1

CUT FLOWER VARIETY TRIAL RESULTS 2007

H.C. WIEN, Department of Horticulture Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The 2007 growing season had rainfall close to normal, and temperatures milder than normal in September and October, allowing for an extended harvest season in the fall. Ageratum: A productive species with attractive flowers, shows increased stem length and earliness in the high tunnel compared to the field. Horizon Blue was the most attractive. Dianthus: Fandango Crimson produced early yield of attractive flowers with medium stem length, was best in the trial. Amazon Neon Purple was noteworthy for its long stems and bright purple flowers. Larkspur: The Cannes series (Takii) was relatively early, and could be transplanted into the tunnel. Flowers were attractive and lasted about 6 days in the vase. Lisianthus: The ABC series from PanAmerican continues to produce attractive double flowers with long stems. ABC Lavender is productive in an interesting color. Several lines from Sakata broaden the range of variation in flower size and shape: the Fioretti lines have sprays of small flowers; the Ruffle series make a single flower look double; Wonderous Light Brown is an attractive caramel color. Pumpkin-on-a-Stick and Ornamental Pepper: Both represent a different approach to fall bouquets: instead of using flowers in the vase, the stem with ripe fruits attached is the attraction. In Pumpkin-on-a-Stick, a spineless green stemmed variety from Harris is preferable; among the peppers, several are interesting. Salvia: The Salvia coccinea varieties tested all had the weakness of dropping their florets within 4 days of anthesis, making for a messy display. S. farinacea Gruppenblau and S. viridis Marble Arch Mix have smaller florets, and their bracts are longer-lived, giving improved vase life. Scabiosa: The varieties tested took more than 100 days to flower, but then produced a profusion of blooms for the rest of the summer. ‘Black Knight’ and ‘Qis Mixture’ were both attractive and worth using in bouquets. Statice: The trial was only planted in the field, but none of the varieties were wholly satisfactory. Stock: This was a successful crop in an early planting in the tunnel. The Mambo series is early, but produces about 50% single flowers. ‘Cheerful Yellow’ is nearly all double, and also early. Sunflower: We tested a number of Procut lines from Seed Sense, and in comparison to others, found many to be productive and attractive. My particular favorites include Procut Orange, Procut Yellow Lite, Procut Peach and Procut Peach Blush. Zinnia: In the small variety trial, the standards in the Benary Giant series were taller and more productive than Zowie Yellow Flame.

2

Acknowledgements: The excellent technical assistance of Liza White, supervisor and assistants Martha Gioumousis, Teddy Bucien and Liz Stuprich is gratefully acknowledged. Graduate student Joyous Tata also assisted. I am also grateful for the donations of seed and of vegetative liners from the following companies: Ball Floral Plant, Gloeckner, Goldsmith, Harris, Johnny’s, Kieft, PanAmerican, Proven Winners, Sakata, Seed Sense and Takii. INTRODUCTION: The 2007 cut flower variety trials were conducted at the East Ithaca Gardens, both in the field, and in the high tunnel. Some accessions came from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers national variety trials, while others were obtained by direct request from seed companies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The field trials were conducted on an Arkport sandy loam soil, to which compost had been added in November 2006 to a depth of about 2 in.. During spring land preparation a 20-10-10 fertilizer was applied on the field at a rate of 50 lbs/A N and disked in. The high tunnel is situated in the adjacent field of the same soil type, and has had compost additions in 2004 and 2005, and in Nov. 2006. It also received 50 lbs/A N from a 20-10-10 fertilizer prior to application of black plastic on the soil beds. Prior to planting of the fall crops in the tunnel, soil in the beds was tilled and 50 lbs/A N was raked in using calcium nitrate.. The same rate of nitrogen sidedressing was applied on an as-needed basis in the field beds up to twice during the growing season. Beds were constructed in the field and in the tunnel on 5 ft. centers, ca. 5 in. high and 40 in. wide at the top. Two trickle irrigation lines were placed on the surface under the 5 ft wide black polyethylene mulch. The trickle lines were placed between plants 1 and 2, and between plants 3 and 4 across the bed, when a 9 x 9 in. spacing was used. Plants for the variety trials were started from seed in seedling trays in Metromix artificial soil mix, at recommended temperatures for the species. The time of sowing was adjusted to assume access to the tunnel in the third week of April, and outdoors a month later. Except where noted, spacing was a staggered grid of 4 rows, with 9 in. between plants and rows. There were usually 20 plants in each subplot, and 2 replications in both the tunnel and outdoor experiments. Plots in the tunnel were irrigated weekly all season long. The outdoor plots required some irrigation in August, but little the rest of the season, given the good rainfall distribution of the summer (Fig. 2). Stems were harvested at the recommended maturity stage for the species, and stem lengths were determined for each stem. Repeated harvests were made as needed, often at weekly or greater frequency. No fungicide or insect control chemical was applied to any of the trials in 2006. Weeds in the walkways were controlled by shielded sprays of Roundup, applied before the weeds became large.

