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......._. agricultucal ~ organ1cs Australasian Office Agricultural Organics ph +618 8285 7222 www.agriculturalorganics.com North American Office Hydro International ph 818 992 7858 www.hydroint.com NEW-Miami Warehouse Hydro International ph 866 944 9376 Miami, FL NEW-West Canada Warehouse Hydro International ph 604 785 0949 Surrey, BC NEW-Europe Warehouse Hydro International Coming Soon

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Enzymes - what is the difference? "Not all formu las are created equal" 1. 1F ENlYME FORMULAS CONTAIN BACTERIA: THIS MEANS THEY HAVE A LIMITED SHELF LIFE. Because the bacteria are live the formulas are already Mdying:· The result; it may be only be working at 1% efficiency but never at a 100%. Why pay for something that only works partially?

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2. UNKNOWN BACTERIUM: Have you ever seen a crop die and don't know why? What if an enzyme formula contains unknown bacteria - it may be the bad kind? Why pay good money for that? 3. WHY PAY ANY MONEY FOR INCONSISTENT PRODUCT WITH NO STANDARDS? If you see Msludge in the bottle" it is a good indication it's unrefined and possibly hazardous to your crop. 4. LIKE TO USE H1 0 2? Not with formulas containing bacteria - it could render them u inactive:· 5. YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR... The bad taste of a terrible product lingers long after a "sweet price"on poor quality. 6. WHY INTRODUCE UNKNOWN BACTERIA INTO YOUR BALANCED GROWING ENVIRONMENT? Hygrozyme is bact eria free- no surprises in the bottle. Unlimited shelf life. The formula is consistent and 100% effective guaranteed. You get your moneys worth - every penny.

By the way Hygrozyme is compatible for use with H20 1 • all fertilization programs, nutrients and rooting compounds. Nothing beats Hygrozyme quality and results.

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BERWICK SPEEDY• SEEDLINGS & SOPPLIES PiV. LTD • ... ., "'" ,,.f). -Quality Sec
Boris, Just a quick note to let you know we now have several clients using Hygrozyme on a regular basis. Two most memorable examples of success with HIZ include:

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Alter rtCtiVlnw t.s PhD on 1989 Or. Jahn wtn' 10 work 1n h•s family busmen. m•~lflllll. into the boggestsetd

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omported prodJca we fond'" the auptrmtrketstoday In 2004 Or John was the reci~oent of a prest goous A~stra· Uan Otsogn MarK A't'o ard lor h•s development ofa ne.v h~1Jl811cally aealed packegong sy\ttm lor frwl & Vcguteblus Or John ;an be seen on TV as a h eq~onl guest or nu111er· ous local & oanon.. gardening p
1. An experienced hydroponic lettuce grower, who has been growing lettuce for avor 15 years and generally has no problems, found his crops suddenly wilttng and dying from pythlum and other root diseases. After having tried various products including chlorine, peroxide and some 'unnamed products,' this grower was running out of options. I suggested the uso of Hygrozyme. The grower has several tanks Wlth about 4000 litres of recirculating nutrient solution, each tank supporting abOut 15,000 lettuce plants. The customer commented on Hygro.zyme's cleaning ability: "I've never seen a product work so well. and I will happily recommend It for you. If you have any customers who have any doubts about this product, you can ask them to give me a call so I can discuss it grower to grower. It really is a good product!"

2. Another commercial hydroponic lettuce grower experienced some mishap ·· somehow the roots on his recently planted (4 days) lettuce seedlings had 'gone down,' tho roots had all turned brown and things were looking grim. Tt'Ms concerned grower later called me.....and said commenting on Hygrozyme's cteaning ability •• "The Hygrozyme is good stuff. It may be a bit pricey, but when it works It's very cheap!". A very important pomt to note with these success stories Is Hygrozyme, being an organic product, presents itself as a safe and effective means of helping the crop, and can help remove the risk of problems associated with chemical residues where alternative chemical remedies may be considered. Other hydroponic lettuce growers have had great results with maintaining continuity of supply throughout the winter months Boris, we have some scientillc data that we should be able to forward to you In tho next few months.

Plants don't lie:M www.hygrozyme.co Ci!ll your Hygrozyme " Info line Collect:

Dr. John Vella, PHD Agr BSc Agr (Hons) Leppington Speedy Seedllngs & Supplies Pty Ltd PO Box 167, 35 Riley Road Leppington, NSW 2179

QUESTIONS??

604.317.1SS

WWW.HYGROZVME.COM

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Transforms beginners into professionals, and professionals into champions. Explosive fruits and flowers. Hydroponic friendly. The most complete supplement you can buy. Adds more weight increases essential oils, and enhances flavors. Easy to use with any brand of base nutrients. Up to 10 times more concentrated and more efficient than other products on the mar1<et

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Editor Everest Fernandez [email protected]

Chief Tinkerer Gareth Hopcroft [email protected]

Sales & Marketing Manager (North America) Vicky Fox [email protected] Sales & Marketing Manager (Europe) Emma Brute emma@ urbangardenmagazine.com

Production Co-ordinator Tristan Shaw [email protected]

Publisher Massive Publishing Ltd [email protected] NORTH AMERICA ISSUE 011 Contributors Nick Arguimbau, Boris Bell, Steve Berlow, Hugo Bonte, James Corbell, Troy Cromwell, Edouard David, Everest Fernandez. Gareth Hopcroft, Hydroguy, Peter Joseph, Eliab Lozada, Jason McCormack, Bryce Patterson, Kenton Price, Del/in Richman, Chris Sanderson

Contributing Artists Russ Sealey (Cover), Tim Gambrill, Jason Geeves, Steve

Ha, Henni Kuti, Pete Turner, Ross Vickers. [email protected] All editorial Is copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or be stored in any retrieval system In any form without prior wrihen permission of the Publisher. Whilst every eftort is made to e nsure accuracy no responsibility will be accepted lor Inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not neccessarily reflect the opinion ot the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept responsibility tor any unsolicited materials. II is assumed that any images taken fro m sources that are w idely distributed such as the interne~ are In the public domain. However, since such images are passed between sources such as websites, the original source is not always possible to trace. The editorial policy and general layout o f the publicallon Is at the sole discretion of the Publisher and no debate will be entered Into. No responsibility will be accepted for illustrators, artwork or photographs whilst in transmission with the Publisher or their agents unless such commftment is made in writing prior to receipt o f such Items. Urban Garden Magazine Is published by Massive Publishing Ltd. Urban Garden Magazine T +1 (415)5083894 E: lnfoliturbangardenmagazine.com w www urbangardenmagazine.com PO Box 99, Gabriola, BC, VOR 1XO, C8nada

Printed in the USA. A big thank you to our distributors.•.

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quicvtivener How do you get the "real facts" on Gaza? "A person who sits in front of Murdoch's Fox "News" or CNN or who reads the New York Times is simply being brainwashed with propaganda." -Paul Craig Roberts, Information Clearing House On May 31st Israeli warships and helicopters surrounded a Turkish ship, called the Mavi Marmara, in international waters. Moments later Israeli commandos stormed the humanitarian aid vessel and brutally shot at least 16 people dead (a figure that has been revised in subsequent reports, without explanation or comment, to only nine dead). At least 30 more crew members aboard the aid ship were wounded. International law defines this act as "piracy." Israel claims that the crew members on board reacted violently, but nearly all video footage taken on board the Mavi Marmara was confiscated by the Israeli military. Israel then released its own footage of the raid, purportedly showing crew members violently resisting the Israeli soldiers. This footage has since been debunked as fraudulent with citations of key differences between the ship shown on the video and the actual Mavi Marmara. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ufZkZirsKFU So what really happened? Well, if you choose to rely on the mainstream media for your Mcfacts, you may well have received an entirely different happy meal. Perhaps you are more familiar with those "humanitarian workers" as "armed activists possibly linked to al Qaeda" or "vicious anti-Semites professing pacifism, seeing with hate." The Calgary Herald even goes as far as to ask, "Was it a peace convoy or a propaganda stunt gone horribly wrong?" We fail to see how an attempt to deliver food and medical supplies to millions of starving people in Gaza amounts to ''propaganda." (And it's not often Freudian slips are immortalized in print!) Noam Chomsky wrote on June 8th, "Israel's pretext for the attack was that the Freedom Flotilla was bringing materi als that Hamas could use for bunkers to fire rockets into Israel. The pretext isn't credible. Israel can easily end the threat of rockets by peaceful means. The background is important. Hamas was designated a major terrorist threat when it won a free election in January 2006. The U.S. and Israel sharply escalated their punishment of Palestinians, now for the crime of voting the wrong way." The Gaza Freedom Flotilla consists of several multinational, civilian ships supplying humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which has been under tight siege since 2007. These people are not "terrorists." Neither are they linked to mythical terrorist organizations. All the aid ships were inspected before departing and were found to contain humanitarian aid only; mostly medical and reconstruction supplies. Robert Fisk, in his recent column for The Independent, lays out the effectiveness of US/Israeli propaganda: "On that aid ship," a Sri Lankan texted me this week, "I had my niece, nephew and his wife on board. Unfortunately Ahmed (20-year-old nephew) got shot in the leg and now treated (sic) under military custody. I will keep you posted." He did indeed. Within hours, the press was at his family's home in Australia, demanding to know if Ahmed was a jihadi - or even a potential suicide bomber. Propaganda works, you see." These crimes are nothing new for the Israeli military- even though the media will soon choose to forget that they ever took place. For decades, Israel has been hijacking boats in international waters, killing and kidnapping civilians, taking passengers to secret prison/torture chambers, sometimes holding them hostage for years. The UN Human Rights Council has repeatedly condemned Israel for its criminal actions. So you might well ask how Israel assumes it can continue to carry out these crimes with such impunity. Why do the US and Europe continue to provide them with such unrelenting support? Grassroots movements are emerging across the world to fight for truly fair and balanced news media. These movements are united in their rejection of the mainstream media's portrayal of global events. Get your news from more than one source! (Not just Urban Garden Magazine!) Try: www.culturesofresistance.org www.democracynow.org

16

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quicvtivener Lessons from Louisiana On the Gulf Coast of the United States the shock is now setting In for millions of American citizens as we now realize the true extent of the damage caused by our desire for obsolete and dangerous fossil fuels, and our perpetuation of an outdated monetary world society, where the bottom line has always been profit at all costs, be it human or environmental. It is time for a viable solution to deal with a system hardwired for self destruction. It is with that very unfortunate introduction that we, The Zeitgeist Movement, must now enter the international conversation to express the need for true change. Our name is not some jingoistic slogan, but the evident desire of the public for a meaningful transition out of the destructive legacy. We only have one Earth; there is no reset button here. At this point no one is certain how much oil is pouring from the BP well, but some scientists say 60,000 or 70,000 barrels per day. This translates into the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every four days. But comparing the two spills doesn't begin to convey the magnitude of this disaster. For the first time in human history, oil is pouring into the deep currents of the sea, poisoning the water and depriving it of oxygen so that entire classes of marine species are at risk of annihilation. It is as if an underwater neutron bomb has struck the Gulf of Mexico, causing little apparent damage on the surface but destroying the living creatures below. And in addition to the oil, is an estimated 800,000 gallons (3,640,000 liters) of chemical dispersants sprayed on the slick. As of today, there has been no progress in stopping this catastrophe. This did not have to happen. It happened because we continue to use an obsolete technology for the sake of maintaining a profitable establishment. An establishment that perpetuates vast inequality in its wages to its employees versus its core owners, destroys fragile and vital ecosystems, and pollutes our air. It is time for real change, not empty promises. No amount of socialism or free market ideology w ill save us from ourselves, there needs to be a fundamental 're-write' of what we think we know to achieve a sustainable human enterprise. Our generation has stood and watched as our planet has been raped and pillaged, yet we do nothing. Our generation has stood and watched as our government bailed out the very people who created this economic crisis, yet we do nothing. Our generation has stood and watched as our rights have been stripped away from us, and we do nothing. Let us be the first generation to hand solutions to our children and our children's children. But we can't do it alone. Let us break down the barriers we have created amongst ourselves. We need all of you, every last one, to say enough is enough in one voice. Not as Americans or Russians, Christians or Muslims, but as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. Let us destroy the artificial lines between each other and work to create a world where our children are truly safe and free. Let us create a world where we can tell our children that they can be and do whatever their heart desires, and know deep inside we are telling the truth. Let our generation be t he one. We have the tools, we have the knowledge, we have the technology. It is time we make the transition to a future we all deserve regardless of geographic location or economic disposition. As long as we rely on legacy systems defined in a 19th century mentality, we will continue to spin our wheels while a parade of economic and ecologic disasters visits us again and again. It's time to pull the plug on this charade because as you will find out, there is a better way. We, The Zeitgeist Movement representatives, reach out to you so that we can all work together to do what must be done. Every man, woman and child has a voice, but together we can create one voice -a voice so deafening that no one w ill have a choice but to listen. But it requires you. It requires you put away preconceived notions you have been told about "the way things are" as if it's the only way, because it's not! Our way of thinking w ill no longer sustain us. We can either remain in the house of cards we have built and watch it collapse all around us, or we can, through the best our society has to offer, begin to construct a stable, mature, and thriving society so that the Gulf Coast Oil Spill, the Exxon Valdez, and many others are nothing more then an embarrassing footnote in human history. The choice is yours. www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

20

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Our m ain man Hydroguy is back with the next installment of his guide to finding your way around a grow store. This time he's casting his critical eye over bloom boost ers and stimulants. This is going to be interesting reading! As always, Hydroguy is not shy about expressing his opinions ..... and who are we to cramp his style? Take it away Hydroguy••• If ever there is a mountain mf)de of a mole hill in the indoor gardening industry, where the logic of 1+1=3 is reasonable and ten products can be justified from two elements - I think bloom boosters fit the bill. In contrast to field-crop agriculture, horticuttural nutrient companies often recommend combining base nutrients with various bloom boosters in the early, mid, and near-end of the flowering cycle. To the inquiring hobbyist grower, redundancy can seem like an understatement since similar minerals are present

24

in various boosters; and, In contrast, the science they're founded on might seem as hypothetical as opinion when the grower seeks clarification on the reasoning behind their differences. In the end, to some, it seems surety is abandoned for a faithbased trust in nutrient companies to provide us with bigger, better, and more profitable yields. Are bloom boosters based on science or snake oil? Let's take a look at a few products that hopefully serve to represent the numerous boosters available.

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TURN THE ltNOB TO!OW

*

So the first thing you noticed is the mass majority of "boosters" have little or no nitrogen. Boosters are traditionally phosphorus and potassium at various ratios, and often a bit of other stuff like magnesium or sulfur. This is not the recent brain child of growers in Mendocino or B.C. but an older wisdom passed down from the agricultural field crop researchers from the 17th through to the 20th century. Early testing showed that soils with too little NPK, or lacking the conditions for availability of the elements, responded well to ferti lization -and furthermOle that

•

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too mucf:l11itrogen when the plant's

Blaster. With an NPK of 0-39-25 this CON!IOERATION WOULD Grotek booster is used in weeks 8£ MADE TO EMNRE YOUR 1 and 3 with the allusion that an C~ E~RLV BLOOM immediate alteration of the nutrient ratios will "contribute to proper B()OgT£R 19 APPROPRIATF plant maturation." Blossom Blaster's FOR VOUk CROP DEMA~• mainstay salt is monopotassium phosphate [MKP) and retails for around ANO. IF REQUIRED. THAT $240.00 for SOOg. ME£7! CRITtRIA FOR HUMAN Advanced Nutrients then marketed CONWMPTION. a similar "first week of bloom" booster called Bud Blood {bless their ,._ shamelessness, all of them) with the same NPK as Grotek's. Bud Blood is derived from a few different source ingredients than competitive products Years ago if a person ventured into and retails in the zone of $273.50 per using a bloom booster it would have 500g. likely been an 0-50-30; whereas, Alltek brand's Flower Blood in recent times, that tendency has reinvents the 0-39-25 with the inclusion Historically, farmers would use sunevolved Into the confusing lowerof Phl~xine, a phytotoxic red dye dials and count the hours of the day. NPK boosters and stiroolants often alleged to stimulate leaf senescence, Once the days became 14 hours or packed with bio-active ingredients. and Allantoin, a plant growth regulator less the farmers would apply a hetty The "old school" realm of 0-50-30 [PGR) present in plants during dose of phosphate and potassium, includes Grotek's Monster Bloom flowering and considered to induce or irrigating it by using bamboo shoots {0-50-30), FHD's Ton 0 Bud (0-49quicken the metabolic shift to bloom. as tubing and a water wheel to pump 42), Rambridge's Monster Blood Other boosters used early in the bloom the nutrient solution. They would mark {0-50-30), and Ad'!finced Nutrients' cycle include: Top Load, Dr. Node's, their calendars "week 1" and this Bloom Booster Pro. There is not only a Phosphoload, Megabud, et al. These would begin their "bloom chart" for the commonality between these products' products are sometimes used for season. For real? No. stated mineral profiles, but also their • controlling vertical growth or reducing Looking into the "first week of labelling - the Rambridge, "Grotek, the space between nodes in blooming bloom" booster phenomenon, and and Advanced Nutrients products all plants - which can be ideal for indoor where it originated - and particularly feature a reddish composite flower; gardening in restricted spaces. some data to support the notion Ton 0 Bud being unique in that 11egard. has left me stumped. From what 1 Prices are around $65 for 500g of the can surmise, the appearance of early 0-50-30. bloom boosters originates many years General Hydroponics' Liquid ago with Rambridge's Blossom Blood Koolbloom (0-1 0-10), Canna's PK ' which is to be used once the first 13/14, and competing Hammerhead flower or fruit is initiated. The premise PK 9/18 by Advanced Nutrients is that a slightly-acidic nutrient solution continue along the mineral path, each promotes flower deyelopment, and the product holds the solution at a stable optimal pH. The label states it is a "selective pH control water treatment" and peripherally notes Monobasic Phosphate as an ingredient. This may entail a phosphate buffer as a mixture of K2HP04 and KH2P04 or maybe Na2HP04 with citric acid - we can only guess. At just over $220 for 300g it's certainly not an inexpensive "buffer." Grotek, who produced the next generation of early bloom boosters, have included a fairly sizable PK into their flatteringly named Blossom

metaboltsm is shifting to reproduction delays the transition as the nitrogen induces vegetative growttl. A trial published in 1951 further concluded that, though the reprod~ctive stage requires a higher ratio of PK to N, without the nitrogen, yields dropped over 50%. Because high-PK boosters are recommended for use in conjunction with regular nutrition, the general absence of nitrogen in the boosters serves to tip the scales while continuing to proviQe regular "base" nutrients.

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presum~~ly delivering the perfect

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ratio of·p and K to compliment the manufacturers' respective base nutrient schedule. In the-zone of $30 a liter, these boosters are likely WYSIWYG - a safe bet to boost your plants without including hormones or other undeclared compounds which may or may not be proven safe and effective. Among the bio-stimulant bloom boosters is Massive, which claims "over 80 different organic compounds" and labels Gibberellins [GB] and Triacontanol [TRIA]. Oddly enough, Massive also hosts a higher N percentage than P! GB are a much discussed plant hormone without a lot of data relative • to its use with short-day annual plants, and though claims are made within hobbyist circles they are ambiguous. Numerous amateur trials have been conducted on GB to reproduce the dramatic cell elongation that caused it to be discovered initially in rice patties presuming it would deliver larger blooms, yet the tests are not entirely conclusive. TRIA is a plant hormone found in alfalfa (cuticula of various plants) and beeswax. When tested in nanomolar concentrations, TRIA has shown to increase cell density, total chlorophyll, and drastically increase photosynthetic C02 assimilation. Numerous articles on various plant species are available in scientific journals citing the benefits of

TRIA, and rest assured that Massive is not the only product which contains it; however, debate still exists as to the plant-availability of TRIA without adequate solvency. Listed as a "beneficial" but commonly considered a booster is Advanced Nutrients• Big Bud (0-10-40 and 0-1-4 hydrated) which includes a hearty dose of magnesium as well as an assortment of L-amino acids. L-amina acids have been found to affect numerous plant processes from root development, protein synthesis, enhancing photosynthesis - as well as providing nutrients and improving the microbial conditions of the soil. During times of stress, plants do not synthesize all L-amina acids, so Big Bud may make a suitable transplant nutrie.nt in the right dilution.

