2005 ANNUAL TRIALS COLUMBUS Campus In Ground Trials by Annette Duetz and Dr. Claudio Pasian Department of Horticulture and Crop Science The Ohio State University Today we present results about Calibrachoas and Petunias Here we present results for Petunias and Calibrachoas 2005 was a very busy year for the trials. Since the fall of 2004 the OSU Annual Trials have grown from about 4,000 sq ft to 13,000 sq ft in one growing season. The number of beds grew from 15 in 2004 to 58 in 2005. It was our second year of trialing in the in-ground beds in the corner of Woody Hayes and Fyffe Court, adjacent to our Departmental buildings. This area is highly visible on the Columbus campus. Almost all of the beds are in full sun. Another portion of our trials is located south of Howlett Hall in our seven raised beds and along the Howlett Hall greenhouses in in-ground beds which were used this year for the first time.  General Information Seeded entries were sown in March to early April for us by David Cuthbert at Darby Creek Growers, Orient, OH. They were then transplanted in our departmental greenhouses along with the majority of the vegetative entries in mid-April into Dillen 4 inch side square plastic containers. Unrooted cuttings were received on March 10 and 11 and immediately planted in 4 inch side square plastic containers.  After all plants were treated with PlantShield (5oz/100gal) once, they were transplanted outside into the trial beds between May 16 and May 26. In general, 9 plants per cultivar were trialed.  The distance between plants was 1.0, 1.25, or 1.5 feet depending on cultivar’s growth habit. Watering and Fertilization The new beds were fertilized once prior to planting with a 17:5:17 Peters water soluble fertilizer at a 200 ppm N concentration via a Dosatron injector. After planting, plants were watered as needed by hand (hose) and/or overhead sprinkler. Post-planting fertilization was done with a 17:5:17 Peters water soluble fertilizer at a rate of 200 ppm N via a Dosatron injector. Fertilizer was applied at 2 - 3 week intervals through July especially in the newly established beds. Weather Conditions Prior to planting season conditions were wet and relatively cool, hindering us to prepare especially the new beds. After planting, conditions turned dry with normal to high temperatures. Overall, with the exception for the time when remnants of Hurricane Katrina passed by, conditions stayed hot and very dry in Columbus. Pest and Disease Problems No problems were observed with petunias.  However, several Calibrachoa cultivars had typical iron deficiency symptoms due to high soil pH.  Needless to say, rabbits and squirrels are constant guest at our trials but don’t seem to cause any noticeable damage. Evaluation Dates Evaluations were performed on a monthly basis beginning approximately one month after transplanting. This year, plant characteristic ratings were performed by the Trials Leader and Trials Manager on June15, July 7 and 27, and September 7. Evaluation Criteria Ratings were based on a 1 - 5 scale: 1 = poor/not acceptable, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent. Plants were evaluated for the following characteristics:  Flower Number : 1 = Low, 5 = Very floriferous Flower Quality : Aesthetics, color, health and appearance Foliage/Plant Vigor : Vegetative vigor, aesthetics/color, health, and appearance Plant Uniformity :  1 = Quality is variable from plant to plant, 5 = Similar quality between all plants Overall:  Overall rating for all plants in the grouping, taking all the above aspects into consideration. Consumer Preference Evaluations  In addition to the plant evaluation conducted by the Trial Leader and Trial manager, our Team of Master Gardeners volunteers (comprised of 16 individuals this season) evaluated the entries on June 23, August 18, and September 12. An "Overall" rating on a 1 - 5 scale (with 5 = excellent) was given per entry. This evaluation was based on a "personal preference". RESULTS Trial results are presented in the following groups of tables. TABLE 1- Consumer Preference Evaluation