It might have been Blue Monday this week, but in Netherlands it has been Grey January for almost a month now as there has been nothing but fog for days. For the grower with a cold greenhouse, such as Martin Prins in Maasdijk, the ideal moment to do something fun. Every year he plants a corner of potatoes, next to his ornamental crops. With these actions, he kicks off spring with Kwekerij Altijd Blij (Nursery Always Cheerfull, in English).
The potatoes went into the ground earlier this week. "In 100 days, around the first week of May, we can start harvesting." He delights local consumers with his fresh potatoes.
In the meantime he also has a row of celery and white calla lilies. He is currently not producing his ornamental crops, which he sells at the auction. "No way, it's three degrees celcius in the greenhouse. Nothing grows then." He no longer has gas. "I grow depending on the weather." And he enjoys that. "Those potatoes grow so beautifully in the spring, with those moisture droplets on them."
The white arum lilies, aka Callas, and other cut flowers Martin drops off at the auction. His assortment can be seen on FloraXchange.