Organic

Anything organic must contain carbon. All living things contain this ingredient. To say that an organic input must come from a living thing is not entirely true. Glacial rock dust and Greensand are classic examples of minerals that are considered organic because there is no treatment to the mineral beyond its collection. But generally speaking, if it comes from something living, there is a good chance it is considered organic.

Mineral

Mineral based plant nutrients are just that, nutrients derived from minerals, and by definition they are considered “inorganic”. Through an energy rich process, there are a number of minerals that can be mined and then treated to create a multitude of mineral based plant nutrients. These mined mineral rich rocks are treated with heat or possibly with chemicals or any process to specifically separate the target mineral or minerals from other unwanted minerals that may be attached. Some people call mineral based nutrients “synthetic” since it’s so energy intensive or because the extraction may require a chemical process to break down to the minerals may leave some impurities.

This mineral based type of plant food represents the many advancements in science and technology, and is the primary type of plant food used in many hydroponic systems trying to grow organically. By nature, a mineral based plant nutrient is preferred because it is soluble in water, buffered accordingly, and in an available form for the plants to consume. Essentially, what this means is that a mineral nutrient program would be preferred in a hydroponic system because of the ease it interacts with water; as opposed to its organic counterparts which often times take much agitation to dissolve and are still less available to the plant in the form of plant food. Organic products need to break down at the root zone before they are completely available to the plant, but that is another topic entirely.

Organic vs Mineral

It seems the general consensus is that an organic garden is preferred for a number of reasons, Typically, superior taste, a certainty of a non-GMO product. Growing organic also fulfills the general desire to be a good steward of the land which is amongst the biggest motivators towards cultivating an organic garden. And while these merits can be debated ad infinitum, it is true say that an organic garden should have a smaller carbon footprint than its inorganic counterpart. This can be true when using mineral based nutrients, as long as you are sourcing your materials locally. If your inputs have to be mined from the other side of the world, ferried many miles on a large barge, to then be broken down, and packaged for distribution and sale… well, some might argue the carbon footprint of locally sourced and produced mineral nutrients would have a smaller carbon footprint…but I am sure we can argue that one for days as well.

Backyard soil and container gardening traditionally followed an organic path, using nutrient rich materials from the farm to grow the garden. It has only been the last 50 years or so with the advent of the Green Revolution, an agricultural practice that focused on increasing calories per acre, that has seen a mass adaptation to mineral based gardening practices. There is no question that the overuse of mineral based nutrients and inorganic inputs has played a significant role in the degradation of our fertile lands, and that while there are organic practices that wreak the same kind of havoc, there are also organic practices that can help to reverse some of these negative trends. Also, while organic practices can help to rebuild the disappearing soil communities, mineral based nutrients are the most apt solution for fueling the emerging technologies of hydroponic food production. As with anything, the misappropriate use, is what ultimately causes the problem. Whether organic or mineral based, the end result could very well be the same.

The post What Is the Difference Between Organic and Mineral Based Fertilizers? appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Growing summer crops indoors under artificial plant lights is expensive. You’re essentially trying to replicate the sun’s intensity during the June, July, and August months, indoors. Until LEDs came to the retail garden market the only way to reproduce that intense light was with a power hungry HPS or MH light. So saving energy has always been of interest to anyone using a grow light. When electronic ballasts first entered the market about 8 years ago they were able to produce more light while using the same wattage as the magnetic ballasts which dominated the grow ballast market at the time. Light output, and therefore growth and overall yield, increased anywhere from 10-30% when using the new electronic (digital) ballast. Nowadays, electronic ballasts have taken over the grow ballast market while magnetic ballasts collect dust on the shelves. So it begs to question, if an LED that uses 650 watts can produce as well as a 1000 watt HPS, as many LED manufacturers claim, why aren’t they taking over the grow light market the way digital ballasts did 8 years ago? Why aren’t they the light of choice for most indoor gardeners?

Personally, I’ve have good success starting seeds and rooting cuttings under a 45 watt LED panel that utilized simple low wattage blue and red diodes. I’ve also grown young plants up to about 10” in height under the same 45w panels. Growth was always adequate and comparable to that of a T5 fluorescent. But my own experience with LEDs was limited and I’ve never used a high powered LED grow light so I needed to find another grower who had actually done some full cycles using an LED light.

I looked up my old friend Doc because I remembered he had been doing some tests with LED Grow Lights. I interviewed Doc because I knew he would give me honest feedback and he was a very experienced gardener. Like myself, Doc was very interested in the concept of using LED grow lights and was hoping for the best when conducting his tests. In the last 12 months he said he was able to do 3 separate tests using LED Grow Lights. Here are his findings.

Test 1

Materials:

1. LED total power consumption: 650 watts
2.  Diodes: Red, blue, and white 3 watt diodes
3.  Media: Organic potting soil in 3 gallon plastic pots. Drip system.
4.  Nutrient: Popular 100% organic nutrient
5. Grow area size: 3’10” x 3’10”

In the first test Doc used an LED grow light that used 3 watt diodes and approximately 650 watts of total power. He also used 3 gallon buckets of quality potting soil with a drip system and a premium 100% organic nutrient.

Results: This test was never finished. There was a problem with the soil not drying out fast enough between feedings which Doc believes led to weak growth. Possible complications may have been the lack of heat from the LED light. This was something very new for Doc who like most indoor gardeners have only grown with T5 fluorescent and MH or HPS grow lights. Doc noticed how much his grow room relied upon the heat from his HPS lamps to bring his room up to optimal temperatures. During the test his grow room stayed around 60-65 degrees when his lights were on. Not only is this too cold for proper fruiting and flowering of most summer crops but it also didn’t allow his potting soil to dry out fast enough leaving his root systems water logged and starving for oxygen. About 2 months into the grow Doc decided to start over.

Conclusion: Inconclusive.

Test 2

Materials:

1. LED total power consumption: 650 watts
2. Diodes: Red, blue, and white 3 watt diodes
3. Media/Water: Hydroton in 1 gallon fabric pots. Ebb and flow.
4. Nutrient: Popular 2-part hydroponic nutrient
5. Grow area size: 3’10” x 3’10”

Using the same 650 watt LED grow light Doc switched from soil to hydroponics to have more control over the watering. He used 1 gallon fabric pots with hydroton grow rocks in an ebb and flow hydroponic system. He also added heat to bring the temperatures to a more comfortable 75-80 degrees when the lights were on.

Results: This test run was much better than the first and strengthened his theory that lack of heat was the main culprit his first time around. Health was good and bugs and or disease was non-existent. Keep in mind Doc is an expert grower and expert growers know how to keep a grow room healthy and free from bugs or disease. Yield was not as good as Doc would have hoped. While overall quality was consistent with plants grown under an HID light, Doc’s yield for his 650 watt LED grow light were closer to or slightly better than what you would expect from a 400 HPS light using a full spectrum HID bulb.

Conclusion: Fail. Yields were okay but we didn’t get a better yield to watt ratio than an HID grow light. There was also an extra energy cost to run the supplemental heat.

Test 3

Materials:

1. LED total power consumption: 650 watts
2. Diodes: Red, blue, orange, and white 5 watt diodes
3. Media/Water: Organic potting soil in 3 gallon plastic pots. Drip system.
4. Nutrient: Popular 100% organic nutrient
5. Grow area size: 3’10” x 3’10”

For his third test Doc switched lights and decided to use an LED grow light that used 5 watt diodes which are much brighter than the 3 watt diodes. This light also included orange diodes which the previous light did not. He went back to using an organic potting soil in 3 gallon pots and the same 100% organic nutrient he had used in test 1.

Results: The 5 watt diodes gave off more heat than the 3 watt diodes helping to maintain a more comfortable ambient temperature for the plants. Growth and yield came out equal to the growth and yields he would expect from a digital 600w HPS grow light (which actually consumes around 640-650 watts of power per hour). This improvement led Doc to conclude that the higher powered electrode equalled a higher overall yield. Ambient temperatures were about the same as in test 2 since a heater was used in that test to raise temperatures closer to an optimal range. Supplemental heat was not necessary in test 3.

Conclusion: Fail.The goal of these tests was to get a better yield to watt ratio than an HID grow light, a true test of efficiency, and that didn’t happen. I could possibly have given this last test a pass rating. In my opinion, equalling the yield of an HPS light is an impressive feat. But LED manufacturers constantly claim that LEDs are more efficient than an HPS and so I felt obligated to grade them based upon just that.

LED Test Synopsis

Doc’s results were very interesting. What stood out the most was the dramatic increase in yield when he switched from 3 watt diodes to 5 watt diodes. Using the same amount of power Doc was able to increase his yield by about 30-40% using the larger diodes. When comparing his yield per watt using the 650 watt LED with 5 watt diodes to that of the 600 watt HPS digital ballast (which uses 640 watts) he realized about a 1 to 1 ratio. So growth per watt was the same. This leads one to theorize that if an LED grow light were to come out with a diode that was larger than 5 watts, then the overall ratio of yield per watt could begin to turn in favor of the LED grow Light. What is unfortunate is that if you believe the sales pitch given by most manufacturers of LED grow lights then you probably believe that you are going to get a much higher ratio and this just isn’t the case. In other words, at least in our tests, an LED using 650 watts of power does not equal a 1000 watt grow light. From what I’ve read online it seems that Doc’s results were closer to those experienced by independent bloggers.

What Makes a Good LED Light?

As technology improves so will these test results. LEDs are hot. Residential, commercial, automotive, televisions, anything that uses a light source has recognized the energy value of an LED diode. And therefore there is a lot of money being poured into the technology and the gardening industry is no doubt going to benefit from that. So let’s look at a few things that need improved to create the ultimate LED grow light.

Spectrum

One one of the biggest hurdles LED grow lights have had to get over is the limited plant spectrum LED diodes offer compared to an HPS, Metal halide, or fluorescent grow light. HID and fluorescent grow bulbs can be designed to emit a specific spectrum that has been optimized for plant growth, and more specifically, different stages of plant growth. To date, LED lights are unable to combine all colors in the light spectrum in one single diode. Therefore in order to get a blend of colors, LED lights combine different color diodes to produce a specific spectrum that plants will respond to with healthier growth.

