Testing of Mineral™ efficacy
Production site: Nursery Dores, Kranj, Slovenia, 2016
All pictures are displayed with the permission of the grower.
Many questions were raised about the use of Mineral™ in the flowers industry which is highly profit oriented and does not care much about the health of soil and ecosystems, most proffesionaly raised flowers are grown in greenhouses, as these plants are not meant for food and therefore the health of people is not a question.
So, what are reasons for the use of Mineral™ in the production of flowers as organic flowers are not a specialty and flowers growers had developed precise technologies to get as much flowers per square meter as possible and they do not really care about the poisonous soil in their greenhouses?
Actually, there are two: the first one is color and the second one is vase life span for cut flowers and prolonged frowering for pot plants.
Color
People always admire the beautiful colors of flowers in bloom. This is the best the nature can give to our eyes. Color of flowers is one of the earth’s greatest natural beauties.
People usually do not know that flowers are bright in color to attract birds, bees and other insects in order to help the plants to reproduce. They enjoy the loveliness of flowers.
Mineral™ is here a great help. All plants treated with Mineral™ come with better colors, better tastes and more uniform appearance. The reason for these results is in better circulation in plants, all functions of life are more vigorous in plants and thus they can bloom the best.
Blooming time
All flowers growers make great efforts to make flowers that shall bloom nice and well long. In cut flowers and in pot plants there is actually always the question of power in plants to suck water to the bloom which evaporates constantly. Mineral™ allows plants to develop all their potentials and that means that they are healthy and strong. Flower plants treated with Mineral™ stay blooming longer compared to non treated flower plants.
Nursery Dores is specialized in growing chrysanthemums. Mineral™ is used in the production regularly.
Chrysanthemum cuttings are healthy, well rooted and developed, ready for transplantation into larger pots.
Workers are planting chrysanthemums for cut flowers into well prepared soil.
Well-developed hairy roots of chrysanthemums are nicely visible. Immediately after transplanting Mineral™ Green (4% solution) was used for watering.
Young plantlets of pot chrysanthemums have intensive colored leaves. At this stage one spraying with Mineral™ Yellow was done and followed by one spraying with Mineral™ Red two days later (Both in 4% solution).
These chrysanthemums are grown for cutting.
To this phase of growth Mineral™ Green was added twice (see more at protocols for the use of Mineral™) into pipes irrigation system for watering.
Nursery Dores is strongly oriented in organic production of plants. They are well aware that each use of chemical protection leaves some traces in the soil. They try to grow flower plants as organically as possible and they try to substitute chemical protection means with Mineral™ to the greatest extend.
Pesticide against thrips was used only once this season. Plants treated with Mineral™ are equipped to fight pests to certain limit. If the attack is strong and that is the situation many times in greenhouses medicine has to be prescribed and used.
Many thrips cause by feeding on developing flowers or vegetables discoloration, deformities, and reduce marketability of the crop. Many growers are occasionally forced to make limited use of pesticides to control thrips populations in the field and in greenhouses. Thrips develop resistance to pesticides easily and it is not easy to control them. Is it wise to keep plants in good condition before attacks and that is the property of Mineral™ as well.
There is no damage on plants, it can be concluded that thrips is not present, but is expected. Mineral™ Red has been used 3 times in a row (4% solution) as prevention.
It is the beginning of July. Till now were pot chrysanthemums watered once with Mineral™ Green and sprayed once with Mineral™ Yellow and Mineral™ Red (both 4% solution).
Programmed care with Mineral™ on chrysanthemums was performed; once per week spraying with Mineral™ Yellow and Mineral™ Red alternately (4% and 6% solution).
In the middle of July thips attack occurred. Damages from thrips are visible on sensitive leaves. The grower decided to apply one pesticide. Before that application one more spraying with Mineral™ Red was performed (6% solution) for better reception of that plant protection product.
Plants thrive under constant surveillance and optimal care.
A view of healthy chrysanthemums for cut flowers.
Pot chrysanthemums.
At the end of August are the first flower buds pretty apparent.
Nicely developed flower buds, free from damage caused by thrips.
Mineral™ can also be used in the development phase of flower buds. Spraying on leaves, buds or flowers makes no damage, while that is not the case with other aggressive means of protection.
Flower buds open nicely. At this stage is the role of Mineral™ significant. Spraying all over plants will make no damage and will provide better nutrition, more intense coloration and expended durability of flowers.
Chrysanthemums are blooming – Mineral™ affect the intense coloration of flowers.
Chrysanthemums can bloom for several weeks and up to two months. This depends on where they are grown, when they are planted and the care they are given.
The peak season for chrysanthemums in Slovenia is October. They are the most commonly used flowers at the All Saints day to decorate graves at cemetaries. Therefore it is vital for growers to have fully blooming chrysanthemums in the middle of October. The supply to the market is abundant. The quality of flowers (pot plants and cut flowers) can be easily compared on many stalls and markets. Nursery Dores sold the whole production well and minimal leftover.
Should one want to get more detailed explanation from the grower directly contact the producer for the meeting to be arranged:
- As An d.o.o., Celovška cesta 69 c, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- info@asan.si
- +386 1 518 76 10