*

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is also garnished with a dash of B1 . Super phosphate is not donned on a lot of labels making Bud Blaster a fairly unique and potent high-phosphate option at around $95 for 50'0g. A more recent addition to the late booster family is Overdrive 11-5-4) by Advanced! NJ,Jtrients, which hosts a mineral profile quite similar to their 3-Part Bloom. "Overdrive" retails for around $39 per liter. We can see a trend in high-PK boosters, leaning clearly towards the phosphates, but not all plant scientists agree that phosphorus i~ ltle key in final stages. Dr. K by Alltek is a hefty dose of potassium in its chloride form, and is claimed tp be 'designed to harden flowers at the ripening stage. ' 'Muriate of Potash,' as it is also known, a well utilized agricultural staple worldwide; and'contrary to common presumptions, the chloride is not reactive like chlorine and has not proven harmful to microbiology or roots. That said, in limited drainage situations, chloride can accumulate and become toxi~. so it is not often inciL,J ded in liquid nutrient formulas. Finishing the late boosters is Green Planet's "Finisher" which is the antithesis to the high-PK paradigm -as it contains none. Finisher's ingredient includes 'organic enzyme activators, vitamins, essential Imino acids' - aka The Other Stuff, including another dose of TRIA to spice things up. If the lack of PK bewilders you, I would get used to it. The bio-chem soup of barely pronounceable plant extracts and patented molecules is the way of tomorrow. If you understand and love your mineral salts, they will probably never disappear from the store shelves - but make way for the new generation of bloom boosters and

iS

The repository of old feed charts speaks volumes about how much variability there is to late boosters. The base nutrients in each recipe are not identical, and though one may assume for simplicity that each recipe will, in the end, target a similar nutrient ratio, that is not necessarily the case. Without clear evidence of what might be "the best," the consumer is often left to chose a recipe based on gut instinct and advice from other growers. Keepin' it simple with the mineral salts is the time-tested Kool Bloom powder by General Hydroponics that appears fairly often in various recipes. Kool Bloom (previously Kabloom!), rockin' the 2-45-28, comes in 2.21b packs for only $45. Bustin ' stimulants that boggle the mind! out the Super Phosphate is Supernatural Brand's Bud Blaster (1-~-...... 31) used in cohjunction with Super Boost (1049-1O) which

26 worldmags & avaxhome

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OBSERVATION

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Every issue we track down an experienced indoor gardener and a sk them a question. If it's the right question, it gets them talking, and we listen. If what they say makes a modicum of sense, you end up reading it . So here we are! Being talkative this time is Chris Sanderson from Chico, California. Chris has an 8- light sealed room, cooled with regular AC and supplemented with C02. He's only been growing for five years but he's already known as 'the doc' to his friends. But how will he stand up to a grilling from the UGM team? UGM: Chris, when you open tile door to YOIU' Indoor garden, what do you do? ~

Chris: {chuckles} That's a

deceptively simple sounding question! I guess I can sum it up like this: I keep my eyes open! I'm a plant lover first and foremost. So it shouldn't take a genius to figure

out that my plants are the first thing I look at! I check over the entire room and look for any obvious irregularities I inconsistencies. Are some plants looking limp, or are some doing better than others? The best growers are always super observant, some would say a little 'anal.' The best growers are definitely attentive and good at problem solving.

UGM: What kind of problems? ~

Chris: Oh we'll get to that. I just

don't want anybody out there to think they won't encounter problems as an indoor gardener, or that problems are a bad thing. They are just inevitable. With experience your problems don't necessarily decrease either. You just get better at spotting them!

UGM: 'Ignorance is bliss' sorta tiling? Chris: For sure. Look, I don't mean to brag but ... I know what I'm doing. Lots of growers

28

think they know what they are doing too. But it's only when you see a room that's really cranking, with beautifully uniform canopies and replete with fruits and flowers in every square foot, then you realize you still have a lot to learn. It's great to visit other indoor gardens- I know, I know, it's a bit like comparing the size of your schlong at the urinal. Only in this scenario you're not necessarily stuck with a weaner all your life! It's not that you need to go out and buy the most expensive gear either. A good grower is simply adept at spotting problems and knowing how to deal with them. Bad growers don't even know they have problems! This is a really important point to grasp. Bad growers, more often than not, don't know they are bad growers.

UGM: Okay how about you, give us an example of a problem you've spotted and solved? ~

Chris: I could give you hundreds.

UGM: Just one will do ... Chris: Don't rush me for sound bites dude. There's far more to being a good grower than simply knowing a whole list of values, whether it's for pH, solution strength, temperature, humidity, and C02, although knowing this is invaluable and the basis of your understanding,

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but every room is different - and referring to guide books (or dare I say it, magazines) as if they were religious texts will turn you into a Philistine.

UGM: Philistine?

Chris: I call them "repeater growers." Growers that think that just because they've scanned the forums, read a bunch of books, digested some feed charts, and bought a shed load of bottles, that suddenly they're God's gift to botany. They do the same sh*t over and over, like a robot. Week 1: This and that. Week 2: A bit more of this, less of that. Week 3 .... well you get the picture. Don't get me wrong. A good grower has a solid base knowledge of how plants work and what they want at different stages, that's for sure. But that's just the beginning. It's far more important to develop your skills of observation; tap into your inner perfectionist, and really look after your plants. They're your babies after all! Don't neglect them. It really does make a difference! Don't put off until tomorrow what you can sort out today. Don't fall into the 'Oh they still look fine" syndrome. It's easy to fool yourself and become complacent.

UGM: Examples .... please.

Chris: Alright, alright! An experienced grower will open the door to their room and

I

f instantly feel if the environment is at least close to perfect. You know, I think my skin is the best environmental monitor on the market. Make sure you use yours! Your skin will instantly communicate a world of environmental information to you. Here's a good rule of thumb: If working in your indoor garden gets you all hot, sweaty, and bothered, your plants are probably not doing too much better either. If you're taking your t-shirt off, it's too damn hot in there. Period. Every visit to your garden should involve checking your Min/Max thermometer and hygrometer. Check what your nighttime temperatures are dropping to when your lights are off. Check that your humidity isn't going through the roof when your lights are out too. I use digital and analog hygrometer and compare readings. I know from experience that some digital humidity meters can be out by as much a 10%. Next, I check the C02 controller to make sure the room is at the correct parts per million. Next, I scan the room to see if any equipment has failed, if there are any leaks or puddles of water

on the floor, fans not working, bulbs that are off, ducting that may have come lose. I check my res (which I keep outside of the room to keep nice and cool) and check the amount of solution left. I take a reading of the pH, EC, and temperature of the nutrient solution. I write it all down too! I keep track of my readings on a white board calendar hung above my res. I check how much propane my C02 burner has. I verify that the pumps that power my irrigation are all coming on when they should. When they do, I check to see how much run-off nutrient solution is generated. I collect some in a jug and measure the pH, EC, and temperature of the run off - noting this on my white board. All this stuff should be second nature. You should be doing all of this at the very minimum, every time you are with your plants. Yes, it's repetitive and it's easy to just be yeah-yeah about it but like I told you, good growers are anal creatures!

UGM: So you've checked your meters, noted down your readings, then what...

Chris: I go back into the room and really get in among my plants. I take a real close look at them, looking for any changes since my last visit. The more often you look- I mean really look at your plants - the more you see. Check for any imperfections and signs of under or over fertilization. Check for any plants growing too close to lamps! Never let the tops of your plants become heat stressed! It will hit your yields hard. If possible, rearrange your plants so that there is always a slightly concave shaped canopy beneath each lamp. Always keep an eye out for mildew too -a fine white powdery substance on your leaves. Pull plants aside and look deeper into the canopy, turning leaves and checking closely for any signs of bugs. Keep your plants tidy. Your hands should constantly be picking off any dead leaves and gathering them in a bag to be removed from the room. If you naturally go through these checks when you enter your indoor garden then chances are that you are well on your way to becoming a better grower. Either your heart's in it, or it's not. By naturally checking these things every day or at least every time you have a chance to go into your garden, you quickly become more in tune with your room and plants, noticing subtle changes for the better or worse. I like to think of this process as the marriage of observation and monitoring. They are kind of symbiotic when you think about it. And it's the only way you are going to improve. Note any changes in your garden's environment. Keep track of any alterations you make to your nutrient recipe or watering schedule. Then it becomes f ar easier to match symptoms with causes and you'll recognize problems much earlier.

UGM: So, let's say you noticed some plants are looking unhappy and ... Chris: If I start to see imperfections, I try and decide what caused them. I think back to what I did last - what's changed? This is such an important question to ask yourself whenever you spot a problem. What's changed? Chances are it is something I did in the last day

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or maybe week. Or the plant may have moved into a new phase of growth and require a slightly different nutrient ratio or strength. By noting down when I see these kinds of nutrient related issues and correcting them, or at least trying to, and then watching the outcome of my actions, I can learn for my next crop. Trying to solve each problem as it arises and only changing a few factors at a time will allow you to methodically determine what factor is causing the problem and soon enough you will be able to recognize a problem as soon as it begins and be able to fix it before it has done any or much permanent damage.

UGM: Sounds like you are always tweaking something Chris! ~

Chris: I have to admit that

I'm obsessed with growing. Completely and utterly obsessed! I'm always thinking about my plants, so there is always something to tweak. Chances are, your indoor garden will need dialing in over a crop or three, evolving into a room

I~ I

that performs efficiently in the space provided, with the chosen system and for the plant grown. Don't just focus your inspections to one area of the room - perhaps the part that's easiest to access. You can't have enough Min/ Max thermometers in your room. They will indicate if there are any 'microclimates' going on and may help you to understand why some areas are performing better or worse than others. You should constantly be thinking about how you can improve things.

UGM: Like ... how? ~

Chris: Well, maybe you could

raise up the plants around the edge of the room to utilize side lighting? Maybe the watering system could be improved by having a larger diameter manifold that splits off and reduces to each table resulting in a more even distribution of water to each plant? Could it be that your reservoir needs more movement, i.e. an airstone, or could it be larger to help keep it cool and stay oxygenated, warding off the dreaded pythium.

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UGM: So yau sPOt probl.... and fix them. Is this how yau became known as the 'doc'? ~

awls: Yeah, it's just a nickname

that has stuck. It started when one of my buddies saw the success I was enjoying whereas he was getting by with just above average results. He invited me over for some advice. It took him a while to swallow his pride and ask, I might add! Anyway, as soon as I walked into his garden I could tell the environment was pretty good - damn near perfect actually. A quick look at his meters and sure enough it was. As I looked around I could see that his lights were very slightly too close and the plants right under them were showing signs of being a little nitrogen deficient, meanwhile those plants that were further away from the lights were not. A closer inspection revealed that the plants right under the lights were clearly heat stressed. Simply by placing my hand level with the tops of the

plants and feeling the instant radiant heat from the lamps was enough. I also noticed that some plants In one corner were far less developed than the rest. Now. as I said, his lights were only slightly too close yet his plants were clearly quite unhappy about being right under the lights. The temperature of the room was perfect so what was causing this? Then I noticed that he only had two oscillating fans and neither blowing across the top of the canopy removing the heat from between the bulb and canopy. That's so important! You've gotta move the air between the top of the plants and the lamps. Next I slid my way through to the back of the room where his worst plants were and soon felt cold air. Sure enough there was the end of a piece of dueling pointing down at the plants blowing in cold winter air. I told him the plants were simply getting chilled by the air and he should run the dueling around the edge of the room high up and the pierce some holes in it to distribute the cold air evenly across the room.

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This example shows that something that started out as heat stress can be fixed in more than one way: raising the lights far more than was needed or only raising them slightly but also adding some oscillating fans blowing across the canopy, allowing for the lights to be slightly closer without causing a problem. And also something as simple as distributing your cold intake air more evenly and not d irecting it at your plants can boost your yields well into the doing great category.

UGM: What about that nitrogen deficiency In certain plants? ~

Chris: Oh that's because the

plants directly under the grow lights were receiving more light, growing faster, and therefore had a greater need for nutrients. Deficiencies commonly show up first in plants that are situated directly under grow lights. I think I even read that in UGM a while ago!

UGM: Well of course! Do you have any other tips tor our readers? ~

Chris: How long have you got? The big point I'd like to make is that environment is everything. Temperature and humidity should be kept constantly in check. If your garden temperatures are too high and there's nothing else you can do to address it, turn off some lights! I know it seems a bit harsh, but it's better to simulate a 'cloudy day' than a scorching desert. Plants don't die on cloudy days. Don't make the mistake of letting your nighttime temperatures get too low. Your plants won't appreciate it, and the extra humidity caused by a large drop in temperature is a sure way to establish a nasty attack of mildew. I know I'm repeating myself but it's a fact worth emphasizing! Keep an eye on those nighttime temperatures folks! Use a thermostatically controlled heater t o keep nighttime temperatures in the low 70s. And consider running a dehumdifier at night, especially if you are growing fruits and flowers that are prone to molds. Oh, there's one more thing that really bugs me - if I may get it off my chest... UGM: Consider us your therapist, Chris ... ~

Chris: Thanks. If you run into problems, don't

instantly blame your friggin' nutrients! I know it's easier on the ego to blame a bottle, but cummon, do you really think that a nutrient company neglected their homework on what your plants need? 99 times out of 100, you're the problem! Your plant problems are merely a response to environmental problems. So constant measuring and monitoring is an absolute must. If you don't know your facts and figures, what basis do you have to solve any problem in your indoor garden. Get scientific - even if you don't consider yourself a "scientist." Finally, if you're a beginner- a word of golden advice: start small! See how you get on with just one or two low wattage grow lights- I'm talking 250 or 400 watts. I link it to your first car. Did your dad give you a Pagani Zonda to pootle around in? No sir. You probably wouldn't still be alive if he had. The same goes with grow lights and, for that matter, systems. Don't shoot for the latest aeroponic or DWC system unless you feel confident enough to handle it. Try your luck with some soil or soil-less mix in large pots or beds first. These are much more forgiving! Walk before you run.

UGM: Thanks Chris. ~

Chris: Oh you're welcome Urban Garden dudes! One love and all that ;-)

Want to talk to us about your grow? Email us at [email protected]

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1-

a: HUMIDITY AND UAPOR PRESSURE DEFICIT ~ "Think like a plant." Have you ever been given this oddsounding advice? Even when we are encouraged to try and understand how plants work, our inherent tendency to personify the natural world is inescapable. Growers often like to draw parallels between humans and plants, after all, there's no doubt that plants are marvelous, highly specialized and welladapted organisms. You might even go as far to say they are "intelligent. " But let's be honest here. Plants are totally different from us, especially in the way they react and respond to their environment. However, if we can get our heads around the world from a plant's perspective, we become what is commonly referred to as "green-thumbed." We become ... better growers.

Have you ever wondered how plants "feel" humidity? An understanding of what humidity is1 what it means t o plants, and how you can manage it in your indoor garden will help you and your plants stay happy all year round. The humidity of the air Is basically the amount of water in the air Water can only truly stay in the air when it is the invisible gas -water vapor. Small droplets of water in air, such as fog or mist, are not water vapor; they are simply larger particles of water temporarily suspended in the air that are ready to be turned into water vapor by evaporation. Temperature plays an important role when it comes to humidity. The warmer the air, the more water vapor it can hold. This means the maximum amount of water that air can hold is directly related to the temperature of the air. As the amount of water air can hold constantly changes with temperature it is difficult to pin an absolute or fixed amount of water that can be held by air. So what's the best way to quantify humidity if the goal posts are changing all the time? The answer is something called Relative Humidity (RH) - this is a measure in terms of percentage, of the water vapor in the air compared to the total amount of water vapor that the air could potentially hold at a given t emperature.

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WHY IS RH SO IMPORTANT? As growers we measure the RH of our gardens using digital or analogue hygrometers. These readings are very important because RH has a direct effect on the plant's ability to transpire and therefore grow. Generally, plants do not like to lose lots of water through transpiration. Plants have some degree of control of their rate of transpiration through management of their stomata but the general rule is the drier the air, the more plants will transpire. Now let's move on to the idea of "pressure" -this is an important concept to grasp when it comes to understanding a plant's response to humidity. All gasses in the air exert a pressure. The more water

vapor in the air the greater the vapor

INCREASING HUMIDITY IN THE GREENHOUSE. pressure. This means that in high RH cooditlons there is a greatel' vapor pressure being exerted on plants than in low RH conditions. High vapor pressure can be thought of as a force in the air pushing on the plants from all directions. This pressure is exerted onto the leaves by the high concentration of water vapor in the air making it harder for the plant to 'push back' by losing water into the air by transpiration. This is why with high RH plants transpire less. Conversely, in environments with low RH, only a

small amount of pressure is exerted on the plant's leaves, making it easy for them to lose water into the air.

VPD can be defined as the difference (or deficit) between the pressure exerted by water vapor that could be held in saturated air (1 00% RH) and the pressure exerted by the water vapor that is actually held in the air being m easured. The VPD is currently regarded as how plants really 'feel' and react to the humidity in the growing environment. From a plant's perspective the VPD is the difference between the vapor pressure inside the leaf compared to the vapor pressure of the air. If we look at it with an RH hat on; the water in the

leaf and the water and air mixture leaving the stomata is (more often than not) completely saturated -100% RH If the air outside the leaf is less than 100% RH there is potential for water vapor to enter the air because gasses and liquids like to move from areas of high concentration (in this example the leaf) into areas of lower concentration (the air). So, in terms of growing plants, the VPD can be thought of as the shortage of vapor pressure in the air compared to within the leaf itself. Another way of thinking about VPD is the atmospheric demand for water or the 'drying power' of the air. VPD is usually measured in pressure units, most commonly millibars or kilopascals, and is essentially a combination of temperature and relative humidity in a single value. VPD values run in the opposite way to RH vales, so when RH is high VPD is low. The higher the VPD value, the greater the potential the air has for sucking moisture out of the plant.

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As mentioned above, VPD provides a more accurate picture of how plants feel their environment in relation to temperature and humidity which gives us growers a better platform for environmental control. The only problem with VPD is it's difficult to determine accurately because you need to know the leaf temperature. This is quite a complex issue as leaf temperature can vary from leaf to leaf depending on many factors such as if a leaf is in direct light, partial shade or full shade. The most practical approach that most environmental control companies use to assess VPD is to take measurements of air temperature within the crop canopy. For humidity control purposes it's not necessary to measure the actual leaf VPD to within strict guidelines, what we want is to gain insight into is how the current temperature and humidity

surrounding the crop is affecting the plants. A well positioned sensor measuring the air temperature and humidity close to, or just below, the crop canopy is adequate for providing a good Indication of actual leaf conditions.

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Table 1 shows the VPD in millibars at various air temperatures and relative humidity. Most cultivated plants grow well at VPOs between 8 and 10, so this is the green shaded area. Please note that the ideal VPD range varies for different types of plants and the stage of growth. The blue shaded are on the right indicates humidification is needed where the pink shaded area on the left indicates dehumidification is needed.

MANAGING HUMIDITY Managing the humidity in your indoor garden is essential to keep plants happy and transpiring at a healthy rate. Transpiration is very important for healthy plant growth because the evaporation of water vapor from the leaf into the air actively cools the leaf tissue. The temperature of a healthy transpiring leaf can be up to 2-6°C lower than a nontranspiring leaf, this may seem like a big temperature difference but to put it into perspective around 90% of a healthy plant's water uptake is transpired while only around 10% is used for growth. This shows just how important it is to try and control your

plants' environment to encourage healthy transpiration and therefore healthy growth. So what should you aim t o keep your humidity at? Many growers say a RH of 70% is good for vegetative growth and 50% is good for generative (fruiting /flowering) growth. This advice can be followed with some degree of success but it's not the whole story as it fails to take into account the air temperature. By looking at this example we can see that at 70% RH the temperature should be between 72- 79°F (22260C) to maintain healthy VPDs. If your growing environment runs on the warm side during summer, like many indoor growers, a RH of 75% should

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be maintained for temperatures between 79-84°F (26-29°C.) The problem with running a high relative humid ity when growing indoors it that fungal diseases can become an issue and carbon filters become less effective. It is commonly stated that above 60% RH the absorption efficiency drops and above 85% most carbon fi lters will stop working altogether. For this reason it is good practice to run your RH between 60-70% w ith the upper temperature limit depending on your crop's ideal VPD range, in the example it would be 64-79°F (18260C.) The table also shows that if your temperature is above 72°F (22°C),

50% RH becomes critically low and should generally be avoided to minimize plant stress. Please understand that by presenting this information we do not want you to go to your indoor gardens and run your growing environment to within strict VPD values. What's important to take from this is that VPD can help you provide a better indication of how much moisture the air wants to pul from your plants than RH can. If you want to work out for yourself the VPD of your plants' leaves you can follow the steps below: 1. Measure the leaf temperature and look up the vapor pressure at 100% RH on table 2 below. 2. Measure the air temperature and relative humidity and look up the nearest vapor pressure figure on table 2. 3. Subtract the air vapor pressure from the leaf vapor pressure.

Example: LEAF TEMPERATURE AIR TEMPERATURE

= 24•c

(188% RH)

=2S•C OJ SO% RH

LEAF UP. 29.8 AIR UP· 19.0

uro

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= 10 e

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Plants cope with changing humidity by adjusting the stomata on the leaves. Stomata open wider as VPD decreases (high RH) and they begin to close as VPD increases (low RH). Stomata begin to close in response to low RH to prevent excessive water loss and eventual wilting but this closure also affects the rate of photosynthesis because C02 is absorbed through the stomata openings. Consistently low RH will often cause very slow growth or even stunting. Humidity therefore indirectly affects the rate of photosynthesis so at higher humidity levels the stomata are open allowing C02 to be absorbed. When humid ity gets too low plants will really struggle to grow. In response to high VPD plants will try to stop the excessive water loss from their leaves by trying to avoid light hitting the surface of the leaf. They do

this by rolling the leaf inwards from the margins to form tube like structures in an attempt t o expose less of the leaf surface to the light, as shown in the photo. For most plants, growth tends to be improved at high RH but excessive humidity can also encourage some unfavorable growth attributes. Low VPD causes low transpiration which limits the transport of minerals, particularly calcium as it moves in the transpiration stream of the plant- the xylem. If VPD is very low (95-1 00% RH) and the plants are unable to transpire any water into the air, pressure within the plant starts to build up. When this is coupled with a wet root zone, which creates high root pressure, it combines to create excessive pressure within the plant which can lead to water being forced out of leaves at their edges in a process called guttation. Some plants have modified stomata at their leaf edges called hydathodes which are

lE~F ROLL ON TH HUMIDITY STAESS~~:~~~l- lOCAliZED UGHTS BEING TOO CLOSE~ BY THE speclally adapted to allow guttation to occur. Guttation can he spotted when the edges of leaves have small water droplets on, most evident in early morning or just after the lights have come on. If you see leaves that appear burnt at the edges or have white crystalline c ircular deposits at the edges it could be evidence that guttation has occurred.

