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Tulips are one of the most popular cut flowers available during the winter months. But are they really a good choice?
As a cut flower tulips very popular in Germany. They are colourful, durable and inexpensive. But how environmentally friendly is growing and buying tulips in February really?
They come in orange, purple, red and even black: the tulip. It is available in flower shops and supermarkets. While many people are excited about the colorful spring flowers, there are also those who consider buying tulips in February to be great climate sin regard. Because most tulips are imported from a country where they are grown under energy-intensive conditions.
Tulips: That’s why they have a bad energy balance
The Netherlands is known for its variety of tulips. According to ARD, more than 80 percent of the tulips sold come from Dutch growers. But cultivation is very difficult in winter energy intensive. The flowers are grown in heated greenhouses to protect them from frost.
This requires a significant amount of energy. Emma Auerbach, spokeswoman for the Slowflower movement, confirms this to Utopia: “The life cycle assessment of tulips from the greenhouse is extremely bad.” But the first outdoor tulips with a better balance will not be available until mid-March. Also interesting: Despite climate crisis: giant moth is making a comeback in Australia
Tulips: long transport routes damage the climate balance
Even if the Netherlands, as our neighboring country, seems supposedly close, the tulips have come a long way. To the Flower To keep them fresh, they are imported to Germany by truck or plane. This causes the transport a significant amount of . Read here: CCS technology: Can CO2 storage save the climate?
It cannot be determined whether the plant actually comes from Holland or whether it only had a brief stopover there. “The plant passport only shows the location of the last cultivation step. If the plant was repotted in the Netherlands or was allowed to grow for a few more weeks, then it says the Netherlands and not the country of origin,” explains Corinna Hölzel from the Bund for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) Utopia. So it may be that the plant has its origins in the Global South.
Tulips: A colorful bouquet pesticides
“The problem with cut flowers is that even in Germany there are no limit values for pesticide residues, as there are for food, for example,” says Hölzel. Because tulips are often grown in monocultures, which encourage the emergence of resistant pests and diseases. To protect them from this, the fields with pesticides treated like insecticides and fungicides. These chemicals can have serious environmental impacts once they enter groundwater and contaminate water bodies. Pesticides can also affect the health of workers – especially if they are not wearing protective clothing. The result is headaches and dizziness, asthma and skin rashes. Also interesting: Sport in case of illness: With these symptoms it becomes dangerous
So you can give away tulips with a clear conscience
Due to cultivation, transport and pesticides, tulips become climate sin. Instead of imported tulips, you can buy your own flowers from the Garden be given away. The Christmas rose or the elf crocodile already blooms in February. Otherwise, nurseries that are part of the Slowflower movement offer fair plants. They focus on sustainability, seasonality and regionality. From sowing to harvest, neither pesticides nor peat soil are used. Alternatively, you could forego cut flowers altogether and use a houseplant instead. It might even flower all year round.
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