Digitalis mertonensis
Good Qualities:
Year 1:
Plants look fine - will flower next year; Excellent survival considering full sun and high heat intensity; Nice Bloom color - hardy plants - early blooms.
Year 2:
Nice vigor, interesting color; Good color, uniform.
Problems:
Year 1:
Plugs not vernalized; No flowers; Poor stem length first season, few stems per plant.
Year 2:
Low stem yield; Aphids, shorter stems than other varieties.
Trial Data
Year 1
| Plants alive at end of summer (%) | Plants flowering (%) | 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 | 95.0 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 29.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Year 2
| 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 | 67 | 4.3 | 20.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| Range of Responses | 0-100 | 4-5 | 16-24 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 3-0 | 3-4 | 4-5 |
(1) Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
(2) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Grow’n Sell
320 Lower State Rd.
Chalfont, PA 18914
215-822-1276
FAX 215-997-1770
www.gro-n-sell.com
Comments:
Year 1:
No flowering data yet; Only had one plant survive the summer; Very popular but may not be economic.
Year 2:
Poor production numbers; The longer the spikes can be held on plants the taller they will get, need to clean a few spent florets.