What happens when you put sustainability first in Phalaenopsis breeding without losing sight of the quality of the product? We visited the Phalaenopsis breeder GreenBalanZ and asked them to explain to us what 100% green means to them.
Grower of the week
Every week we present a product from our enormous range of cut flowers and pot plants that we think deserves to be in the spotlight. This week it’s all about sustainability and environmental protection. Sustainability is not just a trend but a necessity that more and more customers are realising. As a result, these customers wish to find environmentally conscious and sustainable products in their local flower shop.
A pioneer in sustainable Phalaenopsis cultivation
GreenBalanZ have always been very progressive in the field of sustainability and environmental protection and have been breaking new ground to achieve their high goals. The entire range is produced in an extremely environmentally friendly way. In 2014, they were the first to launch fully organic Phalaenopsis orchids.
What does 100% green mean?
GreenBalanZ are always looking for ways to make the production process even more environmentally friendly. Growing organically means working without artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Water is collected and reused and they were the first grower in the Netherlands to stop using natural gas to heat their greenhouses. 10% of GreenBalanZ’s production is organic and of course Skal-certified. The remaining 90% are called 100% green!
The origin of the Phalaenopsis
The Phalaenopsis originally comes from Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Australia. In the wild, it grows mainly on trees but without taking nutrients from them. In addition to trees, this orchid also grows in nature on rocks, highly permeable soils such as humus as well as in crevices near rivers and creeks.
The story goes that while on one of his forays into nature, the Dutch botanist Dr. C.L. Blume saw a group of butterflies perched almost motionless by a tree. The butterflies turned out to be orchids, which he later named Phalaenopsis amabilis.
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