Trial: Annual

Years Trialed: 1999

Good Qualities

Excellent colors including pastels (6); Strong growing plants (2); It's not as rangy as other scabiosa we have grown so it's less likely to need staking. We sold solid bunches in our market. Shoppers have never purchased solid scabiosa before, but they did this year. I think the range of colors was gorgeous; Very pretty. I have grown annual Scabiosas before and I love them. The colors are great and if cut at the right time will last well in a vase; Striking red and white in the mix; Took heat well. Disease and insect free; Scabiosa does well here; People at market like this, makes a good filler on first cut, then many stems to come that are single. Slowed down in last few weeks but has produced endlessly; Good stems, maybe better than Imperial mix, nice red; Really different, pretty, drought resistant, long-blooming; Customers always like the colors and shape of scabiosa; Large flower.

Problems

Did not germinate in the field; Very tangled bloom. Slow to pick. Stems tended to fall over; Stem a little weak; Scabiosa barely sells at all to my market. They are totally unappreciative; Lodged (few plants) after big winds; Not much of a color mix, all I got was red and blue; Variable size of colors (some too short to be useful at market) plants flopping, and producing crooked stems.

Comments

Good uniformity; One plant left, all the rest eaten by rabbits. The plant that survived was nice; Best used in mixed bouquets; This is the best scabiosa we've grown. The coral shade is very nice.

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

Kieft Seeds P.O. Box 618 Conway, WA 98238