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SUCCESS! Purple
Ornamental Breeder: I read that SUCCESS!® petunias are different from others on the market because they are less sensitive to long days and flower an entire week earlier. I also understand the habit is more mounded and uniform. Can you expand on some of these attributes, and is there anything else that makes these petunias different from others on the market?
Pim Kaagman: I think that as a plant breeder, you have to be in close contact with the growers. The comments that came back from growers is that they don’t like to treat all the different hybrids in their own specific way. But they like to grow them all in the same way, and that the plants have to be programmable. One of the aspects that isn’t well known is that SUCCESS! Trailing Petunias also can be grown in lower temperatures like 58 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Another aspect is that the first flower is in the middle of the plant, which is important if you want to fill the whole basket from top to bottom.
OB: What was it like to breed SUCCESS? What were your goals, what were the challenges and how long did it take?
PK: Looking at the wishes from the growers, I came to the conclusion that I would like to breed a trailing petunia series without difficulties in growing so every grower is able to grow a quality product without using some kind of magic stick. The challenges that I faced were that most colors react differently under the same growing conditions, and you have to invent how to set up your breeding program. I know this sounds maybe a bit difficult, but it isn’t. Just keep it simple and use your common sense. In other words, [growers,] just create an environment where you are able to select the criteria you want. It took us four years to introduce the SUCCESS! series.
OB: In 2014, you launched eight colors. Any new hues for 2016, and how many do you currently have available?
PK: Yes, there will be more colors available in 2016. At this moment it’s too early to tell which and how many colors because there are several candidates in the pipeline, but production and seed quality are always important. We want to be reliable in delivering the seeds. Currently there are eight colors available: White, Salmon, Pink, Rose, Red, Blue, Violet and Burgundy.
OB: Is there a color that seems to be most popular, or do you have a personal favorite?
PK: My personal favorite is the SUCCESS! Red. This is because the genetics from red [petunias] in most series provide a later and less vigorous color, but the SUCCESS! Red has the same earliness and vigor as all the other colors in the series. Because of this, you can use SUCCESS! Red in all kinds of mixes.
OB: What mixes do you have available? I noticed the Liberty Mix was pictured on the website.
Jen Calhoun: When we introduced the series, we started with three mixes: Liberty, a mix of red, white and blue; Twilight, a mix of burgundy, white, pink and blue; and Maxi, a mix of all colors. At that time we had no idea how popular our mixes would be! Because the varieties are so uniform for timing, they are really easy for the grower. You can literally sow all the colors in the mix at the same time, and they will bloom within a few days of each other. Our grower customers keep asking for more mixes, so we have come up with seven new designer color combinations. The grower can choose to grow them as individual colors that they can use for mixed baskets, etc. or they can combine the seeds for a true “mix.”
OB: Ornamental Breeder serves everyone in the supply chain, from grower to consumer. What are the different benefits for growers, retailers, lawn professionals and consumers?
JC: For growers, you treat every plant the same. There are no special PGR’s or detailed sow schedules for certain varieties. SUCCESS! is the earliest trailing petunia series on the market, making them great for Mother’s Day. And all the colors come into bloom within days of each other. You can ship all colors at the same time
For retailers, SUCCESS! Petunias are a versatile series with a premium look. You can put them in packs, 5-inches, window boxes or baskets and they look great in any size, any program. The mounded plants give more color at retail. Even packs show a nice mound of color on the rack. A full line of POP, like posters, pack handles and rack banners, make SUCCESS! Petunias easy to sell. For landscapers and consumers, the outstanding garden performance of SUCCESS! will keep them coming back year after year. The mounded habit shows more color in the garden. You see vivid color from street level or above. And they are long lasting. Several trial sites reported SUCCESS! Petunias were the last petunias standing at the end of the season!