Crop Application · Tomatoes & Cucumbers
The substrate commercial tomato growers specify by name.
When your season depends on first-truss EC, you can't start with substrate that guesses. Pre-buffered at EC 0.5–1.0 with COA before the bags leave the facility.
2.5–3.5
In-slab EC target
20–30%
Target drain
28–32%
Air porosity
The Challenge
What rockwool and peat can't fix for high-value tomato growers.
20%
No moisture buffer
Rockwool WHC is 20%. One missed irrigation shot — a blocked dripper, a hot afternoon, a controller fault — stresses roots immediately. In summer when demand is highest, the margin for error is zero.
±0.5
Variable native EC
Peat and low-grade coir carry variable native EC between batches. You're calibrating your feed programme against an unknown starting point every new delivery. EC precision is impossible from an imprecise baseline.
1× use
Single-season disposal
Rockwool goes to landfill after each 10-month season. At scale, substrate disposal is a real cost and an increasing compliance pressure. There's no recovery option.
The Coir Fix
What changes when you move to pre-buffered coir.
65%
WHC 65% — buffer for missed shots
A coir bag absorbs 2–3 missed irrigation cycles without root zone stress. The moisture buffer is structural — it's built into every litre of substrate, not dependent on irrigation timing.
EC 0.5–1.0
Pre-buffered and COA-verified
Every bag leaves our facility at EC 0.5–1.0 with a Certificate of Analysis. Your starting point is fixed across every bag, every pallet, every season. Feed from a known baseline — not a guess.
2 seasons
Reuse at full crop intensity
Post-flush bags that pass EC < 2.0 and pH 5.5–6.5 run a full second tomato season. Cut substrate cost and landfill volume by up to 50% without compromising crop performance.
Variety Guide
Key numbers per variety.
Beef Tomatoes
EC Target
3.0 – 3.5 mS/cm in-slab
Drain %
25 – 30%
2 drippers per plant. Generative steering from first truss — restrict shot volume, not frequency. Avoid 2h water restriction before lights-off.
Cherry Tomatoes
EC Target
2.5 – 3.0 mS/cm in-slab
Drain %
20 – 25%
1–2 drippers per plant. Mild vegetative first 4 weeks. Push EC to 3.5 at peak production only. Watch Brix — it leads EC stress by days.
Cucumbers
EC Target
2.0 – 3.0 mS/cm in-slab
Drain %
20 – 30%
3–4 drippers per plant. Do not exceed 3.5 in-slab. Flush if drain EC climbs above 5.0 mS/cm. High frequency in summer.
Season Protocol
Pre-soak. Establish. Steer.
Three transitions define a successful season on coir. Get the pre-soak right and the next two phases follow from the substrate — not against it.
01
Pre-soak (24h before transplant)
Flood bags with pH 6.0 water at EC 0.5. Drain until leachate EC reads below 1.5 mS/cm. Target substrate EC 2.0–2.5 at transplant. A poorly-flushed bag suppresses the first week of root development.
02
Establishment (weeks 1–3)
6–8 shots per day. Target 10–15% drain — below production levels. Focus is root development and uniform substrate moisture. Do not chase drain percentage at this stage.
03
Generative steering (truss 1 onward)
Restrict shot volume — not frequency — to push in-slab EC toward 3.0–3.5. Monitor leachate EC daily. If it exceeds 5.0 mS/cm, add a flush shot before the last irrigation of the day.
Agronomic Support
Substrate specification for your operation.
Share your crop, target EC, system format, and season length — we'll specify the right substrate and provide technical support for your first grow.
Talk to our agronomy team
Substrate guidance matched to your crop, system format, and target EC window.
Recommended Substrates
Ready to trial coir?
Specify the right grow bag for your tomato system.
Share your crop variety, target EC window, and season length — we'll recommend the right substrate format and provide technical support for your first grow.