"Coir has shown to be the only suitable replacement for peat based growing media so far, where other alternatives work well only with limited percentages," say Arjan van Leest (Manager Solution Support) and Kyle Freedman (Segment Manager CEA) from Jiffy. With peat-free becoming more and more of a hot topic, Jiffy's products cater to this demand. The company's growbags are peat-free and utilize 100% organic coco coir substrate from their own production facilities in Sri Lanka. "Coir can be used as a 100% growing media with excellent root development and growing results. Coir even shows a better root development compared to peat due its water-air ratio. Peat can become hydrophobic if it dries down too much making it very difficult to rehydrate. Coir on the other hand can dry down quickly (which can benefit roots when they grow in search of water) and rehydrate fast making it a more versatile growing media," they explain.
Sensitive crops
Jiffy also offers a premium range option for growbags, called Finesse. "With the Jiffy Finesse we provide a 100% stabilized and chemically (nutrient based) neutralized growing media, suited for sensitive crops like strawberry and pepper," Arjan and Kyle say. "Because of a quick start without any calcium deficiency issues, growers will experience a better yield. The faster the young plants develop, the lesser transplanting shock. Lesser stress at the start leads to more powerful plants and as a result higher yields. Next to this, the quality specifications followed by Jiffy guarantee a weed-free, pathogen-free and airy growing media from the start to the end."
Essence vs Finesse
But what is the difference between the premium Finesse line and the more budget Essence products? Arjan and Kyle explain that the same raw materials are used for all products. "Both our standard Jiffy Essence Growbags and our Jiffy Finesse Growbags are created with the same quality coir materials." The difference is the extra treatment Jiffy Finesse has gone through. "The extra washing (low EC) and specific calcium treatment (low K+ and Na+ content on the coir complex) make the difference. The more sensitive the crop for calcium deficiency at the start (like strawberry and pepper) the better to use Jiffy Finesse. Jiffy Essence will finally meet the Jiffy Finesse characteristics as well, but this takes time. Growers usually have no time for the extra preparations on site and prefer to order a fully prepared growbag instead. If time is a lesser issue, growers can pre-treat the Jiffy Essence on site. Jiffy Finesse is ready to be used and only needs to be expanded with (plain or starter-solution (not crucial, but advised)) water," they explain.
High-tech cultivation
According to Arjan and Kyle, Jiffy Finesse Growbags are a great option for high-tech greenhouse growers. "They are great for a fast start. The faster a young plant roots into the growbag, the better the (final) results in terms of crop balance and yield. With all conditions 100% controlled, you do not like to rely on an insecure growing media. Growbags are lightweight, easy to transport and can come with preformed drip emitter holes, allowing growers to set growbags in their benches and gutters, connect their drippers to expand the bags, and they are ready to go."
For more information:
Jiffy Products International
Tel.: +31(0)78 2062200
[email protected]
www.jiffygroup.com