Note: Information for this trials report was provided by Pamela Bennett, Professor and Extension Educator, Horticulture at The Ohio State University.
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Parts of Ohio experienced a severe drought in 2024, including the areas for our two trial sites, Springfield (Ohio State University Extension Clark County) and the campus site (OSU Columbus, Franklin County). Despite the designation, the trials still thrived in Springfield because of irrigation. We had some challenges on campus as they built a new parking lot near the trials and cut into the irrigation. The plants did well, but you could tell they experienced a water deficit.
In Springfield, we utilize low-maintenance strategies (watering to keep the plants alive, no deadheading, one slow release application of fertilizer at planting, and no mulch) and on campus, we provide higher maintenance (regular watering except for this season, fertilizer every two weeks until July, deadheading, soil amendments and mulch). This gives us a good idea as to how plants handle different maintenance strategies.
Because of the dry weather, we were able to ascertain which plants performed better under dry conditions. Our last evaluation was in September and those numbers will likely indicate plants that do well during droughts. Currently it looks like verbena, lantana, alternanthera, gomphrena, scaveola, and angelonia held up well during the heat.
Without a doubt, there is a huge winner in the ageratum market with Ageratum ‘Monarch Magic’ (Ball FloraPlant). This plant was incredible in many ways. It’s a vigorous grower with more of a vining/spreading habit than most ageratums. One plant can get to around 2.5 by 2.5 feet. It is loaded with flowers that continually bloom and does not need deadheaded to look good. It’s aptly named, as I had four monarchs on one plant at my house and we would have anywhere from 10 to 12 monarchs on the six plants in the trials. It was incredible, and it attracts a diversity of other pollinators
The Stardiva series of Scaveola from Proven Winners did quite well. The compact plant was loaded with smaller, edgy white or blue flowers depending on the cultivar. Stardiva Blue, Pink, and White were in the trials.
In terms of dahlias, I was impressed by the Virtuoso series from Proven Winners). However, Dahlia ‘Virtuoso Pinkerific’ outdid them all. It started blooming in July and continued blooming all season; it’s still blooming right now (as of late September). The others were great colors and plants, but this one started blooming earlier than all of them. That’s exciting in the world of dahlias as they take so long to bloom.
Find more 2024 field trials information here.
