Welcome to the website for the 2003 Spring Trials at the Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida in Gainesville.

This section is the 2003 University of Florida Fresh Specialty Cut Flower Sunflower Cultivar Trial. The purpose of the cut sunflower trial is to collect fundamental information on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivars for outdoor spring flower cut flower production in Florida and the south for either florist quality blooms or farmer's market bouquet material.

The spring cut sunflower trial had 42 cultivars (click here for list in order of flowering time with photos) (click here for alphabetized list with photos). Seeds were planted on March 26, 2003 in four rows with five plants per row for a total of 20 plants per cultivar. Primary data included a digital image of the cultivar, average days to flower and plant height. Notes were taken on seed germination, seedling vigor, and comments made on observations of each cultivar as it bloomed.

The Cut Sunflower Trial was conducted by Dr. Everett R. Emino, Professor of Floriculture; Ms. Becky Hamilton, Senior Biological Scientist; numerous graduate and undergraduate Environmental Horticulture students; and in cooperation with Dr. Rick Schoellhorn, Extension Floriculture Specialist.

'Stella Gold' as it appeared in the trial.	Ms. Kristin Barry (back to camera), Ph.D. graduate student working with Dr. David Clark, discusses trial with Field Day participants.

Click here to view the 42 cultivars in the trial (data table only).

Special thanks to the contributors to this year's trials: Gloeckner/Seed Sense and Benary for seed of some of the cultivars used in this year's trial; the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station for the facilities and personnel; and the Florida Cooperative Extension Service for sponsoring the Floriculture Field Day. Approximately 250 visitors viewed the Field Day including the Cut Sunflower Trial.