The weather is cold in the Netherlands. The cultivation season may be over, but there is still plenty of work to do in the greenhouses of Vink Sion. The Dutch bell pepper grower, based in Bitgum, Friesland, is taking advantage of an extra-long crop rotation to carry out the necessary maintenance.
On the first Thursday in December, a small shovel vehicle regularly drives into the greenhouse with sand to level the pipe rails in a section of the greenhouse. Elsewhere in the eleven-acre complex, technicians are standing on pipe rail carts, renovating the screen installation. There is plenty of room for that, after the cultivation period is completed and the greenhouse emptied in early November.
"Those guys were saying how neatly the tube rails lay," said grower Jaap as he rode his scooter into the greenhouse for a chat with Aad Wissenburg, of HS Tuinbouw Service. The company has been working with a team of technicians since week 47 to renovate the upper and lower screens in more than 7.4 hectares of greenhouse.
Aad Wissenburg and Jaap Vink having a chat
Earlier this month, the workers from the greenhouse maintenance specialist were busy setting up the screens.
Aad, who estimated the cost of the project, enjoys staying in touch with the grower on the projects. "Interaction with the customer is very important for us at HS Horticultural Service. The grower knows best how the screen has been performing in recent years, how old the system is and where the weak spots are."
Installation of the screen along the facades
Specialists
Besides Aad, foreman and colleague Leo van der Pot is also in Friesland regularly. The people who are working on the greenhouse on Thursday mornings are staying at the project. That saves them travel time before and after long days of work.
HS has been performing maintenance and renovation work on, among other things, the nylon wires of screen installations for several years now. The greenhouse maintenance specialist works year-round with a staff of between 40 and 100 technicians.
In the other greenhouse the upper screen has already been removed. The installation of a new screen still needs to be done here.
New plants
Next up, it may be necessary to repair rusting gutters or some window damage. Wherever Aad comes across anything that raises concerns, he immediately takes pictures. This is customary for HS Horticultural Service's services.
Grower Jaap plans to start with the planting on December 20. The greenhouse will then be filled with bell pepper plants in just three days. So, the second greenhouse of three will also be carefully prepared with rock wool mats and new drippers on Thursday.
The brand new upper screen
For more information:
HS Tuinbouw Service B.V.
Slotenmakerstraat 15
2672GC Naaldwijk. Netherlands
0174-501368
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.hstuinbouwservice.nl
Vink Sion
De Bodde 5
9044 LA Bitgum. Netherlands
[email protected]
www.vinksion.nl