2023-07-18 11:28:00
From Vinkel to Milsbeek are the pieces of land where Theo Theunissen grows his bulbs and flowers. When he took over the company in 1985, he had 6 hectares for gladiolus bulbs and 6 hectares for flower production. He now has 30 hectares of gladiolus bulbs, 10 hectares with gladiolus flowers and 180 hectares with lilies, onions and other crops.
Theunissen works six days a week, often ten hours a day. “I don’t call it work, but play.” He used to do all the work alone. But nowadays he employs three people, including his 25-year-old daughter Louise who wants to take over the company. In addition, he regularly hires freelancers if necessary and twelve Polish employees come in during the busy periods.
“I used to hire students in the summer,” says Theunissen. “But I stopped doing that. They call off when it rains or when they have a stomach ache. Since I work with Poland, it gives me peace of mind. They pick the gladiolus in the summer and come back for the bulbs in the autumn. It is a permanent team that I can rely on. And she from me.”
He houses the Poles themselves, so that everything is well organized. His staff can go away for a few weeks in the summer, despite the crowds. “That is also part of being a good employer. They have a family and want to go on vacation. How I solve that further is my problem.”
Extra question about Nijmegen Four Days Marches
Theunissen doesn’t mind that he can’t go anywhere from early April to sometime in September. “We don’t know any better, we’re so used to it. When the big summer crowds are over, we usually go away for a few days. And furthermore we go on holiday in the winter, nice skiing. We like that.”
When the sun is just above the horizon and a low fog still hangs over the fields, the plow starts harvesting. The gladioli are pulled out of the ground, bulb and all, and bundled in large bunches. Later in the day, the gladioli are packed for the auction or the garden centre. There is an extra high demand for gladioli around the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. Theunissen has planted about three million bulbs that are harvested during the summer months. Because he also grows the bulbs, he has a lot of work all year round. It is only quieter during the winter months.
Good ground plan
The Netherlands is known for its flower and bulb cultivation. In 2020 there were more than 5400 growers of flower bulbs and ornamental plants. There are only about fifteen gladiolus growers left. This is partly due to the rules for pesticides, says Theunissen. “Less is allowed, which forces farmers to make a good cultivation plan for their land, so that they can keep it in top condition.”
This includes changing crops. Once gladioli have grown on a piece of land, gladiolus can never be planted there again. That is why Theunissen always rents pieces of ‘fresh’ land from other farmers. “The gladiolus bulbs leave behind a fungus that affects new gladiolus. Even thirty years later, gladioli no longer want to grow there, but other crops are doing fine.”
It has always been hard work for Theunissen, but even more so in recent years. “It is fighting against the changing climate. Then again too hot or too dry, then again much too wet. Last year it was a drama, the flowers burned in front of you. Then the yield was bad. When it is warm and dry, watering takes a lot of time. You need two or three people for that and that is no guarantee for a good yield.”
Disaster or succes
The gladiolus is especially famous for the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. On the last day, the walkers are welcomed with a large audience on St. Annastraat, renamed Via Gladiola for the occasion. Almost every walker receives gladiolus, which means that about half a million will be distributed in Nijmegen that week. The gladiolus stands for strength, victory and pride. This goes back to Roman times, when gladiators literally fought to the death or the gladiolus in the arena.
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