THECOMMERCIALGREENHOUSEGROWER
•
JANUARY 2017
12
•
C
YCLAMENREVIEW
TradeShow at Aalsmeer also
takes place. Morel not only
has an annual production trial
in theNetherlands, but also
has still more extensive trials
at its company base near
Nice in the south of France a
little later in the year.
LikeVarinova, Morel is
exclusively dedicated to
cyclamen. Among
introductions for 2017 from
this veteran French business,
founded over ninety years
ago, are the smallest-flowered
Fantasia bicoloured varieties,
the sister colours Smartiz
FantasiaMagenta andPurple.
For the large-floweredHalios
series there is the striking
FunFlameMagenta, while
TianisRose andTianisDeep
Rose are new for theirmidi-
flowered series.
Across the spectrum from
mini- to large-flowered,
Syngenta claims that its
Synchro selections are an
important part of whatmarks
out the company’s offer from
the competition. There are
very tight uniformity
specifications, which naturally
include flowering times. An
example is themini-flowered
Midori Synchro series, with all
key colours included in the
chosen seven. Additionally
there are three otherMidori
colours, each of themwell
valuedby some customers,
but for reasons like flowering
time or habit they do not fit
theSynchro specification.
There areSynchro ranges in
three other series aswell,
Laser, Perfetto andSierra
amongSyngenta’s
introductions for 2017, two
are enlargeSynchro
selections. There isMidori
SynchroSalmon and the
large-floweredPerfetto
SynchroPurple Flame. A third
newcomer is the bicolour
SnowridgeMaxi Wine. The
biggest 2016 cyclamen news
fromSyngenta, though, was
the launch inNovember of the
mini-floweredSeeWhy series.
Thiswill feature in next
month’s cyclamen feature in
CGG.
All cyclamen breeders
understand the need to
encourage aswide a range of
interestedparties as possible
to visit their trials. There is
naturally a special welcome to
plant raisers, and they cast
their netswidely in deciding
which series tooffer to their
grower customers. In theUK
YoungPlants Ltd are offering
Morel varieties, with the
option of plugplants in 260
trays and 126 trays.
BeekenkampPlants currently
offer full ranges of Morel and
SchoneveldBreeding series.
Schneider YoungPlants, for
the coming season, have
chosen series from these two
companies and from
Varinova.
BritishScene
The noticeable thrust in the
British cyclamenmarket has
formany years been focused
onmini-flowered varieties and
especially the rapid rise in
their outdoor use. Larger-
floweredplants are a
traditional staple floweringpot
plant product during autumn
andwinter, but not one for
which it has been very easy to
stimulate increaseddemand.
Improved freer-flowering
varieties and new colours
have been successful more in
maintaining consumer interest
than boosting volume. Price
levels have been strongly
influencedby supermarket
buyers andbyDutch auction
prices, just as is the casewith
other high volume pot plant
lines.
This still leaves profitable
space for British producers
looking after their customer
base. For the Lisher family’s
CobbinsNursery inSussex it
is garden centres in the
south-east who are the takers
of bothminis in late summer
and autumn and large-
floweredplants for the home
right through toMarch.
The ever-increasing trend
towards added value
presentation can present
good opportunities. Pot plant
specialist Hill Brothers inWest
Sussex supply large-flowered
cyclamen –mainly of Morel’s
Halios series - to amajor
supermarket chain. Managing
director GregHill toldme that
the 14.0cmpot size hadbeen
chosen to upstage thewidely
available 12.0cmproduct. All
leave the nursery in a
decorative ceramic pot, so
making them appealing
purchases as gifts.
The impact of added value
presentation on consumer
prices can be very large. In
oneMidlands town in early
December, prices for
individual plants started from
£2.50 each for large-flowered
Opendays scene at SchoneveldBreeding lastNovember.
TheMorelHaliosFunFlameMagenta, anew colour in its
popular large-flowered series.
