In just six weeks, it should happen. The delivery of Hellebores to customers. Even in the weeks beforehand it is all hands on deck. After a second year of delivery from the new greenhouse, we can say that the process is running smoothly. A season with strongly rooted, uniform young plants. And lots of new initiatives. A look back.

ViV® quality label

Before we look back on a successful season, let's put the star of this blog in the spotlight: our Hellebore. The last plants are now blooming in the garden, then they go into "summer hibernation" until September. Microflor launched the ViV® Helleborus label several years ago. Meanwhile a collection of some sixty hellebore varieties propagated exclusively via tissue culture. This puts us in the quality segment of the market. We take ample time, a minimum of three years, to test the quality and do so at three locations.  

In the first selection, we have a well-rounded list of criteria the varieties must meet. These include flowering richness, plant structure, leaf quality, length of flowering and so much more. Of all the varieties that come to our judging table, we only approve ten percent. The bar is high and a new variety must add value. We don't want to copy what's already there, it has to be better.

If a variety passes an initial selection, it is tested again at different locations, each time under different climate conditions. An important criterion here is the geographical distribution. This is to gather as much information as possible. What else do we pay attention to? Plants must flower within the year. On average seven months for the earliest varieties (autumn flowering), and eleven months for the later flowering varieties (spring flowering). And they must flower for a long time, i.e. more than three months. Only in the second stage is the variety ready for the wider market. Provided always that all lights remain green in the assessments. An additional condition is that there is a match between the variety and the grower. Because not every variety just randomly leaves for a grower.

Sustainability is the common thread throughout the process. If a variety is sensitive to, for example, the common fungal disease botritis, then that species will not make the selection. We look for varieties that are more resistant to this. Our goal? To market only varieties that naturally do what they are supposed to do. That way we can greatly reduce chemical pesticides and growth regulators. Read more about this later in this article.

Established value and keeping up with trends

In recent years, we have also been breaking into international markets. For example, we are present at leading trade fairs such as Trade Fair in the Netherlands, IPM Essen, IPM Shanghai and Four Oaks Trade Show in the UK. That's how we keep our finger on the pulse. What stands out? Color is in, idem for speckles and other patterns. The demand for a more compact Helleborus that blooms early in the season and long has also increased. For Microflor, this is confirmation that we are on the right track because our range meets this demand. Take for example ViV® Nova HE00220. Already from October she is shining with her raspberry pink, double flowers. She has energy for 3 and blooms into spring! Even the spent flowers retain their red color. A real topper.

Meet our other varieties? Take a look at our catalog.

Crucial period in February and March

Admittedly: it was a spicy year. The second year in our new greenhouse; with optimized processes and new ways of setting our standards. And especially with an even greater focus on sustainability. We owe the result - uniform, strongly rooted plants - to a fantastic team that knows our plants inside out. And with that knowledge they pull out all the stops to grow the plant naturally from small lab cuttings to fresh young plants.

The crucial period takes place during the months of February/March. All the work that precedes it, from planning to lab, production and cultivation, is embodied in every plant we deliver to our customer. And it is only that result that counts. There are seven months between cutting and final delivery. We zoom in on the most important stages.

Compact, strongly rooted plants

Our focus this year was on compactness and good rooting. Biggest difference from last year? We didn't prune anymore. The top and bottom of varieties like ViV® Victoria were balanced this year. For our internal operation, this was a big step forward. Pruning had to be done at the right time, this requires a high degree of follow-up and labor. Something we obviously prefer to do more efficiently. So how did cultivation manager Amelien and her team manage to deliver more compact plants? By tackling our standards, by responding to the climate and by transplanting at the right time.

Sorting according to the standard

We have gradually evolved from general standards to specific standards that take into account the variety. We also started this earlier in the season. Result: we have adapted our standards somewhat because you cannot put all types in the same category. To gain more insight into the different varieties, we have divided them into two. On the one hand plants of which we are sure of the quality and on the other hand plants about which we have doubts. The latter group was closely monitored throughout the season, in this way we gained more insight into varieties and with these analyses we can direct production and cultivation even better in the coming year. So that we get more insight into each type separately.

