Sustainability has become a crucial aspect of companies in the floriculture and ornamental plant industry. People who grow flowers and plants are well aware of what it means to start taking care of the planet and creating a healthier and more sustainable environment. This includes Gova, the leading grower of the famous Laurus Nobilis plants. As part of Decorum's members, Gova is excited to share its story on the road to sustainability and healthy plants.
Meet Gova - Stupendous and High-Quality Growers of Laurus Nobilis
To start off, it's important to mention that Decorum Plants & Flowers consists of more than 50 growers, all of whom are progressive in terms of sustainability. With the passing of every month and year, they make crucial efforts to make the world a greener and healthier place for you. This time, they want to take you deep into the journey of their laurel grower. Their special plants and their sustainable production efforts.
Bay Tree
Gova is a pioneer in the cultivation of Laurus Nobilis (laurel) in various shapes and sizes. Laurus nobilis, also commonly known as Bay Tree, is a versatile plant that has been praised for its distinctive properties for thousands of years. Originally from Asia, most people now know bay primarily as that pretty little tree at the entrance to fancy restaurants or packaged as dried bay leaves in the supermarket. But the bay tree is so much more than that. It is a tree that has held a special place since the dawn of civilization and here's what you need to know about the production process behind it.
With more than 25 hectares, Gova is the largest bay tree specialist in Europe. However, their main focus is not on quantity, but on quality and development. This is not only around their products, but also with their employees. Social and inclusive entrepreneurship is an integral part of their business. And they produce amazing plants. In so many different shapes and sizes.
In the trade, Gova is well known for plants in all different shapes and sizes. From small plants for kitchen purposes to trees over 50 years of age. In many different shapes and forms, such as round, spirals, and pyramid-shaped, you see them at restaurants and hotels, and in ornamental gardens around the globe.
This top-notch grower happily and excitingly shares its point of view on its sustainability journey and process.
What Does the Production Process Look Like at Gova?
In today's world, sustainability has become an integral part of business operations across industries, as well as the floral industry. Many companies, regardless of their size or sector, now have their unique sustainability processes and practices tailored to their specific operations and goals. Many follow the strict guidelines of recognized certifications such as Global Gap, and MPS, and others do even more than required by law. Gova is an example of such a company.
The practices at Gova encompass a wide range of strategies, such as reducing environmental impact, conserving resources, promoting social responsibility, and fostering ethical business practices. Insightfully, they share their point of view on this and how they have been slowly achieving it.
"We have everything under control, from cuttings to an 80-year-old plant. We cultivate standards on the stem, twisted stem, pyramids, and kitchen laurels. It's all the same variety, but through pruning, we achieve different shapes. Laurel is outside in the summer and in a conservatory greenhouse in winter."
Peat-Free Potting Soil
For the company, having sustainable production processes is what they strive for continuously, every single day. Since 2020, Gova has been growing all its plants in peat-free potting soil. Peat has stored CO2 for 10,000 years, and they don't want it to be released now due to their actions. That's why they have searched for local circular fibers, such as elephant grass, willow, and compost. After many trials, they completely switched processes in 2020 and now grow beautiful plants on an environmentally conscious substrate.
Many of the company's customers see this as extremely important, knowing how peat is subtracted, and how environmentally unfriendly this process is.
No Waste From Pruned Leaves
Furthermore, they distill their pruning leaves into laurel oil and hydrosol, resulting in the use of these in products like laurel candy, aromatherapy products, and Theelers tea. This way, they achieve 100% valorization of their production and have no waste.
The people at Gova pay close attention to the plants, minimizing environmental impact, and ensuring safe plant contents, and all of this is done with a social policy towards all employees in the company.
Ultimately, what they strive for is to always be transparent in what they do and be an industry leader through innovation.
How Sustainable Production Can Be Achieved in the Long Run
Sustainable production can be achieved through various cultivation methods. Diminishing pesticides and fungicides, or even not using them at all.
At Gova they
- reuse the water used to water our plants, both in the greenhouses and in our fields.
- continuously measure the moisture levels in the pots with many sensors and thus provide exactly the right amount of water for each plant.
- connect each plant in our fields to a dripper, so that all the water goes into the pot and not next to it.
- recycle packaging and growing materials.
- use as many natural means of pest control as possible to combat diseases and pests. If they do need crop protection for optimal plant health, we make a conscious choice. Of course, this is in accordance with the established standards, rules, and guidelines.
- founded a start-up that specializes in valorizing residual flows from the agricultural sector.
- mark nests of young birds in bay trees so that everyone stays away and the hatchlings can grow up properly.
- sow flower borders in and around the nursery for beneficial insects and biodiversity.
- are also beekeepers and have several bee colonies at the nursery.
Many other Decorum growers also use organic fertilizers and pesticides for sustainable cultivation. These natural products reduce the negative impact on the environment and human health. (Some Decorum growers even have chickens roaming in the greenhouse, who eat unwanted insects and help keep the nursery clean.)
Efficient water management techniques, such as drip irrigation and bottom-up water uptake using an ebb-and-flow system, can help minimize water consumption as well. Sustainable energy sources are also used to support daily activities. All in all one of the most important production features is also the installment of solar panels and the use of LED lighting to help reduce CO2 emissions.
If you wish to know more about the Laurus Nobilis range and more about specific production processes plus all the relevant info you need, make sure to head to Gova where you can find laurel available online directly from their nursery!
