Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2000Good Qualities
Color (3); Easy (2); Prolific flowering (2); Fragrant (2); Early bloom, extended harvest; Uniform, good vase life; Dianthus’ are durable; held up well in arrangements and wedding work; Stems short after 3rd cut; Long stems; Excellent flowering all season, of this group Pink was the best while White is weaker and not worthy of an award, customers loved the blushing color of Blush Pink; Multiple blooms, nice mixer, no fungus, long stems, attracted no bugs; Color and use ability in garden bouquets.Problems
Flowers get pretty ragged looking after rain, need to be harvested/deadheaded regularly; If planted earlier (Zone 6B), may have had more marketable stems; Lack of customer interest, I liked a lot more than my customers did; Waited too long on cutting, grows in vase - not "self-grooming;" None; Tedious to cut because of small flower; Was a little short but with proper nutrition I’m sure will be better.Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale | Retail | Consumer | |||||
| Average | 9.5 | 15.3 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.9 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Looks very much like 'Gypsy' although not as big; Reasonable as large filler; Stored seeds at 45oF one week before planting - great percent of germination; Useful only if mixed 2 or 3 stems in bouquets; Carnations, etc. are considered too ordinary by consumers; No support needed; My customers loved it.