Whenever an entrepreneur can do something that very few others can, this puts them in a privileged position. Tree nursery Sylva in Belgium has the expertise to germinate 150 different species of tree seed. “Artificial intelligence cannot copy our knowledge,” says Managing Director Tim van Hulle.
The sales season at Tree Nursery Sylva in Lievegem, East Flanders, is over by early May. In the company building, the sorting machine is still running steadily. An employee feeds in small trees, sorted by length with the aid of a camera. One of the large cold stores still holds some unsold stock soon to be turned into compost. Sylva is entering its sowing season, when the seed drill is brought out to plant seeds in the sandy Flemish soil. In a few years, these seeds will have grown into small forest trees.
Tim van Hulle, who runs Tree Nursery Sylva together with his brother Bram, speaks highly of the sandy soil at his company. It ensures a good root structure. “The trees develop fibrous roots. That improves the plant’s ability to grow after transplanting.” The machine that lifts the trees from the soil causes little damage, thus maintaining quality. “Hedging plants have become more important at our company in recent years, but we are holding on to our roots: forest trees,” Van Hulle explains.