3

April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

Air T

empe

ratu

re, F

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

200730-yr. ave.

Fig. 1. Air temperature during the growing season of 2007 at Ithaca, compared to the 30-year average. Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center, Ithaca. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Climatic conditions in the 2007 growing season were nearly ideal, with seasonal temperatures close to normal, and warmer than normal in September and October (Fig. 1). Rainfall was also evenly distributed during the middle and late parts of the season (Fig. 2).

4

April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

Rai

nfal

l, in

.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

200730-yr. ave.

Fig. 2. Rainfall month-by-month at Ithaca during the 2007 growing season, compared to the 30-year average. Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center. AGERATUM The Ageratum variety trials were planted in both tunnel and field, but the tunnel trial had to be removed before all stems could be harvested, because the space was needed for other trials. The high tunnel trial was sown on March 13; the field trial on April 2. Plants were transplanted to tunnel and field on April 26 and May 11, respectively, spaced at 12 x 12 in. spacings in two replications. Table 1 . Stem length, yield and first harvest dates (days after sowing) for three varieties of Ageratum grown in both tunnel and field in 2007.

Stem length, cm Stems per plant First harvest date Name and (Source) Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside

Horizon Blue (Harris) 41 39 13 26 69 84 White Bouquet (Johnny’s) 54 45 11 29 81 84

Red Top 47 39 19 41 74 84

5

Fig. 3. Ageratum ‘Horizon Blue’ in foreground, with the other two varieties further back, in the high tunnel trial.

The Ageratum varieties grew vigorously in both locations, and were productive (Table 1). Yields could have been higher, particularly in the high tunnel, where the plants were removed in early July. As with many species, Ageratum showed longer stems and earlier harvest in the tunnel compared to the field. In addition, flowers of White Bouquet in the field showed a brown discoloration, presumably because of fungal infection that did not happen in the high tunnel. Plants of all varieties tended to become brittle and show stem breakage in cool conditions, in both tunnel and outside. Of the three colors, the medium blue of Horizon Blue was most attractive, although these plants had slightly shorter stems than the other two varieties (Fig. 3). Ageratum appears to be a generally trouble-free, productive cut flower species that is well adapted to both high tunnel and field production. DIANTHUS: The Dianthus trial was sown on March 13, and transplanted to the field on May 9. There were four varieties, but one, Fenbow Nutmeg Clove (Thompson and Morgan), failed to flower and was presumed to require a cold period for flower induction. Subsequent cold storage and greenhouse tests confirmed that suspicion. The other three behaved as annuals.

6

Stem length in the trial was relatively short, but plants were quite productive, especially ‘Fandango Crimson’. This variety was also significantly earlier than the other two lines, and is worth testing some more. ‘Amazon Neon Purple’ was not as productive, but had significantly longer stems, good vase life and a striking color. Table 2. Dianthus variety trial planted in the field in 2007. These Sweet Williams types were planted at 9 x 9 in. spacing.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm Stems per plant

First harvest date, DAS

Fandango Crimson (Goldsmith) 30 35 74 Amazon Neon Purple (Harris) 34 16 111

Sweet Mix 31 17 83

Fig. 4. Dianthus variety trial. Picture taken in mid-July, with ‘Sweet Mix’ in foreground, ‘Fandango’ next, and ‘Amazon Neon Purple’ just starting to flower.

