OSU LEARNING GARDEN Summer Annuals Trial by Monica Kmetz-Gonzalez and Dr. Claudio Pasian Department of Horticulture and Crop Science The Ohio State University Lantanas and Fuchsias Plants were received in late March, transplanted into 6" azalea pots, and grown on in the greenhouse. Fertilization occurred three times per week with 20-10-20 @ 200 ppm N. The pots received a drench of Rootshield in April. Plants were donated by the following companies: H.M. Buckley & Sons, Inc. (Springfield, IL), Possum Run Greenhouses (Bellville, OH), Timbuk Farms, Inc. (Granville, OH). On May 23, plants were transplanted to raised beds in our Annual Trials area with the assistance of Horticulture & Crop Science #593 students as one of their Class projects. There were 22 cultivars of Lantana and 22 cultivars of Fuchsia trialed, with 5 reps per cultivar. Plant spacing was on 2 foot centers. Beds were fertilized as needed, and watering was provided by an automatic overhead watering system. Rootshield granular was applied to the beds before transplanting. Two evaluations were performed: at peak season -on July 30- by our core team of evaluators plus Master Gardener volunteers and at the end-of-the-season -on September 5- by our core team of evaluators. Plants were rated on a 1-5 scale, with 5 = excellent. The Lantana cultivars performed beautifully, filling in the bed area quickly and providing a colorful display (Table 1) . Plants were actually pruned twice during the summer to keep cultivars separated. Plants would benefit from wider spacing in future trials. Space was a limiting factor this year. The Fuchsia planting was a screening for heat-and-sun-tolerance. Plants were grown in the open bed area without shade. Many cultivars did poorly under these conditions as was expected (Table 2) . However, the top cultivars would be worth trialing again, as they exhibited better growth and flowering than the others in these harsh conditions. Heat-Tolerant Annuals This year we screened 27 Annuals for heat-tolerance. The majority of them had performed well in our Evaluations last year, and so were chosen for a 2nd trialing. Seventeen of these species were direct seeded this year and grown on in our greenhouses. The remaining 10 were graciously donated by Possum Run Greenhouses (Bellville, OH) and the Paul Ecke Ranch (Encinitas, CA). As part of a Class project, Horticulture and Crop Science students assisted in all initial phases, including bed design. Plants were transplanted to raised beds in mid-May, and fertilized and watered as needed. Evaluations were performed at the end of each month in May, June, July and August by the Trial Beds Coordinator. Top performers again this year included Angelonia, Ageratum, Melampodium, Portulaca, and Bracteantha (Table 3) . Of high interest to the public and good performers also were "Medusa" Ornamental Pepper, "Sun Chimes Coral" Diascia, "Mont Blanc" Nierembergia, and "Pink Candle" Celosia. The Angelonias are of particular interest and merit for this area, providing a unique texture, beauty, and toughness in the heat of central Ohio summers. Heirloom Annuals Our Heirloom Annual Trials were conducted in two large raised cement beds located in our trial garden area. The majority of the 30 heirlooms trialed were direct-seeded. Seed was purchased from Select Seeds (Union, CT) and planted in March and April. A few of the species were received from other sources as transplants. Plants were grown on in our Horticulture greenhouses until transplanting outside in May. Horticulture students designed and implemented the beds. The bed designs were based on 2 modified quilt patterns, "Stars & Stripes" and "Rebecca's Fan". Plants were evaluated at the end of each month in May, June, July, and August on a 1-5 scale (5=excellent) by the Trial Gardens Coordinator. Some unique plants of interest that performed well were Blue Fan Flower, "Sunlite"Mexican Tulip Poppy, "Rose Bicolor" Globe Everlasting, and "Polish" Amaranth (Table 4) . Nolana provided a beautiful color contrast to the garden early in the season, but struggled by mid-summer possibly due to its location. Vines Five annual vines were planted this year, on trellises located at the back end of our raised trial beds. Most vines were selected for their heat tolerance, since the majority of them were planted in bed areas constructed over utility steam lines. Vines were seeded in the greenhouse in April to give them a head start once transplanted to these extreme conditions, although it is recommended that they be direct seeded outdoors in more ideal locations. Evaluations were performed at the end of each month in May, June, July, and August on a 1-5 scale (5=excellent) by the Trial Gardens Coordinator. Cypress Vine, Cardinal Climber, and Love in a Puff were all Heirloom Annuals, purchased as seed from Select Seeds (Union, CT). They performed well, and each was very unique in character. (Table 5) Take a view of the trials: (Photo 1) (Photo 2) (Photo 3) (Photo 4) (Photo 5)