The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 4 (Reissue)

Volume 1 - Issue 4 www.indoorgardenermagazine.comISSN : 1715 - 0949 - Bimonthly

November / December 2005

ClassificationOf Indoor Plants

3 - Ariliaceae

Price: $3.95

StartingCactiFrom Seed

Light EquipmentAnd Reflectors

Compost TeaIn Hydroponics

Plant PhysiologyWhat Goes On Inside A Plant?

The Moon’sInfluenceOn Seedlings

A Short Guide

To Easy Cloning

Plant Health:FertilizerDelivery

Grow Your OwnGourmet

Mushrooms

04THE INDOOR GARDENER VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4

CREDITS

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

Volume 1 – Issue 4

Published by:Green Publications

Publisher:J. M.

Managing editor:Bruno Bredoux

Contributing editors:Helene Jutras, Jessy Caron, Fred Leduc

Art Dir-ektor:EktorZolerZoza

Editorial coordinator:Bruno Bredoux

Collaborators in this issue: Azl, BrunoBredoux, Jessy Caron, Stan Daimon,Jean-Marc D., Marco Deux, Herb Gardner,Paul Henderson, Helene Jutras, RoxanneLaBelle, L.-C. LeBlanc, Fred Leduc, JoshMorell, G. Nietz, Simon ‘Red’ Garneau, O.Richard Jr., Carole Ann Rollins, WilliamSutherland, C. Sheppard, vieux bandit.

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

Translation:Helene Jutras

Cover design:EktorZolerZoza after a photo taken byvieux bandit.

Illustrations:Azl, C. Sheppard & EktorZolerZoza

Administration: R. LaBelle

© 2005, Green Publications, 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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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume 1 – Issue 4November / December 2005 – Bimonthly

7 EditorialA Small Seed Lost, A Giant Leap for Mankind...By Bruno Bredoux

10 Plant PhysiologyWe all know what plants look like on the outside, but whatgoes on inside their different parts?By Simon ‘Red’ Garneau

14 Notes & news

22 Tips & tricks: The Moon’s Influence on SeedlingsDoes the moon really have an impact on crops in general,and on germination in particular?By O. Richard Jr.

24 Tips & tricks: Do Not Let Your Salads Bolt (Well, if you want to eat them, not reproduce them!)By Loup-Claude LeBlanc

25 Response to J.R.’s pH article (from issue #3)By F. Leduc

26 A Short Guide to Easy CloningThe key factors for an ideal clone developmentBy C. Pythoff

28 Grow Your Own Gourmet MushroomsCultivating domesticated mushrooms in your home!By Marco Deux

30 Drying MushroomsLearn how to preserve your mushroom harvestBy B. Bredoux

32 Light Equipment and ReflectorsChoosing the right reflector to illuminate your indoor gardenBy William Sutherland

40 GalleryOur Best Shots for Your Viewing PleasureBy Jessy Caron, vieux bandit, EktorZolerZoza

50 Compost Tea In HydroponicsHow to convert from synthetic chemical control to biological controlBy Carole Ann Rollins, PhD Researcher, University of Nevada

54 Steps for Transitioning from Conventional to SustainableBy Carole Ann Rollins, PhD Researcher, University of Nevada

56 Indoor Plants Predatory Insects and Their Life Cycle By Paul Henderson

58 Classification of Indoor Plants3 - Ariliaceae, Indoor and Outdoor PlantsBy Jessy Caron

62 Fertilizer DeliveryBy William Sutherland

64 Starting Cacti From Seed How to start an amazing cacti collectionBy Fred Leduc

66 Words Used in Hydroponic GardeningThat Could Lead to ConfusionBy Jessy Caron

70 Cooking: Vegetable Garden JamsBy Bruno Bredoux

72 Blue Magic: Improved Formula NutrientsBy G. Nietz

74 Shopping: Horticultural NoveltiesBy Helene Jutras, Paul Henderson, H.F. and B.B.

77 The Hydroponic World of North America

80 Q & ABy Fred Leduc

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VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4 THE INDOOR GARDENER05


EDITORIAL

Approximately 10,000 years ago, in an area that roughly corresponds to thecurrent location of war-ravaged Irak, man discovered the seeding principleand hence went from surviving on hunting and gathering to survival throughagriculture and the exploitation of his own production. Until then, if men hadlearned to recognize useless, harmful, indigestible and toxic plants, they hadnot yet understood the principle of edible plant reproduction, nor the role offruit, where they could have found not only sustenance, but also the seeds toensure harvests for generations to come.

The infancy of wood, stone and bone tools first allowed for the invention ofsharp tools, used to cut herbs and the stem of cereal. Noting the texture andnutritive value of grains, man invented grindstones to break cereals and extracta more elaborate means of subsistance. The first agricultural transformation linewas born, but gardening was not, yet. Nobody had yet realized the linkbetween the seed and the birth of a new wheat of flax plant.

How did man discover the principle of germination? Historians are still won-dering. Some think that this revolution is due to women, who in the MiddleEast were left as granary guardians while men hunted. Guarding mounds ofwheat or barley seeds all day, they could have witnessed the germinationphenomenon around the tribe's cereal storage. Or perhaps hunters returningto an old camp could have noticed that the leftovers from a meal from manymoons ago had grown into green plantlets, young enough for those crudemen to deduct that the miraculous production came from the seeds that hadescaped the feast. Or perhaps an association of ideas would have shed lightin a young nomad's mind when he threw a handful of seeds near his campand discovered young growth a few days later...

Whatever the case, once the germination mechanism was understood, the eraof agriculture was to begin, and it was to develop up to the refinements wenow know, including its more sophisticated adaptations, such as hydropon-ics. What remains, however, of our ancestors' discoveries? What part of theirknowledge secretly circulates within us? Even though there is no convincingscientific evidence, many modern gardeners strongly believe that the mooninfluences crop development. Is this a part of the legacy left by our ancestorswho discovered germination? If radishes develop an unruly foliage andscrawny root bulbs, it is not necessarily because the lunar seeding period wasnot respected, but rather because the growing medium contains too muchnitrogen or that the seeds have been put too close together.

Good lunar calendars follow the rhythm of seasons. Good gardeners followthe seasons. Good seasons lead to good harvests. Good gardeners also havea tendency to baby their plants, to follow the crop day after day, almosthourly! From there, we could conclude that the alleged effect of the moon isonly the result of the perfect synchronicity between a millennial rhythm, theimmutable cycle of our satellite and the daily rhythm of the love of gardening.I will not so conclude, but I invite you to reflect on this possibility beforebeginning this new issue of The Indoor Gardener. Hydroponic culture isalready a great leap for mankind – perhaps it will be the topic of much per-plexity for future historians...

Bruno BredouxThe Indoor GardenerNovember 2005

A Small Seed Lost, A Giant Leap for Mankind...

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PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

ROOTS STEM

LEAVES FLOWER

INTRODUCTION

By Simon ‘Red’ Garneau – Hydro-Sciences

We all know what plants look like on the outside, but whatgoes on inside their different parts? A plant's apparent immo-bility gives us no idea of the intense activity it hosts through-out each day.

Plant Kingdom, Plant Classification

The plant kingdom may not be as diversified as the animalkingdom, but it contains over 400,000 species if we includefungi (although fungi is now considered as its own kingdom,distinct from plants and animals).

The plant kingdom is traditionally subdivided into two maingroups, based on the plant's structural organization. If the tis-sues and organs are not differentiated, the plant is a thallo-phyte and its vegetative organ is a thallus.

If the vegetative organ is rather a corm (foliar axis system withtrue tissues and organs), the plant is a cormophyte. Amongthe cormophytes, only tracheophytes are vascularized (i.e.they possess two different conductive tissues: xylem andphloem). Cryptogams have hidden sexual organs; spermato-phyta's sexual organs are visible

Plants are grouped in taxons: • Phylum, or division • Class• Order • Family • Genus • Species

Most indoor plants are seed-producing plants belonging tothe tracheophyte phylum (or division) – this phylum includes

3,249 species – 2,409 of which areendemic, or naturally confined in aparticular area limited in size. Othersare vascularized plants (with xylemand phloem) and belong to theangiosperm subclass; they aredicotyle (dicotyledone), whichmeans they have two leaves. Seed-producing plants are called sperma-phytes and have a complex vascularor conductive tissue system whichis used to transport sap (xylem andphloem). Almost all possess the fol-lowing organs: roots, stem, foliageand flowers.

Roots and the Root System

The first root to develop, the lateralroot, comes from the embryo con-tained in the seed. In a few days, itproduces ramifications that form thesecondary roots. The rootcap, at

the end of the lateral root,acts as a shield, allowingthe root to make its waythrough the growingmedium. Just behind therootcap is the growthzone where the continualcell division occurs.Above it is the cellularelongation zone, wherecells grow longer andbecome differentiatedunder the effect of therooting gel's auxin. Thencomes the maturationzone where cells reachtheir final shape. The exte-rior layer of cells in thedifferentiation zone, alsoknown as the epidermis,bears the root hair. Roothairs are the main absorp-tion agents of nutritiveelements for the roots.Sap (water and minerals)

first gets diffused through the cellu-lar wall of the root hair before enter-ing the root's conductive vessels – itthen goes through the vessels to thestem and eventually reaches theleaves.

Looking at a radical cross section,we can see many well definedzones. The external cell layer is the

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Phycophyta(algae)

Mycophyta(fungi)

Bryophytes(mosses)

Pteridophytes(ferns)

Prespermaphyta

Spermaphyta(flowering plants)

Plant Kingdom Classification

Thallophytes Nonvascularized

Cryptogams

Phanerogams

(Source: Le règne végétal, classification des végétaux,ww2.creaweb.fr/bv/regne.html)

Cormophytesor

EmbryophytesTracheophytes

epidermis, where the roothair grow. Inside this exter-nal layer is the bark (cor-tex). The water and miner-al salts pumped by theroot hair go through thebark to reach the root'score. At the most internalpoint is the endodermis,the bark's deepest cellularstratum that physicallyseparates the bark fromthe central cylinder. Withits position and cellularcharacteristics, the endo-dermis plays a crucial rolein the transition of waterand mineral salts throughto young roots' absorptionzone.

The endodermis containsa central cylinder whichhouses the conductive tis-sue, xylem and phloem.These tissues are found inall of the plant's organs:roots, stem, leaves andflowers. The xylem allowsraw sap to climb up to thefoliage, while the phloemmakes it possible for elab-orated sap, after photo-synthesis, to go backdown to the roots whereit is stored.

Stem

The first stem (tigellum)comes from the seed's embryo. It grows in length and then getsramified. The plant's adult stem ends in a bud that allows it to alsogrow in length. Lateral buds give birth to new ramus and leaves.

Buds are more or less conical structures made up of generating tis-sues; they are shortened stems.

The stem's internal structure is made up of the epidermis, bark anda central cylinder containing the phloem, xylem, cambium (cellularstrata at the frontier of the epidermis, whose functions bring aboutthe increased girth of roots, stem, branches and boughs) and pith(central part of the stem, mostly composed of parenchyma, orsoft tissue).

Foliar System

Leaves originate in the tissues located just behind the buds' grow-ing tip. The leaf is made up of two main parts: the petiole (or tail)and the limb (or leaf blade). The petiole contains the conductive

vessels, xylem andphloem, while the foliarlimb is made up of a seriesof nerves.

A cut leaf viewed under amicroscope reveals a sur-face covered with a pro-tective cell strata. It is theepidermis itself, that iscovered with a layer ofthe waxy substance calledcutin. The epidermis hastiny openings or pores,called stomata.

The nerves on the leaf alsocontain the conductivetissues, xylem andphloem, united in a vascu-lar bundle. The xylemtransports water and dis-solved matter from thepetiole to all parts of theleaf limb. The nutritive mat-ter produced in the limb isbrought back to the peti-ole via the phloem. Fromthe petiole, this enrichednutritive matter goes tothe stem – and then all theway down to the rootsthrough the phloem.

Flowers

Apart from its decorativeand aesthetic qualities, theflower exists only as aprotective receptacle of

the plant's sexual organs. Its perfumes and colors also serve toattract pollinating insects, thus ensuring survival of the species. Theflower is the reproductive organ of all seed-producing plants(spermaphyta). Dissecting a flower allows us to better understandhow the flower is “built”. A tulip or a lily flowers are the easiest todeconstruct. We separate the flower from its sepals and petals. Aflower usually has three of each – making it a “type three” flower.The sepals are the petals located towards the exterior of the calyx– where the actual petals are located towards the inside. In thecentre of the calyx are the stamens, the flower's male organs. Thereare many, covered with pollen, and they are often yellow or black.The stamen is the fertilizing organ of the flower, where the filamentholds the anther (pollen sack). The filament is the filiform part ofthe stamen that ends with the anther. The stamens surround thepistil, the female reproductive organ. In contrast to the maleorgans, there is only one pistil. There are different types of plants:monoecious plants have bisexual or hermaphrodite flowers, witha pistil surrounded by stamens in the same calyx, while dioeciousplants split into two types of plants, male and female, each bear-


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ing unisexual flowers, male or female. Dioecious plants requirethe help of an external factor to ensure their fertilization: thepollen needs to be carried from a male flower to a femaleflower. There are also petal-less flowers (called apetalous) likenettles and the pepper plant (Urtica dioïca, Piper nigrum).

Orchid Flowers: Detailed Dissection

Most hermaphrodite flowers are “type three”. This means theyare made up of three sepals, three petals (one of which is par-

ticular and is called the labellum),three stamens, one of which isoften missing (as in Cypripedium orchids) and sometimes two(as in most orchids) and three melted carpels. For specialists, theformula is thus written: 3S + 3P + [1E + (3C)]. The flower's mainmass is formed by six foliar pieces on two rows or virticils. Threeare on the exterior, while the remaining three are more on theinside and are placed in-between the first three.

According to French botanist Bernard Lagrelle, here is thedescription of a Phalaenopsis-family orchid, which applies tomost orchids grown indoors: “If we detach the three exteriorfoliar pieces by cutting them at the base, we have the threesepals. One of them, placed vertically in the flower's axis, is thedorsal sepal. The other two are turned more or less diagonallydownwards, one to the right, the other to the left. These are thetwo lateral sepals.”

“The three leaflets that are left are different. Two of them, spreadto the left and right, are the petals. The third, turned downwards,is the labellum. It is the part that matters most when distinguish-ing between species because it can take on so many differentshapes. The six sterile pieces we have just examined form the

perianth. By removing the two petals and the labellum, we areleft with a fleshy mass. This central organ is called the gynostemi-um or column. The interior face of the gynostemium shows,under its summit, a small cavity filled with a glutinous matter, thestigma. At the apex there is a kind of cap, the operculum, whichcan easily be detached.”

“We then see below little yellow, ovoid and flat masses. They arethe pollinium. They bind to this unique spindly translucent sup-port, the pedicel (or caudex or pedical), which ends in a slight

glutinous bulge, the retinaculum. The meeting of the oper-culum and the pollinium forms the anther. [...] Between theanther and the stigma, the fleshy fold is the rostellum thatprevents self-pollination [Phalaenopsis flowers are alwayshermaphrodite, ed.'s note]. The pedicel which binds theflower to the stem rachis contains the ovary. [...] The ovaryplaced between all other organs is said to be inferior [...].”

Petal Petal

Median lobeCallus

Laterallobe

Laterallobe

Cirrus

Column

Column Labellum

Lateral sepals

Dorsal sepal

Sepals

Petals

Ovary

Style

Calyx

Stigma

Anther

Orchidcore

Bud

Pollen grains

Tulip flower

Orchid flower

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Sources:ww2.creaweb.fr/bv/regne.html,www.snv.jussieu.fr/bmedia/racine/08-endoderme.htm,http://beaubassin.ednet.ns.ca,www.barbadine.com,http://perso.wanadoo.fr/bernard.lagrelle/AA_Botanique/caractères_botaniques.html and perso.wanadoo.fr/liliane.pessotto/ morphologie-fleur.html. Definitions come from the Grand dictionnaire terminologiqueby l’Office québécois de la langue française, found at www.granddic-tionnaire.com.

Retinaculum

INTRODUCTION

13VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4 THE INDOOR GARDENER

CarpelNectar

Cut of an orchid flowerseen from above.

