Kenyan growers looking to broaden transportation horizons

"Luckily, the Dutch auctions have opened up, but due to the high freight rates, we cannot increase volumes", says Sachin Appachu, general manager at Kenyan rose farm Bliss Flora. Currently he can send 25 to 30% of his flowers to the auction and about 5-10% to the direct market. As the airfreight…

Beekenkamp obtains Fairtrade certificate for poinsettia

Beekenkamp Plants Ornamentals officially obtained the Fairtrade certificate for their poinsettia mother stock location in Ethiopia and their rooting facility in the…

"The corona crisis hit us hard"

The abrupt closure and reopening of garden centres have not only been a challenge for the growers, they have also been for companies supplying the industry. German plastic pot and tray manufacturer Pöppelmann Teku for example tells us how they were and still are dealing with the negative impact of the pandemic on their sales of…

Fabelicious dried roses: taking the show on the road

In the next 10 weeks, the mobile flower boutique of Fabelicious will drive through the various auctions. The program includes auction Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg, but also Auction Herongen and Ede, with the aim of providing everyone in the horticultural sector with knowledge of the Fabelicious…

Marginpar's new clematis a hit on social media

A new cut clematis is on the market for less than a week and it is already a hit among many European, Eastern European and British florists and designers on social media. Words like ‘stunning', ‘amazing’ ‘beautiful’, ‘gorgeous colour’, and ‘magnifique’ are used to describe the variety and some even call…

"Organic growers want to add microorganisms or bio-fertilizers without changing the EC"

Two growers with the same need of irrigation with a precise dosing of biomass - and it should be controlled automatically. As there was no fertilizer mixer on the market which was able to do add microorganisms and bio-fertilizers to the irrigation water, they contacted Senmatic. The Danish manufacturer…

Growing Cyclamen under high light levels

During periods with high light levels there is an aspect of the culture of Cyclamen that is underestimated: the temperature of the leaves of Cyclamen. What is the situation of plants that are active and in a normal light level? The leaf temperature is at a level just below the air temperature. This is the…

VanWingerden International

"We consider our agribusiness workers to be critical no matter what"

The greenhouses at VanWingerden International (VWI) in Mills River are nearly empty, but it’s not because business has fallen off. “Right now, we’re shipping all our ornamental flowers to Lowe’s and Ingles,” explains Range Manager James Cantrell. “This is one of the few times of year when you can…

Kunming: The Spring City and its successful flower story

Kunming is known as the "Spring City" because there is no severe cold in winter, no high temperature in summer, and four seasons there are like spring. In 2016, Kunming proposed to build a city brand of "The World's Spring Flower City" with its positioning and upgrading, so that Spring City's "flower…

Rowe Farming

Why daffodils were left to rot in Cornish fields during lockdown

One of the most striking sights in Cornwall during the coronavirus pandemic has been the fields full of daffodils that have been left to rot. At the very beginning of lockdown, farmers in Cornwall voiced concerns that their crops could end up ‘rotting in the fields’ due to a shortage of pickers as travel…

How does mycorrhizal symbiotic colonization work?

This 3 minute video provides an overview of how the mycorrhizal symbiotic colonization works, and how this symbiotic relationship benefits plants and soils. Learn how MycoApply mycorrhizal inoculant products work: For more information:Mycorrhizal ApplicationsPO Box 1029Grants Pass, OR 97528Toll Free: 866-476-7800Phone:…

Controlling aphids with Eupeodes-System

Growers of protected vegetables, fruit and ornamental crops have a new weapon against aphids. Biobest launches the Eupeodes-System from the beginning of June. The hoverfly Eupeodes corollae boosts aphid control. “With the increasing loss of chemical crop protection products, Eupeodes-System is set to…

Digital image processing and analysis for plant phenotyping

LemnaTec, based in Aachen, Germany, has been developing hardware and software for plant phenotyping since 1998. These systems use digital image processing for applications in research and development, which are used in breeding, science, agro- and biotechnology, as well as in the seed industry. "Digital…

Every tree counts at Ellenby Tree Farm

After thirty years in the nursery industry, it is safe to say that Craig Woodroffe, Sales Manager at Ellenby Tree Farm, knows how to produce premium quality trees. But if his experience has taught him one thing, it’s the importance of customer feedback and ensuring the successful establishment of trees…

Designing resilient organic greenhouse production systems for Europe

During the last decade, there has been a strong discussion about the principles of organic farming, driven primarily by the differences in organic production systems in Europe. Some systems are highly intensified and focus on high economic sustainability whereas others focus on increasing biodiversity…

Promo video showcases Dutch horticulture sector to the world

Dutch industry organization Topsector Tuinbouw & Uitgangsmaterialen has presented a video in several languages, to get more people acquainted with the horticulture industry.…

NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Kenya: Nakuru County Government concerned over job loss at flower farms

Nakuru County Government has expressed its concern over the rising cases of job losses in the flower farms in Naivasha in the last two months. According to the county, this is a major blow to the national economy as the sector was among the leading revenue contributors and employer. This emerged when the…

Dzmitry Zelianeuski | Dreamstime.com

Road to success not paved with flowers for Polish florists

Polish florists are ambitious, they want to improve their professional skills, follow international trends and be able to influence their clients. The flower business is not one of the easiest ones, there are still many problems, obstacles and things that should be changed or improved. That is why…

