This month, Ruud van der Hoeven was once again out in the field, the bulb fields to be exact. As the one responsible for sourcing the best bulbs, these field trips are an essential part of his job. This time, Ruud teamed up with one of our key suppliers, Pater Bloembollen, to visit fields in Brabant, Flevoland, and Drenthe.
The fields might not look as green as the pictures from our greenhouses, but the bulbs are in fact doing great! In June, the lily buds are cut to ensure all the energy goes into the bulb. By autumn, the stems die off, leaving the fields brown, but this is what produces strong, healthy bulbs!
Soon, the bulbs will be harvested, cleaned, and delivered to us. They’ll be stored in cold conditions before being frozen after 8 weeks, putting them into a ‘winter sleep.’ When we take them out of the freezer, the bulb believes it’s spring and, within a week, a beautiful lily stem starts to grow.
This is how we create an eternal spring in our greenhouses, with just the right amount of warmth, light, and water to give nature a helping hand!
