Winter Winners
Greenhouse Product News
May 2008
By Jennifer Boldt, Jessica Boldt, Jim Barrett and Rosanna Freyre
Looking for an alternative offering to pansies, a spring garden favorite? Consider these cultivars, chosen as this year’s best in trials for cold weather performance at the University of Florida Winter Trial Garden.
Rougher Droughts Dictate the Need for Tougher Plants
Greenhouse Product News
March 2008
By Dennis Werner and John Dole
The top performers at the JC Raulston Arboretum Summer 2007 Bedding Plant Trials stood up to the Southeast’s heat and dry conditions better than the rest.
Climbing Out of a Rut
Greenhouse Product News
January 2008
By Jessica Boldt, Jennifer Boldt, Jim Barrett and Rosanna Freyre
Feeling adventurous? This year, break out of your routine and experiment with new plant introductions and new spins on old favorites. From herbs to ornamental grasses, the opportunities to surprise and entice are endless. Read on for a little inspiration on exciting crops, evaluated at the University of Florida trial garden.
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Summer’s Hottest Selections: Bring on the Heat — These Plants Are Ready!
Greenhouse Product News
November 2007
By Jennifer Boldt, Jessica Boldt, Jim Barrett and Rosanna Freyre
It may be cold outside now, but summer will be here again before we know it. It’s always a challenge to decide what crops to grow that can take the summer heat, so here are some crops to consider adding into your production schedule.
Cool Season Color
Greenhouse Product News
May 2007
By Jessica Boldt, Jennifer Boldt and Jim Barrett
See how certain varieties fared at the University of Florida Winter Trials this year and how they just might hold up in your greenhouse.
PDF Version
Handling Specialty Cut Flowers
Greenhouse Product News
May 2007
By John Dole, Erin Possiel and Ingram McCall
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, North Carolina State University and additional cut flower growers tested the postharvest life of a sampling of new cut flower cultivars. Read on to learn more about the results.
PDF Version
The Cutting Edge
Greenhouse Product News
April 2007
By John Dole
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Trials tests the latest in cut flowers each year. Here are the results for this year’s cut seed, perennial and woody trials from North Carolina State University and more than 40 trialers.
PDF Version
Trialing for Heat and Humidity Hotshots
Greenhouse Product News
March 2007
By Jennifer Boldt, Jessica Boldt and Jim Barrett
Learn which cultivars performed best in the heat and humidity at the University of Florida trial garden. More than 650 cultivars were planted and evaluated.
PDF Version
Recommended Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
February 2007
By John Dole and Jim Barrett
The number of poinsettia cultivars that are available to growers continues to increase. You need to be sure your selected cultivars are right for your growing operation. These recommendations should help provide you with the information you need.
PDF Version
Breakthroughs In Breeding
Greenhouse Product News
July 2006
By Bridget White, Tim Hodson and Catherine Evans
Not just a new color or a competing line,
these crops have the potential to change the market.
PDF Version
Trialing The Varieties
Greenhouse Product News
July 2006
By Jennifer Boldt, Jessica Boldt and Jim Barrett
The varieties always look good at Pack Trials, but we
wanted to know how they performed in an independent trial.
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A Stop By Stop By Stop: A Pack Trials Overview, Part II
Greenhouse Product News
July 2006
By Bridget White, Catherine Evans and Tim Hodson
With more emphasis on programs and elaborate exhibits, the varieties are only part of the Pack Trials story. We have rounded up the happenings at each stop in the company-by-company coverage.
PDF Version
Brands and Programs and Ideas... Oh My!
Greenhouse Product News
June 2006
By Bridget White, Tim Hodson and Catherine Evans
This year’s Pack Trials featured so many non-variety attractions
that it was sometimes hard to know what the real star of the show was.
PDF Version
The Cut Flower Seed Trials
Greenhouse Product News
April 2006
By John DoleBy John Dole
Growers and trialers present the latest trial results
on some of the best new seed varieties.
