growing media - Sun Gro Horticulture

LEADING
MANUFACTURER
OF PACKAGED
GROWING MEDIA
www.fafard.com
When creating
a work of art,
it’s important to start
with the right materials.
Creating a masterpiece requires a superior growing media. That’s why
our mixes and custom blends have been the canvas for professional
greenhouses, nurseries and home gardeners for almost a century.
At Fafard, we understand what it takes to create flora worthy of a frame. It takes a high
quality and very consistent soil mix, which is exactly what we offer serious gardeners with
every one of our products. Our fervor for growing art comes through in our mixes, our
knowledge and our support of growers because we are more than just a soil company.
We grow the grower.
We grow the grower
Our passion and drive for supporting serious growers started with our founder,
Conrad Fafard. He planted the first seeds of Conrad Farfard, Inc. in the early 1900s
when he started selling the finest imported peat moss to local farmers. Today, Fafard
is headquartered in Agawam, Mass., and is part of Syngenta, a leading global
agribusiness that expands our reach and provides access to world-class resources.
Our production technique is different
because it’s the same. Every time.
The consistency and quality of our mixes is achieved by controlling every aspect of
the production process. Batch after batch, each mix maintains the proper balance
of air, water and pH levels, which means you are creating from a perfect blank
canvas every time.
A diverse palette of growing media
Fafard offers an extensive array of media for the entire growing process. From general
purpose planting and organic mixes to propagation media, as well as additives biologicals and CRF options, we cover the needs of any professional grower or home gardener.
Whether it’s for the greenhouse or the backyard, our mixes are consistent from bag to
bag and deliver the quality results growers have depended on for over 80 years.
While other companies only test their products after production, Fafard tests every step
along the way. We begin by assuring the quality of our raw materials. Fafard suppliers
have strict quality control programs at their facilities, and we retain and test samples
upon arrival. Our Canadian sphagnum peat is harvested from our own private peat bogs,
We age our own bark, and use weed- and pathogen-free materials to ensure our mixes
start with superior quality ingredients.
Great growers, like great artists, exist everywhere.
To reach growers throughout the country, Fafard owns and operates four national
production facilities located in Anderson, S.; Apopka, FL.; Marshall, TX; and
Floodwood, MN. We have two international production facilities in New
Brunswick and Manitoba, Canada, where we also harvest peat from our
private bogs. Our latest facility in Manitoba was opened to better serve
professional growers and retail outlets in the Midwest. Fafard also ships
products to international growers in more than 20 countries.
We draw a line in the soil with our commitment
to sustainability
Fafard is devoted to developing high-quality
renewable resources. We strictly adhere
to all of the guidelines of the Canadian
Sphagnum Peat Moss Association,
including the Preservation and
Reclamation Policy.
Fafard’s manufacturing process is an exercise in the art of precision. Our programmable logic controller (PLC) driven manufacturing lines add the exact proportion of
ingredients into each mix. The hoppers that hold ingredients have unique encoders
to control speed, and they’re regularly calibrated to remain consistent. Attentive
technicians work to further guarantee precision and uniformity.
During the entire production process, Fafard mixes undergo 22 individual tests. This
includes quality assurance, physical properties and analytical tests. After the mixes
are blended, we run tests for attributes such as bulk density, water retention and
porosity. Both EC and pH tests are performed continuously throughout the process,
and a sample of each mix is then catalogued and stored.
Before your mix reaches you, we run one more crucial quality test. We actually grow
plants in every batch of mix that Fafard produces to guarantee they perform up to
your expectations.
www.fafard.com
Custom services
for every grower
Technical Services
Growing is an art, so think of our technical services team as your most constructive critic. We work with each
grower’s specific issues, and focus on improving efficiency and lowering input costs to help the grower grow
their business. We meet with growers on-site to review analytical test results and look at different aspects of
growing, including watering properties and appearance, pH, and starter fertilizers.
Horticultural Services
Fafard Horticultural Services performs comprehensive analytical testing for growers. We test irrigation water,
growing mix, fertilizer, and plant-leaf tissue. Because air-water relations are vital factors in container plant
growth, we test physical properties as well. These include total porosity, container capacity and air space. Test
results can be mailed, faxed or emailed, and our technical services team is available to review the results
and make recommendations. Testing should be ongoing, so your growing results can remain strong.
