The complications of water resources and land limitations, along with the growing demand for healthy foods, forces us as producers to adopt the best technologies to produce more"Superfoods” with less in a sustainable way. And, in this way, to be more competitive in the world market of blueberries.

As is known, the Hydroponics has proven to be the best productive system to achieve the above, but one of the most important questions that we ask ourselves as producers is where our blueberries are going to stay: in what bag or in flower pot stiff? A decision is not always so easy, since it depends a lot on driving and our pocket.

pot vs bag

Planting in bags has become a very popular solution among growers who have a more limited start-up budget, but want to adopt hydroponics as a means of growing their blueberries. And it is that in initial costs, the bag is cheaper than the pot.

However, when comparing it with pots, we have verified that the advantages offered by the latter are greater in various aspects:

Uniformity. By having a rigid pot, all the containers will have the same amount of substrate, while when filling the bag, due to its elasticity and shape change, you will have a variation percentage of up to 25% in the volume of the coconut, this translates into more cost and less uniformity.

Investment in substrate. A 27L pot can be filled with up to 33L of substrate, while a 27L bag can hold up to 42L, so your investment in coir will be very high.

Stability. Being rigid, the pot is more stable than the bag in windy conditions, so your plant will be safer and more stable (you will prevent it from tipping over and falling to the ground).

oxygenation. The pot has a technology in which it has oxygenation on the walls and at its base.

Sewer system. The four channels and conical base of the pot ensure that moisture is distributed evenly, avoiding root rot.

Slots for irrigation. The slots in the upper part of the pot allow the irrigation hoses to always be in place and avoid the waste of water and fertilizers that sometimes happens in the bags in which the hose can fall to the ground. 

Esthetic. The bottom is more uniform and cleaner, also avoiding, with the complement of the ground cover, grass and weeds.

Production. The pot allows you to have fewer agronomic errors, which translates into having better production more easily. 

Plant health. There are diseases that have less presence in a pot than in a bag, such as those that originate from excess humidity.

Costs Although in initial investment costs the bag may be more convenient, in the long term it is not, since you will have to change it after 5 or 6 years, which does not happen with a pot. In addition, there are costs that are not contemplated when sowing in a bag: more substrate, more labor, irrigation, etc. Not to mention that the plant can be further damaged by the fragility of the bags when they fall and will end up reducing your production.

Finally, what we seek is to be competitive in the global market, so if we want to differentiate ourselves we need to invest not only in excellent varieties, but also to be able to have the ideal "house" where to house them with technology that it manages to exploit its maximum potential thanks to a standardized and homogeneous system, which you can definitely obtain with a rigid pot, accompanied by a coconut fiber substrate.

Exponential development: greater growth of the potted plant vs bag

Take a look at this short video, where in one of the experiments that we are doing in different parts of the world, we analyze the pot vs bag:

https://youtu.be/yA52pncfGmo

By: Eng. Raúl Mercado.

Raúl is a hydroponic farmer, located in northern Mexico. He is passionate about substrate technology and research and Agtech in sustainability. He is co-founder and
CEO of DIDIHU Global. He is 100% foodie and loves discovering flavors around the world.

rm@wearedidihu.com

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