Posts Tagged ‘soilless plants’

Summer is here and many gardeners who have been growing their seeds in a soilless media are now ready to transplant them to blocks or to soil. For maximum results and to avoid plant loss, it is critical to exercise great care during this transitional stage.

Dr. Pawan Srivastava, a highly experienced scientist, creator of innovative hydration products used throughout the global floral industry and now lead scientist for SteadyGROWpro, a new, soilless plant-growing medium manufactured in Indiana, offers tips for successful transplantation. 

First, make sure soilless media sheets or plugs are showing exposed roots along the bottom surface. Also, if the seedlings haven’t yet been fertilized, they will need basic fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (“N, P and K”) added to their watering regimen to ensure proper growth.

Seedlings or propagated plants are now ready to be transplanted. Make sure the media to which the seedling is going to be transplanted is thoroughly soaked. Once the hole is prepared, water/fertilizer the hole again before transplanting. Then, transplant the entire cell from the sheet media or the plug into the block or soil. Start watering the plants with fertilizer immediately.

For proper establishment of the transplanted plant and soilless media and to avoid wilting or plant loss, the transplanted seedling will require water multiple times per day. Keep the media or soil moist at the surface at all times. If transplanting during periods of high temperature or intense sunlight, consider shading the area until the plant shows signs of new growth.

Certain soilless media are considered low-retention, which will require more frequent watering than high-retention ones. If automatic irrigation is available, program it to distribute 150 ml to 200 ml every two to three hours. Continue this regiment until the plant looks healthy and shows signs of new growth.

Dr. Srivastava is eager to share his knowledge and experience regarding agriculture, horticulture and indoor plant growth and specific information regarding the SteadyGROWpro product. Questions from indoor growers are welcome on “Ask Dr. P” on Facebook. He will answer questions received via the social networking site within 24 to 48 hours. You can find “Ask Dr. P” by searching Facebook or by becoming a fan of SteadyGROWpro.

SteadyGROWpro is manufactured and distributed by Kokomo, Ind.-based Syndicate Sales Inc., a 60-year staple in the international floral industry that manufactures, imports and distributes more than 1,500 floral-related items in the United States and overseas.

For more about SteadyGROWpro, visit www.steadygrowpro.com. For more about parent company Syndicate Sales Inc., visit www.syndicatesales.com.

News about new client SteadyGRO’s impressive performance in a recent Purdue University study hit the national media last week, showing up on the Reuters board in New York’s Times Square (at left) and the Clear Channel message board in Las Vegas.

SteadyGRO is a new product that optimizes soilless plant growth. It’s used by home and greenhouse gardeners, pro gardeners and hydroponic growers to grow food crops like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, flowers and more. Manufactured by Kokomo, Ind.-based Syndicate Sales, which has for more than 60 years manufactured and distributed more than 1,500 floral related items for the international floral industry, SteadyGRO is available  in plugs, sheets, blocks and slabs.

The Purdue study compared indoor plant growth results using SteadyGro and rockwool, a product developed in the 1970s. A huge difference between SteadyGRO and rockwool is their impact on the environment. SteadyGRO is eco-friendly and can be reduced from its original form to a mass of less than 11 percent or incinerated for bio-mass purposes.

Purdue University research concluded that SteadyGRO H+ was the best-performing soilless growth medium in terms of average grams of fruit harvested per plant in tomatoes and cucumbers. SteadyGRO H+ produced 47 percent more cucumber in terms of fruit weight per plant than rockwool, according to the study, and both SteadyGRO and SteadyGRO H+ outperformed rockwool in promoting the growth of tomatoes by a 23 percent gain in harvested weight.

News of SteadyGRO’s performance compared to rockwool was also picked up by Reuters, Forbes.com, Yahoo! Finance, the Boston Business Journal, the Los Angeles Business Journal, WBTV CBS-3  in Charlotte, N.C., WTHR NBC-13 in Indianapolis and more than 180 other news sites throughout the country.

