At the start of this year, Stijn van der Loo took over the family business from his parents. In line with the future and the international nature of the cutting company in Biezenmortel, he changed the name to Young Plants Holland. As the name suggests, the company produces rooted cuttings for the tree nursery industry—a tradition they have upheld for 40 years. This year, Van der Loo will present both his products and the new name (which isn’t entirely new) at GrootGroenPlus.

Source: Heidi Peters

Since 1 January 2024, Stijn van der Loo has been the owner of Young Plants Holland, the family nursery formerly known as Stekbedrijf G. van der Loo. Van der Loo has actually owned the name Young Plants Holland for about ten years. He started his own project within the nursery back then, cultivating ornamental grass cuttings under this brand name. For several months each year, he focused on this project, while spending the rest of his time working in the family business, something he had done since childhood. "To gain experience and learn as much as possible, I started my own product line." Van der Loo also sold rooted shrub cuttings from his parents under the same name and expanded the existing customer base by participating in international fairs. "Now that I’ve taken over the family business, I’ve given the nursery my own name, partly because of our export focus. I’ve noticed that with this name, we’re also easier to find online."

Shrubs and ornamental grasses

Van der Loo's company primarily supplies shrubs. "Shrubs remain our main product group; this is where our strength lies, and we supply them to our loyal customer base. Additionally, we grow ornamental grasses, though in a much smaller proportion. This crop complements the shrubs and allows for year-round production. As a result, I can maintain a larger all-round production team and offer them work throughout the year. This provides stability, and I enjoy working with my permanent team. My pool of temporary staff is thus a bit smaller." The ornamental grass cultivation has increased both the number of customers and the variety of products purchased by existing clients. These clients are now choosing the ornamental grass cuttings alongside the shrubs. "Overall, it’s worked out well," Van der Loo remarks.

Reliability is key

Young Plants Holland spans 2.5 hectares of greenhouse space and 2 hectares of its own mother plants for cutting production. "We renew these mother plants regularly to maintain quality and vitality. Most of the ornamental grass plants are grown under contract and come from our own cuttings. The deciduous shrubs overwinter in our own cold storage, from where we supply the rooted cuttings without foliage." The homepage of their website prominently states: "Your reliable source for rooted cuttings." Van der Loo emphasises, "That’s important to me. I aim for long-term relationships with my clients. For all customers, both new and existing, I strive to be reliable in every way, whether it’s about meeting delivery deadlines or maintaining the quality of our products. Our clients are tree nurseries that depend on our products to move forward. If the foundation isn’t solid, they can’t achieve their goals."

Sustainable cultivation

Van der Loo is committed to sustainable cultivation, without compromising the resilience of the cuttings. "After taking over, I’ve placed even more emphasis on using organic products, and we regularly release predatory mites to minimise the use of chemical pesticides. This is important for the future. At the same time, the quality and resilience of our product must not suffer. As I said, our clients need to be able to build on what we deliver."

GrootGroenPlus

At the trade fair, Van der Loo will showcase many types of rooted cuttings in trays. Both shrubs and ornamental grasses will be on display, including species like Buddleja, Ligustrum, Pennisetum, Potentilla, Spiraea, and more. "For me, GrootGroenPlus is important for maintaining customer relationships. In the years I don’t participate, I always visit the trade fair. GrootGroenPlus has a good reputation, is spaciously organised, and the three routes ensure visitors can see all the stands."