Sure to Grow ™ is a unique media that will give you superior results if you follow our simple instructions : 

General Growing Conditions:

• Plant trays and growing troughs must be flat bottomed; (with the exception of NFT systems) growing beds, trays and troughs need to be level to prevent nutrient run-off, uneven watering or pooling.  Systems need to drain freely with no pooling of water at the root zone.
• Use of bottom heat will require more frequent watering. Vine crops and taller plants may require support in the form of staking or trellising sooner than with other types of media.
• Cover the surface of deeper containers (Bato buckets, Dutch Pots), with a solid cover to block light, preserve moisture and prevent algae growth.

What Sure to Grow™ Product Should I Use? 
 

Starting from Seeds with Sure to Grow™:

• Be sure to completely saturate the Sure to Grow™ media before putting it into your growing system.  This is best accomplished by placing the Sure to Grow™ in free draining nursery trays with a web or slotted bottom and immersing them in a container of pH corrected water. (Note:  STG™ Pads and mats should be saturated prior to seeding; STG™ Cubes and Blocks can be saturated before or after seeding.) 
• Place the desired number of seeds in the dibble hole on top of the cubes.  Most seeds can be seeded on the surface.  Larger seeds like cucumbers or sunflowers can be pressed down into the crosscut “X” in the center of the dibble hole.
• After seeding, water the seeds gently from the top to settle the seeds into the media. Cover with a humidity dome or another tray until the seed coat has cracked and the radicle has emerged.  Upon germination, remove the dome and expose seedlings to full light.
• STG is a sterile, inert growing media with no added nutrients.  Once true leaves have emerged it is essential that a complete water-soluble nutrient formulated for the crop be supplied to the plants.

Irrigation

• Flood and drain systems are the recommended irrigation method for most seedling applications.
• Compared to other media, STG will generally require more frequent but shorter irrigation intervals.
• Once plants are placed in the growing system, the irrigation interval must allow the media to stay evenly moist throughout. 
• Should the media dry out, the media needs to be completely rehydrated by flooding and draining or thoroughly watering from the top.

Specific Hydroponic System Instructions

In addition to these Best Practices, please request our supplemental instructions for growers using specific hydroponic systems including NFT, Ebb & Flow, Drip, Float, Wick and Aeroponic.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GROWING TRIALS 

Thank you for trying Sure to Grow ™ media, the most technologically advanced growing media on the market.  Enclosed are suggestions for conducting growing trials using our revolutionary new media. 

Cubes

• Smaller Seeds - surface seed single lettuce and tomato seeds or bunch seed (10-15 seeds per hole) basil and arugula 
• Larger Seeds - cucumbers, sunflowers - insert seeds into crosscut "X”
• Cuttings - try mint or other herbs

Blocks

• Graduate tomatoes and cucumbers from 1" STG Cubes into blocks and then slabs
• Ornamentals

Slabs

• Graduate tomatoes and cucumbers into blocks and then onto slabs
• Direct seeding for cut-and-come again production of baby greens and herbs

Loose fill

• Direct seed cucumbers or graduate STG Blocks into Bato Buckets (if you cover the media you will encourage the formation of air roots) - you will need to irrigate more frequently than with other media and might possibly require two emitters when the plants get bigger.)
• Also a good media for cuttings or for use in net pots.

Pads and rolls

• Test pads with microgreens and wheat grass.  The simplest  way to do this is to place a pad into a webbed nursery  tray, saturate it thoroughly and  broadcast seeds evenly over the surface.  Important note: For safety reasons, you should only  use seeds specifically designated for microgreens or sprout production.*
• Medium seeds – arugula and mizuna are fast-growing greens which are excellent for testing or display – broadcast 2 tablespoons of seeds per 10 x 20 mat.
• Larger seeds – radish– ¼  cup per mat.
• Wheat – 1-2 cups.  Presoak seeds for 8-12 hours, then spread evenly on the mat (double layering of seeds is OK).  Consider displaying live trays of wheatgrass.

After seeding, lightly mist the trays, then cover with a humidity dome.  Mist 2-3 times a day until seeds germinate, then remove cover and expose to full light (fluorescent or indoor lighting is adequate for most microgreens).  Irrigate at least once a day  by flood and drain method. For added convenience, place the web flat into a solid bottom flat with a saturated Sure to Grow Mat.

Microgreens are ready to harvest at 2”, wheatgrass at 4”- 6”.