7

LARKSPUR (CONSOLIDA): The trial was conducted only in the high tunnel, with seeds sown on March 19 and refrigerated for two weeks before placing the seedling trays in the greenhouse on April 2. Seeds were sown in 144 cell trays, and transplanted to a 6 x 6 in. spacing with 5 rows per bed on May 2. Table 3. Stem length and harvest date of six larkspur varieties grown in the high tunnel in spring, 2007. Each plant produced only one stem.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm First harvest date Cannes Crystal Pink (Takii) 82 June 20 Cannes Deep Blue 72 June 15

Cannes Purple Picotee 84 June 16 Cannes Rose Stripe 71 June 14

Chorus Violet (Gloeckner) 80 June 28 Giant Imperial Frosted Skies 69 June 20 The Cannes varieties were quite similar in stem length and growth duration, and produced attractive flower spikes that lasted more than a week in the vase. In contrast, Giant Imperial Frosted Skies was already dropping petals in five days, although its initial appearance was also attractive. Chorus Violet has a determinate flower habit, but at the 6 x 6 in. spacing, branch growth was inhibited. It would be more productive if grown at 9 x 9 in. spacing and pinched at ca. node 7. In conclusion, the Cannes series are definitely worth another look. LISIANTHUS (EUSTOMA GRANDIFLORA) Extensive variety trialing of lisianthus in 2007 was stimulated by a large number of entries into the ASCFG national trials. The largest number of varieties was supplied by Sakata Seed Company, but since many packets contained seed whose pellet coating had been rubbed off, seed had to be resown at a later date. The first trial, for both high tunnel and the field, was sown on Feb. 2, and transplanted to the tunnel on May 2, and to the field May 9. The second trial was sown March 1, and transplanted to the tunnel May 29, and to the field May 14. A 9 x 9 in. spacing was used in all trials, with two replications. In the early trial, plants tended to be taller in the tunnel than outside, and to produce more stems (Table 4). The varieties submitted by PanAmerican had large, double flowers on tall stems. ABC Lavender was especially productive, and had an attractive color (Fig. 5). ‘Mariachi Carmine’ was also attractive, but with shorter stem. ABC 2-3 Green had weak stems, and required support, as in the 2006 trial (Fig. 6). The varieties submitted by Sakata featured several new characteristics: single flowers with ruffled petals, making the flowers seem fuller than they actually were (Fig. 7), and the Fioretti lines, on which the individual flowers were much smaller, but there were many more of them. The Fioretti lines tended to become unattractive in the field planting after a rain. The stems

8

on these plants also tended to be significantly shorter than other varieties in the trial (Fig. 8). In addition, a new flower color was introduced with ‘Wonderous Light Brown’, although ‘caramel’ might be a more accurate description (Fig. 9). Unfortunately, there was considerable color variation in this line among the plants, and also during the season. Early and late in the harvest season the plants tended to be most attractive. In general, the ‘Wonderous’, ‘Ruffle’ and ‘Fioretti’ lines were productive, but lacked the stem length of the hitherto standard lines. They represent interesting developments that increase the range of flower characteristics available in lisianthus. Table 4. Early lisianthus variety trial, sown in the greenhouse Feb. 2, planted in the high tunnel on May 5 and outside on May 9 in two replications.

Stem length, cmz Stems per plant First harvest date Name and (Source) Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside

ABC 1-3 White (PanAmer) 53 46 6.4 5.0 157 166 ABC White GX12444 51 38 6.2 4.7 160 174

ABC Lavender GX91863 56 42 8.0 4.6 162 179 ABC 2-3 Green 60 50 6.6 3.5 168 178

Mariachi Carmine (Sakata) 41 (38) 7.0 (4.8) 171 (153) Wonderous Purple 51 (44) 9.7 (7.8) 158 (145)

Fioretti Yellow 36 (32) 6.2 (4.8) 157 (143) Ruffle Blue 41 32 8.7 5.6 152 162

Echo Champagne (Johnny’s) 52 40 7.0 3.2 159 168 Cinderella Pink 56 42 7.2 3.0 159 174

zValues in brackets from plants sown March 1 and transplanted outdoors May 14.

