The Indoor Grower by Bluuprint

Our magazines are available for you FREE every two months, and can be accessed and read online at your convenience, with page-turning and browse features just like a "real" magazine, but without the paper, so we're kind to the environment too! In addition to the look and feel of a "real" magazine, you can instantly click on any of the highlighted items (follow link) to open up a new window, whether to an interesting website or an advertisers product, then, when finished, just close this new window and return back to the magazine at the page you were browsing. If you are interested in contributing to our magazine or would like any further information, then please contact us at info@theindoorgrower.co.uk

Published by: TheIndoorGrower.co.uk Information: info@theindoorgrower.co.uk Advertising: ads@theindoorgrower.co.uk Design & Editing: TIG Design Photos : TIG, PhotoXpress.com CoverFoto: Nicemonkey/PhotoXpress

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy and legality, the Publisher accepts no liability or responsibility for the material published herein, the views of our contributors are not necessarily the views of the Editor. The Publisher further accepts no liability or responsibility for errors in content or quality that occur beyond all reasonable control of the Editor. Furthermore the publisher accepts no liability or responsibility for the publicity content which in all cases remains under the ownership of the advertiser, and can not be held responsible for the content or actions resulting from accessing webpages outside the control of this publication. The contents of this publication are the property of the publisher and nothing may be reproduced, stored in a retrival system or transmitted in any form without express permission in writing from the editor.

contents 6

26 32

By Paula Fehringer

In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Aztecs were living in a marshy lake shore and built rafts of seeds and roots and floated them out to the centre of the lake. Crops grew on the top of these rafts, their roots reaching through the rafts and into the water. Marco Polo's writings indicate he witnessed similar floating gardens while visiting China in the late 13th century. Sir Francis Bacon did research on soil-less gardening in the 1620's. His work was published posthumously in 1627 and started a wave of research into hydroponic gardening. Jean Baptista van Helmont, in the 1640's performed his flawed Willow Tree Experiment that proved plants obtain substances from water. In 1699, English scientist, John Woodward, experimented on spearmint growth in various water solutions. He concluded that the plants received nutrients from both soil and water as faster grown and healthier plants were grown in water that had been mixed with soil and then drained. The farmers of that time believed the nutrients were in the water as their crops failed in drought conditions regardless of the quality of soil. 7

Julius von Sachs and W. Knop experimented from 1859 - 1865. They discovered that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) comprise the three main building blocks of plant growth. They developed the first nutrient solution and demonstrated that plants could grow to maturity in that solution alone. Plant physiologist Ray Wheeler checks onions being grown using hydroponic techniques. The other plants are Bibb lettuce (left) and radishes (right). nasa.gov

In the 1920s, William Gericke first used the term Hydroponics. He grew hydroponic tomatoes that reached heights of over 25 feet and was known for promoting the use of hydroponics in commercial agriculture. Shortly after this, Dennis Hoagland developed his standard solution,still used in many modern nutrient mixes. Hoagland's Solution was the first to consider micronutrients such as magnesium, sulphur and iron, essential for healthy growth in minute amounts. Hydroponics was not accepted by skeptical farmers but enjoyed a popularity with amateur gardeners in the 1920's and 1930's.

NASA teamed up with GH and sent plants and nutrients to the international space station to study plant growth outside the earth's atmosphere and how to best supply food and oxygen for future colonization missions in space. Dr. Franco Massantini pioneered the aeroponic method of hydroponic gardening. In the 1980's Dr. Hillel Soffer developed the aerohydroponic method which helped transform the desert into an oasis of bounty. The Epcot Center at Disneyworld introduced "Living With the Land" a futuristic ride through hydroponic "gardens of tomorrow."

According to a 1938 Time magazine article, one of the first commercial uses of hydroponics occurred during this period based on the research taking place at Berkeley. Tanks of mineralized water were used to grow beans, tomatoes, and vegetables on tiny Wake Island, a small piece of land in the Pacific Ocean. This island was used as a refueling stop for Pan-Am and the food grown there was used successfully to feed the airline's staff and crew.

Hydroponic gardening came of age in the 1990's when many more advances in soil-free growing were accomplished, including aeroponics and aquaponics. In aeroponics, a fine mist of nutrient solution is constantly sprayed onto roots for extremely vigorous growth. Aquaponics combines fish farming (aquaculture) and hydroponics by growing fish in a reservoir, which in turn feed the plants with their excretions.