PDF Version
Unusual From The Cut Flower Trials
Greenhouse Product News
April 2006
By John Dole
Today’s cut flowers come in many more forms than the standard seed varieties. Learn how to extend your offerings with these perennial and woody cuts.
PDF Version
Trialing The New Varieties
Greenhouse Product News
December 2005
By Alan Michael
With so many new varieties being introduced every year,it’s hard to know which will meet your standards; Penn State University’s bedding plant trial report tells how the new varieties performed in its summer trial.
Judging the Seed Varieties
Greenhouse Product News
July 2005
Carrie Burns
The following 15 introductions represent what we think were the real standouts from one of the best years for seed in a long time
PDF Version
Best in Show
Greenhouse Product News
June 2005
By Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
The following 22 items represent some of the best new vegetative introductions this year. Look for these varieties to be widely marketed for the 2006 growing year and for our seed coverage in next month’s issue.
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Breeding Breakthroughs
Greenhouse Product News
June 2005
By Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
As we said, there were many varieties that were amazing; these five aren’t by any means the only varieties worth mentioning; you can find the other great Pack Trials introductions on page 38.
PDF Version
Making the Cut
Greenhouse Product News
June 2005
By John Dole, Frankie Fanelli, William Fonteno, Beth Harden and Sylvia Blankenship
Pack Trial Lessons
Greenhouse Product News
June 2005
By Rick Schoellhorn
2005 Pack Trials held many lessons,
including the standard crop introductions,
marketing ideas and more.
PDF Version
Keeping Cuts Current
Greenhouse Product News
April 2005
By John Dole
The most updated cut seed, perennial and woody trial results from growers all over the United States and trialers at NC State University.
PDF Version
Osteospermum Cultivar Trial 2004
Greenhouse Product News
March 2005
By Monica Kmetz-González and Claudio Pasian
The Ohio State University Learning Garden evaluated 26 entries during its greenhouse trial to find the top performing osteospermums.
PDF Version
Holiday Companion Plants
Greenhouse Product News
December 2004
By Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Sure, poinsettias are the holiday crop,
but is there a market for other holiday crops
to accentuate poinsettias or even just stand alone?
PDF Version
Talk of the Summer Trials
Greenhouse Product News
September 2004
By Rick Schoellhorn and Marc Frank, University of Florida
In common with other year’s results we saw a few common markers that separate performance in the Sunbelt from performance in more Northern regions of the state.
PDF Version
Pick of the Pack Trials, Part II
Greenhouse Product News
July 2004
By Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
If you’re in the market for new varieties, we searched the Pack Trials for those with the most promise.
PDF Version
A Pack Trial Adventure
Greenhouse Product News
June 2004
By Bridget White
Lawn & Garden Retailer and GCA
offered retailers a new adventure with a
guided tour of this year’s California Pack Trials.
PDF Version
Winter Trials 2003
Greenhouse Product News
May 2004
By Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Even though it was cold this year, there was a lot of good information in the trials.
PDF Version
Florel on Summer Production of Pansy
Greenhouse Product News
April 2004
By Erik Runkle and Royal Heins
These three factors — high temperature, high light intensity and long days — all contribute to early flowering of pansy. With many spring bedding plants, early flowering can be desirable
PDF Version
A Cut Above the Rest
Greenhouse Product News
April 2004
By John Dole
Most of the trialers are commercial cut flower growers, while a few are universities, seed suppliers and other folks interested in supporting field cut production.
PDF Version
Consumer Poinsettia Picks
Greenhouse Product News
March 2004
By Jim Barrett, Allen Hammer and John Dole
Red poinsettias are by far the biggest selling color and should not be overlooked in the excitement of all the new interesting novelties being introduced.
PDF Version
Best of the Best
Greenhouse Product News
February 2004
By Jim Barrett, John Dole and Allen Hammer.
A 'best of the best' from the National Poinsettia Trials.
