Herb Evaluations 2007 2008-03 • March 2008
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AFES Variety Trial Herb Evaluations 2007 2008-03 • March 2008 Herb Bunch Volunteers: Agricultural and Forestry Perennial Herb Garden Experiment Station Marsha Munsell Cajun Garden University of Alaska Fairbanks Olga Cook and Nancy Johnson AFES Publications Office P.O. Box 757200 Silver and Gold Garden Fairbanks, AK 99775-7200 Celeste Hansen, Dee King, Moira Nutter, and Heather Robertson [email protected] • www.uaf.edu/snras 907.474.6923 or 907.474.5042 Exotic Kitchen Garden fax: 907.474.6184 Marilyn Askelin and Barbara Rondine NOTE: Variety Trials circulars are published by the Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Sorcerer’s Garden Station to provide information summarizing research, and are usually written for a specific lay audience. Emily Reiter and Maggie Waite Variety trials often present information about ongoing or inconclusive applied research and experiments. They may consist of secondary information or be a bulletin or journal article summary. Victorian Herb Garden To simplify terminology, we may use product or equipment trade names. We are not endorsing products Virginia Damron, Phyllis Haggland and Dida Uotila or firms mentioned. Publication material may be reprinted provided no endorsement of a commercial product is stated or implied. Please credit the researchers involved, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and GBG Staff: and the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Patricia S. Holloway The University of Alaska Fairbanks is accredited by the Commission on Colleges and Universities of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity Etta Gardiner employer and educational institution. Grant Matheke Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis. —Image from Wikimedia. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, or kinnikinnik. —Image by Walter Siegmund, from Wikimedia. Introduction The Dorothy Truran Herb Garden at the Georgeson the perennial beds to which plants have been added and 2). The total thaw degree days ranked the 2007 sea- Botanical Garden was created in 1999 to display herbs throughout the season since 2001. son third in total heat accumulation during the growing with a variety of uses, to evaluate Alaska native herbs and All cultivars and species were planted in unreplicat- season, second in the number of frost free days and first their potential for cultivation, to identify the usefulness of ed beds according to recommended commercial spacings in rainfall. Precipitation was lowest in May and highest new herbs and cultivars for Alaska gardens, and to evalu- or design specifications. Plant numbers varied according in July (Table 2). ate the hardiness of perennial herbs. The Truran Herb to plot size and design. Summer maintenance consisted 2 Garden has been planted and cared for by a community of hand weeding and pruning plus overhead irrigation as volunteer group, the Herb Bunch, since 2003. The gar- needed. Plot evaluations occurred once during the 3rd den consists of six permanent raised-bed gardens that week of August and included height, spread, flower and were initially constructed in 1999. Soils are Fairbanks foliage color presence of disease and insect pests, winter silt loam amended with composted garden soil. Beds are survival of perennials and overall subjective comments on surrounded by stone borders a minimum of 12 in (30.5 growth, usefulness as a culinary or medicinal herb, and cm) high. ornamental appeal. Soils were fertilized with 3 lb per 100 ft2 (147 Weather data were compiled annually from a U.S. gm per m2) 10-20-20S on 1 June. All amendments Weather Service station, elevation 475 ft (145 m), lo- were broadcast spread. If the area was not planted yet, cated approximately 350 ft (107 m) west of the garden. amendments were tilled into the top six inches using a The summer was warm, especially August which was the mini-tiller. Beds were planted starting 4 June, except second warmest August in the past 10 years (Tables 1 Table 1. Weather data from the U.S. Weather Service station located just west of the garden for years 1997 - 2007. Season 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Average temperature: (°F) May 48 49 46 44 45 50 44 52 56 50 50 June 61 58 61 59 57 58 61 66 67 59 60 July 64 62 61 59 61 61 61 65 63 62 64 Aug 57 52 58 52 57 54 55 62 58 55 60 Sep 50 46 45 41 49 47 41 38 46 50 47 Maximum temperature (°F) 87 87 91 83 95 85 82 90 85 80 84 Growing season: Last frost May 25 May 13 May 29 May 15 May 13 May 12 May 24 May 8 May 5 June 4 May 13 First frost Aug 19 Sep 13 Sep 11 Sep 16 Sep 24 Sep 2 Sep 13 Sep 4 Sep 2 Sep 25 Sep 22 Frost free days 86 123 105 124 134 113 112 119 120 112 132 Thaw degree days* 3656 3278 3383 2943 3439 2980 3123 3751 3767 3523 3728 Rainfall (inches) 5.86 9.87 8.66 