AUSTRALIA
Issue 8
FREE COPY
EDITION
·
ISSUE 8
Gold Label Substrates Commercial growers worldwide recognise Gold Label as the premium quality substrate and nutrient manufacturer the world has to offer. We guarantee every bag of Gold Label substrate with each batch having been quality checked and sampled before sale. Coco
Buffered coco peat, the finest quality, RHP certified. A stable substrate based on the fine fibres of the coco husk. Mineral as well as organic nutrients can be used with this fully organic, recyclable top quality substrate.
Hydrocorn
Inert clay pebbles (8-16mm) with a unique rough structure for better stability and root development. Developed for horticulture. The porous structure has a high water capacity and is suitable for both ebb/flood and top irrigation systems. Also available in XL 16-25mm.
Distributed exclusively in Australia by Growhard www.growaustralia.com
Hydro
Hydro expanded round clay pebbles have a very solid outer ceramic layer, which limits the uptake of water. They are ideally suited for intense irrigation hydroponic styles of growing. We recommend top watering systems for Hydro.
60/40 Mix
Gold Label Hydrocorn and Coco is an ideal match for high water capacity, lower watering frequency and better rooting. We utilize the 8-16mm Hydrocorn from Gold Label and the purest Gold Label Coco to give to give you the perfect ebb and flood growing media which also works well in any pot based systems.
www.goldlabel.nl
www.biodieselnutrients.com.au
CONTENTS I GARDEN CULTURE
HH I expo 2017
18
20
Watering techniques
HISTORY OF
HYDROPONICS
16
PRODUCT
58
SPOTLIGHT
MEDICAL CANNABIS MEDICINAL
MUSHROOMS IN THIS ISSUE OF GARDEN CULTURE:
8
34
28
FUNGUS GNATS
32 44
7 Foreword
48 5 Cool Finds
8 Product Spotlight
53 Who’s Growing What Where
16 HHI Expo 2017
57 What Grinds My Gears
20 Watering Techniques
58 History of Hydroponics - Part IV
28 A Look at Medicinal Mushrooms
62 CBG Made Easy!
32 State of Play 2017
66 Light Matters - Part IV
34 Your Inevitable Battle with Fungus Gnats
74 Modern Breeding
40 How Does Nature Work? GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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BIO DIESEL - BLOOM BOOSTER A powerful natural bloom stimulant designed to enhance essential oil-production and overall bud and flower size. Bio Diesel puts the Biology back into hydroponics for incredible organic quality and sweeter flavour.
HigH Quality anD Heavy oil yielDs! Enhances essential oil production, taste and flavour
Contains fast acting Fulvic acid for uptake and nutrient transportation
Heavier Flower sets with increased size and quality
Complex sugars deliver Carbs by the truckload!
Made from 100% natural ingredients
Creates more Biology and promotes beneficial microbe populations
Natural forms of phosphorous, Sugars and Amino acids
Heavy oil yielDs WitHout CHeMiCals www.biodieselnutrients.com.au
FOREWORD & CREDITS I GARDEN CULTURE
FOREWORD
li sten Plants do talk. The trick is to listen and try to understand. After the many years of prohibition, it looks like cannabis is finally being heard. And the more we listen, the more we learn about what this plant has to offer; medicine, food, building material, textile, fuel, etc.
With the success of the Hemp, Health & Innovation (HHI) Expo & Symposium earlier this year, organisers are getting ready to spread the word this December in Melbourne. If you are curious or simply want to meet other like-minded people, it is an event not to be missed. In this edition, Mary Minchin, author of CBD Made Easy! introduces CBG, a lesser known cannabinoid that “packs a mean punch.” In Modern Breeding, Dr Kovalchuk explores the history of cannabis genetics and breeding and where it is all headed. We also uncover some of the most common indoor gardening errors, so you don’t have to learn them the hard way. Starting with fundamentals, Evan Folds delves into the shortfalls of conventional “wisdom” in agriculture and looks at how Nature works for solutions. In the aptly titled Your Inevitable Battle With Fungus Gnats, Everest Fernandez explores strategies to help you cope with, and avoid the pesky bugs. Proper watering techniques suited for each growing method, common lighting errors, and much more. The revival of the cannabis plant is truly extraordinary to witness, especially with the varying levels of its acceptance around the World. Considering that we know very little of what this one plant has to offer humanity, it will be truly exciting times when ALL plants will be valued for their full potential. Eric 3
CREDITS
SPECI A L TH A N KS TO: Chris Bond, Dr Igor Kovalchuk, Evan Folds, Everest Fernandez, Jeff Edwards, Mary Minchin, Stephen Brookes, and Theo Tekstra. PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539 E XCU T I V E ED I TO R Celia Sayers celia@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-1539 SEN I O R ED I TO R Tammy Clayton tammy@gardenculturemagazine.com DESIGN Job Hugenholtz job@gardenculturemagazine.com D I G I TA L & SO CI A L M A R K E T I N G CO O R D I N ATO R Serena Sayers serena@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-0062 W EB A N A LYST Nikko Sayers nikko@gardenculturemagazine.com ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com PUBLISHER 325 Media 44 Hyde Rd., Milles Isles Québec, Canada t. +1 (844) GC GROWS info@gardenculturemagazine.com GardenCultureMagazine.com @GardenCulture
@GardenCulture
@GardenCultureMagazine
@Garden_Culture
D I ST R I B U T I O N PA R T N ER S • Growhard Australia
© 325 Media
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from 325 Media Inc.
GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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product spotlights M a s s i ve Bloom Fo r m u lati o n The world’s best flowering additive, Massive Bloom incorporates naturally occurring gibberellic hormones designed to increase internodal spacing, allowing more room for the flower to mature and swell to full potential. Once flower sites have established, the components in Massive Bloom Formulation work aggressively to produce and transport vital fluids and cell building materials to them, creating truly massive stacked flower clusters full of aromatic essential oils. Massive Bloom Formulation couples the naturally occurring gibberellic hormones with the scientifically proven plant steroid triacontanol that increases the rate of photosynthesis and CO2 utilization. Available now. www.whg.net.au
Mammoth Representing the very best value, the Mammoth Ivory tent is an exceptional tent for the price. A best seller with features including 600D, white (non-toxic) lining that’s 8% brighter than mylar, double stitching, 22mm poles, double lined (oversized) inlet and outlet holes, and air-cooled inlets and outlets. Mammoth Ivory will hold up to 70 kg of equipment. Mammoth Tents are the only manufacturer to achieve a Class A result in official flammability properties tests. www.whg.net.au
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Ivory 24 0 L
GROWING PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
Humidity control that adapts and responds to its environment
Preserve your harvest, baked goods, and other edibles with INTEGRA BOOST Humidiccant. The patent-pending technology releases or absorbs moisture, maintaining the relative humidity (RH) at 55% or 62% in a contained environment. The salt-free solution conserves aroma and flavour while keeping the contents fresh by preventing them from drying out or forming mold. Comes with a Replacement Indicator Card for hands-free monitoring, so you will never have to guess when to replace the INTEGRA pack. Tear resistant and spill proof packaging, printed with food-grade ink, and the salt-free solution, are measures to prevent any contamination or alteration of your stored product. Take your herbs to a higher-level. Store with INTEGRA BOOST packs. Available at CLOUDCAVE.COM.AU.
Pro Grow MultiFan Conroller/Balancer State of the art fan speed control, the Pro Grow Multi Fan Controller/Balancer is a one of a kind unit. Control your temperature and humidity via your fan speed to achieve the perfect climate. It can operate all fan types, including both standard AC centrifugal fans and EC digital fans simultaneously from the same unit. Functions include separate day/night temp adjustment, humidity override settings, and separately adjustable minimum fan speeds for both inlet and outlet fans. Get your fans dialed in to perfection, take control of your grow room climate, and grow like a pro. www.whg.net.au
w o r G o r P W 600/750
Up to 24% more output than a single-ended equivalent. The Pro Grow DE HPS Digital Lamps equal or exceed the output of the world’s best DE HPS lamps while offering up-rated components specifically tuned for use with high frequency digital ballasts. The Pro Grow DE 600/750W lamp will run at both 600 and 750W with only a 0.3% variation in PAR and efficiency, and you can boost it all the way to 825W for a total output of over 1450 µmol. www.whg.net.au
mp Double Ended 2K la
VIVA ESPAÑA & TE
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product spotlights 0W Pro Grow 62 M H 10K - UV a mp F i n i sh i n g L
. Revelry Supply Co
No Judgment, Just Good Times
Designed with a medicinal focus, the Pro Grow 620W 10K - UV Finishing Lamp is used only for the last 2-3 weeks of flowering. The unique 10K spectrum includes high amounts of UV between 360-399nm. UV light is now proven to stimulate plant phenylpropanoid pathways and increase specific terpene and essential oil production by up to 26% more than HPS lamps. The Pro Grow 600W MH 10K is a true conversion lamp and is compatible with any HPS 600W ballast. www.whg.net.au
Each REVELRY bag incorporates a custom layered system designed to keep unwanted odours from escaping, and your belongings dry. The outer shell is a rubber-backed nylon, woven for strength and backed with rubber to protect the Dual Carbon Filter layers from water damage while providing an extra layer of odour protection. The soft to the touch cotton lining also helps protect the longevity of the filters. Every bag has rubber coated zippers, genuine leather accents, and metal hardware. REVELRY was created to provide premium accessories that pair with a dynamic lifestyle, to improve both work and play. Visit CLOUDCAV.COM.AU for more info.
s g n i R d e e F w o l Free F The most reliable and affordable method of hydroponic pot irrigation. Specifically designed for high volume flow of hydroponic nutrients, the proprietary 6mm elbow fittings prevent blocking from salt build up. This is achieved thanks to the extra large plastic corner knuckles and oversize internal bore. Suitable for a large range of pots anywhere between 27L to 115L capacity. Available in Medium and Large sizes. www.whg.net.au
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GROWING PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
en’s d r a G & House nt and Amino Treatme r to Roots E xcelura Now Available in a Monster 5L Bottle! House & Garden Nutrients is Humbolt-made with unique powerful Dutch recipes. Amino Treatment is a serious growth enhancing additive that utilises a patented blend of fine-particulate silicon, enzymatic seed extracts (aminos), and a cold-pressed Norwegian sea kelp extract. When used for vegetative growth, it provides larger leaves, thicker stems, and faster foliar development. Recommended for use in the early floral stages to encourage site development, rapid maturity, and efficient energy dispersal. Roots Excelurator uses a secret Dutch recipe of organic growth stimulants to provide incredible root formation and growth. By creating a protective layer around the root hairs, and working in symbiosis with beneficial mycorrhizae and trichoderma, this product boosts roots at an unbelievable rate. House & Garden is now manufactured in their new zero-waste facility in Humboldt, CA using their own patented blending formulas. Their expert team ensures premium quality and consistency for your most valuable crops. Visit House-Garden.com.au to learn more.
® t o P Air-
e c i o h C s ’ t r e p The Ex
In its sixth generation, the Air-Pot system has been continually enhanced to guarantee healthy root development and maximise aeration. Extra oxygen in the substrate leads to healthy bacteria and improved nutrient uptake.Truly unique in its ability to containerise any size plant, the base and wall of the system eliminate root circling by air pruning, encouraging a healthy fibrous mass of roots. Fruit and vegetable growers from around the world, both commercial and competitive, are realising the benefits of the Air-Pot system, with improved lead times and prize-winning results. It is also used by horticultural Institutions across the globe for work in research and conservation. Toughly constructed from recycled plastic, Air-Pot containers can last up to ten years or more. Find out more at LuxCuttings.com.au.
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A & TEMPERAMENT
GROWING PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
Adjust-A-Wings Helion DE
Lamp Holder Introducing the latest Hellion DE lamp holder from Adjust-A-Wings. Considerable improvements made on Version 2 offer better ease of use, including a plug-in power cord at the lamp holder base allowing easy shade removing and re-fitting without pulling the entire cable from the ballast. Spring clips are now included for each lamp end fitting so that the DE lamps do not fall out when fitting overhead. Revised shaping now allows perfect fitment to both medium and large Adjust-A-Wings models. The best just got better. In stock now. www.whg.net.au
Leds x u nd L a t s e t
la ful The r e w po most ROW
G LE D T L IGH
LEDs have finally come of age with the development of COB (Chip On Board) 3x 64W diodes technology. Lux Cuttings is proud to introduce LUX LED Grow Lights, available in 100W, 400W, and 900W. Summer is around the corner and it’s heating up. Substitute your HPS or mix the light spectrums and witness an improved oil and flower production. Get yours LuxCuttings.com.au.
