The trend toward fewer competing variety comparisons continued as some veteran pack trial companies chose to dedicate more greenhouse space to their own varieties or to cut back on the number of species and varieties displayed. One seed company representative told me this was his company's trial and people were coming specifically to see its varieties. He said a decision was made not to allot as much space this year to competing varieties in some classes, which in the past, for whatever reasons, may have looked better than his company's plants.

Since many trial visitors are growers and retail buyers, some companies put more emphasis on how well their plants fit on shipping carts and how they can be promoted at retail. Other companies had trials with growth regulator treatments showing which chemicals and rates are most effective on their varieties when grown in packs and pots.

Company representatives from Elidia, Kieft Seeds and Bear Creek Gardens, which participated in the California trials for the first time, were glad just to have the opportunity to tell visitors a little more about their companies and to show them a sample of the classes and varieties they had to offer. If visitor response was any indication, these companies will likely become regular trial participants.

Some companies, such as Proven Winners, Paul Ecke Ranch, PanAmerican Seed and Ball FloraPlant, are continuing their intensive efforts to look for more ways to promote their products through new and different point-of-purchase materials and on the Internet.

Proven Winners member Pleasant View Gardens participated in the trials for the first time by setting up a display at EuroAmerican Propagators' greenhouse facility. Pleasant View showed some of the plant material and POP products, including colored pots and custom tags, it has developed for its Proven Winners as well as its Cottage Accents and Cut & Grow Herbs product lines. Even as the pack trials were going on, members of the Proven Winners group were meeting with its marketing company and merchandising and container manufacturers to discuss how the company was going to maintain its strong market recognition among growers, retailers and consumers.

. © 1999 Branch-Smith Publishing