Pollinium (removed operculum)


NOTES & NEWS

Taste and Smell: the Subjective Senses

One of the most famousFrench neurobiologist,Patrick Mac Leod, recentlypublished a study reportingthat of the five senses, tasteand smell are perceived in aradically different way fromone person to another.While the perception ofsight, hearing and touch varylittle from one individual to

the next, the "chemical experiences" that are tasteand smell could as variable as there are people onthe planet! According to Mac Leod: "For the chem-ical domain – smell and taste – our receptors aredifferent and we cannot draw the portrait of anodor like that of a face." Even though there is adescriptive language to describe hearing, sight ortouch, when it comes to taste and smell, "when weperceive an odor, the exact nature of the sensationdepends on the product and on the observer",according to Mac Leod. "Nobody smells like theirneighbor does."

Genetics and culture would explain the differencesin the appreciation of taste and smell. Each person'sgenome has 347 olfactive genes, compared to fourfor sight. What's more, olfactive genes are polymor-phic – their variation potential is almost infinite. Thefood industry, the flower industry and the perfumeindustry are all touched by this aspect of humannature. It is difficult to have everyone agree on adish's flavor, on a flower's perfume or on a per-fume's essence! It would be in vain that you wouldattempt to please everyone in composing an odor-iferous garden!

Perhaps the most stunning of Mac Leod's discover-ies: teeth provide more than half the information thebrain gathers about taste – the nose comes secondby having its information transit through the mouth.The tongue's usefulness is only marginal. So... youcan stick out your tongue at bad odors! – B.B. (Sources: J.d.M. and A.F.P.)

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Europe: The 2003Drought Gave a Hard Timeto Plants

The heat wave anddraught that hit Europeduring the summer of2003 and caused thou-sands of deaths also hadan impact on plantgrowth. Researchers fromthe Laboratoire des sci-ences du climat et de l'en-vironnement (Climate andenvironment science lab-oratory) of Gif-sur-Yvette(in the Paris area) discov-

ered that the 2003 heat wave reduced plant growthby about 30%, which had never been seen in a hun-dred years of records. The high temperatures inEastern Europe and the lack of rain in Western Europereduced the harvest yields. Now the researchers fearthat this decrease in living plant matter might have hada negative impact on global warming, since theEuropean ecosystems were not able to absorb asmuch carbon dioxide through photosynthesis as wasexpected. – T.I.G. Source: France-Presse

Mars: Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Deposits

If on Earth plants absorbed less carbon dioxide than usual during the2003 heat wave (see above), on Mars, carbon dioxide deposits locat-ed near the south pole have greatly diminished in the last three years.This was demonstrated by new images taken by NASA's Mars GlobalSurveyor. This reduction in carbon dioxide indicates that the red planethas been going through spectacular climactic changes these past threeyears. – B.B. (Sources: J.d.M. and A.P.)

Brazil: The Myrmelachista Schumanni Ant Takes Care of Its Garden

In some areas of the Amazonian forest, only one tree species, theDuroia hirsuta, grows. These areas are dubbed "devil's garden" by the

locals who, until now, explained the phenomenon through theaction of a malicious forest spirit. A team of Americanresearchers has recently discovered that these areas are really"created and maintained" by the Myrmelachista schumanni ants,who only tolerate Duroia hirsuta in their habitat because theynest in its trunks. According to the scientists, the ants naturallyproduce an insecticide that kills all other plants on their territo-ry, to keep only the one tree they use. The use of formic acidas a herbicide has not been observed in any other ant species.– B.B. (Sources: J.d.M. and Agence France-Presse)


NOTES & NEWS

Air Cleaners – Beware!In May 2005, Consumer Reports published some of its findingsbased on studies done on indoor air cleaners since 1992. It foundsome air cleaners ineffective, while others could be a danger toyour lungs because they emit too much ozone. The devices,

known as ionizingair cleaners or ion-izers, electricallycharge airborneparticles and trapthem on opposite-ly charged metalplates. Ozone is abyproduct of theprocess, and highexposure toozone has beenlinked to prema-ture deaths from

respiratory and cardiovascular caus-es.

Consumers Union, the non-profitcompany that owns ConsumerReports, recommends that theauthorities set indoor ozone limits forall air cleaners, and that they requiretesting and a disclosure of the resultson the label.

There are many ways to improve air quality indoors, that do notrequire the purchase of an expensive air cleaner. To reduce indoorpollutants, we can ban indoor smoking, minimize the burning ofcandles, incense and wood and use unscented cleaners. Linensshould be washed in hot water. Solvents, pesticides and heavy-duty cleaners can be stored outside. Ventilate your house proper-ly: the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room would all benefit fromhaving outdoor-venting exhaust fans, because moisture and air-borne particles can breed respiratory irritants. Heating and cool-ing equipment should be well maintained, including vents andchimneys.

The best and worst, according to Consumer Reports

RECOMMENDED: Friedrich C-90A, Whirlpool 45030

NOT RECOMMENDED: Brookstone Pure-Ion, Ionic Pro CL-369,IonizAir P4620, Surround Air XJ-2000, Sharper Image ProfessionalSeries: Ionic Breeze Quadra SI737 SNX

– H.J., Sources: Consumer Reports, May 2005, The Green Gazette(written by Umut Newbury)

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A Vuitton Pig!Last September at the BeijingInternational Art Exhibit, there was astand titled "Art at the farm". Visitorscould admire pigs tattooed by Belgianfarmer and artist Win Delvoye. To cel-ebrate China's luxury item counterfeit-ing trend, one of the nine tattooedpigs was covered in Louis Vuittonlogos. Better than a leather LV bag:walk around with your LV tattooedpig! Perhaps it will also hunt for truf-fles... – B.B.

A Hydroponic Success in Thailand

According to Pol Lt-Gen JaranaPhungsamphan, a founder and managingdirector of GP Technology, Thailand's firstand most modern hydroponic farm, thesales volume of the farm's fresh producehas increased from six tons a month in

2001 to 15 tons a month this year. Other than leading super-markets, the farm also sells to several top hotels and resorts,airline kitchens and prime restaurants countrywide. The supplyof produce still can't meet market demands.– Source: www.bangkokpost.net

Potato Bottle!

The SMP (Sol, Mur, Plafond) Gallery inMarseille (France) is showcasing thehybrid works of Stéphane Magat. Thispotato bottle is one example: it is abrief summary of what can beobtained by distilling the sugars in apotato – alcohol, of course!

The Potato Bottle, a hybrid work byStéphane Magat, © Stéphane Magat

Tomato:Toxic for a Long Time!

"The tomato cannot be consumed in any way".This is what a British physician and herbalist said inone of his treaties in the 17thCentury. John Gerard,in fact, recommended tomato plants only as anornamental in the garden. The tomato, freshlyimported from the Americas, had a bad reputa-tion, mostly due to an extremely toxic alkaloid,solanine, found in its leaves and stem. Some gour-mets, however, did not want to leave this gift ofnature unexploited and Robert G. Johnson, anAmerican doctor, took it upon himself to eat a kiloof tomatoes in front of 2,000 people whoexpected to see him die in terrible pain!Unfortunately for them and fortunately forhumankind, he survived!Closer to us, the tomato's reputation as a toxic fruitunfit for consumption still lingered on: at the begin-ning of the 20th Century, it was boiled for at leastthree hours before it was eaten. Today, it can beprepared in a million ways – go to our cookingpages to discover the extraordinary jams it canmake! – B.B. (Source: Bulletin des Agriculteurs)

NOTES & NEWS

THE INDOOR GARDENER VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4

Give Viagra to Your Cut Flowers!

Everyone has their trick to prolong the lifespan of cut flowers brought indoors. Some add sugar to the water, but othershave discovered a less orthodox approach. An Israeli researcher and botanist has discovered that one milligram of Viagra(or sildenafil citrate) extends by two the duration of cut roses and carnations. Viagra apparently slows down the pro-duction of the gas responsible for the ripening of fruits and flowers, ethylene. To compare, 50 mg of Viagra is the dosagerequired to provoke an erection in man. – B.B. (Source: Québec Science)

Nicaragua and Hydroponics: it's Easy!

According to an article byRaquel Fernández pub-lished in Envio (journal ofthe Central AmericanManagua University inNicaragua), the threesecrets to hydroponics inNicaragua are the perfectblend of nutritive elements,water and tenderness! Shequotes César Marulanda,technician at the UnitedNations DevelopmentProgram in Managua: "But the real secret of hydroponics is tenderness.Caring for your plants daily and giving them constant attention meansthe plants know they are important for the gardener. Plants grow bet-ter if they know they are loved. […]. The most important thing in hydro-ponics is that it can transform life, give persons self-confidence, makethem feel they are important". Nothing beats the gardener's philosophy!– B.B. (Source: www.globenet.org)

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Pumpkins Heal the SoilAccording to a Royal Military College of Canadachemist, pumpkin cultivation is an efficient means ofabsorbing contaminants found in overexploited soils –DDT, PCB's and dioxins. The pumpkins grown on con-taminated lands must be harvested and then sent toburial sites. This method of decontaminating soils unfitfor agriculture is particularly advantageous for develop-

ing countries, where soil pollution often reaches alarm-ing levels. – B.B. (Source: www.newfarm.org)

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NOTES & NEWS

Greenhouse Insulation: LiquidFoam Could Reduce HeatingCosts By HalfA new technology has been developed for greenhouse insula-tion in winter and rebalancing of the received light in summer: liq-uid foam has been tested and developed by Laval University inQuébec. This system, called Sunarc – which is the name of thecompany working in collaboration with the University on thisproject – is based on an existing concept, the L-FoamMC pro-duction system that delivers injectable liquid foam into a green-house's structure.

An opening created by a double layer of polyethylene is set upin the greenhouse's framework structure, like an air mattress readyto be inflated. Instead of injecting air, however, the generatorsplaced on the roof peak distribute liquid foam on demand. Theprinciple turns on recycling the foam. The foam is made with abiodegradable mixture of water and surfactant. When it comesin contact with air, it becomes solid foam; when it becomes liq-uid again, it is recuperated in a reservoir kept next to a surfactantreservoir. The mixture can be made again for a new injection inthe space between the two polyethylene layers. A ventilatorconnected to the roof's foam generators provides the airrequired to re-condensate the foam – it thus circulates through aclosed circuit, on demand. In cold areas, the foam can be insulating – it is injected only atnight, to create a thermal protection screen during the night. Inthe morning, the foam becomes liquid and goes back to thereservoir, and the winter sun rays can penetrate the greenhouse'swindows. In a warm area, however, where the sun is very strongduring the day, the foam can be injected in the morning, to cre-ate a shade-providing screen that will prevent plants from burn-ing in the sun. At night the foam will become liquid and allow theevening's cooler air to be filtered through the greenhouse's glassstructure.Liquid foam also has other properties. For example, it can be anideal reflector for artificial light. During the currently held study atLaval University, researchers have noticed that some of the lightemitted by a high pressure sodium lamp (HPS) is redirectedbecause of the foam's reflective action. An HPS gives off 28%light and 72% heat in the form of infrared radiation. According tothe first results from this two-year study, the energy savings for thewinter of 2004 were of 44% and reached 61% for the winter of2005. What is more, the yield and the quality of the fruits andvegetables grown in the greenhouse equipped with a liquidfoam-generator were clearly superior to those of the traditionalgreenhouse used for control.Sunarc expects to commercialize this new insulation system in2006, after publishing the results obtained in the summer of2005, this time to measure the use of foam as a shading agentduring intense solar radiation periods.

– B.B. (Source: Le Bulletin des Agriculteurs, September 2005)

Science: BananasCould ReproduceIn-vitroThe banana tree is a plant that repro-duces asexually. Through the millennia,humans have tamed this plant – at first ithad no edible flesh, only large hardseeds inside the banana peal. Humanshave managed to obtain the fleshy fruit

we now knowthrough centuriesand millennia ofr e p r o d u c t i o nthrough cloning.Having no seeds left,however, thed o m e s t i c a t e dbanana tree is fragileand subject to dev-astating epidemics,

especially since it is the fourth most cul-tivated plant in the world, after wheat,rice and corn. In developing countries, itfeeds entire populations (90% of theworld's production is consumed local-ly).

To save the species, we needed a newreproduction technique. A Belgian teamfrom the Louvain Catholic University isabout to reach that goal. Having storedbanana cells in liquid nitrogen for fiveyears, they noticed that the preservedcell suspension can give new plantlets,which will reach adulthood withoutnotable genetic modifications. The mostdifficult step remains to harvest the orig-inal banana cell suspension to preserveit.

Once it is collected, preservation iseasy. The researchers will thus train biol-ogists from developing countries, forthem to be able to collect and preservethe banana cells according to goodcryogenic techniques. Endemic epi-demics that threaten banana tree planta-tions in Malaysia, Latin America, theAntilles, in Panama, Uganda and Tanzaniashould soon not be as threatening asthey are now. – B.B. (Source:www.truthabouttrade.org)

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Humour: How to Dig a Tomato Garden

An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted todig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as theground was hard. His oldest son, Vincent, who used to helphim, was in prison.The old man wrote a letter to his son and described hispredicament:

“Dear Vincent,I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be ableto plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to

be digging up a garden plot. If you were here mytroubles would be over. I know you would dig

the plot for me.Love, Dad”

A few days later he received a letter fromhis son:

“Dear Dad,Not for nothing, but don't dig up that gar-

den. That's where I buried the BODIES.Love, Vinnie”

At 4 A.M. the next morning, FBI agents and local policearrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bod-ies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man receivedanother letter from his son:“Dear Dad,Go ahead and plant the tomatoesnow. That's the best I could dounder the circumstances. Love,Vinnie”

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What Is In Certified OrganicCompost?Anyone can buy (or make) compost that is certified organic, hoping thatno toxic substance will have been introduced or created during the com-posting process. But how can you be sure? How can you know with cer-tainty that your compost does not contain:• pesticides or herbicides from previous harvests used in the compost,• heavy metals such as lead, mercury or nickel. These can be found ingreat quantity in the fish waste and algae which are often used as anadditive or are sold for direct application on organic gardens. And then:

• what did the cows eat who produced thismanure? • where do the fish head parts come from?Have the fish been caught near a mineral treat-ment plant that drops lead, mercury and arsenicin the water? • were the orange peals sprayed with DDT? Most organic gardeners do not have thoseanswers! It is at best random, since most organ-ic gardeners know nothing of the history of the

elements in the compost they use.– Source: perso.infonie.be/legalisation/biohydro.html (excerpt from thearticle "Où est la différence?" by Roger H. Thayer)


NOTES & NEWS

Restaurant: Dans le Noir?,the hippest Place inParis, And Soon inLondon And Brussels!

Inspired by an experience hehad in Zurich a few years ago, ayoung French businessman haslaunched a European chain ofrestaurants where diners eat incomplete darkness. The waitershave been recruited among an

association of young blind persons. The expe-rience of eating in darkness, apparently,enhances the senses used in appreciating ameal, taste and smell. Those who like to seewhat they eat can... eat somewhere else! Therestaurant is very successful. Here is what a webuser had to say about it (onwww.restoparis.com): "I spent an excellentevening with friends; at first we were a littleuncomfortable: utensils at the left, glass in front,etc. You try to find your friends around you.Then you take a few sips and everything goeswell. You play guessing games with their sur-prise menu. That's right, you don't know whatyou have in your mouth, it's confusing! Try to cutyour meat or your fish (boneless, but still!)! Justone flaw: the price. It is 40 Euros for a full meal,before drinks. I find that a bit much. It's an exper-iment I recommend to the most well off amongyou."

The meal's price may be explained by the factthat no bank agreed to finance the project.Meanwhile, the concept is spreading through-out Europe. If the young blind waiters havebeen organizing this kind of meal in the dark inZurich since 1999 to sensitize the public totheir handicap, such is not the goal of therestaurant's owner. For him, it is mostly a senso-ry and culinary experience, with no outsideinterference. Recognizing the taste of a bellpepper or a tomato... without seeing what it is,such is the ultimate experience for a gardenerwho grows his plants with love. Try it the nexttime you are in Europe!

Address: 51 rue Quincampoix – 75004 Paris –Tel.: 01 42 77 98 04 – Web: www.danslenoir.fr.

