Products
Eustoma (Lisianthus)
This is one of the newer flower species with a relatively large volume in the world market. In India, the market for Eustoma is still in a nascent stage.
Although introduced into Europe from USA (Nebraska and Louisiana) in 1835 as a garden plant, it was not until the 1980s that it was developed into a cut-flower, thanks to improved breeding results mainly from Japan. Nowadays there is a large choice of colours in different shades and combinations.
There is a lot of enthusiasm in the Indian market for this product; the flower has a stem 50 to 70 cms long and carries 5 to 7 flowers per stem. There is also a good export market. The Dutch auction alone trades about 12 million stems a month; 4 million single-flowered and 8 million double-flowered varieties.
The Eustoma varieties propagated by Bangalore Plants First are from the breeders Miyoshi and Sakata from Japan and Combination b.v. from The Netherlands.
Plant characteristics
The Eustoma is a strong flower with a good vaselife and well resistant towards transport damage.
Seeds of the Eustoma are very small and delicate. A nursery with high professional standards is required for the germination and after care during the long period of plant development to produce homogenous plants of good quality. Therefore production is often undertaken by companies specialized in this field. Plants are sometimes imported from European countries to obtain homogeneous and healthy plant material.
Plant material
Bangalore Plants First has invested the better part of two years in testing and trial growing of several Eustoma varieties. As a result, we have a high rate of success in the production of homogeneous and healthy plant material.
Bangalore Plants First hand-seeds Eustoma in sterile cocopeat, using 220 cavity trays, under precisely controlled environmental conditions. Our crop handling and fertilizer schedules are designed to produce strong Eustoma plants in 8 to 10 weeks. We offer our clients the opportunity to decide on the size of the plants to be delivered. Delivery takes place in seeding trays. Roots are well developed and the plant is in full growth. The plant essentially continues this growth after transplantation to the grower´s premises. A range of colours is offered.
Cultivation
Bangalore Plants First offers technical assistance before and after plant delivery to help the grower in a successful flower production. Cultivation takes place in greenhouses or in net-houses and requires full attention and precise control of soil humidity and climate conditions. Because of Eustoma´s sensitivity to foot diseases, good hygiene is mandatory. Full information and cultivation programs are given before plant delivery to handle these important issues.