What started as a fruit cultivation company eventually grew into a fruit tree nursery over the years. Carolus Trees from the Belgian Nieuwerkerken has been growing apple and pear trees, mainly intended for European export, for over 32 years. "We grow two million fruit trees for the international market each year," says director Eddy Gieraerts. "Only 15 percent of our production is for the own market. The rest goes to European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. We are consciously focusing on quality focused customers in Europe."
One of the fruit tree plantations at Carolus Trees.
The reason that the company's focus is on Europe, has to do with various factors. "We don't want to become dependent on large volume countries such as China or Russia," he continues. "The transport outside of Europe is becoming proportionally expensive. The countries that we would export our trees to have to be prepared to pay for our quality. We aren't price fighters. This is why we are remaining inside Europe for now and avoiding sales risks."
Apples and pears
Carolus only focuses on the cultivation of apple and pear trees, although it concerns various varieties. "We have over 60 varieties," says the director. "Of those trees 70 percent are apple and the rest are pear. We grow both smaller club varieties and larger standard varieties. Although we have a lot varieties, we are always looking for new ones that have defining characteristics."
The main fruit trees for pears remain Conference. For the apples they are the varieties Gala, Fuji and Elstar and club varieties such as Kanzi and Kizuri are on the rise. Eddy indicates that Carolus invests in quality not quantity. "We really go for quality," says the director. "Besides growing for the demand, we look with our network of local representatives at what the demand will be in the future. More club varieties, but also scabies resistant or earlier varieties such as Belgica and Finesse, which we have license to grow, so that the customer can continue to define themselves."
Lime soil
Carolus trees aren't grown at the office in Nieuwerkerken, but more to the south against the language border with Walloon. "The most ideal soil for the trees can be found in the square Tienen-Landen-Hannuit-Hoei," Eddy indicates. "The lime soil there is better than the sand lime soil in Nieuwerkerken. We grow on the same soil for two to three years then find a new patch. This makes us a part of rotation cultivation and we don't exhaust the soil."
The Carolus building in Nieuwerkerken.
Magnum tree
Not an ice cream tree, but one with 25 percent more yield is to be the new success of the company from Nieuwerkerken. "Recently we received a European patent on our new Magnum tree," says the man behind Carolus. "Besides a higher yield, it is a tree that can grow on three levels and has more light. There will soon be a new European patent for a tree type that shows great merit, but I can't talk about it yet. I do know that Italians and Chileans visited who are trying to copy our Magnum trees already. We will be speaking to them soon. For now we are focusing on the sales."
Tree shower
The company from Nieuwerkerken is investing in the area of sustainability. "Take our tree shower for example," says the front man. "Before the fruit trees are exported, we rinse the roots to that they are completely clean and to make sure the trees don't dry out. We use a tree shower that uses collected rain water for this. We also have LED lighting, solar power and use recycled packaging."
Competition
According to director Eddy Gieraerts and his team the competition within fruit tree cultivation is tough. "The competition in and from Eastern Bloc countries in particular will become stronger in the future," he says. "Growers from European countries start with a nursery in Romania or Serbia as the costs are lower there and are more focused on large investors in Russia or China. They might be cheaper, but the quality of the trees is often lesser and due to their unstable sales markets they can cause over supply during gaps in sales. That sometimes causes price pressure on the market. A quality grower plants based on their business and choice of tree."
For more information:
Fruitboomkwekerij Carolus Trees
Heuvelstraat 50
3850 Nieuwerkerken (Belgium)
T: +32 (0) 11 68 87 01
F: +32 (0) 11 67 47 64
