The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 2 (Reissue)

04THE INDOOR GARDENER VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2

CREDITS

THE INDOOR GARDENER MAGAZINEPostal Station Saint-MichelP.O. Box 183Montreal, QC, H2A 3L9, CANADATel.: (514) 728-8118Fax: (514) 728-1840www.tigmag.comISSN: 1715-0949

Volume 1 – Issue 2

Published by:Green Publications Vertes

Managing editor:Bruno Bredoux

Contributing editors:Helene Jutras, Jessy Caron, Fred Leduc

Art Dir-ektor:EktorZolerZoza

Editorial coordinator:Bruno Bredoux

Collaborators in this issue: Helene Jutras,Herb Gardner, Fred Leduc, R. LaBelle,Bruno Bredoux, Jessy Caron, J. R., JoshMorell, Louis-Philippe Rodier, J.V., PaulHenderson, William, Red, Stan Daimon,Laura, C. Sheppard, Oshun, vieux bandit.

Sales & advertising: Stan [email protected] [email protected]

Translation:Helene Jutras

Cover picture:EktorZolerZoza after a photo taken byJessy Caron at ITA St-Hyacinthe, Qc,Canada

Illustrations:C. Sheppard & EktorZolerZoza

Administration: R. LaBelle

Information: [email protected]

© 2005, Green Publications Vertes,Montreal, Qc, Canada

Articles, iconographic representationsand photographs contained in this maga-zine cannot be reproduced, in whole or inpart, without the written consent of thePublisher.

Legal deposit: Second Quarter 2005.National Library of Canada.Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.ISSN: 1715-0949

Printed in Canada.

Linear Measure (imperial to metric)1 inch 2.54 centimeters1 foot (=12 inches) 0.3048 meter1 yard (=3 feet) 0.9144 meter

Linear Measure (metric to imperial)Imperial 1 millimetre 0.0394 inch 1 centimetre (=10 mm) 0.3937 inch 1 metre (=100 cm) 1.0936 yards

Volume (imperial to metric)Metric 1 (imperial) fl. oz. (=1/20 imperial pint) 28.41 ml 1 (US liquid) fl. oz. (=1/16 US pint) 29.57 ml 1 (imperial) pint (=20 fl. imperial oz.) 568.26 ml 1 (US liquid) pint (=16 fl. US oz.) 473.18 ml 1 (imperial) gallon (=4 quarts) 4.546 litres 1 (US liquid) gallon (=4 quarts) 3.785 litres

Volume (metric to imperial)Imperial 1 millilitre 0.002 (imperial) pint, 0.176 pint 1 litre (=1000 ml) 1.76 pints

Mass (imperial to metric)1 ounce (=16 drams) 28.35 grams 1 pound (=16 ounces) 0.45359237 kilogram 1 stone (=14 pounds) 6.35 kilograms

Mass (metric to imperial)Imperial 1 milligram 0.015 grain 1 kilogram (=1000 g) 2.205 pounds

TemperatureTo convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 degrees anddivide by 1.8. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32degrees.

Conversion Table

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Photo: Jessy Caron

On the cover: Illustration EktorZoler Zoza

Photo: vieux bandit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume 1 – Issue 2July / August 2005

7 EditorialFeeding the World: A Hydroponic Dream?By Bruno Bredoux

8 IntroductionHealing With Plants… Through GardeningBy Helene Jutras

12 Notes & News

18 Tips & Tricks: Fighting Spider Mites OrganicallyBy Gerald ‘J.R.’ Hannafin

20 Tips & Tricks: The Nettle, Unloved Yet Full of SurprisesBy Bruno Bredoux

22 Tips & Tricks: Odor Versus Aroma How to Get Rid of the First Without Losing the OtherBy Gerald ‘J.R.’ Hannafin

24 Seeing Life in PinkAn Escapade at Rose DrummondBy Jessy Caron, ITA St-Hyacinthe

28 Natural Fertilization and Integrated Pest Management According to BiobestBy Jessy Caron, ITA St-Hyacinthe

32 Preparing a Summer Growing Space for Carnivorous Plants and OrchidsBy James Vicari

36 Light, Grow!Let's shed some light on light! The joke is easy, but the subject is serious: light is the master of ceremonies, the first link in the chain, the CEO of plants.By Paul Henderson

42 VentilationAn Essential Tool for the Indoor GardenerBy Jessy Caron, ITA St-Hyacinthe

44 GalleryBy Jessy Caron, vieux bandit and Bruno Bredoux

54 Classification of Indoor Plants2 - Agavaceae, a.k.a. Subfamily AgavoideaeBy Jessy Caron, ITA St-Hyacinthe

58 Morphological Change, Physiological Development Cactaceae and Succulents Everywhere! Modified Leaves, Myth or Reality?By Louis-Philippe Rodier, ITA St-Hyacinthe

60 Coco Coir: Natural Growing MediumBy Bruno Bredoux

64 The Hydroponic Tomato ExperimentSearching for Varieties Suitable for Hydroponic GrowingBy Josh Morell

68 Fertilizing… The Atmosphere!By Simon ‘Red’ (Hydro Sciences)

70 Where Do the Colors of Flower Come From? By Bruno Bredoux

74 Shopping: Horticultural NoveltiesBy Jessy Caron, William Sutherland, Laura P. & B.B.

77 The Hydroponic World of North America

80 Q & AAsk Fred 2: From Clones to the Cheapest Hydro Set-upBy Fred Leduc

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Photos: Jessy Caron, D.R., Biobest & Josh Morell

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VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2 THE INDOOR GARDENER07

EDITORIAL

There are some who dream of feeding the world through music. Why notorganize Hydro Show 8 rather that Live 8? I am not denigrating the artistic effortbehind this series of charity concerts to heighten awareness to Africa'sstruggles, but what will now happen with the royalties? Will tons of food besent again in containers to distribution centers where anarchy is the norm? Willthey finance the drilling of a few wells, drawing publicity with, if possible, aninternational star shovelling dirt during the groundbreaking ceremony? Will theyset up an agricultural teaching program in African schools? Ah, here issomething I could agree with. But the courses must be adapted to thecountries' geographic, climactic and geological reality, not another version ofthe Western world imposing its views on Cameroonian children in the middleof the bush. Hydroponic techniques should be taught, with your permission,ladies and gentlemen!

For the last fifteen years, hydroponic culture has reigned in the West. It is nowtime for this cultivation method and its promoters to explore new countries,new opportunities, and to grant new resources to the populations who needthem the most. Feeding the entire planet is still a utopia today. Famine iseverywhere and even the most involved and courageous international andgovernmental bodies can only recognize their lack of means, resources andresults. In Africa, traditional agriculture is anemic at best and the soil cannot giveback what little it is given. Some countries are now turning to hydroponics.Could it be a solution, or the beginning of a solution, that has until now mostlybeen ignored?

In the previous issue of The Indoor Gardener, we told you about Rosebud, thehydroponic farm in Uganda. It is an original and successful experiment thatcould be developed and could lead to a production more closely in tune withthe immediate and specific needs of the country's population. Other countrieshave made efforts in the same direction. The Africa University of Mutare inZimbabwe has been offering hydroponic techniques training since 1998. Manystudents compete to enter the six month program, but only six can follow thecourses at once. The will is obvious, but the lack of means is cruelly clear.Installing sophisticated high-tech greenhouses on African soil requires rigor,considerable financial means and advanced technology. It simply cannothappen without help from outside associations, hydroponic industry playersand the injection of fresh funds. The hydroponic dream is expensive, but whatif it works?

Lawrence L. Brooke, founder of General Hydroponics, once said that "Even inareas such as sub-Saharan Africa where money is as scarce as water, simplehydroponic and other appropriate agricultural techniques could help turnfamine into a fighting chance for millions." So I ask you: what are we waiting forto create a charity group called "Hydroponic Gardeners Without Borders"?

Bruno BredouxThe Indoor Gardener MagazineJune 2005

Feeding the World: A Hydroponic Dream


INTRODUCTION

Healing with Plants... Through GardeningBy Helene Jutras

Plants are, of course, the source of countless medications. They themselves havebeen used for millennia to heal humans and animals, whether it's a doginstinctively eating grass to solve some digestive crisis, a midwife using tincturesor a shaman chewing herbs to reach a visionary state. More recently, however,humans have been tapping into the peace and serenity attained by gardeners, tohelp non-gardeners as well. The result of these attempts is a blooming field ofstudy: horticultural therapy.

Horticultural therapy is now used by horticultural therapists, recreation therapists,occupational therapists, social workers, mental health workers, nurses, vocationalcounselors, correctional and rehabilitation specialists. The Canadian HorticulturalTherapy Association describes it as "a process using plants and horticulturalactivities to promote well-being by improving people’s mind and spirit. Adaptedtools, materials, and specially designed gardens help to promote effectivetherapy." Practiced across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Japan, Korea,and England, horticultural therapy is growing in popularity, as educators andclients see tangible results.

Photo: vieux bandit


INTRODUCTIONPhoto: vieux bandit

Who Is It For?

Horticultural therapy is intended for children, adults andseniors who have physical, psychological or developmen-tal disabilities and for convalescing patients of illness orinjury. It is also of use to seniors who want to improve theirquality of life in a nursing home; it helps public offenders,recovering addicts and victims of abuse. Horticultural ther-apy is thus for anyone who is or feels a lack of inclusion ina social setting, be it because of mental illness, a handicapor a feeling of powerlessness over one's life.

The horticultur-al projects canbe simple ore l a b o r a t e ,indoors or out-doors andobviously mustbe adapted forthe season.Activities caninclude almostanything youcan think of:g r e e n h o u s emaintenance,plant propaga-tion, vegetableg a r d e n i n g ,water garden-ing, plant iden-tification, floraldesign andeven construc-tion! Thei m p o r t a n tthing, though, isthat the activitybe adapted for the client, and tools and methods be pro-vided and taught in an accessible way.

Healing in the Garden

Humans and vegetation have a long history together. Atsome point, plants gave us more than sustenance andbeauty: they offered shelter and protection, fire wood andmedicine. They could be tamed, they could provide sta-bility and security – especially when agriculture was theonly alternative to nomadic hunting. And even today, sim-ply looking at plants and trees reduces stress, lowersblood pressure and relieves muscle tension. This is whymore and more hospitals and homes for disabled personsare turning a curious eye to landscaping, to offer a calming,soothing environment for persons whose morale mightneed comforting. For the same reason, schools have start-ed horticultural programs and children and educators alikereap the benefits.

The result of such landscaping is sometimes called a "heal-ing garden". Those are functional (given the possible limita-tions of the users of the space), maintainable and environ-mentally sound. The visually pleasing aspect is not forgot-ten: such gardens are meant to be restorative, and there-fore must be pleasing to the eye. Anyone can attempt toturn their garden into a healing garden, but a lot of workand planning goes into the creation of such public spaces.The usual elements matter, of course: simplicity, texture,variety, smooth transitions. But there are other aspects to

think of, fromslopes that areeasy enough forsomeone with awalker to attemptthem, to quiet-ness, includingsuch considera-tions as havingseating arrangedboth in the sunand the shade.And each healinggarden must bes p e c i f i c a l l ydesigned for itsclientele: the visu-ally impaired havedifferent needsthan children,whose needsmay be differentfrom seniors. Asneeded and ashelpful as it is, ahealing garden isa passiveapproach to heal-

ing; horticultural therapy would be its active counterpart.

How Does Horticultural Therapy Work?

Horticultural therapy works in many simple, if miraculous,ways. As put by Dr. Richard Thompson, “All the informationfrom studies to date makes it clear that gardening is goodfor you. It is not a trivial activity, but is the setting for a widerange of activities enabling social contact, exercise andgroup interaction, as well as providing the opportunitiesfor addressing cognitive and physical impairments and fordeveloping vocational skills – all the elements that lead tosocial inclusion.”

Clients of horticultural therapy develop friendships andextend their social network, not just during the activity butafterwards their new knowledge of gardening can lead tonew interactions with other gardeners. Horticulturebecomes a link: first with fellow clients, who often form a


INTRODUCTION

Photo: vieux bandit

somewhat heterogeneous group of persons who shareexperiences and difficulties, and then with the extendedcommunity of gardeners everywhere.

Most clients find it rewarding to be involved at every level,from planting to marketing, and teaching others along theway. And then comes the pure satisfaction of eating pro-duce that you remember seeing as a seed! Imagine the thrill,for the non-gar-dener, to see aseedling grow andblossom, and thejustified pride: Imade that! Thesense of responsi-bility and owner-ship can be veryempowering.

Even before anyform of therapyseems to begin,clients get theopportunity to beoutdoors, to relax,to be one withnature, somethingthat is not alwaysotherwise easy toattain. Dave, aproject client withmental healthproblems, said:“Oh, I just likebeing out in thefresh air, it justseems natural, youknow. I mean, mylife has been, reallyinside and, really,sort of, closed offfor a long time,you know,because of my ill-ness”. Horticulturaltherapy, all thesame, can be per-formed indoors, inindoor gardens orgreenhouses, aslong as those are adapted to the needs of the clients.

The therapy projects promote self-confidence and inde-pendence among vulnerable persons, which can lead themto new careers and passions, as well as a sense of inclusion.It also seems that horticultural therapy soothes tempers: astudy of British Colombia residences for Alzheimer'spatients showed that, at the residences with gardens, the

rate of violent incidents declined by 19% over two years.At the non-garden residences, the violent incidentsincreased by 680%. When faced with facts, it is easy todecide which residence to pick, but also which school,which convalescing home...

Quite simply, horticultural therapy is also a form of exercise.Any gardener will tell you that! But it is an exercise that is

calm and gentle, wherethe body is workingwithout even noticing.And that might be justwhat some personsneed. For others, per-forming even simplephysical tasks is a chal-lenge, but with theirnew gardener motiva-tion, they can actuallyincrease their functionalabilities.

Becoming a Therapist

To become a registeredHorticultural Therapist inCanada, you must applyfor a registration pack-age through theCanadian HorticulturalTherapy Association. Afew schools and educa-tional facilities are nowoffering certificates andtraining. The CHTA hasalso developed a pointsystem where your edu-cational background,volunteer experience,and internships are takeninto consideration.Horticultural educatorsoften have a back-ground in some combi-nation of horticulture,psychology, specialeducation, etc.: often-times they are already

trained to work with their chosen clientele. Horticulturaltherapy, after all, is only one way of healing and helping oth-ers, but it is a natural, affordable, inclusive and accessibleroad to healing.

FORE MORE INFORMATION:Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association: www.chta.ca


NOTES & NEWS

Round Up: A Small Association Resists Giant MonsantoA French environmental association, Eaux et Rivières de Bretagne, has been attempting since November2004 to bring to term a law suit against the agro-chemical company Monsanto France (affiliated with theAmerican mother corporation) for false publicity and misleading consumers.

The original complaint was filed in 2000 and relates to the Round Up product line, cre-ated by the American corporation in 1975. Monsanto, the leader in retail sales of pes-ticides in France, has commercialized this product under different names for a decade.The French subsidiary, Monsanto France, has built the product's success on its “ecolog-ical” qualities. Defined as “biodegradable” in advertisements, the product is supposedto “protect and respect nature”. These would be wonderful virtues for a pesticideproduct to have, but Eaux et Rivières de Bretagne contends Round Up cannot makesuch claims. Gilles Huet, spokesperson for the association, said: “In 2000, Monsantopaid for a huge television ad campaign for Round Up. On our end, we had just receivedthe results of studies which showed the overwhelming presence of glyphosate, Round

Up's active ingredient, in the rivers of Brittany.”

Glysophate is a product that is dangerous for the environment, and its presence inwater and food is regulated by many French and European laws. Once the flagrantdanger of glyphosate for the environment was made public, Round Up was re-classified in the United States in 1993 and in Europe in 2001. The European com-mission reviewing glyphosate considers it "toxic for aquatic organisms" and said itcould "bring on long-term harmful effects on the environment." Since then,Monsanto has ignored the re-classification and has denied the scientific studies,choosing instead to keep up its publicity on the "ecological" virtues of Round Up.The degradation of glyphosate produces a metabolite, AMPA (aminomethylphos-phonic acid), which is as toxic as glyphosate, but is found in higher concentrationin nature. The association is denouncing that fact: "Biodegradable, for consumers,means it vanishes without a trace. They should have to say how long it takes!" In1996, following complaints received from consumers in New York, Monsantodecided to remove "biodegradability" and "respects the environment" from its adsin the United States. Eaux et Rivières de Bretagne hopes to obtain the same result"for scientific truth to be recognized". As early as 1999 "scientific studies have shown that the rivers ofBrittany contained massive amounts of glyphosate", explains Gilles Huet. This contamination of Frenchrivers has since been confirmed by the French Institute for the environment. Furthermore, whenglyphosate is mixed with certain products, such as the POEA contained in Round Up, it causes "cellulardysfunction", the cause of all cancers.Monsanto France holds 60% of the French glyphosate market: it sells 3,200 tons of Round Up each year,

out of the 5,400 tons of herbicides sold annually across the country, according tonumbers submitted by the plaintifs. In a press release, Monsanto disputed theaccusations against Round Up: "The evidence showing the falsity of those accusa-tions – in particular the scientific studies – will be shown in court". The pressrelease goes on by saying that "With its expertise and through its research, theMonsanto corporation contributes to increasing the volume and quality of interna-tional food production while reducing costs and environmental impacts."Because of a procedural error (lawyers argued that Monsanto France's CEO, wholives in the U.S.A., had not been served according to due form), the hearing willnot occur before the summer of 2005. This allows Monsanto plenty of time to

begin its spring campaign on a different note in an attempt to overshadow the lies spread until now.Meanwhile, Monsanto France's corporate head office in Bron, a suburb of Lyon, closed without leaving aFrench forwarding address! "It is peculiar for such a large corporation to vanish this way", said AlexandreFaro, lawyer for Eaux et Rivières de Bretagne. “It still sells its products and promotes them, though... We'lljust have to find it.” To be continued...– Sources: Libération, www.h-50.fr and AFP

Photos: D.R.


