Initially available in our ZKBoost plant growth enhancer product, the ZK GrowFactor family of zeolite-based growing media amendments represents a step change leap forward in plant growth enhancement technology.
What makes ZK GrowFactor better than other zeolites?
Greater adsorption capabilities
Cation exchange capacity – CEC – quantifies the ability of a material to hold and release positively charged nutrient and mineral ions. Most all nutrients present in soil that plants can use in their bio-available forms – including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium among others – are present in their cation forms. Soil and other grow media all have some natural cation exchange capacity. Greater water holding capacity is also associated with higher cation exchange capacity in soil. Zeolites are an easy and effective way to boost CEC in soils and natural soil-like growing media.
With more than 5 times the cation exchange capacity of typical zeolites used for soil amendment, ZK GrowFactor zeolites can hold more nutrients and release nutrients more readily to plant roots faster than other zeolites or soil alone can. This leads to greater nutrient availability and greater buffering against nutrient surpluses and deficits over the course of the growing cycle.
Greater surface area
Just 7 grams of ZK GrowFactor has more surface area than a football field! This level of surface area is more than several times greater than that of other zeolites commonly used as soil amendments, and up to double or more that of higher end agricultural amendment zeolites such as clinoptilolite. This greater surface area gives a significantly greater capacity to retain water, macronutrients and micronutrients versus other agricultural use zeolites. This enhanced capacity helps growing media moderate moisture and nutrient availability.
Pre-loaded plant nutrition
Natural zeolites have little to no nutritive value on their own. What a wasted opportunity! With most mined natural zeolites, the cations that are present when these zeolites are mined can be quite different from what’s optimal for plant growth. Excess calcium or other common zeolite cations can even harm plants.
Zeolites in the ZK GrowFactor family come pre-loaded with vital nutrients in proportions chosen to promote plant growth from first planting. These pre-loaded nutrients ensure immediate enhanced availability of nutrients to plants in grow media.
ZK GrowFactor benefits
For professional cultivators
- Faster germination and initial growth
- More reliable growth and higher yield vs. fertilizer alone
- Improves the effectiveness of your current nutrient mix and feeding schedule
- Increases yield density and total yield without increasing water, nutrient or lighting costs
For home gardeners and container growers
- More reliable growth and higher yield vs. fertilizer alone
- Increased resistance to sporadic watering and feeding schedules
- Increases tolerance to occasional lapses in watering or feeding
- Increases ability to withstand extremes in environmental conditions