We have visited the modern green plant grower VDE plant with its well-known Intenz Home line. The grower is known for its creative and innovative hydroponics concepts. In addition, the grower runs a wide botanical assortment of green plants, of no less than 30 varieties. Five of the 30 varieties are exclusive Intenz Home varieties.
The Clusia rosea Princess, among others, is such an important own product. Where it is treated as a weed in the Caribbean, the plant is very popular in Europe as a houseplant, and recently also very popular on water. The plant also owes its popularity to its low care requirements, the plant can withstand a knock from too much or too little water and is also not that picky in terms of location.

VDE plant is a real family business located in rural Woubrugge. The name VDE stands for Van der Eijk, the surname of the founders. The third generation and brother and sister, Karin and Edwin van der Eijk are now at the helm. They do this together with their partner Hein Visser.

Green as a lifestyle
The VDE team is on top of the green plant trends and comes up with all the concepts themselves. This all is based on information they receive from their customers. On Saturdays they have their own concept store at the growers location, where the grower often also tests new concepts.
Edwin: “We learn a great deal through the weekly feedback from consumers in our concept store and we can properly estimate which products will perform well and which we still need to improve”.
The grower is convinced that there is still much to be discovered in the green world of the houseplant. Healthy living is more than ever in the interest of consumers, and that is noticeable everywhere. Edwin: “Beautiful, strong houseplants are more and more in the spotlight and that is not a trend, but a lifestyle”.

Sustainability
Once plants are in the living room, they purify the air, and such a beautiful green product must therefore be grown as naturally as possible, is the philosophy of VDE plant.

This is what the grower does, among other things, in context of sustainability:

• Rainwater is used for watering. This saves on water and nutrients.
• The cultivation pots are made from recycled plastic.
• Organic pesticides are used as much as possible.
• Through climate control all plants get the temperature settings they have in nature, tropical plants get more heat compared to other species. The technique used for this saves 30% heat compared to a glass greenhouse.
• The greenhouse is heated sustainably by using a so-called CHP installation.
• VDE plant is certified for the labels MPS A, GAP, SQ and Q.