NOTES & NEWS

Hilary Swank: Two Oscars,Yes! An Apple and AnOrange? Oh No!

One can have twoOscars on the dresserand yet get arrested forpossession of an appleand an orange. That iswhat happened toactress Hilary Swankwhen she landed atWellington airport inNew Zealand, whereshe was going to pro-mote her latest film.Suspicious customsagents had a hunch she

was trying to smuggle forbidden goods under theferocious control of the Ministry of Agriculture andForestry into the country. It would have been easy toimmediately declare those articles, dangerous as theyare for the safety of New Zealand's agriculture. Theactress didn't, though, exhausted as she was from 20hours of flight. Laugh if you will, but Hilary did not.

The same actress who negotiates $5 million per moviedid not hesitate long, and she refused to pay themeasly fine that was asked ($142). The Hollywoodmachine was set in motion. Refusal to pay, injunctionto appear in court, flying in of an expensive New Yorklawyer, ruling, and sentence to pay... almost the sameamount as was requested at the airport ($163)! A fewthousand dollars in procedural fees later! Where is thelogic in all this? I do not know. Any publicity is goodpublicity for a star looking to make the headlines,although Hilary promised that, next time, she wouldeat the apple and the orange before boarding off.

We can laugh, but thousands of tourists get caughtevery month by Kiwi customs agents who cannot fath-om the sight of an apple or an orange. Commercialand agricultural protectionism sometimes take astrange twist. So forget apples and oranges if youhead down to New Zealand, and get prepared for akiwi cure! – BB (Source: www.femalefirst.co.uk)

For more information about what not to bring to New Zealand (and that includes honey, eggs and meat): www.maf.govt.nz/quarantine/foodstuffs/index.htm

Iran: President KhatamiPraises “Islamic”HydroponicsPresident Mohammad Khatami inauguratedthe first Iranian hydroponic farming complexat Hashtgerd new town on May 16th, 2005.Speaking at the ceremony, the chief execu-tive referred to the social life as one of themain concerns of the present human com-munities and urged that man deserves to livea healthier and more comfortable life (thanksto hydroponic products). The town ofHashtgerd is located about 90 km to thenorthwest of the capital city of Tehran.

– Source: Islamic Republic News Agency

Photos: ICO

MED (D.R.), IRNA – Photographer: Faraj Samadi

President Mohammad Khatami inaugurating the first Iranian hydroponic farming complex.

Hawaii: Dionysus and Friends AreWaiting to Harvest the LocalHydroponic Vines

According to the HawaiiAgricultural Statistics Service andas reported by The PacificBusiness News, the Big Island'sWaimea hydroponic greenhousevines were in good condition asof mid-July even with the heatwave. Harvesting was steady andyields continued to be good.Kona and Glenwood vines werealso in fair to good condition. Thefarmers are taking a rest… for themoment!

Source: http://pacific.bizjournals.com


NOTES & NEWS

USA-Canada: ReadyPac Closes MontrealPlant, 270 Jobs Lost

California-based ReadyPac Produce Inc. willclose its salad packag-ing plant at nearbyBoisbriand on August 6,the union representingthe plant's 270 workersannounced last May.Ready Pac will also cutback lettuce operationsat Napierville, south ofMontreal. Ready Pac, aspecialist in the distri-bution of fresh fruit and

vegetables, acquired the Salad Time divi-sion of competitor Tanimura & Antle lastAugust. Salad Time had six plants, includ-ing the one at Boisbriand, that make pre-pared salads for retailers.

– Source: www.freshplaza.com

Photos: w

ww.encyclopedie-enligne.com

(D.R.), Ready Pac & www.missouri.edu

Florida: Hydroponics to theRescue

Florida's agriculture has faced the most difficult seasonafter a series of devastating hurricanes last summer. Thehurricanes left farmers hopeless, but the return to a bal-anced production and the means put in place to achieveit and revitalize the state's agricultural economy haveopened new possibilities. After the summer hurricanesdestroyed everything in the prairies and fields, prices offruits and vegetables on the local market went up anuncontrollable slope, and many farmers turned to hydro-ponic culture, which offers a better yield and relative safe-ty from new natural disasters. Hydroponic units in a solidbuilding stand more chances of resisting a hurricane, andpromoting this system can improve production costs andensure the certainty of a harvest.

Hydroponics is an excellent financial investment for farm-ers, and it also allows them to meet the particular needsof Florida's retiree population, who wish to consumehealthy, natural produce. The hydroponic turn taken byfarmers has led them to cultivate fruits and vegetables asnaturally as possible. By adapting to reality, they have ineffect performed the most thorough experiments in thenatural treatment of fruits and vegetables without anychemical pesticides. Most hydroponic farms in Floridanow use the organic method of integrated pest manage-ment. – BB

– Sources : www.capitalpress.infoand http://hardestthing.ev1shopping.net

The aftermath of hurricane Andrew, the most expensivehurricane in American history.

The Tips of the 50’s

From a gardening magazine published 50 years ago...


NOTES & NEWS

Nature's Own OrigamiMathematicians and architects have longbeen looking at origami, the Japanese art offolded paper, to understand and solve prob-lems. It seems now that they could have beenlooking at plants all along!

In 1980, Dr. Koryo Miura developed an origa-mi pattern that allowed a map to be unfold-ed in an instant, simply by pulling on one cor-ner. The pattern was made of peaks and val-leys, and has since been in wide use.

Recently, a Harvard scientist and professor,Dr. Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, revealedhaving found the Miura-ori pattern in nature: itseems the skin of a leaf and its supportingframework could have been using the elabo-rate folding pattern for millennia! Dr.Mahadevan said the pattern in found inwings, petals and leaves, that start out folded,only to unfold and reveal how "the buckles tiltinto a zigzag pattern separated by kinks."

Mind you, the concept of complex structuresbuilt from originally flat surfaces is common inmulticellular organisms: one need only think ofhuman lungs, compact organs that containmany meters of cell surface. – H.J.

– Source: New York Times, March 2005

Photos: vieux bandit &ISV-CNRS-GIF

A Plant that Can HealIts Own Mutations

Geneticists at Purdue University say they havefound a plant that can heal its own geneticmutations, indicating that a genetic back-upcopy might be somehow available to theplant. The researchers were trying to under-stand the genes that control the plant's outerskin, or cuticle. They used plants with a mutat-ed gene that made the petals and floralorgans clump together. The mutation camefrom both parents of the plants, so that bothcopies of the gene in each plant would beidentically mutant. Yet when those plantsreproduced, 10 percent of their offspringreverted to normal, non-mutated genes, asevidenced by analyzing their DNA.

This intriguing result has been found in a singlespecies, the mustard-like plant calledArabidopsis, the standard laboratory organ-ism of plant geneticists, but the scientists nowbelieve such a genetic healing may be com-mon in nature.One theory is that the RNA of plants (andindeed multicellular organisms) contains ablueprint or template of the correct, normalgenes. As for how and when it reacts, if thatRNA backup copy even exists, well, only timeand research will tell. – H.J.

– Source: New York Times, March 2005

Intracellular localization of the RNA of Arabidopsis


NOTES & NEWS

Mexico's Floating Aztec Gardens:Ruins of a Brilliant Aquaponic Past?Very little is left today of the splendid canals and gardens of Tenochtitlán(Mexico) that so impressed the Spanish when the few conquistadors dis-covered the Aztec city. After having been the town's dump for almost a

century, however, the Xochimilco floating gardens ("flower gar-den" in náhuatl) are now being rehabilitated through an effortfrom the Mexican government. What remains of Xochimilco isnow split between a traditional touristic preservation site and anecological park where visitors can observe local fauna and birdsin particular.

Xochimilco's "aquaponic" past is still obvious today, even thoughwhat remains is a rudimentary network of dried canals becausethe lakes have vanished. The Xochimilca discovered the sitebetween the 9th and 10th century. The Mexico valley was aboggy and forbidding land, certainly not a place where onewould create a refined agricultural complex. Yet such was thechallenge met by the Xochimilca. They domesticated boggywater through a canal and dyked soil system and their "chinam-pas" (cultivated fields) became one of the world's most produc-tive agricultural region, feeding at its peak a city of 235,000 inhab-itants, and becoming the agricultural central point for the entire

area. At the end of the 16th century, the "chinampas" covered 22,230acres on lakes Xochimilco and Chalco, and each 2.47 acre lot could sus-tain the needs of twenty people.

The original architecture of the "chinampas" was the work of theXochimilca, even though the Aztec conquered them rapidly and there-after used the "chinampas" for themselves, turning them into their empire'sgranary. The Xochimilca created the "chinampas" by alternating layers ofbulrushes, waste and black soil on which, once dry, they put fertile soil.The "chinampas" formed rectangles framed with bullrush stems at thelake's surface but were solidly anchored to the bottom with posts. Thepiles, firmly attached to the artificial lots' frames, were made of thick treetrunks, planted deeply in the lake. Between the rectangular lots, farmersnavigated the canals in light crafts, which allowed them to work on thegardens. The floating gardens' luxuriance is still legendary.

What remains of the "chinampas" is not only of archeological interest. Thegardens preserve an ancestral form of agriculture, a link between theancestors' ingenuity and the collective unconscious inheritance ofMexican farmers. Contemporary farmers still collect the sediments, blackdirt and lacustrian alluvions from the "chinampas", and they use them tofertilize their own cultures. The original fertilization set up by theXochimilca lives on in contemporary Mexico's agriculture. – B.B.

– (Sources: www.transitionsabroad.com and www.mlive.com/homeim-provement/stories/index.ssf)

Tenochtitlán (Mexico)

Photos: D.R.

Tenochtitlán (Mexico)

The “chinampas” now (Mexico)


NOTES & NEWS

France: Saving Heirloom andOrganic SeedsThe French farmer who wishes to commercialize theseeds or the hybrid plants he or she developed is in forsome difficulties. French legislation is an obstacle to thedistribution of farmers' seeds. The law requires that anyseed or plant be registered on the "official catalogue" ofseeds, approved by the French authorities. A farmer whowished to exchange or even give away seeds, or whowishes to sell the harvest he produced can do none ofthese things officially until he gets the catalogue registra-tion.

This is expensive and the official catalogue, rather thaninsuring the livelihood of French farmers' production, israther reserved to industrial seed producers who,through their size and power, have a facilitated access toit. The selection could be based on regional diversity,ecological quality of the production or the boldness ofthe hybridization. Instead, the catalogue's customers arebuying seeds that were chosen to be in alignment withthe requirements of transport, storage or of the agri-foodbusiness. Seeds with uniform technical characteristics arepreferred. Fruits, vegetables and cereals are thus throwninto the land of standardization.

What is more, the sustainability of the catalogue seeds isnot quite up to par. Oftentimes, the farmer will gethybrids than cannot ensure long-term production. Mostseeds are sterile as of the second seeding operation. Thisonly increases the catalogue's success, since farmersmust regularly buy seeds. To fight this situation, farmershave formed associations, with the goal of promotingorganic seeds and of facilitating seed donations andexchanges – not only in France, but across the world.

Founded in 2003, the Réseau semences paysannes(Farmers' seeds network) has launched a Europeanawareness campaign based on a 1998 directive from theEuropean Economic Community, which in theory shouldpromote the commercialization of biological seeds.Unfortunately, this directive has no effect on French law –which is just one illustration of the European situationnow that the common Constitution project has failed. Thefarmers associations are trying to convince a governmentthat pretends to defend biodiversity in its politicalspeeches, but that, in fact, could not be smothering itmore. Other associations are supporting the fight, includ-ing Fruits oubliés (www.fruitsoublies.org) and Kokopelli(www.kokopelli.asso.fr). This last one works on bio seedsdonations and exchange throughout the world. – B.B.

– Sources: www.veganimal.info and Politis

Germany: Spend EntireNights Up a TreeHow can you spend a night outdoors yetindoors? Inside a hard construction that offersessential comforts: electricity, little balconiesand bathrooms (shared, however). The oldchildhood dream of a treehouse has just takenshape in Germany, with the opening of a five-room hotel... in a tree. Yes, we heard about itthrough... the grapevine.

The five rooms are in the heart of a black locusttree, at the crossing of its solid branches, andthey are linked by narrow walkways. It is not forthe faint at heart or those suffering from heightsickness, because the hotel is about ten metersfrom the ground. No running on the walkways,please! Spending one night at theBaumhaushotel in Zentendorf, Saxony, will costyou between $220 and $330 CA! But you'llsleep wonderfully, recapturing your childhooddreams. As the project's designer said, "It'severy kid's dream to live in a tree house, andmany adults never lose that desire." – B.B.

Photos: D.R.

TIPS & TRICKS

Photos: Bruno Bredoux & D.R.

FIGHTING SPIDER MITESORGANICALLY

By Gerald ‘J.R.’ Hannafin

Have you ever been at a botanic show or at a hydroponics fair, only to overhear thistype of conversation:-"I discovered a cluster of small black dots on and under the leaves or my hydropon-ic plants and vegetables. What do you think I should do?", asks the first person-"I think the best thing to do is to wait and see what happens", answers the secondone to his friend.

With such friends... Luckily, if they are at a hydroponics trade show, they might thinkto ask the advice of experts. If not, you can be certain that the first person's gardenis done for...

This conversation is a good illustration of the appearance of the plague of plagues inan indoor garden: an invasion of spider mites. When I overhear such dialogue, I hur-riedly explain to the ignorant gardener how to treat his grow room for an invasionnever to occur again.

Identification

The worst thing to do once you notice signs of an infestation is to wait and see. Whathappens then, and quickly, is that the spider mites eat everything in your garden. Theyreproduce so quickly that in less than a week the most luxuriant garden will be

destroyed. One day, you will see a small yellow or brown dot on a leaf. The next day, there will be four or five dots. The third day, moreleaves will have dots. The fourth day, no leaf will be unaffected and your plants will be on the brink of death. The fifth day, you will evenbe able to see the spider mites move: there will be so many that an orgy of destruction will be destroying your plants, with an army ofthousands of famished soldiers. What's more, a spider-like web will envelop your plant like a cocoon, depriving it of air and light. Don't befooled and think it is a domestic spider's web! An invasion by spider mites need not be a fatality. The key to success is to act as soon asyou see the first signs of an invasion.

Spider mites can be red, black, brown or yellow, and they are slightly smaller than a grain of salt. Spider mites suck the nutritive elementsout of a plant by sticking to the leaf's surface, generally on the underside, and deriving the plant's juice into their digestive system. Spidermites are visible to the naked eye, although they are hard to find for the unexperienced. The telltale sign is when a dust particle starts tomove very slowly around the leaf. The yellow or brown dots are actually the traces left by spider mites where they fed. The gardener mustact as soon as those dots appear.

Emergency Measures

If the invasion is at an early stage, the first thing to do is to attempt to remove the spider mites one by one, eitherwith a light water spray or by cutting the infested leaf. Get rid of the eliminated leaves as fast as possible, to pre-vent the spider mites from migrating to the plant anew. A good spray of water, well directed, should eliminatemost insects, even those that are maliciously hiding. It will also reduce their feeding process by making the leavestoo humid for the spider mites to adhere properly.

They will need to wait for the water to evaporate before resuming their feeding, and this delay could be fatal tothem. This solution will only work for very early infestations: if the spider mites have colonized a great part of theplant, removing them by hand or with a water spray will not make much of a difference.

At that point, you need to call in a well organized and ruthless army of spider mites predators.

THE INDOOR GARDENER VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 218

VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2 THE INDOOR GARDENER

TIPS & TRICKSPhotos: D.R.

Organic War

Predatory insects are available on the market, online and from many mail-order companies (see our article on the Belgian com-pany Biobest on page 30 of this issue). Their favorite meal is a good juicy spider mite. Let loose a few of these bad boys in yourgarden, snack on some popcorn and watch the carnage. The only problem with this solution is that once the spider mites areeaten, the predators will starve. Ladybugs are just as efficient, and have the advantage of flying off to other pastures once theirwork in your garden is done.