CCH20 4 Pot Solo pro Current Culture H2O is proudly designed and manufactured in Fresno, California. Their marketleading DWC and undercurrent systems allow growers to drastically reduce vegetative growth times! They’ve perfected the CCH2O 4 Pot Solo Pro for rapid growth and incredible ease of use! It features a patented lid design with ergonomic access, aeration, and drainage. Using 4 pots in a single Solo Pro unit allows for rapid turnover of crops, or can provide a perfect standalone vegetative unit for CCH2O UnderCurrent systems! Now available at all leading Australian hydroponic retailers.
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GROWING PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
Hortivision mp 3 15 C M H L a Lamp A Horticultural rd ers Ideal for All Ga en
Adjust-A-Wings
s e d a h S r e g n e v A
Engineered for powerful production, the 315W CMH lamp uses a proven formulation of arc-tube gases to output a consistently >90% CRI (Colour Rendering Index). This ensures powerful PAR output and incredible lamp longevity! These are the most popular lamp for efficient and productive farmers, both in the hobby and commercial market. Hortivision lamps operate best when used with our powerhouse 315W digital ballast. www.whg.net.au
WHG.net now stocks the new Adjust-A-Wing Avenger Shades. Their astonishing 97% reflective PVD glasscoated aluminium surface virtually guarantees that none of your light goes to waste and last up to 5 years before replacement is necessary. The dual layers of Magnesium Fluoride and Titanium Oxide form a product so reflective it’s used in satellite optics. It is the highest reflector of UV light known to man and returns a minimum of 6% more UV light than any shade in the industry. A must have for the medicinal gardener and connoisseurs alike. Adjust-AWings Avenger Reflector now comes complete with an integrated heat shield for much improved light and heat distribution! In stock now. www.whg.net.au
s t i k g o r c s P Available as portables, 2x4s, 4x4s, Smart Kits, and scrog screens only for DIY scroggers, all P SCROG Kits are adjustable. The ScrOG (screen of green) kits allow growers to train plants based on their individual needs regardless of strain, maturity level, health status, or any other unique requirement. P SCROG screens are made from transparent polycarbonate resin allowing nearly all light to penetrate and are virtually indestructible. Increase your production and floor space with P SCROG Systems. Order yours at LuxCuttings.com.au.
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e n r u o b l e M 7 201 h t l a e H p m e H e
Unlike Any Event, You’ve Ever Attended
n o i t a v o n n I &
m u i s o p m y s & o xp
Australia’s Largest Cannabis & Hemp Event Hits Melbourne for the First Time Ever www.hhiexpo.com.au After making headline news across the country earlier this year when thousands of Sydneysiders descended upon Rosehill Gardens to attend Australia’s largest experiential hemp and cannabis event, the Hemp, Health & Innovation (HHI) Expo & Symposium is heading to MELBOURNE for the very first time. Featuring the largest ratified hemp crop in the Southern Hemisphere, interactive activities for all ages, over 80 exhibitors from around the globe, and the 2017 Australian Cannabis & Hemp Symposium – HHI is Melbourne’s opportunity to taste, touch, feel, and experience it all; in a safe, family-friendly environment.
HHI Expo & Symposium Saturday Dec 2 and Sunday Dec 3 @ Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre • •
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Saturday 2 Dec 2017- 9.00am - 6.00pm Sunday 3 Dec 2017 - 9.30am - 3.30pm
HEMP HEALTH & INNOVATION
HHI expo Tastes Like Hemp! To celebrate the legalization of hemp foods for sale and consumption in Australia beginning November 12, HHI Melbourne will be one of the first opportunities for Australian’s to taste, sample, purchase, and learn how to cook with hemp. Hands-on cooking demonstrations the whole family can enjoy. Experiential and Educational Featuring displays showcasing hemp textiles, art, beauty products, building materials, health products, natural medicinal products, gardening and hydroponic equipment, and more. The HHI Expo also includes an array of family activities including a pictorial walkthrough of the history of Cannabis in Australia, an educational workshop on hemp and how it is processed, plus - the now famous live hemp crop display “On The Grow.” The Symposium The Cannabis & Hemp Symposium brings to Melbourne the world’s leading doctors, academics, research associates, and entrepreneurs, as well as celebrities, activists, patients, and politicians for presentations, conversations, and Q&A sessions around everything medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp. Keep an eye on HHI’s web site for the ever-expanding speaker list. Buy Your Tickets Online and Save HHI Expo is proud to offer free entry to all Australian armed forces veterans. Bring your entire family; free for children under 12 and reduced rates for students and pensioners. For those that want a truly immersive experience, for the first time, HHI will be offering VIP tickets; VIP entrance, access to the exclusive HHI after-party, and a VIP expo bag. Take advantage of the online offers and buy your tickets at HHIexpo.com.au.
Stay Connected Follow Facebook/HHIExpo, Instagram@ hhiexpo and Twitter/hhiexpo for current news about medicinal cannabis in Australia, HHI Expo updates, and special announcements. 17
HHI expo
HEMP HEALTH & INNOVATION
HHI Expo 2017
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ON THE GROW LIVE HEMP CROP
FOOD STANDS
FOOD STANDS
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SYMPOSIUM
ENTRANCE 18
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VEGAN LEATHER
SHORTIES
I GARDEN CULTURE
A new alternative to leather has been found in the natural fiber of pineapple leaves. The totally sustainable material came about while Carmen Hijosa, a leather goods consultant for the World Bank, was investigating ways to improve the leather export industry in the Philippines. But in doing so, she realized that leather is unsustainable, and started looking into possible replacements using local natural fiber resources. The Philippines is the 3rd largest producer of pineapple in the world, and as a result, has a wealth of strong, flexible fiber that is actually problematic crop waste. Working with local weavers, Carmen created a non-woven substrate material with the properties of leather. It is sent to Spain for finishing into a certified vegan fabric known as Pinatex, perfect for furniture upholstery, footwear, bags, and accessories. This didn’t come about quickly. The research and development process took 12 years, and is the work of a joint effort of people in the UK, Spain, and the Philippines. Pinatex isn’t just better for the country’s ecology, it creates new income streams for farming communities. Nothing like finding cash in your garbage! Learn more: www.ananas-anam.com
the M I LK MYTH Just one more side effect of supersizing and monoculture… lactose intolerance. It’s not from human evolution, but the cow’s. An A1 beta-casein protein prominent in Holsteins tailor-bred for super high milk production of low fat milk to be precise. Until market demand shifted to low fat milk a few decades ago, more dairies raised normal cows. And far fewer people suffered from lactose. Almost all mainstream dairies raise 100% Holstein herds. Meanwhile humans, goats, and normal cows carry the A2 beta-casein protein. This rogue protein from modern breeding was discovered in New Zealand, founding the brand, a2 Milk. It’s available in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US, and China. Many lactose sufferers have no problem with milk from A2 cows. No local source for a2 brand milk? Look for small dairies raising Jersey, Guernsey - anything but Holsteins. There’s a good chance milk from such herds won’t make people sick.
Sources: • www.bit.ly/A2-milk • www.bit.ly/wrong-milk • www.bit.ly/breed-shift • www.bit.ly/a2-brand 19
BY STEPHEN BROOKES, NPK TECHNOLOGY BY EVAN FOLDS
Watering Technique Errors
The universal solvent and errors of misapplication
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it”. Lao Tzu
20
WATERING TECHNIQUE I GARDEN CULTURE
Water (H2O), the universal solvent, 2 molecules of hydrogen and 1 of oxygen, is the life-force that drives our planet, and so amazing, that entire books have been written on it.The simple fact that water acts differently to almost any other substance (density decreases when it freezes), has allowed life on earth to flourish. If this were the other way around and ice sank, it would be a very different world, possibly uninhabitable!
Sometimes, we need to go back to basics and... look at our water
So many times, as hydroponicists, horticulturists, or botanists, we look too far into a problem and try many exotic methods of figuring out why our plants are reacting in a certain way. We over scrutinise the nutrients, lighting, environment, and any other area that can influence plant growth. Sometimes, we need to go back to basics and look at what seems too easy to have been missed, we need to look at our water. So simple and abundant, we can often overlook one of the most important molecules in the universe. So we will follow in NASA’s footsteps and follow the water…
Before we get into common watering mistakes, we’ll look at the quality of water, and the errors that can be made in not understanding how to manage area-specific water.
to bring the pH down to an acceptable point (5.5 - 6.5), so using a nitric acid pH down in vegetative growth, and a phosphoric acid pH down in flower can help with plant growth at different times of it’s life cycle.
pH
The pH of water needs to be between 5.5 and 6.5 for efficient absorption of nutrients. In hydroponics it’s best between 5.5-6.0, coco prefers 5.8-6.3, and soil likes 6.0-6.5. Common errors with pH include growers being too strict with a specific pH number, and adding large quantities of pH up or pH down. This can lock out other nutrients and cause deficiencies, while in reality, it’s good to let the pH swing a little between acceptable values, so that the full spectrum of nutrients have the opportunity for complete uptake.
Hard/Soft Water Whether you have have hard or soft water is easy to find with a quick Google search of your locale. If you live in an area where the water can come from one source or another, it’s important to monitor and use the appropriate nutrient, designed either to balance the calcium and the magnesium that makes water hard, or the lack of it, which makes water soft. Very hard water areas would benefit from using a reverse osmosis filter to remove some of the minerals in the water, therefore softening it. Very soft water area growers can benefit from adding a small amount of cal-mag nutrient, which will help buffer the nutrient solution and prevent big pH swings. Lastly, if in a hard water area, the extra buffering from calcium and magnesium can mean it takes a lot of acid
getting the watering technique just right is essential for a healthy crop
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It is impossible to ‘overwater’ a plant. It is however, entirely possible to run so much water through a plant medium, that it pushes all of the pockets of air (oxygen) out and suffocates the roots of the plant.
Over/Under Watering Possibly, the most common mistake that any grower can and will make. Firstly, I don’t like the term ‘overwatering’, maybe it’s being a little pedantic, but it’s impossible to ‘overwater’ a plant. It is however, entirely possible to run so much water through a plant medium, that it pushes all of the pockets of air (oxygen) out and suffocates the roots of the plant. This, is the number one mistake when cultivating plants, and if allowed to continue, can cause a succession of deficiencies and plant abnormalities. In the most severe of cases, it creates a breeding ground for pathogens, and the root zone becomes an anaerobic playground for Pythium and other root disease monsters.
Pythium in grass
Underwatering can just as easily lead to plant wilt and death as overwatering can, however, I have seen many horrific looking plants come back from the brink when given a healthy dose of H2O. Underwatering is essentially a lack of commitment from the grower, through laziness or mismanagement. There are so many options available today, such as automatic feeders, gravity fed systems, and timers, that there is no excuse for any plant to lack water to the point of wilt. To hit home the point of underwatering, the plant will close its stomata during periods of drought, and essentially stop all processes to conserve what little water it has left. Your plant is in suspended animation until you water it, or it dies!
Water Temperatures An easy mistake to make, is thinking that water temperatures really don’t matter that much. Get the water out of the tap, add nutrients, check EC, check pH, 22
WATERING TECHNIQUE I GARDEN CULTURE
Chill out with the pressure hose approach, and lightly drizzle the media from the outside inwards.
and feed. A few days or weeks later, the way. Bottom feeding, usually when the it’s good grower is left wondering why they’ve plant has an established set of roots, to let the got deficiencies or root problems. allows the roots and the media to wick the When too warm, the amount of water upwards through the pot, using the pH swing a oxygen decreases dramatically, creating amount of water that each individual plant little between a breeding zone for anaerobic bacteria, requires, rather than a one-dose-fits-all acceptable such as Pythium. If too cold, the approach that can be the downfall of many values plant is unable to take up nutrients a top feeder. efficiently, specifically phosphorus. The ‘Goldilocks’ temperature for water is Top feeding when a plant is young and lacks 18°C or 64°F. At these temperatures, an established set of roots is best practise. the water is cool enough to hold sufficient oxygen, but A common mistake when top feeding is to drench the pot warm enough to allow good uptake of all nutrients. Keeping with a lot of water, which over time can compress the media, an eye on water temperatures can pretty much prevent pushing the air pockets out of the pot. You’ll know if you’re root rot and other rhizosphere pathogens. doing this, because one day you will think someone has stolen 2-3 inches of media out of all of your pots. They haven’t, you’ve just been a little overzealous with the top feeding. Chill Oxygenation out with the pressure hose approach, and lightly drizzle the The error of many a grower is not fully understanding media from the outside inwards. the importance of oxygenation at the root zone. Whilst knowing that the roots require an oxygen rich (aerobic) A second mistake that top feeders make, is watering with environment, many growers will still saturate the media with just enough to saturate the media and the roots. Over time, water (overwatering), and forget a plant’s basic physiology this will lead to an accumulation of nutrient salts, and can needs. Therefore, getting the watering technique just right throw your EC/PPM/Cf readings way off, leading to nutrient is essential for a healthy crop, and to do so, you need to burn. Always make sure that with each new watering, there is understand the system that you use, whether that is simple sufficient water being put through each pot, so that it ‘flushes’ hand feeding, or a sophisticated deep water culture system. out excess salts from previous irrigations. Lastly, it’s always good practise to flush with plain water, at least 3-4 times per cycle, to remove the accumulation of salts that occur, Hand Watering especially in warmer environments. The most basic watering technique used throughout the world by millions of gardeners, and still one of the most Bottom feeding, in my opinion, is better for your plants, and effective when done correctly. Two types of hand feeding easiest to implement in a smaller garden. Bottom feeding into exist in the hydroponics industry - top feeding and bottom individual saucers is very exact, but most people will bottom feeding. Top feeding allows the water to soak the top of feed into a deep tray containing a few plants. The main mistake the media and drain down, irrigating the roots along the when using this method is to leave excess water in the saucers GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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WATERING TECHNIQUE I GARDEN CULTURE
or trays, putting the root zone into anaerobic conditions. When done correctly, the media will absorb what it can to keep the rootball moist, with any excess siphoned off for the next irrigation, or disposed of. After a while, you should know roughly what the plants are drinking, allowing for accurate amounts of water, leaving no waste, and nothing for the pots to stagnate in.
