Imagine a greenhouse with 16 varieties of hydrangeas. From pure white to bright blue, short and tall. Large and small. Edwin and Marco from nursery Nooitgedacht see this every morning. They step into their beautiful greenhouse to passionately grow the most beautiful hydrangea cut flowers.
From cutting to flowering: hydrangea
The hydrangea season runs from May to October. During this period, you can enjoy 16 different types of hydrangeas. Since not every hydrangea grows at the same time, there is labour spread and an extra-large assortment. Hydrangeas start as small cuttings and flower fully after two years.
Preparing for the new hydrangea season
Off-season, employees at Nooitgedacht Nursery remain active. In winter, they prepare for the new season. As a first step, the hydrangeas are pruned back to the pot. This encourages new growth and beautiful blooms. Pruning hydrangeas is labour-intensive; each plant is pruned by hand. Nevertheless, it results in something magnificent. With a team of about eight people, six working days a week, it takes about two months to prune all the hydrangeas.
‘You cut out the crop as it were,’ says Marco of nursery Nooitgedacht
First-class hydrangeas cut flowers
As a supplier, it is essential to deliver not only beautiful, but also high-quality hydrangea cut flowers. Therefore, thorough checks are made for plant diseases. Moreover, iron nets are used in the beds to keep the hydrangeas growing nice and straight. The hydrangeas are supplied with the right amount of water according to weather conditions, with drippers in each pot for automatic irrigation. After harvesting, the hydrangeas are immediately re-watered, contributing to the quality of the flowers.