Customers tell

Driven by a curiosity for the seasons and a strong belief in natural cultivation methods, Bruno Machiel – together with his family – runs a nursery in Várzea (Portugal) where plant health starts with the soil. Read the customer portrait to discover how smart, sustainable crop rotation, biostimulants, and an innovative cultivation strategy together contribute to producing strong, high-quality flowers with remarkable blooms.

In sunny Portugal, Nuno Duarte's tomato harvest runs from June to December/January. To be able to pick every day, the tomatoes need to be in top condition.

Nuno uses a preventive approach. This is made possible by applying SilicaPower. Since then, the tomato plants have become much stronger, with deeper green leaves. Moreover, he needs to use fewer fertilisers than before.

The Dutch 'king of strawberries', Wim van Weert, grows strawberries for eight months a year in Portugal’s Algarve region. The Favori and Florice varieties thrive there in unheated greenhouses using only natural light.

From mid-May to mid-September, Wim is in the Netherlands to work on growth plans and (the expansion of) his networks.

Nursery Dirk Mermans in Belgium specialises in large houseplants, such as Philondendron and Strelitzia. It is even the market leader in Monstera Variegata. Some 400,000 plants are delivered in Europe on potting soil and hydroponics. So many large plants require a lot of greenhouse space, so area is being added again. When the new greenhouse is ready, some of the plants will move and work can be done in a different way.

Amigo Plant breeds, propagates and grows some 60 varieties of succulents, from Heerhugowaard and Portugal, 30 of which have Breeders’ Rights in Europe and North America. Annually around 20 million plants are sold. Remarkable in this respect is that Amigo Plant literally does everything itself, from growing to building internal conveyor systems.

Asked about the change to resilient growing, Jos Filippini (manager at Thwan van Gennip c.s) replies "that it is going in the right direction if you have good plants that you help become resilient with fertilisers or biostimulants.Choose resilient growing with a strawberry plant that has good roots and is less susceptible to disease.&quot;</strong></p>"

Henry van Eldik starts mainly with himself. He is trying to grow trees more consciously and sustainably at Betuwe Group. By going back to closer to nature, you get a less disease-prone crop and it gives him a better feeling anyway to work with biostimulants and natural fertilisers.

“We should be more accepting of a little less growth”

Arjan and Gerald Maters grew up on the arable farm founded by their grandfather in 1968. The brothers were certain that they wanted 'to be farmers later on'.

Their father's illness in 2007 meant that everything moved very fast. Arjan was in the last year of his intermediate vocational course in arable farming, contract work and mechanics, while Gerald was yet to begin at the Van Hall Institute in Leeuwarden.

De Schutter’s father and grandfather moved to Vierhuizen, the Netherlands, in 1970, after their home in the Biesbosch was designated a drinking water area. Farms in Vierhuizen were there for the taking...They often sat on the market for up to five years.

Today, Frank grows greenhouse potatoes (mini tubers), sugar beet, and winter wheat in the nothern region.

Henry Rodenburg met Alwin Scholten from PlantoSys five years ago throug a dealer in Russia. For Henry, working in Russia is pretty much business as usual. He spends four to six wees at a time working there, and then spends a week back in the Netherlands.

In Russia, Henry works as a cultivation advisor for midi-cucumbers, in an 80-hectare garden.

De Wijnmakers in The Netherlands make wines to celebrate moments when together. At home or at one of their vineyards. De Wijnmakers pour ‘wines with a story" during a workshop, wine tasting event or culinary event.

De Wijnmakers already celebrated their own moment in 2018 after having been awarded gold and silver with their first production.

It was not so obvious at all for the three sons of a pig farmer/asparagus grower to take over the company. “Too small, obsolete”: it did not really appeal. They converted it into a flower and plant nursery.

A daring change because they did not have any experience. However, with some experimenting and after having paid the required tuition fees, the nursery has grown to become a prosperous business.

Together with his sister-in-law Hannie, Sebastiaan Hoogenraad runs Hoogenraad Handelskwekerijen on a daily basis. And therefore also responsible for growing more than 5 million plants a year.

Since 1965, his father Gerrit's company has grown into a sizeable nursery of over 15 hectares, spread over several locations.

Kwekerij Olsthoorn & Zn. specialises in growing kalanchoe and Calandiva®: a plant that needs little care and water. In other words, an ideal easy to keep plant. Even for everyday consumers who do not have green fingers. Thousands are potted every week to subsequently be given a place on a window sill or in a garden in the Netherlands or far away.