February 2021 - 21

VARIETY INFORMATION
B
y the time you read this, your poinsettias will be long gone and
2020 will be in the rearview mirrror. What a year it was - it
brought unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 with all of
the lockdowns and uncertainty for the future. The news is bright for
2021 with vaccines and record sales on the books all around. Even
the pandemic didn't slow the progress of new genetics being bred and
released for our beloved poinsettias.
As I write this article now and have been in perpetual motion for the
last month to go to trials and collect data, I am in awe of our industry
and its resilience to keep moving forward.
I would like to thank Amy Morris at N.G. Heimos, Brian Whipker at
North Carolina State University, and Jill Dinger at Seville Farms for
allowing me to visit their facilities during these trying and dangerous
times to collect photos, talk to the growers, and really understand the
releases that are coming to the market.
The Heimos trials are unique as they do both black cloth and natural
day trials for their showcase, whereas North Carolina State University
does no PGR and all natural day trials. The Seville trials I visited
were almost a straight production trial, which offered a unique view.
Additionally, I would like to thank Beekenkamp, Dümmen Orange,
Lazzeri, Rinehart, Selecta One and Syngenta Flowers for their continual
contributions to our industry and their support to put this all together.
As I was once a grower of poinsettias and am now a sales
representative supporting growers of poinsettias, it is my hope to
introduce you to some of the new genetics that will be in full production
in 2021. That being said, I am not encouraging wholesale changes to
your current programs. If you have something that works, you should
not change it. Growing poinsettias - and the varieties you grow in your
program - are a very personal decision. Varieties that work for your
operation might not be successful right down the road from you or even
right next door.
My practice as a grower and my suggestion as a sales representative
is to always be trying a few new varieties each year to see if there is
something new that offers a better fit or a better solution for your needs.
It is always necessary to have a familiarity with genetics other than your
bread-and-butter items, as sometimes genetics drift and cultivars are
dropped by breeders.
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but Syngenta Flowers and
Beekenkamp have dropped 'Aria Red', 'Charon Red', 'Mars White', 'Mars
Marble', 'Marjoris Red', 'Neva Red' and 'Sonora White Glitter'. Other drops
from Dümmen Orange are 'Peterstar Red', 'Peterstar White', 'Snowcap',
'Majestic Pink' and 'Prima Donna', which they upgraded to 'Prima Donna
2.0'. There are wonderful substitutions to be had for each one of these
selections.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The poinsettia genetics are deeply diverse from each breeder. The key
to trialing new genetics is to identify your own needs. Are you looking
for Black Friday varieties as a mass merchant? Is your focus more on
independent garden center solutions? How about combos, churches,
fundraisers or florists? Are you a grower in the Deep South worried and
struggling with heat delay? Are you a northern grower dealing with cold
finishing crops and worried about your whites turning cream?
No matter the need, I have narrowed the list to the top 11 new
releases that I believe can fill a gap in any of these situations. Here they
are in alphabetical order by variety - so let's get started.
The strongest
selection
Strong root system and excellent branching -
for lower shrink, less breakage and higher yield.
Visit selectanorthamerica.com to order Selecta One
Poinsettias and to find best growing practices.
Visit selectanorthamerica.com for current Terms & Conditions of Sale.
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February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2021