Ter Laak Orchids

Discover Ter Laak Orchids, a family-run business renowned for cultivating top-quality Phalaenopsis plants. Learn about their sustainable innovations, including the groundbreaking Daylight Greenhouse and underground water storage, and explore their unique orchid collections: Authentic Orchids and Mimesis.

Ter Laak Orchids, established in 1954, is a family-owned enterprise led by brothers Eduard and Richard ter Laak. Operating two nurseries in Wateringen, the company produces approximately 8 million Phalaenopsis plants annually for garden centers, florists, and retailers across Europe. With a dedicated team of over 250 employees, Ter Laak Orchids strives to make a positive impact on the environment through sustainable practices.

Ter Laak Orchids cultivates Phalaenopsis at the very highest level worldwide. They achieve absolute top quality by using technical innovations and continuous product development. Naturally in a sustainable manner, because respect for people and their environment is in their nature. Sustainable innovations minimise energy and water consumption. The most eye-catching innovation in this is the energy-saving Daylight Greenhouse (5 ha), which has been in full production since the beginning of 2019.

Sustainable innovations

Sustainability is woven into the DNA of the Ter Laak brothers. They want to make a positive contribution to a sustainable world and minimise their environmental impact. This is reflected in everything they do. They invest in sustainable solutions that help lower energy consumption, reduce CO2 emissions and prevent water wastage. They achieve this in cooperation with business, research institutes and education.

Daylight Greenhouse

In 2018, they built a new highly sustainable Daylight Greenhouse (5 ha) next to the existing nursery. Through special lenses in the deck, sun rays are centred on a tube containing flowing water. The resulting focal point heats up and stores the water in these tubes. They can use this heat immediately or at a later time to heat the greenhouse, for instance at night or in winter. It is a highly technical and innovative system that allows them to save 45-50% energy without compromising plant quality. Even better; thanks to diffuse double glazing in the deck, plant quality actually improves!

Underground water storage

In the nurseries, they not only want to save energy, but also water. This is why they commissioned an underground water storage facility in 2017. This allows Ter Laak Orchids to store excess rainwater in the soil without limit. They can pump up this rainwater at a later date and use it to humidify the plants. Not only that, it prevents the soil from silting up and helps keep the area dry during heavy rainfall.

"Besides these projects, we are sustainable in the broadest sense of the word. We make optimal use of our surfaces with a second cultivation layer, use LED lighting and grow biologically to the maximum extent. We use recyclable packaging, invest in cogeneration plants and have an outdoor screen. It is the strength of the coherent whole that keeps taking us further in sustainable entrepreneurship." Eduard Ter Laak.

Assortment

Today, Ter Laak Orchids' assortment consists of two different orchid lines; Authentic and Mimesis.

Authentic Orchids

Every day, Ter Laak works to produce top-quality plants. After all, they want consumers to enjoy the floral splendour for as long as possible. However, orchids are a product of Mother Nature and therefore sometimes a bit stubborn. During the growth process, orchids go their own way and sometimes a small beauty flaw arises here or there. A twist in the branch, a curly leaf or one less bud. But isn't nature at its most beautiful when it goes its own way? According to Ter Laak, these plants are too good to waste. After all, they stand for quality, but find respect for nature at least as important. It is nature's perfect imperfections that make these plants so authentic.

Mimesis

Mimesis is Ter Laak's newest line, in January 2021 they introduced this scented orchid line. Mimesis is all about emotion, connecting and sharing. The Mimesis Phalaenopsis therefore likes to share its pot, as one pot contains two plants. This looks like a real sea of flowers. The Mimesis gives an expression of connection, which makes it a nice gift to give or get!

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