TerraCottem soil conditioners

Each TerraCottem soil conditioner contains nutritive, growth stimulating and water absorbing components.

They all increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of soils and growing media, increase plants' root development, growth and survival rate and allow water savings up to 50%.

TerraCottem soil conditioners work at the plant’s root level. They are mixed with the soil when planting.

TerraCottem universal is the “original” TerraCottem soil amendment. Since it was introduced in 1993, the product has constantly evolved with better performing polymers (also know as hydrogel, water storing granules or super absorber), fertilisers and carrier material to further enhance root and plant growth and reduce inputs. This is still the TerraCottem to use in most applications such as trees, shrubs, revegetation, annuals, perennials, roof gardens, horticulture and potting soils.
TerraCottem turf soil improver contains zeolite a 100 percent natural volcanic mineral that helps increase soil fertility and water retention. The product’s benefits are further boosted by the inclusion of turf specific fertilisers and humic acids which have a positive effect on the soil’s water holding capacity,, structure and microbiological activity. All this, to get quicker grass establishment, enhanced root growth and sustainable plant growth and improve the quality of turf, seeded grass and sprigs.
TerraCottem arbor soil conditioner has been developed specially for tree and shrub planting. Central to this latest formulation are the new generation polymers, the inclusion of humic acids to further increase the soil’s water retention capacity, structure and microbiological activity and tree specific fertilisers (with a lifespan up to 12 months) balanced with a starter fertiliser for rapid plant establishment and a synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. All this, to ease early tree acclimation to the planting area, enhance root and plant growth and increase tree survival rate whilst reducing inputs and replacement costs.
TerraCottem complement soil amendement has been specially formulated for applications in flower beds and horticulture previously treated with the “universal” soil conditioner. TerraCottem complement replenishes the components that have been consumed by the plants during the previous growing season and those lost each time a crop or annuals are pulled from the soil. Due to its application the nutrient and water holding capacity of soils and growing media is kept in optimal conditions.

Let’s start with soil.

It plays a vital role in the earth’s ecosystem. Without soil human, animal and plant life would be very difficult. Few soils are perfect. If the soil’s shortcomings are not addressed properly they are likely to make your work more difficult. There are almost always limiting factors. Soils are either too dry or too wet. Or they lack nutrient retention. Or maybe they are too shallow.

Not all soils are conducive to good plant growth. Many soils need to be amended or conditioned.

With the correct soil conditioner, you can overcome these limitations.

Soil conditioners are products that are added to the soil to improve its physical and/or chemical features and to compensate for the soil’s deficient properties that can limit plant development.
Therefore, soil conditioning is linked to one of the most important laws of nature - the law of the limiting factor:
	“Plant growth is controlled not by the total amount of resources available, but by the scarcest resource”.
The TerraCottem soil conditioners amend soil properties to strengthen the weakest link in the long chain of plant development: from improving the soil’s growing conditions and boosting root development to better plant growth and increased survival rate. Saving you money in maintenance and replacement costs.

TerraCottem helps you grow plants in challenging conditions, minimize replacement cost of dead plants and trees, lower the watering frequency.

TerraCottem is used in small quantities. TerraCottem’s trade secret, the growth precursors, have a big impact on plant growth. And on the other hand, you have the product’s synergetic effect. It means that the benefits of the total product on plant growth are greater than the sum of the benefits of its separate components on plant growth.

How does TerraCottem work?

TerraCottem is active at root level and is activated when the plant is watered. The hydrogels absorb water and nutrients. The biostimualnts promote root hair growth. These root hairs grow through the polymers and absorb the required amount of water and nutrients. In short, TerraCottem promotes root growth. This gives a healthier and more resistant plant with less need for irrigation water.

TerraCottem is a potent, dry, granular product. You mix it in small quantities with the soil. That’s where the action takes place, at root level. It’s important to get good root development from the very start. That’s how you lay the foundation for thriving and lasting plant growth.

TerraCottem in action

The hydroabsorbant polymers or hydrogels contained within TerraCottem start to swell upon contact with water. They absorb water and nutrients and expand into a gel-like substance. And oh, correction: better compare TerraCottem with a rechargeable battery as the soil conditioner will have numerous dry / wet cycles during a period of 8 years.

The polymers absorb the water and fertilisers

Water and nutrients are absorbed at root level by the hydrogels. In soils with low water retention, that water and part of the nutrients would normally be lost to leaching and evaporation.

100g of TerraCottem can be "charged" with over 8 litres of water!

This water is then kept at the disposal of the plant that accesses the stored water on demand through its root hairs, keeping the water in the root zone for a longer period of time. As such, both the volume and frequency of necessary irrigation can be reduced up to 50%.

As said earlier, the hydrogels also absorb nutrients within that soil solution. TerraCottem's specially selected fertilisers provide a balanced nutrition of both macro and microelements to the plants.

The growth precursors encourage root hair growth

Enhancer

These root hairs grow inside the polymers and absorb the required amount of water and nutrients. The growth precursors play a very important role in the initial growth phase of the plant. They are TerraCottem’s trade secret. They are but a fraction of the product – 0.25% to be precise - but potent and crucial for plant growth! These biostimulants activate root cell elongation and differentiation. In other words, they stimulate the plant to grow more and longer roots, faster. The bigger and healthier the root system, the bigger and healthier the plant.

In addition, roots are encouraged to grow more rapidly to depths where more water is present.

The TerraCottem soil conditioners also contain carrier materials. These are selected for their chemo-physical properties, further enhancing the products' retention of water (WRC) and nutrients (CEC). They also allow homogeneous distribution of all components.

Synergetic effect

Each TerraCottem component has its positive impact on plant growth but it is above all the synergy of all the product’s scientific balanced components which makes the TerraCottem soil conditioning technology so unique and successful.