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Gaillardia
Greenhouse Product News
February 2004
By Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Gaillardia is a reseeding annual, although in mild winter areas it may remain green for a year or more. The plant can handle people sitting on it and still bounce back.
PDF Version
New Cultivars for 2004
Greenhouse Product News
February 2004
The descriptions below are based on how the cultivars performed in our trials, and we have only written about those cultivars that we personally grew.
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Portulaca and Purslane
Greenhouse Product News
January 2004
Rick Schoellhorn
With all the emphasis on low water use and the constant demand for color, these two crops should be a mainstay for growers. For consumers, the attraction to these flowers is that they are succulent and reflective, as well as tolerant of abuse in the landscape. The colors, which are basically available in all hues except blue, have a translucent intensity, and retailers need to market the plants in full sun for best effect.
Scrophulariaceae and Verbenaceae Response to PGRs
Greenhouse Product News
December 2003
Joyce Latimer, Holly Scoggins and Velva Groover
Though the Scrophulariaceae and Verbenaceae family names may not sound too familiar, you've most certainly grown some member species. Here, we will look at the currently known responses of perennial plants from these families to plant growth regulators (PGRs), using information from our own research or other published sources.
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Preventing Premature Bud Drop
Greenhouse Product News
December 2003
Susan Han
1-methylcyclopropene (MCP) is a newly registered plant growth regulator that is an organic gas with anti-ethylene effects, currently available commercially under the trade name EthylBloc (Floralife, Inc.). In impatiens, growers often encounter premature bud and flower drop induced by environmental or cultural conditions, and it would thus be critical to evaluate the possible use of MCP for protection under these circumstances.
PDF Version
2003 Bedding Plant Trials
Greenhouse Product News
December 2003
Jim Klett, Colorado State University; Robert Lyons, NC State University;
The Colorado State University trials were held at HighSchool Park and W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center, both on thecampus at Fort Collins, Colo. May and June temperatures were cooler, and therewas adequate rainfall. While some universities recorded high rainfall, others reported high temperatures and other factors. Here, in GPN's third annual trial report, are the best trial performers for 2003.
PDF Version
Blooming Plectranthus -- A Study on Flowering
Greenhouse Product News
November 2003
Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Everyone I know who produced this plant sold out immediately, and I think it will hold its place as a top novelty crop for quite a few more years.
PDF Version
PGR Rates and Timing for Plug Production
Greenhouse Product News
November 2003
Catherine Whitman and Erik Runkle
Catherine Whitman is a research technician and Erik Runkle is an assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University, East Lansing. Erik may be reached by phone at (517) 353-3761 or E-mail at runkleer@msu.edu
PDF Version
German Primrose: A Fresh, New Look
Greenhouse Product News
November 2003
Meriam Karlsson and Jeff Werner
The use and production of German primrose have been limited because leaves of some cultivars produce an allergen called primin. After years of breeding work, primin-free selections are now available. The first primin-free cultivars were introduced in 1990 under the names Freedom and Beauty. As the risk for skin rash has dwindled with newer cultivars, the interest and production of German primrose have increased.
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IGRs on Fungus Gnats and Western Flower Thrips
Greenhouse Product News
October 2003
Scott W. Ludwig, Kelli Hoover and Robert Berghage
The objective of this research was to evaluate, under commercial growing conditions, the impact of Precision, Adept and Distance on western flower thrips and fungus gnat populations when insecticides were applied to the potting medium of African violets at the rates used for fungus gnat management.
PDF Version
Report from the Southern Trials, Part II
Greenhouse Product News
October 2003
Rick Schoellhorn and Erika Berghauer
Last month, we covered the results of most of our focus crops for the University of Florida spring/summer 2003 trials. However, there were so many great new plants as single entries in the trials that I really felt we needed to cover them in a separate issue where there would be enough space to focus on both field performance and a little bit of culture information.
