Sighting (horticulture)

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In horticulture, sighting refers to the selection of the ornamental plant varieties that are most worth cultivating and propagating ( perennials and woody plants , e.g. roses, rhododendrons, etc.) from new, but also older varieties .

For some years now, plant communities of woody plants and shrubs have also been subjected to a screening for long-term practicality.

Process of sighting

During the sighting, several specimens of different origins of the same variety , as well as other varieties, are planted out directly next to one another in the field and observed and assessed ( rated ) for several years (at least 3 ). This takes place on special viewing areas (" viewing gardens " or "testing gardens") that have been set up in various representative climatic regions.

The authenticity of the variety, as well as possible uses and the garden worthiness are tested according to ecological and design-aesthetic criteria, e.g. E.g. growth habit, flowering behavior, fragrance, frost hardiness, resistance to diseases and pests (therefore the use of chemical pesticides is not allowed during the sighting).

Implementation and coordination

Various horticultural sectors carry out sightings in Germany:

In the case of perennials, a viewing commission of the " International Hardy Plant Union" (also: International Hardy Plant Union, ISU) coordinates and monitors the viewing work in several European countries. Perennial gardens exist in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

The sightings in Germany are coordinated by the Bundessortenamt .

history

Europe's first viewing garden was created in Wisley , Great Britain. It was followed by the Frankfurt Palm Garden , the Botanical Gardens in Munich-Nymphenburg and the Dresden Botanical Garden , as well as the Sangerhausen Rosarium (founded in 1903).

The systematic sighting took place first in the perennials. In Germany it goes back to the Potsdam perennial grower Karl Foerster , who began to set up a viewing garden on the Friendship Island in the Havel in 1937 .

Karl Foerster, 1942 (in: Der Inselgärtner ): “Five years ago I presented the Lord Mayor with a memorandum that dealt with the importance of a large show and viewing garden about the high quality of the German garden flower kingdom in Potsdam and about the necessary diversity beyond Potsdam such about 30-40 acres of community gardens across Germany. At that time I suggested the area west of the New Palace. General Friedrichs pursued the possibilities of realizing the plan and finally chose the Friendship Island, densely populated with arbor gardens and boost shipyards and picturesque junk, whose 40-60 residents were compensated and cleared the space for many thousands and their friends in the serious cultural work of garden and plant refinement. "

In 1950 , the “ General German Rose Novelty Test ” was set up in the Association of German Tree Nurseries , primarily at the instigation of the rose breeder Wilhelm Kordes .

The Standing Conference of Garden Office Managers (GALK) at the German Association of Cities (DST) has been compiling the so-called "street tree list" since 1975 which tree species are suitable for planting streets and mainly paved areas in urban areas in Central Europe. This list is drawn up in regular coordination with the BdB, taking into account the BdB's inspection results for trees.

"National introductory collections" have been set up in Switzerland.

Selection and biodiversity

Although it is an understandable endeavor of horticulture to offer the picky end consumers only "better" varieties as far as possible and not to propagate "worse" varieties, and the breeders keep bringing new varieties onto the market, narrow selection criteria have led to an impoverishment in some areas genetic diversity . So is z. For example, the regional variety of varieties in fruit growing has declined sharply in the past. But with ornamental plants, maintaining a large gene pool also makes sense. Organizations such as ProSpecieRara in Switzerland or the “ Society for the Preservation and Dissemination of Cultivated Plants - Noah's Ark ” in Austria are therefore increasingly devoting themselves not only to useful plants but also to maintaining the diversity of ornamental plants. There is an increasing trend towards old varieties among end consumers, especially in the ornamental plant sector.

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