Visit Fafard.com to request a test kit.
Research and Development
Fafard is perfecting the art of innovation, helping growers reduce costs and improve production. We are
constantly seeking cost-effective and renewable resources, and our relationship with Syngenta gives you
access to far more than a soil company. You will benefit from industry-leading horticultural science in areas
such as plant health, breeding and controls. We also partner with top agricultural research universities to
formulate new products so growers can profit from the latest advances in our field.
In 2008, we conducted the first Fafard Research Leader Program, which brought together academic and practical research in an effort to help growers achieve healthier and more profitable plants. The program tested
advanced potting-media formulations, and analyzed how different raw materials, soil amendments and
additives performed in varying greenhouse settings. By combining institutional knowledge with hands-on
research, the program continues to gather information to develop new products and improve our current mixes.
Customer Service
From the time an order is placed until it delivers to the customer, Fafard provides a one-to-one customer
service contact for our clients to ensure accuracy and overall satisfaction. In addition, we supply each
customer with information regarding product use and also can recommend mixes. Our customer service team
has built long-standing relationships with our customers, becoming familiar with their ordering habits, product
lines and delivery needs. We strive to provide superior knowledge and support to all of our customers and
stive to continually better understand each individual’s needs.
Professional mixes
Mixes to suit all your growing needs
www.fafard.com
Light to Heavyweight Mixes
1P MIX
52 MIX
Canadian Sphagnum Peat (80%), Perlite
Processed Pine Bark (40%), Canadian Sphagnum
Peat, Perlite, Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants,
Seed Germination, Growing On
3M MIX
Processed Pine Bark (40%), Canadian Sphagnum
Peat, Perlite, Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets,
Seed Germination, Propagatio
2 MIX
Canadian Sphagnum Peat (55%), Perlite,
Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants,
Seed Germination, Growing On
4P MIX
Canadian Sphagnum Peat (40%),
Processed Pine Bark, Perlite, Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets,
Seed Germination, Propagation
2B MIX
Canadian Sphagnum Peat (50%), Processed Pine
Bark, Perlite, Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants,
Seed Germination, Growing On
For a full product list visit Fafard.com
Uses: Perennials, Growing On,
Large Containers
3B MIX
Canadian Sphagnum Peat (45%), Processed Pine
Bark, Perlite, Vermiculite
Uses: Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets, Seed
Germination, Propagation
Also Available
Propagation Mixes
Rice Hull & Coir Mixes
Custom Blends
Biological and CRF Options
Retail mixes
Five ready-to-use mixes to suit
all your customers’ growing needs
Professional Potting Mix
Fortified with extended release fertilizer that will
feed your plants for up to 6 months
Best for potting containers, cuttings and
starting seeds
Best for foliage plants, flowering plants,
house plants and tropical plants
Indoor and outdoor use
Organic Potting Mix
100% Natural
Complete Planting Mix
Fortified with extended release fertilizer that will
feed your plants for 3-4 months
Best for planting trees, vegetable gardens, flower
gardens, flower beds and roses
Complete Container Mix
Fortified with extended release fertilizer that will
feed your plants for 3-4 months
Best for outdoor hanging baskets, window
boxes, planters, gardens, outdoor containers
and strawberry jars
Meets the National Organic Program (NOP)
Standards
Contains No Synthetic Chemicals
For Retail and Professional Use
Sizes Available:
10 qt – 8/cs – 25cs/pallet
40 qt – 80/pallet
Also Available
An array of soil amendments and special
plant mixes
For a full product list visit Fafard.com.
www.fafard.com
Complete Potting Mix
Conrad Fafard, Inc.
P.O. Box 790, 770 Silver Street, Agawam, MA 01001 / 800-732-8667
413-786-4343 / Fax: 413-789-3425 / sales@fafard.com / fafard.com
U.S. PRODUCTION FACILITIES
Anderson, South Carolina / Apopka, Florida
Floodwood, Minnesota / Marshall, Texas
Canadian PRODUCTION FACILITIES
Inkerman, New Brunswick / Vassar, Manitoba
Fafard®, The Science Behind the Art™ and the Fafard logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company