Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2002
Good Qualities
Bright clear color (4); Lots of stems (3); Very little brown leaf spot at harvest; Tall; Good germination - Good flower; Easy, early aster; Nice new (to me) flowers, with good cuts; Good plant height.
Problems
Variable plant sizes, some better for compact pot types, narrow color range, mostly blue; White flowers browned quickly, low yield, not florist material, too hot to perform well (Zone 8a); Aster yellows; No problems growing, daisy-looking - simple-looking flower at the height of summer flower season at farmers market, doesn't seem to catch consumer's eye; 50% germination; Short production time because of drought which brought on thrips like gang busters; Centers are too large.
Comments
Bouquet type, single flower; Lot of bloom, many colors; I always enjoy asters as do my customers; Smaller flowers like the 'Daylight' Series are more desirable.
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | Average Spacing (in2) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale | Retail | Consumer | ||||||
| Average | 4.8 | 15.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 91 |
| Range of Responses | 0.1-15 | 9-24 | 2-5 | 3-4 | 2-5 | 2-4 | 3-5 | 36-180 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Benary Seed 1444 Larson St. Sycamore, IL 60178
