Sustainability is incredibly important and will only become more so in the future. That is why it is extremely important for our growers to care about nature and the environment. What can you do to reduce your emissions and be more environmentally friendly in the long term? Our growers are always working on innovation and sustainability. But what does that really mean? Here, we tell you all about sustainable rose cultivation.
Organic crop protection
Most growers only use organic crop protection. This means they use natural methods to fight pests and diseases, keeping the use of chemical pesticides to a minimum.
Organic crop protection means fighting nature with nature. For example, use ladybirds and parasitic wasps to combat aphids and whiteflies. You can also use specific fungi and bacteria to combat other bacteria (that are harmful to roses). This allows you to preserve nature without harming the environment.
Why is this better for the environment?
Chemical agents often kill not only diseases and bacteria, but also very useful insects such as bees and butterflies. Diseases and bacteria can become resistant to chemical agents, requiring increasingly stronger agents to combat them.
Residues from these products can end up in groundwater and rivers, which is obviously not the intention. This can cause further damage to nature and animals.
Innovative water purification with nanobubbles
To improve plant health and reduce disease, many of our growers have implemented nanobubble technology. This technology increases the amount of oxygen in the water. By adding more oxygen to the water, the plants can absorb more nutrients and are less susceptible to diseases that can affect the roots, such as Pythium and Phytophthora. This technology reduces these diseases by as much as 90%!
Energy efficiency with LED lighting
More and more growers are using energy-efficient LED lighting. This lighting enables them to grow high-quality roses under sustainable conditions, even during the dark winter days.
Why is LED lighting better for the environment?
- Lower energy consumption: LED lamps consume up to 50% less energy than traditional lamps. Lower energy consumption means lower CO₂ emissions, especially if the electricity does not come from 100% renewable sources.
- Less heat generation: LEDs produce much less heat than traditional lamps. As a result, greenhouses require less cooling and ventilation in the summer and growers can control the temperature more precisely. This saves energy and ensures that the plants grow with less stress, because yes, plants can experience stress too.
- Better alignment with plant needs: LEDs can emit specific colours of light (such as red, blue or white light) that optimise photosynthesis and plant growth. This means more efficient plant growth per kilowatt hour and less waste of light that the plants will not use.
- Longer lifespan: LED lamps often last more than 50,000 hours, which is much longer than traditional lamps. This reduces replacement costs and waste.
- Lower ecological footprint: Less power, fewer replacements, less heat: all of this contributes to a lower ecological impact in the long term.
