Growing Indoors - AUS37 by Garden Culture Magazine

AUSTRALIA EDITION · ISSUE 37 · FREE COPY

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CONTENTS

54 MARKETpLACE

WATER FUNDAMENTALS

FOR HYDROPONIC SUCCESS

ORGANISING THE MYCO-FILES DRYING CANNABIS 46

ACCOUNTING FOR SEED DORMANCY WHEN PLANNING YOUR NEXT GROW 28

I N THIS ISSU E O F

THE PERFECT MOM

9 Foreword

42 The Geography of Indoor Growing

10 Author Spotlight

46 Drying Cannabis: Methods for Success

12 Marketplace

50 The Power of Mycorrhizae in Plant Growth

16 Planning Your Next Grow

52 The Time I Processed Blackcurrants And Didn’t Post About It

18 Where To Grow?

22 How To Make A Window Box Garden

60 Agriculture Can Save The World

24 Slow Food: Good, Clean, and Fair

66 Building Fire-Resistant Landscapes

28 The Perfect Mom

70 Notes From A Dirty Old Gardener

30 The Lunar Micro Ecosystem Experiment

72 Accounting For Seed Dormancy When Planning Your Next Grow

32 One and (not) Done - Getting The Most From Your Grow Media

76 Water Fundamentals for Hydroponic Success

40 Inspiring The Younger Generation To Dig In The Soil

80 5 Cool Ways to Master the Art of Growing Indoors

GA R D EN C U LT U R E :

Organising the Myco-files

FOREWORD & CREDITS

FOREWORD

ringing your garden indoors can be very rewarding, especially when you live in an area that only allows you to grow for a short time. The weather dramatically impacts

how and what you can grow outdoors, and interestingly enough, it can also affect how you grow indoors. Depending on the season and your particular spot, the outdoor environment can influence your indoor garden. In “The Geography of Indoor Growing,” Everest Fernandez discusses the challenges he has faced growing around the world and why creating a sealed room is his preferred choice. He also shares a checklist to help you choose “Where to Grow?” in an indoor space. Popping old dormant seeds is not always an easy task. Xavi Kief shares best practices for success in “Conscious Awakenings: Accounting For Seed Dormancy When Planning Your Next Grow.” In “The Lunar Micro Ecosystem Experiment - Cultivating Life in the Cosmos,” Rich Hamilton explores the future of growing in space. In an earlier edition, Av Singh and Lindsay Dawson helped me create my indoor, no-till, regenerative organic beds. When I encountered some problems, one of which was how to amend them appropriately, I turned to them once again. In the article “One and (not) Done - Getting The Most From Your Grow Media,“ they explain the importance of soil testing and being in control of your soil. As gardeners, we often face challenges. The team at Garden Culture loves to hear about your indoor gardening successes and failures. If you have a story to share, please reach out to us! Let’s grow our community. Happy Gardening, Eric 3

CREDITS SPECI A L TH A N KS TO: Adam Clarke, Alan Creedon, Av Singh and Lindsay Dawson, Cosmic Knot, Evan Folds, Everest Fernandez, Jennifer Cole, Judy Nauseef, Keaton Haines, Lance Lambert, Regi Oneton, Rich Hamilton, and Xavi Kief. PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539 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 social@gardenculturemagazine.com ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com PUBLISHER 325 Media INC 44 Hyde Rd., Mille-Isles QC, Canada J0R 1A0 GardenCultureMagazine.com ISSN 2562-3540 (Print) ISSN 2562-3559 (Online) Garden Culture is published six times a year, both in print and online.

@GardenCulture

@GardenCultureMagazine

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D I ST R I B U T I O N PA R T N ER S • WHG • Stealth Garden Supplies • Hy-Gen

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

Turmeric >

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

ay ‘hello’ to Eric Coulombe, the owner of Garden Culture Magazine! Eric has run the magazine for 12 years but has worked in the growing industry for 20. A plant lover and excellent gardener, Eric is described by those who know him as a generous and kind

family man with what the French call joie de vivre! If you don’t know Eric, you really should.

What is the coolest thing about owning a growing magazine? Over the last 12 years, we have printed over 2,000,000 copies and had millions of impressions online. We have inspired, educated and entertained countless growers. I have had the privilege of meeting many amazing people who have dedicated their lives to the cause of growing plants, inspiring me to make a great product. The coolest thing is having the opportunity to be a part of this community. Another is working at home with Celia, our amazing team, the freedom of time that has allowed me to be present in my children’s lives and travelling the world with my family.

Do you have a growing motto? I have a new one, “You don’t know until you grow.” When I say grow, I mean grow anything. Level 1: house plants. I love house plants; they are a staple in my life. I can’t imagine a world without plants in my house. I still have a Schefflera my grandmother gave me 44 years ago. Level 2: buy a grow light. That’s when the imagination takes off. People who have never experienced this are usually impressed with what all those extra photons can do. Level 3: dedicated space for a GROW ROOM, where all your gardening dreams and nightmares can come true. So many gardeners wrap it up in the fall and count the days until the warm weather returns, but if only they knew what they could grow indoors.

What’s your favourite plant to grow? I started growing turmeric and ginger because they were old and growing sprouts on my counter. I took three or four pieces and planted them in an Autopot. Coco in a pot, sprouts facing up just below the surface. I top-watered several times and

added them to the Autopot line. The turmeric has big palmlike leaves, and the ginger has long, thin, grass-like growth. It takes three to four months, but I harvested about three pounds each. They both like to be off at the side in less direct light, and if you have spider mites, they will be attracted to the ginger, where you can kill them easily.

What is your greatest gardening success story? When I was 14, on my request, my dad got me a worm composter. I took care of it, and it thrived. That summer, a new neighbour I wasn’t too fond of was going away on a three-week vacation. I decided to collect the black liquid from my composter, mix it with water and irrigate my neighbour’s backyard lawn daily. When they returned, the lawn in the front was 5 inches and well over a foot in the back. It was my first introduction to the power of compost tea. I just called it Black Magic.

Other than spending time with plants, what’s your favourite pastime? Does landscaping count? I like to spend as much time outside as possible in the summer. Mushroom foraging has become an obsession, so I’m happy when it rains. I coach my son’s high school Futsal team (you might have to look it up) and soccer/ football team. And anyone who knows me knows I like the cold. If I had to pick one favourite pastime, it would be skiing. We live 15 minutes from our little local mountain, and I try to go with the kids when it snows and as often as possible. I also like building snow sculptures and castles. Although I don’t think I would call it a pastime, my most recent find is cold water dips. 3

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

I have had the privilege of meeting many amazing people who have dedicated their lives to the cause of growing plants, inspiring me to make a great product. The coolest thing is having the opportunity to be a part of this community.

Eric Coulombe

Are you interested in writing for Garden Culture Magazine? We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email introducing yourself with a sample of your work. editor@gardenculturemagazine.com

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BY ADAM CLARKE

Planning Your

Next Grow the only thing the same about all cannabis grows is they are all different

GROW ROOM DESIGN

he most common question I get in the cannabis industry is how I would design and plan a new building. The key to this question is something I go back to all the time in cannabis: the only thing the same about all cannabis grows is they are all different. This is one of my favourite and earliest lessons

in cannabis facility design and automation.

Questions, Anyone?

Relationships will be

Relationships Are Everything

When a client comes to me asking about Relationships will be critical to your future critical to your future planning their next grow, the questions are success, assuming you already have an success, assuming usually similar, but our direction changes appropriate business plan and a way to based on the desired outcome. The most get your products to market. You need you already have an important aspect of planning your new to be close to everyone, be it equipment appropriate business grow is starting at the end and working vendors, consultants, suppliers, or your plan and a way to get backwards. What is going to make competitors. This industry is big enough for this project successful? Does the client your products to market us all, but we must focus on our goals and understand the risks of their decisions, or market segments. We have all seen that am I deciding for them? Is money an issue, large-scale operations (Aurora, Canopy, or is the budget unlimited? What about quality, and what is the etc.) are not necessarily a model that is working in cannabis. project’s timeline? Who is going to run the building? People want craft flowers and locally sourced products that are consistent in quality and unique. Everyone has smoked enough The questions seem never-ending, but we can get to the bottom ‘Blue Dream’ for a lifetime. of most of them with time and patience. To borrow a line from a friend, “crawl, walk, run,” seems to be the key to success in industry. Take time to develop your game plan, know how your Be The Best company will work, and make enough capital to function. We Planning your next grow involves hard work and being close to have already watched the “run, stumble, crash” model from so many people. Your relationships will help you survive and enjoy many in the industry, and we don’t want to see it again. the industry, but your product and business plan will pay the bills. Our industry has just had its first five years of legalisation/ change. Do what you do well and be the best. Strive to excel Hire The Right People where others aren’t, and don’t be afraid to be different, as the The physical building aspect of your project will be the easiest only thing the same about all cannabis grows is they are all part of your cannabis career, assuming you work with a different. 3 reputable company (like Stratus Designs!) that has designed over 50 facilities and made enough mistakes not to make them again. It has taken a lot of patience and energy to get to where Adam has provided planning and design services for cannawe are now designing buildings. We are the first hired and the bis and hemp cultivation and processing facilities over the last seven years with Stratus. His projects involve outdoor only ones left after the building process. My company represents cultivation, indoor cultivation, drying, processing, extraction, storage, the facility owner and deals with the project’s suppliers, cities, bottling and packaging, and more. Living on a hobby farm, Adam loves engineers, salespeople, etc. We work with those people and all plants, including flowers, vegetables, and microgreens, but is most foster a healthy partnership to work together as a team. We are passionate about hemp and is in awe of the fast-growing plant and all here to make the building work and help it continue successfully. of the benefits it offers to humans and the environment alike.

Bio

I highly encourage everyone to farm with some help from their friends

BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ

Where To

Grow?

GROW SPACES

We don’t all have the luxury of being able to choose the perfect location for our hobby, but we should all be aware of the pros and cons and how to get the most from our endeavours! Here’s what you should consider when evaluating a potential grow space.

Many beginners underestimate how tall their plants can grow throughout the lifecycle and the space required between grow lights and the canopy 1.

Location, Location, Location: Basements are best. They benefit from the natural insulation of the earth, which will help keep temperatures in your grow room as consistent as possible and easy to control. The worst choice is usually the attic—these spaces suffer from temperature extremes. Garages are often considered but typically offer lousy insulation and poor protection from pests. Insulation can help any grow location, as can timing your grow sensitively to the season. If using a spare room, the best choice is one with the fewest sun-facing windows. Space Considerations: Space is everything—especially the vertical height available. Many beginners underestimate how tall their plants can grow throughout the lifecycle and the space required between grow lights and the canopy. Whether it’s a spare room, closet, basement, or a grow tent, ensure it can accommodate your plants, grow lights, fans, carbon filters, humidifiers/dehumidifiers, grow trays, reservoirs, etc. Remember, it’s not just about filling a space with foliage! You must allow easy access for watering, pruning, and other maintenance tasks. Electrical Safety: Prioritise electrical safety. Your grow lights, fans, and other equipment will require substantial electricity, so ensure your electrical system can handle the load. Don’t get too inventive with extension leads and multi-sockets. Use surge protectors and avoid overloading circuits to prevent fires or other hazards. Keep electrical equipment away from water sources and drainage areas to prevent potential electrocution risks. Ensure all electrical connections are secure and ballasts are supported and out of the way—preferably mounted on fire-proof materials.

Temperature and Humidity Control: Humidity can be a moving target during your grow. At first, your young plants won’t transpire much and benefit from elevated humidity. If you live in an arid climate, invest in a humidifier. However, once your plants grow and develop, you’ll likely have the opposite problem—too much humidity! That’s when you must plug in a dehumidifier or step up the ventilation/ air exchange. This is particularly important as plants enter generative production (flowering and fruiting). Therefore, your chosen space should allow for temperature and humidity regulation. Depending on the space, this might involve adding insulation, heating, or cooling systems or selecting a location that naturally maintains the ideal conditions. Ventilation: Even so-called “sealed rooms” need ventilation at the beginning of the dark cycle. Most growers, on the other hand, use ventilation to provide constant air exchange in their grow space to regular temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels. If your grow space is over six cubic metres (or 200 cubic feet), you should consider two fans—a slightly smaller one for bringing fresh air into your grow space and a size-up fan for extraction. Extraction points should be high up in the grow space to remove the warmest air. (Some LED growers duct this warm air back into their grow tents during the winter to help warm their plants!) As long as the fans are speed-controllable, bigger is always better, albeit more costly. A 10” EC extraction fan running on low generates much less noise than a 6” fan running at full pelt—and gives you some extra wiggle room if and when you need it.

Basements are best. They benefit from the natural insulation of the earth, which will help keep temperatures in your grow room as consistent as possible and easy to control

GROW SPACES

As a general guide for most modern, full-spectrum LEDs with competitive efficacies, figure a minimum of 500 watts per square metre or 50 watts per square foot.

Lightproofing: Many plants require a specific dark period for healthy growth. Your growing space should be able to be made completely dark when needed. Consider adding lightproof curtains or other materials to block out external light. The easiest option, of course, is to buy a quality grow tent that’s purpose-made for this job!

