The anniversary edition of the National Young Growers' Day took place last Friday at Edens Plants & Creations in Wezep, the Netherlands, and it turned out to be a real success. According to one of the organizers, Christiaan Rietberg, it was "a fantastic day" with a strong turnout and plenty of positive feedback. Around 140 young people joined the event, ranging from students just entering the field to young professionals already working in horticulture, from fruit tree growers to potted plant producers.
© Edens Plants & Creations
Christiaan opened the program together with fellow organizers Debby Petter and Martijn Doorn. The stage was then handed over to several speakers, including Ger Koopmans, chairman of LTO Nederland, Harold Zoet, provincial representative of Gelderland, and the well-known Mr Plant Geek. With his trademark enthusiasm, Mr Plant Geek took the audience on a lively journey into the world of innovation and renewal within the horticultural sector.
© Edens Plants & Creations
Interactive tour
After the talks, it was time for an interactive tour of Edens Plants & Creations, where the Calluna was in full bloom. Along the way, participants got a closer look at key industry themes. The company shared insights into breeding and product innovation, Naktuinbouw spoke about variety and resistance research, and AgroPoli explained how resilient growing can be supported through fertilization strategies. At the Edens machinery department, young growers could join in discussions about practical challenges and share experiences. A highlight of the tour was seeing Edens' robot in action, carefully picking up conifer cuttings and placing them into trays. Fruit Tree Consultancy also demonstrated how a robot can propagate fruit trees through triangular grafting. For a bit of fun, students could hop into Zone.college's mobile classroom and try their hand at a tractor or crane simulator.
© Edens Plants & Creations
Judging themselves
One of the most hands-on parts of the day came at the KVBC stand, where the young growers had the chance to act as judges themselves. Marion Lijmbach and Mark Houtman explained the judging process before letting the participants evaluate six novelties from the recent Plantarium|Groen-Direkt. These included Astilbe Mighty Max, Hydrangea paniculata Gardenlights Littlelight, and Pennisetum advena Tiny Tails. The Pennisetum from Hoogeveen Plants stole the show, winning the most points from the young jury and being crowned "Best Novelty of the National Young Growers' Day 2025." This same variety had already taken home gold at Plantarium|Groen-Direkt earlier this year.
© LTO
Together in conversation
What really made the day special, according to Christiaan, was the interactive setup. "It was wonderful to see young people engaging with one another while at the same time picking up practical knowledge," he said. The conversations flowed naturally, not just about technology and innovation, but also about the broader future of the sector.
© Edens Plants & Creations
The day wrapped up with a relaxed barbecue, giving participants the chance to chat, share experiences, and enjoy the sunny weather. Christiaan summed it up perfectly: "We designed the program to be broad, so there was something for everyone to discover. The group was enthusiastic, the collaboration with Arno Engels, LTO, and Edens Plants & Creations went smoothly, and everything came together beautifully. All in all, it was a great day that definitely deserves a sequel at another location next year."
For more information:
LTO
+31 (0)70 338 2700
www.lto.nl
Edens Plants & Creations
Christiaan Rietberg
[email protected]
www.edens-plants.com
