Melica transsilvanica 'Red Spire'
Trial: Annual
Years Trialed: 1998
Good Qualities:
Easy germination (3); Nice color (2); Easy (2); Looks like a promising, unusual grass; Easy transplant; Attractive as ornamental grass, not for cut flower; I loved it. (I'm partial to grasses anyway.); Pretty in bouquets; 67% germination; Great marketability
Problems:
Heads shattered (2); Not showy enough (2); Never flowered (2); Thrips; Way too short for bouquets use; Color changed from reddish to brown very fast; All the plugs developed a bad rust problem of some sort & died at about 4 weeks old.
Trial Data
| Yield (stems/plant) | Stem Length (inches) | Market Appreciation Rating (1) | Repeat Again Rating (1) | Ease of Cultivation Rating (1) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 11.4 | 19.5 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
(1) 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Supplier
Benary Seed
1444 Larson St.
Sycamore, IL 60178
Comments:
The height problem on this may straighten out next year (become taller) as it is listed as a perennial; Due to a very wet spring we held this one back in 48's for too long apparently. Once we set it out, it never grew at all!; Plants look good, bloom next year!; I don't have a place for a perennial grass in my field; I did not realize this perennial will produce blooms the first year until an article I read in mid-summer; We treated this as a transplant and felt the yield was not high enough to warrant the extra work. Would like to try it as a direct seed crop next year. We have let it stand to over-winter - you know Albertans, the true optimists in zone 2!