Opinion: Is Globalizationa Good Thing?

Globalization is a bigword which covers manyissues and is difficult todefine. Of course onecannot neglect the eco-nomic aspect of the term,since it was, in my opin-ion, at the core of thephenomenon's onset.Globalization once wasessential to improve qual-

ity of life and to make international economicdevelopment possible, but it is now a good wayfor rich companies to expand.

Globalization greatly contributed to commercialand financial trade – and hence now many coun-tries are rich. We cannot pretend that the estab-lishment of the first commercial roads betweenEurope, Asia, Africa and America was a negativeevent. Faced with the clear, strong opinions thephenomenon has raised, and independently fromthe obvious reasons for its expansion, what canwe do to counter its disadvantages? Those disad-vantages, such as the increasing poverty of devel-oping countries and the difficulty for local mer-chants to conquer international markets, are onlyincreasing. Competition is so fierce that somecountries do not get the opportunity to profitfrom economic development.

I believe the greatest consequence of economicglobalization is that rich corporations get richer, tothe detriment of more fragile economies and ofthose where hydroponics could make miracles ifit was developed – while, in parallel, poor coun-tries get poorer. If corporations had othermotives, a different agenda, many countries

would profit from globalization. Whenglobalization's goal becomes he devel-opment of countries and the exchangeof riches between countries, then glob-alization will be a good thing. – ByRoxanne Labelle

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TIPS & TRICKS

In France there are a few best-sellers which are regularly reprint-ed: L’Influence de la Lune sur les Cultures by Robert Frédérick (LaMaison rustique, Paris, 1978) and Les Pouvoirs de la Luneby Jérôme Agel and Arnold Lieber (ÉditionsRobert Laffont, Paris, 1979). The NorthAmerican market also has a few titles onthe controversial topic. It started with a16-page booklet entitled The moon'sinfluence upon vegetation, by J.Edward Tanner and published in1888. In 1936, The moon and thegrowth of plants by Lilly NohaKolisko (84 pages) was publishedby the AnthroposophicalAgricultural Foundation. In 1952,Plants and the moon by Eloise Gerrywas published, followed byGardening Success with Lunar Aspectsby A. Barger in 1983. A 1989 book isgenerously reprinted in part online: TheLunar Garden: Planting by the Moon Phases by E.A. Crawford (New York, Weidenfeld & Nicholson,1989). Finally, with the help of an old farmer's almanach, JohnMcAndrews, in the 1990's, experimented on comparative ger-mination, with or without the help from the lunar calendar. Hisastonishing conclusions were published in an article in theCountryside & Small Stock Journal in 1996. The first year, his ger-mination experiment with the lunar phase worked very well. Thesecond year, his results were not as good. The reason? Therewere major errors in the lunar calendar of the farmer's almanachhe was using. If you are interested, his article, Planting by themoon: does it work? can be ordered in electronic format onAmazon.com.

Let's get back to popular wisdom. On his blog, gardener Hubertquotes a French retiree from Châlons-en-Champagne, RogerMeulewater: "[The lunar calendar] influences seed germination.As for transplants, I don't think so. As soon as the season allows,

I plant all my seeds during the waning moon. And it works! Iplant half of my required tomato plants in one layer." Anotherretiree, Gilbert Allart, who used to be a blacksmith, believes

that "when we garden with the moon, the results areastonishing!" He does not spend one day without

referring back to the lunar calendar or his bed-side table book, Jardinez avec la lune. He

follows the advice to the letter and getsmore than satisfying results. His garden isfilled with gargantuan vegetables. It'salmost too good to be true! In any case,when the moon is not good, Gilberttakes no chances andplants nothing – hewould rather spent

the day maintaining histools.

Gilbert and his huge beets, plantedduring the waning of the moon

In Marne, Marie-Jeanne Doyen, 84, is thegardener-helper of a retired police officer.She too believes in the moon's influence onseedlings. In the spring, she prepares hergarden, first by preparing a warm layer ofcompost she makes with bovine manure. She then plants theseeds of over one thousand flowers. She admits that "[my] soilmixes well with Brown Gold (cow manure!). [...] I can preparethat layer when the dirt is warm and small grass starts to grow[...] and I only plant when the moon is waning." With the help ofRustica magazine's lunar calendar, she meticulously identifies theflowers in her flowerbeds. Lucien Arénas, who used to work onrailroads, has all the freedom he can wish for to attempt com-parative experiments. He is the master gardener of the Jardinsdu Cœur for the Restos du Cœur, a well-known French charity.In this capacity, he manages a team of eight gardeners, all for-mer homeless persons being rehabilitated in the community. He

The Moon's Influenceon SeedlingsBy O. Richard Jr.

Last September, on his television show La Vie en Vert avec Hubert, the famous Frenchgardener walked on a slippery slope and asked the oft-discussed question: does themoon really have an impact on crops in general, and on germination in particular? Hegave the microphone to a few gardeners, retirees who scrupulously consult lunar calen-dars before deciding what they will plant and how. He then repeated the main accountson his blog – you will find a few excerpts below.

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has been interestedin the moon's influenceon gardening for over six years.

"The moon's influence is visible on seed development.It has no effect, however, on transplants." To reach thisconclusion, he mainly observed the consumed part ofthe vegetables he plants. Observing root vegetables,he states: "We eat the bottom part of leek, radishes,onions, carrots, and the open-air part of lettuce, cab-bage, spinach, corn salad, etc. There are many smartgardeners who do not care about such things [as themoon's influence]. They need a ladder to har-vest lettuce [that has gone to seed]." Hemakes his employees participate inthe experiment, and has them fol-low the lunar calendar forseedlings: "They must look,observe and comment onfuture seedlings. [SometimesI let them] plant radishesagainst the moon. [Happyto be defying me], theyproudly show me theleaves growing. I say 'leaves,yes... radishes, no!" Lucien,however, does not believethat the moon has an impact onall vegetables. He thinks it has noeffect on tomatoes, bell peppers orbeans: "These plants fructify and do notneed the moon anymore."

When he still worked for the railroads, he often heardhis colleagues repeating an old saying: "Hurry up,Lucien, you only have one day left to plant your esca-role, or you'll get the bad moon!" His retirement leaveshim time to test the saying. He sometimes observes hisneighbor, who grows Pyros tomatoes in a sort of tun-nel and who still practices manual pollination: "Everyother day, I go through the plants and I slightly shakethe flowers to pollinate them. This technique allows thepollen to detach and to pollinate all the flowers." Aprofessional food producer, Lucien's neighbor doesn'ttake the moon into account in his work, but he prom-ised Lucien that he would follow the lunar calendaronce he retires! So is the moon's influence on plants a

legend or a hobby for a few retireeswho have nothing better to do than to

follow a lunar calendar day after day?George W. Bush is already planning a new trip to

the celestial body that lights up our nights – perhaps itis time to find out what else it is good for!

Following this appetizer, in a future issue we willexplore more in detail this interesting cultivation pointof view. It cannot only be an old wife's tale. There aremany U.S. web sites on the topic, but one must becareful to separate good sources of information from

less serious ones – some esoteric sites are notserious at all. We can, however, rely on

the experience of expert botanists.

Online lunar calendar for France and Québec: http://lesbeaux-jardins.com/jardinons/lune/lune.htm, and for Canada and theUnited States: www.riverocean.org.uk/lunarcalendar/calendar.htm.

Sources: La vie en vert avec Hubert le jardinier, blog post fromThursday, September 22, 2005, on http://blog.france2.fr/lavieen-vert and excerpts of The Lunar Garden: Planting by the MoonPhases, by E. A. Crawford, available onhttp://kaykeys.net/spirit/earthspirituality/moon/moonseed.html.


Lunar eclipse on October 3, 2005 at Vannes in France

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Do Not Let Your Salads Bolt(Well, If You Want To Eat Them, Not Reproduce Them!)

By Loup-Claude LeBlanc

Some blame the moon, bad seeds or a malicious gnome, but salads have a tendency to bolt quicklyto flowers and then to seeds before we even have a chance to bite into their green foliage.

Here are a few tricks to prevent your webb lettuce, curled lettuce or roman lettuce from mimickingthe magic bean.

Intensive Harvest With TransplantAfter two or three early harvests of your leaf lettuce, carefully remove the roots from the growingmedium, making sure not to damage them. Then, transplant the roots around the root collar (or rootcrown) in a well-prepared fresh soil or an adequate substrate. The result is fantastic: the lettuce canno longer bolt, and you will always have nice salads to eat!

Cut the Collar at Three-QuartersAnother trick is to cut the collar of late-harvest salads at three quarters, and to leave the lower rosetteof leaves all around it. Not only will your salads slow their growth, but the new growth will be denserbecause the water and nutritive essential elements input will continue, only slower and in a more bal-anced way. Your salads will be rounder.

"Greenhouse" EffectWhen salad plants are still young, soon after transplant, you can slide them into a mineral water bottlewith the top and bottom cut off. This creates a miniature greenhouse that will help growth. The green-house effect ensures a more rapid growth, but also guarantees that the lettuce will not start scalingwalls.

Spreading an Arched NetYou can recuperate old bike wheels without their spokes by cutting them in half. Then, place this half-circle support above the salads and spread on it a textile or synthetic net. The salads will be protect-ed from the attacks of birds, and will have less of a tendency to bolt.

Early TransplantTo get plump, round salads, you can also transplant the young plants early, being careful to place theroots, and only the roots, in soil or a growing medium. Clear the lower leaves without detaching themfrom the plant, to give them a better chance to grow in diameter by receiving as much light as possi-ble.

Let Them Bolt and Eat Them Anyway!Some gardeners do not bother with bolting salads. They forget about them for a while and then thestem is large and the core is in the air instead of on the ground, they eat the crunchy stem and thetender core!

Finally, Let Them Bolt to Harvest The Seeds!When the salad has bolted into flowers, wait until half the flowers wilt and then cut the stem. Tie theplants, head down on a wire, and allow to dry. When they are dry, shake them vigorously above atarp. Then pick the seeds by separating them from the dried leaves. Making sure they are dry, storethem in paper envelopes. Ph

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In Response to JR Hannafin's Article in The Indoor Gardener Magazine #3(H2O Stories, or How to Adjust a Nutritive Solution’s pH Without Chemicals) By F. Leduc

I would like to reply to the article H2O Stories – I foundits information kind of sketchy. I think this can help.

The relationship between pH levels and nutrient uptake isvery important to your plants.

The availability of all nutrients, elements and trace ele-ments is dictated by pH levels. Different nutrients andelements are more or less available at different pH levels.This is why monitoring and adjusting your pH is important.If you only have a few plants and they are doing well, pHis not too important to you, so you’re not going to spenda lot of money to check the pH level and you don’t have

to! You can a buy a pH meter for $10 or $12. You can use lemon juice for pH down and baking soda for pHup. I recommend, however, buying pH buffers up and down from a garden center or hydro-store. It is verycheap.

People who are interested in pH levels are usually interested in maximizing yields and we need more detailedinformation! Usually, when using chemical fertilizers, pH adjustments are unnecessary. When using organic fer-tilizers, pH adjustments become much more important.

There are more and more people using beneficial fungi and bacteria and I think it is a bad idea to adjust yourpH with sulfur. The only thing I would ever recommend sulfur for is as a fungicide.

I hope this helps.

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Key Factors Affecting Clone Development:

• Lighting – Cool white neons are perfect; no more than 30 Wper square foot of growing space (psf) is required;

• Temperature – I’ve found that clones root faster around 24-29 °C;

• Humidity – Perfect humidity for cloning is 88% –use a dome if you need to;

• Low pH – keep any solutions between 5.2 and 5.5for faster clone rooting;

• PPM of solutions – Never go above 1/5 strength ofany nutrients for clone solutions;

• Nitrogen content – Nitrogen inhibits root growth;use a 1/5 strength Bloom nutrient mix if you use anything at all.Plain water is just fine but the clones will root faster using a lightbloom mix.

Guaranteed Cloning Results Using Perlite/Vermiculite and Peat Moss

First Steps – Preparation and Materials

You will need:• Scalpel or razor blade (previously soaked in bleach); • Perlite and vermiculite: 5 litres of each will provide the mediumfor 100 clones;

• 2 litres of peat moss or 2 litres finely groundcocoa fibre (bonding agent only);• 2.5 cm or 7 cm propagation pots or any similarsmall container that allows for drainage;• Liquid or gel rooting hormone (Rootech, Clonex,Olivia’s, Rootmaster, etc.);• Dome made of clear plastic that will fit over yourclones, at least 15 centimetres taller than the clones;• 2 x 18 W neon fixtures and tubes;• Small spray bottle;

• Small amount of bloom nutrient mix or bloom soil fertilizers highin phosphorous (not essential);• Small amount of SuperThrive (not essential).

It took me around 2 years ofexperimentation with cloningto find the fastest and bestmethods (applicable to mygrowing methods). I havetried the following methods:rock wool, peat mixes, aero-cloning, mist generators,jiffy pots, standard soilmixes, cocoa coir fibre andothers. But I still come backto the one listed below.

A Short Guide to Easy Cloning

By C. Pythoff


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1. Prepare your clones for rooting whilst they are actually still onthe mothers. Trim any nodes that may go beneath the level of themix flush with the stems. Make your clones between 10 and 15centimetres tall. Any larger and you may see a stall while the rootsgrow enough to feed the big cutting. Leave two sets of leaves onthe cuttings (still on the mothers at this stage).

2. Trim approximately 1/3 to ½ of the lower set of leaves by justsnipping the leaf tips off so you end up with square tipped leavesabout half to one third of the size they were. Do not trim the topset of leaves. (The clones are still on themothers at this stage.)

3. Leave the cuttings on the mother plants for24 to 36 hours. Then, mix your medium: 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, half part peatmoss. Mix well. Mix your nutrients at 1/5th

strength and add 4 drops of SuperThrive pergallon (3.8 litres) of water/nutrient mix. Placethe mixed medium into the pots and thenwater the pots until they are saturated. Poke askewer or stick approximately 4 centimetresinto the centre of the pots. Place everything ina convenient location in preparation for yourcloning activity.

4. Detachment time. Using a razor blade or scalpel previouslysoaked in bleach (and wiped dry), make a clean diagonal cutwhere the bottom of your cutting will be, right through the stem,separating the cutting from its mother. Now, place this cutting (bot-tom 2.5 cm) immediately into a small clean glass at room tempera-ture. Water it. Don’t touch the bottom of the cut.

5. Now repeat the process for each of your cuttings.

6. Take out one cutting, and very lightly scrape the bottom 1 to2.5 centimetres of it with your razor blade (all around the stem).

Don’t break the outer hurd: all you’re doing is stimulating the hurdso that the plant will generate roots along the whole length of thedisturbance.

7. Dip this cutting in your rooting hormone, i.e. Rootech, Clonex,Olivia’s rooting gel, Clone Master, etc. Make sure you dip to the fullarea you disturbed.

8. Now place the clone stem into the hole you created in yourpot.

9. Lightly press down around the stem of theclone and water the medium with the samemix used before planting the clones.

10. When your clones are all in the mediumand watered, mist the clones with your spraybottle and place the dome over the top.

11. Mist them in the morning and again in theevening. In seven to ten days, if you’ve fol-lowed all these instructions, you should have afully blown root ball suitable for transplant intoany hydro or soil mix.

This works for me every time with a 100% success rate. Youshould not lose a single clone. I’m not saying this is the bestmethod around but I’m saying that it works for me every time andit works fast.


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Cultivatingdomesticatedmushrooms IN Your Home!

Cultivating domesticated mushrooms is, no doubt,very complicated. When it comes to gourmetmushrooms, we can say that not all attempts meetsuccess – but the risk is sometimes worth taking:instead of walking through the country for days in therain, gardeners can have the unsurpassed pleasure ofseeing their own crop grow indoors. It is easy to findkits for sale to grow morels (see my article on morelsin the preceding issue, page 68), shiitake, oystermushrooms or pom pom blanc. The method below canbe applied to most gourmet mushroom kits on themarket.

