Welcome to the wonderful world of Orchids on our Orchid Tour 3!
You will start our Orchid Tour at the flower auction in Aalsmeer. Early in the morning, at 07:00 a.m. we will drive by car to Aalsmeer and take a look at the flower auction in action. Early at dawn, we start the tour because the earlier you arrive, the more you will get to see the entire auction process. At the flower auction, we will first visit the plant’s section, where we will take a look at the distribution of Orchid plants, among others. At the auction hall, numerous buyers are buying plants (house and garden) 5 days a week. We will also pay a visit to the distribution area of cut flowers, which is located in another area of this huge building measuring more than 17 million sq. ft. (1,7 million sq.m)!
After the flower auction visit, we will visit an Orchid nursery. If you’re a big fan of these flowers, you really should visit this Orchid grower. If you opt for Tour 3, you can learn and see things you didn’t know before! The Orchid nursery hosts the most exclusive and popular houseplants nowadays, the Phalaenopsis orchid (Butterfly Orchid). Approximately 90% of all Orchid plants sold in the world are Phalaenopsis Orchids, maybe you can spot one in your own home…
At the Orchid grower, you will get a company tour through the greenhouses and learn all the ins- and outs of Orchid growing. Did you know that the Orchids start their Orchid-life in a tube in a sterile laboratory? Nowadays the growers are very high-tech and computerized. On our Tour 3, you will see all technology and many computers around the greenhouse. For example, the growers at these Phalaenopsis nurseries use Sodium (orange light) and Led lights to promote the quality, growing, and flowering of the plants.
All about Orchids
Another thing you will see at the tour is that blue, yellow, orange, or pink colored Phalaenopsis Orchids (Butterfly orchids) are not natural colors. If you are curious how dyed orchids get their color, read on as we unravel this mystery…
You have probably seen pink or blue orchids during a visit to a garden center or florist. Perhaps you also realized that these beautiful color variations are created using a special dye. There are multiple ways to realize your desired color. One of the most common practices is to create a small hole in the stem, after which the dye is injected directly into the stem using an injection needle. But if you’re not careful and apply the dye over a longer period of time, the flower will wilt.
After the dye has been injected, the blooms start to change color within 24 hours. When dyed orchids rebloom, the new flowers will be the color of the original plant. If you have a white orchid that has been dyed blue, the new blooms will be white again.
Interested in this Orchid tour? You can book our Tour 3 Monday to Friday. If you are up for an early morning visit to the flower auction and learn all about growing Orchids, do not hesitate to contact us and send us an email: info@hollandflowertours.com
