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Welcome to Prenplants

Prenplants is a family run wholesale herbaceous nursery producing a wide range of high quality container grown plants for sale mainly to garden centres in South East England. While 80% of sales is to Garden Centres, an increasing amount of plants are sold into the landscaping and amenity market.

The nursery has been established on the site for twenty one years and produces over 250,000 container plants. We are continuing to increase the range and numbers. To ease handling and help you display our plants, all are delivered in attractive, returnable correx trays. Plants are produced in rigid pots and individually labeled, using picture labels where available.

IT’S WOKING SHOW TIME AGAIN

It’s amazing just how quickly the year flies by and once again Prenplants are preparing to exhibit at The Woking Nursery Exhibition.

The show will be at Merrist Wood, near Guildford and takes place on 14 July between 9.00am and 4.30pm (www.wokingnurseryexhibition.org.uk) and we will be on stand 45 in tent B. We look forward to meeting many of you on the stand.

Many other nurseries have cut corners to reduce costs, however at Prenplants we have not only attempted to maintain the high quality of our plants and our service but have improved our growing systems and increased the range of plants we offer.

Lots of new introductions will be coming on line for this autumn including Agastache Raspberry Summer, Astrantia Star of Royals, Echinacea Avalanche, Coral Reef, Mac’n Cheese and Green Envy, Heucheras Electra, Shanghai and Paris, Rudbeckia Early Bird Gold, Sanguisorba tenn Alba, Sedum Jose Aubergine (there’s a good name) and Grass Pennisetum Fireworks.

We have also been looking at the new hardy Gerbera Garvinea series with varieties Cindy, Fleurie, Orangina and Sunny. These are proving so popular that our trial batch is selling out quickly but we hope to have more next year.

PRENPLANTS’ PLANTS SHINE WITH TEA 

For the last four years we have been treating the entire nursery with compost tea. This is a method used by a large number of professional nurseries. A special compost is brewed in aerated water for 48 hours to give a solution that is diluted and sprayed over the top of all the plants.  

In simple terms this is a pro-biotic for plants. It works by boosting the good biology (bacteria, fungi and protozoa) that should be present on the leaves and roots and in the soil. The beneficial organisms compete for sites on the plant and consume the food sources secreted by the plant that harmful fungi feed on, thus suppressing disease and reducing the need for fungicide sprays. 

The tea also provides nutrients directly to the plant which has meant that we have reduced the amount of artificial fertilizers in our compost. 

The use of compost tea helps provide strong healthy plants with a greater resistance to pests and diseases. Its use has allowed us to reduce fertilizer and pesticide applications which are better for all our staff and the environment.  
At GAN trade show, a leading compost tea expert commented on how shiny our plant leaves were and he considered that this was due to the use of tea.

GAN Show

We had an excellent day at the GAN show on Wednesday 10th February. It was good to see so many friends and customers and meet lots of new people too. Thanks to all those who made favourable comments about our stand, the quality of our plants and our new labels. We think we’ve dealt with all the queries and requests arising from the show. However if you feel that we may have overlooked you then get in contact so we can make amends.

HAPPY NEW SEASON FOR 2010 FROM PRENPLANTS

Well, the snow has gone, hopefully for good but British winters always have a habit of coming back and biting you on the bum just when you are least expecting them. Our plants have survived the weather, although one of our twin spans didn’t but there was little plant damage so we go into 2010 with our best range of plants for many a year.

It is our aim to grow a good strong plant that is as hardy as possible and has not been forced under protection which would make them very susceptible to frost and cold early in the year.

New Catalogue

Our new catalogue has been dispatched, so if you haven’t got one and require a copy let us know. We’ve reduced the size of our catalogue but have increased our range of plants so despite being small it’s absolutely packed with delightful plants. We have all the familiar favourites but lots of new, unusual and exciting plants to tempt your customers. We have already received favourable comments that the smaller catalogue slips easily into the pocket and is extremely useful as a quick reference guide.

New Labels

In recent years, because we are growing a range of unusual plants, we have found it increasingly difficult to obtain good quality labels. We have tried printing our own but have been disappointed by the material and quality available. So we are going to have our own printed. The labels have been designed by our own graphic genius Rach, (who has taken many of the pictures) with some help from our printers Advance Bunzl. We won’t be changing all our labels overnight but will be fazing them in over the next year or so. However we think that they are rather good and will really increase your plant sales.

We are a British nursery growing high quality reliable plants so we have included the home grown logo on our label. We feel it is important to promote products produced locally. Further details of the “Home Grown Scheme” can be found on Stand 48 at GAN or at www.hdc.org.uk .

Less Waste More Profit

One of the comments that have come back from our customers this season is that our plants sell. Customers find that our plants continue to look good over a period of time and tend to sell out with little wastage thus increasing the profit to the garden centre.