Hort Americas expands services with Canadian branche

An exciting new step for Hort Americas. Since 2009 the company, headquartered in Bedford, Texas, has been providing leading knowledge in commercial hydroponic production,…

Paul

The shade tunnels looking shipshape & ready for tomorrow's delivery of plants that would have been arriving from the Chelsea flower show #propwisley pic.twitter.com/jYYgpbveyZ — Paul🏳️‍🌈🇪🇺 (@paul_atk79) May 25, 2020

LATAM Cargo

LATAM Cargo offers direct connectivity between Europe and US

In order to face the negative effects that COVID-19 has brought upon the airline industry—including closed border policies and passenger flight restrictions—LATAM Cargo Group has made a series of modifications to its itinerary and operation to increase its transportation capacity and thus, mitigate the…

Jackson & Perkins

The story behind a rose that blooms at Disneyland

This story is about a particular flower at Disneyland, a rose. It’s not just any rose though, it’s the Disneyland Rose. Disney recently shared with Inside the Magic the story of this rose and why it is the perfect floral representation of Disneyland. This bloom embodies Disney magic and hope. Lisa…

Edible plant Physalis Puraviana in a sustainable cultivation pot

The first plastic-free Physalis Peruviana (with the Cape gooseberry) from Mulders Sierteelt from Middelbeers (Netherlands) was launched. This concept, with the sustainable Bolayo cultivation pot, was nominated for the Greennovation Award in September 2019. Now, this new innovative concept is for sale for…

Irish vertical farming Agtech start-up Farmony signs European distribution agreement

Irish Agtech company Farmony has signed a European distribution deal with Sananbio for their vertical farming Radix systems. The Dublin based startup, established in 2018, will incorporate Sananbio’s technology into their controlled environment vertical farming solutions.  “As our climate continues to change…

Smart software reduces high-touch and low-value interactions

To some it makes perfect sense, to others maybe less. Dutch people, like Scandinavians, for example, would generally look for the webshop first. If they can't find what they were looking for, they might ask. But if you go a little further south, or for example to a country like Brazil, buyers often send…

Strict hygiene measures secure global coco coir supply

Thanks to the efforts of various Sri Lankan coco peat producers, the export of coir and substrate can continue. “We’re strictly following the rules of the public health care organisations and are allowed and able to continue business”, Shan Halamba, CEO of Riococo says. “It’s important to us to continue…

DSV

Danish companies join forces on sustainable fuel project

Copenhagen Airports, A.P. Moller - Maersk, DSV Panalpina, DFDS, SAS and Ørsted have formed the first partnership of its kind to develop an industrial-scale production facility to produce sustainable fuels for road, maritime and air transport in the Copenhagen area. This new partnership brings together the…

Guatemala: Take a peek at the Dümmen Orange Antigua facility

Dummen Orange Guatemala is also dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, but the good news is that they, from their Antigua and Oro propagation facilities, are able to operate and export, delivering the cuttings to the grower's doorstep by FedEx. "We take utmost care of our people, but also of our production…

Blue Daze named Texas Superstar

A time-tested Lone Star favorite – Blue Daze – has been added to the list of Texas Superstar plants. Brent Pemberton, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist, Overton, said Blue Daze has been a long-time ornamental favorite of gardeners and landscapers and deserves the designation. The latest Texas…

Koen Pack presents new cardboard buckets for shelf presentation

To meet the sustainability demand, Koen Pack is now introducing patented 8 and 10 liter cardboard buckets. "Due to their unique design and their natural look, the buckets are ideal to use as transport bucket and for instore presentations at the same time", they state in a press release. FSC quality markThe…

Peace Boat

Roses cultivated by A-bomb survivor gifted to actress promoting peace

Roses of a new variety cultivated by a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, or "hibakusha," were sent as a gift to peace-promoting actress Sahel Rosa in the Japanese capital from a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) on May 23. Sahel Rosa, an Iran-born actress based in…

Meet Robin, RoboRobin

Bosman Van Zaal’s new factory is filled with modern machines and is part of the implementation of Industry 4.0 at the company in the Dutch town of Aalsmeer. In the series #BVZIndustry40, the machines are introduced one by one, in which the RoboRobin is front and center. The RoboRobin is a bending cell with a press brake that…

UK: Belfast garden centre owner 'relieved' at orderly reopening after coronavirus lockdown restrictions

The owner of a Belfast garden centre has spoken of his relief at an orderly reopening following lockdown. There was steady stream of customers at Hillmount Garden Centre on Monday morning, but no long queues. Owner Robin Mercer said he was delighted at how things had gone. “I’m very very happy at how it…

Flower Expo China presents expert advisor

Ms. Zhou Shiming, Chairman of Guangdong Shengyin Flower Horticulture Co., Ltd. accepts the invitation of the organizer (Grandeur International Exhibition Group) to be an expert advisor for the Flower Expo China 2020, providing industry policies, market trends, technologies and other related consultations…

Memorial Day Flowers

US (MI): Despite event cancellation, soldiers honored with roses

In honor of fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, many people laid roses on grave sites at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta. Elisha Hodge and Bryan Mayes, owners of Plumeria Botanical Boutique in Battle Creek, led the 2020 Memorial Day Flowers event by bringing 500 roses to the cemetery. “It can be…

Bird figures