blog entry
Meet the Grower; Kramer Lilacs
Kramer Seringen is a family business on the edge of the Westeinderplassen in Aalsmeer. Before Helmi and Cees Kramer took over in 1983, the company belonged to grower Maarsse, Kees his grandfather. Some years ago Kees and his wife had the intention to stop, but the sons indicated that they would like to continue the company. The family business, in which the whole family is involved, dates back to before 1600! Sons Menno and Erik are the 12th generation to continue the business. Full of love and passion, they tell us about the whole cycle of cultivation.
Between August and October, the lilacs are removed from the ground using a shovel or machine. If Kramer wants the lilac season to start earlier, batches of lilac bushes are 'darkened'. This means that they are put under reeds in the traditional way. The idea is to make the bush think that it is dark, so that it drops its leaves. After 5 weeks, the leaves are off the branches and the bushes can go into the greenhouse to flower.
The lilac bushes are brought into the greenhouse in batches of no more than 500 bushes. After 1 to 2 weeks in the warm greenhouse, the flowers are about 5 cm tall. Not only the flower buds grow, but also the leaves (fluff). These are broken down so that all the nutrients reach the flower and it becomes more beautiful and fuller. After 2 to 3 weeks in a warm greenhouse, the flowers are ripe enough to harvest. On average, a greenhouse is emptied in 4 days. A new batch of bushes will then be taken from storage and placed in the greenhouse, after which they can be harvested again after 2 to 3 weeks.
When the lilac bushes in the greenhouse have been harvested, they are pruned back before being returned to the field. The bushes are thinned out and bad branches are cut off. If a bush is not productive enough, it is immediately set aside. Before the bushes go back to the field, the field is already prepared for the new season. Every two years, fresh dredging or compost is applied and mixed with the soil, to ensure that the soil remains at the right level.
A very labour-intensive, but beautiful cultivation. While many crops have seen the production process change over the years, lilac cultivation is not very different from previous generations.
Visit here the website of Kramer Seringen
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