During World War II, the military set up hydroponics units at remote bases in the barren Pacific Islands that could not support vegetables. The military also grew hydroponically during the war in Korea.

Now, over a decade into the 21st century, there is concern over our food supply, our water supply and the diminished availability of land that can be used for agriculture. There will be incredible advances as hydroponic gardening continues to be an important consideration in agriculture.

In the 1950's, scientists started seriously experimenting with hydroponic gardening. The 1960's brought the invention of drip irrigation systems and nutrient film technique (NFT). In the 1970s, General Hydroponics (GH), the largest supplier of specialized chemical nutrients was born.

Participate in the advances of hydroponics in the future. We have the equipment for your hydroponic experiments. http://www.hydroponicadvantage.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paula_Fehringer

Hydroponics Myths & Reality

Though, hydroponics is now an established method of plant cultivation certain misconceptions about it have worked against its wider acceptance among laypeople as well as gardening enthusiasts. Though associations and bodies representing concerned professionals, enthusiasts etc. have sought to dispel these myths, many of these have persisted through the decades and continue to bedevil the hydroponics industry. With the growth of the Internet and the easy availability of specialized information on the subject, however, one can expect much improvement in public perception of this.

Here is a sampling of the more persistent myths, some amusing, basically in ignorance of the subject.

It is quite true that once upon a time, this wasn't quite as simple as it is now. This was especially so with regard to nutrient preparations that had to be mixed meticulously to ensure the nutritional requirements of the plants were met. The easy availability of pre-mixed nutrients that require only to be mixed in the right amounts of water has now simplified matters. Growers need only to add water and use grow lights.

This one probably originates from the association of hydroponics with tubes, troughs, meters, gauges etc. Additionally since much scientific material is available in the form of lab reports, experiments etc. it creates a false impression of complicated lab procedures etc. Actually you don't need to be a scientist, nor do you need to have a lab in the house to grow plants indoors, all you need is interest and dedication.

With the right kind of nutrition that plants get in hydroponics they grow to their fullest genetic potential. They usually grow much faster, mature quicker and give higher yields but they taste just the same as normally grown produce. It is not possible to tell a lettuce grown hydroponically from one grown the normal way only by taste. Taste is basically determined by the nutrient elements plants absorb and as long as they get all the nutrient elements taste is not affected. 12

some fanciful, but all of these are grounded

The chemicals that a plant absorbs when grown in soil are not different from the ones that are used in hydroponics. With the rights amounts of chemicals it uses, it leaves nothing to chance, unlike conventional cultivation in which there is always a chance of under nutrition, nutritional deficiencies or uptake of harmful chemicals like lead that may be present in the soil.

This is all about growing plants in a controlled environment. In the outdoors, growing plants in greenhouses offers a way to control the growth environment and even extend day length. Commercial hydroponics, which requires large areas for commercial scale production is best done in greenhouses. Greenhouse production allows year long growth and also helps control pest damage without the use of pesticides.

The chemicals used in both normal cultivation and hydroponics end up in the plant tissue as beneficial compounds and not as toxic or harmful chemicals.

With grow lights greenhouse production can be extended across seasons for best plant performance.

Taste and flavour have much to do with our first impressions when we first tasted the plant. If the plant gets the all the elements it needs, it will taste great. The rest has much to do with other extraneous factors and subjective experiences. With the precise control over the nutrition that hydroponics offers, hydoponics growers have much better control over the flavour and nutritional value of the produce. 13

more myths...

Power is billed on kilowatt hours, which is 1000 watts for one hour. Though power rates vary from supplier to suppplier, in many areas, a 1000 watt light will run for less than twelve pence per hour. A 250 watt light will run for four hours on 12 pence. High intensity grow lights are exceedingly cost efficient lights as they give much higher illumination per watt of power consumed. High pressure sodium grow lights put out almost 10 times the light that incandescent grow bulbs produce, that is 10 times the efficiency of incandescent bulbs.

Plants adjust their growth cycle in response to the length of light and dark on which they determine the season. During autumn, plants accelerate flower and fruit production to prepare for winter. Grow lights enable control over the light available to plants irrespective of the seasons outside. This makes it is possible to have long, long days in the winter and autumn.