Gardeners who do not want to turn to predators orladybugs will often think of using chemical insecticides.This will not work against spider mites. Some manufac-turers who make pyrethrum-based insecticides (whichare the safest of insecticides) insist, through advertising,that their products are efficient against spider mites; youmust know, however, that they often make the situation

worse, destroying not only spider mites but all predators and competition as well.And chemical insecticides that are most efficient against spider mites are also thosethat can most poison humans and pets. So be careful! Do not spray your plants withanything you do not want to consume or that could put your life in danger.

Preparing Your Own Insecticide

There is one easy all natural way to keep spider mites away from your garden; it is easy to do at home and will not render yourharvest toxic. Ideally you would use a juice extractor, but you can also prepare it in a mixer (a juice extractor is preferable becauseit extracts more juice, and does not allow in any residual elements, such as skin, seeds, etc.). The exact quantities are not set instone; it is more important to have at hand all the proper ingredients.

With a juice extractor (or a mixer), extract the juice out of some jalapeño peppers, a small onion and a radish. Add orange, lemonand grapefruit zest. Add one tea spoon of Cayenne pepper and put the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray your plants twice aday with it. Allow it to penetrate the leaves for at least ten minutes, and clean them off with a spray of water as powerful as theplants' physical resistance can handle (if the treated plants are too fragile, you can rinse with a slightly moist sanitized cloth).

Be careful: this mixture resembles that used by police forces to disperse out of control demonstrations. Be prudent when usingthe mixture; you should preferably wear some eye protection. If ever the sprayed mixture reaches your eye, rinse it with freshwater for at least five minutes.

With a sharp eye and a quick appropriate reaction, you can stop a spider mite invasion before your plants are damaged, whilerespecting the environment and without poisoning your garden, your home, your fruits or vegetables. Keep your thumb and spir-it green!

+ + +

19

Adult Male Adult Female


TIPS & TRICKS

Photos: D.R.

Since most gardeners are hoping for the bestpossible harvest, they often clean around theirplantation and their first victim, too often, is thenettle, a little-loved plant, considered useless.It was not only my mother who found nettle tobe a perfect way to punish a boy raised at thefarm, who made a habit of spending his daysin the barn yard, breaking fresh eggs and feed-ing them to the hens. They loved it, and itexcited me to see them gobble up what theyhad just laid, but egg production and the farmrevenues were in jeopardy! I swear, after a net-tle spanking (the only punishment I ever gotfrom my parents throughout my childhood), Inever did it again, and the hens were able tosit on their eggs day after day, forgetting that

they had delightfully tasted the forbidden fruit. In the past, nettles were used as a remedyagainst rheumatisms and arthritis. The treat-ment? A daily whipping with nettle branches.An old wife's remedy? Assuredly. But this net-tle flogging apparently stimulates blood circu-lation in parts of the body where it slowsdown. Not to mention that the worst pains areforgotten in favor of the stinging itch. Enough poking fun: the nettle is probably oneof the most useful plants found in the temper-ate zones of the world. And if you reap ittwice per season, it will prosper year after yearin the same spot without any care or mainte-nance.It supports and gives shelter to a great varietyof wildlife: it is the preferred source of foodfor the small tortoiseshell butterfly (the well-named Aglais urticae), the red admiral, thepeacock butterfly, the painted lady and thecomma butterfly. Nettles are a hiding place for107 insect species: from syrphid flies,lacewings and parasitic wasps to ladybugs, allexcellent natural predators of plant parasites,and friends of the organic gardener.Freshly cutnettles, espe-cially youngsprouts thatare still tenderand whosegrowth is onlybeginning, arean excellentactive ingredi-ent for home-made com-post. You canmake a nettle-

The Nettle By Bruno Bredoux

Unloved Yet Full of Surprises

TIPS & TRICKS

based liquid manure withleaves and stems, cut inpieces and left to soak in abucket of water for a fewweeks. You can use thissolution for foliar sprayingon most plants, indoors oroutdoors; it can also be anideal supplement to put inyour compost heap.In Europe, the nettle is thefirst plant (vegetable, Ishould say) to appear inthe spring along the side ofroads and fields. Until themonth of May, the fresh headscan be cut and used in a local,extraordinary and beneficialrecipe: nettle soup. After May,a chemical reaction occurs inthe growth cycle which givesthem a bitter taste. Nettle soupcontains vitamins A, B and C,serotonin (the hormone thatcan help regulate happinessand which is used in anxiolyt-ics), iron and other minerals.

Here is a recipe from a Britishweb surfer: for four people, picka plastic bag full of young nettleheads (using gloves and scissors,of course). Cut the nettles inpieces; boil a few potatoes withtwo cubes of beef or chickenbroth. Brown two choppedonions, a bit of leek and garlic,and add those to the potatoes.When these are almost cooked,add the nettle heads, and allowto boil for five more minutes.Puree the soup in a mixer, add

salt and pepper and add milk orcream to improve the soup's texture.Serve with garlic bread, a few cubesof smoked tofu, and sprinkle chivesand parsley on top. And don't tellyour guests it's nettle soup untilthey've all tasted it!Nettles can also replace leek orasparagus in a quiche. So next timeyou rub on some itchy nettles, thinktwice before crushing it under yourfoot: it is a badly loved great littleplant!


TIPS & TRICKS

Photos: D.R., Ozone Environmental Technologies & Carbonair

The odors released (bacteria, mold, wastewater, etc.) by an indoor garden oftencover up the aromas of the plants grownwithin. If you feel like your entire building issaturated with the odor coming out of yourapartment, your neighbors have reasons tocomplain! The problem must be solved asquickly as possible.

There are a few options to choose from toreduce odors, but some come with side-effects. You could for example buy a HEPAfilter with a de-ionizer and set it up in yourgrow space. The filter will eliminate manyodor-causing particles, and the de-ionizerwill eliminate others. Some indoor garden-ers, however, have noticed that when usingthis method, they lose some of the aromafrom their plants and flowers. You can get

rid of odors without losing your plants' aroma, but it requires a little work.

The way to proceed is to evacuate the air from your garden through the roof of the house.The air inside your grow space is evacuated outside: that is why you may feel like the nox-ious odors are dissipating around the neighborhood. Because the ambiant air in your gardenis warmer than the air outside, it goes up when it is evacuated from your home. Hence, if theair is evacuated at a certain height, the odors will evaporate without being detectable atground level.

You can find a ventilation system at the hardware store for $25 to $60, depending on thevolume of air to be treated. To determine this volume, you must measure the length, widthand height of your indoor garden. Multiply these three dimensions, and the result will corre-spond to the cubic meter volume of your grow space.

You must then determine the frequency of air purification you wish for. For optimal growth,experts recommend purifying the air twice per minute. Decide on a purification frequencyand multiply this number by the total number of cubic meters per second. Make sure the ven-tilator you purchase is powerful enough to purify the air in your garden.

Install the ventilator on the roof, or as high as is possible. Whatever its power, make sure theventilator is at least three meters off the ground outside your home. Set up flexible vent pipes(also available in large surface renovation centres) to connect the ventilator to the growspace.

When you evacuate a great volume of air from the garden, outside air will come in from everyavailable way. Make sure there are enough air intakes to balance out the evacuated air vol-ume. If the volume of air coming in is smaller than the volume of evacuated air, it will createair suction, which will interfere with the ventilator and it will pump out less air than it should.

Such a ventilation system is not only useful to purify the air; it also ensures adequate air cir-culation, a requirement for rapid and vigorous plant and flower growth!

Odor Versus Aroma: How to Get Rid ofthe First Without Losing the Other

By Gerald ‘J.R.’ Hananfin

Uvonair systems by Ozone Environmental Technologies

Carbonair system

TIPS & TRICKS Photo: www.lamainverte.be

To replicate a jungle at home, a gardener must be able to takeadvantage of the plants without being bothered by the some-times extremely persistent and obnoxious odors being gener-ated, especially coming from some exotic plants.

Although ozone is a powerful compound, its life cycle is veryshort. When ozone comes in contact with bacteria, viruses orodors, they are oxidized by one of ozone's three oxygenatoms. The only byproduct of this oxidation is... oxygen, O2!The environment is thus purified.

There are two methods to do this efficiently and to eliminate amaximum of residual odors in anindoor grow room: production byultraviolet radiation and Corona dis-charge ozone generation. The bestsystems use the Corona discharge,which replicates the lightning phe-nomenon.

Systems using UV technology aremore seldom used: they are not asreliable and they are very expensive.UV light is also very dangerous forhuman eyes and skin.

It is best to use a system that combines safety with efficiency.

The Corona discharge ozone generator is a professional andrugged piece of equipment, and it is used in hospitals, hotels,waste disposal centres and in most places where strong odorsmatter.

PROPERTIES:

• Adjustable flow: 7 mg/h to 40 mg/h (= up to 200 m3) • Consumption: 12 watts – 220 V• Size: 265 mm x 115 mm x 80 mm

• It can be set horizontally of affixed toa wall (holes have been pre-drilled).

• The hood can be opened quicklywith a "quarter turn" screws system.

• The casing has a glazed metal finish.

– Gerald ‘J.R.’ HannafinSource: www.lamainverte.be

Destroy Jungle Odors for Good: Corona Discharge Ozone Generator


INDUSTRY

By Jessy Caron, St-Hyacinthe ITA

Seeing Life in Pink

I was recently driving along highway 20 between Québec and Montreal, when I sawwhat appeared to be an immense greenhouse complex. I did not hesitate and took exit175. I had already heard about this rose producer, Rose Drummond, and, to my ever-lasting delight, I was offered one of the most extraordinary tours of its kind. Allow meto introduce you to the wonderful world of roses, symbols of beauty, peace and love.

An Escapade at Rose Drummond


INDUSTRY

HistoryFounded in 1984, Rose Drummond long cultivated roses as adistributor for numerous florist shops. As of 1994, however,the massive import of low-priced roses by foreign companiescaused a drop in Rose Drummond's market share – so muchso that the company has to review its marketing strategy. In1996, Diane and Jean-Denis Lampron bought the rose pro-duction plant to transform it into a tourist destination. Fromthen on, intermediaries were eliminated to lower prices, andthe company regained its place onthe North American market.

Greenhouse AreaFrom the highway, the splendid,huge greenhouse complex attractsthe eye. The greenhouses cover atotal of three hectares: 150 green-houses of 195 m² and 175 m² sup-plies the massive demand of cus-tomers going through the town ofDrummondville, Québec.

LightingThe lamps are 400 watt HPS. Each greenhouse has two rowsof 12 or 14 lamps, according to its size. Natural light also pen-etrates the polyethylene. The lamps are turned on or offaccording the the light recorded each day: if the plantsreceive enough light during the day, the lamps do not needto function.

On a short winter day however, or even on a cloudy summerday, the electronic control system activates the artificial lighting.

HeatingRose Drummond has obtained ISO 14001 certification for itscontribution to the protection of the environment. It was thefirst horticultural company to obtain this certification inCanada. The greenhouses are heated with used oil, recycledin the heating system. The oil is burnt to heat the greenhous-es through a hot water pipe grid. That's not all: given the num-ber of HPS lamps installed (24 to 28 per greenhouse, for 150greenhouses: you do the math!), artificial light helps reduce

the heating needs by 20 to 30%. In sum-mer, heating and lighting can be stoppedfor the season, but they are replaced byventilation.

VentilationA cooling ventilation system was a neces-sity. One hectare of the crop area hasforced ventilation, extracting the hot airfrom the greenhouse. The two otherhectares use a natural type of ventilationthrough sliding roofs. Following the lawsof physics, hot air goes up and leaves thegreenhouses. For the extraction ventila-

tion, big fans create enough air circulation to dry the foliage,which limits the development of pathogens that couldendanger the crop. Everything is controlled by the Priva sys-tem which, with temperature and humidity probes set up instrategic areas, allows the equipment to function perfectly.

The Fight Against Insects and Disease For almost two years now, Rose Drummond has reduced itsuse of pesticides by 30%. Congratulations to a company that

Photos: Jessy Caron


INDUSTRY

cares about the health of its employees and customers! Whatis their magical recipe? Better environmental control,improved pest scouting, better production management andimprovement of pesticide application techniques. Integratedpest management is a goal for the next two years, since thecompany wishes to offer a 100% organic product. Sulfur isalso used to prevent fungus diseases.

Irrigation and Growth in SubstratesIrrigation is done with a drip irrigation system because of fer-tigation ease and evenness. Most of the crop is grown incoco and rock wool substrates, to increase root mass oxy-genation. These substrates also offer advantages to controlproduction and diseases. Roses are grown using a simplefolding technique that must be adapted for each variety. It isan ancient ancestral Chinese method which consists in fold-ing some stems to increase the photosynthetic levels, whilethe other stems feed the to-be-cut rose with floral buds. Thismethod resembles the one used by apple growers to pro-voke early flowering. Plants are balanced according to theseason and according to production needs. The hydroponicdrainage residue is filtered and analyzed, and then reused tofeed the dormant rose bushes in soil. No algicide is used,even though the substrates have a strong tendency to devel-op algae.

Species VarietyAbout fifty different species are offered as cut flowers. In thefall of 2004, Rose Drummond inaugurated its rose interpreta-tion centre, hosting 103 different varieties. This magnificentrose garden spreads over 557 m², bathed in an exaltingatmosphere. Johanne Blouin's jazz album, Rose Rouge, setsthe score as she revisits timeless classics such as Rose dePicardie, What A Wonderful World... The tour is leisurely, like ahistoric and chronological visit, and starts with Rosa Blanca, anindigenous rose bush from James Bay that the Inuits used forfood. Then we move forward in time with the middle agesrose bushes, cultivated for their perfume. The story continuesthrough the ages, up until the latest rose bush, presented lastMarch 26 and named after Jean-Pierre Ferland, a Québecsinger and songwriter. A series of information signs, many illus-trations and the 103 varieties each have their place along awonderfully landscaped path. It is possible to obtain somespecimens from the 103 varieties, exclusively for you andyour personal garden (of course they must be ordered, sincethey have to be multiplied).

To ConcludeTo close the loop, a gift shop is set up in the reception area,to fill your senses with rural products derived from apples,honey, maple syrup, etc.: you will find wine, liqueurs, soap,and much more. Over half a million people visit RoseDrummond each year. Let yourself be tempted by this unfor-gettable experience in rose country.

Information: [email protected]. Website: www.rose.ca.

26

Photos: Jessy Caron

Roses SymbolismRed Love, Respect, CourageYellow Joy, Gladness, FreedomPink/Peach Gratitude, Appreciation,

Admiration or SympathyWhite Reverence, Purity, Secrecy

Photos: Jessy Caron

Rosa Chrysler Imperial

Rosa Gourmet Popcorn

Rosa Buffy Ste-Marie


INDUSTRY

Photo: © Biobest

Natural Fertilization and Integrated PestManagement According to Biobest

More and more people are turning to organic cultivation methods, both for fer-tilization and pest control, which is why many gardeners are now interested inbiological warfare among insects. In the last few years, the growing popularityof natural methods has appeared to be a long-term solution to the health prob-lems caused by faulty application methods, overdosing and negligence. Noone can deny that chemical products are toxic, both for human health and planthealth. And we are the ones consuming those treated plants daily. Luckily,Biobest, an innovating company in the field of biological control, comes to ourrescue.

By Jessy Caron, ITA, St-Hyacinthe

Adalia

Photo: © Biobest

Biobest, An Innovating Company

Biobest was founded in Belgium in 1987. At first, it aimed tooffer greenhouse producers a better pollination process thanmanual pollination with hormone application, which allowedgrowers to save on labor costs and to obtain perfect pollina-tion, resulting in a higher quality of fruits and vegetables.Biobest's first action of interest was the rapid commercializa-tion of bumblebees to perform natural fertilization in closedspaces. Why bumblebees and not bees? Because bumble-bees are more active than bees under cool temperatures andon sunless days. In 1989, the Belgian company extended itsproduct line to include biocontrol insects, thereby offering anaudacious and intelligent alternative to pesticide use. Sincethen, Biobest has grown: apart from the head office, it hassubsidiaries in five countries and distributors in 46 countries.

Where Are the Insects Produced?

The bumblebees are produced in Leamington, Ontario; bio-control insect production is divided betweenCanada, Belgium and Morocco. Since theyare living organisms, the productsshould be used as soon as the orderis received. The wrapping doesinclude an expiration date, butuse them right away to ensuretheir highest efficiency.

Who Are theTarget Customers?

Biobest's products aredesigned to be used ingreenhouses. Thedemand is rising,though, and more andmore amateur gardenersare purchasing Biobestproducts, in an effort toprotect the environment andtheir health.

What Formats Are Available?

