At Overbeek Bomen, it’s all about collaboration. Within our team, but also with you, our customer. We believe that by working together we can keep on achieving great results. That’s why we invest in innovation, so that we can keep pace with a changing market and maintain our high standards of quality.
On the plots where we currently have no trees or do not intend to plant any, we grow green manure crops and other crops in the meantime to optimise soil quality.
By working the soil with cover crops and natural green manure crops that enrich the soil, we encourage the build-up of organic matter and biodiversity. This approach ensures fertile soil, making our land ideally suited to the cultivation of perennial trees. The loamy sandy soil promotes well-branched roots and, consequently, good root ball formation.
To maintain optimal soil quality, we use water-level-controlled drainage on almost all our plots. The drainage pipes are installed in the ground at six-metre intervals.
This system enables us to regulate the water level in the soil with precision, which is essential for maintaining the stability of the soil structure and preventing both drought and waterlogging. By optimising water management in this way, we support a healthy growing environment for our crops.
The main advantage of this system over reel irrigation is that we can maintain the water level and retain more rainwater in the soil. This means the trees can always absorb moisture through capillary action, even during dry spells.
What’s more, water-level-controlled drainage keeps the top layer of soil loose and dry, so we can still mechanically deweed it.
Another advantage of the system is that it allows us to plant on time in the spring: to do this, we let a little more water drain out of the soil after winter. Once planting is complete, we raise the water level again. Thanks to water-level-controlled drainage, we use water efficiently for our trees.
And with all this put together, the system helps to ensure the quality of the trees and the reliability of our deliveries. This means you can count on consistent deliveries, whatever the weather conditions.
Our innovative approach is not a goal as itself, but a means of operating sustainably, wired in our roots. We believe that the future of tree nurseries lies in treating people, nature and technology with care. That is why we invest not only in smart machinery, but also in biodiversity, soil health and long-term partnerships.
From green manure crops to GPS technology, from water conservation to real-time data management: all these choices contribute to a business model that is ready for the future.
Innovation and a solutions-oriented approach are in our DNA. At Overbeek Bomen, we use innovative techniques and combine them with our traditional expertise. Our goal? To grow the best trees in an efficient and sustainable way.
Our innovations have a direct impact. Thanks to improvements in the harvesting process, the pressure on our capacity has eased, making it easier for us to supply you with fresh root balls more frequently.
At the same time, our team is at the heart of what we do. Their expertise is indispensable, which is why we organise our processes in such a way that the work can be carried out more easily, more efficiently and more safely. This is not only good for our staff, but also enhances the quality and consistency of our trees. We are constantly looking at how we can further improve and innovate our cultivation, maintenance and felling practices where this truly adds value.
intrigued how we do this?
We believe in innovative techniques; for example, at our tree nursery we use the AIGRO UP, a robot that autonomously maintains the grassy paths between our trees using GPS. We are currently also running a pilot scheme involving hoeing the paths between our multi-stemmed trees. Keeping these paths neatly maintained contributes to the well-being of our young trees and, of course, the appearance of the nursery.
In line with our sustainability vision, we control weeds mechanically rather than using chemical agents. By using mechanical techniques, we can effectively remove weeds without contaminating the soil with harmful substances. This not only contributes to soil health, but also to environmental conservation and the safety of our staff.
Because we tie up our trees using machinery, we can deliver them in a very compact manner. This means more trees can fit onto a lorry, which contributes to more sustainable transport. What’s more, the process is considerably faster and much better for our staff’s ergonomics. A real win-win-win situation!
At the start of the growing season, we prune our trees using a remote-controlled pruning machine on caterpillar tracks. With a maximum pruning height of 10 metres, this machine takes a lot of the work off our hands. After machine pruning, the trees are carefully inspected and, if necessary, touched up by hand. In this way, we combine efficiency with the highest quality standards.
Our tractors are equipped with GPS technology and are capable of autonomous driving. This enables us to plant our rows with the utmost precision. An additional advantage is that we can also carry out other tasks, such as hoeing and mowing, with GPS support. This enhances the quality and uniformity of our crops.
As well as our team, there are other valuable helpers at work in our tree nursery: insects! We attract insects by setting up insect hotels and sowing wildflower meadows. Ladybirds, for example, help with natural pest control, bees and butterflies are important pollinators, and smaller insects play an essential role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Would you like to find out more about our innovations? The blog post below explains our innovative solutions in more detail.