Shallowmead Nurseries, near Lymington in the New Forest, is a wholesale and retail nursery supplying premium quality conifers and nursery stock.  Alongside an impressive core range of grasses, conifers, climbers, shrubs and herbaceous varieties, the experienced team successfully propagate many rare and unusual hardy plants, such as Puya and Pilgerodendron.

From a 14.5acre site, over 500,000 quality plants are produced in a range of heights and pot sizes − ranging from 9cm to 45 litres.  With the necessary skills in-house, the team propagate by seeds, division and cuttings and are keeping abreast of the latest technology having recently completed a new high tech propagation unit.

Up until three years ago, Shallowmead self-mixed its own growing media, somewhat unconventionally using a cattle feeder! In 2014 the decision was taken to buy in a bespoke mix and to add in Osmocote Standard 12-14 month.

“We now buy in three liner mixes – a bespoke Levington Advance Solution dwarf conifer mix and another Levington Advance Solution liner mix for shrubs, and conifers,” says propagation manager, Kate Brady.  “Both containing Osmocote Standard 12-14 month already mixed in. While reducing labour costs, it is delivered in easy to handle 75ltr bags.

“We also rely on a Levington Advance peat and bark mix for larger potting. Delivered with Exemptor and H2Gro wetting agent already incorporated, we simply mix in one of a choice of Osmocote Exact products. Using different longevities and rates, we make 13 different mixes to suit our extensive crop range.   

“We put our trust in Osmocote to carry on feeding the plants till they sold to the end user – this is especially important in the liner side of the business.

“Even though we’re a small nursery, we’re treated like a major grower and get plenty of support and technical backup. ICL arranged an analysis of our borehole water. This proved very useful as, although this is a hard water area, our borehole water is on the borderline of being soft.  We also rely on collected rainwater - which is also soft.”   

Armed with this information, Kate is now considering using Universol soft water products for supplementary feeding.  

Having initially worked with ICL’s Jackie Hall to choose the mixes, Kate now works with Andy Hodges - who on joining the ICL team took over the New Forest area. 

“Andy has introduced us to Angelaweb, the precision nutrition software tool, and reviewed the nutrition programme for our container-grown Christmas trees,” says Kate. “A two-year crop, trees were loosing vigour in the second year.  Following the recommendations we’re now looking to supplement the feeding programme with Universol products in the second year.

“All in all we’re delighted with the results,” says Kate. “We’re producing consistent plant quality, the Levington growing media arrives well mixed, easy to handle in 75ltr bags and we can have mixed lorry loads - which is great.  We haven’t looked back.”