Breeding is creating new varieties by crossing existing varieties. Breeding is craftsmanship. In the middle of the 19th century, the monk Gregor Mendel laid the foundations for modern plant genetics. During his cross breeding experiments, Mendel isolated the individual pea plants. This meant he could ‘engineer’ a cross and could cross specific plants.
Mendel’s laws concerning uniformity, separation and independence still apply today. He also laid the foundations of the technique to create F1 hybrid varieties. Our breeders understand and know how to apply Mendel’s laws and modern plant genetics better than anybody else. In addition to the scientific aspects, making clever crossings requires knowledge of the market and creativity.
Each series has a number of constant unique characteristics, such as suitability for indoor or outdoor use or for a specific climate. We also set ambitious goals for ourselves in our experimental breeding programmes: abundant blooms, long flower life, round plant structure and uniform blooms are the key starting points here.