Echinacea 'Comet'

Echinacea 'Comet'

Trial: Perennial

Year Trialed: 2005 (planted in 2004)

Good Qualities:

Year 2

Easy to grow, pretty green cone; This was the favorite flower of one of the bouquet makers this season, she said it should be flower of the year; No droop petals, each cut flower stem had only a few branches, so the cuts were very useable in bouquets.

Problems:

We got these late and they didn't do much this year; Nice strong stems, large flower size, good strong color.

Comments:

Year 1

Didn't get planted in ground until September.

Year 2

Slow growing, plants stil lmsall after one year, drooping petals; could have a little longer stems, this may come next season; Japanese beetles.

Trial Data

Year 1

Echinacea 'Comet'
  Plants Flowering (%) Plants Dead at End of summer (%) Yield (stems/plant) (1) Stem Length (inches) (1) Market Appreciation Rating (2) Repeat Again Rating (2) Ease of Cultivation Rating (2)
Average 0 50 - - - - -
Range of Responses   50          

(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.

 

Year 2

Echinacea 'Comet'
  Plants surviving (%) Yield (stems/plant) (1) Stem Length (inches) (1) Market Appreciation Rating (2) Repeat Again Rating (2) Ease of Cultivation Rating (2)
Average 94 12.8 21 4.0 4.5 4.8 -
Range of Responses 83-100 3-35 14-25 3-5 4-5 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.

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