![]() Sakata reveals more benefits of the SuperCal line in a podcast that can be found here. Want to learn even more about SuperCal? Check out the video with Mark Seguin from the 2015 California Spring Trials, where he talks about new SuperCal varieties for 2016 and how this tough petunia-calibrachoa stands up to rain and heat: Probably the biggest factor in continuous blooming is that plants have to be well fed throughout the summer, which is why they’re virtually maintenance-free when planted with slow-release fertilizer.Īll in all, they really earned the tag of all-weather petunia because of their frost tolerance and ability to perform in the heat. MS: They require very little maintenance in the landscape, especially when they are planted with a slow-release fertilizer, and only have moderate water requirements. OB: How can landscapers and gardeners maintain SuperCal throughout the season? Consumers really see the difference in SuperCal performance in the garden. And then, of course, customer satisfaction is off the charts. They are offered in more than a dozen colors, which can be mixed for attractive, performance-based combinations. ![]() The plants are self-cleaning, so they never require deadheading, and feature a semi-mounding habit, which makes them well suited for quarts, gallons and hanging baskets. MS: Because SuperCal are sterile, they are going to continually produce an endless supply of really bright, vibrant flowers, which have a high retail appeal. OB: How do they look in the retail environment? ![]() That’s a key message for growers - depending on the finish time and finished container, variety selection is critical. I say many varieties because some varieties are early to bloom and some aren’t. Also, many varieties bloom under 11 hour days, eliminating the need for supplemental lighting. Because of their strong cold tolerance, they have a low energy requirement for production, so they are ideal for cold frame or outdoor production applications. MS: They have very strong root systems, which makes them easy to propagate, and they are more alkaline tolerant than traditional calibrachoa, which means less leaf yellowing during production and on the retail shelf. OB: What are some of the benefits for growers? Since Sakata has addressed that with refinements in the breeding, which has really helped escalate the SuperCal popularity at both the retail and grower levels. That made it challenging for producers because they weren’t very grower-friendly and required more attention to detail for best results. One of the challenges that SuperCal faced in the early introduction was their lack of uniformity within the series with regard to habit and flower timing. MS: SuperCal has been on the market now for 8 years, but what’s been slow to develop is the recognition by both growers and consumers about how special this plant is. OB: How long has SuperCal been on the market, and have you made any changes since they were first released? That’s been documented and proven in trials throughout Texas, Florida and Mississippi, and they continuously flower throughout the summer. High temperatures brings traditional petunias to their knees - they suffer under the stress of summer heat, while SuperCal continue to perform and shine. What really sets SuperCal apart from the others is their superior heat tolerance. But unlike traditional petunias, the SuperCal flowers stay stable during the rain, and rebound quickly after a heavy shower. Conditioned plants can withstand mid-20-degree nights without suffering any yellowing or loss of flowers, which is pretty typical in petunias and calibrachoas. SuperCal are early to flower and very frost-tolerant, so they are ideal for priming early spring sales or early plantings. The result is not only a beautiful flower display that’s very common among its parents, but extraordinary garden performance that exceeds both petunias and calibrachoa. Mark Seguin: Unlike traditional petunias, SuperCal are a unique, hybrid cross between a petunia and a calibrachoa. Ornamental Breeder: What makes SuperCal so super? Mark Seguin, Sakata’s Global Marketing Manager for cuttings, shares why the plant, a cross between petunia and calibrachoa, earns the “all-weather performance” title.
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