Now this is neither good nor bad. It just means the light spectrum that the grow light is producing is produced differently in an LED compared to a full spectrum HPS. It’s important to note the ability that an LED has to manipulate a specific color in the light spectrum to produce the maximum peak spectral output of a specific color in the light spectrum. The most notable color to mention is red which is a prefered color by plants during the blooming stages. Currently, HPS lights do not have the ability to provide the maximum spectral output of red light that a plant can use but an LED can. By maximizing that spectral output, you maximize the amount of light photosynthesized by the plant. Another advantage over HIDs that many higher end LEDs have is the ability to change the light spectrum using a dial or a set of switches. As technology improves I’d expect that the level of light spectrum manipulation will improve as well.

Light Intensity

Another big area of concern for gardeners thinking about growing under LEDs is the amount of light intensity that LED grow lights are able to provide. We saw obvious differences between the 3 watt and 5 watt diode in our tests with the 5 watt diode showing a much better ability to bloom summer crops that are used to the intense sunlight and warmth available during the summer months. While warmth can be artificially added to a grow room, light intensity is usually supplied by a Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium HID light. Even the best fluorescent grow lights will not grow fruits and flowers as big as an HID (high intensity discharge) light. So for now I have to give HID lights the advantage over LEDs when it comes to light intensity. Not only is this intense light necessary for fruiting and flowering plants to reach maximum growth but also for the ability of the light penetrate deeper into a plant canopy. This means that when growing taller plants, the more intense your light is, the more budding sites you will see growing vertically along the plants stems. And generally more flowering sites means bigger yields.

However it’s not all bad news for LEDs when it comes to intensity. Our final test showed that the current LED technology is capable of growing plants and producing harvests at least equal to that of an HID when comparing yield to watts. We also saw that when the diode size was increased, so was the growth. Therefore, it’s theoretically possible that when, not if, larger diodes are available, growth and yield could increase even more. Of course we don’t know how much more power will get used by these new larger diodes so for now we’ll just have to wait until they become available.

Heat

I wasn’t planning on adding heat as one of my points to talk about but after getting the feedback from our LED tester Doc I chose to include it. Why? Because even an experienced grower like Doc made a point to tell me, “I was really surprised how much I missed the heat that my HID lamps provided”. What this tells me is that LEDs can be a huge advantage to anyone battling heat in their grow room but could cause some problems for anyone growing indoors during cold weather or in cold damp areas like a basement. Moving forward I expect the heat output from an LED to increase as light intensity and diode size increases but once again we will have to wait and see. So depending on what LED light you choose, heat or the lack of will have to be dealt with by the grower to insure maximum plant yield.

The Future

The future is bright for LED lighting. I’m very excited to announce that one company I talked to recently will be coming out with a new LED in the next couple months that uses a higher powered diode than what is currently available! This new LED grow light will also include the ability to choose from 7 or 8 different Kelvin settings so that you can literally dial in the spectrum you want! Would you like to start your plants under a 6500 Kelvin spectrum of light for excellent vegetative growth, switch to 3000 Kelvin for your bloom stage and finish up the last 2 weeks with a 10,000 Kelvin spectrum? Sounds like it’s going to be possible. We will be sure to test this new light when it’s available so look for the follow up article in future newsletters. As soon as it is available to the public we will have it for sale at our eHydroponics online store. Cost is expected to be around $1500 and as always you’ll get the best price on it at eHydroponics.com, guaranteed.

I hope this article helps anyone interested in growing with LED lights. Just writing about it has been fun and exciting. There’s so much possibility when it comes to gardening with LEDs. Personally I believe there will be a day when growing with an LED light will be the norm and HID lights will be seen as archaic and inefficient. But for now I have to conclude that a full spectrum HPS lamp combined with an electronic ballast or supplementing an HID with an LED light is your best bet for the best possible quality and yields. Happy growing!

The post Are LED Grow Lights Better Than HPS? appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Spring is here which means anyone with a garden is bound to do some type of transplanting.  A well executed transplant is one key to having a bountiful harvest.  Whether you garden in soil, soilless, or hydroponics, there are a few helpful hints that will make this transition nice and easy for you and your garden.  The number one goal when transplanting any full grown plant or newly rooted cutting or seedling is to reduce or eliminate “transplant shock”.  We define transplant shock as the negative effects on a plant that is being moved out of its environment, and into a completely new one.  Reducing that shock will make this process as smooth as possible resulting in faster healthier growth..

Transplanting is one of the hardest times of a plants life cycle so causing the least amount of disturbance to the root zone is a must.  The roots are very delicate and easily damaged.  One thing a gardener can do is use some form of mycorrhizal fungi like Xtreme Gardening’s Mycos or Great White from Plant Success.  Mycorrhizae is a beneficial root fungus which will help your plants roots re-establish themselves quicker and with more vigor.  Mycorrhizae works symbiotically with the plant’s root system to help deliver needed nutrients to the plant. What happens is the living fungi want to produce more roots so they can establish more colonies. So they break down nutrients to feed the root system which encourages root growth.  Mycorrhizae can be purchased in a granular or water soluble powder form.  The granular form is most popular due to it’s lower cost.  With the granular mycorrhizae you simply place a tablespoon or so in the transplant hole for larger plants or a teaspoon for cuttings or seedlings and place the root ball directly on top of it.  With the water soluble mycorrhizae you can water it in with the rest of your mix.  Check the label for recommended mixing amounts.

Another helpful supplement to use while transplanting is vitamin B-1. Vitamin B-1 was probably used by your grandparents and therefore is a little more well known than mycorrhizae. B1 acts as a stress reliever which is ideal to combat transplant shock. A couple popular products that utilize vitamin B-1 is Thrive Alive B-1 and Advanced nutrients No Shock.  While B-1 reduces shock during transplanting it does not encourage new root growth like a product containing mycorrhizae. Vitamin B-1 and mycorrhizae can be used together for extra protection against shock if you prefer.

One more thing to keep in mind in regards to transplanting is the difference in the previous home compared to their new home.  When transplanting indoors and moving from a weaker light source like a T5 fluorescent to a more intense light like a Metal Halide or HPS grow light, it is always best to to raise the new light at least 3 or 4 feet above the plants or place the plants on the outskirts of the lights to give the plants a few days to acclimate to the change in light intensity.  The same idea can be applied when moving plants from inside to outside after transplanting.  If you can, use a shade cloth or limited sun on some level to help the plants transition to their new home.  Hope this is helpful in your transplanting. Good luck and good growing!

The post How to Transplant Cuttings and Seedlings appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

BIO·BLOOM

Bio·Bloom is food for flowers and is made up of the major elements of potassium and phosphorous. Potassium makes the petals and flower heads form and bloom. While phosphorous provides them with the food to produce and make the calyxes and petals in the first place – the building blocks so to speak.

The addition of potassium, particularly, into the feeding program informs the plant, along with the change in the daylight cycle, that it is time to reproduce. A flower does this like any other organism. It makes itself as appealing as possible to attract the opposite sex to fertilize it so it can make seeds; this is the purpose of a flower. Sometimes a seed or a fruit is not required in the flowering process and the pollination partners are kept separate. This confuses the plants somewhat. With the addition of the elements required for flowering it forces the flower to produce more and more pretty petals in order to announce its availability to a mate. So as a result we get fuller, bigger and more beautiful blooms.

BIO·GROW

When the first leaves appear, add Bio·Grow immediately and continue through flowering until the end of fruit production. A rich harvest of sweet fruit is obtained thanks to the natural sugars and potassium in Bio·Grow. Bio·Grow also creates a perfect balance of bacteria in the soil.

FISH MIX

The use of fish and fish by-products is an ancient agricultural practice goes as far back in time as about 4000 years ago. The Chinese were already using the fish residues and waste to fertilize their soil for growing vegetables.

In India it was customary to bury a whole fish below particularly special plants. Today, both the European continent and the rest of the world are becoming more familiar with this powerful fertilizer. Fish-Mix was created to continue this tradition.

ROOT JUICE

Root Juice was originally developed to accelerate the root growth of transplants in soil. However, Root-Juice™ has now become popular in North American deep water culture hydroponics (including bubbling buckets, and EZ Clone users), and with rockwool growers because of the explosive root growth associated with this product. It has also a found favorite with Bonsai gardeners in Japan and the USA who need strong roots developed from eco-friendly and organic sources.

ALG·A·MIC

Alg-A-Mic’s five-principal effect on plant growth:

1. Immune system: improves the plant’s ability to withstand certain levels of environmental stresses and reduce the attacks and flare-ups of sap-sucking insect pests on the plants.
2. Chlorophyll: provides greater maintenance of chlorophyll, leading to greener plants.
3. Microbes: serves as a source of food for beneficial and benign soil bacteria, resulting in a large increase in microbe numbers.
4. Nematodes: helps reduce nematode damage. This includes a reduction in hatching and a disorientation or simple ‘burn-out’ of immature nematodes , minimizing root penetration.
5. Frost initiates or speeds up the acclimatization process even when the plant is not subjected to cold stress. This allows plants to tolerate greater levels of cold, reducing the amount of damage.

TopMax

Top Max is a 100% organic flowering enhancer. Using Top·Max can help your garden with three important tasks. First, the nutrients in Top·Max can help increase the actual size and weight of clusters of flowers. Second, plants grown with Top·Max have a sweet, smooth taste in the finished products. Third, using Top·Max™ can help increase your plants uptake of nutrients.

BioHeaven

Bio Heaven is specially formulated plant energy booster, which contains hydrolyzed proteins. Hydrolyzed proteins are the basic building blocks for proteins and enzymes, which are essential for the plants structure and metabolism. These processes stimulated by BioHeaven enhance the availability of nutritionally important trace elements. These trace elements are a crucial component to increased yield since major nutrients like phosphorous and potassium quickly use up these trace elements during heavy growth periods.

The post BioBizz Organics – Committed to Quality and Respecting Nature appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

A common pest to most outdoor and greenhouse gardens are caterpillars. These are ravenous feeders that, when left unchecked, do lots damage. There are a few precautions that you can take that will defeat these quickly and safely.

First step is knowing what to look for to identify caterpillar activity. One sure way to tell is when you see your flowers partially eaten and small black specks are left around the area. Those are the droppings of the caterpillar and you might notice the droppings before the damage. They are slightly larger than a grain of sand but smaller than a BB.

