Garden Culture Magazine AU 13 by Garden Culture Magazine

AUSTRALIA EDITION · ISSUE 13 · 2019

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AUSTRALIA 12 Pinnacle Road, Altona North, VIC 3025 +61 3 9282 1988 +61 3 8080 0751 info@domegarden.com.au

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Our additives deserve to be in the spotlights

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CONTENT

URBAN BEEKEEPING

THE LOST ART OF

SEED SAVING

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

72 WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE

LED REVISITED 64

COLOMBIA: FROM WHITE TO GREEN

I N THIS ISSU E OF GA R D E N CU LTU R E :

9 Foreword

49 Who’s Growing What Where

10 Product Spotlights

55 Ask a PhD

16 Urban Beekeeping

56 5 Cool Ways To Help Beat The Heat

24 Book Review

60 Can Mushrooms Save the Bees?

25 Spice up Your Life

64 LED Revisited

26 Living Organic Soil - Digging a Bit Deeper

72 The Lost Art Of Seed Saving

36 Stealth Science Part V

78 Regenerative is the New Sustainable

44 Columbia: From White to Green GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM

FOREWORD

CREDITS

I am super excited about the HHI (Hemp, Health

convinced me to come down to the HHI in Melbourne, my first trip ever to Oz. I was hooked; what a fantastic

ARDENC ULTURE MAGAZI

Australian market, this is the place to be.

PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539

WWW.G

event! If you are interested in hemp and cannabis in the

AUSTR

G WIN GRO OF ART THE

far away from Australia. Last December, a friend

E TUR CUL

Convention Center. I live in Quebec, Canada, very

SPECI A L TH A N KS TO: Albert Mondor, Anne Gibson, Colin Bell, Evan Folds, Gareth Hopcroft & Ben Blandford, Jessica Steinberg, Rich Hamilton, Theo Tekstra, and Tom Forrest. D E N G A R

and Innovation) Expo, October 12-13 at the Brisbane

NE.COM

We are thrilled to announce that Theo Tekstra is writing again for Garden Culture. He will be covering everything LED. Check out LEDs Revisited to see what’s new in this quickly evolving market segment. This edition also features the last instalment of the Stealth Science series by Tom Forrest Plant Hormones: Control of Growth and Development. A major tragedy that affects everyone is the plight of the bee and all pollinating insects. The poisons we use to help grow our food are killing them at alarming rates. Urban Bee Keeping, written by Alber t Mondor, and Rich Hamilton’s Can Mushrooms Save the Bees? will give you a glimpse into their world. Pollinators are amazing creatures that need our help. If you are interested in organic growing, check out the second ar ticle by Gareth Hopcroft and Ben Blandford, Living Organic Soil - Digging a Bit Deeper. In our newest segment, Ask a Ph.D., Colin Bell and the team at Growcentia (makers of Mammoth P) answer one of the most asked and seldom answered questions in regards to biology and growing.

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E XECU T I V E ED I TO R Celia Sayers celia@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-1539 ED I TO R Catherine Sherriffs cat@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 ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com PUBLISHER 325 Media 44 Hyde Rd., Milles Isles Québec, Canada t. +1 (844) GC GROWS info@gardenculturemagazine.com GardenCultureMagazine.com

Thanks again for reading, and hope to see you in Brisbane. Happy Gardening, Eric 3

@GardenCulture

@GardenCultureMagazine

@Garden_Culture

D I ST R I B U T I O N PA R T N ER S • Growhard Australia • Stealth Garden Supplies • Dome Garden Supplies • HY-GEN

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ALIA EDITIO

N · ISSUE

13 · 2019

MY TERPENES Strain Profiles Terpenes are volatile unsaturated hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of plants. The subject of increasing interest by researchers, terpenes are the scent-bearing primary constituents that give medicinal plants and flowers their unique smell. My Terpenes products are prepared in Australia from impor ted ingredients and are made from 100% pure botanically sourced terpenes. Each product contains undiluted terpenes and is not blended with any carrier oils. Available in six different strain profiles: Super Sour Diesel, OG Kush, Maui Wowie, Pineapple Express, Nor thern Lights, Super Lemon Haze. Visit CloudCave.com.au for more information.

GreenHouse

Bio Feeding

7 y f f i J e h T t e l l e P n o i t a g 42mm Propa ®

A dehydrated coir disc in a self-contained mesh bag makes the Jiffy-7® perfect for seeds and clones, as well as planting into coco or soil. Costsaving advantages for the grower on the lookout to minimize input costs. Simply add water to the labour-saving container and media in one for a cost-effective propagation solution. No transplant shock. The perfect solution for an array of crops, the Jiffy-7® pellets’ open wall concept promotes fast germination and healthy root development. Find a store near you: WHG.net.au

The Ultimate Organic Soil Production Formulation!

Simply mix the Bio Feeding range into the substrate to provide fertigation for the entire growth cycle! Greenhouse Bio range is available in BioGrow for vigorous vegetative growth and BioBloom for big beautiful flowers! Mix just 3g of Bio Feeding per 1L of substrate and water regularly for complete nutrition for heavy flowering plants. When the flowering cycle begins, add 3g per substrate litre of BioBloom as a top dressing, and use plain water to soak into the grow media! The GreenHouse Bio range, produced by the infamous StrainHunters team, is the most innovative organic solution for medical crops. Biological nutriment allows for complete plant phenotypic development, with stronger flavours, smells and density of flowers.The unique Greenhouse Bio range also includes the “BioEnhancer,” a complex blend of humic acids and sea kelp extract, trichoderma and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that increases the vitality of the plant by enhancing the uptake of the BioGrow and BioBloom nutrients while improving soil structure.

Seed & Clone Visit Stealth-Garden.com for more information.

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GROWING PRODUCTS

Pr o G r ow LED 630W Model S The new Pro Grow LED 630W Model S offers superior LED performance with an industry-leading output of 1720 µmol s-1 and unmatched efficacy of 2.8 µmol s-1 per Watt.The dynamically validated full spectrum Samsung 3V 301H SMD chips coupled with Inventronics DVL long-life drivers, laid out in the commercially successful ‘spider format,’ the Model S provides the most efficient and uniform PPFD foot-print achievable from SMD technology. Pro Grow LED Model S is 0-10V compatible and can be supplied with a smart controller upon request. With overall dimensions of 120 x 120cm, it conveniently folds in half for storage and transport.

Mesh Trellis Netting The new heavy-duty nylon Mesh Trellis Netting is perfect for supporting fast-growing plants and provides both the cheapest and most convenient packaging solution available. Much easier to use than traditional PV netting this anti-tangle solution comes in 150mm open mesh squares with a total size of 1.5m x 4.5m. Visit WHG.net.au to find the nearest store.

Visit WHG.net.au for more info.

Pinel abs Tent Specialised Grow rd en er solu tion 4 x 4 (1.2m x 1.2m)

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All of the Pinelabs unique specialised grow tent features with 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.13 of premium cultivation space. Using military-grade oxford cloth for super tough exterior and ultimate white film reflective interior, it also includes practical duct outlets, unique drainage solutions, window filters, cable grommets and inbuilt external gear board. Perfect 2.13m height for heavy fruiting and flowering plants, ideal for DE (Double-Ended) HPS lamps, LED fixtures and CMH lights. The 4x4 tents are perfect for vegetative growth, or as a small flowering space. Everyone from domestic gardeners to commercial cultivators will appreciate the serious attention to detail found on the Pinelabs 1.2x1.2m tents. Learn more about Pinelabs grow tents: Stealth-Garden.com

n e d r a G & e s u o H

r o t a r u l e c x Roots E A flagship product from the famous House & Garden Nutrients brand, Roots Excelurator uses a Dutch secret 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.

Mondi -

3 -Piece

Propagation

Kit

Perfect for microgreens, wheatgrass and high-volume cloning of your favourite plants, the Mondi 3-piece propagation kits include an extra thick base tray (54 x 28 x 64cm), mesh seedling tray, and extra tall clear dome lid (18cm). Made from strong, durable plastic, all components are designed specifically for extended use under high UV and high-intensity lighting. Adjustable vents ensure perfect humidity control for any stage of plant growth. Go to WHG.net.au to find a retailer near you.

Visit Stealth-Garden.com to learn about all the House & Garden products.

HellioHn Double-Ended Lamps

630W CM

Adjust-A-Wings brings two new exciting 630W DE ceramic metal halide (CMH) lamps to the market. Both come with bespoke Japanese arc tubes and crystal quartz, double jacket glass.Available in 3K and 4K colours, the 3Ks are great stand-alone lamps, ideal for all stages of growth.The 4Ks (additional blue and UV) are ideal for all stages of plant growth and can be used to enhance the spectrum of HPS lights throughout flowering. • 3200K lamp: CRI 87.4 and PPF = 1202 μmol • 4200K lamp: CRI 97.1 and PPF = 1211 μmol Visit AdjustAWings.com for more information.

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BY ALBERT MONDOR, HORTICULTURIST AND BIOLOGIST

Urban

Bee keeping T

he fate of humanity is linked to pollinating insects. More than three-quarters of plants grown by humans depend directly on

different species of pollinators. Indeed, without bees, bumblebees, and other insects, such as butterflies and hoverflies, many edible plants could not produce the seeds and fruits we eat.

Bees are essential for human survival

URBAN BEEKEEPING

T he Good Ou t weighs T he Bad

Without pollinators, our plates would be empty

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just bees that carry pollen from one flower to another; hoverflies are also excellent pollinators.

Apricots, almonds, cherries, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, kiwis, melons, peaches, watermelons, pears, peppers, apples, plums, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds are produced through pollination by bees and other insects. Without pollinators, our plates would be empty.

Thousands of bee species For many people, pollinators have black and yellow stripes; many of us are not able to differentiate between wasps and bees. Some people also believe that only honeybees pollinate plants. There are more than 20,000 species of bees on our planet and many bees sport colours besides black and yellow; some are green or orange, while others are white. Among the various species of bees, the majority have adopted a solitary way of life, while others, like the honeybee, live in a community. GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

URBAN BEEKEEPING

There are more than 20,000 species of bees on our planet and many bees sport colours besides black and yellow; some are green or orange, while others are white

Leafcutter bees are solitary insects that are important pollinators.

Some animals such as birds and bats pollinate plants, but insects are by far the most important pollinators. Certain plant species, such as magnolias, are pollinated by beetles. Other plants, such as carnations, are pollinated mainly by butterflies, while plants belonging to the carrot family, such as fennel, are pollinated by insects called hoverflies, a close relative to flies. To a lesser extent, flies and ants can also contribute to pollination. Nevertheless, bees and bumblebees are the best pollinators, and the honeybee is unquestionably one of the most important pollinators of all.

Most pollinating insects, like this bumblebee, can be approached and observed without fear to be stung.

Bees are having a hard time Due to their sociability and interdependence in the colony, bees are vulnerable. The decimation of the bee population would have dramatic ecological consequences for floral and faunal biodiversity, and this would also have a severe impact on the agricultural economy. Indeed, honeybees are indispensable both for agriculture and for the balance and functioning of natural ecosystems. In many parts of the world, there has been a significant decline in honeybee populations and wild bee diversity in recent years, to the point where it is of grave concern to the global scientific community. The causes advanced to explain this decline are the use of synthetic pesticides, the intensification of agriculture, the fragmentation and loss of natural habitats, climate change, as well as the prevalence of parasites, including the infamous Varroa mite, diseases, and other pathogens in hives.

Urban bees are not so bad Although surprising, urban bees can find multiple nectar sources in urban settings. Parks and private gardens are favourite places where bees can forage nectar-rich flowers in abundance. Some recent scientific studies done in France have shown that the honey produced by urban bees is of excellent quality. These studies show that urban honey contains very few pesticides compared to that produced in rural settings. Honey produced in cities is also free of various heavy metals such as lead.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

Moisture

Pulse. Change your game in the greenhouse. No More Pour-Throughs, Extractions Or Kicking Pots. Game On! The all-new Pulse™ Meter from Bluelab gives you faster moisture, EC and temperature measurements directly from the root zone in soils, coco coir blends and potting mixes. It’s handheld, so it goes where you grow, and connects directly to the Pulse™ app on your smartphone for instant and accurate crop-health management.

