Auctioneer's column: Autumn in full swing on the clock

There's no denying it: autumn has arrived, both on the clock and outside. Shops, garden centres and street vendors are now mainly selling autumn products. This week, plant auctioneer Erik Boland talks about these typical autumn products, special plant holidays and provides an update on a number of developments in the market.

Both on the clock and in shops and garden centres, you see typical autumn items such as decorative fruit, Calluna, Cyclamen, Schlumbergera, Hebe, Azalea and Chrysanthemums. These plants sell well on the clock. Autumn colours are high demand and sell well. Kalanchoë, potted Roses and Begonias traditionally do less well during this period.

We’re also noticing a similar preference for autumn colours in cut flowers. Chrysanthemums, Hydrangeas and berry products such as Symphoricarpos and Calicarpa are doing well on the clock. We expect demand for these flowers to stay strong in the coming weeks.

Outlook for plant holidays

Halloween is just around the corner, and this is already starting to show in the Arrangements auction group. Pumpkins, ghosts, spiders and the colours orange and black are well represented. Buyers are also keeping an eye on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which take place in early November. During that time, people mainly place Chrysanthemums and Calluna on the graves of their loved ones. As auctioneers, we adapt our auction tactics to these special “plant holidays”. We do this, for example, by taking into account the minimum purchase on the clock, allowing us to auction larger quantities.

Visiting a grower

During one of my market visits, I came across a grower who was suddenly able to sell his nursery. He grows Gloriosa, both cut flowers and pot plants. The sale was finalised at the beginning of September. His garden must be empty by the end of this year. As auctioneers, we believe it’s important to offer a wide range of products on the clock. Gloriosa is a special (niche) product. It would be a shame if it disappeared! We’re therefore informing growers who might be interested to grow this product, and sharing the information internally with our product managers and account managers. In doing so, we aim to keep the broadest and most diverse range possible on the clock.

Location draw for plants adjusted

In order to achieve stable and optimal pricing on the clock, it is wise to auction the most expensive product first. Sometimes different prices are paid for the same product at different locations. From now on, growers can choose the order in which their products are auctioned at the various locations. This applies to the Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg and Aalsmeer hubs. The choice of location order is still an experiment and will continue until 14 November. Please note the experiment only applies to plants.

Saint Salary

At the end of the month, demand on the clock often increases. Why? Because many people receive their salaries around that time. After the expensive holiday month of August, they have more to spend again in September and October on flowers and plants. Traders respond accordingly and make sure there’s a good supply across shops, garden centres and street vendors. As a result, prices are likely to remain reasonable to good over the next two weeks.