Your growing space must be clean and dry with notrace of mold or parasitic fungi. We suggest you takea shower before getting started, and put on cleanclothes. To ensure that the work space and the entireroom are sterile, prepare a mixture of water andbleach, diluted to 5%, and spray it above and on thecounter space (while being careful not to get any onyour clothes). For the initial setup, if you are workingin a room that requires a bleach spraying, spray themixture and let it sit for 20 minutes. Always leaveyour shoes outside!

By Marco Deux

mushrooms

GROW your own

Gourmetmushrooms

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Pearl Oyster Mushroom Organic Kit

Homegrown Organic ShiitakeMushrooms

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The three main reasons why mushroom cultivation fails are the following:

1. Temperature variation: The grow space’s temperature must beconstant, with no fluctuation and no air pressure variation, between 24and 27 degrees Celsius. Not higher! Buy a reliable thermometer. If yourroom is cold, you will need a heating system: a portable heater or a smallstove (with a thermostat) will do the trick. Air circulation is also veryimportant – we suggest you use a fan, placed on the ground andshooting the air up.

2. Air contamination and mold spores: Keep all the elements assterile as possible. Wear protective gloves when spreading the substrate.

3. Dehydration: Never allow the substrate to dry off. Keep the kit moistby spraying lightly each day.

Directions for the Mushroom Kit

Most mushroom kits available contain the following:• 1 reusable extra-large tray with a propagation dome;• 1 canvas bag containing the substrates;• 1 translucent plastic bag to prepare the mixture and one plastic film;• 1 bag of organic mulch for mushrooms and one large bag of enriched-pH soil;• 1 fertilizer tube and one start-up nutrient vial;• 1 water sprayer;• 1 large bag filled with mushroom spores.

Other equipment required:• 1 20-litre pot with lid.

Step by Step Method

A – Pasteurization• Fill ¾ of the pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off.• Remove the canvas bag with the substrate from its plastic wrapping. Donot remove the little metal tie.• Place the canvas bag with the substrate in the pot. Press on the bagwith a wooden spatula to remove any air bubbles.• Submerge the bag completely by pressing on it with a heavy object.• Cover the pot with its lid and leave to soak for 25 minutes.• Press again on the bag to remove any air bubbles.• Put the pot on low heat and allow to simmer for 35 minutes.• Take the pot off the heat and remove the canvas bag.• Extract excess water above the sink or using a strainer. Allow to cooldown to room temperature. This takes about 3 hours.

B – Fertilization• Take the pasteurized substrate out of its canvas bag and transfer it tothe translucent plastic mixing bag.• Shred the spores gently and add them to the substrate. Mix well.• Spread the now fertilized substrate in the tray. Press in the cornersand on the sides. Then press firmly on the surface and level the mix sono part is higher than the rest.

• Cover the tray with the plastic film. Hermetically close the tray with anelastic around it. • Place the tray in a dark and warm spot. The temperature must bemaintained between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius. The kit will be ready forcultivation in 12 days. By that point the substrate will be dotted withmycelium, showing white at the surface.

C – Cultivation• Open the soil bag. Add 1.4 litre of water. Mix for 3 minutes and leave torest at room temperature for 3 hours. Mix again vigorously and allow torest overnight.• Important note: For successful cultivation, you must sterilize themoistened soil mix before applying it to the spore-mixed substrate. Thebest way to sterilize it is to use the micro-wave oven. Place the soil in themicro-wave oven at full power for 2 minutes, then allow it to cool to roomtemperature before applying it on the substrate.• Before use, add the start-up nutrients and mix it well with the soil for 1 minute.• Lift the plastic film from the tray. Sprinkle the soil above the fertilizedsubstrate tray. Use all of it and cover the substrate. Gently level by hand.Do not press too much: the soil should be aerated and flaky.• Mist lightly with water and put the plastic film back above the tray (itmust be 5 centimeters above the soil surface).• Advice: Attach the plastic lid around the tray with canvas adhesive tape.• Put the kit back in a dark place and keep the temperature between 26and 28 degrees Celsius for 5 days.

D – Fructification• Expose the kit to light for 12 heures each day to begin fructification.Use a low intensity bulb (25 watts maximum) at a minimum distance of 1meter. • Lightly spray the tray with water every day. It is crucial not to let the soildry out.• Ambiant air temperature must be maintained between 24 and 27degrees Celsius.• Mushrooms usually appear first on the sides. When they reach theplastic protection film, they are ready to be picked.• When the mushrooms’ caps open, you can pick them. Remove theentire growth by turning and gently pulling on the stem. • To get a second growth, put the spraying nozzle on a water bottle andadd 250 ml of water to the tray. Repeat the fructification steps.• If green mold starts to appear on the soil surface, cover the moldyareas with salt.

Never allow the soil to dry off. Water lightly every day! And alwaysremember that your kit is extremely sensitive to its environment.

On the www.gmushrooms.com site, you will find:• Gourmet mushrooms: Organic gourmet mushroom growing kits forhome and garden; edible mushrooms: morel mushrooms, shiitake, oyster,pom pom blanc, etc.• Mushroom products: Dried and fresh mushrooms for health andcooking; porcini and truffle infused olive oils, mushroom books,mushroom posters, mushrooms T-shirts, mushroom nutraceuticals, etc.


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When you come back from a day in the woods or from harvesting your indoor mushroom kit (seethe following pages), it is best to dry the mushrooms right away if such is the preservation methodyou have chosen.

Boletus

Your harvest must be meticulously cleaned but with no water. If you soak mushrooms, they willgorge themselves with water and become useless. Using a soft brush or paintbrush, brush the capand the stipe. It is best to remove the yellow tubes under the cap of boletus, because theydeteriorate rapidly. If the mushrooms are very dirty or viscous, you can use a slightly humid cloth toclean them more efficiently. The cap of viscous varieties is sometimes responsible for digestiveproblems – if you are unsure, peal your harvested mushrooms.

All parts that are shrivelled or show parasitic insects must be removed. Even the tunnels that seeminsect-free can hide eggs. If you must delay your drying operation until the next day, store theharvest in a clean brown paper bag (after removing infested parts – unless you want to hunt whitegrubs all over the kitchen or the fridge) and keep it in the refrigerator.

Mushrooms can be dried, salted, pickled, frozen or preserved in oil, although in most cases theyare best eaten fresh. An exception to the rule is morels, because drying eliminates their naturaltoxicity and because they are just as good rehydrated.

Morels

The easiest and most convenient way to preserve a morels harvest is to dry them. You need onlyspread them on a screen placed atop phone books, with a small house fan placed under thescreen to ensure good air circulation around the mushrooms. When the morels are dry, store themin glass Mason jars. Drying morels is an efficient way of reversing their toxic nature. When you wantto use dried morels, soak them in tepid water for 20 to 30 minutes and they will rehydrate.

Drying is, no doubt, the oldest and most simple means of conservation. Mushrooms keep theiraroma for years and can be preserved for a long time (if, of course, they have been stored in dryjars with no odor residue from the preserve that first occupied the jar).

Morels are dried whole, but most varieties must be cut into thin slices. These slices are then spreadon the elevated screen for 24 hours, with ventilation from the bottom. When the slices are brittle,the drying is complete and the mushrooms have lost 90% of their initial weight.

Some also recommend storing mushrooms in hermetic Ziploc-type plastic bags. Identify your bagsor jars well, indicating the mushroom type and the date and location of harvest. The jars containingyour harvests can serve as a decorative element in the kitchen.

Making Your Own Dryer

There are specific dryers on the market that can be useful if you are a productive and unrelentingmycologist. It is easy to make your own permanent dryer, however. Adjust a small table fan at thebottom of a rectangular cardboard box that is taller than wide, pierce small holes here and there,and install a low wattage light bulb. Air circulation will happen through the holes on the sides, andyou will only need to place grills at various heights. Be careful: do not use a light bulb stronger than60 watts in your home-made dryer, or the mushrooms could cook and the cardboard box couldcatch fire!

HOW TO DRY MUSHROOMS Source: www.mycomontreal.qc.ca

Choosing the Right Reflector to Illuminate Your Indoor Garden

By William Sutherland – Photos and illustrations: B & B Hydroponic GardensLight Equipment and Reflectors


TECHNIQUES

Lighting is a crucial element in any indoor garden. If the lamps giveoff too much heat, your plants will fry. If they don't give off enoughlight, you will wait in vain for flowering and will harvest disappoint-ing results. Reflectors can help you, but there are a few things youshould know to be able to use them well

Calculating the Right Amount of Light for Your Space

First, you have to know that delivering more than 35 watts persquare foot will tighten flower formation and increase fruit size, butwill return a lower yield. By calculating your garden's square footageand delivering between 25 and 35 watts per square foot, you willallow a maximum number of plants in the growing area. Addingmore plants into a larger growing area allows for more floweringsites.

For example, in a 4' x 4’ growing room, you will have to do this cal-culation: (L) 4 X (W) 4 = 16 square feet. The amount of light persquare foot will be: one 400 watt light, divided by 16 = 25 wattsper square foot. This means one 400 W lamp will provide plenty oflight, as long as the plants are not allowed to grow taller than onemeter high (see figure 3). When the light source is placed too farabove the plants, this reduces the amount of light delivered. [Weusually convert length and area to the metric system; however, wehave made an exception in this case, to allow the author's explana-tion on wattage per surface, ed.'s note]

Vertical reflectors can be placed closer to plants than horizontalones. The cone shape of vertical reflectors has been engineered tofocus light downwards and sideways across the growing area. Byplacing vertical reflectors side by side, about 60 cm apart, we canmaximize the number of plants under the light source. If one of thelights in the room happens to be weaker, the light from the reflec-tors beside it will help to even things out. This can also help if youare trying to blend two different colors of light sources together.Horizontal reflectors concentrate light downward, leaving very littlelight escape to the sides. Some reflector sockets are mountedlower, allowing for the escape of light to the sides but they havevery little light penetration. Reflectors that gather all the light andfocus it downward will need to be raised higher to illuminate awider area.

There is a choice to be made: either you have very bright light con-centrated on a few plants or you raise the lights to cover a largergrowing area.

Figures:

[Fig. 1] Horizontal reflectors gather the light and reflect the lightdown. Where the bulb is mounted will determine the cone of light.If it is mounted higher up in the reflector, the beam of light will benarrower. If it is mounted lower, it will allow the light to reach far-ther to the sides, but with no penetration. When burning lamps arehorizontal, we lose 25% bulb life and 10% brightness.

[Fig. 2] With no reflector on the lamp,the whole room is illuminated.

Light returned tothe reflector

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[Fig. 3] Light becomesweaker the farther ittravels.

[Fig. 4] H o r i z o n t a lreflectors gath-er light andconcentrate it.

[Fig. 5] When using two or more horizontal reflectors, you mustalign them so that the light is even across the tops of plants.

[Fig. 6] Conical flat reflectors reflect light down and across, evenlydistributing it.

Light Movers

Light movers get the light down between the plants. Since there isno wind in an indoor garden to move the branches, light movers

allow the light to get in between the branches. By changing theangle at which the light hits the plants, you can get more light toreach down to lower leaves.

See the three graphs below.

The Light Rail 3.5 from Intelli-Drive is the most reliable light mover inthe industry. Variable travelling distance allows you to use the LightRail 3.5 in a garden of any size. Just cut or extend rail.

There’s a built-in time delay device that will stop the motor at eachend of the rail from one to sixty seconds. Use it to achieve a moreeven growth of the top canopy. The lamps may be placed muchcloser to plants. I do not recommend moving the light more than


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84 centimetres from thecenter of the rail. Use astraight wood board tostop the track from warp-ing; it will also make it easi-er to mount it to the ceiling.

The picture above showswhere the three pins willalign the two rails together.

Electrical Components

Most hydroponic stores carry many different electrical products toallow you to do any type of electrical application.

Do-it-yourself gardeners will find the components of the ballast inparts.

Ballasts: • Metal halide (or MH),• High pressure sodium (or HPS).

They are available in the following wattage:MH HPS• 250 watts • 50 watts• 400 watts • 400 watts• 1,000 watts • 430 watts

• 600 watts• 1,000 watts

Ballast boxes offer great protection for all the wires. All types ofwiring can also be found easily. Ballasts use more electrical energythan the TV, toaster and vacuum cleaner, so use the proper equip-ment! Be smart: wire from the lamp to the ballast, from the ballastto the wall receptacle, from the receptacle and box to the mainelectrical box.Required wiring materials available are: a pigtail, a lamp wire and adryer plug.

You can also find those products (see pictures):• Octagon box (A);• Lid (B);• MarrTM connectors (often called “marrets”) for homeappliances (C);• Sockets (D);• Box connectors;• Chain;• 240 plugs;• Receptacle.

Reproducing Sun Light

Have you ever wanted to turn something electrical on, but at the sametime wanted to make sure something else is turned off? Fans and CO2,pumps and water solenoid, or even lights, 12 hours on and 12 hoursoff. Have you ever thought about turning on a HPS light on for two orthree hours in the morning and in the evening and then switching to aMH light for the afternoon light? Early in the morning when the sun is lowto the horizon, it has a reddish tinge to it, like a HPS. Then as the sun trav-els higher in the sky, it becomes more clear (white light) – it’s time nowto switch to a MH Lamp. As the evening approaches, the sun becomeslow on the horizon again and the light is reddish, again more akin to HPS.Reproducing what the sun doesshould make for healthier, strongerplants since nature has been doing thisfor billions of years. On the right is arelay that can be set up to do all of theabove. Connection for power in (bluearrow), two power out connections(red arrows), with a solenoid (yellowarrow) that directs the power, via thetimer, to one of the two power outs. Ph

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Timing is very important. The sun comes up roughly at the sametime and goes down at the same time each day... not when it feelslike it. Make sure you do not have problems because of cheaptimers: timing is required for the day or night cycle, for pumps, ven-tilation, CO2. When choosing a timer, check the amperage of thethings you want to turn on. Do not use a $15 timer to turn on a1,000 watt light if it cannot handle the power.

Tork timers can handle 10 to 40 amps with a 1,000 watt light. Theyalso give lots of extra power and they have a 24 hour dial. The Tork“30 second on” timer comes with a one hour dial. Pull pins up toset the timer and it will turn things on every hour at the same time.

The T1013 repeat timer comes with a top dial that is used to set ontime (3 seconds to 60 minutes) and with a bottom dial that is usedto set on frequency (1/2 min to 60 minutes). Finally, the PNG-010timer from Plug’n’Grow is a day/night timer, precise to the second.

Reflectors

There are a lot of different kinds of reflectors on the market. Theycan be white or chrome-painted.

• White or chrome reflectors, 60 cm and 1.2 m;

• White parabolic reflectors, 90 cm and 1.2 m;

• Chrome with white center reflectors orsilver parabolic, 90 cm and 1.2 m;

• The trapezoid reflector is a greatreflector that hides the light source andgives very even light distribution over theplant canopy;

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• There are good qualityhorizontal reflectors like theair-cooled reflector (seeleft), the K Hi-light reflector(made form steel with abaked-on white enamelfinish. It comes witheyebolts to suspend it, agalvanized bracket for thesocket and the installationhardware) or the WhiteShadow reflector (madefrom steel with a baked-onwhite enamel finish. Noassembly required.);

• The K Wing 45.7 cmreflector (made from steelwith a baked-on whiteenamel finish. It comes pre-assembled with twoeyebolts to suspend) orthe K Wing 60 cm reflector (made from steel with abaked-on enamel finish. Itcomes pre-assembled andhas two eyebolts tosuspend);

• The K Northern-Light reflector (made from steel with a baked-onwhite enamel finish. It comes with a tempered safety lens, two 15cm-line tubes for maximum ventilation, the socket, 3.8 m of cordand two eyebolts to suspend);

• The K Silver-Light reflector (made from stainless steel with mirrorfinish and tempered safety lens. It comes with two 15 cm-line tubesfor maximum ventilation, the socket, 3.8 m of cord and twoeyebolts to suspend);

• The six-sided reflector, hammer finished;

• The sunlight 1.2 m “verti-zontal” pebble insert reflector withupward, downward or “in and out” capabilities that find the correctfocus point for your application.

The Air-cooled Tub Reflector

The air-cooled tub 15 or 20 cm reflectors are built-in socket hold-ers, with extra large flange to make it easier to connect to the duct.With those kinds of reflectors, an indoor gardener can choose to

use only half glass/half metal reflectors and save money, because thetub is included and you will not have to buy expensive bulbs.