Choosing Grow Lights and Output: Most growers opt for LED grow lights because of their improved full spectrum and high efficiency. Propagation grow lights typically use under 100 watts. Much more power is required to illuminate light-loving flowering plants throughout their lifecycle. As a general guide for most modern, full-spectrum LEDs with competitive efficacies, figure a minimum of 500 watts per square metre or 50 watts per square foot. Light Placement: Your grow light should be close enough to provide sufficient light without burning the plants. As your plants grow, you may need to adjust the height of your lights. Don’t grow Christmas trees. Top your plants to encourage a wide, bushy form where multiple flower sites bask roughly the same distance from your light instead of allowing one apical dominant flower site to force your grow light further from the satellite flower sites. Water Source and Drainage: A water source nearby is crucial for easy watering and dealing with run-off. Ensure your space has easy access to water and, importantly, a suitable drainage point to prevent water buildup and potential mould issues. 3

Everest Fernandez is a well-respected industry educator, veteran hydroponic grower and grow light enthusiast, based in France. He works primarily as a marketing and cultivation consultant and was the founding editor of Urban Garden Magazine in the UK, US and Canada. He also writes and researches for the popular hobby horticulturalist YouTube channel, Just4Growers.

BY COSMIC KNOT

E H T G N I BRING

N I E D I S T OU

n e d r a G x o B w o d n i W A e k a M o T w Ho

Do you have a southern-facing window in your home? Then you can set up an indoor window box garden to help you through those winter gardening blues.

rowing an all-natural indoor window box garden can be a great way to keep a gardener busy in the offseason. Many variations exist, but the concept is simple and effective if handled correctly. You can create a mini-garden right in your window with lettuce, kale, radishes and more.

The Right Size And Placement

Activating The Soil

Getting started on a box garden can be simple if you find one It’s a great idea to water in a fulvic acid blend like Ful Power and a premade that fits the window’s width. Otherwise, you’ll have to mycorrhizae mix like Oregonism to help activate the soil and premake a box from scratch. Make a wooden box that has almost no pare it for plant growth. Pour the mix in and let the box sit undisspacing between the boards. It should be approximately as wide turbed for about ten days for the earth to activate. Letting the soil as the window you will place in it. The box can sit on the ground grow on its own for a while helps the beneficial fungal network if your window is low enough. Otherwise, and bacteria inoculate throughout the new place the container on something to enmedia. After ten days, plant your seeds! The box can sit on the sure it gets the most light possible. Use a natural liner like burlap if the boards on the box have significant gaps to let soil slip through. Source a natural organic soil that is well draining and has plenty of nutrients readily available. A mix of humus, coir, peat and perlite has been the go-to for years.

ground if your window is low enough. Otherwise, place the container on something to ensure it gets the most light possible

After deciding what soil mix to use, fill the box almost to the top, leaving just enough room to protect the edges from spilling over. Next, place the container in the desired location with a catch tray underneath it. Washing machine trays work well for this purpose. Finally, put two boards underneath the box inside the tray to let the underside breathe; this will keep the soil from growing stagnant in case of over-watering.

Plant Selection And Maintenance Even indoors, it’s essential to select cold-hardy plants that don’t need a lot of light. Greens are the go-to, with plenty of other options. Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green beans and more have all grown in a box garden, though they will be much smaller than their outdoor counterparts.

Only water the garden when necessary. At first, the soil will need more water, but after a while, it will hold moisture for a long time. As the garden establishes, water in compost tea as required. Compost teas are the best way to offer nourishment to your plants naturally. Make a simple tea by adding a small handful of humus and earthworm castings into a 5-gallon bucket of clean water and letting it sit for a few hours before applying

WINDOW BOX GARDEN

A window box garden is a simple solution to those wintertime blues, allowing you to learn from Mother Nature in the comfort of your own home.

it to the garden. Avoid using city water; for best results, use natural spring water, reverse osmosis, or distilled water. Adding an aeration stone to the bucket allows you to brew much longer without causing anaerobic bacteria to form too quickly. The plants respond positively the next day when the tea is made correctly. Once the garden thrives, you can regrow in the same soil indefinitely. If proper care is taken, the earth will continue to improve. Keeping up with the garden’s needs as they arise is the best preventative maintenance plan, and adding enzymes from time to time will help keep the soil clean and healthy.

Keep It Simple Observe the reaction of your plants as they grow, and remember that, like any garden, a forest doesn’t need human attention to thrive. A little goes a long way! A window box garden is a simple solution to those wintertime blues, allowing you to learn from Mother Nature in the comfort of your own home. 3

BIO Tom Wall: Professional Musician, Writer and Gardening Consultant. Cosmic Knot/Therapeutic Horticulture Consultations. Growing up on a deer farm located on 79 acres of land along the banks of one of Lake Michigan’s tributaries, Tom grew a love for nature and all the beauties it could hold. Through that passion, Tom has channeled his influences into educating the community on sustainable agriculture, becoming an activist, writing for magazines and creating music tuned to nature in his band, Cosmic Knot.

BY JENNIFER COLE

Slow Food Spreading the mantra about the benefits of local, sustainable food and an ecofriendly lifestyle, Slow Food Vancouver Coastal is on a journey of revitalisation.

SLOW FOOD

t hasn’t been an easy few years. A pandemic pause caused Slow Food Vancouver Coastal to lose members and momentum.

“We’re in a period of revitalisation,” says Elaine Cheng, the volunteer chair of the organisation. “One of the

the more people know, the more likely they are to follow and support the “slow food” lifestyle

challenges we’re facing is getting the word out there and people understanding what Slow Food is all about.”

The Low Down It began in 1986 when a group of activists protested over the opening of a fast-food franchise at the base of the world-famous Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy. Sharing a bowl of pasta with the assembled crowd, the protesters chanted, “We don’t want fast food. We want slow food!”. It was a battle cry that gathered delegates from 15 countries in Paris, France, to sign the Slow Food Manifesto in 1989 [1]. The antithesis of fast food, the organisation’s goals are to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and to encourage the farming of plants, seeds, and livestock quintessential to an area’s ecosystem. The organisation advocates against factory farms and food waste and sees globalisation as a process in which small local farmers and producers need protection and inclusion. The theme is clear: choosing locally sourced and ethically produced products creates a better planet. It’s a philosophy that’s rung a chord. Since its beginnings, Slow Food has grown into a global movement with chapters in over 132 countries. Nowadays, the term “slow” is used not just for food but has become a holistic expression that promotes everything from “slow” clothing to “slow” travel while maintaining the heart and soul of the three founding tenets of Slow Food International.

Elaine Cheng on left and Heather Pritchard on right in Italy at Terre Madra

The Three Tenets

Ciao – Slow Fish

Good food is at the heart of the movement. A fresh and flavourful seasonal diet that satisfies the taste buds and contributes to local culture is better. Another core concept is clean food. Food production and consumption won’t harm the environment, animals or our health. Finally, the third tenet is fairness: accessible consumer prices and fair conditions for small-scale producers.

In the fall of 2022, Cheng and ex-chair Heather Pritchard attended Terra Madre in Turin, Italy, a biennial gathering of food communities hosted by Slow Food International [2]. Attracting academics, cooks, and members of the Slow Food Community, the conference provided educational workshops and networking opportunities.

Against this backdrop, Cheng joins Slow Food advocates and groups to galvanise local support for Vancouver Coastal and encourage new members.

“We have now joined with Slow Fish in Washington State,” Pritchard says. “Living on the south coast of British Columbia, the ocean [helps] shape Vancouver and many of its surrounding communities. As we move forward, it makes sense to partner with not just land-based food solutions but ones being promoted for sustainable ocean harvest and eating.”

ing attention to w ra d e tim e m the sa factors foods while at se e th f o l, or economic ry ta o n m e e m m n e iro th v n s rve cial, e The Ark prese urces due to so so d o fo r u o ll can befa the harm that

Locally sourced salad

SLOW FOOD

the organisation’s goals are to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and to encourage the farming of plants, seeds, and livestock quintessential to an area’s ecosystem

Slow Fish hopes to turn the tide (pun intended) away from industrial seafood by following the principles of Blue Commons [3][4]. Its concept is that all marine resources are part of a common human heritage and freely available for people to enjoy and use. Slow Fish encourages small-scale fishers’ sustainable management of marine and fishery resources and draws attention to locally neglected but culturally significant seafood. It’s a message that resonates with Pritchard, who points to the example of West Coast oolichan. “Oolichan’s cultural and historical significance to British Columbia First Nations makes it a perfect candidate for the Ark of Taste,” Pritchard says.

Ark of Taste Created in 1996, the Ark of Taste, under the auspices of Slow Food International, catalogues at-risk foods that have a historical and cultural significance to the region they originate. Over 5,300 products are listed in the virtual catalogue [5][6] . Once numbered in millions along the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, oolichan migrates to freshwater tributaries to spawn every spring. For Indigenous populations, the oolichan’s return in spring was traditionally considered a gift from nature, marking the start of a new season and a fresh food source. Habitat loss attributed to climate change and industrialisation has caused a 98% decline in oolichan stocks [7][8] . For foods to be accepted to the Ark, they must first go through a formal nomination process to determine if they are: • products with distinctive quality in terms of taste; • linked to the memory and identity of a group; • and currently produced in limited quantities. The Ark preserves the memory of these foods while at the same time drawing attention to the harm that can befall our food sources due to social, environmental, or economic factors. All foods on the Ark are accompanied by a list of resources for those wishing to grow or buy them so they continue to be enjoyed.

Slow Food terre madre exhibits It’s easy to imagine the publicity Vancouver Coastal would receive if oolichan were accepted into the catalogue. It would undoubtedly draw the attention Cheng is looking for in promoting the organisation’s message of choosing local and environmentally sound foods. And other ideas are percolating. “In Europe, restaurants have a Slow Food emblem in their windows or menu, identifying them as adhering to the Slow Food movement,” Cheng explains, envisioning the same in Vancouver. “The red and white small snail decal would indicate to customers that the food served is locally sourced, grown and harvested sustainably. It would hopefully encourage questions about what Slow Food is all about.” Both Pritchard and Cheng agree the more people know, the more likely they are to follow and support the “slow food” lifestyle. 3

Sources 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

About us - Slow Food International (slowfood.com) Terra Madre - Wikipedia Blue Growth or Blue Commons? Interview with Andre Standing - Slow Food International (slowfood.com) Slow Fish - Slow Food USA (slowfoodusa.org) Ark of Taste - Wikipedia Ark of Taste - Slow Food USA (slowfoodusa.org) Eulachon - Oceana Canada (Oceana.ca) Ooligan Grease by Gale Smith - BC Food History Network (bcfoodhistory.ca)

BIO Jennifer Cole is a writer and garden enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree focused on history from Simon Fraser University, and a free-

lance writing career spanning two and half decades. Jennifer lives in Vancouver British Columbia. Her by-lines have regularly appeared in the opinion section of the Toronto Star and her portfolio includes articles in various newspapers, magazines, and websites across Canada. When not writing her own blog or visiting local garden centres, you can find her puttering, planting, and nourishing her own urban garden oasis.

BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ

T he P e r f e c t

MOM

MOTHER PLANTS

Are high yields and pleasing fragrances enough to become a mother plant?

ommercial growers understand that careful mother plant selection can make or break their businesses. These mother plants must provide the highest-quality cuttings, as their genetic traits will be replicated throughout the growing facility. Hobby growers typically focus on vigour, yield, and rooting times—but

there’s a lot more to it than that! Here are ten of the most important traits to look out for. Score plants from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) for each trait and multiply by the weighting (in brackets). 1.

These mother plants must provide the highest-quality cuttings, as their genetic traits will be replicated throughout the growing facility

Vigour (10): When starting from seed, note which seeds sprout first. Vigorous growth generally indicates good genetics and health. It’s one of the most apparent characteristics and is always desirable. Fungal, Disease and Pest Resistance (9): A plant that shows natural resistance to moulds, pests, and diseases is invaluable. Commercial growers also grow ‘monitor plants’ — specific strains attractive to pests. Not only do these plants serve as ‘yellow sticky traps’ to alert you to pests, but they can also keep them ‘distracted’ from your main crop. Uniform Growth (8): In an indoor commercial setting, uniform growth can help growers space their plants optimally and aid in the efficiency of care and harvesting. Short Internodal Distance (7): Regarding the space between nodes (or branches) on the stem, a shorter distance often results in bushier plants, making plants more stable, easier and more efficient to illuminate with grow lights. Rooting Potential (8): If cuttings from this mother plant root quickly, that’s a big plus, as quick rooting reduces susceptibility to fungal attacks. Stress Tolerance (9): How well does the plant handle environmental stresses, such as high light intensity, unusual temperatures, or high root zone salinity/inconsistent watering? Resin Production (6): A higher resin production can indicate better quality. Artificial light sources often lack UV (especially UV-B), so plants that develop lots of resin in these conditions can be true keepers.

8. Taste, Colour and Aroma (7): These can be defining traits, especially for culinary or aromatic plants. 9. Post-harvest Shelf Life (7): How long can the harvested material maintain quality? Are the terpenes still present after three months in a mason jar, or can you only detect the aroma of wet cardboard and the jar’s rubber seal? 10. Density of Foliage/ Response to Defoliation (6): The density of leaves on a plant can indicate its health and growing conditions—but an excess of leaves can be a negative for indoor cultivation. How well does the plant respond to defoliation practice? Does it go into overdrive or get stunted for a week?

Plants with the highest score (in the above system, the maximum possible score is 385, but a more realistic target would be 300) represent the strongest candidates to be your next mother plant. 3

BY RICH HAMILTON

The ground-breaking Lunar Micro Ecosystem experiment is a testament to human ingenuity

The Lunar Micro-Ecosystem Experiment Cultivating Life in the Cosmos 30

LUNAR MICRO ECOSYSTEM EXPERIMENT

he human desire to explore the cosmos has entered a new phase, transitioning from fantastical dreams to tangible reality. As our ambitions

extend beyond Earth’s bounds, a central challenge emerges: sustaining life in the barren expanse of space.

