Nieuws
Everything Grows and Blooms at Veldkamp Sierteelt
We embarked on a journey to Welsum, a small village by the IJssel River in the province of Overijssel. Since 1994, Veldkamp Sierteelt has been established there, a sustainable and dynamic ornamental plant business with outdoor-grown shrubs, summer flowers, and perennials. We visit them to learn more about their Symphoricarpos.
John Veldkamp and his son Lars welcomed us when we arrived. First, a cup of coffee, as it was quite a drive from Aalsmeer! But it quickly becomes clear that the visit is more than worth the trip. What a wide range of products are grown here! We ask John and Lars if we can take a walk with them through the fields.
"The total farm covers 6.5 hectares, and it’s all outdoors," says John as we walk outside. "We’re almost year-round in production, growing a total of 54 different varieties. In February, we start with our catkins, and then in late April, we begin with Viburnum Roseum. From there, we move on to peonies and eryngium, and then we transition into hypericum. This is followed by Symphoricarpos, and then the rose hips begin." We arrive at a field of Symphoricarpos. It looks beautiful!
Did you have any issues with the bad weather at the start of the year, we asked the grower. John replies, "At first, we thought the heavy rain would be a problem, but the season has actually gone well. The land is all drained, so no water remained standing. As you can see, these are already sturdy bushes. The shrubs we harvest from stay in the field for six to ten years for production. They can handle a bit of rough weather."
The Recipe for Beautiful, Full Branches
John grabs a branch. "Look, this is our Ruby Falls. We only cut when there are plenty of berries on the branches. It has to be the right time in our eyes to cut; otherwise, we don't do it." We see that Lars agrees with this. "In addition to the pink varieties, we also have purple and white Symphoricarpos," John continues. We walked a little further to another strip. There, we already see beautiful purple berries growing on the branches.
How do you ensure such beautiful full branches, we ask him. He says, "The soil must be optimal. A healthy soil life is the most important thing. All nutrients must be balanced. If you don't have that right and you have a bad start, or the soil is too wet, you might as well stop right away, I think. Symphoricarpos is a very sensitive plant, so you have to keep a close eye on it. But that goes for all our products. Every crop is different, but you have to stay on top of it. Check every day how it’s doing and whether you’re on the right track."
Hand in Hand with Nature
Is pest control different here in the field compared to in a greenhouse, we ask. Lars explains, "For several years now, we’ve been using natural predators for spider mites. This works perfectly outdoors, despite what people say that this only works in greenhouses. It’s a matter of testing and trying, and we’ve found that this works very well for many of our crops."
"We also have a few beehives here on the property, which are taken care of by a beekeeper," he continues. It’s true that we see many bees flying among the plants! "It’s a paradise for them here, with all the different flower beds. The beekeeper is very happy with how things are going. And so are we. They ensure that we have a kind of self-sustaining ecosystem within our business."
The bees ensure that we have a kind of self-sustaining ecosystem within our business.
Lars veldkamp, Veldkamp sierteelt
"In addition to this, we are also fully self-sufficient in electricity," says John. "We try to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible. It’s no surprise that Veldkamp Sierteelt is an MPS A+ certified grower. They also hold the MPS-GAP and GlobalGAP certifications, meaning they operate within FSI standards. "We’ve been MPS certified for 26 years, ever since it started," says John. This is a nursery with a focus on a sustainable future!
The Whole Family in the Business
"We have a real family business here," John continues as we walk further. "Together with my brother Teun and wife Karin, I share ownership. We’re working on getting Lars involved too. My wife is currently in the processing hall at the bunching line, where you’ll meet her shortly." "I’ve been around here since I can remember," says Lars. "And I’m proud that I’ll be joining the business soon. I studied horticulture and now work here full-time."
We continue walking, and the colors and types of products change with each bed we pass. Photinia, Cotinus, Hypericum – what a variety! How do you choose which products to produce, we wonder. "Our cultivation advisor Wilma Windhorst is a great consultant for this," says John. "She visits regularly, and together, we review the crops and discuss possible new opportunities. We brainstorm together and conduct many trials here on the land, including with fertilizers. We’re very pleased with that."
"We also do soil balance analyses so that we know exactly what the soil composition is. How are the proportions of water, calcium, air, and what can we add to improve it?" We walk further along a bed of rosehip bushes. "And in collaboration with Kolster, we also do breeding. For example, we’ve developed three of our own rosehip varieties: Magical Autumns Glory, Sunset, and Pride."
After an extensive walk, we arrived at the processing hall. There, we see a small group of people working with hypericum at several tables and a Furora bunching machine. We meet Karin. "We work here with a fixed group of nine people who return every year during the season," says Karin. "Everyone knows what to do, both in harvesting and processing. It’s nice to work with people who have experience and a good eye for the product. This allows us to guarantee uniformity to our customers, both in color, quality, and technical aspects like stem thickness and length. Something that sets us apart as a supplier!"
John and Lars also show us the cold storage room, an essential part of the business. "Once our products are harvested, they go straight into the cold storage until they are processed," says Lars. "And after that, the carts go right back into the cold storage. We have strict agreements with our transporter so that our products are all transported chilled to the various auctions. This greatly benefits the shelf life and quality of our products."
Symphoricarpos in the Holex Webshop
And then it’s time to head back. We thank the Veldkamp family for their time and get back in the car for the return journey. Back at Holex, we hear from Symphoricarpos buyer Pascal Zandvliet that he is very satisfied with the products from Veldkamp Sierteelt "Veldkamp's Symphoricarpos always has very beautiful full branches," he says. "The vase life is excellent, making this a great product for late summer and autumn. The berries are very decorative, and the color palette fits perfectly with the autumn mood."
Are you curious about the Symphoricarpos available in the Holex webshop? Then regularly check our daily updated offerings! If you have specific questions or requests, please contact your wholesaler (florists and event planners) or your Holex account manager (wholesalers).
Process
- The Symphoricarpos branches are harvested when the berries are ripe enough.
- The experience of the staff ensures uniform batches.
- Cultivation advisor Wilma Windhorst advises on new opportunities and soil quality.
- All products are stored in a cold room after harvesting.