FloraCulture International encourages the pursuit of joint activities in areas of mutual interest with national, and international societies, and organisations. Agreements have been reached between FCI and leading growers and trade associations worldwide. FCI is proud to work in collaboration with:
There is no doubt that fresh-cut flower and ornamental plant growing and trading is a global affair. Yet, the exports of Dutch flowers and plants are perhaps one of the most important indicators of the health of our industry and floral purchasing in Europe.
Following two exceptional years, 2020 and 2021, the general consensus among Dutch floral wholesalers and ornamentals growers is that 2022 was slightly disappointing across all categories. Add to that, in 2022, sales returned to pre-pandemic levels. And everyone knows that 2019 was, by all means, not a bad year for the roses. Having said that, no one would dare to downplay the current impact of the eye-watering energy prices. Continue reading on page 22.
This year, Valentine’s Day occurs on a Tuesday, which, true to tradition, is a perfect day for the holiday to land for florists. When sampling Valentine's sentiments in Australia, East Africa, the USA and Colombia, industry professionals tell us that the flower business is in full swing. Everyone anticipates strong sales. The good news for growers in South America and East Africa is that freight prices appear to stabilise, and there’s much pressure to get gasoline prices down. Continue reading on page 22.
Between 24 -27 January, IPM ESSEN finally opened up the world of horticulture to its visitors again. According to show organiser Messe Essen, 1,330 exhibitors (1,538 in the pre-corona year 2019) from 46 countries presented plants, cut flowers, young plants, tech, floristry and equipment for the ornamental horticulture industry on a 100.000m2 show floor.
Messe Essen boss Oliver P. Kuhrt was delighted to see that the industry had returned to face-to-face trade events in uncertain times. He told FCI, “the joy was palpable in every hall and at every stand.” He said IPM’s return was buzzing and truly international, with over 40,000 (54,000 in the pre-corona year 2019) industry professionals from 100 countries occupying ten adjoining halls. At the time of printing, FCI’s coverage on IPM was not completed, so continue reading on IPM in our March issue.
In this issue, Rita Baraldi, Research Director at Bologna’s Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), explains how trees and plants help mitigate climate change and improve air quality. She adds that they are only one of many necessary interventions, and tree planting schemes require great care in choosing species and locations. Page 16.
Last but not least, turn to page 12 to read the full coverage of CNB’s Annual Peony Event.
23 TULIP TIME
National Tulip Day was back, bigger and better than ever
12 PEONIES
Cut flower continues its rise to prominence.
16 THE RIGHT TREE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Rita Baraldi from Bologna weighs the many factors.
20 POTTED WAXFLOWER GROWING
Florsilva Italia couples passion with perseverance.
24 CULTIVATION FLOORS
Identifying the best floors and the differences between them.
26 THE STATE OF ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE IN ITALY
Energy crisis and inflation hit some segments of Italy’s ornamental horticulture harder than others .
30 THE IGOTY AWARDS
Oh what a night! Meet the 2023 winners of the industry’s most prestigious awards.
FloraCulture International (FCI) is an independent trade magazine with the largest circulation for a world publication of its kind. FCI is published for the ornamental horticulture industry by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH). It is published 11 times per year worldwide. Editorial Team: Aldo Colombo, Martin Deasy, Spence Gunn, Bill Hardy, Jaap Kras, Maurizio Lapponi, Hannah Pinnells, Dr Audrey Timm, Marta Pizano, Ron van der Ploeg, Rachel Wakefield. Contact: info@floracultureinternational.com. Address: FloraCulture International, Horticulture House, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RN, United Kingdom. Editor: Ron van der Ploeg, ron@floracultureinternational.com Worldwide Advertising Office: Angie Duffree, angie@floracultureinternational.com T. +31 6 403 277 35. Magazine designer: Rachel Wakefield. Cover image: TPN. AIPH ©2023 FloraCulture International magazine. All rights reserved. Publisher is not liable for the content of the advertisements. Photographs by permission of copyright owners.
Ukraine-based company Florium and flower bulb and ornamental plant businesses from the Netherlands and Ukraine have teamed up in Flowers4School, a charity meant to acquaint children in Ukraine’s primary schools with flower bulbs using fun and hands-on activities.
One of the driving forces behind the initiative, Peter Tonenchuk, says that support for Flowers4School has been overwhelming with 36 Dutch bulb companies donating bulbs. Pupils and teachers from 10,062 primary schools across Ukraine, including schools from Kharkiv, Donetsk, Lugansk, Mykolaiv regions and the war-torn Kherson region, planted five million bulbs in front yards and street borders.
Tonenchuk says, “But the most important thing is the thousands of smiling and joyful children involved in the planting process. When all these flowers bloom in
the spring, we expect our initiative's next and most important effect - emotional healing and aesthetic satisfaction for those who have suffered so much at such a young age.”
He says 24 February 2023 marks one year since the Russian troops began invading Ukraine. “Following the initial shock, regular activities stopped. Our company came to a standstill, but soon enough, we recovered and revised our work to survive in this new reality. As the first shock passed, Ukrainian civilians who bravely defended their land during the first months
Dutch Flower Group (DFG), touted as the world largest floral wholesaler, acquired an undisclosed stake in Nini Herburg Roses. The vertical integration is a watershed moment in the Dutch cut flower trade as it sees a Dutch flower exporter taking direct ownership of the cut rose production process in Kenya and Ethiopia for the first time.
Commenting on the move, DFG spokesman, Marcel Zandvliet, says that the vertical integration is “the fruit of more than ten years of successful partnering between DFG’s retail companies and Herburg Group.
Since 2017, the Ethiopia site has been exclusively used for growing roses for specific DFG customers. Moreover, there is cooperation at the
Kenya site, which also focuses on growing assortments for large retail customers. Both companies now embrace a more formalised and collaborative work style.”
The advantages of this vertical business integration include greater efficiencies, reduced supply chain costs, and more control along the production and distribution process.
“Retailers prefer to source
continued to hold their own fronts to keep the country’s economy running. When our children started their new academic year, we thought we should do something to support them in these challenging times. That’s how the idea of the Flowers4school project was born.”
Tonenchuk is delighted that the participating school send him feedback each day. “This is the best motivation to continue our project. In the autumn of 2023, there will
directly from farms as they seek the security of product availability and a wide assortment. Becoming a shareholder in Nini Herburg Roses will also pave the way for greater efficiency in logistics and packaging while improving our green credentials.
“Unfortunately, I cannot disclose further details, but the goal is to acquire a majority stake in the company.”
The Herburg Group has deep roots in commercial cut rose production. Jan van der Burg established the company in 1974 in Berkel and Rodenrijs, Netherlands. Secondgeneration Marco van der Burg became the company owner when he took over his father’s business in January 1997.
In 2006, the Herburg rose farm began growing roses in Ziway, Ethiopia, on 18ha
be a new edition. We hope to plant flowers in every Ukrainian school and see a prosperous country after the victory.”
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of land. The company has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. It currently has 40ha of land devoted to growing intermediate rose varieties that find their way to supermarkets across the EU. Situated on the southern shores of Lake Naivasha, Kenya, Nini is a division of Herburg Group, which purchased the company in 2021. Nini consists of two adjacent rose farms: Nini Flowers Limited and Lamorna.
In December 2022, the company began selling its entire ‘auction range’ through the newly established Online Flower Auction (OFA). Herburg and Nini combined grow approximately 200 million stems per year on a combined greenhouse area spanning 100ha and employing 2,500 people.
Bill Hardy is the AIPH Vice President, Chair of the AIPH Green City Committee, and Vice President of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). He has had many roles and responsibilities within the horticulture industry over the years and has always been avidly involved in professional industry development, education, and certification.
Canadians recognise the influence gardens and gardening have on health, the environment, and quality of life.
Supported by a governmental declaration, Year of the Garden 2022 was dedicated to honouring Canada’s rich garden heritage and celebrating the country’s vibrant garden culture. The designation marked 100 years since pioneers in the ornamental horticulture industry established the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and underscored the garden family’s value and contributions to communal well-being.
Leveraging industry contributions and corporate sponsorships with Government of Canada funding, the $5 million campaign became the country's largest and most diversely supported garden marketing initiative ever launched. Through garden retailers, non-profits, municipalities, and garden ambassadors, Canadians learned how living the garden life contributes to individuals’ mental and physical health and fitness, the value of homes, the beautification of communities, and a sustainable broader environment.
Some 2,500 varied organisations and companies lent their voices to the Year of the Garden message, amplifying the reach to several millions of Canadians through social and traditional media, in-person appearances and educational opportunities. Year of the Garden could be found on garden shop benches, online and on-air, in a special-edition coffee-table book, and at countless events and tourism destinations. In boulevards, parks, and schools, citizens planted swaths of red blooms coast-to-coast to celebrate alongside Communities in Bloom.
On the heels of the global pandemic-driven enthusiasm for gardens and comforting home spaces, the coincidental timing of Year of the Garden certainly heightened how receptive Canadians were to the myriad of promotional programmes. In contributing to Year of the Garden and its many hands-on activities, however, it is anticipated that Canadians will embrace the legacy of their efforts and continue to find value in the power of green spaces.