Beyond its scientific significance, this experiment is a powerful reminder of the ethical considerations accompanying our out-of-this-world ventures

The Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME) experiment, a significant achievement from China’s Chang’e 4 mission in January 2019, highlights both the scientific potential and the ethical issues surrounding the introduction of life to other celestial bodies. Diverse missions have successfully cultivated plants in space, underscoring our ongoing efforts to establish self-sustaining life support systems for extended space travel and habitation.

Unveiling the Lunar Micro Ecosystem (LME) The ground-breaking Lunar Micro Ecosystem experiment is a testament to human ingenuity. This experiment aimed to establish a self-contained biosphere within a cylindrical module on the moon’s surface. The LME contained an intriguing mix of organisms within this confined space, including cotton, rapeseed, potato seeds, fruit fly eggs, and yeast. By replicating a balanced closed-loop system, the LME sought to provide insights into the viability of lunar agriculture and its potential to support future lunar missions and human habitation.

Functionality and Operation The LME operation mirrors the intricate relationships of Earth’s ecosystems, albeit on a smaller scale. The photosynthesising plants contributed oxygen to the enclosed environment, while the fruit flies and yeast introduced carbon dioxide and facilitated the breakdown of organic matter. This careful orchestration demonstrates the potential for autonomous systems in the challenging lunar environment, where resources are scarce.

Ethical Considerations: Introducing Life to Alien Worlds The launch of the LME experiment ignited ethical discussions regarding introducing life to celestial bodies. The Outer Space Treaty, adopted in 1967, outlines the importance of preventing “harmful contamination” of other planets and moons. This regulation aims to preserve the untouched nature of extraterrestrial environments and safeguard the potential existence of native life forms. Although the LME was a controlled experiment, ethical dilemmas persist. Do we possess the moral authority to introduce life to other worlds, even within a confined setting? As humanity contemplates future colonisation efforts, the ethical balance between exploration and preservation becomes more complex, especially considering the possibility of unintended contamination.

A cotton seedling growing in the mini-ecosystem

Other Successful Plant-Growing Endeavours in Space The Lunar Micro Ecosystem experiment is one facet of our efforts to understand and harness space agriculture. NASA’s Veggie experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is another remarkable achievement. This initiative used LED lights and a hydroponic system to grow lettuce and radishes in the ISS. The Veggie project provided astronauts with fresh, nutritious food and a psychological boost during their extended missions. The European Space Agency (ESA) delved into space agriculture with its Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS) experiment. This investigation included the cultivation of Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant, on the ISS. By studying the effects of microgravity on plant growth and root development, MICS contributes valuable insights into the intricacies of cultivating plants beyond Earth’s confines. The Quest for Balance: Exploration, Innovation, and Ethics The LME experiment signifies humanity’s determination to thrive even in the harshest conditions. Beyond its scientific significance, this experiment is a powerful reminder of the ethical considerations accompanying our out-of-this-world ventures. While we push the boundaries of exploration, we must strive to be good stewards of the cosmos, striking a balance that allows us to advance while preserving the magnificence of the universe for generations to come. 3

BY LINDSAY DAWSON AND AV SINGH

) t o n ( d n a

done

Getting The Most From Your

Grow Media

ou would be hard-pressed to find a farmer or gardener uninterested in sustainability. Whether based on a regenerative agricultural philosophy to reduce climate chaos

or simply economic viability to earn a living wage, most farmers and gardeners are interested in optimising any external input. Farmers are reducing their off-farm reliance by stretching their fertiliser budgets, saving seeds, and re-using soil or soilless media.

RE-USING MEDIA

Western society’s increased depenminerals and diversify nutrient Farmers are reducing dence on controlled-environment inputs regarding their availability. their off-farm agriculture as foundational for their For example, a nutrient like reliance by stretching food and medicinal systems has nitrogen (N) must be provided placed high demands on some relin fast-release forms like nitrate their fertiliser atively high-energy intensive inputs (e.g., hen manure, blood meal) as budgets, saving for making potting soils like peat well as in slow-release forms (e.g., seeds, and re-using moss, coco coir, and perlite. The ammonium) like alfalfa meal, thereby “one and done” practice of growing ensuring nitrogen is being provided soil or soilless media your crop in a container filled with throughout the lifecycle of the plant. potting soil or nutrient-dense super soil (e.g., LSO - Living Soil Organics) and discarding the spent soil after harvest is becoming less Boosting Productivity popular and less economically viable than ever. Some cultiHow do you go about getting the most out of your growing vators will shred their spent soil and compost it, while othmedia? Tissue tests, sap analysis, and a soil biology test can ers will re-purpose the soil and bag it up for community or be added tools to optimise your garden as you advance school gardens. on honing your soil ecosystem, but a soil mineral test is necessary. Guessing that your soil needs more of this and a pinch of that is a surefire way to create soil imbalances.

Nature’s Lead

Increasingly, the notion of using living soil beds and reamending your beds either during the crop cycle or before the next crop planting has piqued the interest of growers who have traditionally used non-regenerative cultivation practices, such as Rockwool or coco drain to waste systems involving the heavy use of chemical fertilisers. Interests in creating “perpetual” indoor soil systems range from reduced labour (i.e., save time in transplanting; reduced pot-washing) to increases in plant health and enhanced nutrient cycling because of more robust microbial soil communities. The concept of creating a living soil bed system to work in perpetuity by mimicking nature sounds simple. Still, the reality of creating a system with redundancies and balance is far more complex than it seems. While nature should always be the inspiration and ultimate authority on plant growth and bio-intelligence, it is imperative to remember that a controlled environment (i.e., indoor) agriculture is not natural.

Avoiding Disaster The interconnection of the soil environment (i.e., temperature, pH, moisture) with nutrient amendments and soil microbiology requires a holistic approach because a change in any of these factors creates a cascade of changes in the living soil ecosystem. The approach of throwing every ingredient in your soil that appeals to you can be disastrous. Excesses of nutrients can lead to ion exchange issues, making some elements unavailable for plant uptake, causing downstream effects like poor metabolite function, impeding quality, yield, etc.

Most soil labs will take 7 to 10 days to get results back, so it’s best to grab a sample about two weeks before crop harvest. Whatever lab you choose, it’s essential to stay consistent, as each will have different extraction methods and testing techniques. While one soil test is a great start, the real benefit will come with building a data set over time. This is almost impossible if you don’t stick with the same lab. The same goes for your sampling techniques and ensuring you get the proper test for your media. Representative sampling from all beds (to a depth of six inches) and requesting a saturated paste test and a soil carbon or compost/potting mix test is preferred over a natural field soil test. Despite the accuracy of the tests, it’s important to remember that they are a snapshot in time, and they can’t fully account for the eventual release of nutrients as the previous crops’ root residues break down and microbes solubilise previously insoluble minerals. Therefore, the most critical rule of reamending living soil beds is “less is more.” It is much easier to address nutrient deficiencies than nutrient excesses and imbalances.

Tissue tests, sap analysis, and a soil biology test can be added tools to optimise your garden as you advance on honing your soil ecosystem, but a soil mineral test is necessary.

In contrast, the goal of sufficiency, balance, and diversity is favoured over quantity in assuring the plant can feed itself as it requires. Concerning diversity, it is critical to provide all essential plant nutrients and a robust profile of trace

RE-USING MEDIA

the most critical rule of reamending living soil beds is “less is more.” It is much easier to address nutrient deficiencies than nutrient excesses and imbalances

Let’s take a deeper look at the elements we are looking to replace:

Nitrogen (N)

Guessing that your soil needs more of this and a pinch of that is a surefire way to create soil imbalances

Different crops and cultivars can have wide-ranging N requirements. Fast-release nitrate forms can provide superior growth during vegetative growth, while slow-release forms will provide an adequate nitrogen balance during the flowering or fruit fill period.

Over time, the goal of these living soil bed systems is to require fewer external inputs because of the increased benefit from nutrient cycling done by soil microbiology. However, until that time, the addition of N sources is required. Other than ensuring you are providing both fast and slow-release forms, growers should look to reduce N sources high in sodium (Na). The primary culprits include poultry manure, blood meal, and sea-based amendments like crab meal, fish bone meal, seaweeds, and kelp meal. Some cultivators rely more on higher carbon-based inputs like alfalfa meal or insect frass. Alternatively, higher-cost inputs like soybean meal, soy isolate, or amino acids can be Na-free while providing a significant N boost.

Phosphorus (P) The greatest challenge with P is that it instantaneously reacts with seemingly everything, becoming immobilised in the soil and unavailable for immediate plant uptake. Adding bone meal, guano, and soft rock phosphate can increase levels on a soil test, but ensuring adequate populations of phosphorussolubilising microbes is critical to plant availability. Living soil beds adopting a no-till or shallow-till approach can also benefit from the existing network of mycorrhizal networks (e.g., Rhizophagus irregularis aka Glomus intraradices) that help make P available.

Potassium (K) and Sulphur (S) Certain crops and grasses like slightly higher amounts of K, and all fruiting plants require extra K during flowering. Common forms of K inputs include Langbeinite (Sul-PoMag or K-Mag), Potassium Sulphate, Potassium silicate, and, to some extent, kelp meal.

Unfortunately for regulated growers who must test their flower for heavy metals, kelp can result in high arsenic (As) values. However, arsenosugars found in seaweeds are not toxic to humans like inorganic As, so kelp meal and kelp extracts must be used judiciously. While it can be an excellent biostimulant, most kelp products contain more sodium than potassium. Similarly, over-reliance on sulphate sources can lead to excess sulphur. Sulphur is critical for N use efficiency and foundational for taste and aroma profiles in alliums and brassicas. Still, too much can lead to antagonistic relationships with other negatively charged ions like P. Growers may look to alternative forms of S to avoid a buildup of sulphates. Someone with excessive sulphate levels in their living soil beds can use a cover crop of brassicas that will be harvested and destroyed to remove sulphur from the beds.

Calcium (Ca) Most commercial living soil mixes do not contain adequate levels of available calcium. Many will target their pH to be slightly less than 6, and by the end of the season, the pH may increase to above 7 as Ca becomes more available. Ca can drive vegetative growth but remains essential in helping uptake many other nutrients, including trace minerals like Boron (B). Not only is calcium a building block for all cellular structures, but it is also an important signalling molecule in many metabolic reactions.

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RE-USING MEDIA

Excesses or imbalances in Ca can (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), As, and Na. As our food and lead to deficiencies in other positively For higher-end crops, rock powders charged ions, including potassium and sea minerals may not deliver medicine future and magnesium (Mg). The use of the necessary amounts of specific evolves, we must create calcitic limestone can be a longminerals like Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), systems that rely less term solution for organic growers. Cobalt (Co), Molybdenum (Mo), In contrast, oyster shell flour (careful Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn). They on external inputs and of excessive Na) or Wollastonite may require sulphate-based foliar or more on regenerative (calcium silicate) can be used if soil applications. inputs and practices your pH needs to be increased, or gypsum (aka calcium sulphate) can One of the most neglected and be used if your pH is at the desired misunderstood nutrients is Silicon level. Often, a combination of various calcium inputs can be (Si), which plays a critical role in a plant’s immune response, the best approach to ensure both soluble and long-term influencing pest and disease resistance and salt and drought availability of this critical nutrient. stress. Applied via the soil or on a leaf, Si in plant-available forms can be great insurance for essential crops.

Magnesium (Mg) Arguably, Mg deficiencies are some of the easiest to correct. In most plants, deficiencies are characterised by interveinal chlorosis (dark green veins and yellowing in between the veins). The foliar (3% solution) or soil drench (5% solution) application of Epsom salts (aka magnesium sulphate) can rectify deficiencies within days. However, addressing the deficiency symptoms may not be getting to the cause. Mg deficiencies can be caused by excesses in K, Ca, or Na in the soil and can even be caused by an excess of Mg. Getting to the root cause of deficiencies is why it is so critical to follow the less is more principle and why soil tests are an asset.

Micro Nutrients and Trace Minerals Often wrongly considered less critical than macronutrients, micronutrients are essential for many metabolic processes. Growers will often rely on rock powders (glacial rock dust, volcanic or basalt rock, or Azomite) or sea minerals (kelp or sea salt) to replenish levels, and it is encouraged to vary your sources and maintain the less is more philosophy. For those concerned about heavy metals, a certificate of analysis for these inputs is necessary, as many can be high in lead

Finding organic sources may be difficult, so some growers rely on microbial activity to work on rock powders to achieve the desired results. In contrast, others may consider fermented horsetail (Equisetum arvense) an amendment.

Sufficiency, Sustainability, and Balance As our food and medicine future evolves, we must create systems that rely less on external inputs and more on regenerative inputs and practices. Single-use growing media must become a thing of the past. Using an approach of sufficiency and balance in reamending living soil beds will be the future of controlled environment agriculture. 3

BI O s

Av Singh, PhD, PAg advocates regenerative organic agriculture serving various organisations, including Regeneration Canada, Navdanya, and the Canadian Organic Growers. Lindsay Dawson is a professional cultivator and consultant who utilises a science-forward approach to manage living soil systems. She is interested in biological communities, plant biochemistry, carbon-based fertilisers, regenerative farming, mineral balancing, and data analytics.