One press, three instant measurements In under 10 seconds, you can accurately measure moisture, EC and temperature directly in the root zone. It really means the end of pour-throughs, extractions or kicking pots!

Get your A game on. Order your new Pulse Meter today. bluelab.com/pulse

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URBAN BEEKEEPING

Beehive

In contrast, urban bees are more exposed than their rural counterparts to various air pollutants, including soot and dust from coal combustion and diesel engines. These pollutants settle on plants and can sometimes poison foraging bees. Thus, according to some beekeepers, the absence of pesticides in the cities and the fabulous plant biodiversity found there help make good quality honey, but urban settings can still be toxic environments for bees.

Urban beekeeping If you want to raise honeybees at home, check with the authorities of your municipality first to see if regulations allow the installation of hives on its territory. It is also essential to respect regulations regarding the location of hives. In some US states and Canadian provinces, hives must be placed at a minimum distance of 15 metres from a public road or house. On the other hand, a hive can be installed closer to a street or a residence if the land on which it is located is surrounded by a fence that is at least 2.5 metres high. In some countries, it is mandatory to register your beehive with the Department of Agriculture and write your name and address on it. The number of hives must be determined according to the reserve of nectar available. If there are too many hives in one place, it can harm native bee species. Therefore, it is essential to consider other colonies nearby. That is why it is better to install your hive in collaboration with a specialist beekeeper who will use the tools at his disposal to locate other hives.

Honeybees love bee balm nectar

It is necessary to place your hive in a sunny and dry place, sheltered from winds. It is also crucial to put it in a quiet environment where there is little activity so that the flight path of the bees does not cross places where people frequently move. In dense urban environments, tall fences or shrubs can be placed to direct the flight path of bees more than 2.5 metres above the ground and make the hive less visible from the vicinity. It is essential that bees have permanent access to a source of clean water near the location of their hive (water garden, pond, etc.). Where possible, it is desirable to locate the hive near a natural water source such as a river or lake and to avoid bees causing inconvenience by being attracted to swimming pools in the neighbourhood. The care of a colony of bees is not complicated or tedious. It involves making visits to the hive at regular intervals, not exceeding 15 days. In critical periods, such as during the swarming season, for example, visits should be a little more frequent. Keep a diary in which you briefly describe when you visited and what activities were done. Manipulate the hive in sunny weather in the late morning or early afternoon. Proceed as quickly as possible while remaining calm and disturbing the bees as little as possible. To reduce the aggressiveness of bees, avoid handling the hive when there is a lot of human activity in the vicinity or when it is cold or rainy outside. Use a smoker and proper protective clothing when handling.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

URBAN BEEKEEPING

Fennel is particularly prized by hoverflies, pollinating flies

Finally, it is essential to prevent swarming, a phenomenon where the queen and some of the workers leave the hive to form a new colony. The best way to avoid this problem is to ensure that the colony never runs out of space. Replacing the queen every year or every two years also helps to reduce the risk of swarming.

Nectar-rich plants and insect hotels There are two other actions to take if you want to host pollinating insects in your garden. If you grow edible plants, it is advisable to accompany them with plants whose flowers produce nectar. The latter will attract various pollinating insects, which will increase the quantity and quality of vegetables and fruits produced. Grow plants belonging to the Asteraceae family (yarrow, aster, cosmos, daisy, rudbeckia, marigold, etc.), Lamiaceae (lavender, mint, bee balm, sage, thyme, etc.) and Apiaceae (dill, angelica, coriander, fennel, etc.). These plants produce abundant nectar much appreciated by pollinating insects. Whether they are indigenous or non-native plants, bees prefer the flowers that produce the most nectar.

bark, bricks, and pots where insects can reproduce, rest, or hibernate during the cold season. The hollow stems of certain plants such as bamboo will attract solitary bees such as cutting bees and mason bees. You can also install bricks if their openings are filled with mud, which, once dry, will allow some species of pollinating insects to dig galleries. Simple logs pierced with holes of varying diameters (3mm to 14mm) also provide shelter for various critters. 3

In addition to being very useful, an insect hotel is a real work of art that is a focal point in a garden!

It can also be very interesting to create and install an insect hotel in your garden or on your terrace. It is a wooden structure with a roof containing various materials such as logs, pieces of wood, or hollow bamboo,

BIO Passionate about environmental horticulture, urban agriculture and extreme landscape design, Albert Mondor has practiced his craft for over 30 years and created numerous gardens in North America. In addition to teaching courses and lecturing at conferences across Canada, his weekly gardening column has appeared in the Journal de Montréal and the Journal de Québec since 1999. In April 2018, Albert Mondor published Le nouveau potager, his tenth horticultural book. He is a regular guest and contributor to radio and television programmes and his hosting The Trendy Gardener spots broadcasted on Météo Média and online. You can also read his blog called Extreme Horticulture at albertmondor.com. Follow Albert on Facebook: fb.com/albert.mondor

Product Spotlights See the most recent Product Spotlights right from your phone or tablet.

NEW visit: GCmag.co/Product-Spotlight

Product spotlights

Book Review

f there’s something we can all be better at, it’s reducing our household waste, especially in the kitchen. No-Waste Kitchen Gardening:

Regrow Your Leftover Greens, Stalks, Seeds, and More is an excellent resource for people looking to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle. Author Katie Elzer-Peters shows us how the chopping block can be a place of hope for leftover pieces of fruits and vegetables. An exper t gardener, Elzer-Peters offers clear step-by-step guides to regrowing everything from herbs, carrots, and leeks to ginger, garlic, squash, and so much more. The possibilities are endless! Beyond doing the environment a favour, regrowing kitchen scraps helps save money, ensures a supply of fresh ingredients, and helps control food sources. As a bonus, most of what you grow can be done on a sunny windowsill or the kitchen counter top, no matter what the season! Give this book a read, and you will never look at a grocery store or farmers market the same way again. Find it online and at most major bookstores. 3

Excerpt from book: “When you’re looking at a plant part and trying to determine whether you can regrow it at all, the key is to find a point that can expand into new stems, more branches, more leaves, and/or eventually, flowers. - Katie Elzer-Peters”

Spicing up your meals can firethe upenvironment your Beyond doing a favour, regrowing kitchen scraps helps save money, tastebuds and do your ensures fresh ingredients, and bodya asupply worldofof good! helps control food sources.

HERBS & SPICES

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

Spice Up Your Life! Spicing up your meals can fire up your tastebuds and do your body a world of good!

erbs and spices do more than add a punch of flavour to your favorite dishes. They pack some significant

health benefits too! From super detoxifying and antioxidant proper ties to inflammation fighters and digestive aids, spicing up your meals can fire up your tastebuds and do your body a world of good. You can even try your hand at growing some of these in your outdoor or counter top gardens!

Cayenne Pepper Spicy as hell, make sure you don’t overdo it went shaking this into your meal. A little goes a long way; capsaicin, which gives peppers their heat, helps the body filter out toxins by stimulating the sweat glands and blood flow. Cilantro Love it or hate it? Some people say it tastes like soap; others can’t get enough. Cilantro cleanses the body of toxic metals, including mercury, arsenic, and lead. It also contains many antibacterial and anticancer proper ties. Ginger Your mom gave you ginger ale when you were sick for a reason; only fresh ginger is better! It not only helps control nausea but also moves the digestion process along. Ginger contains gingerols and shogaols, which neutralise stomach acids. It tastes great, too! Thyme, rosemary, and oregano A cinch to grow at home, these herbs have many antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial proper ties. They’re also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Add them to just about any meal you make. Turmeric No Indian dish is complete without this flavourful spice. High in antioxidant proper ties, turmeric is easy to grow and stimulates bile production, ensuring a smooth digestive process. Mint Is there anything more soothing than a hot cup of mint tea? Grow your own and add it to fresh salads and drinks. This herb is excellent for relaxing stomach muscles and easing gas. Fennel Add this natural diuretic to your garden and reap the benefits. Fennel’s mineral-rich seeds help the body absorb nutrients in the stomach and intestines. 3

Source: Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide. Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best amzn.to/2xRd16y 25

BY GARETH HOPCROFT AND BEN BLANDFORD, PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN BLANDFORD

Part 2

Digging a Bit Deeper (Or not at all in our case!) 26

LIVING ORGANIC SOIL

n the first part of this series, we explored the new wave of indoor organic growing using living soils and how this cultivation style can achieve superior results while also being environmentally sustainable. Now, we will more closely examine the components of a living soil mix, how it works, and what can be done to improve it further over time.

A living soil mix is quite different from a standard potting soil, which is often just a blend of peat, perlite, and synthetic or organic base fertiliser designed to last only a few weeks. The ingredients for a standard potting soil are selected mostly based on cost and to allow a smooth production process without any real concern for the quality of inputs. Although a living soil may use peat and perlite as well, the critical ingredient is a high percentage of quality compost. When blended with natural organic inputs and minerals, the mix is allowed to ‘cook’, enabling microbial activity to bring everything to life. This process takes several weeks – not an easy feat for commercial production – and requires specialist knowledge, skill, and attention over this period.

Anything added should be carefully considered as the quality is of the utmost importance. Do not add something unless absolutely necessary. Keep it simple, and nature will provide

Building the Basis of Living Soil A quality living soil structure needs a right balance of water retention and air space, but also must be able to drain freely and dry evenly. There are three components to build a good soil structure: compost, aeration, and organic growing medium. Compost sources will either be from thermophilic compost or vermicompost. Thermophilic compost is made by mixing and building piles of green and brown plant material, and sometimes manures and other natural by-products as well. This helps to encourage biological activity from aerobic bacteria. The compost piles are regularly turned to avoid overheating caused by the feeding and reproduction of the microbial colonies and then, once stable, they mature, allowing a diverse range of microorganisms to develop. Vermicompost uses similar ingredients but incorporates the action of worms to break down the organic material without any heat generation. High-quality vermicompost often uses finished thermophilic compost as a proportion of the inputs. The constituents of compost and how the process is managed are both essential as they form the engine that drives everything else. Compost is a powerhouse of nutrients and microbes and is the life source of your living soil mix. Aeration is vital when building a new soil mix. Aeration additives provide small air spaces throughout the mix to allow root respiration and healthy microbial activity. A functional aeration additive will also add structure to the blend to avoid compaction over time. The most popular options are perlite, pumice or lava rock. Some growers also opt for crop by-products such as rice or buckwheat hulls. Finally, we need an organic growing medium to enable both the roots to grow and microbial processes to occur. Sphagnum peat moss is the most popular choice with growers, but coco coir is also a good option. Peat, however, is acid and needs to be pH buffered with the addition of limestone, whereas coco coir doesn’t.

Buckwheat Hulls

When building your living soil, an excellent ratio to start with is ⅓ compost, ⅓ aeration, and ⅓ peat or coco. Tweaks may be needed depending on the water-holding characteristics of your compost and aeration additive, and the grade of the peat or coco. You can always make a small mix and see how it feels and acts once in a pot. A good rule of thumb is to grab a slightly damp handful, squeeze it, and look for minimal runoff. It should also break apart again quickly when you release your grip. This will encourage strong root development to support vigorous, healthy plants. Once the structure is complete, some additional inputs are required to help achieve a good nutritional balance. It’s essential to use amendments that break down at different speeds and contain a diverse range of nutrients. Some of the best ones are kelp (seaweed), crustacean and neem meal, rock dust, limestones, and gypsum. There are options such as fish meal, alfalfa, comfrey, nettle, and insect frass as well to boost the soil even further. Some growers turn to animal by-products to

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

Building living soil

build their soil nutrients, such as blood meal, bone meal, hoof and horn for a quick and cheap fix, but it is important to check the sources of these materials as they will often come from non-organic GMO fed livestock, full of antibiotics and growth hormones. A good soil mix can obtain the nutrient sources from plants and the sea, and when in balance, the nutrients will be released slowly throughout the growth cycle.