9

Fig. 5 (left). Lisianthus ABC Lavender GX91863, growing in the high tunnel in the 2007 early trial. Fig. 6 (above). ABC 2-3 Green lisianthus,

lodging in the high tunnel early trial. Table 5. Late lisianthus trial with varieties from Sakata Seed Co. Seeds were sown on March 1 and transplanted on May 14 in the field and May 29 in the high tunnel.

Stem length, cm Stems per plant First harvest date Name and (Source) Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside

Wonderous Light Brown (Sakata)

47 41 5.9 6.2 139 140

Fioretti Green 37 36 5.7 6.0 140 146 Fioretti White 40 36 5.1 5.3 154 151 Ruffle Yellow 42 40 6.4 6.6 136 138 Ruffle Green 48 43 6.8 7.2 146 148

10

Fig. 7(left). Ruffle Green, a new lisianthus variety from Sakata. Fig. 8 (above). Fioretti Green in the late field trial, in front of ABC 1-3 White, showing the difference in plant and flower size.

Fig. 9. Wonderous Light Brown in the late field trial, a new flower color for lisianthus.

11

ORNAMENTAL PEPPER AND PUMPKIN-ON-A-STICK: Trials were conducted both in the high tunnel and in the field. Seeds for both were sown on April 17, with field transplanting on May 30, and due to space constraints in the tunnel, not until June 22 in that location. Plants were spaced 12 x 12 in. in 3 rows in both locations. Table 6. Length of harvested stems, yield and first harvest date of five ornamental pepper varieties, and two varieties of Pumpkin-on-a-Stick (Solanum integrifolium), grown outside and in a high tunnel.

Stem length, cmz Stems per plant First harvest date Name and (Source) Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside Tunnel Outside

Cappa Conic White/Red (Kieft)

61 47 5.3 5.6 Oct. 3 Oct. 5

Cappa Conic Topfruit 46 44 4.8 4.4 Oct. 15 Oct. 5 Cappa Round Red 68 54 4.6 4.2 Oct. 30 Oct. 22

On Top Round Red (Gloeckner)

63 60 6.9 8.2 Oct. 13 Oct. 1

Nippon Taka (Johnny’s) 55 39 6.6 5.2 Oct. 22 Oct. 6 Pumpkin-on-a-Stick

(Gloeckner) 88 66 2.6 2.6 Oct. 22 Oct. 2

Pumpkin-on-a-Stick (Harris) 90 79 1.8 3.1 Oct. 30 Oct. 20 In this trial, three new varieties from Kieft were being compared to others that we had tried before. Of the new ones, Cappa Conic White/Red appeared the most promising, with good plant stature, attractive conical fruit that are white when immature, ripening to red. Fruits are well spaced on the stem, and basal branches are longer than the main stem. Fruits are pungent. Cappa Conic Topfruit has a shorter plant, with fruit clustered at the branch tips. Fruit color and size are similar to the previous variety. Cappa Round Red had medium green blunt cone-shaped fruits that ripened to red. Plants were late and tall, and fruits were susceptible to abscission once they had become ripe. On Top Round Red has small round fruit that are black when immature, ripening to a reddish-brown. Plants are tall and productive. Nippon Taka bears a cluster of elongated pointed fruits at the tips of the branches that turn from green to red. Plants are productive, but branches are relatively short, especially under field conditions. The Gloeckner POAS (Pumpkin-on-a Stick) was also grown in 2006. It is relatively early, has purple stems and orange mature fruits. Leaves, petioles and stems have spines, making working with this variety unpleasant. Stems are not strong enough to hold the fruit erect without bending. The POAS variety from Harris is about 2 weeks later in maturity, is spineless, and has taller, sturdier green stems, and medium red fruits. This variety is more susceptible to spider mites in the tunnel than the earlier variety, but spider mite incidence did not appear to affect fruit appearance or yield. In the field, both varieties were partly defoliated by flea beetles (Fig. 10). The latter also held up better in

12

dried arrangements after harvest, with the fruits staying smooth and colorful on sturdy stems.

