Vegetative trials recap: Research team especially interested in cool responses

摘要

Anew, applied research initiative in support of the ornamental greenhouse industry was launched in the spring of 2007 inresponse to requests by Ontario growers and breeders/distributors. With financial support from the Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation and the Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Wayne Brown, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Rodger Tschanz, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, worked together to evaluate the greenhouse production performance of 70-plus cultivars of vegeta-tively propagated bedding plants in the research greenhouses on the Vineland campus. Proven Winners, Dummen, Ball FloraPlant and Ball Seed/Sakata participated in the trial. The evaluators of the trial were especially interested in comparing the time to bloom or marketable stage, the need for growth regulation, free branching (need to pinch),and disease and nutrient issues when grown relatively cold after establishment. In general, the Ball FloraPlant liners had not been pinched at the rooting station, while those from Proven Winners had been. Some of the series from Dummen were pinched by the rooting station and others were not (see tables, pages 14, 18 and 37).