Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2001Good Qualities
Nice color (3); Harvest whole plant, long-lived but 'Serenade's' were better last year; Good in bouquets, didn't have a problem with insects like I usually do with other asters; I liked the size and shape of the flowers; Easy to grow, light staking (I did not and they stood pretty well), lots of buds per plant, bloomed earlier than other asters; Good germination.Problems
Too short (2); Despite electric deer fencing, these plants were destroyed by deer; None; Not eye catching enough by themselves; Sold ok when mixed with other asters (bigger flower); Flowers are small and bright yellow disk a little prominent when opened; Melted in heat; Hot spring made growing these more cool weather crops difficult; Aster yellows, disease distorted buds.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 | 1.4 | 15.7 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 189 |
| Range of Responses | 0-6 | 8-26 | 2 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 2-5 | 36-432 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Color okay, but not really very striking; It is tough to beat Aster 'Serenade!'; I really liked them and was very disappointed with lack of consumer response; This series didn't really distinguish itself from others; Possible similar to 'Serenade'.