When you think of a breeding company, new colors and special features for consumers come to mind. However, speaking with Kathy McKay, area manager for North America at Schoneveld Breeding, reveals a surprising perspective. "Our focus isn't solely on developing new products. At Schoneveld Breeding we emphasize improving what already exists. We provide more value to all partners in the chain, seeking ways to grow our products most efficiently and achieve the highest yields."
Schoneveld Breeding loves to energize the industry during its annual open days. Kathy enthusiastically guides her customers around during these weeks at the end of October. "These days allow us to showcase our products side by side. More importantly, it's an opportunity to demonstrate the potential growers can achieve with our seeds."
Inspiration
"Our greenhouses provide optimal conditions where we control all materials, techniques, and climate variables. What you see during the open days are our products at their best. This inspires our customers. For instance, when I show our closed water system, customers may not have such techniques, but they get inspired. They gain ideas about optimizing their production to grow even better plants. Guiding customers, both in-person and online, is very satisfying as you can feel their energy boost through the interaction."
"Most plants slowdown in warm conditions, but not Elegante. It's an outstanding product."
Super Serie Elegante
For Kathy, Super Serie Elegante exemplifies the energy Schoneveld Breeding spreads globally. "Elegante was introduced in North America a few years ago and is now available worldwide. With midi-sized flowers and heat tolerance, this cyclamen has a slightly open structure and isn't affected by high temperatures. Most plants slowdown in warm conditions, but not Elegante. It's an outstanding product."
Spacing or not
Kathy enjoys visiting growers who are new to Elegante. "Elegante spends half of its life at the young plant grower and the other half with the grower. In the first 8 weeks after transplanting, the plant develops roots, but you don't need to space the pots wider. Normally, this spacing happens after 6 or 7 weeks. Elegante continues to grow during these weeks without needing extra space."
"As the little sister of Leopardo, Elegante is a valued member of the heat tolerant family, with Verano as the mini-member."
Miracle
"Then, after 8 weeks, a small miracle happens," Kathy continues. "You space the pots wider and – boom – Elegante fills the pot rapidly. This way of growing means less work for the grower. Moreover, Elegante's structure results in fewer diseases and excellent performance in warm conditions. As the little sister of Leopardo, Elegante is a valued member of the heat tolerant family, with Verano as the mini-member."
Year-round availability
Speaking of families, there are more to mention. Take the line of midi-flowering cyclamen: Elegante, Allure and Macro. "They are suitable for respectively late summer begin fall, fall and winter. But for me", says Kathy, "Allure is a fantastic product to sell year-round. The breeders from Schoneveld Breeding's breeders put a lot of energy into developing product ranges that enable growers worldwide to cultivate Schoneveld Breeding products in any size they desire throughout the year."
Energy in breeding
"Consider the large-flowered cyclamen. Need one for late summer? Choose Leopardo. For late fall or winter, Mammoth NxtGen is your product. And for brightening the dark days of late winter, go for Vintro." Kathy also highlights one of Schoneveld Breeding's latest developments: the Super Serie Fusion. "Initially available in one color as a large-flowered cyclamen, the midi variant is now available in three colors. Fusion is very stable and easy to grow. It perfectly exemplifies where Schoneveld Breeding invests its energy: in breeding. Selecting the right plants for this variant was a massive task, but our investment of time and energy paid off. We're very proud of Fusion, showcasing what Schoneveld Breeding stands for: high-quality products that growers can truly rely on."