Trial: Annual

Year Trialed: 2009

Good Qualities

Great blue color (4); Flowers were nice, germination was better than the other two varieties, strong stems; Productive in first year; Did not get any mildew even when all other belladonnas suffered, bloomed well first year from seed, healthy plants!; These were good quality plants that produced a principal stem and nice secondaries.

Problems

Little weak stems; Because of all the bad weather this did not get planted into the field when it should have, developed disease problems in the crates, would like to try again; Floret spacing on spike too wide, half of plants had died out by mid-September; No problems; Stems were not particularly strong and required staking, but I suppose this is usually the case with delphiniums.

Similar Cultivars

Other bellamosum types.

Comments

We had only 1 or 2 blooms before they died, it was very wet for us this spring and things suffered; Greenhouse grown; I tried a new compost mix which was too heavy with manure and destroyed all of the seedlings of these plants, I won't make that mistake again!; Harvested 8/4 to 8/20 (planted in field 4/25, Zone 5); Initial bloom 24 inches long and 15-18 inch long secondaries; Cornell trial yield: 6 in field, 3 in tunnel, length: 18 inches in both tunnel and field.

Postharvest

Cut early in the day, kept cool and also used Floralife, strip bottom foliage before putting into buckets, seems to help with absorption; No treatment; Water.

Trial Data

¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.

Supplier

Fred C. Gloeckner & Co. 600 Mamaroneck Ave. Harrison, NY 10528-1613