Meet the Breeders: Bailey, Schoneveld Breeding
September 28, 2021 Intro/Editor’s Note: In the coming weeks, the team at Greenhouse Grower will present “Meet the Breeders,” a closer look at the people behind the plants. This week, you can learn more about David Roberts at Bailey and Marleen Kusters-Höfte at Schoneveld Breeding.
David Roberts, Bailey
David Roberts, General Manager of Bailey Innovations
The initial breeding for ‘Endless Summer Summer Crush’ Hydrangea macrophylla and ‘First Editions Little Hottie, Hydrangea paniculate, was done by the team at Plant Introductions, Inc., before Bailey purchased the company in 2015. Since then, Roberts and the Bailey team have continued development of these series, with a focus on improved heat tolerance in Hydrangea paniculate and creating plants that will flower with relatively few chill hours. He also helped with improved disease resistance in Hydrangea macrophylla.
“I think H. paniculata ‘First Editions Little Hottie’ has incredible market potential, not just in the North where these plants typically thrive, but also in the heat of the South, where Little Hottie was created,” Roberts says. “It has incredibly dense branching and relatively short internodes, which results in a very compact plant with incredible flower power. The bloom load of Little Hottie is so heavy that the foliage of the plant is often hidden by profusions of creamy white flowers.”
Among the reasons Bailey selected Little Hottie, Roberts notes, are its excellent performance in hot environments and its high production values in the nursery setting.
“Its compact stature means that these Hydrangea paniculata require very few touch points, resulting in a plant that growers don’t have to spend a lot of time on to make look great,” Roberts says. “Even though we’re still gathering data, we believe Little Hottie will flower in warm environments with relatively few chill hours, meaning you can enjoy a summer full of beautiful blooms whether you’re growing this remarkable plant in the North or the South.”
Marleen Kusters-Höfte, Schoneveld
Marleen Kusters-Höfte, Schoneveld Breeding
Marleen Kusters-Höfte works on Primula ‘Paradiso’, Ranunculus ‘Sprinkles’, and big flowered Super Serie Cyclamen such as Mammoth, XL, and Leopardo. She focuses on breeding uniform series that are easy to produce.
“It is important to have a strong plant that can be grown with as few growth regulators and fertilizers as possible,” Kusters-Höfte says. “Also, the breeding needs to result in a product range with a suitable series in every size for every climate all year round.”
Kusters-Höfte bred, amongs other products, Super Serie Leopardo, a large-flowered series that is suitable for warmer areas due to its very good heat resistance.
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