July 2024 - 36

VARIETY INFORMATION
" When we purchased Plant Introductions Inc. from Dr.
Dirr and his partners, additional work was done with a
focus on warm-climate success with the species, " said
Debbie Lonnee, product development manager for Bailey
Nurseries. " This work didn't lead to a new introduction
but laid the foundation for a trial process across Bailey
sites, including the new Bailey Innovations breeding
facility outside Athens, Georgia. "
Charais said that Lonnee's vision is what led to the
renewed focus at Bailey in 2016. He explained that a
collaborative partnership between Bailey and David
Zlesak, Ph.D., a well-known figure in genetics, was formed.
At the same time, Bailey was building its breeding
operation, Bailey Innovations, in Athens, Georgia.
" The First Editions brand was poised for takeoff ... , "
said Charais. " The timing was perfect for Bailey to make
this big step investing in a new breeding project. Starting
a breeding project within a production facility takes
incredible support and communication, and we were
fortunate to have this at Bailey. Everyone from ownership
to production to sales was on board with the project. "
Charais emphasized that Bailey didn't want to just
improve 'Annabelle', it wanted to create a program
designed to solve challenges associated with the smooth
hydrangea category - the difficulties that impacted both
its customers and the clients of the customers.
Hydrangea
arborescens
FlowerFull
Smooth is ready
for sale at Prides
Corner Farms.
Photo by Alison
Storm.
BREEDING
This led to the creation of breeding goals. The primary
criteria was that the smooth hydrangea had to be
production friendly.
" Again, from our experience, so many of the newer
cultivars had failed in our own production. They would
either struggle to grow from a potted liner, be full of
bacterial leaf spot, or not grow at all, meaning yields
would be poor and any hope for profit lost. With that
initial goal in mind, greenhouse space was allocated for
crosses and trials, and field space was readied to accept
generations of breeding outcomes, " Lonnee said.
Once the project obtained the green light, Zlesak and
Gail Soens, head trial grower for Bailey in Minnesota,
embarked on a breeding program that looked at coolclimate
resilience. Lonnee shared that over the course
of six years and multiple generations the collaborative
effort resulted in " hundreds of individual clones. "
36
JULY 2024 GPNMAG.COM
FEBRUARY 2024 GPNMAG.COM
Prides Corner Farms
PRODUCTION AT
Prides Corner Farms in Connecticut received its first
liners of FlowerFull Smooth hydrangea from Bailey
Nurseries in June 2023, and 11 months later had its
first saleable crop.
" Hydrangea FlowerFull Smooth has been a winner
for Prides Corner Farms, " said Mark Hamilton Sellew,
president and owner of Prides Corner Farms.
The plant has a very compact habit, and combined
with its big flowers, really stands out as the best in
class of our arborescens cultivars, Sellew said.
" We grow many selections of Hydrangea arborescens
that require lots of pruning and time to create
the quality our customers demand, " he said. " With
FlowerFull's superior, compact habit, it will be both
easier and quicker to grow and finish this plant. "
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July 2024

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