By Harald Linkels

Kralendijk- Ronald Hoyer and director Junny Josephina from the Krusada foundation have recently received the first copy of the handbook Hydroponics on Bonaire.

Ronald Hoyer said to be very happy that all knowledge of hydroponics can be found in this manual. The Krusada foundation recently acquired four greenhouses from Jaap van der Wel. In recent months, his successor Hoyer has been learning the tricks of the trade. He will continue the work with clients of Krusada.

Van der Wel is a Dutch horticulturalist who started growing lettuce on hydroponics in 2015. He has shown that year-round cultivation of lettuce is possible on Bonaire. Jaap and his wife went back to the Netherlands.

A goal of POP Bonaire is to make knowledge, gained in agriculture, available to those on the island. Jaap van der Wel also wanted to contribute to the cause, so he shared everything he knows about hydroponics.

Dedication and perseverance
According to Van der Wel, dedication and perseverance are needed for the successful cultivation of vegetables. “In the weekend you should also take a look at the plants, because surprises can always occur. If something goes wrong, you have to dive in to find a solution”, said Van der Wel.

According to the horticulturalist, in the Netherlands it is quite common to ask a colleagues or even a competitor for advice. This, according to Van der Wel, has made Dutch horticulture great. Van Der Pel feels it is important for gardeners on the island to share their knowledge with one another as much as possible.

There is a Dutch and Papiamentu language version of the manual available. These can be requested free of charge via POPBonaire@gmail.com.

On YouTube an accompanying film by searching for the words ‘Hydroponics Sla Bonaire’.