Basic Recipe • 1-2 parts kelp/alfalfa/comfrey meal • 1-2 parts neem/Karanja meal • 1-2 part crustacean/fish meal • 6-8 parts basalt rock dust • 2-3 parts gypsum This should be all mixed together then used at 200-400g per 50L of base soil. If using peat in your base soil mix, you will need to use some limestone to raise the pH, around 4-6g per L of soil mix.

The nutrition in living soil comes from the microbes in the compost that start to feed on the inputs and break them down to their mineral forms so the plants can use them. Until the bacteria have done their work, the minerals are locked up in the amendments, and therefore, the plants do not get overfed. The plants release something called “root exudates” into the soil to attract the different microbes they need to release the minerals they want. It is a trade between plants and microbes - exudates for minerals - working together to help each other. This type of exchange is what soil scientists and ecologists call “mutualism”. When growers bottle-feed organic nutrients, they create a similar blast of microbial activity that causes a flash of nutrition, but it is gone as fast as it comes. A well-made living soil will have continuous availability of nutrition.

LIVING ORGANIC SOIL

When building your living soil, an excellent ratio to start with is ⅓ compost, ⅓ aeration, and ⅓ peat or coco

credit: Left Coast Wholesale/GeoPots

Most living soil growers use a mulch layer to cover the surface of the soil, keeping moisture in and allowing root and microbial activity to occur right at the soil surface. Popular materials for mulches are chopped straw, hay, and even stalks and leaves from the previous crop’s waste trimmings. If you can create a good layer of composting nutritious mulch, it will feed the soil as you water. If you have worms in your soil, they will consume the decomposing mulch and create vermicompost on the soil surface. Worms consume decomposing mulch and create vermicompost Soil cooking with microbial growth Another benefit with real organic living soil is that you can introduce worms to your containers and use them as a team of composters and aerators working 24/7 to keep the cycle of nature moving. They don’t eat and digest, but rather filter the decomposing organic matter into its mineral forms and coat it with enzymes that help with the availability of the nutrition. With worms, you can re-use the same body of soil over and over, just like in nature.

With worms, you can re-use the same body of soil over and over, just like in nature

If growing no-till style with mulch and worms, you will also develop a population of other insects that are beneficial to the living soil system. Don’t be put off by these insects; they will protect your plants and keep things in balance. The most common is hypoaspis miles (now called stratiolaelaps scimitus), which feed on fungus gnat larvae and thrips pupae. They often build up good populations and also commonly come from the compost source, helping you by patrolling for bad guys. There are many other specialist predator species you can use to combat common grow room pests as well to avoid the need for sprays and pesticides.

Worms can help you re-use soil.

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LIVING ORGANIC SOIL

To get the soil life working well, having more than one plant species growing in the pot can help. Living soil growers often cultivate a ‘cover crop’ such as clover, peas, millet, vetch, and buckwheat. These plants establish quickly and can help fix nitrogen while promoting the establishment and continued growth of mycorrhizal fungi. Cover crops can grow through the mulch layer and help form a living mulch. Once the plant canopy is well established, a common technique is to ‘chop and drop’ the cover crop, allowing it to decompose and become food for the soil microbes and worms.

It’s essential to use amendments that break down at different speeds and contain a diverse range of nutrients. Some of the best ones are kelp (seaweed), crustacean and neem meal, rock dust, limestones, and gypsum

To get the soil life working well, having more than one plant species growing in the pot can help If growing long term in containers, a regular top dressing of amendments and a fresh layer of compost at the start of bloom and again at the end of each cycle keeps everything status quo. If adding some different inputs that you didn’t have in the soil initially, then top dressing is also ideal. Compost teas have been widely used and recommended within the no-till scene. If using compost teas, we suggest making a compost extract instead of a brew. Add compost to water, agitate thoroughly, then apply straight away. This allows the microbial development to happen in the soil, not in a tub of bubbly water. The same can be said about instant microbial teas, which are equally effective.

Cover crops can grow through a mulch layer and help form living mulch

Depending what you’re using in your soil mix and the pot size, some growers like to supplement additional inputs throughout the cycle. The easiest and most effective way is often to top dress; this means dusting the soil surface with whatever you choose to use, and then let it get drenched into the soil as you water. Top dressing the same balanced blend of organic inputs and minerals used for the original soil mix is ideal, or you can use other straight dry amendments such as malted barley powder, insect frass, or comfrey powder.

You can also use liquid additives such as seaweed extract, liquid fish hydrolysate or emulsion, amino acids, humic and fulvic acids, coconut water and Aloe Vera extract to name a few. If you are keen on using bloom boosters, be sure to do your research and find out what’s in them. You don’t need to apply PK booster with living soil, but some organic bloom boosters made from fermented plant extracts are compatible. Many no-till growers tend to make their fermented plant extracts using Korean Natural Farming (KNF) techniques. Of course, anything added should be carefully considered as the quality is of the utmost importance. Do not add something unless absolutely necessary. Keep it simple, and nature will provide. It is recommended to use four 40L to 50L pots per square metre to provide an adequate reservoir of nutrition for your plants. That’s a total of 160-200L of living soil per square metre of the canopy! Choosing fabric pots with handles is a good option, as the plants remain fairly portable if required. Some growers like to plant cuttings or seedings directly into these final pots, but if it is a new soil mix, then it is often best to have plants already established in smaller containers with a good root ball ready to adapt to its new home.

Top Dressing

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LIVING ORGANIC SOIL

Mulch layer creating compost

Watering Living Soil The key to living soil is the moisture level; it is essential not to over or underwater the containers. Because they are much larger than that which growers may be used to, they can hold water longer, and if the plant is still small, it may cause overwatering. When starting with living soil, you need to ease the plant in gradually by watering little and often. A good rule of thumb for watering after planting is 5-10% of the total pot volume (40L pot = 2-4L of water). Watch how they use that water by checking the soil surface over a couple of days, then steadily increase the water volume the more they transpire. Keep the top wet without water-logging the bottom. Water will sink to the bottom of the pot, which means there is a risk of overwatering while trying to keep the top moist. You may need to use a pump-sprayer or fine rose watering can to moisten the top layer regularly, rather than drench the whole container. While the plants are small it is best to be extra careful, but once in full bloom, they will be able to drink much more. Typically, a grower using 40L pots will be watering each pot up to 2-4L per day, but some plants may even need a bit more every few waterings. With timer and pump-powered drip irrigation systems, it is highly recommended you know exactly how much water the soil needs in your growing environment before switching to full automation. Autopot irrigation systems that are fed by a valve in the bottom tray or other sub-irrigated planter systems are also suitable for living soils. With systems like this, it’s still important to get the living soil volume per M2 correct (160-200L). It is also best practice to water by hand from the top until the plants need watering every day, then you can automate the bottom feeding. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of growing using living soil and no-till methods is what happens at the end of the growing cycle. Rather than throwing away the soil or adding it to outdoor beds, growers can retain the same containers of soil for re-use. That means no tipping out containers, no dust, and no re-filling. If you look after the soil, it will improve over time, and your harvestable goods will also get better. If intending to re-use the soil from the start, you should already have worms doing their work and a mulch layer creating a compost effect from the top. This way, all that is needed is the addition of new plants as space becomes available. Just dig a little hole and go again!

Reinvigorating Living Soil If you didn’t plan to re-use the soil but still want to, all you need to do is remix it with some fresh compost or vermicompost, along with a few other amendments. Most growers start with the 40L pots and then end up with 50L once they have added around 10% more compost plus the amendments. When remixing, you will need to empty the container, but don’t worry about removing any root mass, as it will get consumed by the microbes. Depending on the pot size the new mix goes into, it may heat up and feel warm to the touch. This is where the microbes are breaking down the quick release inputs for some immediate nutrition, but it will then start to cool down after 7-10 days and be ready to use. Planting a cover crop and waiting to see if it comes up green and healthy is an excellent way to tell if the soil is ready for the main crop. Some companies now sell amendment kits that include everything you need to re-amend used living soil, but remember; it is important to start with highquality living soil, not just regular potting soil. When the soil life is well-fed and in harmony, the plants will grow themselves. Use what is available locally and don’t over complicate anything unnecessarily. Just remember to start with high-quality organic soil, and you will already be halfway to having abundant, glorious produce for your effort! 3

BIO Gareth Hopcroft is a certified plant geek and all

round organic gardening devotee. Gareth has been involved in the UK hydro industry for 15 years and is currently the owner of Ecothrive; known mostly for bringing frass to the UK scene through his product ‘Charge’. When he’s not talking about indoor growing or microbes, you’ll find Gareth getting his hands dirty on his allotment or falling off his skateboard. Follow Gareth @ecothrive Ben Blandford is an organic warrior leading the campaign against toxic food and medicines via his company, Indoor Organics, which focuses on helping growers use real soil, natural inputs, worms and microbes to grow plants without the need for man-made fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. An experienced grower with a passion for the ultimate quality in the final product, Ben is dedicated to pushing the standards, always trusting that nature knows best! Follow Ben @Indoor_Organics GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

BY TOM FORREST

Plant Hormones W elcome back to the final edition of

Stealth Science! In this issue, we

get to the juicy par t of cultivation:

plant hormones and how they control growth and development.

Photosynthesis, nutrition, and both water and ionic relations are all critical to the structure, ecology and survival mechanisms within our plants, especially under stress. When plants are exposed to varying environmental conditions, it influences their production and use of hormones, thus changing the physiological processes at work.

Hormones inhibit or enhance growth and development while different metabolic activities are simultaneously occurring. They tell the plant when organ development is required and in which direction it should grow. By current scientific definition, ‘plant hormones are natural and synthetic compounds that elicit growth, differentiation or metabolic responses, and they must be active at very low concentrations’. There are only five discovered and isolated hormones and even modern science doesn’t fully understand them. The field of plant biology is always studying ‘new’ hormones with the hopes of adding more to the bunch, but for now, the five main plant hormones are auxins (1880 Darwin), gibberellins (1926 Kurosawa/Brien), cytokinins (1941 Skoog), abscisic acid (1965 Wareing) and ethylene (1924). Auxins were identified by Darwin in the 1880s as he and his son first documented phototropism. They recognised that coleoptiles only bend towards the light when their tips are exposed, meaning the tips must contain the photoreceptor cells. Chemical messengers (auxins), move down the dark side of the shoot to encourage growth. The naturally occurring hormone responsible for phototropism is now known to be indoleacetic acid (IAA). IAA occurs in the highest concentrations, but there are several other known natural auxin compounds (IAN, PAA, 4-CL-AA) and their structure is very similar. You might be more familiar with indole butyric acid (IBA), a synthetic auxin

This five-part series delves into plant science to help you understand why a garden flourishes or flops. Over the course of five issues, we have been discussing the important topics relating to plant biology and physiology, structure and function, covering roots to shoots and everything in between! Understanding the science behind the art of horticulture ensures we can cultivate beautiful, healthier, and more sustainable crops. The Five Classes: • Plant Morphology and Anatomy (see last issue) • Water Interactions • Plant Food and Ionic Relations • Photosynthesis and Phloem • Plant Hormones: The control of growth and development

that is the most commonly sold rooting hormone product in garden stores. It’s quite similar to IAA but has a much better shelf life and light resistance, which makes it commercially viable. There are several other identified synthetic auxins, including NAA, 2.4-D, and Dicamba. Interestingly enough, these can be used as powerful horticultural growth hormones (NAA mostly in tissue culture or rooting stimulants), or as dangerous herbicides (2,4-D and Dicamba), depending on the concentration ratio. Auxins are produced in the growing tissue (the meristematic regions) of the plant and transported via the phloem. They cause a variety of different physiological activities within the plant depending on internal and external variables. Cell enlargement, phototropism, and apical dominance are all directly linked to auxin production. There is a constant movement of auxins within the stem helping the plant to determine organ and tissue differentiation. The accumulation of auxins in rooting hormones leads to the distinction of root cells and the development of ‘adventitious roots’ at the base of the stem. The next group of hormones were discovered in 1926 when Kurosawa studied foolish rice disease. The rice infected with the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi showed excessive elongation of internodes and the plants grew tall and fell over. In 1934, scientists first extracted this fungus gibberellin (GA3), and in 1956, the first plantextracted gibberellins were discovered.

