Raadschelders Varens

Raadschelders Varens is based in the centre of the Netherlands and specializes in growing different types of tropical and hardy ferns in different pot sizes. The production is divided into 2 locations, the head office in De Kwakel and the second site in Zevenhoven. The two nurseries cover a surface areao of 55,000m². The plants are sold to professional traders such as exporters, cash & carry’s and garden centres in the Netherlands and abroad. Fast and customer-focused delivery is possible because the nursery is located close to auction Aalsmeer.

Raadschelders Varens strives to grow top quality products with minimal impact on the environment. Thanks to the many years of experience within the company, the cultivation is very energy efficient.

To deliver a total package to the customer and consumers, the product range has been greatly expanded in recent years. Before new products are included, various tests and trials are carried out to determine the type of growth, irrigation and desired climate. A selection from the range that Raadschelders Varens offers: various Nephrolepis species, Platycerium, Phlebodium, Humata, Blechnum, Dryopteris, Dryopteris, Doryopteris, Didymochlaena

Sustainability

Water
The plants get rainwater that is collected in water basins. There is a closed cultivation system using roller containers with an ebb and flow installation. All water that is not immediately absorbed by the plants is collected again to be reused. In emergencies, we use groundwater cleaned by reverse osmosis. Local water authorities are aware of this.

Ditch edges are mowed and not sprayed with only in very exceptions in very exceptional situations. When mowing the ditch edges, bird breeding sites are spared. Where ditch edges are collapsing, they are repaired as much as possible. Ditches are regularly maintained in consultation with the nature and water policy of the local water board department.

Biodiversiteit
Raadschelders Varens has drawn up a plant protection plan to prevent diseases and pests. There are people scouting, weeding, keeping everything clean and trying to prevent draughts. If this turns out not to be sufficient, control will take place as organically as possible.

Part of the seed stock is made from tissue culture and supplied sterile. No control measures are applied in the preliminary stages.

Climate
Concerning energy consumption and emission of gases regarding air pollution All waste is collected separately and recycled. The pallets from various suppliers are also collected for reuse.

Due to the existing heat storage tanks, electricity can be delivered back to the grid. The greenhouses are equipped with energy-saving panels with two screen installations per department.

The quality of the air is very important for the health, fitness and well-being of people. Scientific research has shown that plants are capable of absorbing substances from the air and thus cleaning the air. Each plant produces oxygen to a certain extent, but not many plants have the same air-purifying effect as the plants of Raadschelders Varens. For this reason, Raadschelders Varens is also member of the AIR SO PURE breeders’ association.

Raadschelders Varens possesses all possible certificates in the field of sustainability. These certificates have been issued by an accredited and approved certification company within the flower and plant sector.

People

Within Raadschelders Varens, staff get the opportunity to develop or grow to other positions. This could be done, for example, by means of training. During the annual performance reviews, various issues such as growth, safety and health are discussed.

Raadschelders Varens has also obtained a certificate indicating that the company is dealing well with the safety, health and working conditions for its employees: the so called Social Qualified certificate

Health

Did you know that flowers and plants have a healthy effect on people?

Plants provide air purification..
People breathe in air, take out oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. In the case of plants it is the other way around. During photosynthesis, plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and convert it back into oxygen. The amount of oxygen in the air is increased by the presence of plants, which makes breathing easier.
Air-purifying plants can absorb harmful substances from the air through their leaves. These harmful substances are then stored and broken down in the plant’s roots. These plants can also break down dirty odours, so they are actually natural air fresheners.
For the sake of clarity, every (indoor) plant produces oxygen, but not every plant also purifies the air. Air-purifying plants are e.g. the Spathiphyllum, Calathea, Hedera helix (ivy), Areca palm and the Ficus. For many plants we do not yet know to what extent they have an air purifying effect since they have not yet been tested.
Plants ensure a better concentration and a reduction of stress.
Plants create a relaxed and better atmosphere, also at work.. Plants make the workplace a more pleasant place to work.
Apparently there is even a relationship between the presence of plants and the productivity of employees.
Moreover, the presence of plants has a positive effect on the creativity and concentration of people.
Plants reduce the dryness of the air
The dust content and humidity in the house are strongly related with each other. The dryer the air, the more dust. This can cause symptoms such as a tickling cough, dry skin, headaches and irritated eyes. By watering plants, it finally evaporates again through the stomata in the leaves. Plants can thus increase the humidity of the air, which therefore benefits the air quality.
Plants provide a pleasant and warm feeling
Research has shown that plants are good for people in various (subtle) ways. They play an essential role in creating a pleasant, natural and quiet environment in which to move, work and/or relax.
Did you know that flowers too have a healthy effect on people?
Flowers can brighten up any room in a magical way. They give meaning to our emotions such as love, joy, comfort, compassion and sorrow. Flowers provide a relaxing effect on our constitution. They provide positive energy in the home and a warm feeling. In short, everyone is just very happy about that!

