Cultivation

Starting material

We pay great attention to cultivation to grow a high-quality product for the consumer market. The start of cultivation takes place at reputable plant breeders. They propagate plants by sowing, cuttings or grafting and provide high-quality starting material. This planting stock is pruned in winter and stored pot-ready in cold storage at -2 ºC. The potting process takes place on a potting line consisting of a potting machine, dusting machine and outlet robot.

Cultivation

A basic fertiliser of slow-release fertilisers is mixed into the potting soil, providing the plant with nutrients during cultivation and also afterwards while it is on display at the point of sale.

For fragile products, Perlite is added to give the soil extra aeration. To prevent weeds and moss growth, the top layer of the pot is dusted with cover material that dries quickly, preventing germination of unwanted vegetation.

The plants are transported to the fields using roll containers on trolleys and then placed on the container fields using a plant truck.

In summer, crops are pruned and widened. The plants are placed on a buffer belt after which they pass under a pruning machine via a conveyor belt. Then they are buffered again and put on the field with the planting truck. The planting truck is then equipped with a widening fork that places the pots at a preset planting distance. Hedge conifers are cut manually. To prevent blowing over, these are in plant racks which also ensures a fixed planting distance.

Substrate

A lot of attention is paid to the potting soil in which the plants grow. The substrate is tailored to the needs of the plant. Moisture-loving species require a different composition than plants that prefer drought. Because peat is an important contributor to CO2 emissions, 50% peat substitutes have now been mixed into our mixtures. And work is underway to increase this percentage even further. More about this in the video below.

Irrigation

Crops are watered with rainwater stored in large basins. In case of severe drought, groundwater is used which is purified by reverse osmosis. For the watering process we have two modern plants at our disposal, which mostly water the plants at night. Additional fertilizer is then also added whose formulation is tailored to the season and plant needs. The container fields consist of a permeable top fabric under which a 10-cm layer of lava rock provides vertical water drainage. Underneath is foil containing drain slots that provide drainage to the water basins. Thus, residual crop protection agents are collected and fertilizers are reused.

Care

In summer, crops are pruned and widened. The plants are placed on a buffer belt after which they pass under a pruning machine via a conveyor belt. Then they are buffered again and put on the field with the planting truck. The planting truck is then equipped with a widening fork that places the pots at a preset planting distance. Hedge conifers are cut manually. To prevent blowing over, these are in plant racks which also ensures a fixed planting distance. Shade-loving species are placed in a shade hall with a movable screen. For disease-prone crops, there is a convertible greenhouse. The plants here are in a protected environment that counters the influence of extreme weather conditions.