Making the right choice

Photos courtesy of Lambert

There are fewer choices that a grower must make that are more important than choosing what growing media to use. “The choice of the growing mix is primordial because it’s what the operation is based on,” says Frédéric Gagnon, agronomist at Lambert Peat Moss. “The media is the water and nutrients reservoir, but also the physical support of the plants.”

According to Gagnon, searching for a new growing media mix is actually much more complicated than one might think, as what a grower should look for heavily depends on their operation’s needs. “Many things are involved and need to be considered when looking for a growing mix to make sure you’re making the right and best choice available,” explains Gagnon.

So, what goes into choosing growing media? “To be able to make the best choice, you should know the plants’ requirements, as it’s how the plants will be able to thrive and be sold as a premium grade product,” says Gagnon. “That information concerns the physical characteristics of the mix like the particle sizes and the ratio of water retention and drainage required. The chemical side will be about the pH and EC, depending on if it’s a standard range or a specific one.”

Of course, there are other important aspects that growers often neglect, like the sizes of the containers and trays. Just because a growing mix can work in different sized containers and trays, doesn’t mean it’s the best option. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, says Gagnon.

“In addition to crop health, the plants’ container sizes will also have an impact on the equipment you use when it’s time to fill your trays,” adds Gagnon. “Even if it looks similar, the ideal particle sizes of the mix for a 50- or a 72-cell tray will be different for a 288 or for an Ellepot system. With the right mix, you will avoid the harassment of some clogging episodes of your equipment and appreciate how easily and evenly the tiny cells will be filled with no headache.”

Gagnon also emphasizes Lambert’s ability to meet every grower’s needs. A key aspect of this is in the company’s customization efforts. “If the end process doesn’t meet all the grower’s requirements to correct a particular situation, then we will go to the next step and work on a customization of the closest match,” Gagnon says. “We always take time to gather the most details possible to select what will be the best choice, but some specific cases require some fine-tuning of the recipe.”

By communicating with the customer and gathering as much information about their operation as possible, Gagnon and his team at Lambert work out a solution, modifying certain characteristics of the growing media to fit the grower’s specific needs and help them succeed.

“Communication and discussions are very important to make the perfect blend for our customer, and we always find a solution,” Gagnon says.