for Petunias (Complete with PHOTOS of the individual varieties) TABLE 2– Consumer Preference Evaluation for Calibrachoas (Complete with PHOTOS of the individual varieties) TABLE 3 – JULY Evaluation of Petunia Characteristics TABLE 4- JULY Evaluation of Calibrachoa Characteristics TABLE 5 – LATE JULY Evaluation of Petunia Characteristics TABLE 6 – LATE JULY Evaluation of Calibrachoa Characteristics TABLE 7 – SEPTEMBER Evaluation of Petunia Characteristics TABLE 8 – SEPTEMBER Evaluation of Calibrachoa Characteristics PHOTOS: Individual cultivar photos can be accessed from Table 1 and 2. Take a look at our trial area: PHOTO 1 , PHOTO 2, PHOTO 3, PHOTO 4, The BEST PETUNIAS of 2005 Top Overall Season Petunias in our Plant Characteristic Evaluations The following cultivars received the highest overall season ratings given by the trial leader and trial manager (listed according to rank between 4.6 and 5): Petunia Petitunia ‘Happy Dream’ Petunia Surfinia ’Lavender Lace’ Petunia Supertunia ‘Vista Fuchsia’ Petunia Supertunia ‘Mini Purple’ Petunia Cascadias ‘White’ Petunia Fortunia ‘White’ Petunia ‘Champagne Also scoring very high (listed according to rank between 4.4 - 4.5) were: Petunia Cascadias ‘Bicolor Purple’ Petunia ‘Sunray’ Petunia Easy Wave ‘Shell Pink Imp’ Petunia Cascadias ‘Cherry Spark’ Petunia Carpet Pink ‘Morn’ Petitunia Petunia ‘Violet Dream’ Petunia Surfinia ‘Wild Plum’ The BEST CALIBRACHOAS of 2005 Top Overall Season Calibrachoas in our Plant Characteristic Evaluations The following cultivars received the highest overall season ratings given by the trial leader and trial manager (listed according to rank between 4.25 and 5): Calibrachoa Superbells ‘Peach’ Calibrachoa Assorted ‘Carberry’ Top Performer Petunias in the Consumer Preference Evaluations The top entries as rated by our Master Gardeners were: Petunia  Cascadias ‘Bicolor Purple’ Petunia Petitunia ‘Happy Dream’ Petunia Supertunia ‘’Vista Fushia’ Petunia Surfinia ‘Wild Plum’ Petunia Cascadias ‘Cherry Sparks’ Petunia Petitunia ‘Blue Dream’ Top Performer Calibrachoas in the Consumer Preference Evaluations The top entries rated by our Master Gardeners volunteers were: Calibrachoa Superbells ‘Peach’ Calibrachoa Calimor ‘Brilliant Cherry’ Calibrachoa Assorted ‘Carberry’ Acknowledgments Again big thanks to David Cuthbert of Darby Creek Growers, Orient, OH for sowing and growing on the seeded entries for this year's trial. We thank Bioworks for the donation of PlantShield, Dillen for the donation of containers, and Kurtz Brothers Inc. for the donation of soil amendment. We would like to acknowledge the help of our fantastic Team of Master Gardeners - Caye Aiello, Roberta and Bill Conner, Mike Fribley, Joyce Gravlee, John Heinz, Barb House, Ken Kotch, Kathy Kranz, Marlin Languis, Denise McCall, Anne Mischo, Judy Norten, Brooke Plummer, Marilyn Stahl, Mary Straney, Juliet Taylor and Bev Vogely. Their hard work, dedication and expert input, especially during this time of expansion, to this project are truly appreciated. Thanks also to David Snodgrass, Greenhouse Coordinator for his expert assistance. Mike Pfeiffer and the Mayhew Scholars for mowing and Pam Sharrett with her turf knowledge and many supplies, Mark Schmittgen and Jill Taylor for lending us their time and equipment and to our student workers Bobby Wilson and Krista Kamban. Last but certainly not least, we thank the following companies for their participation in this year's trials: BALL SEED COMPANY = http://ballhort.com BODGER = http://www.bodger.com/ DANZIGER =http://www.danziger.co.il ECKE =http://www.ecke.com FIDES =http://www.fidesplants.com FLORANOVA =http://www.floranova.co.uk/ GRIMES =http://www.grimesseeds.com/ JACKSON & PERKINS = www.surfinia.co MCGREGOR = http://www.mcgregorplantsales.com/ PANAMERICAN SEEDS = http://www.panamseed.com PROVEN WINNERS= http://www.provenwinners.com After one year with the OSU Trial Gardens and 5 years with the Horticulture and Corp Science Department, this was Annette Duetz's last trial with us, as she has decided to move back South. Thank you Annette! You will be missed a lot!