Callistephus 'Daylight Blue Frost'
Trial Started: 2005
Year of Trial: First (from 2005 report)
Good Qualities:
Tall (2); Vigorous, no disease, some leaf spot, many flowers; I really liked this petite, vividly purple/blue bloom and had great plans for it!; Long lasting- spray type is nice for bouquet work; Lovely colors all on one plant.
Problems:
None; Lot of death; Rust quickly moved through whole crop rendering it unsaleable, needed to be in net too as it did not hold up well in windy conditions, all bloomed at once; Did not harvest - the flowers were poorly developed; Frost portion of color is indistinct; Petals missing- never formed properly, probably should not be planted in a tunnel because the flowers placement on stem were elongated, not cut flower quality; Difficult to harvest when most flowers looked good; Leaf spot; All plants died after transplant; They all were ready the same week and that was the end of it.
Postharvest:
Cool water- Chrysal #2
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating - Wholesale (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Retail (1) | Market Appreciation Rating - Consumer (1) | Repeat Again Rating (2) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (2) | Average Spacing (in2) | Average Postharvest Life (days) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 5.3 | 20.9 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 126 | 14.0 |
| Range of Responses | 1-16 | 16-28 | 1-3 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 16-324 | 14.0 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
For best printing results use "Landscape" orientation.
Supplier
American Takii
301 Natividad Rd.
Salinas, CA 93906
www.takii.com
Comments:
Similar to 'Serenade' (2) but not in color; I would like to try this one again with preventative actions well in place!; Not wild about the color- eventually fades to almost white- would try the rose or pink next year to see what it's like; Caught the eye of a number of customers, including an event floral arranger, each plant had lots of branches, the earliest blooming plants did fine, but leaves dried up on slightly later ones, and the latest ones just dried up and died; Individually the stems are short and wimpy.