To learn more about the Year of the Garden and its array of initiatives, visit www.yearofthegarden.ca
Just recently, Pablo Bazzani took up his new role as general manager of La Plazoleta, a highly successful flower exporting company specialising in fillers initiated by his father nearly 40 years ago.
With Colombia’s first flower exports occurring nearly 55 years ago and ASOCOLFLORES (the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters) celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, an important topic comes into the horizon: succession planning. This is key to a business’s healthy continuity, particularly in Colombia, where many companies are family-owned, yet, a smooth transition can be difficult to achieve.
Pablo studied visual arts and started his career in TV production; soon after, wanting to strengthen his management skills, he decided to pursue a master’s degree in marketing. His specialism lies in the realm of digital topics.
FloraCulture International: What does horticulture mean to you?
Pablo Bazzani: “I grew up in close contact with flower production and export, and upon graduating, I was offered a position at La Plazoleta. My first job was marketing assistant, and I completely fell in love with flowers in no time. From the onset, my focus was
on setting a difference: new flower colours -mainly by offering dyed flowers - a novel communications campaign geared at existing and potential clients. Next, I was upgraded to the marketing manager, and as I am fully bilingual in Spanish and English, this allowed me to give this position a truly international dimension. Meanwhile, I became somewhat worried about the company’s strong dependence on bouquet traders and the US market. So I decided it was time to diversify, aiming at customers in Asia and Europe. This has been my course of action over the past few years.”
Last year, you took great pleasure participating in Jungle Talks Pro Manager Mastercourse. Tell us about this experience.
“I came across the Jungle Talks Pro Manager Mastercourse and contacted Ed and Renee Smit to apply. This course, developed by Jungle Talks in collaboration with Dutch horticultural supply and ag tech companies, provides top training for young skilled professionals in the international horticulture sector. Fortunately, I was promptly admitted to the course, through which I also received a nomination for the inaugural International Young Grower of the Year Award in 2022. Needless to say, how proud I felt when I won it.”
(Left) Alstroemeria ‘Marian’.
In 2022, Pablo Bazzani won AIPH’s first Young International Grower of the Year Award in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Succession is thus on the correct path at La Plazoleta, but does that make your job easier?
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, 25 per cent of the flower farm’s sales accounted for former Soviet countries. Until April 2022 – thus including International Women’s Day on 8 March, things turned really complicated. Accounts were blocked, some customers were impossible to reach, and many supplies, plus freight, increased by at least 30 per cent. But importers are ingenious – especially in Russia – and the market reacted. In the ensuing months, we consolidated orders and found new distribution channels. The situation is almost back to normal.”
Are the ripple effects of the pandemic still being felt?
“At first, in 2020/21, just like everyone else, demand was high, and we were scrambling to get our product to customers everywhere. But from the second half of 2022, things have slowed down. The outlook for Valentine’s Day 2023 looks OK, but production costs have climbed significantly. Plus, recession and inflation in the US are very likely to translate into reduced demand for flowers. There’s an economic contraction in Europe and reduced production in the Netherlands due to the energy crises. We have not felt a void in the Dutch market that calls for more flowers from Colombia, not even in Chrysanthemums. Possibly the Africans are filling that void if it is indeed there.”
How would you describe the state of Colombian floriculture?
“Speaking about the local situation in Colombia; there is a labour shortage. Flower growing in Colombia is
highly concentrated around Bogotá and Medellin. There is very strong competition from many kinds of large industries also located around these two large cities. He is convinced the solution is to make flower companies ‘a great place to work’. With this in mind, the company is reinforcing employee benefits, including competitive salaries and bonuses, health and dental care provided on-site, day-care centres where employees can bring their young children (considering that many are single mothers, this is a real bonus), and continuing education. If we don’t become true professionals and provide an innovative, interesting and appealing work atmosphere, we will not be able to compete.”
What about succession planning?
“The story is not always as simple as it may seem. It is not always the case that offspring follow in their parents’ footsteps and ensure business continuity. Instituting solid corporate governance within a company is essential. This will ensure there is always someone ready to continue the effort.”
ASOCOLFLORES has helped with this by offering specialised training for their members, am I right?
“They launched a ‘Next Gen’campaign, whereby they get the younger generation of managers together to exchange ideas, learn from history, and promote networking. Colombian floriculture has reached full maturity and a prominent, long-standing place in the international scenario, but how it got there is just as important.”
IAM FULLY BILINGUAL IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH, THIS GIVES ME A TRULY INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
The peony market remains buoyant despite the challenges of climate change, an ever-increasing regulatory burden and diminishing crop protection and herbicide options.
On Thursday, 24 November 2022, bulb and perennial growers’ cooperative CNB, with horticultural supplier Royal Agrifirm Group GMN, held their annual Peony Event (finally back after a two-year break due to Covid-19) at CNB’s preparation and cooling premises in Bovenkarspel, the Netherlands; in yesteryear the venue of the iconic Westfriese Flora show.
Around 160 growers gathered to hear expert advice and comments from market analysts, business consultants, auction reps, sector lobbyists and crop technicians.
Paul Peters, CNB’s manager of intermediary sales, Dennis Meijaard, general manager of sector flower bulbs at Royal Agrifirm Group GMN, and peony industry veteran Aad Vernooy,
treated their audience (a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers in the field of peony cultivation) to an afternoon programme full of insight and tips for peony success.
For CNB’s trade in peony planting stock material – read bare-rooted peony plants – 2022 was a good year. CNB’s rep for peonies and perennials, Gijs Laan, referenced the variety ‘Coral Sunset’ yielding €1.50, up from €0,80 in 2020. “That’s a positive sign for the industry as a whole,” he said, adding, “In the more expensive white peony range, prices were somewhat down, but I cannot explain why. Upon harvesting between August and September, the quality was superb, and the supplies were good. At the same time, we notice the earliness of presales.
CNB currently (end November 2022) has a 2023 peony presale running. In comparison, in the 2020/2021 season, peony presales only began in February/March.”
Around 160 growers gathered to hear expert advice and comments from market analysts, business consultants, auction reps, sector lobbyists and crop technicians.
Laan anticipates that inflation will impact the demand side, possibly leading to a price decrease for bread-and-butter varieties such as ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, ‘Coral Sunset’ and ‘Coral Charm ’and high-end cultivars alike.
In 2022, the Netherlands experienced a long hot and dry summer; time will tell how the full effects of the long-lasting drought will have on the peony fields this spring. In particular, when there was a hosepipe ban at the height of the summer impeding peony growers in the provinces of Limbourg and Noord-Brabant from irrigating their crops. Laan warns that this may influence the quality of the 2023 harvest.
Mario Heemskerk, an auctioneer at Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer, said there’s never a dull moment in the peony trade, with 2022 standing out because, contrary to 2021 when the
spring’s late arrival delayed crops to bloom, the 2022 peony season was ‘smooth sailing’. He emphasised, “Growing conditions were ideal, and the average €0,52 per stem in the top selling season (week 18-27) was by all means good.”
At Royal FloraHolland, 90,865,612 peony stems changed hands in 2022, slightly down from 92,808,214 in 2021.
Under normal circumstances, peonies destined for clock sales are packed with their stems in water containers. Upon request from growers, Royal FloraHolland
conducted a dry-pack trial in which six peony producers participated. They used boxes in which they placed their flowers horizontally. By the end of the trial, the number of peony boxes totalled 818, equalling a meagre 0,14 per cent of total supplies. In other crops, once the summer heat sets in, growers increasingly move to dry-packed peonies to avoid flowers unfolding too quickly.
Heemskerk attributed the limited success of dry peony packing to the absence of retail purchasers at the auction clock. “There are
very few of them at the clock, and clock buyers generally don’t want dry-packed blooms as they want to touch and feel the product pre-auctioning.”
As 2022 drew to a close, Joris Roskam, a crop protection manager at Royal Agrifirm Group GMN, advised peony professionals to keep watch of a ‘global crop protection market in motion’. At the same time, a world map emerged from his PowerPoint presentation. At the top, in the middle, the EU zone, in fiery red, is becoming an area isolated from the rest of the world, which is featured in neutral grey. He commented, “By adopting a hazard-based approach to chemicals since 2011, we differentiate ourselves from the rest of the globe, where legislation is based on risk assessments.”
In Europe, Maximum Residue Level (MRL) is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue in or on food or feed of plant and animal origin that is legally tolerated when a plant protection product (PPP) is applied correctly.
The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and Non-Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) are important concepts in the hazard assessment of a chemical, calculated by a safety factor which is commonly 100.
Advocates of the hazard-based approach argue that eliminating hazards and replacing them, if
Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Élie’. Though there’s no written proof, this popular peony variety is probably named after the French painter and Prix de Rome winner, Jules-Élie Delaunay (1828-1891).
Sixth-generation peony grower Mr Jean-luc Rivière, owner of the peony farm Pivoines Rivière in the Department of Drôme, told FCI that the breeder of this peony, Mr François Félix Crousse (1840-1925), was known for frequenting several artists from the École de Nancy, a group of Art Nouveau artists and designers working in Nancy, France between 1890 and 1914.
