In an industry where labour is becoming scarcer and pressure on chemical crop protection continues to increase, Tree Nursery Hergo deliberately chooses a different approach. Over the past few years, the company has developed into a practical example of how technology and craftsmanship can strengthen each other in tree nursery production. Not simply by increasing scale, but by organising production in a smarter and more precise way.

“Technology should not be interesting because it is new, but because it actually works in the field.”

Working smarter at field level
Hergo combines a wide assortment of avenue and ornamental trees with a clear focus on efficiency in cultivation. The company does not only focus on scaling up, but mainly on working smarter at field level. By using GPS-controlled machinery, mechanical weed control and precise field operations, labour requirements are reduced and production remains manageable, even under stricter regulations and rising costs.

Mechanisation is mainly aimed at performing operations more precisely and at the right moment. This not only saves labour, but also results in a more stable cultivation process and a more uniform crop.

“If you can work more precisely, you eventually get a better and more uniform product. That’s where the real profit is.”

Innovation driven by practice
What stands out is that technological decisions at Hergo are always made from a practical perspective. Technology itself is not the goal; the result in the field is what matters: cleaner fields, more uniform crops and better control over planning and labour. Machines and systems must be reliable and suitable for daily use.

Hergo shows that innovation in tree nurseries is not a goal in itself, but a tool to remain future-proof. In a sector where regulations, labour costs and availability of crop protection products are constantly changing, precision in cultivation is becoming increasingly important.

A practical testing ground for new technology
This approach makes the company interesting for both fellow growers and suppliers. Hergo increasingly acts as a practical testing location where new technologies and machines have to prove their value under real nursery conditions — not in theory, but in the field between the trees.

This means the company is not only developing as a tree producer, but also as a practical nursery where the future of tree nursery production is gradually taking shape.

“In the end, technology must ensure that cultivation remains manageable. That is what it’s all about.”