Choose the right substrate
The choice which substrate to use is an importance decision for a grower. Base your decision on your goals, experience and budget. Each substrate has specific characteristics and a different effect on your plants. This Grow Topic tells you the important differences.
100% NATURAL:
For the starting grower.
Batmix, Royalmix, Plagron Allmix en Promix.
The Batmix, Royalmix and Plagron Allmix substrates are fertilised for 6 weeks. This ensures that during the growth phase and the start of the flowering phase you do not have to give basic nutrition because the substrates already contain all the necessary nutrients. These added organic fertilisers will only be released when the plant needs them. Although the plant does not require basic nutrition in the early stage, you can choose to add UNIVERSAL products for an extra good result. For example Power Roots, Green Sensation and Pure Clean.
Promix is not pre-fertilised. This means that there are no organic fertilisers in the soil and you yourself, in terms of nutrition, have everything under control. You determine how much nutrition (Alga Grow and Alga Bloom) your plant receives. You can put seedlings and cuttings directly into the Promix, preventing unnecessarily repotting.
Do you grow with a 100% NATURAL substrate? Then you do not have to measure the pH and EC value. The microbiological life automatically ensures that the pH value remains optimal within your substrate. Thus, the organic fertilisers are converted into useful nutrition for the roots.
100% NATURAL substrates contain peat. Peat has the ability to hold a lot of water for a longer period of time. This means that you do not have to give water often: usually once in 3 to 5 days. Note: Do not give too much water, otherwise the substrate will remain too moist. The presence of fungi and bacteria also belongs to the positive properties of peat.
100% NATURAL substrates are ideal for the starting grower. The buffering ability of the peat ensures that you do not give too much or too little nutrition.
100% TERRA:
For the unexperienced grower.
Lightmix and Growmix.
Lightmix is fertilised for one week. This means that you must add additional basic nutrition (Terra Grow) during the growth phase. The advantage of this is that the substrate is minimally fertilised and that small plants experience little stress. The fertilisers present in the Lightmix are immediately accessible for the roots, so soil life does not have to convert the fertilisers.
Growmix is the fertilised for 3 weeks. You do not have to give basic nutrition (Terra Grow), provided that your growth period does not last longer than 3 weeks. In the Growmix, in contrast to the Lightmix, microbiological soil life is present. This is due to the addition of worm humus.
Do you grow with 100% TERRA? Then it is important to measure the pH value. Each mineral has its own pH value for optimal conversion. If the pH is out of range, the roots may not be able to absorb the mineral. As a result, the plant does not get its nutrients, and a deficiency may occur. It is therefore advisable to check the pH value of your nutritional solution and to adjust it to a pH of 6. The ideal pH value for your substrate is between 5.5 - 6.5
100% COCO:
For the experienced grower.
Cocos Premium en Cocos Brix
Coco peat consists of a finely fibrous structure. The advantage of this is that the 100% COCO substrate is very airy. As a result, the roots are less resistant and can grow more easily.
100% COCO substrates are clean. They are rinsed frequently to remove harmful salts. These could have a negative impact on your plants.
Growing on 100% COCO substrates gives the breeder total control. The pH and EC value are very important for the success of your plants. Coco peat has a small buffer of itself, which does not necessarily mean that a small mistake can have dramatic consequences.
100% COCO substrates are easy to combine with hydrological culture systems. The advantage of this is that you can automate irrigation.