Pebbles will require more frequent irrigation (low water holding capacity) compared to a pebble/coco mix, which will require less frequent irrigation (higher water holding capacity). The second part to consider is the current stage of plant growth, as young plants need less frequent irrigations compared to mature plants. Third, we have our environment to take into account. During early vegetative growth, the temperatures should be lower than in flowering, and the
photo creit: http://www.homehydrosystems.com/
Flood and Drain (Ebb and Flow) Moving from hand watering to a system can make your life a dream, or a nightmare, depending on how it is approached. Typically, growers will move from hand feeding to a flood and drain system for ease of use, and potentially healthier, more productive plants. The most common mistake made in flood and drain systems is to think the system will do all the work, while the grower sits back and relaxes… Mistake
A homemade Ebb and Flow System number 1! It can take some time to configure a flood and drain system correctly, but the time spent here will pay dividends over the coming months. Firstly, you need to consider the media that will support your plants. Two common choices are clay pebbles and a pebble/coco mix, typically 60/40. From here you need to decide on irrigation frequency, irrigation height, and irrigating time.
Pebbles will require more frequent irrigation humidity should be higher, therefore transpiration levels are relatively low, and the plant requires less watering cycles. Mid to peak flowering, temperatures are higher, and humidity tends to drop, which increases the transpiration rate, and means that watering frequencies also need to increase. There are no absolutes when it comes to irrigation frequency. What works for you with a particular plant and environment may not work for somebody else, so start with 2-3 irrigations a day* in pebbles, and 1-2 irrigations a day in pebble/coco mixes for young plants. Adjust as required for the environment, and keep a record of irrigation frequency for later adjustments and future growing. Plants showing signs of growth, and root systems becoming established are good indicators to increase the irrigation frequency. *A “ day” being when the lights are on, whether this is 24 hours, 18 hours, or 12 hours.
Irrigation Height and Duration Irrigation Frequency Common errors in flood and drain systems include: • Increasing or decreasing irrigation frequency, because your calendar says it’s been 2 weeks since you last increased the cycle, and it’s now time… • Not changing the irrigation frequency at all throughout the grow/bloom cycle. • Your plants are showing signs of stress, so therefore you water them more frequently without doing a proper diagnosis. • Watering often increases yield and size, so you water during the night, and too frequently through the day. Avoid these common grower mistakes by making sure you follow proper irrigation techniques. It will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
A common mistake with irrigation height is not making sure the pots are on an even surface. Having some pots higher or lower than others results in different flood heights, overfilling some pots and under-filling others. Make sure your floor is level, this can be done easily by filling the pots by initiating a flood cycle. While checking the flood height, it’s good practice to time the cycle, to avoid these mistakes of not allowing all the pots to properly fill during the flood, or leaving the water in the flooded state for too long. If the floor is uneven, it’s probably worth investing in trays that will raise the pots up off the floor, tilting them slightly
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WATERING TECHNIQUE I GARDEN CULTURE
DWC - Deep Water Culture to improve draining. These are then much easier to manipulate, and ensure all pots are the same height. Flood height should reach roughly two thirds of the way up the pot. Less and you risk not keeping all the roots moist, too much and you may keep media, such as coco, wet for too long. A good irrigation duration for pebbles would be a couple of minutes before draining. For pebble/coco mixes, once flooded to the correct level, it needs to drain immediately to prevent diseases, such as root rot, from a lack of oxygen. For a healthy, productive plant in a flood and drain system, you need to apply a hand feeding mentality of daily checks and investigation to the system. Only then will you see the improvements flood and drain systems have to offer.
NFT - Nutrient Film Technique
phoot credit: https://blog.1000bulbs.com
Common mistakes when watering or irrigating an NFT system include not using any spreader mat on the tray to help evenly distribute the flow of water. A spreader mat will ensure the water forms an even layer, and if allowed to drape over the edge, will remove any trickling effect. Stealth is wealth in this instance.
There are two common mistakes in DWC, and unfortunately, not addressing either one of these will seriously hinder your plant’s growth. The first is using water that’s too cold, or too warm. The second is not oxygenating the water adequately enough. If the roots sit in water that’s too cold (below 15°C/59°F), it will not take up nutrients. If they are in water that’s too warm (above 22°C/71°F), the water cannot hold enough oxygen. The golden point is at 18°C or 64°F. At this temperature, we achieve a good level of dissolved oxygen and nutrient uptake. For good oxygen levels, simply moving the water around is not sufficient for increasing dissolved oxygen in the water. To do this, the surface tension of the water must be constantly broken to allow the oxygen to dissolve in. This can be done with air stones, air curtains, or a pump that pushes water to the surface and breaks the surface tension. As you’ll notice with DWC, it is impossible to ‘overwater’ as the roots are constantly submerged in water. The term overwater technically means that the roots do not have access to enough oxygen (the water has displaced the oxygen). You will notice that in the systems mentioned above, oxygen is always the critical factor when setting irrigation cycles or flood frequency, and it should be the number one point to keep in mind when irrigating any type of plant - in a system or hand watered. To finish, if a cultivator is attentive, passionate, and open-minded, they will only make these mistakes once before learning from them, and making changes. Nothing can replace a perceptive grower, and that is the number one piece of information to take away from this article. 3
Nutrient Film Technique (without spreader mat) At the beginning, leaving the water pump on 24 hours a day before the roots are properly established can lead to ‘overwatering’ the rock wool. Immature plants do not have the root system to take up water like more mature plants, and so, require reduced irrigation. Either putting the pump on a timer or manually turning the pump on once a day for a couple of minutes to soak the rock wool is good practice at the beginning. The dry period will allow the roots to search, producing a healthier root mass. When the roots and plants have matured (the rock wool is covered in roots), the pump can be left on 24 hours a day. A good amount of water to pump through is roughly 1 litre a minute, but this depends on how many plants are being grown, the size of the channel, and the environment.
“Empty your mind… You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” - Bruce Lee Bio Stephen is the manager for the UK hydroponic shops, NPK Technology. Hydroponics and Science are Stephen’s obsessions, along with mountaineering and reading. Stephen studied a BSc in Outdoor Education, then went on to study his Masters in Public Health Nutrition, which he finished in 2014. In 2017, he embarks on his next level of study, doing a PhD on the effects of cannabinoids in humans. His passion project is the hydroponics podcast he co-hosts, NPK Live. Favourite quote: “Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”
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BY CHRIS BOND
Medicinal Mushrooms The use of mushrooms for their medicinal properties has been known for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Anecdotal evidence of their use can be traced back to almost all human cultures, especially those in Asia and Europe. The deliberate cultivation (as opposed to just foraging) of medicinal fungi can be traced back to at least the 12th century in China. Three of the more common varieties of currently sought after medicinal fungi are the Mikei Red Reishi, Chaga, and Turkey Tail mushrooms.
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MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
I GARDEN CULTURE
THEIR USE CAN BE TRACED BACK TO ALMOST ALL HUMAN CULTURES
Reishi
Chaga
The Reishi mushroom is originally native to coastal areas of China. Note that in the west, we typically defer to the Japanese name for this mushroom, “Reishi.” In China, it is known as “Ling Chih.”
The Chaga mushroom, long used medicinally for its antioxidant properties, is actually a fungal parasite of trees. Its preferred hosts are birch, beech, hornbeam, alder, and chestnut trees. Many folks have probably walked right by it without realizing what they were looking at. It appears as a hardened black, crusty mass on the outer bark of numerous deciduous trees in North America, and other temperate forests, such as those in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, and New Zealand. It can sometimes be confused with a burl.
Of the six different colors that can be found, the red Meiki is the one most commonly foraged and cultivated. This waxy fungus is found in the wild growing on dead, decaying logs and stumps. The Reishi is a polypore fungus. Mushrooms of this type have spores on their undersides as opposed to gills. Many related polypore species are found throughout North America. They are usually smooth, and are often known as “shelf” mushrooms due to their platform-like attachment to trees and stumps. For more than 2,000 years the Chinese have been using this medicinal mushroom to fight off a variety of afflictions including fatigue, insomnia, arthritis, and weakness from numerous causes. Some sources cite it’s healing properties being taken advantage of in China as long ago as 7,000 years. More recently, however, the red Reishi can be found in medicines, compounds, and tinctures that may help individuals with hypertension, and diabetics suffering from both types 1 and 2. The immune-boosting properties of the Mikei Red may also help those with Hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. According to a Cornell University publication, Reishi mushrooms are officially endorsed by the Japanese government as a treatment for various cancers.
Unlike the Reishi, which is nourished by dying wood matter, the Chaga feeds off of living trees. Left unharvested, the Chaga will eventually kill the host tree, over a long period of time. Proper harvesting is actually an act of good earth stewardship, and can allow up to 3 harvests during its life - both the tree and the Chaga fungus continue to live in a symbiotic relationship, providing us with both the environmental benefits of forests and a renewable source of natural medicine. However, excessive removal, whether through greed or lack of knowledge, is destructive, killing both tree and the fungal growth quickly. Chaga, like numerous other mushrooms, medicinal and culinary, can be produced and cultivated in labs and commercial settings, and with the growing demand, may help ensure the long term survival of the promising polypore.
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) medicinal birch fungus
Mikei Red Reishi
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SAFE AND
Hit High PPM’s
EASY
to use
ALL
DISPERSAL CANISTER
boost nutrients intake maximise plant growth
IMPROVE OVERALL PLANT HEALTH
MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
I GARDEN CULTURE
IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN GIVEN FDA APPROVAL IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHEMOTHERAPY TRIALS
Turkey Tail Chaga Mushroom on Birch Tree
If you find that Chaga products are helpful to your health, make sure you source them from a company that obtains them responsibly. And it’s in your best interest to steer clear of Chaga from trees growing along roads. The best health benefits will come from trees living as far from pollution as possible.
Another widely-found fungus, that has also been used in Asian healing for thousands of years, is the Trametes versicolor, commonly known as Turkey Tail. In the UK, however, many refer to it as the Many-zoned Polypore. In the US, it has recently been given FDA approval in conjunction with trials being conducted at Bastyr University in California for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments. The medicinal benefits of this particular fungus are thought to increase the immune system. Chemotherapy, of course, weakens one’s immune system, so the Turkey Tail will be given to try to quantify how patients with advanced prostate and breast cancer fare when the treatments are paired. 3 Sources: www.bit.ly/botany-lecture www.bit.ly/chaga-damage www.bit.ly/cancer-trial
Turkey Tail Mushrooms
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state of
play 2017
Medical
Cannabis
THE EVOLVING AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE On 1 November 2016, Commonwealth Legislation down-scheduled medicinal cannabis products from Schedule 9 (S9) Prohibited Substances to Schedule 8 (S8) Controlled Drug in certain circumstances. However, it is up to the state or territory whether or not the scheduling decision is implemented in their jurisdiction which would enable access for medical professionals to prescribe unregistered cannabis through the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) to appropriate patients. The Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis (Medical Cannabis Council) was appointed June 2017 to provide advice to the Minister for Health in developing best practice and standards for producing, supplying, and distributing medical cannabis products. To legally cultivate or produce medical cannabis in Australia, one must first obtain a medicinal cannabis or cannabis research licence from the Office of Drug Control (ODC). And, before a seed can be sown, the grower must also obtain a medicinal cannabis or cannabis research permit from the ODC. The ODC permit sets out the types of cannabis plants that can be cultivated, the quantities that can be produced, the timeframes in which authorised activities can occur, and the next party in the supply chain. The manufacture of medicinal cannabis products, as well as patient access, are a joint responsibility of the Australian Government and the states and territories. By 23 August 2017, a total of 18 licences have been issued under this scheme: eight medicinal cannabis licences (commercial cultivation and production), five cannabis research licences, and five cannabis manufacture licences. The ODC has another 49 applications under assessment. Learn More About the Process and Follow Developments: • odc.gov.au/australian-advisory-council-medicinal-usecannabis-aacmc • odc.gov.au/medicinal-cannabis • odc.gov.au/medicinal-cannabis-cultivation-and-productionlicences-and-permits • health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/MC16005318-Licences+for+cultivation+of+Medicinal+Cannabis
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State by State New South Wales The first state approved to grow cannabis under license from the federal government, NSW allows authorised doctors to prescribe the drug in accordance with commonwealth legislation and the TGA. Several 5-year trials are ongoing to increase availability over a broader range of illnesses, including the treatment of severe paediatric epilepsy. The NSW Government has funded the world’s largest clinical trial of medicinal cannabis for the prevention of nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. All About Access in NSW: • health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical/Pages/cannabisproducts.aspx • health.nsw.gov.au/cannabis/pages/default.aspx • medicinalcannabis.nsw.gov.au/clinical-trials/ chemotherapy-trial
Victoria The Access to Medicinal Cannabis Act 2016 passed the Victorian Parliament on 12 April 2016, enabling access to medicinal cannabis for specific groups of patients in “exceptional circumstances,” children with “severe intractable epilepsy” being the first for consideration. The Victorian government has also passed a bill that enables the manufacture, supply, and access to medicinal cannabis products, and established the Victorian Medicinal Cannabis Access Scheme. Their horticultural trial for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis has entered its second phase, and the government is confident of being on-track to supply medicinal cannabis for severe paediatric epilepsy in 2017.
