1. Crops To Pay Attention To
Express Seed Co.
Sales Meeting July 8 & 9, 2011
Oberlin, Ohio
- Gerbera

2. Gerbera The State of the Union
Product Overview-
There have been several new additions and improvements made to what is available to our customers in Gerberas from plugs. Gerbera continues to be a consumer favorite and breeders and marketers are finding new ways to sell and use them in the home, garden, landscape, and on patios. Although there are more sizes and variety choices on the market than ever, seed Gerberas have the vast majority of market share over the small specialized tissue culture segment.
The highest demand pot sizes are those series that fit into a 4 inch, or quart size pot, followed by 6 inch or gallon, varieties.
A growing trend is using Gerberas in hanging baskets (8-10 inch most popular) and in large containers (8-12 inch) as a patio plant or mixed container component.

3. Gerbera
Gerberas as a bedding plant or in the landscape is gaining some traction (mostly in warmer southern or western states)
The reasonably priced seed varieties still have garden flaws as they continue to be susceptible, actually magnets, to thrips, white fly, aphids, etc. and to botrytis, crown rot, and leaf spot.
They don’t usually look very good very long unprotected in the garden.
There are 2 new series from tissue culture (from Florist) that are better suited for garden use on patio containers.
Landscape Series
Garvinea

4. Gerbera Landscape Series- Supplied by Plug Connection
From tissue culture. Total of 13 colors, including a few bi-color types. Florist developed this line from their extensive professional cut flower genetics so these are large plants with long leaf petioles and flower stems. They do have strong thick foliage and large durable flowers (all cut flower attributes) so they do hold up better in the patio or garden. However, they are expensive and have a long crop time.
Garvinea- Supplied by Plug Connection
Perennial outdoor Gerberas, also from tissue culture, and also expensive. Garvinea, sometimes referred to as Drakensberg Daisies, are an interspecific cross between a natural variety found in the mountains near Drakensberg, South Africa, and a cut flower variety. This cross maintained the perennial characteristics of the wild Drakensberg types and therefore shows a garden toughness not seen in any other commercial Gerbera to date. Garvineas are hardy to a USDA zone 7 (in a well drained soil) and also have thick leathery leaves, which do make them fairly insect and disease tolerant. They flower most all spring/summer, but have small flowers and long stems compared to other hybrids. 18 total colors.

5. Seed Varieties 4 inch or quarts with large flowers Revolution series
Jaguar series
Flori Line Midi series
Fortune L varieties

6. Revolution Series Bred by JHL, Kieft; Single flowers
14 colors and shades – 2 mixes
Shortest overall crop time from transplant… color to color
Winter and early spring – 9-10 weeks
Late spring and summer – 7-8 weeks
Genetically compact habit, minimal spacing required
PGRs not usually necessary, but depends on time of the year and grower location
Bred to have a minimum 3-5 flowers per flush, on average
Bi-color mix to be introduced commercially in 2012
New generation revolution series to be introduced in 2013 and no more shades, more uniform, larger flowers

7. Midi Bi-colors- 2011/2012

8. Jaguar Series Bred by Syngenta (improved 2009)
12 straight colors – 1 formula mix and 2 fire mixes
Also a short efficient crop time, color to color, very close to Revolution timing
Winter to early spring – 9-11 weeks
Late spring and summer – 7-8 weeks
Genetically compact, minimal spacing and PGRs required
Bred for 3-5 flowers per flush
All colors and flowers are single petaled with no bi-colors
New for Autumn colors mix
See 6 inch pot section

9. Flori Line Midi Series Bred by Florist…sold by Northern Innovators
18 total colors, 4 of which are bi-color types and a mix
Midi bi-color (white, rose colored accents)
Midi eye catch red (red petals, white ring around eye)
Midi fireball (orange flower, gold eye ring)
Midi eye catcher purple (purple flower, white eye ring)
Large flowers – all single petal types
Clean bright colors
Variable plant habit and crop timing color to color
Winter to early spring – 9-13 weeks
Late spring to summer – 8-11 weeks
More vigorous plant habit than Revolution or Jaguar – PGRs likely
Special order plugs from GCG and Plug Connection