INDOOR GROWING

BY JENNIFER COLE ARTWORK BY LEWIS FAUSAK @ADVENTURES_IN_SOIL.

Inspiring The Younger Generation To

e h T n I Dig

Garden Culture’s Jennifer Cole chats with children’s book author and soil expert Lewis Fausak in honour of World Soil Day, which takes place annually on December 5th.

ewis Fausak is passionate about soil; he studies it as an applied biology education and research technician in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. He also writes and illustrates children’s books about soil.

An Interview with Lewis Fausak For the past few years, there’s been a the chemistry of nutrients, minerals, and Soil is also crucial in push to draw attention to World Soil water, the biology of plants, fungi, insects, improving the world Day and how imperative healthy soil is and microbes, or the physics of water around us – growing food, movement, soil structure, or erosion. to the planet. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Soil is also crucial in improving the world sequestering carbon, Nations, the International Union of around us – growing food, sequestering cleaning water, and lifting carbon, cleaning water, and lifting people Soil Sciences (IUSS), and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) have invited educators out of poverty. people out of poverty and soil enthusiasts from around the world to enter a children’s book contest and write about soil. In 2021, “The Beetles: A Salty Soil Adventure,” co-authored by Fausak and GCM: How did you get involved with the fellow soil enthusiasts, won first prize. This book draws attention FAO’s book contest? to the dangers of soil salinity around the world. LF: In 2020, the FAO launched a children’s booklet competition about soil science with the theme of soil biodiversity. I thought GCM: What sparked your interest in soil it would be a chance to flex my creative muscles and integrate science as a career? soil science in a fun way that would excite people about soil’s importance. The Carbon Crystal Heist in 2020 was all about LF: In high school, I was always interested in science: biology, the soil’s ability to sequester carbon. In 2021, the theme was soil chemistry, and physics. I took the “Introduction to Soil salinity and its dangers. “The Beetles: A Salty Soil Adventure” won Science” course and was hooked. Soils are fascinating to me first prize. Last year, the theme was regenerative agriculture, and because they marry all the sciences into one – you can study we entered “Soils: Where Food Begins.”

WORLD SOIL DAY

Soil is a non-renewable resource. It takes anywhere between 100-1000 years to create just one centimetre of soil!

GCM: What can you tell us about your new book on soil? LF: I’ve started creating a story surrounding some of the artwork I have done for my Instagram. It will be a children’s book about a young scientist who discovers and learns about soil science and soils worldwide through the soil characters I create.

GCM: What is the most important thing everyone needs to know about soil?

Soils are fascinating to me because they marry all the sciences into one – you can study the chemistry of nutrients, minerals, and water, the biology of plants, fungi, insects, and microbes, or the physics of water movement, soil structure, or erosion

LF: Soil is a non-renewable resource. It takes anywhere between 100-1000 years to create just one centimetre of soil! It’s estimated that 30-40% of the earth’s soils are degraded (carbon loss, erosion, salinisation, etc.). This means they’ve experienced a loss in their ability to support plant growth and perform essential ecosystem functions like filtering water, sequestering carbon, nutrient cycling, and supporting biodiversity.

GCM: On World Soil Day, what is the most important message you can pass on about saving and preserving the world’s soil? LF: Without soil, we would not have

clean drinking water. We wouldn’t have all the natural ecosystems and biodiversity to explore and inspire us, like big trees, interesting mushrooms, bugs, bears, and other animals. And we wouldn’t have the variety of foods we like to enjoy. I think we need to shift our values and attitudes around soil, which will guide us in treating this invaluable resource essential to sustaining life.

To read Fausak’s winning book, “The Beetles: A Salty Soil Adventure,” and all the other entries in the competition, check out The Beetles: A Salty Soil Adventure: rb.gy/qhdlno. And to learn more about the fun and wild world of soil, follow Fausak’s Instagram: @adventures_in_soil. 3

Soil test 2020 | World Children booklet con Reference: Results ons (fao.org) Nati ted Uni the Organization of

Foo Day, 5 December |

d and Agriculture

Reference: Children bo oklet conte Organization st 2022 | Wo of the Unite rld Soil Day, d Nations (fa 5 December o.org) | Food and Agriculture

Reference: Salty soil

adventures (fao.org)

BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ

“Indoors, YOU are Mother Nature!”

first read these inspiring (and somewhat daunting) words in a now antique guide to indoor gardening. This well-thumbed, early growers’ manual sported a black and white photo of its author; his back characteristically turned towards the camera as he regarded his magnificent indoor garden.The vibe was that you could grow ‘anything’ you wanted indoors despite the weather outside.

Think of the outside world as the ‘base climate’ for your indoor grow room

Since then, my idealistic notion of a discrete indoor garden has collided with the reality of running them in different parts of the world. I have erected grow tents and constructed grow rooms around the UK, USA, Canada, Portugal, and France. The primary thing I’ve learned during this time is that what can work for one indoor grower simply won’t cut it for another—and the fundamental differentiating factor is geography.

Unless you’re growing in a subterranean bunker hundreds of feet below the surface, your indoor growing environment will be inexorably subject to your geographical location. Think of the outside world as the ‘base climate’ for your indoor grow room. It’s the foundation upon which you must build your indoor growing environment.

English Garden As an indoor grower, I had it easy in Britain. For a nation that loves to discuss the weather, it’s pretty unremarkable. It seldom gets extremely hot or cold, and the humidity remains moderate throughout the year. As such, installing an air conditioner or dehumidifier never occurred to me. Instead, I just vented the hell out of my rooms with the biggest extraction fans my neighbourhood was

willing to collectively ignore and hoped for the best. The primary purpose of air exchange was to mitigate the inevitable increase in air temperature generated by old-school HPS and metal halide lamps. Mercifully, I only ran small rooms. Air exchange was a three-for-one deal, though—exhausting the hot air from near the ceiling of my grow room and replacing it with cooler, fresh air drawn from an adjacent room also helped to regulate humidity and maintain atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

O Canada Things changed on Vancouver Island, BC. My grow rooms expanded in size, and the wattage of my lights increased from 600W to 1000W. The winters were much colder, and the summers much hotter (or was it that wooden buildings provided less insulation than the brick I was used to?). Also, I needed to tackle humidity head-on with a chunky dehumidifier (when it rains in a place for nine months straight, there’s little point trying to regulate humidity with air exchange alone). It wasn’t all bad news, though. Electricity was much cheaper than in the UK, and the tap water was so pure I thought my Bluelab EC truncheon was broken (it wasn’t—it’s still going strong to this day! I’d never known such pure water to come out of a tap)!

INDOOR GROWING

The Geography of

Growing in a French Wine Cellar

An attic indoor garden in the UK may suffer from bigger temperature extremes than a basement grow room in Spain

When I eventually settled in the south of France, near the Mediterranean coast, a whole new Dunning-Krueger rollercoaster ride began. The mild winters were very welcome. The hot summers were a bit of a shock, though—I’d never experienced heat above 110°F (43°C)! Fortunately, my grow room was safely ensconced in an old wine cellar carved into the rock 300 years earlier. The house above was constructed of stone walls over three feet wide at their base. I’d never known insulation like it. But now I have another problem—aridity! The cacti and succulents growing at the side of the road paid testimony to the fact that only specialist plants can survive year-round here. The dry air wreaked havoc on my seedlings, forcing them to over-transpire, leading to stress and nutrient toxicities like I’d never seen before. I countered this by switching to soilless potting mixes to control the available nutrition more carefully and conservatively. Meanwhile, I invested in a humidifier and connected it to my reverse osmosis water purifier. The water coming off the Pyrenees was the hardest I’d ever encountered—pushing 0.7 mS or even 0.8 mS (350 – 400 PPM) out of the tap. First, I had to pass it through a water softener, then through RO. I then had to visit three grow stores before I found some Calmag for sale!

Being so well-insulated and having switched to LED grow lights by this time, I was amazed that I still had to heat my grow room in May! The increased air temperature meant that my nutrient solution also started to warm—so my final investment was an aquarium chiller (so much for energy efficiency). Ultimately, I decided to invest in side lighting to increase my daytime air temperatures as it pained me to run a heater in my grow room when it was 25°C outside.

Seal the Deal

I bit the bullet and sealed my grow room— something friends in BC had been encouraging me to do for years. By generating my own supplemental carbon dioxide and running a powerful dehumidifier, I could harness the heat produced by my lights rather than vent it away. It was also much easier to retain some of that transpired or generated humidity in my grow room—so crucial in those early vegetative days.

Lessons Learned I’ve learned many lessons over the years. The first one is: never trust a generic ‘my way or the highway’ grow guide! Always take into account the author’s location. Also, if you plan to grow indoors yearround, you may need to change tack a little with the seasons. For example, NFT tanks work well in a cooler winter grow room, but in summer, you could be better off filling some pots with media and giving your roots extra insulation. Finally, always consider the implications of the precise location of your grow. An attic indoor garden in the UK may suffer from bigger temperature extremes than a basement grow room in Spain. Don’t make choices that limit your wiggle room further down the line. If high air temperatures are a recurring issue and an AC unit is out of the question, you can still mitigate any attendant issues by using larger containers and soilless media (so you can dial down nutrient strength and provide roots with plenty of insulation). Investing in a nutrient chiller is also highly recommended for growers in warmer climates. It’s incredible what the aerial parts of plants can tolerate if their roots are nice and chill! 3

INDUSTRY LEADIN

MY IMPOTENT GARDEN

NG PERFORMANCE

BY LANCE LAMBERT

s s e c c u S r Methods fo annabis c e h t f o es M os t s t a g atience, p e ir u q e ycle r grow th c copious d n a , e c experien LC to be T f o s t n u amo g the dr yin d n a , l u f su cce s s exception o n is e g st a

DRYING CANNABIS

ost stages of the cannabis growth cycle require patience, experience, and copious amounts of TLC to be successful, and the drying stage is no exception. A proper dry takes a little finessing on the grower’s par t, and that can look different depending on your environment, your drying space, and the cultivar.

er fix for If you’re in a pinch and are looking for a quick ns to keep in mind drying out your plants, there are a few optio

when it comes to producing high-quality products, these shortcuts are not going to be your friend

This stage of the post-harvest cycle can take anywhere from 7-10 days to complete, which can be time-consuming depending on your supply chain schedule. If you’re in a pinch and are looking for a quicker fix for drying out your plants, there are a few options to keep in mind. However, doing it fast and doing it right are two very different things, so if you prioritise quality over quantity, you’ll want to pay less attention to quick solutions and instead hone in on what works best, regardless of how long it takes.

Short-term drying solutions for the fastest turnaround Every grower has found themselves in a bind when it comes to time and turnaround. For those stress-inducing moments, I’ve compiled a list of the quickest solutions for drying cannabis—keep in mind that when it comes to producing high-quality products, these shor tcuts are not going to be your friend.

•

Computer fans One of the quickest methods for drying cannabis involves your desktop computer—more specifically, its fans. Drop a kitchen towel over your computer’s cooling fans, placing your wet buds on a cookie cooling rack. Turn them over every ten minutes until they’re dry. This will likely take a few hours: a fraction of that 7-10-day average dry time.

•

Heaters You can also place a small heater in your drying room where your buds are hanging out—a fast-drying option that will likely do the least damage to your flower. Keep the temperature from getting above 70°F (21°C). Otherwise, you’re at a higher risk of rapid terpene and cannabinoid degradation.

•

Sun dry Hanging your weed out in the sun will ensure it dries quickly, but this also sets it up for that aforementioned terpene and cannabinoid degradation, so keep that in mind as a possibility. It’s common practice with hemp biomass but not ideal for THC flowers.

•

Brown paper bags Placing damp weed in a brown paper bag is a popular old-school way to dry without excessively sacrificing quality. However, it will likely take the flower several days to dry out thoroughly, so if you’re looking to cut that time even shor ter, this isn’t the solution for you.

ong!

str

10 years, and grow i n g

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DRYING CANNABIS

When hanging your branches to dry, it’s crucial to ensure that the individual buds are spaced out and not touching

Long-term drying solutions for highest quality If you have the luxury of time, the following drying solutions are all about premium quality—no matter how long it takes to achieve.

•

Maintain a low temperature There are several ways to dry your cannabis, but pay attention to a few factors if you want to succeed. The first and most impor tant one is all about temperature, namely ensuring that your plants are in a space that is dark, sterile, and around 60°F with 55-60% humidity. Not only will this help ensure that your plants dry evenly and at the right pace, but it will play a powerful role in warding off bacterial and fungal growth, which can be detrimental to your operations. Remember, terpenes are highly volatile hydrocarbons; higher temperatures are the enemy.

•

Be intentional about the hang When hanging your branches to dry, it’s crucial to ensure that the individual buds are spaced out and not touching. This also helps mitigate the risk of mould development. If you have limited space and cannot hang, there are additional options. You can opt for using drying baskets or racks. However, I would avoid using drying trays. These limit the amount of surface area exposed to the air, leading to uneven drying. Using trays also demands more labour, as the buds require constant rotation to prevent one side from flattening. Nothing’s worse than flat-sided buds from a visual standpoint.

•

Practise patience—and then some My last advice regarding a proper dry is don’t rush the process. Wait that 7-10 days minimum, and remember that some strains require 14 days or longer to be considered ready to cure. When it comes to drying, go slow and low. Stay patient. A slower dry means a larger and wider terpene profile, stronger taste and smell, and enhanced medicinal benefits. In other words, it’s wor th the wait, so if you have the time, use it. 3

BIO: Lance C. Lambert spent years cultivating brands and telling stories in mainstream digital media and marketing before joining the legal cannabis industry in late 2013. In 2022, he was named Chief Marketing Officer at Grove Bags, where he’s tasked with growing the company’s footprint at home and in emerging markets around the globe.