MEDICAL CANNABIS I GARDEN CULTURE
More Information for Victoria: • health.vic.gov.au/public-health/drugs-and-poisons/medicinalcannabis • jillhennessy.com.au/media-releases/medicinal-cannabis-onestep-closer-for-victorian-patients • shpa.org.au/news/update-on-medicinal-cannabis
Queensland Doctors can now legally prescribe medical cannabis to patients with certain conditions where conventional treatments available have failed after trying them for a reasonable period, or to patients who have an intolerance to traditional treatment. The Queensland government is also researching the use of medicinal cannabis in severe paediatric epilepsy. Queensland Health is working with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to investigate how Queensland industries can participate in the new Commonwealth licensing scheme. Learn More about QLD and Cannabis: • qld.gov.au/health/conditions/all/medicinal-cannabis/ • health.qld.gov.au/public-health/topics/medicinal-cannabis/ patient-guide-to-accessing-medicinal-cannabis • health.qld.gov.au/public-health/topics/medicinal-cannabis/ clinical-trials
Western Australia
Australia Capital Territory Registered medical professionals can prescribe medicinal cannabis as a schedule 8, ‘controlled’ medicine in the ACT. It has, however, been flagged that producing medicinal cannabis in ACT would not be practical. The University of Canberra is commencing a trial of medicinal cannabis for the treatment of melanoma. More Info for ACT: • health.act.gov.au/public-information/businesses/ pharmaceutical-services/medicinal-cannabis
Tasmania As of September 1, patients have access to medical cannabis through a Controlled Access Scheme (CAS). Introduced by the Tasmanian Liberal Government, the scheme will allow relevant medical specialists to be authorised to prescribe medical cannabis (unregistered cannabinoid products) in limited circumstances where conventional treatment has been unsuccessful. Tasmanian Alkaloids with partner AusCann have announced they are the first to be issued a medicinal cannabis cultivation licence and a research and development licence. Tasmanian Botanics have also been granted a license. However, both applicants are still undergoing some stringent government approvals. Until home-grown cannabis is accessible, imports from Switzerland and Canada will meet Australian demands.
Adhering to the new Commonwealth legislation, WA has authorised approved medical practitioners to prescribe medical cannabis. Only three doctors have gained approval to prescribe cannabinoid-based drugs, and two more have applications being assessed. AusCann received the first licence to grow medical cannabis in WA with approval for a secure outdoor cultivation facility.
Latest on Tasmania: • www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/psbtas/publications/medical_cannabis/ medical_cannabis_controlled_access_scheme • clients3.weblink.com.au/pdf/AC8/01873137.pdf • abc.net.au/news/2017-07-13/tasmania-pathway-to-medicinalcannabis-explained/8702520
WA Follows Commonwealth Legislation: • abc.net.au/news/2017-07-07/families-struggling-to-accessto-medicinal-cannabis/8685712 • auscann.com.au/news/16-medical-cannabis-to-be-grown-inwa.html
A patient living in the Northern Territory must access medicines containing cannabinoids through a Northern Territory doctor authorised under the Special Access or Authorised Prescriber Scheme administered by the TGA.
South Australia South Australian laws allow prescriptions by authorised medical practitioners, dispensed by authorised pharmacists. The South Australian Government is working with medical practitioners and other experts to develop the details of an access scheme to give patients safe and legal access to medicinal cannabis products. SA and Medicinal Cannabis: • sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/ sa+health+internet/heath+topics/health+conditions+preven tion+and+treatment/medicines/medicinal+cannabis
Northern Territory
Learn More about NT: • health.nt.gov.au/professionals/environmental-health/ therapeutic-medicines-containing-cannabinoids-medicinalcannabis The Australian landscape is changing as public awareness grows. Long-held misconceptions are slowly being eradicated with knowledge. Medicinal cannabis has so much to offer; this is just the beginning.
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BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ
Your Inevitable Battle with
Fungus Gnats
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FUNGUS GNATS I GARDEN CULTURE
Fungus gnats are annoying for so many reasons, but perhaps the most vexing of all is that you unwittingly paid for the privilege of introducing them to your indoor garden. Coco coir, for instance, is invariably shipped in compressed blocks from their exotic country of origin and, more often than not, it’s expanded and rehydrated outdoors, completely unprotected from the mixed blessings of mother nature. At certain times of year, that big pile of coco coir languishing outside the manufacturer’s packaging plant, can become ripe for impregnation with thousands of tiny eggs laid by pesky little fungus gnats. Before you can say “infestation,” it’s bagged up, and on its way to your local hydro store.
your unsterilized growing media was the likely vehicle Introduction Now—don’t get me wrong. I love coco coir. The same scenario could be applied to peat-based potting mixes, or the stuff that passes for “soil” at your local purveyor of indoor gardening treats. Some companies claim that they steam sterilize their coco coir or peat (also ridding it of beneficial biology such as Trichoderma), however, it’s rare. So, if you suddenly find gnats flying around your garden, I’d wager that your unsterilized growing media was the likely vehicle. While you digest that bombshell, let’s take a closer look at fungus gnats, and the damage they do. The adult gnats are commonly just two or three millimeters long, although they can grow larger, and look like miniature mosquitos. It’s more likely that you’ll find them crawling around on your plants, pots, trays, and growing media, rather than buzzing around, as they’re very poor fliers. It’s also easy for novice growers to confuse them with winged root aphids, which are better fliers with a rounder, broader body and a long tail.
Fungus gnats (aka Sciarid flies) are usually from two insect families: Mycetophiliadae and Sciaridae.
The adult gnats themselves don’t do any damage. It’s their larva—hatched from tiny eggs laid by female adults in moist growing media—that cause all the issues—especially to young plants.
The larvae primarily feed on organic material, algae, and soil fungus. However, as their numbers grow, (they have a 28-day breeding cycle, and females can lay up to 300 eggs during their lifetime) their appetite broadens to include your plants’ roots and stem tissue. As they gnaw, unseen beneath the surface, roots are subjected to numerous wounds which, in turn, open up a gateway to secondary infections from the likes of Pythium, Phytophthora, and Fusarium. Seedlings and young plants are most vulnerable to this attack, and can even die. Older plants will stop growing, leaves will discolor and wilt, and nutrient and water uptake will slow. All this from one and a half cubic feet of growing media that cost you over twenty bucks?
Don’t Waste Any Time in Declaring War Fungus gnats aren’t just going to go away by themselves. On the contrary, if you don’t act quickly, what starts off as a few pests buzzing up when you shift some pots, or brush up against a plant, will soon turn into a major infestation. The gnats seek moisture and humidity. If you top-feed your plants, then listen up! Constantly wet surface growing media is perfect for the gnats to lay their eggs on. Consider irrigating your pots from below (i.e. ebb and flow), allowing your plants to wick up moisture instead. Whether you have fungus gnat issues or not, it’s always a good idea to allow your growing media to dry out more between waterings.
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FUNGUS GNATS I GARDEN CULTURE
The adult gnats themselves don’t do any damage. It’s their larva.. If you’re growing in stonewool (rockwool) blocks, try using block covers, or cut some squares of plastic sheeting to cover the top of the blocks. Not only will this help to prevent algae forming, it also helps to form a physical barrier between those frisky female gnats and potential egg-laying territory.
Adult female fungus gnat flies can live and lay eggs for between one and three weeks. At temperatures above 77°F (25°C) the complete life cycle from egg to larvae to adult fly takes around three to four weeks.
If you notice the gnats’ numbers growing quickly, try Azamax—a botanical insecticide, miticide, and nematicide. It’s always good to have stuff like this on your shelf. You can use it as a foliar spray while you’re inevitably waiting for your local grow store to order in any beneficial insects. Make up a medium strength solution—one fluid ounce per gallon—and foliar apply immediately. Work fast, wear a respirator mask and gloves, then get the hell out of there. Azamax isn’t available in Europe, so growers there often choose a product called Toppel, which contains Cypermethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid.
Nematodes
Two-Pronged Attack To get rid of fungus gnats, you should target adults and larvae simultaneously. For the adults, go with a hit of foliar sprays, and yellow sticky traps. For the larvae, I recommend nematodes and predatory mites. Some growers also treat their propagation blocks and growing media with mosquito dunks containing Bacillus thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) as both a precautionary and reactive measure. One or two “dunks” per gallon of water. Many growers will water with BTI as part of their potting up routine, especially when using the types of growing media I mentioned earlier. Sticky yellow traps are a really handy monitor for pests. I recommend using them in your garden, whether you’ve seen bugs or not. Odds are a sticky trap will show you a pest before you would’ve seen it yourself. Lay them on top of your pots rather than hanging in the air and don’t forget to peel away the protective wrapper from both sides. I often find that I catch more gnats on the underside than on the top.
Parasitizing nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) are incredibly effective against fungus gnat larvae, and can decimate fungus gnat numbers in days, while causing no harm whatsoever to your plants. The nematodes enter body openings in many types of soil larvae, and use them to breed, killing the larvae in the process. Typically, you have about a week to deploy the nematodes, but they can last much longer if you store them in the fridge. Just keep them sealed, or at least, away from the butter. Ewwww. Fill a watering can with dechlorinated water, add a clump of nematodes, and stir. Apply carefully, and evenly, to the surface of your growing media. I redirect the drain pipe of my ebb and flow table to catch the run-off, so I can re-apply to other plants. They won’t survive long sitting in water, so use it up right away.
Predatory Mites Predatory mites are awesome. The one to ask for is Hypoaspis miles, but note that it has recently been reclassified as: Stratiolaelaps scimitus. Whatever you prefer
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credit: farm3
FUNGUS GNATS I GARDEN CULTURE
Predatory mites are awesome Whatever you prefer to call it, these mites are amazing for the indoor gardener. They not only target fungus gnat larvae, but also springtails, thrips pupae, and other small harmful soil insects. Tactical Top Dressing to call it, these mites are amazing for the indoor gardener. They not only target fungus gnat larvae, but also springtails, thrips pupae, and other small harmful soil insects. They will reside around the upper surface of the growing media, and will ferociously eat fungus gnat larvae lurking in soil, peat, coco coir, and also clay balls and rockwool.
My best advice is to go buy yourself a tub of these mites today, and release them into your garden, whether you have seen any pests or not. They can last up to 70 days without food, so why not just let them hang out in your grow room on the off-chance? Usually they come packaged in sachets or tubes of peat and vermiculite. A 34-ounce container of Stratiolaelaps scimitus retails for around forty dollars, and can treat between 100-200 three gallon pots, so it’s not going to break the bank. Sprinkle it on the surface of your growing media, and you’re done.
Top Tip: Before distributing the mites into your garden, roll the tube back and forth a few times, and leave it on its side for ten minutes. This will create a more uniform spread of Stratiolaelaps scimitus mites within the peat-vermiculite mix before dispersal. If stored upright for too long, all the mites will try to make their way to the surface of the mix, which will lead to the first few applications getting all the goodies.