....,_

__,.

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'

•

GUTTATION O CAUSEO BY 1-f~G~O~ATO PLANTS COCO COXA. H AND WET

Most growers are well aware that with high humidity comes and increased risk of fungal diseases. water droplets can form on leaves when water vapor condenses out of the air as temperature drops, providing the perfect breeding ground for diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew. If humidity remains high it further promotes the growth of fungal diseases. The water droplet exuded through guttation also creates the perfect environment for fungal spores to germinate inviting disease to take hold.

LOW UPO I HIGH RH

HIGH UPO I LOW RH

MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

WILTING

GUTTATION

LEAF ROLL

DISEASE

STUNTED PLANTS

SOFT GROWTH

~

LEATHERY /CRISPY LEAUES

So hopefully now you are not just 'thinking like a plant' you're 'feeling it' too!

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Next time, part two of Plantworks will be looking at foliar spraying and how plants absorb nutrients into their leaves.

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Temperature - try to keep the propagator temperature above 64 oF (1 8°C,) but don't let it exceed 75°F (24C 0 ) .

Humidity - keep the vents on your propagator closed to keep the humidity above 90%. Once the cuttings have produced roots open the vents to lower humidity and encourage transpiration.

2

Water -over saturated growing media has to be the number one cause of cutting fai lure. After pre-soaking your propagation plugs you should rarely have to re-water them before roots appear if conditions are right.

44

Nutrients - use a cutting specific nutrient to help with fast rooting and optimum nutrition. Don't overdo it as a high EC can inhibit root initiation. Remember to adjust pH according to your chosen rootin g media.

Lightcuttings don't need intense light to root. Using florescent TS lamps above propagator is highly recommended.

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Cycle - where possible try to match the cuttings' light cycle to the same as the donor plants. This will minimize shock and help to ensure quick establishment.

Patience - most soft wood cuttings usually take around 10-1 4 days to root in a regular propagator.

Donor plant - your cuttings will only be as healthy as the plant you took it from. Obviously, you should avoid takings cuttings from a diseased,

sb•ssed, flow-,

or overfed plant.

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~ c;;-OOT£04 Cl..OMt MG G U .

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Plant hole - don't allow the cutting to flop around loosely in the plug's planting hole. Ensure the cutting is firmly inserted and stable. Make your own off-centre planting hole if the existing one is too big.

J.S

Size- Don't take big cuttings with large stems, go for smaller cuttings around 2-4" and trim off unnecessary leaf material. Propagator tray never let your cutt ings stand in a tray with water in t he bottom. Using a bed or perlite can help create a reservoir of moisture without the risk or oversaturating your propagation cubes.

Heated propagators bottom heat can help encourage good root formation but keep an eye on your thermometer as heated propagators without a thermostat can raise temperatures too high. Using a timer or thermostat can help in this situation.

lo

Destiny - Avoid taking cuttings in rockwool if your plants are destined for soil. Wherever possible match the cuttings growing media with its final use as this will minimize transplant shock.

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Rockwool - Don't overlysqueeze rockwool plugs or blocks! A better way to expel excess water is to give them a vigorous flick or shake.

Air Pruning - if you plan to transplant into larger rockwool blocks try putting the blocks on a wire mesh or rack to allow air to pass underneath. Once the primary root tips grow through the block they will be exposed to drier air under the block, stop growing and die back. This stimulates an abundance of secondary roots to branch out throughout the block until they get air pruned and then stimulate more root growth. The overall effect of this growth and pruning cycle will create a plant with a well developed root system throughout the entire block. Air pruning can also be done using various types of potting media using Air-Pots or fabric Smart Pots.

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Hardening off- once your cuttings have produced roots, slowly adjust them to their new growing environment by gradually opening the vents and building up to leaving the propagator lid ajar to finally removing it.

Rooting hormone - Use a good quality rooting compound but remember to check its use by date as they don't tend to have a long shelf life. Don't use too much, just dip the tip or follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

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Beneficials - Use beneficial bacteria and fungi in your pre-soak solution at a high dose. Root zone colonization at an early stage will ensure healthy, disease resistant roots t hat grow fast and support a vigorous plant.

Additives- some root stimulators that contain seaweed extract should not be used until roots have emerged. Always check that what you're adding to your pre-soak solution is suitable for cuttings.

Breaking in - once you have created healthy cuttings in your propagation area, break them into your indoor garden gently. When using high wattage HID lights, keep them raised up high lnltlaJiy. If you''" using multiple lights you may not need them all on. Try to keep the humidity high and temperatures moderate to give your new plants the best start possible!

20

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i

Devin Richman Kenton Price Jackson McCormack Troy Cromwell

I

To create the most efficient grow se.t up possible with a limited budget combining the benefits of a climate:... controlled greeohouse with the most ~ efficient and cutti!JQ:.edge...hydroponic growing methods available for ---'l!QD.S.ter tomatQ...plaotsl..

=:

--

G'(OSS

This system irrigates each plant in three different ways, yet it's blissfully simple. It's essentially a modular recirculating system which incorporates: shallow water culture (SWC) aeroponics misters and aeroponic loggers. Each plant gets the VIP treatment, basking in a 20 gallon Rubbermaid container! Wow! There are 70 plant containers in total. They are all joined together via 3A" tubing. Nutrient solution is pumped from an underground 55 gallon reservoir with a 1546 gallon per hour pump to the middle of each

Se.ctiOt\ o.f Stste~

_!.----..;..;.---worldmags & avaxhome

container. Within each container there's a large 3,4" flexible PVC irrigation ring with 3 x 180° misting nozzles ready to rumble. When the misters are on, the container gets filled with small droplets of nutrient solution, the droplets that don't get absorbed by the roots fall to fill the bottom of the containers. As the container fills past 2.5 gallons, the solution reaches an overflow tube, from here it returns through W PVC pipe back to the main reservoir. After running a few tests Devin adjusted the return pipe to the reservoir to make it a more direct return. The loggers are set to spray for almost 7 minutes on and off for 4 minutes. This timing is deliberately adjusted so that sometimes there is only fog, sometimes fog and sprinklers, and sometimes sprinklers half the time and fog half the time. The timers are set so that different watering techniques are activated at different times in different combinations. The logic is the plant won't get too used to anything and it also allows the root zone to dry a little, encouraging the root hairs to go in search for food. This makes the roots very tenacious, white, and strong. As soon as the solution returns back to the 55 gallon from the overflow the system kicks back on. The return takes almost 4 minutes. When spraying the roots, the solution comes from the 55 gal reservoir, and it takes just 7 minutes to empty the 55 gal. This is the maximum watering duration that Devin feels he can achieve without getting a bigger reservoir.

In the bottom of each container is a 4" air stone, these are connected to 4 x 750psi air compressors to infuse the 2.5 gallons of nutrient solution with oxygen rich bubbles. Sounds just like an interesting re-circulating system right? Well here is the secret to this high yielding system ... Each container has an aeroponic logger floating just under the surface of the nutrient solution. Each logger has three disks. These loggers are on a 5 minute on, 5 minute off cycle to create an extremely fine mist or 'fog ' with a particle size of 3-5 microns! Such a fine fog of nutrient solution creates supercharged roots with an abundance of fine root hairs. These root hairs can take up water and nutrients at a rapid rate creating explosive plant growth. This technique of utilizing ultra sonic loggers to deliver a nutrient fog to the roots has been recently dubbed 'Fogponics', although officially it falls under the banner of aeroponic cultivation.

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'Bird's Eye View

Aeroponic foggers come in various shapes and sizes but all utilize the same technology. T hey work by sending ultrasonic frequencies to ceramic disks which sit just below the surface of the water. These ultrasonic frequencies vibrate the disk which oscillates the water above creating an ultra fine fog. This fog has such a small particle size that it feels dry to the touch yet it can easily penetrate roots without totally saturating them.

1) Foggers The main drawback of using most foggers with nutrient solutions is they can become clogged very quickly with nutrient precipitate. Even using foggers in hard water alone can cause a quick build up of lime scale, let alone adding mineral salts to the mix, so how does this extreme aeroponic system get around this? Through trial and error and with some help from Ryan Clout at Sunflower Supply and the online garden forums, these crazy cats found a solution. Devin located a company online selling Teflon coated disks that are longer lasting and keep residues from building up on the disk surface. This drastically prolongs the life of the foggers reducing the need for constant cl e&~n i ng and frequent replacements. As mentioned previously, the foggers need to be just below the surface of the water in order to emit the ultrafine fog. To enable the water level in the container to rise and fal l while still allowing the fogger work it became clear that the fogger would have to float. So armed with a tiny budget and a trip to the dollar store, the floats for the foggers were created from play snorkels and net cups for only a dollar for each fogger! 2) Solution Temperature While in operation, the foggers generate a significant amount of heat that gets soaked up into the nutrient solution. Even with the

50

solution circulating from a large reservoir around all t he containers, the temperature of the solution in the bottom of the containers was quickly rising to beyond 75°F. Ideally the nutrient solution should be around 65°F for optimal levels of dissolved oxygen and nutrient uptake. This was a tough nut to crack. The way forward was to cool the nutrient solution and, being and inventive bunch of growers, they decided to make their very own homemade water chiller. Using an old freezer (2ftx2ftx4ft) as the cooling chamber the crew drilled two %" holes through the casing, one near the top and one near the bottom. T he cooling mechan ism was created by constructing a coil made from 25ft of aluminum tubing. This fitted perfectly into a five gallon bucket which had a drilled hole at the top and bottom. T his allowed the ends of the coil to come through. Then, they fed a W' hose into each of the holes in the freezer, used silicone to seal the and connected ther.n to the coil lines. After making sure the hose and coil were watertight, they used non-toxic propylene glycol antifreeze to fill the five gallon bucket and popped a lid on it. • This homemade chiller is located next to the underground 55 gallon reservoir with the upper W' hose connected to a pump in the bottom of the reservoir and t he lower hose draining the chilled solution back into to the reservoir. This constant flow of

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nutrient solution being pushed through the chiller created a constant nutrient solution temperature in the reservoir of 60°F, with the containers stabilizing at 70°F, keeping the heat emitted by the foggers under control. 3) Environment Being in the heart of Southern Oregon, air temperature during summer is also an issue for this aeroponic set-up. The roots are particularly susceptible to extremes in temperature as there is no growing media to act as insulation. On a nice sunny day, an outside temperature of 75°F can easily create up to 100°F in the greenhouse and that's with the 24 inch ventilation fan and both 24 inch passive shutter inlets open! To keep temperature down on hot days a 25,000 BTU air conditioner was incorporated. It also doubles up as a heater for those cold nights in winter.

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MYCOJUUIIZAL INOCULANTS ARE CRUCIAL TO SUSTAINING A m:AI.TKY, EXPANSIVE ROOT ZONE. HUMBOLDT NUTRlfNTS IS PROUD TO LAUNOt OUR NEWEST AND MOST POWERFUL SOLUBU MYCORRHIZAL, WIDTE WIDOW. WHJTE WIDOW CONTAINS . AN EXTR£M£LY DIVERS£ AMOUNT Of MYCORRHIZAL SPECIES. No OTHtR MYCOJlRHIZAL ON THE MARKET liAS MORE PROPAGULES PER GRAM. IN AODmON, WHJTE WIDOW IS A DIVERSE, PURE ENOO MYCORRHIZAL. THE EffEtnVENESS Of A SOLUBLE MYCOIUU:UZAL INOCULANT REUIS HEAVILY ON 2 VARIABLES; THt AMOUNT OF SPORES IN THE PRODUCT ITSELf AND THE ABILITY OF THAT PRODUCT TO BECOME SOLUBLE IN_,. WATER. WHITE WIDOW IS A SUPER- fiNE POWDER WHIOt QUICKLY AND EASILY DISSOLVES INTO WATER. WITH WHJTE WIDOW TlU: SPEED AND AGGRESSIVENESS OF YOUR PLANT'S ROOT DEVELOPMENT IS UNPRECEDENTED. IT is cOMMON TO SEE"LARCE, FURRY, BRIGHT WHIT£ ROOTS S.HOOTING OUT Of TH£ BOTTOM Of CONTAJNERS ONLY A WEEK AfTER• TRANSPLANTING WITH :mi WHJTE WIDOW. ~HlTE WIDOW IS BACT£RJA FREE, MAKJNC IT IDEAL FOR HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS. USED IN SOD., SOIL-LESS OR HYDROPONIC GARDENS :WIDTI WIDOW IS A MUST HAVI fOR GARDENERS CONCERNro ABOUT THE QUALITY AND HEALTH OF THElR PLANT'S ROOT SYSTEMS. If CAN KirP THINGS HEAl.lliY ON THE SURfACE, HUMBOLDT NUTRliNTS WILL HANDLE TH.E SITUATION UNDERNEATH.

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The secret to the system is the hybridizing of SWC, aero-sprayers, and the ultra fine fog creating by the foggers. Studies in the late 90s by NASA have shown that solely using ultra sonic foggers to feed plant roots creates a disproportionate amount of root hair with significantly less lateral root growth, making 'fogponics' less suitable for prolonged plant growth - i.e. bringing plants to full maturity. By combining the two aeroponic techniques of fogging and misting upper root zone and utilizing SWC to supply water, dissolved oxygen and nutrients to the lower branching roots, they have achieved the best of both worlds. One key aspect of this hybrid system that Devin is keen on maintaining is a high beneficial microbe count, particularly predatory nematodes, in the growing media and nutrient solution. The beneficial nematodes are an excellent predator of fungus and bacteria, which Devin is sure will help keep the system clean. To provide a good home for the microbes to hang out and breed, they have come up with a media mix for the net pots of 5 parts Hydroton to 1 part 'loose fill' Sure To Grow. Devin and the crew feel that this mix provides them with the ideal surface area for the microbes to stay happy. To inoculate the system with tons of beneficial microbes they brew their very own worm compost tea!

Step 1: To 16 gallons of reverse osmosis water, add 1 fluid oz (28.5ml) of fu lvic acid and 1 oz of brewers' yeast (used for home brewing beer and wine).

Step 6: Steep the worm casting bag in to solution for 72 hours.

Step 2: Add 2.1 fluid oz (60ml) of Humboldt Honey Hydro ES to provide food and energy for the microbes.

Step 7: Remove the bag, give it a few squeezes and let the solution brew for another 12 hours.

~3_;_Add

Step 5: Add and air stone (attached to an air pump) to the mix.

4 teaspoons (20ml) of Cutting Edge Solutions' calcium carbonate, the microbes to love it!

Step 8: Prepare the nutrient solution, Devin uses Cutting Edge 3 part formula.

Step 4: Take 15" x 23"brew craft fine screen mesh bag and add 2.5 pounds of worm castings.

Step 9: Add the 16 gallons of fresh worm tea to 300 gallons of nutrient solution.

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Us1T19lhis technique lhe CffYW manage 'lo brew a full 16 gallons for $15! With this fresh brew of beneficial microbes Devin says you can't add too much. They even spray the mix on the plants in vegetative growth stage which they have found works best neat or at a minimum dose of 1 part tea to 5 parts water. Using a plant viable form of calcium carbonate really works wonders. Microbes like to have some kind of nutritional buffer, whether it's a little bit of potassium or even phosphorus, they just need some kind of mineral to feed off. Devin noticed that his nematode population is 10-15% higher when he used calcium carbonate. He used Cutting Edge Solutions' calcium carbonate - once you open it you really must use within eight weeks, otherwise it can get susceptible to mold.

Using this concentratep homemade wormtea the growers find they only need to use Y2 to 3A strength nutrient solution! The main reason is that the worm-tea contains a huge population of predatory nematodes and protozoa (single celled organisms that are found across several kingdoms). They are non algal, and non fungal (such as amoebaes, ciliates, and flagellates) and are the number one predators to bacteria and fungi alike. These little worm-like parasites are nasty little buggers. They are heterotrophic which means they cannot produce their own food. Instead they hunt bacteria and fungi while remaining harmless to you and your plants. They locate and shred apart the fungal mycelia and bodies of bacterial organisms which then provide plant available nutrients and minerals to the root system. It's a beautiful circle!

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Freshly brewed.. actively-aerated compost tea and compost tea brewing machines with ready-to-use brewing kits are also available from seyetal compaoies. We recommend you check out Vermi-T from Vermicrop Organics (www.yermicrop com), Progress Earth (www.vortexbrewer.com), Nature Technologies lnternat,... io:.:..: n,... al, __ (www.nature-technologies.com), and Bountea (www.bouwa.com).

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To romprete the beneficia, microbe mix, they add other beneficial liquid additives. These include Canna's Cannazyme and Botanicare's Aquashield. Also, check out Sub Culture 8 from General Hydroponics.

Sometimes It'1 hard to 01re

Every two weeks they change out the nutrient solution for a fresh batch. To empty the system all they need to do is open up three taps - this allows the solution to run out through pipe work onto an outdoor vegetable plot, putting even the 'waste' nutrient to good use. To fill the whole system they prepare a 300 gallon reservoir which pumps the fresh solution to each container. Devin has extensive hydroponic experience with flood and drain tables, drain to waste systems, owe, aeroponics, soilless and soil yet finds this hybrid SWC/aeroponic/ fogponic system the most sanitary, easier to clean with the least amount of nutritional and pest problems. To provide support for the plants they use tomato cages fitted into the exterior of the net pots. This offers great support and allows the branches to be trained out, which in turn enables the plant access to more light, better support, more growth ~nd more fruit!!!! T he assemblage of all these high yielding methods with a few tweaks has provided Devin and his crew an affordable homemade system that that t hey can literally (and ohy_sically) grow trees in! -;.t ,tf;.l 7 ....:;

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2 EFJ,AT4 RED f RED

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5

Okay, we're going to build an organic, aquaponic living wall in no time at all! Aquaponics means that we feed the fish in a tank, and their poop is pumped up to the plants. The plants feed and filter the nutrient rich water, and the glorious cycle continues. The plants are going to grow in sphagnum moss. It's very pleasant to work with, and the plants love it! The water from the aquarium provides them with all the high quality organic fertilizer they need.

- Culture tray - 31" I x 16" w x 1.5" h (79 em x 40 em x 4 em) -Thirty flat-head nuts (4 mm x 16 mm) and bolts - 6.5 feet (2 m) plastic net - 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of sphagnum moss - 6.5 feet (2 m) irrigation pipe - 0.5" (13 mm) - A pipe elbow and cap - 4 adjustable flow emitters - A submersible aquarium pump- 250 gallons (946 I) p/hour - A complete aquarium - Twenty small plants in 2 inch (5 em) pots

First, let's take a look at the heart of the system: the culture tray, plastic net and sphagnum moss growing media.

-- -·-- - ~- j

- A drill and a 0.1575" (4 mm) drill bit - 5 gallon {19 Qcontainer - A screwdriver - A pair of sharp scissors

Our goal is to install a vertical hydroponic garden above a small fish tank. As already mentioned, besides being a beautiful decorative feature, the plants will act as a water fi lter for the fish, regularly consuming nitrates and other compounds from the fish droppings. This is the cornerstone principle

The main task is to move water from the fish tank to the top of the vertical wall and arrange it so that the wall is irrigated evenly. We will achieve this using a pump, some irrigation pipe, some dripper holes and emitters. To mount the irrigation pipe, cut a section of pipe roughly the same width as the tray. Connect one end to an elbow joint and the other t o a stopper cap. Drill a series of evenly spaced holes in a straight line along the bottom side of the pipe and fix the emitters.

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When the tray is full, press the moss down again. It's really important to ensure that it's consistently distributed throughout the tray. The level of the moss should be slightly higher than the edges of the tray-your aim is to have the moss pressed down firmly when you fix the plastic netting in place over the top. After all, you don't want any moss falling out of the wall into the tank!

Once the moistened sphagnum moss has changed color and has drunk a large quantity of water, you will notice that it becomes spongy. In fact it almost recovers the elasticity of living sphagnum!

Fix the net to the rim of the tray by drilling holes in the rim (roughly 4" (1 0 em) apart.) Once all the holes are made, fix the mesh on to the tray with nuts & bolts or some wire.

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Bigger is better. Thafs why we give you accelerated growth for plants

After attaching the upper edge, fix the sides in the same way. When fixing the net, proceed from the parts that are already fixed as this will give you a better fit. After completing one side, fix the opposite side in place too, stretching out the screen in both directions, horizontally & vertically. The elasticity of the plastic netting can be used to your advantage. Tightening properly will prevent the substrate from collapsing but do not over tighten or the stitches in the netting will tear.

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Finally, fix the netting into the bottom edge of the tray-it should be positioned in the same way as the top edge. Once the net is fixed all around the edges of the tray, cut off any excess net from the edges of the tray.

Figure out how you are going to arrange your plants first. Here we've chosen Alocasia (elephant ear}, Nephrolepis (fern}, Scindapsus (pothos), Ficus pumilla (creeping fig}, Chlorophytum (spider plant) and Asparagus.

To prepare the plants, wash off as much existing media from their roots as possible. This can be done by soaking the root-ball! of each plant in water and moving it. back and forth.

The hole is now ready to receive the plant. The only job that remains is to introduce the plants into the tray. Once planted, pack the base of the stem with sphagnum moss to properly secure the plant in place and ensure proper hydration. Repeat this process until all your plants are

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Now most of the remaining work is up to Mother Nature! The plants should be irrigated a few minutes per day, just long enough to let the water flow from the t op to the bottom and back into the aquarium. When water st arts to drain from the tray, it means that you have sufficiently watered your plants. It should take around three or four minutes to complete this process.

