Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2002
Good Qualities
Good mix of bright colors (5); Large crested flower, very showy, not a lot of brown leaf spot yet, tall, upright plants; Good size and color for mixed bouquets - Good leaf disease resistance - Stems long enough to be useful - Good 2nd cut; Many flowers per stem; Good shape; Fully double flower.
Problems
Aster yellows (3); Little bit variable flowering time from color to color; The yellow on the edges of the petals was often 'mottled' with dots of red from the inner part of the petals (making the flowers look damaged); Not many stems per plant; Too hot to perform well (Zone 8a); Short production time thanks to thrips and drought; No black beetle problem, I cut whole stems, as flowers were short stemmed; Sold mostly to customers, not enough good stems for florists.
Comments
Asters always welcome by customers.
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 | 0.9 | 17.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 74 |
| Range of Responses | 0.5-1.0 | 12-24 | 3-4 | 3-4 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 3-5 | 36-144 |
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
