A succulent on a stem
Kalanchoe in the greenhouse
Whether for consumer bunches, bridal bouquets or a color burst in a mixed bouquet, Kalanchoe is breaking some rules in the floral world.
Did you know this flower is actually a succulent? This has three interesting benefits:
First, succulents store their water in their leaves, and this leads to Kalanchoe leaving the water in the vase exceptionally clean.
White kalanchoe
Second, unlike other cuts, in many cases the stems will start to grow roots in the vase. At Sun Valley, they’ve heard consumers tell of taking the stems from the vase, planting them in a soil filled pot, placing it on a window sill, and the plant continued to grow and even bloom.
Third, and most importantly, kalanchoe has a vase life of 3 weeks. This impressive vase life is a huge upside for consumers as the thick clusters of blooms continue to open, as the older ones expire.
Kalanchoe is poised to make its presence known with wedding focused designers. The white and light pink varieties lend themselves to wedding work. Sun Valley have already started seeing stunning bridal work, everything from bridal bouquets and table centerpieces to flower crowns.
Kalanchoe flower crown (Image courtesy of Danziger)
By following their Guiding Principle number 9, “Continuously improve and innovate” Sun Valley agronomists have been perfecting their growing technique for kalanchoe on the farm in Oxnard. The kalanchoe thrives in the tall Dutch greenhouses and warm climate.
They have developed a proprietary regime on the plants to yield long stems and large clusters of blooms. Sun Valley have offerings available for both mass market and wholesale customers.
Doug Dobecki with a bucket of Kalanchoe
For more information:
The Sun Valley Group
3160 Upper Bay Road
Arcata, CA 95521-9690
T: 800-747-0396
F: 707-826-8708
www.thesunvalleygroup.com