Australian Growing Solutions is a leader in potting media production and attendees to our tour were treated to a behind the scenes look at how quality potting mix is made in Australia. After a a short welcome and history of the company, we headed to the laboratory. Here Felicity and Steven talked about all the testing and quality controls that the media goes through throughout each stage of composting and mixing. There are a range of standards that must be met and a sample from each batch is stored for 12 months!
We were then introduced to GrowFibre, a product that uses the heartwood of the pine, replacing less sustainable products like peat and coir in a mix. We then went to the sheds where the batching and bagging is done. AGS combines machinery and technology that mix and dispatch or bag potting media batches efficiently and accurately with skilled staff that operate and monitor the machinery. And finally we saw the windrows of pine bark that form the basis of potting media. Each checked multiple times a day and turned to maintain temperatures to aid composting and kill pathogens.A big thanks to AGS for hosting and sharing so much knowledge with us.
“Such an interesting tour this morning – walking through the facility and gaining more of an insight into how things are produced and the thinking that goes into tailoring the different products.” -Tess Holderness
