Winter Cyclamen production in biodegradable pots

Cyclamen, a popular pot plant during the autumn and winter months, can be grown successfully in biodegradable pots. Biodegradable pots can easily be composted.

Cyclamen provides a jewel box of flower colours in deep purples, pinks and white.  Silver threads in the heart-shaped foliage add to the appeal. Over the years they have been intensively bred to produce many indoor and outdoor varieties suitable for winter containers and for outdoor bedding.

Winter cyclamen has been grown at Greenmount Campus, CAFRE, as a crop for student practical experience. As part of an investigation some of them were grown in biodegradable pots.  

In the United Kingdom alone, it is estimated that 500 million plastic pots are used annually in horticulture.  Plant pots are supplied by various suppliers and made from different plastic types in a range of sizes, colours and shapes.  Eventually, these posts have to be disposed of and their disposal of or recycling becomes a costly, logistic nightmare.  Pot manufacturers must address this issue if the horticulture industry is to remain sustainable, showing due care to the environment.  The use of biodegradable pots would be a significant contribution to sustainable practice in ornamental horticulture.

A number of manufacturers are addressing the issue of biodegradable pots, manufacturing them from compostable materials such as corn starch, coir and paper. Investigations at Greenmount Campus so far indicate that some biodegradable pots can be used successfully in a short growing cycle (14 – 15 weeks) for commercial production of crops such as cyclamen.  The quality aspects of pot longevity, ease of handling, presentation at point of sale and speed of breakdown are important issues being assessed.

A demonstration of this project will be given at a conference entitled ‘The Green Challenge’, taking place on Thursday 5 February 2009 at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus, Antrim.  CAFRE, in partnership with the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA), has organised this conference to tackle issues on sustainability in horticulture which impact on businesses, resources and environment.

The conference will target not only businesses in commercial horticulture (fruit, mushrooms, vegetables and ornamental crops) but also garden centres and local authorities.

Those attending will be able to explore the latest sustainable solutions which could benefit their businesses now and in the future.

For further information on the conference, please contact Kieran Lavelle, Senior Horticulture Development Adviser, Greenmount Campus, CAFRE.

Telephone: Office 02837515651 mobile: 07990575893

Teresa Maguire, horticultural technologist (CAFRE) with cyclamen growing in biodegradable pots