PDF Version
Fall Pansy and Viola Performance
Greenhouse Product News
October 2003
Monica Kmetz-González and Claudio Pasian
Since we started our fall pansy and viola trials three years ago and due to publicity of the results, landscapers in our area have started realizing the potential of the crop and are planting fall pansies. We have seen a small increase of fall pansy beds in public areas like shopping centers and city plantings. This past trial was good for testing winter survivability due to lower than average temperatures.
PDF Version
Report from the Southern Trials Part I
Greenhouse Product News
September 2003
Rick Schoellhorn and Erica Berghauer, University of Florida
With over 340 entries and 19 basic categories of plants in the 2003 spring/summer trials at the University of Florida, there is a lot to cover. To get the full story with data, check the trials Web site, (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/floriculture/springtrials2003), so you can compare what is said here with pictures taken every two weeks. So here are the plants in the groups we classified on the Web site to facilitate crossover. Also, due to the number of cultivars presented here, please use the Web site to locate sources for this material.
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Subirrigating Seed Geraniums with Bonzi
Greenhouse Product News
August 2003
Douglas Cox
The Bonzi (paclobutrazol) label has been expanded to include a number of "chemigation" methods including injection through overhead sprinklers, fog systems, spaghetti tube systems and watering in with dosing equipment or application by ebb and flow subirrigation systems or saucers. Application of PGRs by subirrigation has not been widely researched despite the existence of permissive labeling.
PDF Version
Hot New Cuts for a Cool Greenhouse
Greenhouse Product News
August 2003
John M. Dole, Frankie Fanelli, Beth Harden, Sylvia Blankenship, Bill Fonteno and Lane Greer
We have been working with three species that have great potential for cool temperature greenhouses. Our goal for the production experiments was to develop economical production protocols, examining production temperature, transplant age and supplemental lighting of the plugs. The postharvest work determined ethylene sensitivity, optimum cold storage duration, pretreatments and pulses, vase solutions and substrates, and commercial preservatives for linaria and poppy.
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Travels on Highway 101 Part II
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
This second article on new crops displayed at Pack Trials 2003 will contain a bit less on production information and more on crops that struck me as interesting and worthy to note, especially for growers looking to develop a niche for the unusual.
Methyl Bromide Alternatives
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Ann Chase
The combination of methyl bromide and chloropicrin has long been used to control weeds, nematodes and plant pathogens like Pythium. Some industries have found acceptable alternatives over the past five years and no longer use methyl bromide. Floriculture has been struggling to find an acceptable alternative.
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Better Calibrachoas with Growth Control
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Jim Barrett
The need to produce more attractive plants led us to doing growth regulator work for our May field days. For this article, I have chosen the strategy of showing more pictures of the plants and letting them speak for themselves, as in "a picture is worth a thousand words."
PDF Version
Trialing Diascia and Nemesia
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Rick Schoellhorn
The following report of diascia and nemesia trials conducted at the University of Florida trial gardens in Gainesville, Fla., was conducted in the winter of 2002. Gainesville is in USDA Zone 8b and is part of an ongoing research program to evaluate new crops for their potential as winter flowering crops. While Southern and Sunbelt producers can use this information to boost winter sales and extend fall-season sales, Northern growers might wonder how this type of trailing affects their use of product, and the answer is two-fold.
Pick of the Pack Trials, Part II
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
The seed market's advancements, showcased in this year's Pack Trials, have brought unique traits and improvements to seed varieties that are frequently found in vegetative varieties. Now we are graced with unique crops such as seed hibiscus and double aquilegia. So, without delay, check out these and other innovative seed varieties we saw as we traveled the coast. Enjoy!
PDF Version
Editors' Pick of the Pack Trials, part I
Greenhouse Product News
June 2003
Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
If you were there, you might have missed something or maybe you just need a refresher, and if you weren't able to attend Pack Trials this year, here's your chance.
