Tulip Trouble: A Season for the Record Books
Have you heard? This summer has been the worst tulip bulb harvest season in modern history.
Bulb farmers in The Netherlands have seen several climactic abnormalities. Here are the issues as described by our wholesale bulb supplier in Holland:
First, the plants experienced extreme cold during flowering, which caused damage to the plants’ cellular structure and led to higher incidence of botrytis (tulip fire).
Next, seasonal winds were primarily from the east, rather than the cool, tempered winds from the west that usually sweep in from the Atlantic.
Thirdly, in the second week of June, The Netherlands experienced high temperatures in an excess of 35C (over 95F). This stopped many varieties from growing and pushed them prematurely into dormancy when they’d normally be gaining energy through photosynthesis from their leaves.
And lastly, the season on the whole has been too dry. Tulips are a water-loving plant and this is why they typically thrive in The Netherlands where fields are barely above sea level.
It’s the perfect storm. And it’s reportedly leading to bulb harvests that are only 65% of the quantities that were anticipated.
The bulb industry in Holland was reeling just a few years ago from the global shut downs and event cancellations related to the pandemic. It came back to serve the boom of events that followed and the public’s new found love for gift giving and home decorating. But the affects of the pandemic struggles were wide. Many farmers closed their farms permanently or retired and moved on to other ventures. The profit margins are small for flower farmers in The Netherlands, where flowers are plentiful and quantity is king.
Without a high quantity of sales, it’s just too hard to scale operations back and weather the storm. Now, I fear we’re faced with a similar situation. But this time, it isn’t the market that’s unable to purchase bulbs, it’s the farms that are unable to provide them.
I suspect that this nightmare season will have a similar affect on the tulip industry. Some farms in The Netherlands will not be able to weather this storm. Some will close permanently. The cost of any remaining bulbs that have not yet been spoken for or locked in a the pre-season price, will jump. The cost of cut flower tulips will rise this winter through spring, too.
For the longer term, we can expect bulbs to cost more next year, and perhaps for years to come. The relative stability of the industry in the northern hemisphere has been shaken. And while I prefer to hold on to an optimistic perspective, the realities of climate change and their affects on this crop are significant. Only time will tell how the industry in The Netherlands is able to navigate these challenges. Our fingers are crossed. We’re wishing all of our friends overseas well and offering our support and flexibility. It’s all we can do.
What does this mean for the small scale cut flower grower? See my next post to learn what to expect and how to best navigate the situation.
