Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1996Good Qualities
Easy cultivation (4); Showy.; Easy to grow, very vigorous.; Would make an outstanding bedding plant. Very uniform.; Plume color great.; It was very heavy producer, took the heat and drought, had good stem length, no insects bothered it all summer (including grasshoppers) (Stillwater, OK).Problems
Plumes too small (2); Difficult to harvest.; Ahead of the consumer demand.; Poor germination.; Looks like a weed or a roadside plant with more brown than red coloring--UGLY.; This needs to be staked or grown in mesh. Everyone liked it in the field but no one wanted to pick it.; It sheds as both a fresh cut and when dried--not useable.; Short vaselife. Our customers felt they got more for their money with love and switchgrass.Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating¹ | Repeat Again Rating¹ | Ease of Cultivation Rating¹ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 22.0 | 23.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 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
I found this to be interesting but not enough ready at same time to be worth cutting (I did a 1 x 60 ft. row).; Transplant of seedlings from greenhouse proved better for our conditions than direct sowing (Oxford, MS).; According to a 'grass' book we have, this species grows as a weed in Texas, so we were reluctant to plant it out.