Scotts Professional Horticulture

MARYSVILLE, OHIO (November 12, 2008) —The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Professional Group recently unveiled its own straightforward take on sustainability specifically for greenhouse and nursery growers to help alleviate confusion about sustainable growing practices. The concept of sustainability has virtually exploded within the ornamental horticulture industry over the past few years, affecting both professional growers and their suppliers.

According to Fred Hulme, Ph.D., director of technical services for Scotts Professional, some professional growers are under the impression that sustainability is all about using “organic” products and production methods. “Our ‘e3 Approach’ challenges the belief that professional growers cannot use inorganic fertilizer and still have sustainable growing operations,” Hulme said. “We believe that achieving sustainability is most simply expressed by the convergence of three equal elements—efficiency, economy and ecology—and how these elements can work together effectively.”

Efficiency. “The degree to which something is done without waste” is at the foundation of Scotts Professional’s sustainability model. Sustainability is about professional growers using economic, human and natural resources more wisely-getting maximum output from as little input as possible.

Economy. Efficient use of financial resources means more than just saving money, it means optimizing cost/benefit ratios and maximizing return on investment. Profit is the heart of any economically sustainable enterprise.

Ecology. Nearly every production input has some effect on the environment. All inputs-whether they are natural or synthetic-must eliminate or minimize waste and shrink the carbon footprint of the entire production chain.

“The ‘e3 Approach’ gives professional growers and other horticulture industry players the opportunity to look at sustainability from a new, global perspective,” Hulme added. “There’s just so much more to sustainability than the type of products you use, and it’s easy to lose sight of that fact. While sustainability does certainly entail leaving a smaller environmental footprint, it’s also about using the most effective products in the most efficient manner in order to increase profitability.”

In addition to launching the “e3 Approach,” at the GrowerTalks® Sustainability Conference, Hulme served as a co-presenter at the Frisco, Texas conference, lending his many years of horticultural expertise to the session “Living Soils and Crop Nutrition” with Dr. Jamie Gibson of Fafard. Hulme and other representatives from Scotts Professional also moderated two educational sessions at the event.

Hosted by Ball Publishing in cooperation with the Ohio Floriculture Association (OFA) and other industry information providers, the 2008 Sustainability Conference was the first of its kind to focus solely on the role of sustainability in today’s business world. The goal of the conference was to provide professional growers with the information they need to successfully navigate and implement the many available options associated with sustainable floriculture.

Based in Marysville, Ohio, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company Professional Group is the world’s leading producer and marketer of professional horticulture products for nursery and greenhouse growers. The Company’s industry-leading brands include Osmocote® controlled release fertilizers, Peters Professional® and Peters Excel® water soluble fertilizers. For many years, The Scotts Testing Lab has helped thousands of growers learn exactly what their plants need for maximum success. Learn more at www.scottspro.com or by calling customer service at 1-800-492-8255.