STEALTH SCIENCE

Control of Growth and Development

credit: https://journals.plos.org

Hormones inhibit or enhance growth and development while different metabolic activities are simultaneously occurring.

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There are only five discovered and isolated hormones and even modern science doesn’t fully understand them Today, there are over 136 known gibberellins, and most common plants have around 15-20 different types identified. All the diverse forms are quite similar in chemical composition to gibberellic acid (GA3), and the commercial sales of GA are predominantly from fungus extracted forms. Gibberellins are produced in the meristematic parts of the plants and are transported bi-directionally in the xylem and phloem. Their mechanisms cause rapid cell expansion and the induction of enzymes, leading to increased growth rates. Cell enlargement instigates elongation of the stem and can even induce flowering in some cases. In commercial applications, GA is used to increase tenderness and length in sugar cane and celery, while Anti-GA compounds are used to keep plants short, such as alliums, azaleas, and chrysanthemums. Applications of GA can help certain plant species overcome juvenility or induce flowering, but it drastically varies according to the plant species and application methods. It’s worth remembering that GA and auxins are the ‘go’ hormones, while ethylene and ABA are the ‘stop’ hormones. Still, they closely relate and antagonise each other. Let’s take a look at the history of the ‘stop’ hormones and how they can influence your crops. Amazingly, in 1965, two compounds were discovered simultaneously on opposite sides of the globe. In the UK, Wareing was looking at something that caused the induction of dormancy in winter buds of deciduous trees, while in the USA, Aldicott was looking at the abscission of cotton fruits. Incredibly, they were both investigating the same thing! It’s now called abscisic acid (ABA); it’s not the hormone that induces abscission (that’s ethylene), but it does accelerate it. Abscission is the natural detachment of parts of a plant; usually dead leaves or ripened fruit. ABA induces senescence, the ageing and deterioration processes of a plant and dormancy in certain species (picture ageing leaves on deciduous trees or unhealthy plants). Senescent (ageing) organs contain high levels of ABA and are seen in chlorotic or necrotic symptoms of nutrient deficiencies. Organs under stress (e.g. water stress) will produce ABA and transport it bi-directionally (like GA), where it is metabolised to ‘dihydrophaseic acid’ at the action site.

There is a continuous interaction between the hormones and the actions of ABA. These reactions depend on the concentrations of the other hormones that cause the various responses within a plant. Dormant leaf/flower/bud organs in certain plant species have high levels of ABA and accumulation can prevent seeds from germinating. For commercial purposes, this can replace cold/ short-day requirements in buds and seeds, allowing nurseries to grow certain plant varieties outside of their regular seasons. Both GA and ABA are produced from the precursor mevalonic acid (MVA), and these two hormones act in a closely related correlation for a variety of plant processes. Likewise, auxins (go) and ethylene (stop) have an essential and complex interconnected relationship. Ethylene was used initially to ripen cold-stored fruit from the 1920s. Scientists realised they could pick fruit green, then transport and expose it to ethylene so it would mature closer to market. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Daphne Osborne discovered that it had several other interesting properties. Although it’s a gas that occurs in normal levels in our ambient air (around 5-50ppb v/v), ethylene is still technically a hormone due to its plant growth mechanisms. It is produced in any wounded or senescent tissue and transported via diffusion throughout the plant. Ethylene acts by stimulating degrative enzymes (e.g. amylase to increase sweetness). It also affects the chlorophyll breakdown which causes the colour to change in plants. Interestingly, in varying concentrations, ethylene can be used to break seed dormancy in some larger seeds and induce flowering in pineapples! Its role in organ tissue differentiation prevents photomorphogenesis from occurring, showing a ‘dark’ morphology in light-grown plants.

Credit: BioNinja

ABA is also involved in the induction of flowering, stomatal closure in water-stressed leaves, enzymatic effects, and organ/tissue differentiation. The role of ABA in stomatal closure is a complex and unique property; a high concentration causes the K+ pump to stop, triggering a loss in turgor and the stomata close.

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CLIMATE STEALTH CHANGE SCIENCE

It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a botanical enthusiast; the advances in scientific knowledge are helping gardeners grow superior crop The final formal hormone we need to discuss is the unique collection of cytokinins. In 1941, Van Overbeek was exploring tissue culture in his laboratory in Holland and found that cells would expand but not divide. In the 1950s, Skoog et al. started to examine the role of cell division using coconut milk and how to cause differentiation in roots and shoots. They bought barrels of herring sperm DNA (yes, herring sperm DNA, commonly used as a blocking agent in nucleic acid hybridisation experiments). Skoog and Miller identified the first cytokinin, kinetin, and Miller went onto isolate zeatin from corn which instigated a surge of research in this field. All cytokinins were learned to be substituted adenine derivatives, and there are more than 100 known so far. The production of cytokinins is mostly found in root tips of plants, but also leaves, fruits, and seeds. The compounds are transported through the xylem in the direction of high auxin concentration. Cytokinins bind to ribosomes, which are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. This mechanism is involved in the synthesis of polypeptides, but unfortunately, that’s more than we can cover in a brief overview article. However, we can look into the different physiological activities of cytokinins and how these are used in modern commercial agriculture. After recognising their role in cell division, the primary use developed into commercial tissue culture applications. We also understand that cytokinins play a crucial role in organ and tissue differentiation; auxins or kinetins alone will have no effect, but when combined will cause rapid meristematic cell division. The required ratio of auxins/cytokinins varies according to the plant species cultivated. Cytokinins are also involved in preventing senescence and abscission, meaning it has an anti-ABA and anti-ethylene action. Applying cytokinins (organically found in sea kelp) will help to retain chlorophyll and delay senescence. This means there are potential uses for slowing deterioration in leaf crops sold in shops. The last physiological role of cytokinins involves its potential release of apical dominance, the process of more energy being sent to the different apical meristems, or tops. It can interact with lateral buds to encourage a more even distribution of growth.

There is advancing study about all of the different functions of plant hormones, and even today, we don’t fully understand the hypothesised ‘flowering hormone’ or florigen. It has been recognised since the 1930s that there are hormones at work when plants flower, but we are just starting to understand the flowering relationship with polypeptides, amino acids, and proteins. Grafting experiments have shown that florigen is common between long-day and short-day plants and is produced in receptive tissues (leaves). It is transported through the meristem to begin transitioning into a flowering bud, although the exact nature of florigen is still a mystery. Photoperiodism and photomorphogenesis both influence phytochromes and hormones within a plant, but unfortunately, these processes and the advanced role of light spectrums is a topic for a future article. ‘New’ hormones such as salicylic acid are not yet regarded as part of the formally discovered and isolated hormone class. Salicylic acid is naturally produced (alongside other auxins) in willow tree bark and has been proven to produce defence proteins and protect against pathogens. Other recent hormone discoveries have shown that jasmonic acid is produced when insects attack a plant, causing a variety of metabolic activities. Different and continuous interactions between hormones mean it is difficult to isolate their individual effects. The control of growth depends on the balance of hormones and the receptiveness of tissue at the site. The quantities of other hormones will drastically influence the effects of applying any further hormones. These also interact with the environmental conditions and individual plant genetics, making it a little bit confusing for farmers. But do not fret; having an understanding of the processes at work will allow you to better recognise symptoms and potential problems in your grow before they become a real issue. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a botanical enthusiast; the advances in scientific knowledge are helping gardeners grow superior crops. This is the final article for our series of Stealth Science. I hope it’s helped you to better understand your floral friends at home. For further information and some friendly gardening banter, please feel free to contact me via Stealth Garden Supplies (Australia) social media pages or our website. . 3

BIO Founder of Indicated Technology Pty Ltd, Tom is a certified horticulturalist and paid consultant working in the Australian medical cannabis industry. After finishing studies in production horticulture (hydroponics) and plant biology; Tom has spent the past 6 years working in the protected cropping space. Tom is passionate about sustainable yet economic cultivation methodologies and also teaches cannabis cultivation as part of university and private education programs. Tom is also the Communications Manager for Stealth Garden wholesale supplies.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

BY JESSICA STEINBERG

n e e r G o t e From Whit

The Colombian culture, and the warmth of their people that I experienced while there never caught mention, not even a breath of attention 44

COLOMBIA

Colombia, as many people are suggesting, w i l l b e c o m e t h e g l o b a l h u b f o r c a n n a b i s s u p p ly

or years, I had to laugh to the repeated joke forcefully, ‘oh, so you’re a drug dealer.’ As if I haven’t heard that one before. But no, I’m not a drug dealer. I don’t deal drugs, but I have studied them for more than three and a half years. My Ph.D. thesis does not focus on the black market, but I do explore the legal cannabis market.

Maybe there is truth in any cheesy joke. After all, I do deal with drugs, theoretically. The jokes only became more cliché the moment I decided to include Colombia in my thesis. ‘Now you’re getting into the big leagues, Jess!’

Many people know about Colombia because of the war on drugs – a history drowning in violence and instability

While some jokes were funny, there was no comedy in getting ethical approval from the review board at my school, the University of Oxford. While all of my ethics forms required close attention to detail, due to the ‘illegality’ of cannabis, it soon became apparent that I wasn’t only applying to my university for approval. Moral justification extended to friends, family, and colleagues.

Messages flooded my inbox, ‘isn’t it super dangerous there? What’s a young, solo, female traveller going to do in Colombia?’ My snarky reply? ‘At this point, I’m not sure how Colombia is any more dangerous than New Zealand, Paris, London, or even my home country of the USA.’ People cringed when I said, ‘I’m not going to live in fear because it might be a school, a mosque, a bridge, but it’s not an entire country.’ I know it’s an unfor tunate truth, but that’s just the reality we live in today. Political rant aside, I reassured my personal ethics committee that I cer tainly wasn’t going to travel to danger. The typical reaction, however, lured over my mind. The Colombian culture, and the warmth of their people that I experienced while there never caught mention, not even a breath of attention.

Af ter some preliminar y digging, I realised that the stereotypical response was informed by Narcos (cheers for that one, Netf lix!). Many people know about Colombia because of the war on drugs – a histor y drowning in violence and instability.

The ‘danger zone’ that my informal ethics board referred to existed, which is precisely the problem: it existed. Now, of course, there are still areas, regions, and groups that encounter danger and are identified as ‘high risk.’ However, the Colombia we visit today is by no means a Colombia stuck in static drug history. I’m not sure who would have predicted that a country known for its illegal coke production would soon become known for its legal cannabis production. Although many did not foresee the substance and policy shift, there’s a lot more predictability in the structure of the legal market today. Think about other Colombian crops that are pinned around the globe, from cacao to coffee. Most of the renowned, highquality Colombian coffee and chocolate is consumed outside of Colombia. The hungry cravings that build our bellies and wake us up (you decide if I’m referring to the coke or coffee), fuel an agri-economic and political structure throughout the Colombian land. What once happened to the coffee and chocolate supply chain may very soon happen to cannabis, and there’s danger in repeating history, too. Many farmers are replacing their longstanding crop production with cannabis cultivation. They seem to be chasing the cash-crop dream. Investment is also trickling in from around the world to help fund a new Colombian drug era.

I asked myself, ‘who, what, when, why, and where did this come from?’ A seemingly unimpor tant thought one evening materialized into uncovering a complex layer of socio-economics and politics.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

@greatwhitemyco

COLOMBIA

to Green From White

C ol umbi a is deemed a s h av ing t he ide a l en v ironmen t, y e t i t is a va s t c oun t ry w i t h numerou s micro-cl im at e s Colombia, as many people are suggesting, will become the global hub for cannabis supply. While this statement may frame the future, what is happening now entails a lot of hype and not a lot of substance. The media star ted to mount Colombia as the next promised land. A country of golden-green that is referenced thanks to three key C’s:

Climate Columbia is deemed as having the ideal environment, yet it is a vast country with numerous micro-climates (from the tropics to the mountains).

