Helianthus 'Orange King'
Trial Started: 2005
Year of Trial: First (from 2005 report)
Good Qualities:
Very nice color (5); Sturdy, tall stems; Strong open face - classical sunflower; Slightly larger face and larger petals, petals didn't fall off; Strong plants; Strong petals, liked its 'upright' face in bouquets a lot; Nothing stands out; Good standard sunflower but didn't really stand out above anything else that we grew, plants were taller than 35 inches but that height worked best for cutting; Large, dark central disk, with cloudy defined seed pattern, though a large disk is usually a detractant, this one was striking, made my customers want to rub and fondle it; Nice sunflower; Strong stem; Ready between 'Pro Cut' and 'Sunrich'.
Problems:
Too big (3), would try closer spacing; No problems (2); About 70% germination, blooms not completely full; Not a seller, hard to cut, None; "Noses"-centers got sharply pointed or would have petal/ leaf outbreaks about 20-25%; not sure if it is varietal or insect related but my other sunflowers didn't get it; Had poor germination, hard to keep up with bugs on sunflowers in our location without routine pesticide applications; Very heavy stems, quite large heads; Dry season seemed to push for first bloom and then production was slow to return; Flower size varies, the disc is too light brown.
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 | 1.0 | 39.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 106 | 9.7 |
| Range of Responses | 1.0 | 18-60 | 2-5 | 1-5 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 3-5 | 36-216 | 7-12 |
(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:
Similar to 'Sunrich Orange'; Except for "noses" I loved it; Flowers much much too large for my customers; Despite problems growing them, there is a big demand for locally grown sunflowers in our market, especially among upscale event florists.