Species

Petunia - Spring 2004

Flower Color, Plot Development Over Time, Data and Comments

Data and pictures will be added as time allows.

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Vinca

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Vinca

Botany

Family:	Solanaceae
Scientific names:	Petunia ×hybrida hort. ex E. Vilm [= P. axillaris × P. integrifolia]. [The Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)].
Common names:	Common garden petunia, garden petunia or petunia (GRIN).
Native habitat:	Only cultivated (GRIN).
	View maps related to habitat and other topics from this link to the National Geographic MapMachine: .
Pests
Common plant arthropods (insects/other)/other:	Reported arthropod symptoms in literature: Aphids, armyworms, fleahopper, thrips, spider mites and whiteflies. Others include: brown garden snail, cyclamen mite, pea leafminer, pepper weevil (adult) tobacco budworm, (Featured Creatures, University of Florida). Thrips, spider mites, whiteflies, aphids, armyworms. Others include: cyclamen mite, tobacco budworm, brown garden snail, pea leafminer (1981), pepper weevil adults, and fleahopper.
	Arthropod symptoms observed in this trial:
Common plant diseases/other:	Reported disease symptoms in literature: Alternaria alternata, leaf spot; A. solani, feaf spot; Botrytis cineraria, leaf and flower blight; Cercospora petuniae, leaf blotch; Choanephora sp., flower blight; Erwinia sp., bacterial soft rot; Fusarium sp., stem rot; Helminthosporium sp., leaf spot; Oidium sp., powdery mildew; Phytophthora parasitica, crown rot; Pseudomonas solanacearum, bacterial wilt; Pythium sp., root and stem rot, wilt; Rhizoctonia solani, damping-off, stem rot; Scleroitinia sclerotiorum, wilt; Scleroitinium rofsii, basal stem rot (Index of Plant Diseases in Florida, 1984 revision.). Others include: impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV).
	Diseases symptoms observed in this trial:
Commercial control:	greenhouse.	field/shade house.
Arthropod information:	Pests identified on crops. Search the Arthropod/Host Plant Database.		Florida pest facts and images. Featured Creatures
Disease information:	Plant Disease Facts (Pennsylvania State University) Ornamental Plant Disease Fact Sheets		The American Phytopathological Society Search Common Names of Plant Diseases
More Links and Information
Performance evaluations:	trial reports and other publications.
More resources:	additional information.

Honors:

Best-of-class (BC). We select the best performer in each class, based on the "overall performance rating". This rating may not be high, if the class does not perform well (indicating a possible need for improvement in the class). The rating may be significantly different from one or more members of the class. If two or more members of a class received the same highest overall performance rating, we used another rating (such as overall foliage/flower rating or flower average rating) to determine BC. If only one cultivar was entered in a class, it automatically becomes uncontested BC. BC is evaluated in future trials against the performance of new entries in the same class. Refer to a report in "Articles, Papers & Reports" for detailed information. In addition to BC, other "honors" received for these cultivars may be added to BC at a later date, time permitting. Seed companies may forward these honors (awards) to Rick Kelly.

Rating System:

The rating is a 1 to 7 scale: 7- all foliage and flowers free from defects; 4- average foliage and flower condition, minimal plant defects or pest damage to tissue, but still acceptable; 1- foliage and/or flowers with severe defects and/or severely infested with pests and damage unacceptable, making plant undesirable. Plant death due to soilborne pests may be factored into the overall performance rating, if it is a significant problem. Refer to a report in "Articles, Papers & Reports" for details. If listed, ratings with an "a" are the best in a class. If cultivars share the same letters, those ratings are considered to be similar to each other. If there are no letters, there is only one cultivar in a class or all the members of a class have similar ratings.

American Takii

Ball Seed

Bodger Seeds

Floranova Plant Breeders

Flower Fields - Goldsmith Seeds

The Flower Fields

Grimes Seeds & Plants

Kieft Seeds Holland

E. Benary Seed of America

Scroll down the page or click link to view a type or individual color class within a type:

The Grandiflora Petunias
Grandiflora - double (dark) blue class	Grandiflora - single (dark) blue class
Grandiflora - single blue class	Grandiflora - single rose/white class
Grandiflora - single purple, red-violet/white class
The Spreading Petunias
Spreading - (dark) blue class	Spreading, tall - (dark) blue class
Spreading - red class

Winter

The Grandiflora Petunias

Grandiflora - double (dark) blue class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11¹)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 16)
'Double Cascade Blue'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 39

PanAmerican Seed
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
11 Feb.	7.4 (2.9)	61	5.0	6.3	5.7

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Foliage was full and only formed small gaps in early June. Flower numbers were low in late April, put outstanding for by mid May and condition and numbers still good in early June. Pest symptoms were minor, making the most impact in early June from disease on the flowers.

Details of performance for this cultivar will be posted on the web in "Articles, Papers & Reports" at the completion of this trial. These details will include ratings over the entire season and pest problems.

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Grandiflora - single blue class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 15)
'Dreams Sky Blue '	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 41

PanAmerican Seed
Picture date:	14 May (week 13)

	Gaps beginning to form in foliage.

