‘Milieukeur’ = Eco Label = Sustainable trees |
Van den Berk Nurseries sets great store by the sustainable and environmentally friendly production of trees. We are a member of the ‘Duurzame Boomkwekers Nederland’ (Sustainable Tree Nurseries Holland) association and cultivate trees according to the criteria of the Milieukeur (Eco Label) foundation. The criteria this foundation employs, amply comply with the norms set by the Dutch government with regard to sustainable purchasing.
All available trees and shrubs on our plots are eligible for the ‘Milieukeur’ certificate. This makes Van den Berk Nurseries one of the largest companies with sustainably produced trees and shrubs in Europe.
Click here for more information on ‘Milieukeur’.
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Van den Berk Nurseries interprets these durable production goals within the company by implementing the following environmental measures.
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Soil:
- In between harvests, we sow a green manure, such as oilseed radish, for one growing season to enhance the soil structure.
- The plots are almost exclusively fertilized using organic deep litter manure from cows and goats or compost.
- All prunings are shredded and partly worked into the soil to create a good organic substance content. The decomposition of the shredded wood binds the nitrogen in the soil, which then does not get washed away. The nitrogen is released later and more slowly and is gradually absorbed by the trees.
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Cultivation:
- All trees are planted with sufficient space in between. This gives them the best opportunity to develop and makes it possible to sow grass in between the trees, which creates a good living environment for different types of insects and other animals.
- The presence of insects means that there are many natural enemies in between the trees; this creates a natural balance which minimizes the chance of pests, which again means less pesticides are necessary.
- Any pests that do occur, are controlled extremely selectively, which means that less pesticides are used than before.
- In places where grass is sown, there are few weeds; no weed killers are necessary, which reduces the environmental impact.
- The strip of land alongside ditches is not sprayed.
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Materials:
- Die Rodung und Verpackung der Bäume geschieht mit natürlichen Materialien wie Jute und Kokos. Diese sind biologisch abbaubar und somit nicht umweltbelastend.
- FSC approved paper is used for all correspondence, our tree guide and other publications.
- All waste is separated and all paper is collected for recycling.
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Environment:
- To ensure the nursery fits in with the environment we have created a number of special areas, with e.g. windbreaks, pollard willows, toad pools, and wild flowers.
- The plots are all diversified, with varied plantings.
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