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Case Study: Small Changes Yield Big Results: How Switching to HydraFiber Improved Nursery Operations

Water Management

Grower Testimonials

Case Studies

Since its inception in 1942, McCorkle Nurseries has been a pioneer in nursery management with an emphasis on innovation and sustainable growing practices. Having made minimal changes to their media mix given their success with pine bark, McCorkle was intrigued by the benefits HydraFiber provides. Continue reading to learn how a seemingly small change to HydraFiber yielded big results for McCorkle Nurseries.

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“For anyone who is considering using HydraFiber, I would suggest they definitely take a good look at it. For us it was a great choice, and a very timely one! We’ve been very lucky that we did not have to shut down our production because of lack of raw materials.”

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

“When we switched to HydraFiber, we shaved 5 hours of labor off every zone each week due to plants needing less water. That’s a 5 to 10% labor savings for us. And on some crops, we have been seeing faster rooting, with white roots all the way to the bottom in 9 days on crops that typically take longer.”

Billy Nolan

Director of Growing

Olson's Greenhouse of Colorado, Fort Lupton, CO

"After a limited batch trial of HydraFiber early in 2016, we moved to a much larger trial for pretty much everything we grow in-house. We got comfortable with HydraFiber, understanding what the product does and how it works. The biggest efficiency we see is that it’s compressed. We are able to bring in 3 to 4 loads of HydraFiber vs. 30 to 40 of perlite. The decision to switch to HydraFiber was an easy one. We are taking ZERO loads of perlite next year.”

Ron Van Der Hengst

President of Operations

South Central Growers, Inc.

"The biggest efficiency is space savings. We're able to bring in 3 to 4 loads of compressed HydraFiber vs. 30 to 40 of perlite."

Ron Van Der Hengst

South Central Growers, Inc.

President of Operations

"In the past, our sell-through on moss baskets was poor, mostly due to the fact that they would just dry out at retail. Switching to HydraFiber blend for the Spring 2017 season, we saw an improvement in our sell-through on moss baskets by over 50%, mostly because they looked nicer at retail longer."

Patrick Herzing

General Manager

Michael's Greenhouses, Cheshire, CT

"We trialed Hydrafiber extensively to get our growers knowledgeable about watering practices and other differences over a peat or perlite-based media, then made the switch to HydraFiber Ultra 160WB in December 2019. We started at 30% HydraFiber, are now at 40% and we're doing some tests at 50%. Increasing the rate, we see better water-holding capacity, better plants and cost savings."

Ashley Smith

Head Grower

Bell Nursery, Springfield, OH

"We are using the 365WB HydraFiber material in our mix. The moisture content is about 55%, and the mix holds together like a loose snowball to give us the best 'loft' during filling. It rolls through the mixing line well and fill the pots nicely. Handling the new mix is a little different…but it's working!"

Chris Bergen

Owner

Bergen's Greenhouses, Detroit Lakes, MN

“Service was exceptional. When we first started, HydraFiber’s team was a phone call away if we had any questions whatsoever. That really helped make the transition very, very easy.”

Angelo Petitti

Owner

Petitti Family of Farms, Bedford, OH

“We liked what we saw in trials and switched completely to HydraFiber blends for propagation and finishing across the board on all of our crops. We began with 30% inclusion, but moved to 50% HydraFiber 160 / 50% peat in just months. HydraFiber has decreased our soil cost and increased our bottom line. Plants love HydraFiber, rooting faster and better. We don’t have to water as much and plants hold water better in the store. And the bulk density of the material has saved us storage space.”

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, TX

“It’s really been seamless. There was just a little bit of adjustment in the beginning to train the guys and to make sure that they would be much more conscious of the watering. We didn’t have any issues whatsoever, so it was much easier than I thought it would be. It’s been really, really good for us.”

Angelo Petitti

Owner

Petitti Family of Farms, Bedford, OH

“HydraFiber is far more sustainable then perlite mixes. You end up not having to water as much because of the moisture retention."

Kyle Carboni

Production Manager

Green Lake Nursery, Seagoville, TX

"The installation and integration of the HPU with our existing AgriNomix 60 yard per hour mixing line was seamless. It's not bulky or large, so it should fit most everybody's set-up."

Ron Van Der Hengst

President of Operations

South Central Growers, Inc.

“HydraFiber is a labor-saving tool, a money-saving tool and it’s a soil amendment that helps us grow better plants. We’re very happy with the rooting and the mature plant quality we’re able to produce.”