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
13 Feb.	7.1 (2.8)	54	5.1	6.3	5.7

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004. Performance in late April was good to outstanding, but by mid May, though foliage was full and uniform, gaps in the foliage developed. By early June, gaps were very bad in one plot, but filled in the other plots; flower quality varied from fair to very good, due to necrotic lesions in the sprayed plots (not spray damage). Flower fading was more dramatic as the season progressed. Pest symptoms were minor, making the most impact in early June from disease on the flowers.

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Grandiflora - single (dark) blue class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 15)
'Eagle Blue Improved'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 182

Sakata Seed America
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
13 Feb.	7.6 (3.0)	53	5.8	6.6	6.2

Honors: Best-of-class.

Comments: Best-of-class established in fall 2000. This was a reevaluation between 'Eagle Blue Improved' and 'Blue Storm' to resolve best-of-class. ‘Blue Storm’ (best-of-class, spring 2002) and ‘Eagle Blue Improved’ (best-of-class, fall 2000) were reevaluated to resolve best-of-class. Though the adjusted overall performance ratings were similar, ‘Eagle Blue Improved’ had the higher value, replacing ‘Blue Storm’ as best-of-class. ‘Eagle Blue Improved’ clearly had superior, fuller foliage; flower numbers and quality, even late into the season was excellent in mid May and still good in early June. ‘Blue Storm’ development and flowering was similarly good in early and mid season, but performance fell dramatically by early June from gaps and less density in the foliage display; also, ‘Blue Storm’ flowers faded, while ‘Eagle Blue Improved’ flowers did not fade. Pest symptoms were minor during the evaluation period.

Grandiflora - single (dark) blue class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 15)
'Blue Storm'	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 224

Flower Fields - Goldsmith Seeds
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
13 Feb.	7.1 (2.8)	57	5.0	6.4	5.7

Honors:

Comments: Best-of-class established in spring 2002. This was a reevaluation between 'Eagle Blue Improved' and 'Blue Storm' to resolve best-of-class. See 'Eagle Blue Improved' comments.

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Grandiflora - single purple, red-violet/white class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 15)
'Dreams Burgundy Picotee'	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 46

PanAmerican Seed
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
16 Feb.	7.1 (2.8)	54	5.8	6.5	6.2 a

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested; best-of-class in this special comparison of picotee cultivars within the series.

Comments: ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’ was new for spring 2004.

Chemical burn occurred on all reddish flowers, seen in 13th week, but not on any blue flowers or any foliage. No red or blue flowers were injured in the unsprayed field. Plants recovered quickly, and no other crops were affected. Both 'Dreams Rose Picotee’ and ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’ remain uncontested best-of-class, but ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’ had a superior adjusted overall performance rating. Performance peaked in mid May with outstanding flower numbers and display for both cultivars. The foliage was also outstandingly full and uniform for both cultivars; but by early June, wide gaps in foliage developed in ‘Dreams Rose Picotee’, with only small gaps forming in ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’. The picotee pattern was less uniform for ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’ than for ‘Dreams Rose Picotee’, but by early June, the variability increased for both cultivars, penalizing their flower ratings; ‘Dreams Rose Picotee’ had an excessive amount of white on many flowers then. Pest symptoms were minor, except in early June when flower disease more dramatically reduced ratings for both cultivars.

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Grandiflora - single rose/white class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 15)
'Dreams Rose Picotee'	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot B Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 40

PanAmerican Seed
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
16 Feb.	7.5 (3.0)	61	5.3	6.3	5.8 b

Honors: Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested.

Comments: New for spring 2004.

Chemical burn in seen in 13th week to reddish flowers, but not blue flowers or any foliage. No red or blue flowers injured in unsprayed field. Plants recovered quickly, and no other crops was affected. See ‘Dreams Burgundy Picotee’ for more comments.

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The Spreading Petunias

Spreading - blue (dark) class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 16)
'Easy Wave Blue'	Plot A Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 29

PanAmerican Seed
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
11 Feb.	5.8 (2.3)	79	5.1	6.4	5.9

Honors: Best-of-class, uncontested; best-of-class in a special comparison between this cultivars of normla and tall height.

Comments: ‘Easy Wave Blue’ was new for spring 2004. ‘Easy Wave Blue’ (normal height class) and ‘Ramblin 'Nu Blue’ (best-of-class; tall class) were combined into one color class for a more meaningful comparison. ‘Ramblin 'Nu Blue’ had to moved into a tall class, being much taller that ‘Easy Wave Blue’. Both cultivars both had very similar and very good adjusted overall performance ratings, but ‘Easy Wave Blue’ had the higher value. ‘Ramblin 'Nu Blue’ had superior flower numbers late in the season, but in contrast, the thrips damage to ‘Ramblin 'Nu Blue’ flowers was severe; ‘Easy Wave Blue’ had very little thrips damage. Both cultivars are uncontested best-of-class for the height classes.

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Spreading, tall - blue (dark) class

Picture date:	1 May (week 11)	14 May (week 13)	31 May (week 16)
'Ramblin' Nu Blue'	Plot A Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field	Plot C Sprayed Field Unsprayed Field
Cultivar No: 146

Flower Fields - Goldsmith Seeds
Picture date:

Seed Sowing Date	Flower Diameter²	Days to First Flower³	Overall Foliage/Flower Rating⁴	Overall Pest Rating⁵	Overall Performance Rating⁶
11 Feb.	6.1 (2.4)