If you can’t get hold of predatory mites, then try a top dressing with diatomaceous earth, Growstone Gnat Nix, or Gnat Block by Flying Skull. Diatomaceous earth is fine for us to handle, but to a newly born gnat it’s like crawling over razor wire. Always wear a respirator when handling it though, as you don’t want to inhale the dust. It’s only really effective when dry, so try not to get it wet. Once again, flooding from the bottom is the preferred method of feeding. Some growers use neem cake in their soil mix, or neem seed meal as both a soil enricher and a preventative measure against fungus gnats. If you’re growing in NFT gro-tanks, then be aware that capillary matting is also a favorite for fungus gnats so be sure to secure the tank covers well to avoid gaps. Finally, don’t forget to secure your air inputs with intake filters or bug screens, and always keep your grow room clean and tidy! (Sorry if I sound like your mom, only cooler.) If you’ve been gardening outdoors, take a shower, and change your clothes and footwear before entering your indoor garden. A few extra minutes, and a little extra vigilance as part of your garden routine, can save you months of frustration further down the line.
Check out Everest’s personal battle with Fungus Gnats by visiting his rather awesome, super fast-paced YouTube channel: Just4Growers — all your growing questions answered! 3 www.youtube.com/user/Just4Growers/
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BY EVAN FOLDS BY EVAN FOLDS
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NATURE I GARDEN CULTURE
How does Nature work? It is an overarching question that has a surprisingly simple answer Mother Nature is the beginning and the end, she will always win. As the great Viktor Schauberger once told us, “Comprehend and copy Nature.”
“Mother Nature is the beginning and the end, she will always win” We have strayed so far from this critical truth, and it is literally and figuratively crippling us in so many ways. There is no sector of society that makes the point more abundantly clear than in agriculture.
Cast doubts aside and have an experience
Humanity is defined by agriculture. It was not until huntergatherers envisioned and put into action the concept of domestication and planting food crops that we put down roots, and began the experiment in consciousness, and the process of specialization and industrialization that has come to define the modern world. Our intelligence and industry have generated great wealth, but at the same time have taken us further away from Nature than we have ever been. In the modern world, one must have an intention to spend any sort of considerable time in Nature, and know her intimately. In my evaluation, the most important challenge we face in modern times is to consciously re-integrate humanity back into resonance with the natural rhythms that produced us. This work begins within, and in the development of our perspective. And from perspective comes action. The very act of agriculture is the manipulation of the natural environment. Do we consider the soil as a checking account we are free to spend, or a savings account for the future? Do we simply grow plants, or do we focus on growing the soil? These are seminal questions. No doubt, our future success as a species will be defined by the scope and depth of our perspective towards agriculture and natural living systems.
For over 10,000 years, humanity was in synergy with Nature, by default. And in only a short 100 years the Industrial Age and blind consciousness have achieved a seeming dominance over the Earth. Technology and machines are increasingly doing our jobs, pharmaceuticals and supplements are considered adequate replacements to nutrition, and our food is no longer our medicine. We have lost the fundamental precept of supporting Nature, so that she can support us. We have become disconnected. If it is not in the soil, it is not in the plant. If it is not in the plant - it is not in the people. Combine this mantra with the reality that the majority of our food is processed, and travels over 1,500 miles to our plates, and we have gotten to the root of almost every degenerative issue facing society today. The way back is simple. First, we must develop our personal agriculture. Everyone should eat at least one local meatfree meal weekly. As Wendell Berry told us, “Eating is an agricultural act.” And I don’t intend to make a moral statement on meat-eating, but there is no doubt that curbing the intensity of our meat-based diet would have real benefits for the Earth. Second, everyone should grow at least one functional plant. I’m not talking about a houseplant, but something you eat, or use in some way. Whether it is a pepper plant to garnish your salad, or growing your favorite medicinal herb, everyone needs a direct growing experience. This simple pleasure has proven to change and enhance many lives.
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NATURE I GARDEN CULTURE
agriculture is the manipulation of the natural environment
In fact, we should start a movement that says all schools must require students to raise a plant that they eat on their own as part of the curriculum. You heard it here first, call it “Personal Agriculture 101.” When we have children who don’t know ketchup and French fries come from tomatoes and potatoes - there is a lot of work to do.
The compost pile is the gut of the landscape
Finally, and maybe most importantly, we must broaden our reverence and perspective towards Nature herself. I work as a consultant offering Fertility Management Services in all sectors of agriculture from acreage farmers to landscaping companies, and it is alarming how many professionals are completely unaware of the damage they are doing to things they are actually trying to help. In my experience working with growers, the most important service that I provide is offering a deeper perspective towards the forces of life, and how living systems actually work. This could be as simple as acknowledging the benefits of using compost tea in a hydroponic system, or it could be something more profound, such as actually coming to terms with the idea that there is more to life than the sum of our parts. There is a book called Secrets of the Soil: New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet that brought all of this to clarity for me almost fifteen years ago. It proposes that we must go beyond the material, and even “organic,” to methods of agriculture that incorporate spiritual science, and are truly regenerative. Through pondering, experimenting, and experiencing this approach to agriculture, I developed a consulting platform
called BioEnergetic Agriculture, or the recognition that life lives on physical, mineral, biological, and energetic levels. Here’s how it works.
The physicality of the soil is obvious. Think soil structure, soil horizons, and plants themselves. There are things you can do to encourage good soil structure, but the plant growth and physical structure of soil will normally move in the right direction given proper mineral, biological, and energetic methods and consideration. The mineral capacity of soil deals with fertilization and base saturation balance. In agriculture, and even in the garden at home, too much focus is put on NPK without consideration for trace elements, and mineral balance and diversity. Always make sure to use elementally balanced and diverse materials like rock dusts, kelp, or sea minerals in the garden. These materials also make great tools for helping soil microbes make enzymes and other biocatalysts. And when using singular elemental products like Epsom salts (MgS), lime (Ca), superphosphates (P), etc. - make sure to do soil testing to determine if they are actually needed. The health of the soil is much more than the pH number. Check into the work of Dr. William Albrecht. The biological component of BioEnergetic Agriculture is the soil food web that supports plant growth. The importance of diverse soil microbes cannot be overstated. Just consider the significance of plankton in the ocean. While microbes can appear complicated, they self-organize, and don’t really need our help other than to apply them consistently to our gardens, and stay out of the way! GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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NATURE I GARDEN CULTURE
ot in n s i t i f I it is , l i o s e th ant l p e h t not in
They are also much simpler than we have made them out to be. Just like eating gut microbes found in yogurt or probiotics after you get sick and take antibiotics, humus and compost tea inoculate your garden with beneficial soil microbes. The compost pile is the gut of the landscape.
The importance of diverse soil microbes cannot be overstated
And finally, there is the energetic capacity of life, or life force as I like to call it. In fact, life can be deduced down to electrical impulses in the brain. Simply acknowledging this fact provides an opportunity for experience, and a template to work with life force proactively that was not there previously. Many call the idea of life force New Age or woo-woo, but it is actually not a controversial idea to suggest that there is more to life than what is physically here. This is the general belief of most people, we just struggle to come to agreement with what that means. The notion of working with life force on the farm was championed by the “biodynamic methods” introduced by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in his Agriculture Course lectures from 1924. Steiner’s position was that the more comfortable we become with not knowing, the more we know. Far out, right? Steiner developed specific methods and deliberate processes to concentrate the subtle energies of specific
plants and organic materials, so they could be leveraged to regenerate the life force of farms. If you are not familiar with biodynamics and Steiner’s work, open your mind and do a Google search. You’re welcome.
But biodynamics is not a complete farming system. Neither is conventional or organic farming for that matter. They all neglect to combine the principles of soil physicality, mineral balance, microbial diversity, and life force. Think of it this way, conventional farming is plowing and fertilizing. Organic brings in the biological, but biodynamics is the only method that addresses subtle energies, and unfortunately, it does so without addressing soil testing, cover crops, compost tea, etc. The concept of life force can be put into action in many different ways, such as using potentized field sprays, planting by the celestial cycles, activating water with implosion, frequency farming with field broadcasters, and more. Cast doubts aside and have an experience. As I have described it before, conventional farming is drowning, organic farming is treading water, but BioEnergetic Agriculture is swimming where you want to go. I challenge you to look into some of the people mentioned in this article, and spend some time with them. And if you don’t mind, let me know what you learn. Helps me remember. So that’s how Nature works. Now go plant a garden. 3
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GREEN PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
cool
finds 1
PEDALED CLEAN
Introducing the washing machine that works anywhere. The Drumi is a non-electric, no-gas-needed appliance. Take it camping, cut down on public laundry costs, or simply thumb your nose at the grid altogether by pedaling clothes clean. Yirego from Toronto won the James Dyson Award in 2015 for sustainable product design, and got 224% funding on the IndieGoGo campaign. It’s compact, and uses 80% less water than standard washing machines. Currently taking preorders for late 2017 delivery. More info: www.yirego.com.
2
I N STA N T L I G H T ANYWHERE
No sun needed. No batteries. No charging. The power is generated by gravity. Light from dusk to dawn - outdoors, in the house, in a tent... literally anywhere. When the weight reaches the end of its decline, reset it, and illumination is yours.
GravityLight is revolutionary, a one of a kind. Manufactured in Kenya to create industry in a third world country. Gives 20 minutes of light per weight setting. Comes with 2 auxiliary task lights. More info: www.deciwatt.global.
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GREEN PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE
cool
finds 3
M A K E YO U R OW N GAS
Composting is great, but what if you could turn that food waste into cooking fuel? You can with the Home BioGas digester, and produce all natural fertilizer too. Creates 2-4 hours stove biogas (600L/150gal methane), and 15L of liquid fertilizer from 6L/1.5gal of kitchen waste... daily. It processes manure too. Performs best above 20°C (66°F). Add an aquarium heater in cooler conditions (minimum 3°C/37°F). Colder than that? Shut it down for winter - it’s engineered for outdoor use. From www.homebiogas.com.
4
C L E A N E N E RGY O N D E M A N D
Portable, renewable power when you need it.The Yeti 1250 stores enough clean energy to charge mobile devices, run your laptop, power tools,TV, appliances, and more. Recharges via solar, AC, or vehicle batteries. Handles up to 8 30-watt solar panels, but the kit comes with 2, giving you a full solar recharge in 40-80 hours. It’s chainable, has 3 each USB and AC outlets, and 1 Anderson Powerpole (12-volt). Comes with a cart. From GoalZero.com.
5
PE RSO NA L POW E R SYST E M
From the rustic getaway in the sticks to homesteading or that tiny house - knowing how to create your own off grid power system would be very cool. Engineer and veteran tiny house dweller, Chris Haynes put together a complete guide to building a personal power system that fits your needs. Simple enough to be understood by anyone, yet nothing is left out.Available in paperback or Kindle: bit.ly/TinyHouseEng 3
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Good, better, brilliant.
400 W Enhanced
600 W Enhanced
Pro Plus 600 W EL
Introducing our brand new single ended lamp range: the Enhanced 400W and 600W HPS for standard and electronic 240V ballast, and our Pro Plus 600W 400V electronic HPS lamp for pro-line fixtures. Our new single ended lamps are improved. Better glass, better arc tubes, better frame wire construction, higher output and still a great light maintenance define the new lamp series. What’s not to love about these bright lamps? Available from a store near you from January 2018. Gavita, the choice of professionals.
Gavita Horticultural Lighting is distributed by
WHAT’S GROWING ON
s ’ o h W Growing
t a h W Whe
re
1. Newcastle, NSW
Growing Full Circle
Credit: Feedback Organic Recovery/Facebook
Started about 3 years ago with raised beds built from recycled pallet wood, Feedback Organic Recovery grows high quality produce in compost created from organic waste collected around Newcastle. They harvest the urban farm’s fruits and vegetables on their cropping sites at Wallsend and Cardiff every Saturday, and sell them at the Sunday farmers’ market. But there’s a lot more to David Sivyer’s operation than making locally grown food available for Newcastle chefs and residents. They also install pallet wood gardens for people who want to grow their own, and have DIY workshops for those interested in learning how to build their own veggie boxes. Last, but certainly not least, is Feedback’s 1 Hour Urban Farmer program where anyone can unwind and reconnect with the soil for an hour in the gardens helping out with the crops. Making locally grown goodness fit everyone’s needs and interests. Learn more: www.bit.ly/FB-organic-AU
2. East Perth, WA The urban farm on Gladstone Street is Toby Whittington’s project for addressing social and environmental issues. The 400 m2 pocket farm is a Green World Revolution project developed with a focus on reducing food miles and providing employment for the city’s long-term unemployed. Today, the slice of ground between two buildings supplies 30 local high-end eateries with fresh ingredients, and employs people who cannot find a job that starts out as a work-for-dole program. As the farm grows and expands, paid employee selection comes from those within their work program. The nonprofit social enterprise’s customer base has outgrown tiny Gladstone Street Garden, and launched a second urban farm called AGWA Botanical in a liaison with the Art Gallery of Western Australia. There’s a third farm planned for the west end of the city later this year, and 9 people now have sustainable livelihoods as GWR urban farmers.
