Former soldier begins new career as horticulturist

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java

When admiring a bouquet, few imagine how much the grower has toiled to produce the flowers it contains.

Many people take up gardening simply to kill time and others do it as a hobby. Not many who love gardening turn it into a business or become a flower grower.

Murdiyono, 61, never dreamed of becoming a flower grower when he started three years ago. He had only wanted to do something he really liked and, if possible, make money from it.

"Each person is different from everyone else. Many people like gardening but not all want to turn it into a business," he said.

Murdiyono started gardening after he retired from the Army six years ago.

"Having grown up in a village, I'd always wanted to spend my retirement days in one: to relax, and do a little gardening," said Murdiyono, who still looks fit for a man of his age.

Just before he retired he bought a plot of land in Pangalengan, a small town 45 kilometers south of Bandung that is also one of the agribusiness and dairy product centers in West Java.

However, he did not immediately start growing flowers, but instead grew vegetables such as chilies, potatoes, and cabbages. He sold his farm produce in Bandung.

Murdiyono found that his Army service came in handy in running his farm. "I'd acquired some farming experience because in the Army we were taught it," he said.

Unfortunately, that did not last long. The prolonged economic crisis that hit the country in 1997 forced Murdiyono to close the business as the price of farming equipment soared.

It was his children who encouraged him to start a nursery. At first he hesitated, because he had no knowledge about growing cut flowers.

"I didn't have a clue about growing cut flowers. I didn't even know what sort of flowers to plant or what a greenhouse was," he recalled.

Experience, however, is a good teacher. As his nursery grew, so did his knowledge.

Attending seminars and exhibitions, reading books and magazines as well as learning from other flower growers became his fount of knowledge.

From these, he learnt how to grow flowers from seeds, raise seedlings, build a greenhouse, select the type of flowers to plant and how best to water them and spray fertilizer on them.

"Growing cut flowers is a painstaking job because you have to be patient and careful, otherwise, you won't achieve a good result," Murdiyono explained.

At his nursery, Murdiyono plants four types of flower: carnations, gerberas, tuberoses, and lilies.

Each stage, from raising seedlings, planting, and harvesting has to be completed meticulously, with long lists of dos and don'ts.

Even watering the flowers has to be done carefully. "It must not be too wet or too dry. And when spraying the water, it must be done carefully so as not to wet the flower petals," he said, adding that water can rot them.

To protect the flowers from direct rain and sun, Murdiyono plants them in simple greenhouses made from bamboo poles and plastic sheets. Four layers of plastic net are weaved in between rows of flowers to ensure that they have straight stems.

"A good cut flower has fresh, large petals and a long, straight stem. The stem of a good cut flower is usually 60 centimeters (cm) to 70 cm long," Murdiyono said.

Once a week, the flowers have to be fertilized and sprayed with pesticide to protect them from disease. Regular weeding is also important.

Every week, Murdiyono harvests 6,000 carnations, 300 lilies, 300 gerberas, and 150 tuberoses. They are sold at different prices, with lilies commanding the highest, at Rp 2,500 to Rp 3,000 each, and carnations at Rp 750 each, sold in 20-bloom bundles.

Gerberas and tuberoses are Rp 500 each.

"Horticulture is better than vegetable-growing, because prices are more stable. Thus, it is easier for me to project future income," Murdiyono said.

Today, some 20 people work at his nursery, including one assistant to help him devise a planting schedule so that the nursery can produce flowers all the year round. He is in partnership with his colleague, who has also recently retired from the army.

The business requires Murdiyono to commute between his nursery in Pangalengan and home in Bandung, making the three-hour drive every three or four days.

Murdiyono said that one of the problems in developing his business was to obtain flower seeds of good quality.

"It's really hard to find them here. I have tried to get flower seeds from abroad but they are too expensive," he said, adding that carnation seeds from Holland cost Rp 4,000 each.

"And the big horticulturists don't want to sell the seeds to us small ones," he added.

So far, Murdiyono has obtained seeds from fellow growers or from carrying out small experiments.

"A friend of mine was very surprised when I told him that the layers from lily tubers can be used as seedlings," Murdiyono recalled.

Growing flowers is one thing. Selling them is another.

Although the cut-flower business still offers opportunities, Murdiyono has to struggle to market his flowers, including being cheated by buyers.

At first, Murdiyono tried to sell his flowers to florists and at the Wastukencana flower market in Bandung. But he did not make much profit, as the florists bought at a low price.

"The business is still controlled by big-time growers who, of course, with all their money, can produce better flowers. It's cut-throat competition," he said.

However, the failure did not daunt Murdiyono. Nowadays, he sells his flowers to wholesalers who subsequently sell them to florists and flower markets in Bandung, Jakarta, and Semarang in Central Java. Sometimes, he also sells them to other nurseries.

"So far, it's been good. We have yet to realize a large profit from the business, but I'm not going to give up," he said.

"Besides, there is no greater pleasure than working with nature," Murdiyono said with a wide grin.