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ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS 



Winners from 

 Everyivhere 



ALL-AMERICA SELECTIONS 

 Three winners — two vegetables and 

 an herb — were chosen by the Ail- 

 Annerica Selections judges this 

 year. 



The vegetables are Cucumber F- 

 1 Fanfare and Tomato F-1 Big Beef. 

 "'Fanfare' offers gardeners a slicing 

 cucumber with restricted vines 

 without the loss of yield, vigor or 

 fruit quality." The first fruit (8 to 9 

 inches long; 10 ounces) should be 

 ready for harvest around 63 days 

 after sowing seed. 



Big Beef produces Beefsteak 

 size (8 ounces to one pound) fruit 

 very early in the season (in about 

 73 days after transplanting) and 

 continues to produce throughout 

 the season. 



Sow seed 4 to 6 weeks before 

 planting outside; seed should 

 sprout within seven days. 



The herb is an English laven- 

 der — Lavender Lady' — which can 

 be relied on for flowers its first 

 year. Other improved qualities in- 

 clude "the earliness of bloom and 

 the consistency and profusion of 

 flower spikes." It's hardy to Zone 5. 



Start seeds indoors 6-12 weeks prior 

 to planting outside. The seed requires 

 light, so do not cover with media. Germi- 

 nation takes 14-20 days. VJhile growing 

 indoors, allow soil to dry out between 

 waterings, but do not allow plants to wilt. 

 "We don't sell seed," Mary Neilson, 

 AAS Assistant Manager, says; "We 

 test and introduce new varieties as 

 AAS Winners, but to purchase 

 seed, we suggest you contact your 

 favorite seed supplier." 



FLORASTAR 



{from PPGA News, December, 1993) 

 The FloraStar Board of Directors re- 

 cently introduced 'Christine,' a gar- 

 den mum from 'Voder Brothers' 

 Prophets series. (The FloraStar trail- 

 ing program recognizes and pro- 

 motes outstanding new varieties of 

 potted plants and fosters industry 

 marketing efforts.) 



The judges described 'Chris- 

 tine's vibrant bronze color as "su- 

 perior," and also commented upon 

 the fact that it didn't fade and that 



the flowers lasted longer. 



Cultural practices are the same as for 

 other garden mums. Plant in moist me- 

 dia, just deep enough to cover the roots. 

 Use constant liquid feed based on 250 

 ppm nitrogen, adjusting up or down as 

 needed. {Slow release fertilizer can be 

 substituted.) 



Wafer thoroughly; never allowing 

 mums to wilt in early stages of growth. 

 \n later stages, slight wilt can help by 

 hardening off the plant, controlling 

 height, and promoting more uniform 

 flowering. 



Pinch off 1/2 inch when the plants 

 have 1-1/2 inches of new growth, about 

 10 to 14 days after planting. Second and 

 third pinches may be given when beaks 

 are 3-4 inches long. Hard-pinch any 

 budded cuttings 3-5 days after planting. 

 To prevent premature budding, keep 

 mums actively growing with adequate wa- 

 ter and fertilizer. "Mum lighting" of 10 

 footcandles from 10 pm to 2 am is 

 helpful. 



Space field-grown mums 18-24 

 inches apart in rows 30-36 inches 

 apart, with fertilizer side dressed 

 down the rows. Do not neglect 

 irrigation. 



(For information on 'Christine 

 and the Prophets series, call Yoder 

 Brothers in Barberton, Ohio, at 

 1-800-321-9573.) 



PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION 

 The Perennial Plant Association's 

 "Perennial Plant of the Year" for 

 1994 is kstilbe ^Sprite,' This peren- 

 nial was selected for its long-sea- 

 son ornamental effect and adapt- 

 ability to most areas of the United 

 States and Canada. (It does well 

 in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.) 



'Sprite' was discovered and in- 

 troduced by Alan Bloom, of Blooms 

 of Blessingham, England. Selected 

 from a group of kstilbe simplicifolia 

 seedlings that were growing near 

 kstilbe chinensis 'Pumila,' it probably 

 is a natural cross between them. 

 Introduced in 1978, 'Sprite' has es- 

 tablished a reputation as a popular 

 and versatile perennial. 



Its "tiny pink flowers on graceful 

 arched plumes appear in mid-sum- 

 mer; deep rich foliage is finely dis- 

 sected and crinkly edged." It likes 

 fertile, well-drained, but moist, 

 soil; bare-root plants are best 



planted in early spring; potted 

 plants may be set out any time 

 from early spring until one month 

 before a killing frost. In New Eng- 

 land, it likes full sun to partial 

 shade; overall height is 15-18 

 inches. 



Color slides or black-and white 

 photos can be obtained by contact- 

 ing the Perennial Plant Association, 

 3383 Schirtzinger Road, Hiliard, 

 Ohio 43026. The phone there is 

 (614) 771-8431. 



NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU INC. 

 And the National Garden Bureau 

 has proclaimed 1994 as the "Year 

 of the Snapdragon and the Water- 

 melon." This is its fourteenth year 

 of proclaiming this sort of thing 

 and it offers black and white pho- 

 tos and fact .sheets ("Thomas 

 lefferson grew snaps — a May 28, 

 1767, entry in his garden diary 

 notes that "snapdragons are bloom- 

 ing'.") useful in seed and produce 

 promotions. 



The National Garden Bureau is a 

 "non-profit educational service of 

 the North American home garden 

 seed industry." They're located 

 out in Downers Grove, Illinois, and 

 can be reached at (708) 963-0770. 



BPFI Research Report 

 Available 



Bedding Plants Foundation, Inc., 

 has published a new research re- 

 port, Si^slems for Storage of Eedding- 

 Plant Plugs, by Dr. Royal Heins and 

 Thomas F. Wallace, jr., of Michigan 

 State University. 



This report is the third in a se- 

 ries of BPFl-sponsored research by 

 Dr. Heins in the area of plug stor- 

 age and details optimum storage 

 conditions for portulaca, lobelia, 

 celosia, verbena, and dahlia. Pre- 

 vious reports have dealt with other 

 crops. 



The bedding plant grower de- 

 rives several benefits from plug 

 storage. Plugs that are prematurely 

 ready for transplant can be held 

 without use of growth-regulators or 

 water or nutrient stress; plug 

 scheduling can be managed more 

 easily; and greenhouse space that 

 might have been used for storage 



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T^e Plantsman 



