Grower Esmeralda

Nursery Esmeralda in Rijnsburg has been growing gerberas for more than 20 years. When you first get there, it is a colourful spectacle in the greenhouses, with flowers in all shades. We went there to see how these beautiful flowers are lovingly cared for.

Selected with care

The gerberas grow on almost 5 hectares of greenhouses, quite an area. But at Esmeralda, they are not into mass production. Every morning, the most beautiful flowers are selected and picked by hand. Then expert staff carefully sort them for different packaging. Flowers that are too small or too short are taken out. By noon, the flowers are already sent to customers in the Netherlands, Germany, France and other parts of Europe.

Sustainability

Sustainability and certification are important to the people at Esmeralda Nursery. They are constantly trying to find ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

Biological control of pests and diseases is a priority. Instead of chemical pesticides, they release beneficial insects in the greenhouses almost every week. In this way, they keep diseases and pests under control in a way that is better for the future.

Energy is also an important issue. The gerberas need heat and light especially in the dark months. The nursery produces its own electricity for lighting and uses the heat released in the process. They store it during the day and use it at night.

Water reuse is another aspect of their sustainable approach. The gerbera plants are watered and fertilised several times a day. The excess water flows back to a storage area where it is cleaned with UV radiation and re-fertilised. Thus, the water is reused and the environment is not burdened by fertiliser emissions.