Costs are rising – from gas and petrol prices to wages, transport and shipping, packaging and raw materials, business is feeling the pinch. We understand the constraints growers and garden centres face running profitable operations. That’s why we’ve put together four ways to help improve productivity and reduce overheads right now:
1. Use pot toppers
Using pot toppers is a powerful way to control weeds. For instance, Tex-R Geodisc pot toppers combine mechanics with the chemical action of copper to prevent weed germination. And Copper also helps repel pests such as slugs.
These pot toppers last up to three years if you look after them. Growers should consider how much herbicide programmes cost and how much time and money is spent hand weeding over those three years.
Fargro’s national products manager Stephen Massam explains: “Pot toppers can help growers who want to improve product quality and reduce labour costs. Pot toppers inhibit weed growth which reduces the need for manual weeding. Many of our customers like how their permeability allows for fertiliser applications, plus growers have experienced less water loss from plants.”
2. Use water treatment systems
Growing profitable crops, sustainably, while coping with global challenges is at the forefront of growers’ minds. Proper water management not only helps you grow healthy crops, but it also saves money through avoiding waste and increasing efficiency.
All growers need to optimise their greenhouse climate and water management to get the best possible results. Achieving a strong balance between greenhouse climate and sustainable water management is crucial.
Simon Bell, business development manager at Fargro advises: “When you grow in a controlled environment, you make better decisions about the most important resources: water and energy.”
He explains that growers can control their greenhouse environment with careful management of these inputs, optimising their yield and water usage. And you can save in other areas too, such as fertiliser usage.
“By adjusting and correcting the exact amount leads to a saving because your plants will only take in what they need to be healthy and strong.”
3. Fogging to disinfect your greenhouse
One of the key jobs for many growers is the disinfecting of greenhouses. For most growers, this is a time consuming and labour-intensive job. And you can’t ignore it. “Many of our customers have adopted the use of a fogging machine. It has revolutionised this labour-intensive job into something that now takes just a few hours,” says Massam.
Going forward, fogging will likely further address labour shortages through the potential to apply plant protection products via ultralow volume foggers (ULV). Similarly to disinfection, ULV treatments considerably reduce time needed to apply plant protection products and can work overnight. But as always growers should always read and follow the product label carefully!
4. Let there be light!
We know that lighting forms an integral part in growing. Adopting horticultural LED lighting means you can control many aspects of crop growth and get better results, whether you are producing nutritious fruits and vegetables, outstanding flowers, or fragrant herbs from your greenhouse.
You can achieve high-quality yields at the right time – year-round or at peak moments – as the right light and growth recipe help you fine-tune size, smell, taste, nutritional value compactness etc, to grow exactly the quality your customer demands.
“We understand that kitting out your entire greenhouse with lighting is a big commitment for growers and a leap into the unknown” says Bell. “Many of our customers have purchased our Horti-Grow System where they can experience the effectiveness of horticultural LEDs that offers a great space saving mobile LED solution.”
The Horti-Grow system is a complete LED growing system which consists of a trolley with four growing shelves, four sets of pre-fixed LED lighting systems, four watering trays, a water tank, pump, and pipes with connectors.
“The Horti-Grow system allows our customers the time and space to experience the benefits of LED lighting at a reduced price point.”
Find out more about these productivity solutions – and start saving today. Contact Simon Bell on 07771 815238 or email simon.bell@fargro.co.uk.