Ashley Smith

Head Grower

Bell Nursery, Springfield, OH

“HydraFiber has really been a game changer for us not only by reducing the cost on the mix, but the availability of it."

Angelo Petitti

Owner

Petitti Family of Farms, Bedford, OH

"There were some adjustments to make on the planting line equipment when we switched to HydraFiber. Profile was very supportive, visiting us a couple different times, to get the settings right on the machinery."

Corwin Graves

Director of Growing

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

"For the end user in a patio pot or basket, we see a lot of benefits from HydraFiber in not having to water as much and growing a bigger, better, healthier plant."

Ric Stevens

Sales Manager

Heartland Growers, Westfield, IN

“HydraFiber is our ‘insurance policy.’ It rewets easily and makes water more easily available to the plant. If for some reason a plant dries down, we have a better chance of recovering the ones that are in a HydraFiber blend.”

Chris McCorkle

Operations Manager

McCorkle Nurseries, Dearing, GA

"I cannot think of a better partner and working relationship....."

Jerry Halamuda

Industry Veteran

"We have started propagating in HydraFiber blends and are seeing good results. We are very pleased by the consistent, reliable supply HydraFiber brings. The bulk density of the material is also a positive and has made a big difference when it comes to storage!"

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants – Giddings, Texas

"Right away with HydraFiber, we had a better wetted surface right after transplanting, whether it be a liner or something from seed. From that, all of my growers saw a faster initial root out, a benefit that I didn't see coming!"

Chris Bergen

Owner

Bergen's Greenhouses, Detroit Lakes, MN

"Previously when we would move some of our dormant grass liners to heat, we would see tremendous top growth, but rooting would lag behind and there’s not much you can do to enhance plant quality without good roots. When we moved these liners to a HydraFiber blend, we had a very successful crop – plants grew uniformly and we had good root quality throughout the crop across various varieties.”

Bill Hall

Head Grower

Hoffman Nursery, Rougemont, NC

One of the things nurseries struggle with is irrigation of plants and water uniformity. With HydraFiber, the water uniformity and the distribution of moisture throughout the column of the root zone was much improved compared to using just a straight pine bark mix. When we improve the water uniformity in the root zone, we end up with healthier plants.”

Chris McCorkle

Operations Manager

McCorkle Nurseries, Dearing, GA

“The HydraFiber limits the fertilizer leach out and there’s much better color on material. We aren’t losing the fertilizer with watering anymore. That’s really what I’m seeing more than anything.”

Hernie

Production Manager

Petitti Family of Farms, Bedford, OH

"Depending on the filler you’re using with HydraFiber mixes, you have to set the compacter a lot lower than when you’re using perlite, but once you get that all tuned in, you can compact it as hard as you want or you can have as much sink as you want – it all depends on your preference. Now that everything is set in place, I’ve heard nothing but great things from our growers. They like the amount of compaction we’re getting with HydraFiber, they like how the plants are growing, they like how plants hold in the trays rather than bouncing out when they’re going out to the greenhouse like we had issues with our other soil."

David McCartney

Process Lead - Plant 1

Sunbelt Greenhouses, Douglas, GA

"The HydraFiber and AgriNomix teams made installing the equipment into our existing lines a fairly seamless transition. We made the switch completely from mixing perlite to mixing HydraFiber, in the middle of our planting season, in about five days. The machinery mixes as good as advertised, if not better. I give an A+ on the equipment side."

Nick Gapinski

CEO

Heartland Growers, Westfield, IN

"HydraFiber is by far the most innovative commercially produced soil amending product to hit the industry in a long time."

Chuck Zala

Director of Global Sourcing

Costa Farms

“At the Giddings facility, we have not seen any issues going to higher inclusion rates. And we are nearing a great time to increase again inclusion, because Mums are very forgiving.”

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, Texas

"We’re pretty diverse, doing bedding, succulents, foliage. We’ve not found anything that doesn’t like HydraFiber mix. Our plants have rooted in very well, and we’re happy with what we see."

Corwin Graves

Director of Growing

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

"Perennials are just beginning to get looked at, but from what I’m seeing, the results with HydraFiber are also comparable to the performance observed in other growing mixes."

Paul Pilon

Owner

Perennial Solutions

“If you haven’t started using HydraFiber yet, you’re already several years behind the times. Just do it.”

