“The period after blooming is most important and determines the size of the crop. Flower bulbs grow until their foliage has died down. It all depends on the weather. In the bulb district we have a oceanic climate, which is perfect for flower bulbs. They prefer moderate weather in May and June, so that the bulbs have more time to grow. If it does not rain, we irrigate the fields several times before the harvest. However, an early heat period can cause the plants to die down too early, resulting in a disappointing yield. First we dig our crocus crop, followed by tulips and hyacinths, and last the daffodils. Daffodils are lifted first and then left on the field for several days, enabling the bulbs and their roots to dry. This summer we will harvest 225 acres of bulbs. Depending on the weather we dig around 8 acres per day.” Read more…

Willem: “As the nursery manager at Ruigrok Flowerbulbs I maintain our bulb fields all year round. Our peak season is in the summer, when the bulbs are harvested, cleaned, selected, packed an shipped all over the world. We replant the stock of smaller bulbs in October and November and cover the fields with a layer of straw. During the growing season I fertilize and spray the fields. I take care of the water drainage when necessary. In spring, when the flowers are in full bloom, quality selection takes place in the field. To stimulate the growth of the bulbs, we cut off the flower heads. Depending on the weather, we irrigate our tulip fields 2-3 times in spring.” Read more…

Joop: “I work as tractor driver at Ruigrok Flowerbulbs. With the help of various machines I prepare our fields before planting. In the Fall, from late September on, we start planting crocus and daffodils. The hyacinths follow and we finish with the tulips. Depending on the weather, our last stocks is planted late November or sometimes early December. This fall we planted 255 acres of crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. That is more than 80 million bulbs!” Read more in our new catalog!

Jan: “As operational manager at Ruigrok Flowerbulbs I am responsible for all our bulb shipments during our harvest and shipping season. In the Summer and Fall we work with a large crew of temporary employees, that help us process our bulb orders. In Spring I specialize in keeping our hyacinth fields clean from bulbs diseases and infections. I check our hyacinth fields until the harvest, which is vital to their quality. Growing a full size hyacinth takes up to 3-4 years.” Read more…