Predators and parasites are commercialized inmany formats. Some are sold in a pouch, some are gluedon cardboard; others are sold in bulk in bottles, with or with-out filling material (such as vermiculite).

Star Products...

...For PollinationThe company first started distributing bumblebees for pollina-tion. To start a colony, bumblebees need pollen as a source

of protein, nectar and carbohydrates (sugar). When someproducers used them to pollinate their tomato production, itcaused a problem: Lycopersicon sp. (tomatoes) have flow-ers that produce only pollen, no nectar, and therefore theydo not attract bumblebees. Biobest's team of scientists founda solution by offering a little extra to its pollinating bumble-bees. The hive is now fed a sweet and nutritious solutioncalled “Biogluc”.

Biobest offers a great selection of biocontrol insects, bothpredators and parasites. Predators eat their prey withoutaffecting the plants. Parasites lay their eggs in the victim'sabdomen at a precise stage in the host's evolution. The larvaefeed off the host's insides and, as adults, emerge and eat hon-eydew.

...To Fight Harmful InsectsA small wasp named Encarsia Formosa is the parasite usedagainst greenhouse white flies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum).The parasitic wasp lays its eggs, ideally, during the third or

fourth larva stage. Once the parasite in place, the pupaturns black. Ten days later, an adult Encarsia

emerges from the white fly. In optimalconditions, an Encarsia can lay ten tofifteen eggs a day for two to threeweeks. When the conditions arefavorable and food is abun-dant, the population canmultiply rapidly. The adultsfeed off the honeydewfrom the first and secondlarva stage of the whitefly. In average, anEncarsia lays eggs in 250white fly larvae and killsup to 30 to feed itself.The same work can bedone by another type ofwasp, the Eretmoceruseremicus. The two speciescan be used together,

which is an interesting possi-bility since Eretmocerus is more

resistant to pesticides but morevulnerable to low temperatures.

White fly predators include Delphastuspusillus, a small beetle from the same family as

ladybugs. An adult can eat a white fly egg in 30 sec-onds, and can eat up to 160 per day. Larvae and adults eatwhite fly larvae, pupa and adults.

Small wasps named Aphidius colemani and Aphidius ervi canbe used against aphids. They sting the aphid with theirovipositor to lay their eggs within: the aphids swell, and theycan sustain the parasitic larva. The aphid turns into a mummy,out of which the aphidius will emerge. Aphid predatorsinclude the Aphidoletes aphidimyza, a cecidomyiid whose


INDUSTRY

Chrysopa larva


INDUSTRY

Photos: ©

Biobest

larvae feed on near-by eggs and nymphs.They inject them witha paralyzing toxin,which allows them tosnack on their preybefore it gets away.They are immobileand cannot reach aprey outside a six centimeter perimeter. That is why adults laytheir eggs in a well established aphid colony. They need fiveaphids to conclude their cycle. Adults eat honeydew for theirsubsistence.

The Trick of the Pre-infested PlantThe innovation of the reservoir plant is a smart and durableinvestment. It consists of introducing a barley plant infestedwith grain aphids. The barley plant comes in rock wool. Theaphids only reproduce on monocotyledon plants, and there-fore will not affect tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. This allowsyou to grow populations of Aphidoletes or Aphidus, which

you can then introduce little by little into your cul-tures. This is a prevention method only: when visi-ble signs reveal the presence of aphids, the dam-age is already too severe to be treated efficiently.

A Company In Constant EvolutionBiobest is always looking for new biological solu-tions against pests, to satisfy the growing demand.

In 2003, for example, Biobest was the first to commercializeAtheta coriaria (Atheta system), a small staphylinid beetleagainst shore flies.

In 2004, the company also modified the presentation of itsChrysopa-system (lacewing flies) product, which made itsuse easier and improved its efficiency.

Rest in peace, white flies, thrips, spider mites, gnats, leaf min-ers, scales, white grubs…

I encourage you to visit Biobest's Web site to find out more:www.biobest.be.

Eretmocerus eremicus

Ambliceius californicus

Phytoseiulus


TECHNIQUES

Too much sun can spell disaster for fragile plants such as carnivorous plants andorchids grown outdoors, especially the summer afternoon sun. These plantsrequire an elaborate balance between light, humidity and temperature. It is thusrecommended to build them a designated indoor grow space.

First, Recreating Summer Light

Light is essential to carnivorous plants; they require a light as "natural" as possible, but not burning hot. Without thislight, they would wilt, their growth would slow down and their foliage would whiten. What's more, their colorswould fade, and they would risk becoming brown, drying and dying. That is why I spent a lot of time and did alot of research to create a space with the best possible light environment.

I started this type of operation early last summer in a room that was 3.65 by 4.25 metres. I installed a combinationof lights with one 400 watt metal halide lamp and one 400 watt high pressure sodium lamp. This gave me a 1.5by 1.5 metre growing surface. I then added another light source providing me with an additional 400 watt byscrewing in a Grolux high pressure sodium bulb. This gave me an additional square meter of growing surface. Ontop of all that, I added two fixtures with 250 watt metal halide lamps so the light could reach the parts of the growroom that did not get enough lighting (I use a luxmeter to determine the lumens per square foot).

I covered the walls with 2 mm thick white Mylar film. I grow in pots with a big reservoir underneath and an irriga-tion/feeding drip system (2 drips). I thus had at my disposal ¾ of the room to place my plants. I first placed thepitcher plants (Sarracenia) and the Venus fly traps, most directly under the light sources; other varieties wereplaced at variable distance (see table).

With a luxmeter, I could determine how to position the different varieties in function of the perfect combination oflumen per square feet (lm/ft²) for each:• Pitcher plants (Sarracenia) 900-1000 lm/ft²• Darlingtonia 400 lm/ft² (Surprise! They all died!)• Nepenthes 400-800 (except for Nepenthes ampullaria,

placed at 400 footcandle in a55 galon or 208 litres terrarium)

• Sundew (Drosera) 200-900 (except Drosera adelae, at 200-300)• Heliamphoras 700-800 lm/ft² (in a 208 litres terrarium)• Venus fly traps 900-1000 lm/ft²• Butterworts (Pinguicula) 350-600 lm/ft²• Cephalotus 350-900 lm/ft² (in a 208 litres terrarium)• Byblis 600-1000 lm/ft²• Yellow lad's-slipper (Paphiopedilum) 300-350 lm/ft²• Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) 350-450 lm/ft²• Miltonias 350-400 lm/ft²• Oncidiums 600-800 lm/ft²• Cattleyas 600-800 lm/ft²

These combinations of lumens per square foot are lower than those required in a greenhouse or outdoors, butartificial light is more constant, since it does not suffer from a cloudy sky, nor does it need to adjust from dawn todaylight and daylight to dusk. I really spent a lot of time placing the lights horizontally and vertically, to distributethe adequate volume of lumens per square foot in function of each species.

Photos: D.R.

Preparing a Summer

Growing Spaceand Orchids

for Carnivorous PlantsBy James Vicari

Dionaea

Nepenthes

TECHNIQUES

Humidity

The main advantage of building this grow room in summer is that the inside of a house or apart-ment doesn't require heating with blowing heat systems that blow air that is too hot and espe-cially too dry to be tolerated by a nepenthes. The butterworts might like it, but even then... Theconfined atmosphere would increase the likelihood of disease for sarracenias and Venus flytraps. In the winter, in a temperate climate, the grow room would ideally be placed in a veran-da, insulated from outside light and with a maximum temperature of 10 to 12°C (see below).

To insure the proper humidity level for plants, do not waste your time with repeated spraying,which would be counter-productive and could dilute the sundew's droplets and the attractivenectar of the sarracenias. I rather suggest putting the plants on a saucer filled with clay pellets, orbetter yet, with pozzolan (volcanic rock). This will improve water evaporation and create a ben-eficial humidity level. To improve on this system, make sure the saucer's diameter is much biggerthan that of the pot's base. For a 15 cm pot, prepare a 30 cm saucer, and make sure the sauceralways has water in it. You can bring the pots and saucers as closely together as possible to cre-ate natural evaporation, beneficial to all plants.

Do not use air blowing heating, not even near the grow space, to prevent a draft and to preventa drop in humidity. In winter, however, you must reduce the frequency of waterings and thereforethe level of humidity, at the same time as the temperature drops. This will allow the plants their required winter rest.

Temperature

As mentioned, it is crucial to plan ahead for winter, and to transport the grow space to a light-tight greenhouse or to aclosed, little heated veranda. Plants maintained "active" risk exhaustion. Some tropical plants, however, like low altitudenepenthes and butterworts (Pinguicula) do not require their growth to slow down in winter, and should be kept in a tem-perature stable environment year-round.

Mixing plants with different needs in the same grow space, as I do, is not for-bidden. They can always be moved according to their needs and accordingto the season. If needed, fogging or ventilation devices can be installed onone side or in one part of the grow space. You could add an ultrasound foggenerator to create an artificial fog in a few minutes, controlled with a timer.

To sum up... Low altitude nepenthes require a minimum temperature of 18°C.Since these are grown in a terrarium, their temperature will not affect theambiant minimum temperature, which should not go below 13°C (high altitudenepenthes, sundews, bladderworts). Most plants, however, will do well withan average of 25°C during their active period (summer) and an average of 5°Cduring their dormant period (winter). All carnivorous plants can resist temper-atures lower than 10°C, and can resist up to -5°C (but for a very short while!).The most cold-resistant species are Arracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea, Droserarotundifolia, Pinguicula vulgaris and Pinguicula grandiflora. The number oneenemy remains excessively hot temperatures. A distinction must be madebetween ambiant temperature and substrate temperature inside the pot. Ihave had to install two air extraction turbines to redistribute and redirect theheat from the light bulbs and ballasts and to blow the hot air out of the room.

Photos: Jessy Caron & www.infoscarnivores.com

Venus fly traps

Sarracenia

33VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2 THE INDOOR GARDENER


TECHNIQUES

Nutritive Solution

Outdoors in their natural habitat, carnivorous plants can handle temperatures above 40°C, as long as their roots are cool. Ideally,the substrate temperature should never go above 30°C; otherwise, the plants turn black, rot, dry up or simply die. The ideal tem-perature of the nutritive solution is around 21oC. Kept at this temperature, the water is warm enough to stimulate growth, but coolenough to insure good oxygen circulation. The warmer the water, the less oxygen will circulate through it. It is therefore essential,

under optimal lighting conditions, that the oxygen circulation level be main-tained and kept stable. Make sure to maintain the nutritive solution temper-ature day and night, and even more so in summer, because it can be easilyinfluenced by outdoor heat.

As a general rule, I recommend changing the nutritive solution every week,or every two weeks if you must, the theory being that the most often youdo it, the better results you will get. I changed the solution every weekbecause I had big reservoirs, but if you have smaller units, it may be neces-sary to rinse out the solution every 3 or 5 days. A separate container can bevery useful to mix the new solution into, or to keep it before injecting it inthe main reservoir.

I will not give you my nutrients recipe: everybody has their own favorite, butknow that to obtain good results, a good combo of growth nutrients andflowering nutrients is required, as well as good additives and boosters toimprove your daily nutrients ration, like natural enzymes, natural hormones,vitamins and beneficial bacteria.

Pros and Cons

Here is what I can conclude from my efforts (and expenses):

Pros:• As good a result as in a greenhouse... which I have no space to setup.• Better results of all carnivorous plants, except for darlingtonias, which did not last longeven with intensive watering.• Most sarracenias flowered twice during the summer of 2004; I believe this is due to thesodium light bulbs. They will spend their dormant winter phase on the veranda.• All carnivorous plants had more vigorous growth.• Lots of flowering on the orchids. Most of them flowered until November.• I put a Lazyboy and a stereo system in the room and I love spending my days therereading, especially on cloudy days.• I really love what I do.

Cons:• My electricity bill was $75 more per month (not just because of the lights, but because it was drawing more alternative current!).• The plants tended to dry up rather quickly, so my water consumption has increased as well.• I had to water the plants often, because the humidity rate rarely went above 50%. It was difficult to maintain a high enoughhumidity rate, especially for nepenthes.• I did not really like the color of the plants and flowers under the bulbsI had used. Under metal halides, they tend to have a blue tint, whileunder high pressure sodium they get a rather strange orange tint.Imagine the mix of the two! Of course, under only Grolux lamps thecolor would not have been natural either, but I just prefer them.• Most of my friends think I'm insane. I don't care...

If I had to do it all again, I would start earlier.

I hope this helps!

Photos: Jessy Caron & www.infoscarnivores.com

Miltonias

Illustration: EktorZolerZoza


TECHNOLOGY

Light, Grow!By Paul Henderson

Indoor gardeners often ask me what kind of harvest they can hope for by using several ordinary,incandescent or halogen bulbs rather than metal halides or high pressure sodium lamps. The answer is sim-ple: incandescent bulbs do not produce enough lumens for the wattage used and the harvest can only bedisappointing. The explanation, though, is not quite as simple. So let's shed some light on light! The joke waseasy, but the subject is serious: light is the master of ceremonies, the first link in the chain, the CEO of plants.Light dictates all the other parameters: final yield weight, quantity of ppm or CO2 to add, watering and nutri-ents, quantity of plants on site, etc. The art of gardening, for me, is learning to listen to the plant, to knowits specific needs according to the light it is getting. This is no simple affair when one is concerned with yield.

Explaining all parameters in depth would likely require more pages than those in this magazine, which is whyI will only focus on light for now.

But What Is Light?

It is the radiation emitted by bodies raised to a high temperature.It is an electromagnetic radiation, moving in undulating waves at aprecise speed of 299,792,458 km/s-1. Elementary, my dearWatson!

In table 1, we see how the light (calculated on the Kelvin scale; 0Kelvin (0ºK) equals -273ºC; it is the absolute zero) determines thedominant color of radiation. A clear example is that of iron: heat-ed to 800ºK, it turns red; to 1000ºK, it turns yellow; to 1500ºK, itbecomes white. In the same way, the various gardening lampshave different components that heat up to create radiation. Whenelectric current goes through an incandescent bulb's filament, thetungsten filament heats up and produces light. It is an electromag-netic radiation creating a wave.

The distance between two consecutive spikes in the wave deter-mines what is called wavelength, expressed in nanometers (nm).The part of the spectrum that is visible to our eyes is similar to thatrequired by plants. Our eye sees frequencies between 390 and650 nm, with maximal eyesight between 500 and 600 nm. Plantsabsorb light that is emitted between 400 and 840 nm, with twopeaks, one is blue and one in yellow. See table 2.

Light Is Also...

Also and mostly a flux of mass-less particles, called photons orquanta. Photons carry more or less energy, depending on wave-length. Blue light photons have more energy that those of red light.Photons are responsible for photosynthesis. The more photonsbombard its leaves, the more sugar the plant will produce, improv-ing its development. Plants, however, have specific photon needsand only accept photons that carry light with a 400 to 700 nmwavelength.

This electromagnetic spectrum zone is called PhotosyntheticActive Radiation or PAR (see table 3). It is the light used by plantsfor photosynthesis. The density of this photosynthetic photonicflux (PPF) is the most important measure, but it is rarely given. It indi-

cates precisely the number of photons per second emitted by alamp (PPF or PPFD).

Photosynthetic Flux (PPF or PPFD)

It is the measure of the number of light quanta (photons) in the 400to 700 nm range (PAR) in one area and for one duration,quantity/space/time. The higher this number, the most potentialphotosynthesis. The measuring unit is the micromole,photons/m2/second (µmole/m-2/s-1). One mole equals 6,02 x 1023photons. One micromole equals 6 x 1017 photons. The photonicflux can only be measured with very precise laboratory instru-ments.

Lux and Lumen Units

That is why lux and lumens will be, for a long time still, the practi-cal units to express the light conditions in our greenhouses. • 1 lux = 1 candle meter (the intensity of one candle on onesquare meter from one meter away);• 1 lumen = 1 footcandle (the intensity of one candle on onesquare foot), more or less 10 lux (metric system).Lumen and lux express the general flux of light.

Knowing that light is "carried" by photons, it is only logical to saythat when a bulb emits more lumens in the photosynthesis activespectrum (PAR), more "good" photons bombard the plant, andthe plant does better. Some bulb companies indicate the PAR val-ues, lumens, PPF or PPFD on the packaging, which is useful whenone is looking for a high quality bulb. Bulbs with the highest valuesin the various units will be the best.

Photosynthesis in Brief

Leaves are made of different cells called pigments; these pigmentsinteract with light. The main pigments are chlorophyll a and b,carotenes, phycobilins and phytocromes. In table 3, we see howthe different light spectrums affect the plant and its development.The pigments transform the photonic flux, with the help of CO2,into chemical energy for the plant.

