Innovative new packaging from Thompson & Morgan

Giving plants an even better start

Exclusive to Thompson & Morgan, the new cartridge plug system®PAP allows us to grow our mail-order plants by a method identical to commercial nurseries.

As the young plants grow they are captured by a camera, which detects any gaps caused by non-germinating or weaker plants. The machine then inserts a fresh plant, a job which was previously done by hand. The benefits that this brings include healthier plants of the highest quality and with in-built strength from a young age.

The open-sided modules also allow the root tips of each plant to be air-pruned, which helps to build up a dense and fibrous root system in a very short time. This gives the young plant the very best start in life.

The slender plastic packaging and layout of the plants also mean that most packages will sail through modern letterboxes, ensuring they arrive as fresh and healthy as possible and won’t be deteriorating in a sorting office for days on end.

• What our customers are saying about the new packaging:

• Mrs Willis from Bournemouth: "Just a note to say how much better the new packaging is for the plug plants. I have attached a photo of some plants I received the other day which I have ordered from T&M; and they look very healthy. Looking forward to the season and all the challenges it brings!" (See photo).
• Matt Ross (Facebook): "I've received plants in this packaging and they were perfect! Love the fact it all fits through the letterbox too!"
• Sarah Griffiths (Facebook): "...Perfect packaging, had some plants arrive like that last week, in excellent condition and much easier to use."
• George Izatt (Facebook): "Had 3 lots of plugs delivered, not a leaf out of place. Well done T&M.;"
• Mrs Clarke, Southport: "The new packaging is utterly fantastic! It fitted through my letterbox, plants were in excellent condition despite their journey, and came out of their cells like a dream. It took me a fraction of the time I normally spend to transplant them. As part of my order I received 150 Begonia semperflorens about 10 days ago in the old packaging and although they were in good condition etc, I far prefer the new version. Hopefully all your future postings will be made in the new way. Congratulations to whoever invented this system, and congratulations to you for using it! T&M; quality has always been superb as far as I am concerned and now has got even better."
• Mr Woodhams of St. Albans has found some clever ways to reuse old packaging and lids: "At last I found a use for the old deep plastic lids I had kept from the previous plug packs. I found that the new strips stood up well in the old lids and there was ample room to water and the height helped to support new strips and keep them upright whilst waiting to be potted on. As an aside…the little plastic strips are now being used as loads on some of my flat trucks on the model railway…tied on they look quite interesting. The new trays are useful to hold pencils/pens/paint brushes tidy in a draw…so again no wastage there."

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