New advisory, new vision

Dónall Flanagan, newly appointed nursery stock advisor, sets out an exciting new vision of how the advisory services will support and strengthen the sector

I am delighted to have joined the Teagasc Horticulture Development Department at Ashtown, Dublin as specialised advisor to the nursery stock/ornamentals sector. It represents a strong commitment from Teagasc and our new head of horticulture, Dermot Callaghan to this important sector. Since I started working in horticulture I have met many
passionate growers with a real interest in producing quality plants and I look forward to getting to know more growers and see them prosper in the coming years. I will start by engaging with the main stakeholders in the sector to assess what their development needs are. Ultimately this consultation should culminate in a nursery stock/ornamentals development plan to 2020, which will also detail the research and educational requirements as well as the development agenda.

We are very familiar with the difficulties faced by growers over the last eight years and the economic mood music which has been playing at high volume. However, for many growers there is light at the end of the tunnel; the construction sector is buoyant again and the late spring weather has been very welcome. Many changes in the plant sector have been highlighted in this magazine. My hope is to be able to work with the sector and Bord Bia, to bring focused market analysis and business planning which will help growers take an increasing share of the Irish plant market and also continue to make inroads in the UK. Detailed market intelligence and analysis need to be developed and shared with growers. The traditional role of the advisor has been to meet growers on site and walk the crops etc. The need for technical advice remains unchanged but the means of gathering and sharing new information have greatly increased the efficiency with which that information can be shared, demonstrated and bedded in. We are in a sector where highly educated and trained nurserymen and women are the norm and one to one meetings are less critical.

Comments that have been expressed in Horticulture Connected and at stakeholder meetings frequently mention a need to work together. I would like to see discussion groups, which are used very effectively in other sectors, developed for our sector. I hope to harness all the relevant resources within Teagasc, to add value to this sector and support producers and growers. Customer demand is changing; time-saving gardening options, pre-grown hedges and preselected plant mixes are commonplace. Councils are seeking to protect themselves from future tree diseases by planting using the 10:20:30 model.

As witnessed at this summers’ HTA National Plant Show in the UK, new products lines are in high demand. They are produced to meet the changing needs of consumers, such as shorter, more floriferous, disease resistant perennials, gardening in compact spaces, growing fruit on patios, longer flowering times, perennials as disposable seasonal planting. With few breeders in Ireland, we need to increase exposure and ease of access to new products for Irish growers. Some of these lines will give growers the opportunity to maximise opportunities for market segmentation and differentiate themselves from the competition.

The industry has transformed greatly over the last 10 years. I am hoping that by working with you in the coming years it will become more robust and that there will be more cooperation and use of the available supports will be maximised.

NURSERY SECTOR NEWS

The warm weather in early summer helped general nursery sales and bedding in particular. Outdoor potting was favoured by the warm weather and plants needed little extra protection.

The recent HTA Plant Fair in Stoneleigh, UK was an important event for new plant launches and meeting garden centre buyers. The event is almost entirely plant focused.

Kildare Growers and Kelly’s Nurseries both exhibited, with some Irish buyers there over the two days. The mood was good at the show. Some exhibitors suggested that attendance was low, but perhaps the looming Brexit referendum contributed to the lack of certainty around purchases.

A pilot programme entitled Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media was launched by the Growing Media Association (GMA) and the Horticulture Trades Association. This tool, developed over five years, uses a traffic light system to illustrate whether growing and components mixes are good, fair or poor. Sustainable growing media remains an important issue in the UK as 2030 was targeted for the elimination of peat from growing media. See https://hta.org.uk/committeesgroups.html for details. A few seminar presentations identified how interested gardeners and plant enthusiasts can help in finding new plant varieties. The RHS has a system in place to help join growers and gardeners, and Thompson & Morgan have a financial reward system. ✽

Dόnall Flanagan, a native of the Dublin mountains, has been teaching with Teagasc since 2007. He has been a part of the Teagasc Sustainable Use Directive working group for the last year. Telephone: 01-804 0204 Fax: 01-804 0212, Outlook number: 076-100 1171 Email: donall.flanagan@teagasc.ie