Page 6 - Griffin Gazette Q3 2017

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Ready to Launch
Get Fired Up for the Season with the Best of the 2017 California Spring Trials

By Jeanne Svob, literally hundreds, and some are certainly

Seed Business Manager more noteworthy than others. But we can

It’s an annual rite of passage: California share the highlights of what we saw, and
Spring Trials (CAST). This April, your we’ve been doing this a long time so we’re
Griffin sales reps travelled first to northern not exactly easy to impress.

California, then ventured another 284 miles Top picks in seed crops

down the coast. Armed with cameras and Purple Prince is a new variety, and the

notebooks, they went to see and hear first compact alternanthera from seed. It’s

about new and improved varieties coming an easy-to-grow alternative to vegetative

to market for the 2018 season. varieties, with burgundy foliage that will

CAST serves as the launch pad for enhance landscape beds and containers.
breeding companies’ new introductions. Purple Prince is sturdy enough to take
With that in mind, the varieties themselves whatever summer can dish out, from heat
are the rocket fuel, powering growers’ and to drought to rain.

retailers’ programs to new heights. Whether Akila Grand Canyon Mixture is a gorgeous

you’re looking for production efficiencies addition to the Akila osteospermum series.

and improvements, or something new and This segregating mix includes shades of

different to “wow” your customers, CAST yellows, rose-reds, purples, lavenders,

B is where it begins. Remember, every top creams and white. It’s a great candidate for
seller of today was once a new introduction spring or fall programs.

that likely debuted at CAST. Pentas have been popular with the flower

Of course, we can’t tell you about every breeders in recent years. Lucky Star is a

new and upgraded variety – there are new choice among compact pentas, suited