While it is true that looking at a bright object will cause distress and even harm the eyes, and grow lights are no exception in this respect, would be indoor gardeners need not worry overmuch as simple precautions are quite adequate. Indoor gardeners learn quickly not to look directly at the lights, which suffices in most cases.

High intensity garden lights do not give off much light in the ultra-violet range, which is what causes burning of the skin. Plants do not need much light in the ultra-violet spectrum and with good quality grow lights there is no need to worry about getting a tan. Know more about hydroponic gardening Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richa_Parera

By Marcia Price We all grew up in Hydroponics using HID grow lights, even though we know the heat and high cost disadvantages. And, to be honest, the technology of LED Grow Lights years ago was not very good or effective for growing Hydroponics plants. Technology for LED grow lights has improved, and manufacturers have improved the quality and spectrum. So why are so many of us still unhappy with the results, or still afraid to install LEDs as our Hydroponic lighting system? We have all learned how to maintain Hydroponics plants grown under intense HID lights, what to do about the heat output, plant nutrients, and watering cycles. Why should anything change? There are two big differences between HID and LED grow lights for Hydroponic lighting; the heat output and the "viewed" light intensity. There is relatively no heat output from an LED grow light, and the light intensity is based on Hydroponics plant requirements, not what our human eye perceives. Heat from HID grow lights in an indoor grow room affects plant nutrients and watering cycles, just as if your Hydroponics plants were growing outdoors in the hot sun. Take away the heat, and plants do not need as much watering or plant nutrients.

But have you changed your routine after installing LED grow lights? Many customers I have talked to did not, and they lost their plants. When you purchase LED lights, you need to go back to square one using your Hydroponic meters for moisture and plant nutrients strength. You cannot keep the same routine and schedule; you will lose your Hydroponics plants from over-watering or overfeeding. Over-watering will slow root development or cause root rot, stunt plant growth, and cause plant nutrient uptake issues.

Check to see if the soil is drying out before watering again. Use porous grow medium, which will allow more oxygen to reach roots, increase plant metabolism and growth, and will help avoid over-watering problems. Plant nutrients also must be adjusted in order to not over fertilize, which can also be deadly to Hydroponics plants. Start with a smaller amount of plant nutrients, around half of the amount recommended by the manufacturer. Keep a close eye on the growth pattern and colour of your Hydroponics plants and adjust the plant nutrients until the growth rate and colour are normal. It is absolutely a pleasant benefit to save money on water and plant nutrient costs also. 17

Light intensity from an LED grow light is a big difference also. LEDs do not give off a bright light glare like HIDs and electric lights have, which does not mean they are not good for your Hydroponics plants. The spectrum provided for the Hydroponics plants is, again, more like growing your plants outdoors in soil and sun. The plants will grow a little slower, which will take more patience. However, since the spectrum provided by LED lights is more specific to your Hydroponics plants needs, they will absorb the light they require and grow healthier.

Most manufacturing specs show an allowable height of 6' to hang your LED grow lights from your plants. The proper height for maximum benefits when growing tall Hydroponics plants should not exceed around 3'.

The money you save will still be close to 50%, your HID bulbs will last longer, and your Hydroponics plants will receive the spectrum advantages from LED grow lights. There are also some experiments being conducted, with some initial success, with running the LED grow lights for 24 hours a day, and seeing up to 40% more growth. The Hydroponics plants did not seem to be affected without the day/night cycles.

If you keep your plants pruned and cropped, the light intensity will be strong enough to cover the plant canopy from top to bottom for 5' Hydroponics plants, which is what we all strive for. If you feel more comfortable with a transition while you convert from HIDs to LEDs, you can experiment with your Hydroponic lighting until you achieve the exact results you are looking for.

Give LED grow lights a chance. Get to know their quirks and capabilities, just like we had to do with HID grow lights. Change your Hydroponic lighting to LEDs or a combination of both, change your plant maintenance habits, and save that money every month.

Use your HID lights for a few hours each day, then use your LED lights for about 10 hours a day.

With proper installation and plant maintenance, you will become a believer in LED grow lights!

Marcia Price is a specialist in Hydroponic supplies and LED grow lights. Using a LED grow light properly will produce healthy Hydroponics plants and save you up to 80% in electric costs, in addition to the savings realized from bulb replacement, grow ballasts, large light reflectors, plant nutrients and water. Hydroponics and LED lights are the future for gardening and crops. Read more information on Hydroponic lighting and purchase your LED lights at http://www.NaturesHydroponics.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Price

Plant Nutrients By Miles Owens

Have you decided to plant your own garden? Would you like to harvest your own organic produce? Or see your dinner table graced by flowers grown in your indoor garden? Here are some plant nutrient facts that every gardener, farmer, and horticulturist must know.

