The Pot and Bedding Plant Centre - New product opportunities for pot and bedding plant growers

This project will provide a focal point to test and bring to market innovative products and approaches to growing for the UK Horticulture pot and bedding plant sector. UK pot and bedding plant businesses continue to be challenged by downward pressure on price points, spiralling input costs, unpredictable pest and disease pressure and the vagaries of the UK climate whilst producing quality plants that meet retailer specifications and consumers who seek novel and inspiring plant products
for their gardens.
This proposal is aimed at growers who produce finished plants on a typical bedding and pot plant nursery, who rely more heavily on growing skills than high tech glasshouse systems (i.e. the type of structure that the majority of small to medium growers might use, it could be a glasshouse or polytunnel; facilities with some heat, but limited technical equipment such as lighting and screens).
It seeks to 1) trial and demonstrate new crops and varieties with potential to be marketed as novel, niche and/or value added products and for season extension, 2) to provide practical solutions to problems encountered on by growers, 3) provide a forum for dialogue between growers, breeders, retailers and researchers.
Trial work and open days will be hosted by a centrally located Pot and Bedding Plant Centre based at Baginton Nurseries. This will become a recognised centre for pot and bedding plant product development and research, providing a focal point for plant breeders, and companies associated with ornamental horticulture to approach for independent assessment of their products, and to stimulate future plant breeding developments and research targeted at Industry needs.