Modern petunia genetics

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Permalink Reply by Rick Brown on April 18, 2009 at 1:20pm

Jim,
I think the PW Supertunias except for Supertunia Citrus are primarily, with 1 or 2 exceptions, long day vigorous spreading and cascading types. This trial was more about the modern genetics that are day neutral or nearly so and have an upright mounding then spreading habit. Disease resistence is variable in these groups but getting much better in general. The Dummen Potunia and Picolo series are a day neutral growers dream but are smaller in the landscape and don't match the group in this trial. Dummens Surprise series is getting closer and that would have been interesting to see it's habit in comparison but I suspect it is more vigorous and slightly later from our trials.

Michael, I think heat tolerance is a real issue and some progress is being made here too. In July Euroamerican began shipping us the Ray Series as part of an Ellepot trial. Surprisingly the petunias thrived as they are very disease resistant. I am not suggesting anyone in Texas or Florida say that you can establish petunias after May or before October 1st but I do expect there will be a day when you can.

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Permalink Reply by Delilah Onofrey on April 19, 2009 at 4:32pm

I agree Plug Connection does an excellent job with independent trials and the petunia one this year was truly expensive spanning the tiniest tunias to the largest and most vigorous. Whenever I see trials like that, I always come away feeling the genetics are pretty well matched. A lot of choices, that's for sure. I like the independent trials Pacific Plug & Liner does each year, too, this time with the heat-tolerant lobelias and the perennial salvia.

Rick Brown said:

Did you take a close look at the Pack Trials for new and upcomming petunias at Plug Connection? They had the leading vegetative cultivars compared in jumbo packs, 4 inch and 6 inch and I think this is the best actual comparison petunia trial I have seen since the one Terry Howe did when she was at the Gulf Coast Reaserch Center at U of F circa, 1995. Plug Connection did an outstanding job and confirmed what we had been seeing and introduced some series that will be available in 2011. For me this was the highlight of Pack Trials.

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Permalink Reply by Delilah Onofrey on April 19, 2009 at 4:35pm

Michael,
Which seed variety is it that you mentioned that works well in your climate and keeps coming back?
Delilah

Michael Pawelek said:

Over my 35 year growing career here in S.E.Texas I have tried just about every new petunia that has come out on the market and repeatedly have the same problem.... they just don't hold up in our Summer heat and humidity. Yes, color choices and bloom size runs a whole gammit of selections and many of these new varieties look great in early Spring but the promises of "heat tolerance" fade away in my area after June most years. What the catalogs say and what really happens out in the suburban esplanaides is two different worlds. I sell quite a lot of petunias every Spring including many PW and Wave selections but my "retail sales signs" warn my customers not to believe what is on the tags in each container. I am constantly having to dispute the PW plant tag information to my customers so I do not catch flack later on, especially to the many "Master Gardeners" that buy from my nursery. Geranium tags are even worse. Most claim "full sun plant" and that is far from the truth here in the deep south. Sorry for the rant but the newer petunia varieties don't "fit the bill" in many cases! I only grow one petunia I start from seed that I can gaurantee my customers will take full sun here all Summer long and is drought tolerant once a good root system has been established. They also re-seed all year long in flower beds. My neighbor down the road planted hers 6 years ago and has never re-planted, they come up by themselves year after year. Due to their size they are not for every landscape situation but they definitly are heat and high light tolerant....Michael Pawelek
Pecan Hill Nursery
www.pecanhillnursery.com

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Permalink Reply by Rick Brown on April 19, 2009 at 5:29pm

PP&L also had a Scaevola trial. There are dwarf varieties coming to the market that will finally make this species a marketable pot plant for the garden. If anyone knows of a comparison trial this summer with these and possibly other dwarf cultivars, I would like to see the results.

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Permalink Reply by Delilah Onofrey on April 19, 2009 at 5:36pm

You're right. I was so mesmerized by the lobelias, I forgot about the scaevolas. Lobelias never do well for me in Cleveland, but the Techno Heat and others are a big improvement. I would have better luck with scaevolas.

Rick Brown said:

PP&L also had a Scaevola trial. There are dwarf varieties coming to the market that will finally make this species a marketable pot plant for the garden. If anyone knows of a comparison trial this summer with these and possibly other dwarf cultivars, I would like to see the results.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Pawelek on April 20, 2009 at 3:44am

"Laura Bush Petunia" Only found in the original Pink and a newer Magenta color but an extremely heat and high light tolerant plant. Not for the timid as they grow to a 3' X 3' X 3' plant if not trimmed on occassion.....Michael Pawelek
Delilah Onofrey said:

Michael,
Which seed variety is it that you mentioned that works well in your climate and keeps coming back?
Delilah

Michael Pawelek said:

Over my 35 year growing career here in S.E.Texas I have tried just about every new petunia that has come out on the market and repeatedly have the same problem.... they just don't hold up in our Summer heat and humidity. Yes, color choices and bloom size runs a whole gammit of selections and many of these new varieties look great in early Spring but the promises of "heat tolerance" fade away in my area after June most years. What the catalogs say and what really happens out in the suburban esplanaides is two different worlds. I sell quite a lot of petunias every Spring including many PW and Wave selections but my "retail sales signs" warn my customers not to believe what is on the tags in each container. I am constantly having to dispute the PW plant tag information to my customers so I do not catch flack later on, especially to the many "Master Gardeners" that buy from my nursery. Geranium tags are even worse. Most claim "full sun plant" and that is far from the truth here in the deep south. Sorry for the rant but the newer petunia varieties don't "fit the bill" in many cases! I only grow one petunia I start from seed that I can gaurantee my customers will take full sun here all Summer long and is drought tolerant once a good root system has been established. They also re-seed all year long in flower beds. My neighbor down the road planted hers 6 years ago and has never re-planted, they come up by themselves year after year. Due to their size they are not for every landscape situation but they definitly are heat and high light tolerant....Michael Pawelek
Pecan Hill Nursery
www.pecanhillnursery.com

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