Plants need 17 essential elements for normal growth. Carbon and oxygen are absorbed from the air, while the other nutrients must be obtained from the soil or growing media. These essential plant nutrients are necessary for growth and survival. There are 13 mineral nutrients that come from the soil and absorbed by the plant's roots. These mineral nutrients are divided into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are used in large quantities by the plants to grow. These macronutrients are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, and Sulphur. There are not always enough of these nutrients in the soil for the plant to grow and be healthy. For those who may garden in grow tents, fertilizers and nutrients are added to the water or growing media to provide the plant with these nutrients. Gardeners and farmers will also use nutrients to supplement plant growth. Macronutrients can be broken into two groups as well. The primary nutrients are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The secondary nutrients are Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur. Each of these elements is very important for healthy plant growth. 20

- What Plants Need to Grow and Thrive

Micronutrients are only needed in very small amounts. Boron, Copper, Iron, Chloride, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Zinc are such elements. These nutrients may not be needed in great quantities, but they play an important role in helping a plant grow and survive. Now that you know the basic science behind (or under) how a plant grows, another important element to nurturing a plant is the soil. Soil must have the proper pH and texture. However, soil is not necessary to grow plants. Soil is a great conduit for water, allows drainage, and houses bacteria and other living organisms. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants that do not require soil, but uses a nutrient solution to suspend the plant. This method allows delivery of the necessary nutrients directly to the plant. Using grow tents and other equipment, hydroponics can be set up indoors or outdoors. Light is another main ingredient in plant development. If you have a hydroponics garden, you will be supplying the plants with the appropriate artificial light. Outdoor gardeners have the sun to provide the lighting. Unlike grow tents, you must choose the optimal place in your yard to grow your garden, as light may be blocked by buildings or trees.

Proper nutrition is as important for plants' healthy growth as it is for humans. Lighting, nutrition, where you choose to have your garden, and what you will be growing - these are what you will be considering when beginning a garden.

If you are using the hydroponics method, and will be growing using a grow tent, there are many different nutrients and supplements to choose from. For fertilizer, you could choose to use fish and seaweed type organic fertilizers, and kelp stimulants. There are ways to encourage roots to absorb more nutrients by using certain fungi and bacteria products.

If you are an outdoor gardener, and worried about stream runoff and other environmental toxins, you would also be interested in using organic fertilizers to grow your plants and crops. Instead of synthesized chemicals, you could use manure, slurry, or worm castings. There is much to choose from.

Miles Owens invites you to visit http://www.greenthumbdepot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Miles_Owens

FORUM Q

I'm getting ready to start my first hydroponics system at home, and I have everything ready except the nutrients. I have looked all over and tried to get help with preparing the water for the plants, but everything I've read is either an ad or completely vague and unhelpful. What I'm getting confused with is whether or not I need just one type of nutrient for the whole cycle, or 3 different kinds for all three stages.

The main nutrients I've been looking at are general hydroponics types, as they are relatively cheap and I've heard that they are quite good, but I'm not sure if I need all 3 (micro, grow, and bloom), and I'm also unsure if the water has to be completely changed for each cycle if I do end up having to use all 3.

How would you expect the root system of a plant grown in a hydroponics system to compare to the root system of a plant? I am trying tomatoes in a DWC system for the first time. In a DWC system, the roots have the capacity to grow and spread in all directions, making for a very dense network of root-strands, provided there is enough air bubbling through the water to keep from starving them.

I'm completely new to hydroponics and I've been researching as much as I can, but it only goes so far, and I know I can definitely use a hand.

It does depend on what are you growing, but as a general rule you will need a multi part nutrient. Basically it works like this for a 3 part formula: Part 1: Grow - this is used during the vegetative growth phase of your plants and is higher in nitrogen (growing the plant stalk and leaves. Part 2: Bloom - This is use during the flowering and or fruiting stage of growth and is higher in Phosphorus and potassium. Part 3: Micro - This is used in all stages and supplies all of the micro nutrients that a plant requires throughout it's life cycle. You will also need to change the water completely during the change from grow to bloom and, depending on the size of your system and length of your grow cycle. 24

TOPICS Q

I'm setting up 4 DWCs and intend to run 2 600W HPS and 4 T5s. I'm looking for advice on how to setup a hydroponic garden that would continually produce food? What would you plant? And when? How long can I get the plants to bloom (tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, various herbs, lettuce, and peppers...)? to maximize yield... Also, what would you do with the light cycle and when do you change the water in DWC? Thanks in advance for any help.

