O’Connor Nurseries transition smoothly to 25% peat-reduced

A progressive family-run wholesale nursery, O’Connor Nurseries – at Gorey, in County Wexford – produce premium pot and bedding plants.  Established in 1969, the multi award-winning operation is run by Jim and Helen O’Connor and supplies Bord Bia peat-reduced plants to garden centres, landscapers, tidy towns and garden designers throughout Ireland.  Alongside major clients – including M&S, Homebase, Aldi and Tirlan – the busy nursery supplies independent garden centres and was awarded ‘Best Local Plant Supplier’, as well as other accolades including ‘Best Specialist Grower’ and the prestigious ‘Ornamental Grower of the Year’ award in 2011/12.

Together with its satellite site at Goresbridge, the nursery is mainly comprised of new state-of-the-art climate-controlled houses.

Alongside an extensive range of 6pk bedding, trailing and upright patio and basket plants, the portfolio includes an impressive range of pot geranium, begonia and dahlia as well as vegetable plants and show stopping Senetti varieties.

Peat-reduction

Having always relied on 100% Irish peat growing media, in November 2022 the production managers – Liagh Whelehan and Mark Miskella – began trials of peat-reduced substrates working in partnership with ICL.

“The Levington Advance substrates are proving very good,” says Mark. “Initially we trialled peat-reduced mixes with our primrose, viola, pansy and bedding.  Working in partnership with ICL’s technical team we have five peat-reduced mixes tailored to our different crops, plus a seedling mix which has proved a game changer.  These substrates now account for 90% of what we use.

“Four of the mixes are 25% peat reduced with Fibagro Advance woodfibre,” explains Mark. “Depending on the mix, they contain one of two grades – Fibagro Advance Standard and Fibagro Advance Fine.  For our year-round pansy and viola production, the mix contains the fine grade, to ensure it flows well into the small units. For the pot plants – the geraniums, begonias, dahlias and Senetti grown in 10.5cm to 19cm pots – we need a more open mix, so it contains the standard grade plus two grades of Irish peat.”

Mark Miskella – Production Manager (L) and Brendan Howell – ICL (R)

Enhancing performance

To help enhance professional growing performance in sustainable mixes, ICL has successfully pioneered a range of innovative technical additives.

“Wood-based peat alternatives are less hydrophilic than peat, which means they hold less water,” says Brendan Howell, ICL sales development manager across Ireland.  “To improve the water management, mixes contain different rates of our liquid H2Gro wetting agent and, depending on the length of the crop, H2Gro granules – which are longer lasting. H2Gro helps in three ways by improving water uptake, distribution and re-wetting.”

In addition to base fertiliser, with an NPK of 12-14-24, these peat-reduced mixes all feature Osmoform High N and Micromax Premium.

“Wood-based peat alternatives can lock up Nitrogen and the Osmoform High N supplies a slow release source,” explains Brendan. “Containing purely N, the long chains break down slowly, it basically trickles away in the background for 8-10 weeks. Meanwhile, Micromax Premium supplies all the vital trace elements in one product. Promoting rooting and healthy plant growth for up to 16 months, it optimises trace element availability – even if pH values exceed 6.5.”

Game changer for seedlings

The business also propagates a portion of their crops from seed. “Due to the tiny tray cells, seedling mixes are still generally 100% peat based – manufactured from fine 0-3mm Irish peat,” explains Brendan. “The substrate must be able to flow very freely.  However, with the imminent launch of two even finer grades of Fibagro Advance woodfibre – designed for seedling and bedding mixes – we plan to start trials of a peat-reduced Levington Advance seedling mix later this year.”

Relying on the latest hi-tech potting and transplanting machinery, the nursery utilises a 260cell seed tray system and has a modern propagation unit overseen by Alish O’Connor.

“Our highly efficient, automated transplanter has 24 fingers,” says Mark. “However, it can’t detect gaps in the seedling tray. It is time-consuming and costly to have to keep stopping and filling gaps in trays.

“In the past, to minimise losses we resorted to routine manual drenches to control damping off and other diseases – however, we still had issues. In 2022, we switched to a bespoke ICL’s seedling mix containing the biological fungicide Prestop – it has proved a game changer.  Minimising losses, it has transformed transplanting efficiency.  Prestop helps to control damping-off diseases, root and basal root disease including Botrytis, Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium as well as aerial diseases caused by Botrytis and Didymella (Mycosphaerella).

“This new seedling mix containing Prestop is saving a lot of time, and labour costs. In our seed-grown vegetable production, losses are less than 1%.”

Superior plants

“Having switched to peat-reduced mixes we feel our plant quality is superior, while crop management is not that dissimilar,” says Mark. “We’re finding some crops easier to control and are watering less often, reducing water soluble fertiliser usage and associated nutrient leaching. With the skilled technical backup we’ve received, it has been relatively plain sailing, while the saving on water solubles more than outweighs the increased cost of the substrate. Overall, we’re very pleased with the premium quality of the plants leaving the nursery and are also seeing improvements in subsequent shelf-life.

“The consistency of the new mixes has been a key component.  We know each load will be the same as the previous one – we can trust it is going to perform the same.  While the batches are sampled and tested at ICL’s factory, we also routinely send samples to a laboratory just to be sure.

“Working with ICL, we feel we are working towards a common end goal.  Alongside the right substrate, the service has been second to none – it’s highly flexible.  Space is a premium at our sites and growing media storage is tight.  With a growing media factory at Cúin na móna, ICL offers ‘just in time’ ordering. The fact they can respond in a timely fashion has been an important aspect for our transfer to peat-reduced substrates.”