South Estonia's greenhouses abuzz with spring, summer flower planting
Winter may have been cold this year, but it hasn't disrupted horticultural work.
The spring thaw arrived just at the right time, as planting season comes.
At the Räpina aianduskool, a horticultural school in Räpina, people know how important it is to have the skill to work with nature, as when a small plant begins to grow and bloom, the blooming flowers can bring a lot of joy to others, not least on International Women's Day, which is this coming Sunday, March 8.
"Since International Women's Day is just around the corner, this is the peak moment for our advanced tulips — we'll be picking them here by the thousands. We already have the order list in front of us, and the fridge is already full of tulips. The pansies were sown by us from seed — the students have already planted them in pots, and soon the young plants will start arriving, because we also produce summer flowers from purchased young plants with the aim that students can see different cultivation methods," said Loona Piho, head of the school's teaching garden.
A lot of students and teachers have similarly been working hard in the heated greenhouses to make the spring flowers bloom earlier than usual.
"Every year we try something new. Our cornflower project gained fame here some time ago, but this year's star is the common lily of the valley. We are also forcing it — its rhizome buds are planted in pots early. Since we have heated greenhouses and very good plant lamps, we can allow for such experiments," Piho said.
Meanwhile, at the Tori Lilleaia nursery in Pärnu County, the spring work was also in full swing when "Aktuaalne kaamera" visited, as both spring and summer flowers need to be planted in the greenhouses.
"The first plants arrived at the end of February, and they are going straight into pots — for example, pansies, hanging baskets, and all such things. Planting is in full swing," said Kristjan Sohlu, the farm's owner.
"The winter was very harsh, but luckily, when the plants started arriving, it warmed up, although the greenhouses thawed much more slowly. And since it is currently cloudy, that's actually not good for the flowers. Flowers need sunlight, which we are eagerly awaiting — then it's really joyful to work," Sohlu went on.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Johanna Alvin
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
