- English
As China’s demand for premium, locally grown blueberries intensifies, indoor mid-tech growers face challenges around water management, substrate quality, and yield consistency. Jiffy Blueberry Mix offers a tailored solution to address these needs.
Melbourne, Australia-based Garden City Plastics (GCP), a Jiffy long-term partner and distributor, distributes a wide range of specialized Jiffy mixes and has seen demand explode across key APAC markets like China. In this interview, GCP’s Gary Edwards hosts a discussion with Arjan van Leest, Soft Fruit Expert at Jiffy Group, and Miguel Meneses, Jiffy’s Product Manager for Substrates. They explore how Jiffy’s tried-and-tested mix boosts blueberry yields and improves overall fruit quality for growers in the competitive Chinese market.
Gary Edwards of Garden City Plastics: Arjan, what are the main challenges indoor mid-tech blueberry growers face in China?
Arjan van Leest, Jiffy Group’s Soft Fruit Expert: Blueberries are finicky plants, especially in indoor environments. In China, growers often struggle with inconsistent climate control and variable water quality, both of which are critical to achieving high yields. Additionally, blueberries require precise moisture management and root aeration, and when these factors are mismanaged, it can lead to uneven growth, poor fruit quality, and even plant loss.
Jiffy Blueberry Mix addresses these challenges directly. Its carefully engineered blend balances air-filled porosity (AFP) at 28-38% and water-holding capacity (WHC) at 50-70%. These parameters ensure sufficient oxygen for root respiration and prevent waterlogging, common issues when growers transition to mid-tech systems where irrigation practices might not yet be fully optimized. Our mix creates a more forgiving growing environment, reducing the risks associated with over- or under-watering.
The premium substrate offers a proven solution to boost yields and improve quality
“Jiffy Blueberry Mix is a testament to how we translate our expertise into real-world yield improvements.” Miguel Meneses, Jiffy Product Manager Substrates.
Gary: How does the composition of Jiffy Blueberry Mix support optimal blueberry growth in Chinese conditions, Miguel?
Miguel Meneses, Jiffy Product Manager Substrates: The key to this mix lies in its premium coir, peat and perlite blend. Coir has excellent capillary characteristics. When combined with the high water-holding capacity of peat, these make it the ideal substrate for challenging irrigation conditions. The low pH and high cation exchange capacity of peat also ensure consistent fertilization, compensating for any nutritional imbalances, something that coir or perlite alone cannot achieve.
Blueberries thrive in acidic conditions, and Jiffy Blueberry Mix delivers with a pH of 4.3, perfectly suited to their needs. It’s also designed to maintain an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.4, which prevents harmful salt buildup that could stifle plant growth. This is especially critical in regions with varying water salinity, a challenge frequently reported by Chinese growers.
“By crafting a substrate with the right balance of acidity, air and water retention, we’re helping growers to improve productivity.” Arjan van Leest, Jiffy Soft Fruit Expert
Gary: What specific benefits does Jiffy Blueberry Mix offer for mid-tech growers?
Arjan: Mid-tech growers often work with semi-controlled environments, meaning they’re more vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. In such cases, managing the substrate properly becomes essential to avoid moisture-related issues. The WHC of 50-70% in Jiffy Blueberry Mix ensures a more stable moisture supply, even between irrigation cycles, reducing the risk of plant stress during dry periods.
In trials conducted with growers in eastern China, who often face fluctuating irrigation quality, we actually saw yield improvements of up to 15%. This was largely due to the substrate’s superior ability to retain moisture while providing ample air for the roots, which in turn helped optimize fruit development.
Gary: How can Jiffy Blueberry Mix support expansion into the Chinese market?
Arjan: In China, demand for high-quality, locally grown blueberries is rapidly increasing, and growers are seizing the opportunity to develop vertically integrated berry operations. They’re introducing world-leading technologies, setting new benchmarks for quality, and establishing efficient supply chains. This focus on protected cultivation systems and substrate-based growing is driving innovation in the sector.
Jiffy Blueberry Mix is designed to support these ambitions by providing a high-performing substrate that consistently delivers better yields and quality. It’s ideal for growers adopting modern indoor systems to enhance productivity. It’s also RHP-certified, ensuring that it meets stringent quality standards for professional horticulture, and produced in Jiffy’s ISO 22000 food safety-certified factories.
In the face of rising competition and changing consumer preferences, achieving stable and high-quality output is essential. Jiffy’s tailored solutions, developed through decades of experience, offer growers the foundation they need to succeed in China’s evolving blueberry sector.
Gary: What role does substrate quality play in yield improvement?
Miguel: I’m probably biased, but I strongly believe the substrate is the foundation of any successful crop! Poor-quality growing media can lead to compaction, root rot, or imbalanced nutrition—all of which severely impact yields. Jiffy’s decades of experience and global expertise allow us to create substrates that provide consistent results, even in challenging growing environments.
Our expertise doesn’t stop at blueberries; we support growers across various sectors globally, providing solutions that improve both plant health and productivity. Our substrates and technical advice help growers focus less on managing problems and more on growing better-quality fruit, whatever their setup.
Thanks for sharing your insights, Arjan and Miguel! Backed by Jiffy’s global expertise, Jiffy Blueberry Mix is the reliable solution for boosting productivity in this tough market.
Let’s work together
Jiffy is a leading global supplier of premium growing media and solution thinking. We aim to serve you, our customers in plant propagation and cultivation, to achieve better results with fewer worries. We do this by continually improving, innovating, and working toward our common goals, based on scientific research, teamwork, and decades of experience. Let’s develop sustainable plant-growing solutions together: Let’s start today!
Arjan Van Leest
Product Manager Hydroponics
You can call me on
+31(0)782062105
or send me an e-mail
a.vanleest@jiffygroup.com
