Baumschule Spitzmann
The Spitzmann tree nursery, managed by Florian Zorn, produces around five to six million seedlings annually. In addition to young plants for further cultivation, it also produces container-grown forest plants ready for sale to professional customers. As a purely wholesale operation, the focus is on efficiency, consistent quality and reliable production planning.
As automation has increased, so too have the demands on the quality of the root balls. Automatic transplanting requires compact, stable and well-rooted root balls – a particular challenge in the forestry division.
“Our customers need compact root balls for automated transplanting processes – both in outdoor growing and in container production. At the same time, we wanted to be able to conduct the sale of the plants as early as possible.”
Why Growcoon?
The root development of forest trees differs significantly from that of many ornamental plants. Some of the root balls were too loose and did not have sufficient root penetration to reliably meet the requirements of automated processes.
In its search for a solution, the Spitzmann tree nursery tested various systems and ultimately opted for the Growcoon.
Earlier sale, better root ball quality, greater automation
With Growcoon, Spitzmann is able to achieve full root penetration in trays significantly faster. This means the plants can be sold earlier, giving both the nursery and its customers a valuable competitive edge.
Initially, there were concerns that the roots of the forest plants might follow the contour of the Growcoon and become coiled. For the production of forest plants, this would have been a deal-breaker.
However, trials showed the opposite: the roots do not grow along the Growcoon, but instead follow the existing guide grooves in the trays and develop straight downwards. The uniform root penetration ensures stable root balls and facilitates all subsequent steps – from sorting to transplanting.
"At first, we were concerned that the roots might twist along with the Growcoon. However, we found this wasn’t the case. On the contrary: the roots are developing in a straighter and more stable manner, which improves plant quality in the long term and reduces complaints.”
Growcoon supports automation and plant quality
For the Spitzmann tree nursery, automation and plant quality have a close relation. In view of the growing shortage of skilled labour and increasing demands for efficiency, the company is increasingly relying on automated processes. However, this requires stable and uniform root balls that can be reliably sorted, transported and transplanted.
This is precisely where Florian Zorn sees Growcoon’s strength. The compact, well-rooted plugs make it possible to automatically group and process plants much earlier. Whilst this used to take ten to twelve weeks, batches can now be automatically sorted and grouped after around three weeks. This increases flexibility in production and significantly reduces the need for manual steps.
At the same time, Growcoon contributes to plant quality. The roots develop evenly and grow straight downwards, resulting in stable root balls. This facilitates further cultivation and creates optimal conditions for the plants’ successful development at the customer’s premises.
“Growcoon is very important for automation. Our aim is to produce a high-quality product with as little labour as possible. Growcoon is a crucial component in achieving this,” says Zorn.
Klasmann-Deilmann
It’s impossible to get a result without a good substrate, which is why Growcoon and Klasmann-Deilmann have joined forces. Klasmann-Deilmann is the market leader in substrates, so its experts know exactly what your crop needs. They work with you to maximise yields from your cultivation. When you decide to switch to the Growcoon, they can help you on your way.
Request a free trial kit now
If you’d like to find out what the Growcoon can do for you, request a free trial kit. Together, we’ll determine which Growcoon is best for your system. We’re happy to help.
