Ratings were based
on a 1 to 5 scale (1 = Not Acceptable, 5 =
Exceptional). Plants were evaluated for the following characteristics:
- Flower Quality:
Aesthetics, color, health and apperance
- Flower Number: 1 = Low, 5 =
Very floriferous
- Foliage: Vegetative
vigor, aesthetics/color, health and appearance
- Uniformity: 1 =
Quality is variable from plant to plant, 5 = Similar quality between all
plants
Weather Conditions:
The temperatures
during the course of this trial provided a good test of overwintering.
Minimum and maximum temperatures from mid-September through mid-May can be
found in
Figure 1
These temperatures were recorded by a
Departmental weather station located in close proximity to the trial
plot.
Plants got off to a good growing start
with favorable climatic conditions in September and October. The first
night of freezing temperatures occurred on 11/1. The plants overall looked
good until the first very hard freezes occurred at the end of November.
The winter was punctuated by cold temperatures and some snowfall
throughout. The season low of -2 degrees F occurred on February 1. A major
snowstorm on February 16 covered the area with 18 inches of snow, and
snowcover remained on the trial plants for the next 3 weeks before any
melting occurred. This snowcover was somewhat helpful in insulating the
plants from the continuing cold temperatures over the next month. The
first warming trend took place in mid-March, and favorable Spring weather
conditions followed.
Evaluations and Results:
Evaluation results
and individual cultivar photos can be found in the tables noted below. The
FALL Evaluation (Pansies,
Table 1, Violas,
Table
2 ) was performed 6 weeks after
transplant by the Annual Trials Coordinator. Overwintering evaluations
were done on 3/17, 3/24, and 4/14. A final winter survival count was
performed on 4/23 (Pansies,
Table 3 , Violas
Table
4 ). The final SPRING Evaluation (Pansies,
Table
5 , Violas, Table
6 ) was done by our core team of
evaluators on 5/1. Plants were pulled on 5/12 to make way for our Summer
Annuals Trial.
The top performers in the final Spring
Evaluation were:
PANSIES: Top 12:
Ultima Baron Merlot (perfect score
in every category), Panola Purple w/Face, Panola Blue w/Blotch Improved,
Ultima Baron Purple (Perfection), Skyline Blue w/Face, Panola White
w/Blotch, Panola Beaconsfield, Ultima Impressions Blue Shades, Fama Silver
Blue, Ultima Beacon Blue, Panola Golden Yellow, and Clear Sky
Purple.
VIOLAS: Top 5:
Penny Yellow Jump-Up and Penny Violet
Flare (both with perfect scores in every category), Sorbet Yellow Frost,
Sorbet Sunny Royale, and Sorbet Coconut Swirl.
Of note, many other cultivars
performed very well. Please consult the tables noted above for a more
extensive list.
Acknowledgments:
We would like to acknowledge the help of our
Annuals Team of Master Gardeners who helped in all phases of this trial.
We thank Mr. Bob Barnitz of Bob's Market & Greenhouse
for
seeding and growing on the transplants. And we thank the following
companies for their participation in this year's trial:
Photos:
Individual cultivar photos can be
accessed by clicking on the cultivar name in the results tables. In
addition, here are some overviews of the trial site:
Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3