Credit: Green World Revolution
Cultivating Change
A bespoke harvest grows a whole lot of good. Learn more: www.gwr.org.au GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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WHAT’S GROWING ON
s ’ o h wing at Wr G o WhWhere Credit: Heritage Forest Community Garde
3. Mowbray, TAS
Sprouting Futures Funded by the Tasmanian Community Fund, the Heritage Forest Community Garden offers the increased food security for lower-income residents of Mowbray and Launceston. Opened in 2016, the community garden on City of Launceston land offers plots in raised beds, and a young organic fruit orchard and vineyard. Sitting on City of Launceston land, Youth Futures and the Migrant Resource Centre Northern Tasmania manage the gardens under permaculture practices. Besides making gardening space available to city residents, the community garden also provides opportunities to learn new skills and operates a work-for-dole-program through the Youth Futures nonprofit. It makes opportunities available
to refugees through the Migrant Resource Centre, like the Bhutanese beekeeper whose hives reside near the gardens and generate income through honey sales. Fresh food, community integration, and a brighter future for at risk youths. Learn more: www.bit.ly/heritage-forest
Credit: Freeman Farms/Facebook
Credit: Patrick Frew, Declan Donnelly/Ballymoney.gov.
4. New Plymouth, NZ
Breaking Ground Surrounded by the Taranaki region’s lush farmland, New Plymouth might sound a surprising place for an urban farm, but Freeman Farms came to life in early 2017 on the city’s southern edge. Committed to supplying just picked foods in demand, Kati and Carl Freeman raise crops in their quarteracre urban backyard. The couple aims to fill the growing interest in locally grown, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables in Taranaki. Small plot intensive farming is going well despite their location, but Carl has worked on organic farms in the past, so they knew exactly what was ahead of them. They specialize in artisan lettuce mixes and gourmet harvests, like baby vegetables and heirloom tomatoes. They sell their produce every Sunday at the Huatoki Plaza farmers’ market, and as you can tell from the name, they have future plans to expand cropping space. Newcomers to the Taranaki Farmers Market, but locals eagerly await the latest offering. Learn more: www.bit.ly/Freeman-Farms 3
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OPINION PIECE BY: THEO TEKSTRA, GAVITA INTERNATIONAL B.V.
OPINION PIECES
You know what grinds my gears?
About 15 years ago, I had a blog on Blogspot. It was new and exciting and easy to do. I soon abandoned it when it became fashionable, with blogs about, well, anything actually. Everyone is an “author” nowadays. I have seen people call themselves author because they have a blog; a publicist even, because they publish rants on Facebook! User-created content may be interesting, it is also often hopelessly incorrect, for the most part. Raving rants, opinions instead of facts, and no journalistic ethics whatsoever. It becomes a bit more serious though or clearly cite the source that instigated the Rav ing r ant s, when you present your blog as an blog in the first place. That’s easy because opinions ins te ad “online magazine,” or a “lifestyle they do not have an editorial review board, of f ac t s, and no brand,” claim it to hold the truth, nor an ethics commission, nor a manager journalis tic e thic s attract advertisers and sponsors, who will fire you instantly. They just have what so ever and make it into a business. With no advertisers and sponsors. editorial oversight, no fact checking, and just satisfying a large reader group’s information bias, it will become a So, sue them, you will say? Waste of money. And you’re commercial tool used by the sponsors and advertisers, assured that other blogs will pick you up as a “big evil” – who must, of course, be kept happy. It will also attract crushing the “independent journalist” to silence them. a certain type of sponsor, lured in with the promise of However, some have come under the scrutiny of the favourable articles and product placement. No distance U.S. watchdog group, Truth in Advertising, for certain between content and advertising. questionable health claims. Some, ranging from a one-man show to a whole team of bloggers, are a complete disgrace, publishing rumours, conspiracy theories, questionable health advice, and so on. Common enemies work well. What is truly astonishing, is that even when confronted with fact, it can work in their favour. Science is often called into question or overlooked. When you are at the top of your game and a leader, everyone will aim at you. Of course, they rarely publish your reaction to these articles,
That’s the world we live in folks. I’m reluctant to use the term “fake media” as it is now adopted by these media themselves describing real media. Unfortunately, people are no longer able to rely on many conventional media outlets and even less on user-created content. Let’s face it; readers rarely check facts themselves, opinions have become the new facts. There are many great blogs out there, that aim to educate and disseminate information not found elsewhere. But, beware of bloggers cultivating “deception.” 3
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BY JEFF EDWARDS
Part
History of
IV
Hydroponics E a r ly E ntr e pr e n eu r ial E f fo r ts In Part III, we learned about exciting developments in the late 1930’s-1940’s when the Japanese invaded, and started using the first hydroponic farm in the South Pacific before World War II.
Editor’s note Late 2016, Jeff Edwards, the author of the series The History of Hydroponics, a seasoned veteran of the hobby hydroponic industry, a hydroponic history enthusiast, and creator of HydroponicGardening.com, passed away. The world lost a great person, someone who helped shape the industry of indoor gardening as we know it. Jeff was like the grand professor of Hydroponics. A historian with an endless drive to educate and motivate people to know more - politics, gender and race equality, environmentalism, food security, and of course, the complex world of cannabis regulations. Jeff always had a passion for our industry’s history. When I asked him if he would be interested in writing one long, or maybe a two part article on the history of hydro, he didn’t hesitate in saying yes. I should have known he could never keep it that short. So far, Garden Culture readers have enjoyed three installments of the History of Hydroponics. And we always looked forward to learning the details unearthed by Jeff. His third installment happened to be too long. So, we chopped it in half, giving us all this last chance to read more. An industry rich with history, this part only brings us to the first “Entrepreneurial Era” of hydro, just skimming the surface of the efforts to help WWII. It is the most complete history ever written on the subject. Sadly, he will not be able to finish his story, himself. Jeff’s teachings live on and, hopefully, someone will carry the torch and finish the “long” article. You will be missed. - Eric Coulombe
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A number of entrepreneurs took up hydroponics early on, as a direct result of Dr. Gericke’s work. The first with any measure of success being Ernest W. Brundin, a University of California graduate of Montebello, California. A well-to-do businessman, Mr. Brundin was taken by the early accounts of Gericke’s work, and independently started his own greenhouse tomato farm, experimenting by himself at producing commercial quantities of soilless grown tomatoes. Once established, his one-half acre was producing 40 tons of tomatoes a year, and he believed he could eventually produce 100 tons to the acre.
He named his new concern The Chemical Culture Company, and was so successful, that by May of 1938 he had already secured contracts to supply the dining cars of eastbound transcontinental trains. Eventually Brundin secured steamship dining contracts, along with shipping them for sale, as far away as New York City.
Brundin can be credited with patenting the first hobby hydroponic system, called the “chemical agriculture system” in 1938.
In early tests, Dr. Gericke had warmed the nutrient solution of his tanks with soil-heating cables, believing at the time that warming the nutrient temperature would increase growth. An earlier attempt at beginning a commercial tomato farm failed due to the prohibitively expensive electricity cost these cables required. Brundin turned to solving this issue through steam, developing and patenting a growing system that connected a hundred growing tanks to a centrally located reservoir. The temperature of the nutrient was raised to 80°F by a steam boiler, before being mechanically pumped back to the growing beds on a timed schedule, after which it would drain back by gravity to the reservoir. Brundin was almost as active as Gericke in promoting hydroponics, and in fact, held a weeklong exposition of his “now world-famous plants” in the downtown location of The May Company, a leading department store in Los Angeles. Brundin can be credited with patenting the first hobby hydroponic system, called the “chemical agriculture system” in 1938. He also developed and patented the first passive hydroculture pots for home use, described as a “double-decked” pot that contained the nutrient solution below a growing pot with a wick that would carry the nutrient solution up to the roots of the plant, and included a built-in solution level indicator. Brundin wasn’t alone, however. Another one hundred tank commercial hydroponicum was established by a former student of Dr. Gericke’s near Sacramento, known as the California Packing Company. Rolland Langley of Mountain View, California, was a pioneer in establishing hydroponics as a teaching tool in schools. Used by thousands of teachers, in 1939 Langley developed a small leak proof hydroponics kit that could be used in
Brundin’s ChemiCulture Tomatoes at the 1939 Worlds Fair Heinz Dome any school window, complete with a “... tank, tray, excelsior, rice hulls, and the plant nutrients.” On the east coast in August of 1938, ads for salesmen to act as distributors for a “... quick selling line of hydroponic chemicals and equipment...” began appearing in many newspapers, placed by the Modern Gardening Sales Company of New York City. In November of 1938, George Zarafonctis, the maître d’ of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Lubbock, Texas, opened a rooftop hydroponicum to supply fresh vegetables to the hotel restaurant. Many other examples of hydroponic entrepreneurship exist, too numerous to list here.
Expositions During 1939, a number of expositions featured exhibits highlighting the new soilless growing techniques, including the San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition, where growing tanks were constructed of glass, so that visitors could see the plant roots growing, the 1939 State Fair of Texas, and other state fairs as well. GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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HYDROPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE
Perhaps the most popular show was in the Heinz Dome at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair, an exhibit that contained displays representative of the company famous for their Heinz 57 ketchup. On display were several tomato plants being grown via “chemi-culture,” with the plants rooted in sand, and individual bottles of nutrient solution fed to the roots via gravity through clear tubes. And while it was admitted that these weren’t the same tomatoes that Heinz currently used in their products, they predicted that crops grown in the future could be done so without soil. So popular was the Heinz exhibit during the first year of the fair, it was greatly expanded for the 1940 season (May-October). The company hired G.B. Van Veghten to grow an expanded selection of both flowers and vegetables for the attendees viewing and educational pleasure.
War! After leaving the University of California to pursue hydroponic research on his own, Dr. Gericke continued to promote his latest research under the auspices of his newly adopted terminology. Any opportunity he could avail himself of to spread the promise of hydroponics, he took advantage of. He also would use this time to complete his book published in 1940, The Complete Guide To Soilless Gardening, the title of which curiously lacked any reference to hydroponics. In the introduction, Gericke hits back at the conclusions of Hoagland and Arnon laid out in Circular 347, saying that “Some scientists who failed to realize the import of natural and field conditions have compared yields from small hydroponic basins with those from basins of fertile soil, and also with those of sand treated with nutrient solutions, using the same number of plants each. In using the same number of plants in the hydroponic basin as in the soil, these experiments have made the mistake of limiting the productive capacity of hydroponics to that of soil. Comparison can be only by growing as great a number of plants
in each case as the fertility of the culture medium can support.” He also emphasizes that hydroponics isn’t yet a precise science, and that much experimentation still needs to be accomplished, while warning against exaggerated claims of the press and shady businessmen. Yet, he goes on to say that the productive powers of hydroponics dwarf those of agriculture. He also foresees other benefits including preserving natural resources, or what he termed the “cycle of conservation.” After America’s entry into the war in late 1941, Gericke continued refining his techniques and in 1943, announced in the January 10th issue of the Oakland Tribune that “Because he believes that he can best serve his country by disseminating information about his agricultural ‘revolution,’ Dr. Gericke has opened to the public his experimental gardens at 1555 Scenic Avenue.” He went on to state that “... his principal concern at present is that every backyard, however small or rocky, is converted to wartime production.” And beginning the following week, every Sunday for the next 3 months, Gericke published detailed information in the Oakland Tribune for the public on just how to carry out this task. Thousands visited his personal gardens as a result, and countless soilless gardens were planted for the war effort. 3 61
BY MARY MINCHIN, AUTHOR OF CBD MADE EASY!
C B Gmade easy! By now, you’d have to be living under
a rock to not have heard of THC and CBD. But the precursor of these amazing
cannabinoids has been quietly lurking in the shadows, and it’s about time we gave her an introduction.
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CBGA IS THE VERY FIRST CANNABINOID THAT A CANNABIS PL ANT PRODUCES
CANNABIDIOL I GARDEN CULTURE
this compound is certainly gaining a medicinal fan base around the world CBGA (Cannabigerolic Acid) is the very first cannabinoid that a cannabis plant produces. It is non-psychoactive in both the raw form (CBGA) and the neutral form (CBG), and is immensely important in the life cycle of the cannabis plant; without CBGA other cannabinoids could not exist! Once CBGA has formed in the plant, natural enzymes (called synthases) break the CBGA down and direct it toward specific pathways to form other cannabinoids. Each synthase is named for the cannabinoid they help create. The THCsynthase creates THCA, (Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid), the CBD-synthase creates CBDA (Cannabidiolic Acid), and the CBC synthase creates CBCA (Cannabichromene Acid). This breakdown results in a low content of CBG in most cannabis strains. Thus CBG and CBGA are considered a ‘minor’ cannabinoid, however, they still work synergistically with the others. To increase the CBGA content, some breeders have been able to manipulate the amount of selected cannabinoids by adjusting the amount of synthase it naturally produces. They have accomplished great results in a few highly sought after phenotypes. Generally, although CBGA may only be found in minute concentrations in the mature plant, her medicinal benefits still pack a mean punch, and this compound is certainly gaining a medicinal fan base around the world.