Fig. 10. Leaves of Solanum integrifolium (Pumpkin-on-a-Stick) grown in the high tunnel (left) or in the field (right). In each group, the spiny variety from Gloeckner is on the left, the smooth variety from Harris is on the right. SALVIA The salvia variety trial was conducted in the field, with 5 varieties started from seed on March 21, and two received as vegetative plugs from bedding plant companies. Seedlings were transplanted on May 10; the plugs were received and transplanted May 23 Plants were spaced at 12” x 12” in the field.

13

Table 7. Variety trial of seven salvia lines for suitability as cut flowers, conducted in the field.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm Stems per plant First harvest date, DAS

Lady in Red (Johnny’s) S. coccinea

39 29 75

Coral Nymph S. coccinea

38 14 77

Snow Nymph S. coccinea

40 28 77

Marble Arch Mix S. viridis

41 54 82

Gruppenblau S. farinacea

45 40 83

Spanish Dancer (Proven Winners, plugs)

49 16

Mystic Spires Blue (Ball Floral Plant, plugs)

47 13

In general, the varieties grown from seed in this trial were quite productive. The S. coccinea varieties had moderate stem length, but lasted only 4 days in the vase, with rapid floret drop. They were also quite attractive to aphids. We therefore stopped harvesting these varieties, even though they would have produced more stems. Marble Arch Mix has much smaller florets, which are not conspicuous when they drop. Attractive blue, purple or pink bracts around the florets are the main ornamental feature, and lengthen the vase life to at least 7 days. The dark blue florets of Gruppenblau are longer-lived, and the relatively long stems make attractive cut flowers (Fig. 11). Spanish Dancer is a variety of S. coccinea that has been developed for landscape and container uses. Although it has good stem length, it shares the weakness of floret drop with the other S. coccinea varieties in the trial (Fig. 11 ). Due to the late arrival of the plugs, productivity was also reduced. Mystic Spires Blue (S. farinacea) was also received as plugs late, and took some time to begin producing flowers for cutting. Whereas the plants had acceptable stem length and vase life, the odor of the foliage was not attractive, and would detract from its use as a cut flower.

14

Fig. 11 (left). Salvia farinacea Gruppenblau, and attractive and productive cut flower. (Right) Salvia coccinea Spanish Dancer, an attractive variety but limited for cut flower use because of short vase life. SCABIOSA: The Scabiosa variety trial was sown on April 2 in the greenhouse, and transplanted May 11 to the field at 12 x 12 in. spacing. Plants grew vigorously, and were quite productive. We harvested the early flowers, but later in the season this trial was of lower priority, and intermittent harvests reduced total productivity. Scabiosa is a relatively slow growing plant, taking more than 100 days from sowing to flowering. Once the plants started to flower, however, it produced many stems as long as all new flowers were harvested on time. ‘Qis Mixture’ was a good blend of colors, featuring purple, pink, black and maroon flowers with good stem length. ‘Black Knight’ had only black flowers with lighter-colored stamens contrasting and quite attractive. ‘Ping Pong’ had smaller and shorter flowers with lavender/pink petals and a less erect habit. When the flowers matured, however, the old inflorescence formed a green papery globe that is attractive and unusual, and may be of interest in dried flower arrangements. The seed head of ‘Black Knight’ matured to a green fuzzy ball that could also be useful in arrangements.

15

Table 8. Stem length, productivity and first harvest date of three scabiosa varieties, grown in the field at 12 x 12 in. spacing in two replications. Seeds were sown April 2, and plants transplanted May 11.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm Stems per plant

First harvest date, DAS

Qis Mixture (Harris) 51 29 108 Black Knight (Johnny’s) 52 33 102 Ping Pong (Gloeckner) 42 22 100