Prominent members included glass artist Jacques Gruber and sculptor Émile Gallé. In 1881, Crousse developed a new Paeonia lactiflora in honour of this remarkable sculptor and his wife.
There is every reason to believe that at a certain stage of his life, Crousse met with Jules-Élie Delaunay and also named a peony after him.
The fact is that Crousse created Paeonia lactiflora ‘Monsieur Jules Élie’ in 1888, so the story is also credible time-wise.
possible, offers proper protection for the planet and its people. Opponents, however, complain that the EU’s crop protection market is overregulated, bureaucratic and prescriptive, sustaining that limiting exposure to a toxic chemical isn’t a problem. Roskam did not take a stand in this very complex debate limiting himself to the conclusion that the EU no longer looks upon sound entrepreneurship and that between July 2018 and September 2021, authorities assessed 103 chemicals, of which 25 per cent passed the test. Another 44 biological substances were evaluated, of which 77 per cent were admitted.
Under its Farm to Fork and Green Deal strategies, and with mandatory Integrated Pest Management (IPM) anchored in EU legislation, farmers will soon see their pesticide cabinets empty rapidly, with 50 per cent fewer pesticide options available by 2025.
On 22 July 2022, the European Commission adopted proposals for the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR). Roskam noted, “This movement is unstoppable. So, as a sector, we need to join forces to develop alternative options such as biopesticides and biostimulants. Biopesticides contain naturally occurring substances that control pests in a non-toxic manner. Biostimulants in the Netherlands are regulated under fertiliser legislation and do not have direct actions against pests and diseases but act on the plant’s vigour. The 2015-2030 forecast per world region for both categories anticipates exponential growth.”
Regarding global crop protection legislation, there’s always the possibility that laws could vary and change, be removed, or be updated, so globally operating peony professionals must ensure they are on top of recent happenings in their industry and geographical region.
Roskam’s colleague, Gerbrant Schilder, a flower bulb expert, explained that there are three good reasons to use biological products. Chemistry will continue to move away from the market, and
biological products can help reduce crop protection’s environmental impact. Biological crop protection also helps a grower manage resistance, which has been a problem when using chemicals. He distinguished basic substances. These are everyday food products such as vinegar, milk, and beer with recognised effects against agents affecting plants.
Charge, for example, is based on chitin, a crustacean by-product. This product enhances the plant’s defence system and must be applied preventatively. Urtibasic, from Spanish manufacturer Idainature, is a nettle extract that repels aphids and Thrips and leaves hardly any residues in crops.
Karma from Certis is a watersoluble fungicide containing 850g/ kg of potassium hydrogen carbonate to control botrytis. The product also has an EAMU for powdery mildew. Toreda spray powder by BASF is based on Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a species of bacteria known for protecting plants against various plant pathogens, including Botrytis and Fusarium.
Aad Vernooy noted that when trialling new crop protection products, what’s frequently overlooked is the baseline for comparison. He suggested that growers should always cater for a controlled crop.
Jeroen Groot, the peony crop technician at Agrifirm, informed his audience that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) extended glyphosate’s existing approval until 15 December 2023. He said, “The tricky thing is that glyphosate is heavily politicised, and its future is uncertain. At the same time, Roundup Dynamic is a more environmentally friendly formula but must be applied cautiously and only when the crop is fully dormant and under dry conditions. For the future, a possible alternative for Roundup can be Quikdown by Nutrifarm, to which oil must be added.”
Devrinol and AZ are residual herbicides controlling various annual types of grass and broadleaved weeds (such as
chickweed, poppy, fat-hen and knotgrass) in ornamental plant production and tree plantations and can best be applied in December.
For preemergence control of many annual types of grass and some broadleaf weeds, Fresco and Bettix are efficient.
Oblix controls sticky weed (Galium aparine), Vivendi (clopyralid), thistles and mayweed. The latter has a period of use running from 1 March to 1 September to protect from groundwater contamination. Post-emergence weed control can best be done through mechanical weeding and, if needed, using a mix of Goltix Queen, CorzalSE, plus robbester oil.
Anneke van Dijk and Arno Engels from sector body LTO Nederland Trees, Perennials and Summer Flowers talked to the peony professionals about upcoming legislation of which the 139-page, 7th Nitrates Action Programme and its addendum concern the protection of waters against pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources. According to LTO Nederland, this directive places a heavy financial burden on the sector; it is disruptive and impossible to fulfil, which is why LTO sent a derogation request to the European Union.
The EU’s implementing decision stipulates that farmers and horticulturists need to take steps to maintain a green cover on land within three to five metres along watercourses. This act is effective from 1 January 2024; businesses on loess and sandy soils will also need to grow catch crops or green manures. The latter must be grown between successive production crops to provide ground cover, capture soil nutrients and improve soil characteristics or benefit the following crop.
The good news for peony growers is that their crop has been grouped into the ‘winter and early crops, ’ meaning they are exempt from planting cover crops.
In wrapping up, Paul Peters, CNB’s manager of intermediary sales,
made his way to the stage, pointing to a vase filled with breath-taking peony blooms, expressing his hope that despite the patchwork of laws and regulatory burden, growers would still be able to appreciate the unmatched beauty of peonies and take joy in growing them.
Paeonia lactiflora’s ‘Many Happy Returns’ is a peony variety in vivid red that is not sensitive to colour fading. In comparison, the reds of other popular red varieties like ‘Henry Bockstoce’, ‘Red Charm’ and ‘Old Faithful’ tend to be a darker shade. ‘Many Happy Returns’ comes in a bright, passionate red.
THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THE PEONY TRADE, WITH 2022 STANDING OUT BECAUSE, CONTRARY TO 2021, WHEN THE SPRING’S LATE ARRIVAL DELAYED CROPS TO BLOOM, THE 2022 PEONY SEASON WAS ‘SMOOTH SAILING’
Rita Baraldi, Research Director at Bologna’s Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), explains how trees and plants help mitigate climate change and improve air quality. But they are only one of many necessary interventions, and tree planting schemes require great care in choosing species and locations and assessing the costs and impacts on the environment and local populations.
It is estimated that more than 5,000 billion trees existed on Earth up to two centuries ago. Over the past 200 years alone, some 2,000 billion have been destroyed, undoubtedly contributing to worsening the already tricky climate situation.
In 2020, the World Economic Forum launched an initiative aimed at planting 1 trillion trees worldwide within the decade. This call for more greenery may increase environmental awareness, but it presents many problems considering that the world’s
population is constantly growing and that, as a consequence, urbanisation and industrialisation will increasingly need land free of trees.
This 'struggle' for the use of space confronts us with an important sociological concern: the fear that severe social, economic, and ecological problems may arise.
However, albeit late and even at a slow pace, we increasingly realise that all agencies must act to find a remedy before we reach catastrophic situations.
To explore this problem and find possible solutions, FCI magazine sat down with Dr Rita Baraldi, Research Director at Bologna’s Institute for BioEconomy (IBE). With her research, Dr Baraldi has revived in everyone the desire to work for the good of our planet.
FloraCulture International: What is the relationship between the current state of the climate in relation to a growing world population, relative urbanisation, and uncontrolled industrialisation?
Dr Rita Baraldi: “Planting trees can help reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases, but it is only one of many necessary interventions and requires great care in the choice of species and locations and in assessing the costs and impacts on the environment and local populations. The major part of observed global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Anthropogenic emissions of the main greenhouse gases have further increased (CO2 = 420 ppm in 2022).
The increase in its concentration in the atmosphere, and in particular the use of fossil fuels, has caused global warming and climate change. Cities are the main
protagonists of climate change: despite covering two per cent of the earth's surface, they are responsible for 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.
During the decade of 2011-2020, the average global temperature of the planet was 1.09°C higher than in the period 1850-1900. As a result of global warming, the average rise in sea level was 20cm (1901-2020). All the most important indicators of the components of the climate system (atmosphere, oceans, ice) are changing at a speed never before observed in recent centuries and millennia. The planet is on a path of a temperature increase of 1.5°C. A rise of 1.5°C is scientifically expected. It will occur a decade earlier (2040) than previously predicted by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body for the assessment of climate change science.”
Unfortunately, the increase in respiratory diseases makes us worry, so the air we breathe is another cause for concern.
“Ninety per cent of the world's population breathes polluted air. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that exposure to pollution causes seven million premature deaths yearly (25 per cent of diseases and mortality globally). External sources of pollution: motor vehicle traffic, energy production, heating systems, agriculture, waste incineration, and industry. Pollution inside our homes, offices and enclosed spaces contribute to almost 50 per cent of mortality. Low- and middle-income countries suffer the higher exposures. In Italy, comparing even just visually the air quality maps over the Po Valley in March-April 2019 and March-April 2020 during the lockdown imposed by Covid-19, one can clearly see the concentration of NO� (Nitrogen Dioxide) in the air was reduced by 50 per cent compared to the expected. Remember that NO� is an indicator of the contribution of vehicular traffic to air pollution. It is therefore evident the significant environmental impact of anthropogenic emissions.”