Indiana-based SteadyGRO has named Daniel Shinall as the company’s social media marketer. Shinall is responsible for the daily maintenance of the SteadyGRO Web site, the company’s activities on Facebook and Twitter and implementing SteadyGRO’s online marketing strategies.

Originally from Savannah, Ga., he served as an intern in the Information/Technology department at SteadyGRO’s parent company Syndicate Sales Inc. during the summer of 2009. Prior to joining SteadyGRO, he was a sales specialist at Circuit City in Savannah and a landscaper at Cottonwood Homebuilders in Richmond Hill, Ga. He graduated from Richmond Hill (Georgia) High School and is attending Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah.

SteadyGRO is an inert, sterile product that optimizes soilless plant growth. Used by home and greenhouse gardeners, professional gardeners and hydroponic growers and available in plugs, sheets, blocks and slabs, SteadyGRO helps growers maximize their results when growing food crops including cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, popular flowering plants, woody ornamentals, vines, ivy and more. SteadyGRO is eco-friendly and can be reduced from its original form to a mass of less than 11 percent or incinerated for bio-mass purposes. SteadyGRO is manufactured by Syndicate Sales Inc., a 60-year staple in the international floral industry that manufactures, imports and distributes more than 1,500 floral-related items in the U.S. and overseas.

Recently, Purdue University research concluded that SteadyGRO outperformed rockwool, a soilless product that has been a mainstay in the industry for decades. Overall, the study concluded, SteadyGRO H+ was the best-performing soilless growth medium in terms of average grams of fruit harvested per plant in tomatoes and cucumbers. SteadyGRO H+ produced 47 percent more cucumber in terms of fruit weight per plant than rockwool, according to the study, and both SteadyGRO and SteadyGRO H+ outperformed rockwool in promoting the growth of tomatoes by a 23 percent gain in harvested weight.

Purdue University research recently concluded that SteadyGRO outperformed rockwool in producing higher germination and fruit weights, plant longevity, general plant health and overall fruit quality of cucumber and tomato plants grown indoors. SteadyGRO optimizes soilless plant growth, helping home and greenhouse gardeners, professional growers and hydroponic growers maximize their indoor plant growing successes.

Research by Purdue University concludes that a brand new product to help indoor plant growers get maximum results outperforms rockwool, the leading soilless plant growing product on the market. That new product is SteadyGRO, manufactured by Indiana-based Syndicated Sales, which is a major manufacturer and distributor of more than 1,500 items to the international floral industry. If you’re into flowers, you’ve more than likely heard of the company’s most popular products, including the Aquapic, Aquafoam, Hydraplus and Everlastin Baskets. 

SteadyGRO is an inert, sterile product that optimizes soilless plant growth. It debuted in the market late last year and is quickly growing in popularity among home and greenhouse gardeners, professional growers and hydroponic growers. SteadyGRO will compete in the marketplace with rockwool, developed overseas nearly 40 years ago. 

Purdue University recently conducted a laboratory study of SteadyGRO compared to rockwool in growing cucumber and tomato plants indoors and the results showed that plants grown using SteadyGRO achieved higher germination and fruit weights, plant longevity, general plant health and overall fruit quality. In the Purdue study, after seven days, 20 out of 20 cucumber seeds germinated with SteadyGRO compared to only 5 of 20 seeds using rockwool and 15 of 20 tomato seeds germinated with SteadyGRO H+ compared to only 5 of 20 seeds that germinated with rockwool. 

Another major difference between SteadyGRO and rockwool – besides SteadyGRO’s proven superior performance in growing plants indoors – is its friendliness to the environment. When growers are finished using the product, SteadyGRO can be reduced from its original form to a mass of less than 11 percent of its original substance – or it can be incinerated for bio-mass purposes. The same can’t be said for rockwool. 

Results of Purdue University research are fascinating. The entire study can be studied on SteadyGRO’s Web site at www.steadygro.com/Purdue.