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News
GIANT AIR-POT FOR A MONSTER SHOW
IPM really is the big one – a truly international show, which was still breaking visitor records, despite hard times across the globe.
As well as being an obvious chance to catch up with customers from Germany, we saw many more from Italy, Holland and Spain. But only a very special few from the UK.
In the past many of our German customers used the Air-Pot as a tool to wrap trees ordered for summer planting. ‘Container’ was a dirty word and regarded as a last resort for pesky customers who needed trees out of season.
However, some of these die-hards are now setting up state of the art container units, using Air-Pots of course! More later......
Although one can never really tell whether a tradeshow has been successful until months after the event, when preliminary conversations become plans, become orders (one hopes), we met some extremely enthusiastic growers from India, Canada, Japan, South Africa, Korea and all over Eastern Europe. So there is a lot to be done. Back to the grindstone!
New Production Facility
After eleven years of making Air-Pot rolls, walls and kits in a former workshop of the Lady Victoria mine in Newtongrange (on the outskirts of Edinburgh) manufacture is moving to Prestonpans, East Lothian, where it will step up a gear and operate more efficiently. No longer shall we generate our own power, or have to battle with the elements! The building is insulated to allow us to maintain a more constant temperature and avoid freezing in winter and overheating in summer. It is all positive.
To add to the good news, we are starting out at the new premises with new machinery, which will allow us much greater flexibility in production. We shall be able to switch to making different sizes much more easily to accommodate orders as they come in, vital improvements as we grow busier.
Air-Pot ‘U’ is making life a lot easier – and more profitable – for growers in Holland
The Air-Pot U, a trough made of Air-Pot material, is a new growing system which allows mechanised filling and installation, an ideal working height, a 3 dimensional air-pruning environment and, finally, mechanised harvesting (8000 trees of 50 different species per day).
This has been developed over the last four years at Boomkwekerij JW Crum, a well known Dutch nursery based in Dodewaard, near Opheusden. The project was supported by PPO, the Dutch horticultural research institute.
Variable lengths of Air-Pot material, depending on the site, form a U-shaped, hanging trough, with an average ground clearance of about 500mm to the bottom of the trough. The material is pulled into the frame work, while being filled with the appropriate mix. Another excellent innovation is that the irrigation and plant support are a part of the structure and remain in place for crop after crop. Planting and maintenance is all carried out at an easy, raised working height.
An additional benefit is that the system gets around the problems of adverse weather conditions – where once the field might have been a no-go area due to extremes of weather, year round access is possible.
Bespoke filling (see photograph) and harvesting machinery has been designed and built by Logitech BV, in Holland, and is available for what is now a complete, pioneering production system.
Finally, and most exciting of all, trials of plants from the Air-Pot U show a 50% increase of growth over the same plants from the traditional in ground system.
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AIAPP Conference in Canneto sull’Oglio, Italy
A cross section of just over 70 professionals involved in growing and specifying quality trees gathered for a seminar in Canneto sull’Oglio, organised by The Association of Italian Landscape Architects in conjunction with Vivai Ghilotti. Speakers from Italy, Spain, France and Britain made a truly international day. Jamie Single seemed to be the only representative dependent on the translation services provided, as the multi-lingual majority communicated very effectively in each other’s languages!
Deepdale Managing Director, Matthias Anton was no exception, making his presentation in fluent Italian. Deepdale’s 15 year experience of using Air-Pot containers gives Matthias a unique historic perspective of the commercial and horticultural benefits of Air-Pot technology.
The organisers invited the Caledonian Tree Company’s Italian based, Massimo Della Casa, to explain the Air-Pot and how it has made such a dramatic difference to container growing.
Dr. Frangi, of the Fondazione Minoprio, spoke about their trials of different systems which claim to prevent root spiralling, and confirmed the excellent results achieved by using Air-Pot technology in terms of impressive root production and post transplant establishment.
Respected, Spanish tree expert, Josep Selga, representing, Santa and Cole Forestal, gave a detailed academic account of the growing advantages and superior establishment afforded by the Air-Pot.
Cecile Cholat of Pepinieres Cholat in Savoie, recounted their experience of working with local government authorities, such as the Prefeture de Grenoble (also represented at the seminar) now specifying Air-Pot grown trees for their radically improved establishment.
There was no shortage of questions put to the panel and only a problem of lack of time.The afternoon session was given over to nursery tours around Vivai Ghilotti and Ziliani Andrea, where varied applications of the Air-Pot technology were on show, with experts on hand to explain.
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James Coles Nurseries, is our longest standing customer, buying our Superoots Fielders since 1990, when we first set up. They continued to use Fielders until we stopped producing them two years ago, but only recently have they started to use the Air-Pot. So it is a particular pleasure to us to report their success with Air-Pot growing and we hope to look forward to more years of working with Baz (aka Clinton Barrett) and the Coles team.
