At Forever Plants we grow green plants, but where do they actually come from? And how do they reach us? In this article we take you through the three ways plants can be brought to our nursery: through tissue culture, by cutting shoots from mother plants, and via our partner nurseries in Central America.
Green plants from tissue culture or from mother plants
Some of the plants we grow are produced in what are known as tissue culture laboratories. In these laboratories, cuttings are made from plants by dividing stems at the cellular level and then propagating them. This takes place at our suppliers in laboratories in South Africa and Vietnam.
But that is not the only way we grow our plants. We also produce young plants by cutting shoots from what are known as mother plants. These cuttings are taken from the mother plant every week and then rooted. Next, the cuttings are repotted at our nursery and grown into a large plant.
Green plants from Central America
Part of our assortment comes from Central America. In Costa Rica, all kinds of dracaenas are grown for us on large nurseries. It often takes 2 to 3 years before the stem of a plant (with or without leaves) is ready to be shipped to Europe.
In Guatemala, yuccas are grown for us. These yuccas are harvested on large coffee farms, where the yucca often serves as a windbreak. Before the plants are shipped to Europe, they are pre-rooted. Here you can find a video of how it all works!
The plants are shipped or sent in large sea containers. The plants are then on their way for a good two weeks to reach us from Central America. To keep the plants in good condition during their overseas journey, we use containers in which we can control the temperature and humidity. This is how we make sure the plants can arrive with us completely healthy.
Also important: quality control
Before we can plant them in the ground at our nursery, the plants are inspected by the Dutch Plant Protection Service. This service checks the plants for diseases and pests. Once the plants have been fully approved, they come to the nursery, where we pot them. And then? Then the process of turning them into a beautiful houseplant begins!
Would you like to know more about this process, or would you like to see how the plants arrive with us – and then grow? Then be sure to contact us, we would be happy to tell you more!
