Darwin Perennials announces it will ship AutoStix options for its vegetative perennial offerings through Darwin Colombia effective immediately. AutoStix is the transplant technology developed by Visser Horti Systems (The Netherlands) that automates the process of sticking cuttings. Recent trials performed by Darwin Perennials with this labor-saving system has shown positive results, and the company is confident that more than 600 of its perennial varieties will work within the system.
“The rising cost of labor and the diminishing pool of workers is a major stress on greenhouse and nursery customers,” says Jacco Kuipers, general manager of Darwin Perennials. “Darwin Perennials is committed to offering solutions to the industry wherever it can, and providing our products in the AutoStix format is one way to help our customers achieve savings, while still producing high-quality and in-demand perennials.”
“In this tight labor market, installing AutoStix has allowed us to continue aggressively pursuing our URC program instead of being forced to revert to higher-cost options,” says Chris Hansen of Hampshire Farms.
Darwin Perennials will offer perennial AutoStix clips in 34- and 51-strip options. AutoStix clips are built as biodegradable products, designed to enhance and guide the development of the root system. According to Visser, the machine can transplant up to 10,000 cuttings per hour with a uniform and high-quality result.
