When it comes to trialing poinsettias, timing and diversity are critical factors for success. Come November, evidence of that will be in full bloom at Heimos Greenhouses in Millstadt, Ill., site of the 7th annual Poinsettia Comparison Trial, Nov. 20-21.
There at command central, Head Grower Amy Morris reports that all cuttings for the 153 varieties from five breeders have been received for this year’s event, and that attendees will be greeted with more than 15,000 potted plants in a myriad of reds, whites, pastels, and marbled variations. Minis, as well as traditional sizes and various bracts, will also be showcased.
The event started as a seed of an idea at the OFA Short Course (now Cultivate) in Columbus when Karl Trellinger, technical services specialist at Syngenta, told Morris that no one in the Midwest was doing poinsettia trials since Purdue stopped theirs and asked if Heimos would be interested. Morris ran with the suggestion and spoke with four breeders: Syngenta, Selecta/Ball, Ecke, and Dummen (before Ecke became a part of Dummen). Beekenkamp in 2011 became the fifth breeder to participate in the event.
Heimos was a natural fit for such an event as it finishes over a million poinsettias annually and serves as a rooting cell (Heimos owns the product) for Syngenta and Selecta/Ball, and as a rooting station (service center) for Dummen. The Heimos complex includes more than 42 acres of greenhouse, office, and production space as well as 25 acres of outdoor growing.
For the November event, Heimos staff will root (for four weeks), transplant, stick and label (color-coded by breeder) each of the 15,000-plus cuttings. Plants will be pinched, measured, and photographed every two weeks to document their progress. Some will be moved and covered with black cloth, as poinsettias typically require 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness daily for the bracts to form and change color, while others will rely on natural light, which slows growth. This provides attendees with an important opportunity to compare stages of production. Once the autumnal equinox arrives (Sept. 23), the plants will be moved to the greenhouse. By Oct. 1 the plants will be thriving and on Nov. 20-21, Heimos will welcome back its breeders and growers to evaluate this year’s offerings.
Returning for his fourth consecutive year will be Dummen’s Bart Hayes. “As a breeding company representative, I attend the Heimos trial because I think it is one of the best opportunities to see a true side-by-side comparison of all of the [poinsettia] genetics currently on the market and evaluate the potential for new varieties.”
Hayes continues, “The Heimos Trial is different from others in several distinct ways. First, the sheer scale of the trial is huge – not only in numbers of varieties trialed, but in terms of production scale. Varieties are produced in larger production blocks to showcase the overall performance of the variety. Second, half of the crop is manipulated to provide a two-week production difference so you can see what each variety looks like. And third, it is a true grower trial.
The varieties are produced under a high-quality, retailer production standard along with other retail bound product, so there is no special treatment for the trial varieties when compared to the production varieties. For a new potential introduction, this provides a glimpse at what can be expected from this variety. For established, industry standard varieties, you can see how they compare to the newest breeding.”
The event has come a long way since year one, when 30 growers came to see 100 varieties represented by four breeders. This year’s event is expected to attract nearly 200 growers who will see 153 varieties represented by five breders.And, yes, it is a lot of work, but Morris understands full well the benefits to Heimos as well as the industry she loves. That is, any time you can build relationships with buyers, that’s going to be good for business. The event also provides Heimos with valuable information on new varieties to determine inventory and drive sales. Furthermore, Morris says that new varieties and the growers and buyers who come to see them, are helping to fend off commoditization of this Christmas classic.
It’s also a fantastic learning experience for future growers as the event attracts about 100 horticulture students annually from such schools as Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois Community College, Jefferson College, and the University of Missouri (“Mizzou” if you happen to be at Heimos).
“It’s great having growers and buyers here to talk with each other about the new varieties,” says Morris. “And then you add to it the young people who represent our future and there’s one thing for sure, there’s a lot of adrenaline during our event.”
Morris adds that she’s even more excited about this year’s trial, which will include educational sessions led by industry experts on pest and disease management, growing media, and water issues.
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Red may rule, but poinsettia options grow Growers, retailers, and breeders agree that red poinsettias occupy at least 80 percent of the market during the holidays, if not more. However, efforts to differentiate are growing in importance as well. “Red is still by far the number one color, and always will be,” says Lloyd Traven, owner of Peace Tree Farm in Kintnersville, Pa., but he adds that his customers are looking for unusual offerings.
At Countryside Flower Shop in Crystal Lake, Ill., Greenhouse Manager Lori Harms, says many customers are gravitating toward darker, bolder merlot-like reds that offer Christmas color without clashing with the rest of their home décor. “If a customer has a home where red just clashes with walls, paint or carpeting, burgundy fits that spot,” Harms says. “It’s very rich and very nice in an environment where you have warm colors and you don’t want that sharp, bright red. I would say burgundy is our second seller next to red.” Sam Kimling, brand manager at Dummen Group, says Ecke Ranch is exploring opportunities pertaining to the design aspect of poinsettias, and color comes into play. “We want people to not think of it as a pot crop, but think of it as a decorating piece,” Kimling says, which is why Dummen offers an array of red, orange, pink, and apricot hues. “Advertisers are not using poinsettias as much in consumer decorating magazines, and so we want to give them more colors and shapes to work with.” Other than red, apricot and white are popular colors at Countryside, as are the blue painted poinsettias. “We offer blue and silver poinsettias for our Jewish clientele for Hanukah,” she says. “But everybody fell in love with them, and sales keep increasing every year.” As for traditional Christmas sales, Traven at Peace Tree Farm says he has seen a decline in poinsettias, so he now offers other Christmas plants, such as cyclamen and winter rose, and even grows red ornamental edibles like peppers and tomatoes. Amaryllis, begonias, and hydrangeas are also “surging” and “absolutely shine” during Christmas, he says. Big and tall vs. short and small “The smaller the plant, the better we do. So we’ve pushed topiary forms of poinsettias. We have gotten down to where the largest size of tree poinsettia that we grow is a 5-inch clay pot,” he says. “On the topiary end, the smallest size we do is a 1-inch clay pot.” Harms has found the exact opposite pattern developing at her store. Now that the economy has rebounded, customers are leaning toward bigger poinsettias. “Trend wise, it’s not so much the colors that change, we’ve seen differences in the sizes people are purchasing,” Harms says. “From 2008 to 2012, no one really wanted to spend a lot of money on their poinsettias. The 6-inch size was selling, but we were lagging on our 10-inch, beautiful showcase ones. In the last two years, our corporate clients have come back, they’re spending more money and they’re buying the 10-inch again.” Breaking the mold “We’re trying to break the mold of that traditional red,” he says. “But you have to get retailers and growers on board, because at the end of the day, growers don’t want to take a big risk.” By changing the shape and presentation, Kimling hopes they can extend the season for poinsettias. For example, Luv U Pink, a poinsettia and euphorbia hybrid, could be a plant to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. “We want to introduce different design concepts, not just foil,” he says. “The future of the market is when we can collaborate with hard-goods suppliers and do more with the containers and color trends.”
– Michelle Simakis, managing editor, Garden Center |
So Traven is growing bold burgundy, pink, and apricot-colored plants, along with glitter and marble varieties that are speckled with red and white – a formal Christmas look with flair.
FOR MORE: www.ngheimos.com
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