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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • MARCH 2018
• PROMOTION
By its own account, the Israeli young-plant producer,
Hishtil Nurseries, candeliver thewidest range of herbs
year-round, currently over 160 species and varieties.
These include awide range ofMint, Thyme, Rosemary
aswell as specialities such as sweet woodruff Galium
odoratum, oyster plant Mertensiamaritima , waterpepper
Persicaria hydropiper var. Rubra mushroomplants.
How it started
Their story began in the springof 1973with a visit to the
Speedling company inSunCity, Florida. It was there that
Yeheakel Dagan R.I.P. developed the idea of founding a
vegetable nursery business in Israel. In the summer of the
same year, he invitedGeorge Todd, thedeveloper of the
Speedlingplug system,
to Israel with the aimof
creating the necessary
horticultural conditions.
Shortly afterwards,
Yeheakel foundedHishtil,
theHebrewword for
Speedling the first
company in Israel to
produce sell seedlings
as plugplants.More
than 40yrs later the
company is still a family
runbusiness, producing
more than1billionplants
per year.
Professionalism
Hishtil’s expertise is in theproduction and sale of young
plants seedlings, unrooted and rooted cuttings in herbs,
vegetables, sweet potatoes, adevelopingperennial range
and some annuals for professional cultivationworldwide.
Hishtil’s core activity is theproductionof vegetatively
propagated herbs in a conventional production line and
anorganicproduction line. All the herbs aredelivered as
unrootedor rooted cuttings. Standard tray siae formost
herbs is aModiform 153 tray, seedlings come in tray siaes
of 153or 264. To reduce cultivation time theR D team
aredeveloping larger 84/66 trayswith larger rootballs.
These larger youngplantswill shorten the cultivation time
inUKgivinggrowersmore rounds per seasonbut can
alsogive anopportunity for spot crops betweengrowers
regular croppingplans.
Awin-win operating strategy
The company is probably slightly unusual in that it
does not operate any plant breedingof its own, instead
choosing toworkwithmany small independent plant
breeders, seed companies andplant specialistswho
regularly create new varieties, awin-win situation for both
sides. It alsogives independence. There is no emphasis
topromotingownbreeding as every breeder/plant/seed
source is treated equally.
CREATINGA BILLION PLANT INDUSTRY
THROUGH INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION
Yeheakel Dagan 1937-2016
founder of Hishtil.
Hishtil NehalimNursery.
Hishtil’s rooted cuttings-herbs.