This time, Colombia won’t be known as the drug trade capital of the world. Instead, it may be a leader in agronomics, a seed bank haven, a pharmaceutical renaissance or a global supply hub

Cost The low cost of production is attractive for many reasons, yet the lack of resources, infrastructure, and other labour costs require a lot of capital.

Cultivation The abundance of agricultural land is also attractive, yet this land has experienced years of pesticides, heavy metals and other biologicals that destroyed the soil. Be careful about what you read these days; after all, we are living in the era of ‘fake news.’ I had to remind myself that although the news may be misleading, there is some truth behind it.

In May of this year, there were three impressive cannabis conferences: a medical cannabis conference, CannaCiencia, held in Bogotá; the Colombia Investment Summit; and a B2B conference, ExpoCannabiz in Car tagena. From the sessions to networking, almost everyone walked away with some capital. Whether it was financial, social, or political capital, there’s a lot of value being generated. These conferences are legitimising the Colombian sector, and its par ticipants are putting it on the map again.

This time, Colombia won’t be known as the drug trade capital of the world. Instead, it may be a leader in agronomics, a seed bank haven, a pharmaceutical renaissance or a global supply hub. No one knows yet! And although we don’t know how history will write itself this time, at least we know that Colombia is rewriting its history through cannabis. 3

BIO

Jessica is a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford researching the legal cannabis industry. She is the managing director of international cannabis consultancy, The Global C, and co-founder of entOURage Network, an organisation to empower and connect women in the European cannabis industry. Her work brings her to the UN and WHO and she speaks globally about her research and work, as well as the charity that she founded when she was 13 years old, Giveable Giggles.

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WHAT’S GROWING ON

Who’s Growing

t a h W Wh

austin rali a & Ze N e w al an d

ere

Glaziers Bay (TAS)

Credit: Tas-Saff

Tas-Saff

Terry and Nicky Noonan’s farm Tas-Saff, south of Hobart, produces one of the world’s most sought-after spice ingredients, saffron. Dried red saffron ‘threads’ are harvested from the stigma of beautiful crocus flowers by hand, an expensive, labour-intensive process even though the plant itself is lowmaintenance. Saffron is used sparingly in cooking, with an average of just 100mg of the product used in each dish. They make small handcrafted batches of unique ‘Grower’s Own’ saffron gin and vodka infused with saffron flavour and aroma. Having medicinal benefits, Tass-Saff supplies saffron to medical research facilities for trials in the areas of macular degeneration, dementia, Alzheimer’s and cancer. The farm also sells Australian saffron tea containing the optimal amount to improve health. The business has expanded to include around 40 growers, mostly on small farms in Tasmania, South Australia and New South Wales, also with temperate climates. They are certainly growing rich rewards.

Nicky holding jars of saffron

Learn more: tas-saff.com.au

Woombye (QLD)

Good Harvest Organic Farm

Learn more: goodharvest.com.au

Mick and Kelly and their daughter planting seedlings

Credit: Good Harvest Organic Farm

Mick Dan, founder and farmer at Good Harvest Organic Farm and partner Kelly have a passion for growing organic food, sustainable farming practices, healthy soil, and feeding their local community. Mick’s motto is: ‘Don’t buy from strangers - buy LOCAL’. They have an ambitious goal to feed over 1,000 families a week with organic produce from their own farm and by collaborating with other local organic and chemical-free farms. Good Harvest Organic Farm is expanding to supply a seasonal variety of subtropical fruits, vegetables and herbs. They also have goats on the farm to keep the weeds down. Seasonal organic produce is available to buy farm direct online with a home delivery service, and at weekend farmers markets at Kawana, Marcoola and Noosa. Customers order a weekly or fortnightly Organic Farm box, which helps with farm planning so Mick and the team can grow exactly what customers want to eat.

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WHAT’S GROWING ON

Who’s Growing Longley (TAS)

Longley Organic Farm

WhWaht

in australia

ere

Credit: Longley Organic Farm

James Hutchinson and partner Hermione Hickling apply a sustainable food production model on their 3ha Longley Organic Farm in Tasmania. The farm uses crop rotation, no-dig and biointensive cropping methods. Modern micro machinery enables them to grow a diverse range of crops throughout the year in long narrow rows, making the farm economically viable. They utilise volunteer help from ‘WWOOFers’ or Willing Workers On Organic Farms. Their innovative business uses carbon farming methods to sequester soil carbon and they grow organic food commercially while also educating local farmers with onsite regenerative farming workshops. These educational days help farmers learn about food production, farm design, micro machinery, worm farming, weed management and related topics. Longley Organic Farm supply retailers with seasonal produce, dried herbs, herbal teas, local honey, compost worms, organic fertilising products and offers a seasonal veg program to locals who pick up their bag of mixed vegetables at the gate. Learn more: longleyorganicfarm.com.au

Credit: Captains Creek Wines

Blampied (VIC)

& Ze a N e w la n d

Captains Creek Organic Wines Captains Creek rises on a mixed organic farm, near Daylesford, at the foot of Kangaroo Hills. Four generations of the May family have run the 80-hectare farm with the certified organic vineyard established in 1994 by Doug and Carolyn May. The vineyard produces grapes that are grown and processed without the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers. The cellar door opens on weekends offering delicious lunches, organic wine and cider tastings, regional beers, Goldfields Farmhouse Cheeses and seasonal ingredients. The seasonal menu showcases the farm’s fresh produce direct from the paddock to the plate. In the red volcanic soils, the family grow a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, free-range chickens and graze Dorpa sheep and Black Angus cattle. The farm also sources the finest ingredients from other local producers in this rich food growing region. Fresh vegetable boxes direct are available from the farm in season. Learn more: captainscreek.com

Our mission is to advance science to help improve lives. We are an Australian based company proud to provide a high quality level of customer service, medical experience, and commitment to health and wellness to all our patients.

What conditions can NCC help you with? If you are suffering from chronic conditions and have tried conventional therapies, our highly qualified doctors will assess you and determine the option that is right for you. Some of the chronic and debilitaing health conditions and symptoms that we look after include:

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Who’s Growing What Where in Australia?

See all the urban growers, backyard gardeners, and inspiring communities featured in Who’s Growing What Where over the years.

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visit: GCmag.co/WGWW

Who’s Growing

WhWaht

in st au ralia & Zea New lan d

ere

ASK A PH.D.

Garden Culture’s

Ask A Ph.D.!

Question:

How do microbes work in hydroponic growing systems?

Answer from: Dr Colin Bell, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Mammoth Microbes Most living soil and organic growers understand the importance of applying and using soil microbes to enhance nutrient availability and plant health. From a scientific perspective, we know that there are significant plant benefits when using soil microbes in soilless and hydroponic growing practices. We are here to answer the question: How DO microbes work in hydroponic growing systems?

Maintaining beneficial plant-microbe root interactions is necessary for a healthy plant immune system. Introducing microbes into hydroponic systems enables chemical signalling to occur between plants and microbes, which allows plants to fight off diseases and reduce stress responses naturally. Growers often attempt to control pathogenic microbes from infecting the plant by using disinfectants. Although disinfectants can limit plant pathogens with regular application, they do not kill all bacteria or prevent them from rapidly reestablishing. As an alternative to using disinfectants, we can use beneficial microbes to reduce pathogen outbreaks. This approach extends the benefits of plant-microbial interactions into the hydroponic environment. 3

Introducing microbes into hydroponic systems enables chemical signalling to occur between plants and microbes, which allows plants to fight off diseases and reduce stress responses naturally

Introducing microbes in hydroponic environments – just like in nature - maximises plant health and development. At the microscopic scale, there are actually some similarities between hydroponic and soil systems. For example, microbes swim throughout the water column in soils just like they would in aquatic environments to engage with plant roots. Beneficial microbes are essential for plant growth in aquatic systems. They degrade plant-produced organic compounds and convert them into metabolites to help plants maximise nutrient uptake and development. This works in part because beneficial microbes stimulate the plant’s metabolic system, which allows them to naturally take up MORE nutrients than they would without microbial associations. Hydroponic systems are less buffered than natural systems, and so using beneficial microbes has a significant impact. Bacteria are the best candidates for use in hydroponic environments because they are typically more tolerant of the high osmotic pressure. Different bacteria species can also effectively adapt and thrive in wide temperature, pH, and nutrient ranges. In hydroponic systems, beneficial microbes also protect plants against pathogens by growing along the surface of their roots. Beneficial microbes block pathogens such as Pythium from potential infection sites and also out-compete pathogens for the resources necessary for growth. Overall, the absence of beneficial microbes increases pest pressure, which threatens crop health.

Bio

Colin Bell is the co-founder, co-inventor and Chief Growth Officer at Mammoth Microbes. Colin is passionate about science, and received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, specializing in soil microbial ecology and plant-microbe interactions. He left his academic position at Colorado State University in March 2015 to launch Mammoth Microbes.When he’s not traveling the world interacting with and learning from cultivators, there is nothing Colin enjoys more than teaching and working with the team at Mammoth Microbes.You can find Colin on Instagram: @colinwbell

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

cool

ways T

TO HE L P YOUR GA R D E N S BE AT THE HE AT

here are many indications that climate change is upon us, and the crippling heat waves taking place across the globe is one of them. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says our days will only be getting hotter; if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t significantly reduced by midcentury, scientists expect 20 record highs for every

record low. Extreme temperatures can have a devastating impact on the garden, so we’ve put together a list of 5 cool ways to help your plants beat the heat this summer!

Palm Fronds

In dry climates where temperatures hit the triple digits, tomatoes experience leaf drop, eggplants stop flowering, and the squash develops only male flowers, so they don’t waste energy bearing fruit. Garden Culture Magazine did a feature on Faultline Farm (Issues UK 25, US 23) near California’s Mojave desert where the gardens consistently battle daytime temperatures of up to 115°F (46°C) in the summer. The lead horticulturalist at the time, Giavanna Accurso, told us about a neat idea she had to shade her crops from the heat with palm fronds eventually! At Faultline Farm, the fronds also double as barriers to keep the coyotes at bay.

Credit: Custom Shade

56 56

Credit: Giavanna Accurso

Shade Cloth If you live in a climate where palm fronds aren’t at your disposal, there are plenty of manmade materials available to keep the garden cool. From something as simple as a patio umbrella or an old bedsheet, to more elaborate shade cloths designed explicitly for vegetable gardening, these are all easy and affordable ways to give your plants a break from the blistering heat so they can deliver the yields you crave.

GREEN ADVICE

Mu lch

Adding mulch to the garden at the beginning of every growing season is an excellent way to conserve soil moisture and control its temperature during periods of drought.When it gets scorching hot, mulch will spare you the second watering per day. Less frequent watering also means nutrients will stay put rather than washing out. And plenty of nutrients there will be; applying mulch in the spring before the soil begins to dry out will lead to a steady supply of organic matter broken down by microorganisms throughout the summer. Fine mulches such as shredded hardwood and leaves, pine fines, and compost should be applied around the plant (but not right up against the stem) at a depth of 2 inches; coarse mulches, such as straw or wood chips need thicker applications of about 6 inches.

I nsul atin g Co ntainers

Credit: pixaby.

A trick to keeping the soil cool in container gardens is to insulate the flower pots with newspaper or another kind of mulch. Insulating the pot helps plants stay cool in the heat by par tially blocking the suns rays, but it will also keep them warm if temperatures dip. Select a pot about 3 inches larger in diameter than the plant’s primary pot. Once you’ve set the pot inside the larger one, fill the space between the containers with straw, leaves, newspaper, or any other kind of mulch. You can also add a couple of inches of leaves or bark to the soil surface for added protection.

Choose Plants Carefully

We might all soon be doing a little xeriscaping; a gardening technique focused on water conservation and the selection of drought-tolerant plants. While succulents are always a good option, there are many trees, shrubs, and even flowers that don’t need a lot of water and can withstand the heat very well. Artichokes, wormwood, fountain grasses, and geraniums are all excellent choices. Coneflowers, globe thistle, lavender, and iris can also survive with little moisture. Selecting plant varieties like these will not only save on water; it’ll also spare you a whole bunch of maintenance on those sweltering days.You’re welcome!

