Potted plant nursery Richplant grows 15 different varieties throughout the year. Plants find their way to consumers through the brand Decorum Company. The plants grow on a concrete floor with an ebb and flow system to a full-fledged plant from cuttings. A process that requires regular movements and handling to optimize plant growth. To set up this process as efficiently as possible, Richard Scheffers, owner of Richplant, opted for the Walking Plant System (WPS system) in a part of the company. An added advantage is the space under the system for storing about 6,000,000 liters of water.
Problems at the roots
"Still, cultivation did not go as we would have liked to see," Richard Scheffers says. Problems at the roots were holding back the productivity of the crop. "The question was where exactly the problem was. So, instinctively, we started co-dosing all kinds of chemical and biological agents without the desired result. On to the next option: administering sodium hypochlorite. But still, we couldn't get the problems under control. In fact, we then had an additional problem: undesirably high chloride figures in the pot."
Surely this can be done cheaper?
Coincidence or not, at that time, Richard got into another conversation with Wilfred Vijverberg of CH2O about water treatments with Sure Flow chlorine dioxide. The two men had known each other for a long time, but Richard was convinced that he could also solve his root problems more simply and less expensive. Unfortunately, this was not the case after all. Wilfred also could not immediately put his finger on it. "I like a challenge and was determined to help Richard," Wilfred says, "but at that time, I did not have sufficient knowledge of gardenia cultivation and Richplant's watering system. Especially the latter, I needed to know even better than the grower himself so that I could pick out the problems. Until I am confident that our solution will solve the problem, I am still hesitant. I only sell my products with a full, clean warranty."
Problems in the roots disappeared
Meanwhile, the Sure Flow unit with chlorine dioxide has been running for two and a half years, and the problems in the roots have completely disappeared. "Before we got to this point, I offered Richard to install our complete system and start the water treatments, but that Richplant would only get the full invoices once we were both satisfied with the results. Until then, I only sent the invoices for the water treatments themselves."
For more information:
Wilfred Vijverberg
CH2O 
Tel.: +31 (0)174-504785
Mob.: +31 (0)6 21852152
[email protected]
www.ch2o.nl