High-speed hydroponics

Think about the current growth media you’re using. It takes about 10 days until seeds are ready for transplant, right? What if you could shave three days off that process?

There’s a new seed propagation medium available from OASIS Grower Solutions that enables growers to do just that, enhancing root development and shoot growth — and ultimately, your hydroponics operation.

“Young plants in any greenhouse, whether it’s the vegetable industry or flower industry, are critical,” says John Bonner, co-owner of Burton, Ohio, Great Lakes Growers. “If you don’t germinate things correctly, you end up with poor plants. So starting out with good inputs is critical to end up with consistent, good-quality products.”

That is why Bonner upgraded to OASIS’s new Horticubes XL product. In addition to faster produce growth — particularly important since many herbs and vegetables are short-term crops — Bonner says it has had the advantage of helping his operation better utilize space.

“If you can produce more plants out of the same square footage, it gives you a competitive advantage from a cost standpoint,” he says. “Maybe you can sell things at a better price. Or if you’re not in growth mode where you’re trying to expand your market share, you can maintain the same price at lower costs and improve your margin. So it either gives you a better advantage for pricing at the end of the day, or it can result in improved margins — both are good decisions to be thinking about.”

How it works
The new foam medium promotes faster growth through a modified cell structure and unique chemistry.

“The cell structure has a different density so the roots get minimal obstruction and can easily penetrate through the foam,” says Vijay Rapaka, manager of grower research at Smithers-Oasis, parent company to OASIS Growers.

The innovative drainage properties in the fine-cell design ensure uniform distribution of water and nutrients so roots have ready access. This also promotes branching of the secondary roots, Rapaka says.

“As a result of the faster root growth, you will also see superior shoot growth,” he explains. “And consistent root systems also ensure easier transplanting as well as healthier plants.”

Ease of use
Another benefit of OASIS Grower’s new seed propagation medium is that it’s easy to use.

When you remove the product sheets from the carton and separate the individual foam cubes, the lack of abrasive fibers eliminates the need for gloves. What’s more, razor cuts on the top and bottom of the cubes ensure easy, clean separation from the full sheets, according to OASIS literature. These sheets then fit into industry-standard 1020 carry trays and can be used with with both overhead and sub-irrigation systems.

“I would say is it easier than ever to use, but you’ve also got more options,” Bonner says. “(OASIS) has come out with some different configurations and modifications to their product that gave us more options than we even had six months ago. There are a lot more options available with pairing the media with the specific plant. Different seeds will benefit from different configurations and different structures of materials.”

Customization includes the option to buy sheets at different foam concentrations, with either single-seed or multi-seed holes and either top or bottom grooving.

See the results
OASIS Grower’s new seed propagation medium is an improvement over the company’s former foam cube product, with root growth and top growth of seedlings boosted by up to 35 percent, OASIS product literature states.

In a study comparing the two products, the company found the following:

Days 1 and 2: The seed in the former foam product is still in radical emergence with root penetration at 7 percent, while the seed in the newer foam medium is already showing hypocotyl elongation with root penetration at 15 percent.

Days 3 and 4: Leaves are just emerging from the older medium, with root penetration at 22 percent. The plantlet growing in the new foam product, however, shows expansion of cotyledonous and initial root growth with penetration already at 50 percent.

Day 5: The seedling in the original foam medium is still in cotyledonous leaf expansion with root penetration at 28 percent, while the seedling in the new growth medium is becoming established within the foam with root penetration at 72 percent.

Day 6: There’s marginal root growth in the former foam product, with penetration at 41 percent. Faster root growth is occurring in the newer medium, with penetration at 93 percent.

Day 7: Slight lateral roots are emerging from the older foam product, with very shallow root growth reaching 52 percent penetration. A strong lateral root has developed in the newer medium, with root penetration at 100 percent through the bottom of the foam.

Day 8: The seedling growing in the older OASIS foam cube shows true leaves, reaching 66 percent root penetration, while the seedling in the newer foam cube has increased root biomass and pushed through the cube bottom at 111 percent root penetration.

Day 9: At 85 percent, the tap roots of the seedling in the older foam still have not penetrated the foam cube. The seedling in the newer product continues to become more developed, with 118 percent root penetration.

Day 10: The seedling in the original medium has reached 100 percent root penetration, while that in the new foam cube has reached 129 percent root penetration and looks two to three days ahead of the other one in shoot and root growth.

Photos courtesy of Oasis Grower Solutions

Safe for edibles
Other studies of this growing medium show it to be completely safe for growing edible crops. They’ve found no pathogenic bacteria associated with foodborne illnesses, no mutagenic properties, and no soluble organic compounds that could potentially affect plants. 

“It is safe, and I think it’s the cleanest form,” Bonner says of hydroponics growing. “I think it’s cleaner than growing in dirt. When we’re shipping product and we’re packaging for either grocery stores or the food industry or whatever, it’s a very clean package. It doesn’t break apart. It runs well in our systems, too, meaning it doesn’t clog up filters and stuff like that.

“The benefits of space utilization and the speed of growing the same quality of plant a couple days quicker — that is a big deal,” Bonner says of using the new growing medium in his hydroponics operation. “The bottom line: They (OASIS) help us do a better job at what we do anyway.”

Jessica Hanna is a Cleveland-based freelance writer and frequent contributor to Produce Grower.