Hints and Tips

Presence of Mold on Peat in Bales by Pierre-Marc de Champlain, Ing. Jr./Jr. Eng Mold on peat moss is usually created by the growth of filamentous fungi. If the water content is high, these organisms will grow on almost any type of organic matter. While the sight of mold growing on a freshly opened substrate bale may seem worrisome, they are not pathogenic to plants. There are numerous species of fungi, and those found in peat moss are mostly saprophytes, meaning that they only feed on decomposing organic matter. Some of these microorganisms can even have beneficial effects on plant growth. The Benefits of Microorganisms in Sphagnum Peat Moss Sphagnum peat moss contains numerous microorganisms that occur naturally in peat bogs, including the bacteria Bacillus, the actinobacteria Streptomyces, the fungi Penicillium, Trichoderma and Mucor, to name a few. The presence […]

Bark Mixes & Interactions with CRFs by Brian Cantin, Senior Grower Advisor All bark mixes are not the same; certain factors have a large impact on bark’s physical and chemical characteristics as well as their interaction with other components including CRFs. Bark as a component can be purchased as Fresh Bark, Aged bark and Composted bark. Fresh bark can contain phenolic compounds due to the lack of proper composting and may inhibit growth. When added to a growing media, rapid decomposition of this material causes nitrogen depletion in the mix. A fresh hammer milled bark is often very coarse and has less available nitrogen than aged or composted bark. Processing bark beyond its fresh raw state allows toxic compounds to be broken down and assists in reducing nitrogen immobilization. There are two processing techniques that are employed in the industry […]

Frequently Asked Questions Guide on Wood Fiber by Brian Cantin, Senior Grower Advisor

All you need to know about pH in growing mixes Berger offers growing media with a buffered pH and our quality control system guarantees that this pH is within a specific range upon reception. However, certain factors must be managed properly to make sure that the pH of the media remains optimal throughout the production. The pH of the growing media is dynamic and must be closely monitored. Berger can not only provide a growing media with a specific pH, but can also help you determine what factors are influencing the pH of your soil during production and provide helpful solutions that are adapted to your production system and easy to integrate. Watch the video to find out how you can manage your pH!

Garden Mums: Controlling Height A crop of proportionally shaped and well mounded plants begins with adequate spacing. For fall plantings, I prefer 18- to 24-inch on-centre spacing for 8-inch diameter containers or larger. With ample spacing, adequate light and air movement can penetrate the lower canopy, providing a healthier environment and sturdier growth for a major portion of the growing period. Space the plants so that they are barely touching each other when they begin to bloom. I have found that if the plants fill in their space too soon, leaves that overlap from one plant to another signal competition for space, which can result in undesirable growth. When estimating the final height of the crop, strive to reach 70 to 80% of the final height by the time the flower buds are peppercorn size (about half the size of […]

Garden Mums: Fertility Management Programs Water management, especially in the early stages, is crucial in determining the final size, shape and quality of garden mums. It would be better to say that the desired outcome results from integrating both feed and water practises. Growing a desirable quality plant of a specific size and sturdiness requires a balance between feed and moisture conditions. Regardless of the fertilizer formulation and rate of application, stress due to dryness – particularly during the early growth period – can result in woodier stems and smaller plants of lesser quality. Keeping cuttings actively growing during the first five weeks of the crop is a prerequisite to producing a strong and sturdy chassis that will support a well branched plant. Allowing plants to wilt during the early stages of growth can restrict branching activity, especially after pinching […]

In 2012, Berger was the first substrate producer in North-America to introduce wood fibers into its line of professional growing media as a renewable aggregate. Find out this renewable component benefits.

Berger pays attention to every detail in order to provide high-quality products, which includes all the components that are used to produce their growing media.
Whether they are produced by Berger or supplied by a manufacturer, all these ingredients are submitted to rigorous quality control.
Numerous ingredients can be added to peat in order to create specific characteristics in growing media.

Choosing the right varieties to suit your production style is always a challenge. Take the time to select the right combination of early and late finishers. Based on your previous experience growing various cultivars, you’ll be able to label each cultivar as tall-, medium- or short-growing, which will facilitate PGR applications appropriate for the vigour of the plant. Timing and Scheduling Timing and scheduling of plant production is dependent on many factors. Night temperatures, day length, planting dates as well as pinching dates should all be taken into account when planning your production schedule. This is a good time to remind yourself about the phenomenon of “heat delay”. Although beyond your control for the most part, as it is due to excessively high night temperatures, be aware that it can delay flowering beyond the expected flowering dates. – Read Garden […]

Here are the best practices that will allow Berger to perform rigorous analyses for any or all of these types of samples and get you the most representative results. Proper sample identification is very important to ensure the adequate traceability of the results.