NO sun or too much rain. That is the secret of farmers and nursery caretakers in Cameron Highlands to ensure their flowers bloom in time for Chinese New Year.
The current monsoon season does not seem to bother them as their plants are grown within a controlled environment in greenhouses.
Nursery owner Mu Yue Chet said many agriculture cultivators had built greenhouses over their farms and nurseries to shelter their plants from the external environment.
Wide variety: During the holiday season, visitors come to Cameron Highlands to purchase flower plants from the nurseries. “Greenhouses keep plants safe from excessive rain and strong winds.
“Other factors like water quality and quantity can also be controlled within the environment,” Mu told The Star at his nursery in Kampung Raja.
According to him, the demand for flowers during Chinese New Year was about 50% more than usual.
Fragrance Nursery supplier Khor Kim Huat said although flowers grown in natural sunlight were of better quality, those grown in greenhouses were just as beautiful.
“Flowers produced in December last year were of better quality because there was sufficient sunlight.
“For instance, the poinsettia, a plant associated with Christmas and which needs sunlight to produce flaming red bracts, stays green in the absence of sunlight.
“However, we have artificial lighting to make up for the loss of natural sunlight,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment