I rely on Lensli's experience with regard to the composition of the substrate.'
Kwekerij M. van den Oever from Son en Breugel is a tree nursery and container cultivation company of 16 hectares with a wide range of more than three hundred types of shrubs, which are grown in pot sizes C4, C12, C20 and C35. M. van den Oever has been getting substrate from Lensli for about ten years now.
Van den Oever sells its plants to cash-and-carry companies, fellow growers, traders and garden centres, among others. Half of the total sales are destined for export.
Striving for sustainability is an important starting point at the nursery and it therefore strives to continue to innovate.
Van den Shore explains: 'We take corporate social responsibility with an eye for people, the environment and the environment as a matter of course. We see it as our duty to produce in harmony with our environment, and this plays an important role in all processes and activities within our company.'
Van den Oever has several certifications from the MPS, which facilitates horticultural entrepreneurs worldwide to become more sustainable. For example, Van den Oever has the MPS-A, MPS-GAP, MPS-Quality and MPS-Socially Qualified.
Innovation and modernization also play a role in the field of substrate. When Lensli was looking for a grower a few years ago to investigate peat-free cultivation in practice, van den Oever was eager to be part of it. The aim of the joint research was (and is) to reduce the peat content in the substrate as much as possible or even to replace it completely.
Rens van den Oever, owner together with his brother, talks about the development of the substrate they use over time; 'There has always been a small proportion of peat-free, but you do push the boundaries. Due to the trend in the market and the regulations that are coming up, we have to make sure we stay ahead. And the moment things really change, we have to be ready, because you want to be able to continue to supply your customer.'
About four years ago, Van den Oever says he threw the bat in the chicken coop. 'At the time we did a test with 100 percent peat-free. Funny thing was it wasn't even that bad. The physical root development was good, because the substrate drains well. However, you do miss out on vigor because the fertilization is much less, which you then have to adjust. The following year we started the trial differently and went to 50 percent peat-free. We also found that during cultivation you have to manage fertilization and pH well, but of course much less than with 100 percent peat-free.
Together with Van den Oever, Lensli keeps a finger on the pulse throughout the year. “As far as the composition of the substrate is concerned, I rely on Lensli's experience.”
Van den Oever is currently going one step further, to 40 percent peat-free;
'We are going to investigate where the limit lies at which we can still grow well and still have as much peat reduction as possible. With a percentage of 40 percent peat-free, we dare to roll out the substrate over the entire nursery. We expect to be able to move forward with this for quite some time. Over time, we will try to see whether 45 percent peat-free is an option. There may be the will to reduce peat, but you are also dependent on macroeconomic developments, such as price increases. In the context of sustainability, we aim to replace peat preferably with raw materials that are extracted locally.'