"In organic cultivation, we need to be even more vigilant"

There is hardly a more beautiful time in the greenhouse, says Hidde Zijlstra of Tabos Eco. "Everything is still fresh and new, and when you walk through the garden in this weather, it's truly enjoyable." The first harvest of the organic bell pepper and tomato nursery from Vierpolders was around week 15 for the bell peppers, and around week 17 for the tomatoes. "We have nice weather, good sunshine, and the plants are very strong at the moment, so that's going well too." The company has further refined the cultivation this year to carry through the season with the same strength.

© Niet Potentieel

© Tabos Eco

Root-knot nematodes
"Last season, we generally did well, but we did have some issues with root-knot nematodes. In the trial with rootstock Santera, we saw the crop stand strong throughout the year, even though measurements showed they were present in the soil. That's why everything is on the new rootstock this year," says Hidde. In the greenhouse, there are medium truss and cocktail truss varieties – really the flavor segment, because organic tomatoes must be healthy and tasty above all.

Ringed tomatoes
At the start of the season, the cultivation looks beautiful. The tomato plants were also ringed again for the first time last week with the Agrifast Tom-system, where the plant is attached to the string with a thin metal ring. "Something happens to the plant when twisting, and especially in the summer, we saw less growth in tomatoes. Moreover, twisting can easily break tops, and we would like to see that differently." After seeing how other growers worked with the system, Tabos Eco decided to test it as well. "Why not? We can always go back to twisting. But it has been well received," summarizes Hidde. "I'm not saying we don't have broken tops anymore, but a lot less, and we saw more growth in the summer. So that's a win-win." Additionally, he adds, it's convenient that everyone can work with the system. "We've twisted the first two rounds, and now we're switching to ringing." The pointed peppers will be 'normally' twisted again this year. "It went well last year, but we had better results with tomatoes. A pepper occasionally needs to be twisted."

After cultivation, the metal rings are removed by the waste processor with a magnet, and this environmentally friendly aspect also appeals to the Tabos Eco team. No wonder they have been heating the greenhouse with geothermal energy for years. "We have also done trials with biodegradable string, but the results are not good enough yet. Once they are, we will be at the front of the line – but it has to work well."

Crop rotation
The crop rotation at an organic nursery takes much longer than at a conventional company, but that doesn't mean the team has a long vacation in the winter. "We start rotating from November, and we plant again in February. During that time, a lot needs to be done to get everything back in order: milling, driving in compost, removing weeds," lists Hidde.

Additionally, maintenance is also carried out on the nursery – and on the Tom-system. They just had their annual maintenance. "A kind of MOT. There's nothing more annoying than when you want to start, but your equipment isn't cooperating. We think as much as possible in advance to ensure everything works." The greenhouse is also thoroughly inspected during this period. "A leaking gutter must be addressed immediately in organic cultivation, as a leak means a plant standing in water, leading to sick plants. The same goes for a broken pane: a glazier must be called immediately. There are already few means to intervene in conventional cultivation, and we have none. And we don't want that either. That's why we have to stay on top of it even more."

Crop work
Partly for this reason, a different approach is chosen for crop work this year; both in leaf-cutting and pinching. They hope to further control botrytis with this.

"Previously, we outsourced leaf cutting as a total job, which can encourage more plants per hour. But working quickly can result in larger wounds or pulling strands. Since we grow in soil, it's more humid than in a normal rock wool cultivation, and botrytis can spread rapidly. If you cut neatly, you have a smaller wound, right next to the stem, which means less entry for botrytis. This year, we agreed with the employment agency to work per hour. I don't know if it will be more expensive, but it will be a lot neater anyway."

Pinching is also addressed, with an emphasis on minimizing the wound in the plant. "The smaller you remove them, the smaller the wound. So this year, we don't want to see large pinches anymore, and pinching is done all day long." Quite labor-intensive – but they are used to that in organic cultivation: prevention is everything. Scouting is also a task that is thoroughly tackled, and Hidde explains that both biological control and the employee are invaluable for this. "They are on top of it."

With the new rootstock, extra focus on crop work, and beautifully growing plants, it's a promising time at the start of the season. Just a few more weeks, and then harvesting will begin, and the products will be marketed through Harvest House. "Of course, it all still has to happen, but we have every confidence."