EP 13: Dr. Jeb Fields | Assistant Professor of Nursery Crops at the University of Florida

What if growers could improve water, fertilizer, and root performance without simply adding more inputs? 🌱In this episode of How We Grow, I’m joined by Dr. Jeb Fields, Nursery Specialist at the University of Florida, to explore the surprisingly complex world inside a container.Jeb explains why growing media is less about the ingredients themselves and more about the structure—and the air, water, nutrients and roots moving through the spaces between them.We get into:💧 How water actually moves through a container🪴 Why growing media can be roughly 85% pore space🌱 How substrate structure affects roots, irrigation and fertilizer🥥 Peat, bark, coir, wood fiber, and emerging regional materials🌾 The potential of sugarcane bagasse as a substrate component🧱 How substrate stratification creates a more even moisture profile📉 Why layering materials could reduce peat use by 50%♻️ What growers need to understand before using biochar🧪 How to design small, practical trials inside a growing operation🔮 Why the growing systems of 2040 may look completely different from those we use todayJeb’s biggest recommendation for growers is simple: Don’t become complacent. Create a small trialing area, change one thing, and pay attention to what the plant tells you.🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📰 Nursery & Landscape Insider:https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/📬 Subscribe to Nursery & Landscape Insider:https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=nurserylandscapeinsider✉️ Contact Dr. Jeb Fields: [email protected] Soil: https://rosysoil.com/🌱 Follow How We Grow:Instagram: @howwegrowpodTikTok: @howwegrowpod