For some years now, scientists and growers have been working together to come up with a better monitoring and control plan for the European tarnished plant bug.

Luring effect of pheromone enhanced by adding plant aromatics

Plant bugs like the European tarnished plant bug and the common nettle bug are a serious problem in crops such as aubergine, cucumber and
Phalaenopsis growers De Molenhoek have been able to increase the amount of water they recirculate by switching to a new compound fertiliser.

Targeted fertilisation enables extra recirculation in pot orchids

Greater re-use of drainage water for pot orchids is one step closer with a new compound fertiliser. Phalaenopsis grower De Molenhoek in Bemmel, the
Rainbow Greenhouses in Canada is a privately owned wholesale grower and distributor of high-quality potted plants.

‘Use of analysis of sales and costing data basis for future decisions’

Stan Vander Waal got his first taste of working in horticulture when he was just 13 years old. His father switched from crop and
A plant sap analysis is a snapshot of a plant’s uptake of the minerals that are available for growth at that moment. Growers receive the results very soon

Quick and detailed information on a plant’s mineral uptake

According to the advisers at the Dutch consultancy group HortiNova, fertilisation is a very precise science that can only be done properly if you
Measuring water content in critical layers should become routine at pot plant and bedding plant nurseries.

Water distribution in growing substrates continues to surprise

Contrary to what was assumed in the past, recent research has revealed that water is rarely distributed homogeneously through the root ball following limited
tomato growers Verkade in ‘s-Gravenzande gained their first experience with a hybrid system consisting of SON-T HPS lights and LEDs

‘Interlighting boosts truss development and flowering speed’

Interest in artificial lighting with LEDs is on the rise. Recently tomato growers Verkade in ‘s-Gravenzande (Westland, the Netherlands) gained their first experience with
Van den Elzen Plants is hosting a trial with a substrate adapted specifically for strawberries combined with biological supplements.

Adding bio to substrate reduces chemical use in strawberries

The strawberry is a vulnerable crop: the plants and fruits are susceptible to all kinds of diseases and insects. Crop protection is therefore a
Last September a small Dutch trade mission visited Iran. The exhibition and trade mission were held in Tehran.

My last column

I have been a columnist for In Greenhouses since the very first edition in October 2012. Almost every year I told the Chief Editor
High-wire cucumber grower Hans Houben is heading ever further down the path of Next Generation Growing.

Cucumber grower takes quantum leap with Next Generation Growing

Hans Houben’s initial reason for trying out Next Generation Growing was to save energy. “But that shouldn’t really be your main objective: you need
The company’s location, in the middle of a residential area, makes expansion impossible. Therefore he decided to concentrate on private sales

German rose grower chooses market development over expansion

The German cut rose sector mainly consists of lots of small companies that grow a wide range of cultivars and focus on private sales.
Variety selection and climate are the main tools for preventing tip burn, since adjusting with nutrients hasn’t been shown to help improve calcium uptake.

Avoiding moisture shocks best remedy for preventing tip burn

Tip burn, or marginal necrosis, is a long-standing problem in tomato cultivation which occasionally rears its head in the new strategy of Next Generation
Herbert Stolker Senior Consultant Africa

Growing under cover in Africa

I’m writing my first column for In Greenhouses sitting in the departure lounge at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The reason for my three-day trip
Because it plays a role in so many processes, potassium is sometimes referred to as the quality element.

Potassium, the major organiser in numerous plant processes

No potassium no plant: A huge number of processes are dependent on this element. Luckily, hardly any problems occur because the plant is good
A new system has been developed which brings together climate, settings, harvest and crop development data on one dashboard.

Remote growing now possible with consistent data collection

Building a high-tech greenhouse is one thing, but working with it is a whole different ball game. Nurseries in countries with no horticultural tradition
Transpiration by a plant has two important functions: The uptake and transport of nutrients and cooling.

Transpiration is driver behind cooling and uptake and transport of nutrients

The plant can’t function without transpiration. But sometimes it can be somewhat less. Also less than is commonly used commercially. There are plenty of
Tuta absoluta is not only a large threat to the cultivation of tomatoes but also to the export of tomatoes.

Tuta absoluta

Tuta absoluta (tomato leafminer) belongs to the very large insect family Gelechiidae and is native to South America. Tuta is a micro moth and
Supplementary feeding with pollen can help to build up and maintain a vigorous predatory mite population.

Feeding predatory mites pollen is useful weapon in battle against thrips

Controlling thrips in cut flowers biologically may be difficult but it’s not impossible. Supplementary feeding with pollen can help to build up and maintain