I am delighted to announce sustainable growing media production is now underway at ICL’s new mixing site and facility at Cúil na Móna, in Portlaoise.   This new development means the company is well positioned to supply professional ornamental growers and plant propagators across the country with a comprehensive range of Levington Advance sustainable growing media-manufactured here in Ireland.  

The last 18 months have proved to be turbulent times for Irish horticulture.  In 2021, ICL stepped into the growing media marketplace to help growers continue production.  Investment in this new facility demonstrates our commitment to the Irish market and gives growers welcome medium-term stability.    

After 55 years, Levington Advance remains the ‘go to’ professional brand in the UK – synonymous with sustainable growing media excellence.  Thanks to this new facility in Ireland, we’re able to produce orders to the minimum lead times supplying sustainable growing media in probale, bulk bags and bulk formats.  We also stock 75L bags of the Levington Advance standard range.

As well as proven Levington Advance formulas and know-how, ICL provides a raft of technological advancements to help growers transition to sustainable growing media solutions. All of this has been made possible due to ICL’s Fibagro Advance woodfibre technology which produces a unique and superior growing media ingredient with a lower carbon footprint, compared with peat and other peat alternatives. The most technically advanced, professional grade woodfibre product, it has similar water and nutrient holding capacity to the 6-12mm peat fraction. 

In the first edition of ICL Technical Matters, my colleague Andrew Wilson (ICL Technical Manager for Fertilizers in UK & Ireland) introduces two innovative ICL base fertilizers that help optimise plant quality and nutrient efficiency by minimising nutrient losses – Osmoform High N and Osmocote N. Meanwhile I explain how Osmocote 5 controlled release fertilizer is ideally suited to this new generation of Levington Advance sustainable growing media.

In the past, many nurseries will have relied on growing media produced at this site, previously operated by Bord na Móna.  As the facility enters a new era with ICL producing sustainable growing media, now is a great time to reconnect with it.  

Together with my colleagues Andrew Wilson and Stuart Gammage, ICL Technical Manager for Growing Media in the UK and Ireland, we very much look forward to working with new, and indeed old, customers from the past helping them transition to a more sustainable future.

Brendan Howell

ICL Sales Development Manager for Professional Horticulture across Ireland