Cultivar Trials of Bedding Plants

Abstract

Continued growthofover15%per year has marked the bedding plant industry since 1978. On the wholesale level, producing annuals and perennials has become a billiondollar business nationally. The University of Minnesota supports this growing industry in Minnesota in various ways, among which are the cultivar trials conducted on Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Stations at Morris, St. Paul, and Grand Rapids. At these sites, new and old cultivars are grown from seed donated by seed companies,plantedout,and ratedperiodicallyfor field performance. The gardens are open to the public and industry for self-guided tours throughout the growing season, providing a unique opportunity to compare performance of bedding plant cultivars under regional conditions. In this publication, results from all three sites are summarized. The data reflect the growing conditions at each site during 1991 only; cultivars may have performed quite differently in previous years . For results from earlier trials, contact the site supervisor directly. Not all years may be available.