SOU R C E S: Gardening Complete: How to Best Grow Vegetables, Flowers, and Other Outdoor Plants, by the authors of Cool Springs Press. Practical Organic Gardening: The No-Nonsense Guide to Growing Naturally, by Mark Highland SFGATE, Insulating Outdoor Pots: bit.ly/2LcF7lo

BY RICH HAMILTON

I t is e s t im at ed t h at one-t hird of t he f ood t h at w e c ons ume da ily rel ie s on t he p ol l in at ion of hone y bee s 60

MUSHROOMS AND BEES

he bees are dying and in massive numbers, a tragedy, given their importance to the ecosystem. It is estimated that one-third of the food that we consume daily relies on the pollination of honeybees. Globally, there are more of them than any other type of pollinating insect, making them the most important pollinator on Earth.

Believe it or not , mushrooms are being toute d as a possible solution to the plight of the be es Pollinators strongly influence ecological relationships, ecosystem conservation and stability, genetic variation in the plant community, floral diversity, specialisation, and evolution. In tropical forests, woodlands, mangroves, and deciduous forests, many species of plants and animals will not survive if bees disappear. The production of many food sources such as seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits are all highly dependent on insect pollination.

Why Are The Bees Dying?

The worst of these viruses is ‘Deformed Wing Virus’ or DWV, which results in wrinkled and misshapen wings and is affecting honeybee populations worldwide

There are multiple threats to the bee population, but one of the major ones is a tic parasite known as Varroa destructor. The flat, round, parasitic pests with eight legs are invading honeybee hives around the world. At 2mm long, they latch onto the bees and feed on their tissues, transmitting devastating viruses along the way. Once a few of these tic parasites get into a hive, they reproduce at a rapid rate, decimating it from within.

viral properties. The variety of mushroom that may have the power to save the bees belongs to an order of fungi known as ‘polypores’, which are extracts shown in numerous studies to possess potent antiviral properties in humans against dangerous infections like swine flu, poxviruses, and even HIV. Paul Stamets is a prominent mycologist; what he doesn’t know about mushrooms, isn’t worth knowing! Stamets has long suspected that the extracts of the polypore mushrooms have similar antiviral effects in bees as they do humans.

Paul Stamets holding Fomitopsis officinalis

A bee that has difficulty flying is unable to pollinate many plants. If the infected bee does manage to visit a flower, it will leave behind a trace of the virus, which is then transmitted to other pollinators that visit later. It truly is a disaster of epic proportions and something that beekeepers currently possess no effective means of fighting. U.S. beekeepers recently reported that 40% of their hives/ colonies died during the year that ended March 31st, 2019. That number is up 33% compared to last year. ‘Colony collapse disorder” is real.

Believe it or not, mushrooms are being touted as a possible solution to the plight of the bees. Mushrooms are nutrient-dense, full of protein, iron, B-vitamins, and critical nutrients. Known health benefits include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-

A bee with ‘Deformed Wing Virus’

credit: Klaas de Gelder

How Can We Help?

credit: By Dusty Yao-Stamets - Wikipedia

The worst of these viruses is ‘Deformed Wing Virus’ or DWV, which results in wrinkled and misshapen wings and is affecting honeybee populations worldwide. DWV prevents the bee from flying, which weakens their immune system and halves their lifespan.

credit: Nikon’s Small World

MUSHROOMS AND BEES

Amadou mushroom

Varroa destructor parasite on the back of a bee

T he va r ie t y of mu shroom t h at m ay h av e t he p o w er t o s av e t he bee s bel ong s t o a n or der of f ungi k now n a s ‘p oly p or e s’, w hich a r e e x t r a c t s sho w n in numerou s s t udie s t o p o s se s s p o t en t a n t i v ir a l p rop er t ie s in hum a ns a ga ins t da ngerou s inf ec t ions l ik e s w ine f l u, p ox v iru se s, a nd e v en HI V This theory first emerged back in 1984, So far, the results when Stamets observed bees from his have been incredibly hive flying back and forth to a pile of promising. Caged fungus-coated wood. They appeared to be sipping at a liquid that had oozed bees infected with from the mushroom’s mycelium, the DWV have seen an fuzzy, white web of filaments through 800-fold decrease in which fungi absorb nutrients. At the virus levels when time, he believed the bees were attracted to the sugar in the liquid, as dosed with Amadou fungi break wood down into glucose. mushroom extract. A few years ago, however, he woke from a lucid dream in which the bees were ingesting the liquid as a form of self-medication for some ailment, and not for the sugar. the winter, as this is

fed amadou extract experienced a 44fold reduction. The field test also showed promising results for another aggressive disease that is ravaging the honeybee population, called Lake Sinai Virus; it saw a substantial 45,000-fold reduction when the bees were fed red reishi extract! The research has only been conducted over two months in the summertime. Future studies need to be carried out over a full year, and, especially during the hardest time for the honeybee.

After telling friends about this dream, one of them urged him to call Washington State University (WSU) and speak to Walter Sheppard, the world’s leading bee expert. Less than five minutes into the phone conversation, Sheppard knew he wanted to work with Stamets.

Many questions are surrounding the mushroom extract itself. How does it work? Does it boost the immune systems of the bees so they can fight back? Or does it inhibit the virus directly? Perhaps it is something else entirely. Tests are needed in more beehives so we can learn more.

With the assistance of Sheppard, researchers from WSU, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a research programme has been running for the past few years where sugar-water feeders are dosed with extracts from the mycelium of various species of mushrooms, allowing them to analyse the effect on bees with DWV.

With the bee population disappearing, so much is at stake. Mushrooms and fungi have the potential to help, but they are complicated, and the journey has just begun. Scientists will be working to identify their benefits for a long time. Will they save the bees? Only time will tell. 3

So far, the results have been incredibly promising. Caged bees infected with DWV have seen an 800-fold decrease in virus levels when dosed with Amadou mushroom extract. The field tests have seen a lower, albeit still significant, reduction in DWV with bee colonies fed reishi mushroom extract (well known in homoeopathic circles for its medicinal properties) experiencing a 79-fold reduction. Those

Bio

An industry veteran with over 20 years experience in a variety of roles, Rich Hamilton is currently a business development manager for a large UK hydroponics distributor. The author of Growers Guide book series, Rich also writes on all aspects of indoor gardening, as well as being an independent industry consultant working closely with hydroponic businesses worldwide.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

REVISITED

It has been quite an uphill bat tle for LED, and it ’s mos tly the indus tr y ’s own fault... 64

LED REVISITED

BY THEO TEKSTRA

n 2015, I wrote an article about LED for Garden Culture. At that time, the most efficient white LEDs were up to 2.4 µmol/J, and the most efficient red LEDs went up to 2.7 µmol/J. Those top-bin LEDs were costly, so many manufacturers used much lower efficiency LEDs up to 2.1/2,2 µmol/J. Most Chinese sourced or rebranded cheap LED fixtures, though, were even much

below 1.9 µmol/J, making a switch from HPS expensive and not worthwhile. I was sceptical at that time, as there was so much misinformation in the market. How has the market changed in four years, and what is the current state of the LED? How has the industry progressed, and what lessons have been learned?

Short history When LED lamps and fixtures first came out for growing plants more than a decade ago, they were positioned as “magic lamps”. They would replace a 600W HPS with just 150W of energy use. But these early “UFO style” lamps fell through quickly and gave the whole LED industry a bad name. Incredibly, they are somehow still available.

These early “UFO st yle” lamps fell through quickly and gave the whole LED industr y a bad name

Since then, it has been quite an uphill battle for LED, and it’s mostly the industry’s own fault. I can show you videos of manufacturers promoting their 400W LED fixture to replace one (hell, maybe even two) 1000W HPS fixtures. When talking about their competition, and this is a direct quote: “You can grill chicken on a Gavita,” when their less efficient installation produced a higher heat-to-light ratio than HPS, totally disregarding thermodynamic laws. Subsequent higher efficiency and higher power fixtures were introduced, and guess what? According to certain manufacturers, they still replaced the 1000W HPS fixture, which of course, is not even close to the truth.

Even with the dropping prices, the investment in a µmol of LED is still about four times as expensive as a µmol of HPS light. Energy efficiency, less cooling, better spectrum, increased crop quality, shorter grow cycles, reduced maintenance costs, and the ability to grow multi-layer can offset the operational costs drastically, specifically on a cash crop such as cannabis. The latter explains the success of LED over the last few years.

Currently, when used in a fixture (so, after driver losses), red and blue LED fixtures perform well over 3 µmol/J, with the red LED still being most efficient. White LED fixtures get to 2.7 µmol/J after driver losses. Some white LED fixtures have extra red LEDs to improve the efficiency of the fixture and balance the spectrum.

Status of full spectrum LED today

Over the last few years, a few manufacturers stood up to break through this stigma of LED; Philips has been up front, as they have a vast interest in replacing their market-leading installed base. LED has become more science-based, and trials to test different spectrums have led to good results. White LED development enabled the industry to come with improved spectral quality, though in the beginning, again, that happened at the cost of less efficiency.

In greenhouses, LED is mostly used as supplemental light. In many cases, the high efficiency blue/red combinations provide enough spectral range to supplement the full spectrum sunlight, but that’s not always the case, especially when operating in the Nordics. We see renewed interest in the application of full spectrum lighting in horticulture. Though the fixture is less efficient, it results in better quality and faster crop, and there are strong indications that yield improves under full spectrum supplemental light compared to red and blue. For indoor growing, the choice of full spectrum over blue/red only is a no-brainer. For the sake of this argument, I will look at just the most efficient full spectrum LEDs on the market today. Just remember that blue/red LED fixtures can be about 10% more efficient.

With all the new technology in LED, we have also seen a drop in price over the years. It’s not a huge reduction, as new technology/better efficiency products are always more expensive at first. Still, we are currently in a position where, for a cash crop, you can easily do the break-even point calculation for LED. Those calculations can even be made in horticulture, especially if you take the energy efficiency rebate into account, making the investment a lot less.

So what, compared to traditional HPS fixtures, is the actual efficiency of a wide spectrum LED fixture? We need to consider driver losses, reflector materials and reflector losses, lamp quality, and lamp degradation. In this overview, you see the range within even a single HPS type of fixture. Not all reflectors are very efficient, and a dirty reflector can lose a lot of its reflective qualities. Lamps are available in a wide range of output.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

LED REVISITED

Efficiencies HPS EM/EL fixtures, including reflector depreciation and lamp depriciation

When a fixture is equipped with a new lamp:

At some point the lamp will degrade and have less output:

BEST CASE is the best lamps in the market with a new best-performing MIRO reflector. WORST CASE is a lower-quality lamp with an old anodized reflector. A 1000W lamp is a double-ended lamp with Miro reflector.

Even in the best case for HPS, with a new, highest qualit y reflector and the best lamp, a 2.7 Âľmol /J wide spectrum LED fix ture is over 30% more ef ficient than HPS

You see, even in the best case for HPS, with a new, highest quality reflector and the best lamp, a 2.7 Âľmol/J wide spectrum LED fixture is over 30% more efficient than HPS. This percentage will even be slightly better, as an HPS fixture in use is seldom at its optimal quality due to reflector losses and lamp degradation over its lifetime.

Data derived from published information by Philips, GE, OSRAM, Gavita, Eye Hortilux, Ushio, Fluence by Osram and lamp measurements in the lighting lab.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

Sounds too good to be true? Where is the catch? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say you want to replace your current HPS installation with LED. Can you do that? Absolutely!

LED REVISITED

So, what are the specific differences in the LED solution compared to the best HPS solution?

HPS

Criterium

LED

Efficiency

Average 1.9 µmol/J for a high-quality fixture.

2.7 µmol/J for a high-quality, wide spectrum fixture.

Heat dissipation

55-60% radiated heat.

10% radiated heat.

Spectrum

Limited, specifically in green and blue.

Custom, full spectrum.

Light spread

Optimal with reflector.

Lenses can be used to create a good spread but cause an extra 6-10% light loss.

Light maintenance

Reflector as well as lamp degradation will require replacements.

