The first choice for high quality plants

With a Major in Plant Nutrition, she has both the professional knowledge and practice in the field. On a weekly basis, she visits and advises about 10 growers of pot plants, container nursery stock and bedding plants. “In China, most growers fully rely on our recommendations. We are making sure that they use the right fertilizers in the correct way.”

Growers in Europe vs. China

In Europe, most growers have been growing the same (type of) plants for many years. They become experts in growing these specific plant types perfectly over the years. Maybe they will make slight changes to the growing circumstances (the fertilizer program being one aspect), just to steer the growing to their liking. The growers’ community in China works differently, Judy says. “Chinese growers will change their entire production to a different plant type if it sells better. They are flexible, and always keep an eye on what’s happening in the market. This is one of the reasons why they rely heavily on us for advice; they don’t always have the experience or expertise to get the plant nutrition right. We help them in making the right decisions in fertilizer products and application techniques.”

Judy Cao has been working in the ornamental horticultural field in China for roughly 13 years

Just like elsewhere in the world, growers in China are under increased pressure with higher production costs, and declining profits. The quality of the plants seems to be more important than ever to ensure a steady income. Judy: “This is where the products of Peters come in. Fertilization is only a small part of the total of production costs, but it is so essential for the quality of the plants. For me, Peters is the first choice for high quality plants.”

Peters: a good reputation for good reason

Peters is well-known among the growers’ community in China. The consistent performance and superfast response after application are why. Judy: “Peters is for any grower that focusses on the quality of their plants, but I would also advise it in general when a grower is not satisfied with his/her current results. I visited a Poinsettia grower a while ago that used a competitor’s product, but the quality of the flowers was just not good enough. I started a trial at the nursery to show how we could improve. I used a combination of Peters 20-20-20 and 17-7-27 in different growth stages. Both leaves and flowers improved significantly, and the grower was very satisfied with it.”