“The plant's contribution to urban mitigation depends on the species-specific physiological and structural characteristics: total leaf area, Leaf Area Index (LAI), Stomatal Conductance (gl), micromorphological characteristics of the leaf (roughness, epidermis, epicuticular wax, stomata and trichomes), the age of the plant, physiological state. Furthermore, the plant is subject to the complex interactions between environmental factors, biotic and abiotic such as concentration of pollutants, exposure to the sun, and wind.”
Did you also study the biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs)
that tree species emit into the air?
“BVOCs released from all parts of the plant are species-specific and are ten times more abundant in the atmosphere than those emitted by humans (Volatile Organic Compounds aka VOCs). These compounds are chemical messengers that the plant uses to communicate with the environment. For example, in plant-insect communication, they attract pollinating insects and repulse harmful insects. Emissions can also be induced in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
BVOCs are highly reactive in the atmosphere by changing the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere: while in the natural environment, where anthropogenic pollution is limited, they can promote the removal of ozone from the atmosphere, unfortunately, in the urban environment, where anthropogenic NOx is higher, they can, on the contrary, contribute to the formation of ozone.”
Do only trees sequester CO2?
“All vegetation, not only trees but also shrubs and lawns, make their contribution by absorbing CO2, dust and gaseous pollutants from the air. Each plant species has its environmental mitigation capacity that depends on both intrinsic factors (physiology, developmental dynamics, morphology) and extrinsic (numerosity) factors.”
How do you choose the most suitable species to include in an urban context?
“The choice must be made bearing in mind that while ozone is formed mainly during the summer, air concentrations of particulate matter (PM) are more abundant in the winter. Therefore, green projects must provide for the coexistence of deciduous (caducifoglia) and evergreen (broad-leaved and conifers). Plants that mitigate pollution even in winter are, for example, Pinus nigra, Taxus baccata, Hedera helix and Carpinus betulus, a deciduous shrub that retains its autumn leaves from the previous year. We recommend the importance of planting shrubs
In open streets, separating cycle and pedestrian paths from the road with car traffic with associations of low trees and shrubs to create a barrier of vegetation has a positive impact on air quality. It avoids direct exposure of pedestrians and cyclists to car pollution.
as a barrier effect in the area of tree trunks. In the planning of urban greenery, in addition to the plant species, the location and arrangement of trees and shrubs are critical. For example, in open streets, separating the cycle and pedestrian paths from the road with car traffic with associations of low trees and shrubs to create a barrier of vegetation has a positive impact on air quality and avoids direct exposure of the pedestrian and cyclist to car pollution. Conversely, in narrow urban streets and the middle of buildings (urban canyons), to have greater air recycling with the elimination of air pollutants, vegetation should preferably be low (shrubs) or cover walls and green roofs to reduce pollution. Where trees cannot grow or in flowerbeds between trees, a covering hedge could be an important element in mitigating air pollution in urbanised areas.”
Will plant varieties have to change as temperatures rise?
“Climate change threatens the health and survival of urban trees and the various benefits they provide to city dwellers. In the current context of rising temperatures and decreasing annual precipitation in cities, 56-65 per cent of tree species are already at risk today, and this figure could rise to 68-76 per cent by 2050. It will therefore be necessary to evaluate the most resistant plants.”
I know that you have done much research and some of it involves nurserymen directly. How did it go?
“The studies carried out by our research group for several years both within European projects (Life Gaia) and in collaboration with national nursery associations such as the plant nursery district PlantaRegina in Canneto sull’Oglio/ Mantova. These projects connected us with a different agricultural world of people who are passionate
about their work, are technically prepared and know precisely what they want to have at the end of the survey.
We quantified the mitigation benefits provided by individual species commonly planted in the Po Valley area in a project with the GAL Oglio Po, creating files with the Eco-physiological characteristics of the species that can be consulted at www.vivam.it.”
Some final words
This academic conversation, nevertheless made user-friendly by Dr Baraldi's ability to use straightforward language, convinces me to reflect on how green culture is becoming increasingly essential for the nursery profession to improve the awareness of the importance of what we do: growing trees. This collaboration with science will make the nursery a technical centre and proudly 'the centre of green culture'.
The bioeconomy encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy. As such, it includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and pulp and paper production, and parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries.
Bioeconomy sectors have a strong innovation potential, using a wide range of sciences (life sciences, agronomy, ecology, food science and social sciences), enabling and industrial technologies (biotechnology, nanotechnology, information and communication technologies (ICT), and engineering), and local and tacit knowledge.
A vital aspect of the bioeconomy is biorefineries that use biomass, by- and co-products and waste instead of fossil resources as their raw material. In the bioeconomy, land use and food security are optimised through sustainable, resource-efficient and largely waste-free utilisation of Europe’s renewable raw materials, contributing to a circular economy.
Source: the UK’s bio-based and biodegradable industries association. www.bbia.org .uk
Nestled in the heel of Italy’s boot, Florsilva is a fivehectare wholesale ornamental plant nursery priding itself on more than 20 years of experience in the propagation and production of potted waxflower, aka Chamelaucium uncinatum. According to business owner Silvano Verdesca, top-notch breeding research, consistency in product and service, international partnerships and passion are the best ways to thrive as a company.
When you walk into the 2-ha greenhouse of 46-year-old Silvano Verdesca, you notice the thousands of suspended pots in a raised metal wire framework. Growers of containerised nursery stock usually use these ‘pot stabilisers’ in the fields to avoid lightweight pots or taller containerised plants being blown away by strong winds. Inside Florsilva’s greenhouse, however, reigns a windless calm, and these elevated plant beds primarily serve to provide proper air circulation and good drainage of pots. Growing unique Australian native plants such as potted Chamelaucium uncinatum comes with a unique set of challenges.
Verdesca is a plant grower from sun-drenched Copertino in Italy’s southern Apulia region, just as his father Francesco was before him. You can easily tell he was raised with the plants,
understanding the business from cutting to retail. Yet, the pursuit was not straightforward when he began growing his first potted Chamelaucium uncinatum at the turn of the Millennium; the quest was not simple. He candidly admits, “Initially, it was mainly trial and error, with only half of the plants surviving in the first year.”
Passion merged with perseverance, field expertise, and in-depth laboratory research best describes Verdesca’s commitment to growing native Australian plants in southeastern Italy. “Year after year, you try different growing techniques until you have found something that really works,” says Verdesca, understandably, without revealing too much of what is behind his successful growing recipes. He says it’s about finding the right balance between the size of the plant and the pot, the substrate, and the nutrition, and understanding the difference between well-drained, dry, and very dry.
Verdesca, who reckons he is only one of the three potted waxflower growers in Italy, explains that in his case, venturing into potted waxflower is what in corporate terms is called today ‘business resilience’; the ability to thrive and survive in an unpredictable and adverse business environment. “In its early years, Florsilva grew Australian native plants and a variety of Mediterranean plants, with Polygala myrtifolia occupying pride of place. Then, in 2013, the spectre of Xylella fastidiosa emerged in Apulia. The dreaded bacteria wreaked havoc in the region’s signature olive industry, causing thousands of trees to die. The research found Polygala myrtifolia and other Mediterranean plants susceptible to Xylella. Eventually, the species ended up in the EU’s database of Xyllela host plants, virtually halting all Polygala trade and forcing growers to ditch the ornamental crop. So, one can say that we turned a catastrophe into a blooming success.”
He continues, “Our company has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 2001. Looking back, I am most proud of the masses of flowers our plants produce, combined with a perfectly compact growth habit. These are the two most important prerequisites for successfully commercialising potted waxflower in the Italian and international marketplace.”
Verdesca owns and controls the propagation and cultivation of finished plants. “For years, Florsilva evolved into a fullyfledged Chamelaucium cutting farm, with the harvesting of plant parts from specially planted mother stock based on a sophisticated propagation process with exemplary hygiene standards.”
Depending on the variety and pot size, workers place between one to three cuttings in a customised peat mix of Pindstrup. From cutting to saleable plant takes around 12 months undergoing several pruning.
Florsilva Nursery is situated in Copertino, the heart of the Salento area in Apulia. Here the temperate
climate – there always seems to be a nice sea breeze - is much like the waxflower’s natural habitat and provides ideal growing.
Each year, the company produces well over 150,000 plants, across a range of Australian species, including Boronia, Grevillea (aka flowering Christmas tree), Pimilea, and potted Chamelaucium, in a range of pot sizes from 14cm to 17cm. Over half of the company’s annual output - 80,000 potsaccounts for potted Chamelaucium.
Verdesca works with breeder and plant license company Helix Australia to bring its customers the best new Chamelaucium with tried and tested, more established varieties such as the relatively old cultivar ‘Snowflake’. “Today, ‘Snowflake’ is still prominently present in our portfolio. However, production-wise we wish to move towards the newer PBR-protected varieties of Helix Australia as they have improved yields, growth habits, colour, and desirable flowering season.”
Helix Australia invests in exciting breeding programmes with Kings Park and Botanic Garden (KPBG), Perth, Western Australia. Top-notch research by KPBG’s Digby Growns and his team resulted in a suite of fantastic waxflower hybrids. Verdesca explains, “Our relationship with Helix Australia gives us access to top-notch waxflower research. Moreover, the company’s Adrian Parsons is arguably one of the best ambassadors of the global waxflower industry, always providing a big stimulus for trying out new varieties.”