Care

Ferns:

Innovation

The Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector is worldwide renowned for its innovative power. In order to be one step ahead of the competition from other parts of the world, people are constantly looking for better efficiency in the use of raw materials and space. This, of course, without compromising the (top) quality of the Dutch product.

The glasshouse horticulture sector in the Netherlands can cope with this rapid pace of innovation thanks to a strong relationship between research and practice. In addition, a great deal of knowledge is exchanged between the entrepreneurs in order to make progress together. The flower auctions are a good example of this as one of the largest cooperatives in the world.
Below we describe a few examples of this innovative power.

Biological control and integrated pest management
In order to minimise the use of pesticides and to find a better balance between parasites and their natural enemies, natural enemies of the parasites are used in the greenhouses. Thanks to the intensive exchange of knowledge between the growers and their suppliers, growers are increasingly able to produce a top quality product with organic solutions.

Combined heat and power (CHP)
Combined heat and power (CHP) is a large engine, originating from the shipping industry. Only it has been converted to run on natural gas. The efficiency of this motor is higher than traditional gas boilers. These engines drive a generator that generates electricity. This electricity is used in the company’s own nursery or is supplied back to the public electricity grid. The ‘residual heat’ produced by the engine is used to heat the greenhouses. After cleaning, the exhaust gases can be used to provide the plants with CO2. All in all, these motors provide an efficiency that can be up to 20% higher than the traditional method of heating (gas boilers).

Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is used for this type of energy. A drilling tower is used to drill a well to a depth of 2-3 km. At this depth, water of more than 80 degrees can be ‘collected’. This heat is used to heat the greenhouses and then the cooled water is returned to the soil via a second source. It is expected that these sources will be able to continue to produce sufficient heat, even longer than the life of a greenhouse.

Drilling the well is an enormously expensive investment. In addition, there is a great risk that the drilling will ‘fail’. By working together with each other and with governments, in the Netherlands we are able to gain experience with this way of heating greenhouses sustainably.

Water purification
Plants need water and nutrients to grow. More and more nurseries are making use of the reuse of drainage water. This is water that is collected before it disappears into the subsoil. This ‘drainage water’ still contains many nutrients that can be used by the plants.
By reusing this water and mixing it with clean water, less fertilizer is used.
However, the drainage water also contains some ‘wrong substances’. The content of these wrong substances determines how much water can be reused. The application of new techniques creates opportunities to filter these ‘wrong substances’ out of the water.

Diffuse glass
In new constructions, more and more growers are opting to cover their greenhouses with diffuse glass. Diffuse glass ensures that light is distributed much more evenly across the crop without any shade or light spots. This leads to a more even greenhouse climate.
Temperature and humidity can thus be controlled more accurately, which means, for example, that the opening of the air windows can be limited, which leads to lower CO2 emissions.

LED lighting in greenhouse horticulture
A new innovation in horticulture is the use of LED lighting. This lighting is not comparable with LED lighting used in consumer use. In the horticultural sector, the lighting is produced by ‘power LEDs’ and therefore much higher. The major advantage of these ‘power LEDs’ is related to sustainable business practices: energy savings compared to high-pressure sodium lamps (orange-coloured lighting). This saves more than half of the energy.
Another major advantage is that when using LEDs, crops can be better controlled using the different colours in the light. This is in favour of a better growth and a higher quality of the product.