Illustration: B.B. & Ektorzolerzoza


TECHNOLOGY

1000 K

Temperature (in Kelvin)

Table 1 - Heat v ia co lo r fo r H ID lamps

2000 K 3000 K 4000 K 5000 K 6000 K 7000 K

Colors

Light 30 minutesafter sunrise One hour after

sunrise

Two hoursafter sunrise Sunny daylight Cloudy daylight

Full moon

Illustration: B.B. & Ektorzolerzoza


Then comes the carbon separation process; the plant producesstarch and sugars. The more light on the plant, the more it will yield.Look at your outdoor plants, and you will see that your indoor gar-den does not compare when it comes to light.

The sun has a luminous intensity of about 5,000 lumens per squarefoot. A 1,000 bulb placed 65 centimeters above a grow tablegives off about 5,000 lumens per square foot on the table.

But there you have it: sunlight is superior to artificial light; it has a fullspectrum and its photosynthetic photonic flux is huge. Artificiallight loses half its intensity for each 30 centimeters from its source.That is why it is essential for indoor gardeners looking for yield tochoose a quality lamp.

Lamp Efficiency

One good way to increase the luminous flux is to increase the heat.Heating metal, though, requires a lot of energy (watts), and a lot ofenergy is lost in heat in the 1,000 and above range (infrared).

A 100W incandescent bulb has a good PAR spectrum, but it is notvery efficient, emitting only 1,750 lumens, and only 10 watts in thePAR spectrum. The rest is lost as infrared heat. That is why we usehigh intensity discharge (HID) lamps that ionize gasses to heat themand increase the photonic and luminous flux.

A high pressure sodium (HPS) lamp produces a lot of lumens:140,000 lumens for 1,000 watts, but its PAR value is not very high.Most of its light is in the wrong frequencies, too much orange,almost no blue and only a little red. Its great strength, however,compensates and will get the job done. HPS is the best perform-ing lamp. HPS lamps' spectrum resembles that of autumn sun; itimproves flowering induction when it passes from growth to flow-ering.

Many companies have developed HPS bulbs with an improvedspectrum, among them Hortilux and Philips. The average life

expectancy of an HPS bulb is 24,000 hours. It maintains a goodlumen rate until the end, which makes it a good investment.

Metal halide bulbs (MH) are less lumen efficient (100,000 to150,000 for a 1,000W) than HPS but their spectrum is more com-plete, from blue to red. MH bulbs coated in phosphorus andcalled "Super MH" have an improved spectrum. Sun Master is aleader in MH lighting.

The life span of an MH lamp is short, from 12,000 to 20,000 hours.Even if the bulb still works, the lumens plummet after 12,000 hoursof use. Generally used for growth, the MH bulb is very goodthrough all cycles, from birth to death of the plants. In fact, an idealcompromise would be a two HPS for every MH ration, in flower-ing as in growth, for a full spectrum.

Neons emit a very good spectrum, but are not very strong; for thisreason they are only used while cuttings root and seeds germinate.There are neons specially designed for plants, that produce morelight in the PAR range. All neons are good for rooting and germina-tion, except those designated as "Delux", that are not as powerful.

Other HIP bulbs exist on the market, using mercury or sulfur.Mercury lamps resemble MH but are not as efficient. Sulfur lampsjust might be tomorrow's growing lamps: they have an excellentspectrum, but they still consume too much energy for their output.

People often ask me if they would be better off using a 1,000Wbulb for, as an example, 20 square feet of growing area, or three400W spread out in the same area. A 400W bulb emits approxi-mately 45,000 lumens; multiplied by three, you get 135,000lumens for 1200 watts. The light emitted by the 1,000W bulb willalways be more intense than the three 400W spread out.

And three bulbs would mean higher electrical costs, because theballasts for the 400W consume 70 watts in heat by themselves.More ballasts for the same light value, more lost watts in heat...more money wasted.

TECHNOLOGY

Table 2

Photosynthet ic Ac t ive Rad ia t ion Spec t rum

Relativeabsorption(%)

Wavelength (in nanometers)

100

50

400 nm 500 nm 600 nm 700 nm 800 nm

Human Eye Sens i t iv i t y

Relativeabsorption(%)

Wavelength (in nanometers)

100

50

400 nm 500 nm 600 nm 700 nm 800 nm

TECHNOLOGYPhotos: Jessy Caron, Sylvania & D.R.

Osram Sylvania HID

Sylvania Lumalux HID

Illustrations: Philips & B.B. & Ektorzolerzoza


If your budget only allows for one lamp, choose a highquality HPS. The new quality HPS emit 10% more luminous flux in the430 to 460 nm and 680 to 700 nm ranges than cheaperbulbs do.

Product Review: Philips' Agro-Lite XT

Philips' Agro-Lite XT is a 1,000W HPS with an improvedPAR spectrum. It is a Céramalux high-intensity dischargelamp. It improves plant growth and development.

It contains 10% more micromoles than Philips' C1000S52model, which improves the photosynthetic photonicflux. The Agro-Lite XT bulb's life span is 24,000 hours andmore, and it comes with a two-year warranty. It maintainsits luminous flux during its entire life.

SPECIFICATIONS:• Lumens: 145,000 lumens, 145 lumens per watts;• Color: 2100 K;• Toned down shadow effect;• Cost-effective because there are more lumens andmicromoles per watt used, so fewer lamps are requiredfor the same lighting;• Low mercury rate (good for the environment)• Reliable start during its entire life span. They fail lessoften than others;

• Philips quality, controlled specifications and dimensions;• 25 to 30% of electrical energy converted into elec-tromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 400and 700 nm.• Alto technology allows maximum performance whileminimizing the amount of mercury in the lamps.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Power: 145,000 (145/W)• Bulb length: 381 mm • Lamp base: Mogul• Watts: 1 000 W• Life span: over 24,000 hours• Voltage: 260 V• Color: 2100 K• CRI: 25• Shape: E25Note that it is only meant to be used with an S52 ballast.

TECHNOLOGY

Table 3 - Spec t rum and plan ts

Colors

Death of plants.Cellular lesion.

Heat - too much can be deadly!

Marked cell elongation and excessivegrowth of stems (wilting).Reversal of photoperiodic induction.

Green does not have a great influence: it isreflected by the green of the leaves.

Chlorophyll synthesis.Maximum photosynthetic activity.Growth and elongation of stems.Seedling development.Germination.

Chlorophyll synthesis.Intense photosynthetic activi-ty. Inhibition of cellular elon-gation, which makes forstrong vigorous plants.

280 nm

315 nmUltraviolet

Violet

Blue

Blue green

Green

Orange

Red

Dark red

Infrared

Wavelength (in nanom

eters)

ULTRAVIOLET

VISIBLE

INFRARED

100 nm

390 nm

430 nm

650 nm

730 nm

800 nm

1000 nm

570 nm590 nm

470 nm500 nm

Sunlight

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WWW.GROWEZHYDRO.COMCOMPLETE SECURE ON LINE SHOPPING

TECHNOLOGY

THEN

NOW

Evolution of the 1000 watt MH lamp

illustrations by SolarMax & Eyelighting

BT56 BT37 T25

SolarMax from Rambridge reduced lampsizes in order to fit most horticultural lightingfixtures.

The color rendering index (CRI) is a measureof how accurately an artificial light sourcecan render color. Here you can see the dif-ference of lighting between an Eye ColorArc lamp from Eye Lighting and a standardmetal halide lamp.

Eye Color Arc lamp 3000 K from EyeLighting recommended for growing.

CRI 96 - Eye Color Arc CRI 65 - Metal Halide


Photos: vieux bandit

Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus)

TECHNOLOGY

There are two types of ventilation: cooling ventilation andrecirculation ventilation. Cooling ventilation draws in air fromoutside to reduce ambiant heat, increase CO2 levels andreduce humidity levels. Recirculation ventilation is a methodthat allows the gardener to obtain more uniform conditionsfor heat, CO2 and humidity.

Ventilation: An Essential Tool for

the Indoor GardenerBy Jessy Caron

Photos: Jessy Caron & Atmosphere Inc.

TECHNOLOGY

Cooling Ventilation

To cool off the inside of a green-house overheated by the sun orby artificial lighting, two techniques

are available: the dynamic system withfans, forcing ventilation, or the passivesystem with openings, for a natural venti-lation. A combination of both is also pos-sible.

The first way to use the dynamic system isto extract the air at one end of the roomand to inject air at the other end, throughan opening that is twice as large. If possi-ble, the air entry should be located onthe side of dominant winds.Installing screens on the airentries will prevent or reduce theappearance of some harmfulinsects: thrips, aphids, white flies,etc. Those screens, however,cause a certain air resistance,which is why the air entry shouldbe twice as large as the air exit.

The second way of using thedynamic system is through posi-tive pressure ventilation. Ratherthan extracting hot air from thegreenhouse, the fans will pushfresh air from outside, inside.Placed in front of the air entry,those fans can be connected toa polyethylene tube pierced atregular intervals, allowing foreven air distribution.

At a higher cost, depending onthe size of your indoor garden,using an air conditionner can be

an option. While bringing in fresh air, itcontributes to air rotation.

Let’s now have a look at the passive sys-tem. In greenhouses using this system, hotair is passively extracted by atmosphericpressure through an electronically con-trolled sliding roof (15 to 25% of the sur-face is required). The fresh air entersthrough the sides of the greenhouse, stir-ring the air; this provokes the evacuationof hot air and enough air circulation to drythe foliage, which in turns limits fungus dis-eases.

Recirculation Ventilation

Recirculation ventilation is justas important as cooling venti-lation. Its foliage drying effectsplay an important part in theprevention of fungus diseases.As mentioned above, it canuse a tube to evenly spreadthe air from the air entry. For acheaper solution, a few fanscan be placed to blow hori-zontally. This system is calledHAF, for Horizontal Air Flow. Ifthe fans are well placed, thissystem is more efficient thanceiling fans.

Ventilation is an essentialaspect of indoor gardeningand should never be neglect-ed. With good horticulturalstrategies, you can only getgood results.

Happy gardening!

Duct Duct Power fan


Regal geraniums (photo: Horticulteurs Hortiland (EARL) in Bastennes, France)

GALLERYOUR BEST SHOTS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

GALLERY

Photos: Jessy Caron

Photo: vieux bandit

Aeschynantus speciosus

GALLERY

Photo: vieux bandit

Streptocarpus


Vriesea

GALLERY

Asclepias curassavica

Guzmania sanguinea


Guzmania sanguinea

Guzmania sanguinea

GALLERY

Nidularium innocentii

Neoregelia fanfare


Colocasia esculenta illustris

Ficus elastica

GALLERY

Photo: James Vicari

Dionaea

Agavaceae (a.k.a. Agavoideae)is a plant subfamily—now in theAsparagaceae family—, whosename comes from the agave.According to Greek mythology,Agave was a Maenad, one ofseveral "possessed women"also called Bassarids or

Bacchae ("wife of Bacchus")who celebrated the cult ofDyonysus while inebriated.

Agave appeared at the end ofthe wine-related ritual. Todaywe know that agaves producea substance with which we canmake an alcoholized drink:tequila! From wine to tequilathen? Agavaceae's name morelikely comes from the Greek"agavos", which means

"admirable". Agavaceae aremagnificent exotic succulents,with thick, leathery, thorny

leaves. Here is a brief overviewof this tropical subfamily.


BOTANICAL DICTIONARY

Classification of Indoor Plants

Photos: Jessy Caron

2 – AGAVACEAE, A.K.A. SUBFAMILY AGAVOIDEAE OF THE FAMILY ASPARAGACEAE

By Jessy Caron, ITA, St-Hyacinthe



Agave: Succulent, drought resistant and rosette-shaped.The leaves are tapered and often bordered by sharp teeth.Smaller species take up to ten years to flower, whereas someothers take up to 40 years. It flowers only once (it is mono-carpic) and dies shortly thereafter, leaving younger shoots totake its place.WDS, S, DFW, Zones 9-12.

Beaucarnea recurvata (Elephant Foot Tree):The Beaucarnea include approximately 20 species of treesand shrubs. Originating from the dry regions of Mexico, it canreach 10 meters tall. Its stem is straight, with a swollen, almostspherical base. A white flower panicle is possible, but veryrare indoors. Simple foliage with alternate lanceolate smooth-

edged leaves. The leaves are curved toward the ground. Veryinteresting isolated plant in modern indoor designs. WDS, DC(40% humidity and less), S, DFW, RP Zones 9-12.

Beschorneria: The Beschorneria include ten species. Theirspear-shaped foliage is green-gray to green-blue. Their ele-gance stems from their cluster of tubular fleshy flowers, frompale green to pinkish, in spikes or curved panicles. The flow-ers are often completely hidden by the overlapping largepink-red bracts until they have fully bloomed. WDS, S, RP, RD,Zones 9-12.

Cordyline: Cordylines include 15 species of shrubs andsmall trees looking vaguely like palm trees. Their bearing andfoliage resemble that of the dracæna. They differ from them,however, by their small star-shaped flowers, grouped in greatpanicles. They also have an underground rhizome. RFS, WDS,S, HS, RC, Zones 9-11.

Dracaena marginata (Dragon Tree): Dracænascomprise 40 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. On a sin-gle stem, they can grow to four meters high. The foliage is thin-

Photos: Jessy Caron

NOTE: Agavaceae is the botanical name of a monocot fami-ly of flowering plants in the order Asparagales, more recentlyreduced to the subfamily Agavoideae of the familyAsparagaceae. The group includes many well-known desertand dry zone types such as the agave, yucca, and Joshuatree. There are about 640 species in around 24 genera, wide-spread in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperateregions of the world. Phormium (see p. 56) is a genus of twoplant species now placed in the Xanthorrhoeaceae family.

A.K.A. SUBFAMILY AGAVOIDEAE OF THE FAMILY ASPARAGACEAE



Photos: Jessy Caron

ly lanceolate and sessile, disposed in rosettes around thestem. The leaves are dark green with a red border. Flowers inlong greenish to yellowish panicles, but rarely indoors. Theyare mostly used to create a height effect, as they are not verybroad. Slow growth. GIL or HS, RL and RD (when newplantlets appear at the base of the mother plant), DC (45-50%humidity), ATD, Zones 10-12.

Dasylirion: Dasylirions include 18 species. Related to yuc-cas, these plants have large narrow and thorny leaves, aboutone meter long. Narrow panicles shoot out from the wellestablished spears, and they can reach 3.5 meters high whileproducing small creamy white flowers. Dasylirions are dioe-cious plants, meaning that the male and female flowers do notgrow on the same plant. WDS, DC, S, Zones 7-8.

Furcraea foetida (Mauritius Hemp): Closely linkedto the agave, this family includes 12 perennial species withrosettes of fleshy spear-shaped leaves. The flowers are white-hearted odorous bells in giant panicles (up to nine metershigh). Bulbils often appear between the flowers. S, WDS, DFW, RC, Zone 10.

Hesperaloe: The hesperaloe include 3 species, closelyrelated to the yucca. They develop deep root systems whenplanted outdoors. The leaves are thick and linear with fibrousedges. Some fibers detach themselves as grayish or white ten-drils. The flowers come in tubular spikes, somewhat bent. DC, WDS, AS, Zones 7-11.

Nolina (Bear Grass): Perrenials, shrubs or small trees relat-ed to the yucca. Some have a thick cork-like bark on a taperedtrunk, with long narrow drooping leaves. Once mature, mostflower in characteristic long panicles. WDS, DFW, RP, Zone 8.

Phormium (New Zealand Hemp): Recently movedto the Xanthorrhoeaceae family and mostly used for the effectof their hard vertical foliage, phormiums include two plantspecies from New Zealand, forming tufts surmounted byexotic-looking flower panicles. The big leaves are striped in

various shades, from dark green to yellowish green, andincluding variegation. RD, CS, Zones 9-11.

Sanseveria trifasciata ‘laurentii’ (Mother-in-lawplant): This slow growing plant can reach 1.2 meter with itsstraight rosette bearing. Its sword-shaped foliage is hard, thickand fleshy. The leaves are glossy, dark green veined with palegreen with yellow edges. Flowering is rare, but odorous atnight with its whitish green elongated raceme. S, ATD, DC (25-30% humidity), DFW, RLC, Zones 10-12.

Do not miss our next “Plant Family Series” article in our nextissue, this time about Apocynaceae and Araliaceae.

ATD: allow to dry between wateringsSWE: sensitive to water excessDFW: decrease fertilization andwatering in winterLT: lower temperature in winter

RC: cuttingsRLC: leaf cuttingRD: divisionRL: layeringRP: pips

CC: cool climateDC: dry climateHC: humid climate

AS: aerated soilHUS: humid soilDS: dry soilCS: cool soilWDS: well drained soilRFS: rich or fertile soil

S: sunHS: half-shade SH: shadeGIL: good indirect light

LEGENDS

WATERING

LIGHT

SOIL

TEMPERATURE

REPRODUCTION



Photos: Bruno Bredoux

Cactaceae are gorgeousand easy to care for. But dowe really know them? Theyform a chlorophyll plantfamily like any other orrather... not at all similar toothers. What differentiatesthem? First, the climate inwhich they fare best, butalso the conditions withinthat climate: almost nohumidity, suffocating heatand luminosity that would

kill many plants that require direct sunlight. How did a plant, originally physiologically like any other,adapt to such extreme conditions?