Travels on Highway 101, Part I
Greenhouse Product News
June 2003
Rick Schoellhorn
Pack trials this year seemed a lot like our national outlook: cautious and playing to its strengths. There was a lot of wonderful material, but it was toned down a bit from last year. Sorting out differences between plants became even more important this year, as I was touring with the editors from GPN, some of which were getting their first exposure to the diversity of our industry.
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Calla Lilies--the personification of cool
Greenhouse Product News
May 2003
Rick Schoellhorn
While on the west coast, I took my first tour of Golden State Bulb Growers and was amazed at the advances in calla lily breeding and production that Tom Lukens and his staff have been working on. The tour was really phenomenal, not only to see extremely high-quality calla lilies, but also to realize that I (and possibly some of the industry) may have been operating under some misconceptions about these long-lasting flowering potted crops, and also missing the boat on many landscape and cut flower uses.
Best-of-Class Marigolds
Greenhouse Product News
May 2003
Rick Kelly, Rick Schoellhorn, Zhanao Deng and Brent Harbaugh
Instead of numerous cultivars, the University of Florida trials focus on only one and its different varieties. Last year, marigolds were the university?s trial target.
Winner's Circle
Greenhouse Product News
May 2003
Sarah Pahnke
The award-winning varieties selected by All-America Selections (AAS), All-America Rose Selections (AARS), Fleuroselect and FloraStar embody all the desirable characteristics growers want. The winners of the 2003-2004 growing season have completed extensive tests, usually over a two-year period and in multiple locations, where judges use a standardized grading system to evaluate the varieties' traits, including disease-resistance, hardiness, color and novelty. This process ensures that only the most extraordinary plants receive awards.
New Cut Flower Introductions
Greenhouse Product News
April 2003
John Dole
Cut flower growers are always searching for the latest in new cuts to jazz up their product line. To provide that information, the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) conducts an annual National Seed and Perennial Trial Program. We had a number of great selections in the trials this year. The top performers in the trials are entered in the ASCFG Cut Flower of the Year contest.
PDF Version
National Floriculture Forum
Greenhouse Product News
March 2003
Rick Schoellhorn
The 2003 National Floriculture Forum (NFF) focused on ornamental plant breeding programs and germplasm resources in the United States. Here is an overview of what was discussed at this meeting and how it may impact the breeding and discovery of new crops in the future.
PDF Version
Consumers Tell Which Poinsettias They Like
Greenhouse Product News
March 2003
Jim Barrett, Rick Schoellhorn, Allen Hammer and Joe Stoffregen
We are providing the results of the consumer surveys conducted at Purdue University, University of Florida and Homewood Nursery in Raleigh, N.C. These surveys are conducted in conjunction with the National Poinsettia Cultivar Trials and are supported by the major poinsettia breeder companies: Dummen USA, Paul Ecke Ranch, Fischer USA, Oglevee Ltd. and Selecta First Class.
PDF Version
National Poinsettia Trials 2002
Greenhouse Product News
February 2003
Allen Hammer, Jim Barrett and John Dole
This report has been split up into three sections: cultivars recommended according to grower type (large or specialty), page 10; new introductions, page 16; and the best of the best from the trials, page 20. This is the most complete coverage of last year's poinsettia trials you'll find anywhere, so make the most of it by using these reports to choose the right varieties for your production situation and market.
Using Topflor, Part II: Perennial Plants
Greenhouse Product News
February 2003
Joyce Latimer, Holly Scoggins and Velva Groover
We have had the opportunity to test the Topflor formulation of flurprimidol on several perennials and have some very promising results to present to you.
PDF Version
Fungicides on the Horizon
Greenhouse Product News
November 2002
Ann Chase
One of the more interesting aspects of the new products is their diversity. They range from newer, better strobilurins (and their close relatives) to really old (from the 1960s) chemistry being tried in a new arena. Some of the products are already registered on turf, and we should see ornamental labels soon. For those that are not even registered in this country, the wait may be longer, although everyone is looking for reduced-risk products, and that significantly shortens the wait.