Reflector Lamps

The LED reflector lamp from Thermo Electron Corporation have anaverage life of 100,000 hours and more. They are available in fivelight emitting angles, between 15° and 40°.

Their design is impervious to electrical/mechanical shock, vibration,and frequent switching.

On the market, you will find two types of reflector lamps: parabol-ic aluminized and ellipsoidal. Parabolic aluminized reflector lamps(type PAR) are used for outdoor floodlighting.

Ellipsoidal reflector lamps (type ER) focus light beams about 5 cen-timetres in front of their enclosure, projecting light down fromrecessed fixtures.

Ellipsoidal reflectors are twice as energy efficient as parabolic reflec-tors for recessed fixtures (according to the US Department ofEnergy).


TECHNIQUES

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OUR BEST SHOTS FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

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PLANT HEALTH

“How to Convert from Synthetic Chemical Control to Biological Control”

COMPOST TEA INHYDROPONICS

By Carole Ann Rollins, PhD Researcher, University of Nevada, Environmental Policy and Management

PLANT HEALTH

Consumers of both commercial agriculture andnon-commercial agriculture are sensitive to theenvironmental impact of toxic chemical pesticidesand synthetic chemical fertilizers on plants. Withgovernment regulation and gradual removal oftoxic pesticides currentlyand in the future, alterna-tive non-toxic substitutesare desperately needed.The field of compost teais providing such an alter-native.

Compost tea is made in speciallydesigned compost tea brewersthat extract beneficial microorgan-isms from worm castings and ther-mal compost. Nutrients and foodsare added to feed the beneficialmicroorganisms. The solution is aerated for 24 hours to provide dis-solved oxygen to maintain an aerobic environment for the growth ofthe beneficial organisms and not disease pathogens (which mainlygrow in reduced oxygen conditions). A full spectrum of beneficialorganisms grow and multiply to adequate density – bacteria, fungiand protozoa. Beneficial nematodes are extracted, but do not actu-ally grow or increase in number during the 24 hour brewing period.

Temperature, water quality and brewer design determine the quali-ty of the resulting compost tea solution. Temperatures above 21degrees Celsius result in more rapid growth of bacteria than fungi,while temperatures below 18 degrees result in reduced rapidity oforganism growth. Air, food and water are needed for the microor-ganism populations to remain viable. Brewers and tea transportequipment must be constantly cleaned with each brew so that

biofilm buildup from the microor-ganism activity does not createpotential anaerobic conditionsthat would be harmful for theplants. Complex formulas of ingre-dients are used to allow for maxi-mum diversity and growth oforganisms.

“Fresh” compost tea must be usedand applied the same day it istaken from the brewer. Withoutenough food and air, the diversityof the beneficial microorganismspecies and populationsdecrease rapidly.

“Stabilized” compost tea is made from “fresh” compost tea which hasbeen put into specially-engineered containers to maintain dissolvedoxygen levels above 6 ppm, to stabilize populations of aerobic organ-isms. This enables a retail product be available with a long shelf-life –over one year. “Active and alive” organisms are now available in aready-to-use form for those not wanting to brew the tea themselves.Ph

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PLANT HEALTH

Microorganisms in thisspecial container interactwith each other, provid-ing food resources andcreating nutrient cyclingto maintain the popula-tions and diversity in thisclosed container envi-ronment.

There are many benefitsto using “living microbes”found in actively aeratedcompost tea, comparedto using chemical solu-tions. Here are a few:

Reduction of salt buildupcaused by syntheticchemical controls –Synthetic nutrients, pesti-cides, labor, time andmoney will all bereduced when convert-ing to a biological con-

trol approach. Through the synthetic nutrient reduction, there willalso be a reduction of toxin and nutrient salts that would otherwisebe injurious to the beneficial biology that is desired.

Reduction of nutrient inputs – By reducing their use of synthetic nutri-ents, gardeners save on product application cost, which allowsmoney to be available for future biological plant growth optimizingprograms. The amounts of chemical inputs are simply not necessary.

Reestablish biologicalenvironment – With thereduction in harmful salts,attention is redirected toreestablishing the properfood substrates for ben-eficial biology to live andgrow. Kelps, humic acidsand hydrolized fish aresome of the sustainablefoods used.

Increased nutrient cycling –When microorganismpopulations are addedafter the salt reduction, thepopulation of microbesincrease. Microorganismsuse nutrients needed forplant growth and trans-form the nutrients intoplant available nutrientsthrough their actions. So,the more microorganisms,the more nutrients becomeavailable and the faster andhealthier plants grow.

Increased root and plant growth – Root mass of plants is larger,increasing the amount of nutrients the plant can access.

Reduction of pesticide use – Chemical-based pesticides and nutrients are no longer needed. Beneficial microorganisms in the system are no longer killed or harmed. Chemical input and labor costs are reduced.

Hydroponics users are finding great results in switching from theirsynthetic nutrient applications to using the organic biological formsof "fresh" and "stabilized" compost tea.

Professional Gardening System (PGS) in Sebastopol, California has anexperimental in-store hydroponics demonstration using Nature'sSolution Compost Tea. Compost Tea is brewed there from a 40 gal-lon Nature Tech Extractor and sold "fresh" in the store and in the "sta-bilized" form in a bag which has a long shelf life of over one year.Customers use one gallon (3.8 litres) of compost tea for every 50 gal-lons (189 litres). A hydroponic user of compost tea in Sebastopol,Danny, says "I have been using Nature Tech Compost Tea for nearlyeight months now. The plants are healthier overall and can yield any-where from 15-30% more when using the compost tea. It is simplyamazing." Alan Magan, who has a greenhouse in Maryland atChesapeake Gardens, has been growing lettuce in a soilless mixturefor three years now, using Nature Technologies Compost Tea formu-las and brewing equipment designed by Nature Technologiesresearchers with outstanding results (see photo top of next page).

Using compost teas in hydroponics is a new and emerging field.Several stores are starting to carry the “fresh” and “stabilized” teas.

Wine Country Flower Farm, David Sakata, Licensed Nature Technologies Service Center.He owns a 100 Gallon Nature Technologies Brewer: "The best results I've seen so far have been control-ling powdery mildew on our rose crop of approximately 5000 potted roses which are planted in a soil-less mixture. I discontinued my chemical mildew control program in 2005 and only replaced it with theNature Tech Compost Tea applied weekly to cover the foliage to control the mildew."

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100 gallons extractor91 cm wide x 91 cm long x 73 cm high.

PLANT HEALTH

Many growers and consumers have beenusing the products with varying results,dependent upon the quality of the prod-uct they purchase. In Northern California,Professional Gardening Systems providesboth versions of the product from theirown in-house experimental hydroponicsystem. One of their customers, Bill, says,“Nothing has ever been so beneficial in somany different ways – growth, reducingpowder molds, reducing bug issues with-out compromising quality, nutrients or theenvironment. All the growers I know usingcompost tea really love it because itincreases production.”

There are still many unanswered ques-tions, however, specifically about applica-tions within the hydroponics industry. Dr. Elaine Ingham from TheSustainable Studies Institute in Corvallis (Oregon) will be offering athree day event in April 2006 to answer some of the questionsabout converting from synthetics to biologicals by using composttea in hydroponic systems. The workshop will be held on Saturday,April 8, 2006 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. On Sunday April 9, 2006from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM a microscope class will be offered forthose wanting to learn some technical in-depth laboratory tech-niques. The course is offered to give you the ability to assess themicrobiology in your systems. You'll discover the difference

between fungal hypha and organic matter and be able to recognizebacteria, protozoa and nematodes. On Friday April 7, 2006 from12:00 to 5:00 PM, there will be a hands-on workshop with a work-ing hydroponics system to go through the steps involved with retro-fitting and utilizing systems and measurements necessary for a bio-logical approach.

Some of the topics to be discussed in these workshops will be:

• How to test for plant nutrient availability; • How to manage pH levels, how to manage salt levels; • How to resolve calcium issues; • Levels of dissolved solids to watch for; • How to test for beneficial microorganism levels; • How protozoa regulate nutrient availability; • Differences in the quality of compost teas and brewers; • The benefits of having a diversity of microorganisms; • How compost tea is made.

For further information about the seminarplease call 541-752-5066 or 707-938-5857, or send a cheque or money orderfor the course you wish to attend: a)Friday April 7th, 2006, the half-day labora-tory $150, b) Saturday April 8th, the fullday lecture $350, or c) Sunday April 9th,2006, the full day microscope course$200 to Sustainable Studies, 728 S. W.Wake Robin Ave., Corvallis, OR 97333. Formore information visit the websitewww.soilfoodweb.com or email: [email protected]. For information aboutbrewing equipment, ingredient formulasand fresh and stabilized compost tea forretail sales call 707-225-5762 or visit thewebsite www.nature-technologies.com,or email [email protected]. If youare interested in receiving brochures

about the seminar for your customers, please let us know and wewill be happy to send you some. If you or your customers have anyparticular questions you would like answered please send them tous by email and we will try to have them answered at the seminar.

Chesapeake Gardens, Alan Magan, using Nature Technologies Compost Tea: "Wespray Nature Tech Compost Tea on our own soilless mix, then we plant lettuce inour greenhouse. Every time we cut lettuce we spray the beds again with about a 10parts water and 1 part tea dilution. In the summer of 2005 we did a trial on 250 pot-ted sweet peppers. Using the Nature Tech Compost Tea made a dramatic differencein the fruiting, color and growth."


Wine Country Flower Farm, David Sakata, Licensed Nature Technologies Service Center.

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Blue = BeneficialsRed = Pathogens

With the number ofnatural enemies

reduced, the pestpopulations

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Beneficial microorganismsoutcempeting pathogens in soil.


ENVIRONMENT

REDUCE INPUTSSynthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbi-cides, water, labor, time and money willall be reduced when converting to a“Biological Approach.” Up to 40%+reduction in usage during the first year.

REDUCE SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERSBy reducing the synthetic fertilizer usage,a gardener saves on product applicationcost, which allows money to be avail-able for future soil revitalization to opti-mize plant growth and performance,biologically. We realize the amount ofchemical inputs we are accustomed to issimply not necessary.

REDUCTION OF HARMFUL SALTSThrough the synthetic fertilizer reductionwe have a reduction of toxin and fertilitysalts that would otherwise be injurious tothe beneficial biology we want to intro-duce and maintain.

REESTABLISH BIOLOGICAL FOODSWith reduction of harmful salts, attentionis redirected to reestablishing the properfood substrates for beneficial biology tolive and grow. Kelps, humic acids, andfish are some of the sustainable foodsused.

ENVIRONMENT ESTABLISHED TO ADDBIOLOGYThe beneficial biology can now be intro-duced in the form of compost teas --beneficial microorganisms (bacteria,fungi, protozoa and nematodes) extract-ed from compost, worm castings, humusand cultured for 24 hours in specializedequipment.

STEPS FOR TRANSITIONING FROMCONVENTIONALTOSUSTAINABLE

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& Organic Approach, by Erik Morgan, 2004)

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INCREASED NUTRIENT CYCLINGMicroorganism populations increase through inoculations of composttea, causing nutrients needed for plant growth to be converted intoplant-available nutrients through microorganism actions (exudates). Themore microorganisms, the more nutrients become available, and thefaster and healthier plants grow.

IMPROVED HUMIC CONTENTDecomposition of plant material and toxins are increased through micro-biological activity.

REBUILDING OF SOIL STRUCTURESoil structure is improved by bacteria exudates gluing fine particles ofsoil together. Fungi have long threads called hyphae which bind fineparticles also. Large clumps of soil are formed into aggregates, creatingpassageways in the soil for air, water and roots to flow and grow. Moreoxygen reaches the root system, preventing toxins from being pro-duced in the soil and increasing plant health.

INCREASED ROOT GROWTHRooting depth of plants is increased, which in turrn, increases the nutri-ents the plant can access through passageways created from microor-ganism actions, allowing space for roots to grow.

INCREASED PLANT GROWTHPlants take up nutrients in tea which they need to resist infection morerapidly because the beneficial biology influences leaf surface gas con-centrations, causing stomates to open sooner and for a longer time.Food resources in tea allow beneficial microorganisms to grow, protect-ing plant surfaces. Nutrients retained on the leaf surface become avail-able to the plant with time, improving plant nutrition and health.

REDUCED WATER USAGEWater retention in soil is improved, reducing water usage by up to 50%over two years in some cases.

INCREASED PLANT AND ROOT DISEASE PROTECTIONFood resources in compost tea allow beneficial microorganisms togrow, protecting plant surfaces. Pathogens cannot infect the plant tis-sues because infection sites on the plant surface are occupied by ben-eficial organisms. Disease-causing organisms have no food and cannotgrow because the exudates produced by the plant are used by thebeneficial species present on the plant tissues before disease-causingorganisms arrive. Space on plant surfaces and in soil are occupied bybeneficial organisms. The pests and pathogens cannot reach plant sur-faces and disease cannot occur.

PESTICIDE/HERBICIDE REDUCTIONChemical based pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are no longerneeded. Beneficial microorganisms in the ecosystem are no longerkilled or harmed. Chemical input and labor costs are reduced.

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PLANT HEALTH

1 – White fly(Trialeurodevaporariorum)

The white fly is one ofthe main devastatinginsects in commercialgreenhouses. It is notyet a bane for indoorgardeners, but whenit is massively present,it can cause impor-tant damage. Theinsects suck the sap,causing a physiologi-cal plant disorder andconsiderably reduc-ing plant growth. Theycan also cause wilt-ing. Flies like the white

fly and the black fly can carry fungal and viral diseases.

The white fly leaves its eggs under the leaves. It goes through sixdevelopment stages. Once the eggs hatch, the first stage larvaeare born. They have three pairs of legs and move around on theplant. One to two days later, they enter their second stage, the

piercing-sucking stage. The larvae lose their legs and becomeimmobile: the insect pierces the plant with its proboscis andsucks on the sweet sap. Once it reaches the fourth stage, thewhite fly is ready to become adult.

The adult transformation gives a 1:1 male to female ratio. Maleshatch from unfertilized eggs and females can lay up to thirtyeggs per day. The duration from egg to pupa (right before adult-hood) lasts half the white fly's life.

2 – Two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticæ)

Spider mites are an ubiquitous devastator affecting many crops.Their multiplication speed is such that an entire crop can quick-ly be destroyed.

Adults lay their eggs under the leaves. A spider mite goesthrough five life stages. After the first stage, which is the egg,comes the larvae stage – the larva is translucent, often with redeyes and has three pairs of legs. When it is full of sap and tissue,it enters a rest phase and transitions into a protonymph. Duringthis process, the spider mite changes colors and two spotsappear on its back.

All spider mites development phases include a rest periodbefore moving on to the next stage. Protonymphs become deu-

Indoor PlantsPredatory Insects and Their Life Cycle

By P

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White fly life cycle

Eggs

AdultCrawler

Scale

Pupa


PLANT HEALTH

tonymphs. Bothhave three pairsof legs. They arethe same colorand gender dis-t i n c t i o nb e c o m e so b s e r v a b l e .Then comes thetransformationinto adultinsects. Themale is smallerthan the female.The female tomale ratio is 3:1.

Half a day to three days after mating, the female lays two to six eggsper day. This amounts to an average of a hundred eggs laid duringher lifetime. The cycle is usually complete in fourteen days. This miteprefers warm and dry climates.

The damage is typical: there are small discolored dots on theleaves. Some leaves become yellow and die, because spider mitespierce the leaves and suck their sap. Using predator insects such asPhytoseiulus persimilis (phytoseiid mite) seems to be very efficientagainst spider mites.

3 – Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis, Thrips tabaci)

Thrips have the particularity of having feathery wings in their adultstage. There are many species of thrips.

The female lays her eggs directly inthe plant tissue, the leaves, thepetiole and in the stem. Thrips gothrough six stages of development.The very mobile larvae feed off ofthe tissue under the leaves and gothrough two stages. At the end oftheir second stage, they drop tothe ground into a humid spot forthe great transformation. Thencome the pre-pupa and pupastages – wings can then be seenon their thorax. During this transfor-mation, the thrips do not eat.Once they reach adulthood, thewings will develop fully.