BY RICH HAMILTON

The Power of Mycorrhizae in Plant Growth

n the cultivation world, a fascinating collabouration has emerged between mycorrhizae (beneficial fungi) and plants. Mycorrhizae significantly impacts nutrient

absorption in all plant species, leading to increased health, yield, and more.

Mycorrhizae significantly impacts nutrient absorption in all plant species, leading to increased health, yield, and more

The Influence of Mycorrhizae There are two primary types of mycorrhizae: endomycorrhizae (arbuscular mycorrhizae) and ectomycorrhizae. Endomycorrhizae penetrate plant root cells, creating microscopic structures known as arbuscules. These structures serve as hubs for nutrient exchange between the fungus and the plant. The glomus genus is an excellent example of endomycorrhizae. Their contribution lies in their capability to boost phosphorus uptake, a crucial nutrient for plant development. Ectomycorrhizae encase root tips without entering root cells. This type of mycorrhizae is often associated with trees and woody plants. Although less commonly used in plant cultivation, they have demonstrated positive effects when integrated into growth strategies.

The Nutrient Uptake Advantage The partnership between mycorrhizae and plants extends far beyond the surface, with significant implications for nutrient absorption. Phosphorus Uptake - Phosphorus often becomes immobilised in the soil due to the chemical reactions binding it to minerals. Without mycorrhizae, plants may struggle to access bound phosphorus, leading to deficiencies that hinder growth and development. However, with mycorrhizae present, en-

zymes that break down compounds binding phosphorus are released, improving accessibility and uptake capabilities. The result is robust development across various growth stages, ultimately translating to healthier, thriving plants. Nitrogen Uptake - Nitrogen is essential for diverse plant functions, including chlorophyll synthesis, stem and leaf development, and protein production. Mycorrhizae also play a pivotal role in enhancing nitrogen uptake efficiency. Without mycorrhizae, plants might struggle to secure sufficient nitrogen, resulting in stunted growth. But with mycorrhizae, the root system expands and enables plants to explore a much larger soil volume for nitrogen sources. This promotes robust vegetative growth, boosting the plant’s overall structural integrity. Improved access to nitrogen also equips plants to withstand environmental stressors, including nutrient imbalances and adverse growing conditions. In addition to all the benefits related to plant growth, the enhanced nutrient availability provided by mycorrhizae may lead to decreased reliance on conventional fertilisers, promoting more eco-conscious growing practices. Understanding the transformative role of mycorrhizae in nutrient absorption offers growers a compelling approach to elevating their crops and boosting yields. 3

BY ALAN CREEDON

The Time I Processed Blackcurrants And Didn’t Post About It

won’t lie; this past week has been challenging. I don’t know whether that was solely due to a lack of social media fun and games, but it had something to do with it. There’s still a feeling that something is missing, that feeling of not being connected. But, as I’ve said before, I’m looking for a real human connection and a real connection with

the natural world. What does ‘real’ mean? Well, I guess that’s up for interpretation.

I’m looking for a real human connection and a real connection with the natural world

A Wise Tale I’ve been reading a book by Mark Boyle lately. It’s called The Way Home – Tales From a Life Without Technology. It has, in part, inspired my decision to quit social media. Mark leaves the tech world behind, including cars, phones, computers, and electricity. He doesn’t even have running water in his cabin in the rural Irish countryside! The book is a diary of his thoughts and reflections on his life without tech, and it’s eye-opening, indeed. It is extreme in many ways, but what living without technology has allowed him is mainly a luxurious, delightful space. Okay, the guy doesn’t have kids (there goes your space!) and has no demanding jobs. Instead, his main focus is living off the land in Ireland’s damp and somewhat forbidding western landscape. He grows his own food but got rid of his polytunnel because of the reliance on the oil industry to produce the plastic. When I read that part, my heart sank for him. In so many ways, the polytunnel is the solution to growing at least some variety of food yearround in the damp, wet western European climate.

DITCHING SOCIAL MEDIA

In the past few editions, Alan Creedon has been sharing his experience giving up social media, something he feels has become an addiction for many people. It’s an inspiring tale of slowing down and enjoying the simple things. If you’ve missed his previous articles, find them in our digital magazines at GCMag.co.

The industrial world and its resource-based thinking are his main beef. How long can we continue to use the world as a depleting resource while acting as if it will continue providing forever when we are polluting and destroying at this rate? His stance is a protest; I understand what he’s saying, but I’d rather read about it at this stage than embrace it wholeheartedly.

Tedious Yet Enjoyable Last night, my wife and I spent three hours picking, then topping and tailing blackcurrants. Okay, we were also watching the tennis as we did some of it, but I hadn’t spent that much time processing tiny fruit since I was a kid when I would begrudgingly pick and suffer the whole time. It’s ironic how, after 35 years, I now see the value in spending time in one place, chatting with Beth and doing something that will contribute to the household for many months. I see why my mother made me do it now, even if she didn’t explain it then. Sure, we could have bought blackcurrant jam from the shop, but there was more going on in making your own than we understood. For example, the process meant family spending time together. Even if I was bored, I still remember it! And in the end, we have something tasty to eat. We would use blackcurrant as a vitamin C tonic in the winter and as a jam. And even though Beth and I joked last night about the tediousness of the job, we both felt satisfied when it was done. No thought of posting a photo on social media (as Beth has given it up, too) to show off what we’re doing in the endless scroll fest of disconnected fodder that it is.

How long can we continue to use the world as a depleting resource while acting as if it will continue providing forever when we are polluting and destroying at this rate?

Boy, this feels good.

Not every moment of our lives needs to be shared online! In his final article in this series about disconnecting from social media, Alan continues to enjoy his new-found freedoms and connections with real people and Nature. 3

BIO Alan has worked in local food for over a decade and in that time has been involved in retail, wholesale and growing local produce. He is passionate about people working together and enjoys bringing his ideas into the world of veg. He lives in the West Yorkshire hills with his wife, daughter, son, dog and cat and loves walking in the hills, sleeping out in the woods, and having a dip in the river (but would sometimes prefer sleeping out in -3 than a dip in the river!). He is a mindfulness teacher, running regular courses and events as a nature connection guide. He likes to combine the philosophical with the practical.

BY XAVI KIEF

Organising the

Myco-files

MUSHROOM FORAGING

emory is tricky: neuroscientists now say we better recall the last time we accessed a memory, not necessarily the original memory itself (1). It’s a story we tell ourselves, existing in the borderlands between fact and fiction. We continue to learn more as a culture about the diversity of brain structures, exploring ways we can

support and influence the wellness of our embodied minds. Just as it is essential to recognise and be grateful for the capacities we each may develop, it is also vital not to take these abilities for granted.

Combining Approaches from Data Science with Traditional Wildcrafting So, while we actively and joyfully file our wild-growing seasonal finds in our minds, a little bit of creative and structured database management doesn’t hurt.

Photos, Fieldnotes, and Phenomenology

finding mushrooms increasingly becomes an exercise in feeling rather than thinking

Phenomenology, loosely, is “the study of that which exists”. For this discussion, we might consider it a way of using observations from our lived experiences to make connections between things happening in the natural world.

Phenomenology Fundamentals Your fungi-finding instincts are constantly refined as you practice foraging. The mind builds pattern recognition by gathering and cataloguing information from your senses. This is very helpful, especially when exploring a specific territory throughout a single season and then again in subsequent years. Being closely and meditatively observant enables subtle clues to penetrate past the logical, making mushroom discovery more like magic. You take this complex set of sensory maps with you into new areas. Familiar features focus your attention toward places with potential, and finding mushrooms increasingly becomes an exercise in feeling rather than thinking. Much of the time, however, practical distractions prevent us from giving full focus to finer features. Limitations on time, fascinating conversations with foray companions, and safety considerations can supersede the refinement of our mushroom-seeking ‘mental software’. Using a data science-styled approach to information collection and analysis supports us in building and sharing wisdom gained through experience.

Describe and Depict the Conditions of Each Foray

Typical observations include recent meteorological events like electrical storms, rain, and localised air and soil temperatures. Mushrooms love microclimates; sunlight breaking through the forest canopy creates unique, temporary conditions for the rapid development of fruiting bodies. As the day progresses, the sun shifts, often creating new activity patches.

While seeking beneficial fungi, take stock of the other things “which exist” at that moment. You may like to photograph the other mushrooms you see, tree leaves of unique type and colour, wild plants that are in bloom or have grown fruit, and signs of animal activity. When you successfully locate something you would like to find again, this contextual information becomes part of a set of phenomena that tell a story about the present species and what they were doing at a given moment. Depending on your style, various ways to depict a scenario could reproduce the conditions you experienced.

Embrace Creativity Sound recordings are one beautiful way to bridge art and science, to document, re-live, and share the privilege of time spent in nature. Are your footfalls crunchy, shuffling on dry leaves and snapping twigs? Or are your movements more subtle, moss and soft mud beneath your boots? When you stand still, are the trees creaking in the wind, full canopies rustling overhead? Which other species’ calls do you hear? You may add narration, creating an immersive and memoryjogging experience you can revisit. What do you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel? Since we can’t (yet?!) record and playback smell, taking note of identifiable scents and breathing deeply of the air not only creates strong sense memories but can also, by naming these aromas, generate data points that may serve as phenomenological clues. Thanks to terpenes released into the air, observing seasonal blooms and other pungent plant parts (e.g. evergreen needles, sweet or astringent saps) can enrich your record of what is happening in the local ecology.

Measuring, recording, and compiling available information is the first step to being able to analyse and create predictions.

The pleasant smell of “wet dirt”, a combination of compounds released by soil-based bacteria, is also something humans are often good at noticing and is worth noting. The relationships between these root-zone bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi are complex and the subject of ongoing study. Still, a general leap may be made between detecting a strong whiff of this smell and the likely presence of tree-associated mushrooms. Vocabulary is a tool to help others understand your recordkeeping, should you choose to share it. If you do not find the descriptive terms in guidebooks particularly useful for your own memory recall, record experiences in your own words. Noting distinguishing characteristics in a way that is meaningful to you can add depth and utility to record-keeping. Whether you tend toward using formal labels or like the whimsy of nicknames, it’s only critical to ensure absolute identification accuracy for species targeted for collection. Among the associations you make, note any cause for caution. Learn to recognise harmful plants and record signs suggesting the presence of large animal predators and human activities like trapping and shooting. 56

Visually-oriented folks prefer to make videos, create photo essays and maps, or produce charts and graphs that allow for conclusions to be drawn from the collection of observations.

Predict Outcomes and Proscribe Future Actions Having external records allows comparing information across greater spans of space and time. This improves confidence in the accuracy of predictions and lends authority to decisions (e.g. ‘When should a visit to a specific site be planned? What is the best use of time and other resources?).

Fancy Fieldwork: Identification Apps and Data Collection If you like using your phone to assist in species identification and have network connectivity in the places you forage, various apps are available. Responsible wildcrafters take heed — despite your good intentions, consider real ecological risks when identifying and

MUSHROOM FORAGING

Foraging for fungi can be a blend of logic and luck

Modern Mushroom-Seeker’s Tech Toolkit •

•

Camera, now increasingly with the addition of identification apps and AI-assisted tagging and sorting. These tools cut down on post-foray administration work (e.g. research, labelling, organising, and databasing). Sound and video recorder (usually part of phone/ camera) and scripted list of observational prompts: Sights, Sounds, Smells, and other Sensations. Handheld 2-in-1 Thermometer-Hygrometer with a probe for measuring soil temperature (if laser, wood temperature) and sensors for dewpoint and humidity. Traditional tools, including field guides, knives, brushes for cleaning debris from wildcrafted fungi, and net bags or baskets for dispersing spores. Analogue compass, whistle, and other safety gear that will continue to work if your battery dies, screen gets cracked, or device can’t connect to service.

locating niche habitats in an open-data platform. Where economic motivations drive otherwise personally uninvested, broker-backed search parties to advantage themselves of seasonal choice edibles and other prized fungi (and vegetation), you may wish to avoid making these public records into modern-day treasure maps. Information gathering can be even further tech-enabled by using other non-traditional tools while fungi foraging. Improvements in the cost, quality, and availability of handheld thermometerhygrometers make these an increasingly worthwhile investment for forest stewards and active agriculturalists, with numerous onand-off-farm applications. Spot-testing the soil temperature and humidity in an abundant locale could reveal a tendency for a specific mushroom to form when these conditions are met. Having a few accessible “indicator” patches where you take the same measurements and find similar results could inform decisions about whether hiking long or difficult distances to check for collectable fungi is worth the effort on a given day.

Set reminders on digital calendars for the same week in the following year to prompt you to look for the signs you noted. Wellorganised files will allow you to refresh your memory with greater confidence, and the creative works you make will inspire you. Foraging for fungi can be a blend of logic and luck. Grounding these experiences in conscious intention and cultivated intuition and holding gratitude for wisdom revealed and health-supporting species encountered and enjoyed is all part of the magic. 3

Reference:

DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1378-12.2012

PLANT COMMUNICATION

t humans a h t d e h c - p it re s o h ig h a s e is o n hers use d The c r a e s e r ; ar them c a n n ot h e e ct them. t e d o t t n d e q u ip m e s p e c ia li s e

r o F g Cryin

P L E H

t might sound like something out of Harry Potter, but scientists say there’s nothing fictional about screaming plants. Recent research has found that plants let out

a frantic clicking sound when stressed, infected with disease, or cut. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell last spring, scientists at Tel Aviv University, MIT, and Harvard studied how tomatoes, tobacco, and cacti reacted to stressful conditions like drought. The noises are so high-pitched that humans cannot hear them; researchers used specialised equipment to detect them. What they heard was a clicking or popping, possibly linked to cavitation. When plants are stressed, air bubbles pop in their circulation system, which causes vibrations throughout the stems and leaves. The study found that plants were almost silent when they were healthy, all the more reason to take excellent care of your plant babies!

