CULTIVATIONTIPS JOHN PEETERS


Wetting export casing soil, one to two days before use, on a clean, disinfected floor. Photo: John Peeters


Export casing soil


As far as casing soil goes, we enjoy a very comfortable position in the Netherlands. There are a number of professional casing producers that supply the various growers in Western Europe who use bulk casing with customer-specific blends. Small variations are always possible, because casing soil is a natural product mainly composed of black peat. However, these variations are generally small. Casing soil for export is a different matter, however. The same Dutch companies export ready-made casing to countries like Australia, South Africa and Japan, to mention but a few. The main competition here is from Irish companies, that also export casing and operate at the same level of professionalism. The problems start when the casing is removed from the big bag


after its long journey. Transporting water over long distances is not very cost-effective, so casing soil for export is usually drier. But if the grower wants good, coarse, moist casing soil on the beds, the casing has to be prepared and not used straight from the big bag. The casing can be prepared by removing it from the bag and wetting it with water on a clean, disinfected floor one to two days before use. It is important to mix the casing well with a small loader or skid-steer loader. This should be done carefully. Casing soil can absorb a lot of water, but not in a very short time, so it must be left for at least a day. A less effective, but more hygienic, solution, is to wet the casing in the big bag using an iron manifold.


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