The 32nd edition of the GrootGroenPlus trade fair in Zundert, The Netherlands, the birthplace of the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh, was officially opened on Wednesday 5 October 2022 by the mayor of Zundert, Joyce Vermue, proud that Zundert was allowed to host the trade fair, which is the ideal platform for exchanging knowledge and experience with each other in the green industry, in this edition mainly on the theme ‘Grounded’.

Until Friday, October 7, professional visitors as growers, landscape architects, gardeners and traders walked more than 1 kilometer through three routes – red, gray and blue – and view the products and services of 235 participants. The atmosphere was great again, and that is why GrootGroenPlus is known as an excellent relationship platform where many participants and visitors have been asked about their experience and all very excited to be able to meet each other.

The 2022 edition of GrootGroenPlus was then opened by the chairman David Bömer. He referred to the reputation that GrootGroenPlus has built up in the green sector and expressed his thanks for sponsor Rabobank. He also told more about what awaited visitors and participants: “Of course we will also have our plant inspections, stand inspections and our own theme this year, namely Gegrond. There was a lot of enthusiasm this year, such as was seen on numerous social media. Not only ours, but also those of our participants. Their websites and our websites were regularly updated. The theme ‘Grounded‘ can be interpreted in many ways. We have the soil on which you grow your products , the land on which your business is located, the region with the same land and the society in which you are located.”

The theme ‘Grounded’ plays into current developments and is in many different ways interesting for the industry. The trade fair itself is grounded in the industry; as a meeting place for traders, growers, and other stakeholders in the industry, it can even be seen as part of the foundation. The ground is also a practical foundation for all crops. A living, rich, healthy soil offers more opportunities for return on investment for growers, who in turn are also grounded in their region, and on the soil they own – often for generations.

During the internal press excursion, stands of various nurseries and suppliers were visited, including IBN nurseries, which 200 employees produce 100,000 cuttings a day, through the inclusion of personnel with or without disabilities, SV Tuinplanten, specialized in the species Prunus cultivation, especially Ellis® and Bonaparte®, Powerplantz Kwekerij, the youngest trade fair participant, with its very extensive range of shrubs and conifers, Van Tuijl Innovations specialist in developing high-quality and reliable machines as rotary hoeing machine to remove weeds in an ecologically way and BVB Substrates,  substrates for young plants and propagation, tree nurseries and ornamental plants.

The theme ‘Grounded’ was be part of the external press tour from Planten Stevens, which specialized in grasses and their combination with seasonal perennials to SMZ Schrauwen Machinebouw Zundert, since 1967 developing and producing professional tree nursery machines, Boomkwekerij Richard De Bie. At the location of one of the participants (NL Plants), the international press received an expansive workshop on the subject of soil. This is important, since the theme also touches upon many current developments. For example sustainability issues, challenges when it comes to personnel, increased costs, or the theme ‘water’. At the end, everything returns to the importance of a healthy soil.

There was a technical area, novelties, and award ceremonies for multiple awards, such Jac Lodders Award for the best green stand:  Ronald Dictus Boomkwekerij offered a great presentation of the entire product assortment and the company itself. The plants look amazing. And it was also focused on this year’s theme, Grounded. The Jan van Dongen Award for the best non-green stand was given to the best stand created by suppliers. The Lensli substrates stand was unanimously chosen as the winner of this award. The theme Grounded is very visible in the stand, the company is engaged in the use of circular and renewable raw materials and the development of future-oriented substrates.

Other awards were the Zunderts Groen Imago Prijs for the stand that best succeeds in putting Zundert on the map (Roelands Boomkwekerijen), the Boomfeestdag label and the medals for novelties and the KVBC Awards. Lendert de Vos, chairman of the inspection committee, presented the prizes for the KVBC Novelty Inspection. There were eight silver and two bronze medals to be awarded. The KVBC considers it important for the trade that the range is regularly renewed. Not just in the sense of a different leaf or flower, but really in terms of improvements with higher disease resistance, or staying more compact, requiring less pruning and thus a real asset to the range. The silver medal winners are:

Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Kolmdepu’ (MAGICAL DEEP PURPLE) by Kolster from Boskoop.

Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Kolmsqueen’ (MAGICAL SNOWQUEEN) by Kolster from Boskoop.

Muehlenbeckia complexa ‘Golden Girl’ by Van Vliet New Plants from Stroe.

Panicum virgatum ‘Buffalo Green’ (JS BUFFALO GREEN) from Van Riel Sierplantenkwekerij from Beringe, Belgium.

Prunus laurocerasus ‘GRPL08’ (OTTO SUPREME) from Plantenkwekerij Jos Selten from Meterik-Horst.

Sequoia sempervirens ‘Lightning’ by Schrauwen-Moerings from Sprundel.

Symphoricarpos chenaultii ‘RANT02’ (FIESTA BERRY) from Van Vliet New Plants from Stroe.

Taxus baccata ‘HER2016T02’ (TINY T) from Herplant from Beerse, Belgium.

More info: https://grootgroenplus.nl/