It’s what’s below the surface that really counts

This is the theme we used in a recent campaign to boost the awareness of our new UltraGrow Collection of Soils and Potting mixes that are nutrient rich and waste-free. While I guess that theme is true of people too, the growing media (soil or potting mix) is the most important aspect of gardening and indeed agriculture. It’s also the most neglected because it’s only ‘dirt’ so who cares? Just water and throw on a handful of NKP chemical fertiliser. What can possibly go wrong? Plenty, if you really want healthy plants which is the whole reason for the exercise. If not why bother?

The health of the plant depends on the health of the ‘soil’. This is true of both gardens and farms alike. We hear stories about how poor farming practices have killed our agricultural lands worldwide. The same is true of our urban, domestic and built environment.

I don’t pretend to know all the science around soils and what is being done to help farmers, but I do know there is a swing back to using organics. ‘Organic’ meaning composted organics which are derived from plant and animal matter.

There are many dubious claims made by recyclers who make waste-based soils. We have been part of that story as there was nowhere else to go for us to source ‘good’ soils that we could deliver to our customers. My son, Conor, said back in 2015, “Pop, we are held to ransom by the waste industry because they dominated the production of soils.” They recycle and compost a huge volume of liquid and green waste that is sent to them for processing. But they are driven by volume at low cost. Centenary Landscaping Supplies has played a major role in moving millions of tons of these products over the last 30 years. As a result, all retailers and distributors have to source ‘soils, composts and potting mixes’ from the waste industry both in bulk and retail bags. The waste industry is not a gardening industry.

But now we’ve changed the game! Now we have redefined soils into two categories using rigorous horticultural science while keeping in mind the gardener, landscaper, architect and nursery person who have been crying out for better choices. Now they have it and it’s called The UltraGrow Collection of nutrient-rich living soils and potting mixes, and they are waste-free!

Cheers for now and enjoy digging & planting in your garden landscape.

Terry O’Shea

Terry O’Shea – Group Director