“We were looking for a suitable hook for the cucumber cultivation. A cucumber plant will grow 50 to 60 centimeters average per week. This almost twice as fast as a tomato plant, which grows 30 to 31 centimeters per week on average. That is why we were looking for a hook different from the 22 or 24 centimeter hook, that we use in tomato cultivation. We deemed it important that the hook should ensure a reduction in the labor costs.” 

Tim Prins, labor specialist at GreenValley in De Lier, is explaining. “Together with Royal Brinkman, we finally decided to use the new 26 centimeter tail hook of Magic Hooks. Our cucumber nursery measures 7.8 hectares and consists of 224 thousand plants. With 60 employees per day, it is essential that you organize the working day in the best way possible. Using the 26 centimeter hook we now lower the plant only twice per week, half a turn, while the plant is hanging at the ideal cutting height for personnel.”

​​​​- Nick Groenewoud, specialist gaas en verpakkingen Royal Brinkman​​​​

Martin Meuldijk, crop rotation specialist at Royal Brinkman, explains that the choice for the right high-wire hook is important. “Hooks are used in many vegetable crops, to be able to get the crop to an optimal working height. They are also used to tether young plants more quickly. Every horticultural company has its own wishes regarding their cultivation situation. For that reason, high-wire hooks can be supplied in different formats, with different kinds of rope.

The 26 centimeter hook was marketed for the cucumber cultivation in particular. Thanks to the longer hook, the plants remain at their level longer and this leads to substantial savings on labor during the cultivation. Apart from that, the hook is very user-friendly. The hook is thick and sturdy, allowing you to work with it just as quickly as with the shorter hooks, while the free fall of the rope works optimally. The Easy Hook is available in 260 mm which is ideal for cucumber cultivation.

Tim Prins remarks that he sees a lot of advantages in the use of the hooks of Magic Hooks. “Thanks to the shape of the Easyhook, we can hang the tail hooks across a long aisle in only 18 minutes time, because the free fall is working well. At the beginning of a bundle, the employee hangs the tail over the edge of the pipe rail trolley. Using two hands, he can quickly hang the hooks and continue until the bundle has gone. Furthermore, there is no waste on the floor using this method.” Also, Royal Brinkman makes it possible to work with rope in multiple colors.

Tim: “We chose to work with white and yellow, as a marking of the plants. Owing to the color combination we noticed that less mistakes are being made by our employees.”

In addition to the labor-efficiency, the Easyhooks of Magic Hooks also contribute to the sustainability of GreenValley. Tim Prins explains: “After every cultivation season, we hand in the used hooks at Royal Brinkman.

After the hooks have been cleaned, they are fitted with new rope and are reused. The recycling process of the hooks ensures a lower footprint of our cucumbers, as well as a reduction in costs, because we can purchase the subsequent tail hooks at a reduced price”.

“We see many advantages in the 26 centimeter tail hook”, says Tim Prins. “With the 26 centimeter Easyhooks, we notice substantial savings on labor in the cucumber cultivation. We don’t need to lower the plants as often, and thanks to the tail-shaped free fall, we are able to quickly hang the hooks. Moreover, using the bigger 26 centimeter hook, the plants are hanging at the right working height for the personnel. In addition, we are happy with the sustainability aspect and the possibility to receive hooks with different rope colors. In short, we are satisfied.”

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