Today, Florsilva grows four different varieties of potted waxflower: ‘Snowflake’ and Helix Australia breeds, including ‘Moonlight Delight’, ‘My Sweet16’, and ‘Sarah’s Delight’. “We are currently not considering any important crop switches. However, we would like to expand our production by adding new Helix varieties such as ‘Nina’s Delight’ and ‘Dee’s Delight’.”
Florsilva's potted waxflowers easily fill five layers of a Danish trolley.
Now that climate change scorches the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Verdesca foresees a growing demand for trees and plants to help remove excess carbon from our atmosphere. So, he feels confident about the outlook for the new 2022/2023 selling season. He notes, “We are a green company culture. The future is green, and our ambition is to realise a cleaner world with beautiful and well-maintained urban green spaces. Australian plants have an essential role as they have evolved to survive drought and poor soils. They are extremely drought resistant and have a long shelf life. “
Florasilva looks forward to meeting you at forthcoming trade shows, such as Myplant in Italy in February 2023, where you can view the company’s range of potted chamelacuium in the stand of its commercial partners.
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=w7cnvxkg0TU&t=19s
"There is no doubt that fresh-cut flower and ornamental plant growing and trading is a global affair. Yet, the exports of Dutch flowers and plants are one of the most important indicators of the health of our industry and floral purchasing in Europe.
We were all keen to see how the ornamental industry fared in 2022, the year in which life as a flower and plant grower/trader more or less snapped back into pre-pandemic normalcy.
Following two exceptional years, 2020 and 2021, in which the ornamental horticulture industry exploded due to an influx of novice gardeners and a boom in home gardening and home decoration, the consensus among Dutch floral wholesalers and ornamentals growers is that 2022 turned out to be a little bit disappointing across all categories. However, they quickly added that in 2022, sales returned to pre-pandemic levels. And everyone knows that 2019 was, by all means, was not a bad year for the roses. Yet, no one would dare to downplay the impact of the eye-watering energy prices and the spike in commodity prices.
The latest statistics from market analyst Floridata reveal 2022 was a year of resilience and contraction for Dutch flower and plant exports, reaching €7.1 billion, down 3 per cent from €7.3 billion in 2021.
In terms of export value, cut flowers fared relatively better than potted plants. Last year’s wedding boom was big, while people are viewing life events with a new sense of appreciation and trends, and that’s good for the cut flower business. Nevertheless, Dutch cut flower exports saw a slight drop in 2022, decreasing two per cent to €4.4 billion. By contrast, the export of plants contracted by five per cent to €2.7 billion.
Shipments to the Netherlands’ major export
destination Germany – 25 per cent of Dutch flowers and plants are sold on the German market - and the UK were modestly down with 2.1 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively. The drop in export sales was more significant in France (- 9,3 per cent), Belgium (- 8 per cent) and, rather unsurprisingly, Russia. Officially Russia has disappeared from the Netherlands’ top ten export destinations. However, I fear that the Russian market continues to be served through alternative East European routes in Kazakhstan and Turkey. Floridata/ VGB figures also show that the total value of flower exports to the USA amounted to €167 million, up 21 per cent from 2021.
Valentine’s Day – in case you don’t remember, is on 14 February each year and this year, it occurs on a Tuesday, which, true to tradition, is a perfect day for the holiday to land for florists – it is the first big floral holiday of the new year. In the USA alone, it is the number one holiday for florists in terms of the number of transactions, according to the Society of American Florists (SAF).
Valentine’s Day marks also marks the start of a new selling season in Europe, with peak sales happening around International Women’s Day on 8 March, the UK’s Mothering Sunday on 19 March, Easter on 9 April, Spain’s Mother Day Spain on 7 May, Mothers’ Day in Germany, Holland, the USA on 14 May, and finally ending with the French Mother’s Day on 4 June. These floral holidays culminate at the end of the academic year in May and June. In Dutch floral wholesale, there’s an old saying which loosely translates as ‘The first five months of the year are there to make a profit, while during the rest of the year, the main objective is to reduce losses as much as possible or, even more ideally, stay break even’.
When sampling the Valentine sentiments in the trade in Australia, East Africa, the USA and Colombia, FCI correspondent in the USA, William Armellini, told FCI: “If you hold
your ear to the ground, you can hear the flower business in full swing”. His remarks confirm the feedback from Colombia and the USA, where Mr Red Kennicott of Kennicott Brothers Chicago gave insight into the pre valentine sales. After a difficult period in December and January, pre-ordering for Valentine’s Day is huge, says Kennicott, adding that Valentine’s Day on a Tuesday is always a positive factor. “Everyone anticipates strong Valentine’s sales. The good news for growers in South America and East Africa is that freight prices appear to stabilise, and there’s much pressure to get gasoline prices down.
In Australia, plant breeder, grower and licensor Anthony Tesselaar agrees that Valentine’s Day is very important for flower sales in Australia. The Covid-19 pandemic was very positive for flower and plant sales, with crazy prices across all categories. As a result, there is also a fair amount of greed among growers and florists. Many of them are on edge with record inflation rates and market volatility, which causes them to ask even more for the products than during the pandemic years. When growers set up their crops in spring, the weather was cool, causing delays in crop times. However, during the last weeks, Australia basked in mild temperatures, and flowers are now coming in thick and fast. Yet, florists tend to refrain from pre-ordering, hoping prices will drop. Some wholesalers keep their heads cool, carefully planning their business and searching for the right balance between supply and demand. Ultimately it will all go well. Cautiousness will result in a nice profit at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, our friend in Japan, Mr Ryoji Kato from the OTA flower auction, says, Valentine’s Day marks when women send chocolates to men. But in the slipstream of Valentine, we promote flowers heavily by stressing that offering flowers on Valentine’s Day is a healthier option. Flowers don’t cause obesity and are a much nicer token of love to present to a woman.”
Gone are the days when tulip bulbs were worth the value of a smart townhouse in Amsterdam. But the flowers are never out of style, as hundreds gathered in Amsterdam’s Museumplein to celebrate National Tulip Day, proving it continues to be the spring flower everyone adores.
The Dutch cut tulip season kicked off on National Tulip Day, Saturday, 21 January. This year marked the first time the event was held at its new flagship location, the capital’s Museumplein.
National Tulip Day organiser Tulpen Promotie Nederland (TPN) is an alliance of 500 tulip forcers and breeders.
The first brightly-hued tulip garden was put up in Dam Square in 2012, with nine editions annually taking place since. In 2021 and 2022, the Dutch threw an alternative spring party due to Covid-19 restrictions. As announced by the city government last autumn, a policy change forced event organiser Tulpen Promotie Nederland (TPN) to look for an alternative location. This has been found at the capital’s Museumplein, the city’s cultural hub, with three of the city’s most prominent museums situated here: the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum.
On 21 January 2023, TPN invited city residents, tourists, and passers-by to pick up their tulips for free from a purpose-built, Dutch-themed garden with more than 200,000 tulips.
The guest of honour was Dutch Olympic speed skater
Irene Schouten, a tulip grower’s daughter, who launched the new ‘Dutch Pearl’ tulip by pouring champagne over a display of them in white and pink hues. The new tulip variety takes its name from Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer’s painting ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’. ‘National Tulip Day’ aims to promote and support tulips. The event also highlights the importance of The Netherlands being the world’s largest exporter of tulip bulbs and tulip cut flowers. In 2017, the country forced 2.4 billion tulips into bloom and exported approximately 2.3 billion tulip bulbs.
TPN President Arjan Smit – who grows 11 million cut tulips annually in Spierdijk, Netherlands, is delighted that TPN’s cutting garden has found a new home. “Museum Square is an amazing location. Over the past few months, we have talked to the city of Amsterdam, the museums, and neighbouring businesses. These talks resulted in a spirit of collaboration. We have hosted an incredible Spring event.”
Smit said National Tulip Day has evolved into a worldclass event attracting visitors from all corners of the world. “News outlets from home and abroad covered the event, and tulips were trending on social media. We could not have wished for a better start to the tulip season since retailers in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK also got involved.”
In the spring of 2023, the Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, will dedicate its first retrospective exhibition to the 17 th -century master Johannes Vermeer, who was born in Delft. With loans from all over the world, this promises to be the largest Vermeer exhibition ever. The Rijksmuseum has four Vermeer masterpieces, including the world-famous Milkmaid and The Little Street. The exhibition will run from 10 February until 4 June 2023.
In the last few years, as growers around the world are being asked either by their customers or legislation to cut water use and run-off, which can contain nutrients and crop protection products, the choice of growing surface is receiving more attention as it can play a key role in achieving a ‘closed system’.
A recent study by Netherlands-based nursery floor manufacturer ErfGoed suggests your choice of growing surface, whether for protected or outdoor production, can make a significant difference not just to water management but in other areas ranging from labour and energy efficiency to crop wastage and overall profitability.