10. Seed Varieties Varieties for 6 inch, 8 inch, and baskets
Mega Revolution
Royal Series
Royal Semi Double Series
Festivals
Festival Semi-Doubles
Festival Spiders
Flori Line Maxi Series
Flori Line Maxi Semi Double mix
Fortune XL Varieties
Autumn Colors Semi Double Mix

11. Mega Revolution JHL/Kieft
9 straight colors and a mix
Shortest overall crop time, uniform color to color, for 6 inch production
Winter and early spring – 9-11 weeks
Late spring and summer – 8-9 weeks
10-15% more vigorous than Revolution bred for 6 or 7 inch pots
PGRs may be necessary spring/summer
Good in baskets and for patio containers
Clean straight colors.. No shades, bred for 3+ flowers minimum per flush

12. Royal Series Takii (formerly Global Seed)
Single Varieties
22 colors and 6 mixes
Large flowers, clean straight colors
Crop time varies from color to color
Winter and early spring – weeks
Late spring and summer – 8-10 weeks
PGRs usually required except in winter
Can be used in baskets and large containers
Royal Semi Double Series
5 straight colors and a mix
Timing 5-7 days longer than most single Royals
PGRs likely required – similar habit to regular Royals

13. Festivals Sakata Seed Co.
Single types
19 colors and shades, and 7 mixes
Crop time variable from color to color and mix to mix
Winter and early spring – weeks
Late spring and summer – 8-11 weeks
Most varieties require PGRs except in winter
OK in baskets and patio containers
Festival Rose is very good. Fast and compact
Festival Semi-Doubles
3 colors and mix of 5 colors
Similar to singles in habit
Same uses as festivals
Festival Spiders – Novelty
2 colors and a mix of 5 colors
Similar to other Festivals in crop time and habit

14. Flori Line Maxi Series Florist… a Northern Innovators product
Single types
14 straight colors and a mix
Crop time varies color to color
Winter to early spring – weeks
Late spring and summer – 8-11 weeks
Large flowers – clean colors
Vigorous habit, large foliage – PGRs likely
OK for baskets and large containers
Plugs via GCG and Plug Connection
Flori Line Maxi Semi Double Mix
Mix only approximately 10+ colors
Long crop time
Big showy flowers

15. Autumn Colors Semi-Double Mix – Syngenta
_ new for 2011\2012
Mix of bright fall colors
Large full double to semi double flowers – very unique
5 inch winter or 6 inch later in season
PGRs probable

16. Mini types
Although these small flowered types are greatly improved through recent breeding, they still only account for a very small market segment of 3-5% overall
Mini Revolutions-
5 straight colors and a mix – single flowers
3-4 inch pots
Large flowers for a mini type
Quick and uniform in production
Mini Royals-
9 straight colors and a mix
Large flowers for mini type
Best in 4 inch pots
1-2 weeks, slower than Mini Revolutions

17. Mini Festivals Durora Mini- Sakata 5 shades and a mix
Some semi-doubles in the mix and shades
1-2 weeks slower than Mini Revolutions
4 inch in spring/summer
Durora Mini- Sakata
A mix of double flowered types
Large flower color range
Flowers last longer than single types
Selected and bred for botrytis and mildew tolerance
Crop time 2 weeks longer to flower than Mini Revolutions
More expensive than other mini types
3 inch in winter, 4 inch in summer

18. Micro Types 2 ½ - 3 ½ inch pots
Micro Revolution Irish Eyes Mix
All colors fully double with a green eye
All colors very genetically dwarf
4-5 weeks transplant to sales

19. Plug Suppliers Green Circle- 128 tray Plug Connection- 128 tray
Still the most dependable Gerbera plug supplier in the industry. Plugs are very uniform in production and graded to insure quality
GCG provide all major series, including the Flori Line types if requested
Very cost effective
Plug Connection- 128 tray
Plug uniformity is very high – plugs are graded and acclimated
Very good winter quality, not too soft
Larger diverse variety availability list and will do custom sows for non-listed varieties
Supply the Garvinea and Landscape types, from tissue culture. 72 tray.
Flori Line varieties also available from Plug Connection in a 128 tray
Knox Nursery- 105 tray
Large variety listing
Very good winter choice (good old Florida sun)
Dependable graded plugs