A shipshape begonia

Ornamental Breeder: How is ‘Nonstop JOY’ different from other begonias on the market, and other begonias Benary offers? At Spring Trials, there was a demonstration on how tough the plant was — even when you shake it, the flower petals remain intact.
Sabine Kratzenberg: Benary, as a traditional begonia breeding company, offers in the current tuberous assortment several compact pot/container/bedding series as well as our most important ‘Nonstop’ series and additionally the ‘Primary’ and ‘New Star’ series. We also offer a trailing type, which we define as garland type. The series is called ‘Illumination’ and has very long branches that form impressive garland plants during the summer.
The baskets and trailing types are loved by the customers, but our Illuminations were always a challenge for them and the retailers because it is nearly impossible to ship the baskets when developed. The long branches break very easily, and people are disappointed when they buy a nice basket and the branches are broken when they reach their homes.
That gave us the idea to create a type that forms nice baskets but is also easy to ship and can be transported without damage to the plants. The name of the project was ‘Globe,’ which shows that the series will form nice round baskets without long branches. Yellow is the first color which starts a full series and ‘Globe’ was changed into the meaningful name ‘Nonstop JOY.’

OB: Was that your primary goal in the breeding process?
SK: Since I took over begonia breeding in 2010, our commitment was to not introduce any new variety that does not fit our minimum standards. Those are: demanding high seed quality, reliable high germination and uniform young plant development. The plants are well branched and cover the pots easily. They are uniform in a basket or container and look round and well defined. A [complement] to the nice round habit are many bright yellow flowers that look upright and cover the whole plant. ‘Nonstop JOY’ flowers the whole summer until frost. As a little goody, Nonstop JOY does not only form nice [habits] in baskets or containers, it also looks good as a vigorous bedding plant. That qualifies Nonstop JOY as a true [well-rounded plant.]

OB: Are there other colors available other than yellow? Will there be more released for 2016?
SK: The first color to start was Yellow, we will have a little break in 2016 but in 2017 we plan to introduce more colors.

OB: ‘Nonstop JOY’ was introduced in 2015. When will it be available to garden centers/consumers?
SK: ‘Nonstop JOY’ will be available in the stores for the bedding plant season of 2016.

OB: What was it like to breed ‘Nonstop JOY’? What challenges did you face, and how long did it take?
SK: I took over begonia breeding in 2010, and had to develop the parents that contain the traits that we needed for the new type. That’s why not all core colors were ready for the first start. But we decided not to wait with the introduction of the first color to give the customers the fun with the new type as soon as possible. But there is an existing, extensive breeding program for this type that we can promise a lot of “JOY” in the near future.

OB: In terms of care and growing requirements, are there any differences with ‘Nonstop JOY’ than other begonias that people should be aware of?
SK: Although ‘Nonstop JOY’ is a robust selection, it likes more moderate conditions like all tuberous begonias. It will survive in full sun in most regions, but if there is water stress or too much heat, the leaves and flowers might burn. The best [conditions] are good light but not direct sun. Like all tuberous begonias, ‘Nonstop JOY’ needs long days, in too short days it will dry down and will form tubers as the organ of permanence.

OB: What is your favorite aspect of ‘Nonstop JOY’?
SK: I like most that ‘Nonstop JOY’ is so universal in its use and the long flowering time.

OB: Ornamental Breeder serves everyone in the supply chain, from grower to consumer. What are the different benefits for growers, retailers, lawn professionals and consumers?
SK: The young plant producers will like the good, reliable germination and the uniform young plant development. The final producers will like the good branching that covers the pots early and the uniform flowering time, which makes it easy to ship the whole crop in a short time. The retailers will like the nice baskets, the good flower presentation, the nice bright color and also the durability.
The lawn professionals will love to use them in mixed containers and impressive baskets for showy presentations. And last but not least, the final consumers will love them for masses of bright yellow flowers during the whole garden season.

OB: Is there anything else I didn’t ask that you’d like to mention?
SK: I think that ‘Nonstop JOY’ will definitely raise the level of joy in growing tuberous begonias.