No lamp changes, less than 10% reduction over 8 years of continuous flowering use.

Costs

Cheap initially, but that price more than doubles with lamp and reflector changes plus labour over time, >30% more electricity use for lighting only.

Relatively expensive, 3-4 times an HPS fixture, but lower electricity use, less maintenance, no lamp or reflector replacement costs.

Climate control

The lower efficiency requires much more cooling capacity, up to >40%, which is a large investment and costs energy as well.

Though less cooling is required, in cold months extra heating is required during the lights on cycle to maintain an optimal temperature. Still, the balance is much in favour of LED.

Crop cycle

The normal period of average of 9 weeks for cannabis flowering, depending on the cultivar.

Reduction in flowering time up to a week.

“Grams per Watt”

Good growers achieve 1-1.4 grams per Watt of lighting applied.

Because of the better efficiency, LED growers achieve 1.4-2 grams per Watt of lighting applied.

Crop quality

Good quality, cannabis responds well to HPS, though adding supplemental blue and green increases overall quality.

Increased quality of end product because of the full spectrum: Cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes increase under full spectrum light.

Multi-layer / short distance applications

NOT suitable. You need a certain distance to the crop and overlap of the fixtures to create a good light uniformity.

By being able to spread the light evenly over a large space using low power bars, extremely suitable.

Other than the initial costs, there are no significant advantages to HPS. The radiated heat of HPS is not always an issue though, and sometimes, is even desirable in cold climate situations, as radiant heat is a very efficient way to keep the leaf temperature optimal. There is one area, however, where HPS can still beat LED, and that is uniformity of light over a crop by using well-designed reflectors in a sizeable single-layer room. To get optimal consistency with LEDs, you need some distance to the crop or must use lenses that reduce the efficiency of the fixture. Even so, after those lens losses, the LED efficiency remains better, and in most cases, an excellent uniformity can be reached by choosing the right fixture.

The catch Sounds too good to be true? Where is the catch? Let’s say you want to replace your current HPS installation with LED. Can you do that? Absolutely! You will have a better spectrum and use much less electricity. However…

•

• •

Your HVAC installation will still be dimensioned for 30% more cooling, so you don’t save in investment there, though your climate control costs will decrease. The lower temperature can lead to higher relative humidity, requiring you to use more dehumidification. Less irradiant heat will mean less evaporation. Bringing the environmental temperature up will also cost you some energy in the cold months, but still, you will see less evaporation from the plants, having its impact on the water use, sap stream in the plant, and nutrient uptake. You will need to adjust the way you grow.

As you see, the climate is the biggest catch when you move from HPS to LED. In many cases, that extra capacity of HVAC you have available can be used to expand your facility without additional investments in cooling, but you will need to make sure you can maintain a temperature in your grow room.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

LED REVISITED

Growing under LED requires adjustments of climate and fertigation because of a different energy balance. It’s a learning process, and having a supplier that has horticultural experience and crop experts available is a huge help. I would say this is one of the most critical factors for the successful implementation of LED.

Who to choose? With so many suppliers offering LED solutions nowadays and new ones popping up every month, who do you choose? Here are a few guidelines. 1. PPF/J (the efficiency of the fixture) does matter. The total output of the fixture and its efficiency are still the most important factors. You need to be able to distribute all that light, but specs as “PPFD at a certain distance” don’t mean a thing as a base spec. A narrow-angle LED will get you a higher intensity at a certain distance but at a much smaller surface. Does the manufacturer not specify PPF/J (in µmol/J)? Disqualified. Also, where do they get their data from? Are these fixture efficiencies? Are driver losses taken into account? 2. Spectrum does matter. Not all wide spectrum LED fixtures are the same. Some use a large amount of red and blue, and a few white LEDs to create what they call a “wide spectrum”. This pinkish-purple light, however, doesn’t have much of a continuous spectrum at all. Some Chinese manufacturers even dare to call their red and blue fixtures “full spectrum”. 3. There is no such thing as ‘good and cheap’. Top bin, efficient LEDs are expensive. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. 4. Continuity. Often a forgotten aspect. You are buying a product that will have to last about five to seven years. That is a pretty long time! Will the manufacturer be able to support you and honour your warranty claims? Will they even be there in three years? If something goes wrong, will they have the deep pockets to correct their mistakes? How big and successful is the organization? Buying cheap may seem attractive at first, but in the long run, can end in total disaster. Having to send your warranty fixtures back to a far away country and waiting for a replacement is not an option. 5. Communication. I don’t mean if a manufacturer has fancy advertisements or a good trade show booth; what do they claim? Are their claims consistent? Have they been backed with good, reliable case studies? Is it all anecdotal, and does it seem too good to be true? What did they say before they had these new efficient models? Beware of snake oil. Ask for references. Take claims with a grain of salt as every manufacturer will put his best results forward.

There is one area, however, where HPS can still beat LED, and that is uniformit y of light over a crop by using welldesigned reflectors in a sizeable single-layer room You may have noticed that I currently work for an LED manufacturer. Does that colour my judgement? It’s the other way around! Four years ago, I foresaw a good future for LED if the efficiencies were better and the costs per µmol lower. Investments in this technology are still relatively high, but we have come such a long way in efficiency. It is possible to break even in a shorter time. Energy efficiency will force us to choose different routes for the cultivation of crops, and the advantage is swinging clearly towards LED. Though for cash crops it is a no-brainer to calculate return on investment, for horticulture and greenhouses, it is still a complicated calculation. In a future article, we will focus on that subject and see what progress has been made in light recipes and application, such as hybrid lighting and multilayer growing. 3

BIO Theo Tekstra is a regular contributor to Garden Culture Magazine and currently works for Fluence by Osram as the product marketing manager. Theo has also overseen disruptive product introductions into the hydroponics market for a major lighting manufacturer and is a respected and experienced industry professional in the horticulture industry.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

BY ANNE GIBSON

The Case for Rekindling the Lost Art of

Seed Saving “Cultivating and conserving diversity is no luxury in our times: it is a survival imperative.” Vandana Shiva

en years ago, at a local gardening group, I heard an elderly gardener extolling the importance of saving seeds with a great sense of urgency. At the time, I thought ‘why bother?’

when seeds are so cheaply available. However, the insights he provided that day changed my view and revealed a dark side to our food security. As a result, I started a seed saving group with bags of seed varieties from his garden, learned the skills to process and store seeds, and have spent the last decade as a dedicated seed saver.

SEED SAVING

Seeds were saved in backyards and on-farm from the crops with the best yields, flavour, colour, shape, size, drought resistance, aroma, texture, resilience to pests, and many other beneficial characteristics

Seed Heritage

Consolidation of the Seed Industry

In the early part of this century, seeds were in the public However, since 1996, when genetically engineered (GE) seeds domain. For generations, gardeners, farmers and plant were introduced, continuous global mergers and consolidation breeders have been seed ‘stewards’ taking personal of seed companies have dramatically transformed the responsibility for preserving a diverse range of food crops. commercial seed industry. In recent decades, a handful of Because seeds adapt to local conditions, climate, and soils, agro-chemical multinational companies have swallowed up seed saving growers have been able small family-owned seed companies, to select the healthiest, most robust minimising competition and eroding plants to collect seeds from. Farmers Seed saving has always the sustainable options for growers. and plant breeders globally have Naturally, they can charge everbeen an investment in saved their own varieties suited to increasing prices for seed. particular conditions – just for their future generations of private gardens and farms. By eliminating seed lines and plants. Rightly so, limiting choices to hybrid seeds or when seeds are the This diverse heritage and careful genetically modified varieties that selection meant small growers had can’t be saved as they won’t grow beginning and the end access to unique cultivars, with many true-to-type, these multinationals in the food chain plants chosen because they were now control the vast majority of disease-resistant. Seeds were saved what farmers grow, and consumers in backyards and on-farm from the eat. Farmers who buy these seeds crops with the best yields, flavour, colour, shape, size, drought are unable to save them for replanting. Currently, just four resistance, aroma, texture, resilience to pests, and many other chemical companies largely control our future food supply, beneficial characteristics. and that’s a worrying thought. Saving seeds has helped growers over generations save money These global pharmaceutical/chemical giants have also used by being self-sufficient and not having to buy more. Each year, intellectual property laws to turn seeds into a commodity their crops became better with careful selection, resulting in that now enables them to control the world seed supply. So higher yields and fewer problems. Seed saving has always been rather than farmers freely creating new breeds of seeds for an investment in future generations of plants. Rightly so, when their benefit and public exchange, since the 1980s, there have seeds are the beginning and the end in the food chain. been legal patents preventing such creativity and diversity. The threat of legal action discourages many farmers from Backyard gardeners and crop growers have also contributed replanting seeds they buy. These corporations have forcefully to local seed banks around their countries. Without this input, protected their IP rights, restricting the way seeds can be small seed businesses could not survive, and our plant choices used, exchanged publicly, and saved for research. would be severely diminished. For many crops, only a small space is needed to collect enough seed on a commercial scale. The result is a weakening of our food security and the diversity Selling seeds is also a source of income. of seeds in gardens, farms, and the marketplace. Plant genetic resources that should be in the public domain have been increasingly eliminated through escalating corporate control supported by court decisions.

Loss of Diversity

A variety of runner bean seeds

At the same time, the dramatic increase in monoculture crops to meet consumer and supermarket demands for perfect looking fruit and vegetables has led to other problems. There has been a drop in the diversity of crop varieties grown commercially, with a limited selection of seeds available to farmers.

Organic farmers are particularly vulnerable to the reduction in seed availability and diversity. Organic growers depend on seeds bred for their capacity to resist pests and disease and ability to outcompete weeds.

SEED SAVING

Instead of growing a wide range of tomato modified, hybrid, and sterile seeds In recent decades, varieties with the best flavour, aroma, based on terminator technology a handful of agroand characteristics suited to the seasonal threatens the future of seeds, farmers, chemical multinational and food security. climate changes, the vast majority are bred for consistency of size, weight, skin companies have thickness to avoid bruising in transport, Local and cultural knowledge that has swallowed up small farming equipment, and ease of picking been passed down through generations at harvest time. Thousands of seasonally on preserving heirloom, wild and family-owned seed and locally adapted plant varieties have cultivated plant varieties has also companies, minimising been lost. With this kind of monoculture largely vanished. Gardeners, farmers competition and eroding and growers who could be self-reliant, farming, there’s often the need to use more herbicides and pesticides to grow are predominantly outsourcing seeds the sustainable the crop. Another financial and health rather than saving their own. options for growers cost to farmers, consumers, and the environment. Nutrient-loss in food Organic farmers are particularly vulnerable to the reduction in Hybrid and genetically modified seeds grown for high yields and seed availability and diversity. Organic growers depend on seeds commercial convenience have tended to sacrifice nutrient value, bred for their capacity to resist pests and disease and ability to flavour, and mineral content. According to SeedSavers.net, an outcompete weeds. The use of chemicals on conventionally Australian organisation supporting seed saving, “The tradeoff grown crops suits the conglomerates who have both seed and between yield and nutrient level seems to be widespread farm chemical divisions. So they make money selling seeds farmers across crops and regions, as plants partition their limited energy can’t grow on and the herbicide and pesticide products they need between different goals. Substantial data show that in corn, to sustain their crops. wheat and soybeans, the higher the yield, the lower the protein and oil content. The higher tomato yields (in terms of harvest weight), the lower the concentration of vitamin C, levels of lycopene (the key antioxidant that makes tomatoes red), and beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor).”