Their reproduction is sexual or asexual. Females lay an average oftwo to six eggs daily. There is a newgeneration every 12 to 15 days. If yousee scratch marks on the leaves and tinyyellow puncture marks where theleaves are tied, thrips are in the garden!

By knowing our enemies better, we canbetter recognize them and fight them.

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Spider mites life cycle

Thrips life cycle

Adult

AdultEggs

Eggs

Larva

Protonymph

Deutonymph

First larva

Second larva

PrepupaPupa

Thrips damage

Thrip


BOTANICAL DICTIONARY

DICTIONARY OF INDOOR PLANTS3 – Araliaceae, Indoor and Outdoor Plants By Jessy Caron

Aralia elataThe Aralia include approximatelyforty species. They are shrubs with apersistent and deciduous foliage,and some herbaceous perennials.They have spinose stems and carrymany large leaves with many leaflets.The flowers form great dense pani-cles of small creamy white flowers. Inthe fall, fructification add to theplant's appearance and producesnumerous small black berries.Beautiful fall colouring, from yellow tored. This shrub can reach nine metersin ideal conditions. Grown outdoors.S, CS, FS, MD, MS, zones 5 to 9.

Cussonia paniculataThe Cussonia include twenty speciesof small persistent trees, very akin toSchefflera. The bole is not ramifiedwhen the tree is young, but gets rami-fied as it matures. Composed leaves,spreading on 360 degrees from acentral point. They are roughly cut andsea green in color. Flowering occursabove the foliage in a group of densespikes with greenish flowers.Fructification follows flowering, with

little plum berries that go from lusterless red to blackish. S, MS,zones 9 to 11.

Eleutherococcus (Acanthopanax)The Acanthopanax comprise approximately thirty species ofcaducous shrubs. They bear spinose or silky stems and havepalmate leaves with up to seven leaflets.The small flowers, in the shape of termi-nal umbels, are whitish, greenish or pur-plish depending on the species. Mostlygrown for its foliage. MS, WD, S, MS,MC, zones 4 to 9.

Fatsia japonica (top left of p. 55)

The Fatsia include two species of per-sistent shrubs. Fatsia japonica measuresbetween 1.5 and 3.5 meters. Its deeply

lobed lustrous foliageis at least 30 centime-ters in diameter.Flowers appear in thefall – they are creamywhite, in umbels, andare soon replacedby little black berries.GIL, MS, WD, MS, MC,zones 8 to 11.

After agavaceae, here come the araliaceae. A few are indoorplants, while others fare very well outdoors. This family's maincharacteristics are its palmate leaves and its spinose stems.

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Hedera helixThe Hederaincludes about tenspecies of ivy.English ivy is themost common andthe only one whichprospers outdoors.This climbingwoody plant isoften used as acrawling ground-cover or as a hang-ing plant to addstyle to hangingbaskets and walls.There are many cul-tivars, offering manyfoliage colours,types of stems, etc.You must pinch thestems once in awhile to help theirbranching and toprevent flowering,since this plant is

cultivated for its foliage. S, PS, MS, MC, zones 5 to 11.

Kalopanax septemlobusThis twelve to fifteen meters tall tree is formed with low branchesand a dense crown. The bole is spinose, the leaves resemble thoseof the maple and its terminal panicles flush in the summer. It is grownfor its foliage and its black to bluish fruits, which are slightly split atthe apex. S, PS, CS, WD, MC, MS, zones 5 to 9.

Panax ginsengThe Panax include five species of herbaceous perennials. This 20-centimeter perennial bears leaves divided in three dark green den-tate leaflets. Small greenish white flowers bloom at the end of sum-

mer, to be replaced by small red berries. It is a valuable plant, finan-cially speaking, because its root is sought-after for its medicinalproperties. It allegedly has tonic and aphrodisiac virtues and con-tains vitamins B1 and B2. MS, WD, MS, MS, zones 6 to 9.

Polyscias fruticosaThe Polyscias include about a hundred persistent shrub and treespecies. Its foliage is deeply indented and is made up of three toseven leaflets with dentate margins. The stems are green, stainedwith gray. Rarely flowers indoors. Water frequently. MS, WD, PS, MS,MC, zones 11-12.

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PseudopanaxThis genus includes twelve to twenty species of persistent trees andshrubs grown for their unusual look. The leaves are simple on youngtrees and become compound at maturity. The five-petaled green-ish flowers are subtle in the summer, but are followed by nicebunches of drupes. S, PS, MS, WD, MS, MC.

Schefflera actinophyllaThe Schefflera include over 700 persistent foliage species of trees,shrubs and sarmentose plants. They are usually cultivated for theirpretty foliage, disposed in a whorl along the petiolule, which recallsthe spokes of a cart wheel. The flowers are placed in umbels andthe fruits are little reddish fleshy drupes. S, WD, FS, MS, MC, MS.

Trevesia palmata "Micholitzii"The Trevesia include twelve species of trees and shrubs. This smalltree, with its this and straight bole, can reach up to six meters. Its

leaves are entire or lobed and canreach over sixty centimeters in width.The "Micholitzi" cultivar is particular:the designs on its leaves recall snowflakes.

I hope you have learned much in thisissue, and that you will again love thenext article, which will discuss anoth-er family of plant. Happy gardening!

Legend: Light:S: Sun PS: Partial shadeMS: ShadeGIL: Good indirect light

SOIL:AS: Well aerated soilMS: Humid soilDS: Dry soilCS: Cool soilWD: Well drained soilFS: Rich or fertile soil

TEMPERATURE:CC: Cool climateDC: Dry climateDC: Humid climate

REPRODUCTION:MC: multiplication by cuttingsMD: Multiplication by suckershootsMS: Multiplication by seedlings

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1. Delivering Mineral Elements to the Plant

Delivering fertilizer to a plant is as simple as adding 30 ml offertilizer per 10 liters of water and pouring the solution ontothe soil or into the reservoir. Plants, however, do not use allthe mineral elements given in fertilizer packages. Below is achart (figure 1) that shows what happens once nutrients aregiven to a plant. The plants require more of some nutrientsthan others.

Note: Each and every nutrient solution is made by a chemistand a gardener to create that special formula. The only timethe nutrient solution is delivered following their specifica-tions, however, is when the solution is first made. Once thenutrient solution is given to plants, their roots start to absorbdifferent mineral elements. The longer the roots are given thesame nutrient solution, the more minerals are taken away.Changing the solution more often makes all the elementsmore readily available.

2. Watering Properly

When water is given with all the nutrients, the roots are facedwith drier spots of soil. Fertilizer salts not picked up by theroots are left in the soil and the roots are still in contact withthe soil and fertilizer. After repeated applications of nutrientsolution, the soil may start to burn or damage the roots.

The diagram below (on the right) shows freshly wateredplants with lots of water and lots of food and water. On theright side of the picture, after 24 hours, roots have taken upall the free water and now must work harder for the waterthat they need. Have you ever had a drink of salty or sugarywater right after a work out? The drink does not hydrate you– it dehydrates you, making you thirstier. The same goes fora plant. Once the level of fertilizer salts becomes too high,we can actually dehydrate a plant or accentuate its wilting.


PLANT HEALTH

By William Sutherland – Illustrations: B & B Hydroponic Gardens

It’s one thing to use the best nutrients and fertilizers on themarket, but you have to know how to use them properly. Thisshould give you a few pointers.

N P K Ca Mg S CI B Fe Mn Zn Cu Mo N

DELIVERYFERTILIZER DELIVERY

Freshly watered 24 hours later

Water and nutrients

Dry spot = Crystallizationor precipitation

Illust

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& B

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Fig. 1: Essential and Beneficial Elements for Plant Growth – Variations in the Rate of Absorption

Fig. 2: Levels of Water

Abbreviations:Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions:

• six macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca),magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S);

• eight micronutrients: chlorine (Cl), boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni).


PLANT HEALTH

3. Stirring Your Nutritive Solution Properly

At the bottom of this page is an illustration (fig. 3) that shows theactual amount of fertilizers in the bottom of a mixing container.Never combine concentrated plant foods. Always add and stir ineach concentrate separately into a full volume of water, or achemical lockup may occur. Only in the proper amount of watercan the full ppm be reached. As the water evaporates, the saltsget more concentrated. The compatibility of fertilizers rules canno longer be followed because the salts are all mixed together inyour growing medium or reservoir. You should water plants with anutrient solution and make sure that at least 10% of the solutioncomes out of the bottom holes every time you water plants.

Every time you flood an ebb and flow table, you leach away oldmineral elements. To rid plants of built up fertilizers in the soil,water plants with a weak nutrient solution once a month, or leachout the vegetation nutrient solution before adding the floweringnutrient solution. It makes no sense having high amounts of vege-tation food, which delay the flowering response time.

Commercial greenhouses use the nutrients once; then they eitherthrow it away or they have the equipment to add the specific ele-ments which the plants have used. With hydroponics, you can seethe new growth once you have changed the nutrient solution.

4. Following the Chart to Change the Solution

Look at the chart below (fig. 4). When the solution is changed (bluespots) and a new solution is prepared more frequently, plants growat an accelerated rate. Compare with the less-often changed solu-tion (red spots). The gardener used an additional round of plantfood but gained four days worth of growth. Nutrients are thecheapest part of your garden, so look after your plant food.

5. Checking Factors Affecting theAvailability of Plant Nutrients

Soil pH is one factor that affects mineral uptake by plants. Underacidic soil conditions, many trace minerals are less available forplant uptake (figure 5). Environmental temperature at certain timesof the year may also affect mineral uptake. Interactions among min-erals after soil fertilization can also affect their availability for incor-poration into plant material. Season of the year affects plant miner-al concentrations, mainly due to a dilution effect, with decreasingmineral levels as plants grow. Different plant species will also havevarying contents.

Roots perform an ionicexchange of mineral elements,between growing medium androots.

Soil is becoming dry and rootshave to work about 30% harderto get food and water.

If no roots have touched nutrientsolution at 2,400 ppm, 50% ofnutritive solution will evaporate.

Mineral elements are concen-trating and becoming toxic.

Plant may become dehydrated.Mineral elements will precipitateor crystallize. Elements are notavailable for the plant.

At that stage, use concentratednutrient solution A & B bottles.Only add A or B to final volumeof water 100% full.Illu

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Fig. 4: Change of Solution Chart

16 day 20 day

Fig. 3: Amount of Fertilizers in the Bottom of a Mixing Container

Nutrie

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Nutrie

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Range of Acidity Range of Alkalinity

pH Levels

Fig. 5: Influence of PH on Availability of Plant Nutrients

16 day

20 day

Frequency of Nutrient Solution Change


GROWING EXPERIMENT

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GROWING EXPERIMENT

My all time favorite plants are cacti. There are so manyforms of cacti: tall ones, short ones, fast-growing,slow-growing, with spines, without spines, andflowers that are extraordinary! The thing that I findmost fascinating aboutcacti is just how tough they

are! In nature, a cactus envi-ronment is often extreme, with

temperatures ranging from 50°C to-30°C and sometimes no

water for years!

An indoor cacti garden isvery low maintenance. Inwinter, their dormant sea-

son, most varieties requireabsolutely no care. Late in

January I will give most of my cactia little water, after three months without.

There are many ways of start-ing a cacti collection. Buyingfully-grown plants is theeasiest. Unless you have acactus specialist in your area, the varieties that areavailable to you can be quite limited. There is

somewhere in the neighbourhood of eight thousandspecies of cacti. If you are looking for more exotic and

rare species, you’re going to have to start them from seed.

To start, you need soil mix and a tray with a clear plas-tic cover with a depth of no more than 10 centime-tres (mini greenhouse). You will also need a damp-ing off agent like No Damp. In a high humidity envi-ronment, mold and damping off are always a con-cern.

Fill the tray with soil mix and water it with theNo Damp solution. The soil mix should becompletely wet. Cover the tray with the plas-tic lid. After 30 minutes, drain off any excesswater. Cover the tray and let it stand for 24hours. Now take your cactus seed and refrig-erate it for the same 24 hours (the cold snapwill help germination).

Cactus seed soil mix:* 5 parts sand, all purpose, coarse;* 3 parts perlite;* 1 part pro-mix or peat moss

After 24 hours you may plant the seeds.Simply place the cactus seed on top of thesoil. DO NOT BURY or COVER THE SEED. Thenput the cover on the tray and place it under aflorescent light, about 30 to 38 centimetresaway. If you are using natural light, be verycareful not to overheat or burn your plantswith sunlight. I recommend you use a shadecloth on the tray, that will block out 40 to

50% of the light, something like a cheese cloth, chiffon or organza.Temperatures should remain between 20 and 30°C.

Cactus seed germination times will vary across varieties.Lophophora seeds will ger-minate in five to ten daysand depending upon con-ditions, seeds could takeup to 25 days. It takes tri-chocereus seeds betweenten and twenty days to ger-minate. Other varieties maytake up to 100 days. So bepatient and do not assumethat you have failed if yourcactus doesn’t germinatequickly.

After your seeds have ger-minated and your plants areabout three weeks old, youshould be able to see littlewhite dots on your tiny

green plants. These will be the beginning of hairs or needles onyour cactus. Once they have started to develop, you may start toremove the cover slowly, only a few minutes at a time in the begin-ning and then more as the plant begins to harden off. You can alsopunch little holes in your cover and as time goes on you can addmore holes. Do not be in a hurry to get the cover off. Oddlyenough, these little desert plants require a high humidity early on. Itmakes you wonder how they ever grew in the wild.

Be patient and enjoy.do do do

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The vocabulary specific to horticulture, andby extension to hydroponics sometimesincludes terms that are not part of our dailyvocabulary. Even if a meaning can bededuced, the true meaning sometimesescapes us and we risk making calibrationmistakes, judgment and cloning errors, etc.In a domain as sensitive as indoor gardening,it is best to call a fungicide a fungicide, andto know what we are talking about! Here isa little lexicon to jog your memory and tohelp you avoid embarrassing situations.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-D:Synthetic growth hormone, nonwater-soluble. It is diluted inethanol before use (1% of finalvolume) and this mixture isthen diluted in water.

Abiotic: Is said of all the nonalive components of anecosystem, of an environ-ment where life is impossible.

Abscisic acid or ABA: Smallorganic molecule that controlsgrowth and plant development. It isan abscision plant hormone, responsiblefor the closing of stomas, for seedlings not liftingand for growth stops. It accumulates in a seed duringmaturation in a way that prevents it from germinating inthe mother plant's capsule even if it were to becomewet.

Agar: Gelatinous substance extracted from a speciesof red algae (rhodophyceans), used as a base matterin test tubes during micropropagation.

Anthocyanin: Purple (neutral pH), red (acid pH) andblue (alkaline pH) deposit in stems. They are excesssugars not degraded by the plant.

Apex: Terminal (main) bud.

Auxin: Plant hormone provoking cellular elongation,hence a taller plant. Also improves root formation.

Benzylaminopurine or BAP: Synthetic hormone usedas a growth regulator.

Biotic: Organism belonging to an ecosystem.

Chlorosis: Yellowing of the leaves caused by a chloro-phyll deficiency provoked by a pH that was not wellbalanced or by a mineral salts deficiency.

Clone: Plant produced through asexual reproduction(without pollination). Synonymous of cutting, it is its

mother's exact copy.

Corymb: Type of inflorescence wherethe stalks are of uneven length but

grown continuously, bearing manyflowers on the same plant.

Cytokinin: Plant growth hormonewhich stimulates cellular division,giving a bigger plant.

Deficiency: Insufficiency caused bya lack, often through negligence.

Dioecious: Said of a plant bearing maleflowers (with stamens) on one plant and

female flowers (with a pistil) on another.

Enzyme: Organic catalyst that increases reaction timein living beings.

Ethylene: Induces flowering, increases female flowersin dioecious plants.

Fruit setting: What we call the phenologic phase at theonset of the vegetative cycle of a fruit-bearing tree ora vine, which corresponds to the beginning of fruitdevelopment, right after fertilization and to the start ofpedicel consolidation.

Words Used in HydroponicGardening That Could Leadto Confusion By Jessy Caron

Apex of a clover plant.



Fungicide: Product that destroys or slows themetabolism of fungi.

