Horti-Cote Plus® CRF

+31.4% More Fresh Weight

in Cherry Laurel

A GEP-certified independent trial by Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein demonstrates that Horti-Cote Plus® CRF consistently outperforms leading competitor fertilizers in container-grown cherry laurel, delivering superior growth, higher fresh weight, and better sorting into premium sales classes.

Trial Partner
LWK Schleswig-Holstein
Duration
April - November
Location
Ellerhoop, DE
Crop
Cherry Laurel cv. Grenolia
Treatments
4 total
MORE FRESH WEIGHT VS. COMPETITORS
+ 0 %
MORE SHOOT LENGTH VS. COMPETITORS
+ 0 %
SORTED INTO PREMIUM CLASS
0 %

Trial summary

This independent, GEP-certified field trial tested how four leading coated controlled-release fertilizers perform under identical commercial nursery conditions on container-grown cherry laurel. Commissioned by Mivena B.V. and conducted by Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein, the trial tracked growth scores, foliage quality, plant height, fresh weight, and commercial sorting outcomes across a full growing season.

The result is unambiguous: Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M delivered the strongest growth, the best foliage scores, and the highest proportion of plants reaching the premium 40–60 cm sales class — consistently outperforming all competitor products tested.

Horti-Cote Plus® CRF produced plants averaging 58.0 cm in height and 234.6 g fresh weight — a 31.4% fresh weight advantage over the best-performing competitor, and a 62% sorting rate into the top commercial size class versus just 31% with the leading competitor standard.

Trial objective

The container nursery market is built on speed. The faster a plant reaches a saleable size class, the faster it turns revenue, and the higher the size class, the greater the margin. In cherry laurel production, the difference between a plant graded 30–40 cm and one graded 40–60 cm can mean significantly different pricing and sell-through rates.

The objective was to evaluate whether Mivena’s coated controlled-release fertilizers could outperform widely-used industry competitor standards on the parameters that matter most commercially: growth rate, foliage quality, plant fresh mass, and commercial size grading.

Trial setup

The trial was conducted under real production conditions at the GEP-certified Ellerhoop Horticultural Centre, ensuring results are directly applicable to nursery practice

CROP

Cherry Laurel cv. Grenolia

Container-grown, 9-liter pots

DURATION

April – November

1 full growing season

LOCATION & SUBSTRATE

Ellerhoop, Germany

70% peat / 30% wood fibre

TREATMENTS

4 total

All incorporated into substrate at potting

TRIAL DESIGN

6 replicates × 15 plants

90 plants per treatment

PARTNERS

LWK Schleswig-Holstein / Mivena B.V.

GEP-certified research & co-execution

Four Fertilizers Compared

TRIAL PRODUCT — MIVENA TREATMENT 1

Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M

18-5-10 · 4.0 kg/m³ · 720 mg N/litre substrate. No additional top-dress fertilisation beyond shared PG-Mix starter.

TRIAL PRODUCT — MIVENA TREATMENT 2

Grow Cote 6M

16-6-11 · 4.0 kg/m³ · 640 mg N/litre substrate.

TREATMENT 3

Competitor A

Standard coated CRF · 4.0 kg/m³ · 640 mg N/litre substrate.

TREATMENT 4

Competitor B

Standard coated CRF · 4.0 kg/m³ · 600 mg N/litre substrate.

Results

From the first growth assessment in early July, Horti-Cote Plus® treated plants scored highest for both growth vigor and foliage color, and maintained that lead across all three assessment dates. By the final evaluation in late November, the cumulative advantage had translated directly into measurable commercial outcomes.

AVERAGE PLANT HEIGHT & FRESH WEIGHT
Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M ★ Best result
58.0 cm · 234.6 g +31.4% vs. competitor
+31.4% fresh weight vs. best competitor
Grow Cote 6M
59.5 cm · 225.5 g +28.7% vs. competitor
+28.7% fresh weight vs. best competitor
Competitor A
50.4 cm · 175.2 g Baseline
Baseline
Competitor B
49.3 cm · 181.6 g —
181.6 g
Source: LWK Schleswig-Holstein / Mivena B.V. trial, Ellerhoop DE. Cherry Laurel cv. Grenolia, 9-liter pots. Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M: 18-5-10, 4.0 kg/m³, 720 mg N/litre substrate. Best-performing treatment per category shown. Fresh weight used as primary comparison metric.

Horti-Cote Plus® outperforms every competitor in every measured category

Horti-Cote Plus® treated plants received the highest growth scores at every assessment date. Foliage color scores were consistently strong across all dates, and plants showed no greater susceptibility to Shot Hole Disease than competitor-treated plants.

Most critically for commercial value: 62% of Horti-Cote Plus® plants were sorted into the premium 40–60 cm class, versus just 31% of the best-performing competitor. In a working nursery, this sorting difference directly determines revenue per batch.

Conclusion

One full growing season of GEP-certified independent data consistently points in the same direction: Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M delivers measurably superior results in container-grown cherry laurel, across growth rate, plant mass, and commercial sorting.

Stronger Early Growth

Horti-Cote Plus® plants scored highest for growth vigor at every assessment — building the canopy mass that drives sorting outcomes and sets plants apart from the competition from day one.

Earlier Reach of Premium Size Class

62% of Horti-Cote Plus® plants reached the 40–60 cm sales class — double the rate of the leading competitor standard. At commercial scale, this transforms revenue per batch.

Positive ROI Through Better Sorting

The improvement in size class distribution directly increases saleable value per batch — far outweighing any difference in fertilizer input cost compared to competitor products.

Reliable, Season-Long Performance

The slow-release mechanism delivered consistent nutrition across the full growing season, without requiring additional top-dress applications.

Recommendation

For nurseries producing cherry laurel in containers, Horti-Cote Plus® High N 6M is strongly supported by this independent, GEP-certified trial as the fertilizer of choice at potting. The combination of high nitrogen content, controlled release, and proven sorting performance makes it the most commercially effective option tested, particularly where premium size class yield is the primary production goal.

Interested in Horti-Cote Plus® CRF for Your Container Nursery?

Learn more about Horti-Cote Plus® CRF or contact our team for advice on
plant-hole treatment for your crop and soil.

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Trial conducted by Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein · Ellerhoop, Germany · Crop: Cherry Laurel cv. Grenolia · Horti-Cote Plus® supplied by Mivena B.V. Results reflect independent trial data from a single research location. Individual results may vary depending on substrate composition, local conditions, variety, and crop management. © Mivena B.V. · Sprangseweg 13C · 5144 NV Waalwijk · info@mivena.nl

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