STATICE The statice variety trial was conducted only in the field, with sowing in the greenhouse on April 2, and transplanting on May 25. Plants were grown at 12 x 12 in. spacing, with 18 plants per plot and two replications. The varieties grown varied widely in date of first harvest, with Suworowii producing many early, relatively short shoots covered with pink flowers. The longevity of this variety was unfortunately rather short, and most plants had died out by late August. We failed to see if this was due to a root disease, or to natural senescence. At the other extreme, Perezii Sea Foam took twice as much time to reach the flowering stage, and as a consequence produced few flowering stalks. The tiny blue flowers on long stalks are attractive, and may need to be grown in the high tunnel to be productive under our climatic conditions. Fortress Mix, Pacific Mix and Qis White showed large plant-to-plant variability in time to flowering. By end of August, some plants of these varieties were still vegetative. This certainly reduced plant productivity. We did not observe that the delay was connected with late flowering of a specific flower color, for it occurred even in Qis White. Supreme Blue, on the other hand, was less variable in flowering time. This variety has prominent leaf-like wings on the stem that reduce flower longevity unless they are stripped off. On the whole, annual statice is a valuable filler in bouquets and for dried arrangements, but appears to have a number of production problems that need further work.

16

Table 9. Stem length, yield and first harvest date of six statice varieties grown in the field at 12 x 12 in. spacing.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm Stems per plant First harvest date, DAS

Supreme Blue (Johnny’s)

51 21 120

Pacific Mix 60 19 104 Fortress Mix (Harris) 56 17 118

Suworowii 33 24 76 Perezii Sea Foam

(Gloeckner) 56 2 148

Qis White 72 14 124 STOCK (MATTHIOLA INCANA): The stock variety trial was sown in the greenhouse on March 7, and transplanted into the high tunnel on two dates: April 12 and a week later. Plants were spaced at 6 x 6 in., with 5 rows per bed. Plants were supported by one layer of Hortanova plastic netting. Seedlings were not selected for double flowers in any variety, and therefore the incidence of single flowers was noted for each. Table 10. Stem length, flowering percentage and harvest dates for six stock varieties grown in the high tunnel in 2007.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm

Plants flowering, %

First harvest date

Single flowers, %

Mambo Lavender Light (Pan Am.)

36 100 May 14 48

Mambo White 46 98 May 18 56 Mambo Cherry Blossom 38 98 May 16 44

Mambo Pink 43 95 May 16 49 Cheerful Yellow

(Gloeckner) 40 98 May 16 5

Lucinda Cream 37 48 __z 34 zFewer than 50% of plants flowered, rest remained vegetative Lines of the new Mambo series were quite similar in earliness and the incidence of single flowers. Plants were relatively short, and all flowered, but the high incidence of single flowers reduced productivity severely. In contrast, Cheerful Yellow plants were virtually all double flowering, but did not get any taller than the Mambo series. Transplanting the seedlings after 5 weeks instead of 6 resulted in an increased height at harvest (44 cm vs. 38), even though the plants grew little in the first week after transplanting. The second replication plants became leggy in the greenhouse during that extra week, and ended up

17

with crooked stems at harvest. The earlier planting also resulted in a 60% flowering percentage for Lucinda Cream, compared to 37% for the later planting. Even earlier sowing and transplant dates for this crop may be advisable, to ensure sufficient vernalization time before the tunnel warms up. Please note that the Mambo series has been renamed Katz series for the 2008 season. SUNFLOWERS: Our test of new sunflower varieties was combined with an examination of their sensitivity to photoperiod in the first 3 weeks after emergence. The detailed report of this daylength reaction is found in the cultural practice report already written, and can be found on the departmental website under my research page. Space limitiations in that report prevented a detailed description of the flower characteristics of those varieties, and therefore are presented here. Sixteen varieties of sunflower were exposed to either 12 or 16 hr. daylength in a greenhouse for the first three weeks after emergence, and then transplanted to the field at 9 x 9 in. spacing. The experiment was done three times, and the results shown here are taken from the 16 hr. treatment, which would be similar to a summer planting of the same varieties.

Fig.12. ‘Orange Glory’ (left) and ‘Orange King’ sunflowers. Orange Glory (Gloeckner): A variety of medium plant height, relatively late, with medium-large flowers and short petals. It is similar to many other orange varieties. Orange King (Gloeckner): Tallest variety in the trial, with largest heads. Petals relatively short, accentuating the large disk. Many small leaves close to the head may be a nuisance in flower arrangements.

