Koppe, the Begonia specialist established in 1910 with a passion for plants; has continuously strived to push the limits of quality, color, and perfect foliage among other considered traits in its Begonias. With its longstanding partnership with growers, suppliers, distributors, and the end consumer, Koppe puts all these into consideration as it strives to develop well-adapted varieties. Such include Begonia Halo®.
Begonia Halo® which was first introduced to the market during the 2022 Flower Trials event, has continued to gain massive traction among growers and consumers just the same way. This is, just, a demonstration of the immense efforts put forth by the breeder; to develop and introduce desirable and valuable varieties. Just for a glimpse into the elegance and luxurious touch of the Halo, here are some of the reviews from a survey conducted by the Koppe Begonia on its three novelties, Begonia Halo® included.
The Perfect Red Tone of Begonia Halo®
Reviews from different end-consumers regarding a product, are mostly the most reliable way to truly gauge and rate its value and strength. And Begonia Halo® was subjected to a survey covering four areas.
These specifics are:
- Quality and general impression
- Build up and position of flowers
- Comparison to other red Begonias
- Purchase intention and preference
Overall, the end-consumers had a lot to say about Begonia Halo®. For instance, the contrast created by its passionate red blooms and dark green foliage makes the plant aesthetically appealing. The build-up of flowers was, also, designed to be circular, which is alluring as the plant has an evenly distributed number of flowers and leaves.
Touted as the revolution of red Begonias, Begonia Halo® came top in comparison to other red Begonias, in terms of flowers and foliage quality. It flowers two weeks earlier compared to other reds and has multi-layered, rose-shaped masses of flowers, making it a preferred choice by consumers above other red Begonia varieties.
A Grower's Take on Begonia Halo®
Gerard van Deventer from grower J&P Ten Have alludes:
"I first tested Halo® in 2023 on a large scale and proved it is always one week faster than the standard Begonia Baladin® and sometimes even up to two weeks."
Begonia Halo®, also, has a very high number of petals thus creating a full bloom with an almost rose-shape formation, and exhibits more round and full blooms compared with other Begonias. While many other Begonia varieties get more single blooms in summer with long days, that is not quite the case with Halo®, it continuously produces full masses of flowers. That's one of the reasons why this plant is a good tip for Christmas decorations as well.
Growing Tips
Notably Begonia Halo® is suitable for growing all year round but being cognizant of the ideal growing conditions and practices will help you gain more great experience with this Begonia variety. Growers ought to remove some early blooms when spacing the plants, to stimulate vegetative growth and thus create full-bodied plants.
When the removal of flowers is done, Halo has enough vigor to contribute to uniformity in its growth. Given that it blooms one to weeks earlier than other varieties; Halo grows fast and could be hungrier than other varieties. If the leaf color is lighter, an increase in fertilizer makes the plants color up quickly. Always monitor the growth of your Begonia Halo® to spot unfruitful development and proactively react to mitigate the risks.
Koppe Begonia believes that the early blooming nature of Begonia Halo® saves production costs to the grower to a tune of two weeks. The elegance and luxury presence of its passionate red tone and multi-layered blooms effortlessly draw you in. Such a beauty to behold, and a befitting red Begonia to add to your Begonia portfolio.
Photos courtesy of @Koppe Begonia.