Climate and transplantation planning

Compact plants with strong root growth don't just happen. Several parameters play a role. Such as the right heating temperature, ventilation and humidification. These are natural processes that do not involve chemicals. Also by optimizing the transplantation planning we can keep the cultivation process as natural as possible. For example, we have mapped out the best transplantation weeks. The types that need more time to root, we transplant earlier in the season. Conversely, types that root quickly, we transplant later. This is why it is so important that orders are passed on time. After all, that way we can count back and propagate at the right time and also propagate the requested numbers of plants.

This year we also transplanted by type. So the niger species were on the table together, idem for the orientalis, the ericsmithii species and the interspecific species. All neatly separated from each other. This allowed us to better tune fertilization and watering. This better coordination, by the way, is one of the biggest advantages of our new greenhouse. We now have more control.

Quality control

After week five, when the sorting is done, the quality control takes place. One week before the Hellebores are delivered, we check the requested delivery in the greenhouse. In week five, the plants for week six are prepared. Are the plants of sufficient quality? That is, well rooted, sufficient superstructure and vital. Manager Stijn makes it a point of honor to subject all plants to a thorough check every week in the greenhouse. A concerned attitude that typifies the Microflor magnificus. Based on a list, he checks what is present. If there are shortages, or if the plants do not meet the necessary quality, he checks whether he can possibly prepare other similar varieties. Then he makes a pick list for delivery and also communicates the delivery with customers.

Moment suprême: the delivery

Helleborus delivery only takes place at one moment in the year. A labor-intensive period that is manageable thanks to good planning. Although it remains a hectic period. Especially since the delivery takes place a single weekday. So in that limited period of a few days out of six to seven weeks, all the plants have to go out the door. Hats off to teamlead Helleborus; Christina and her team.

Big improvement this year was the cartload list. Especially with customers requesting different varieties, this is a plus. Through this list, the customer can see both the number, order and cart designation at a glance. During the preparation of all carts, Christina and her team double-check that all plants are uniform, that there are no quality differences. Only if they pass this final check are they allowed to leave.

Biggest challenge in the future? The demand for Helleborus is rising. To meet this increase, we are looking at how we can optimize the process step by step. A way of working that typifies Microflor. Not just introducing something head on, but first thoughtfully investigating what is possible.

Sustainability first

The delivery process is a challenge every year. What are we working towards? Compact and uniform young plants. Our driving force? Sustainability. In all areas. We go for one hundred percent natural cultivation and follow all paths that make that possible.

An overview:

• No chemical growth regulators. We compensate for this by intervening in the climate, by focusing on solid rooting and by fine-tuning cutting plans.
• Organic crop protection. In our greenhouse, ichneumon wasps and gall midges get rid of fungi and other pests. To get ahead of them, we rely on preventive monitoring. Data instead of chemistry. We are putting a lot of effort into this by further optimization, always in combination with checks with the naked eye.
• Peat-free plugs. This year we tested this on a small scale for the first time. Step by step we are investigating how this can be rolled out on a larger scale.
• Recirculating water. We collect all used water on the cultivation floor and reuse it after thorough disinfection.
• Energy-efficient cultivation. Helleborus cultivation is a cold culture, it only needs to be kept frost-free. Lighting is also minimal.

There is always room for improvement

The delivery is over and customer feedback is positive. An extra motivation for us to raise the bar even higher. Because as with any process, there are teething problems here and there, or downsides of the coin. The strong rooting, for example. It was so strong that it was a task to loosen the plugs. We are aware of this and are looking for an alternative to solve this shortcoming.

And so there are things that could be better. Always. Solution-oriented thinking and open communication is in our DNA.

Behind the scenes, preparations for next season are in full swing. Before we release anything new, we first test it thoroughly, then polish it up and test it again. To be continued. Want to stay up to date? Subscribe to our newsletter.