This week we visited Veco in Maasdijk, where we ended up in a cozy shed instead of a large Dutch greenhouse. In this cozy shed the products that arrive fresh out of Portugal are being processed twice a week. Veco nursery stands for top quality and according to Erik, co-owner of Veco, the best quality for these iris varieties is achieved with foreign production. Erik and his father grow the most beautiful irises!

 

Versatile iris

The iris is well known to most florists and consumers, but mainly the blue iris with the yellow heart. Most types of irises are grown from bulbs. In addition, there are also irises grown from perennials, but these are not widely obtainable. You can tell by the name which variety you are dealing with. The Botanical name of the bulb-grown iris growing is simply "Iris" (Dutch Group). The Botanical name of the perennial-grown iris is "Lis".

All irises have long stems and flowers with six petals, three of which face down and three standing upright. In addition to the well-known beautiful blue / purple varieties, very beautiful white, yellow, red and two-colored irises are also available. While many companies only grow white or blue irises for cut cultivation, Veco is specialized in growing a much more versatile assortment and, for example, also has a very beautiful yellow iris in its assortment.

 

Greek mythology

The goddess Iris was the goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology. The flower is said to be named after her because of a number of colors of the rainbow that occur in the iris. The goddess Iris was the messenger of the gods. According to Greek mythology, when the goddess brings a message from heaven to earth, a rainbow appears as a bridge. If you give someone an iris, that means: "I have a message for you".

 

Not blue but yellow

It is almost Easter, this year (2019) on April 21! Easter is often associated with the color yellow. The color yellow is the color of light, spring, sun (which breaks through more often) and lengthening days. It also stands for spring, fertility and new life. Hence the color yellow at Easter! At FloraPodium, we thought this was a good opportunity to put the ‘Golden Beauty’ iris in the spotlight. A beautiful, special bright yellow iris, and a large flower with a nice thick bud. A week before Easter there is plenty of supply in the Veco barn. This product is available from mid-January to the end of April. In the run-up to Easter, we can enjoy this special iris for just a little longer.

 

Bulky and fine

There is a big difference between bulky and fine-bulb irises. Fine-bulb irises have a circumference of 8 cm. Bulky irises have a circumference of 10 cm. Fine-bulb irises are the "fun" irises with crazy and deep colors. Golden Beauty is a good example of this. However, the finely rounded irises do not lend themselves to cultivation in Dutch soil. "Golden Beauty" for example, is therefore a species that is only grown in Portugal. The fine-bulb irises cannot be stored for long and you cannot give them a good temperature treatment. This is necessary because you are making them bloom in a different period than normal. The color then becomes a bit vaguer and the quality decreases. Up to now Golden Beauty is the only fine-bulb iris that remains a steady addition to the assortment! For his cultivation, Erik uses the thickest bulbs that often have a circumference of 9 cm, enabling thick stems and a good quality for the Golden Beauty.

 

An extra

Not everyone appreciates yellow flowers. If you prefer the traditional purple iris, Veco also has a beautiful variety that caught our eye during our visit. The Iris "Hong Kong". Look deep into the heart of this special purple variety and you will be seduced by this attractive flower.

Every week 90,000 irises from Portugal arrive in Maasdijk. The first bulbs are planted in Portugal in October so that the first harvest can be launched in mid-December.

 

Portugal and the Netherlands

The irises are transported dry and are processed and bunched here in the Netherlands. Cutting and trading from Portugal is done from mid-December to the end of April. After a month of rest, Dutch iris cultivation starts in June. Only then the Dutch climate is suitable for growing bulbs in outside soil. The bulbs for Dutch cultivation will go into the ground in mid-March. However, only the bulky irises are suitable for this. We therefore no longer see Golden beauty in the range. By growing in Portugal and the Netherlands, Veco has production for 9 months a year.

 

Good climate for good quality

Veco Nursery stands for quality and a versatile range. The iris grows best at an optimal climate. If the climate is good, you will of course get good quality. In Portugal the nights are less cold in the months December to April than in the Netherlands. In addition, the winter climate is generally a lot warmer. This warm climate produces beautiful large full buds. In addition, the spring climate is also moderate as a result of the cold breeze coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.
The fact that the irises are grown in Portugal is the result of a group of students. Erik’s brother-in-law grows radish and ten years ago he had a group of students investigate in which South European areas radishes could be grown on a larger scale. To help his brother-in-law with his project, Erik went to Portugal to test his irises and found that the irises easily grew roots and had a great quality. After a team could be set up to supervise the cultivation, Veco's main production was moved to Portugal.

 

Out of the ground

The irises are grown outdoors, in plastic tunnels without additional lighting or heat. These tunnels protect the crop against the worst weather conditions. The crop needs few fertilizers, because it takes all the energy from the bulb. It’s a product that doesn’t need much to grow into a beautiful flower, as long as the climate is good!
The moment the iris is cut, it still has enough energy to bloom beautifully in a vase. The flowers are transported dry from Portugal to the Netherlands in a refrigerated truck. The temperature is around 4 degrees Celsius. As soon as the flowers are in the Netherlands, the flowers are pre-treated with Chrysal BVB. This bactericidal agent and growth hormone ensures that the vase life is extended and that the buds are encouraged to open fully.

 

Nursery

Erik values his cooperation with various breeding companies. He receives new varieties from Maveridge International, Lilies Tulips and Irises Breeding and from Worldflower. In total, Erik grows six different varieties. Every year many varieties are tested in the nursery in Portugal. In the past 10 years they tested over 200 different new varieties. They are tested in Portugal and if the production is good enough the iris can be included in the assortment.

 

FloraPodium, 11 april 2019