PDF Version
Report from Spring Trials: Helichrysum and Vinca
Greenhouse Product News
August 2002
Rick Schoellhorn and Erica Berghauer
At the University of Florida trials, a section focuses on some of the component plants often used in mixed containers. For 2002, we selected Vinca major and Helichrysum. The idea was to come up with basic production guidelines for these crops based on southern cultivation and also to evaluate their field performance for landscape use.
PDF Version
New at the Pack Trials
Greenhouse Product News
July 2002
This month and last, we present the Pack Trials from several different perspectives, starting right here with a sampling of the varieties making their debut at this year’s event.
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Pack Trial Curiosities
Greenhouse Product News
July 2002
Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
I selected the following plants because they are easy to produce or offer a very specialized look. All of these plants have a place in the component plant world and most will add something different to any container. This is by no means all of the incredible new crops I saw at Pack Trials this year but a good sampling of some new directions in crop development.
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Begonia Basket Options from the Pack Trials 2002
Greenhouse Product News
June 2002
Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Why begonia basket options? As we move into a retail market that is always looking for instant gardens, this group of plants provides a huge selection of varieties for both Northern and Southern growers.
PDF Version
Editors’ Pick of the Pack
Greenhouse Product News
June 2002
Brandi D. Thomas and Bridget White
This month and next, we’ll present the Pack Trials from several different perspectives, starting right here with some of the varieties our editors thought were really outstanding. In order to get good coverage, GPN’s editors took the divide and conquer method — Brandi tackled the Northern sites and Bridget took the South.
Winner's Circle
Greenhouse Product News
May 2002
Carrie Burns and Elizabeth Pensgard
As tradition dictates, the 2003 winners for next year’s growing season have been chosen from the following: All-America Selections, Fleuroselect and All-America Rose Selections. Judges for all three associations used a standardized grading system that scored how well the variety performed during the trialing period, measuring disease-resistance, hardiness, color and novelty in test gardens across the United States.
Which Poinsettias do Consumers Prefer?
Greenhouse Product News
April 2002
Jim Barrett, Rick Schoellhorn and Allen Hammer
Consumer surveys were conducted at Purdue University and the University of Florida, and the results are presented here. While there are some differences in the details of the results, the general information generated by the two studies provides important information.
PDF Version
Best of the Best: 2001 Poinsettia Trials
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
The following are the cultivars that we judged to be the best of the 2001 trials. In most cases, they are newer cultivars that offer a new characteristic, an improvement over current cultivars or fill a void in availabilities. A few are older cultivars that continue to be outstanding.
PDF Version
2001 Poinsettia Trials: Regionally Recommended Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
The following poinsettia cultivars are recommended for growers to consider. The recommendations are based on university trials and observations of commercial crops. Primarily, this list includes cultivars that the authors have grown at least two years. The cultivars listed as “worth watching” are the new ones that performed well in the Fall 2001 trials.
PDF Version
New at the Trials
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
P. Allen Hammer, Jim Barrett, Terril A. Nell and Roy A. Larson
With the introduction of so many new and unique poinsettia cultivars, it has become impractical for a grower to evaluate them all. In conjunction with the breeding companies, we organized these trials several years ago to screen the new introductions and help growers in selecting the ones they will evaluate for their own production. Every poinsettia cultivar is different and performs better in some climates and production situations than in others.
PDF Version
2001 Bedding Plant Trials
Greenhouse Product News
January 2002
Rick O. Kelly, Brent K. Harbaugh, Rick K. Schoellhorn, and Robert D. Berghage and Alan H. Michael
Here, in GPN’s first
annual bedding plant trial report, the University of Florida reveals the
findings of its specialized, seed-propagated pansy and viola trial, while Penn
State University unveils the best of its multitudinous seed- and vegetatively
propagated cultivars.
PDF Version
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