While humans can’t hear the ‘cries’ coming from plants, researchers say bats, mice, and moths may be able to!

For more information, read the study in Cell: rebrand.ly/taephct 3

BY EVAN FOLDS

Agriculture Can Save The World

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

The basis of my work is that – first – for future humanity to thrive, we must transform human systems – and second – agriculture is the most powerful tool for transformation.

griculture sits at the hear t of humanity; after all, we are agricultural beings. The world around us is generated by the living soil and the basis of purposefully growing plants. My interests are in applying the lens of regenerative agriculture to the significant challenges we face and activating enterprises that

do the work of regeneration.

60 Harvests Left

the UN estimates we have less than 60 harvests left on Earth before topsoil is depleted

Our power to manipulate the environment is catching up to us, and the people and the planet are growing restless. Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. For example, at the current degradation rate, the UN estimates we have less than 60 harvests left on Earth before topsoil is depleted. It is challenging to quantify extinction rates, but by the numbers, we are in the middle of a catastrophic biodiversity crisis. Natural disasters induced past extinction events, but this time is different. This time, it is us.

The Power To Heal In the Anthropocene, we are the only ones who can save us. The Earth will be fine if we go away. The question is whether humans can find the courage to drop the victim act, wake up to our impact, and work together towards a world our hearts know is possible. We must realise that the root of regeneration is within us and never forget that if we have the power to harm the Earth, we can be involved in her healing. We can no longer ignore the destruction and disconnection that we are sowing. This may be the mechanism for doing things differently. What if, instead of thinking the sky is falling, we are right where we should be? We seem to be doubling down on the destruction of the earth and moving exponentially towards the collapse of our species, but as we know through the arts and revolutions, the end of something is the beginning of what wants to come through; from extinction comes rebirth. What if our greed, shame, guilt, anger, and hatred were tools for bringing about the extinction event we are currently facing so we can finally face ourselves? To be a force for good, we must be willing to think independently and take responsibility for our actions. If we are not thinking, feeling, and acting for ourselves, someone

else does it for us. The dangers of manufactured public opinion in the absence of personal agency have been on full display over the last three years with the global pandemic, and we face the same socioeconomic challenge in the climate change discussion where fear serves as a motivator to build human systems of control.

Conflicting Views Carbon is demonised in the climate conversation. But carbon is not a contaminant; it is the fabric of life. CO2 is not pollution; it is what we exhale so that plants may perform the blessing of photosynthesis. I am no climate denier, but I’ve looked at enough of the context and the science myself to see that the story we are told regarding human-induced global warming is incomplete. This is a complex discussion; any position presented contrary to popular opinion is easily dismissed, and there is no room in the word count to carry the burden of proof here. I would challenge readers to look at the evidence themselves. A good starting point is Steven Koonin’s book Unsettled. As Zuby said, “Studies show that some people will believe anything, as long as you begin the statement with ‘studies show’. Experts agree.” This is not to say that humans do not have a massive impact on the Earth, but regarding climate, we are not the primary driver. We should change our ways and heal the planet on the grounds of public health and biodiversity, not by establishing a system that tracks and shames individuals for their carbon footprint and allows billionaires to continue to extract the Earth’s resources and buy offsets. We should grow the soil with regenerative agriculture because the soil is running out, not simply as a carbon store. If we simplify the complexity of the climate to carbon, we become vulnerable to control, and we do not address the other more pressing problems of plastics, pollution, sick care, conventional agriculture, and beyond.

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

There is strength in diversity Hopefully, carbon is a bridge, not a destination. The carbon markets that are now active and paying out real money are beginning to revolutionise the world’s economies as they organise around ESGs (Environmental, Social and Governance), SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and other corporate governance indicators. The money is now in play, and in the world we have built, money talks.

A new study from Kiss the Ground says that only 4% of American adults understand the impact of regenerative agriculture

There are ridiculous measures like CO2 capture technology and cow masks being proposed, but for the most part, what is being considered in the name of CO2 and human-induced climate change, we need to do anyway. However, the distinction is important. We cannot live life by the numbers; would we want to live in a world where carbon is neutral but the world is lifeless?

Regenerative Solutions Regenerative agriculture is a solution for healing ourselves and the Earth, but we have much work to do. A new study from Kiss the Ground says that only 4% of American adults understand the impact of regenerative agriculture. We are further from what nourishes us than at any time in history; we have lost the thread of what makes us healthy, and instead, we are farming and eating ourselves to death. Food science has fooled the masses, with nearly 60% of the American diet coming from ultra-processed foods, described as “created mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods or derived from food constituents with little if any intact food.” More than 99% of farms are conventional, meaning they likely employ genetically modified (GMO) seeds that grow using artificial fertilisers and synthetic pesticides, sold as world

hunger solutions for the other by global corporations. The glyphosate used in GMO crops is now found in 80% of urine samples. These circumstances manifest in unprecedented levels of mental and chronic diseases that are increasing exponentially. It is a heartbreaking, dangerous, and unsustainable situation. We have built a modern world where most people are disconnected from what makes us thrive.

Ultimately, agriculture is the problem, but it is also the solution. Our future thriving potential is a metric of how effective we are at leveraging healthy agriculture to benefit the masses.

Agroforestry For The Win Someone asked me recently, “If you could choose one type of farming system, what would it be?” I was originally inspired by biodynamic agriculture, which champions cosmic farming and life force but is not a complete farming system. Rudolf Steiner was asked how to regenerate the life force of farms. He delivered at the highest level but didn’t address cover crops, mineral balance, or microbial diversity. Permaculture is a central influence, but it is more a guiding principle source than a farming practice. Same for regenerative agriculture. In many ways, the magic of these thought forms is that they are not defined. When we write down a standard, we tend to ruin it, like the organic standard, and hopefully not the regenerative organic standard replacing it. If I had to choose a single farming method, it would be agroforestry or combining forestry and farming. It allows for integrating all principles and weaves them into an action set that addresses the land in three dimensions, where permanent crops are combined with annuals and animals. There is strength in diversity.

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

Lots of Hope I have the pleasure of working with clients implementing many of these methods in their home and farm ecosystems and have seen an increasing number of residential clients interested in getting their hands dirty and growing more of their own food. Seeing people make life changes to improve their food sovereignty is super encouraging, and it gives me hope.

We must see through false solutions like GMOs and biofortification and champion indigenous and regenerative methods that encourage sustainable and sovereign ways of being in the world

We all need to eat. It is easy to take for granted the blessing of being able to provide food for your family, but for too many people in the world, this is not the case. We grow enough food, yet in my county, one in five children goes hungry, and there were 828 million people affected by hunger globally in 2021. We must see through false solutions like GMOs and biofortification and champion indigenous and regenerative methods that encourage sustainable and sovereign ways of being in the world.

Project Biome Over the past year, I have been working with a non-profit called Project Biome to establish a new model of agronomic development in South Africa. We have a 10 Tree Vision, where we inspire people to grow at least ten food-producing perennial plants in their landscapes, aggregating crops with commercial value and establishing supply chains and sales channels.

On our last trip, we visited a farm providing food for hundreds of local children. The owner, Mama Daphne, told us she needed $10 daily to pay ten workers to feed more children. We had just come from a tour of the gardens of graduates of a local permaculture programme. At the last house, there was an avocado tree loaded with fruit and hundreds of rotting avocados on the ground. It wasn’t lost on me that the supermarket value of what was rotting on the ground could have purchased hundreds of workers for Mama Daphne’s farm. Agriculture can save the world. 3

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

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

BY JUDY NAUSEEF

Fire destroys gardens and homes, threatening gardeners and their families. It ruins native wildlife habitats and makes a landscape prone to soil erosion

Building

Fire-Resistant Landscapes

FIRESCAPING

irescaping or Firewise Landscaping prepares your garden in the event of a wildfire. The reality of this disaster is known to more gardeners each year as our climatic conditions have changed to less frequent rains, severe weather events, and higher temperatures. Fire destroys gardens and homes, threatening gardeners and their families. It ruins

native wildlife habitats and makes a landscape prone to soil erosion. Creating resilient gardens that survive fires protects you and your home and provides cover for insects, birds, and small mammals.

Help From Friends We can learn from gardeners in California and Arizona, who have been building and growing fire-resistant landscapes to protect their homes for many growing seasons. The accumulated knowledge of residents in arid areas provides constructive steps for more gardeners to follow suit.

Fire destroys gardens and homes, threatening gardeners and their families. It ruins native wildlife habitats and makes a landscape prone to soil erosion

Rethinking Vegetation Layers Government agencies and universities also publish valuable and helpful information on preparing the home and landscape for wildfires. They list and describe three zones around a home regarding appropriate landscaping for fire-prone areas. For example, trees should be furthest from your house, shrubs can be closer, and bedding plants and lawns may be nearest to the house. We must rethink the combination of ground layer, shrubs, and trees gardeners use to create lush and diverse landscapes where fire pressure exists. Fire quickly climbs through these layers, giving access to the tree canopy surrounding us. The recommendation is that trees with sizable canopies be planted far enough from the house that the foliage does not reach beyond 10 feet from the home. Deciduous trees are more fire-resistant than conifers that contain flammable sap. You may find lists of low-growing, fire-resistant plants with high moisture content that lack flammable compounds. They are non-woody and include grasses, flowers, bulbs, and groundcovers. However, pruning, maintenance, and cleanup can have a greater impact on whether a plant ignites. Any plant will burn in the right conditions.

Implementing Techniques

and reducing essential wildlife habitat. Wood mulch can also be used in shallow amounts in planted beds away from the house. Chunky mulches burn less easily. Keep mulch and leaf litter to a maximum depth of three inches. Clean roofs and gutters regularly.

Do not link hedges and flammable fences to the sides of homes or other buildings. Having access to stored water will be helpful. Plan for access by emergency vehicles to your home and landscape. A planned landscape will accommodate these and construction, repair, and delivery trucks. Avoid anything combustible in the first five feet surrounding any structure and attached deck. This includes woody plants, mulch, woodpiles, combustible trellises, and stored items.

Beyond the Reduced Fuel Zone: 60 to 100 feet or more Work with neighbours to support each other’s efforts.

Reduced Fuel Zone: 30 to 60 feet Reduce the density of plants to slow fire spread and reduce flame heights. Move wood and compost piles to this zone. Dry-stacked cinder blocks work to contain mulch and compost.

Home Defense Zone: 5 to 30 feet Increase space between trees, remove lower branches of trees and shrubs, and create areas of irrigated and mowed grass or hardscape between lush vegetation islands. Irrigate and maintain, removing dead, dry material.

According to the University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, carefully implementing techniques that increase a landscape’s fire safety minimises the ignition of vegetation. Most importantly, ensure that fire cannot continue through vegetation to your house. Interrupt lines with paths of pavers or stones or areas of rock mulch, ranging from decomposed gravel and pea gravel to river rock. Fire removes all vegetation, making bare ground If the property is large, the opportunities for susceptible to erosion strategic fire defence also grow. Thin and prune trees, mow grass, and cut back shrubs along any road systems to allow for safe emergency access and evacuation from the property.

STEP INTO

THE LIGHT LIGHTS

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FIRESCAPING

We must rethink the combination of ground layer, shrubs, and trees gardeners use to create lush and diverse landscapes where fire pressure exists Maintaining Yards in Fire-Prone Areas

The Immediate Zone

The NFPA stresses becoming aware of the condition of the exterior of the home as this is where flying embers land. The Immediate Zone is defined as “the home and the area 0-5’ from the furthest attached exterior point of the house. START WITH THE HOUSE ITSELF, then move into the landscaping section of the Immediate Zone.”

2. 3. 4. 5.

Cut back dried grasses and perennials, leaving an area for wildlife and seed collection. Remove dead and diseased wood annually. Avoid invasive, weedy plants. Clear all vegetation from below your deck. Plan for irrigation: soaker hoses, drip irrigation, sprinklers, or an installed irrigation system. However, in a firestorm, everything will burn. Regularly trim trees and shrubs of branches that reach near structures.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Clean gutters, eaves, and attic vents (install 1/8” metal mesh) Clean roofs and replace missing shingles. Remove flammable materials from all wall exteriors. Remove vegetation from under stationary propane tanks located in this zone and beyond.

Firewise USA Residents Reducing Wildfire Risks

Essential Chores

Firewise USA is a national, voluntary programme that residents in towns, counties, and states join to learn how to prepare their properties to prevent wildfires. The programme is part of the National Fire Protection Association, which provides public fire safety and prevention education. It supports firefighters, helping them to do their jobs effectively and safely.