Gibberellic acid: Another class of hor-mones, gibberellins, who act againstabscisic acid. They exist as verynumerous molecules, chemically verysimilar. The most common, namedGA-3, is the germination hormonesold as gibberellin or gibberellic acid.Gibberellic acid has no effect on someplant species, and other hormones, suchas auxins and cytokinins are used to counter-balance the inhibiting effect of abscisic acid.

Gibberellin: Growth hormone that ends dormancy andcan provoke wilting.

Herbaceous: Without lignin (young plant with soft stem).

Hermaphrodite: Said of a plant with bisexual flowers thathave stamens and a pistil in the same corolla (not tobe confused with monoecious plants wheredistinct male and female flowers grow onthe same plant).

Hormone: Chemical messenger thatdictates plant growth and develop-ment.

Hybridization: Cross between amale plant with dominant traits and afemale plants with its own dominanttraits, performed to obtain seeds thatwill give birth to a new mutated variety.

Hygrometer: Instrument used to measure the per-centage of humidity in ambiant air.

Indole-3-acetic acid or IAA: Growth regulator (hormonesynthesized in a laboratory, also called auxin).

Kinetin: Also known as N6-furfuryladenine. Kinetin is anatural plant-based compound. It is an essentialgrowth factor for plants and also acts as anantioxidant to slow the aging of cells. Similareffects have been observed on humanskin cell aging. In horticulture, kinetin issometimes confused with cytokinin.

Lignin: When the plant becomes ashrub, there is lignin involved. Lignin is arigid compound that gives plants a bet-ter support and a barrier against insectsand bacteria.

Micropropagation: Asexual, laboratory-per-formed reproduction. With growth hor-

mones in a gelatinous matter calledagar, the test-tube culture consists inmultiplying the same plant manytimes without exhausting the mother.Instead of cutting a stem with a budas is done for cuttings, a small pieceof leaf can be used to create

dozens of identical plants that growform miniature to full size. This tech-

nique is also called in vitro.

Monoecious: A monoecious plant has unisexflowers, but bears both male and female flowers in dif-ferent places, such as corn stalks. Not to be confusedwith hermaphrodite plants, that bear bisexual flowers,including stamens and pistil in the same corolla.

Mycelium: Group of hyphae forming the vegetative partof a mushroom.

Mycorrhiza: Microscopic fungi, highly beneficialto plants, that live in symbiosis with roots,

each taking advantage of the other for itswelfare.

Naphthalene acetic acid or NAA:Lab-made chemical product thatinfluences germination and can actagainst factors that contribute toexcessive levels of fruit setting in

fruit-bearing trees. This excessive fruitsetting generally leads to small fruit of

mediocre quality and can accentuate thealternation phenomenon. This acid works on

the proportion of corymbs bearing fewer than fourfruits, on yield and fruit size.

Necrosis: Step following chlorosis, when the leaves turnbrown (death of tissue). Unlike chlorosis, it cannot beavoided.

Nematode: Miniature worm living in the soil that canpenetrate roots. A few species are harmful

while others are harmless.

Nodes: Spot on the stem where the leavesare attached.

Pedicels: Also called pedicals, they arethe tails that bind the flowers to the plant

stem or to the inflorescence axis orcorymb. The stem, or branch, that holds a

group of pedicels is called a peduncle.Phot

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Junction of the stemto the main trunk or

petiole.

Corn nematodedamage.

Lignified thickening of xylem parts.

THE INDOOR GARDENER VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4


Perlite: Material made of very light whitishgranules obtained by heating a natural vol-canic silicate to 1,200°C, which fusesthe material. It is easily crushed to dustbetween fingers. It is much stablerthan vermiculite but accumulatesless water. It is used in growingmedium mixes (soil) and is ideal toimprove root-level aeration.

Petiole: Small stem linking the leaf tothe main stem.

pH: Measure of the active acidity of a solu-tion, calculated in hydrogen ions (H+). It iscalculated on a scale of 0 to 14, from the mostacidic to the most alkaline (7 being the neutral point). A dif-ference of 1 on this scale represents a coefficient of 10x.

Phenologic: The various development stages of a plant,defining specifically the plant's morphological advance-ment: leafing, flowering, ripening, etc.

Phytochrome: Foliar pigment that can be used to measurethe duration of day and night. It allows one to calculate thetransition between growth and flowering to take advantageof it.

Ppm: Part Per Million, measuring unit of a solu-tion's concentration of dissolved solids. Itis the ratio of one part on 1,000,000parts that enables us to calculate thelevels of pollutants in air, water, bod-ily secretions, etc. It is an efficientmeasuring unit, required to measurethe required quantity of mineral saltsfor plants. There are also measuresin ppb (parts per billion), ppt (partsper trillion) and ppq (parts perquadrillion).

Resin: Sticky, viscous and translucentproduct secreted by some plants, trees andshrubs.

Rhizobium: Beneficial bacteria that plays an important role inthe soil's structure.

Ripening period: Applies to the vine, when the grapesbegin changing color

Seedling: Young plantlet emerged from a seed. Seedlingdevelopment starts with germination of the seed.

Stomata: Microscopic openings in a leaf's epi-dermis, forming thousands of pores under

the leaf to ensure gas exchanges betweenthe plant and the atmosphere. They

contribute to CO2 absorption and tothe release of oxygen during the day.

Stomatal transpiration: Phenomenonallowing a plant's water to escapeinto the atmosphere at the stoma

level.

Symbiosis: Intimate relationship betweentwo different species. For example, the asso-

ciation between plants and mycorrhiza (fungi).Both species benefit from the relationship.

Trans zeatine: Most common variety of cytokinin.

Trichome: Gland working towards resin production.

Vermiculite: Expanded vermiculite is a silicate of aluminaand magnesium. It is natural, but produced by heating it atsuch temperatures that the material does not melt, butdilates to form a sort of expanded mica with is easily sep-arated in leaflets. It looks like little yellowish bits in growingsubstrates, and can retain water and minerals up to four

times its weight.

Wilting: Provokes a greater distancebetween nodes.

Xylem: Vascular tissue that conductswater and dissolved minerals to aplant's photosynthetic sites.

Zygomycetes: Zygomycetes are a diverse fungal class of thephylum Zygomycota that can be found worldwide. Thereare well over 800 species of Zygomycetes fungi within thisfamily. Mycorrhizal fungi are a category of Zygomycetes.

Perlite is used in growing medium mixes.

Beneficial mycorrhizal fungi are Zygomycetes.

Phot

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68

Thousands of stomata can be seen under this leaf.


COOKING

It may seem audacious to mix fruitsand vegetables in jams, but somefruits mix very well with vegetablesand sugar. Of course, some associa-tions are hazardous and the resultingtaste can be less than appetizing,like mixing strawberry and fennel.And do not try, as I have, a mix ofpomegranate and persimmon (inany case, persimmon does not havea great flesh for jams). Antagonisticflavours are relatively easy to identi-fy, even for a beginner. Some mixes,however, give surprising results: carrot and orange, carrot and cherry, green tomato and fig, tomatoand nectarine, tomato and apple, rhubarb and mango, strawberry and pepper, bell pepper andvanilla, watermelon and citrus or zucchini and orange.

The general rule is to give a slight dominance to the fruit or the vegetable. For example, for 3 kg ofzucchini, add 2 kg of oranges. Then, weigh the fruits and vegetables once pealed, hollowed and cutin cubes or strips, to add the same weight of crystallized sugar. I insist on the use of crystallized sugar,and I avoid all commercial products like gelling agents, Certo, etc. Forget those! Fruits like apples con-tain enough pectin for any jam to take. If your mixture doesn’t seem to take, add two or threeunpeeled apples during cooking, and they will naturally provide the required pectin. The apple’s fla-vor is neutral enough not to have an impact on the final taste.

I prefer organic fruits and vegetables for jams. I would not throw away a blemished pear or carrot.When the fruit or vegetable is very overripe, it can still be used once it is cleaned, hollowed and thatany bad parts are cut off. When you have overripe fruits and vegetables, you can always improviseand make a pot or two of an unexpected blend jam, to the delight of your family and breakfast guests.

Cooking time must not be too long or too short. In general, once the fruit becomes clear and that adrop of syrup congeals on a cold plate, the jam has taken (between 25 and 45 minutes, dependingon the ingredients chosen). Some jams should be mixed before being potted, giving the jam a morecompact texture – apple and red tomato is one such mix. Some, however, should be potted as is –for example, in a red tomato and nectarine jam, the pretty slices of yellow nectarine float in the toma-to’s deep red. The same is true for citrus and watermelon jams: the watermelon’s orange flesh mixeswith candied zests, giving golden, fall-colored jams.

Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, you can add lemon juice, spicessuch as cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, alcohol (wine, rhum,liquors, etc.) or dried fruits and nuts, such as raisins and hazelnuts. They reinforcethe taste or add an unexpected flavor. The jam must be potted as soon as it iscooked: pour the boiling jam into pots you have previously put under hot water.Immediately close the pots and put them upside down in 3 cm of icy water. Thetemperature difference will ensure sterilization by creating a vacuum in the upsidedown pot. If the vacuum doesn’t occur, the jams will be at risk for surface mold.You will know sterilization occurred when, 20 to 30 minutes later, you put thepots right side up and hear the lid make a little dry noise. The jams can then bestored for at least two years in a dark, dry and cool cupboard. The jams with sur-face mold can be recooked once the contaminated part has been removed.

Vegetable Garden JamsBy Bruno Bredoux

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Say no to Certo!

B.C. Plants Products knows how to givefeedback to its customers. Proof can befound in the company’s nutrient line’simproved formula: the recipe wasimproved based on the most perti-nent remarks from customers. It issometimes difficult for beginnergardeners to use and dose nutri-ents that come in two or three dif-ferent parts. Some nutrients alsorequire expensive additives. Not sowith Blue Magic’s three-in-one solution:these products are as easy as ABC, or aseasy as counting up to three!

Blue Magic’s Improved Formula

With Blue Magic products from B.C. Plants Products, youhave a three-part product providing a strong nutritional pro-gram for your plants, from vegetation to harvest, includingfruit and flower development. Blue Magic’s nutrient formulahas been tested under various growth conditions. Growerstesting the nutrients have seen improved results, such as aquick and bushy vegetative growth, multiplication of branch-es and internodes, and an optimal development of flowers

and fruits. In the end, the yield was better thanexpected. The same can be said of the taste

and smell.

This three-part product is very easy touse. Simply add the recommendeddose of each part (A, B and C) towater to create the complete BlueMagic fertilization program. The A + Bformula improves growth, whereas B

+ C will increase the quality and quan-tity of flowering. The formula gives the

plant a complete and balanced diet, andallows expert growers to

add supplements ifthey wish to improve cer-

tain specific characteristics.One product that can beadded is from the sameline: B1 Complex, an addi-tional nutrient that worksvery well with the three-part nutrient. These nutri-ents are versatile: you canuse them in soil or in a hydro-ponic system, indoors or outdoors.Even though the formula was first designed for hydroponics,


SHOPPING

Blue Magic (B.C. Plants Products):Improved Formula Nutrients

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By G. Nietz

Blue Magic Improved Formula works just as well with nosoil solutions and soil gardens. The improved formula ismade from high quality mineral elements. It will insure sta-bility and optimal availability of all trace elements duringthe entire growth cycle. Available in cans of various sizesand volumes.

The Monster Booster Line of Products

The Monster Booster product line was specificallydesigned to bring plants the reinforcing elements theyneed at the beginning and at the end of flowering. Ithelps to obtain bigger and heavier inflorescences,“boosted”, but in a good way. Blue Magic’s Monster

Booster is made from high quality ingredients, mainlysuper phosphate and potassium. It can be used indoorsor outdoors, in soil or in hydroponics. Used outdoors inthe proper conditions, it will hasten ripening and harvesttime. The harvest’s texture and final dry weight will beimproved. A critical product for the dedicated grower!

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SHOPPING

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HORTICULTURAL NOVELTIESDr. Node’s 0.4-0.2-0

Nutrient

The new Dr. Node's nutrient was special-ly formulated for hydroponic cultures. It isparticularly recommended for indoor flow-

ers, because it increases and stimulates thegrowth of internodes on growing plants, multi-

plying the growth possibilities of new stems,each a support for heavy inflorescences! Thenutrient’s formula focuses plant energy on

lateral growth, to give you dense plantswith more flowers and a higher

yield of fruits. – TIG

NightVision Lamp©

from Intellipousse©

Entering a greenhouse or an indoorgarden for an emergency can be a problem,

when the light cycle requires complete darkness and turning onthe normal lights is out of the question, for fear of abruptly modify-

ing the growing cycle. Intellipousse©’s Night Vision Lamp solves thatproblem. It allows you to work in its ray of light, but the light remainsinvisible to the plants. This black light does not stress the plants, does notcause an imbalance in the light cycle and does not contaminate thegreenhouse with full spectrum white light. It allows you, however, to seelike a cat or an owl, and to do what you have to do without botheringthe plants.

The Night Vision Lamp is essential for any fragile indoor culture thatreplies on light cycles. The lamp swivels, is easy to install, and

has a phosphorescent cable, allowing you to find the onswitch even in total darkness. A very pertinent inno-

vation! – TIG

AirResearch Industry’s

MX650 Carbon Filter ARI’s new carbon filter, the MX650, is

thousands of times more powerful than its lit-tle brother, the beloved MX120. The MX650 uses

4.5 kg of genuine ARI activated carbon and runs on a 665 CFMintegrated fan. Designed to be installed from the ceiling, the unit comes with

rails that have to be mounted on the ceiling (full instructions are included); then,slide the unit in and it’s good to go. Better yet, it is refillable – you can do it your-

self... in a few minutes! The filter is customizable – you can change the carbon beddepth to suit your own conditions, you can add pre-filters, the MERV-8 pre-filter – it’sall up to you. The MX650 is as simple to use, assemble and install as possible. In fact,the whole unit, at the time of purchase, only contains these essentials: the filter chassis,the fan assembly, the two mounting rails (with pre-drilled holes), and two boxes of ARIcarbon – one you’ll use right away, and one to save you a trip at the store for next time!

Dimensions: 42 x 42 x 23 cmCarbon Bed Width: 65 mm

Internal Carbon Surface: 5,175,000 m2

Carbon Type: Coconut shell virgin activated carbon flakesDucting: No / Scrubber

Recommended air flow: Included (665 CFM)Weight: 16.3 kg

Construction: Sheet Metal 24 g Galvanized Bright / Powder coatSpecial Treatments: Powder Coated Black Sandtex

– H.J.

Dave’sGourmet Red

Heirloom Pasta Sauce

Dave’s Gourmet took off fromthe Burrito Madness restaurant,

located near the University of Maryland.Dave first invented an ultra-hot sauce, the Insanity Sauce, that

proved so hot it was banned! Dave has since added about fortynew products to the Dave’s Gourmet line – drink mixes, syrups forsorbets, flavored honeys, salty snacks and pasta sauces, amongothers.

The Red Heirloom pasta sauce is made from organic ingredientsand using heirloom tomatoes – i.e., with no genetic manipula-tions. It is a healthy and ethical delicacy, a tasty sauce for the

pasta of your choice.

The company’s web site offers recipes, cook-books, a complete selection of products

and even t-shirts! www.daves-gourmet.com – H.J.

Vitrotrayfrom VitroPLus

With this new propagation trayfrom the Netherlands based com-

pany VitroPlus:* your ferns will grow better and faster;* you will not experience phytosanitaryproblems any more.

And this system saves you money!Visit: www.vitroplus.nl

– B.B.


SHOPPING

LumatekElectronic Ballast

Lumatek’s electronic ballastsare factory tested and burned for

12 hours prior to shipping. They arecompletely silent and include a 15RF

shielded output cord that can be optional-ly extended up to 9 meters. All other digital bal-

lasts only have a 3 meters lamp cord, and most ofthem interfere with radio and satellite TV signals because they are not shield-ed.Lumatek’s ballast can be mounted in areas of high heat – up to 59 degreesC. Other brands can only withstand 32 degrees C. Completely sealed fromthe inside and water resistant, the Lumatek ballast has the best warranty ofall electronic ballasts: 3 year exchange + 2 years prorated. Lumatek bal-lasts are 8 to 15% brighter than other brands on the market. Its soft start

technology makes the lamps last up to three times longer. Availablein 250 W, 400 W, 600 W and soon in 1000 W, and in either 120

or 240 volts. Hydrofarm is proud to be the exclusive distrib-utor of the high quality Lumatek electronic ballasts.

