2004 ASCFG National Woody Trials
John Dole
North Carolina State University
Overview:
Welcome to the first year of the ASCFG Woody Cut Trials. Two suppliers, the US national Arboretum, and 10 trialers have kicked off this program. Plants were received during the fall in 2003 and spring 2004. Considering the interest in woody cuts, we are quite pleased to be able to fill this gap in our trial programs.
Only one problem - we don=t have much to report at this time. Yes, most woody plants take some time to reach harvestable age and of the 17 cultivars in the trial only a handful grew fast enough to have an idea of how they will do. We have included the comments and ratings for those species. We look forward to continuing to watch these plants and reporting on their progress.
It is apparent already, however, that Callicarpa >Early Amethyst= and Hydrangea >Limelight= are fast growing and productive plants. We harvested stems from our plants this summer as did a number of the trialers. Average stem length was 19 inches for >Early Amethyst= and 18 inches for >Limelight=. We expect longer stems next year as the plants begin to mature. Another comment about >Limelight= - the flower clusters are large and impressive. Although it is early, >Limelight= already seems like a winner to us, as shown by the high ratings. Physocarpus >Diablo= was also impressive this summer. The bronzy foliage makes a great cut with stems averaging 32 inches long.
Interpreting the trial results: The numbers reported are averages of all the respondents and many factors will affect the success of any plant species. Our participants are growing and harvesting the trial plants in a wide variety of ways. After looking at the average, check the range of responses listed below each number to see how the cultivar performed at its best and its worst. If the range of responses in the ratings is narrow and high, i.e., 3-5 or 4-5, the plant was a winner for most of the respondents and is likely to do well for you. The >Repeat Again Rating= is particularly important because it indicates if the trialer would take the time, money, and space to actually grow the cultivar again. Review the trial results carefully. If a species sounds interesting but did not appear to do well, try it anyway. The cultivar may work well for you.
Acknowledgments: All cut flower growers should thank the woody plant producers for providing the plant materials and the growers for producing the plants, collecting data and submitting trial reports. The growers paid $150 for shipping expenses and agreed to provide data for several yearsI would also like to thank Betty Coleman for typing in everyone=s comments, Diane Mays and Ingram McCall for taking care of the North Carolina State University portion of the trials, Ingram McCall for date entry, and Leslie Tichner, Aliya Donnell, Brad Holland, and Tim Ketchie for assisting with the NCSU trials. In preparing the report I have edited the participants= comments for space and clarity; my apologies if I've altered the tone or content of anyone's comments. Thanks to everyone for making this service of ASCFG possible.