Across all our product ranges we work closely with breeders to ensure we have the right genetics for a successful crop. We try to work with as many UK breeding companies as possible, alongside seeking new varieties from the leading breeding and young plant companies from across the globe.

We seek out varieties with genetics that are more tolerant to pest and disease, support healthy growth in the glasshouse, create robust plants that will withstand handling in the supply chain, and will provide a great home and garden experience for the consumer.

Growing in the glasshouse for 24 weeks, Poinsettia are one of our most important single crops where we need to ensure we’re using the right genetics to maximise the crop and meet Christmas demand. Every year our expert growers test new genetics and run growing trials to identify the best varieties to scale up to commercial volumes.

We have invested more than £1m in LED lighting that performs a variety of different purposes within the glasshouse. This highly energy-efficient approach allows us to control plant growth, prevent disease development and efficiently grow crops all year round. The LED lighting which provides two light intensities, in combination with shade and blackout screens, allows us to manipulate natural day length to allow the production of both long-day and short-day plants.

Using LED lighting is energy efficient, helps to maximise crop performance, reduces the need to use chemicals and gives us the flexibility to accurately align crop development with customer demand.

Operating at such a large scale we require the use of robotics and automation to deliver efficiency. We use the latest technology throughout the cultivation process, from propagation and plant spacing through to the movement of crops and control of the glasshouse environment.

Producing consistent uniformity and quality can be difficult to achieve with manual processes. The use of robotics and automation is not only efficient, but also helps us to deliver consistent quality across millions of plants.

Our most recent investment in cutting planter robots means that we can now plant over 5000 cuttings an hour with just one skilled operative, where manually it would require six. The machines have the capability to self-learn the size, shape and orientation of cuttings for a range of different plants. Utilising this kind of innovation means that we can quickly and efficiently propagate the broad range of plants that we grow throughout the seasons.