Deroose Plants has been active on three continents for many years: Europe, Asia and North America. The Belgian breeder, propagator and producer of bromeliads and calatheas long reaped the benefits of its international footprint. In recent years, however, geopolitical developments have frequently thrown a spanner in the works.
The greenhouse in Laarne, near Ghent, is full of small bromeliads and calatheas. The smallest plants, fresh from the lab, are still in plastic tunnels. To prevent them from drying out, they require a relative humidity of 100 percent, explains Laurent Taerwe. He has worked for Deroose for eight years and is responsible for assortment development. Once the stomata become active, the first step is to punch a few holes in the plastic. Several weeks later, the young plants can manage entirely without protection.
In the greenhouse, tissue culture plants of the main crops are hardened off and supplied mainly to Dutch growers. Breeding takes place in a greenhouse in Evergem. The breeding, propagation and cultivation of young bromeliad plants are, and will remain, Deroose’s core activities. “We are the global market leader in bromeliads,” Taerwe says. “We offer the widest range of varieties and novelties, as well as the highest volumes.”