Caterpillars mostly come out in the evening and mornings. If you happen to be in your garden at those times you might spot them and remove them by hand. One of the worst things that they can do is nibble down to the stem of the plant and cause damage to the stem itself. This can cause everything from that point up to die and rot on the plant (bud rot) and it’s not pretty. One particularly bothersome caterpillar is the Tobacco (Geranium) Budworm. This worm will find a bud that is about to flower then cut a hole just big enough to let itself in and eat out the budding flower before it opens. Leaving you with hollow flower buds that never open.

Luckily Mother Nature has supplied us with a remedy. (BT) Bacillus Thuringiensis. This is a soil borne bacterium that only affects caterpillars and is the main ingredient in Caterpillar Killer from Safer. By recognizing the presence of caterpillars early, and spraying with BT, you’ll avoid larger problems down the line and enjoy more of the flowers you painstakingly grew. All without harming beneficial insects or turning your plants into poison. It works quickly and keeps working for about 2 weeks.

Safer Caterpillar Killer

Caterpillar Killer from Safer is what I’ve used for over 20 years to protect my flowers from budworms in the summer months, and I’m still using it today. If you’re seeing signs of budworms I highly suggest spraying some BT and getting them under control.

It is recommended that this product be applied late in the afternoon or on cloudy days since BT breaks down in the sunlight.

The post How to Organically Control Caterpillars in Your Garden appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

To find out more, “like” their facebook page and follow their twitter to get all the latest news and announcements.

http://www.facebook.com/californiaroots
https://twitter.com/Calrootsfest

We’re also proud to be co sponsoring this event with Roots Organics by Arrora Innovations. These guys are great and they make some superior products. 

Come out to our booth for some free giveaways and information or just come by to say hi!

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DIY Hoop House Materials

Some folks with DIY skills might be apt to build their own hoop house with PVC or other building materials. Here is one example of many found on YouTube showing how easy it is to frame a small raised bed. Once a frame is built, materials like clear poly plastic are among the most commonly used. It is economical, semi-permanent and easy to work with. It comes in sizes as large as 100 ft rolls, with 20, 40, 60 foot lengths. It is easy to lay over a frame and can last multiple seasons. Tufflite IV is another plastic option that is a little more expensive, and a little more permanent. It is UV resistant and ultra-clear. This material will last up to four seasons, and is a definite upgrade from straight poly plastic. It comes in rolls as well. It can’t go without mentioning that the light transmission of this material is comparable to that of glass.

Breathable Fabric and Ground Cover

Agribon fabric

Another great hoop-cover that folks have been using is Agribon fabric. This fabric is a cloth-like, breathable fabric that allows air and light to pass through. One of its main uses is to temporarily protect row crops from frost. It allows light to get through, breathes, and helps to retain heat. Some folks use it as a ground cover to prevent weeds, as well as helping the ground to stay warm. This is another great way to protect plants from the cold. If you can keep the ground warm, the plant is more tolerant of the cold. By using black ground cover, heat can be trapped during the warmth of the day helping to protect the plant from the cold, all the while preventing weed seeds from germinating as well similar to the Agribon. If you don’t have a way to enclose your garden, using ground cover to keep the soil warm is your second best option. In extreme cold environments ground cover and elemental protection can be used together for maximum protection from the cold.

Economical Greenhouse Options

FlowerHouse Farmhouse

The next step up from hoop house style enclosure, would be a more traditional greenhouse style, made with poly plastic. Most of these new enclosures are designed to be easily set-up by one person. While there are a number of brands that have become available recently, the FlowerHouse Farmhouses has been the best option for our customers. These greenhouses can be put up by one person, and can fit just about anywhere. They are extremely economical. And while there are a number of sizing options, we are showcasing their 9 x 9 x 7 model, because it is extremely easy to work with, it is not obtrusive, and it has an all around great design. They have twelve vents and two zippered doors to keep your greenhouse cool. They are waterproof, modular, and can be attached ad infinitum.This is our first year using these these greenhouses, and we are off to a great start!

The post How to Protect Spring Garden Plantings From the Frost appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Glass is expensive, heavy, fragile, and difficult to install. Single-pane glass is a terrible insulator, and can be very expensive to heat in the winter. Glass has a high light-transmission rate, but it also has the tendency to intensify the light on your canopy. It’s not uncommon for a blazingly bright day to kill plants in glass greenhouses, even in well-ventilated structures. While these houses might be ideal in the low-light environment of the Netherlands, there are better options in areas of the world where available-light isn’t an issue.

Hoop House

A lot of people don’t need a fully enclosed greenhouse. They are called hothouses for a reason, the midday summer temps can reach astronomically high ranges if not well-ventilated. Even with fans, providing proper ventilation in structures of this size can be difficult and expensive. People who are only growing through the spring, summer, and autumn seasons often choose to grow in hoop houses (sometimes called cold frames or poly-tunnels) because you can choose to leave your straight-walls (end walls) open for air movement. This can completely eliminate the need for ventilation, but still allows you to cover your plants. You can still get the benefits of diffused light, and shield plants from the wind and rain. Hoop-houses are far less expensive and easier to build than your standard greenhouse. And if you’re trying to force plants to flower by restricting their photoperiod, a hoop house can provide an inexpensive structure to drape blackout material over.

So which materials are the least expensive, easy to install, work with hoop houses, and have light-diffusing properties to avoid scorching your plants? The answers are poly-fabrics, poly-films, or Polycarbonate/Polyethylene walls. What’s the difference, and which works best for your application?

Transparent and translucent materials:

A greenhouse poly-film is a clear plastic, usually around 6 mil thick, that in regards to light has properties similar to glass. It lets in nearly 100% of the light, but does not diffuse the intensity. It’s also a poor insulator, but compared to glass costs pennies on the dollar. It’s lighter, and therefore less-cumbersome and easier to install. Poly-film is the least expensive of the options, but for just a little more you could get a light-diffusing woven poly-fabric.

A greenhouse poly-fabric has all of the positive properties of a poly-film, but also gives the benefit of strength and diffused light because it’s a woven material. Diffused light is helpful because it scatters the light in your greenhouse. It reduces the intensity on the top of your canopy, and allows the plants to fill out consistently even in the undergrowth. It’s not uncommon to see over 100’F temperatures but still have the plants perky and happy, because the canopy and soil temperatures are spared from the direct intensity of the sunlight. The idea is to deflect as much of the harsh UV light from hitting the top of your plants, while still allowing the beneficial PAR light (Photosynthetically Available Radiation) all around. A poly-fabric is also significantly stronger than a film. They are impact and tear resistant, ideal for situations where you may have to pull your material on/off your greenhouse. Woven poly-fabrics are also completely waterproof, so rain and wind aren’t a problem.

Solexx Pannel

Polycarbonate materials like Lexan are rigid, lighter, and less expensive than glass. Like glass, Lexan does not insulate well, so we recommend Solexx as an alternative material. It’s still inexpensive, rigid-but-flexible, easy to install, has light diffusing properties, and is double-walled for insulation. Solexx resists hail and snow, is warrantied for 10 years, and could easily last much longer than that. It’s ideal for permanent or semi-permanent structures. And if you do intend to build an enclosed structure Solexx allows you to heat your greenhouse at around 1/3rd the cost of glass or other polycarb/polyethylene materials because of the insulating properties.

Opaque Blackout Materials and Bumper Crops (Light Deprivation):

Many professional growers are supplementing their regular season with bumper crops. The way they accomplish that is to manage the plant’s photoperiod, so in effect the plant believes it’s the time of the season to flower. Short-day plants (Coffee, Tobacco, Corn, Cotton, and Sugar Cane just to name a few) think it’s time to flower when their night (dark) cycles grow longer and their day cycles grow shorter. For most short-day plants, this can be accomplished with a 12/12 light/dark photoperiod.

If we take an inexpensive lumen meter and go outside, when it registers just 1 lumen that’s when the plant begins to recognize the light. Let’s say the first bit of light registers at 1 lumen at about 5:30am on May 1st (depending on your location) and the sun sets at about 8:30pm. That is 15 hours of daylight. Plants should be covered-up in complete darkness for 3 hours of that day to restrict the photoperiod to 12 hours. That could be accomplished by pulling a blackout tarp over your greenhouse either in the morning or in the evening.

Greenhouse Blackout Cloth

(5:30 am – 8:30 am, or 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm). It’s not a good idea to cover your greenhouse for the entire evening, say 8:30 pm to 8: 30 am, because these materials generally do not breathe well. Our plants still need cool temperatures, moderate humidity, and fresh air exchange. Covering them for 12 hours of the day is almost like smothering them. Take the cover off at night so they can breathe and cool down.

There are a few common blackout materials that gardeners implement to control their photoperiods. The most common being; silage film, woven-blackout material, and breathable blackout materials.

Silage Film is usually a black on white poly, around 5 ml thick. It’s very inexpensive, but can easily tear or puncture. Remember, we need to pull these materials twice every single day of the season, so durability is a must! If something punctures your material and lets light through, your blackout materials will not be doing anything for you. Better to go with something stronger that will last longer.

There are also Woven Blackout-Polys, like the Hortiroll. These are similar to the translucent woven poly fabrics, but completely opaque. They are black on white, so you can have the white side reflecting the sunlight off your structure to reduce internal temperatures. They are incredibly heavy-duty, impact and tear resistant. You could pull these fabrics for multiple years without ever getting a tear or puncture. It’s a smooth fabric that won’t cause too much friction while pulling it, thereby making your job much easier. If you get tired of waking up at 5am, they are also resilient enough to put on an automated system, and motors and pulleys could do the work for you. They are completely water and light-tight, but do not allow air-exchange.

Which leads us to the Breathable Blackout Fabrics. While they do allow some air to pass through the fabric, it’s still going to raise the internal temperature of your structure while it’s covered. And while they’ll repel light-showers, I wouldn’t trust one to disperse a heavy rain. While it may not be my first choice for a hoop house cover, these breathable fabrics make excellent end-walls. Cover the top of your greenhouse with a less-expensive waterproof woven-blackout poly, and use the breathable blackout material to cover your straight walls. This allows some airflow, and will still repel water and lower costs.

