How to Transition to OASIS® Engineered Foam Substrates

A transition to our clean, pest and pathogen free, low-carbon-footprint foam substrates can help you optimize everything from shipping and labor expenses to irrigation and input costs. Plus, we fully expect you’ll see shorter crop cycles and better consistency and quality as well.

But it should come as no surprise that our engineered foam substrates (tailored to specific uses, crops and even climates) are different than peat or other soilless substrates you’ve used before.

To ensure you experience all the benefits of OASIS® foam substrates, your successful transition (or trial) calls for a few changes to common growing practices. They’re all simple and all good, as follows:

1. Arrival and Preparation

From the moment your engineered OASIS® substrates arrive, you’ll experience how clean and mess-free substrates can be. You’ll also note that OASIS® foam substrates ship dry — saving you shipping costs, prolonging substrate shelf life, and simplifying storage.

You’ll also notice our foam substrates don’t require onsite equipment, extra labor for a filling crew, or a mechanic on standby. They’re ready on demand, whether you choose our preloaded, automation-ready singulated plug trays or our sheet media.

Unlike many of our competitors, OASIS® foam substrates offer options to fulfill unique operational requirements. From OASIS® RhizoPlug™ Substrates for floriculture, nursery and industrial hemp crops, to OASIS® AeroSubstrates™ for CEA hydroponics and AgBiotech research, we have a substrate to meet your needs.

2. Initial Saturation with Nutrient

Because your new foam substrates ship dry, initial substrate saturation is a critical part of your success. Whether you’re seeding, sticking cuttings, or nestling Stage III tissue culture into a new home, complete and thorough saturation ensures no dry spots in the media, but it has other benefits as well.

To optimize every aspect of the growing experience — especially your end results — always use nutrient solution for the initial saturation. For vegetative propagation of floriculture crops, we recommend 15-5-15 or other balanced fertilizer. For hydroponic seeding, our OASIS® Hydroponic Fertilizer 16-4-17 is an excellent choice. But selling fertilizer isn’t why we recommend it.

Research, along with field trials and exceptional crop performance, repeatedly show that introducing nutrient from Day 1 — so it’s readily available for uptake at the earliest possible opportunity — gives your crop a significant, value-producing edge. This holds true whether you’re propagating vegetative cuttings or seeding leafy greens. (For CEA lettuce, it can mean up to 200% increase in growth.)

Our Resources section at OasisGrowerSolutions.com has detailed Product Usage sheets for each product we offer. Those include detailed instructions for initial substrate saturation, whether you’re seeding or sticking, for manual or automated operations.

3. Reduction in Misting and Irrigation Events

Our OASIS® foam substrates are designed to offer the optimal air-to-water ratio for the crops and growing systems involved. When it comes to irrigation practices, you’ll want to take your mind and your system off autopilot and see the difference our foam makes.

With OASIS® RhizoPlug™ Substrates, advanced surfactants drive superior cutting rehydration and recovery, eliminating crucial delays in propagation’s earliest days. Because cuttings recover so quickly, you’ll want to reduce misting earlier than you have in the past. The foam keeps water readily available for uptake, so the same holds true for irrigation events.

With our OASIS® AeroSubstrates™, hydroponic growers choose from options engineered for higher or lower water holding capacity to respond to seasonal and year-round growing conditions, shifts in climate, and specific crop needs (and address algae formation and fungus gnat infestation as well).

The unique cellular matrices of our foam substrate options help with other irrigation concerns, too. Used properly, all our OASIS® foam substrates virtually eliminate the risk of overwatering. Ask any experienced foam user; this applies even with inexperienced seasonal help behind the hose.

4. Reduction in Chemical Inputs, including Nutrient

When we say our OASIS® foam substrates are clean, we acknowledge they are mess-free compared to peat and other substrates. But just as importantly, they are free of pathogens and pests, including fungus gnats and other unwelcome guests.

With OASIS® foam, you’ll find you want to cut back on the fungicides and pesticides and other chemical inputs for ornamental crops. When used as intended, you don’t have to go through steam or chemical sterilization. You’ll experience less substrate-induced pest pressures and save on application inputs and labor as well.

You’ll find the unique properties of our varied foam substrate options also improve nutrient availability and uptake, giving you more “bang for the buck” on your nutrient investment. Whether you choose to reduce nutrient inputs or just enjoy the gains achieved when plants actually use the nutrient you provide, OASIS® foam substrates help you optimize inputs and excel.

So, whether you’re in full transition or running your first foam trial, congratulations on stepping up to OASIS® engineered substrates. If you’re still on the fence about foam, it’s time to move beyond the status quo. Reach out to your OGS Territory Sales Manager or contact us at [email protected] or +1 (855) 585-4769.

We’re Oasis Grower Solutions. Lean into us. The future of substrates is now.