Dianthus 'Radiant White with Ring'
Trial Started: 2005
Year of Trial: First (from 2005 report)
Good Qualities:
Fast growing plants (2); Easy to grow; Vigorous seedlings; Sharp contrast of colors is quite striking; Interesting color, good uniformity; Nice-sized heads - good branching; strong stems.
Problems:
Too short (5); Thin stems (3); The coloring of this variety was also a problem - the reddish ring was poorly defined, and looked like a spent bloom from opening, it scared my customers; Blooms became brown after too much rain; Not a particularly strong grower this season; Browned out prior to cutting; Didn't like it at all! - color looked dirty, muddy, old when stem was young, total waste of space; Same as other 'Radiant', never looked 'fresh', dirty colors as if they were old; Florists preferred colors - was okay for farm markets and mixed bouquets; In general the Radiant series was not as good in the field as the Sweet series - the flowers were smaller and not as well filled, the plants had a less healthy appearance, it shows no frost tolerance.
Postharvest:
See separate postharvest report in this issue for results from NC State University postharvest evaluations.
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 (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | Average Spacing (in2) | Average Postharvest Life (days) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 5.3 | 12.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 106 | 7.8 |
| Range of Responses | 1-13 | 7-20 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 2-5 | 16-288 | 5-10 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
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Supplier
Fred C. Gloeckner
600 Mamaroneck Ave.
Harrison, NY 10528-1613
www.fredgloeckner.com
Comments:
Seeded in flats 1/25/05, harvest interval 6/22-7/4; Although this was not a great grower, I would try it again because of the color; Short stemmed and short lived; Get another 12 inches and could be great.