Cultivation
‘Yellow Diamond’, ‘Indian Diamond’ en ‘Puma’ are well known LA-hybrids.
We are unique and intend to remain relevant in the market. Breeding is therefore firmly anchored within the De Jong Lelies organisation. With our own breeding programme, we can offer our customers a unique range of options. We constantly introduce new cultivars to the market that are not only innovative, but also form a valuable addition to the existing range.
Traditionally LA’s and Asians have been the main part of our breeding facility. But the growing demand for Oriëntals and OT’s is also taken into account. From our curiosity to explore every angle of opportunity in the field of lily cultivation and our motivation to keep developing, we experiment with daring crosses.
“From our curiosity to explore every angle of opportunity and our motivation to keep developing, we experiment with daring crosses.”
Resistance
Finally, resistance management is a recurring theme in our breeding activities. We look for cultivars that are resistant, primarily against botrytis and viruses. In this way, we contribute towards active cultivation and a future-proof lily sector.
Thanks to its strong commitment to breeding, De Jong Lelies has brought a number of famous cultivars onto the lily market, including the LA hybrids ‘Yellow Diamond’, ‘Indian Diamond’ and ‘Puma’. Promising newcomers to the exclusive De Jong range are ‘Hinault’, ‘Zanella’ and ‘Asopus’.
Usability in small sizes is an important pillar when it comes to our breeding activities. We understand that customers want a lily that generates plenty of buds – even with a small bulb size – and therefore lots of flowers, without compromising firmness.
Our breeding programme is also aimed at being pollen-free. Lilies without pollen are scarce in today’s market; they do not occur naturally. However, pollen presents a number of drawbacks for the end user. That’s why De Jong Lelies is firmly committed to developing pollen-free lilies.
Developing
“By developing resistant cultivars, we contribute towards maintaining a dynamic lily sector.”
Tissue culture
Within our breeding operations, promising cultivars are tested and propagated in the greenhouse. We always use virus-free starting material, originating from tissue culture, and follow a strict hygiene protocol. Batches are transferred to our production facility for further upscaling.
Cultivars that have the potential to grow into a large variety are sold under licence to growers, so that everyone can work with them. This enables us to invest in the full breadth of the lily market without losing our competitive edge. We want to continue providing added value for our customers.