Growing Daffodils, Planting, Publications and Resources, Soil

new introductions information & Earth Kind plant testing

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The ADS and various state daffodil groups are going to miss the boat on teaming up with Earth Kind plant research to find and promote the VERY best daffodil varieties that you can plant and forget, BUT these chosen varieties will have to THRIVE out in the various regions of the USA. These will be “garden hardy” BUT they can also be “show quality” IF they were to go into mass production.

The photos are how they test “Earth Kind” roses in different regions across Texas and other states. These rose varieties were planted in the fall and winter of 2008. They were watered once a week in 2009 and after that they must survive on local rainfall. These ALL had to survive the Texas drought last summer without ANY water. Each variety is double blind tested in four different locations or plant blocks at each location.

Again Earth Kind test roses are NEVER fertilized, never pruned, never dead headed.They NEVER use any fungicide and or any insecticides. To make the cut they can never lose more than 25% of their leaves to black spot.

Without dead heading they must be able to come back into full bloom at least twice per summer. At least once during spring and or summer they must bloom and look spectacular. Weed and grass control is done by hand and then contained by annual additions of tree chip mulch. Plants get ALL of their nutrient and fertilizer requirements from the tree chips as the chips slowly break down during the spring, summer and fall.

Tests will run for at least three years, winning varieties go on to compete in larger plant trails in more and more regions of the states and then country wide to determine cold and heat tolerance for different plant varieties. Earth Kind plant lists are being developed for each region.

MOST of the time these tests will be done in public locations and will be conducted by Certified Master Gardeners working under strict guidelines. Tests will be conducted in as many locations as they can find MG groups and or colleges and graduates to work on these long term test plots/projects.

State daffodil groups and or good individual daffodil growers will be needed to help set the planting criteria for the different regions of the USA. EACH region will have different daffodil lists. Each will have different growing conditions.

Daffodil varieties will need to be positively identified each blooming season. Earth Kind researchers LIKE to partner up with national and state level plant societies and these get equal billing on all signage at research sites.

European (mostly the German) Rose breeders are sending ALL of their new introductions and the best older French roses to compete in these Texas rose trials! But these are being duplicated in New York, and the Midwestern states.

I noticed that Britain is going to fine folks 1,000 pounds this year for watering their yard or shrubbery with a water hose or spray irrigation system as they are suffering a “severe drought”. The police are going to rely on photos that your neighbors take of you watering your backyard/ garden or catching you washing your auto with a hose:-)) “Earth Kind” research is spreading out to lawn grasses and landscape plants & perennials. Keith Kridler Mt. Pleasant, Texas

4 comments for “new introductions information & Earth Kind plant testing”

  1. Gosh Keith fancy being dobbed in for watering your garden.
    As a result of our earthquake the water infrastructure of our city was badly damaged therefore for the last few months watering was restricted to hand held hoses only, on three days a week only. The upside is that repair of the pipes and repairing the sewerage system will take five years and provide employment for a workforce of 5000 extra people. Our son has obtained a permanent job as a consequence of the earthquake so our cloud has a silver lining.
    As a garden city we have garden, factory and street awards for the best gardens. I had the privilege of spending a morning on a judging team. The winner of the premier garden was telling us that his gardening hobby costs him around $20 000 per year and that on his three watering days he stood with the hose from 3pm to 9 or 10pm each watering day. He commented that gardening was his only hobby and that he did it for other people to enjoy. It fits because as a funeral director he probably doesn’t see people enjoying themselves very often.
    Maybe on Lesley’s tour in September we can do a little detour to see a couple of the gardens. The one mentioned above is only two streets over from the road we will be travelling on.
    Dave

  2. LOL In dear old Coastal North Carolina without outdoor watering your Big Bright Magic Lantern reduces itself to the size of a amall Sweetness after the first year without watering and just foliage the third year, and gone the fouth year. However with watering, I still have show stopper Magic Lanterns after 6 years.

    Clay

  3. I must say from here in Ohio, the very concept of having to water an outdoor daffodil seems amazingly odd, especially in this year of much rain.

  4. I have a better solution for selection. Find yards like mine in every section of the country. Those daffodils that have survived, are hardy. You do not have to wait several years for results for some varities.

    Jim Russell

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