Helianthus 'Del Sol'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1997
Good Qualities:
Early flowering (2); Excellent color (3); Good vase life (2); Florists love them; This sunflower was a nice medium size head, it was good in solid sunflower bunches; Longer petals looked lacier; Produced over a pretty long period; Good all around plant; This one was a bit earlier than all other varieties and sunflowers. Good single sunflower form; Long lasting; Nice size head; Strong stem; Nice sunflower; No problems.
Problems:
Too much variation in stem and bloom size; Tiny head-3 across on single stalk; Grasshoppers; Because they stayed in the greenhouse (we have a lot of wind and no protection for very tall plants) I believe the stems were a little weaker than they would have been if grown outside; Cool wet summer caused early mildew and browning of flowers; Petals fell from head quickly after harvest; Sunflowers are losing favor, not many side shoots; No vigor, stunted, weak.
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 2.7 | 35 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.8 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
PanAmerican Seed
P.O. Box 438
West Chicago, IL 60186
Comments:
I liked this sunflower. It was a nice medium head type; To my customers, a sunflower is a sunflower, they couldn't tell any difference in them; This is the only thing the deer ate in the field this year; Loses too many petals to be a good dried flower; I preferred the smaller flowers from pinched plants; Very similar to lots of other sunflowers; Very nice sunflower; Looked liked Sunbeam but did not act like them--ie. did not hold petals.