Dutch grower aims to grow as organically as possible

Muilwijk Snijbloemen is a relatively young nursery. In 2020, owner Hendrik Muilwijk took over an old vegetable nursery in Stolwijk, the Netherlands. He installed a new 4,500 m² polytunnel greenhouse there, in which he grows cut hydrangeas in three colours: pink, white, and blue. In 2021, Ilex verticillata was added to the assortment – two crops that complement each other beautifully, Muilwijk says.

"Ilex is harvested in November/December, which follows on nicely from the hydrangea season. This combination of crops means I can work with local on-call workers, which enables me to guarantee quality, as I get to work with people who I know are skilled at what they do." Muilwijk has deliberately chosen to remain small-scale and to focus on quality.

As organic as possible
This focus on quality also opens the door to growing in the most natural way possible. Muilwijk: "In the greenhouse, we aim to grow as organically as possible throughout the season. After cleaning with mild products to ensure the space is pest-free, I release beneficial insects for crop protection. Using this method, we've been able to avoid synthetic inputs for the past three years."

Muilwijk is also applying these principles more and more to his Ilex cultivation. "We've switched to a new method using growing strips, which makes it possible to reach the roots mechanically when needed. From this season onwards, we aim to grow Ilex as organically as possible too. It really helps to have like-minded employees who support this approach. At our scale, it's manageable – but if you're growing on four or five hectares, it becomes more challenging to work this way."

Happy with MPS-Compact
Muilwijk's nursery is MPS-A+ certified. While he sees value in meeting customer expectations, he believes certification plays an even more important role in tracking sustainability progress.

"I think MPS-GreenerGrown is an even better fit for our way of working, as we try to reduce our use of chemical crop protection products and fertilisers. I expect it will take another few seasons to fully reach that level, but in the meantime, I'm using MPS-GAP, even though it's a bit cumbersome for a nursery of our size. That's why I'm pleased MPS has listened to smaller growers and introduced the more accessible MPS-Compact."

Muilwijk observes that some small-scale growers are still hesitant about certification. "But if you're well organised, the administrative work is really manageable. Plus, by logging your data, you gain valuable insights into areas for improvement. As growers, we all have a responsibility to care for the earth we cultivate. So if you're still unsure, my advice is: just do it!"