Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1996Good Qualities
Beautiful green color when air-dried without dye, and an excellent fresh cut.; Easy to grow. Unusual looking.; Small and unique seed heads add to the value of this plants character and usefulness in both fresh and dried applications.Problems
Severe wind in early July (?) knocked most plants on their side. They survived but the stems were too bent to use.; Half of my customers thought it was too 'weedy' looking or just plain ugly.; Poor germination as a direct seeded plant.; A difficult seed to sow mechanically and therefore is labor intensive, once sown, however, it is a relatively maintenance free plant.Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 6.0 | 16.0 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 3 |
¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
I was not too thrilled at growing Lepidium as I had only seen it as a dried dyed brilliant unnatural colors. I was very happy with the few plants I managed to harvest and dry the natural green is vibrant and life-like, and my bouquets with Lepidium always sold first!; We will see how the plants hold a dried material, and would perhaps like to try different glycerine and dye treatments in the future. Nothing spectacular about this plant.