The Value of Growing Petchoa SuperCal®

Last winter I wrote a blog post about this relatively new genus and series. Now that the growing season has begun for next spring, it’s definitely worth revisiting the SuperCal series as they continue to grow in demand and popularity.


SuperCal Terracotta

What makes SuperCal unique is that they’re a genetic cross between the Petunia and Calibrachoa genera. What makes them a value is that the cross brings the best characteristics of each genus to the series, and pretty much gets rid of the icky traits. Examples: Large showy flowers (petunia genetics), non-sticky leaves (Calibrachoa), flower power (both), tolerance to high soil pH (petunia), self-cleaning plants (both), excellent performance in both cool and warm environments (both).



SuperCal Neon Rose

We conducted a thorough container trial of the SuperCal’s this summer at our facility here in Rochester, NY. Our unusually hot and dry summer really put this series to the test, and I must say we were very pleased with the overall results. The advantage for growers is the SuperCal’s can be grown cool, so that’s a nice energy savings. For the end user, the good news is they performed exceptionally well in high heat and direct sun! The claim of self-cleaning was evident in our trials throughout the summer. We never had to deadhead the plants – EVER. Consider that a nice energy savings on the consumer side!
 

My favorite of the series is Neon Rose. The containers were packed with flowers and the color really popped – two great traits. Rest assured there are several other colors that round out the series, such as new Blushing Pink, Blue, Cherry, Terracotta, Violet, and more.



I could go on and on about the SuperCals… and I will, but not today! You’ll be seeing more details about the SuperCal series as we progress towards spring. As a professional grower, if you haven’t added the SuperCal’s to your product line, here is a strong ‘heads up’ to consider them. The liners are available through our Plug & Liner program. 



SuperCal Blue

For home gardeners, be sure to ask for the SuperCal’s by name at your local garden center next spring. We are also working on a home gardener mail order transplant program that will include the SuperCal’s. Details of the program should be available by late November.

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 11:27 AM

That’s right! Even MORE New Flower Introductions for 2013!

Can you tell that there’s a plethora of new intro’s for the 2013 gardening season? And I’m not even done yet! Today’s post wraps up the new variety highlights. And guess what - there are even more in addition to what I’ve covered in these last four blog posts! Stay tuned as I’ll be covering some of these in more detail throughout the year. In the meantime, take peek below. Clicking here will give you even more detail of the varieties below.

Vegetative Liners

• Super Bells® Lemon Slice Calibrachoa – This new Proven Winners® variety has looked bright and zesty in the trials I’ve visited this spring and summer. Plants are covered in lemon yellow and white flowers in a distinctive star pattern.

  

  Super Bells® Lemon Slice Calibrachoa

• SunPatiens® Compact Electric Orange New Guinea Impatiens – This new, high-impact color lights up SunPatiens’ 2013 line. You’ll be hearing more from me about the entire SunPatiens series during the course of the season!

  

  SunPatiens® Compact Electric Orange New Guinea Impatiens

• Calliope® Hot Pink Geranium – The award-winning interspecific Calliope series welcomes three new colors, including bold Hot Pink. Superior branching fills containers quickly for a premium finish.

  

  Calliope® Hot Pink Geranium

• Clio Magenta Cleome – This upright bushy newcomer provides inspiration in both gardens and large containers.

  

  Clio Magenta Cleome

• SuperCal® Artist Rose Petchoa – The SuperCal’s are gaining in recognition, and deservedly so. New Artist Rose provides a nice color addition to this fantastic series. You’ll be hearing more from me about the entire SuperCal series during the course of the season!

  

  SuperCal® Artist Rose Petchoa

• New multi-liners galore! There are a number of new multi-liner combinations from various breeders. Consider multi-liners of Proven Winners, and Celebrations, of Trixi’s and Mixi’s, of Kwik Combo’s™ and more! Click here for just a snapshot of multi-liner combo’s. More detail to follow as we go through the season. Stay tuned!

