Vigoro's roots in the Canadian plant nutrition business run very deep: In fact, all the way back to 1902. From the very beginning, the company has developed an excellent reputation for top quality products designed to meet individual market needs.
Many of these products were true innovations that contributed much to the good health of today's lawn and garden industry in Canada.
In 1924 when Vigoro was known as Swift Canada Co., it launched Canada's first home lawn and garden fertilizer containing micro nutrients for a fully balanced plant diet.
In 1954, Vigoro launched the first non-burning lawn fertilizer ... a slow release nitrogen formulation that gave homeowners a healthier lawn with fewer fertilizer applications. It was a great step forward - and the rest of the industry soon followed.
The 1950’s also saw the introduction of PINK Vigoro, an organic-based, all purpose fertilizer that has been a favourite for the past 40 years for several generations of Canadian gardeners.
1968 marked another milestone for Vigoro, with the introduction of IBDU® (isobutylidene diurea) controlled-release nitrogen. Twenty-five years later, this product is still unmatched in its ability to deliver uniform release of nutrients over an extended period of time. Today, IBDU® has become a mainstay in the turf nutrition programs of leading golf courses right across North-America.Canada’s largest Lawn and Garden Fertilizer Company
Early in the 1990’s Vigoro bought the Canagro brand line of all-natural organic fertilizers. Canagro is Canada’s leading brand of organic fertilizers, and a favourite of organic gardeners due to the purity of its product ingredients, and the performance they deliver. The line includes bone and blood meals, limestone, kelp meal, compost maker and gentle-feeding fertilizers for the lawn, garden and trees.
In 1997, Vigoro Canada acquired So-Green Corporation, a move that expanded its position as Canada’s leading lawn and garden fertilizer manufacturer. The So-Green brand is well-known nationally for its high-quality, top selling “No Filler Added’ lawn fertilizers. Formulated in an organic base called "milorganite", the So-Green line brings new strength to Vigoro’s already impressive national sales. Lawn fertilizers with So-Green N-CAPS® timed release nitrogen provide consistent nutrient release for up to 2 months or more.
In 1998, Vigoro/So-Green Canada Inc was acquired by Pursell Industries of Sylacauga, Alabama. Founded in 1904, Pursell has become a major player in the American lawn and garden industry. Polyon timed-release technology was introduced by Pursell in 1989. The distinctive green Polyon spheres release nutrients in response to soil temperature rather than moisture, for a consistent feeding over 8 - 12 weeks or longer. Watch for Polyon as a key ingredient in new Vigoro formulations to come.
Vigoro. Canagro. So-Green. And new ownership committed to new investment and growth in the Canadian lawn and garden industry. With these powerhouse brand names, Canada’s leading lawn and garden fertilizer company can offer you more than ever before.
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