“One day without sufficient water is one day without growth”

Teun van der Lugt grows Zamioculcas pot plants in De Lier, The Netherlands. When he read an article about Sensiplant, he immediately knew: “This is the system I have been waiting to have for 10 years”. The beauty of the system is that as a Priva climate computer user, he can still use the Sensiplant.

Over recent years, Teun was discussing a simple measurement of plant soil humidity with test station researchers. But unfortunately, no instant solution was available, and installations involved a lot of complicated coax cabling.

For Teun and his site manager Marten, one thing sticks out from the rest. “It is very important that you irrigate at the right moment in a pot plant crop. This is much more important than many pot plant growers realise. You can have a day with a lot of sun and just the right temperature, but if plants then don’t have enough water, growth is at a standstill.”

Teun started out using tensiometers, which supplied Teus and Martin with a lot of information about the water requirements of Zamioculcas. They also managed to get completely rid of root diseases such as Fusarium and Phythium. The disadvantage of tensiometers is though that they cannot be read remotely.

Teun means to earn back the investment into Sensiplant mainly through improved quality plants. Zamioculcas is not one of the fastest growers either, and correct irrigation is important for constant growth. At the moment, his Sensiplant is still used in addition to tensiometers, for comparison. His 20 sensors will soon be extended to 40 units, providing him with an overview over his whole greenhouse.