Kalanchoes in the spotlight

Kalanchoe is a crowd pleaser. Easy care, bright surprising colours, long flowering time ... features that deserve applause in themselves. Our producers and breeders lovingly go the extra mile. Result? Vigorous Kalanchoes that continue to surprise.

Kalanchoe belongs to the Crassulaceae family. These are succulents, or succulents, easily recognised by their fleshy thick leaves and stems. And they stand out for their splendour of colour: purple, pink, white, pale pink, red orange and yellow ... All beautifully contrasting with the dark green leaves. In their natural growth habit, they are found on grasslands and steppe in Asia, Africa and India.

The Kalanchoe is an easy plant to look after. Easy care from the moment you bring it into your home. A little water, a dash of sun and a pleasant spot in the house or garden. That’s all she needs. And then she keeps going. For 100 days at least.

Easy care, easy care tips Inside

• The Kalanchoe copes very well with drought. In summer, a weekly splash of water is enough. In winter, it will last a fortnight until the next watering.

• Treat you w Kalanchoe with a dash of plant food (for succulents) every two to three weeks. This will keep it beautiful for even longer.

• The Kalanchoe brightens up at room temperature. But it also does very well between 10 °C and 25 °C.

• It prefers a bright spot, such as the windowsill. Bright sun? It can stand it, but then give it extra water

• Blooming flowers? Just leave them, that way they will continue to bloom.

Outside

• You can plant Kalanchoe in a pot or in the ground. It is best to wait until mid-May when all the frost is out of the ground.

• Put her in a bright place. Even bright sun can handle it.

• Outdoors, the Kalanchoe doesn’t need much water either. A moderately moist soil is perfect.

Powerful Kalanchoes thanks to our producers and breeders

Dümmen Orange

Dümmen Orange is a global leader in ornamental plant breeding and propagation.

Features:

• To make the Kalanchoe disease-resistant and therefore stronger, the breeder is betting on warm temperatures.

• Dümmen Orange focuses on large-flowered double-flowered varieties.

• In the pipeline? Kalanchoe with flower diameters of three to four centimetres.

• Focus on medium-fast varieties. This will make the flowers open more staggered and slower at the consumer.

• Some specials: Mozaic, Tweed and Gloss

KP Holland

Coincidentally, our supplier in the spotlight. Discover their story at p 10. In addition to Kalanchoe, they also grow and breed Spathiphyllum and Curcuma. From their experience as flowering plant growers, they know which criteria are desirable, important and even essential for growing off and selling the best products. Their goal? To put growers in a better market position with their genetics.

Features:

• The best combinations from the father and mother plants. Combinations that are less susceptible to diseases and pests, thus ensuring better shelf life, stronger flowers and new appearances.

• After a breeding cycle of five years on average, successful crosses are propagated via seed, cuttings or tissue culture. That starting material is then propagated at own sites or at partners.

• They are part of several knowledge platforms and share research results . Furthermore, they invest in new techniques for a more efficient and sustainable breeding cycle.

Lankhaar Kalanchoe

Lankhaar Nursery has been growing plenty of singleflowered and double-flowered Kalanchoe from their own cutting line since 2002, the Perfecta ® breeding these they started in 2002.

Features:

• Perfecta® cuttings are produced at nurseries in Tanzania. That cutting comes from young mother plants raised from Elite cuttings.

• The cultivation of flowering plants is done in the Netherlands.

• Breeding Kalanchoe continues on the firm foundation of six colours of double-flowered and single-flowered Kalanchoe.

• Thousands of varieties per year are carefully selected for distinct colours and large flowers. Focus is on a clear and distinct assortment and on a sustainable growing process.

Queen Genetics

Queen® Genetics is a global partner and supplier of genetics and young plant material. Through dedicated and focused innovation, the product portfolio continues to expand and includes licensing agreements, young plants, cuttings and half-growns for growers worldwide. Queens mission is to innovate reliable genetics and sustainable plants that meet the requirements of growers worldwide.

Features:

• At their headquarters in Denmark, they breed and innovate new and unique varieties, which are thoroughly tested for their endurance, ethylene tolerance and so on.

• Queen has two cutting production sites, in Turkey & Vietnam where climatic conditions are ideal for the production of young plant material.

• Queen has an R&D department with 25 full-time employees breeding the best varieties on the market.

• All the varieties are selected for their large flowers and bright colours, minimal growth regulation, maximum longevity and high resistance to ethylene.