There are so many ways to garden outside. I’m building a simple hoop house with a woven poly for light diffusion and rain deflection. Then I’m going to use a woven blackout poly for my light-dep bumper crops. Quick, simple, effective, and doesn’t break the bank. If only they made suntan lotion for plants…

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The term “cold frame” typically refers to a low profile covered structure used to protect plants from the elements. Often cold weather, and excessive wetness or moisture can hinder the growth of small plants – so a cold frame can be a viable solution to nurture the plants to a size where they can withstand the elements. As far as greenhouses go, the term cold frame actually has more than one meaning. Basically, the different groups that make up gardening as a whole have different definitions for cold frame greenhouses. One common similarity is that cold frames are traditionally not heated, and rely on the radiant heat from the sun to maintain optimum temperatures for consistent growth of the developing plants. Trapping this heat helps during the chilly night time conditions in some areas and plays a major role in cold frames being an effective tool in starting crops early. With that being said, cold frames generally help start plants sooner in the season- but need to be opened or vented accordingly to maintain proper temperatures and humidity, as they typically are vented manually.

Large Agricultural Cold Frames vs the Hobby Gardener Cold Frame

In commercial agriculture, cold frames are often used in conjunction with a larger greenhouse(s) to prepare the seedlings, or cuttings for their next stage of growth. To commercial farmers, a cold frame often exists as a green house on the side while they prepare the plants for their new homes in larger greenhouses. To the hobby gardener, a cold frame often helps to prepare the plants, and get them ready for the outdoor season to come. Now that those distinctions have been made, we can look at some different types of cold frames that can be found in gardens.

Noncommercial Cold Frames

The above cold frame is a hoop house cold frame which is very simple and inexpensive to build. Note that this greenhouse is taller and thus allows for larger plants then other shorter cold frames.

The above cold frame has a slanted roof, allowing excellent drainage, and a hinged top- for ventilating when it is warm enough to do so. The low profile aspect helps to keep the elements at bay.

These two types of cold frames are inexpensive and somewhat easy to build. Cold frame number 1 is very low profile and ideal for smaller plants and cuttings. The lower profile makes it a great choice for areas with high wind, or critters foraging for food or a warm place to hide for that matter. Cold frame number 2 uses galvanized steel with poly film that can be replaced as need be. The steel frame is very sturdy, and is large and strong enough to withstand the weight of blackout fabric- if the user wanted to shorten the length of visible sunlight with the intention of forcing the plants to flower earlier.

Commercial Style Cold Frames

Commercial Style cold frames are often used to start plants that will eventually end up in a much larger greenhouses . Notice there are sidewalls, but they are low to the ground. The greenhouse is covered with a fabric that helps diffuse direct sunlight as well as adds a visible barrier making the greenhouse somewhat private. Lastly, note that the fabrics can easily be rolled on, and off the cold frame allowing for light deprivation if needed.

In conclusion, we hope we’ve helped to explain the different types of cold frames, and how they may help you to get an early start on the grow season. You will find that we sell many of the important items like poly and greenhouse fabrics to help you move forward with your gardening goals. Stay tuned as we will be providing instructions on creating a hoop house in the near future.

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Greenhouse Blackout Cloth

If you grow plants that need extra beauty sleep, our blackout screens are double layered to provide more than 99.9% blackout (enough for the most sensitive plants).

The Triple layer breathable blackout fabric is black on one side and white on the other to deflect excess heat from the sun. The fabric can be used inside the greenhouse with sliding and suspended systems for rolling applications, or it can go on the outside.

Woven Black & White Non-Breathable Blackout Fabric

Greenhouse Blackout Fabric Non-Breathable

Woven black & white non-breathable blackout material is used for blacking out side and end walls in automated systems or as a pull cover in manual setups.

A super strong, UV resistant, 100% light proof fabric, Woven Non-breathable blackout material will have you and your plants sleeping comfortably for years to come. Woven Non-breathable blackout material comes in widths of 24′, 36′ & 48′. Available in standard 50′ or 100′ ft. rolls. Custom lengths available.

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IDENTIFICATION

To the naked eye spider mites are barely visible and look like tiny moving dots; however, you can see them easily with a 10X magnifying loupe.  At their largest, the mite is less than 1/20 inch long.  You can find Spider mites living in colonies, mostly underneath leaves. The presence of webbing is an easy way to differentiate them from all other types of mites.  If mite webbing is present in your garden it’s safe to say that spider mites have been in your garden for an extended period of time and have begun establishing their colony.

Adults have eight legs and an oval body, with two red eye spots near the head end of the body.  Females typically have a large, dark blotch on each side of the body and numerous bristles on the legs and body.  Spider mite eggs are sphere-shaped and translucent.

LIFE CYCLE

In warmer climates, spider mites can feed and reproduce all year on plants that hold on to their green leaves through the winter and in cooler climates they will begin feeding and laying eggs when warm weather returns in the spring.

Spider mites reproduce quickly in the hot weather and frequently become numerous from June through September.  Every 10 degree increase in temperature can increase the spider mite’s reproduction rate up to 10x.  If temperature and food supplies are favorable, an entire generation can be completed in less than one week.  Spider mites generally favor dusty, hot conditions and are usually found first on trees or at margins of gardens.  Plants under water stress are also highly susceptible to a spider mite infestation.  As foliage quality declines on heavily infested plants, female mites catch wind currents and disperse to other plants. High mite populations may undergo a rapid decline in late summer when the weather turns cooler, the host plant conditions become unfavorable or after rainfall.

DAMAGE

Mites cause damage by sucking cell contents from leaves.  A very small amount of mites are typically not a problem, but very high populations can be very damaging to plants.  At first, the damage shows up as a stippling of light dots on the leaves; sometimes the leaves take on a bronze color.  As feeding continues, the leaves begin turning yellow and then fall off. Quite often you will find leaves, fruit and twigs completely covered with large amounts of webbing.  A mite infestation can easily start a domino effect of problems by stressing and weakening the plant making it more susceptible to other garden pests and plant disease.

MANAGEMENT

Spider mites have many natural enemies that are capable of limiting populations.  Ample irrigation is important because water-stressed plants are most likely to be damaged. Indoor gardeners can help resist spider mites by keeping temperatures cool and humidity around 60-70%. Broad-spectrum insecticide treatments for other pests frequently cause mite outbreaks, so avoid these when possible.  Sprays of water, soaps or insecticidal oils can be used for spider mite management.  Always monitor before treatment.  Pyrethrums and pyrethroids, neem oil, or azadirachtin are all effective on spider mites.  Two popular all natural products for spider mite control are Azamax from General Hydroponics and SNS-217.  Insecticidal soap is effective and has a very low toxicity but needs to be sprayed more regularly than an oil. Oils and soap can be combined for a double effect but make sure to cut the application rate in half for each product.

Mites are tiny and very difficult to find.  Usually plant damage or yellowing of leaves will be noticed before you see the mites themselves.  To find the mites, look on the tops of leaves for small yellow dots and check the undersides of leaves for mites with a hand lens.  To observe them more closely, shake a few off the leaf onto a white sheet of paper.  Once aggravated they’ll quickly start moving around.  Be sure mites are present before you treat.  Occasionally, the mites will be gone by the time you notice the damage and plants will usually recover after the mites have left.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Spider mites have many natural enemies which limit their numbers in many gardens, especially when untouched by pesticide sprays.  We call these Beneficial Insects or predatory bugs.  Some of the most important to the gardener are the predatory mites, including the western predatory mite, Galendromus  Occidentalis, and Phytoseiulus species.  Predatory mites are about the same size as plant-feeding mites but are more active and have longer legs.  A variety of other insects are also important predators such as the sixspotted thrips, the larvae and adults of the spider mite destroyer lady beetle, the larvae of certain flies including the cecidomyid Feltiella acarivora, and various general predators such as minute pirate bugs, lacewings and big eyed bugs.

The major predator mites commercially available for release are the western predatory mite and Phytoseiulus. The western predatory mite is more effective under hot, dry conditions.  These predators do not feed on foliage or become pests; thus if pest mites are not available when predatory mites are released, they will starve or migrate elsewhere.  If you want to establish predators in a heavily infested orchard or garden that has few predators, first use a soap spray or selective miticide to bring the current mite infestation to a lower level. Wait a day or two and spray again with just water and then release the predatory mites once the foliage has dried.  A good guideline is that one predator is needed for every ten spider mites in order to provide control.  It should be noted that the more infested your garden is with pest mites, the harder it will be to gain control using predatory spider mites.  More than one application of beneficial insects may be required if you want to reduce the pest populations rapidly.  Concentrate releases in hot spots where spider mite numbers are highest.  Once established on perennials, predatory mites may reproduce and provide biological control without further augmentations unless non selective insecticides are applied that kill the predators.

CULTURAL CONTROL

In gardens and on small fruit trees, regular forceful spraying of plants with water will often reduce the amount of spider mites.  This will not only knock mites off the plant or tree but will also slow down their reproduction cycle as they will have to wait for foliage to dry before they continue on their search for food and possible mates.  Be sure to get good coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves.  If more control is required you may need to use an oil such as neem oil or horticultural oil, or an insecticidal soap in your spray.  To be safe it’s always wise to test the product on one or two plants first to be sure it’s not damaging in any way.

CHEMICAL

Spider mites frequently become an issue after the application of insecticides.  Outbreaks are typically a result of the insecticide killing off the natural enemies of the mites, but also occur when certain insecticides stimulate mite reproduction.  Insecticides applied during hot weather usually appear to have the greatest effect on mites, causing dramatic outbreaks within a few days.

If a treatment for mites is needed, use selective materials such as insecticidal soap or an oil based pesticide.  Do not use soaps or oils on water-stressed plants or when temperatures surpass 90°F.  These materials may be phytotoxic to some plants, so check labels and test them out on a portion of the foliage a few days before applying a full treatment.  Oils and soaps must contact mites to kill them so excellent coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves, is crucial and repeating applications may be necessary. Since many miticides do not kill the spider mite eggs it’s a good idea to spray your garden with your pest control spray every 3 days for at least 2 or 3 applications.  The eggs might survive your first spray but the second spray should kill the newly hatched young mites before they have a chance to lay their own eggs. Under optimal conditions a mite can lay eggs as early as 4 or 5 days after hatching.  Sulfur dust or sulfur sprays can be also used on some vegetables, but will burn cucurbits. Do not use sulfur dust if temperatures exceed 90°F and do not apply sulfur within 30 days of an oil spray.  Sulfur dusts are skin irritants as well as eye and respiratory hazards so make sure to always wear suitable protective clothing.

Spider mites are a notorious garden pest that can damage plants to the point of death. Most expert gardeners would agree with Benjamin Franklin who said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  With some simple knowledge and a little bit of time you can successfully manage the spider mite population in your garden.

