Green foliage

tagwex · Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 9:18 pm Post subject: Green foliage

I was at the local garden centre this afternoon while it was lashing down to pass an hour in there. Met an old friend I hadn't seen in a few years. Tells me he built a 'small' polytunnel. It is only 52m by 25m! And he grows green foliage in it for export only, no market for it here apparently. Intrigued, I am thinking cut and come again plants for liquid fertiliser such as comfrey and nettles for example. But no, these are for flower bouqets/displays and the like in Europe where, he says, the climate is too dry for such plants. I think he meant the Iberian peninsula mostly. Produces between two and two and a half million plants each year and all exported. Never did find out which plants he actually grew as we were interrupted.

tagwex · Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 4:20 pm Post subject:

Hellooooo anyone out there?

Greengage · Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 9:30 pm Post subject:

He was probably growing Pittispornum , PHORNIUM AND CONTORTED WILLOW.

tagwex · Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 12:34 am Post subject:

I might call over that way and find out for certain some day soon.

Greengage · Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 6:56 am Post subject:

Did you not believe me, that was another string in my bow a while back. They were probably growing Pittispornum, Euculyptus, Phornium, Hypericum, Willow,Ferns, Birch, These are usuallly used a fillers in flower bouquets, The Dutch and English have the market sown up with big retailers controlling hte markets and money if you think the price of milk fluuctuates wait until you get into this business everyone will want you product for nothing and prices change from it growing in the field until time of delivery remember it is on a downward slope once its it cut.............
Iit is hard work for llittle returnns and yoou need to be a hard business person to survive be pre pared to dump your product rather than sell it on the market for below value.i think teagasc did a survey on the mmarket a while back Ill have a look for you................
Ah Found it. http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2013/2955/CutFoliageMarketReport2012.pdf

tagwex · Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 9:00 am Post subject:

It wasn't a matter of not believing you, I just want to go see his set up and find out more. As previously stated we are old friends who have gone in different directions since we were single lads when we used to pal around together. Me emigrating didn't help and then when I came back I moved to a different area and hardly ever saw him after that. That report was interesting.