Why the future of floriculture field trials looks bright

Added on 24 January 2024

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Why the future of floriculture field trials looks bright

Calibrachoa ‘Chameleon Frozen Ice’ (Westhoff) Photo: Plantpeddler

Trials put new varieties to the test. If a new cultivar claims to be drought-tolerant, trials make breeders walk the walk, not just talk the talk. If a petunia is supposed to bounce back after it rains, trial managers will leave it in the rain to wait and see what happens. Without these tests of durability, breeders would not get the feedback they need.

Trial managers are plant geeks just as much as the next person, but they are there to collect the data. After a 31-year career (and counting) in horticulture, Pamela Bennett, Professor and Extension Educator at The Ohio State University, says the future of floriculture is bright.

“I think the future of floriculture is unlimited,” she says. “COVID-19 brought out the fact that everybody returned to gardening while they stayed home. Look at the houseplant craze — who would have thought? In the 1970s, houseplants were huge. Millennials have brought back the houseplant craze. It’s incredible to see what they’re willing to pay for.”

Emily Wildt, Regional Sales and Trial Garden Director at Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants, also references the next generation of gardeners. She says they are moving toward container gardens and baskets rather than bedding plants.