot. To do so simply prepare small pots with a moistened mix of peat moss and perlite, making a hole in the planting medium with a pencil or chopstick. Pentas can be planted from seeds but they are remarkably easy to propagate from cuttings. The plant benefits from being fertilized in the spring with a slow release granular fertilizer and then followed every six weeks with a water soluble version that it can absorb quickly. After it is acclimated to its new location it will require little attention, only needing water when rainfall is sparse. When you first plant your Pentas keep its soil moist to allow the root system to become established. Pentas do very well as container plants and if you live in a cold weather area bring the Pentas inside and place it in a sunny spot over the winter months. Pentas do not tolerate the cold, so if frost is expected, they can be protected by covering them with a sheet or placing warming lights around them.

A couple inches of mulch at their base helps them hold onto their water and keeps weeds away. Pentas need enough room to reach their mature size of 15 inches wide and three to four feet high. They also do well in a shadier area but will produce fewer blooms and will grow leggy as they reach for the sun. Whether your garden is in a warm weather area where the Pentas thrive as a perennial, or a colder zone, where it grows as an annual, choose a sunny spot with well drained, mildly acidic soil.

Pinta plant update#

By Jo Cosgrove | Ecological Gardener, Horticulturist, and Educator – last update on December 2, 2021