Peony Hybridizers: Hurtekant Koen

Koen Hurtekant

Country:

Belgium, Wingene (near Bruges)

Short biography:

I am 49 years old, married, two children. I have a small cut flower nursery where I grow peonies, tulips, gladioli and calla lilies. I am also the developer of this website.

More information:

https://www.facebook.com/koen.hurtekant

https://www.hurtekant.com/ 

Peony hybridizers series

How did you first get involved in peony hybridizing?

I have always been interested in new varieties. Having only a small nursery, I am obliged to focus on different cultivars because I cannot possibly grow them as efficiently as the large-scale nurseries.

Peony hybridization is different from my other flower crops because for them there have always been many possibilities to learn from and discuss with other hybridizers. I learned a lot from Don Hollingsworth, both from personal communications, but also from all his contributions to different fora of information like the Yahoo groups, APS publications and Paeonia newsletters.

In 2009 I sowed my first seed, all from open pollinations. The following years I also tried controlled crosses. After a few years the first ones started flowering and I noticed that the seedlings from controlled crosses were on average more interesting, thus now I almost exclusively sow seeds from controlled crosses.

What was the starting material for your hybridizing?

I started with the usual suspects: some advanced hybrids from US breeders. Of these I have used Pink Vanguard most because in my view this is the healthiest plant within the large group of Salmon Dream/Blushing Princess cultivars.

I then obtained a first group of interesting plants which I received, exchanged or bought from others and where I sometimes still add to:

• Lavender Baby (Warmerdam): has P. coriacea as one grandfather
• Grand Massive (Fawkner): a very early semi-double white
• Buoy Master (Fawkner): a beautiful plant habit
• Strong Coral (Maschke/Hurtekant): very vigorous plant from Old Faithful x Coral Charm
• Andreas Maschke (Maschke): from Bartzella x Lemon Chiffon
• Flevo Star (Westland, unregistered): a Late Windflower seedling
• Some plants from Gamoletti with interesting parentage

Next to that I also collected a second group of plants, consisting of species: P. parnassica, P. wendelboi, P. morisii and many others, focusing mainly on the ones little used before.

To summarize it very much: Pink Vanguard was combined with those two groups. The resultant F1 seedlings were then used again to obtain a second generation and I now have the first seedlings growing from the third generation. The crosses with the second group have not given many tangible results, despite making at least as many crosses. There are however some second generation seedlings there that seem to show better vigour.

What are your goals in hybridizing peonies?

When I first started my goal was rather narrow: a good early double white cut flower, which is why Grand Massive and Buoy Master were used a lot. I think I now have a few good ones, though they are still under evaluation and I’m still trying to improve upon these again.

I rapidly widened my goals thereafter when I obtained more different plants and species.

What I focus upon mostly are strong stems and disease resistance. I intended to get pretty flowers only at a later stage. I think I have a few plants with excellent health and good stem strength now, which can stand next to Old Faithful and Rozella without feeling ashamed. These are now used in the majority of my crosses, hoping for more beautiful flowers.

Do you mostly depend on open pollination or do you mostly make controlled crosses? 

How large is your hybridizing program?

Not too large, there is often little time to make the planned crosses. I have to do that in the evening or early during the season when not much is blooming yet. In the early years it was only a few dozen crosses. Nowadays, some 300 – 400 crosses are made every year. This usually results in somewhere between 500 and 1,000 seeds, with huge differences between crosses. Of these some 300 make it into mature plants eventually. Over the course of all years a few thousand plants have been grown into maturity. To make notes for seedling selection I use a (free) mobile app, Field Book.

Do you have any plants in the market?

I don’t sell myself, but I sell to some larger growers who will eventually get them to the market.

Do you know the American Peony Society (APS)? Are your plants registered there?

I have registered as results from my own work: Mieke Bral, Christine Carrette and Forever Yours.

I have also registered some plants which are essentially the work of others: Kato Hurtekant is a mutation from Rozella and Strong Coral is all Hans Maschke’s work.

Can you describe a few of your plants that you consider the best or most beautiful and which are available now?

Christine Carrette (Hurtekant, 2024) From Old Faithful x Kathy’s Touch. Named after my mother. Probably the introduction I’m most proud of. Very sturdy upright stems, closed buds, very large flowers in an attractive color.

Kato Hurtekant (Hurtekant, 2024). Pale pink mutation from Rozella. Named after my daughter. Very strong stems, large flowers, healthy plants. In bud it has the same colour as Sarah Bernhardt. When opened indoors it remains this colour. Outdoors it fades to blush as can be seen here.

Forever Yours (Hurtekant, 2023). This is the best and healthiest selection from some 350 sister seedlings of the cross Pink Vanguard x Lavender Baby. The nice color comes from Lavender. The main attraction are the very pretty small leaflets which give this plant all-seasons interest. It is a garden plant, not a cut flower.

Strong Coral (Maschke/Hurtekant, 2025) Parentage Old Faithful x Coral Charm. Plant was hybridized by Hans Maschke, but registered by us. Very tall, very floriferous and healthy and with very sturdy stems. Semi-double flowers. The colour fades slowly. Good cut flower without the curved stems of Coral Charm and opening much slower than Coral Sunset.

Mieke Bral (Hurtekant, 2020). Named after my wife. Open pollinated seed from Carl G. Klehm. Good average qualities, though not better than many other double whites. Where it does really stand out is that it can be cut tight and will always open well, including the side buds. Thus making it a promising cut flower.

Within your current seedlings, what are the most promising ones?

BBYPVBM003 ‘White Sunset’ (Vanilla Schnapps x PVBM003) 001. Very early nearly double white with large buds and flowers.

(Big Jhonny x open) 001. Very early double pale pink.

Mieke Bral F2.

Are you in contact or working together with other peony hybridizers? 

Yes, I am in contact with a lot of peony hybridizers all over the world.

Do you have unregistered plants that are not good enough to introduce but have something ‘special’?

Lots of them. These are a few of them:

(Buoy Master x Vanilla Schnapp’s)

BMBBY001 (Buoy Master x Vanilla Schnapps) 001 Very large flower on extremely sturdy stems.

(Strong Coral x Grand Massive) 001

Garden name ‘Invictus’ (Strong Coral x Grand Massive) 001. Glossy foliage, very healthy.

(Pink Vanguard x Buoy Master) F2 010

PVBMF2 010 (Pink Vanguard x Buoy Master) F2 010. Very tall, upright and healthy.

PVBM003

PVBM003 (Pink Vanguard x Buoy Master) 003. Very healthy, very sturdy stems, foliage all the way down the stems.

PVBM005

PVBM005 (Pink Vanguard x Buoy Master) 005. Sister seedling to PVBM003. Larger flower, but blooming a week later and stems not as sturdy.

CF001

CF001 (Pink Vanguard x Lavender Baby). Sister seedling of Forever Yours. Better flower, but weak stems.

Would you like to exchange such ‘hybridizers plants’ with other hybridizers? 

I do that regularly and am willing to do so more.

Name a few peony varieties from other hybridizers which you especially like?

Rozella (Reath) and Old Faithful (Glasscock/Falk) are two which I admire a lot. Furthermore I also like Garden Treasure (Hollingsworth) and Ballerina (Saunders).

Final question. Any remarks or suggestions you may have…

I hope this series will help peony hybridizers get more in contact with one another.

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