“We used a questionnaire to gather feedback from growers about their experiences with different kinds of growing surfaces,” says Jack Ford, ErfGoed’s North America sales manager. The results were used to score six of the most common growing systems for their performance against various criteria, from their ability to capture and reuse water to uniformity of growing environment, labour efficiency and return on investment.
Of three different ebb and flood systems included in the review, automated Dutch benches and the ErfGoed floor achieved maximum points because of water delivery and drainage uniformity.
The third, bare concrete floors, rated less well for two reasons. “They are never quite even, however well laid,” says Mr Ford. “They also rely on being sloped to the water’s entry and drain points, so the plants nearest those points are in the water longer than those furthest away. The ErfGoed floor includes a capillary mat that pulls water out of the growing medium during the drainage cycle, which doesn’t happen on concrete.”
All three systems scored equally well for recapturing and recycling the water. He pointed out that water could be collected from static benches if
lined and from some gravel or fabriccovered beds, depending on their construction.
Concrete floors and crushed stone or fabric-covered beds were down-scored because they can be uneven and prone to puddling, however well laid, and rely on a slope for drainage. “That’s a concern as puddles run the risk of uneven growth and consequent crop losses,” he says. “In these days of tight margins losing just 5-10 per cent of the crop can mean most of your profit is gone.”
Choice of surface can affect your ability to manage the crop’s growing environment, says Ford. For example, how the material conducts heat dictates whether you can give the crop bottom heating and how evenly the area warms up. “You can heat benches from below but not very efficiently,” he says. “You can have underfloor heating with concrete, but while it does conduct heat reasonably well, there can be hotspots above the pipes.
“The combination of stone, air and water in the ErfGoed floor means heat is evenly spread. You can cool from below, too, by bringing water up to just below the surface.
“It’s also possible to have cool-air movement under benches, but this can be costly if it involves fans or chillers.”
We might talk about planning our approach to crop production ‘from the bottom up’, but how often does that include a critical appraisal of what is arguably the most fundamental aspect of nursery infrastructure – the surface on which we stand down pot and container crops?Jasminum polyanthum on the cultivation floor.
Unsurprisingly, with its ability to be fully automated, the Dutch container-bench system scored best for labour efficiency. Concrete floors and the ErfGoed floor were ranked second because they can withstand being driven on by different types of machinery.
More hand labour is needed to pick up and stand pots down on crushed stone and fabric-covered beds, as the surface may move if driven over. Still, the advent of new conveyor systems and low ground-pressure ‘flying forks’ or robots offer opportunities to cut labour use, says ErfGoed.
Workers find conditions most comfortable in static and mobile bench set-ups, particularly with the automated system, because crops are delivered to
a purpose-designed workstation. Where working at floor level is the only option, the ErfGoed and concrete floors keep driest and have the least risk of trip hazards.
How much of the area can be utilised is integral to efficiency. No paths are needed for crushed stone, fabriccovered beds, or the Erfgoed floor, so the total area is available to the crop. Concrete ranks lower because any puddles must be avoided. Their evenness of surface means the ErfGoed floor and Dutch mobile benches rate highest for the range of pot sizes they can be used for, while it is harder to stand smaller pots down on a crushed stone, for example. “Some species don’t really like concrete because it’s harder to control humidity and temperature,” adds Ford.
Regarding capital outlay, fabric-covered beds are the most affordable and concrete floors, and Dutch automated benches are the most expensive. However, return on investment must also consider the system’s impact in areas such as energy and labour inputs. For flowering pot plants, Ford suggests that if money were no object, Dutch mobile benching could be the first choice.
“ErfGoed floors come a close second because of the consistency of results,” he says. “You’ll also see a particularly good return on investment because of superior crop quality, minimal losses, and potential energy savings.”
Concrete ebb and flood floor: laid with a slight slope and filled/drained from gutters or holes ErfGoed ebb and flood floor: a closed system with crushed stone overlaid with capillary mat and fabric, designed to flood and drain simultaneously across the entire surface.
‘Dutch’ container system: computer-controlled mobile benches that move automatically through the greenhouse, usually including the ebb and flood irrigation
Static benching: drained onto the floor beneath Crushed-stone bed: indoor or outside, 4 to 15cm deep and fabric covered Fabric-covered bed: cloth laid over sand or gravel, irrigated from overhead
In the run-up to its seventh edition, Italy’s most important trade show for ornamental horticulture Myplant & Garden released preliminary survey outcomes on the Italian garden market in 2022.
AIPH-Approved International Horticultural Trade Show
Myplant&Garden takes place at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan between 22-24 iFebruary 2023. Ahead of the event, the organisers share and comment on the latest official data available on horticulture in Italy in 2021. Very helpful as a general overview, but it is always challenging to hold it up as a true representation of Italy’s ornamental horticultural industry as it lacks comprehensive, digestible, and stable reference points that everyone in our industry can agree upon. Esteemed Italian horticulture journalist, Aldo Colombo, unravels the numbers and brings more focus to Italy’s ornamental horticulture sector.
After hacking through a jungle of poorly translated, sometimes overlapping terms, unclear product categories and market segments - confusingly mixed up with trend data from the USA - the key conclusion is that the Italian garden market in 2022 was worth between €3.3 - €3.4 bn., with the first estimates for 2022 now ready indicating a growth of €5 million. In the record pandemic, 2021, sales were up by almost €40 million.
It is noteworthy that the term ‘garden market’, as used by market research companies such as Green Expo, Statista, Euromonitor International, and Nomisma, covers quintessentially horticultural product categories such as houseplants, seeds, pots and containers, and ‘horticultural miscellaneous’, whatever the latter may mean.
Also falling under the garden market scope are the growing media, fertilisers, gardening tools, lawnmowers, irrigation systems, and plant protection products for consumers on sale in garden centres.
As a result, the Myplant&Garden stats predominantly include
sales figures from products sold to the end consumers, excluding large horticultural equipment usually bought by professionals.
Marco Orlandelli, CEO of Organizzazione Orlandelli and chairman of Myplant&Garden, commented on the recent figures, “During the second half of 2020 and the first months of 2021, sales were exceptional. Houseplant growers who believed that the market would stay buoyant proved wrong. I know many did not use the extra money earned to reinvest in their firms, buying a new luxury car instead. This group is now the first to suffer as the business environment becomes challenging. The additional costs for energy, in combination with lower demand for many plants, are now playing up. For instance, in 2022, the demand for vegetable transplants for family gardens decreased substantially compared to the previous two years because of hot temperatures and the lack of water already seen in May. Furthermore, there are several new and old competitors in the ‘leisure’ sector; the first is tourism. Last year, people picked up travelling at home and abroad after staying between four walls and in their garden for almost two years.”
Marco stressed that the 2023 outlook for growers and traders is still being determined. “The weather has been mild, particularly in central and southern Italy. However, late frosts can still cause damage to a wide range of typically Italian-grown plants, such as the famed daisies (Margherite) from Albenga that find their way across European markets. If the temperatures remain clement, the fear is a peak in the harvest with all crops ready for the market simultaneously. Late frosts could still put a strain on product availability.”
AUTHOR: ALDO COLOMBO AND RON VAN DER PLOEGIn cut flowers, the situation is similar or even worse. According to Cristiano Genovali, the President of AFFI (the association that includes growers and florists), 2022 started with a bang, in line with the exceptional year of 2021. “However, May brought on record temperatures. Demand – and therefore the production –decreased dramatically and is still at a superficial level. During my many years as a flower grower, I have never found it so hard to predict the market because there are far too many factors that can influence the situation. Growers received orders from their usual clients abroad and the Dutch and German auctions, but they could not fulfil the demand. Fortunately, we don’t need additional lighting in Italy in most cases, but we still need to heat our greenhouses. Several growers already decided to keep their greenhouses emptied a few months ago.” Cristiano continues, “The country’s largest Chrysanthemum growers, for example, decided to scale down their production altogether. Many products, such as Ranunculus and Anemone, need low temperatures: therefore, in the first part of their season, their quality was low, and the average price was much lower than one year ago. For these two products, the growers (predominantly in the Sanremo area), up to now, only covered the costs of the propagating material, but the road to profit is still long. Another factor to be weighed in is transport: the average cost for a Danish trolley can be three times more than it was one year ago.”
The good news is that the demand for Italian nursery stock products continues to be strong. Luigi Pagliani, President of Italy’s National Association of Nursery Stock Exporters (ANVE), says, “During the pandemic, demand was up 30-36 per cent compared to the pre-Covid year of 2019. The only problem was that the demand exceeded the offer for some items, specifically avenue trees and hedge plants, and the growers had to drain their stocks. As a result, some growers lost 10 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021. This shortage will be solved quickly for hedges (especially Photinia and Prunus laurocerasus); meanwhile, it will take longer for avenue trees.”
Pagliani went on to say that you must wait to set up a production. “You need land, water, and skilled personnel. The land is costly in traditional nursery stock growing areas, and there’s sometimes a lack of water in the new areas. This happened in the dry summer of 2022. Labour shortage is a problem everywhere. In Canneto (Southern Lombardy), the ideal area for avenue trees, many nurseries have been bought by Pistoia growers. Here, the area of the nurseries increased, but not as much as could be expected. However, international buyers should know that now they can buy quality plants in the southern regions of Italy, where the growers produce a lot of Mediterranean plants that have a good demand in Northern Europe. Thirty years ago, you couldn’t even imagine planting Quercus ilex in Belgium or Cupressus in France, but due to climate change, these are now the main markets for the products of my nursery. These two products are not so easy to propagate and grow in their first years, so my products are sold even before I start to plant!”
