Re: MED: Utah Stress Test

Jeff Walters wrote:
    " Mark Cook has turned adversity to advantage by offering us the results
of the "Kentucky Freeze Test" by reporting on cultivars that performed
normally for him in spite of repeated frosts that struck his garden this
spring. In the same spirit I am presenting the results of the Utah Stress
Test (hopefully NOT to become an annual event).
The stress factors involved include an unusually mild winter with repeated
partial thaws (atypical here), cold weather all through April (with hard
frosts on the 11th, 12th, & 13th), changing abruptly to abnormally hot and
dry weather the first half of May. 
The effects include abortive, stunted and/or distorted stalks, abnormal
blossoms with extra and/or missing parts, and abnormal texture in the
blossoms (creping or puckering). A cultivar is judged to have passed the
test if it exhibited none of these abnormalities. The severity of the test
may be gauged by comparing the number of cultivars evaluated with the
number that passed the test.
Here are the award winners (each one to be presented with a T-shirt
emblazoned "STRESSBUSTER"):

MDB (5 cultivars)
  ALPINE LAKE

SDB (18 cultivars)
  RAIN DANCE, SKY AND SNOW

IB (40 cultivars)
  CEE JAY, HELLCAT, MAUI MOONLIGHT, NEW KID, RASPBERRY BLUSH

MTB (10 cultivars)
  AACHEN ELF, JOSEPH'S COAT, PUPPY LOVE, ROSEMARY'S DREAM, TAMMIE'S TUTU

BB (4 cultivars)
  CLASSIC TREASURE

It may be observed that, relatively speaking, the MTBs came through better
than the other classes, and that the cultivars that best stood up to the
stress tended to be among the older ones that I grow.

Jeff Walters in northern Utah  (USDA Zone 4, Sunset Zone 2)"

Jeff,
I agree with your observation in our climate (Zone 5) the MTBs take a beating
and keep on treating (with bloom and vigor).  A number of IBs especially had
short (12") stalks with normal or larger size flowers.  My TBs which are just
starting to bloom now that our show is over have generally less branching and
either taller or much shorter stalks than normal. In other words, not many
"normal" stalks showed up.  The established MTBs, GRANDPA'S GIRL, AACHEN ELF,
STEFFIE, CAROL LEE, VIRGINIA LYLE, BILLIE THE BROWNIE, JUBIE, and a number of
seedlings have apparentally been impervious to the weather conditions by
their abundant and normal bloom.  To be completely honest, none of the
medians I transplanted last year have done very well in bloom since many were
heaved out of the ground.  Despite efforts to get them back into the ground
this spring, their growth has been stunted.  AHHH, but wait til next year!
 In the meantime, there is still plenty to enjoy in bloom this year.
 Siberians are just starting to open.
cheers,
Chuck B.  
Lafayette, IN Zone 5  and looking forward to Dearborn.
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