De Kwakel, November 2018 – At the end of November, breeding company Agriom selected 12 hibiscus varieties from the cloning trials at Piante Keicher in Italy for the Hibiscus Working Group. Following a second, extensive phase of trials a number of these new varieties will be made available for growers in South Europe in 2020.
“Each variety is a plant that excels in terms of plant structure, flower colour, leaf shape and is specifically suitable for cultivation under the climate conditions typical to the south’’, explains pot plant specialist Jan ten Brinke of Agriom. “This one for instance with these very attractive bright yellow flowers with a red heart. This variety also has fabulous showy, so-called ‘candles’ ’’, he points to the upright flower buds. “And that one with its glossy, compact leaves and apricot coloured flowers with a pink heart, that’s a colour we didn’t have until now. So they really complement our existing range of Sunny Cities varieties.’’
Ten Brinke, together with Dieter Keicher, selected a total of 12 plants from the cloning trials. Dieter Keicher owns the company in Latina in Italy where the cloning trials have been performed for the past four years. Agriom, Piante Keicher and a number of renowned Dutch hibiscus growers form the Hibiscus Group that will be launching the Sunny Cities line on the market.
For the next trials, a number of other plants from a previous year’s trials will be added to the 12 selected varieties. “Such as Amalfi and Verona, for example’’, says ten Brinke. ” These two were already chosen earlier by the Dutch growers that comprise the Hibiscus Working Group and will be available for buyers at auction in 2019.’’
Contact Jan ten Brinke for more info.