Maintenance The water will become slightly orange in color because of the sphagnum moss. To minimize this coloration, you can add some active carbon for aquariums into the sphagnum moss if you wish. The sphagnum moss is acidic and can affect the pH level of the water. So, to run an aquaponic system properly, the pH should be monitored and maintained at level seven. This is also something that should be considered when choosing the type of fish for your aquarium. The water temperature should be held in a range of 64°F to 71 °F (18°C to 22°C}. Consider using a light foliar spray for your plants once a week to keep them in tip top condition. WORDS: Hugo Bonte [[email protected]] SPECIAL THANKS: Edouard David

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THE TAO OF TAKlNG

:AE . OPbNIC

TTINGs/

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE INDOOR GARDENERS All HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: THEY LOVE CUTTINGS! TALK TO ANY SERIOUS GROWER AND YOU'LL HEAR THE SAME STORY. CONSI~IENT HIGH O!)ALITY AND REGULAR CROPS DEPEND ON A STEADY FLOW OF HEALTHY. VIGOROUS CUTTINGS. SO IT MAKES SENSE TO GIVE CUTTINGS THE Bf:ST START IN LIFE POSSIBLE. TOO OFTEN WHEN WE VISIT INDOOR GARDENS WE FIND TRAYS OF NEGLECTED CUTTINGS. JUST MANAGING TO SURVIVE. RELEGATED TO A DUSTY SHELF IN THE CORNER OF THE VEG ROOM. TIIAT JUST AIN'T RIGHT! MERELY KEEPING CUTTINGS ALIVE IS NOT THE AIM OF THE GAME. THINK OF IT LIKE TI-llS... IF WE CAUSE OUR NEW RECRUITS UNDUE STRESS WI-I EN TI-lEY ARE STILL YOUNG. FRESH AND FRAGILE. IT'S THE BOTANICAL EO!)IVALENT OF DROPPING OUR BABIES DOWN THE STAIRS! OUCH! EvEN IF THEY SURVIVE, THEY COULD BE TRAUMATIZED FOR THE REST O F THEIR LIVES' SO THIS LEADS US TO THE O!)ESTION: WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO TAKE CUTTINGs? ENTER THE AEROPONIC CLONING MACHINE! THESE UNITS AIM TO PROVIDE THE OPTIMAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR CUTTINGS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DEVELOP ROOTS OF THEIR OWN. So HERE'S OUR GUIDE TO TAKING AEROPONIC CUTTINGS AND HOW TO GIVE YOUR BABIES THE ULTIMATE IN PAMPERING!

.,

66

WORDS: MR._EST FERNANDEZ

www.urbangardenmagazine.com

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I

/

let's get some basic concepts of the way. The whole reason you want to take cuttings in the first place is because you've gotten hold of something really good and you want to preserve the genetics exactly. Yes, seeds are Mother Nature's common way of perpetuating life on this planet. But even two seeds from the same pod or packet can produ'c e very different plants. That's because there's always an element of genetic randomness in gene expression. If things didn't change from generation to generation, nothing would evolve, so it's all good in the hood! However, sometimes we don't want things to change. Maybe we've happened upon a tomato phenotype that produces prolific amounts of sweet, cherry-like fruits, bursting with unusual amounts of sweetness and flavor. Perhaps it's the only tomato your kids will touch? Or it might be the color of fruits and flowers that floats their boat. In any case, we're going to assume you've already got a plant that you wish to perpetuate.

You LOVE YOUR MoTHER. DoN'T You? Your mother (or donor) plant IS a sacred thing. Look after her! Arguably, her health represents the health of your entire garden. If your mother plant is just "doing okay" legging up in the corner of your indoor garden then it stands to reason that all cuttings taken from her will just "do okay" too - in short, they will inherit her state of health and vigor. No amount of cloning gel and aftercare is going to erase a history of neglect. The aim of the game with mother plants is to keep them in a perpetual state of growth. (You don't want your mother plant to flower!) The easiest way to do this for many annual plants is to ensure that irrigation cycles are regular and your lights are kept on for 15- 18 hours a day. Basically you 'trick' your plant into believing it's in a perpetual summer! Ask your grow store for a T5 (6500K) fluorescent fixture or a 250400W metal halide HID grow light. Both these lights have a great spectrum (high in blue light) which encourages lots of vegetative growth. Ideally your mother plant should be

-. ~

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grown ir.ran ample-sized conp!(ner (at least four gallons) or, for the ultimate rn mother-love, in its owrJ.dedicated hydroponic unit. The Wateffarm by General Hydroponics is a ~ery :popu lar choice for maintaining a moth'er plant as it encourages prodigious levels of growth with very little maintenance. It's essentially a two-gallon grow champer sitting on top of an integral four-gallon reservoir. The grow chamber is usually filled with wellwashed clay balls, with a small pump irrigating constantly when the lights are on. (Some growers wait until 30-60 minutes after the lights come on before commencing irrigation.) If you are using any type of dripper feed system for an extended period, make sure you regularly check for salt build-up around the drippers. Take a c\ose look at each hole and verify that all the dripper points are actually drippirng when they should be! Some growers US!f a small drill bit to increase the size of the holes in the dripper ring whereas others prefer to flush periodically w ith plain water or a low EC nutrient solution. Always use a grow formula for your nutrients but don't overdo it (keep your mother plant as small as possible) - excessive levels of nitrogen can inhibit root development in cuttings. Keep your mother well trained. Make sure she is regularly pruned to maintain a manageable size. As y0u take more and more cuttings from your mother· plant, you will notice that she becomes increasingly bushy. If she becomes too bushy, start a new mother plant with a fresh cutting. Most growers tend to replace their mother plants every six months or so. Taking cuttings is an easy concept to grasp. You're effectively cutting off part of a plant, adapting the environment to enable it to survive without a root system, and then encouraging it to form roots of its own. Hey presto, you have another plant! A cutting is a 100% genetic copy of the mother plant, so it's a great way of ensuring consistency from crop to crop. Just for the record, let's go through the (very simple) process of taking a cutting. We'll keep things brief as, no doubt, most of you know the drill. It's not so much the actual taking of the cutting we wish to focus on, it's looking

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after them afterwards! Anyw#.y, here

Stem cuttings are by far the most common type of cutting that gardeners take. It involves removing some stem from a plant that contains a healthy g rowth tip. We're using tomatoes for this example but this method applies to nearly all soft-wood plants.

Take a clean scalpel or a very - ---.--.. and remove a healthy looking branch from your mother plant. The sharper the blade, the cleaner th~ cut

and the less tissue damage around it meaning less chance of disease.

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Remove any excess stem. Many grow guides will tell you to take a cutting at a 45 degree angle, to increase the surface area of the exposed cutting to rooting stimulators. At risk of being contentious, this really is not necessary! I actually prefer to take a 'squarer cut' because the cut part of the stem is less susceptible to damage.

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cuttings! Remember, every second counts. After all, if you leave a cutting on your kitchen table, it will dehydrate and be well on the way to dying in a matter of mjnutes. So the sooner you can get your cutting into a propagator or cloning machine, the better. Preparation is key, especia11y if you are taking lots of cuttings.

Your cutting should look like this. Most growers aim for cuttings between three and five inches from top to bottom. The next step is to dip your cutting into some rooting stimulator. Though this isn't essential, rooting times will be shorter, decreasing the chance of mold or rot. Several compounds can be used to promote the formation of roots. work by signaling the activity..£!,£!anl hormone auxins. Among the ,..n,mrl'>nn,r" used chemicals is indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) used as a powder, liquid soluti or gel. There are also cloning products on the market that use only natural ingredients. Whichever route you take (pun intended, sorry), don't dip your cutting straight into the jar the product came in as this can lead to contamination and a far less effective product. Instead, pour a small amount into a shot glass and dip into that instead. Clean the shot glass and your blade regul particularly if you're taking cuttings more than one mother plant. You don't want to be transferring viruses hot••'"''~~ plants! Okay, so now you have a freshlytaken, foliage-trimmed cutting, that's been dipped into rooting gel or powder. It's time to fire up your cloning machine! A timely word of advice: it's important not to dawdle when taking c::m,A"rnrr•n

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The more foliage on your cuttings, the more 'life' it has to support. Therefore, it makes sens.e to remove any excessive foliage. Yes, some leaves need to remain but you're really after small, manageable cuttings that aren't going to crowd out your propagator or cloning machine. Trim the tips of larger leaves so that the cutting is no larger than the space it is going to be given in your cloning machine. Less foliage on your cuttings makes life easier because there are fewer leaves for the cutting to support through this acutely stressful period in its life! Just as importantly, small cuttings don't overlap each other so much, which significantly reduces the risk of mold.

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Give Your Plants A

BOOST!

fresh to1nato cuttini>e ,·~ _. . t , · . o- """' ~eg tn o a c_ onms Jnacht~. foa1n disks hold the cutt mgs fir~nly but gently in placG. An aeroponic cloning machine allows you to root your cuttings without the expense or buying med1a or the lime necessary to prepare it. Typically, a submerged pump drives nutrient solution into low pressure misters. Amazingly, no humidity dome is required because the cuttings are still able to uptake any moisture they need directly from the mist. As with all equipment you use for taking cuttings, make sure your cloning machine is kept clean ! Fill the machine to the indicated level with water that Is at 65-68°F (18-20°C). There's no need to add any nutrients because your cuttings don't have roots yet! Saying this, some growers still prefer to add somo hydroponic nutrients at this stage, so that as soon as the cuttings develop roots of their own, they have some 1mmed1ate food available Hydroponic nutrients are preferable over organic nutrients as they can be immediately assimilated by your cutlings and they don't foul up your "res." Many growers use a very dilute version of their standard 'b loom formulation ' because the phosphorus encourages further root development. Others prefer to uso a specialist product for young plants so that the ratios of micro and macro elements are kept in balance. If you add nutrients, adjust to pH 6.0-6.3 with dilute phosphoric acid and shoot for an EC of between 0 .4 and 0.6.

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five minutes on, five off, rather than letting it run Relative humidity levels should at least 65%. If the relative humidity in your room is less than this, you should consider misting or using a propdgation dome to help incr.ease the relative humidity directly around your cuttings.

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•st .--attaches this low pressure mt e. m . ct\ onto a•submerstb\e pu P· d Ire 'i. en mist for the creabng an ev . 1\ it so the -~· o,s ~ sure to msta cu\.dno · · . .-ds misters pemt upwa. ·

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ROOM ENVIRONMENT As mentioned earlier, aeroponic cloning machines don't need humidity domes. This means it's absolutely crucial to have your room's environment dialed in. Your cuttings.will be happiest when located in a room kept around a steady 70°F (21 oc). Try to keep room temperatures below 75°F (24°C} as excess heat just adds transpirational stress, and more stress is the last thing your cuttings want! Aim to keep the nutrient solution at 68°F (20°C) - any warmer will decrease levels of dissolved oxygen in your nutrients and increase the likelihood of pathogens and stem I root rot. If your room (or nutrient solution) is too cold this will slow metabolism, shock your cuttings, and inhibit that all important root development. The submerged pump will heat the nutrient solution slightly so you definitely need to keep an eye on nutrient solution temperatures. Use a nutrient thermometer to keep on top of things. If you find that the pump is warming up your nutrient solution excessively, try relocating your cloning machine on to a stone floor, lower ambient temperatures in your room if you can, or run the pump on a timer,

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Cuttings don't require much light. In fact, high light levels are to be avoided. Remember, you want your cuttings to concentrate their energf on creating roots, not coping with an intense growing environment- that will come in time! A pair of two-foot, 55 watt, T5 Jluorescen! tubes hung five to eight inches away is more than enough to keep 30 or 40 cuttings very happy. Other growers will simply relegate their cloning machine to the corner of the veg chamber so that it is in the diffused light of their metal halide grow lamps. Just be sure the lights are not too intense and keep them on for 18 hours a day. Some growers prefer a 24-hour lights on appro~ch as it makes

temperatures easier to regulate, but all plants benefit from a little time out. There's no need to overwork them! Make sure temperatures do not drop too low during the lights out period. Use a Min/Max thermometer and a thermostatically controlled heater if required, but don't blow warm air directly on to your cuttings ... ever! This will dry them out and cause them untold stress. • Insert each cutting into the center of the foam discs supplied with your cloning machine so that at least two inches of stem dangles in the misting chamber below the lid. Remember, there should not be any leaves in the misting chamber -just bare stem.

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~ay 1 freshly inserted cuttings

v~e"':'ed as they are seen frorn the rntsbng chamber.

Don't b~ concerned if your cuttings wilt a little immediately after insertion into your cloning machine. They should perk up within an hour and return to looking pert. If they continue to appear limp you should try applying a very light spray with water or a dilute foliar solution with a wetting agent to help the moisture cling to the leaves. Your cuttings will thrive in a well ventilated but not drafty space. The last thing you want is a fan blowing on them. You shouldn't have to do anything for the first few days - just keep an eye out for · any wilting. If any cuttings don't look happy, it's not too late to replace them.

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Cuttings tend to rqot faster in aeroponic cloning machines. It won't be long until you see the beginning of root development. Typically this starts with the formation of small white calluses on the stem. Keep an especially watchful eye over your cuttings during the next few days. Roots should be bright white. If you observe brown or discolored roots, this could be a sign that your nutrient solution is too warm. If you haven't done so already, it's definitely a good idea to add some mineral nutrition to your·cloning machine's reservoir at this point as your cuttings can certainly derive benefit from it. Some growers change out the res at this stage.

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When MOLD grows...

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HERBAL FUNGICIDE

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just days after being taken. these cuttings are already bursting with root developlllent. Day 7- Root Explosion! With such prolific root development, it's tempting to think the job is done, but it pays to be a little more patient before removing your cuttings from the cloning machine. This is just the 'first generation' of roots.

HERBAL PESTICIDE

HERBAL FUNGICIDE

Kills & Repels Spider Mites, Aphids, Whiteflies, Thrips, Caterpillars, Mealy Bugs, Scale

Prevents & Kills Powdery Mildew, Mold, Black Spot; changes leaf surface pH to inhibit fungi growth

Safe for Edible Plants!

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The emergence of more secondary l roots and root hairs is a sure s1gn that your cuttings are developed enough to handle life outside of the clOning l rflachine. If you're not qutte ready, don't worry because the cuttings will be quite I happy to bathe in their nutrient mist for days, even weeks 1r required! Just be sure to change o.ut the nutrients once a 1 week and keep an eye on pH levels. If roots become very long you can always trim them - they won't mind!

TRANSPLANTING A net pot is an ideal next stage for -an aeroponic culling. This gives you a chance to establish your cutting in the growth media of your choice. One common question about aeroponic clones is how to handle transplanting·r them into a pot ot loose-fill media or hydroponic system. For instance, there is a common myth that aeroponic clones don't do well in soil or coco coir. This is simply not the case; you just need to take good care of them. Ensure your chosen media is at room temperature and fairly moist. Also, remember roots hate light, so be kind to your cuttings and transplant them away from bright lights. Partially fill the pot with media, make a hole just big enough to insert the rooted cuttmg, and gently back fill around it so all the roots are covered and your cutting is well supported. They will need a few days to adjust, so don't go whacking them straight under your 1000W metal halides just yet. Ease them In gently under a 6500K T5 lluorescent or a 250W metal halide. Some growers foliar spray with sea kelp products which help to reduce stress levels. Other growers use a Victorian Bell Cloche to increase humidity levels for the first few days as the cuttings settle in.

Day 8 • Secondary roots be in to develo As secondary·roots begin to emerge. we are fast approaching the time wh.en lhe cuttings will leave the cloning machine and begin life as young plants!

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PHOTO CREDITS: OUR BELOVED GRUBBYCUP

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AEROPONIC CLONING fAQ We pulled in aeroponic cloning expert, Billy Blackburn, the inventor of the • EZ·Cione, to help us answer the most 1common questions about aeroponic cloning: 1) What kind of water should be used initially to fill the res? Is regular tap ok? Or should I use distilled? Any need to pH adjust the water initially? .. tap water I • major areas. It's what I always recommend trying first. Distilled water should NOT be used, as it is so stripped of any type ofmineral content that it pulls important minerals from the plant tissue hindering the initiation of root development. I often recommend users run their system without cuttings in it for the first 24 hours if they have the time. This allows them to check what their temps will be and allows some time for pH stabilization. Water should be pH adjusted after any types of solutions are added and adjusted again after cuttings have been inserted. Fill the cloning machine as high as you can so that the water level is just below the misters. The more water that is in the res, the more stable the pH and temperature.

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2) Do you recommend adding I anything to the water? ~ Yes. Use a root1ng stimulator. Check the label, but 1 teaspoon per gallon is a general guide. Also, consider adding a silica product - this will assist in building strong cell walls and protect against bacteria. 3) What about adding some min· eral nutrition? Should growers wait until they see roots developing? How much? And what sort of strength I pH? I typically add nutrients only after roots have gotten between 3-4 inches in length. It's the grower's preference whether they go mineral (hydroponic) or organic, however I find regular hydroponic nutrients usually keeps the reservoir cleaner. I usually stay between 400-500 ppm for new clones after root development. pH between 5.8-6.3. I prefer 5.8. I've also noticed that even without additives of 'i~ J_ /any kind, the pH of tap water will have a / _ tendency to rise over the course of 24A8

hours. To compensate for this, I adjust my initial pH down to approximately 5.2 because I know the pH will slowly ris~ ' somewhere close to between 5.8 and 6.3. This is an acceptable range for getting quality results. I keep the closest eye on my pH during the first 24-48 hrs. If the pH needs to be adjusted again later on, do so, but it usually stables out after the first couple adjustmelnts. If you are not sure if you've got an accurate pH reading, I highly recommend getting a quality digital pH meter. 4) Veg or bloom nutrients? Something with phosphorus (for rooting) and nitrogen? If using GH 3-part for instance, what rati os would you use? As long as I'm healthy mother plant, I don't use nutrients for cloning. A cutting is developing roots because it's searching for food. If you try to feed something that doesn't have a mouth yet, you're defeating the purpose. Cuttings root perfectly fine with some IBA and Vitamin 8-1. 5) Any additives? Either in the res or foliar? This is a tricky topic because there are so many different additives on the market. I can't recommend just one. We are introducing a brand new product to the market right now called EZ-OLONE Clear Rez that is designed to keep all of the internal workings of your cloner free from pathogens and promotes prolific white root growth. We've been testing it for over a year. It's amazing ... 6) Can you explain how rootless cuttings are still able to uptake water, with no need for humidity dome? We've seen it with our own eyes, just wondered if there's a scientific explanation. plant tissue still absorbs a sufficient amount of moisture for the cutting to sustain itself upright. Roots develop because the cuttings are searching for food. Humidity domes are NOT necessary with aeroponic cloners. In fact, I suspect domes help to promote airborne bacteria such as powdery mildew and prevent the cutting from transpiring naturally. 7) What are the general signs that-acutting is ready to leave the machine?

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It depends what medium you're transplanting into. I prefer to let tj1e roots get 6-8 inches in length before transplanting into soil, coco, hydroton clay rocks, or other aeroponic systems. The longer the roots, the better chance of your cutting surviving after its been transplanted.

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are , is that okay, or a bad sign? When are nutrient temperatures definitely too high? When res temps get above 80 degrees, cuttings are more prone to pathogens and· bad bacteria. Slightly off color can be ok. If you start getting greyish/brown slime cover the bottom of your cuttings, it's time to .take precautioQary measf.!res. -----

9) Any general tips for transplanting aeroponic cuttings into media? The longer the roots, the better, It's always okay to cut excessive root growth off with sterile scissors if you're trying to transplant a cutting into a rockwool cube or other similar medium. Most people don't understand that this will NOT kill the cutting. Just make sure scissors are clean and always be delicate when transplanting. 10) Have you heard of growers using

cloches I domes to reduce transplant stress? Only when cuttings come from cloning methods where domes were used. When they're cloned without domes, they tran.splant into domeless mediums MUCH eas1er. / 11) Any other golden rules

I tips I tricks? We've kept our water temp coolest and actually saw slightly better results when putting the pump on a half hour on I half hour off timer ... a little new found info.

12) Is it necessary to change out the reservoir during one cloning cycle? No, if everything is in proper working order, you should be able to continue using the same water for 4-6 weeks. Got an aeroponic cloning tip of your own you'd like to share? Send it our way! Email: [email protected]

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INBBRBY

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VE ASKED MYSELF THIS QUESTION COUNTLESS TIMES. WALKING AROUND ANEW PROPERTY I HEAR THE LITTLE .:' I'VOICE INSIDEMY HEAD WEIGHING UP EACH ROOM, EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY, ALL WITH AVIEW TOWARDS

POTENTIAL VEG PRODUCTION. "CAN I GROW IN HERE?'' "HOW ABOUT IN HERE?'' "WHAT ABOUT UP THERE?" • YEAH, I KNOW, I SOUND LllE AN OBSESSED LITTLE KID. BUT IT'S NOT FAR FROM THE TRUTH. GROWING INDOORS :·· IS MORE THAN JUST AHOBBY FOR ME. IT'S MY LIFE'S PASSION. SO WHILE THE LETTING AGENT OR REALTOR IS TRYING TO IMPRESS MY WIFE WITH DESIGNER TAPS AND GARISH BATHROOM CERAMICS, I'MSPECCING THE PLACE OUT FOR POTENTIAL GROWING ACTION. I MEAN, CUMMON BOYS AND GIRLS, DO YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU'VE • MOVED INTO ANEW PLACE UNTIL ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON? EXACTLY•

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Over the years the obsessive little kid's voice has grown up, well just a little. Experience has taught me to ask a whole bunch of crucial questions when evaluating a potential grow space. I'm not talktng about whether the wife will get mad if she retums home to find her walk-in wardrobe magically 'transformed' into a propagation station. She knew what

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she was taking on when she signed on the dotted line in front of the registrar! In fact, these days she doesn't even complain, bless her. Maybe it's something to do with the access to fresh homegrown salads she enjoys year round? In fact, i1's amazing what a steady flow of leafy greens can do for a relationship! Anyway, lest we digress, let's get one

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thing clear. When I ask, ·can I grow in here?" I'm not referring to obtaining permission from your spouse or anybody else for that matter. I'm talking about how we go about assessing the viability of a given space for indoor gardening. So, let's dispense with the celebrity gossip and get on and do this!