According to Pagliani, Russia’s war against Ukraine did not impact export sales towards Eastern Europe, with increasing demand in countries other than Russia. “Compared with the different segments, we were lucky because the workforce costs are stable, we don’t have to heat as much as pot plants and cut flowers, and the only significant increase was for commodities. I feel that a couple of good years lie ahead.”
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Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd (BTN), a Canadian ornamentals grower, has been awarded the title of International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) 2023 by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).
The coveted ‘Gold Rose’ award was presented to BTN by Royal FloraHolland CEO, Steven van Schilfgaarde, at the AIPH IGOTY Awards Ceremony 2023 on Tuesday 24 January 2023 at IPM Essen, Germany. Founded in 2009 with the support of Royal FloraHolland and FloraCulture International, the IGOTY Awards recognise best practice in horticulture by the top ornamental production nurseries from around the globe, celebrating the expertise and energy they give to horticulture.
BTN is one of the largest and most respected growers of garden plants in Canada. They service garden retailers, landscape contractors, municipalities, and golf courses throughout Canada and the United States. With four farms in Ontario and one in British Columbia, BTN has a land base of more than 800 acres.
Jeff Olsen, President and CEO of BTN, commented: “We feel amazing, so blessed, to be honoured with these awards. It means so much to me personally and our whole team back in Canada. We’re so excited to tell them the news.”
Jason Rekker, National Production Manager for BTN, added: “The level of competition here is extremely high and we’re humbled by that. There are so many fantastic growers here so it feels very
special for us to be recognised in this way.”
In addition to the Gold Rose Award, BTN was also awarded gold in the Finished Plants & Trees category, presented by Bernard Oosterom, Chair of the IGOTY 2023 Jury, and bronze in the Sustainability category, presented by Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for GlobalG.A.P. and G.N.N. Label.
Bernard Oosterom commented: “Brookdale Treeland Nurseries stands out as a business focused on the future; with a wide assortment and a flow of new varieties it brings something new to the industry all the time. The business prioritises sustainable production and innovation with a commitment to knowledge exchange and growing a strong team. It’s dynamic approach has enabled it to develop new products and markets and is well founded to lead the industry in the years ahead.”
Leonardo Capitanio, AIPH President, said: “Congratulations to Brookdale Treeland Nurseries and all the winners. Once again we have seen top class businesses, from around the globe, in this competition. These results give all of us a reason to celebrate and they mean we can look forward with confidence in the future of our industry.”
For more information about each of the winners, take a look at the digital Winners Brochure Entry for IGOTY 2024 is now open! Find more information and begin your entry here.
AUTHOR: HANNAH PINNELL. PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN DEUTSCHER SYoung International Grower of the Year
Eliot Barden
Young Plants
Gold: Morel Diffusion, France
Silver: SB Talee de Colombia SAS, Colombia
Bronze: Xiamen Ican Seed Co., Ltd., China
Finished Plants & Trees
Gold: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd, Canada
Silver: Giorgio Tesi Group, Italy
Bronze: Fructoplant SP. Z O.O., Poland
Cut Flowers & bulbs
Gold: Royal Base Corporation, Chinese Taipei
Silver: Zhejiang Toyoshima Co., LTD., China
Bronze: Zentoo, the Netherlands
Sustainability
Gold: Allensmore Nurseries, UK
Silver: Xiamen Ican Seed Co., Ltd., China
Bronze: Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd, Canada
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
Headline Sponsor
Sapphire Sponsor
Pearl Sponsor
Pearl Sponsor
Founding Partner Awards Partner
Eliot Barden and Leonardo Capitanio
SB Talee
Sarah von Fintel and Xiamen Ican Seed Co. Ltd.
famously coined it, ‘Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.’ Exhibitors reflected on the good and bad of last year. To start with the good news: Few home décor items have cultivated the reference Dutch-grown flowering houseplants and tropical foliage plants. The Dutch houseplant assortment is rich in history, craftsmanship, variety, and quality. The dominance of Dutch houseplants in the European marketplace is an example of specialisation, a relentless search for innovation and new markets and a combination of the quintessential green fingers combined with modern greenhouse technology.
oyal FloraHolland’s Mid-Winter Fair can be considered Trade Fair Aalsmeer’s smaller isibling, and seeing the number of exhibitors and plants on display, it certainly is. While Trade Fair Aalsmeer in November attracts between 500-600 exhibitors each year, the auction’s Mid-Winter event has around 100 participants. However, being smaller and quieter is sometimes better; on a less overcrowded show floor, there was more quality face-to-face time and genuine connection. The Mid-Winter Plant Fair is meant to forge long-term business relationships, but it’s also about on-the-day sales and actual order writing.
What’s more, the show’s timing is perfect. January marks the end of the holidays and traditionally strong demand for houseplants as people look for houseplants to substitute their Christmas trees. Plus, the new year fuels the entrepreneurial spirit, with a stronger-than-usual drive to restart business with a sharper focus. Or, as country singer Brad Paisley
Last year, the Netherlands was still in partial lockdown. It is interesting how quickly post-Covid-19 recovery occurred among horticultural trade exhibitions. Attendees and exhibitors were visibly happy to meet face-to-face again.
It is safe to say that they’re equally happy that the global houseplant craze – contrary to common beliefstarted pre-pandemically - that is, half the 2010s - has not yet reached its peak. The even better news is that houseplants and Millennials seem a long-lasting affair after the
industry’s long-lasting struggle to get the young generation interested in their Yucca or Ficus. These are precisely the plants the Forever Plants Group grows. Operating from three sites in Westland and Pijnacker, the 10-ha plant nursery sells to retailers and interior designers. In 1988, Erik Persoon, a former familiar face within Royal FloraHolland’s board of directors, took over his father’s tomato nursery swapping fresh produce for houseplants. Forever Plants is a family business with the third generation, and Erik’s son Thom is now running the company's daily management. At the Midwinter Plant Fair, sales reps Richard Visser and Corné van Winden staffed the Forever Plants booth noting that following a post-summer sales slump in 2022, demand is back again.
Remco Hill, a member of the company’s board of directors, said that true to tradition, January marks a good start to the new year. “The demand for tropical foliage plants remains resilient, proof that many people find that green indoor plants make the perfect substitute for their Christmas tree.”
Looking back on last year, Hill says that amid increasing pressure for horticultural businesses to become
Attendees and exhibitors were visibly happy to meet face-toface again.
more sustainable, 2022 has been the year with an even stronger focus on growing the plant nursery’s green credentials. “We equally put more time and energy into establishing enduring connections with our customers. And these efforts have started paying off now. Sales slowed significantly in the second half of 2022, but we mostly managed to turn things around.”
Energy and resilience will continue to be trending words this year. “Practices to manage the situation include reducing lighting levels, keeping greenhouses at slightly cooler temperatures, and using our geothermal heat even more efficiently.”
For 2023 Hill anticipates supply volumes to decrease and demand to soften slightly, urging the company and its customers to look for growth opportunities together. “The good news is that our assortment is vast in varieties and pot sizes, allowing us to adapt to the market more easily. Fortunately, we can see that more generally speaking, green indoor plants continue to be hot.”
Brothers Jelle and Joram
Kuijvenhoven run JK Plant. After renting greenhouse space to grow a wide range of seasonal plants, they began their 35,000m2 plant nursery in Honselersdijk, including
Poeldijk-based Kwekerij De Rijke grows bedding plants in spring and summer, while the focus is on houseplants (Cyclamen) in the autumn and winter.
Gerard and Daniel proudly introduced a two-toned pot carnation for the new spring sales season.
a 21,000m2 new greenhouse. JK Plant’s plant portfolio includes Araucaria heterophylla, aka Norfolk Island pine or living Christmas tree in pot sizes 10.5, 12, 14, 17, 21 and 27cm, Spathiphyllum in 17cm pots and sold under the Air So Pure brand, Monstera in 17 and 21 cm pots and a range of pot Dahlias, Canna and Campanula Takion during in late spring and summer. While Jelle is active as the company’s technical manager, Joram is responsible for sales. Commenting on the January peak in sales, he says, “We can see that shops are reopening. The period in which people are looking for houseplants to substitute their Christmas tree is short, with sales frequently modelling on tailormade retail orders. The business returns to its usual rhythm in the third week of January.”
Looking back on 2022, he references the bumper demand in winter and spring. “Over the first four months of 2022, we experienced higher than usual sales. And it’s with pride that we look back on our partners within the supply chain. Naturally, 2022 also brought challenges such as the energy crises, oversupply, and a hampering demand in the year's second half.”
To combat the rising energy costs,
the brothers partially negotiated a fixed-price contract with their supplier. “By selling electricity back to the grid, we can partially compensate the price for natural gas. Meanwhile, we are looking into more sustainable energy sources, but now, an alternative source is not yet possible, economically viable and available.”