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The Xtreme Nano is a premier addition to your custom lighting setup. This ballast comes in at an unbelievable size at just 9.65″ x 4.9″ x 2.3″ and weighing an amazing 2.9lbs. It allows for just the right amount of light, giving you the ability to customize light strength between 100%, 75% and 50% settings. Of course, C.A.P. had to MAKE IT COOL, with the unique vented case design and dual with the unique vented case design and dual fans it provides for optimal ventilation and cooling. Also included are User Safety Diagnostics Codes to help you see just how well the Xtreme Nano is operating! We invite you to experience one of the greatest achievements in ballast technology with the Xtreme Nano.

 The Growbot Evolution

Professional growers have a long history with automating their greenhouses to save time and money but until recently this type of technology was very limited for the home gardener.  With the rise of smart-phones, various apps, and integrative digital technologies, it is no wonder that in-roads have been made to help the hobbyist indoor gardener automate their existing grow room and hydroponic system.  There are a couple of companies who have emerged in the last year or so with just this sort of integrative grow room technology.  This month we would like to highlight PurGro Electronics, the developers of The GroBot Evolution.

The GroBot Evolution is poised to revolutionize the way we grow by helping indoor horticulturalists better manage and remotely control the day to day aspects of their gardens.  Total grow room automation is the only way an indoor gardener has the freedom to leave their garden unattended for consecutive days with the peace of mind that everything is safe and the garden is healthy.
“The GroBot Evolution”

The GroBot Evolution might just be the most advanced gardening controller on the market today.  With this device, you can control all aspects of your grow room; timing grow lights, ventilating the grow room and reflectors, complete CO2 control, soil or hydroponic irrigation, and nutrient mixing and management.  You can even adjust the ppm and pH of your nutrient solution or flush your crops remotely via computer or smart-phone!  The GroBot comes with everything you need right out of the box including four dosing cells by which to control your nutrient reservoir.  This can easily be expanded from four cells to eight dosing cells to accommodate just about any liquid nutrient program.  (name some nutes)

GroBot’s main purpose is to increase your ability to automate your garden, and to be able to manage your grow room remotely.  The GroBot Evolution is set up as its own local server, and when connected to the internet, you can check your garden from anywhere in the world.  You can check any of the sensors, like pH and PPM balance to multiple webcam camera angles and any myriad of functions in between.  If you are looking for help monitoring, or even managing your garden while you are away, the GroBot can help.  The system can handle any recirculating hydroponic system from Deep Water Culture to traditional ebb and flow, or it can even be setup for soil containers using drain to waste drip systems.  This grow room control unit is all wireless so that there are no wires cluttering up your space and was designed to be easier than Facebook to set up.  The Grobot uses aerospace-grade parts that are fast acting and highly accurate. GroBot parts are also conformally coated to withstand the high humidity often present in a grow room atmosphere.  The dosing containers are dishwasher safe and all the components of the device were designed to the highest standards…there is no consumer grade gadgetry in this controller.

Most importantly this garden automation system was designed for ease of operation, from the set-up to the day to day management of the unit.  It comes with a full one year, no hassle, no question warranty; unlike any other in the industry.  You break it, you send it back, they send you a new one.  Having any problems with the unit?  PurGro support staff is available to get your GroBot online.  These folks are dedicated to the success of your garden and stand firmly behind their product.  Your time is valuable.  Set yourself free by automating all the aspects of your greenhouse or indoor garden and allow modern grow room technology to work for you.

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Just a small sampling of topics covered:

• Prehistoric mushrooms that towered dozens of feet above any plant alive at that time
• How the Fungi and Animalia kingdoms may share common ancestors
• How in 1943 a moldy cantaloupe help save tens of millions of lives, and possibly help the Allied Forces win WWII
• How some fungi are being utilized by the US Department of Defense for antidotes against biological warfare attacks.
• How certain fungi can infect and kill invasive insects, providing an alternative to poisonous chemical pesticides
• How mycelia can be utilized in one of the most efficient and renewable ways to create biofuel
• How fungi can break down oil spills and other toxic contaminants

Check your local library or bookstore for a copy of Paul Stamet’s Mycelium Running!

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Automation can help guarantee results with less effort from the gardener. An automated indoor garden is essentially a symphony of user specified parameters. Grow room climate controllers are essential for maintaining the optimal conditions for growing plants indoors. An atmospheric controller will allow you to create an indigenous environment that will allow plants to flourish. This is achieved by keeping CO2 at an optimal level and keeping your humidity and temperature levels in check. A more complete atmospheric controller will monitor and control the temperature (day and night), humidity, CO2 levels in your growing environment and more. This will save you money over the years because you will be operating far more efficiently than if you were to use an assortment of independent climate controllers. If you don’t want to make a large investment in a complete grow room controller you can start by buying controllers that do a single function like cycle stats, humistats, and thermostats. If you choose to buy independent controllers we recommend you start by buying a temperature and/or humidity controller first because of it’s importance to overall plant health. After that we recommend a CO2 monitor and controller.

CO2 monitors and controllers are the most useful indoor climate controller when it comes to increasing plant growth and yields. CO2 is monitored via an infrared beam that scans the air in the room. When the user specified parameters are not being met, the CO2 controlling device sends power to the CO2 generator or CO2 tank enriching your garden with Carbon Dioxide. When the CO2 emission equipment is powered on the power to the grow room exhaust fan will be turned off, unless your specified temperature threshold is exceeded and then the fan will kick on and the CO2 will be turned off until the ambient temperature is below the user’s parameters. When the user specified CO2 parameters are achieved, the device will turn off and cycle appropriately maintaining the ideal parts per million of Carbon Dioxide unless a temperature or humidity target point is exceed and then one or both with override the CO2 function.

Both hydroponic and soil indoor gardeners often employ automation to irrigate their gardens as well. Automation can be applied to irrigate your garden whether you are using a recirculating drip system, drain to waste drip system, NFT hydroponics, aeroponics or ebb and flow hydroponics. This is achieved by setting a timer to appropriately water your garden. Common types of timers for automating plant feedings are cycle stats, digital timers and 15 minute interval timers. Your plants will require more water and nutrients as they progress through their life cycle and consequently your timer will need to be adjusted appropriately to correspond to the plant’s needs. Therefore, the best timer for getting exact automated feeding times is a digital timer or cycle stat because they can be incrementally adjusted by the minute. Once automated, your plants will appreciate the regular feeding times and you will appreciate the free time.

The most advanced controller for the indoor gardener is the all-in-one grow room controllers like the C.A.P. Extreme Green House Controller or The iPonic-600 . These complete controllers have the ability to simultaneously monitor and control temperature and humidity, CO2, pH and EC/TDS, reservoir temperature, reservoir level, a security system, flood detection and alert systems, foggers, irrigation, ebb and flow table controllers, DWC level, cycle timers, lighting controllers, a “dosers” will automatically control the ph and nutrient levels of the solution you are feeding your plants and even time lapse movie creators. There are even long term data loggers with advanced graphing features. These all in one controllers make it possible to control multiple grow rooms from a single system and get alerts when things go awry. Grow room controllers like the Iponic – 600 are internet upgrade-able controllers that will alert you when your pre-set parameters are off and allow you to control your parameters from anywhere in the world via PC or smartphone.

This technology is invaluable to the modern gardener; however, no amount of automation can replace the constant monitoring and interaction of the gardener themselves. The automated systems only do what you tell them to do and if you’re not there to address the ever changing needs of the plant, your garden will surely suffer. But with proper grow room management using automatic controllers you can save time and increase plant health and yield.

If you want to get into fully computer controlled grow products check out the IPONIC controller or the Grobot. With these systems they allow you to get text alerts, operate remote camera systems and basically remotely control and monitor your garden!

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Once the news hit that the clay pellets might be drying up, gardeners began looking at other alternatives to replace Hydroton.  Of course, Gold Label’s Hydrocorn, was already becoming a household name at this point. But when looking a little deeper at the reasons why Hydroton dried up; namely their clay source being likened to that of a strip mine enterprise with the eerily similar negative environmental consequences.  Needless to say, the company was not closed from lack of profits, but rather due to the decline of their source material.  The only question left for the purist is, are the new sources for this medium equally as taxing on the environment as their predecessor? But we can leave that one to be debated in a future article…

The next important question is; so no pellets, now what?  Well, there are a couple of silica based options that have emerged on the scene in the last number of years that are worth looking at as potentially viable alternatives; namely Higromite, Hydrolite, and Growstones.  Each one of these rock-like media has their own unique properties that make them attractive to the hydroponic gardener.  Let’s take a look at them one at a time…

Higromite

This rock-based media is derived from diatoms (prehistoric single cell creatures), and is made up of over 70% silica (Si).  Higromite is a puffed diatom rock-like inert media that retains moisture.  This medium also has a high CEC (Cat ion Exchange Capacity), which allows for better nutrient uptake.  A high CEC is generally preferred in hydroponic systems.  Because of Higromite’s odd shapes and sized, air is able to penetrate throughout the container, boosting overall plant health and helping to prevent root-rot.  Higromite can be mixed with soil, used as a topdress, or as a standalone hydroponic medium.  Because of its capillary action, some folks prefer to use Higromite over Hydroton to line their trays because of this capillary action.  The delicate roots tips benefit from this moist layer, something Hydroton cannot do…This media slowly releases Si, improves aeration, retains moisture and has a high CEC.  This is definitely a worthy alternative.

Hydrolite

Hydrolite is a silica based, volcanic material developed by Botanicare to give gardeners another successful rock-based alternative.  Hydrolite has been described as a zeolite rich medium.  Typically zeolites are porous, aluminosilicate minerals able to retain and exchange Nitrogen, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, and Calcium.  The idea is that this media is able to hold nutrients and then release them when the plant needs.  Similar to Higromite, the benefits of this substrate is that it improves aeration, is highly porous, retains nutrients, is reusable, and does not float. It is 70% Silica, is nutrient charged to balance the CEC, and is made in the USA.  Hydrolite comes in a number of sizes and would work great as a soil additive, or stand-alone hydroponic medium.

Growstones

Growstones are among the more impressive of new products on the market these days.  Derived from recycled glass bottles, this product is essentially a puffed glass product.  The glass is crushed to a fine powder and then put into a kiln with a foaming agent before it expands into the material we are all familiar with.  This rock-like, porous, crushable material is definitely turning heads as people learn more about it.  One of the great things about this company aside from bringing a viable product to market, is their desire to inundate this industry with a “green” substrate that re-purposes waste into a valuable gardening product.