When a cannabinoid has the letter A after it, it means it is in the raw plant form and has an acid attached. Decarboxylation (heating or smoking, cooking, UV light, etc.) removes a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the acid and we get a neutral form of the compound - the cannabinoids we know and love, including THC and CBD.
How CBG Works in the Body: CBG acts on the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 as a partial agonist. CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain, more specifically, in the basal ganglia and in the limbic system, including the hippocampus. CB2 receptors are predominantly found in the immune system, with the greatest density in the spleen. When cannabinoids activate CB1 or CB2 receptors they change the way the body functions, and CBG is no exception.
Medical Benefits Discovered So Far: Anti-anxiety: CBG has been shown to inhibit the uptake of GABA; a brain chemical that determines how much stimulation a neuron needs to cause a reaction. Inhibiting GABA can decrease anxiety and muscle tension similar to the effects of CBD2. Dem Bones: A study in 2007 found that CBG stimulates bone formation and healing. The results demonstrated that CBG could indirectly stimulate bone marrow stem cells through the CB2 receptor - this is extremely beneficial for arthritis sufferers and those coping with any kind of bone issues.
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CANNABIDIOL I GARDEN CULTURE
CBG was shown to block the receptors that caused colon cancer
Peepers: CBG is thought particularly effective in treating glaucoma because it reduces intraocular pressure (the fluid pressure behind the eye). What is more, CBG offers neuroprotection and vasodilatation properties (dilation of the blood vessels, decreasing blood pressure), that additionally substantiate its therapeutic properties in conservative treatment of glaucoma. Bowel and Bladder Issues: Research finds CBG is one of the more effective cannabinoids to reduce bladder contractions and decreasing the inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. Cancer: According to a study done in 2014, colon carcinogenesis is inhibited by the TRPM8 antagonist cannabigerol - CBG was shown to block the receptors that caused colon cancer. Exciting news, as we already know that CBD, and especially THC, are hugely beneficial in blocking cancer receptors and killing cancer cells. As with all cannabinoids, more research is needed (hopefully soon in the form of clinical human trials) in all areas of cancer to scientifically show the full benefits. Antibacterial: European studies show that CBG is an effective antibacterial agent, making it a natural weapon against antibiotic-resistant strains of microbes. This is great news for those who are just after a general health tonic and to ward off bugs.
Anyone for pizza? CBG also proves effective as an appetite stimulant - probably not as good as THC - but still effective for those who cannot take THC and are suffering from cachexia3, the muscle wasting and severe weight loss seen in late stage cancer and other diseases. As more research is undertaken, we will continue to uncover medicinal benefits of this cannabinoid. Discovering more about the 85 (or more) cannabinoids of the cannabis plant shows us why the whole plant method of treatment for illness or general health is the optimal treatment. Next time I’ll be discussing the third-most prevalent cannabinoid found in cannabis; another lesser-known cannabinoid that also packs a powerful punch‌ CBC.
BIO Mary Minchin is a former pharmaceutical employee & advocate of CBD and its many benefits. She is in her fourth year of her science degree, majoring in biology & chemistry. She recently switched her focus from pharmacy to science to pursue other more meaningful passions. The book CBD Made Easy was written with the purpose of simplifying how CBD works in the human body, listing all the currently known ailments CBD can alleviate, then directly referencing the related medical studies in one short publication. www.cbdmadeeasy.xyz Contact Mary at: cbdmadeeasy@gmail.com
Sources https://www.medicaljane.com/2013/07/19/cbd-gives-birth-to-new-neurons-in-the-brain-2/ https://www.medicaljane.com/2012/12/20/cannabidiol-cbd-medicine-of-the-future/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23415610
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BY THEO TEKSTRA – MARKETING MANAGER, GAVITA INTERNATIONAL B.V.
LIGHT
PART
4
MATTERS
DIM OR BRIGHT: How NOT to Get Your Lights Just Right 66
LIGHT MATTERS I GARDEN CULTURE
In the series “Light Matters”, Theo Tekstra discusses the different aspects to lighting, such as quantity, quality, efficacy, special applications, new developments, and the science behind it. I usually write about how to do things right. Unfortunately, it is sometimes much easier to explain what goes wrong. I chose 5 common errors people make when lighting their plants. It is also the five that often totally grinds my gears. See if you recognize it. Mistake #1 “The 4x4 grid” One of the most common questions we get is about the spacing of our fixtures. “My buddy says that they need to be spaced in a 4x4 grid (120x120 cm), right?” No, that is so wrong in so many ways! Your buddy don’t know shit! First of all, HPS lamps always give you a rectangular throw, never a square. So, the correct way to position them is in rows, where the fixtures are aligned, and to have the distance between the rows much greater than the distance between the fixtures in a row. This way you get the best overlap, penetration, and uniformity. In a square grid the light levels in the overlapping area will become way too high! This can even lead to bleaching of your crop. Here is how a HPS lamp throws its light, seen from the top. Basically the three dimensional light spread is sort of a big donut. It is practically impossible to turn this into a square without some really serious reflector losses. The only way you can get a somewhat square field is to have the lamp vertical, and use a very specific reflector. But, as most of the light will go through your reflector in a vertical position, this leads to much greater reflector losses. The DE lamp is not even suited to run vertical.
those who have absolute control of their climate and CO2 levels, and master growing as professionals. Though in many cases, this is the optimum to get the best return from your space, it is the high end on the lighting scale. Unless you really know what you are doing, don’t go that high. If you are not so sure, you should stick to 700-800 µmol m-2 s-1 average, and you will get much better results (you can always choose to boost 15%). More is not always better. Here is an example of how, in a 10 light room, your lamps should be positioned for an optimal grow room with high light levels. In the previous edition of Garden Culture, I explained how you can optimize your grow space for light, and how to deal with positioning. Read it in UK 13/US 11 on www.bit.ly/GC-mags.
Secondly, a 4’x4’ (120x120cm) is way too small a surface for the output of this fixture. In a room with several fixtures, even in the correct positioning, that would lead to average light levels of over 1300 µmol m-2 s-1, and in most cases that will completely over-saturate your crop in between the lights. Light levels of 1000 µmol m-2 s-1 are already only for
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LIGHT MATTERS I GARDEN CULTURE Mistake# 2 – “Open reflectors are deep reflectors” So, air cooled (AC) reflectors are wider reflectors? Wrong! Open reflectors, like our HR96, are actually much wider reflectors than air cooled reflectors, and bring most of the light outward instead of straight under the lamp. First of all, let’s look at the light spread of air cooled reflectors. Air cooled reflectors are deeper by default, because they have a glass filter installed. This causes refraction and reflection of light through glass: at angles >41 degrees the light reflects back into the reflector, so air cooled reflectors are seldom any wider than 85 degrees. You will need more distance for uniform light levels, as the intensity straight under the light is a lot higher. Open DE reflectors are much wider, and actually bring more light to the sides than straight under the lamp. They are designed to overlap, and through overlap create the best (horizontal and vertical) uniformity and penetration of your crop, as the light comes in at a much lower angle. Remember, the sun is never straight above your plants all the time. The difference in spread can best be illustrated in a polar diagram that shows you the light exit angle from the reflector, from left to right: The first two diagrams show the light angle of 2 popular “deep” reflectors, the third is an open reflector spread.
The best uniformity and intensity of light you get in the centre of the room, because only at the walls you will lose light. We recommend that you use no paths but rolling benches, and keep a perimeter around your crop, for optimal utilization of your light and the best results.
Mistake #3 – “The 1-1 replacement” So, you are a grower, and you are using 1000W single-ended lamps in a large air cooled reflector, and you are thinking about changing to DE fixtures. You have already grown in your current setup for several years, and your room is dialed in just right. However, you want to take it to the next level, and replace your air cooled hoods with open DE reflectors at the same position. Suddenly things go bad. Crops crumble, bleach, you are getting heat problems, and unless you dim your lights, things do not improve at all! WTF super awesome DE? We are going deeper down the rabbit hole now… Let’s look again at the light that reaches your crop. Air cooled singleended fixtures result in lower light output, because of the reflection back into the reflector, and the extra reflector losses you get because of that - the losses by having to go through glass, and the losses because the glass filter is never completely clean. Add the higher output of the double-ended (DE) lamps, plus the fact that users never replace their AC reflector (which reflectivity deteriorates as well over time), and you understand why good DE fixtures output sometimes way more light on average, at the same power use! Keep in mind what you learned about positioning: Replacing lamps that hang in a 4x4 grid can create serious overlap problems, resulting in extremely high light levels.
Open reflectors create light uniformity, horizontally, as well as vertically:
So, replacing old fixtures with DE’s can seriously increase your light levels, up to values that are no longer healthy for your plants. If you are already growing at high light levels, that is a real showstopper. A waste of energy too. Unfortunately, most growers buy 1000W fixtures to replace 1000W fixtures (bigger is better, right?) instead of 600 or 750W fixtures, and then dim them down to 750 to get desirable light levels. That’s actually another common mistake. Running a 1000W lamp at 750W is really not that efficient, and it will have a worse spectrum. Always rightsize your lighting! GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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Mistake #4 – “I’ll just overlap ALWAYS POSITION YOUR lights over my plants”
PLANTS IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM, AS NEAR THE WALLS THE UNIFORMITY AND LIGHT LEVELS WILL BE LESS
Many growers position fixtures straight above their plants so they overlap over the plants, and not in the paths. Let me illustrate that for you by showing the same light plan with the reflectors rotated just above the plant. First, we have the positioning as we recommend, using the same positioning as in the earlier shown example to light our complete room:
First of all, look at the scales compared to the previous diagrams, because they represent different light levels. The highest light levels in this example are >1100 µmol m-2 s-1 (hot spots). That is a dramatic change in high light levels! Though the average light level did not increase much at all, the peaks are a whopping 19% higher, peaking at over 1100 µmol m-2 s-1! And still you see a lot of light getting lost between the tables. In this sample, even with the rotated lamps, at least 10% of the light would still get lost. “No problem”, you’ll say. “I will just use an air cooled reflector. As you explained to me, they have a glass filter, so they should not be as wide, and I can come a lot closer to the crop. That will prevent that high level overlapping light, and light loss.” That may sound logical, but because of that deeper reflector you will need much more distance from that reflector to get good uniformity, or you will have extremely high light level differences. Remember, these calculations were made with the reflector 3.5’ (106 cm) away from the crop!
I am showing you the complete room, and just one side to zoom in on where a table is. You see the room is lit in a very uniform way, the highest light intensity hardly 7% more intense than the average light level, meaning there are no peaks in light, no “hot-spots.” Now, let’s look at what happens if we rotate the reflectors 90 degrees, to overlap the light over our tables at the left and right of the room:
This is the same calculation with a single-ended air cooled reflector, also at 3.5 feet (106 cm) from the plants. For this calculation, we used the best single-ended lamp and AC reflector we could find! First, look at the scale. Every color now represents 200 µmol m-2 s-1 light difference to reflect the much lower uniformity. Average light levels are about 30% higher with DE configuration. You see you will have peaks (hot spots) of more than 50% higher than the average light levels! “Not fair!” I hear you say. “You have them turned the wrong way around. This is not how they should be used.” Ok then, let’s rotate them 90 degrees. However, this is not how most people use them in reality. GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM
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LIGHT MATTERS I GARDEN CULTURE
Indeed, fixtures in line gives a much better result: You see a better uniformity (although still a lot worse than the overlapping open DE’s). This also proves that all horizontal reflectors, even air cooled reflectors, give you a rectangular spread. But look at the average light level, uniformity, and peaks. Using the DE open reflector still results in average 30% more light, and the peaks of the air cooled are still 30% higher than the average light level, with the peaks straight under the lamps. So actually you would get more light on your crop, even using separate tables, by lighting your whole room with DE reflectors. Of course not all DE reflectors are made the same and light spread/uniformity can vary greatly between manufacturers.
