Hints and Tips

Hidden Costs of Making Your Own Growing Mix by Pierre-Marc de Champlain, Director – Technical Services Because most ingredients are sourced naturally, uniformity can be hard to obtain in a mix. The selling price of crops has not drastically risen over the past decades, but the cost of everything else has increased at a much faster pace. Growers have been very good at optimizing their production in order to maintain decent margins in spite of the increasing expenses for transportation, labour, equipment, chemicals and much more, including growing media. When you are looking at ways to cut down on your production costs, producing your own growing mix may seem like an attractive way to save some money, especially for large-scale growers. It certainly appears to have fewer implications than molding your own containers or manufacturing your own water-soluble fertilizers. Although […]

Substrate Selection Criteria Criteria no1 Type of Production The first criteria to take into consideration when selecting the ideal substrate for your production needs is the sector of activity. The characteristics of a growing media used to produce a Holly tree (Ilex) in a nursery will greatly differ to those required to produce an Orchid (Orchidaceae) in a greenhouse. Interior productions give a lot of control to growers, allowing them to steer productions towards specific results. Exterior productions are cheaper, but the grower loses some control as the crops are at the mercy of the weather, therefore substrates must be more forgiving to compensate for bad meteorological conditions. It is important to determine the type of production in order to narrow the types of substrates that could be used adequately. Criteria no6 Consistency and After Sales Services Quality Control, Analytical […]

31 Tips & Gardening Techniques One growing tip per day. by Pierre-Marc de Champlain, Supervisor Technical Services

Key Practices That Can Contribute to Growing Success Over the years, we have come across many practices that are utilized by veteran growers, that consistently contribute to their growing successes. We have listed some of these practices below in the hope that any of these hints can contribute to your growing success as well.

Keys to a Successful Transition With the ever-increasing consumer demand and expanding market for organic products, many growers are contemplating a switch to organic production. This presentation covers some of the most important elements to consider for a successful transition, including fertilizers. Made with components listed by OMRI, the OM product series is ideal for growers who want to break into this dynamic and rapidly growing sector of the industry. _ _ Find the right organic mix to suit your needs

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 […]