Cultivate’21 intros from Proven Winners

Proven Winners showed off some new plant varieties and green industry products at Cultivate’21. We got the tour from Four Star Greenhouse (Carleton, Michigan) new product development manager Joshua Miller, a member of Proven Winners' nationwide plant trialing network.

Here’s a quick look at what they highlighted during the show:

Lantana ‘Luscious Citron’

Miller said this new intro is a bit of an improvement over the popular ‘Luscious Lemonade’ variety, with larger, richer flowers in a daylength neutral format. It’s a more grower-friendly (low maintenance) annual that does not set seed, and the vibrant hues will reportedly not fade all summer long even in extreme heat and absence of regular moisture.

 

Jamesbrittenia SAFARI ‘Dawn and Sky’

Proven Winners wanted to breed out some of the production hurdles most growers face with the Jamesbrittenia genus, and in the process they came up with an entirely new genus of the plant, according to Miller. He said this new variety has improved vigor, good downy and powdery mildew resistance, and maintains strong performance throughout the summer months with non-stop flowering. These are also quite versatile, mixing well in containers in companion plantings or doing just fine on their own in monoculture baskets, according to the breeder.

 

Eco+ Grande corn-based plastic, air pruning containers

Proven Winners has brought forth a landfill-free gardening experience with these new for 2022 air-pruning containers, which will be rolled out in a variety of sizes. They feature plant-based ink on the labels, providing an avenue for the eco-conscious grower that wants to avoid petrochemicals and plastics wherever possible. The pots, with removeable tabs to allow for more air penetration into the root zone (air pruning), will also breakdown into plant food when planted in the landscape, so no more worrying whether your recycling company is actually recycling them, or just depositing in a landfill. PW trialed 8 different formulations before settling on the best performing (when it breaks down into fertilizer) and most sustainable construction possible, and the pots are designed to fit with automated pot fillers as well as look great at retail.

 

Twist’n Plant drill-powered garden augers

Proven Winners realized that many of the recent new plant parent converts likely will not want to be on their knees, digging holes with hand tools in the garden like mom or grandma had to every spring at planting. So, the breeder came up with a solution: hand-drill compatible (studies show upwards of 90% of all homeowners own a cordless drill) garden augers in four different sizes for 2020. The models come in a variety of sizes while also being height adjustable, so growers won’t spend all day hunched over while planting. They’re designed to gently lift and remove soil without a lot of torque offput, so managing fatigue and getting more planted in a day are legitimate possibilities with these new drill attachments.