2007 Pack Trials offer production pointers, POP and plants

There was something for everyone at this California pack trials. Of course, you would expect to see new varieties. But there was also production and management information. And more companies are providing elaborate marketing ideas and point-of-sale that would make most merchandisers see green.

Here are a few highlights from this year’s trials.

The hills are alive... Salinas Valley was alive with “Music for Your Eyes” -- the theme of American Takii’s trials, which highlighted its Opera Supreme petunia series. The series premiered last year with the 2007 All-America Selections winner Pink Morn.

Takii also had an assortment of Ruibal’s (www.ruibalstopiary.com) topiary and iron works products. They were filled with Takii and Benary plants and showed off how planters, wall hangers and pot holders could provide an upscale, finished look.

Technical trials. One the biggest surprises of the trials came at Sakata Seed where the sales team decided to focus on technical trials. A primula and pansy plug study demonstrated the effect of transplanting plugs at different stages (three to six weeks old). Technical support representative Bob Croft said studies have shown that earlier transplanting promotes faster development and reduces costs.

Whoa baby! With the acquisition of Oglevee by Ecke Ranch, Floranova had more display space at Lompoc.

Spotlight on pentas. Benary promoted its trials with postcards showing its new ‘Northern Lights Lavender’ pentas. It does well in both the North and the South.

Benary also prepared a Container Accents booklet with how to create more than 50 combination planters.

Comparison geranium trial. Ecke Ranch took full advantage of its 2006 acquisition of Oglevee products showcasing its geraniums, begonias, streptocarpus, kalanchoes and carnations. Ecke will also continue to offer Oglevee’s poinsettias. The most extensive and impressive display at Ecke was the comparison geranium trials that included Oglevee varieties as well as those from Fischer, Ball FloraPlant and Dummen.

Calla cultivars and culture. At Golden State Bulb Co., callas are king. The company’s trials provide information regarding production for specific retail markets using different cultivars, pot sizes and tuber sizes.

Blanket the landscape. One unique display at this year’s trials was Bodger’s home-front façade. The home was “constructed” in the greenhouses to show multiple uses for its Blanket petunias.

Best new addition. The opening of Selecta’s First Class Profit Center was overshadowed by the best introduction of the trials: The birth of Marcel Reiner, the son of general manager Stefan Reiner and his wife and marketing manager Sabina, occurred on April 13, the day before the official opening of Selecta’s trials.

A consumer’s POV. Fides North America showed how it is conducting product development from the consumer’s point of view. Vignettes showed how products can add value through health, convenience, beauty and wellness. Another display highlighted how Calandiva kalanchoe could be marketed as an impulse gift for children.

Tornado-tested plants. The most bizarre incident had to be the tornado that touched down on April 14 at Headstart Nursery in Gilroy where Danziger and Oro Farms held their trials. The entire main tent display area was destroyed in seconds. The tent’s 3 1/2-inch steel pipe supports were snapped into pieces and the 500-pound water barrels that anchored the tent were tossed about effortlessly by the storm. Fortunately no one was hurt and the plants survived. Within 24 hours, a new tent was erected and the plants were back on display along with posters of the destruction caused by the tornado.

Landscape-proven plants. GroLink/Athena Brazil promoted its Landscape Elite program, which contains about 100 varieties (2/3 flowering and 1/3 non-flowering). Paul Gaydos said the major criteria for plants in the program are that they are heat- and drought-tolerant. POP is available through John Henry, but is not required.

Most new series. Hands down, Goldsmith Seeds had the most new series with a total of 91 introductions. It also had unique series names with its Bada Boom and Bada Bing fibrous begonias.

Keep it simple. Fischer USA, Goldsmith’s trials partner, prepared a booklet -- Goldfisch Combinations -- that contains 78 named recipes. Recipes and photos are on the Fischer Web site (www.fischerusa.com) under Media Library.

Easy combos. Goldsmith Seeds also introduced EZ Combos -- 14 recipes consisting of two plants with contrasting or harmonizing colors. Plants tolerate the same climate conditions and have similar production requirements. John Henry is offering POP materials.

