A mild winter in British Columbia’s lower mainland is setting the stage for an outstanding season at the region’s top organic greenhouse grower, Origin Organic Farms in Delta, BC, according to a company press release.

“With no prolonged cold spell over the last few months, the plants are thriving beautifully,” Raymond Wong, company president, said in the release.

The grower harvested the season’s first cucumbers in late February, and anticipates tomatoes-on-the-vine and Beefsteak tomatoes in late March, and red, yellow and orange peppers in early to mid-April. All are marketed by The Oppenheimer Group and sold in the “OriginO” brand.

OriginO tomatoes-on-the-vine.“This proven, popular brand of greenhouse organics answers the growing demand for high quality organic produce,” said Aaron Quon, Oppy’s executive category director, greenhouse. “OriginO does a terrific job of producing and delivering great-tasting cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. It’s not just about their high standards, it’s the thoughtfulness and care that goes into their production process. They are always innovating, and refining their systems for an even better outcome.”

One case in point is hydration. Leading into the season, Wong and his team installed a misting system for the red peppers, in order to relieve the stress put on the plants during the heat of the summer.

“Intense light is hard for organic plants to handle in the greenhouse,” he explained in the release. “In the past, we would close the shades to protect the plants on hot days, but that reduces yields. Now, we can use mist to reduce the stress on the plants without having to reduce the light. We had good results last year using a similar approach with cucumbers, so we’re translating what we learned to enhance our pepper yields.”

Wong said that in addition to plant hydration, OriginO has altered its approach to nutrition.

“We have come to recognize that the plants and what they grow really are the by-products of the soil,” he said. “We are putting greater focus on the soil mixture and applying nutrients directly into it instead of drip feeding them into the plants like we used to.”

Wong noted that the change is discernable in the flavor of the peppers and tomatoes, but especially in the cucumbers.

“People are tasting the difference,” he said in the release. “Cucumber flavor is typically characterized as fresh, but somewhat bland. The alterations we are making to the soil are producing a richer, more complex cucumber taste.”

The cucumbers are available now from The Oppenheimer Group, with the full OriginO line coming on stream by mid-April.