The pandemic stopped the cut flower industry in its tracks as the number of handing out opportunities has decreased. The lockdown in homes, however, breathed wind in the sails of producers of potted plants. Poles began to arrange "urban jungles" in their apartments. As it turns out, the purchase of some plants can pay off after a few years, and with a vengeance.
The potted plants that can be purchased on the Polish market come from both domestic and imported production. The boom in flowering apartments, balconies and gardens is reflected in wholesale. - With the exception of the first lockdown in Poland, during the pandemic, balcony, bedding, garden and potted flowers and plants were selling very well throughout the year, says Anna Kaszewiak from the Bronisze Wholesale Market.
She adds that producers and importers have seized the opportunity that has become an interest in greening their own four walls and a free patch of garden in a pandemic. Polish gardeners left with the goods had a place to sell them. Importers used this moment to import not only more items, but also more interesting species. This trend continues.
Monstera is not enough
Martyn Drozda, the owner of the Zielony-Parapet.pl online store with plants, also sees a growing interest in green at home in the company's results. "Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have observed increases of 200%. compared to the previous year. This trend continues and slightly declines as the restrictions are lifted,"
he says. He estimates that his store sells 25,000-30,000 pieces of goods a week. Of this, about 60-70% are the plants themselves, the rest are accessories for growing.
Demand in markets is rising
When asked about the sales volumes of plants, the well-known DYI market Obi answers briefly: "It is currently breaking records, counting in millions of plants. At the moment, plants with decorative leaves, not necessarily green, are experiencing a renaissance. Plants with pink or mottled leaves, i.e. green and white, are of particular interest. The offers built on philodendrons are still interesting, and the monstera itself is no longer enough. Ferns are also returning to favor, positively influencing the microclimate of rooms and purifying the air."
Leroy Merlin where several Dutch companies deliver their assortment also confirms that "there is a clear trend in the increase in sales of green plants in relation to flowering plants", as well as the interest in large exotic plants, such as palm trees.
IKEA calculates that compared to the previous financial year 2020, plant sales increased by 19%, while pot sales increased by 29% at the same time.
The Polish marketplace website OLX.pl explains that in searches for potted plants from the beginning of this year, monstera appears most often - 12.6 thousand monthly queries, i.e. almost 670 a week. Relatively often, users also look for advertisements about the sale of syngonium (5.5 thousand searches) and philodendron (philodendron, 3.5 thousand searches per month). - By comparison, the most popular query in the plant category is "seedlings". This key word has 29 thousand searches per month - says Paulina Rezmer from the OLX Group.
Record prices
According to the OLX portal, the most expensive monstera at the moment (Monstera adansonii) is up for sale for 6.5 thousand zloty. The most expensive monstera, about the successful sale of which the website users informed us, was Monstera adansonii variegata, sold for 14 thousand zloty. The second price record belongs to the representative of the same variety, which was sold for 12 thousand PLN is enumerating Paulina Rezmer. In turn, the record prices of syngonium reach PLN 3,200, while the most expensive philodendron this year (Philodendron ilselmania) was sold for PLN 6,200.
On the other hand, on Allegro Lokalnie from March 2021 the most expensive plant transaction was the Abyssinian banana tree Maurelli, sold for PLN 2,880. The second place is the Trachycarpus Fortunei palm tree for PLN 2,600. Edible rose bush (with a recipe for jam!) went into new hands for 2487 PLN. Monstera Variegata Marmorata Aurea Yellow was sold for PLN 2,000, and the XXL seedling of Eastern laurel "Rotundifolia" for PLN 1,650.
To read the original article, go to www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl.