In the Alsace region of France, EARL Haberschill has established itself as a leading producer of young plants, boasting diversity, scale, and technical expertise. Operating across 2 hectares of greenhouses and employing around forty people, the extensive nursery produces roughly 10 million young plants annually.
These include a wide range of crops, from flowering plants to vegetable seedlings and aromatic herbs, propagated from both cuttings and seeds. Using Jiffy’s Preforma plugs ensures they meet the high quality and innovation standards in today’s horticultural market.
Supporting growth with Preforma Plugs
These stabilized plugs offer a consistent structure and excellent drainage, which are essential for healthy root development. The nursery also uses Jiffy’s plug-in-plug system, a flexible solution that is gaining traction in new markets due to its adaptability and performance.
“Jiffy is a company that listens to our needs,” says Cyril Haberschill, co-manager of EARL Haberschill. “They produce plugs in the trays we requested, and are always attentive to our challenges to improve their products, and consequently, our production.”
A collaborative approach
The collaboration between EARL Haberschill and Jiffy is built on responsiveness and shared problem-solving, which results in tailor-made solutions. Jiffy provides plugs in custom tray formats and works closely with the nursery to adapt substrate compositions to suit a wide variety of crops. This partnership has enabled EARL Haberschill to maintain high production standards while expanding its crop range.
Winter propagation challenges
Most of the nursery’s production takes place during the winter months - January, February, and March, when sunlight is limited and water tends to linger in the substrate. To manage these conditions, the team uses plugs in various diameters (2 cm, 3 cm, and 6 cm) and selects substrate formulas tailored to the specific needs of each crop.
Preforma benefits in practice
“Preforma plugs play an essential role in our irrigation issue, as they are cohesive and well-draining,” says Cyril. “Even under low-light conditions, the plugs allow water to drain quickly, reducing the risk of overwatering. This has led to stronger and faster root development, particularly in young plants grown from seed.”
Read here how other growers use the plug-in-plug system for their crops.
Improved handling and customer satisfaction
The benefits of Preforma plugs extend beyond propagation. The plugs are easy to extract from trays, which simplifies repotting and reduces plant losses during transplanting. This has improved the quality of deliveries to customers and enhanced operational efficiency.
Preparing for a peat-free future
Like many others, EARL Haberschill is preparing for the future of horticulture by exploring peat-free alternatives. As environmental regulations and market expectations evolve, the shift toward sustainable growing media is becoming increasingly important. Jiffy supports this transition with new peat-free Preforma plugs, offering growers a reliable solution that maintains performance while reducing environmental impact.
Learn more about Jiffy’s commitment to sustainable propagation on the Peat-Free Growing Solutions page.
Two decades of partnership
The partnership between EARL Haberschill and Jiffy has spanned over two decades. Through continuous collaboration and innovation, both teams have worked together to refine cultivation systems and address the challenges of modern plant production. This long-standing relationship is a testament to the strength of listening, adapting, and growing, together.