Australian seeds

Corn cobs with dried kernels save for seed

There’s little incentive for biotech companies to research organic seed varieties when this eliminates the need for chemicals. Diverse heirloom seed varieties bred for many generations have been deleted in favour of investment into the most profitable seed lines. There’s no financial incentive for investment into seed cultivars that farmers can easily replant. Diversity in the gene pool achieved by careful selection of seed varieties that survive through climate changes, resist pests or diseases, and that flower or fruit early or late, are sadly, significantly reduced. This lack of diversity reduces the buffer for growers. If one crop of a single cultivar fails, there’s a massive loss. Unfortunately, a vast range of crops and plant varieties are now extinct. The increase in the development of genetically

Ten years on, talking to my local nursery growers who have been selling vegetable, herb and flower seedlings for decades, staying viable is a struggle. It’s a very cost driven business. The price of seeds has skyrocketed in recent years. Heirloom and non-GMO seed varieties have considerably diminished, replaced with hybrids that grow well for a single season. These growers can’t source enough bulk seeds within Australia, so rely on overseas hybrid seeds that won’t produce the same results in the next generation because they are genetically unstable. Seeds worth saving are those that grow true-to-type or the same as the parent plant. They preserve the unique traits from generation to generation. Growers are caught between a rock and a hard place. Many small seed companies in Australia buy the bulk of their stock overseas. Imported seeds have to pass customs and quarantine restrictions. Quality standards for seeds in other countries can vary considerably to our own, so there’s always the concern about how safe they are.

Saving Life’s Building Blocks

With our climate throwing constant challenges at us to grow food, it’s never been more essential to have seeds that are resilient to change. We need to save and develop new varieties that do well in our local area. Here’s where an opportunity comes in.

SEED SAVING

Organic farmers are particularly vulnerable to the reduction in seed availability and diversity

The Open Source Seed Initiative

The Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI), was inspired by the free and open source software movement that provided alternatives to proprietary software. This organisation was created by a group of plant breeders, farmers, seed companies, and sustainability advocates who want to ‘free the seed.’ Their goal is to make sure the genes in at least some seed are protected from use by intellectual property rights. For more information, visit osseeds.org. In effect, this initiative creates a growing gene pool of ethically produced, fair trade seeds that can be used freely, without fear of the intellectual property being used by the corporate giants and removed from public use. Seeds are Nature’s gift and a precious resource. As seed stewards, gardeners and growers can help preserve and pass these on to future generations. So, whether you choose to grow and save your seed, buy from a seed company that aligns with your values, or support a local seed saving group or seed bank, you can take steps to regain control of our seed supply actively. Every gardener and grower that takes action in this direction helps improve and sustain our seed diversity, and ultimately, our food security. Carol Deppe, a retired geneticist, plant breeder, and author of Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties, says “All gardeners and farmers should be plant breeders. Developing new vegetable varieties doesn’t require a specialised education, a lot of land,

or even a lot of time. It can be done on any scale. It’s enjoyable. It’s deeply rewarding.” More farmers and gardeners recognise they need to ‘take back their seeds.’ They need to save more of their own seed, grow and maintain the best traditional and regional varieties, and develop more of their own unique, new varieties. How does it work? OSSI helps maintain fair and open access to plant genetic resources worldwide. This ensures germplasm is available to farmers, gardeners, breeders, and communities of this and future generations. OSSI works with plant breeders who commit to making one or more of their varieties available exclusively under the OSSI Pledge: “You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.” This pledge is on all seed partner packaging. 3

Harvest of colourful heirloom tomato varieties Seed Saving Books available through seedsavers.net

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

BY EVAN FOLDS

Regenerative is the New Sustainable

What do you think; are we doing our humanity justice?

REGENERATION

or everything that humanity has going for it, do you think we could be doing a better job? In some ways, we are not smart enough, but in others, we’re too smart for our own good. In so many situations, we are amazing at doing the wrong things. The solutions to the problems we face are all around us, yet our

economic, social, and cultural systems seem stuck in the dark ages. What gives?

Of course, Big Money has interests, and it moves slow. For some, it is difficult to understand how people can make money by keeping us in the dark ages until it becomes clear that we are effectively using our buying power to purchase this reality into existence.

The solutions to the problems we face are all around us, yet our economic, social, and cultural systems seem stuck in the dark ages

We get to vote with what we buy daily, and it is the best tool we have to move the world in the directions we want it to go. Too often, we buy what we don’t support. The strategy is simple; if the company you are spending money with does not share your values, stop buying their stuff. If enough of us do this in a coordinated way, we can move the world. Our time to live care-free and oblivious to the Earth that provides for us is over. There are now companies in most sectors of business that perform similar services to conventional oldworld options but remain committed to true cost accounting and a values-based approach to business. We can no longer remain oblivious to the impact of our actions and addictions. We are out of balance; we are falling behind; you can see and feel the disconnect everywhere. Globally, we use 160,000 single-use trash bags every second; their average time of use is only 12 minutes. They are clogging up the oceans and they sit in landfills for thousands of years until they melt into microplastics that are now being found inside organisms from the darkest depths of our oceans. There are billions of life forms contained in only a teaspoon of living soil; and we watch conventional farmers, lawn care services, our City Parks Department, and our neighbours destroy soil with man-made artificial toxic chemicals, only to chase all of the problems they are creating with more toxic chemicals. The way we farm and care for the land — monocultures, GMO crops, heavy applications of synthetic fertilisers —

has made us dependent upon toxic rescue chemistry, and unfamiliar with cleaner and more natural methods of agriculture. Think about it; we are smarter than yields at all cost, using artificial materials to grow living systems, short term thinking, and immediate gratification. Without a healthy perspective for balance and diversity through an “ecosystem approach”, we put ourselves on a chemical treadmill with a horizon that stretches only as far as the next crop. We obscure the broader and longer-term context of why we have become so chemically dependent in the first place, and how we might be able to break free of the addiction.

We have a limitation of language when it comes to holding ourselves accountable on this level. We are always playing for the shor t term and operating in ways that are blatantly benefiting the few at the expense of the many, but more directly, on an individual level, we consistently and unconsciously encourage the opposite of our self-interests. “Depructivity” is the dark side of productivity that, often by design, lies mostly outside of our awareness. It is “depructive” to corporate farmers’ subsidies and not family farmers. It is “depructive” to pollute the environment in the name of profit. It is “depructive” to gorge ourselves in the face of hunger. It is “depructive” to engage the present without a plan for the future. In short, “depructivity” undermines what we would want if we were asked. A good example of “depructivity” is the average car. Most cars run on gasoline, a source of energy produced from a finite resource that pollutes the Earth, and that we purchase from organisations that arguably do not have our interests in mind. When looked at objectively and we realise that we have other options, this doesn’t sound like a very smart idea, right?

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

Gavita Master controller

Gavita Master controller ELF Get enhanced control of your grow room with the second generation Gavita Master controllers. The Gavita Master ELF is the latest addition to our controller line-up. You get everything the upgraded second generation Master controller offers, plus fan control. With the integrated fan controller, it can directly control your lights and fans for a stable temperature in your grow room. • Switch, dim, and boost your fixtures from a central unit • Independent cycle programming (EL2 only) • Separate sunrise and sunset settings • Direct control of EC fans (AC fan control with optional EFM1 module • Balance your intake and outtake fans with the Gavita Fan balancer (FB1)

REGENERATION

Our time to live care-free and oblivious to the Earth that provides for us is over

Fast food is “depructive”. Estimates say that a $3 fast food cheeseburger would cost anywhere from $12 to $30 without government subsidies. Fast food agriculture pollutes the environment and is allowed to engineer “food” that is cheap, delicious, convenient, and extractive using our tax dollars. This is corporatism. It’s what Dr Vandana Shiva calls “fake cheap”.

The strategy is simple; if the company you are spending money with does not share your values, stop buying their stuff

cut the cord, to build new systems that make the existing systems obsolete. To solve our problems, we need to raise the level of dialogue. We need a fresh conversation and new vocabulary. Sustainability is a popular buzzword for being hip to the social, environmental, and economic issues that we face, but sustainable is no longer sufficient. Unfortunately, we cannot sustain what we have and call it good enough.

In fact, anything fake is “depructive”. Fake fats. Fake news. Fake sugar. Fake money. Fake...period.

Regenerative is the new sustainable.

Many acts done in the name of productivity are, in the end, just plain stupid. But the term “depructive” is not a judgmental term. It is a new kind of word that escapes meaning and lives in the margins. It is pointing out a blind spot in our modern human nature.

What is “regenerative”? The term describes processes, perspectives, and methods that restore, renew, or revitalise. Regenerative systems build themselves up over time, and they yield more energy than they use. The principle of regeneration allows us to use our problems to find solutions.

We don’t have words for this phenomenon in our lexicon, and words matter. Without words, we are the blind leading the blind. We have become so accomplished at fooling ourselves that we are fooling ourselves.

A regenerative approach creates positive feedback loops that not only sustain themselves but retain the capacity to generate their own energy. By establishing systems that reinforce and support themselves, we are integrating the ambitions of society with the integrity of Mother Nature.

We are at an inflexion point in our history, where the actions that we take now will define the health and success of our future. And we don’t get a do-over. It is time to wake up. The status quo is not good enough. Given the ability and ingenuity available to us in the world, we are at a point of great potential prosperity; but we need new ideas rooted in the natural world, we need to bring balance and discernment to our decision-making process, we need more heart and less head, and we need to put people before profit. We face real and growing problems. Many have decades of entrenchment and momentum in the wrong directions. We cannot be afraid to say no to the conventional idea of progress, to

To solve our problems, we need to play a massive game of catch up. We need to mobilise masses of people motivated by a message of human health and common sense. We need to incentivise healthy actions and bring those who have become disillusioned by crony politics back into action, particularly in local politics. We have to tell a new story about ourselves, about our brilliance, about the wonder in the world. The reverence we generate must be passed down to our children in the form of imagination, intuition, and heartfelt inspiration. These impulses are in resonance with what makes us great and aligned with a future that includes every single one of us.

GA R D EN CU LT U R E M AGA Z I N E.CO M

REGENERATION

We can right the wrongs of the world, but only together. Only when all of us organise around a core set of principles that no human with ambitions for a healthy future built on common sense can deny. We outnumber “them” by billions and are calling for a recalibration of our sociopolitical priorities and a new articulation of our cultural conviction. We are calling on all of us.

In fact, anything fake is “depructive”. Fake fats. Fake news. Fake sugar. Fake money. Fake...period

The issues that we face are daunting. They are not black and white, and are not a result of a single problem or a unique solution; they are multidisciplinary, cross political spectrums and specialisations, and challenge us to show up in collaboration and cooperation, rather than calculation and competition. If we look at the enormity of the problem, it can be overwhelming. The secret is to let go, then break a complicated situation down into small bite-sized steps. If we seek guidance and have faith in living systems, we come to understand that Mother Nature has already shown us the way to abundance and that we are actually in the process of remembering. The consequences of compromise and settling for “good enough” in regards to human and environmental health and prosperity are now apparent. The prosperity gap is widening,

We can no longer remain unconscious to ourselves, our neighbours, and the Earth; we must respond with consciousness. We need to lead Mother Earth with open hearts and open minds through spiritual action and have a high-level conversation on what we want to be in the world that starts with common sense and ends with healthy people. If we get this right, the rest will come naturally. Ultimately, we are human be-ings, not human do-ings. We are resilient. Eventually, we will begin to go within, sit still, and meditate long enough to realise the damage that we are doing, the power that we have, and the dangers that we face, and navigate a path to prosperity and abundance. But the longer we wait, the harder we make it on ourselves. We have the solutions to our problems, and we can create abundance on Earth through positive feedback loops and regenerative methods. What we need is the personal, collective, and political will to make it happen. After all, the outcome for humanity is the sum of people’s desire for the future; the sum of human will. 3

Sustainability is a popular buzzword for being hip to the social, environmental, and economic issues that we face, but sustainable is no longer sufficient

Bio

Evan Folds is a regenerative agricultural consultant with a background across every facet of the farming and gardening spectrum. He has founded and operated many businesses over the years - including a retail hydroponics store he operated for over 14 years, a wholesale company that formulated beyond organic products and vortex-style compost tea brewers, an organic lawn care company, and a commercial organic wheatgrass growing operation. He now works as a consultant in his new project Be Agriculture where he helps new and seasoned growers take their agronomy to the next level.What we think, we grow! Contact Evan at www.BeAgriculture.com or on Facebook and Instagram @beagriculture

and people are being left behind. This is not just a human problem; this is a public health problem, it is an economic problem, and it is an environmental problem.

Garden Culture Magazine AU 13

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