Breeding company Agriom from De Kwakel selected 12 hibiscus varieties from the cloning trials at Piante Keicher in Italy for the Hibiscus Group at the end of November. After a second, extended test phase, part of the new varieties will become available to South European growers in 2020.
Agriom is conduction clone tests at Piante Keicher, the company of Dieter Keicher in the Italian Latina (Phote credtis: Agriom/Jan ten Brinke)
Jan ten Brinke, Agriom pot plant specialist: “They are all plants that excel in terms of plant structure, flower color, leaf shape and leaf color and are especially suitable for growing under more southern climate conditions,” says pot plant specialist Jan ten Brinke of Agriom. “For example, this one with those bright yellow flowers and a red heart, that shows very beautifully and he also has beautiful ‘candles’,” he points out. “And that plant there with that compact, shiny green leaves and apricot-colored flowers with a pink heart, that’s a flower color that we do not have yet. So it really complements our Sunny Cities assortment. ”
In total Ten Brinke and Dieter Keicher selected twelve plants from the cloning trials. Dieter Keicher leads the company in Italian Latina where the cloning tests have been carried out for four years. Agriom, Piante Keicher and a number of renowned Dutch hibiscus growers together form the Hibiscus Group that brings the Sunny Cities line to the market.
Remarkable choice
For the next test, a few plants are added to the twelve selections from tests from a previous year. “Like Amalfi and Verona, for example,” Ten Brinke says. "These two were previously selected by the participating Dutch growers of the Hibiscus Group and will be available to buyers at the flower auction in 2019.”
Best of the best
Ten Brinke thinks it is remarkable that the plant choice of North European growers in that two cases match the selections for the South European market. In North Europe, the more quicker varieties are grown, varieties that bloom too quickly in South Europe, and are also finished flowering too quickly. But I see North European growers increasingly choose slower varieties, because they bloom longer and are of better quality."
For more information:
Agriom
Achterweg 58a
1424 PR De Kwakel
www.agriom.nl