The need to maintain our landscapes is known but not easily accomplished. For gardeners and homeowners, the chore list is long: mowing, weeding, raking, and removing dried grass, plants, sticks and branches. Beautiful, productive gardens are the goal. This basic maintenance activity needs to come first for our safety. 3

For gardeners and homeowners looking for direction on how to garden to remove or diminish the chance of a wildfire on their property or in their community, Firewise offers lists of clear and specific planning and tasks. According to NFPA, embers carried by the wind cause most wildfires that threaten homes and landscapes. There are methods for homeowners to withstand ember attacks and minimise the possibility that flames or ground fires reach a structure. Homes go up in flames due to the condition of the home and everything around it, up to 200 feet from the foundation. Developed and called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) by the USDA Forest Service, the definitions and actions are similar to those of UCDANR described above. Using either site, gardeners will find information on gardening in a fire-resistant landscape. The Firewise USA site includes an interactive map of North America showing where wildfires are active and where neighbourhood groups have formed.

Sources: • University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Prepare) • Firewise USA (nfpa.org)

BIO Judy Nauseef is a freelance writer, landscape designer, and speaker specialising in sustainability and gardening with climate change. She writes about native plants, habitat gardens, prairie designs, stormwater management, and travel. She is the author of the book Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest: Bringing the Tallgrass Prairie Home. Her blog and newsletters can be found at judynauseef.com.

BY REGI ONETON

Notes From A Dirty Old Gardener

s the title announces, the summer’s gardening season was, once again, like spinning plates at the botanical circus. I had porcelain shattering left and right; all my dogs did was watch and look at me sympathetically. Even the puppies noticed the meandering state of the garden. Ever seen a dog spit out a cherry tomato

based on flavour? I usually do a seasonal recap; they are more entertaining when the season is terrible. So, buckle up and prepare to revel in my unfortunate battles with nature, weather, microbes, mycelium, pests, and propagation. Welcome to the Thunder Dome, where dejected gardeners go to sulk and separate the edible from compost.

No growing season is a complete bust

Propagation Hell Propagation should have been an indication of how poor my season would be. I am no guru, but I was hit by an extremely low seed germination success rate ranging from store-bought and heirloom to self-extracted seeds from last season’s beasts. I had several expensive seeds crap the bed too. Worms seemingly devoured the first; another batch didn’t make it past saying “hello”, and another just told me to “fuck off”. The tent finally has babies, but boy, did it take a lot of tries. Like Fitz from The Departed says after being scolded for not putting the body deep enough in the marsh, “Frankly, I am embarrassed”. One final note for my propagation woes was perennial hot pepper plants. It was a struggle to get them to re-vegetate, and the yields were half what they originally were. I have no idea what happened there.

Weather Woes When the season finally got into gear, I took my paltry wares and went outside to plant. But nature was giving mixed signals, much like the women in my life. An abnormally steamy start was followed by a misplaced frost and a long period of dark, wet misery. When the clouds finally parted, everything was so stunted I almost went to the garden store to buy some plants. ALMOST. Instead, I said a little prayer, channelled some good vibes, and let nature do what it does best: survive and proliferate. When the sun finally agreed to shine, it felt like Havana in my fair Canadian city. The plants I managed to get going needed clarification on whether they should start flowering or start practising Buena Vista Social Club songs to play for tourists. The previous month’s rain and early-season humidity sent in the usual suspects, such as a barrage of locusts and slugs the size of my thumb. I was worried they would either consume or carry off my Frenchie, “Frankie”.

Pest Invasion The plants were in recovery mode. I was harvesting zucchini flowers, business as usual. Then, I take note of dime-sized holes taken out of 80% of my foliage. I went on the hunt with my Golden retriever, Hank. As I flick grasshoppers unconscious, “Handsome Hank” slurped them up like a protein-packed treat. I flipped a couple of leaves over and found slugs covered in what

NOTES FROM A GARDENER

g n i l g g u J e k i It’s L

s e l d o o N t We

I can only describe as the type of diarrhoea will quickly gloss over what the garlic did Ever seen a dog We you would get on vacation in Havana. I spared this year. Not a whole heck of a lot, much Hank that taste test. Things were encroaching spit out a cherry like what you see in the grocery store. I had on me, and I am not a fan of pesticides. I did a pathetically small cloves, but I did enjoy the modicum of manual pest management and just garlic scapes they produced. Finally, while the tomato based let the succubus feed on my hard work. While bell peppers were small, they were plentiful on flavour? other pest populations were at normal levels, and sweet. I don’t even want to talk about what the slugs and grasshoppers were approaching happened to the lettuce; tales of rabbits and .22 the ridiculous. One insect I was happy to see caliber ammunition. I’ll spare you. back in some numbers was the bees. Although small, I saw many of my black and yellow homeboys hard at work all summer. They The Game Plan assisted in propagating all the wildflowers I had sowed early in the Much like last year, nature slapped the crap out of me and my season. It’s nice when nature works WITH you. garden. But I still really enjoyed being out there, keeping busy, and getting those stress levels as low as possible. Nature still provided Mushrooms in Abundance some food and some contentment. Once again, I have a game plan The wet and humid weather had some positive consequences for next year. I never thought I would invest in a greenhouse, but regarding the number of wild mushrooms I found. Many appeared with the wild weather shifts I have been dealing with in recent earlier in the season and in much larger clusters. From Turkey years, I have had a change of heart. I am hunting for some sheets Tails to Oyster mushrooms, the mycelium was popping out with of glass to build one because Poppa doesn’t pay for that type of reckless abandon. Taking Hank for a walk in the forest to go stuff. A barrier between my plants and my enemies is now a must. mushroom hunting is one of our favourite things to do together. Much like a snowball down a hill, I see the issues mentioned above We found a bag full of oyster mushrooms, but Poppa forgot his getting progressively worse, barring some climactic miracle. Mr cell phone, got lost for three hours, and had to ditch the bag to Proactive is going to build a greenhouse. carry my handsome boy the rest of the way because his feet hurt. He has to wear a muzzle, but he’s a real princess. That put a pin in As my focus turns to the indoor garden, I process the fruits of my mushroom hunting for a while. labour into tapenades and pesto. I enjoy filling up every container because it means more money in my pocket and fewer visits to Let’s Talk Harvest the grocery store. No growing season is a complete bust. Every My harvest wasn’t half bad. The Roma tomatoes and a mid-sized season is an opportunity to learn and develop strategies for cherry variety a friend had gifted did well. I just kept the leaves upcoming projects. I learned that I should build some walls to keep and fruit far away from all the wet soil. I had zucchini flowers up the slugs with IBS off my crop and that my Golden Retriever has the proverbial ass, but EVERY SINGLE GOD DAMN fruit rotted. picky taste buds for an animal that eats his own shit. I will light a I pride myself on basil. I am the basil Don. This year, the slugs had few candles, hoping next year is less like juggling wet noodles and a season-long free lunch and dramatically reduced the size of the more like growing produce. plants. Salvaged was some of the best-tasting and most potent basil I have had in a while. I carefully washed that slug juice off! Happy growing, my little bean sprouts. 3

BIO Regi Oneton is a multi-disciplinary artist and daytime executive. He’s been a member of Socan since his first album release

at the age of 20, and is a self-taught audio engineer and self-proclaimed studio rat. Regi is a late-blooming street artist and painter whose works can be found hanging in the offices of Burton and Vans Canada. Long-time contributor to the Under Pressure Graffiti Festival and lover of the Arts. As the years plow forward, he has added botanical enthusiast/plant father to his litany of passions. His interests include writing and spending too much time looking at his phone.

BY XAVI KIEF

Conscious

Awakenings

Accounting For Seed Dormancy When Planning Your Next Grow 72

SEED DORMANCY

lthough they may not look it, viable seeds are alive with the structures of future plants inside. These incredible little packages contain the genetics of their ancestors and stores of energy to make germination and the healthy growth of roots and first photosynthesising leaves possible.

What is dormancy?

What are the types of dormancy?

Dormancy is a state of deep rest, during which seeds remain viable and resist destruction until acceptable germination conditions are met. It can be thought of as hibernation, where the metabolism of the living seed slows, preserving its resources and protecting itself from environmental hazards.

Seeds of different plants undergo varied types of dormancy, and it’s not unusual to find that more than one type of dormancy is at play. How a species disperses its seeds and the chances of finding optimal growing conditions have had evolutionary and adaptive influences on the kinds of dormancy experienced by a particular type of plant.

Once a seed is in this mode, breaking dormancy is necessary to germinate. The ways growers have learned to improve seeding success rates combine techniques which break dormancy (if relevant) and kickstart the germination process. There is so much variation among plants regarding the anatomy of their seeds. Therefore, whether a process at the cellular level acts more as dormancy-breaking or germinationpromoting is a complex topic.

Dormancy is a state of deep rest, during which seeds remain viable and resist destruction until acceptable germination conditions are met

Entire books have been written about seed dormancy, and researchers continue to study its mechanisms. It is especially relevant to producing commercial and food/medicine security crops, especially as the qualities of growing conditions in a given location change. For cultivators, it is good to know that slow or low germination may not mean a whole collection of seeds is dead. They may be hedging their bets about whether it’s a good time to commit to growing!

Why do seeds go into dormancy?

A simplified categorisation of seed dormancy types separates them into two main categories. Endogenous (characteristics of the plant embryo) dormancy is either physical, chemical, or mechanical. Exogenous dormancy can be physiological, where the seed has germination-inhibiting qualities that must be overcome. It can also be morphological, where the seed has to finish developing the embryo before it will germinate, or a combination of the two.

How do seeds break dormancy in nature? In nature, seeds receive signals from their environment, which influence them to leave the state of dormancy and enter stages of pre-germination, germination, and seedling growth. Depending on the type of seed, combinations of triggers play their parts in inducing a seed to break dormancy. These include exposure to light wavelengths, temperatures (including fire!), moisture, various chemicals, and physical damage to the protective seed coat.

Seeds enter dormancy when the plant’s continued survival depends on factors not present at seed maturity. For example, plants that grow annually, producing seeds in response to the conditions of ripening brought on by the shortening day length and lower temperatures, need their seeds to survive a cold winter before germination in a future period of warmth. If they don’t get to grow right away, like in a controlled cultivation environment where seeds are harvested and re-planted within a few weeks, fully developed seeds enter dormancy. Generally, the longer a seed rests after maturity, the more likely it is to become dormant. The more particular a variety of plant is about what conditions it needs to find to live also influences its tendency to go and remain dormant.

Winter sowing. Checking on little snapdragon seedlings in a plastic bottle, that germinated after stratification outdoors during winter.

When should a grower actively help a seed break dormancy?

In nature, seeds receive signals from their environment, which influence them to leave the state of dormancy and enter stages of pre-germination, germination, and seedling growth

Seeds that have been dormant for long periods are usually more difficult to “convince” to break dormancy. They have characteristics that make them resilient against fluctuations in their environment that would cause false or slow starts to germination, either of which reduces the eventual plant’s likelihood of thriving. This means older seeds may be very capable of growing but resist germination under the same conditions in which more recently harvested seeds happily sprout. Even within populations of seeds grown, harvested, processed, and stored together, some variation in dormancy has been observed. Using dormancybreaking techniques can help ensure a more even germination rate, encouraging early development stages to occur on a similar timeline for seeds being planted simultaneously.

Most stored seeds are likely dormant, so it is wise to consider using techniques that both support rapid germination and speak loudly, telling these sleeping seeds it’s time to wake up!

Give ‘em a Break As there are different types of dormancy, various techniques exist to bring them out of slumber.

Cold stratification is when wet seeds of hot-weather annuals are exposed to temperatures between 0 and 10°C and placed in an optimised growing environment.

Warm stratification is used for plants that make spring seeds, persist through the summer heat, and then germinate and begin growth in autumn. In this case, the plants themselves go into a state of rest before growing again the following year. Scarification is a broad term for a varied set of other dormancybreaking and germination-enabling tactics. Coming from the root word “scar”, meaning to scratch, its name implies some intentional damage to the self-preserving structures of a seed. Scarification may allow the seed to absorb water more readily by either using physical means to break down its hard shell (sometimes called “scuffing”) or chemicals which soften or dissolve the outer parts of a seed. Sometimes, this is a biochemical trigger, an effect of enzymes made by fungi and bacteria found in natural soil, or suggesting the presence of these species and the roots of companion host plants. Dissolved molecules containing oxygen within a soaking liquid can also have a chemical effect on a seed’s interior, genetically regulated processes. Another type of physical scarification, known as ‘nicking’, is when a grower purposefully removes a portion of the seed’s tip to reduce the effort of root emergence. Other dormancy-breaking interventions include subjecting seeds to temperature extremes, high-pressure applications, radiation, ultrasound, and percussion. This broad diversity of tactics makes it clear growers should employ techniques proven by research (traditional wisdom, grassroots or academic) for the specific seed types under cultivation.

SEED DORMANCY

Because it acts like a starting pistol for all the seeds being treated, scarification has been linked with seeds responding well to a broader range of conditions. Energy saved in the germination process can mean more is available for robust early plant development.

Whether your seeds are groggy or have gone deep into suspended animation, use dormancybreaking techniques to shake off the cobwebs and help them rise and shine!

This is especially beneficial in a production environment where plants of different subtypes are grown together because it simplifies scheduling and reduces duplicating tasks.

When should a grower start this process? When working with a new package of seeds purchased from a commercial producer, it’s best to consider their suggestions for pre-treatment, germination, and planting timelines. However, if you are creatively stretching your growing season (including planting seeds of more advanced or unknown age) and can begin your new plants’ lives in a controlled environment, use dormancy-breaking tactics to artificially speed up ‘spring’ and get to summer faster!

