Introducing Shogun Zenzym With Dr Callie
Introduce us to Zenzym! What does it do and how does it do it?
Zenzym is a unique blend of enzymes designed to help get the best out of your media time and time again. Enzymes are a unique type of protein which help to speed up reaction that naturally take place. Due to the conditions around the root zone often being cool and damp, reactions can take a long time to complete, enzymes help to speed this up.
Over time, media grabs on to nutrients and just like ourselves, plants produce cells which die. Dead root material can be the perfect breeding ground of pathogenic fungus and bacteria as well as locked up nutrients. Zenzym works on breaking down this material and realising it back into the root zone so that the plant can then utilise it. It kinda works a little be like an exfoliator for your roots, removing the dead cells, making it easier for the plant to uptake those all-important nutrient ions.
Awesome, so how long has it been in development for?
In order to produce a stable product, that we know has a good efficacy and shelf life, I have been working on this formulation for nearly 2 years, with many headaches in between. Being an organic product there is always an increased risk of growth of unwanted microbes. After process design and optimum methodology design we finally cracked it.
Brilliant, so how is it different to other enzyme products on the market
It is made in the UK, it hasn’t travelled hundreds of miles to get here. So the product is fresh! As with all products that are biologically active, the fresher they are they more effective they are. It's also made with a unique blend of enzymes home grown in the UK!
Can you tell us a little bit more about these enzymes and what makes them so good?
Cellulase - Breaks down cellulose, the starchy material in plant matter, by a process known as hydrolysis. Glucose or other sugars are produced as a result.
Xylanase -Breaks down one of the major components in plant cell walls, the polysaccharide xylan into xylose.
Pectinase- Breaks down pectin, a polysaccharide found in plant cell walls.
Beta glucanase - The enzyme aids in autolysis of yeast cells to release polysaccharides and mannoproteins. Allow nutrients to be released back into the media.
Ferulic acid easterase (Hemicellulase) - Releases Ferulic acid from cell walls. Ferulic acid aids with cell wall rigidity, acting as a crosslink between the lignin's and polysaccharides found in lignocellulose of plant cell walls. This works best in the presences of xylanase and other enzymes.
How did you approach to formulation?
There had been a number of requests from customers for an enzyme product being missing from the range and make it complete. So we first looked at what was already on the market and really wanted to understand what the customer wanted from the product.
Amazing, so what’s the best way to use Zenzym and what grow media can you use it with?
When we designed Zenzym, we wanted it to be able to be used in all medias and systems. In living system use at a rate of 2.5ml/L right from the start of the plants life cycle all the way through. Keep the bottle in a cool dark place to increase the longevity of the product. If you are reusing media, use at a rate of 5ml/L, and place the media into a warm area. Enzymes work better in warmer temperature and will speed up the process of breaking down the dead root material.
Thank you for your time Callie! Make sure you check out Shogun Zenzym here.
