Blackmore launches Air Tray line

Blackmore Company, a leader in plant production tray engineering and manufacturing, is announcing the official launch of their Air Tray line of patented root air pruning trays. The Air Tray, per the release, “is a leap forward in tray engineering, unique from all other tray designs on the market, earning it a new, distinctive brand identity.” The cornerstone of this breakthrough technology is a patented tray design that maximizes air flow around the root zone, optimizing root air pruning, and closely simulating natural root development in container production.

“This innovation will fundamentally change how many segments of our industry, particularly nursery, can grow, transplant and profit from their crops,” says Lars Jensen, National Sales Manager for Blackmore Company. “Customers who trialed Air Trays repeatedly found better root branching leads to healthier plants that transplant faster and have improved long term success.”

“Research demonstrates the importance of air root pruning for long term crop success after transplant,” says Dr. Bill Argo, Technical Manager at Blackmore Company, “more specifically data show that traditional, straight walled trays and pots minimize air flow, decreasing the opportunity for air root-pruning and increasing the risk of plant loss due to root girdling.”

The engineering team at Blackmore is behind the invention of the Air Tray patent.

“The Air Tray patented design optimizes air flow by creating the maximum amount of space between the tray and the roots,” says Stefan Johansson, the project’s lead engineer. “It is coupled with a breakthrough in thermoform engineering that enables us to manufacture Air Tray features in much larger container sizes (up to 1 gallon capacity or 120mm diameter to date).” Additionally, for growers looking for an extended use option, Blackmore has partnered with Proptek, the global pioneer in long-life tray and container manufacturing, to produce an injection molded line of Air Trays.

The Air Tray line is produced in the United States. Customers can find Air Trays customized specifically for, but not limited to, forestry, fruit and nut trees, nursery, shrub, hemp, and cannabis applications.