You Break it, You Bought it ‘Buy in’ and commit to the seeds before setting the dormancy-breaking alarm. This is especially crucial if you intend to physically damage hard-shelled seeds because they will be more susceptible to pathogens. Line up the stewarded ecosystem, accounting for all elements: planting medium, air quality, temperature, lighting, moisture, and select companion species.

vigorous growth with minimum delay or disruption gets seedlings off to establish themselves.

As exciting as it is to get your new little green friends ready for the garden, if they’re ready too soon, asking them to wait in small pots or under less intense lighting can be detrimental to future vitality and yields. Rapid growth is one way seedlings evade disease, outpacing exposures during periods of vulnerability and responding quickly with good immunity in later stages of life. Reference your experience and other data about the planned grow environment to schedule stratification and/or scarification. Don’t forget to add time for hardening off if young plants will be transferred from a cosy indoor setting to a less-predictable outdoor space.

Final thoughts Dormancy is an important factor when raising plants from seeds. As cultivators, we can learn a lot if we “think like the plants”. Seed-producing species have evolved complex mechanisms for survival through uncertainty. For our own sake, we must do the same and not assume there will always be an accessible outside source of new seeds each time a new grow is planned.

Don’t Hit the Snooze Button

We can also never be entirely sure of our future ability to finetune and control growth conditions, nor that the seeds will be uniform over generations of breeding. Banking seeds in proper storage conditions, respecting and understanding the various types of dormancy, and refining techniques for breaking this state by mimicking nature are all facets of resilience.

Research shows seeds’ protective structures can transmit information about the nature of the external space. This signalling sparks reactions inside the seed: false starts communicate uncertainty and break action chains. Once these activities begin,

Whether your seeds are groggy or have gone deep into suspended animation, use dormancy-breaking techniques to shake off the cobwebs and help them rise and shine! 3

Kief is a writer, researcher, and lifelong learner with their hands in the dirt and their imagination traversing the universe. Seeking always to B i o Xavi deepen and integrate their connection with the living planet and its diverse inhabitants, Xavi finds joy by infusing their practical and playful approach to cultivation with a healthy dose of science.They grow food and medicine for their family and community on their NorthEast Coast homestead.

BY KEATON HAINES

Water Fundamentals for

Hydroponic Success Remember: even in the high-tech world of hydroponics, it all starts with something as simple as the water you use

WATER FUNDAMENTALS

he word “Hydroponics” is of Greek origin: ‘hydro’ means water, and ‘ponos’ means labour. Typically, when the word ‘gardening’ comes to mind, you think of the sun, plants, and their root systems digging deep into the soil – a classic science class diagram. Hydroponics deletes an entire section from that diagram. In agriculture,

hydroponics is the futuristic rebel, eliminating soil from the equation altogether, opting instead to suspend plants in a high-tech cocktail of nutrients, water, and carefully calibrated conditions.This makes it an ideal choice for urban gardeners, indoor enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to continue growing fresh produce during the “off-season”.

If you plan to start your own hydroponic system, it’s important to emphasise how crucial water quality is to the process. The omission of soil from your garden entirely makes hydroponics a little less forgiving when first starting, so studying the careful balance of water and nutrients required for your plants is necessary. As you begin to research, you’ll see the term Electrical Conductivity (often shortened to EC) floating around. EC is a crucial base factor that governs the health and productivity of your growth system. So, let’s dive into the electrifying world of EC and discover why it’s the lifeblood of any thriving hydroponic garden.

In agriculture, hydroponics is the futuristic rebel, eliminating soil from the equation altogether

What is Electrical Conductivity? EC is the most important measure of water quality in hydroponic gardening, and it correlates directly to the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) in your water; think of it as the equivalent of a balanced diet for your plants. EC measures the concentration of dissolved salts and minerals in your nutrient solution, telling you just how ‘nutrient-rich’ your plant’s liquid is and providing you with a specified quantity of nutrients available to your garden. Optimal EC is plant-specific, and it’s vital to keep your garden within this optimum range to ensure its health; too low, and you starve your plants of vital nutrition. If too high, your plants can suffer various conditions, such as nutrient lockout, where an excess of calcium and magnesium (also known as limescale) blocks roots from absorbing necessary nutrients. Other dissolved contaminants– lead, cadmium, boron, arsenic, and other heavy metals– can also be toxic to your plants, like in the human body! Creating and maintaining this EC balance can be tricky to figure out, so it’s a good idea to start your nutrient mix with water with a low EC – as close to zero as possible.

A Beautiful Baseline The purity of the water you choose as the canvas for your plant’s growth can vastly improve your ability to maintain

your hydroponic garden. EC often centres on maintaining the right nutrient concentration for plant growth. However, the EC of the water you use as a base for your nutrient solution is equally important. The baseline EC level of your water should ideally be low. Low EC water provides a clean slate, giving you better control over the nutrients your plants receive. High EC in your water source can lead to problems, as it introduces additional dissolved salts and minerals that might interfere with the nutrient balance you’re trying to cultivate and potentially harm your plants’ health. So, ensuring your water source has a low EC before mixing nutrients is a critical first step in successful hydroponic cultivation.

Testing, Testing… Your surroundings impact your tap more than you might think, and it’s essential to consider this if you’re using municipal water in your garden. Tap water quality varies significantly by location due to differences in water sources, treatment methods, geological factors, and human activities. Some areas rely on surface water sources like rivers and lakes, which may be more prone to pollution, while others draw from groundwater and natural filtration properties. When it comes to’ hard water’ and ‘soft water’, hard water creates buildup on your shower head and faucets, which may indicate excess minerals in your tap. Hydroponic growers should know these variations and take appropriate steps to ensure their water suits their plants’ needs. A simple EC meter can measure the water’s EC level. But if you find it’s too high, what can you do?

Lowering EC There is only one real solution for lowering EC in tap water: filtration. Whether distilling your water or running it through a Reverse Osmosis system, removing dissolved solids and contaminants from water is only possible through a filter. Let’s look at the two primary filtration methods used to improve tap water quality for hydroponics.

WATER FUNDAMENTALS

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems RO systems are highly effective at reducing EC and eliminating many contaminants. They force water through a semipermeable membrane, which filters out ions and molecules, leaving behind purified water. RO systems can significantly lower the EC of your tap water, making it an ideal choice for hydroponic growers looking to start with a clean slate. Remember that some of these systems can be a bit more costly to install in terms of money and space. The average RO system creates about four gallons of wastewater for every gallon of water purified, and if you’re looking to invest in RO for a larger garden, water storage also becomes necessary. Some companies also produce speciality RO systems designed explicitly for garden usage; these systems often come with features tailored to the needs of hydroponic and garden enthusiasts, making them a convenient choice for those seeking to optimise water quality for their plants.

Distillation Distillation is another method for reducing EC. It involves a specialised system designed to boil water, produce steam, and condense it into water. This process effectively separates the water from its dissolved solids and demineralises it entirely, leaving behind a zero-EC product. While distillation produces extremely clean, high-quality results and creates less wastewater, it can be less efficient than RO systems in water production. Systems require a lot of energy to run, resulting in higher ongoing costs. Like RO systems, distillation also requires storage to ensure consistent water availability for your growing. Mixing tap water with filtered water is another clever strategy hydroponic growers use to extend their water

let’s dive into the electrifying world of EC and discover why it’s the lifeblood of any thriving hydroponic garden resources. If your tap water has a high EC, but you don’t want to invest in a filtration system, or if you want to conserve your filtered water, blending them can help strike a balance. By finding an ideal ratio of tap water to filtered water, you can achieve a consistent, optimal EC level for your plants without relying solely on filtration. It’s a cost-effective approach that combines the advantages of both water sources. Remember, however, that tap water can change seasonally as municipal water companies make adjustments that can affect your tap’s specific EC from month to month. For the hydroponic gardener, the secret to success lies not only in nutrient solutions and precise monitoring but also in the water that nourishes your plants; the more one understands the vital role of EC and the significance of water in a hydroponic system, the clearer it becomes that what you pour into your garden can make or break your plant’s journey. Whether you’re fine-tuning your tap water, using specialised RO systems, or blending water sources to optimise EC, taking control of your hydroponic environment is critical. With some knowledge and practical solutions, you can ensure your garden thrives, providing a continuous bounty of fresh, homegrown produce no matter the season. Remember: even in the high-tech world of hydroponics, it all starts with something as simple as the water you use. 3

BIO Raised with an emphasis on the importance of clean water, Keaton Haines brings a unique blend of expertise to the world of gardening through his copywriting background. A keen eye for detail and passion for verdant landscapes drive him to explore water challenges and solutions in the grow industry. With water quality concerns on the rise, Keaton is committed to empowering gardeners with the knowledge to foster clean and contaminant-free gardens. When he’s not writing, Keaton can be found lifting weights, hiking outdoors, or cultivating his cactus collection — all while listening to new classes and podcasts.

WAYS to Master the Art of Growing Indoors Your outdoor gardens are going strong, but how about adding some greenery to your indoor spaces? Our magazine and blog can guide you throughout your growing ventures, but there are also plenty of interesting books that will help you hone your gardening skills. In our list of 5 Cool Ways to Master the Art of Growing Indoors, we’ve compiled some of our favourite reads perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!

1 Countertop Gardens You may worry you don’t have enough space or natural light to grow food indoors, but Shelley Levis aims to bust those myths! In her book Countertop Gardens: Easily Grow Kitchen Edibles Indoors for Year-Round Enjoyment, Levis covers all the basics to help those new to indoor growing get off to a good start. Whether you’re interested in hydroponics, aquaponics, or growing in good old-fashioned dirt, this book simplifies setting up an indoor garden in compact spaces (think kitchen counters, windowsills, and even pantries!). Get help creating the optimum environment for various food crops, from mushrooms and lettuce greens to tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs. Levis offers tips for selecting the perfect countertop growing devices and several DIY projects for less tech-savvy people who want to keep it simple. Once your garden is up and running, a troubleshooting chapter will help things run smoothly.This book is an excellent read for novice gardeners, opening the world of indoor growing to a whole new group of people.

2 Home Hydroponics Have you ever dreamed of having a lift-top coffee table with an integrated deep water culture (DWC) hydroponic system? In his book, Home Hydroponics: Small-Space DIY Growing Systems, Tyler Baras shows us that building your own isn’t totally out of reach. Full disclosure: the hydroponic coffee table isn’t for beginner builders with small budgets, but Baras offers many DIY projects to suit all capabilities and price points, such as suction cup plants (low), salad bowl and bar cart gardens (low to moderate), lettuce lockers (high), and more. This book is perfect for growers of all experience levels. It shows many possibilities for small-scale hydroponic systems in the kitchen, dining and living rooms, bedroom, and bath. The DIY projects offer complete material lists and step-by-step guides to getting the job done. Baras also covers all the fundamentals you need to know about hydroponic growing, from lighting and nutrients to the maintenance and plants best suited for these systems. Two birds, one stone: this book will make you a better grower and builder!

GREEN ADVICE

3 Happy Plants, Happy You The benefits of gardening are plentiful, and in the dark days of winter, plants can help slow things down and boost your mood, among other things. In Happy Plants, Happy You: A Plant-Care & Self-Care Guide for the Modern Houseplant Parent, Kamili Bell Hill (@PlantBlerd) takes a unique approach to caring for houseplants. In addition to offering tips on plant selection and how to care for them, this book connects spending quality time in an indoor garden with self-care. Rather than mindlessly tending to houseplants, Bell Hill encourages us to take the opportunity to press pause and check in with ourselves as we go about watering, feeding, and pruning. She believes houseplants can teach many lessons on relationships and the importance of give and take. For example, much like getting rid of a dead leaf, sometimes the things bringing you down also have to go! This book is affordable therapy, helping readers choose beautiful plants and avoid toxic relationships with plants and people. Bell Hill will give you a list of tools you need for thriving houseplants and help you let go of the things in your life that aren’t working, whether the suffering cactus or something (or someone) else.

4 Kitchen Gardening Have you ever considered building a tabletop mushroom farm? All you have to do is innoculate a log with some shiitake spawn, and away you go! In her book Indoor Kitchen Gardening:Turn Your Home Into a Year-Round Vegetable Garden, Elizabeth Millard proves that gardening isn’t an activity only reserved for the great outdoors! From mushrooms, sprouts, and microgreens to tomatoes, peppers, and more, Millard has plenty of growing advice for those striving to be more selfsustainable. Her book covers everything from seed to harvest and the things in between. Learn how to tackle problems that might arise in your grow and properly store homegrown goods. For good measure, Millard provides delicious and nutritious recipes to make with your harvest. With chapters devoted to individual crops, this book is easy to follow and helps you tailor your indoor growing venture to specific plants. A must-read for anyone looking to avoid the grocery store!

5 She Sheds Style If you have a gardener mom, girlfriend, wife, or BFF who also loves to read, She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own is the perfect addition to their library. Written by Erika Kotite, this book is spectacular from A to Z and offers readers a glimpse at the She Shed revolution. Learn how to build or turn an existing outbuilding into a gorgeous recluse from our fast-paced world. The She Shed can be a place for storing, growing, and potting plants. But why not make it multi-purpose and create space for snoozing, painting, reading or welcoming friends and family? With fantastic photos that inspire, this book brings a new meaning to indoor growing. It’s about making a peaceful and beautiful space for you and your plants to thrive! An excellent gift idea for a wonderful woman in your life, this book offers a dreamy escape from the cold winter days ahead.

All of the above books are published by Cool Springs Press. Check out quartoknows. com/Cool-Springs-Press for their incredible collection of gardening reads. 3

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