'· 1. INSULAliON The better your indoor garden is Insulated, the easier it will be to grow In it. Many indoor gardens suffer from excessive heat problems. especially during the summer months when ambient temperatures are considerably warmer. High temperatures can slow plant metabolism and stress your plants causing them to respond in unfavorable ways. This isn't just a euphemism for death either. Many culinary herbs and lettuces will 'bolt' into premature flower and seed production if they are forced to endure prolonged high temperatures. Similarly, if nighttime temperatures drop too low this invariably stunts growth and bloom. Cold, poorly Insulated rooms cause very slow growth, poor water and nutrient uptake, and low temperatures can cause further undesired changes in your plants -e.g. chili peppers will often fruit prematurely if nighttime temperatures drop below 65°F (18°C}. So remember, the better a potential grow space is insulated, the greater the "base level" of protection from extremes In ambient temperature and the less money and effort you will have to invest Into controlling temperatures in your indoor garden. Is it really worth all the energy, money and time investing in a state-of-the-art cooling system to chill your grow lights in a ramshackle loft apartment In Los Angeles, or will it simply be cheaper and easier in the long-run just to move to somewhere more suitable? Now·s the time to ask yourself these questions! Take a moment to think about the general characteristics of your house or apartment. What is it made of? Wood, stone, brick, concrete? How thick are the walls? What type of insulation has been used? Not sure? Ask yourself these questions: Does your home already get too hot in the summer. and is it a pain to keep warm during the winter? In either case - not a good sign! What about your indoor garden's location within your home? Is it in a room at the top of the house that has an external wall facing the sun all day? Or is it cool and shady? Hopefully you'll be nodding at the fatter. Insulation is measured by its R value.

,. The higher the R value, the more effective the insulation. Some of the best insulation materials are: Blown in Cellulose Ins ulation - R3.70 per inc h Fiberglass Insulatio n - R3.14 per inch Expanded Polystyrene • R4.00 per inc h Many growers report their greatest successes from gardens located in a cellar or basement. And there is a good reason for this - the amazing insulation qualities of the earth! So whether you are storing wine or growing food to accompany it, a basement can be ideal. (Just don't do both at the same time!) Basements can be subject to high humidity, so you may also need to invest in a dehumdifier. Their subterranean location can make getting rid of spent nutrient solution more tricky

thanusual

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2. CEILING HEIGHT Look up. What do you see? Hopefully it 's a ceiling high above you, well out of reach. 8ft ceilings are okay. 10ft or more is a godsend for any indoor gardener- that extra air volume makes your life so much easier, believe. Not only do you have more height to grow climbing varieties of tomato, peas and beans but, once again, you will find your temperatures and C02 levels tar easier to maintain and control. Additional ceiling clearance means that you also have the option of raising the height of your grow trays so that your garden is easier to work in, with the additional benefit of making drainage I nutrient return easier to manage using plain old fashioned gravity alone.

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II'UMJ:I~

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Your plants want a lot of things - some of them desirable, some of them essential. One thing they can't possibly go without is water! Prior research into the water quality of the area will be useful. Generally, the softer the water the easier it is to grow with. Hard water can still be used to produce productive crops but a lot of growers now use RO machines to remove the carbonates and other contaminants. Indoor gardeners commonly use a large container such as a rain collection barrel to mix and store their nutrient solutions - often referred to as a reservoir or 'res.' Ideally this should be kept in an adjacent room so that your nutrient solution is not subject to the temperature changes in the growing area itself. Think about where you are going to store your nutrient solution and its location relative to your nearest water source. Running hoses across landings or up and down stairs is a pain and invariably leads to leaks and spillages. I've lost count of the amount of times a hose end has flopped itself out of a res, spewing water all over the floor. It's a nightmare scenario! Filling up your res 1s a regular chore, so make your life as easy as possible with sensible planmng and, ideally, a dedicated tap right above it. The less hose pipe in your life, the better! (My wife hates seeing hose pipe running from room to room!)

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MANY INDOOR GARDENS SUFFER FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT PROBLEMS, ESPECIALlY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN AMBIENT TEMPERATURES ARE CONSIDERABLY WARMER. HIGH TEMPERATURES CAN SLOW PLANT METABOLISM AND STRESS YOUR PLANTS CAUSING THEM TO RESPOND IN UNFAVORABLE WAYS.

.············-··· ···········-······ ·····--·• REMEMBER, YOU NHD SPACE TO

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4. DRAINAGE It's not just about getting water Into your indoor garden. What about getting it out? Is there an easy way to drain your spent nutrient solution? Once again, it's all about making life easy for yourselves! Most growers use a submersible pump ahd hose to drain their reservoirs. Some growers recycle their spent nutrient solution by using it on their outdoor gardens too.

S. VENTILATION I WINDOWS Unless you are growing in a sealed room with AC and C02 supplementation, you are going to need to install some sort of ventilation in order to keep on top of temperature, humidity and C02 levels in your indoor garden. Many novice g rowers grossly underestimate their ventilation requirements. Remember, all that hot, C02-depleted air needs to go somewhere. And then it needs to be replaced with cool, clean, fresh air of course! Simply pumping alr out of your grow tent back, for example, into the same room it's situated in does not count as adequate ventilation. We need to transport the old air well away, and keep the fresh air ... well fresh! Think of your ventilation in terms of input and output. In order to maximi:ze your control over your indoor garden's environment you should always spec the size of your output (aka extraction) inline fans bigger than your input. More air being pumped out than being pumped in creates a 'negative pressure' which ensures zero a1r and odor leaks and also increases the efficiency of your input fans. If you are using carbon filters with your input or

output fans. remember to take into account their diminishing effect on their respective fan - often a 25% reduction factor is used but depending on the make and ag.e of the filter it could be anywhere between a 10- 30% reduction. Extraction has the most positive effect on reducing temperature when It is removing air from the top of a room - as hot air rises. Ideally it should be vented out of the property to the outside world. As far as intakes are concerned, be aware of where you are taking your air from. Drawing ice-cold air direct from sub-zero temperatures outdoors and blowing it directly on your plants is not clever. It's a far better option to draw air from a cool room in your home instead. Be sure to use a bug screen on all air intakes. Yes, you will have to spec up your fan by 10-30% to counter the increased air resistance, but at least you won't be drawing bugs, mold spores and pollens into your indoor garden!

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7. PEST PROTECTION

All carpet should be removed from any space where you are planning to grow as it can harbor no end of pests and pathogens. If removing the carpet is not an option, you can lay down protective plastic sheeting. Remember, your indoor garden should be as easy as possible to keep squeaky clean. A laminate floor that is easy to mop is ideal. Air intakes should use a bug screen so that you don't inadvertently suck bugs Into your garden.

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6. SIZE AND ACCESSIBILITY

WORDS: Everest Fernandez

Remember, you need space to work and get around in your garden. Ideally you should be able to access your growing area from all sides, allowing you to inspect all your plants with the same level of care and precision. Overfilling your garden, however tempting, will quickly turn maintenance into an onerous, back breaking exercise. Remember, your hobby should be a pleasure, and not a chore!

Next issue: Electrical Safety in your indoor garden - so important, we need to tackle this subject on its own!

----~----··-··-····················-······································ IT'SNOT JUST ABOUT GETTING WATER INTO YOUR INDOOR GARDEN. WHAT ABOUT GETTING IT OUT? IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO DRAIN YOUR SPENT NUTRIENT SOLUTION? ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING LIFE EASY FOR YOURSELVES!

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WORK AND GET AROUND IN YOUR GARDEN. IDEALLY YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS YOUR GROWING AREA FROM ALL SIDES, ALLOWING YOU TO INSPECT ALL YOUR PUNTS WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE AND PRECISION.

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www.hydroponics101 .com worldmags & avaxhome

So, you've selected where you are going to set up your indoor garden. Now it's time to spec out exactly what you're going to need to make it all happen! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to provide your plants with all the light they need to grow and bloom, but .. and it's a big BUT .... you need to maintain your indoor garden's environment so that it is optimal for plant metabolism. Here's our guide to setting up a basic, conventionally ventilated indoor garden on a budget. We're going to show the different ventilation requirements for a 2 light and a 6 light grow in the same space. Big rooms need lots of lights with a high-powered ventilation system whereas small rooms will only need a few lights with a low powered ventilation system. All sounds like simple stuff, doesn't it? But how do you work out exactly what your room needs? Here's what you need to consider:

II

SIZE

All of the equipment your new indoor garden will need comes down to the size of the room. So, the first thing you need to do is accurately measure it. You will need the length, width and height of the room. The example shown has the dimensions of:

Now before we get carried away filling this room with lights and fans, you have to consider the budget and ability of the grower undertaking this new project. A confident and experienced grower may well fill the whole room, but let's not bite off more than we can chew. First, let's create a smaller room within the larger room by sectioning off the back portion to give a working room size that is more suited to a beginner.

Length X Width X Height 12ft (3.65m) x 8ft (2.4m) x 8.2ft (2.5m)

'' ''

Length x Width x Height 24ft (7.2m) x 12ft (3.65m) x 8.2ft (2.5m)

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You might well be asking, "What are the benefits of sectioning off the room? Why can't I just hang the lights in'tthe corner?" Well, by creating a room within a room you,gain :;better control of the environment. With the sectloned"off area you make the best use of the available light by having ' walls lined with reflective sheeting- this promotes cfbrigfit well-lit environment for productive growth.

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You can tl'Se vanous mat:!Tials to ~t!on off~ room but the more insulated, the better. A well insulated room will immediately lend itself to far easier environmental control. If you have no interest in building your own indoor garden, or you're not too confident with your DIY skills then don't worry, help is at hand. You can purchase purposebuilt indoor grow tents- highly recommended for all levels of grower! These come in many sizes, with one bound to suit your requirements, and they make hanging lights, fans and filters a sinch.

One 1tllng to bear in mind ls 1tlat the more powerful the light, the further away from the tops of the plants it needs to be. This means that if you have a low ceiling height, you should consider using lower wattage lights. The example room has an 8.2ft (2.5m) ceiling height so we can use the 1OOOW lights, as long as the plants don't get bigger than Sft (1 .5m) which is fine for most plants. Indoor plants want to be short and wide to make the most of the light available. The distance between the light and the canopy that most growers follow are:

Now you know the size of the room you're working with you can calculate how best to illuminate it. The most widely used light source for indoor gardens is high intensity discharge (HID). They are widely available, competitively priced and produce consistent results. Two types of lamps are able to run in HID systems; High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Metal Halide (MH). HID lighting systems are available in many different sizes, but the most commonly used for indoor growing are 1OOOW, 600W and 400W. Each size light is suitable for a defined amount of floor space:

1000W

=4~5tt (1.2-1 .55m)

2.5'- 3.3'

3.3'- 4.0'

80 worldmags & avaxhome

Please bear in mind thal the above information is for horizontally mounted lamps in normal open or closed reflectors. If you are using parabolic reflectors with vertically mounted lamps or air-cooled reflectors you can allow the light to be closer to the plants as there is less direct radiant heat.

So the floor space available in our room is 12ft (3.65m) x 8ft (2.4m). You could try and squeeze as many lights as possible into this room, but as well as being productive, you want to try and make your room easy and comfortable to work in. To do this you will need adequate access around your plants to make maintenance and inspections easy. Approximately 2ft (0.66m) around your plants is a good working area. Elderly or disabled growers may opt for considerably more space than this. In our first example we're using 2 x 1OOOW lights. If you want to make life difficult for yourself, you could fit a maximum of 6 x 1000W lights. In order to make this room work you would need to choose a growing system or technique that allows you to move the plants to gain access around the garden. This might be achieved by growing in pots/containers or movable beds.

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VENTILATION

Ventilation in your indoor garden comprises of two main factors: the removal of hot waste (C02 depleted) air and the input of fresh cooler air. Hot waste air is removed actively using an inline fan, AKA the extractor fan. Fresh cooler air can either be drawn in passively through vents or pushed in actively using another inline fan AKA the intake fan. Now we know the size of the room, and the amount if light being used, we can now work out the ventilation requirements. In North America most inline fans are rated in Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM), whereas in Europe they are usually rated in cubic meters per hour (m3/hr).

Firstly, we'll work out what size extractor fan is needed. There are many ways to work out what size extractor is needed for a particular sized room, some equations are more accurate, others are overly complicated -the following method is very popular and straight forward and has served many growers well:

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When we say the volume of the active growing area we mean the volume occupied by the lights and plants. To work out the volume simply multiply the length x width x height. In our example with 2 x 1000W lights this is 4ft (1 .2m) x 8ft (2.4m) x 8.2ft (2.5m), which gives the volume of the active growing area of 262.4 cubic ft (7.2m3). Once you have your volume, you need to multiply it by the amount of air changes needed per unit of time. For the majority of indoor gardens without AC or supplementary C02, the rule of thumb is one air change per minute. For the CFM equation there is no need to multiply it as we already have the total volume in cubic ft which is needed to be changed every minute. For m3/hr equation we need to multiply the volume by 60 to step it up to the amount of air changes needed per hour. Lastly, when using a carbon filter attached to the extractor fan we expect a drop in fan efficiency of approximately 25%. This figure is not fixed; it depends on the make and

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IIIJ'r 'rDIS IS Nft'l, i\1..1,71\YS 'rill~ (jJ\SI~. age of the fi lter and the length and course of ducting between the fan and filter and many more interesting factors that we won't bore you with here. To step up this efficiency drop of 25% simply multiply by 1.25.

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Required Fan size (CFM)

=

Required Fan size (m3/hr) =

(Volume of Active Growing Area) x 1.25 (4 X 8

X

8.2)

X

1.25 = 328 CFM 432 x 1.25 = 540 m3/hr This final figure is the minimum size extractor needed. If the garden is in a very well insulted location such as a basement using this figure should be fine. If the garden is located in a very sun-exposed location such as an upstairs bedroom or attic then the extractor size may need to be increased by approximately 25%. More often than not, you will have to match your required extractor size to the nearest size available. In this instance the nearest widely available inline fan size is a 6" (150mm) 390CFM (660 m3/hr) extractor.

REQUIRED FAN SIZE (CFM)

=(ACTIVE GROWING AREA) X 1.25 (4X8 X8.2)X 1.25 :328 CFM REQUIRED FAN SIZE (M3/HRI

=[ACTIVE GROWING AREA X 60) X 1.25 (1.2 X 2.4 X 2.5) X 60 ;; 432 432X 1.25 = 540 M3/ HR

lntea;,sting[y, if we work though the equation for the same room with 6 x 1OOOW lights it will give very a different answer: ,

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Fan size (CFM)

=

' (Roomvolume) x 1.25 (~2X

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8 x 8.2) x 1.25 =984 CFM

Required Fan size (m3/hr) =

(Room volume x 60) (3.65

X

2.4

X

1314 x 1.25

2.5}

X

x 1.25

60 = 1314

=1643 m3/ hr

OVERSIZED FANS REQUIRED FAN SIZE [CFM) Many growers think 'bigger is better' when it comes to extraction but this is not always the case. By extracting air from the garden you're removing the 984 CFM heat, but you're also removing the humidity. This means that an oversized exREQUIRED FAN SIZE (M3/ HR) tractor fan can often cause low relative humidity, which will create an onslaught (ROOM VOLUME X 60} X 1.25 of negative effects that will lead to poor (3.65 X 2.4 X 2.5) X 60 plant growth. 'Summer sized fans' are also not = 1314 always the answer to a warm indoor 1314 X 1.25 = 1643 M3/HR garden. There comes a point where it doesn't matter how much air your extracting, if your incoming air is warm your room will stay warm. If you can't keep the heat down and you're changing the air in your garden more than three times a minute, you need to consider installing air conditioning or using air-cooled or water-cooled grow lights.

= (ROOM VO LUME) X 1.25 [12 X 8 X 8.2) X 1.25

=

82

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if you're pulling in stale or warm air. This means you may need to have a window open so fresh air can be drawn in from outside and into the indoor garden. As a rule of thumb, the passive vents should be two to three times the size of the surface area of the extractor fan outlet. This means if the extractor has a 6" (150mm) spigot size, the garden will need 2-3 x 6" holes or rectangular vents with and equal surface area. When installing passive vents always have the extractor fan at the opposite end of the room. It's better to have oversized passive vents than undersized. If the vents are too small, the extractor fan will struggle to pull in sufficient quantities of flesh air.

FRESH AIR As mentioned earlier, we need to get fresh air into the garden. This can be done using two methods: 1) By making passive vents (basically holes) through which fresh air can be drawn in. 2) By installing active inline fans that push fresh air into the garden.

When using passive vents you have to ensure there is adequate fresh air outside the growing area. It's no good

PASSIVE INTAKE Indoor gardens with active intake fans often run more efficiently than those with passive vents. By pushing in fresh air you not putting as much strain on the extractor fan and you also get to choose where to pull the fresh air from. During the cooler winter months its best practice not to pump in very cold air, so a lot of growers pull slightly warmer air from inside their home. If it's a room you spend

time in, like your bedroom or living room, it will also have the added benefit of the air being slightly higher in C02. During the summer months its best to pull fresh cooler air in directly from outside as air from inside you house is likely to be warmer. Whenever you pull air straight from outside it's best to use an intake filter or 'bug screen' to limit the possibility of sucking in pests.

ACTIVE. INTAKE 84

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The golden rule when installing an intake fan 1s to make sure you're blowing in less air than is being removed by the extractor. This creates a 'negative pressure' and ensures that all the air exits through the carbon filter. If you input more air than the extractor can remove the air will start to build up and cause a 'positive pressure' forcing untreated air out of the garden. When selecting an intake fan it should have a maximum capacity that is 10-20% lower than the actual output of the

'

extractor. This will maintain adequate negative pressure while not putting too much strain on the extractor and intake fans. To work out the intake fan size we will need to take the extractor fan size and apply an estimated reduction for the carbon filter- 25%. If our target for the intake fan is 15% less air than the exhaust we need to multiply the reduced output by 0.85. Below is a work through of how to size up the intake fan for both or the example rooms.

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2 LIGHT ROOM:

6 LIGHT ROOM:

Extractor size - 390 CFM (660 m3/hr)

Extractor size - 1000 CFM (1700 m3/hr)

Estimated extractor power with carbon filter 390 X 0.75 = 292.5

Estimated extractor power with carbon filter 1000 X 0.75 = 750

Reduction to ensure negative pressure = 292.5 x 0.85 = Intake Fan Size 249 CFM (420 m3/hr)

Reduction to ensure negative pressure= 750 x 0.85 =Intake Fan Size 638 CFM (1 084 m3/hr)

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Whenlnstalllng the Intake fan, make sure the extractor Is at the opposite end of the garden. It's a good idea to split the intake air with a solid 'T' or 'Y' piece so that the cooler fresh air is distributed evenly. Using air socks or longer lengths of ducting with holes in is a good way of evenly distributing the incoming fresh air. One last factor to consider is that inline fans are better at pushing than pulling air through ducting. This means than when positioning your intake fan, it's better to place it nearer the source of fresh air and push it towards the indoor garden. To make the air reach the garden efficiently, make sure the duct runs are as smooth and straight as possible.

AIR MOVEM ENT Moving the air within the garden is of utmost importance. A light breeze moving air over the plants' leaves refreshes the C02 depleted air, gets rid of heat and humidity and

encourages ttansplratlon. The area of an Indoor garden where most unwanted heat will accumulate is between the lights and the canopy, so it 's absolutely crucial that this air is removed to avoid heat build up. To achieve good air movement between the lights and the canopy you can install fixed or oscillating air circulation fans. These can be wall mounted or floor standing and should be powerful enough to mix the air well, while not causing the plants to be blown too vigorously. You want to move the air, not your plants! If you point strong air circulators straight at your plants the air will move past the leaves so quickly that it will strip away the humidity surrounding the leaf and encourage rapid transpiration. This leads to the leaves losing water rapidly and can cause them to appear burnt at the edges crispy to touch; this is known as 'wind burn'. If you need to enhance the air movement around your plants, it 's a good idea to point air circulators towards walls rather than directly at the plants to mix the air adequately while not causing the plants to be flapping around in turbulent wind.

EQUIPMENT SHELVING AND SAFE STORAGE

I'EllT1Ulii\S NUTRIENTS-

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EQUIPMENT LOCATION To avoid unnecessary heat transfer, any equipment that generates heat should to be stored outside the garden. Most notably, the power packs (aka ballasts) that can get quite warm need to be situated outside the garden on a shelf or any non flammable surface. Having them outside the room also is best practice for electrical safety as they won't be operating in a warm and humid environment and will not have risks of stray foliar sprays landing on them or accidental splashes of nutrient solution. Nutrient solution will also benefit from staying outside the garden. Your reservoir will quickly heat up under the direct light from your grow lights so its best practice to locate your reservoir outside the garden. Any liquid nutrients and additives should not be stored in hot or cold environments. It's best to consult the packaging and see what the best environment is for your products but most appreciate a constant moderate temperature. This should again be outside your garden.

SUMMARY Following the above principles you can construct yourself a great, budget indoor garden, suited around you, while creating the ideal environment for your plants. All you need to do after this is choose a method to grow

your plants whether it's growing passively in plant pots, or using an active hydroponics system such as an Ebb and Flow, Drip, or NFT- all will flourish in your well planned indoor garden.