Contact Hydrofarm (www.hydrofarm.com) forproduct and ordering information.

– H.F.

HydroHut™and HydroHut™ Deluxe

• Instant indoor greenhouse• Customize the interior as you choose

• Light-tight & waterproof• Easy assembly

• Allows for intake and exhaust venting with blowersThe HydroHut is available in two sizes: HydroHut™ 1.32 meters x 1.32 meters x 2.13

meters tall and HydroHut™ Deluxe 1.32 meters x 2.64 meters x 2.13 meters tallThe HydroHut is made from thick black canvas with a thermally adhered layer of thick

white plastic on the inside. The fabric/plastic combination is light-tight and waterproof. Thezippers used are of the highest quality, with oversized teeth for a more solid grip. TheHydroHut comes with a double floor to protect against flooding and the floor seams are alladhered together using heat to make a water-tight joint.The HydroHut structure is made from 16 mm steel tube with steel rod corner stabilization bars.The exhaust fan and charcoal filter brackets are constructed of steel rod with adjustable nylonstraps to fasten-in the filter fan. Duct flanges on the HydroHut are 10 cm in diameter and ductflanges on the HydroHut Deluxe are 15 cm in diameter. There are two flanges per tent tomatch the intake and exhaust. The HydroHut can be outfitted with T-5 fluorescent fixtures,or high intensity discharge lights. The HydroHut Deluxe will hold double the lighting of

its little brother. Two 1000-watt sodium lights will turn the Deluxe model into a com-pact growing powerhouse. The HydroHut will hold most 1.2 x 1.2 meters hydro-

ponic systems and the HydroHut Deluxe will hold most 1.2 x 2.4 metershydroponic systems. Using intake and exhaust blowers, temperature and

humidity are easily regulated. CO2 can be added and fans con-trolled by using third party atmospheric control. Contact

Hydrofarm (www.hydrofarm.com) for productdetails. – H.F.

PowerThrive: Canadian B1

Vitamins

The original B1 solution was creat-ed in Canada. It is not a fertilizer, but a

natural mixture of vitamins and algae. Thesecret is in the unique way the vitamins are extracted

from the algae. The operation is performed by competentchemists, which ensures the product's quality.Power Thrive has many uses:• it improves root germination and growth; • it makes plants vigorous and helps them resist pests and dis-ease;• it acts, first and foremost, as an anti-stress agent during trans-

plants and other stressful events;• during flowering, it improves sprout texture,

taste and quality. In short, it is a product every indoor

grower should have! – Paul Henderson

SunMaster: ANew Convertible

Ballast

SunMaster is well known for its highquality bulbs and has an excellent reputation for all

lighting products. The company is now offering a verypractical product, a convertible HPS/MH ballast, which

will simplify our lives. The ballast can be used either witha high pressure sodium bulb or with a metal halide bulb.Plants require the blue spectrum light of a MH duringvegetation, but need the more orange light of an HPS

for maximum flowering. With the new SunMasterballast, switching the bulb becomes child's

play. Bravo and thank you to SunMasterfor this very practical innovation!

– Paul Henderson

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DISTEC and TDS meters

(Hanna Instruments)

Hanna Instruments has developed a newtechnology for graphite sensors and external

temperature sensors, allowing the DIST metersto give more stable readings, faster. The largeLCD screen makes the reading easy to view at aglance, and the casing is rugged. The meterscome with a one-year warranty. They are pre-

cise to more or less 2% piE on a scale,depending on the model, of 0 to

1999 ppm or of 0 to 19.99mS/cm. – B.B.

For more information on pH, EC and combo pH/EC/TDS meters, seealso our article on Scientific factors and measuring instruments inhydroponics, page 50 of our first issue (Vol. 1 / Issue 1 - April 2005).

THE HYDROPONIC WORLD OF NORTH AMERICA10051 North 2nd St.

Laurel, Maryland20723

301-490-9236866-MD-HYDRO

WWW.mdhydro.com

5561 South OrangeBlossom Trail

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Opening soon1918 16th street

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PLANT’ IT EARTH2279 Market StreetSan Francisco, CA 94114(415) 626-5082www.plantitearth.com

PLANT’ IT EARTH1 Dorman AveSan Francisco, CA 94124(415) 970-2465www.plantitearth.com

S+J HYDROPONICS

401, Berry StMt Shasta, CA 96067

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN LIGHTINGAND HYDROPONICS

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Hydroponic EquipmentAgricultural lights/HPS/MHIndoor Growing SuppliesSchool DemonstrationsFresh Winter Herbs

Demonstrations byappointment

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Year-round Garden Supply

(formerly GrowersChoice Hydroponics)

1100 Carver Road, #20Modesto, CA 95350

Tel.: (209) 522-2727Toll free: 1-866-788-0765

EVERYTHINGGREEN

915 Texas StreetFairfield, CA 94533Tel.: (707) 432-0774Fax: (707) 429-9917

www.everythinggreen-hydroponics.com

1622 Leonard Street N.W.Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

Toll free 1-866-791-1664www.hhydro.com

THE GROWCERY STORE

1501 Lee Hill Road, #17Boulder, CO 80304(303) 449-0771

www.thegrowcerystore.com

BAYSHORE HYDROPONICS

5615 Interbay BlvdTampa, FL 33611

Toll Free (800) 397-0151(813) 835-3455

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Boulder / Denver

148 South G st. Arcata, Ca. 95521.phone (707)822-9888

fax(707)822-8999

107 Falcon Drive (Hwy. 97 S) Williams Lake, BC V2G 5G7

Phone: (250) 398-2899 Fax: (250) 398-2896

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THE HYDROPONIC WORLD OF NORTH AMERICA

AQUA GRO HYDROPONICSUPPLIES101-2689 Kyle RdKelowna, BC V1Z 2M9(250) 769-7745Fax: (250) 769-7748

WATERWORKSINDOOR GARDENINGCENTRE2810 5th Ave. N.Lethbridge, AB T1H 0P1(403) 320-7702Fax: (403) 320-7703www.hydroponics.com

U GROW INDOOR GARDEN CENTRE

7361 104th St.Edmonton, AB T6E 4B9(780) 434-3797Fax: (780) 434-3796

THE GROW ROOM8 Bridge StreetNyack, NY 10960Toll Free: (800) 449-9630Fax: (845) 348-8811www.thegrowroom.com

1497 Hertel AvenueBuffalo, New York 14216

(716) 838-3545www.hydroponicsbuff.com

www.AnthonysGarden.com

"Our Business Is Growing"Your Indoor Outdoor

Gardening Specialists

93779 Troy Lane - Coos Bay, OR 97420(541) 266-8822 Fax: (541) 266-9754

M72 EastTraverse City MI49684231-943-0385231-943-4685 (fax)866-711-GROW (4769)[email protected]

Douglas and Evelyn Bryant

23529 Little Mack Ave.St.Clair Shores,MI 48080 USA

Toll Free; 1-866-493-7627www.tcs-hydroponics.com

1866-HYDRO-CS (1866-493-7627)

Indoor Outdoor Gardenerin BROOKLYN,N.Y.at 8223 5th Ave.

tel/fax 718 836 2402www.hydroponicsnewyorkcity.com

email: [email protected]

Horticultural Supplies for the Hobbyist

ENDLESS SUMMER* Greenhouse Kits * Hydroponics * Nutrients * Organic Seeds

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CVH Indoorgarden's2520 Empire Ranch Rd.

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886-525-4769775-884-4769

CV [email protected]

AHL Garden Supply1051 San Mateo Blvd SE

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108phone 800-753-4617 / fax 505-

255-7417Read what other customers are say-ing about their experience with AHL

and ahlgrows.comat http://ahlgrows.com/kudos.html

e-mail: [email protected]

TASTY HARVEST HYDROPONICS

1555 Hurffville RdSewell, NJ 08080

Tel.: (856) 227-6300Toll free: 1-888-927-6300

Fax: (856) 227-2930www.tastyharvest.com

3839 6th AveTacoma, WA

(253) 761-7478www.indoorgarden.com

714 South CentralKent, WA


23303 Highway 99, Suite AEdmonds, WA


CanadaB.C.H. GREENHOUSE

SUPPLY LTDUnit #3-20092 93A Ave.Langley,B.C. V1M 3Y4(604) 888-5716

[email protected]

38 Front StBallston Spa, NY 12020

Toll free (800) 850-GROW(518) 885-2005

Fax (518) 885-2754www.saratogaorganics.com

GIVE YOUR PLANTS WHAT THEY NEED

Peterborough Hydroponic Center347 Pido Road Unit 32 Peterborough OntarioPhone/Fax 745-6868Toll Free 1-866-745-6868Manufacturer of PHC GardenProductswww.hydroponics.com

Light-Tech SystemsGreenhouse Lightingand Hydroponics905 664-9484Cell (905) 818-4903

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4 Ontario locations: Ottawa, Gloucester,

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Hydroponics, fertilizers, lightingHome of Optimum Hydroponix®

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Q&A

Question 1Hi,I’d like to know if I can plug a HPS lamp with-

out the bulb specifically designed for it?Thanks, – Philip

Answer 1Hi Philip,

Safety First: I don’t recommend using a bulbthat is not the same wattage as the

transformer: 400 watt bulb for a 400 watt transformer,1,000 for a 1,000 and so on!

There is only one difference between an MH (metal halide)and an HPS (high pressure sodium) transformer unit, it isthat the HPS has an igniter (starter) and the MH does not.So you can use an MH bulb in an HPS unit, no problem. AHPS bulb will not light up in an MH unit because there is noigniter to start it.

There are HPSconversion bulbsfor MH units thathave an igniterbuilt in, but theyare very over-priced! You wouldbe better to buy anew HPS unit thana conversion bulb.

I’ve seen somepostings onlinethat trouble me,telling peoplehow to converttheir HPS into aswitchable ballast!

Converting your HPSso that it is switch-able is not safe andis a COMPLETEWASTE OF TIME!

Question 2Hello,I’d like to know what is the best neon light to

grow young clones and all relevant info.Thanks, – Martin

Answer 2

Hi Martin,

I would have to say the best fluorescent lightsfor growing young plants would be “cool white”,

less than 20c e n t i m e t r e sfrom the top ofthe plants.Plants in thevegetative stateprefer light inthe blue spec-trum. Almostany tube thatsays cool willbe good.

The temperature rating and the names of lights do not referto the temperature of the bulb but refer to the temperatureof the light or the way it feels.

Light temperature is determined by the temperature of anincandescent element. As it is heated it starts to gloworange at about 2700K and goes through the whole rangeof colors to daylight at 6500K.

The name of light (i.e. warm white, cool white) refers to theway the light feels. Orange feels warm and blue feels cold.

Grow tubes that are designed to specifically grow plantshave too much red to be very effective in the vegetativecycle but they do well for flowering your African violets.

There have been many new advancements in fluorescenttechnology. Modern tubes and electronic ballasts aremuch more effective, reliable and represent natural lightbetter than tubes from, say, ten years ago.

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 to do is ask.Send your questions to: [email protected].

Q

A

Q

A

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For any information, comment or request, contact [email protected].

For sales and advertising, [email protected].

If you want to send us pictures and articles,please contact us at:

[email protected] with “submission” in the subject line and we

will get in touch with you.

COME AND GROWWITH US!

Check out our classified sectionTHE HYDROPONIC WORLD OF NORTH AMERICA.

Don't be square, be in the square!

Lately I have become interested in T5 High Output fluores-cent lighting. They are smaller, thinner and produce morelight than traditional fluorescents. T5HO fluorescent lights arealmost twice as bright as the standard 1.2 meters T8 fluores-cent tubes. If anyone is using T5HO fluorescents, tell us howthey are working you.

Question 3Hello, How can I obtain a bigger stem during theflowering cycle? Do I have to cut the biggest

leaves? Thanks, – Peter

Answer 3Hi Peter;

If you want a bigger stem during the floweringcycle you have to grow a bigger plant in the veg-

etative cycle. Generally I would only cut off leaves if they aredamaged or shading their neighbors.

Here is my recommendation. First, keep your young plants asclose to the light as possible without damaging them. Thiswill help the nodes stay closer together by not stretching forlight.

Next, a few days before you change cycles, cut everythingoff of the bottom third of your plant, all the leaves andbranches from the main stem. Usually bottom branchesdon’t produce as many flowers as the rest of the plant. Allthe energy that was going to those bottom branches cannow go to the rest of the plant.

Do do do

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Growers have come to trust Sunshine® and Black Gold®

Professional Growing Mixes to provide the most consistent physicaland chemical growing conditions for their plants. Founded in 1929in Vancouver, British Columbia as the Western Peat Company Ltd,Sun Gro Horticulture is the leading producer of horticultural growingmedia in North America including peat, peat lite mixes, bark basedmixes and coir based mixes. We also service markets worldwide,including much of Central and South America, Asia, and the MiddleEast. To growers and consumers we are better known by severalof our most well-known brands - Sunshine® and Black Gold® whichare member of the Sun Gro Horticulture family. To further strength-en our market presence, Sun Groacquired the professional growingmedia business of The ScottsCompany and their respected

Metro Mix® brands significantly enhanced Sun Gro's ability toservice growers in the Eastern part of North America with premi-um bark-based products. There is a good reason that 3 out of 4 commercial growers inNorth America choose Sunshine® brand professional growingmixes --- performance. Our motto that “we invest in what’s in thebag, not what’s on the bag” says it all.

A company with history Comprised of a network of 14 production facilities throughout theUS and Canada, we harvest Sphagnum Peat and operate bark-composting operations across the US. We distribute through anetwork that supports our valued customers throughout NorthAmerica and overseas. Sun Gro is also a leader in mixes that arerecognized as Organic with many products listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute(OMRI). The Company sells its products primarily to professional greenhouse, nursery and spe-cialty crop growers throughout North America.

Consumers have come to realize that superior inputs result in superior outputs. That is why profes-sional growers choose Sunshine® and Black Gold® soils over the competition --- superior results.Previously available exclusively to commercial growers, Sunshine® Professional Growers Mix (PGM)and Sunshine® Professional Growing Mix with Controlled Release Fertilizer (CRF) are now availablethrough select retailers in 2.5 and 1.5 cubic foot bags. Our Black Gold® All Organic Potting Soil andour Just Coir 2.0 cubic foot bags are also now available in the western United States through selectretailers. For additional product information and contact your local distributor

HELP YOUR PLANTS SHINE CHOOSE SUNSHINE® AND BLACK GOLD® PROFESSIONAL GROWING MIXES BY SUN GRO HORTICULTURE

Available through these fine distributors:

Sunlight Supply- CA 888.888.3319Sunlight Supply - WA 888.478.6544Sunlight Supply - TN 888.265.9005Sparetime Supply (N.CA) 800.842.3276Hydro Farm - West 800.634.9990Hydro Farm - Central 800.634.9999Hydro Farm - East 888.780.4567

Orwww.sungro.com

CRC 1-888-797.7328

HELP YOUR PLANTS SHINE No Fuzzy Foxes.No Catchy Phrases.No Beastie Claims.

At Sun Gro our investments aren't in catchy phrasesand slick ads, we invest in our products, every day.So if you want pretty bags and cute animals, staywith the rest. If you want quality and performance,since 1929, choose Black Gold® and Sunshine®

professional growing media by Sun GroHorticulture.

Distributed in the United States by Sun Gro Horticulture Distribution, Inc 15831 NE 8th Street, Suite 100 Bellevue, WA 98008 USADistributed in Canada by Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. 52130 RR65, PO Box 189, Seba Beach, AB T0B 2B0 Canada© 2006 Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. Sunshine and Sun Gro are registered trademarks of Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. All Rights Reserved. © 2006 Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. Sunshine and Sun Gro are registered trademarks of Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. Black Gold is a registeredtrademark of Odin Enterprises II LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 4 (Reissue)

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Transcript of The Indoor Gardener Magazine Volume 1—Issue 4 (Reissue)