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, Texas

“The biggest issue we ran into this year is the shortage of peat. Back in 2019, we increased our inclusion rate to 50/50 (HydraFiber/Peat), but earlier this year, we actually went to a 60/40 (HydraFiber/Peat) mix, and so far, there are no issues. Honestly, I don’t see us going away from 60/40. That's our inclusion rate as of right now, and we don’t see a reason to turn away from it.”

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, Texas

"I like the root system I get from HydraFiber due to the high porosity in the mix."

Marc Verdel

Head Grower

Battlefield Farms, Inc.

"The greenhouse is cleaner – we don’t have perlite laying all over the place. HydraFiber is very, very nice."

Paul Hardiman

Head Grower

Dan Schantz Farms & Greenhouses, Zionsville, PA

"We have switched to using the heavier 365WB HydraFiber material in our mix. We really like how clean and dust-free our environment is, much nicer for our people. On the growing side, root-through has been good and I think we are going to like HydraFiber – our Easter Lily crop looked excellent."

Chris Bergen

Owner

Bergen's Greenhouses, Detroit Lakes, MN

"We trialed HydraFiber for over a year, in different seasons and tried every crop in it, before we switched over. Get a hold of the HydraFiber guys – they'll mix you a small batch, a big batch, anything you want, run it through its paces, try multiple crops in it. Once we went through the whole process and saw the results, it was an easy decision to switch."

Nick Gapinski

CEO

Heartland Growers, Westfield, IN

“We haven’t found a crop yet that doesn’t like HydraFiber.”

Kyle Carboni

Production Manager

Green Lake Nursery, Seagoville, TX

"HydraFiber has been our Hail Mary this year. With both peat and coir in short supplies, increasing the inclusion rate of HydraFiber in all our mixes allowed us to make the other raw materials last longer."

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

“We were impressed, not only with its ability to retain water, but also its ability to have porosity at the same time, which almost seems like an oxymoron, but it definitely happens. HydraFiber holds water and doesn’t dry out as quickly, but at the same time, when it’s wet, it doesn’t turn into mud or mush.”

Patrick Herzing

General Manager

Michael's Greenhouses, Cheshire, CT

"After seeing how well our plants performed in HydraFiber Ultra for indoor production, we looked at HydraFiber options for our outdoor production line. We’re now using BM4, a 25% HydraFiber pre-mix from Berger and seeing good results."

Seweryn Uchacz

Head Grower

Garden State Growers, Pittstown, NJ

“While comparing plants grown in both our regular mix and in the HydraFiber EZ Blend mix, I’m very pleased with how much healthier the roots look in EZ Blend. Roots are very white and full of root hairs. Our regular blend has a good root system as well…but not the mass amount I see with EZ Blend!”

Jeff Watson

Head Grower

Baucom's Nursery

"Since incorporating EZ Blend into our mix, we’ve seen faster, more prolific root development in our annual and woody crops. It also saved us storage space and decreased our soil cost."

Jeff Watson

Head Grower

Baucom's Nursery, Charlotte, NC

“Since we started using HydraFiber, we have been shaving off 7-10 days production time. The quicker rooting after transplanting has also allowed us to start fertilizing after transplant about 7-10 days earlier - we typically wait for the roots to reach the sides of the pots before fertilizing, and we are reaching that stage faster with HydraFiber.”

Mike Spitzner

General Manager

Charles Spitzner Nursery, Long Island, New York

"Our decision to align with HydraFiber was a significant move but also a natural choice. The Profile team is fully committed to getting growing media right for growers. They are highly professional and very progressive in finding ways of bringing their technology to the market."

Neil McKeown

Business Development Manager

Gro-Bark

"The HydraFiber and AgriNomix teams were excellent to work with as we made the transition. We worked with them to get both our soil blends and the mixing equipment just right."

Kyle Carboni

Production Manager

Green Lake Nursery, Seagoville, TX

"Like any big change, if you’re looking to get into HydraFiber, it’s important to do a fair amount of trials. We’re pretty diverse – bedding, succulents, foliage – so we gave a fair shake to each of those crops and feel good about HydraFiber. Profile works with you to get everything correct before you just go and dive in. I think that’s one of the most important things."

Corwin Graves

Director of Growing

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

“When we started looking at HydraFiber, my biggest hesitation was about how the plants were going to react from a fertigation standpoint, as well as PGRs. Turns out, we really did not have to make any real adjustment in our growing practices. We are on a low constant feed, and we are not seeing any difference in growing time. If anything, we see the rooting process happening faster, especially in direct stick poinsettias, which seems to root a day or two faster."