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liUctkM1 manual prior to use. be boring, but they'll 1hose answers will

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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE

It seems like every time I open up a trade magazine there is some new additive geared solely for the bloom and flower stage. Of course we all pay attention to them, reading the claims and keeping our ears open for any feedback from experienced growers, but I can't help wondering ..• is this all we should be focusing on? It's true that many of these products are breaking new ground and can be great for flowering plants, but if you are neglecting your clones and transplants, do you really think you are going to enjoy the full effect? Are we putting the cart before the horse? The answer for many growers is an affirmative YES! In a biological definition the vegetative plant is only truly measured by ifs ability to replace itself with healthy, fertile offspring. Consider the Agave. It lives for years without flowering, and .\hen one spring, it grows a floral stalk as tall as a telephone pole. That season the plant produces seeds and then withers and dies, its food reserves (sugars), minerals, and water

98

WHY IS THE VEGETATIVE STAGE SO IMPORTANT?

spent in the formation of its massive bloom. Although not all flowering plants are as completely consumed as the Agave in leaving offspring, most of their vegetative functions can be interpreted as mechanisms contributing to the flowering phase. The principal to take from this is that while the plant is growing it is building its reserves for the final phases of its life cycle, preparing for the genetic inevitable. Here is the larger principal any grower needs to think about: Veg is everything to the flowering cycle. Genetics are both chosen and eliminated over what a plant does in the vegetative phase. Questions like: Does it root fast? Does it grow fast? Does it show mold and pest resistance? All the while, the grower also asks the final questions: Does it look good? Does it taste good? Does it smell good? All of these traits will be synergized by selection based upon vegetative qualities.

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It sounds simple and redundant, but as a farmer and nutrient blender, I always try to keep things simple. I can say from education and experience that 90% of yield is based upon the grower's attention to mitigating stress, employing proper horticultural techniques at the right time, and providing the crop with quality mineral nutrition in the vegetative phase. Think about that fresh clone you just pulled out of the propagation tray or aeroponic system. With all those newly sprouted lateral roots, it's ready to explode into a fresh new pot of media or rockwool block. Think about transplanting those healthy starts and growing them for a few more weeks, the whole time producing huge sets of !eaves, extensive mats of white roots, and ever branching and hardening stems. What you have to think about at this time is that these thriving plants are building future energy and biomass to complete its lifecycle in the flowering I fruiting phase. Some of the best growers I deal with use minimal resources and get tremendous yields because they start with quality genetics, use quality nutrients, and obey the horticultural principals of the critical vegetative phase. Simply put, all you as a grower need to Rrovide your vegetative crop with are a high quality nutrient solution and a stress-free environment. Keeping you on track with this idea, a farmer by definition is just one who provides the needs of a crop in an economical way to express the crop's phenotype to the best of their abilities.

If you start with weak, diseased clones and transplants, you are going to fight an uphill battle for the entire crop. You will be wasting your time, energy, water, and hundreds of dollars in nutrients and additives trying to correct your hasty decisions to "just get things going" with sub-par stock. I've seen it a thousand times and the result is always the same. If you neglect your vegetative plants you will also end up spending more money on pest control to combat invading pestilence when these plants start to send out the death pheromone. The usual outcome to this vicious cycle is more often than not, depression in the heart of the grower when all their time and effort ends in a meaningless harvest.

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WHAT IS STRESS? Try to imagine for a second just how simple a plant's natural process really is. Water, nutrients, carbon dioxide and sunlight (or light from your grow lamps) go in. Reactions happen and sugars get created, stored or consumed. All of these processes drive the fluid system within a plant just like a river passes through the buckets of a water wheel. Each process is dependent upon a biochemical cascade of raw materials to keep the process unobstructed and flowing as efficiently as possible. Any oostruction or deficit from this simple process results in a net draw of energy (sugars). It doesn't take a genius to figure out that too many obstructions will result in a quantifiable loss of phenotypic quality and yield. Now think of these "obstructions" as stresses like exhaust fans or air conditioners not going on, irrigation pumps failing to cycle, powdery mildew taking over your leaves, or

mites making webs in your prized fruit. On top of your new definition of obstructions, remember that every time you change something, spray something, or neglect to do something you are potentially doubling the amount of loss in photosynthetic production and dipping below the little benchmark of plant biology called photosynthetic compensation point. At the compensation point, the rate of photosynthesis is balanced to the rate of respiration. Plants will maintain themselves, but not grow. Every step the crop takes below the compensation point makes those stresses exponentially more devastating to yield. This is because the rate of respiration in the plant doesn't cease during these events like photosynthesis does, so the biomass and raw materials that would have eventually gone into your fruit and provided for plant structure are solely going into survival operations.

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ENZVMATIC ACTIVI1Y AND TEMPERATURE

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With the obvious inputs of lighting, gas exchange, and irrigation well under control, the grower's efforts of staying above the compensation point and showing resilience to pestilence in the vegetative phase is primarily dictated by temperature. We know that the simple effects of temperature extremes will inhibit the absorption of mineral elements and water, but did you know that the most important factor is enzymatic activity? I'm not talking about extracellular digestive enzymes you add to your reservoir to eat up old roots. I'm talking about the intracellular enzymes that are naturally occurring in all plant cells. At optimal temperatures, these systems function well and remain stable for long periods of time with reaction rates at millions of times faster than those of comparable un-catalyzed reactions. At colder temperature.s, they remain stable but are non-functional, while at high temperatures they completely break down. For example, an enzyme system that is stable at 68°F will only be active for a few seconds at 1oooF before it is crushed and rendered useless, thus ceasing the function almost entirely. This is the simple basis behind why so many references provide optimal plant temperature ranges of between 68°F and 85°F-,. Most indoor growers shoot for lights-on temperatures in the high 70s and nighttime temperatures as

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close to that as possible to keep plants nice and squat. Enzymes are the key to all living systems. They are complex protein substances made of long, linear chains of amino acids that fold around to produce a unique three-dimensional product. Every biochemical action that takes place in nature is caused by a specific enzyme, which obviously makes them vital to plant growth. Enzymes work by lowering the activation energy for a reaction, thus dramatically decreasing the rate of energy (sugar) consumption needed to spark the same reactions without the enzyme. High temperature in the indoor garden or reservoir will denature the enzyme, that is, unfold and inactivate the three-dimensional structure of the protein. The three-dimensional shape is very important, with any destructipn of the shape reducing the enzymes efficacy by 95%. When it comes to enzymes the rate of their reactions is the name of the game. The faste r the reactions start to take place because of proper environment, the more efficient your crop will be at pulling up water and nutrients. The more water, nutrients, and light in, the more your plants will be pumping out energy via photosynthesis for more vegetative plant growth and sugar storage for the flowering I fruiting phase.

"90% OF YIELD IS BASED UPON THE GROWER'S ATTENTlON TO MITIGATING STRESS, EMPLOYING PROPER HORTICULTURAL TECHNIQUES AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND PROVIDING T HE CROP WITH OUALI1Y M INERAL NUTRITION IN THE VEGETATlVE PHASE."

100

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WHAT IS THE PERFECT WAYTOVEG? A well-planned vegetative period is crucial to your success - especially indoors. Light energy from your grow lights diminishes exponentially the further your plants are from the artificial light source. (It's not like the Sun that travels 93 million miles to reach the Earth!) So the aim of the game with maximizing production indoors is to encourage your plants to remain squat and produce as many growth tips I fruiting sites in a given square footage as possible. I like to make my plans on a weekby-week basis. Nutrient concentrations will change weekly and you need to keep supplies on hand, your meters calibrated and function ing, and your irrigation times changing with evapotranspiration rates. Horticultural practices will need to be employed on a weekly basis to ensure that about a week of reaction time is given to your actions. Lastly, weekly pest management measures need to be followed to monitor and eliminate any potential problems. Once you have the basics down it's really all about timing.

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"YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR TlME, ENERGY WATER, AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN NUTRIENTS AND ADDITIVES TRYING TO CORRECT YOUR HASTY DECISIO NS TO "JUST GET THINGS GOING'' WITH SUB -PAR STOCK."

FEEDING YOUR PLANTS The fol lowing is a checklist for growers to fol low when blending a quality vegetative nutrient solution. SOURCE WATER: Always, always, always start with the best water you can produce! Seriously, this is where a lot of would-be great growers go wrong. Good water basically can be achieved w ith a quality RO system. Some harder sources like well water may need some pre-filters (5-1 0 micron) and a water softener to create that 0-50 ppm sweet water you need for an intensive fertilizer program. If your water contains Iron metabolizing bacteria then a good investment is an Ozone generator for your well tank. When you have good water, you will be amazed at how well your nutrient solution will function. It's true you can push your nutri ent solution with marginal water (200+ ppm) but you will always be guessing at what exactly is in the source water when it comes time to diagnose a problem. Rememberhydroponics means "water working". Your source water is important! NUTRIENTS AND ADDITIVES: As far as the base nutrient is concerned, there is a reason why they are usually divided intG> both vegetative and blooming formulations. TIJe vegetative stage is the time for larger amounts of nitrogen in multiple forms (N03, NH3, and CO(NH2)2), to ensure cascading availability and pH balancing of the media. Calcium in larger amounts will increase the amount of Calcium Pectate for structure. A base nutrient should provide at least 5% Calcium to maintain synthesis of Calcium Pectate and to combat any deficiencies if using fresh un-leached cdir. Lastly, from the above discussion about enzymes and their importance, Sulfur with multiple forms of each essential micronutrient is a must. When it comes to adding nutrient additives, look at applying a balanced amount of a Calcium-Magnesium complex as well as Silica to help build strong cell walls that will not only fend off pestilence, but build a stout structure for increased fruit load.

USING FOLIAR SPRAYS TO REDUCE ST RESS: This is pure nutrient insurance for your crop that will not only give you a boost, but allow for your plants to glide through unperceived stress events (and you will have them!) from inflicting more damage than necessary. You will want to spray at tinnes of stress events and before times of unavoidable stress events like cloning, transplanting and light cycle changes. This will ensure that the plant's metabolism is kept at a pace above the photosynthetic compensation point. ROOT PROTECTION: This really is three-fold between using a microbial inoculant, a root protector and a digestive enzyme. You need to inoculate your clones and seedlings at least upon transplant from a cloner or from your rooting block to your next media jump. This allows for beneficial fungus and bacteria to establish a stronghold and overpopulate the roots and media before any pathogens get a chance. You need to apply this regimen frequently to maintain heightened levels of biota plus add some sort of carbohydrate feed and/or brewer's yeast to keep them feed. A root metabolizing enzyme will break down old organic matter (which is another form of feed for your specialized microbes) and ensure against root fungus gaining any stronghold upon your healthy roots.

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ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot

TRAINING, PRUNING, BENDING AND PINCHING The direct control of growth by training and pruning is among the oldest of horticultural practices. It is also the easiest way to control the size, growth , and health of your plants and to increase production. These pillars of horticulture always start in the vegetative stage. Training may involve merely providing a support on which plants may naturally grow or, in addition, it may include the bending, twisting, or fastening of the plant to a supporting structure. Pruning or pinching involves cutting back the terminal portion of a branch. Pinching destroys apical dominance and is followed by the stimulation of several lateral bud breaks. The reasons why we want to administer these horticultural techniques in the vegetative stage is because we want the plant's general fruiting structure and disease resistance to already be in place by the time blooming begins so we can optimize yield within all available space. Remember, the more fru iting sites in a given area, the better your eventual yield. Many growers use netting to help train their plants towards this goal. This is where you start to think on a weekly basis, because every technique you perform on the plant will have about a week long response time. You need to obserVe your crop and realize what reaction your actions now will have a week or two down the line. With experience you will see each actions reaction as to where the height will be, and if you are thinning out the

lower foliage enough to allow for proper air movement once the plants get bushier. I prefer to pinch during the last week of veg, at the latest. I try to thin out all lower stems and yellow leaves completely up from the bottom at the same time. Yellowing of lower leaves is not always a sign of nutrient imbalance as it is a natural process of the plant to allocate resources from these now unneeded leaves to the dominant tops receiving the majority of light. Get rid of all that 'scraggle' before it stretches for the light and wastes energy in the process. Anything that will never receive enough light needs to be eliminated so energy is not taken from your dominant fully exposed canopy. Leaf pruning is another horticultural must used to expose shoots to the light while managing the balance of photosynthate for plant metabolism. I tend to never prune more than 30% of my large solar panel water leaves during a session, with session intervals of about 10 days. You will begin to get the hang of leaf pruning once you see that after you expose a once shaded shoot to light, it is now turning dark

and receiving the energy it needs to become a producer. Although leaf pruning and trellising will go deeper into the bloom cycle, you will also want to have this started by that critical last week of the vegetative stage. Note: When training plants you will occasionally snap a stem. It happens. Plants can usually recover from this. Just position the stem back together and tape it in place. Give the stem time to recover before applying more pressure to that spot. A small knot will develop at the break and in the end the plant stem will grow back healthier and stronger than before. Let me finish by leaving you with a few key principals to take back to your indoor garden. Think of the sugars produced in the vegetative phase as being the same energy that will go into the fruit. In perfect conditions the plant is depositing a net inflow of this energy that keeps adding to your eventual yield. When stresses strike, the plant will be forced to use up this surplus for survival, keeping the crop from fully expressing its genetic fruit qualities. This is a simple explanation at the core of agriculture and it dictates everything. Simplicity and broad thinking in horticultural techniques, vegetative nutrition, and environmental management is really the only weapon you have as a grower to cut out the White Noise that will plague you when ~m issue strikes and time is of the essence. It truly is "all about the veg" when you consider that your end result depends on the time and effort you take to produce a strong, resilient base of healthy, vegetative plants. WORDS: Bryce Patterson

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.• ••• .•• •• . • •• •• •• . .• •• • •• • •• • •• •• •• •• •• •• •• • •

•

GROWTH MEDIA PRIMER WORDS: Eliab Lozada

Mostly from coconut palms in Sri Lanka and India.

$13-$50 (3 cu. ft.}

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Naturally contains the beneficial fungus Trichoderma, slowly releases potassium .

Draws down calciUJm, easily overwatered .

Manual top-feed, ebb/flow, drip.

Many growers choose coco coir specific nutrients, others add calciummagnesium additives . Coco coir comes in various compressed forms: bricks, bales and slabs. Also available in ready to use loose fill bags.

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••••••

•• ••• ••• • •• • • • • •

YOUR CHOICE OF GROWTH MEDIA IS CENTRAL TO THE WAY YOU IRRIGATE YOUR PLANTS. HERE'S OUR QUICK GUIDE TO SOME COMMON AND NOT SO COMMON MEDIA TO HELP YOU KNOWWHATOPTIONSAREOUTTHERE .

...•.•............... .... ..•. •...•...... .. .................................. ...................

A natural micaceous mineral that expands when heated.

South Africa, China, USA, or Brazil

Normally 5.5 but increased to a range of 6-7 with oyster flour.

Locally made, natural and organic.

Lightweight, excellent buffering qualities.

Low water retention.

Easily over-watered.

Manual top-feed, ebb/ flow and DWC.

Drip, ebb/ flow, and manual top-feed.

No special requirements.

Naturally inert medium, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Does not need to be rinsed but should be fed water only for the first 5-1 0 days.

Used neat, vermiculite holds too much water for most plants' needs. Amendment is necessary (see also perlite).

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.

• •• • • •• •• •• ••

GROWTH MEDIA PRIMER CONTINUED

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A sedimentary roclk made from fossilized remains of diatoms.

Does not roll, contains silica, sterile (but harbors beneficials well), holds more water than cl ay pebbles .

Heavy weight. Releases sediment.

Ebb/flow, drip, DWC, aeroponics .

No special requirements. Diatomite contains silica, which is absorbed into plant tissue and helps improve plant structure and resistance to pests I

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Prewash, as sediment may clog drippers. Many growers mix it with hydroton; this makes for improved air I water ratio. Also acts as a good killer of soil-dwelling pests.

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•• ••• ••• •• JARGON BUSTER .•........•...........•..•......•...•...•.•..........•.••..............................•.....•. Cation Exchange Capacity - CEC: The ability of a growing media to hold and release positive charged elements (cations). Important nutrient cations include calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Growing media with a low CEC allows cations to be easily leached away whereas growing media with a high CEC withhold cations and act as a long term store.

Heated basalt rock spun into a fibrous, lightweight material.

$80 (9 4"x4" blocks + 3 slabs)

Lightweight, sterile, recyclable.

Lightweight, 35% water-holding capacity while maintaining an 85% air-filled porosity. Capillary action up to 6" (15 em).

Skin irritant, needs pre-treating before

Bulky, needs frequent irrigations.

Manual top-feed, ebb/flow, drip,

owe. NFT.

Ebb/flow, DWC, aeroponics.

Inert medium, requires pre-soaking, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Inert medium, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Pre-soak with a water and pH Down solution of no less than 5.5 pH. After soaking, allow to drain and irrigate with a suitable nutrient solution before planting. Rockwool comes in starter cubes, plugs, blocks, slabs, mats, and loose-fill {absorbent or repellent granulate).

Wash thoroughly before use to remove small particles. Ideal for using neat or for mixing into coco coir, peat and other growing media.

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•

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GROWTH MEDIA PRIMER

..• CONTINUED .••• .••• .••• • • •• •• •• •

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A naturally occuring deposit of partially decomposed vegetation, mainly mosses.

Peat forms in wetland areas of North America, Ireland, Russia and Northern

Readily available, supports beneficials, excellent at holding nutrients and has a good air to water ratio .

Limited natural resource, extraction harmful to environment, does not re-wet well if left to dry out, naturally acidic. Manual top-feed, drip . 'Soil' specific nutrients are

Peat is found in many hydro stores in pre-mixed bags or bales. Usually has perlite added for improved drainage, a wetting agent for good re-wetting, and dolomite lime to raise pH .

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• .:108 •

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....... . . . . ...... JARGON BUSTER .............•...•.•.................•............•.................•.•........................ Air Filled Porosity- AFP: The amount of air space in the growing media. Water Holding Capacity - WHC: The ability of a growing media to hold and store water.

Although pebbles may be used to anchor the stem, the plant's bare roots are in direct contact with an oxygen-rich nutrient solution. Good question. Obtain a water analysis!

Varies, usually as the byproduct of sawmills and retail hardware stores.

0.1 cent per liter for domestic volumes, and 0.03 cents per liter for industrial volumes.

If you ask nicely, they may give it to you for free!

Varies; distilled water is 7.0 pH.

% of dissolved 02 increases as temperature drops.

Readily-available, roots love it when properly aerated and at the correct temperature (64-70•F).

Inexpensive, lightweight, biodegradable, harbors beneficials.

Poor buffering capacity, pH-fickle, may harbor pathogens.

pH-fickle, needs frequent irrigations.

Manual top-feed, ebb/flow, DWC. Inert medium, suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Diligent pH monitoring and adjusting is of the essence. Suits most hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Requires constant aeration to maintain dissolved oxygen levels necessary for healthy roots.

Best used for cycle crops and annuals.

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,

--K

•

EC

WHATISEC MEASURED IN?

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CONVERSION FACTORS TDS NaCI

TDS 442™

HOW DO TDS METERS TDS

WORK?- - - - -

0

1:.::d!!r

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I

-- = -

-· - ~ ..

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ms KC1

EC (mS)

EC (pS)

TDS NaCI

(EC ~S r 0.5)

TDS KCI

(EC ~s xo.s5)

TDS 640

tee ~s • o.64)

Natural WaterTM 442 !EC ~s • o 11

TDS 640

TOWARDS A CLEARER WORLD

MAKINC SENSE OF YOUR METER Is your feed chart still causing you confusion? Tell us about it at: rant@urbanga rdenmagazine .com

MAKE&MODEL

TDSFACTOR

BLUE LAB TRUNCHEON GUARDIAN

Displays EC and both NaCL (0.5) and 442 rM (0.7) Displ ays EC and both NaCL (0.5) and 442rM (0.7)

HANNA Hl98300 HI 98301 I 98302 GAO-CHECK COMBO HI981404N / HI 981405N H1983301N HI 983301 N/5

0.65 NaCL(0.5) 442 r" (0.7) 442"' (0.7)

NaCL(0.5)

HM DIGITAL TDS-3 AP-2 COM-100

OAKTON EcoTestr, TDSTestr11 , PTTestr35

NaCL (0.5) None - just measures EC Displays EC and TDS (user can select NaCI, 442 or KCI factors) All models user adjustable TDS Factor between 0.4 and 1.0. All models default to 0.71

MILWAUKEE MW401 , MW402 NaCL (0.5) T75, T76 NaCL(0.5) C65, C66, MW301, MW302 None - just measures EC MW801 NaCL(0.5) 0.65 MW802

NUTRIDIP Tri-Meter 202 Tri-Meter 203 Handheld

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NaCL(0.5) 442TM (0.7) 442TM (0.7)

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You Provide The Plants

Cl Am3nean tf;
We Make Them Hum! For over 25 years, AmHydro has provided the goodies & gadgets to make your plants hum. 3'x3' Econo-

Systems are still the #1 choice of the small garden grower. Just fill it with your favorite media, plants, add water, nutes and let 'er rip! Dark Energy... nothing compares to w hat it does for flowering annuals ... ask any experienced grower. lntelliCiimate & lntelliDose - state-of-the-art in grow room automation and remote control from a PC, the choice of professionals. Ask for them by name at your local retailer!

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Pioneering Crop Performance Since 1984

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What's the big deal with carbohydrate and amino acid products these days? Are they being used or misused by growers? We asked Steve Berlow, a research consultant for Florigen Research Laboratories, Canada to give us his insider perspective on the rise of carbohydrate and amino acid based products in the marketplace in recent years...

