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Helena O’Neill stopped by Utopia Nurseries in Puni to chat with Peter Rensen about flower growing just in time for Mother’s Day.
How long have you been a flower grower?
We set up in 1991, first we were leasing a few greenhouses, then we bought the land here at Puni. So, 35 years.
Where do your flowers go?
All over the world. Japan is still our biggest market, then China, the United States of America, Canada, and Australia. This early in the season, most of it goes to Australia. It’s close by with not much competition from Europe, which is coming to the end of its growing season.
What are you growing now?
About 22 years ago, we moved to growing only orchids for cut flowers. Before then, we were growing all sorts of flowers, but the orchids have given us a nicer lifestyle. We are really busy from April through to October, and then the summer is not so busy.
Is Mother’s Day a busy time for you?
Oh yes, it is our busiest time. We also grow pot plants, and they are very popular for Mother’s Day. Chrysanthemums are our main ones, but we also grow poinsettias.
Why did you start growing pot plants?
We’ve been growing pot plants for five years, and they’re growing in popularity. We started growing them during Covid times, as there were no flights and no way to send our exports. Luckily, there were also no imports of flowers, so we could sell to markets that would otherwise buy cheaper, imported flowers.
Are there many orchid growers?
The biggest orchid growers are mainly in Franklin and South Auckland, with some in Whangarei too. We can be at the airport within an hour while keeping them fresh. I think there are three big orchid growers in Franklin, with a few smaller ones here too.
What is your favourite orchid?
My favourite is probably Shiraz, which is a deep reddish purple, and it has a scent. Not many people like scented orchids, but I do.
How do you heat your greenhouses?
We use waste oil, but that is running low on supply, and we will have to move to diesel. It’s getting harder to source waste oil, so we’re trialling growing and using elephant grass as an energy source. Also called Miscanthus, elephant grass is a perennial grass native to Asia and Africa. It’s a very tall grass that we harvest once dried and then burn it in our boiler.
Utopia Orchids won a New Zealand Farm Environment Trust regional award in 2024, what was that for?
We were named the Auckland regional supreme winner for how we’re enhancing the natural environment.Extensive riparian planting has been carried out since the early 2000s, with more than four hectares of native bush. This includes Raupo wetlands, which are one of the few habitats of this type remaining in the region. As well as enhancing the natural environment, the native planting reduces soil runoff and ensures excess water from the glasshouses is filtered before entering streams.
We also reduce the use of chemical sprays, using mites, beneficial insects, and bacterial sprays to control butterflies, thrips and other insects, and fungi. When the onion season comes to an end, the thrips move in and become a big pest. They come in their millions!
What do you like about growing orchids?
The orchid industry is quite a stable industry. It can be quite an old-fashioned type of growing, without much mechanisation possible. There is more mechanisation possible with pot plant growing.
I have very good people working here, but there aren’t so many new ones coming in. I have 12 staff during peak season, down to eight during the off-season. I plan to use my good people more efficiently through mechanisation where I can.
