Helianthus 'Summertime'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 2002
Good Qualities:
Early (2); Large flower, long broad petals, overlapped, very good color, with dark disk, uniform good stem; Good for arranging with other flowers; Nice strong yellow; Size and color sell well - Germinated well despite dry conditions - Would work well for wholesale to cut all at once; Pretty flowers with nice, rich yellow petals, nice looking disc; Good stem lengths, even when apical meristem is clipped (pinched); Large flower, met customer image of Asunflower@; Pollen-free; Single stem.
Problems:
Too short (3); Outer petals too few (too large in perspective); Flower matured over a short time frame, consequently were only able to sell 25% of product; Not as early as the industry standards, big heads.
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 (2) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (2) | Average Spacing (in2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 0.8 | 27.6 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 138 |
| Range of Responses | 0-2 | 3-50 | 2-5 | 3-5 | 2-5 | 1-5 | 3-5 | 18-360 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Seedsense Ltd.
7, Bradfield Close
North Walsham
Norfolk NR28 oHL England
Comments:
Similar to 'Sunny','Sunny Lemon', 'Jerusalem Gold', or 'Elite Sun'; Gold/dark disk; Matured in 64 days, flower size anywhere from 2-3 2 inches; Might not be as day-neutral as 'Sunrich Orange', further testing needed.