In the spotlights
FloraPodium has visited the special company 'B. den Bleker '. Bas den Bleker started as a grower of summer flowers. Twenty years ago he switched to growing Delphiniums. He just wanted something else! A product that would distinguish him from the rest as a breeder, so that he would stand out in the crowd. This search led him to the Delphinium. "I just chose this flower because of its extraordinary beauty," says Bas, "although I knew it would not be easy ..."
History
The Delphinium (derived from the Latin word ‘Dolphin’ and originating from the ranunculus family) has been in our "garden" for many years. Because the Delphinium has no medicinal function, nor can it be used as food, this flower was not interesting for horticulture in the past. Only from the 16th century onwards, the plants were cultivated for their beauty.
In this time the first images of the multi-year blue Delphinium Elatum (as we know it now) appear in the plant books. Not yet under the name 'Delphinium', but described as 'Aconitum lycoctotum 'Flore Delphinii'. From this the genus name Delphinium originated. This flower naturally grows in the Alps and Pyrenees.
Delphinium elatum 'Jewel'
There are more than 250 different species of Delphinium worldwide. We would like to introduce the Delphinium 'Jewel'.
This elegant beauty is distinguished by its beautiful purple colour. With regularity the discussion arises whether the flowers are purple or blue. The grower calls the colour convincingly purple with a bluer patch in it. But why not judge for yourself and make your own decision on the exact color of this beautiful product.
The Delphinium Elatum ‘Jewel' has a long and sturdy stem, making it extremely suitable for large, exuberant flower arrangements.
Good care is very important for this sensitive flower. The Delphinium is very sensitive to bacteria. A clean vase and a very regular water change (every other day) is very important! In doing so, it is wise to have the stem cut off every time, so that the wound remains fresh.
In addition to the long and sturdy stem, this variety stands out for the amount of buds that the flower has. Of course we have tested this product on FloraPodium.
This product is certainly worthy of her name. An elegant and stylish product with a beautiful colour, a good shelf life and buttons that open without exception: "Truly a gem to work with."
The cultivation
The Delphinium can be propagated from seed, tissue culture, cutting and division. Bas uses all of them with the exception of sowing. while improving the quality of the plants. When using tissue culture, it can take up to two years before new plants grow. The cuttings, on the other hand, grow faster, and are often planted in December and January.
The growth of this cultivation is dependent on the light. The plant grows slowly in the winter months. In the spring, when it gets warmer and there is more light, the growth takes a huge spurt. Therefor you can cut the first flowers in April.
Every variety of Delphinium has its own story. Bas makes a comprehensive scheme for the breeding and growing of flowers. In this way, he can produce flowers every day in the summer.
As all of his colleagues, Bas has had to comply with the stricter environmental requirements that have been implemented in recent years. He has therefore bought a machine that cleans the collected rainwater. He also uses biological pesticides for the plants. However, he is convinced that healthy seeds will grow into healthy plants.
Bas gets help from employees at his work. His company has grown considerably in recent years. Bas is rightly proud of what he has done and achieved so far. His Delphiniums go to all parts of the world and are used at large weddings, different royal houses and Sultans.
Difficult cultivation
The Delphinium is a very difficult flower to grow. Each variety has its own cultivation method. One of the things is that you have to keep a close eye on the height of the flower. Bas prefers his flowers not to grow longer than 120 cm. The chance of breakage increases as the length of the stem increases.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the demand of the Delphinium, but that does not stop Bas from continuing the production. It is not always easy to realize this cultivation, because Bas is faced with problems every year. There are regular plants that fail or plants that do not give enough flowers. This also differs per variety. There is no real cause for this either, which makes it difficult to tackle this problem. It presents a challenge to Bas to optimize and improve this wonderful crop.
Because of all the problems in this cultivation Bas fears that the Delphinium production may have to stop some day. But Bas does not just give up and continues to see a challenge in this graceful flower.
FloraPodium, 16 May 2018
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