Lots of folks like to participate in J&P's so-called 'test' panel -- if for no other reason than to get a few plants at a reasonably good price. Here's my personal opinion on the annual 'test' panel: Bear in mind that the 'offer' is nothing more than a J&P marketing ploy. It enables them to off-load lots of plants that, otherwise, they would be stuck with. J&P could not care less about how you treat the roses once you receive them, because your 'input' on their performance is of absolutely NO interest or concern to them. One can safely assume that all decisions regarding which roses are to be the 'winners' have been made l-o-n-g before J&P solicits the public to purchase the 'test' panel.

Allison, I can't help you with your questions but I signed up for this. I have seen references by posters on here, about participating so I decided it must be legit. It sounded like "fun" so I thought "what the heck"!

Lynn

I was thinking the same thing. Both stories. Bottom line it could be fun. I guess it is what you make of it. Especially if a few people from the forum did it and could compare notes.
Still I wonder what the directions state.
Allison

Have done it years ago, and also more recently. Years ago, the marketing ploy comment was right on -- they sold the roses that didn't quite make prime time as "test roses" and could've cared less what you did with them as long as you gave them the $$ to get them.

The test panel now, however, seems to have evolved considerably -- now, most every rose that they send as a "test rose" seems to be released as a named variety a year or two later. I now see the test panel as a way to get the new roses J & P is about to release a year or two early and at half price. Who could complain?

So take a good look at the pictures of the particular roses on the test panel each year, decide if you want those particular roses -- because those are the exact roses you will get -- and order away. Usually, it's just hybrid teas.

Kathy

Kstrong, excellent, thanks for the inside info. I can see that J&P would use it as a marketing "ploy". But what isn't anymore? My dream would be to be a David Austin tester. AAhhh, how nice would that be?! ( Or new Romanticas) Hey, a girl can dream! DA should come out with a test panel deal :-) I would get sucked right into that!

Allison

I don't think we're going to see any David Austin roses in the J & P test panel. DA and J&P seem to be having a falling out of sorts. Both of them want to sell their own roses in this country, not subcontract them out as was the prior arrangement.
There was a whole long thread on this recently, of which I believe the conclusion was that DA was not going to wholesale its plants to the other big growers with retail operations, like J&P.

Besides, J & P now puts out its own "English" style roses, some of which in my opinion are superior to the DA varieties with which they compete -- I have Golden Zest that is in my yard superior to Graham Thomas, for example.

Oh yes, and the test panel is still a marketing ploy -- it's just that now you seem to get better roses -- ones that will be released commercially -- than was their practice in the past.

See, the thing with new roses is that it takes several years -- up to 10 -- to multiply the plants available of a particular cultivar up to the quantities that it takes to intro them. And while doing that the cultivars are still officially in "testing."

So I think what used to happen is that J & P made a decision to stop the process of multiplying up its stock for certain roses and it sent those discontinued roses (but of which they still had plenty from the beginning of the process) as the "test panel." Thus in olden times, the "test panel" was just a way to get rid of the roses that did not make the grade, and which had been cut already. Now they seem to use the "soon to be intro'd roses" as the test panel.

These are just my observations. I have no "inside" information.

Kathy