Companies such as Ball Horticultural, Proven Winners, American Takii, Sahin and Sakata enter their new varieties in these trials. They want to know how they perform in the Midwest and how the public and commercial green industry views the plants.
The plants come in as either seeds or plugs (already rooted cuttings) and are planted by our trial technician Anna Williamson with the help of an army of volunteers. They are grown in the greenhouses on the OSU campus.
The plants are distributed to the two locations and prepared for planting in early May. We spend about half of a day preparing the beds and laying out the rows, and then about three hours planting in each location.
We couldn’t do this without the help of volunteers we had more than 30 at each site. They also take a few plants home to try in their gardens. It’s a great incentive to get them to help!
A team in each location evaluates the plants monthly and gives them a rating between one and five. One is the plant is performing poorly and five it is outstanding. At the end of the season, we give them an average rating.
We started using two different protocols in the last few years since we have two different trialing sites. In Springfield, the plants are given low maintenance, and on campus, more maintenance.
For instance, in Springfield, we don’t deadhead any of the plants, we fertilize one time with a slow-release fertilizer, we water to keep them alive, and we don’t mulch the beds.
In Columbus, on the other hand, we deadhead plants if needed, fertilize once in the beginning and then monthly through the season, water every week, giving at least one inch per week, and mulch the beds.
Truthfully, these plants are so tough, and the genetics are so improved over many years ago, that they tend to thrive in both places. There is very little difference in most of the plants.
These trial gardens are a great place to visit and to determine which plants you might like to have in your landscape. The purpose of these trials is to showcase those plants that are easy to maintain and likely to thrive in your garden.
Both sites are open during daylight hours. The trials in Columbus are on the OSU campus, in Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens. The trials in Springfield are in Snyder Park Gardens & Arboretum.
Be sure to take your camera and a pen and notebook because you will want to remember some of the great plants to use next season.
Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.
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