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I have to be convinced of the effect of the products

Erwin Meier Senior from Gartencenter Meier in Dürnten, Switzerland, is considered a plant expert. In an interview, he gives insight into the development of the family business and the importance of Effective Microorganisms and a healthy soil.

"With Urban Jungle we have achieved great success in reducing fungus gnats."

Enthusiast

5 minutes reading time

The internationally awarded garden centre Ernst Meier AG covers more than three hectares. Bettina Walser and Erwin Meier-Honegger are now the fourth generation of the family to run the company, which was founded in 1894 as a seed shop and now employs around 200 people.

Mr. Meier, what signature have you given the business?

Erwin Meier: I experienced the great change from 1950 onwards from a pure mail-order business to a garden centre system. With the growing motorisation of the population, people wanted to choose their plants locally. So I founded the first garden centre in Switzerland in 1964.

What changes did you observe over time?

Shortly after the starting signal with the garden centre, the hobby garden took off. Our location turned out to be ideal: there was a lot of building and planting going on around Lake Zurich. At that time, the large shopping centres offered little for hobby gardeners. So we had almost no competition. But since we have made a name for ourselves, we hardly have to fear the growing competition. The increasing desire for personal advice is also a change I am observing.

Your children Erwin and Bettina have been running the company for ten years. What innovations did the younger generation bring?

It is unmistakable that the young generation focuses on digitalisation and sustainability. The mix of "old" and "young" is excellent with us at the moment. The young make decisions faster in some cases and are more courageous. They bring a lot of theory with them, my generation the experience. My son has visited the best garden centres all over the world. We took a lot of input from the garden centre in Manchester in particular.

Only a healthy soil can produce a healthy plant. We want the hobby gardener to be able to contribute to an improved soil himself.

Erwin Meier Senior

Can a modern garden centre still afford to do without organic and ecological products?

No, you can't. It is also important to no longer just believe in the effects of the products, but to know exactly how they work. In the organic beginnings, the organic business was still more of a "belief" and the offers were insufficient to sustain a business. That has changed.

Healthy soil is the basic prerequisite for healthy plants. What solutions do you rely on for natural soil improvement?

Only a healthy soil can produce a healthy plant. We want the hobby gardener to be able to contribute to an improved soil himself. For us, the activated plant is in the foreground. The plant carbon is a natural soil improver. With it, the plant is more resistant to pests, fungal diseases, etc. and it also enables hobby gardeners to activate the plants in pots themselves in an uncomplicated way and to achieve better results.

Healthy soil is the basic prerequisite for healthy plants. What solutions do you rely on for natural soil improvement?

What were your first encounters with Effective Microorganisms in the garden centre?

I was aware that Effective Microorganisms create a fertile and microbial soil life and enable healthy growth and strong plants. But when the trend with EM came up in Switzerland, the products were not yet geared in a way for our allotment gardeners. With the new Multikraft products, this has changed and now Effective Microorganisms are also perfectly suitable for use in the hobby sector.

Which Multikraft products do you use and which product fascinates you the most?

I test many Multikraft products. I am enthusiastic about Multikraft Roots. Until recently, you had to combine three products to achieve the same effect on roots. With Multikraft Roots you now have the optimal mixture in one bottle. Another product we no longer want to do without is Urban Jungle. We have had great success with it in reducing or avoiding fungus gnats.