18

Premier Lemon (Harris): A very early, small plant with the smallest flowers in the trial. Procut Apricot Lite (Seed Sense, source of all Procut lines in the trial): Medium height and earliness, flower head with long orange petals on a small disk. Attractive, but may need special handling when shipped due to the long petals.

Procut Bicolor: Thick flower stalks of medium height and midseason in earliness. Flowers are susceptible to early petal loss, and have shorter vase life than orange varieties.

19

Procut Early Orange: A variety of medium height and flower disk diameter, slightly earlier than Procut Orange. Flower petals longer than average on a dark disk.

Procut Lemon: Pale yellow petals on a medium size flower, plant of medium height and earliness. Procut Orange: A standard orange flower on a medium height plant of mid-season maturity. Attractive and free of the lower leaf necrosis that affects Sunrich Orange. Procut Peach: A mid-season variety slightly taller than most, flower orange with faint darker blush at base of petals. Petals relatively long.

20

Procut Peach Blush: Similar to Procut Peach in plant characteristics, with a more pronounced dark orange ring at base of petals. Attractive and interesting. After main flower harvest, plants produce several long-stemmed axillary branches with attractive small flowers, useful in arrangements. Procut Red/Lemon Bicolor: Relatively short plants, medium flower size and mid-season maturity. Flowers have short vase life, and are susceptible to early loss of petals. Many plants had flowers with severely crinkled petals (see photo).

21

Fig. 13. Procut Red/Lemon Bicolor, showing leaf petal crumple disorder (right) that occurred on about one third of the plants. Procut White Lite: Light green foliage is already visible at the seedling stage. Flowers on medium-sized plants are about a week later than most Procut lines. Pale lemon petals were attractive when well-formed, but nearly half the flowers showed a necrotic mark half-way out the petals.

Procut Yellow: Orange petals with light disk, on a medium-sized plant with mid-season maturity. Procut Yellow Lite: Similar to Procut Yellow with slightly larger flower disk.

22

Sunrich Orange: The standard for orange sunflowers. Medium-late, somewhat tall, large disk and flower, with dark center. Lower leaves susceptible to necrosis.

Tosca: A standard orange cultivar with medium height and large flower size. Petals relatively short.

23

Table 11. Flowering time, plant height and flower disk diameter (measured when petals perpendicular to flower disk) of 16 sunflower varieties grown in the field. Averages of 3 replications, long-day treated plants only.

Name Days to flower

Plant height, cm

Flower disk dia., cm

Orange Glory 73 117 7.0 Orange King 71 145 9.3

Premier Lemon 62 80 5.2 Procut Apricot Lite 64 113 5.4

Procut Bicolor 62 117 6.6 Procut Early Orange 61 105 6.6

Procut Lemon 62 104 6.3 Procut Orange 62 105 6.8 Procut Peach 63 120 6.6

Procut Peach Blush 61 121 6.4 Procut Red/Lemon Bicolor 62 98 6.9

Procut White Lite 69 112 6.5 Procut Yellow 65 119 7.7

Procut Yellow Lite 62 116 7.9 Sunrich Orange 74 125 8

Tosca 68 111 7.4

24

ZINNIA The zinnia trial was sown in the greenhouse on May 1, and transplanted to the field at 9 x 9 in. spacing on May 25. It included three Benary Giant lines that have become industry standards, and the new brilliantly colored Zowie Yellow Flame. Table 12. Variety trial of four zinnia lines for use as cut flowers. Trial was conducted in the field at 9 x 9 in. spacing.

Name and (Source) Stem length, cm Stems per plant First harvest date, DAS

Zowie Yellow Flame (Johnny’s)

33 13 67

Benary Giant Lime 42 11 67 Benary Golden Yellow 49 12 64

Benary Scarlet 48 11 64 Although brilliant in flower color, Zowie Yellow Flame has significantly shorter stems than the Benary lines (Table 12, Fig.14). Yields and earliness of the lines tested were similar. Fig. 14. ‘Benary Giant Lime’ and ‘Zowie Yellow Flame’ zinnia in the 2007 variety trial.