Antirrhimun Snapdragon 'Apollo Ivory'

Trial: Annual

Years Trialed: 1998

Good Qualities

Seed germination good - excellent & quick (3); Excellent color (3); Unusual snapdragon flower form (2); Easy to grow (2); Long stems; Many cuts per plant; Early bloomer; Earlier than 'Spring Giant'; Uniform for production; Stem length better than the 'Rocket' series; Nice stems; Kept producing flowers until frost

Problems

Florets are few and/or are too far apart on stems (4); Don't like the open form of the flowers (2); Not as vigorous and strong as 'Rockets' which were planted in same bed (2); Customers do not recognize them as snaps; Color looks dirty; Falls apart easily; Stems not as thick as I would have liked; Not a good producer in this color - color itself seemed somewhat weak; Short season - didn't last as long as 'Rocket'; Should have support; Low germination (48%).

Comments

I liked the 'Animation' series better; Not the usual snapdragon type of floret but usable. Will try again with an April planting; The florists I sell to either really liked this open snap or they didn't like it at all. This was the only thing that made it questionable to grow again; Would probably make for a good early snapdragon; Cold wind damage occurred during hardening off process before planting in field (purple leaves); Important to pinch terminal bud early; I am not growing snaps after this year. Too short to compete with greenhouse and too low a price to florists ($3.50/bu); I used them a lot in bouquets, but my customers passed them by when they made theirs.


Trial Data

Snapdragon 'Apollo Ivory'
Yield (stems/plant) Stem Length (inches) Market Appreciation Rating¹ Repeat Again Rating¹ Ease of Cultivation Rating¹
Average 7.0 17.4 3.0 2.5 4.5


¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.


Supplier

PanAmerican Seed P.O. Box 438 West Chicago, IL 60186