Plantpeddler’s Poinsettia Day Featured More Than 125 Varieties

Posted by Brian Sparks|December 17, 2018

Cresco, IA-based Plantpeddler has announced the results of its annual Poinsettias Variety Day trial. The event took place on Dec. 6 and featured displays of more than 125 commercial and pre-release poinsettia varieties. The trial was produced under natural season commercial production protocol, and attendees included major breeders, broker representatives, and growers.

“We are proud to showcase genetics under northern growing conditions,” says Mike Gooder, President of Plantpeddler. “It is important to do a poinsettia production trial as a way for the industry and our growers to see how varieties perform in real-world greenhouse conditions where low temperatures and light levels are common during production.”

Genetics represented were submitted by Beekenkamp, Dümmen Orange, Ecke and Red Fox, Rinehart Poinsettias, Selecta, Suntory, and Syngenta. Plantpeddler is licensed by all the represented breeders and prides itself on being a one-stop shop for premier poinsettia liners.

As a true production trial, the tested varieties were grown within a block of benchmark commercial varieties with the same treatments and environmental conditions. Northern Midwest weather played its role in this year’s trial results. Plants experienced average temperatures and light from plant date to flower initiation, with below-average temperatures and low light levels during the finishing period. Only six days from October 20 to the trial reached 200+ mmol of light, with no days of 125+ mmol since November 6. Environmental varietal differences in plant response and timing varied, notable in some, with top-performing varieties showing little effect.

Click here for a closer look at the trial results.