Product

The Grandice tomato variety was developed by De Ruiter Seeds / Monsanto. This large vine tomato is perfectly suited for sandwiches, soups, and salads.

Last year, half of the greenhouse was planted with the Merlice variety, but due to the excellent quality and strong growth performance, this year RED-KES chose to grow only one tomato variety: Grandice.

 

Powdery Mildew Resistant The preference for Grandice is clear: “The main reason for our choice was its resistance to powdery mildew,” says Theo. “In terms of labor, I also believe it is better to grow one single variety. In addition, the fruits of Grandice have a very distinctive shape. This variety produces beautiful, large, glossy tomatoes with attractive green parts.”

Large Segment

Theo adds: “Grandice is a high-quality variety in the large tomato segment. It is a popular, glossy red vine tomato variety developed by De Ruiter Seeds. The variety is known for its large fruit quality, with tomatoes averaging between 160 and 180 grams each.

Grandice is equipped with strong built-in resistance against the highly contagious Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV). On average, each plant produces eight to nine trusses, with five tomatoes per truss.

Due to this crop load, Grandice comes into production slightly later, as it is a somewhat slower-growing variety, but it offers many advantages in return.”

Harvesting

Every day, the vine tomatoes are harvested by a large team of employees. Harvesting takes place from mid-March until the end of November. The busiest period is during the summer months, from June through August.

In autumn, crop growth slows down due to reduced daylight, which is why crop rotation takes place during this period. From December onward, the plants grow approximately 12 centimeters per week. In summer, growth can even reach 25 centimeters per week. Over the course of a year, the entire plant grows to a length of around 12 meters.

Growing Process

Around the end of October, the tomato plants are propagated by a specialized grower, Noordam Plants. After approximately 45 days, the young plants are transferred to our greenhouse in Honselersdijk.

There, they are placed on rockwool slabs and supplied with water and nutrients through a drip irrigation system. This allows optimal control over the growth and development of the plants.

After approximately 15 weeks, the tomatoes develop their rich red color and the first tomatoes are ready to be harvested.

 

Crop Maintenance Activities

In the period from December to February, work continues in the greenhouse and various crop maintenance activities take place. These include hanging strings, securing plants, twisting, pruning, and removing side shoots (de-suckering).

At the beginning of January, the first flower becomes visible, from which a tomato truss will later develop. Once seven flowers are present, two are pruned, leaving five flowers (and therefore five tomatoes). This practice allows the plant to focus its energy on fewer fruits, resulting in better quality tomatoes.

 
 
 
 

 

End of Cultivation

During the last two weeks of November, the crop rotation takes place. All plants are removed and disposed of. After this, everything is hygienically cleaned, from the floor to the glass roof.

In the week before the new plants arrive, fresh rockwool is prepared and the drip irrigation system is filled with water. RED-KES is then ready for a new season!