Indeed, fixtures in line gives a much better result: You see a better uniformity
Mistake 5 – “Air cooled lamps can hang closer to my plants” Let’s dismiss another fable: “Lights can not come close to the plants, because of all the heat (radiation), so using air cooled hoods lets you come closer to the plant.” Sounds pretty logical, right? The reality, however, is a bit more complicated. AC reflectors output less light, specifically the single-ended fixtures - up to 40% less. They distribute light at a smaller angle (deeper reflector by design), so they concentrate a lot of light straight onto a smaller surface. They give a higher intensity straight under the lamp, and that intensity could even be a lot higher than a DE lamp when you come close to your crop. Indeed, they create less heat on your plants, but at the right light levels you should not have any problem with that anyway! So, they are actually masking the fact that they give less light overall, and at close distances, too high light levels directly under the lamp. In fact, we have seen that an air cooled reflector should be hung a bit higher than an open reflector to get good uniformity, because the air cooled is a deeper reflector. The average light levels, however, because of the air cooled reflector, are lower. The uniformity will never be as good as with the specially designed DE reflectors.
So there you have it. My top 5 mistakes in lighting: • Square positioning • Incorrect intensity and bad uniformity • Too many lamps • Lighting just plants instead of rooms • Your buddy! 3
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By Dr Igor Kovalchuk
Cannabis Breeding History A 2,500-YEAR-OLD STASH OF OVER 1.5 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA PLANTS DISCOVERED IN AN ANCIENT TOMB
Plant breeding is the purposeful manipulation of plant species to produce desired characteristics. Like many other plants known today, the cannabis plant has been deliberately crossbred to produce new varieties. In this article, Dr. Igor Kovalchuk brings to light the evolution of cannabis cultivation and, more importantly, how modern day breeding can help unlock the many properties of this plant. 74
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CANNABIS BREEDING IN THE 20 TH CENTURY WAS LARGELY INFLUENCED BY ANTI-CANNABIS SENTIMENT It is believed that Cannabis grown in North America these days was brought in by settlers, traders, and farmers. Centuries of diligent selection of seeds with superior characteristics, including desired phenotypic appearance, smell, taste, medicinal properties, as well as resistance to pathogens and abiotic stress has resulted in a great variety of Cannabis strains that are adapted to particular environmental conditions.
CONVENTIONAL BREEDING MAY TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION MANY DIFFERENT TRAITS
There is no clear understanding of the origin of Cannabis cultivation, but it is believed that it was gathered and then cultivated in the bed of human civilization somewhere in China, the Mongolian Steppes, or the mountainous Hindu Kush region of Pakistan. It is also not clear when humankind transitioned from gathering Cannabis, approximately 12,000 years ago (Abel, 1980), to actually cultivating it. The first good evidence of Cannabis cultivation comes from research published in 2008 based on a 2,500-year-old stash of over 1.5 pounds of marijuana plants discovered in an ancient tomb in northwest China (Russo et al., 2008).
The analysis of this find showed that it consisted of a processed sample with the morphology, seed size, and color characteristic of cultivated plants, rather than simple gathered ones. There was also a considerable amount of cannabis present (789 g) without any large branches or stalks, suggesting that it was a collection pooled from many plants, rather than a single plant. In addition, the absence of male plant parts implies that Cannabis was separated into male and female plants when collected. Finally, the analysis of alkaloids further confirmed that the flowers were cultivated 2,500 years ago. The level of alkaloids in the sample was very low. The predominant fraction of alkaloids was the CBN – a degradation product of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); almost no THC was found, and this is not surprising, considering its age. Therefore, it is highly likely that the material was derived from a population of plants within which
THC was the dominant cannabinoid (Russo et al., 2008).
By contrast, if the material had been collected from a mix of wild-type Cannabis sativa, it would contain a more balanced level of THC (and then, after degradation, CBN) and CBD (de Meijer et al., 2003). Another curious finding was that the sample did not contain terpenoids, suggesting that “ancient” cannabis material lacked the herbal smell traditionally associated with cannabis. We don’t know much about ancient growers, and can only hypothesize how Cannabis and other plants were bred 2,500 years ago. We can only assume that plants were bred the same way it is done these days, by selecting plants expressing the best specific characteristics, and propagating only those plants. We don’t know whether the growers at that time learned how to cross various plants expressing desired characteristics, but I would be surprised if they did not.
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CANNABIS BREEDING I GARDEN CULTURE
THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS ARE CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN ONLY BE PROPERLY EVALUATED AFTER HARVEST The Evolution of Cannabis Breeding Cannabis breeding in the 20 th century was largely influenced by anti-cannabis sentiment. As a result, cannabis cultivation and cannabis breeding moved from the outdoors to underground. Decades of cultivation in artificial environments has made a substantial impact on the varieties of cannabis that are currently available. The trait selection is very narrow, including flowering time, plant height, alkaloids level (primarily concentrating on THC content and more recently CBD), not to mention the specific look, aroma, and taste. Such concerted effort for uniformity results in a limitation of genetic diversity; other useful characteristics can be lost in such inbred populations, such as resistance to pathogens. If this inbred Cannabis is infected with some previously unknown pathogen, the genetic uniformity could devastate entire populations of specific strains. Concerted efforts will again be required to breed for the resistant strain. Nowadays, breeding requires an understanding of genetics - such things as the presence of two traits, or phenotypes (alleles) for each characteristic, segregation, mono- and dihybrid crosses, Punnett squares, among others. It should be understood that not each characteristic is represented by just one gene/allele pair. A single characteristic, such as plant height, flowering time, or cannabinoids ratio, may be genetically determined by several alleles, making it extremely difficult to follow and to use for successful breeding.
Everyone who wants to breed a new variety needs to answer questions like: • What characteristics are desired in a specific cultivar; • What qualities are present that should be bred out; • What characteristics can be disregarded? Conventional breeding may take into consideration many different traits. Considering that each trait is controlled at least by one gene, and each of these genes has two variants, it becomes very difficult to simultaneously control more than one or two traits. Often, the desired characteristics are not immediately present and meticulous selection is required, selecting parents from hundreds to thousands or even hundreds of thousands of plantlets from various strains, from all over the world. According to Luther Burbank, one must clearly decide what plant they have in mind, and then breed and select only the best plant, the one that is “approaching nearest the ideal, and rejecting all others.”
THESE EARLY TRAITS CAN GIVE SOME CLUES AS TO THE PHENOTYPE OF THE MATURE PLANT
Breeding is done when one desires specific characteristics combined in one plant.
Another significant problem that exists in conventional breeding is the fact that the most important traits, including seed (mostly for hemp) or flower yield and quality are characteristics that can only be properly evaluated after harvest. This presents a problem, since it is impossible to breed the plant with the specific trait when one has harvested it, unless one produced feminized-seeds on select branches, or saved cuttings. Therefore, selection in conventional breeding can only be successful for some basic traits. 77
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IMAGINE HOW MUCH SPACE, TIME, AND EFFORT YOU REQUIRE TO GROW 100,000 PLANTS TO MATURITY?!
These early traits can give some clues as to the phenotype of the mature plant; if such clues are established, it is relatively easy to select plants at the small seedling stage. A basic example is given by Robert Connell Clarke - “particularly tall and thin seedlings might prove to be good parents for pulp or fiber production, while seedlings of short internode length and compound branching may be more suitable for flower production.”
BREEDING BY GENOTYPING IS DIFFERENT FROM CONVENTIONAL BREEDING
The ability to select early is very important, since the number of plants one needs to grow simultaneously to choose from can be significant. Burbank worked with thousands, and sometimes with hundreds of thousands of seedlings, to be able to select the plant exhibiting the trait he needed. Unfortunately, the majority of important traits cannot be selected for until plants are mature, thus requiring to perform crosses first, and maintaining only the progeny of those in which plants with the desired traits have been used.
Advanced Breeding For Modern Day Needs Breeding by genotyping utilizes the knowledge of genetic background of various characteristics. This can be done in different ways, but it requires two components – DNA sequence of various specific cultivars, and details of phenotypic variation in all cultivars. Knowing these two components allows you to perform correlation analysis between variations on the DNA level, and variations in phenotype. Breeding by genotyping is different from conventional breeding since it allows to quickly select the plants to be used for breeding, providing association between known nucleotide polymorphism and a trait. Breeding by genotyping makes it easier, allowing to identify whether the required trait is potentially available in the population of a specific variety.
This is especially important when the desired traits are only measurable in the mature plant – quantity and quality (ratios) of cannabinoids, terpenoids, oil content, fibre characteristics, etc.
Imagine how much space, time, and effort (physical and monetary) you require to grow 100,000 plants to maturity?! Breeding by genotyping allows you to obtain answers much earlier, providing someone has done this research before and established an association between the presence of specific polymorphism (SNP) and a specific trait. This methodology, however, requires significant initial investment. It is not enough to know the DNA sequence of one cultivar, or even five, to understand all possible variations in phenotype. As it is difficult to evaluate the variation in human appearance just by knowing the sequence of DNA of one individual, or one race for that matter, it is similarly difficult to do this in cannabis. Genotyping requires investment in sequencing multiple, diverse varieties, followed by detailed phenotypic characterization. Once paired data on genotype and phenotype exist for many varieties, preferably fifty or more, genomewide association studies (GWAS) can be performed. These are based on a computer algorithm that finds similar patterns in DNA sequence and phenotypes for a specific characteristic, in a specific cultivar. As a next step, the newly identified correlation patterns would be analyzed in an attempt to understand a meaning. For this, one needs to have a knowledge of genes, RNA, and proteins. As the appearance of certain traits, such as
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CANNABIS SEEDS DO NOT REMAIN VIABLE FOREVER
plant height or alkaloids level, are driven by the activity of proteins, it is essential to demonstrate that DNA sequence polymorphism (variations in the sequence found in different cultivars) is actually associated with changes in the expression of certain genes, on the level of RNA and protein. As you can see, the entire process can easily become overwhelming.
THIS KNOWLEDGE WILL GREATLY SPEED UP BREEDING FOR THE MANY APPLICATIONS OF THIS PLANT
Several recent research publications reported sequences of various cultivars, but unfortunately failed to phenotype those cultivars (van Bakel, et al., 2011). Since genotypic and phenotypic diversity of the cultivar with the same name may be very broad (the same strain may be very different if it comes from different breeders), it would be impossible for someone to just phenotype those plants that were sequenced. It would have to be done by the very same groups that published those sequences, providing they have access to the same genetic pool… The work that is currently under way in many R&D companies, such as InPlanta Biotechnology, is extremely important. They genotype and phenotype diverse cannabis varieties and invest in technology required to tackle the complexity of genotyping by sequencing. This knowledge will greatly speed up breeding for the many applications of this plant, be it medicine, fibre, or food. When such knowledge is generated and DNA sequence and associated phenotypes are known, one can decipher a characteristic by amplifying only a specific region. That is, one will be able to predict the phenotype of the plant without growing it to maturity. This is a huge step forward in breeding. Phenotyping is extremely important. We need to come to terms in the understanding of what traits we would like to monitor. Although the level of CBD and THC are important to measure, we need more data on variations in terpenoids profile, seed size and shape, seed yield, oil, and protein content, among the few to mention. Substantial, and perhaps, concerted efforts are needed
for phenotyping, and we have to do so in a unified way, assigning various characteristics numerical values. This is the only way that one can achieve a reliable GWAS.
Robert Clarke writes: “Since Cannabis seeds do not remain viable forever, even under the best storage conditions, seed samples should be replenished every third year. Collections should be planted in conditions as similar as possible to their original niche and allowed to reproduce freely to minimize natural and artificial selection of genes and ensure the preservation of the entire gene pool. Half of the original seed collection should be retained until the viability of further generations is confirmed, and to provide parental material for comparison and back-crossing. Phenotypic data about these subsequent generations should be carefully recorded to aid in understanding the genotypes contained in the collection. Favorable traits of each strain should be characterized and catalogued.” 3
References
- Abel, E.L. (1980) Marihuana: the f irst twelve thousand years. Springer, pp.289 - de Meijer EP, Bagatta M, Carboni A, Crucitti P, Moliterni VM, Ranalli P, Mandolino G. (2003) The inheritance of chemical phenotype in Cannabis sativa L, Genetics, 2003, vol. 163 (pg. 335-346) - Robert Connell Clarke. Cannabis breeding and genetics. Available: http://www.kindgreenbuds.com/marijuana-grow-guide/cannabisbreeding-and-genetics/ - Russo EB, Jiang HE, Li X, Sutton A, Carboni A, del Bianco F, Mandolino G, Potter DJ, Zhao YX, Bera S, Zhang YB, Lü EG, Ferguson DK, Hueber F, Zhao LC, Liu CJ, Wang YF, Li CS. (2008) Phytochemical and genetic analyses of ancient cannabis from Central Asia. J Exp Bot. 59 (15):4171-82. - van Bakel H, Stout JM, Cote AG, Tallon CM, Sharpe AG, Hughes TR, Page JE. (2011) The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa. Genome Biol. 12(10):R102.
BIO Igor Kovalchuk is a Professor and Board of Governors Research Chair in Epigenetics and Plant Biotechnology at the University of Lethbridge. He has a PhD in genetics and an MD with specialization in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has been breeding various strains of medicinal poppy since 2010 and cannabis since 2015.
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