Which quality marks exist?

RHP manages two quality marks - RHP and RAG – with six different fields of application

The RHP certification has six different fields of application, each with its own spearheads, products and certified companies:

• RHP Horticulture (Horticulture)
• RHP Mushrooms (Horticulture)
• RHP Consumer (Consumer)
• RAG Landscaping (Landscaping)
• RAG Green Roof (Landscaping)
• RAG Soil supply (Landscaping)

This quality mark for substrates offers more security to growers of flowers, plants, vegetables and fruit. The RHP Horticulture quality mark ensures the quality of the substrate in the chain of production to processing at the company of the grower. Growers increase their security that the substrate complies with the various quality standards, such as:

• Control of (disease)risks
• Securing agreed physical specifications, such as water- and air content
• Securing of agreed nutrient aspects, such as EC, pH and N-P-K

The quality mark RHP Mushrooms offers mushroom growers more security that they use a responsible and usable substrate. In the culture of mushrooms, the substrate ‘casing soil’ is a very important part. The major function of casing soil is actually creating and retaining a water buffer. In this water buffer mycelium develops as a basis for the mushroom. With the RHP Mushroom quality mark, the grower can trust that the composition of the several raw materials has been chosen in such a way that it complies with the standards drawn up by EUREP-GAP.

Good soil is important, for that is the basis of healthy growth and strong plants. But how does a consumer judge if the potting soil is right? The RHP quality mark is an independent quality mark for potting soil and increases for the consumer the security of quality and safety. The consumer can trust that certified companies have done everything to make sure that potting soil with the RHP quality mark:

• provides the best growth and flowering for your plants
• is pure and clean
• is free of crop protection agents and pathogens
• complies with the specifications that are stated on the packaging

RAG Landscaping is the quality mark for public green spaces. The RAG quality mark certifies soil products which are destined for professional growers, authorities, park managers, contractors of infrastructure and gardeners. The standards which have been drawn up for the RAG Landscaping quality mark to soil- and structure improvers go beyond the RAW-guidelines. As a result, the customers can trust that the certified companies have done everything to make sure that all delivered products:

• are of the utmost security because both the product and the process in the whole chain is monitored,
• are free of quarantine diseases,
• are lacking weeds,
• comply with a maximum salt content,
• comply with the legal standards concerning contaminations with heavy metals, PAK’s and mineral oil.

The quality mark RAG Green Roof offers more security for the use of a qualitatively good green roof substrate. The nutrition in the green roof substrate is balanced, as a result of which the plants take advantage of the optimal basis for a lifetime as long as possible. The RAG Green Roof quality mark puts clear standards to the green roof substrate. As a result, the customer can trust that certified companies have done everything to make sure that all delivered green roof substrates:

• are clean (among others free of human pathogens) and are lacking weeds
• have an optimal oxygen content, as a result of which the plants get the most favourable basis for a lifetime as long as possible
• comply with the environmental standards drawn up (for ex. no heavy metals)
• have an optimal buffering/water buffering capacity, that complies with the strict standards of the independent inspection of the Certifying Body. The RAG green roof substrate combines water buffering with physical properties for an optimal growth.
• restrain the action of the sewers by dosed water drainage
• have a heat- and noise insulating effect. As a result gas- and heating costs can be saved and costs for using airconditioning can be decreased.

The quality mark RAG Soil supply offers more security that there are excellent soil supply and soil improving materials. To prevent wear of the soil, soil supply and/or soil improvers are applied. These RAG certified products repair the soil structure and give more security to customers on:

• better growth conditions,
• good air- and water system in the tilth of the soil,
• regular supply of nutrients in the soil.