Having recently started growing lettuce hydroponically I have started to get a problem with browning leaf tips. These start at after about 12 days of growth and continue to get worse. You could try reducing the nutrient concentration from the start and see if this helps.

Some plants can be grown for long periods others have a predetermined life. For example you can keep lettuce alive for quite awhile if you continuously prune the plant (harvest) instead of cutting it off completely. Some varity of tomatoes are commercially grown hydroponically and can last for over a year and a half. One thing you can do is take cuttings from your plants and start clones of them. That way you can replace the mother plant with a new young one. Stagger your planting so you have plants of the same type in different life stages.

These are a selection of questions and answers from our forum which you can find here The answers are not representative of our views but merely an individuals opinion given freely, and are not to be taken as fact or definitive in any way. If you would like to give an opinion or solution of your own, or raise a question on a similar or related topic, you can do so here 25

The Indoor Grower's - The process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. - A sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals. - This is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, earth science, and genetics.

- This describes a top-fed Deep Water Culture hydroponic system. Basically, the water is pumped from the reservoir up to the top of the roots (top feeding). The water is released over the plant's roots and then runs back into the reservoir below in a constantly recirculating system. As with traditional Deep Water Culture, there is an airstone in the reservoir to help add oxygen to the water. Both the airstone and the water pump run 24 hours a day. (also known as coco peat or coco) - This is the leftover material after the fibres have been removed from the outermost shell of the coconut, and is a 100% natural grow and flowering medium. It is extremely difficult to over water coir due to its perfect air-to-water ratio, and plant roots thrive in this environment. - This is a hydroponic method of plant production by means of suspending the plant roots in a solution of nutrient-rich, oxygenated water. Bubbleponics is a related method of plant production that involves a top-fed Deep Water Culture system. A more accurate definition for the acronym DWC is Direct Water Culture. Direct Water Culture can be performed in deep or shallow water.

- A controlled system of irrigation where water is provided to the plant drip by drip in precise amounts by a system of pipes and metered valves. Modern equipment with sensor technology may have their irrigation pattern computerized with the amount of water being adjusted depending on the data received from the sensors. - aka "Flood & Drain" is a form of hydroponics that is known for its simplicity, reliability of operation and low initial investment cost. Pots are filled with an inert medium which does not function like soil or contribute nutrition to the plants but which anchors the roots and functions as a temporary reserve of water and solvent mineral nutrients. The hydroponic solution alternately floods the system and is allowed to ebb away.

- aka "Ebb & Flow" is a form of hydroponics that is known for its simplicity, reliability of operation and low initial investment cost. Pots are filled with an inert medium which does not function like soil or contribute nutrition to the plants but which anchors the roots and functions as a temporary reserve of water and solvent mineral nutrients. The hydroponic solution alternately floods the system and is allowed to drain away. - A room of any size where plants are grown under controlled conditions. Plants can be grown with the use of artificial light, sunlight, or a combination of the two. Due to the heat generated by high power lamps, grow rooms will often become excessively hot relative to the temperature range ideal for plant growth, often necessitating the use of a supplemental ventilation fan.

-A lightweight ceramic shell, rounded in shape, with honeycomb core produced by firing natural clay to temperatures of 1100-1200째C in a rotating kiln. With the advantage of light weight, high permeability, high durability and excellent thermal insulating properties, expanded clay is a good 'all round' aggregate for use in an a variety of applications and hydroponics in particular. It is also an environmentally friendly product composed mostly of naturally occurring clay, is not susceptible to chemical attack and has a long life span. 27

The Indoor Grower's

- In lighting terms, a high intensity discharge.

- In terms of lighting, LED stands for Light Emitting Diode

- The science, art, technology and business involved in intensive plant cultivation for human use. It is practiced from the individual level in a garden up to the activities of a multinational corporation. It is very diverse in its activities, incorporating plants for food (fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, culinary herbs) and nonfood crops (flowers, trees and shrubs, hops, grapes, medicinal herbs).

