"More growers to use peat free biodegradable pots"

Over the years, increasingly more growers have been investing in ways to grow more sustainably. Using biodegradable pots is a way that enables growers to enhance their environmentally friendly cultivation process. However, these pots are not always approved by every country or by every grower as many still contain peat. For this reason, Fertil, a French producer of biodegradable pots invested years in creating a peat free pot. "The worldwide demand for this type of biodegradable pot is high and the sales are still increasing," says Fred Schenk International Sales Manager at Fertil.

Fred Schenk at the IPM Essen holding a round biodegradable Fertil pot.

100% biodegradable
The pots of Fertil are made of plant fibers which make them 100% biodegradable. "The wood is collected mainly in the forest near our factory in France. We only use the trees that are being cut for thinning the forest. Therefore, we work entirely environmentally friendly. When cut, the trees are brought to the factory where they are made into wood pulp," explains Schenk.

Stimulate growth
According to Schenk, the pots stimulate growth as re-potting is not necessary. "Generally, when a grower receives their young plants or a consumer their finished plant in a plastic pot, they have to re-pot them. This often damages the roots which stops the growth of the plant for a while, till the roots recover. By using biodegradable pots, the pots can be planted directly into the soil, so no re-potting is necessary," says Schenk.

"In order to face the different situations for which the pot can be used, we decided to offer a large range. We have round pots, squared single or strips, or square and disposed in packs, with or without ergot, and the size can go from 25cm3 to 3 litres," explains Schenk.

Indicate degree of moisture
An additional benefit of the Fertil pots is the fact that the grower can indicate the degree of moisture. "The pot absorbs less water than the substrate used by the grower. Therefore, when the pot is wet on the outside, the grower can easily see that the substate is not able to absorb the amount of water given.

Future plans
The FERTILPOT can be unstacked by standard machines that are equipped with a double forks system. However, this is not always the case. "Therefore improving the characteristics of the pots with a view on automation is our key target for the future."

For more information

Fertil S.A.S
Fred Schenk
Email: fred-schenk@fertil.fr
www.fertil.fr