To read their report.
Let’s talk about Air-Pot containers – the French way.
Pepinieres Cholat, in Savoie, invited guests from all over France to a seminar about the benefits of growing in Air-Pot containers and of buying Air-Pot container grown stock. The assembled company numbered 100 and included nurserymen, landscapers and landscape architects, representatives from the municipalities and horticultural institutions.
Fellow Air-Pot container convert M. Lemonnier of Pepinieres Lemonnier in Normandy, reported on his experience with the system and how concentrating on the roots makes such a difference not only to the health of the stock and rate of growth, but also commercially.
The guests enjoyed a tour of the Air-Pot production area and Air-Pot containers were opened out to display solid, vigorous root systems. The finale was a fantastic lunch between lines of Ginkgo in Air-Pot containers.
Air-Pot container success at Botanic Gardens around the world brings commercial rewards
Horticulture specialists from Botanic Gardens around the world, starting at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Kew have been trialling and using Air-Pot containers in ever increasing numbers to propagate and grow on their precious seed collections. Their recognition of the superior performance of the Air-Pot container and their valuable stamp of approval is now reaping dividends for Air-Pot manufacturers, the Caledonian Tree Company.
2012 Olympic management specify Air-Pot containers for the production of ALL plant material in containers of over 5 Litres
The Caledonian Tree Company and its customers – the nurseries which use Air-Pot containers – are delighted that the authority responsible for the landscaping of the 2012 Olympics has recognised the unbeatable quality of stock produced in Air-Pot containers. The specification of Air-Pot containers for the production of all stock in containers of 5 Litres and more is a result of the consistent quality, instant post transplant re-establishment and outstanding survival rates of Air-Pot Grown stock.
Expansion in France
The Air-Pot container is being adopted by some excellent growers in Savoie and Provence. Pepinieres Cholat, in Chambery and Pepinieres Rouy in Arles are enthusiastic new customers. Cholat has had such success with containerising large field grown stock in Air-Pot containers for summer dispatch that it is now propagating in Air-Pot containers and developing its Air-Pot container unit.
All change in Oregon
A new distributor in Oregon has been appointed. Don Top and his team at Growers Nursery Supply have been working closely with Ben Walker, former distributor. Ben is continuing to use Air-Pot containers, but has passed the distribution to Growers Nursery Supply.
Living walls™ created in Superoots Air-Pot containers
The latest application of the Superoots Air-Pot container is in the creation of "Living walls™", containerised hedging available for sale or hire.
Recycled HDPE helps limit greenhouse gases emissions.
In view of the application of the Kyoto Protocol and the general wish to reduce the impact of society upon the climate, it is important to consider the global environmental aspects of waste management.
When compared with the processes of producing virgin resins, recycling processes produce less CO2. A study for the European Commission provides some figures for these savings.
In addition to being a revolutionary approach to containerizing tree stock, the p, making it the container of choice not just for healthy tree roots, but also for a healthy global environment.
Beechgrove Garden will now trial Air-Pot containers
Jim McColl, of the BBC Scotland’s Beechgrove Garden, recently took delivery of fruit trees in Air-Pot containers from Frank P Matthews in Worcestershire. He had read about the system and heard about it from growers, but this was the first time he had any first hand experience of handling the Air-Pot container himself.
He comments: "From the customer point of view, it looks to be a winner, the root system of the fan-trained apples and pears was terrific. I am a fan! That the pots are made from re-cycled products AND they are made in Scotland are two huge bonuses!"
The Beechgrove Garden will now trial Air-Pot containers themselves and feature the results on next season’s show.
Thousands of square metres of Air-Pot material have been sent to Spain to containerise the enormous root balls of ancient olive trees. The product lends itself to wrapping irregular sized rootballs and to putting on further roots very rapidly. Alexander at Plantas Europeas has cut production time from 12 to 7 months.
Cherry Lake named FNGLA 2004 Grower of the Year
This year, the prestigious Grower of the Year award was bestowed upon Cherry Lake Tree Farm. The award recognizes Cherry Lake Tree Farm's exemplifying excellence in industry support, innovation and quality production.
New planter collection features Superoots Air-Pot containers
Daniel Kirk Design, producer of unique Arts & Crafts inspired furniture for both house and garden, has launched a planter Collection featuring eight original designs, hand-crafted in solid English oak, ash and copper.The planters are lined with Superoots Air-Pot containers.
For more information Email: info@danielkirkdesign.co.uk or call 01522 542201.
Make roots the priority and look for more in a container
Far too many debates about horticultural containers centre purely on cost and machinery constraints, ignoring completely the most important issue: the development of a good root system.