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The hydroponics and indoor gardening industry is rapidly changing and evolving. Recently the pace of that change has become quite staggering with new products seeming to appear almost daily-nowhere is this more prominent than in the field of plant nutrition. In the last few years the hydroponic nutrient market has progressed from one offering base nutrients and some phosphorus flowering boosters to today's market where a stunning (some might say 'bewildering') array of new technologies and theories are promoted. Two product types that have been causing a lot of chatter in the growing community are carbohydrate (sugar) supplements and amino acid based additives. And for good reason. Sugars and amino acids are both

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interesting concepts in the context of plant nutrition and many experts consider them to be on the cutting edge. All sounds pretty exciting doesn't it? But before you rush off and buy that fancy-labelled bottle of sugary or amino acid goodness, you really should get your head around some basic facts concerning these substances and the ability of plants to make use of them.

CARBOHYDRATES- ARE THEY REALLY 'CANDY' FOR YOUR PLANTS? You've probably heard the hype about carbs: "Feed your plants supplemental carbs and tum them into Olympic Gold Medal winners!"

So a grower walks into their local store, decides to buy a big bottle of some sugary carb supplement, with the intention of deploying it in his next res change. The notion is that the plants will suck up the carbs and get a boost of 'pure energy' without having to go through the relative hassle of producing them as a product of photosynthesis. Errrr, sorry to spoil the big carb party, but it's not actually that straight forward. The carbohydrate supplement is definitely a case where theory got ahead of practice. In theory, providing your plants with an array of simple and complex carbohydrates seems like a great idea. We all know that plants, driven by light energy and photosynthesis, produce sugar and starch. The plant uses them for growth and development. So the theory goes: If we supplement our nutrient solution with those very same sugars and starches, then the plant

and can therefore devote its energy to other things-such as making big flowers and fruits! Alternatively, if the plant is undergoing a period of physical stress (such as flowering or fruiting}, then the supplementation of those sugars and starches will enable the plant to grow and develop at warp speed as we have removed a limiting factor. Unfortunately all this seems feasible in a text book but, as usual, these things are rarely as simple in real life. So why not? Well, put simply, it's one thing to supplement a plant with carbs in a lab, quite another to do so in vivo (real life, real situation). You can inject carbs directly into a stem or a leaf, for instance, using laboratory techniques, but surely the crunch question is: can a plant uptake carbohydrates through its roots? I have been involved in research that aimed to determine whether

plants could actually uptake and utilize carbohydrates and, if so, what could they uptake and utilize. Carbohydrates range in size from very small, simple structures like glucose or fructose through to enormously large, complex molecules like polysaccharides. Sodid I find that plants could uptake simple and complex carbohydrates? Other than some very simple, and small carbohydrates (e.g. plain table sugar or fructose I glucose) plants essentially cannot absorb other more complex carbohydrates through their root zone. Why? It's because of a unique little barrier in the roots called the Casparian strip-complete with his sidekick the endodermis. Essentially the Casparian strip forces everything, and that includes carbohydrates. through the endodermis to be actively selected or rejected for uptake.

vascular cylinder (stele)

THE CASPARIAN STRIP

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An interesting side note for people who grow with organic nutrients. When you hear of the virtues of organic fertilizers, remember that such materials are unable to meet any nutritional needs of the plant until they have been degraded I converted into inorganic forms. Organic matter does play an important role in making good soil texture and rhizosphere health, but it can only meet the nutritional needs of the plant to the extent that it can yield inorganic ions. Once within the epidermis, only the inorganic ions pass inward from cell to cell.

Table 1 shows the 21 Proteino genic Amino Acid s

Amino Acid Supplements and SupplementationPossible or Possibilities?

Every chemical reaction or process that goes on inside a plant relies on protein. From photosynthesis through to hormone production, growth and development, and stress- proteins are used by the plant for every aspect of its life, so (we can see that a similar phrase is in the beginning of the next paragraph, perhaps substitute: obviously) amino acids are very important in the big scheme of things. This importance has not escaped the attention of researchers and manufacturers of plant nutrients and additives. We are now seeing the emergence of quite a few products

Okay, after that bombshell, let's take a look at amino acids. These are fascinating little things, these miniature building blocks of protein-body builders love them and, according to many growers, plants do too. So what roles do amino acids play in plant nutrition? There are total of 21 amino acids used in the production of protein and you've probably seen most of them listed on the back of a bottle by now. They are known as proteinogenic amino acids

TWENTY-ONE AMINO ACIDS A. Amino Acids with Electrically Charged Side Chains _v Arg mne

Hislldme (His)

(Arol HO

Lysine (Lyst

(

Aspart c Acid (Aspl 1

.ao

BO

or ·•202

or · ,"

OJ K•,·•

Nli~

NH~

NHll

plf..l 9 00

Glutarnic Acid (Giu)

.,...ue

&~KA&. 10

0 NH

H~N -\ $ NH2

@ NH~

ol
p~(l1210

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B. Amino Acids wilh Polar Uncharged Side Chains Ser ne (Ser)

eo

·~

,;M.& 10 .(1 7

Threon ne (Thr)

Asparagine (Asn)

Glutamine (Gin)

'=I lleta
C. Special Cases Selenocysteine (Sec)

Cysteine {Cys)

BO

Glycine {Gif)

HO

Proline (f>rol

HO

HO

Q=fK 018'NHa Q=fKoUO o ==(: '3~ Q=s ~a1,95 NH2 NH2 NH c:Ka 10 21

SH

pKa ·o 00

pKa 9 58

ol
SeH

otea8.J.!

D. Amino Acids with Hydrophobic Side Chains Alanire (Ala)

lsolell(:lne (lie)

Leucine

Methionine

(Leu)

(Met)

Phenylalanine {Phel

Tryptophan (Trp)

Tyrosine (Tyr)

Valine (Val}

:t••H7 HO

0

NHc

.... QM

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that contain these essential building blocks of life. One area being examined by both researchers and manufacturers are amino acids that are direct precursors to hormones. Tryptophan is one popular amino acid being researched as it is the direct precursor to indoleacetic acid (IAA)- a powerful growth hormone. Arginine is one of the precursors for cytokinins and is a major player in the production of flowers and fruits on a biochemical level. Other interesting roles for amino acids include their part in mitigating plant stress. Huge quantities of proline are produced by a plant during times of stress to assist with osmotic balance and to maintain a positive water status. Amino acids are also used as a source of nitrogen in the root zone as they are delaminated by rhizosphere bacteria and fungi. The bacteria feed on the amino acids and in return nitrogen, in the form of ammonia, is released which can be absorbed by the plant. Ammonia is very rapidly absorbed and utilized by the plant and, in small quantities, is very beneficial to the support of rapid growth and development. A new, very exciting and emerging area of amino acid research, and one that I am very actively involved in, is the role played by accumulated amino acids. In plants, the roles of accumulated amino acids vary from acting as an osmolyte, to the regulation of ion transport, to modulating stomatal opening, and to the detoxification of heavy metals. Amino acids also affect the synthesis and activity of enzymes, and most excitingly of all play a major role in gene expression! So it's readily apparent why plant nutrient manufacturers would be interested in the humble amino acid-they could be very useful to growers! As useful as they might be, amino acids are also commonly misunderstood-just like the c arbohydrates we looked at earlier. Once again theory is getting way in front of reality. As with carbohydrates no one has really looked at whether plants can actively take up amino acids through their roots. A major focus of

120

my research is examining how, or if, plants can take up amino acids in this way. One method is to feed plants a solution of radioactively labelled amino acids and then take special x-rays of the whole plant 24 hours later. You can actually visualize the extent of the amino acid uptake. In all of the experiments I've been involved in, almost none of the amino acid solution fed to the plants had been absorbed by the roots and transported to the leaves. So what's at play here? Once again it's the role of the Capsarian strip and endoderm is coming into action and excluding the uptake of almost all of the amino acid solution fed to the plants. Amino acid supplementation does work to a minor extent-as some, but very few, of those root fed amino acids are absorbed by the plant. The exciting phenomenon is that the tiny amount that does manage to get absorbed positively affects the growth and development of plants.

So what did we learn? Only simple sugars are absorbed by the plant root system . And, only a very small amount of any amino acids supplied will ever be taken up by your plant's root system. So what does that mean? Are carboyhydrate and amino acid products a waste of your time? No-not exactly. Even when a small amount of amino acid is absorbed by the plant, we can get some positive effects. The simple sugars in carbohydrate products do get absorbed; others form a good source of food for beneficial bacteria in your root zone. So there are some benefits from using these types of productsjust probably not to the degree that some of us may have hoped. Feeding your plants carbohydrate and amino supplements is not a waste of your time or money; in fact many of those simple and complex carbohydrates serve as food for the friendly bacteria and fungi in your root zone. But don't forget that your plant's roots constantly exude simple and complex, carbohydrates, amino acids and proteins into the rhizosphere and that those exudates already

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serve as food and growth promoting compounds for many of the beneficial bacteria, fungi and micro organisms present in your plant's rhizosphere. Root exudates are commonly divided into two classes. Lowmolecular weight compounds such as: amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and other secondary metabolites and high-molecular weight exudates such as: mucilage (polysaccharides or complex carbs) and proteins. The rhizospheric bacteria and fungi return the favor, in a symbiotic relationship, by breaking down complex products in the rhizosphere into ionic fonms the plant can absorb as well as excreting protein and secondary signalling molecules of their own that benefit the plant by increasing its rate of growth and development. In fact, much or all of the apparent success of carbohydrate and amino acids products are due to this inadvertent power feeding of your root zone friendlies and the symbiotic benefits they return to your plants.

The Future of Carbohydrate and Amino Acids? Biochemists and plant researchers around the world are conducting research into methods of delivering carbohydrates and or amino acids directly into the plant in large or precisely controlled amounts. We are conducting research on developing radical new delivery methods for compounds that are otherwise impossible to deliver to plants in a controlled or effective manner. Techniques such as bio- and nano- encapsulation technologies are currently being pursued and developed-the promise of these techniques is huge. They could allow things like complex carbohydrates and amino acids to be delivered to your plants as they need them.

What do you think? Tell us about your experiences with carbs and aminos by emailing: [email protected]

"Good Things Come From Humboldt"

Spring 2010

Bigfoot uses House & Garden!! HW PRESS

For years, Humboldt County locals have known that Bigfoot goes big outdoors. It seems the only thing people don 't know is his preference in nu. tnents .... unh'1 now.I In this newly released photo , Bigfoot is seen with House&Garden. No longer is the bigman a mystery. He knows H&G is super concentrated which means he uses less for more success. - HW-

Only available throug h H umboldt Wholesa le

house-garden. us humboldtwholesale.com 1-888-HW-YIELD worldmags & avaxhome

bave to do w-ltb arbaD •••deDID•? What does Peak Oil have to do with you or urban gardening? A whole lot, it turns out. And not tomorrow or when your children grow up, but right now. Take a look at this graph. It was not drawn by "gloom-and·doomers."

It was not devised by communists or socialists, Nazis, employees of British Petroleum or GoldmanSachs. Look at it carefully, because it could show your future. The deeper you st udy this graph, the more alarming it becomes.

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c:::J Non-OPEC Unconventional Petroleum liquids

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Non-OPEC Conventional Projects

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World's Liquid Fuels Supply c::::J Non-Petroleum Unconventional Liquids

c:::J Non-OPEC Unconventional Petroleum Projects

c:::::3 OPEC Conventional Projects c::l Non-OPEC Existing Conventional

-

OPEC Existing Conventional

-

AE02009 Referenc.e Total Consumption

Souree: EIA. A£02009

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- Firstly, with the exception of "unidentified projects," the total production of all liquid fuels, including alcohol and other biofuels, and "unconventional" fuels like tar sands, will begin to FALL at the end of next year.

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- Oil production from "identified" sources will never again reach the point it hit a couple of years ago. - There will be a 10 mlilion barrels per day ("mbpd") shortfall from demand by 2015. That's approximately 1/8 of present consumption. To make up the difference, the world would have to find another Saudi Arabia and get it into full production in five years, an impossibility. -A 50% drop in the production of total liquid fuels is expected in the next 20 years. - Meeting presently expected demand requires a completely unprecedented achievement: discovering, developing, and bringing to full production 60 mbpd of "unidentified projects" in the 18-year period of 2012-2030. That's roughly one Saudi Arabia in the next five years, two Saudi Arabias in the next 10 years, and six by 2030. And just keeping production at its present level requires discovering four Saudi Arabia equivalents and bringing them to full production before 2030, when historically it takes 30-40 years from discovery to get an oil field to peak production. How often has the world found a recoverable oil deposit like Saudi Arabia's? Just once. - Finally, take a look at the little green thread on the graph. That represents a diversion of 1/4 or more of America's grain production to alcohol. That's a lot of bread, but not much fuel. Food in the days of multi-billion populations requires oil for fertilizers, for pesticides, for water pumping, for tractors. If you look at the graph, within a few years humanity will likely have to choose between oil for food and oil for transportation.

Do you see it? Do you even want to? This graph was created by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), and the United States military concurs. So here we are, if it's about right, on the edge of a precipice, with no prior warning from either the industry, which knows what it possesses, or the collective governments, which ostensibly protect the public interest. The world's 6.8 bil lion people are on their own. We are about to drive straight off a cliff, and there isn't so much as a caution sign, "STOP! Cliff ahead; depart from vehicle." Even when French newspaper, Le Monde, questioned officials about this graph a few weeks ago, they would only admit that we "may be entering a plateau in production." You don't say?

CJoDVeD'tiOD&I v•. UDOODVeDtiOD&I At this point, so we can understand whether the graph is right, it would be helpful to clarify the distinction between "conventional" and "unconventional" oil. Conventional oil is what comes from conventional wells. It doesn't have to be melted out of the earth like the tar sands of Northern Alberta. It doesn't have to be pumped from deep under the sea, like the oil recently found off Brazil and the oil British Petroleum is spewing all over the Gulf Coast. The methodology and costs of retrieval are by this time well understood for conventional oil. Unconventional oil, on the other hand, is much more expensive, more difficult to retrieve, and more energy costly - it might as well be considered a new energy source altogether. It's too much like fusion - a virtually limitless energy supply that experts claim will

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.. 7be'World'• biiUoD people OD tbelr O'WD. We are about to drive .tralcbt oil a oiUI. aDd tberei•D't so aauob a• a oautloD •lsD...&TOP! CIUI abead; depart lroaa veblole." arrive in several decades. But the cliff is now. So let's look at the conventional fuel supply first. It's clear that existing conventional petroleum supplies make up the lion's share of the known oil on the graph. Colin Campbell, a former industry geologist, is famous in peak oil circles for the 1998 Scientific American article he coauthored with French oil geologist Jean La Herrere, "The End of Cheap Oil," in which they predicted a peak of production in 2003 and a drop to 39 mbpd by 2030 (the above graph assumes peak production to have occurred a little later from a little higher, but predicts exactly the same endpoint of 39 mbpd by 2030). Campbell published a striking graph of worldwide discovery versus production of conventional petroleum, showing that discovery has been on an inexorable steady downward trend since the sixties, notwithstanding massive exploration efforts and major improvements in the technology of exploration. He makes an observation so simple that only a genius could have thought of it: there are two undeniable facts:

" You have to find oil before you can produce it." " Production has to mirror discovery after a time lag."

e. ] ~le .

-

1;.

.

Peak production in any oil field has historically fol lowed its initial discovery after 3D-40 years. So, here we are, the peak in production has occurred, about four decades after the peak in discovery. It could not have been any other way, and no sane person looking at his graph could think otherwise; an unimaginably large discovery of conventional oil, coming out of the blue after 40 years of downward discovery, could barely make a difference because of the time lag. This downward trend is just the tlocumentation of a grim reality. The geologists have looked everywhere, and another Saudi Arabia is not going to be discovered any more than an elephant is going to be found under a cabbage leaf. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), however, issued a report in 2000 imagining the unimaginable: an additional 900 billion barrels of conventional oil in the "to be found " category (which would postpone the peak for decades), but in the subsequent 10 years Campbell's projections rather than the USGS projections have been born out.

Hubbert'• Peak Shell engineer Dr. M. King Hubbert wrote a paper for the American Petroleum Institute in 1956 in which he extrapolated the curves of petroleum production for the United States and the world based upon nothing more than (a) the existing historical data on production and (b) the assumption that production would follow a bell-shaped curve with roughly half the oil being produced before the peak and half after. He showed that growth was already marginally less than exponential, so a peak had to be lurking out there. As oil wells age, they lose pressure. As fields become more fully developed, new wells with solid flows are less commonly found. And, as the resource nears full exploitation, fewer and fewer new fields are found. In any event, Hubbert estimated, from the slowing process, when peak production would occur in the United States and the world. His paper, for whatever reason, was generally dismissed until the United States' peak arrived within a year of his prediction. He also claimed

'1 24

that oil production worldwide would peak around the year 2000. The shape of Hubbert's curve, implying that half the conventional oil is produced on the up-swing and half on the down-slide, likewise said that the peak would come in the last decade, because that's when the halfway point through conventional oil is reached, as perceived by most geologists. So a conventional-oil peak in the last decade was pretty much inevitable, in practice because of the observations of Campbell and his fol lowers, and in theory because of Hubbert.

Surel.,. tbere'•JDore oll...•oJDew'bereT Let's return to unconventional oil for a moment. One often reads of staggeringly large fields of difficult-or-impossible-to-retrieve oil: the Canadian tar sands, with estimated trillions of barrels, the Bakken field in North Dakota, also reported to have trillions of barrels, and the deep-sea fields off the Brazilian coast. Estimates appear to run to 10% of the oil in the tar sands being retrievable, with the i nconsequential little yellow band on the graph appar-

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ently representing the tar sands. USGS has concluded that enough oil can be extracted from the Bakken to serve US needs for six months or global needs for six weeks, in round numbers - quite a large quantity of oil, but not enough to make the graph look different. While large deep-sea oil fields are being discovered at this time near Brazil, it is not yet known when or whether they will be economically feasible to exploit, and they are, in any event, many years off. In fact, the head of Brazil's state oil company, Petrobras, relies upon a graph essentially the same as the one shown here, to assert that we have arrived at the edge of the ultimate downslope. I see little reason to doubt the collective views of: - oil banker Matt Simmons, the Bush Administration's advisor on peak oil (who refers to the "unidentified projects" as "faith based") - geologist Campbell (viewing the un-identified projects as just a "euphemism for rank shortage")

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- the President of Petrobras, the Brazilian national oil company (who is adamant that a crash is coming on approximately the same schedule as the DOE graph) - the United States military (foreseeing a severe petroleum shortage, 10 million barrels per day, by 2015, apparently the same 10 mbpd shown as "unidentified projects" by the DOE, but seeing some possibility of eventual retrievals from Brazil) - the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies (which has studied unconventional sources, both those identified in the graph and those "unidentified," and estimates they are good for 6.3 mbpd in coming decades) - energy analyst Dave Cohen (who says in his article, "Peak Oil is a Done Deal." [ASPO/USA Energy Bulletin, July 16, 2008), that based largely upon the fact that Saudi Arabia's largest field, the Ghawar, is now in decline it appears that the Saudis nor anyone else has the resources to offset this decline) Of course anything could prove them all wrong, but blithely optimistic dreams are no substitute for contingency planning.

Are tbelaot• belaa oovered up? The oil industry has claimed the peak is decades away, but there's no data to back this assertion. As Simmons pointed out, "With solid global field-byfield production data, Peak Oil timing can be proven." The actual records in many nations, especially OPEC, are nonetheless so blatantly concocted that one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Typically, OPEC nations' time charts of their reserves look like steps - up and over, up and over, never going down, with the "ups" coinciding with political events but not, as you might expect, coinciding with new discoveries. Independent analysts have been forced to rely on indirect calculations and extrapolations analogous to Hubbert's ; Hubbert's

"GoveraJDeat• aad oorporatloa• arem.l•leadiDa u• a• to tbe •everlt' aad urceao,olour predloaJDeat." extrapolations would not be reliable today because of the variable efficiency of different means of pumping, such as pumping water into wells to maintain the pressure beyond the traditional "peak." The net result? Enormous uncertainties, with "those who know, not saying, and those who say, not knowing"- a principle more familiar to afficionados of organized crime than to observers of businesses and their regulators. But then again, nothing ever perpetrated by organized crime could ever approach the callousness towards human life and welfare with which the oil industry and the producing nations have falsified and concealed the facts. Meanwhile the governments of the consuming nations have allowed it to happen. As recently as March, 201 0, Oxford University researchers reported that the International Energy Administration (lEA) and the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) had been deliberately overstating conventional oil reserves by one third, sufficient to meet global demand at current rates for 10 years, with the result that the agencies "could be failing to prepare governments for the oil shortages and price spikes that would accompany Peak Oil." The graph shows that this is exactly what has occurred. If our global supply is only going to last a decade less than predicted, that's a pretty big "shortage," don't you think?

The 6.8 billion people on this planet depend on oil for their food, their transportation, their home heating, and all the 'stuff' they currently consume. Clearly things are going to change drastically.

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But governments and corporations are misleading us as to the severity and urgency of our predicament. Those of us with our eyes pried open have to decide how we are going to cope with the end of oil, which is apparently beginning right now. It's time we asked ourselves how to survive without: - gas for our car, - heating oil for our house, - fuel oil for electricity generation, - oil-powered ships for moving grain and consumer goods, - asphalt for repair of highways, - capital or credit to fund the necessary changes. Whether we like it or not, we are the last generation of oil addicts. Oil is an intrinsic part of almost every meal we've ever eaten, and almost everything we've ever done. Adapting to less oil is not going to be easy, and for many of Earth's 6.8 billion, it may prove impossible.

