Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1998Good Qualities
Good color - Yellow-orange, bright (5); Nice size heads (3); Good upright formation - not droopy after harvest (2); Sturdy stems (2); Multi-branching; Customers like Atraditional yellow/gold with brown center; Retains radial petals well; Tolerates excess heat & drought very well; Nice small flowers excellent for bouquets; Overlapping petals give a pleasing appearance (texture); Durable (strong) flowers; Long lasting; Nice sunflower look, but not too big for our market; Early; Nice tight flower; Long stems; Continue flowering; Germinated well.Problems
Side shoots were too short to be useful (3); Drought effected plants (2); Petals shorter than average sunflower, not quite as graceful looking, but acceptable; Not extremely productive; Pollen; Early in the season stems were very short, so I did not cut. Perhaps disbudding early dubs is necessary; Wimpy plant (blew over easily); Lightning bugs; Petals shed almost instantly on being harvested; A weak yellow; Poor uniformity & erratic branching.Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 3.9 | 31.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Similar to 'Prado Red'; Similar to 'Sonya' types, but better looking and taller; Shares a lot of characteristics with numerous other small sunflowers; Great mixed with 'Valentine' & 'Autumn Beauty' sunflowers. Also, just the right size for mix bouquets or mixed with statice; Lots of branching yellow sunflowers out there. Most are better; I like 'Prado Gold' better than 'Valentine' and it is just about as fast to crop.