Growstones are more like expanded clay pellets than either of the other two silica based options. It is an inert medium similar to the pellets in the way in which nutrients move through the substrate.  The main differences and benefits are as follows: Growstones retain moisture and air much more efficiently than clay pellets.  The porous nature of the stones makes for a strong capillary action, and water retention rate.  The roots can grow around the porous stones and get the moisture and oxygen necessary for aggressive growth.  And because this puffed glass is derived from silica, your plants have a great source of this important nutrient being slowly released to help keep them strong.

This media is less dense than Hydroton.  It is much lighter, and easier to prep.  Growstones have a pH buffer that needs to be activated with an initial soak.  Essentially fill the bag with water, let it sit for an hour and a half, and then poke some hole in the bottom of the bag to let it drain.  Your stones are ready to use.  They can be rinsed more thoroughly without harm, although the pH buffer will be washed away.  Growstones can also be reused.  They come in two different types; soil aerator (small, perlite size) and hydroponic (larger stones).  People have been having a lot of success using the soil aerator instead of pumice or perlite even, to aerate their soil or topdress with… Leaving the top two inches of your container for a nice thick Growstone topdress works great at keeping fungus gnats at bay.  I saw a pretty gnarly bug problem resolved with simply using this product as a topdress.  The hydroponic medium is nice as well.  It is light and easy to move around.  The only concern is that it is not quite as heavy as the other substrates we examined, which is a viable concern to some people.  A nice 50-50 mix of Hydrolite and Growstones would be a great happy medium…no pun intended

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Like all plants, seeds need the basic components for good growth. These components include a healthy growing medium, water, light, air and nutrients. But seedlings are much more fragile and in general require less nutrients, light and water than a mature plant. Often in gardening we say that “less is more”. That holds even more true for seeds and young plants. Begin by choosing a planting medium that is very airy. Oxygen at the root

Rockwool Plugs

zone has a huge impact on the speed of root growth. The most popular types of a seed starting medium is rockwool, grow plugs and seedling mixes. A seedling mix is basically a potting soil that has been heavily amended with well draining materials like perlite or pumice to increase the pockets of air at the root zone. Other common rooting mediums are Oasis Horticubes, peat pots and coco fiber. All of these mediums should successfully start seeds indoors.

Now that you’ve chosen a medium you’ll need a tray for your seeds. Anything that will hold water will work as a tray but a standard 10” x 20” propagation trayis cheap, easy to use and has ridges on the bottom to keep plants from sitting in water. You can also combine the

Prop Tray

propagation tray with another propagation tray that has holes in it so you can lift the tray with holes out of the tray with no holes when you want to dump out extra water. The idea is to not ever let seedlings sit in standing water. When that happens you’re airy rooting medium will suck up water like a sponge, filling it’s air holes with water. If too much water is sucked up the plant will literally suffocate itself with a lack of oxygen at the root zone so make sure your seeds always stay out of sitting water.

Now that you have your materials it’s time to plant your seeds. Water your medium thoroughly with plain water or water with a little bit of rooting solution, rooting hormone or an extremely light nutrient solution. Popular rooting solutions are Dyna-Gro KLN, Clonex solution and Rapidstart from General Hydroponics. If adding a nutrient do not add anymore than ¼ teaspoon of nutrient per gallon of water. If a plant doesn’t have roots it doesn’t need nutrients. Remember, less is more. if you’re using seedling mix or coco fiber you’ll need some starter pots that are 4” in diameter or smaller (melons, cucumbers and viny fruits and vegetables can be planted in larger pots). You can also fill your seedling mix into a seed cell. A seed cell is a tray with a bunch of 1’-2” individual cells for planting. These will fit a lot of seedlings in a small area but can be difficult to transplant once rooted. When the planting medium is ready make a hole approximately 1/2’” to 3/4” deep and drop one seed inside. If you have extra seeds you can plant 2 seeds in each hole just in case one of them doesn’t root. If both plants root pull out one of the plants so the other has a chance to develop properly without having to fight another plant for water and root space. Gently cover the hole with the medium and place in your tray. Once all your seeds have been planted you’ll need to find a good spot to leave them during their germination.

Seedling Heating Mat

The biggest tips in getting seeds to grow is using a medium that has lots of air in it, which we’ve already discussed, and heat at the root zone. Young seedlings and cuttings benefit from having a warm root zone. The safest and easiest way to achieve heat at the root zone is with a propagation heat mat which can be bought online or at your local hydroponic store or nursery. These mats are waterproof and can safely heat your seedlings for faster growth and more successful germination. You can also plug heat mats into a heat mat thermostat which allows you to set any temperature you want during germination. If you don’t have a heat mat it’s recommended that you find a place with a warm surface to place your tray. Remember heat will help your seeds root but a cold surface will actually slow their ability to root. Another item that will help warm your medium is a light. The best light for rooting seeds or cuttings is fluorescent light. A T12 fluorescent is a common garage light and will work just fine. A stronger light is a T5 or T8 fluorescent which is more intense than a T12 and can be used to grow your plant up to 10” tall before needing a more intense light or planted outdoors. Any artificial light should be left on for 18-24 hours per day and hung approximately 4”-8” above your seed tray.

Once your seeds are planted and in their new spot there isn’t much to do while waiting for the seedling to grow. Check them at least once a day for dryness. If the medium is wet do not water again. As long as the medium is moist the seed is safe. Do not over water as it can deplete oxygen at the root zone. If the seedling needs watered, gently water and then remove any excess standing water from the tray. One tip is to use a spray bottle to water seedlings. Simply spray each seedling with fresh water as needed. Sprayed water is highly oxygenated which makes it beneficial to your seedlings germination. Using a spray bottle also keeps the grower from over watering.

Continue to check seedlings daily. Your seeds should start to grow in about 7-14 days. When roots start to appear at the bottom of your planting medium you’ll want to transplant soon. Young roots are on a mission to establish themselves for good plant growth. When roots pop out of the starting medium they are desperately looking for a way to root themselves. The longer you wait to transplant the more vitality your plant loses. Always try to transplant your young seedling that bare in rockwool, rooting plugs or Oasis cubes before visible roots get more than 1 or 2” long. This will allow roots to continue on their intended path for a strong healthy root system which is the key to a healthy high yielding plant. Larger starter pots can get more rootbound before transplanting.

Starting seeds early is a great way to get a jump on summer. Especially in colder climates with shorter growing seasons. Be patient and give your seedlings the care they need. Resist over watering, giving too much nutrient or light and digging through their medium looking for roots. Proper care will give you great success in starting your seeds indoors.

The post Starting Seeds Indoors appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

T5 bulbs are designed to operate at 35c or about 95F, this of course is the internal temperature of the bulb. What this means is simply that the bulb will put out the most amount of light at the above temperature and when properly powered, will perform as designed and put out approx. 93.5 lumens per watt. Bulb temperature is completely dependent on electrical flow to the bulb.

Passive vs. Active Ballasts – just as you suspected, this is the same as electronic ballasts vs. magnetic ballasts. Active ballasts operate more efficiently and accurately then its magnetic counterparts. This means that an active ballast will ALWAYS out perform others as they are able to control and monitor the electrical flow to the bulb. Additionally, active ballasts utilize electricity more efficiently thus overall, consuming less or equal electricity to produce more light. On average passive ballasts consume 53-55w (48” bulb) and after efficiency loss, put out approx. 300-350ma to the bulb. Active ballasts, similar to the kind found in the Quantum Bad Boy, consume 55w and ignite the bulbs with 450ma of electricity. Please note the 100-150ma increase in output an active ballast emits over its magnetic counterpart.

T5 bulbs are coated with a tri-phosphorus blend inside of the bulb, that phosphorus is excited when gasses in the bulbs are exposed to electricity passing through the mercury vapor charged bulbs and produce light with a Kelvin rating of 6500 for what we know as veg bulbs (2900k for flowering). 6500k is the equivalent to the sun in a tropical environment high in blue spectrum. This mimics most plants our customers grow natural environment. The K rating is only accurate if the bulb is being burned correctly at 450ma to produce 35c/95F. Any deviation in input voltage will reduce the operating temperature thus reducing the Kelvin temperature output which will have a negative impact on Plant growth.

Lastly it is important to take into account that a t5 bulb is round, emitting light 360degrees from the center of the light source. As you are familiar, most t5 lights available in the hydroponics market have some type of aluminum reflector. Although you may have the most efficient light source, burning optimally, you may be loosing reflective light output by using inferior “low reflective” materials. Aluminum reflectors average 70-99% reflectivity.

Taking all information about into account was the foundation of the Quantum T5 Bad Boy fixture and bulbs. Quantum Bulbs are designed and built properly to be ignited at 450ma unlike most other bulbs on the market. The competition knows their ballast do not emit 450ma, therefor cut corners and produce cheaper bulbs with less out put. Secondly, Quantum bad Boy T5s utilize Active multivolt smart ballast. These ballast can be operated at both 120v and 240v with no rewiring need. In addition, Quantum employs 97% reflective glass coated German aluminum reflectors to get the most of the emitted light to your plants. Lastly, to make T5s which are rather large more available to the grower, Quantum implemented a patented folding design making it the easiest t5 to transport and all sizes 4-16lamp coming in a package no larger then 12” wide and 48” L.

The post Fluorescent T5 Grow Lights appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

How do they do it, you ask? The Quantum Tri-phosphor bulbs are designed for optimum performance with the Fulham Race Horse ballast. These are tuned for max output with the Bad Boy. The BadBoy coupled with Fulham’s latest and greatest Race Horse ballasts put out 28% more light than the competitions fixtures with the Work Horse 7 with NO additional power consumption! Available in 4, 6, 8, and 12 lamp.

The post Product of the Month: Quantum Bad Boy T-5 appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

 Neem:

Neem Tree

Neem is a botanical insecticide derived from a tree native to India.  Azadirachtin is the active constituent of neem, and is the substance responsible for its growth inhibiting properties.  This compound disrupts the insects reproductive life-cycle, and decreases the insect population.  It does work a little slower than other pesticides, and needs repeated application.  Most folks use neem in conjunction with another pesticide because it shows little effect when applied alone directly on insects; except in mixed oil formulations. It is important to note that most insects are affected only after consuming foliage that has been treated.  This is one reason many folks have begun using Azadirachtin for its systemic properties, as part of a successful preventative strategy.  There are several potent Azadirachtin products that work great for this application.  While the main use of neem is to fight insect pests, it has the ancillary effect of preventing powdery mildew.  It is not the best option for combating mildew alone, but used regularly should help keep powdery at bay.  Neem is a great option because it safe for mammals, it doesn’t disrupt beneficial insects and has a long history of safe use.   It is called the miracle tree for a reason.