GREEN

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We desperately need to investigate sustainable and local methods of food production. Your skills as an urban gardener will be vital to you, your family, and your local community. Talk to land owners if you need to. Talk to your friends and colleagues. Make a plan, even if it's just planting a few extra rows of veggies this year, and do it! You will be amazed how many people are inspired to do the same. The more you can incorporate locally produced food into your diet, the less of a shock to your ~ystem it will be when you are forced to do so. It's hard to see how a civilization can hold itself together when comprised of profoundly selfish individuals; people who believe life's purpose is to fulfill their own creature comforts with little or no regard to preserving their civilization as a whole. Somewhere along the line people have erred , and slipped into this "what about me?" mindset; the very same mindset that arguably gave birth to the age of oil in the first place. And while oil gave us global food distribution networks, it also created a form of local isolation insofar as we have became less reliant on our neighbors. As a result, historical notions of commun have disintegrated in industrialized nations. In the absence of community, when the last drops of oil are gone, what will we be left with? What options will remain when there is little or no fuel left to d rive on crumbling roads and chronic food shortages are rampant? The answer is surprisingly simple: we stay at home and tend to our gardens. We get to know our neighbors. In short, we practice the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It's paraphrased in every major religion for a reason. And we urgently need to rediscover it. Remember, no man or woman is an island. So don't just look out for yourself. Look out for your neighbors and you might well find that you won't just survive, but you'll thrive!

" Wbat optloa. 'Will reaaala 'Wbea tbere I• l .l ttle or DO fuel left to drive oa oruaabiiDB road• aDd obroDio food •bortac•• are raaap&DtT Tbe &IUIW'er I • .urpri•IDsl' s l aaple: ._. •ta,. at boaae aDd tead to our Bardea....

WORDS: Nicholas C. Arguimbau. Nicholas received his A.B. from Harvard University. He is an appellate and environmental lawyer licensed in California and residing in Western Massachusetts.

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...

FALSE FLAiiS DDN•T FLY

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Acts of terror and violence never benefit the average man or woman. They only ever benefit those in positions of power. This is why Nero fiddled while Rome burned: it gave him a chance to throw the Christians to the lions and rebuild the capital of the Roman Empire in his own image. This is why Hearst and the warmongers of the emerging American Empire were delighted by the destruction of the U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor: it gave them the excuse they needed In order to rouse the public into supporting the SpanishAmerican War. This is why Israel attacked the U.S.S. Liberty in 1967 during the Six Day War, strafing and torpedoing It relentlessly for hours In a vain: attempt to send it to the bottom: the Israelis believed that tfle loss en the Liberty could be blamed on Egypt and dFaw the ~rlcans Into"""· This Is wtly

••THE PEOPLE ARE DN[E AGAIN LEARNING THE POWER DF THIS DELUSION. THEY ARE LEARNING THE EXTENT TD WHI[H THEY HAVE BEEN LIED TD.••

there are hundreds of documented examples of governments staging attacks in order to blame them on their political enemies. In every civilization, in every culture, in every historical period, authoritarians have known that spectacular acts of violence help to further consolidate their own power and control. And sadly, throughout history there have been all too many willing to allow attacks to occur, to pretend that attacks have occurred or even to attack their own population in order to further their political agenda. To think that such staged provocations and false flag attacks no longer occur would be as unrH~istic as believing that human behtlior itself has changed, that powerful people no longer seek to increase their power, that influence is never used for deceit or manipulation, that lies are no longer told to sati!fy greed or slake the thirst for control. It is to believe • that our society is immuned from tfios~ things that we have seen in every other society In every other era. In short, it is a dangerous

"f

The people are once again learning the power of this delusion. They are learning the extent to which they have been lied to. They are once again studying their history. The Russians are learning how the FSB was caught planting bombs in Moscow in the 1990s during a terror scare that swept Putin into power and stirred the public into supporting the Second Chechen War. They are learning how their autocratic ex-President came to power campaigning on the graves of those his old FSB cronies had killed. The Israelis are learning how Mossad has been caught time and again posing as the very Muslim terrorists they claim to be opposing. They are learning how Israel uses the specter of terror to further extend their blank check drawn on American funds to expand their police state at home an'd maintain their hard·linEt stance, the world's sixth-largest nuclear superpower supposedly threatened by the possibility that one of their neighbors may one day obtain a single nuclear weapon.

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\

The British are learning how their SAS officers were caught dressing up as Arabs in Iraq, driving around with trucks full of munitions, shooting at police to stir up ethnic tensions and insure that permanent bases could be built in the region. They are learning how Haroon Aswat, the supposed mastermind behind the 1n bombings, was working for British Intelligence. They are learning how British military intelligence took part in IRA bombings. The Indians are learning how the Mumbai attack was helped by an U.S. Agent who is cooperating with investigators so that he won't face questioning by toreign ,authorities. The Canadians are learning how their own provincial police dressed up as protestors in 2007 and threatened violence against other police in order to force a crackdown on peaceful protests. And the Americans are learning that there were multiple bombs found, dismantled and taken out of the Alfred P. Murrah building on Apri119, 1995. They are learning that Timothy McVeigh had wrltten a letter to his sister In which he

••NaW WE SEE THE SAME BUILD-UP TD A FALSE FLAii EVENT TAKINii PLA[E THAT WE SAW IN 1!1!15. AT THAT TIME THE U.S. HAD A [DRPDRATE MEDIA DESPERATE TD FLINii MUD AT ANYONE [DN[ERNED BY THE A[TIDNS DF THEIR liDVERNMENT.. claimed to be in the Special Forces for the U.S. Army. They are learning the bombing was being directed by FBI informants, just as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing was. They are learning about 9/11 and the Gulf of Tonkin and Operation Northwoods and their own Army Counterinsurgency Manuals that teach officers how to commit false flag attacks to blame on their enemies. In short, the people are learning the truth. And now we see the same build-up to a false flag event taking place that we saw in 1995. At that time the U.S. had a corporate media desperate to fling mud at anyone concerned by the actions of their government, and It had a g,ovemment that was desperately -.:J!®r.»pt.llar In the face or growing

Today., sae the MAI!OtON tit play.

~-~!&ilion.

If anything, the situation today is worse than it was in the run-up to the Oklahoma City Bombing, with media consolidation meaning that groups of concerned citizens like the Oath Keepers are being attacked by the controlled minions on both the left and the right. And now it is not just the militia that is being demonized by the establishment: it is veterans and gun owners, third party supporters and libertarians, antiwar protestors and human rights campaigners, people who are upset with the government giving trillions to the banks that have engineered our current financial crisis In the first place. In short, everyone Is now a potential terrorist; according to the governmental and media agencies ttiat detln tc:trllmlt our tange of acceptable opinion and contiPJ diS§J.nt.

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Even the word 'terrorist' means something more than it did back in 1995, after the false flag anthrax attack allowed the passage of the Patriot Act, after the boogey of AI-CIAda gave the NSA the opportunity to announce that they were collecting everyone's emails and everyone's telephone calls, after the former Homeland Security Secretary came out and admitted that the Bush administration had made up terror threats in order to scare the people into supporting the government, now we know what the real definition of terrorism Is. It Is governments scaring their own populations into line. But there is something else that's different now from what it was in 1995. The people are learning something else about terrorism: they are not terrorists for speaking out against their government. They are not terrorists for wanting the government to stop selling their children into servitude to pay bankers their bonuses. They are not terrorists for pointing out that the FBI and the CIA and Mossad and MIS are behind every major terrorist event. The people are not terrorists because they do not want to see more death. They do not want more destruction, the spilling of the blood of their fellow citizens is not in their interests. Death and destruction only ever serves the governmental and financial and industrial interests who always grow in power and wealth in \he wake of every tragedy. Time and again, the people pay with their lives, and the governments and the banks and the war machine only grows and prospers. The people do not want terrorism because it does not benefit them. It only benefits the existing power structure. And this time, if there is another staged event to blame on the government's enemy of the day, the people will know who to blame.

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Your Letters... It's summer. It's hot. Everybody's outside. Oh no. Not everybody. Some of you are busy sending us letters and emails! Fantastic! Your tan might not be as deep as it could be, but at least we have something to print here. So, without any further preamble, here we go ...

Dear Sir, I didn't make it too far into your last issue before I became acutely annoyed. Although I do enjoy your articles on GM foods, I think your article on the Enviropig had some misguided and misleading information. As an employee of a large-scale egg farm (over two million layers), I have a bit of knowledge into the inner workings of this business. Your article 'threw us under the bus' with your comment about our chicken manure creating toxic wastelands and the treatment of our hens as animal inmates. Neither of these statements could be further from the truth. First of all, every bit of manure produced on our farms is dried and sold to other farmers for a variety of uses. One example is the use as an organic fertilizer for hay fields, which are then harvested and fed to Non-GM cattle for human consumption. Next, as far as the animal inmate description, I invite you to visit our website and take our online tour through a chicken house. I realize that some people are opposed to the idea of caged hens altogether but fortunately our farm also has a large number of cage free and organic hens. The point of this rant; it is a mistake to paint a picture with such a broad brush stroke. Not every large-scale operation is the epitome of evil! Enjoy a tour...www. willamette-egg.com Sein

134

Thanks Sein for sharing your comments. Rest assured, our writers here at Urban Garden don't pull any facts from thin air; and we are definitely aware that manure is sold for fertilizer. But that doesn't discredit the fact that poultry manure from these mega operations emits high levels of nitrous oxide and ammonia. And that's not all: during storage in the farm, large quantities of methane (a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than C02) are released, and when this manure is spread on fields, like you say, it continues to emit nitrous oxide and causes nitrogen pollution of land and water-- not to mention that an average slaughter house uses two million gallons of water per day. Not toxic? Factory farms pollute more than all the cars in the world combined! Attempting to justify this obscenity because the manure might be used for non-GM crops is surely twisted logic. It's worth noting that 55% of corn (mostly GM, of course) produced in the US is used as animal feed for livestock and poultry. As for the claim that hens are not treated like animal inmates, let people use their own discretion on this matter. But based on our research, poultry is treated much, much worse. Source: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/ resources/publications/environment_ sustainability/

Hello friends at Urban Garden, I would greatly appreciate ANY donation of equipment, water pump, air stone, nutrients, timers, lights, trays, Rockwool, thermometer, tubes or fittings to create my own hydroponic system, maybe some

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books helping me out on the subject, pH testing kit, clone kit, ballasts, I'm really interested in testing out the LED technology, fans, or if you're feeling REALLY generous a reservoir, tray, or complete kit to grow with. I'm not expecting anything from this email, but I just thought that it couldn't hurt to try. And any donation of any size, small or large would help me out more than you know. Anyways, thanks for your time, and I hope you'd like to help a friend get started! I'm available to talk if you need to get a hold of me, or if you just have some advice you'd like to send my way feel free to call me at 1(907)-***-***. My name is Andrew. Please send any donations to the address listed below. Thank you so much, it will all come back to you. I know it will. Andrew. Dear Andrew, Thanks for your letter. We would greatly appreciate any donations of gourmet sushi, and a case of fine vintage Bordeaux delivered to our offices every Friday - preferably before 4.15pm. Please make sure that the sushi and the wine are transported in separate climate-controlled containers as it 's a pain to wait for Bordeaux to reach room t emperature. I know w hat you're thinking. Bordeaux and sushi? Trust me, Andrew, the lighter Cabernet Franc based blends complement the sushi in a surprisingly avant-guard fashion. Oh and another thing, we always fight over the pickled ginger and wasabi, so please don't neglect to include extra portions of both. And finally, don't even think about supplying soy sauce unless

it's certified organic and GM free. But hey, you're probably waaaay ahead of us on this one. Thanks Andrew - as you say, all this will come back to you. We know it will. Our address is in the front of the magazine.

How ignorant are we in this wor1d? How much time is spent updating Facebook and watching mind-numbing lV shows? People aren't born and raised in this system with a gratitude to Mother Nature, to the universe, to the natural cycles of life. Instead, our worship is directed at Nike and McDonalds; our time, thoughts, and energy poured into clothes, toys, shoes, electronics, and more useless goods to be piled into landfills. Forget the minutiae of day-today living. Step outside and watch the intricate network of worms instead! Hear the slow whoosh of water on finely smoothed stones, watch the swallows dance in the wind, taste the morning dew. Every day you make a thousand choices. Should you support a system of corruption that continues to pour wealth to a select few people? The same people who suppress scientific studies that prove many of their products are literally poisoning the population (Monsanto). Or, will you STOP PARTICIPATING? Don't buy new (get it used or better yet - don't get it at aiQ, take your money out of big banks (Chase, Bank of America, Citi Group}, tum off the mainstream media, grow your own food or buy it locally, avoid genetically modified foods at all costs because they are not safe to eat, refuse to buy into the "fear'' - swine flu, militia uprisings, the "war on terror'' and pretty much every news piece broadcast by news stations that support political

campaigns (Fox, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC). Get your news from independent world news services instead.

Do not doubt yourself because it is you and your friends and your family that make up the wor1d. You don't have to devote your life to 'good works,' just stop devoting it to bad ones. Join the cause by recycling, composting, finding alternative energy sources, switching to bio-diesel, supporting amazing change campaigns like the Venus Project Get educated! Take all of that time that you save when you tum off the lV and watch documentaries like Zeitgeist Addendum, The Corporation, What the Bleep do We !Know, Capitalism: A Love Story, Sicko and many more. Making these changes does not mean placing yourself on a pedestal, criticizing tthose who continue to live in the fallacy of the American Nightmare. Awakenings come gradually, sometimes painfully -- the most potent catalyst for change is empathy. JackiErickson Traverse City, Ml Thanks for your email Jacki. It's an awesome privilege to get a chance to 'hack the Matrix' every couple of months with our humble publication, and letters like yours are the icing on the cake. Now you can propagate amazingly healthy cuttings as well as a little much needed social evolution. (Arguably the two probably go very well together hand-in-hand.) And, as your letter was the top of the pile, you 're the lucky winner of a Turboklone 144-site aeroponic cloning machine! Bo selecta! Everest

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At present we don'~ have time to test all new products ourselves, so we would love to hear from any of 0ur readers who care to share experiences with any of these produds - positive or negative. M ake sure you get in touch with us at rant@urban gard enm ag azine.com

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• Macronutrients • M icronutrients • Wetting agent

PROFESSI ONAL PROFESS IONNEL

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Looking For The Perfect Clone? Excellent air to media ratio Can be rewet

www.SteadyGRO.com

Plug form promotes proper root growth

The ideal choice for cloning & propagating

Inert

Get faster starts & healthier root formation with SteadyGRO plugs. SteadyGRO is widely used by professional greenhouse growers

Can be rewet Double 17 plug trays protect each plug from root damage For cutlng seeds

www.SteadyGRO.com

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8 00. 236 .6 91 5

Hi•LUXGRO made ln Germany

USHID

Light i ng-Edge T echnologies

professional grade horticulture lamps

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FROSTBOX: 3 AND 5 TON AC UNITS

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FROSTBOX 3 and 5 ton industrialgrade units are designed for professional use. Plug & Play, our units are pre-charged with Freon, eliminating the need for an HVAC technician to perform the installation! Each one of our units feature an Air Handler and an Outdoor Compressor with variable speed control, designed to minimize noise. These industrialgrade A/C's feature day/night thermostats allowing users to set the perfect temperature for day and night plant cycles. Additionally, our units feature top and bottom plenums for easy duct installation. Optional HEPA and UV filters help to eliminate powdery mildew and other 5 Ton- $6199 airborne pathogens. 3 Ton- $4799

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Amerinada Distribution: www.amerinadadist.com

STAR SPINNER 1600W DIMMING SYSTEM - ,__ -_...

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_j Looking for true Innovation. Life Light Systems brings you the first true dynamic photosynthesis machines. The Star Spinner 1600 watt dimming system comes with features you won't find anywhere. This 1600 watt (4 x 400 watt Solid State Digital Smart Electronic Ballasts) features Super High frequency 120khz, Auto Dimming from 35% through 1 00% (not just one, two, or three settings), and is a SunPulse certified fixture. We al$0 include everything you need to hang and adjust, 4 SunPulse 400w lamps ( 1-3k,1-4k,1-6.4k and 1- 1Ok), 4 ballasts,Thermostat controller, and cable. Life Light Systems offers the only system to deliver High Performance Lighting for High Performance Gardening.

*operate lamps on suitable ballasts & Ignitors only.

US HID

USHIO America, Inc. 800-838-7446 USHIO Canada, Inc. 877-902-0722

Contact Life Light Systems for more informatiom www.lifelightsystems.com

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SunlighL Supply.· Inc. N.i!at~~ ~~:a·1·,~

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Orglnlc 8nw Stimulant Organic based root and grow stimulator and tonic. Also promotes leaf, stem and enzyme production, guaranteeing the best start for young plants. Consisting of amino acids, vitamins and seaweed kelp. Org1nic Bloom Stimulant Organic based bud and bloom stimulator and tonic. Consisting of amino acids, macro and micro elements, and natural hormones from vegetable matter and seaweed kelp.

Flower I Bud Stimulator A special blend of potassium, phosphate and humates for flowering plants. Increases yields up to 30%. Sumo - the king of boosters!

Flower, brlx I yield stimulant, medium and foliar application. Highest quality potassium, phosphorous, manganese & boron, special plant specific formula that has no rivals. Our pride & signature product, for serious growers.

Llbratory Grade NPK & Trace Elements

A two part plant food designed to be used in both the plants grow and boom cycle in any medium and on any hydroponic system. Growing for big yields, made easy. •. I

Medium RHP Premium Quality Certified Buffered Ca & Mg. PH 5.8/6.2. Superior water, air & nutrient holding capacity compared to any other medium or cocopeat on the market today. RHP Premium Product No. 088BK09

loot/Cutting Stimulant & Medium Conditioner Beneficial Bacteria and Fungi. 60 different strains of micro-organisms, with a specially formulated biDstimulant, vitamins C&B1, kelp and humates.

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At present we don't have time to test all new products ourselves, so we would love to hear from any of our readers who care to share 1 experiences w ith any of these products- positive or negative. Make sure you getin touch with us at [email protected]

NF PREMIUM COCO- SOL BAGS Nutrifield's NF Premium Coco is your ultimate organic based growing medium. This medium is produced from coconut husks following a precise aging and treatment process. The coco coir consists of 45% cellu)ose material to ensure long lasting physical properties preventing the media from decomposing or compacting during use. Nutrifield NFPremium Coco is pre-buffered to prevenl Calcium and Magnesium lock out. Plants have complex air-water requirements and due to Nutrifield NF Premium I Coco's physical attributes, it allows for large water absorption while ensuring the essential 30% air porosity is maintained. This facilitates ideal mizospheric growing conditions that are important to develop strond healthy plants. Nutrifield NF Premium Coco carries the RHP stamp of quality. For more information on NF Premium Coco please visit www.nutrifield.com.au Nutrifield is distributed throughout North America by R&M Supply

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NEW C.A.P. PLUGZ

Introducing the New C.A.P. Plugz! When professional growers want the ab~olute best for their "little ones," they choose CAP. PIJgz™. Formulated specifically for seedlings and delicate cuttings, Plugz are composed of only the finest quality Peat and Perlite optimally blended to ensure proper aeration as well as adequate water retention. This attention to quality allows the grower to experience unparalleled viability and an overall increase in juvenile vigor. For more information contact your retailer or visit www.capcontrollers.com..

New C.A.P. 2 Faced Poly and Block Covers CAP. 2 Faced Poly is a waterproof film that is black on one side and white on the other. The white side is very reflective (over 90%) and can be used on the walls and floor of your growing area to reflect light back to plants. The black side provides a light-proof layer. 2 Faced Poly is available in 10' x 10' sheets and 10' x 100' rolls. 2 Faced Block Covers by CAP. reflects light back towards plants in addition to protecting them from algae growth. The white face reflects light to the plant while the black face blocks light from the media and helps with algae, mildew and pest problems. Our unique circular design prevents light passage to your blocks even when the cover shifts or moves. 2 Faced Block Covers are W' over-sized to ensure more than adequate block coverage and are available to cover 4", 6", and 8" blocks. For more information contact your retailer or visit www.capcontrollers.com.capcontrolfers.com.

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At present we don't have time to test all new products ourselves, so we would love to hear·from any of our readers who care to share experiences with any of these products - pdsitive or negative. Make sure you get in touch with us at rant@u rbangardenmagazine.com

PHANTOM DIGITAL BALLAST The most advanced Ba~last on the market!

Hydrofarm's Phan1om Digital Ballast arrtves on the market as the most rigorously tested ballast in the industry. The Phantom features silent operation, lightweight design, multiple b tacement options, and the maximum lumen output around. We tistene,d to your needs and learned. Now you can reap the benefit with this durable, premium digital ballast.

SINCE '1940!' unchallengedCD $5,000. GUARANTEED to be

• Tri-mode, push-button dimmable feature (on 600W and 1000w/120/240v models) gives you the light you need in your specific growing situation.Hot re-strike programming protects the lamp in the event of a power outage. • Tested for compatibility with most brands of high intensity grow tamps. • Dual resettable breakers - protects lamp and household circuits. • Only ballast on the market designed for vertical operation for coolest running and optimum grow space. • Drives the highest light output for maximum plant growth. • Universal reflector adaptor and 8ft heavy duty cord included. • Unlike magnetic ballast, Phantom runs completely silent. • Patented lock & seal BAREF tamp cord installed. • Internal RF protection. • Triple surface aluminum fins -most efficient cooling in its class. • Internal Resin coating protects components for tong life.

HEAVY DUTY DUCTING

World CHAMPION # 1 Trans/

Tired of cheap, low-quality ducting that's simply not up to the job? Check this stuff out! Tt's been designed especially for use in indoor gardens.

#1 Extra

• SUPER HEAVY-DUTY • THICKEST ON THE MARKET

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• CABLE I STRING REINFORCED

•TEAR PROOF • 4", 6"' 8", 10", 12", 14", 16" Exclusively available from Hydro International. California: 81"8 992 7858 Miami: 866 944 9376 Canada: 604 785 0949

Want more? For all featured products, please ask at your local grow store for availability

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worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome