General Circular horticulture

17/05/2022

Potting soil consists largely of peat. The exploitation of peat is under discussion because these peat areas are a unique habitat for specific fauna and flora. Moreover, the extraction and transport involve considerable emissions of greenhouse gases. The chrysanthemum company JoluPlant NV in Staden was therefore looking for an alternative and found help in the Living Lab Plant.

For our production, we can now reuse growing substrates from growers in our neighbourhood. This is our way of contributing to circular horticulture and stimulating the short chain production.

Christophe Pieters, manager of JoluPlant NV
potten stek chrysant

Of course, cultivation substrates cannot simply be reused. There are two important aspects to consider. Firstly, one must consider the ideal treatment to avoid the risks of weeds, fungal spores and soil-borne pathogens. Next, the fertilisation must be adapted to the recycled substrate. ILVO Plant Living Lab, together with the PCS Ornamental Plant Research, has helped to adjust the cultivation method so that the nutrients present in the substrate could be optimally valorised.

This project was made possible in part by the support of Circular Flanders

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