Trials expansion. Visitors to Plug Connection could see both seed and vegetative varieties. It was the first year that vegetative material was included. Trials manager grower Carol Channel said the vegetative species will probably change yearly so that the trials remain fresh.

Organics. Plug Connection started a finished organic vegetable and herb plant division, Organiks (www.organikplants.com). Laurie Nack, grower and program manager, said in 2007 plants will shipped directly to company members of Garden Centers of America. POP, including Ship & Show boxes, bench cards and tags, are part of the program. Plants are in biodegradable containers.

Obsolete? The first sentence in PanAmerican Seed’s pack trials guide is “Within five years the products that comprise 70 percent of today’s consumer goods revenue will be obsolete.” After visiting the trials you may start to think so many plants, so little time. If product turnover is as high as this statement indicates, there are going of be a lot of plants that never make it from the breeder to the consumer garden.

Not just for containers. John Gaydos of Proven Winners said that so much emphasis has been placed on whether introductions can be used for containers that plants are not being promoted for the landscape. He said most PW plants in 6-inch pots transplanted on 8- or 12-inch spacing will fill in an area in three weeks.

Fertilizer on the way. Proven Winners will begin marketing soluble fertilizers this year. Six formulations, manufactured by Greencare Fertilizer, were developed to work at different water alkalinities to minimize pH related problems. Each formula has FeEDDHA as its iron source.

Best-kept secret? Karen Franck at Greenheart Farms didn’t know what kind of turnout to expect for the expanded trials that included K. Sahin Zaden, Dummen, John Henry and ITML. Based on this year’s attendance, Greenheart may need to open another greenhouse to accommodate the increased number of visitors.

Argyranthemum trials. Pacific Plug & Liner continues to conduct trials. This year, more than 50 argyranthemums were produced both indoors and outdoors in 1-gallon containers. Operations manager Ryan Hall said it was difficult to judge the plants on heat tolerance because the weather had been mild. Hall plans more trials this summer with echinacea, heuchera and sedum.

Just keep expanding. Speedling’s trials added Greenex and Schoneveld Twello to Michells, Hem Genetics, Northern Innovators, Global Flowers, GGG-Gruenewald, Global Flowers and MasterTag.

Plant picks

There is no way we could mention all of the new plants from the trials, but here is a smattering of some of the plant offerings. For more specifics on all of the annual introductions, check out Managing Editor Jyme Mariani’s feature on Page 36.

Floranova’s new ‘Babybella’ nicotiania was displayed in an indoor greenhouse bed as a backdrop plant for its salvia and vinca, ‘Babybella’ was bred to match Floranova’s Tinkerbell series for disease tolerance and garden performance. Vigorous growing plants produce deep-red flowers.

Surdiva is Suntory/Jackson & Perkins’ new scaevola series. “Sundiva” might have been a better name since these plants thrive under the long, hot days of summer.

Ball FloraPlant makes being green easy with two new varieties that scream lime green. ‘Electric Lime’ coleus has bright-lime leaves with contrasting yellow veins. It can be used in sun or shade. ‘Blazin’ Lime’ iresine has bright-lime and cream variegated foliage with rose-colored stems. The leaves exhibit more green color under high light conditions.

New Jersey rose breeder Frank Benardella was on hand at Greenhart to talk about his new mini-floribunda “pickable patio roses.” Plants reach 2-3 feet tall.

One of the most eye-catching point-of-sales displays was for Dummen’s new Aloha calibrachoa. The series has 14 cultivars bred for combinations.

Sahin’s Natural Look grasses, sedges and rushes don’t disappoint. Plants in the line are versatile and can be used in the landscape or in containers. They are heat tolerant and low maintenance and do well in low-energy-production programs.

S&G Flowers’ two new impatiens series have improvements on the Cajun and Impulse series. The Jambalaya series offers improvements over the Cajuns including: more colors, earlier flowering and larger flowers. The Shimmer series has a larger color range and a slightly shorter habit than the Impulse series. The Shimmers are more floriferous with better branching.

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- David Kuack