Scotts Professional Horticulture

Marysville, Ohio (July 16, 2007) — Today at the 2007 OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio, The Scotts Company LLC unveiled one of the most groundbreaking product developments in the rich 60-year history of the original Peters® line of water soluble fertilizers—the new Peters® A-B-C Selection System™. The patent-pending system is designed to help nursery and greenhouse growers dramatically simplify the often-difficult process of matching water quality and crop types to the best water soluble fertilizer.

The Peters A-B-C Selection System produces recommendations to optimize nutrition for more than 70 different horticultural crops based on four different water quality types, from low alkalinity (0-60 ppm calcium carbonate) to high alkalinity (240+ ppm calcium carbonate). It takes the guesswork out of the equation by recommending the most appropriate Peters Excel® and Peters Professional® fertilizers—now categorized and clearly labeled as “A” (All-Purpose) formulations, “B” (Base) formulations or “C” (Customizing) components.

The Peters A-B-C Selection System also features an Interactive Product Selector at www.PetersABC.com. Since water quality is the single most important determining factor in how a water soluble fertilizer will perform, growers have the added benefit of knowing they can work with The Scotts Testing Lab for convenient, accurate, and affordable water analysis. The new system allows growers to register for water tests online, as well as the ability to view tests online once the analysis is completed. Growers have the option of reviewing the water test results with a Scotts Territory Manager and receiving technical suggestions tailored to their operation.

The A-B-Cs of Fertilizer

To make the Peters A-B-C Selection System even easier to use, industry-leading Peters Excel and select Peters Professional fertilizers are designated as “A” for All-Purpose formulations to denote that they are one-bag, complete fertilizer programs suitable for multi-crop feeding. Using “A” fertilizers not only simplifies the feeding process, the products’ highly effective mix of N, P and K is effective over broad spectrum of plant types. Additionally, the one-bag convenience of using Peters “A” formulas helps contain costs because growers only need to stock a single product, eliminating the time and labor costs inherent with fertilizer rotations for specific crops.

Growers who still prefer to rotate fertilizers, or those who have crops or water with very special requirements, will appreciate the flexibility of the Peters A-B-C Selection System. They will be able to select ideal combinations of Peters Professional fertilizers—now designated “B” for Base formulations and “C” for Customizing components. Base formulations are many of the same formulas that growers have used for decades, containing all the basic elements needed for sound plant nutrition. Customizing components are designed to provide a prescriptive boost of nutrients or minerals. Base formulations can be used alone or rotated and sometimes tank-mixed with one of the Customizing Components to mitigate water quality shortcomings or address the unique nutritional needs for a certain crop.

Other features of the Peters A-B-C Selection System include:

• Regardless of the specific formulation, all Peters Excel fertilizers can be tank-mixed together to save labor and produce a custom stock tank solution that keeps emitters clean.
• A Water Quality Approximator™ is also available at www.PetersABC.com to provide an estimate of water quality on a county level across the nation. The estimates are based on more than a decade of water analyses and more than 20,000 water tests. It’s designed to assist growers in making an educated guess as to their water quality if they have not tested recently or, for whatever reason prefer not to test. The Approximator is in no way meant to replace the accuracy or value of water analysis through a qualified laboratory.
• The Peters A-B-C Selection System from Scotts is being launched in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of Peters—the original line of water soluble fertilizers and the preferred choice of growers everywhere since 1947. Peters has set industry standards in terms of performance, reliability and quality.

M-77®: Exclusive Micronutrient Packages

Many Peters Excel and Peters Professional fertilizers include Scotts’ exclusive and proprietary M-77 micronutrient system. Found only in Peters fertilizers, M-77 was scientifically created and refined to provide the essential micronutrients plants need to flourish.

The micronutrients contained in M-77 help give Peters fertilizers the most balanced and complete nutrition packages available to growers today. Elements such as B (boron), Cu (copper) and Zn (zinc) have been elevated to help create a more favorable root zone for crops grown in soilless media (which often contains few trace elements), or when fertilizer rates are low, water quality is poor or pH is high.

Based in Marysville, Ohio, The Scotts Company LLC is the world’s leading producer and marketer of professional horticulture products. The Company’s industry-leading brands include Osmocote® controlled release fertilizers, Peters Professional® and Peters Excel® water soluble fertilizers, Landscaper PRO™ turf and ornamental fertilizers, and a portfolio of herbicide, miticide and fungicide products. Learn more at www.scottsprohort.com.