  

  Multi-Liners

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 3:08 PM

More Enticing New Flower Introductions for 2013

In my last post a few of the many new flower seed introductions were highlighted that will be available for the 2013 gardening season. This post spotlights a sampling of the many new vegetative introductions that are available to grow this season. All are available through our plug & liner program. Clicking here will give you even more detail of the varieties below.

Vegetative Liners

• Calipetite Calibrachoas – Wow, did these turn our heads in trials this spring! Calipetite offers neat bursts of color in pots, containers, and window boxes.    

  

  Calipetite Calibrachoas

  
 
• SunPatiens® Compact Electric Orange New Guinea Impatiens – This new, high-impact color lights up SunPatiens’ 2013 line. You’ll be hearing more from me about the entire SunPatiens series during the course of the season!

  

  SunPatiens® Compact Electric Orange New Guinea Impatiens

  
• Calliope® Hot Pink Geraniums – The award-winning interspecific Calliope series welcomes three new colors, including bold Hot Pink. Superior branching fills containers quickly for a premium finish. 



Calliope® Hot Pink Geraniums


• Colorblaze® Keystone Kopper Coleuses – This new Proven Winners® sun coleus will catch your eye with its rich, deep copper foliage. It makes a great landscape coleus. Also be sure to check out its new companion Colorblaze Marooned!

  

  Colorblaze® Keystone Kopper Coleuses

  
• Petunia Ray Sunflower – It’s unique alright. Check out the dark maroon and yellow starred pattern of this conversation-starter!

  

  Petunia Ray Sunflower

  
• SuperCal® Artist Rose Petchoas – The SuperCal’s are gaining in recognition, and deservedly so. New Artist Rose provides a nice color addition to this fantastic series. You’ll be hearing more from me about the entire SuperCal series during the course of the season!

  

  SuperCal® Artist Rose Petchoas

  
• Lanai® Candy Cane Verbenas – I’ve really enjoyed the color pattern of this addition to the Lanai series. It’s performed beautifully all summer long in a hanging basket at home and put a twinkle in my eye.

  

  Lanai® Candy Cane Verbenas

  
• Pardon My Purple Monardas – This new Proven Winners® Monarda caught my attention with its nice short plant stature. It can be grown for the fronts of perennial gardens and used in mixed containers.

If you’re a home gardener, be sure to bookmark this page so you can ask for the varieties by name next spring at your local garden center!

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 5:12 PM

What Makes SuperCal’s so Super

There’s a fairly new flower genus that’s making waves in the industry called Petchoa. It’s a cross between Petunia and Calibrachoa (commonly referred to as Million Bells). In our January newsletter I’d written in some detail about the benefits of growing the SuperCal series of Petchoa, regardless if you’re a commercial grower or a home gardener. I’m pretty high on the SuperCal’s because the varieties combine the best traits of its two parents: Large, showy flowers, tolerance to high soil pH, excellent performance in both cool and warm environments, no sticky leaves, self-cleaning plants, and more.

What I didn’t go into detail in the newsletter article is the fact that the SuperCal’s make such great baskets and containers. For combo’s planters try growing them with SunPatiens and white Alyssum (more on SunPatiens in a future blog!). They also make fabulous baskets when paired with other SuperCal varieties. Some tested and true combo’s are Vanilla Blush paired with either Blue or Purple, Neon Rose grown with Purple, or Terracotta with Blue and Neon Rose. Frankly, they are such prolific bloomers I think they also look great just as a single variety on its own. Figure about 3-4 plants per 10” basket, adding a plant for every 2” you increase in basket size.

The SuperCal’s are not available from seed, only from vegetative liners for commercial growers. There are currently 9 different SuperCal varieties available right now: Cherry, Terracotta, Neon Rose, Pink Ice (New!), Blue, Velvet, Purple and Vanilla Blush. Terracotta is a pretty fun color, and the new Pink Ice is eye-popping. And there are more on the way – can’t wait to see them! In the meantime, try out the current SuperCal’s – they’re gaining ground with good reason. Home gardeners - be sure to ask for SuperCal by name at your local garden center.

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 11:07 AM