Flavorite Hydroponic Tomatoes - Our Process

Seeds to young plants

Flavorite produces all of its own seedlings. These are advanced seedlings to ensure optimum performance of the plants in the greenhouse. In modern tomato culture, the trend is to generative or heavy fruit bearing varieties. To achieve the best result and to achieve crops that will last for a year, grafting of tomato plants is becoming the norm. Flavorite have made a significant investment in grafting chambers and use the Japanese top grafting method for the best results. Once the plants have been through the grafting process, they spend 7 days in the grafting chambers (atmosphere controlled) before being moved into the greenhouse.

Timeframe from seed to young plant: 4 - 5 weeks

Greenhouse

Once in the greenhouse, plants are placed in larger cubes on rolling benches. As they grow, they are spread out until their leaves touch. They continue to be spread out up to the 35th day when they are transported to the glasshouse, their production base for the next 12 months. During this time they are fed a specialised nutrient mixture by an ebb and flood system. Stakes and clips are applied to larger plants and they are closely monitored for pests and diseases. The plants themselves shrug off the grafting clips as their stems get thicker. Once in the glasshouse they are placed on rockwool slabs covered in plastic, until the first flower comes out. Plants are tied with string on a hook, which is attached to a wire. They are cut into the rockwool slab when the first flower is fully out.  The plant produces a set of flowers every week and grows approximately 30cms depending on the weather.

Timeframe from planting into greenhouse to first fruit production: 10 – 12 weeks

Crop Work

Dedicated crop workers attend to specific tasks in specific areas each week. Professional crop workers can look after 10,000 plants (about half a hectare). Each week they wind the plants onto the string, prune the bunches of flowers to 5, take out the laterals (between the leaves), take off 3 or 4 leaves, manually pollinate, place supports on the bunches and monitor any pests to inform our Integrated Pest Management department. Every second week they lower the crop to allow it to grow back up to the wire. In this process they move the plants along the row to allow more space for growth.

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Department looks after all pest and disease issues in the greenhouse and attend to any spot spraying required. Irrigation and environmental management of the greenhouse are carried out by the Irrigation Department. This Department oversees the watering of all crops and oversees through computers, the precise environment in the greenhouse. They control the temperature and humidity and use heating, misting, screens, sprinklers on the roof to achieve the best result. They also feed CO2 extracted from the boiler flue into the greenhouse, to enhance production.

Picking

Picking is carried out by specialist pickers four days per week during the summer months. The fruit is harvested in the cool of the morning and great care is taken to ensure all bunches are ripe before picking and are placed straight into trays for immediate dispatch to the temperature controlled packing facility to ensure freshness and prolong shelf life. Bunches are cut straight, flush from the vine with clippers, the pickers trolleys are hooked together and taken entrain to their destination. After 11 months the plants will be 13-15 metres long and will have produced around 35 bunches (or trusses) of tomatoes. A plant on average has a life of 12 months.

Packing

Once the tomatoes leave the glasshouse they enter the temperature controlled packing facility. This area is maintained at 13 degrees celcius, the best temperature to maintain tomatoes in peak condition, to extend shelf life. Quality assurance staff ensure fruit is clean and blemish free.

Flavorite has a ‘state of the art’ Compac grader to pack single tomatoes – they are graded into a range of sizes, into 5kg trays then automatically the fruit is labelled, with a vine ripened sticker. These are then stacked in pallets, 12 high (72 trays per pallet) and secured with tape, ready for despatch.

When the truss train enters the packing facility it passes through the unloading dock where the trays are automatically placed onto a conveyor belt. Trays then move to the Christmas tree, pictured here, where skilled packers ensure each tray only contains the best quality fruit. Finished trays proceed along the conveyor to the pallet stacker where they are automatically stacked on pallets ready for despatch.

Within this system, fruit is diverted for prepacking. The system can accomodate a wide range of pack sizes but is currently specialising in the 500g prepack truss. The batching unit matches fruit in the discs to achieve a correct batched weight. Once fruit has been batched and selected it is placed on the ULMA prepack unit. This unit automatically places a sealed plastic cover, complete with Flavorite sticker, over each 500g pack. The machine also has the capability to pack home brand labels and can handle varying pack sizes.

Transport

Flavorite sends all packed fruit to national distribution centres daily. The Flavorite B double travels 3 times a day in summer between the farm at Warragul and the Melbourne distribution centre. The truck is refrigerated and holds up to 33 pallets of tomatoes.

Flavorites transport manager has had 15 years experience in the fruit business and fully understands the commitment to quality that Flavorite makes and recognises this must be supported by the logistics department. Each day fruit is delivered to the temperature controlled distribution centre, the 'Red Centre' in Sunshine, Victoria for both national and interstate distribution to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and the independent chains and to the state based wholesale markets in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland. Flavorite also maintains distribution centres in St Mary's, NSW and Bundaberg in Queensland.


Finally, delicious Flavorite tomatoes arrive on shelf in perfect condition ready to be added to your favorite recipes.