Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants in Litchfield, MI, is known for running detailed plant trials each year. In some cases, the company will work with specific plant breeders on specific crops.
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This year, Schoneveld released its new series of Joybera Gerbera series, and reached out to the Raker-Roberta’s team about doing a trial with Joybera and some of the most popular gerbera series that are on the market right now, to see how they compare.
We had several objectives for the trials:
- Determine the flowering period of each series color
- Evaluate the plant’s vigor using the most practical method
- Measure the flower length and compare it across series
- Identify an appropriate time (week) when the plant exhibits three open flowers and two buds
- Identify the number of days each series might take to bloom, aiming to find a five-day window.
- Observe the overall quality of each series, focusing on uniformity
For the evaluation of this trial, seven series were considered: ColorBloom, FloriLine Midi, Jaguar, Joybera, Majorette, Revolution, and Royal. Each series featured four flower colors: Orange, Pink, Red, and Yellow. Each series color had 10 pots for data collection, resulting in 280 pots.
Trial Phases
Phase A: A comparative evaluation was conducted through photographs of seedling development in 285 trays that were sown during week 22, before transplanting.
Phase B: In Week 23, seedlings were transplanted into 4-inch pots, drip irrigation was installed, and a biological fungicide (Rootshield WP) was applied via drench. Before data collection, each pot was assigned a number from 1 to 10 to allow consistent tracking for data collection, including measurements of width, flower height, and photographic documentation of vegetative and foliar development.
Phase C: In the following weeks, the width of each series was regularly measured, and fertilization with 18-3-18 (250 ppm) was maintained once a week. In Week 24, a sachet of Amblyseius swirskii was installed in each pot as a biological control for whiteflies, thrips, and mites.
Phase D: Once the plants began producing buds and flowers, data collection commenced, focusing on flower height, the number of buds, live flowers, and flowers in their final phase. Additionally, photographs were continuously taken to assess the development of each series.
Evaluate Plant Vigor Using the Most Practical Method
As a practical and easy-to-apply method for this trial, we established measuring the width of the foliar area that Gerbera plants develop over the ten-week evaluation period.
A measuring tape was used for the respective measurement. Three pots were randomly selected (these three pots were measured throughout the entire trial) and the area with the greatest foliar expansion observed in the pot was measured.
Considering width as one of the elements to determine plant vigor, we observed that each series and color developed differently over the ten-week evaluation period. Below, you can see summary graphs that include the final data collected based on the last week of evaluation (Wk34):
- Comparative Graph of Orange Flower Series – Width: We can see that the two series, Majorette and Jaguar, stand out with width measurements of 17.3 inches and 16.6 inches, respectively. In contrast, Revolution showed the least foliar development with 12.6 inches.
- Comparative Graph of Pink Flower Series – Width: In this case, the series Jaguar, Joybera, and Royal showed greater foliar width development with 16.2 inches, 15.6 inches, and 16 inches, respectively, while Colorbloom demonstrated less development with 12 inches.
- Comparative Graph of Red Flower Series – Width: The series that stand out for having greater width are Joybera and Royal with 15.7 inches and 15.9 inches, respectively. Meanwhile, the series that reflects the smallest width is Colorbloom with 12.2 inches.
- Comparative Graph of Yellow Flower Series – Width: The series that stand out for having greater width are Jaguar, Revolution, and Royal with 15.6 inches, 16.4 inches, and 16.7 inches, respectively. On the other hand, ColorBloom and FloriLine Midi showed less width with 13.2 inches and 13.1 inches, respectively.
It can be said that the series with the greatest foliar width development were the Jaguar and Royal series, which could be rated a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1=smallest and 5=largest. Meanwhile, the series that predominantly maintained a small, compact width was the ColorBloom series, which could be considered a 1, reflecting the least width in foliar development.
Measure the Flower Length and Compare it Across Series
Flowering height was measured using a measuring tape, and flowers were randomly selected to ensure a representative sample for the database.
- Comparative Graph of Orange Flower Series – Height: The ColorBloom and FloriLine Midi series show greater flower height with 9.2 inches and 10.2 inches, respectively, while the Jaguar series reflects the shortest height with 4.8 inches.
- Comparative Graph of Pink Flower Series – Height: The FloriLine Midi and Majorette series, with flower heights of 9.7 inches and 8.1 inches, respectively, demonstrate greater height development compared to the Royal series, which recorded only 5.4 inches, making it the series with the smallest flower height.
- Comparative Graph of Red Flower Series – Height: The FloriLine Midi and Jaguar series stand out in this category with taller flowers, each measuring 8.2 inches, while the Majorette series is the shortest, with a height of 6.5 inches.
- Comparative Graph of Yellow Flower Series – Height: The Royal series excels in this area with a height of 8.2 inches, surpassing all other series. In terms of the shortest flower height, the Majorette series recorded 5.5 inches.
It can be concluded that the FloriLine Midi series consistently produced taller flowers, while determining which series produced the shortest flowers depends on the flower color. The results indicate variability across series: for orange flowers, the Jaguar series had the shortest flowers; for pink flowers, it was the Royal series; and for red and yellow flowers, the Majorette series had the shortest flowers.
To identify the flowering period of each series, determine an appropriate date when the series develops two to three flowers and two buds, and simultaneously identify the number of days each series might take to bloom, a comparative chart was developed for each series across weeks based on all collected data. The following results were obtained:
Observe the Overall Quality of Each Series, Focusing on Uniformity
Based on the information provided and the evaluation of uniformity in the development time of each hybrid, the following conclusions can be drawn:
The hybrid Colorbloom exhibits early, uniform, and long-lasting flowering. During the trial, it demonstrated rapid bud development and quick blooming. Therefore, if you are looking for a hybrid with these characteristics—fast and prolonged flowering, as evidenced by its six-week bloom — Colorbloom is the ideal choice.
Another hybrid that stands out for its uniform flowering over time is Joybera. Unlike Colorbloom, Joybera takes its time in developing buds and blooming. However, in terms of production and long-distance shipping, this hybrid could be strategically advantageous, as it ensures that customers will enjoy its bloom upon delivery.
Regarding uniformity by series, based on the collected data and the evaluation of the floral development of each series:
The following can be determined:
- The Colorbloom series reaches uniformity in flowering between weeks 30-31.
- The FloriLine Midi series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 33.
- The Jaguar series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 32.
- The Joybera series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 33.
- The Majorette series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 32.
- The Revolution series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 33.
- The Royal series reaches uniformity in flowering in week 33.
Other Notes From the Trial
Gerbera can be sensitive to thrips, and these trials helped show how color can factor into susceptibility. For example, while we thought yellow flowers were the most susceptible, we also saw thrips emergence in pink and orange varieties.
Gerbera is an interesting crop to work with because of the color variations. For example, I was able to highlight the tonal and brilliance differences in plants that just looked yellow at first.
In conclusion, this trial demonstrates that there is much more to explore with the seven hybrids evaluated. In the future, I would recommend conducting the trial in a different season, assessing susceptibility to insecticides and their effects on flowering, among other variables. Nonetheless, this trial provides valuable insights into how each hybrid color responds to specific environmental conditions and how the horticulture industry can use this information to its advantage.
The Raker-Roberta’s team has charts and infographics available with more detailed information. To learn more, email emilywildt@rakercom.