Here is a great preventative spray recipe that works!  Used once a week until fruiting starts:

Safer Insect Killing Soap @ 45 ml/gal
Einsteins Oil (or other cold pressed neem oil) @ 15 ml/gal

Insecticidal Soap:

Safer Insect Killing Soap

Soaps can be used to control a wide range of plant pests. Small, soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mealy bugs, thrips and spider mites are most susceptible to soaps. In most cases,
control results from disruption of the cell membranes of the insect. Soaps and detergents may also remove the protective waxes that cover the insect, causing death through excess loss of water. Insecticidal soaps act strictly as contact insecticides, with no residual effect. To be effective, sprays must be applied directly to, and thoroughly cover, the insect. Insecticidal soaps are considered selective insecticides because of their minimal adverse effects on other organisms. Ladybugs, green lacewings, pollinating bees and most other beneficial insects are not susceptible to soap sprays. Predatory mites, however, are vulnerable to insecticidal soaps.

Insecticidal soap is another great non-toxic option, that is effective when used properly.  It is important that the soap make contact with all the pests because it is only effective on contact. Make sure to spray when the lights are off and make sure the leaf surface is dry before the lights come back on.  Do not use with sulfur.

• Safer Insect Killing Soap Concentrate

Horticultural Oils:

Various oils have been used for years to manage certain pest problems (e.g., scale, aphids, mites) on fruit trees, shade trees and woody ornamental plants. Several recently developed oils extend this usefulness to flowers, vegetables and can control some plant diseases, such as powdery mildew, and insect pests like spider mites.  Horticultural oils block the air holes through which insects breathe, causing them to die via asphyxiation.  They may also act as poisons, killing them.

Einstein Oil

Some of the latest advancements in pest management have come in the development of horticultural oils.  Gardeners are finding success with clove, rosemary, thyme, geranium, and citronella oils to name a few.  Two companies to look out for our Sierra Natural Science and Greenway Nutrients, both companies have developed effective, non-toxic horticultural oils that can fight insect pests, powdery mildew, and other fungal pathogens.  All of their products have been tested in the field and they work.

Oils pose few risks to people or beneficial insects, however, be warned when applying horticultural oils, they quickly dissipate through evaporation, leaving little residue. Oils also are easy to apply with existing pesticides to extend and enhance their performance.  The main limitation of horticultural oils is their potential to cause plant injury (phytotoxicity -  a toxic effect by a compound on plant growth. Such damage may be caused by a wide variety of compounds, including trace metals, pesticides, salinity, phytotoxins or allelopathy), in some situations, especially when used in conjunction with sulfur products; such as vaporizers or sprays.

The most successful gardeners have found that a solid, regular, preventative practice is the best option to keep pests at bay.  By making the environment inhospitable to pests, your likelihood of succumbing to a pest outbreak diminishes.  Switch between types of spray so the pests and diseases don’t become resistant and don’t get lazy.  These are safe, non-toxic, and effective tools for the discerning garden.

The post Least Toxic Pest and Disease Control Sprays appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

 Neem:

Neem is a botanical insecticide derived from a tree native to India.  Azadirachtin is the active constituent of neem, and is the substance responsible for its growth inhibiting properties.  This compound disrupts the insects reproductive life-cycle, and decreases the insect population.  It does work a little slower than other pesticides, and needs repeated application.  Most folks use neem in conjunction with another pesticide because it shows little effect when applied alone directly on insects; except in mixed oil formulations. It is important to note that most insects are affected only after consuming foliage that has been treated.  This is one reason many folks have begun using Azadirachtin for its systemic properties, as part of a successful preventative strategy.  There are several potent Azadirachtin products that work great for this application.  While the main use of neem is to fight insect pests, it has the ancillary effect of preventing powdery mildew.  It is not the best option for combating mildew alone, but used regularly should help keep powdery at bay.  Neem is a great option because it safe for mammals, it doesn’t disrupt beneficial insects and has a long history of safe use.   It is called the miracle tree for a reason.

Here is a great preventative spray recipe that works!  Used once a week until fruiting starts:

• Safer Insect Killing Soap @ 45 ml/gal
• Einsteins Oil (or other cold pressed neem oil) @ 15 ml/gal

Insecticidal Soap:

Soaps can be used to control a wide range of plant pests. Small, soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mealy bugs, thrips and spider mites are most susceptible to soaps. In most cases,
control results from disruption of the cell membranes of the insect. Soaps and detergents may also remove the protective waxes that cover the insect, causing death through excess loss of water. Insecticidal soaps act strictly as contact insecticides, with no residual effect. To be effective, sprays must be applied directly to, and thoroughly cover, the insect. Insecticidal soaps are considered selective insecticides because of their minimal adverse effects on other organisms. Ladybugs, green lacewings, pollinating bees and most other beneficial insects are not susceptible to soap sprays. Predatory mites, however, are vulnerable to insecticidal soaps.

Insecticidal soap is another great non-toxic option, that is effective when used properly.  It is important that the soap make contact with all the pests because it is only effective on contact. Make sure to spray when the lights are off and make sure the leaf surface is dry before the lights come back on.  Do not use with sulfur.

• Safer Insect Killing Soap Concentrate

Horticultural Oils:

Various oils have been used for years to manage certain pest problems (e.g., scale, aphids, mites) on fruit trees, shade trees and woody ornamental plants. Several recently developed oils extend this usefulness to flowers, vegetables and can control some plant diseases, such as powdery mildew, and insect pests like spider mites.  Horticultural oils block the air holes through which insects breathe, causing them to die via asphyxiation.  They may also act as poisons, killing them.

Some of the latest advancements in pest management have come in the development of horticultural oils.  Gardeners are finding success with clove, rosemary, thyme, geranium, and citronella oils to name a few.  Two companies to look out for our Sierra Natural Science and Greenway Nutrients, both companies have developed effective, non-toxic horticultural oils that can fight insect pests, powdery mildew, and other fungal pathogens.  All of their products have been tested in the field and they work.

Oils pose few risks to people or beneficial insects, however, be warned when applying horticultural oils, they quickly dissipate through evaporation, leaving little residue. Oils also are easy to apply with existing pesticides to extend and enhance their performance.  The main limitation of horticultural oils is their potential to cause plant injury (phytotoxicity -  a toxic effect by a compound on plant growth.  Such damage may be caused by a wide variety of compounds, including trace metals, pesticides, salinity, phytotoxins or allelopathy), in some situations, especially when used in conjunction with sulfur products; such as vaporizers or sprays.

The most successful gardeners have found that a solid, regular, preventative practice is the best option to keep pests at bay.  By making the environment inhospitable to pests, your likelihood of succumbing to a pest outbreak diminishes.  Switch between types of spray so the pests and diseases don’t become resistant and don’t get lazy.  These are safe, non-toxic, and effective tools for the discerning garden.

The post Least toxic pest and disease control sprays appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

As far as an additive to your feeding program, there are a couple of things to be aware of with silicate additives.  First, is that it will raise your pH…Second, is that if you are adding it to your nutrient tank, you need to add it first, unless you dilute it first.  The recommended way to add your silicate to your reservoir; is after it has been diluted and pH adjusted.  If one had a 5 gallon bucket of nutrient, you would pull out a half gallon of water before you mixed the nutrients, then  you would add the recommended application rate of silicate for your five gallons of solution, and finally pH adjust.  Once the 4.5 remaining gallons of nutrient has been mixed, you can add your half gallon of diluted silicate to the bucket.  This will help to ensure your pH remains stable.

The post Silicate: The overlooked additive appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Another “best practice” that can help a hydroponic garden achieve maximum results is practice of changing the reservoir weekly.  Emptying, and then refilling.  Set a day of the week, and change it on the day.  It is also important to check the pH daily, and adjust accordingly.  Another important, yet overlooked task, is topping off regularly with fresh water.  If using RO, first add the appropriate amount of a calcium/magnesium supplement then add to the reservoir.  The frequency becomes more important as the plants begin to drink more water when their fruit and flowers begin to develop.  As water is used up by the plants, the nutrients in the reservoir become more concentrated.  As the nutrient solution becomes more concentrated, the potential for nutrient lock-out issues increases.  Once the nutrient solution gets to a certain point of high concentration, nutrient issues are sure to arise.  Avoid this by making sure your reservoir is always full and pH adjusted (5.8 – 6.2) and remember that by using good water (less than 150 ppm) and utilizing sound practices, you can help to ensure your get the desired end result out of your garden.

The post Best practices for your hydroponic garden appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Humidity is a term used to describe the concentration of water in the air. Warmer air can hold more water vapor; the maximum amount of water that air can hold is contingent upon the temperature of the air; the warmer the air the greater amount of water vapor that can be held.  The capacity of water that the air can hold changes with temperature.  The temperature also influences the volume of water that the air can hold but this is difficult to measure.  Relative Humidity (RH), allows us to measure the volume of water vapor in the air compared to the total volume of water vapor that could potentially be held by the air as a percentage.

To monitor relative humidity levels, many growers use a digital hygrometer. A hygrometer is a simple device that measures the humidity levels and temperature of its surroundings. It is very important to monitor relative humidity levels because RH has a direct effect on the plant’s ability to transpire 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, much like sweating in animals.  The temperature of a healthy transpiring leaf can be up to 5-10°F (2-6°C) lower than a non-transpiring leaf. This is why it is so important to control your plants’ environment.  A healthy environment will encourage healthy transpiration, which will in turn foster a healthy plant.

Air enters the leaf through the stomata, which are located in the lower surface of the leaf.   Opening the stomata allows the diffusion of carbon dioxide gas from the air for photosynthesis. Transpiration enables the absorption of iron and minerals and allows minerals and water to flow via osmosis.  The vascular capillary action of the xylem allows nutrients to flow from the roots to the shoots.  This flow is a result of the loss of hydrostatic pressure in the upper parts of the plant due to the diffusion of water out of the stomata into the atmosphere.  Therefore, the lower the relative humidity levels, the greater the driving force for transpiration. When the relative humidity is high, the atmosphere has more moisture and reduces the force for transpiration. Plants do however have some degree of control of their rate of transpiration, but drier air will cause the plants to transpire more.