- Plant lighting or grow lights are an artificial light source, generally an electric light, designed to stimulate plant growth by emitting an electromagnetic spectrum appropriate for photosynthesis. Grow lights are used in applications where there is either no naturally occurring light, or where supplemental light is required. Grow lights attempt to provide a type of light spectrum similar tailored to the needs of the plants being cultivated. Outdoor conditions are mimicked with varying colour temperatures and spectral outputs from the grow light, as well as varying the lumen output (intensity) of the lamps. Depending on the type of plant being cultivated, the stage of cultivation (e.g., the germination/vegetative phase or the flowering/fruiting phase), and the photoperiod required by the plants, specific ranges of spectrum, luminous efficacy and colour temperature are desirable for use with specific plants and time periods.

- When plants are grown in a soilless medium. Plant nutrients are distributed via water. - A subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, expanded clay or coconut husk.

- This is an organic soil mixture of crumbly clay, silt and sand. - Metallic element essential in the production of chlorophyll in plants. Magnesium deficiency can stunt development, so is an essential element in hydroponic nutrient solutions. - A chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment. They are used to build and repair tissues, regulate processes and are converted to and used as energy. Most plants ingest nutrients directly from the soil or modified water solutions, either through their roots or from the atmosphere.

- Any chemical preparation used to repel or destroy insects, usually in the form of liquid or powder. - A measure of electricity used per hour; a 1000-watt HID uses one kilowatt in one hour. 28

- This is a hydroponic technique wherein a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as channels. In an ideal system, the depth of the recirculating stream should be very shallow, little more than a film of water, hence the name 'nutrient film'.

- A process used by plants to capture the sun's energy to split off water's hydrogen from oxygen. Hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide (absorbed from air or water) to form glucose and release oxygen. All living cells in turn use fuels derived from glucose and oxidize the hydrogen and carbon to release the sun's energy and reform water and carbon dioxide in the process (cellular respiration).

- This is a form of growing that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, and human sewage sludge. - The egg of a plant found within the calyx. It contains all the female genes and when fertilized, an ovule will grow into a seed.

- A volcanic rock that has been superheated into very lightweight expanded glass pebbles. It is used loose in potting soil mixes to decrease soil density. Perlite has similar properties and uses to vermiculite but, in general, holds more air and less water. - Substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.. Crop protection products in general protect plants from damaging influences such as weeds, diseases or insects. A pesticide is generally a chemical or biological agent that through its effect deters, incapacitates, kills or otherwise discourages pests. 29

The Indoor Grower's

(HPS) - High-pressure sodium lights yield yellow lighting (2200 K) and are often used for the second (or reproductive) phase of the growth. If used for the vegetative phase, plants will usually grow slightly more quickly and tend to be taller and leggier. High-pressure sodium lights enhance fruiting and flowering in plants which use the orange/red spectrum in their reproductive processes, which produces larger harvests of higher quality herbs, vegetables, fruits or flowers.

- A mineral wool and one of the most widely used mediums in hydroponics. An inert substrate suitable for both run to waste and recirculating systems, it is made from molten rock, basalt or 'slag' that is spun into bundles of single filament fibres, and bonded into a medium capable of capillary action, and is, in effect, protected from most common microbiological degradation.

- The large, central root that grows downwards, and from which smaller, lateral roots grow

- A sap-sucking insect of the family Aleyrodidae. A particular pest of the greenhouse and indoor garden, whitefly can be very destructive.

- A mineral that has been superheated until it has expanded into light pebbles. Vermiculite has a natural "wicking" property that can draw water and nutrients in a passive hydroponic system.

- Part of a passive hydroponic system using a wick suspended in the nutrient solution, the nutrients pass up the wick and are absorbed by the medium and roots.

- A concept that argues that it is economically and environmentally viable to cultivate plant or animal life within skyscrapers, or on vertically inclined surfaces. "The Vertical Farm" promotes the mass cultivation of plant and animal life for commercial purposes in tall buildings and skyscrapers using advanced greenhouse technology such as hydroponics and aeroponics.

- The amount of produce obtained from a cropping plant, measured by weight or quantity - A chemical trace element found in soil, and one of various micronutrients typically added to hydroponic solutions to supply essential elements, along with the major nutrient nitrates, sulphates and phosphates.

