Sakata's tagline for its 2022-2023 introductions is "Brightening the World!" Here's a bit of the bright that we glimpsed upon a visit to the breeder's Salinas stop.
The intense color of the new Flamma Celosia series from Sakata stays strong through the heat of summer and doesn’t brown like other celosias. A stunner at retail with its bright hues, it boasts tons of lateral branching for a bushy habit. It’s also an All-American Selections Award-winner. Available in bright red, golden, orange, rose and a mix.
New SuperCal branded pots and signage
Growing SuperCal petunias in Sakata’s new branded pots and tags helps retailers differentiate the product for increased sell-through, according to the company. The new pots and tags are vibrant and eye catching, the clean white pots with pink and teal graphics positioned near the typical black plastic nursery pots will likely grab the attention of all that pass by.
Sakata’s new Rubee series features four indeterminate slicer tomatoes: Rubee Dawn, Rubee Goddess, Rubee Plus and Ruby Prize. Dawn is a large-fruited red salad variety, that is very early maturing. Goddess is also early maturing, and it offers strong disease resistance. Plus (pictured) is another early maturing selection with high yield potential. Prize is an early maturing variety with extra large fruit.
Dania is the latest series in Sakata’s primula selection. Bred in Denmark, this primula has less cold requirement than the Danova series and finishes two weeks earlier than Danova. It has a natural, compact habit and does not require any PGRs. There are eight colors in this new series.
CAST 2022: Dümmen Orange
A focus on creating products that are pest and disease resistant, and more sustainable, are some of the efforts currently underway at the international breeder.
The Dümmen Orange CAST 2022 stop at Filipponi Ranch in San Luis Obispo kicked off our second day on the road checking out new varieties. Check out some of the introductions that caught our eye and see what's coming next.
Dümmen is introducing a new program of trendy foliage plants and succulents for the indoors. Welcome to the Jungle offers 50 varieties that are perfect for containers and baskets that will pique the interest of indoor gardeners looking to liven up their living spaces.
The stylish plant collection features tons of textures with trailing as well as upright options. There are many compact options as well. Noticing the indoor succulent garden trend, Dümmen Orange wanted to expand offerings.
The small plants are great for miniature gardens and terrariums. Many are available at retail now with more becoming available by the end of the year.
Varieties include Citrus Twist Peperomia obtipan, Nanouk Tradescantia, Mystifall Pilea glauca, Tortuga Tradescantia, Senecio String of Thai Dolphins, Peperomia Leap Frog, Sedum Jade Runner and Kalanchoe Silver Strand.
This superb branching of the new Mega Guinea series of New Guinea Impatiens features a bush-like growth habit and, most importantly, vigorous disease resistance. Growers like appreciate that they can fill large sized containers with only one liner, and the variety starts flowering early in April, so it’s a strong candidate for early season production.
Smartunia ‘Windmill Red’
Dümmen representatives were very jazzed about the new Smartunia series introduction. Eight solid color and bi-color choices round out the new series. The most notable characteristic for growers is the breeder’s proprietary Intrinsa breeding technology, which has imparted this series with remarkable Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) resistance. Available via URC from Dümmen's off-shore farm in El Salvador, keep an eye out for even more additions to this exciting new petunia series in the coming years.
For vibrant, summer color, consider Gaillardia Spintop. Dümmen introduced a new color to this series, Mango. The series is compact and well-branched, and it features early color that flowers all summer long. This first-year flowering perennial is from vegetative cuttings. It’s hardy in Zones 3-9 and offers heat and drought tolerance.
Gardeners can have lavender all year with the newest addition to the La Diva lineup: Imperial Early Lavender from Dümmen Orange. The premium landscape variety has more flower power and comes in earlier than other French lavenders on the market with good heat-tolerance for great performance.
Dümmen has entered the realm of flowering tropicals with a launch of the Hibiscus Caribbean Collection. Varieties were selected to be well-branched and floriferous, with flowers that last up to three days. They're well suited for 2.5- and 3-quart containers. There are six colors in this new collection.
Logo courtesy of MGK
MGK acquires DeBug brands from Agro Logistic Systems Inc.
The acquisition creates one-of-a-kind botanical business in pest control.
MGK, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company, announces the purchase of the DeBug brand of neem products from Agro Logistic Systems, Inc. The DeBug products are an excellent addition to MGK’s current botanical portfolio, which includes its legacy brands, Pyganic and EverGreen. “This acquisition supports MGK’s mission to make life healthier by offering responsible products that protect people and their environments from the impact of insects,” states Steve Gullickson, president of MGK.
The DeBug range of products provides growers with a portfolio of solutions for insect control across a broad base of pests and crops. Offering quadruple action as an insecticide, fungicide, miticide and nematicide, DeBug can be used independently or in tandem with pyrethrum and other natural or synthetic pesticides.
MGK’s plan is to incorporate neem into its product development process and deliver innovative solutions to multiple markets for decades to come. "We are excited to add neem to our portfolio of botanical active ingredients. MGK now has a strong development and commercial position in three, time-tested and highly effective EPA-registered botanical active ingredients," says Don Sundquist, MGK’s director of business development. "We believe DeBug and future neem-based offerings are a perfect complement to MGK's portfolio of organically compliant crop protection products."
CAST 2022: Suntory
Suntory hosted visitors at the Santa Barbara Polo Grounds this year. Here's a couple new introductions that caught our eye from the breeder.
Suntory says this is the world’s leading petunia based on “outstanding garden performance.” It features robust flowers and petals that can stand up to extreme weather, and it’s versatile enough to go from the basket to the container to the landscape. These petunias thrive in full or partial sun.
Senetti ‘Blue Halo’
Breeder representatives on-site at CAST 2022 say this is a collection of pericallis hybrids that offer the gardener a first to spring flower with vivid blues, magic magentas, ultraviolets and stunning bicolors.
CAST 2022: PlantHaven International
PlantHaven International graced the Santa Barbara Polo Grounds with introductions this year. Here's a couple that we liked.
These bold, beautiful new Gaillardia features a unique flower form with double echinacea-style flowers in warm, kissed-by-the-sun tones. Attractive to pollinators and bred for robust plant health and a tidy mounding habit.
Royal Hawaiian Waikiki’ Colocasia
This new colocasia has been bred to be happy in full sun, and are reportedly sturdy garden performers, and great container specimens. Each is disease resistant with fabulous foliage and stem interest, and with their tidy clumping habit would be a welcome addition in any garden or landscape.
