Knox Nursery Earns Veriflora® Certification for its Sustainable Growing Practices

ORLANDO, Fla., June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Knox Nursery, a top 100 young plant producer and finished annual grower, recently received Veriflora Certification for its sustainable growing practices. The 150 million young plants and 6 million 4-inch annuals the company produces each year are now Veriflora certified.

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"Knox Nursery is pleased to join the Veriflora program as a continuation of our commitment to environmental sustainability," said Bruce Knox, President of Knox Nursery.  "We started down this path over 8 years ago when we realized our industry needed a solution to the significant problem of what to do with empty plastic pots.  There were simply no environmentally friendly options for disposal, so we switched the bulk of our landscape business to production in Ellepots, a Veriflora Approved Input Material paper pot that quickly breaks down when planted in the soil.  The Ellepot provides our customers a plant with a healthier root system that results in faster growth after transplant.  We were one of the first operators to incorporate Ellepots into our production."

Landscapers have long complained about the number of plastic pots going into their dumpsters. Eight years ago Knox made the switch from plastic pots to eco-friendly paper-based Ellepots. Since switching to the Ellepot Knox has stopped 40 million plastic pots going into the landfills. The Ellepot has also increased landscape installation productivity.

Veriflora certification is conducted by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a global third-party certifier of environmental, sustainability and agricultural product quality claims. Certification requires growers to meet strict environmental practices addressing water resource conservation, energy efficiency, ecosystem protection, and integrated waste management, as well as fair labor practices that ensure a safe, equitable and healthy work environment.  In addition, Veriflora establishes industry-leading product quality requirements.

"We are excited to welcome Knox Nurseries to the Veriflora program," said Dr. Michael Keyes, SCS' Senior Agriculture and Natural Resource Specialist.  "Their young plant production lines, RFID coding, and care for the environment exemplify the type of grower Veriflora stands behind."

Knox Nursery, Founded in 1962, in Orlando, Florida, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.  It is located on a 25 acre site in Winter Garden, Florida, and employs over 100 people.  The facility includes over 700,000 square feet of environmentally-controlled greenhouses space, placing Knox on the list of the top 100 greenhouse growers in the country. Key crops include Gerbera, Begonia, Impatiens, Petunia, Pentas, Coleus and Vinca. For additional information, visit www.knoxnursery.com, or call 800-441-5669.

Veriflora® is an agricultural sustainability certification and eco-labeling program of Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a global leader in third-party auditing, certification and standards development. To learn more, visit www.veriflora.com or www.scscertified.com.

For more information please contact:
Chip Wood, (510) 452-8020  

SOURCE Scientific Certification Systems