SESL Australia Compliance Testing of Potting Media for Determination of Volume of Product

Potting mixes undergo rigorous compliance testing to ensure they provide a safe, consistent and effective growing environment for plants in accordance with Australian Standards for Potting Mixes (AS3743).  Many manufacturers follow recognised industry standards and have testing conducted in NATA-accredited laboratories to obtain test certificates confirming compliance with these standards.  

SESL Australia has a renowned in-house NATA-accredited soil laboratory that offers testing for potting mixes to the requirements of AS3743.  Recently, a client reached out to SESL Australia requesting compliance testing for multiple batches of potting mixes to be tested for volume determination.  Potting mix products supplied by manufacturers are sold by uncompressed ‘loose’ volume rather than compressed volume which is quoted on the packaging.

The testing involved determining the volume for a 25 L prepackaged bag of potting mix using standardised testing methods.  Potting media often compresses during production and storage which reduces the volume of the mix.  To determine the volume of an uncompressed potting mix, SESL Australia assesses the product in its uncompressed state and measures the resulting volume using calibrated equipment.

The results indicated variation between the measured volumes and the volumes stated on product packaging across a number of potting mix brands.  These findings provided useful insights into product consistency and compliance with relevant volume requirements and allow for recalibration prior to delivery to the customers.

SESL Australia has received positive feedback for the services offered to the Client as well as exceeding expectations for fast turnaround times.

Contact SESL Australia today for all of your potting mix testing requirements, including volume and full AS 3743 compliance analysis.