First of all, the plant saturates itself with water. The reason for this is simple: the plant creates long termreserves because rain does not occur often in its natural desertic envi-ronment. It must thus create a reservoir, accumulating water from theshort rain falls, cool nights and morning dew. Cactacea may not seemlike much, but they are very appetizing to desert herbivores whowould enjoy eating plants that could provide water as well as nourish-ment. Faced with such consumers, cactacea had a big problem: nodefence mechanism.

To protect themselves and to prevent dehydration, the plants modifiedtheir leaves, making them more rigid, more resistant to the intense lumi-nosity of the desert and to strong winds that also dry up the leaves andbring on foliage desiccation. It was a thorny transformation if there everwas! Spines were to appear, solving a few problems: resistance to

adverse weather, evapotranspiration from the stomas, and deterrence of perceptive animals. The leavesgrew smaller over thousands of year of evolution, retaining only their main nerve. In practice, one cansee that all the spines stem from a bud, which consolidates the theory that they once were leaves. From

Cactaceae andsucculentseverywhere!

By Louis-Philippe Rodier, ITA St-Hyacinthe

Morphological Change, Physiological Development

Modified Leaves, Myth or Reality?

Photos: Bruno Bredoux

the shells of the modified buds can emerge modified leaves, newgrowth, flowers and even roots: they are the source of all growth forcactacea.

In the succulent plants category, there are cacti, euphorbia, agavesand succulents. To differentiate cacti from the euphorbia which looksimilar, there are a few methods.

• The first is to observe the number of spines on the areoles.Euphorbias have a multiple of two per areole, while cacti usuallyhave a multiple of three. Areoles are the small cushions on which thespines grow. Many kinds of cactacea can be identified by the shapeof their spines: acicular spines, hook-shaped or harpoon-shaped, forexample. Euphorbias have spines, while agaves have sharp teeth,often found on sword-shaped leaves.

• Another method: thespines can be broken atthe areole until a certainage. When they areformed, the spines aretender and supple. Asthey age, they curve, dryup, and become muchharder. Fear not: sincethey are modified leaves,the spines can be brokenoff without opening amajor wound, and it

should heal well. If the plant is a euphorbia, latex will be secreted atthe wound. If it is rather a cacti, there will be no major secretion, buta clean wound.

• One last identification technique is to observe the older spines, atthe base of the plant. In cacti, with age, those spines will detachthemselves slightly, whereas this does not happen on euphorbias.

There! Happy cactacea and euphorbia growing and, more impor-tantly, have a great flowering season, which is not so easy to get withcactacea.

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GEAR

What is Coir?

The fibers surrounding the coconut and in particular the mostexternal part which gives the ripe fruit its final look are called coir,or coconut fibers, a name you have probably seen often in hydro-ponic catalogues and books. Coir is resistant, stable and has a highwater retention capacity, essential in hydroponics. It is used tomake brushes, rope, mattresses, doormats and, of course, anexcellent growing medium.

The fibrous structure of coir is peculiar. It is made of individualfibrous cells, morphologically narrow and concave. Those cells areclosed by cellulosic walls; cellulose is a polymeric carbohydrate ofglucose (or glucose polysaccharide) that is one of the major ele-ments in the composition of wood and plant tissue. Industrial useof cellulose is well spread in fields from pulp and paper to nutri-tion.

Before the fruit matures, thecoir cells are clear, almosttranslucent. As the agingprocess begins, the fruitripens and a thin layer of ligninforms on the exterior; thefibers then become harderand yellowish. Once the fruitis fully ripe, they turn maroon,giving the fruit its final color. Atthis final fruit growth stage,coir fibers contain more ligninand less cellulose than itscompetition, linen and cottonfibers. Those are more resistant but not as flexible.

Coir fiber is a tiny short thread (no more than one millimeter) witha microscopic diameter, varying between 10 and 20 microns.Before the fruit is fully ripe, the white fibers are even finer. Their soft-ness at that time means they are more fragile and almost unusablebefore the appearance of lignin in the composition. One of themajor characteristics of coir fiber is its relative watertightness thatallows it, among other things, to be one of the rare natural fibers toresist salt water and the erosion it causes. Because they are water-tight, the fibers retain water, and hence the nutriments containedtherein.

Brief History

Coir fiber extraction is done by crushing coconut shells. Theresidue is called coco peat or coir peat. According to current his-torical knowledge, there is written proof of such peat fabricationaround the 11th century. During one of their trips, Arab merchantswrote down a detailed description of the fabrication of a particu-lar material from the crushing of coconut shells into peat. MarcoPolo, around 1290, brought back a similar coir extraction and trans-formation method. For almost ten centuries, the process broughtback from countries where coconut grow practically did notevolve. It is only during the industrial revolution that this discoverywas applied to new areas, such as boat rigging, mattress upholsteryand reinforcement of seats and chairs.

The appearance of coir peat as a growing medium, however, canbe precisely established. Itwas in 1862 in England,when botanist John Lindley(1799-1865) beganexperimenting with thegrowing medium. He wasalso a horticulturist and thegeneral secretary of theRoyal Horticultural Society,and he used the institute'sresources to do hisresearch. He obtainedsome success in theEnglish gardens of theRoyal Horticultural Society,

but his attempts to use coir peat on a larger scale failed. The fabri-cation process at the time was not sterile enough to eliminateundesirable internal residue. These harmful substances, thoughpresent in coir naturally, affected some cultures, but the day's tech-nology was not advanced enough to figure out precisely whichcomponent was harmful.

Since coir's quality seemed to be questioned, Lindley's researchremained in vain and the use of coir peat in agriculture was aban-doned before it even became popular. There followed a long peri-od of ignorance and rejection that lasted over one hundred years.Then, with technological advances and new methods to analyzeand separate the components of coir, it was again considered a

Coco coir:By Bruno Bredoux

Natural Growing Medium

Photo: Canna Hydroponics


GEARPhotos: Canna Hydroponics & D.R.

potential growing medium. In fact, in the last quarter of the 20thcentury, researchers have turned it into one of the most usefulmediums for indoor gardening. Countries like Switzerland andthe Netherlands were among the first to use coco coir as agrowing medium, and the results were above anyone's expecta-tions, quieting even the most skeptical observers.

Application to Hydroponics and Solution Against Undesirable Particles

Rose bushes were the first to be grown in coir. As of 1986, manyEuropean rose producers had recognized that coir could be an

ideal environment for the roots of rosebushes. What could be attained withroses however did not necessarilyapply to other plants. Even at that time,the product's quality was not ideal andmany producers, encouraged by theresults obtained with roses, lost time,effort and money on more delicatehydroponic cultures. After Lindley's lackof success, coir almost died oncemore: the product's quality was highlyinconsistent, and it was unclear whichplants would do well in coir and whichwould not.

A change occurred in 1993. The hydroponic market, at the time,was saturated with sphagnum moss, rock wool and other coars-er substrates. The industry was looking for an alternative. Coirfiber came back to life, and more thorough research, analysisand experiments were conducted. Still, it took two to threeyears to obtain a stable product that could be commercializedand solved some of the recurring problems in some types ofcultures. The first coir fiber-based coco substrate was launchedin 1996 in Germany and in the Netherlands a year later. Sincethen, coco coir has become a success because of its marketdevelopment, stability and ease of use. With a new ecological,controlled composting process, the “residual” productobtained by transformation is free of harmful and destructive

Coco peat

Explotation field

Coir perlite mixCoco fiber


GEAR

Photos: Canna Hydroponics

particles. Thisi n n o v a t i o nallows for ahigh qualityproduct thathas earned theworld's mainp r o d u c e r s ,India, Vietnamand Sri Lanka agreat reputa-tion and someeconom i c a lsuccess.

Coir Cultivation Characteristics

Coco peat is a renewable growing medium. Once humidified, onecompressed coco fiber slab will give the equivalent of a 7 litre con-tainer of growing surface. With this ratio, we can evaluate that a 5kg slab will give a growing surface equivalent to 60 litres. Irrigatingthe coir substrate with a drip irrigation system improves the sub-strate's aeration while less frequent irrigations are required. Somestudies have shown that irrigating with a drip system once a daycould increase the roots' oxygenation in coir by 3% above otherhydroponic systems. Oxygenation works inde-pendently from water but is equally vital to theroot system. If the roots are well oxygenated,they require fewer nutrients, they take andgrow more quickly, and they facilitate waterassimilation by the plant, which uses the dis-tributed nutrients better.

Some manufacturers pre-soak their coir fibercubes in salt water to improve their retentioncapacity. For this type of product, the electro-conductivity of the circulating water should bearound 250 ppm rather than the usually rec-ommended 1,000 ppm. The gardener mustbe vigilant: if the electro-conductivity is toohigh in coir substrate, it can damage and irre-versibly burn the plants. To limit the uncontrol-lable increase of electro-conductivity in thenutritive solution, experts recommend rinsingout the hydroponic system with water that hasa pH between 5.3 and 6.2. For an optimal ini-tial cycle, the room should be kept humid,with a temperature between 20 and 25°C; later the temperaturecould vary between 18 and 30°C (64 and 85° F) according to thetype of plant being grown.

Opinions vary about the proper accompanying nutritive recipe.According to some horticulturists, however, a good recipe (fortwo 5 kg coir fiber cubes) is the following: 2 kg vermiculite, 2 kgperlite, 3 cups of lime juice (optional and only if you must modifythe acidity or alkalinity of the substrate), bat guano, kelp and ofcourse your rooting gel. Mix all the ingredients together while dry,

and then moisten the mixture with water saturated in a nutritive nat-ural plant vitamin and hormone mix (derived from kelp like PowerThrive for example, or any equivalent product). This is ideal forcubes pre-soaked in salt water. You will not need to spend as muchtime leaching out the salts before use. Coir is a completely naturalgrowing substrate. Used in conjunction with a biological recipe likethe one above, it is an efficient way to go from growth to flower-ing ecologically and naturally.

In Vietnam, Other Coir Opportunities Arise

The Vietnamese wood industry turned to coco coir when it faceda governmental decision to limit logging because of the illegalwood trade and to preserve an overexploited ecosystem. NguyenThuy Hoan, assistant director of the Vegetable Oil Research Institute,declared in 1998: "During a study trip, we saw mountains of cocofiber, abandoned after extraction of the copra. An initiative came toour mind: using coir as raw material instead of natural woods." Theinstitute thus developed a coir exploitation program with whatused to be refuse from the extraction of another part of coconuts.They first made coir panels.

After extensive profitability studies, the Institute designed 140 x 80cm panels that are extremely resistant. Thosecoir planks have the same advantages as theraw material: watertightness for residences,flexibility for forming, great resistance to ter-mites and flax dodders. Finally, the aesthetic ofthe coir surface makes it an ideal local con-struction material. The panels' life span is alsoa point in their favor. With the fibers longerthan those of coir (up to 5 cm), they alsomake a sort of conglomerate by mixing themto cement. Once cold-pressed, it becomes aroof consolidation material for the northern-most regions. These conglomerates are alsoused to make high quality domestic wares.

Vietnam now has over 300,000 hectares ofcoconut palms within its borders. On eachhectare there is an average of one hundredtrees, each bearing 30 to 40 fruits per year. Ahalf kilo of coir and coarse fibers, usable bythe transformation industry, can be extractedfrom a medium-sized coconut. Hence, theannual production nears 600,000 tons of

coco fibers. While preserving the country's ecological balance, theproduction of panels, coir substrate and even coir school furniturehas given Vietnam's economy quite a boost. Hundred of acres ofancestral forests are preserved at the same time. Be environmental-ly-friendly and participate to the evolution of developing nations:grow on coir!

(Sources: www.wikipedia.org, Canna, B&B Hydroponic Gardens &AVI – Agence Vietnamienne d’Information)

GEAR

CINAGRO’s Organic Products:A Natural ApproachBy Oshun Boilard

BIO-WORM CONCENTRATED EXTRACT

Bio-Worm is a bio-active growth stimulant obtainedfrom liquid, bio, high quality pure and concentratedworm compost. Its all-natural formula includes solu-ble minerals, growth activators, organic and antipara-sitic components, as well as various beneficial micro-organisms.

Many scientific studies have shown that liquid deriva-tives of worm compost have remarkable physical andchemical properties, which activate the plant’smetabolism. They contain minor trace elements, bothchelated and soluble, nitrates and bio-active sub-stances such as phytohormones, known to regularizeplant growth. Since those nutrients are not fixed toany biomass, they are rapidly absorbed by the plant.Bio-Worm products improve soil structure and fertili-ty by stimulating microbial activity at root level. Themicro-organisms facilitate the plant’s mineral absorp-tion and increase its resistance to bacterial and fungidiseases.

Tests done in a green house while growing tomatoes, strawberries andcertain ornamental plants have shown that Bio-Worm is a catalyst forgermination and seedling development, for root formation and yield.Applied within a fertilization program, Bio-Worm increases the plant’s

development (with a considerableincrease of fruits and flowers’ size)and decreases the risks of infection.Bio-Worm is also designed for hydro-ponics. The Bio-Worm Clear (hydro)solution contains no particles thatcould obstruct or damage the grow-ing equipment or the measuringinstruments.

Cinagro is a young Canadian company thatquickly made room for itself in the naturalstimulants market for vegetable and herbalgrowers. Its products aim to improve theplant’s root development, growth andflowering. The benefits of using organicCinagro products will hence have reper-cussions on the plants, the soil and theenvironment.


GROWING EXPERIMENT

Photo: Bruno Bredoux

The Hydroponic Tomato Experiment

Searching for Varieties Suitable for Hydroponic GrowingBy Josh Morell

Years ago I decided to take a break from soil, and to take more of a scientific approach by growing hydro-ponically. Since hydroponic growing was very new to me, this would prove to be one big experiment, and it isstill in progress. After building two 0.6m x 1.2m re-circulating ebb and flow systems, it was time to consider whatto grow. Back then tomatoes were the most common vegetable grown hydroponically. However, I wanted tonot only grow tomatoes, but an entire salsa garden. My main focus remained on tomatoes, since salsa requirestomatoes as the main ingredient. I found it very difficult to find specific information on growing in hydroponics.The information given at the time was very basic, often leaving out important details, such as nutrient (TDS/ppm)levels for selected plants. Often the information given would contradict advice from another source, and so on...The thought occurred to me that maybe I needed to reach my own conclusions since other sources weren’tconvincing. At the time I had concluded this wasn’t going to be easy.


GROWING EXPERIMENTPhotos: D.R.

With a wide array of tomato varieties available, genetics would log-ically play an important role. I selected one particular breeder, theTerritorial Seed Company (www.territorialseed.com) for many rea-sons: It is located in Oregon, about a 3 1/2 hourdrive from my home. Mail order in a matter of2 or 3 days.Their growing conditions are far from perfect,so the genetics must be vigorous.Genetic preservation: they support thehobby grower by supplying hard to find vari-eties.Huge selection of seed varieties, both heir-loom and hybrids.

Hybrids cater to the commercial grower,while heirlooms are best for hobby growers.

What is the DifferenceBetween an Heirloom anda Hybrid?

The heirloom tomato is a variety that has beenopen pollinated for generations, or a pure-bred. In the early 1900s, heirlooms wereconsidered sort of a family trademark. Somewould guard these varieties by keeping thegenetics only within the family. Unfortunately this is how someprized heirlooms have been lost. Remember: sharing genetics is away of preserving a variety.Heirloom Tomatoes have more flavor, often larger fruit, and theiraroma is very strong. The problems with heirlooms are odd shapesand colors, a tendency for skin cracks, longer delay to maturity, andthat they might be acclimated to a specific environment. The prob-lem with heirlooms... is why there is a market for hybrids.

Hybrids are created by cross-pollinat-ing and inbreeding selected varieties.A hybrid breeder's first goal is toachieve the desired characteristics,and then to stabilize the genetics. Thiscan be very difficult, time-consumingand expensive. It is a gamble, sinceone never knows how the offspringwill turn out until they have grown.Sometimes the offspring are betterthan the parent and sometimes it's justthe opposite. Trial and error are key toproducing a new hybrid.

The advantages of hybrids can be great: early harvests for temper-ate environments, disease resistance or tolerance, uniform red andround fruits that are appealing to the eye.

The hybrid also has disadvantages: the fruits are often smaller, andhave less flavor and aroma than heirlooms.

Do I Want Determinate or IndeterminateTomato Varieties?

I think this can be important, depending onwhat style of system one uses, and on avail-able space. Determinate varieties are short-er, bushier plants that can grow without atrellis. Good for the hobby closet with lowheadroom. Indeterminate varieties can growto endless heights with less branching. Mytallest hydroponically grown tomato plants(outdoors), were higher than my house'sroof.

