Portlaoise recently hosted the ‘Green Cities Europe’ seminar, organised by Bord Bia for the Irish Hardy Nursery Stock Association (IHNSA). The event brought together professionals from the horticulture sector, local councils, landscape designers, contractors, and academics. Keynote speakers Dermot Foley and Peter O’Toole shared insights into their experiences. A panel discussion featured industry leaders discussing sustainability practices and insights into greening built environments. The Green Cities Europe initiative, backed by the European Union, emphasised integrating green spaces into ..read more

Bord Bia’s ‘more-ganic’ campaign has kicked off, starting on November 6 and continuing until 17 December, with a second wave planned for next spring as part of a three-year initiative to support the organic sector. The campaign is one component of Bord Bia’s broader efforts to bolster the organic market. This includes extensive research into the organic market in Ireland and abroad, trade advertising, retailer activations in key European markets, and increased participation at trade fairs. Currently, the Irish market consumes 50% of all organic lamb produced in Ireland, with the rest exporte ..read more

At Growtrade, we highlight public procurement opportunities from around Ireland that would be suitable to landscapers, growers, turfgrass professionals, horticulturalists, and forestry professionals. Here is one such tender for the provision of train log trimming services on Irish Rail property Description:  Coillte CGA requires the services for Train Log trimming on Irish Rail property. The objective of this service is to trim any overhanging branches or bark from the tree logs on the train where they are sticking out past the poles that are attached to the carriages which will transpo ..read more

At Growtrade, we highlight public procurement opportunities from around Ireland that would be suitable to landscapers, growers, turfgrass professionals, horticulturalists, and forestry professionals. Here is one such tender for landscaping work at Jobstown Park. Description:  Upgrade of Jobstown Park this will include the installation of a teen area, playground, landscaping and entrances. Type of contract:  Works Contracting authority: South Dublin County Council Contact: The Procurement Officer, South Dublin County Council Response deadline: 13/12/2023 16:00 (Irish time) CPV codes ..read more

Tickets for the GLDA’s 28th Annual Design Seminar, titled “SPACE TO GROW – How our gardens and open spaces can help us achieve a liveable future,” are now on sale. Date: Saturday, 24 February 2024 Venue: Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel Conference Centre (Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin D09 X9X2) Time: Registration opens at 8AM. Seminar from 9AM- 5:30PM. Speakers: Jo Wakelin (Landscape Designer, New Zealand) Giacomo Guzzon (Landscape Architect, UK) Ton Muller (Landscape/Planting Designer, Netherlands) Stefano Marinaz (Landscape Architect, UK) John Little (Grass Roof Company, UK) Mark Gregor ..read more

The Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland is asking its members whether it should remove the “Royal” from its name. Founded in 1816 as the Horticultural Society of Ireland, it added “Royal” before 1848. The society’s 1,500 members are invited to share concise submissions on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the current and proposed names. A proposal for a name change was approved during its annual meeting in May, setting the stage for an upcoming general meeting. According to the Irish Times, former secretary and editor of its journal, Mary Hackett, submitted ..read more

Walsall Council has purchased a vehicle mounted spray unit with a Nomix VMU which has enabled their own street cleansing team to carry out their spraying programme on the highways’ areas across the borough. They are using Nomix Hilite which is rain-fast within 30-60 minutes of application. Nomix Enviro collaborates with UK councils to enhance weed control programmes. The use of Eco Charger E-ATVs and Nomix products signifies Walsall Council’s weed control approach, emphasising cost and time savings. Nomix Enviro offers the Total Droplet Control system, eliminating the need for water or produ ..read more

The use of 14 Plant Protection Products (PPP) will become illegal from December 2023. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) Pesticide Registration and Control Division (PRCD), informs the trade on Plant Protection Products (PPP) which have had their registrations revoked or expired, rendering their use illegal. PPP for which registrations have expired or have been or will be revoked and the use of which will become illegal during December 2023: Axial One  Syngenta UK Ltd 06864  31/12/2022  31/12/2023 Florasulam Barclay Keeper 200  Barclay Chemic ..read more

Minister Pippa Hackett has announced the launch of the 2024 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector, featuring a budget of €10 million. This scheme comes as a response to the challenges faced by growers in 2023 due to high input costs and adverse weather conditions, making it difficult for them to reinvest and align with the vision outlined in the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027. During the Horticulture Industry Forum winter meeting, Minister Hackett shared updates on the progress made in implementing key strategic actions from the Nati ..read more

The Teagasc Organics team is organising a series of webinars delving into organic dairy, tillage, and horticulture systems. The sessions will address various aspects, including partial farm conversion, expected yields, crop management, profitability, and the demand and market for organic crops. Participants will have the chance to ask questions during the Q&A session at the end. When: 15 November 2023 Time: Event Time 11am Where: Venue online These webinars cater to both traditional tillage farmers and current organic farmers who are contemplating a shift to organic tillage. The primary ..read more