Environmentally friendly mulch for De Batterijen

Customer report from Klasmann-Deilmann Benelux

The nursery De Batterijen in Ochten is one of the largest nurseries in the Netherlands and has been using our ProLine Containermulch for quite some time. The mulch is not only particularly effective against the spread of algae and weeds, but also particularly sustainable – an important aspect for the nursery.

Reducing the footprint

Erik Mol, who is responsible for quality assurance at De Batterijen, decided to use ProLine Containermulch for a very specific reason: “We are placing sustainability more and more at the center of our work and, as part of this, our goal is to reduce our ecological footprint. In doing so, we are fully aware that we cannot change all our processes from one day to the next. Rather, it’s a constant process in which we keep making small changes and thus get a little closer to our big goal.”

The nursery implements the sustainability aspect in many areas of the company. Among other things, they use only organic pesticides, fertilizers and organic weed control. They also protect nature by planting flowering herb and flower borders on their nursery and creating nesting sites for birds, bees and other beneficial insects.

Skal guidelines

The nursery started growing plants in containers two years ago and made it a goal for all plants to receive the European Union’s organic seal. In the Netherlands, this is awarded by “Skal”, a Dutch foundation. On behalf of the government, they check the organic cultivation at the different nurseries and in the end they award the seal.

For certification, it is necessary that all substances used meet the ecological requirements – and our ProLine Containermulch fulfills these expectations. For the production of our mulch, we use coniferous wood that comes from sustainably managed forests (PEFC quality mark).

Meanwhile, mulch is essential in the cultivation strategy in containers, otherwise the plants are not sufficiently protected from external influences and weeds. After De Batterijen tested our Containermulch, they were convinced of the quality. The mulch dries quickly, is water-permeable and breaks up water droplets so that the top layer is not compacted. This makes conditions unfavorable for the growth of algae, mosses and weeds, and in addition, the substrate dries out more slowly.

The nursery took these positive experiences as an opportunity to double the production of plants in Skal-certified containers in the coming period, using our ProLine Containermulch.