Grow-Cote Plus® 6M

Stronger Growth

Better Saleable Quality

in Ligustrum ovalifolium

An independent container nursery trial showed that Grow-Cote Plus® 6M delivered the strongest Ligustrum growth in the comparison, with the highest shoot length, the highest fresh weight, and clearly better saleable quality than the competing fertilizers. The difference was closely linked to the micronutrient performance of the fertilizer, especially under conditions without extra starter fertilizer or added trace elements.

Trial Partner
LVG Bad Zwischenahn / Mivena
Duration
1 full growing seasons
Location
Bad Zwischenahn, Germany
Crop
Ligustrum ovalifolium
Treatments
5 total
HIGHEST SHOOT LENGTH
0 cm
HIGHEST FRESH WEIGHT
0 g
BEST SALES QUALITY
0 %

Trial summary

This container nursery trial compared five 6M CNS fertilizers as complete base fertilization in substrate for Ligustrum ovalifolium. The setup was intentionally strict: the plants were grown in a white-peat substrate without starter fertilizer and without additional micronutrients, making the fertilizer itself fully responsible for crop performance.

In Ligustrum, the outcome was clear. Grow-Cote Plus® 6M delivered the highest measured shoot length at 50.9 cm and the highest fresh weight at 60.8 g per plant, while the competing products showed clear growth depression and chlorosis linked to copper deficiency. The trial report states that only objects 1 and 2 reached good or satisfactory sales quality, whereas the other products were largely or almost entirely unfit for sale.

Grow-Cote Plus® 6M delivered plant-typical growth in Ligustrum with minimal deficiency symptoms, while competing products showed clear growth depression and poor saleability.

Trial objective

The goal of the trial was to compare how different CNS fertilizers influence the growth of Caryopteris, Hypericum, and Ligustrum in container culture. Because these crops are known to be sensitive to micronutrient deficiencies, and because no extra micronutrients were added outside the fertilizer itself, the trial also served as a direct test of each fertilizer’s micronutrient package under practical nursery conditions.

For the Ligustrum page, the key question becomes: which 6M fertilizer delivers the best combination of growth, crop quality, and saleable end product in a micronutrient-sensitive crop? That is exactly where Grow-Cote Plus separated itself from the field.

Trial setup

Young plants of Ligustrum ovalifolium from QP-77 trays were planted into 2-liter pots filled with a white-peat substrate adjusted with calcium carbonate to pH 4.8. No additional starter fertilizer and no extra trace elements were mixed into the substrate. For Ligustrum, the dosage was 4.0 g fertilizer per liter of substrate. The crop was grown outdoors in randomized blocks and watered by overhead irrigation.

CROP

Ligustrum ovalifolium

Container nursery production, 2-liter pots

DURATION

1 full growing season

Assessment at the end of the season

LOCATION

Bad Zwischenahn, Germany

Outdoor nursery trial conditions

TREATMENTS

5 total

Complete CNS fertilizers compared in substrate

TRIAL DESIGN

Random block design

4 repeats of 10 plants

PARTNERS

LVG Bad Zwischenahn / Mivena

Independent container nursery trial

Fertilizers Compared

TRIAL PRODUCT — MIVENA TREATMENT 1

Grow-Cote Plus® 6M

15-6-12 + trace elements.
4.0 g/l substrate.

MIVENA DEVELOPMENT TREATMENT 2

Grow-Cote development product 6M

4.0 g/l substrate.

TREATMENT 3

Competitor O5

4.0 g/l substrate.

TREATMENT 4

Competitor OP

4.0 g/l substrate.

TREATMENT 5

Competitor C

4.0 g/l substrate.

Results

In the Ligustrum part of the trial, clear growth depression and chlorosis appeared from early August onward in trial objects 3 to 5, which the report identifies as a typical symptom of copper deficiency. By contrast, objects 1 and 2 — Grow-Cote Plus and the development product — showed plant-typical growth with almost no deficiency symptoms.

At the final measurements, Grow-Cote Plus achieved the highest shoot length (50.9 cm) and highest fresh weight (60.8 g). The development product followed at 46.7 cm and 47.4 g, while the competitors remained far behind: 25.6–31.9 cm shoot length and 15.0–28.6 g fresh weight.

The sales quality result makes the commercial difference even clearer. The report states that only trial objects 1 and 2 achieved good or satisfactory sales quality, while in the other treatments all or nearly all plants were unfit for sale because they were too small or showed deficiency symptoms.

SHOOT LENGTH, FRESH WEIGHT, DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS & SALES QUALITY
Grow-Cote Plus® 6M ★ Best overall result
Shoot length 50.9 cm Fresh weight: 60.8 g Sales quality: Good
Very low deficiency symptoms
Development product 6M
Shoot length 46.7 cm Fresh weight: 47.4 g Sales quality: Satisfactory
Low deficiency symptoms
Competitor A
Shoot length 25.6 cm Fresh weight: 15.0 g Sales quality: Unfit for sale
Strong deficiency symptoms
Competitor B
Shoot length 31.9 cm Fresh weight: 28.6 g Sales quality: Mostly unfit for sale
Clearly present deficiency symptoms
Competitor C
Shoot length 28.8 cm Fresh weight: 23.2 g Sales quality: Nearly all unfit for sale
Clearly present deficiency symptoms
Source: LVG Bad Zwischenahn CNS fertiliser comparison 6M trial in Ligustrum ovalifolium. Comparison of Grow-Cote Plus 6M, development product, and competing fertilizers under outdoor container nursery conditions.

Grow-Cote Plus® supports stronger Ligustrum performance in container nursery production

Grow-Cote Plus® combined the highest growth, highest fresh weight, and best saleable outcome in Ligustrum under conditions where the fertilizer had to do all the work. For growers, that means stronger crop development, fewer deficiency-related quality losses, and more reliable commercial output.

Conclusion

This trial points in a very clear commercial direction for Ligustrum ovalifolium: Grow-Cote Plus® 6M delivered the strongest overall performance. It produced the highest shoot length, the highest fresh weight, and one of the only saleable end results in the comparison.

The broader lesson is equally important. Under a setup without added micronutrients, the crops exposed clear differences in fertilizer quality. The report specifically links the stronger performance of Grow-Cote Plus to its micronutrient profile, especially the higher copper level, which likely explains the lower deficiency pressure and better growth in Ligustrum and Hypericum.

Strongest Ligustrum Growth

Grow-Cote Plus® delivered the highest shoot length in the trial at 50.9 cm.

Highest Fresh Weight

At 60.8 g per plant, Grow-Cote Plus® achieved the strongest biomass result in Ligustrum.

Lower Deficiency Pressure

Grow-Cote Plus® showed very low copper deficiency symptoms compared with the competing products.

Better Saleable Quality

Only Grow-Cote Plus® and the development product achieved good or satisfactory sale quality, while the others were largely unfit for sale.

Recommendation

For growers producing Ligustrum ovalifolium in containers, Grow-Cote Plus® offers a strong and reliable 6M fertilization strategy. It combines growth, weight, and saleable quality with a micronutrient profile that supports crop stability when deficiency-sensitive species are grown under demanding substrate conditions.

Interested in better Ligustrum performance in container nursery production?

Discover how Grow-Cote Plus® 6M helps growers improve crop growth, reduce deficiency risk, and increase saleable plant quality in micronutrient-sensitive crops.

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Trial conducted under outdoor nursery conditions at LVG Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. Results reflect one controlled comparison in Ligustrum ovalifolium grown in 2-liter containers without added starter fertilizer or extra micronutrients. Local substrate, water, climate, and crop management may influence commercial performance.

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