Sep 29, 2006

University Of Florida Announces 2006 Trial WinnersSource: University of Florida

The University of Florida has announced its 2006 Spring and Summer Trial Garden Awards. This year 657 varieties were on display in the gardens including 238 new introductions.

The trial season at the University of Florida runs from the cooler spring (April and May) with highs in the low to mid 80s and nights in the low 60s through the hot, humid summer (June and July). Because these spring conditions are similar to summer conditions in much of the country, these evaluations are a gauge of how the varieties perform in Florida’s spring and an indication of summer performance in other regions. The varieties that survive in the university’s summer trials had the greatest tolerance for heat and humidity.

The gardens were planted the last 10 days of March. Performance data for each cultivar was collected every two weeks from April until the end of July. The list of award winners can be found at http://trialgarden.ifas.ufl.edu/awards.htm.

Because the gardens are evaluated throughout two seasons, separate awards are presented for the best performers in each season – spring and summer. The Spring Awards are Best of Trials and Best New Varieties. Another group, Outstanding New Varieties was established to recognize additional cultivars that performed well and have definite market potential.

For the summer season, two awards were presented – Best of Trials (flowering) and Best of Trials (non-flowering).

A full report of the varieties’ performance complete with pictures is available on the garden’s Web site at http://trialgarden.ifas.ufl.edu. Additional information on the trials is available from trials coordinator Jennifer Boldt at jkboldt@ifas.ufl.edu.