For 2023, Joram sees a bumpy road ahead. “We anticipate a further increase in energy costs and other commodity prices. But by the end of this year, we hope to see a better balance between supply and demand which will eventually benefit the houseplant industry.”
Following a stint as channel development manager at Heinz and within a fresh produce cooperative, Henny van de Wetering more recently joined his brothers Peter and Marco van de Wetering. The latter run the 27,000m2 Wetering Pot Lilium nursery in Den Hoorn, near Delft. In 2006, the Van de Weterings teamed up with Mak Breeding to create a revolutionary new line of potted lilies sold under Lily Looks. Back then, the brothers decided to become as independent as possible by owning a range of genetically short lilies suited for pot cultivation. The company grows around 10 million pot lilies per year, including monochromatic Asiatics (‘Tiny’), two-toned Asiatics (‘Sensation’), Orientals (‘Sunny’), LA-hybrids (‘Summer’), Longiflorums (‘Miracle’).
FEBRUARY 2023
3-7. GERMANY
Christmas World in Messe Frankfurt. www.christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com
8-10. GERMANY
Fruit Logistica at Messe Berlin. www.fruitlogistica.com
16-18. TÜRKIYE
The Flower and Plant Show at Tüyap Fair and Exhibition Centre in Istanbul. www.en.flowershow.com.tr
22-24. ITALY
MyPlant&Garden at Fiera Milano. www.myplantgarden.com
23-29. NETHERLANDS
TuinIdee, garden show at the Brabanthallen in Hertogenbosch www.tuinidee.nl
25.02-05.03. FRANCE
The Salon International d’Agriculture (SIA) will be hosted at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. www.salon-agriculture.com
MARCH 2023
3-5. UNITED STATES
Great Lakes Floral & Event Expo 2023 at DeVos Place Grand Rapids, Michigan. ww.glfee.com
4-19. CHINESE TAIPEI
TIOS at Orchid Biotechnology Park in Tainan. www.tios.tw
7. BELGIUM
Florall, Belgium’s leading horticultural trade show at Waregem Expo. www.florall.be
8-10. ETHIOPIA
Hortiflora Expo at the Millenium Hall in Addis Ababa. www.hortifloraexpo.com
13-15. PORTUGAL
AIPH Spring Meeting in Lisbon. Topic: Ornamental Horticulture in Portugal – developments and opportunities in light of energy costs crisis. www.aiph.org/event/ spring-meeting-2023/
Florall returns for its spring edition this March, bringing together an exciting and comprehensive collection of some of the world’s finest potted plants, nursery stock products and spring offerings such as potted bulbs, pansies and Primulas.
If you haven’t already done so, plan to attend Florall, Belgium’s premier horticultural trade show exclusively for industry professionals. The one-day event is set to take place on Tuesday, 7 March 2023, at Waregem Expo, Waregem, Belgium.
Florall is increasingly becoming THE Belgian meeting place for growers, arboriculturists, garden centre retailers, plant brokers, wholesalers, cash and carry stores, landscaping companies, exporters and purchasing organisations.
APRIL 2023
21-23. MEXICO GreenTech Americas at the Querétaro Centro de Congresos, in Querétaro, Mexico. www.greentech.nl/americas
23.03-14.05. NETHERLANDS
Keukenhof, one of the world’s most beautiful spring gardens. www.keukenhof.nl
29.03-02.04. AUSTRALIA
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. www.melbflowershow.com.au
Nearly 150 growers will show their products and services to industry professionals. New plants will be in the spotlight at Florall’s spring edition, with the Innovation Area near the main entrance showcasing the latest breeding breakthroughs.Opening times: Tuesday 7 March 2023 – Waregem Expo / 9am – 6pm Free entrance, but registration is required. Free Parking
For more information, visit www.florall.be
3-4. NETHERLANDS
Groen-Direkt Spring Days. www.groen-direkt.nl
01.04-22.10. SOUTH KOREA
Suncheonman International Horticultural Garden Expo 2023 in South Korea. www.scbay.suncheon.go.kr
23.04-31.10. TÜRKIYE
International Horticultural Expo 2023 Onikişubat Kahramanmaraş. www.expo2023.org
MAY 2023
1-2. NETHERLANDS
Groen-Direkt High Season Days www.groen-direkt.nl
10-11. CHINA
China International Floriculture and Horticulture Trade Fair/ Flower Expo Asia at the Guangzhou International Sourcing Centre Complex. www.flowerexpochina.com
14-17. NETHERLANDS
VII International Conference
Postharvest Unlimited & XII International Symposium on Postharvest Quality of Ornamental Plants taking place at the Omnia Dialogue Centre of Wageningen University & Research. www.wur.nl
22-23. NETHERLANDS
Groen-Direkt Mid Season Days www.groen-direkt.nl
With 1,330 exhibitors from 46 nations and 40,000 visitors from 100 countries, IPM Essen 2023 gave centre stage to the themes of climate change and sustainability.
IPM Essen is the leading international ornamental horticulture trade fair. Held in January at Messe Essen, it is the meeting place for established businesses and the showcase for new products and services. The show is also an opportunity for debate around important topics, such as the Green City session organised by the Federation of German Tree Nurseries (Bund deutscher Baumschulen). The seminar “Tree. City. Climate Adaptation” was organised as part of the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) campaign “More Green Cities for Europe”. The event highlighted current experiences in production, implementation and maintenance of urban greenery, especially urban trees. From the discussion in the seminar, it was clear that concerns about planting methods and maintenance strategies are shared broadly. For the best opportunity for urban trees to survive and thrive, detailed attention and investment need to be given to the below-ground environment, which is too commonly lacking. The cost of establishing a tree in a city space extends beyond the purchase price of the tree. Part of the challenge is also
selecting the right tree for the right climate and setting. Boomkwekerij de Bruyn, an established IPM Essen exhibitor, offers a catalogue of more than 1,000 species and varieties, making this Benelux producer one of the most species-rich tree nurseries. As part of their climate-resilient tree selection, De Bruyn catalogue features trees that have strong horticultural, ecological, and aesthetic value. Each tree has unique features that help to adapt to new trends, changing design mindsets, and architectural forms, and is selected for the climate resilient tree list based on their ability to survive hotter temperatures and dryer conditions that are increasingly experienced in cities. The claims that they make about tree performance are based on their observations and experience on the 150 hectare nursery site. Each year at IPM Essen innovative plants are judged by an expert commission. In 2023, 63 new products in eight categories from 33 exhibitors were on show, and only six novelties were awarded. Leen Ruijgrok of Boomkwekerij Ruijgrok was very proud to win one of these awards for a new variety of Acer campestre ‘Street Pillar’. This tree stood out from a batch of wild seedlings planted at the nursery 15 years ago, showing narrow, compact and slow growth with a dense crown, which makes it very suitable for planting in small places, including flower boxes. Other advantages are drought and wind resistance, winter hardiness, tolerance of road salt, and not sensitive to mildew and spider mites. Leen said that the success of ‘Street Pillar’ has prompted the nursery to increase production on all four of their nursery sites (Germany, Poland, France, and Holland) to be ready for high demand.
Industry organisations have an important role to play in supporting producers. ENA represents over 20,000 nurseries that produce on more than 100,000 hectares, and their Green Cities strategy served to connect producers with government initiatives to promote green cities and urban tree planting.
Martin Deasy is a tutor on the RHS Mhort. He also runs his own landscape design business.
"Prone to hybridisation and back-crossing, the ±30 species of Sesleria are a taxonomic tangle of poorly differentiated species, forms and ecotypes. For the urban specifier, however, the genus is a rich vein of compact, low-maintenance taxa.
The striking yellow-green S. autumnalis is widely used, and so too is the blue-green S. nitida. Rather less common is the plant available as Sesleria caerulea, whose strap-like leaves are blue-green above, and dark green below, giving a remarkable and attractive two-tone effect (slate-blue early-spring flowers are an incidental benefit). Forming evergreen knee-high clumps and tolerant of a variety of soils, the rounded form is retained throughout the year, ideal as ground cover or matrix. Maintenance includes raking out dead foliage and flowers and a late-winter trim.
Confusingly, however, the species just described, found in moist habitats across Eastern Europe south of Sweden and which probably represents most plants available commercially, has been reassigned to Sesleria uliginosa. The plant now scientifically recognised as S. caerulea (syn. S. albicans) is not widely available but offers significant promise for continental European urban contexts: a robust, upland species that roots deeply and quickly into unstable screes (often limestone, though its Ca requirement is not great), hence potentially valuable in technical gravel or stone-mulch plantings. It is tolerant of light shade (colonising beech woods
Desiccation-tolerant leaves enable it to remain attractively verdant in hot, droughty conditions (unusual for a cool-season grass), and it seems able to recover from water deficits that would devastate other grasses. Anecdotally, plants apparently dead in extreme summers have miraculously revived in the autumn.
There is ample scope for establishing a commercial basis for this promising species, sometimes offered as S. albicans. But specifiers beware--the discrepancy between scientific and trade nomenclature is unlikely to be resolved, so be sure of your material!"
From October 2nd 2023 to March 28th 2024