Game changer for Easter Island Alpines

Easter Island Alpines has carved out a strong niche supplying quality alpines, herbs, and herbaceous perennials in 9cm pots. Based on a three-acre site in Waterford, the nursery expects to produce over one million plants this year, all grown in a Levington Advance 25% peat-reduced mix.

Established in 1987 by Leonard and Rebecca Jacques, and now joined by their son Leo, the family business – with its established team of 17 employees – operates Easter Island Waterford and Easter Island Kilkenny garden centres. Alongside their own outlets, the production nursery supplies over 100 garden centres nationwide, offering a wide range of robust, outdoor-grown plants.

The majority are sold at retail in 9cm pots, presented in a “pick and mix” format of up to 40 varieties. Around 10–20% of output goes to large production nurseries where the plants are potted on and grown into larger formats. Most are ICL customers, continuing the process in Levington Advance peat-reduced media.

25% peat-reduction

“At the start, we hand-mixed our growing media on-site,” explains Leonard. “In 2009, we began working with Bórd na Móna, using a peat mix containing 5% grit for drainage.

“I don’t force change for change’s sake. However, when that supply ceased in 2021, we were forced to change.  We began working with ICL and adopted a more sustainable Levington Advance mix, containing two peat fractions and 25% Fibagro Advance woodfibre.

“While the shift to using woodfibre involved a learning curve, particularly around irrigation, the results have been great,” he says. “Fibagro Advance has enhanced drainage, which suits alpines perfectly, and the absence of grit has improved efficiency significantly reducing wear and tear on our potting machine.

“Our skilled production team is growing over 150 varieties in the same Levington Advance mix, including both ericaceous and alkaline-loving species like Aubrieta, which are performing equally well. Deliveries from ICL’s Cúil na Móna factory are regular and small – eight pallets at a time produced fresh in 3m3 loose filled bulk bags.  We aim to use the media within 2-3 weeks which ensures freshness and avoids long-term storage.”

Total solution

“The nutrition package centres on Osmocote 5, our next-generation controlled-release fertiliser tailored for sustainable substrates,” says Brendan Howell, ICL sales development manager for Professional Horticulture in Ireland. “To address any nitrogen lock-up, associated with woodfibre, the mix is supplemented with Osmoform High N. The recipe also includes Micromax Premium trace elements, lime for pH optimisation, and H2Gro to improve water management.”

Any supplementary feeding is handled through a Dosatron, with a final high nitrogen liquid feed applied before dispatch, to optimise plants visual appeal on the retail shelf.

Disease prevention is a core principle at Easter Island Alpines. “Our outdoor production significantly reduces the incidence of common diseases like botrytis,” says Leonard.  “As an added precaution, Prestop biofungicide is routinely incorporated into the growing media, offering broad-spectrum root disease protection.

“Working with ICL has literally been a game changer,” he says. “Brendan and I go back a long way!  We started out in the industry working on the same nursery. Our paths crossed again when he was the national account manager for growing media at Bórd na Móna – it is a long-term relationship built on trust.

“Initially I wasn’t overly keen to work with a peat-reduced mix.  However, with ICL we’ve embraced peat-reduction, it’s working brilliantly – I wouldn’t go back to our peat and grit mix.”

Peat-free trials

Easter Island Alpines are now working with Brendan on peat-free trials, incorporating ICL’s new finer grades of Fibagro Advance.

“While we’re happy to stick with a 25% peat-reduced mix at present, if peat is phased out in the future, we’ll be ready,” says Leonard.   “We’ll have the experience and confidence to know we can work without peat to keep producing quality plants in 9cm pots.”