8.55 5.80 9.35 9.91 5.6 10.59 7.86 11.32 Previous winter season: Minimum temperature (°F) -54 -48 -54 -50 -27 -36 -35 -45 -50 -49 -41.7 Snowfall (inches) 38.4 30.6 31.6 62.2 39.9 39.7 33.2 51.7 70.9 51.8 25.2 * Thaw degree days = Cumulative ( 1 May - 30 Sep ) average daily temperature minus 32 °F baseline. Table 2. Weather data summaries for growing season years 2005 - 2007. May June July August September Temperature °F 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 Average daily maximum 68 63 62 73 69 72 74 71 76 69 65 71 54 61 57 Monthly high 77 75 80 84 80 84 81 83 84 85 72 84 66 69 71 Average daily minimum 43 38 38 50 48 49 51 52 52 46 45 48 38 38 37 Monthly low 31 27 28 43 30 41 39 46 44 33 36 39 28 29 22 3 Rainfall (inches) 1.66 0.20 0.90 2.97 1.15 2.66 4.09 3.42 4.12 0.39 2.48 1.85 1.48 0.61 1.79 N James V. Drew Acccessible Amphitheater Raised Beds Rotary Picnic Babula Children's Shelter ▲ Garden- Lind Garden- Pond and Wetland under construction under construction Dye Garden Buswell Garden Risse Memorial Shade Garden ▲ ▲ Visitor Information Center, ▲ restrooms, and gift shop ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Composite Wood ▲ Planting Beds ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Wooding Memorial ▲ Garden Ohlsen Family Perennial Garden Beistline Memorial Research and Speck Memorial Perennial Landscape Garden- under Peony Plots and AAS Display Gardens Garden construction Truran Memorial Herb Garden inches location common name cultivar flower color foliage color comments rating rating rating height Aroma overall foliage foliage spread for annuals productivity first harvest flavor rating winter survival frost tolerance for perennials/ Vigorous growth with recumbent branches, fruit hangs beneath the leaves Perennial Black Currant Melalathi 10 Sept yellow green dark green 36 150 4 4 4 0 4 near the ground, strong smell to leaves and fruit, excellent productivity Vigorous growth, spreads widely, 4 sprawling growth habit, needs a lot of Perennial Black Currant Erkheikki VII 10 Sept yellow green dark green 36 109 3 3 3 0 3 pruning to keep it from spreading by layering Spreading branches covered with large Perennial Black Currant Nikkala XI none blue green dark green 36 100 3 3 3 0 3 black fruit, very productive, strong flavor and aroma Flat-leaved plants with hint of garlic, used Chinese Garlic Perennial 1 Jul pinkish white blue-green 18.5 48 3 3 4 0 3 like chives, very productive, spreads well, Chives also use as ornamental lavender pink, Very productive, robust, has larger leaves Perennial Chives Grande 1 Jul dark green 18 64 4 4 4 0 4 purple than most chives, overwintered well Blooms early with aromatic flowers, edible bulbs were not harvested, produced at Perennial Chocolate Lily purplish brown med green 18 9 2 4 0 3 least two stems, died back by late August, flowered early Good clumping growth and abundant Perennial Common Yarrow white yellow green 20 18 3 3 3 blooms, not very ornamental, fine feathery foliage Died out in 06/07 winter due to no snow Perennial Costmary white med green 18 24 2 3 3 0 3 cover, replanted 2007, good first year growth Small rooted cuttings planted in June, Perennial Crowberry greenish white glossy green 6 6 0 3 excellent spread in summer, no flowers or fruit One bush shaded by larger tree has few European Dwarf glossy dark Perennial white 38 103 4 3 1 3 fruit; second bush had several fruit per Cherry green branch, fair productivity Green’s One plant died, remaining plants growing Perennial med green 84 79 0 Mountain Ash well, no flowers or fruit yet Good ground spread, no flowers and berries this year, some winter kill at the Perennial Kinnikinnick pale pink yellow green 7 94 1 3 tips but only where branches overhung the rock raised bed Sparsely-leaved bush that flowered in mid Perennial Labrador Tea white yellow green 13.5 15.5 3 3 3 1 3 to late May, well established in second year Rating: 0. dead, did not germinate, total loss because of disease, etc.; 1. poor germination, susceptible to disease, insects, other problems, poor quality; 2. fair, other cultivars of its kind have been better; 3. good, worth growing, good quality; 4. outstanding, the best of its kind grown in the garden. inches location common name cultivar flower color foliage color comments rating rating rating height Aroma overall foliage foliage spread for annuals productivity first harvest flavor rating winter survival frost tolerance for perennials/ Single plant died in first winter, planted six glossy dark Perennial Lingonberry Gilmore pink 4 9 1 additional plants in 2007, most growing green well, a few late-season flowers Did not survive one winter, replanted in Perennial Lovage Magnus green 4 2006, but did not survive 5 Did not survive first winter, replanted in Perennial Mint, Chocolate 4 2006, and again did not over winter First plantings did not survive one variegated