Malene Juhl Jensen at the IFTF in the Netherlands. At the fair, she and her husband Bent showcased the new varieties. On the left, the pot variety called Debra and the new aster cut flower line.
New cut flower aster line
Nursery Raahöj added a complete aster cut flower line to their Mystery Lady series. According to Malene, these cut flowers are characterized by large, filled flowers with warm colors. "The filled flowers characteristic is a big advantage of this line as filled flowered asters have a longer shelf life than single flowered asters," she says. Currently, three varieties are being trialed, namely: the blue ‘Taylor’, the white ‘Ashley’ and the dark pink ‘Olivia’. "We are working hard to make more colors," she says.
The cut flower line of Mystery Lady cultivated on the open field in Germany. Pictures taken by Kaj Jensen of Gasa Young Plants.
If the cut flower varieties are pinched, they need only one cutting to produce 4-5 stems. "This saves costs and labor for the grower." The cut flowers have been trialed in a greenhouse in France and on the open field in Germany. "At first we were anxious that the flowers would not flower as no short day treatment could be given on the open field, which means 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. Fortunately, the asters did well and flowered."
In 2016, the cut flowers will be trialed again in France and Germany and Nursery Raahöy is working on getting trials done in other places in the world this year. "However, the varieties are also available for production."
New potted aster
The new potted aster that is added to the Mystery Lady series is called Debra. This aster, that is named after the actress Debra Winge, is completely filled and has a pink color that changes over time. "When it first opens up its flower is light pink, but the older the flower gets, the more semi-colored it gets. The center will become more dark pink, and the edge of the flower becomes more delicate pink. Pink is again very popular, so the Debra will perfectly fit this trend," says Malene.
Debra.
According to Malene, the big advantages of the Debra is its long shelf life. "It lasts up to 6 weeks," she says. "Besides that, Debra has a good volume plant, and is strong in rain and wind."
The Debra needs three cuttings and has been tested in their own greenhouses in Denmark all summer. In 2016, it will be in production in the Netherlands and Germany. "It can be cultivated both in a greenhouse and outside. However, just like all completely filled asters, it needs short day to flower", says Malene.
Gasa Young Plants
All the cuttings and youngplants of the Mystery Lady pot and cut flower varieties are sold by Gasa Young Plants. "We work very closely with them. Gasa Young Plants is helping us a lot on this project," says Malene.
Nursery Raahöj
In 1997, Bent and Malene Juhl Jensen started to grow asters in their 3,000 square meter greenhouse, called Nursery Raahöj, in Denmark. "Over time, we noticed an increase in demand for good looking plants with a long shelf life. In order to meet this demand, we started to breed our own new varieties in 2001." In 2004 they entered the market with Mystery Lady; a new line of asters. In 2009, they started breeding and growing trifoliums.
For more information
Nursery Raahöj
Malene Juhl Jensnen
Email: malene@rahoj.dk
www.rahoj.dk
www.mysterylady.dk