In the Lensli Academy we regularly inform you about practical situations that we encounter in the sector, we talk about insights gained in practice, we give you cultivation tips and we share our knowledge about other interesting substrate-related matters.
Academy – NP Fertilizer
Meet our N (nitrogen) P (phosphate) Mix: the new fertilizer for peat-free and peat-poor substrates.
Lensli, in collaboration with its fertilizer suppliers, recently devised a successful composition that is better suited to the new line of substrates with a lower peat percentage. In substrates where other raw materials are used, such as bark, wood fibre, rice hulls, Basis BioMix and compost, nutrients are added and extracted. Naturally, this has important consequences for the plant and/or the crop. This already happens at the start of using the substrate and is inherent to the choice of raw materials.
For example, compost or the Basic BioMix provide sufficient potassium and trace elements. We try to respond to this with our starter fertilization, in order to keep the initial situation for the grower and the plant the same as the fertilization strategy of the grower, or the starting values of the previous medium with which we have experience.
After a lot of practical experience, analyzes and research, in collaboration with our partners, we have arrived at a new balanced water-soluble fertilizer that is better suited to the use of renewable raw materials; the NP Mix.
This new NP-Mix for substrates is a main and trace mix without potassium. Because there are sufficient trace elements in our renewable raw materials, we opted for only a high iron dosage. This added iron is added in chelated form (EDTA), to support iron absorption even at higher pH's.
We have chosen a composition with only iron as a trace element, because we always have the option to add trace elements separately in the factory as needed. This offers us the opportunity to achieve a better balance before the start of cultivation.
For substrates where, due to the raw materials used, extra nitrogen must be added to compensate for the nitrogen extraction (see also the knowledge base article about Nitrogen Fixation), it is recommended to combine our NP-Mix with lime nitrate. In most situations it is often best to maintain a ratio of 2/3 NP-Mix and 1/3 Lime Niter.
Would you like to know more about the composition or added value of our new NP-Mix? Please contact your Lensli account manager or our Substrates Technical Product Manager Nick Vollmer by email n.vollmer@lensli.com or telephone +31 (6) 51269415.
We are happy to talk to you.