PrimeHort’s Grower Support expert, Andrew Wearmouth spoke to us about the R&D of potting mixes and how growing Bananas isn’t such a crazy idea.
What is your role at PrimeHort?
My role is two-fold: (1) Development of Growing Media to improve plant growth and the bottom line of NZ nurseries and the general horticulture industry. (2) New Crops. Northland has a compatible environment for Banana production… it’s early days, but good things are happening. We have introduced several cultivars into tissue culture and are researching the best hydroponic solutions for production of bananas inside greenhouses. We are also in communication with the Government about an Import Health Standard (IHS) for banana imports. Watch this space.
Why do you enjoy what you do?
I really enjoy the culture at Primehort. We have a system where the team are given charge of their own sector of the company to make it fly. It’s smart because you feel a sense of ownership, like it’s your own business within the wider setting – with support from a well-qualified team.
I’m also finding it rewarding to work with established potting mix manufacturers to formulate custom blends and ensure we can produce in bulk to meet demand. We are even discussing organic mixes too, which is exciting.
How does your industry background play a part in your current role?
I have a background of 40+ years in the horticulture industry which is great to bring to my current role. I owned a cut flower & flower bulb export and plant breeding business for 21 years. I then worked at Kauri Park (New Zealand’s most prominent native tree nursery) for 13 years, where my role was varied, including two years as Nursery Manager setting up growing systems, developing potting mixes, weed control and general nursery management. I specialised in a Mānuka breeding programme, selecting a variety of Mānuka throughout NZ for high levels of UMF. This selection is now held in a genetic orchard at Kauri Park Nurseries. I advised farmers and landowners on revegetation projects and Carbon sequestration yields.
I researched selective herbicide weed control and variations for about 150 native species, leading to hundreds of different weed control trials! I love identifying the choke points in a nursery, and not surprisingly, it often boiled down to lack of weed control.
I think the main benefit of this background is that I speak a grower’s language. I can offer practical, experience-based advice to help nurseries boost profitability and efficiency.
Growers are striving for more sustainable & cost-effective Growing Media solutions – what’s a couple of things you wish every grower knew?
More knowledge around Coir would be number one.
Made from the husk of a coconut, Coir is a soilless media, so it has no natural weeds and is sterile. Because it’s not peat, it is sustainable. Whereas once peat has been mined, it’s not replaceable any time soon.
Coir has a naturally high cation exchange capacity (CEC), in layman terms – it holds essential nutrients well and maintains its pH. In our Coir Trials, we are finding it is replacing the need for peat & pumice. We’re still using bark, mostly because it’s cheap. So the combo of the two e.g. bark for lowering the cost and Coir for adding the magic like air filled porosity, moisture holding capacity and CEC, is resulting in an ideal mix.
Our early trials (mostly natives and some amenity species) are now providing valuable feedback, and the Coir-based mixes are all outperforming the standard mixes the nurseries are using. It’s still early days but the signs are very positive.
Horticulture is a rapidly evolving industry; how do you keep up?
Mostly listening and seeking out the right people for knowledge, particularly with Coir where there are some offshore champions in the Netherlands who really know this space. I’m looking into the Dutch RHP quality mark (certification system) and how it might relate back here to guarantee Coir blends as an optimal nutrient medium.
I’m a bit of a thinker, so I enjoy problem solving & identifying cost savings in the horticulture industry.
In a nutshell, lots of reading, talking to a network built up over 40 years, and questioning to understand customer needs and challenges. I’m also knee deep in research from Australia regarding a new Banana cultivar resistant to Panama disease.
If you’re not learning, you’re not growing!
When you’re not at the desk, what are you up to?
Spending time with family & friends. I’m a Papa to five grandies which is real blessing. We have a large family and a lot of friends all around the world. My wife and I like going across to Australia where her family, and one of our daughter’s resides, plus other countries further abroad. Life never slows down.