Here are the varieties I have grown hydro-ponically, both indoors and outdoors:Brandywine – Black Plum – CostolutoGenovese – Early Girl – Medford –Mortgage Lifter

Brandywine is considered a heirloom. Theflavor is great, but the hardiness is lacking.Brandywine requires a strict diet, meaningthe nutrients must be very high quality, andthe grower must monitor their levels careful-ly. The problem I encountered was blossomend rot on a very high percentage of fruits.The blossom end rot was a common occur-

rence no matter what I did, so I discontinued growing this varietyhydroponically. Skin cracking was a minor problem.• Indeterminate – 75-85 days to harvest;• pH 5.9-6.2; • 800 (seedlings) – 1800 ppm.

Black Plum, also considered a heirloom, was a cinch to grow. I was-n’t expecting the smaller sized fruits, so I was a little disappointed.The flavor was great, but again not what I expected. The descrip-tion given talked it up more than it deserved, or so I thought. The

tomatoes were very pretty with ablack top streaking down into a deepred base.• Indeterminate – 65-70 days to harvest;• pH 5.9-6.4;• 600 (seedlings) – 1600 ppm.

Costoluto Genovese, or the mutant asI call it, is also a heirloom. Wow, whataroma and flavor! This tomato is sojuicy and sweet, I highly recommendit. The fruit size is large and ribbed,which can cause some skin cracking.Costoluto requires a strict diet, or

blossom end rot can be a problem. The structure and size of thisvariety works very well indoors.

• Indeterminate, yet very compact – 75-85 days to harvest;• pH 5.9-6.4;• 800 (seedling) – 1800 ppm.

Costoluto Genovese

Black Plum


GROWING EXPERIMENT

Photos: Josh Morell & D.R.

Early Girl, a hybrid, has proven to be the best selection for success.A very hardy, early plant, with great flavor! Resistant to fusarium wiltspecies 1 & 2, and verticillium wilt. I have encountered blossomend rot only when feeding at very low nutrient levels. A great selec-tion for the beginner! • Indeterminate – 65-75 days toharvest;• pH 5.9-6.7;• 600 (seedlings) – 1600 ppm.

Medford is also a hybrid, and inmy opinion does not deservemention. This has been the all-time worst variety I haveattempted to grow. I find thisodd, since it has been bred forthe climate here in Medford,Oregon. The few that grew wellwere not very good. Yes, it'scrack resistant and resistant todiseases, but equal to the toma-toes we find at the grocerystore. Why this is labeled anOregon favorite baffles me. I’veheard others complain about italso, so I don’t think it’s just me...• Determinate – 70-75 days;• pH 5.9-6.7;• 600 – 1800 ppm.

Mortgage Lifter is anotherfavorite heirloom. Big fruits andbig flavor! These tomatoes arefull of juice and look very odd,similar to Costoluto Genovese.Again, a light feeding wouldproduce blossom end rot, oth-erwise it is a very hardy variety.Some fruits will have cracking,but I find that varies with eachgrow. I highly recommend this one! • Indeterminate – 80-90 days to harvest;• pH 5.9-6.7;• 600 (seedlings) – 1800 ppm.

What is Blossom End Rot?

There are a few things that can cause B.E.R.: temperature fluctuationsand calcium deficiency are the two main causes. Often the tempera-ture variation causes the plant to stop taking up calcium, like a nutrientlock-out. So no matter how much calcium one adds, it will make nodifference. Blossom end rot has been the biggest obstacle to over-come when growing tomatoes in hydroponics. Maybe now with thewide variety of nutrients available, I will consider growing those thatproved unworthy of hydroponics in the past. I’m sure much of theproblem/cause was from growing technique or nutrients.

Tips to Avoid Disaster

This applies to re-circulating systems:

• Check your reservoir water tem-perature. Make sure the water isn’tgetting too hot during the day, ortoo cold at night. • Make sure the irrigation is operat-ing correctly. I HIGHLY recommendcycle timers for pumps and irriga-tion. Running water equals oxy-genated water. So I recommendwatering more rather than less.• Topping off just doesn’t cut it:change your nutrient water often!The smaller the reservoir, the moreoften it should be changed. Forexample a 75-litre reservoir shouldbe changed every two weeks.

Compliments for having the bestsalsa around is great incentive tokeep the experiment going! Whatnext, breeding?

www.growncrazy.com

Mortgage Lifter

Medford

66


Even though many people desperately hope to seeGenetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) vanish from thesupermarket, some impatiently await the revolution prom-ised a decade ago. Ten years ago itwas discovered that one could mod-ify or transform animal and vegetalorganisms as well as micro-organisms.The first tomato with modified geneswas produced in Europe. It had beenmodified to slow down its ripeningprocess: a protein can be reduced orremoved from certain fruits’ plants,which will slow down the ageingprocess. After that miraculous innova-tion, many believed in a new world:GMOs were going to put an end toworld hunger.

Thanks to genetic engineering, it is now possible to takethe DNA gene from a live organism that has the qualitiessought, and to integrate it to another organ-ism. The gates of the impossible have beenopened, and anything becomes conceiv-able. An almost perfect universe, they led usto believe. But instead of the utopia, we noware faced with GMOs that could destroyentire ecosystems. Although farmers arereaping some advantages of the genetic dis-coveries, GMOs have still not revolutionizedthe world. We are still waiting for tomatoesthat resist to frost because of fish genes,plants that can handle our harsh winter con-ditions, and what else still.

Even though Canada is one of the biggestproducer or GMOs in the world, only agron-omists have seen the benefits so far. Seedsissued from genetic engineering can be made to producetheir own pesticides. The result is a considerably loweruse of pesticides, which lowers the labor and the pro-duction costs of agricultural operations. However, con-sumers have not seen their grocery bill shrink, and hungerkeeps killing an incredible amount of children throughoutthe world. What’s more, consumer groups, foreign nationsand environmental groups like Greenpeace are now pre-venting GMO producers like the giant Monsanto to putnew products on the market.

The californian company is thus keeping in its labs someinnovative new genes, for fear of hostile reactions.Monsanto proposed the commercialization of a genetical-ly modified strain of wheat, but was vigorously fought byGreenpeace and Saskatchewan’s National Farmers Union.The NFU felt threatened by such a new product on themarket, and feared to see its revenues plummet. Wheatbeing such a staple of the canadian diet, consumers are

more and more worried about their health and the dan-gers of GMOs. Buyers are also worried that the labelling ofproducts containing GMOs is still not regulated. As for

Greenpeace, its mandate is to pro-tect consumers and naturalresources. On top of that, certain for-eign markets refuse many canadianproducts because they stem fromgenetical engineering. It is thus ratherdifficult to hasten the coming of thatrevolution.

For some, this is the best thing to do:the dangers are real and the destruc-tion potential huge. Think only of aller-gy risks: recent studies of the St.Lawrence River have revealed a

strong contamination by toxins from genetically modifiedBT corn, a strain resistant to snout moth (a winged para-site). What is the appropriate action to take?

While genetically modified products areincreasing in popularity with farmers, con-sumers, with the extent of their knowl-edge, are requesting fewer on them. Infact, the market has no choice but to fol-low demand. Is it a mistake? Perhaps weare blocking a true advent, or perhaps weare preventing a bane that would endan-ger our very survival. Diverging points ofview are clear and opinions much debat-ed. Some even believe we will think ofthis controversy as a big joke in a fewyears, like milk pasteurization and thebeginning of microwave ovens. Didn’tthese raise the same fears?

OP-ED

GMO: Parallel Opinions By R. LaBelle

NORMAL GMO

Photos: e-m@le, Green Republic & Greenpeace


Illustration: C. Sheppard

All plants are made of long strings of carbon atoms combinedwith a few hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms.

This carbon, the basis of life on earth, comes from the air. Aircontains 0.030% CO2 (carbon dioxide), 80% nitrogen and19% oxygen.

The fresh air introduced in your greenhouses contains only 300to 400 ppm (parts per million) of CO2. A mature plant requiresa great quantity of carbon: approximately 0.6gram per hour, roughly five times the concen-tration found in the air, or 15% (1500 ppm) ofCO2. This carbon deficiency is an inhibitor ofphotosynthesis and a limiting factor which canresult in an important yield loss that can reachover 50%.

Carbon in the air is not found by itself, but ascarbon dioxide, or CO2. Its access ways intoplant tissue are small openings, or stomates.Stomates are specialized cells mainly found inthe epidermal layer of the interior side ofleaves. They are pairs of kidney-shaped cells(guard cells) that open and close the pores(ostioles) through which carbon dioxide enters the leaf andwater vapor from the leaf escapes into the atmosphere (thereare between 10,000 and 12,000 such passages on the surfacecovered by a fingernail). Once the carbon atoms reach theinside of the plant, they are fixed by photosynthesis.

Many factors can influence the opening and closing of stom-ates: light intensity, leaf temperature, ambiant air temperature,relative humidity, lack of water, as well as air concentration andleaf concentration in oxygen and CO2.

To grow, plants require a few organic and mineral nutritive ele-ments in small quantity. If one is lacking, the entire assimilationprocess is blocked.

Photosynthesis Equation6 CO2 + 6 H2O --- light energy --- C6H12O6 + 6O2.

Enriching the atmosphere with CO2 raises the plant's needs inwater and nutrients, since it grows faster and more vigorously,

with a more abundant, early (one week to ten days earlier)flowering, hence maximized profits.

Photosynthesis cannot fully occur when the concentration incarbon dioxide is too high. Increasing the CO2 concentrationto more than 3000 ppm inhibits growth and flowering. This ismostly due to the increase of carbonic acid, which reducespH, thus closing the stomates which become disorganized.The foliage could also burn.

Carbon dioxide is a natural non toxic gas,and there are two good methods to inject itin your greenhouse's atmosphere.

The first is a complete emission system with asolenoid valve, an unloading valve and atimer. This system injects pure CO2, that canbe purchased in 20, 50 or 75 pound bottles.

The second method is through the combus-tion of a hydrocarbon – usually propane. Itrequires a burner and a Plug-n-Grow-typemanager. Both systems can be purchased atany good hydroponic store; both are safe

and easy to install and come with simple directions.

Now, why choose one method over the other? It is a practicaland economical decision.

The first system is perfect for a small greenhouse – for thosewith large greenhouses, hauling 75-pound bottles is not easy,and refills are expensive. The propane system is more expen-sive at first, but is perfect for medium to large greenhouses,since refills are cheaper and propane gives off three times itssize in CO2 during combustion. A 50-pound propane bottle(C3H8) will thus give you 150 pounds of CO2.

The only problem with CO2 generators is that they give off a lotof heat and that the burner, after long use, requires maintenance.

If it is not adjusted properly, i.e. if it gives off reddish flamesinstead of blue ones, it can damage the plant by incompletelyburning the propane. The main characteristic of a burner is itsability to completely burn fuel.

DISCOVERY

FERTILIZING... THE ATMOSPHEREBy Simon ‘Red’ (Hydro-Sciences)

Photosynthesis

CO2

Wood

Wood products

Illustrations: Biologie-muenchen.de & Images SVT

Laboratory experience of photosynthesis

Effect of light on photosynthesis

Plug & Grow-220 CO2/RH/Temp climate controller

Propane Combustion ReactionC3H8 + 5O2 3CO2 + 4H2O.

If all this has not convinced you of the importance of carbondioxide for your greenhouses, know that the dry matter fromyour fruits is made of 90%... carbon.

Deposits of petroleum, natural gas and coal are also carbondeposits, fixed by the action of plants across millions of yearsthrough photosynthesis.

Even a diamond is nothing but carbon!


DISCOVERY

Photos: ©

D.R.

Where do the colorsof flowers come from?

By Bruno Bredoux

What If Colors Did Not Exist?What if they were pure abstraction, a trickof our imagination, deceit from our sens-es? According to art historian ManlioBrusatin, “colors are not the body's reality,they are not life, nor exactly a law ofNature; they are the reflection of anabstraction of Nature, the artificial in thenatural, which is to say figures...” He devel-oped this notion in a book, A History ofColors (first edition 1991): “in fact, colorscover an area shared between art and sci-ence, between physical and psychologi-cal, a terrain that measures the limits ofboth cultures, troubling the clarity of theirideas, a terrain easy to approach but neverreached by analytical and experimentalmethods.”

Does that mean gardeners who spendentire days harmonizing the colors in aflowerbed and geneticists who cross vari-eties to obtain the most sought after tintsare all the victim of a collective hallucina-tion? Strangely, we must turn to colorblindness to find the beginning of anexplanation of the physiology of colors.Human color blindness is a regressive formof vision that can be likened to that ofinsects or of the first prehistoric animals,who saw the world in two colors: blueand green (although the green perceivedby primitive animals was what humans nowcall yellow). Since biologists could not seewith the eyes of bees or ants, they basedtheir studies on the witness accounts ofcolor blind persons, more specifically onthose persons suffering from color blind-ness in one eye only, which allowed forcomparisons.

colors

DISCOVERYPhotos: ©

D.R.


Before life appeared on its surface, the earth offered a deso-late and monotone sight, with monochrome cold colors. Theblue of the sky existed already, of course, since, as demon-strated by Lord Raleigh at the end of the 19th century, thecolor of the sky is a result of air molecules diffusing in theatmosphere. Too bad for Newton's theory, which supposedthat blue skies were due to azure bubbles floating in the highatmosphere. Color is born out of nothing, out of air. The blueof the sea? It is only the absorption of great luminous wavelengths by water. The green of plants? Or chlorophyll? A sim-ple mechanism developed by prehistoric plants, allowingthem to fix the carbon of the air's carbon dioxide. The brightcolors of fruits and vegetables? Ancient plants did not havecolorful reproduction organs, and resembled today's fernsand conifers.

From a rocky world in flat and ochre colors stemming from theoxidation of iron at the surface, the earth gradually offered aworld in green and blue to the first species that appeared.Insects and other primitive animals had no reason to see morecolors. Their sense of sight was very little developed. Then

these dichromate animals split intomany groups. It was the yellow (thegreen of our reality) from dichroma-tism that made the split: the greatluminous wave lengths, whichinsects see as yellow, started toappear as red or green to birds andmammals. Yellow only appeared asa light band of fossil transition, aninheritance from prehistoric ances-tors. With the appearance of red inthe sense of sight of some livingbeings, earth moved to a moreevolved animal life. The world thenwas easily split in three colors: bluefor the inanimate world, green forplant life and red for the more

sophisticated forms of fauna. As proof of this "passage" from adichromate world to a three-color world, some primitive lan-guages contain only two words for colors, one designatingred and the other covering everything black, green or blue. Onyour computer screen, three colors suffice to recreate millionsof colors and shades: RGB.

Why and mostly how did plants, and most particularly flowers,develop luxurious, lustred, attractive colors? In fact, it was theimproved color vision of evolved animals that influenced plantlife. Plants took advantage of birds and mammals' new visualsensitivity to develop new colorations and pigments in orderto attract the animals that would participate in plant fertiliza-tion. We are back to the artifice, to Manlio Brusatin's "abstrac-tion of Nature". The plants that have remained in their "prehis-toric" state (graminaceae, conifers, some trees) entrust theirpollen to the wind and to fate, but more evolved plants attractother beings to carry life and insure their survival. It is the eter-nal dichotomy of nature and culture: plants "trained" animalsthrough their colors.

Interesting research has been done onbees to understand their perception ofthe color of flowers. Austrian botanistVon Frisch has shaken our knowledgeof bees and our understanding of plantcolors. He discovered that flowers thatseem white to humans in fact reflectultraviolet light with their petals.Ultraviolet light is invisible to our eye,but the color blind bees, who only seetwo fundamental colors, manage to seeultraviolet, at the end of the light spec-trum. Humans cannot see both ultravio-let and visible light: if we did, our visionwould be blurry, unable to focus onone (ultraviolet) or the other (the rest ofthe spectrum). The color of flowers,

Photos: ©

D.R.


DISCOVERY

Photos: vieux bandit & D.R.

thus, only exists in the eye of theonlooker. It has no tangible intrin-sic reality, and remains highly sub-jective.

The explanation of flower colorsthrough the vision of pollen-carry-ing animals is confirmed by thegeographical location and varia-tion of flower colors, which cor-roborates Von Frisch's theory. Intemperate climates, there are veryfew red flowers, since the colorblind bee will not perceive thisred but will rather see it as darkish.The bee, therefore, will not foragethese flowers. In tropical climates,however, there are many redflowers, pollinated by small birdssuch as the hummingbird. There isone exception in temperate cli-mates: the bright red corn poppy. Its presence was explainedby Von Frisch, who discovered that the corn poppy stronglyreflects ultraviolet, unlike other red flowers, and a bee's eye,consequently, will see it as white: for a pollinating insect in atemperate zone, corn poppy petals will always be white!

