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The Alstroemeria, a flower that does stand up to a little cold

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To hibernate or not to hibernate? With today's energy and power prices, growers need to make their own assessment. Does heating and lighting outweigh the yields? The good news is that the Alstroemeria still gives production with less lighting and heating, even if it is less than what we are used to in the Netherlands. As growers of the Alstroemeria, we must remain critical of the quality of the stems the plant then gives.

From the Andes Mountains to the lowlands

In the mid-1980s, the Alstroemeria made its appearance as a cut flower in Holland. Originally it comes from the Andes Mountains in South America where it was discovered by a Swedish botanist, that was Mr. Alströmer, hence the "convenient" pronounceable flower name. The flower turned out to have potential in the Netherlands. As a perennial she gave seasonal stems with many flower buds. Many growers saw potential in this. Partly because of this, breeding took great leaps and the somewhat weak stem developed into a sturdy flower with many flower buds. With the arrival of new techniques the Alstroemeria became available all year round. 

Survives the winter

With the professionalization of cultivation, the number of growers has decreased over time but the acreage has remained stable in recent years. The Alstroemeria is a perennial that benefits from cold feet and an average greenhouse temperature of 18 degrees. The flower needs a day length of about 16 hours to give stable growth. However, if the day length is shortened (less light) the plant still gives new flower stems. So an Alstroemeria almost always gives production, although without help it is considerably less in winter.

Africa just keeps producing

In recent years the acreage in Africa has increased significantly, here production continues as usual. The Alstroemeria product group does expect a decrease in production overall, but is convinced that the Alstroemeria can demonstrate just this winter what it is good at: showing its true color in the vase, always coming open and still a sustainably grown flower! 

We invested in LED lighting and chose to hang our LED lighting as close as possible to the plant by means of a hoisting installation. This results in the highest possible light level for the plant with the least possible energy consumption.
Isabella van Daalen - Kwekerij de Hazekamp

A solid foundation 

Like any other product group, growers of the Alstroemeria expect higher pricing due to scarcity in the market. Above all, we hope that the Alstroemeria will be used as it can be used ... as a good filler in the bouquet, thanks to its many flower buds and green leaves or solo in a vase, because a single stem contains several flower buds. In short, the Alstroemeria is for every bouquet, every moment and every season a solid basis of your offer. 

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