Technical Information
Melcourt Sylvafibre^® - FSC

Product Description and Uses A fine composted wood-fibre designed as a major growing medium ingredient, ideal for peat-free or peat-reduced plant production. Click on picture for larger image Typical Crop Applications Nursery stock, trees, bedding plants, pot plants, herbaceous perennials, alpines, interior landscaping, bulb forcing, micropropagation, tubs and hanging baskets, vegetable and forest transplants etc. User Benefits This product is certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Enables the production of high quality plants Ideal for peat-free or peat-reduced plant production Equally suitable for ericaceous and non-ericaceous subjects Low nutrient level allows complete control over nutrient additions Extremely competitively priced compared to peat Structural durability makes Sylvafibre® ideal for long term crops Use on all types of bed, including sand, gravel and capillary matting Can also be used as a propagating medium Can also be used as a pot mulch

Product Features Fine, free-flowing and consistent texture Blends very easily with other materials pH 5.5 - 6.5 Air-filled porosity 20 - 22% Low nutrient content Tried and tested Produced from British wood fibre Bulk density similar to peat Dark brown in colour Entirely pest, weed and disease free Toxin free Stable structure which will not degrade with time Provides excellent air-water balance Backed by extensive development programme Supplementary nitrogen not required

How to Use Melcourt Sylvafibre® can be used at up to 80% of the medium, the remainder being a moisture retentive material such as fine composted bark,coir or peat. Sylvafibre® blends easily with other materials, whether mixed by hand or by machine. Its resilient structure makes it more resistant than peat to over-mixing. It is entirely compatible with machine potting. No changes to normal fertilizer regimes are required. See Guidance Notes for further details. Magnesium lime should be added at 1.0-1.5kg/m3 for standard subjects and 0.5 - 1.0 kg/m3 for ericaceous subjects. Crop Management The use of Sylvafibre® does not require any changes to the normal regime of crop management. However depending on the mix, the resulting compost may be more open than similar peat-based media, and some users may find that slightly more water is required. Sylvafibre® is similar to, and no worse than peat in that if allowed to become very dry at the surface it can be difficult to rewet. It is compatible with wetting agents and responds well to their use.

Propagation Although Melcourt has carried out limited development work on the use of Sylvafibre® as a propagating medium, evidence from growers suggests that it performs well in mixes with both peat and coir at rates of around 50%. Pot Mulching Sylvafibre® can be used as a 1 - 3 cm layer on the surface of pots to act as a suppressor of moss, liverwort and weeds, or to improve the appearance of retail trees and shrubs just prior to despatch.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Main Constituent	Origin	Nominal Particle Size Range	Wood Content	Dust & Fines
Woodfibre	British	0 - 6 mm	> 80 %	> 40 %

pH	Typical Bulk Density Range	Moisture Content by weight as received	Air-Filled Porosity
5.5 - 6.5	340 - 380 kg/m3	52 %	21 %

Electrical Conductivity	Plant Available Nutrient Content	Requirement for Supplementary Nitrogen	Quality Range	FSC Certified
150 µS/cm	negligible	No	Deluxe	Yes

All values given in the Technical Specification are typical. However, some variation may occur from time to time. Melcourt Industries Ltd reserves the right to alter the specification without notice, for the purpose of product improvement.

Application Rates

Up to 80 % of Total Compost Volume

Suggested Product Uses

Product Applications Peat Replacement Propagation Open or Plug Trays Direct Sticking Hardwood Cuttings Micropropagation Weaning Seed composts Liners Potting Standard Pot Sizes Potting Large Pot Sizes Overwintering Several Seasons Pot Mulching Plunge Beds Border Soils

Crop Types Bedding Plants Pot Bedding Pot Plants Nursery Stock Specimen Trees & Shrubs Conifers Herbaceous Perennials Bulb Fibre Alpines Herbs Ericaceous & Salt-sensitive Hanging Baskets, Tubs and Troughs Street Planters Interior Landscaping Vegetable & Forest Transplants Strawberry Pot Culture