Scotts Professional Introduces Osmocote® with New Fusion Technology™

Marysville, OH, January 15, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Scotts Professional's 2nd Generation controlled release fertilizers have been proven to provide nursery crops with valuable, long-lasting nutrition. However, nursery owners continue to be concerned about the relative ease with which surface-applied controlled release fertilizer can be wasted due to spillage. High winds, storms or gusts from an air-blast sprayer can knock over container nursery stock, causing surface-applied fertilizer prills to scatter on the ground. Now, Scotts Professional has developed a new controlled release fertilizer product that has the power to change all that—Osmocote with Fusion Technology.

Exclusively available from Scotts Professional, Fusion Technology securely binds Osmocote fertilizer to growing media for a “no-spill prill.” After the fertilizer is surface applied and watered in, an innovative polymer compound forms a web-like adhesive matrix that does not interfere with the release of nutrients to the plant. This matrix bonds the fertilizer prills to each other and to the surface of the growing media. Re-wetting the growing media through subsequent irrigation maintains the Fusion activity, ensuring that the fertilizer will stay in place for an extended period of time. According to Chris Buchheit, marketing manager of ornamental horticulture fertilizers for Scotts Professional, Fusion Technology provides growers with a greater return on their fertilizer investments.

“In a nursery setting, it’s inevitable that some containers will be knocked down,” Buchheit said. “Because Osmocote with Fusion Technology stays in pots even after they’ve been toppled over, far less fertilizer is lost due to spillage. This reduces both the amount of fertilizer that growers need to purchase and the amount of money spent on labor for reapplication. Perhaps most importantly, plants continue to get the nutrition they need throughout their growth cycles, resulting in a quality product that can demand a higher price at sale time.”

Fusion Technology is currently available in one formulation—Osmocote Pro 19-6-9 with Fusion Technology in a five to six month longevity at 70° F. This particular longevity provides nutrition equal to other high-quality 2nd Generation blended products from Scotts and better than cheaper “topdress” products. Depending on the crop being produced and the climate, this five to six month longevity may be able to deliver nutrition for an entire season, further reducing application and labor costs. In the future, Scotts Professional may make Fusion Technology available in additional Osmocote generations, formulations and longevities, providing growers with the ability to further customize their nutritional programs.

“Growers who have a good handle on their operations and know what it takes to produce the best possible crops will easily see the benefits presented by Fusion Technology,” Buchheit said. “By providing consistent nutrition, minimal environmental risk and little need for reapplication, Scotts believes that the ‘no-spill prill’ can have a positive impact on any nursery grower’s bottom line.”

About ScottsMiracle-Gro:

With nearly $3 billion in worldwide sales and more than 6,000 associates, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Scotts Company LLC, is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care, with products for professional horticulture as well. The Company's brands are the most recognized in the industry. In the U.S., the Company's Scotts®, Miracle-Gro® and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories, as is the consumer Roundup® brand, which is marketed in North America and most of Europe exclusively by Scotts and owned by Monsanto. In Europe, the Company's brands include Weedol®, Pathclear®, Evergreen®, Levington®, Miracle-Gro®, KB®, Fertiligene® and Substral®. For additional information, visit us at www.scotts.com.

###