Introduction

Methods

Results

Evaluator's Notes

Acknowledgments

Table 1, Performance Ratings by Species

Charts, Performance Ratings by Species

Table 2, Performance Ratings by Cultivar

       The average performance rating for all bedding plant species tested at Auburn and Cullman is shown in Table 1. The best performing bedding plant species in the “a” category at Auburn were Coleus, Strobylanthes, and Heimigraphics. All the Coleus cultivars in this trial were the full sun types. In the “b” category were Lavender and Salvia coccinia, in the “c” category were Begonia, Calibracoa, Cleome, Melampodium, and Verbena, and in the “d” category were Marigold, Tithonia, Vinca, Zinnia, Creeping Zinnia, Argyranthemum. All the remaining species receive performance rating less than 2.5 and would not be suitable for the southern part of the state based on this trial.
       Many bedding plant species performed better at Cullman than at Auburn (14 species as indicated by “*” in Table 1). Twenty-one of the 25 species tested at Cullman had average rating of 2.5 or higher with 11 in the “a” category, five in the “b” category, and five in the “c” category.
       The average performance rating for bedding plant species tested while useful, does not provide a complete picture of performance throughout the season. The average performance rating of bedding plant species for the two locations at each evaluation date is depicted in charts. At Auburn, many bedding plant species increased in performance rating up to about the beginning of August and then rapidly declined. These species could be effectively used in the landscape for the first part of the summer but would need to be replaced in late summer or early fall. In contrast, other species increased in performance rating and maintained good performance until the end of the trial. These included Argyanthemum, Begonia, Coleus, Hemigraphis, Lavender, Salvia coccinia, Strobylanthes, and Vinca. A few species at Auburn did not show good performance for the duration of the trial, particularly Africa Daisy and New Guinea Impatiens. New Guinea Impatiens clearly could not tolerate full sun in Auburn.
       The patterns of performance over time observed at Auburn were not as apparent at Cullman. Species that performed well at Cullman generally maintained high performance ratings for the duration of the trial while those that performed less well only showed slow declines. Yet most of these maintained ratings of 2.5 or greater.
       The average performance rating for all bedding plant cultivars tested at Auburn and Cullman is in shown in Table 2. The best performing entry at Auburn was Coleus ‘Sun Rose’ with an average performance rating of 4.0. Coleus ‘Trailing Red’ and ‘Christmas Candy’ tied for second place with ratings of 3.9 while Colues ‘Red Ruffles’, ‘Pineapple’, ‘Kiwi Fern’, Salvia patens ‘Blue Angle’, and Strobylanthes (Persian Shield) all came in third with ratings of 3.8. Fifth place was shared by Coleus ‘Gays Delight’ and ‘Palisandra’ with ratings of 3.7 and Coleus ‘Golden Sun’, ‘Tilt-a-Whirl’, and Hemigraphis ‘Silver Waffle’ took sixth place with ratings of 3.6. Begonia ‘Party White Green Leaf’ stood alone in seventh place with a rating of 3.4 followed by Lavender ‘Goodwins Creek’ and by Begonia ‘Party Red Bronze Leaf’ and ‘Party White Bronze Leaf’ in eighth place with ratings of 3.3. Salvia coccinia ‘Lady in Red’ was in ninth place with a rating of 3.2 while tenth place was shared by Zinnia ‘Dreamland Yellow’, Marigold ‘Bonanza Harmony’, Begonia ‘Party Pink Bronze Leaf’, Lavender ‘Otto Quast’, and Tithonia ‘Fiesta DelSol’ with ratings of 3.1.
       The best performing entry at Cullman was Coleus ‘Tilt-a-Whirl with a performance rating of 4.3. Second place was shared by Vinca ‘Heat Wave Raspberry’ and ‘Pacifica Red’ and by Coleus ‘Christmas Candy’ with ratings of 4.1. Vinca ‘First Kiss Coral’ and Coleus ‘Trailing Red’ held third place with ratings of 4.0 followed by Vinca ‘Heat Wave Mix’ and Coleus ‘Sun Rose’ in fourth place with ratings of 3.9. Vinca ‘Cooler Peppermint’ and ‘Cooler Icy Pink’ held fifth place with ratings of 3.8 and sixth place was shared by Hemigraphis ‘Silver Waffle’, Coleus ‘Kiwi Fern’, Coleus ‘Golden Sun’, Salvia coccinia ‘Lady in Red’, Melampodium ‘Million Gold’, Vinca ‘Victory Purple’ and ‘Cooler Red’, and by Begonia ‘Vodka’, ‘Cocktail Gin’, and ‘Super Olympia Rose’ all with ratings of 3.7. Vinca ‘Cooler Raspberry Red’, ‘Victory Red’ and ‘Cooler Mix’, Verbena ‘Imagination’, and Begonia ‘Party Rose Pink’ took seventh place with ratings of 3.6 while eighth place was crowded by Begonia ‘Party Scarlet’, Marigold ‘Bonanza Yellow’, Salvia coccinia ‘Rhea’, Salvia splendens ‘Vista Red’, Strobylanthes (Persian Shield), Vinca ‘Pacifica Punch’, ‘Cooler Blush’, and ‘Cooler Grape’, Zinnia ‘Phoenix Fire’ and ‘Star White’ with ratings of 3.5. Marigold ‘Little Hero Yellow’ and Vinca ‘Pacifica White’, ‘Cooler Pink’, and ‘Pacifica Lipstick Mix’ shared ninth place with ratings of 3.4 and in tenth place was Argyranthemum ‘Neptune’, Begonia ‘Super Olympia Red’, ‘Super Olympia White’, ‘Super Olympia Pink’, and ‘Party White Green Leaf’, Cleome ‘Royal Queen’, Gomphrena ‘Buddy Purple’, Marigold ‘Inca II Orange’, ‘Bonanza Mix’, and ‘Little Hero Harmony’, Melampodium ‘Derby’, Salvia splendens ‘Vista White’, Vinca ‘First Kiss Peach’ and ‘First Kiss’ all with ratings of 3.3. Performance of bedding plants during the season at Auburn and Cullman are presented in the charts.

       Without question, the real show stoppers as a group in both the Auburn and Cullman trials were the sun tolerant Coleus, though Vinca performed well at the Cullman trial. The more unusual entries, Salvia patens ‘Blue Angel’, Strobylanthes (Persian Shield), Hemigraphis ‘Silver Waffle’, and Lavender ‘Goodwins Creek’ performed admirably at Auburn and, where present, well at Cullman. The begonias also performed well into late summer. All of these were at their peak while most of the other plants were declining. At Auburn, many of the flowering annuals peaked early, set seed, and declined rapidly. These include the marigolds, cosmos, and coreopsis. By the end of the study, there were volunteer plants coming up and some had set flowers. This might have appeal for homeowners who like an informal garden.
       This study shows that in south Alabama, summer annuals need to be successively planted in order to have an attractive garden throughout the long growing season. Growers and retailers may be able to extend their market season if enough consumers recognize this fact.
       The performance of the Rudbeckia hirta cultivars was particularly disappointing. An effort was made to obtain seed of several long-standing and newly introduced cultivars but the performance of all of these was disappointing. At first the difference was thought to be due to climate and irrigation system type between Auburn and Cullman, but performance was poor at both locations.