The most characteristic use of colors by plants to ensure pol-lination is that of the mountain anemone. This plant has a yel-low-hearted flower with violet petals, colors that correspondprecisely with bees' color vision. To a bee, the yellow centerlooks yellow and the violet petals will seem blue since the beedoes not see red and eliminates it from the blue + red = vio-let equation. As the bee gets closer to the flower, it is attract-ed to the boundary between the two colors. It will settleexactly on the line between blue and yellow, between thedecorative corolla and the heart containing the reproductiveorgan, in the exact best spot to forage the stamens. We mustlook deeper than the surface: white flowers will be colorfuland bright for many insects and bright red ones will seemwhite for others.

What of the interaction of flower colors with humans in gener-al, and gardeners in particular, and of their influence on ourbehavior? Didn't colors insure the survival of many species? Weare "plant mediators". Through a primitive form of "conscious-ness", flowers have developed attractive colors that we can-not shy away from. In Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan explainshow tulips used their natural beauty to tip humans into a kindof frenzy and into a reproduction and hybridization war.Discovered in Turkey in the seventeenth century, tulips havesince conquered the world. Men have killed and been killedfor them. In the three and a half centuries since, tulips have

been reproduced in multiple varieties,with varied colors and shapes, but theyremain tulips. And they still react verywell under human manipulation: theirprosperity is guaranteed.

For an exhaustive review, we wouldhave to touch upon the color of fruits,mushrooms and insects themselves...Why does a blue-green insect on apure white petal seem like an ideal preyto us, while in reality it is perfectly wellhidden from its predators? Because wedo not perceive the world like it does,and because for colors as for every-thing else, it takes all kinds! And if colorsdo exist, they maintain their power overus and all living beings, whether wewant them to or not. We do not controlcolor: it guides us and tells us what todo – this is even truer when designing a

flowerbed! When you walk into a greenhouse, you do notchoose; rather, the plants allow themselves to be chosen. Inplant language, all the beautiful colors translate to "take me,take me, take me..."

A History of Colors, by Manlio Brusatin, Shambhala, 172 p.,1991.

La Couleur dans la Vie, Le cinéaste et le photographe amateursface aux mystères de la nature, by Yves Legrand, professor atthe Museum d’Histoire Naturelle. Integral text of the confer-ence will soon be published by Éditions de l’A.F.E. and is avail-able at www.creatic.fr/cic/B067Doc.htm.

Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, by MichaelPollan, Random House, 304 p., 2001.


SHOPPING

NewLook for Soluble Seaweed

Extract and BC Hydroponic Nutrients

Technaflora Plant Products Ltd. has repackaged their BCHydroponic Nutrients by redesigning their labels. The colors of the

new labels reflect the color of the nutrients inside the black bottles,making it easier for both the retailer and consumer to distinguish

between the three. B.C. Bloom is now identifiable by a red label,B.C. Boost by a yellow label, and B.C. Grow by a green label. Youwill also find an updated Mixing Ratio Chart in both imperial andmetric measurements as well as PPM (parts per million), and EC(electrical conductivity), on every bottle.

Apart from the BC Hydroponic Nutrients labels, the SolubleSeaweed Extract label has also been modified. Retailers and dis-tributors who have recently ordered Soluble Seaweed Extract havealready noticed the change. The redesign better illustrates the prod-uct and gives a clearer representation of the contents inside.

Soluble Seaweed Extract is a concentrated, comprehensive gardener's toolin powered form. Made from 100 per cent pure organic Norwegian kelp,this product enhances seed germination, promotes healthy root systems,generates rapid stem and shoot development and increases diseaseresistance.To view the above products online and to learnmore about Technaflora Plant Products, please visit our

website at www.technaflora.com. – T.C.

AreRooting Hormones Necessary?

Many plants reproduce throughvegetative propagation. Propagation

by cuttings is what interests us most,because it has many advantages: preservation of

the main genetic traits, rapid multiplication, global production... When takingcuttings, using rooting hormones can be useful to reduce the delay betweenthe incision and the formation of a callus. This callus is a proliferative mass of cellsforming as a wound reaction. The roots form at the callus level. The active ingre-dient in rooting gel or powder is AIB, indolebutyric acid, a synthetic auxin.

Rooting hormones are sold for three types of plants: for herbaceous plants, at1000 ppm; for semi-woody plants at 4000 ppm; and for hardwood, at 8000ppm. One must be careful not to over-apply the rooting hormone, becauseit could have the opposite effect and block callus formation. This wouldlead to crown mold through excessive humidity or would burn the tis-sue, asphyxiating the callus. I recommend using hormones in mod-eration when required.

Recommended products: Rhizopon AA #1, #2and #3, Clonex, Power Clone Liquid

Concentrate, etc. – J.C.

FeedingBack the Earth

with Mycorhiza

Biostimulant sales are taking an increasing market share inNorth America. Humans are more and more aware that theyimpoverish the soil as they cultivate it, which is why we mustgive back some of what we take from the soil. Adding mycorhizais a good investment for the soil's microbial population and theplants' root mass. For the fungi to develop properly, however, theywill require organic matter, humidity, coolness and air at ground level.Mycorhiza form a symbiotic relationship between the roots and thefungi. They colonize the root mass to increase the roots' absorptionarea, making it between 100 and 1000 times bigger. In counter-part, the fungi benefit from some of the carbon (sugar) com-pounds. No synthetic fertilizer can do the same. Mycorhizahave specific relationships with some plants; using a non-compatible mycorhiza, however, will cause no dam-age. Recommended products: MycoMinerals™,

Super-Grow Mycorrizha (Ixtal GoldMycorrizha), etc. – J.C.

HORTICULTURAL NOVELTIES

Photos: w

ww.technaflora.com

, D.R.


SHOPPING

WaterPumps by

B&BHydroponic Gardens

Water pumps are used to move water from reservoirs tothe growing chamber or to waste. B & B HydroponicGardens carries different sizes and types of water pumps.They have water pumps that deliver from 90 gallons of waterto pumps that will give you more pressure than your houseplumbing does.

Using air pumps with your water pumps will allow you topump air into the water to enrich it with dissolved oxy-gen. You can also do the same using only your waterpumps, by lifting the water up and forcing it backinto itself, like a waterfall. This is the absolute

best way of adding oxygen to water. – William Sutherland

AlaskaDry Pure Fish

Fertilizer 8-5-1

This fertilizer, made only from fresh fish, is a natural sourceof nutriments for many types of plants. The all-purpose fertiliz-er is sold as odorless dry pellets and contains a perfectly bal-anced mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The formuladoes not require any pre-mixing before use. For best results, themanufacturer recommends using the organic fertilizer one weekbefore planting. It is applied directly to the soil and requires heavywatering.

Alaska Dry Pure Fish is garanteed not to cause stress or burns to theplants. It does not create a compact mass around the roots andallows humus to breathe. It can be used on your outdoorflowerbeds or inside, in pots, for perennials and annuals alike.Its action radius is large and each category of plants (fromfine herbs to trees) can benefit from it.Recommended dosage must be strictly

respected, and the product should notbe mixed with anything else.

Photos: B&B Hydroponic Gardens, Botanicare, Plug & Grow & Alaska

Plug &Grow-220

CO2/RH/Temp ClimateController

Plug & Grow has done a great job with CO2

and climate control. You can use the iGS-220 to enrich CO2 andto operate heating or cooling, humidifying or dehumidifying equip-ment. This smart controller offers a 24 hours data-logger for mini-mum, average and maximum values of CO2 and temperatures.

What temperature and humidity did the grow room reach while youwere gone from the growing area? Did it get to hot or cold? Didthe humidity get too high? Is the control of CO2 reliable andaccurate in my grow room? By understanding what happensin your growing area, when you can not be there, will helpyou understand where you can improve your growingconditions. This unit is simply the best to integrate

in your grow-room. – William Sutherland

Sweet,A New

OrganicCarbohydrate Synthesizer

from Botanicare

Sweet is a new organic carbohydrate synthesizer fromBotanicare that helps your plants at all stages of their growth.With its unique combination of organic compounds and essentialelements, it can be used at all stages of a plant’s life including flow-ering. The elements contained in Sweet are directly involved in plantphotosynthsesis and respiration. Sweet contains carbohydrates(end products of photosynthesis with optimal concentrations ofglucose, fructose and sucrose), organic acids (citric acid and vita-min C or ascorbic acid), vitamins, amino acids (serving as build-ing blocks for proteins), esters (enhancing flavor and aroma),essential secondary and trace elements. All of thosecomponents are necessary for the bio-synthesis ofessential compounds to maintain the highest

possible level of metabolism in yourplants.

– B.B.


SHOPPING

Gro’ChekContinuous Read Meter

With Visual Alarm (2 in 1 Combo Units)

This sophisticated instrument offers acombo of pH and TDS measures or pH andEC measures. The reading is very clear and use-ful, since crucial parameters are visible as one unit.Characteristics: waterproof rugged casing, adjustable visualalarm, professional probe, high precision, shipped completeand with a two-year warranty. Precision: pH/TDS +/- 0.2 pH(on the 0.0 to 14.0 pH scale with alarm set to 3-7 pH) and+/- 2% pE (on a scale of 0 to 1999 ppm with alarm set to500-1600 ppm). For the pH/EC combo, the precision isthe same for pH and for EC, it is more or less 2% E(on a 0 to 9.99 mS/cm scale, with the alarm setbetween 1.0 and 3.5 mS/cm). – B.B.

PressureSpray Bottles

Plants like to be show-ered with water, but they

prefer to be misted with mild nutrient solutions. Pumpup sprayers (easy to find in any department store) giveoff a fine spray without tiring the hand. Outside, the rainwashes away built-up minerals from the leaf tissue. Somake it rain inside for your plants. Use different bot-tles for different solutions: do not use the samebottle for all products to be misted onto plants.Most of those pressure spray bottles arecheap, yet well constructed.

– William Sutherland

HippodamiaConvergens

(Coleoptera:Coccinellidae) or Convergent Lady Beetle,

the Perfect Aphid Predator

The most common of all beneficial insects, ladybugs stop aphid dam-age instinctively, and keep your plants healthy and beautiful. And theyare cost-effective, too! Be sure to water the area before releasing yourladybugs. Placing a small dish of water will help keep not only ladybugsbut native insects close to your plants, especially in soaring heat. Bugsneed water too! Adults are orange and black beetles that feed onaphids, scales, adelgids, chinch bugs, asparagus beetle larvae, alfalfaweevils, bean thrips, grape root worms, Colorado potato beetle larvae,white flies and mites, as well as many other soft-bodied insects andeggs. They also feed on beneficial insect food. Ladybugs areshipped to you as adults. Each adult consumes about 5,000aphids. Within eight to ten days of release, each femaleladybug lays ten to fifty eggs daily, on the underside ofleaves. Eggs are white or yellow ovals and lay in

clusters. Larvae are black and orange andalligator shaped. – William S.

Photos: Bruno Bredoux, Hanna Instruments, B&B Hydroponic Gardens, Stowers & Safer’s

StickyStiks bySafer’s

Sticky Sticks natu-rally attract bugs to

their yellow pads, wherethey get stuck. They allow you to know ifhave bugs, in case you have not beencareful enough. Simply set them uparound your plants.

– William Sutherland

LargerSticky

Strips bySafer’s

Those Sticky Sticksare the same as above but with a larg-er sticky surface. Use them whenyou suspect flying or hoppinginsects are around.

– William S.

For more information on pH, EC and combopH/EC/TDS meters, see also our article onScientific Factors and Measuring Instrumentsin Hydroponics, page 50 of our first issue(Vol. 1 / Issue 1 – March / April 2005).

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Q&A

1. ASK FRED – STARTING THE VEGETATIVE CYCLE

Hello,I would like to know what I should do to get my clonesto start their vegetative cycle with more leaves.Thanks,– Daze

Hi Daze,

That’s really easy to do: just use a taller dome cover andtake bigger clones with more leaves. For making extra big

clones, the air layering technique worksvery well but it is impractical for largequantities.

Air layering will give you a fully-rootedclone when you remove it from the plant.Start by selecting the branch that you aregoing to clone. Remove all of the leaves,branches and shoots that will be at thebottom three inches of your clone (fig.A). At the bottom end of the three inch-es, attach a piece of plastic firmly withtape that can be pulled up over the stemthat will form a bag around the stem (fig.B1&2). Then make a series of smallwounds and paint it with rooting hor-mone using a small artist brush (fig. C).Now pull the plastic up and form a bag.Stuff it full of wet pro-mix and close it atthe top with a piece of tape (fig. D). Inabout ten days you will see roots hittingthe plastic and you can cut off your fin-ished clone.

Hello,In my rotating garden (Apollo 3), all the roots of myplants became brown and dark. Is it possible to reversethe process and get them white again? If not, and toprevent the problem in the future, what wateringsequence or specific treatment should I use?

Thank you,– Marc

Hi Marc,Rotating gardens have been around for some time now.There are many manufacturers with lots of models. Thethree leading manufacturers are Bonsai, G.I. and Omega.Omega makes a rotating garden carousel. This incredible-looking piece of equipment has six eight foot gardens on

a carousel that moves like an amusement park ride.

The Apollo 3 isa very slicklooking andsophist icatedaeroponics sys-tem. The mostcommon rea-son for brown-ing roots in anaeroponics sys-tem is the cycle.It’s either toolong or tooshort. In issue 1,in Ask Fred,you’ll be able tofind my recom-mendations onfine-tuning yourcycle.

In a rotating gar-den, dark and

browning roots can often be attributed to the open back models. Inthese models the rails that you set the cubes into have a very wide gapon the underside, exposing most of the cubes’ bottoms and roots toambient light and other contaminants that may be floating around in yourroom.

If this is your problem, there is not much that I can say about it.

I consider it a design problem. You should discuss this with your distributor.

Our indoor gardening and hydroponics experts are here to help.You have questions, we have answers. Fred Leduc shares some of his tips. All you need is to ask.Send your questions to: [email protected].

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Photos: Fred Leduc & Apollo 3

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Apollo 3

2. ROTATING GARDEN ADVICE


Q&A

3. END ALL, THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION?

Hi,I’d like to know which insecticide is better than End Allto eliminate insects and parasites on plants. And if I usea non organic product, can I use it more than once aweek?

Thank you!, – Greg

Hi Greg,

I like End All. It works really well for me. I think your prob-lem might be the way you’re spraying it. End All needsto be

applied in asuper fine mist

with no run off. The finerthe mist the better theadhesion. It takes me about30 minutes to spray one litrein my garden. I start at oneend and spray everything,top and bottom, very lightly.This takes me about 10 min-utes and then I go back andstart over again. I repeat thisuntil I am satisfied with thecoverage. After End Alldries, the leaves are leftshiny. If there are only spotsthat are shiny then your cov-erage is incomplete.

End All is photodegradable.It is most effective sprayedat sunset or just as the lightsare going off.

I don’t use chemical pesticides but my friends that do swear by Dr.Doom. Using it more than once a week? You should follow the manufac-turers suggestions.

4. CHEAPEST HYDRO

Hi,I'm from Belgium. I saw your magazine in a hydro store inthe States while I was vacationing there. Great magazine!I'd like to grow some plants in a hydro system, but I don'thave a lot of money.

What could be a good alternative? I'd like to build a not soexpensive hydro system that is easy to set up…Thanks, – Jak

Hi Jak,

The simplest and cheapest hydro set up is an "ebb andflow" system. Here's what you'll need: a 19-litre pail witha lid and handle, 1.2 to 1.8 meters of 1.25 cm garden

hose, two hose connectors, a kiddie wading pool, a shorttable and a piece of 2 cm plywood.

Start with the table. It has to be sturdy enough to hold all the plants,pool, water and plywood. Of course you could always build your owntable from scratch using 2 x 4s and plywood. It needs to be as tall asyour pail.

Trim the plywood to the outside dimensions for your kiddie pool, so itwill be fully supported. Place the plywood on the table and the pool onthe plywood. Now you will decide where to place the "fill and drainhole". This will be determined by where you want to place your pail. Thehole needs to be on the bottom and 3 to 6 cm from the side of the pool.Mark and cut a hole in the pool and attach one end of the hose with aconnector. Cut a hole in the plywood for the hose to pass through.

On the side of the pail, at the bottom, drill a hole and connect the otherend of the hose. Level the table so it is lower in the front and a little high-er at the back. This will allow the pool to completely drain back into thepail.

Usually kiddie pools have a textured bottom. If your pool does not, youwill have to add something that will raise the plants off the bottom forabout 1 cm to allow your plants to drain properly. If you can get yourhands on some milk crates, they can be cut up into very effective grates.

Test your connections for leaks, and you're done! This system is so simpleto run: just lift the pail to flood the table and lower it to drain.

For more sophisticated systems I suggest that you buy a small set up andrun it a few times to become familiar with the equipment and techniques.This will help you a lot when you decide to build a bigger more sophis-ticated system.

do do do

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Photo: Fred Leduc & Illustration: C. Sheppard Q

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EDITORIAL

The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 2 (Reissue)

Documents

Transcript of The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 2 (Reissue)