Growers require consistency and quality from their substrate provider, and Lambert Peat Moss has built its reputation on both. The 98-year-old Quebec company’s combination of six peat bog sites over massive amounts of acreage leads to quality peat that is available when it’s needed.
Lambert has measures in place to maintain product consistency. The company’s technicians select a specific grade for each blend and recipe, then stick to those year after year. Lambert agronomist Fred Gagnon says that gives the grower predictable results, with minimal variation.
Production is also always done “just in time,” which means the mixes are freshly-made and the components are at their maximum efficiency, especially compared to a mass production supplier.
“We don’t have anything made in advance, even for the most popular or classic blend,” Gagnon says.
“That gives us the opportunity to do some fine tuning if the customer needs a different pH, or to incorporate a fungicide or mycorrhizae. We have lots of flexibility.”
Customer service is a priority for Lambert as well. Though their team is small, Gagnon says, they follow up on any technical support inquiries quickly, usually within a couple of hours.
“It’s a small detail, but that can be very helpful, and that makes the life of the growers much easier,” Gagnon says.
Solving problems
One of the most common media problems growers have actually one that is quite easy to solve as it’s related to on-site inventory management. Growers will notice the peat doesn’t wet as well as it should, as the wetting agent had begun to lose efficiency. The first thing Lambert’s team will check is the stock production code, and often, they find it’s leftover product that wasn’t used fast enough. Gagnon recommends growers use the management “first-in, first-out” with their growing media.
Sometimes growers need help determining the right mix for their needs. Lambert’s experts can help. The first step is knowing what type of container or tray the customer uses.
“It’s a huge difference between working with a 512 (cell tray) or a 72 even if it’s still a tray,” Gagnon says. “It’s totally different.”
The equipment the grower uses makes a difference, as well. Whether it’s a pot filler or tray filler, large scale or small scale, these details are important.
New options for wood fiber
Lambert has been offering its ECOPEAT Plus+ wood fiber for years now, and customers have benefited from its aeration and moisture retention capabilities. This summer, Lambert announced a new product, Boreal Blends. It’s a more refined, thinner wood fiber product, designed to be used with smaller containers. The small sticks, chunks of peat and fibers that make up ECOPEAT were sometimes too large to work with in trays or smaller containers.
Boreal Blend 15 is positioned as an all-purpose substrate suitable for bedding plants, perennials and longer-term nursery crops. Boreal Blend 25, however, is designed for crops that require more drainage.
Gagnon also says Lambert can customize the percentage of Boreal Blend incorporation, if the customer requests it.
Gagnon says Lambert recommends ECOPEAT for six-inch pots and nursery 1-gallon, 2-gallon and 3-gallon, but Boreal Blends “is really perfect for the smaller sizes.”
Boreal Blends are less coarse than traditional ECOPEAT Plus, which makes them work better for 3.5 inch pot or 72-cell trays, but it still offers the same stability and longevity. The new blends will be a major focus for Lambert this year, as the company receives feedback from customers who are trialing the product. Early results are promising, Gagnon says.
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