After two days on the 2019 California Spring Trials trail, the Greenhouse Grower team of Editor Janeen Wright, Contributing Editor Allan Armitage, and Custom Content Editor Robin Siktberg have covered a lot of territory and have seen some great genetics from Danziger, Syngenta Flowers, Ernst Benary of America, Sakata Ornamentals, and American Takii.
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Alstroemaria ‘Summer Snow’ (HilverdaKooij) This cold-hardy (Zone 3 or 4) garden alstroemeria fills out with lots of creamy-white blooms that put on a show May through November.
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Begonia ‘Super Cool’ (Ernst Benary of America) The Super Cool series comes in four colors and a mix. It keeps its vigor, even when grown in super cool conditions (down to 55°F). Its earliness is close to the timing for Sprint begonias.
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Bidens ‘Blazing Embers’ (Danziger) ‘Blazing Embers’ has larger flowers hosted on a compact plant with a ball-shaped habit. Part of Danziger’s Timeless Collection, ‘Blazing Embers’ is recommended for quart production and requires little to no plant growth regulator use.
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Dahlia ‘Sincerity’ (Syngenta Flowers) This big hybrid dahlia is early to flower. It’s a one-off variety that’s suitable for patio pots and larger containers. The large blossoms are edged in pink with a touch of yellow in the center.
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Diascia ‘Trinity Sunset’ (Danziger) ‘Trinity Sunset’ is a species cross that’s bred for heat tolerance. It holds its flowers with no petal shed.
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Digitalis ‘Pink Panther’ (American Takii) Takii’s new hybrid digitalis from seed has smaller leaves and is a first-year flowering perennial that is daylength neutral. It requires no pinching and no plant growth regulators. It produces multiple flower spikes throughout the season and is hardy to Zone 6. Takii recommends growers produce 'Pink Panther' in gallons.
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Echinacea ‘Mooodz Satisfy’ (HilverdaKooij) The Mooodz echinacea are some of the best branching echinaceas on the market. Satisfy is the newest addition to the line and has the same strong branching as other plants in the series. Mooodz echinaceas don’t need vernalization and are ready for market with nice full plants in 12 to 13 weeks.
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Impatiens Imara XDR (Syngenta Flowers) Syngenta’s focus is extreme disease resistance (XDR) in its new Imara line, one of the first Impatiens walleriana on the market with a high degree of resistance to downy mildew, and its Cora Vincas. Both have undergone some rigorous, controlled testing for disease resistance in both laboratory and field settings. Syngenta promises more XDR varieties to come.
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SunPatiens ‘Compact Orchid Blush’ (Sakata Ornamentals) ‘Compact Orchid Blush’ is a medium-vigor vegetative variety with early timing. It has a mounding habit and excellent heat tolerance. This variety is raising the bar in SunPatiens as it is the first of the line to require less water.
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Viola (Pansy) ‘Cats’ (Ernst Benary of America) ‘Cats’ is a fun new pansy with whiskers that is the result of a reversed stress symptom. Benary is soft launching it this year with trial seed available. Full availability will be in 2020.
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Zinnia ‘Profusion Cherry Bicolor’ (Sakata Ornamentals) Cherry Bicolor is a high-impact zinnia with heat and drought tolerance. Uniformity across this series allows for bench run sales. This bicolor won’t fade in the sun. Expect Sakata to bring out more bicolors in the future for the Profusion line.
OHP has an experimental pre-emergent herbicide in the works for perennials that is a liquid sprayable . The company will also launch a new biocontrol soon called Ancora. It is a formulation for tank mixes and fogging. Ancora is OMRI-listed for control of soft-bodied insect and mite pests. The product is for use on greenhouse ornamentals, fruits, vegetables, and other plants grown under cover. It should launch in about six weeks.
0152019 California Spring Trials Brief: Danziger, Syngenta Flowers, Sakata Ornamentals, Benary, and HilverdaKooij