Great New Spider in 2003

By David D. Eigenbrode

From the moment I saw that picture in King's catalog, I knew I wanted to grow Senkyo Kenshin. The dark reddish-bronze color and the uniformity of blooms combined to make it an intriguing and appealing new introduction with plenty of potential.

As a grower, I consider Senkyo Kenshin to be one of the most ideal cultivars for hobbyists. The plant is vigorous, it grows straight up and the quality of blooms is consistently good. Based upon just one year of growing it here in the mid-Atlantic region, it has already become a favorite of mine.

Plant Characteristics

Rooting System: Root development was sufficient to absorb nutrients from the soil and transport them to growing parts of the plant, resulting in a vigorous growth. Very little wilting on hot summer days

Stems: Stems grew straight up and reached an average height of 45 inches. Stem strength was strong. Easy to stake.

Leaves: Leaves were unusually large - five inches wide and seven inches long on average. Leaves were a medium green, very pliable and hung down about 30 - 45 degrees from the straight stem.

Blooms: All blooms were very full-centered with many ray florets that were medium-sized and tubular in shape. Blooms reached eleven to twelve inches in diameter. Reddish-bronze was the dominant color at the early bloom stage with slight yellowing as it matured. Blooms kept their quality and substance for an extended period. The blooms remained straight up and did not tilt toward the sun.

Cultural Methods

I purchased eleven rooted cuttings, which arrived in late April. They were planted in four-inch pots for three weeks and then planted into raised beds in mid-May. Osmocote 15-15-15 was used at planting time. The first and only pinch was made June 5. Six of the plants were pruned to have two stems per plant, while five plants grew three stems per plant. No difference in bloom size was noticed between the two-up and the three-up plants.

Staking and re-staking occurred as needed. Very few "twistems" were used because the plant naturally grew straight up. Shading commenced in late July for eight plants and continued for four weeks at which time disbudding was done.

A systemic fungicide and a systemic insecticide was applied around the roots on August 1. The normal dilution of Miracle-Gro Professional Mix 20-20-20 with minors was applied every ten days from mid-July until all buds showed color.

Fifty to 75 percent of the blooms were in full bloom on October 3, one week before our local show. The blooms continued to mature and only lost a small amount of the dark bronze color. Three plants were treated slightly differently - pinched June 15, shaded August 7 and came into bloom on October 15 -- just in time for the national show.

Show Results

The eleven Senkyo Kenshins produced 27 stems with one bloom each. Twenty-two of the 27 blooms were exhibited at three shows.

Chesapeake Chrysanthemum Society's show at Longwood Gardens on October 10 - 11:

Single entry - blue

Trio entry - blue

Basket of 13 blooms - Best Basket, blue and purple.

National Chrysanthemum Society's show in Fort Smith, Arkansas on October 17 - 18:

Single entry - Best Disbud in Show. Blue, purple, gold and a Bronze Certificate

Trio entry - Best Spider Trio. Blue, purple.

Old Dominion/Potomac Chrysanthemum Societies show at Merryfield Garden on October 24 - 25:

Single entry - Best in Judges Section. Blue, purple, gold.

In summary, the 22 blooms that were exhibited were placed into six entries. All received a blue ribbon and four of the six entries were awarded purple ribbons. This record of actual performance reveals the cultivar's potential for bloom uniform and bloom quality.

I like spiders. Senkyo Kenshin is a great spider. It is easy to grow. My recommendation: try it.