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, Texas

“Adding HydraFiber to our production has been seamless, especially with our larger containers.”

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

“Going forward, we will definitely keep HydraFiber in our mix because it really makes a very nice blend for us. It makes the watering of the plants very easy, regardless of the season.”

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

"HydraFiber has been consistently available this season when other raw materials have run out. After trialing HydraFiber, we knew we liked the product for a lot of different reasons."

Kyle Carboni

Production Manager

Green Lake Nursery, Seagoville, TX

“Our basil crop finished five days earlier when we trialed in a blend with 30% HydraFiber Ultra 160WB in place of perlite. We’re working closely with their team now to make the full switch to HydraFiber by Fall 2020.”

Marco de Leonardis

R&D Operations Manager / Organic Production Coordinator

Freeman Herbs, Beamsville, ON

"Our company roots are in bark and we have been a promoter of sustainable forestry for many years. Finding a forestry product like HydraFiber to replace non-sustainable raw materials in media was very exciting. It is a technology we are investing in for the long run."

Neal McKeown

Business Development Manager

Gro-Bark

"Switching over to HydraFiber has been very nice and given us more time to focus on our mixes. We used to use two people in our soil room in the busy season, with a lot of perlite loading. The smaller HydraFiber bales let us use one person all day long, and he never falls behind loading HydraFiber and peat moss on the line. And HydraFiber keeps the place clean and dust-free. To him, it’s a dream back there!"

David McCartney

Process Lead - Plant 1

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

“My advice to growers starting out with HydraFiber is to have a different mentality with water. You’ll use considerably less early in the crop and in cooler, darker months. Adjust your nutrition levels a little bit and your rooting will be very uniform if you pay attention to the water.”

Ashley Smith

Head Grower

Bell Nursery, Springfield, OH

"We are already using HydraFiber Ultra in our blends for indoor production, and decided to trial EZ Blend for outdoor production. Our Fall 2019 mum trial put EZ Blend side by side with a 30% Ultra 160WB blend. The plants performed very well in EZ Blend – we couldn’t see a difference."

Seweryn Uchacz

Head Grower

Garden State Growers, Pittstown, NJ

"HydraFiber takes up a lot less production yard space, which is important because our business is growing so rapidly."

Kyle Carboni

Production Manager

Green Lake Nursery, Seagoville, TX

“Switching to HydraFiber has been one of the smartest moves we have made in the past few years. It has provided outstanding plant quality, and has also made us analyze our entire soil mixing line which allowed us to update a couple things that were maybe a little out of calibration.”

Bobby Barnitz

Vice President

Bob's Market and Greenhouses, Inc.

“The number one immediate benefit of adding HydraFiber to our mixes is that we did not have to shut down our production line, when many other greenhouses had to stop theirs due to lack of materials.”

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

"We see a better result for the end consumer. Bark-only mixes dry down too fast at the store level. Putting HydraFiber in the mix helps the plants hold up better in the store, especially when they don’t get enough water.”

Chris McCorkle

Operations Manager

McCorkle Nurseries, Dearing, GA

“Since raising our inclusion rates, we’ve had no issues with the quality of our plants.”

Jeff Murphy

Operations Manager of Production and Maintenance

Altman Plants, Giddings, Texas

"The HydraFiber process is unique, precise and has an endless abundance of material. The QC is high and the team supporting the HydraFiber product line is impressive."

Chuck Zala

Director of Global Sourcing

Costa Farms

"We started with HydraFiber 365 in our mixes in January 2018. Looking back, I can say ‘Zero Problems’. Our crops were fantastic, we’ve got just great porosity in the soil, our environment is so much cleaner with the perlite dust and debris gone, pH management has been very easy. The service from Profile’s been great – I can literally order a semi-load of HydraFiber and it’s there the next week."

Chris Bergen

Owner

Bergen's Greenhouses, Detroit Lakes, MN

"HydraFiber does definitely wet easier than our other mixes…it has helped us get plants wetter right after transplant. We have not changed anything in our fertilization program, which has been an easy transition. Everything we have done so far with HydraFiber, we have not seen any issues with any plant having any adverse conditions at all."

Tom Samuelson

Head Grower

Heartland Growers, Westfield, IN

“From what we’ve seen, the pH of poinsettias stays more stable because of the length of the crop. Also the shelf life is better because the HydraFiber retains the moisture and when it’s sitting on the shelf longer at the store, it’s pulling that moisture out of that wood. We’re seeing several more days at retail which is a huge benefit.”