The Indoor Grower's Directory UK

Blooming Direct Rue des Cabarettes St. Martin, Jersey, JE3 6HT Tel: 01534 857160 www.bloomingdirect.com

Gardening Express Chelmsford Essex, CM1 4UA www.gardeningexpress.co.uk

Seymour Green Hydroponic Centre Unit 4 Fordhouse Rd Ind Est, 2 Steel Drive, Bushbury, Wolverhampton, WV10 9XA Tel: 01902 782 900

Ecotechnics Unit 2K, Old Dalby Business Park LE14 3NJ Tel: 01664 822 281 Eden Project Shop Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall, PL24 2SG www.edenproject.com/shop Even Greener No. 1, Whitehall Riverside Leeds, LS1 4BN Tel: 0845 658 5588 www.evengreener.com

Grow Expo 2012 Unit 7, Park Rd Bus' Cen', Park Rd, Bacup, Lancs, OL13 0BW Tel: 01925 924 082 info@grow-expos.com www.grow-expos.com Indoor Growers Network Enquiries and information info@theindoorgrower.net www.TheIndoorGrower.net

Thompson & Morgan Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3BU www.thompson-morgan.com

Keengardener Ltd 19 Arden Business Centre Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6HW www.keengardener.co.uk

Two Wests & Elliott (UK) Unit 4 Carrwood Rd., Sheepbridge Ind. Est., Chesterfield, S41 9RH www.twowests.co.uk

Focus Aim Fire Ltd 24 Abergele Road, Colwyn Bay, LL29 7PA Tel: 01492 547 118

Odyssey Hydroponics 556 Hagley Road West, Birmingham Tel: 0121 421 3494

Garden Chic Beacon Hill Office Park, Newark Nottinghamshire, NG24 2TN www.gardenchic.co.uk

Original Organics Unit 9 Langlands Business Park, Uffculme, Devon, EX15 3DA www.originalorganics.co.uk

GardenBargains.com Ideal Home House, Newark Road, Peterborough, PE1 5WG www.gardenbargains.com

Plant Me Now Eastcote GC, Hampton Road Eastcote, Solihull, B92 0JJ Tel: 01675 442 551 info@plantmenow.co.uk www.plantmenow.co.uk

Gardening Direct 1st Floor, Nelson House, David Pl., St Helier, Jersey JE2 4TD www.gardeningdirect.co.uk

The Indoor Grower Online magazine enquiries info@theindoorgrower.co.uk www.TheIndoorGrower.co.uk

Riverford Organic Farms Ltd Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0JU Tel: 01803 762059 www.riverford.co.uk

International Green Thumb Depot Tel: (800)-830-6558 contact@greenthumbdepot.com www.greenthumbdepot.com Hydroasis 2643 S.Fairfax Ave Culver City, CA 90232, US Tel: (310) 559-GROW contact@hydroasis.com www.hydroasis.com Natures Hydroponics Willowcreek Circle Sun City, AZ 85373, US Tel: (623) 974-0787 NaturesHydroponics@gmail.com www.natureshydroponics.com

With our range of soft fruit plants you can be picking your own crop next summer and delighting family and friends. Easy to grow and maintain and all can be planted directly into your growing system. Order yours today for depatch during September and October!

A heavy cropping Gooseberry with delicious sweet & juicy berries. These Gooseberries plants produce heavy crops of delicious sweet and juicy berries. They also have excellent disease resistance. Height: 1.5 - 2m - Spread: Approximately 150cm Harvesting June to July Sold As 9cm Pot ready for immediate planting.

Imagine the delight of picking your own delicious home-grown blackberries, fresh from your garden. Easy to grow and look after. The fruits are best eaten from the plant but can be frozen. Height: 1 - 1.5m - Harvesting: July to September Sold As Bare Root. Plants are sold with the roots exposed, rather than in soil.

Delicious home-grown blueberries. Imagine the delight of picking your own blueberries, fresh from your garden. Delicious eaten straight from the bush. Height: 1.2 - 1.5m - Spread: 50-60cm Harvesting June to August Sold As 9cm Pot ready for immediate planting.

Delightful home-grown freshly picked fruit Imagine the delight of picking your own fruit, fresh from your garden. Height: 80 - 120cm - Spread: Approximately 150cm Harvesting June to July Sold As Bare Root. Plants are sold with the roots exposed, rather than in soil.