Hydroponic Case Studies Summit Salads

Situated at the base of Mt Egmont in Taranaki, Bruce Jackson of Summit Salads has spent the last three years growing hydroponic lettuces, herbs and salad mixes for the local market. The hydroponic NFT system started out on a very small scale and over the past three years it has doubled in size each year. Over this time Bruce has always dealt with Stocker Horticultural & Hydroponic Supplies, so when he recently undertook a significant expansion it was a natural choice to stay with the people who had offered him such good service in the past. “It was a no brainer really” says Bruce, “Neville and Grenville are always very accessible, and have always offered me very good advice and outlined my options clearly. They were very patient with me, especially in the early days.”

Bruce supplied Neville with the plans for the new plastic house and Neville went from there: he assisted with the overall design of hydroponic system, determined the optimum pump and tank size required, installed the computer controller which manages the nutrient dosing etc. Stockers supplied the tank, pump, controllers and most of the gully and pipes for the expansion, as well continuing to supply nutrient and of course full ongoing support to Bruce and his team.

An NFT sliding bench lettuce system was installed which utilises the growing area more effectively than a fixed system by allowing smaller plants to sit closer together than the more mature lettuces. Ultimately this provides the grower with a better return per square metre of greenhouse. The existing outside cloches now grow the baby leaf salad mixes for bulk supply.

Around 4000 lettuces are harvested each week at Summit Salads, along with a variety of herbs and other commercial salad mixes.

“To me Stockers stand out above the others in the industry,” says Bruce.

 

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