Frequently asked questions about our plant trays and horticu
Please find below the answers to some of the questions we are often asked. If you cannot find the answer to your question please contact us.
Air Pruning is a system which forces roots out of a container into dry air which kills the root tip. This encourages the growth of secondary roots and means that the plant constantly produces new and healthy branching roots. This means that once the plant is installed it will have a strong root system and so will take water and nutrients efficiently resulting a healthy plant.
Where roots are not air pruned they will continue to grow around the container in a restricted pattern which results in twists and strangulation. Once the plant is installed it is unlikely to establish a normal root structure and so will have a reduced uptake of water and nutrients.
Read more about Air Pruning on our Tech Sheets page.
Where roots are not air pruned they will continue to grow around the container in a restricted pattern which results in twists and strangulation. Once the plant is installed it is unlikely to establish a normal root structure and so will have a reduced uptake of water and nutrients.
Read more about Air Pruning on our Tech Sheets page.
- Better quality plants with more uniform plant growth as the tray remains impervious to water, fertilizer and roots, unlike polystyrene trays.
- Plants pull more easily than from polystyrene trays due to the smooth impervious wall with less plant losses at planting time.
- Easier to clean and sterilize as only surface sterilization is required so much more hygienic with no carry over of problems to the next crop.
- Likely to be compatible with most automatic transplanting machines.
- More profitable as you have more plants per tray but of better quality with a lower unit cost price.
- Finance leases are available in some areas to finance these trays so they are cheaper in cash terms than other types of tray.
- Can be molded with company name and address for identification and promotion.
- Environmentally and Economically friendly as the trays are stronger and more durable giving a longer life i.e Over 20 years.
Proptek's trays do not require a large outer rim which means that it is possible to fit in more cells per tray. Styrofoam trays have large outer rims due to the nature of the material that they are made from, while thermoformed trays require the rim to stop them from bending and to add rigidity. Injection molded plastic trays are a lot less bulky than Styrofoam but are still extremely strong and rigid.
As Proptek trays do not require a rim we are ably to produce them with more cells per tray but we are also able to space them out enough to ensure that plant quality is not compromised. Therefore you will be able to produce more cells per tray, which means more plants per greenhouse and more profit for you!
As Proptek trays do not require a rim we are ably to produce them with more cells per tray but we are also able to space them out enough to ensure that plant quality is not compromised. Therefore you will be able to produce more cells per tray, which means more plants per greenhouse and more profit for you!
This feature is only relevant if the plant is extracted or partially extracted through the drain hole in the base of the cell and most modern transplanters, plant graders etc. now lift plants from the top of the tray so the ‘endless’ feature is not needed.
- The first three digits describe the number of cells in the tray.
- The fourth digit mainly describes whether the tray is a stacking or nesting tray, i.e. "S" for stacking and "N" for nesting.
- The fifth and sixth digit refer to the dimensions of the tray, e.g. "26" refers to the length of the tray at 26 inches, "67" refers to the length of the tray at 67 cms, "10" refers to the tray width of a bedding plant tray at 10 inches and "20" refers to the tray length of a bedding tray at 20 inches.
- The seventh digit refers to additional options on that tray such as, "F" for feet, "N" for no feet or other more specialized codes to represent the place of manufacture.
Yes Proptek do buy and sell second hand trays. Please contact us if you are interested in this option.
We use a company in Oregon to make them but we do not sell them. Please contact us for further details.
