Reducing Substrate Use Isn’t All or Nothing — It’s a Spectrum

In Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), substrate choices are often presented as binary: either you're growing 100% substrate-free, or you’re still relying on rockwool, peat, coir, or foam plugs.

But from what we’ve seen at GyroPlant, reality is far more flexible. Especially for small farms, off-grid growers, and experimental systems, the journey away from single-use substrates is not a switch - it’s a spectrum. And that’s exactly where innovation and empowerment thrive.

Zero Substrate Is Powerful — But Not Always Practical

GyroCup was designed to support fully substrate-free growing for CEA conditions. However this does not mean zero substrate is key for all crops, irrigation systems and farm locations , we’re realists. Not every farm has access to perfect humidity control or precision irrigation, especially in decentralised or remote setups. That’s when we see growers getting creative - using micro-additives or natural fibres to get the job done.

A Nail-Sized Fix for a Big Problem

Some of the most effective growers we know use just a sliver of material - no larger than a fingernail with sometimes a drop of stimulants - to support those “difficult” seeds. Things like:

• A confetti size disc of rice paper, coffee filter, or banana fibre

• A drop of konjac jelly, aloe, guar or agar

• A custom-cut pad from hemp mesh, soaked in natural rooting booster

• Bamboo tissue fibres
  

  

  Seeds sprouting on a tiny bit of hemp paper and biostimulant inside the GyroCup to mid growth

The list is endless. These materials are hyper-local, often biodegradable, and easily sourced. But more than that, they enable root-zone precision - with just a few drops or a confetti-sized pieces of material, sometimes with the added benefit of natural biostimulants.

You don’t need to be a plant scientist. We've found a number of small, simple and local ways to boost germination for your seed in the GyroCup.

In traditional substrates, water and nutrients tend to over-saturate or diffuse unpredictably. But in a GyroCup - with minimal or no filler - every drop of solution goes exactly where the plant needs it: the roots. Just clean, controlled delivery.

Why This Matters for Smaller Farms

We hear this a lot:

“We love the idea of substrate-free growing, but we’re not quite ready to go fully zero.”

Our answer: That’s totally fine. In fact, that’s smart.

Whether you’re reducing substrate by 95% or 99%, that’s still drastically :

• Less plastic

• Less landfill

• Fewer import dependencies

• Lower cost per cycle

• Better control over irrigation and fertigation
  

And crucially - you’re making your system work for your context, not someone else’s business model.

By embracing the spectrum, we can support:

• Urban growers testing new novel crops

• Island farms working with local waste streams

• Medicinal producers seeking clean propagation

• Researchers needing contaminant-free systems

• Community farms looking to reduce inputs
  

GyroCup gives you the backbone - strong, reusable, modular. What you layer into it - if anything - is entirely up to you.

Ultra-High-Density Germination — Then Transplant

One of the most exciting advantages of substrate-free (or substrate-minimal) growing? You can start ultra dense - then scale out. We’ve seen growers germinate seeds at incredibly high densities using simple trays lined with paper or gel - creating perfectly tuned environments for humidity, airflow, and early-stage development. Then, once germinated, the strongest starts can be quickly and cleanly transplanted into GyroCups - with no waste, no crumbling plugs, and no disruption to the root zone.

This approach is opening up:

• More efficient use of propagation space

• Targeted germination for harder crops

• Easier transplant workflows

• Higher germination success rates, lower waste
  

It’s a smarter propagation model — and it fits seamlessly with GyroCup’s design logic. Germinate where it works best. Grow where it works best. And keep everything clean, waste free and transplantable.

Supporting Resilient, Decentralised Growing Models

Reducing substrate use also opens the door to more localised, decentralised food production. Reusable systems like GyroCup help growers reduce dependency on imported inputs — a game-changer for island nations, landlocked countries, or farms navigating disrupted supply chains.

Substrate-free or minimal systems mean:

• No bulky pallets of substrate to store or dispose of

• Freedom to trial local materials instead of global inputs

• Easier shipping and lightweight setups for remote regions

• More self-sufficiency for farmers building their own infrastructure
  

In a world increasingly shaped by climate shifts, geopolitical pressures, and rising logistics costs — flexibility isn’t just nice. It’s vital.

Designed for Freedom, Built for Growers

We don’t believe in locking anyone into proprietary plugs or single-use systems. GyroPlant’s approach is different: we build platforms, not products. If you want to use our hydrogel, great, you will eliminate those crates of substrates to just one hand held box. If you’ve got an Aloe Vera plant outside that can be used to germinate and boost 1000's of seeds, even better. We want growers to experiment, customise, and take ownership of how they grow.

We’ve seen everything from tissue labs using cleanroom-compatible inserts, to rural container farms trialling 1ml of aloe gel as an initial rooting medium!

In fact, some of our favourite innovation comes from kids. Seriously. Hand a GyroCup to a 10-year-old, and they’ll invent five ways to use it before lunch. They’re not afraid to fail — and that’s the energy we think farming needs more of.

Reducing substrate use doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being intentional — taking control of your farm’s inputs, sustainability, and system design. Whether you're eliminating substrates entirely or just reducing your dependency by 90%+, we’re here to help you get there in your own way.