Australian grower chooses Dutch irrigation

Driving through Carisbrooke, Australia you’ll see a greenhouse rising from the fields. In an area where you see mostly agrarians, this can be called special. The tempting climate circumstances prevailing in the country, certainly play a role in this fact. For starters, the Australian climate is the complete opposite of our familiar Dutch climate. When we are enjoying our European summer, in Australia the winter kicks in. Then, after our summer turns into winter an Australia summer begins. Another big difference is of course the temperature. It gets a lot hotter in Australia, temperatures of 40 degrees are not rarely measured. Especially in the summer months December and January the temperature can get extreme. Although growing vegetables under these circumstances is very challenging, there are also important advantages.There is better light compared to Europe. Not only is the intensity of the sunlight is higher, there is also more sunlight. 

The fact that light has a high influence on the growth of tomatoes is well known by grower Ian Mortlock. The former agrarian switched from farming to growing cherry tomatoes three years ago. He discovered a large demand for local produce and fresh product, and decided to take the plunge. When he started building his first 1,6 acres greenhouse, he paid extra attention to how to get the maximum results out of his crop, using the climate situation as a benefit. He gladly took the advice of Dutch experts with a lot of experience in this field of expertise. He chose to cooperate with Royal Brinkman, who found an excellent partner for the growing and irrigation system in Meteor Systems. When a greenhouse endures so much heat for two months a year, it is extra important to get good control of the warmth and light intensity. This is why he chose to hang, amongst other things, screens which provide the opportunity to cool and temper the intensity of direct sunlight. Although important in every greenhouse, special attention was also paid to irrigation. In these circumstances proper watering is extra important to get balance in your cultivation recipe. 

To get the best results, Meteor Systems designed a growing and irrigation system that perfectly fits the specific facts on the scene. Because design, production and implementation are all in one hand at Meteor Systems, it was possible to get a completely customized system. Due to a growing demand for his tomatoes, Ian decided he wanted to expand. At this time his 2 sons; Shane and Tyson participated in the company and an extra 1,6 acres greenhouse had been built. With this build the Australian made a smart choice for Dutch craftsmanship again. Meteor Systems customized the growing and irrigation systems again. After Royal Brinkman finished the last installations in the beginning of May, the first plants got planted. Mortlock Hydroponics is ready for a long, warm summer with lots of tomatoes!