• If relative humidity is low, the rate of transpiration will be high.
• If relative humidity is high, the rate of transpiration will be lower.

A healthy indoor growing environment  is provided by a continuous stream of fresh, dry air to your garden, which not only lowers the humidity directly surrounding the leaf surface but also replenishes carbon dioxide (CO2) required for photosynthesis.The quantity of airflow required to continually remove excess water vapor and bring in a sufficient volume of CO2 is higher than many growers realize – there should be sufficient airflow to keep the leaves gently moving most of the time.  A healthy plant can use up all the available CO2 within one minute in a stagnant room.  The warmer it is and the faster the plants are growing, the more the air needs to be moved over the leaf surface for these processes to occur at optimal rates. In exceptionally humid climates, a dehumidifier will be necessary to maintain a healthy indoor garden if the ambient outside air is too humid for proper air exchange. Another problem with having high relative humidity levels when gardening indoors it that it renders carbon filters less effective. At levels higher than 60% RH, most carbon filters begins to lose their ability to adsorb contaminants. Over 90% RH they stop working completely. For this reason, it is recommended that you keep your relative humidity levels no higher than 60% in a vegetative state, with the upper temperature limit depending on your crop’s ideal temperature range. We recommend 40-45% relative humidity in the flowering phase.  This lower RH will promote transpiration, vigorous growth, and help prevent mold on chunky flowers.

The correct humidity is crucial for successfully rooting young seedlings and clones. The ideal humidity range is between 80-90%. Low humidity will cause the young cutting to transpire and lose more moisture than it can absorb – which can kill young cuttings. We recommend that you use a humidity dome to prevent your clones from losing excessive moisture. Cuttings need some ventilation and a few small holes in the dome.  When using a cloning machine the RH is of less importance.  Just be sure to keep an eye on your reservoir level and the nutrient concentration in your reservoir.  Your nutrient solution will become concentrated due to the amount of water diminishing by way of transpiration.

It is recommended that you use insulated ducting for the intake on your indoor garden’s ventilation system.  It is especially important in the winter months in colder climates.  If you use non-insulated ducting, condensation will occur when the cold outside air travels through your duct which is in direct contact with the warm air in your indoor garden.

The post Relative humidity in your indoor garden appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

To get started, traditionally, a 1000W light accommodates a 4’ x 4’ square.  A 600W is used for a 3’ x 3’, and 250W would be great for a 2’ x 2’.  When I begin to look at room design, I typically break my lighting plan into squares, and use this formula to adjust accordingly.  Of course, this is just a general rule of thumb…

Once you have this figured out, there are several options for the size and shape of the hood you will use.  Most reflectors are designed for horizontal bulb placement, although there are a couple of new designs on the market for a vertical orientation as well…we will get to that.  So let’s begin…

Winged Reflectors – Some of the most basic reflectors on the market are of the wing variety.  Just simply bent reflective aluminum, with a socket.  No bells or whistles here.  While they do work, if you need to air-cool your lights, these will not be your option.  These are really only an option for the gardener working with a tight budget, because lighting technology has evolved quite a bit these days, and it’s worth spending the extra couple of bucks for. For instance, the evolution of the winged reflector has become the reflector of choice for those not needing to air-cool their lights.  The Adjust-a-Wing is just this wing. The Adjust-a-Wing reflector was designed for maximum reflection, and has a patented glass polymer coating that allows for the gardener to adjust the color spectrum based on the season they are trying to mimic. This is certainly a state-of-the-art reflector, and is definitely worth considering if you don’t need to air-cool.

Triple-X Reflectors – These reflectors are relatively new to the game.  Sunlight Supply introduced the Magnum XXXL series several years ago, and thus began the trend.  The main advantage of these reflectors is that their footprint is 4’ x 6’ with a 1000W bulb as opposed to the traditional 4’ x 4’ footprint.  Gardeners started using these reflectors because the enhanced footprint.  Now plants in between the two reflectors got  the same intensity of light as if they were directly below the hood.  These reflectors are great for maximizing your light when working in rectangles as opposed to squares, and generally perform best with 1000W HID’s. These also allow for air cooling of your hoods with either 6” flanges for the Magnum XXL or 8” for the Magnum XXL ‘Ocho’ air cooled reflector.

Square Reflectors – Typically, a square reflector like the Yield Master 2 Classic or Radiant 6”  create a square footprint.  However, there are subtle variations between the square reflector designs.  The main differences would be found in the type of reflective material used, the height of the reflector, the quality of the seal, or whether it is designed for 6” or 8” ducting.  Each of these factors will influence cost and function.  The better the reflective surface, the more sleek the design, the better the seal and the larger the ducting flange…the more expensive the hood.  Gardeners who have more than four lights tend to prefer the 8” ducted lights because they are more efficient at air-cooling and helping with overall climate control.

Bread Box Reflectors – The square reflectors are usually close to a 1:1 length to width ratio; while the bread box style are generally around the  ½ : 1 mark…in essence, more of a rectangle shape. The bread-box style like the Sun System Super Sun 2 has a more focused light disbursement.  These reflectors are best utilized when the goal is to have more points of light, as opposed to less…when you are trying to focus, not spread out. For example, some gardeners might use three, 600W lamps over a 4’ x 8’, whereas others might just use two, 1000W lamps, to cover the same space.  When following the more points of light theory, the bread-box style would be your reflector of choice.

Vertical Reflectors and Parabolic Hoods – Using bulbs in their vertical orientation is a huge component in “octagon” gardening, the use of shelves, and vertically hung bulbs to maximize square footage, growing up, and not out.  Although this is a topic in and of itself for another time.  For many years, the parabolic hood was the reflector used to spread light out as much as possible throughout a growing space.  But these quickly fell out of fashion once the engineered (powder-coated and air cooled) reflectors hit the market.  While the parabolic reflectors are great at spreading light throughout the room, they are not quite as efficient as some of the newer innovations.  Sunlight developed their Vertizontal reflector, which is essentially a parabolic hood, with a horizontal bulb orientation.  But to get back to vertical reflectors, Sunlight Supply recently released their Luxor 8”, a behemoth of a reflector, weighing in at over 100+ pounds, designed for a vertical bulb.  The theory is that one gets the optimal usage out of their bulb with the vertical configuration.  The reflector is manufactured with 98% reflective European aluminum, and optimized to eliminate any hot spots.  This reflector is truly an engineering masterpiece.  These would be great for situations with high ceilings…unfortunately not the best for tent gardeners.

The post How to choose a grow light reflector appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.

Over the course of the past decade, the indoor gardening industry has seen an explosion of new plant nutrient manufacturer’s enter the fray. Indoor gardening stores went from maybe half a dozen major nutrient brands in the late 1990’s to somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty companies all vying for shelf space. With this drastic increase, the stores themselves have had to grow in size. The days of a successful store operating out of an 800 square foot retail space with little or no warehouse are long gone. In a sense, indoor gardening shops build themselves around the nutrients and additives they sell. There is one nutrient that has helped hundreds, possibly thousands of indoor gardening shops grow and prosper over the years. That nutrient is Flora Series from General Hydroponics.

Flora Series was developed in the early 1980’s by a PHD chemist named Dr. Cal Herman and Lawrence Brooke, founder of General Hydroponics. Flora Series is widely accepted as the backbone of the industry and is still to this day the number one selling nutrient for hydroponics in the world. Flora Series also provides incredible results in soil and soil-less growing mediums. One would be hard pressed to find an Indoor Gardening store in the U.S.A. or Canada that does not sell Flora Series. In fact, many new store -owners are told that it is almost a must to stock it in order for their business to survive.

There are many reasons that Flora Series has become such a staple. Obviously the longevity of the name and brand is paramount. However, there are many examples of products and brands that fall to the wayside as new competition comes on to their markets. Flora Series has stood the test of time mainly due to its performance and consistency. This is due to the fact that General Hydroponics manufactures Flora Series in its own factories. It is not outsourced to a second party fertilizer manufacturer like many of the other nutrient lines on the market today. Therefore, GH has the ability to closely monitor and control the quality and consistency of the product. The exceptional performance of Flora Series can be attributed to science and technology.

Making a fertilizer that works in a wide range of environments and growing systems is much more involved than simply mixing some stuff with water and putting it in a bottle. The quality of the raw ingredients has to be top notch. The formulation has to be sound and the chemistry has to be spot on. Cutting corners in order to save a few bucks is a recipe for disaster and a sure way to lose market share. The other key to the success of Flora Series is its flexibility. Being a three part nutrient system, the user can mix various ratios of the three products, (Flora Micro, Flora Gro and Flora Bloom) in order to create a nutrient profile that is ideal for whatever plants they may be growing. So whether you’re an avid orchid grower, greenhouse tomato farmer, or whatever else you may enjoy cultivating, there is a Flora Series recipe that is perfect for your garden. Flora Series is also known for its pH stability. This is crucial for hydroponics. If the pH of your nutrient solution is off, your plants will be unable to uptake and utilize the minerals in the solution. If there are no buffers in the nutrient, the pH will drift, and nobody wants to have to constantly adjust the pH of their nutrient solution. It is laborious and it alters the nutrient profile. The other strong suit of Flora Series is availability. General Hydroponics has expanded to three factories in North America and makes a concerted effort to fill the supply chains so that store owner’s can rest assured that when they order Flora Series, they will get it. Nothing will drive a customer to a new brand more quickly than not being able to get the product they are looking for. Plants don’t wait for back orders. They need food and they need it now. Lastly, at the end of the day, most consumers decide where their dollars go based on price. In an industry fraught with over priced products that don’t live up to their lofty price tag, Flora Series has maintained an affordable price point for many years. There have been few price increases on Flora Series and they have been minimal.

So, if you have not yet experienced the performance, reliability and cost effectiveness of Flora Series, do yourself and your plants a favor. Go down to your local indoor gardening center and pick up the number one selling hydroponics nutrient in the world. Flora Series by General Hydroponics, bringing nature and technology together for over thirty years. Happy gardening!

By,

PennyWize

The post Product of the Month – General Hydroponics Flora Series appeared first on Gardening Unlimited.