Tim Van Der Hengst

Head of Production

South Central Growers, Inc.

“The trailing process with HydraFiber was long and thorough. Our father taught us to always double-check everything, so we went to a lot of other greenhouses to see how HydraFiber was working out for them, and when we finally decided to move forward, we knew it was the right move for our company.”

Amy Morris

Co-Owner

N.G Heimos Greenhouses, Inc - Millstadt, IL

"The transition to HydraFiber was so easy. I have 25 people on my growing staff and each one had no problem moving from a standard perlite mix to the HydraFiber mix. Things like Bonzi drenches…same rates. pH improved. EC was right there, too. Water management is straightforward and simple. No challenges for the growers whatsoever."

Paul Hardiman

Head Grower

Dan Schantz Farms & Greenhouses, Zionsville, PA

“You have to look at it as an opportunity to produce a better crop. Try it and you’ll see that it’s going to benefit you.”

Patrick Herzing

General Manager

Michael's Greenhouses, Cheshire, CT

“It’s often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Without change, we won’t get new results, so when we heard about HydraFiber, we knew we had to give it a try.”

Chris McCorkle

Operations Manager

McCorkle Nurseries, Dearing, GA

"The growers adapted pretty fast to the new HydraFiber media and we didn’t have major issues. Everything we have done is the same as we did with the perlite mix."

Matt Blaszczyk

Manager of Growing–Plant 1

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

"The pH in our HydraFiber propagation mix is very stable. In other medias, I’ve see pH climb two to three weeks out and then you fight to bring it back down. That doesn’t happen with HydraFiber."

Paul Hardiman

Head Grower

Dan Schantz Farms & Greenhouses, Zionsville, PA

“You’re getting the same thing you’re getting from perlite or vermiculite, but you’re also getting more air porosity, more water-holding capacity, and better plant performance, so it really makes sense to switch to a HydraFiber blend.”

Mike Spitzner

General Manager

Charles Spitzner Nursery, Long Island, New York

"We have an AgriNomix Vacuum Lift on the line that makes the HydraFiber bales pretty much weightless. It lifts the bale on its own, all you have to do is control where it’s going, it sets it down and you’re good to go."

David McCartney

Process Lead - Plant 1

Green Circle Growers, Oberlin, OH

"Landscapers don’t want perlite in their beds. Moving to HydraFiber lets us give them a clean, perlite-free mix."

Kevin Koeppler

General Manager

Sunbelt Greenhouses, Douglas, GA

"We had looked at switching to coir, but the amount of production area we had to set aside to handle it wasn’t going to work. That’s where HydraFiber is a better choice – you just don’t need half an acre."

Paul Hardiman

Head Grower

Dan Schantz Farms & Greenhouses, Zionsville, PA

"After 30-plus years in the greenhouse industry, I’ve made the biggest changes in my substrate mixers with HydraFiber. After lots of trialing and tweaking, we’re at 55% peat, 25% coir, 25% HydraFiber and it’s working very well. We’re really getting a great, great root system that is going through that substrate, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. In all the years that I’ve mixed soil, I’ve never seen the root systems just permeate the soil ball like they are now. Get a good root system and the plant will come."

Kevin Koeppler

General Manager

Sunbelt Greenhouses, Douglas, GA

"With HydraFiber, we’re really getting a great, great root system that is going through that substrate, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. In all the years that I’ve mixed soil, I’ve never seen the root systems just permeate the soil ball like they are now. Get a good root system and the plant will come."

Kevin Koeppler

General Manager

Sunbelt Greenhouses, Douglas, GA

“I’ve been growing for a very long time and have trialed many of the ‘next latest and greatest’ with little fanfare and no success. HydraFiber has been the only one in my experience that’s actually been a good addition to a peat-based media or soilless mix. HydraFiber is a game changer for us and our goal is to put everything into a HydraFiber mix.”

Ashley Smith

Head Grower

Bell Nursery, Springfield, OH

“It’s great to have resources that are nearby and sustainable. And with the cost of fuel and freight, on top of the great results we’re having, HydraFiber seems to be the future.”

Hernie

Production Manager

Petitti Family of Farms, Bedford, OH

"Our root quality with HydraFiber is way better than what it was before with perlite, and better roots equal better plants. Even with some of the harder varieties like calibrachoa and poinsettias, HydraFiber shines."

Nick Gapinski

CEO

Heartland Growers, Westfield, IN