AU S T R A L I A N E D I T I O N
Y E A R 1 - I S SU E 1 路 2013 - P R I CE: $ 4.9 9
THE ART OF URBAN GARDENING & INDOOR GROWING
10 TIPS: BE A BETTER GROWER INSTANTLY GMO
CONTROVERSY SECRETS TO
BOOST
YOUR HARVEST THINK
MICRO
FOR MACRO RESULTS GROW YOUR OWN :
CILANTRO &WASABI
Triple Concentrated Nutrients When a nutrient is this concentrated you know...
- You are paying for top quality ingredients and not for transporting water - You will raise superior yields and quality - It’s Gold Label -
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
4 steps to a Gold Label Yield Roots
Base Nutrients
Ultra MG
Ultra PK
A highly concentrated root and growth stimulator with biological extracts of kelp, humic acids and high quality amino acids.
A perfect mix of elements with added chelated Ca (calcium) which makes Gold Label the perfect balanced fertilizer.
A nitrogen / magnesium additive for all plant development stages.
A owering additive based on advanced polyphosphates and chelated trace elements.
Distributed exclusively in Australia by Growhard www.growaustralia.com
www.goldlabel.nl
PLAN FOR SUCCESS
GET FULLER BUDS
Veg-Booster enables young cuttings or seedlings to better expand branches allowing for fuller growth In the later flowering stages.
The addition of Blossom-Blood to a nutrient reservoir during the flowering stage of a plant will promote fuller buds & flowers utilizing selective pH control. Blossom-Blood’s reputation comes from the results.
Sold at all good hydro stores
CONTENTS I GARDEN CULTURE
K.I.S.S.
FRESH WASABI
19
78
22
WINDOW FARMING
HELP YOURSELF
67
PRODUCT
72 IN THIS ISSUE OF GARDEN CULTURE:
EARTHSHIPS
SPOTLIGHT
8
KORN
54
50
7 Foreword & Credits
50 Earthships: down to earth
8 Product Spotlight
54 Korn is growing corn
14 Carbon dioxide in plants
56 Fungi, molasses & rock phosphate
19 K.I.S.S.
62 10 tips: be a better grower instantly
20 Humidity: the good, the bad & the ugly
65 The growing controversy of GMOs
25 Budget Gardening
67 Help Yourself - good food
28 The invisible garden: a perfect balance
68 Bitcoins: grow your own money
32 Modern slavery and the illusion of consent
72 Window farming
38 Aquaponics: a sustainable solution
78 Grow your own series: Fresh wasabi
46 Grow your own series: Cilantro gardenculture.net
5
website www.agriculturalorganics.com www.facebook.com/bloomadvancedfloriculture
The Essential Mix
FOREWORD & COLOFON I GARDEN CULTURE FOREWORD
CREDITS Garden Culture™ is a publication of GC Publishers B.V.
GARDEN CULTURE GOES DOWN UNDER Here at the Garden Culture HQ we opened a bottle of nice Champagne when we got the news about distribution in Australia. We’re very proud and honored that our Australian and New Zealand distributors loved our magazine so much that they decided they wanted to pick it up for their customers.
Let me start off with what Garden Culture Magazine is and how we started. Back in 2011 we came up with an idea to make a magazine tailored to Urban Gardening. Our aim was to go beyond the gardening magazines currently out there which were made for a bit of an older audience than us. We love to grow in and around our homes and we sadly don’t have acres of land to do that. Because we all live in cities we started growing in our house, rooftops or our small balcony. The current magazines out there just weren’t cutting it for us. We want cool stuff, techy gear and the latest kits around. Looking in the marketplace at that time there was nothing which had that so we decided to launch Garden Culture magazine in our home market, the Dutch market. From there it’s been a rollercoaster ride where we expanded faster than we ever imagined. We hope you will have a lot of fun reading the magazine and learn a thing or two. If you have input, feedback or you like to write for us get in touch please. We’re active on Facebook or you can simple mail us at editor@gardenculture.net. Alternative for more reading or a subscription on the magazine check out our website at www. gardenculture.net Keep it green! Mike Nivato - Executive Editor
EDITORS
Executive Editor: Mike Nivato E. mike@gardenculture.net Art Director / DTP Job Hugenholtz Special thanks the following contributors: Dan F, Wade, Tammy Clayton, April Kazema, Evan Folds, Fred Decker, Jeroen Kateehm, Sylvia Bernstein, Tom Alexander
PUBLISHER
GC Publishers Postbus 483 3200AL Spijkenisse The Netherlands t. +1-855-427-8254 t. +31181-728101 (Netherlands) w www.gcpublishers.net e info@gcpublishers.net
ADVERTISING
Eric Coulombe E. eric@gardenculture.net 1-855-427-8254
SUBSCRIPTIONS
E. subscriptions@gardenculture.net
DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS GrowHard Australia ISSN: 2211-9329 © GC Publishers B.V.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the GC Publishers B.V.
Website : www.GardenCulture.net Facebook: facebook.com/GardenCulture Twitter : twitter.com/GardenCulture
gardenculture.net
7
product spotligh t Amino Treatmen Amino Treatment consists of a balanced complex of ingred ients such as small silicate particles which are much smaller than those which you would find in normal silicon. Amino Treatment also contains a unique natural growth and flowering stimulator from an extract taken from plant seeds.This results in better nutrient distribution in the leaves, a higher photo synthesis ratio, stronger stalks, increased root activit y, better and higher fruit production and a higher sugar content in the fruit. www.house-garden.com.au
NF Zyme velopment e d t n a l p e s i m Opti The World ’s Fir st St ack an d Nest Pot Syste m!
Nutrif Pro Potield System
The syste m is com pletely ad justable to suit your growing needs. It can be se t at three dif ferent heights g iving you increased r storage o f water and improved air flow and drain a ge . T h e P ro Pot Sys te m is easy to mainta in and ha s been co structed nto be du rable. Ta your grow k e th to the next leve with Nutr l ifield’s Pro Pot System w w w.do . megarde n.com.a u
8
optithe ability to as h la u rm unique fo g by helping NF Zyme’s or flowerin th w o gr f o de s ise root mise all mo n and optim io is iv d ll ce l ts contro icro nutrien your plant to acids and m o in am s io in nta rmat n grow th. It co w th, root fo o gr , e k ta p utrient u . NF Zyme that assist n etabolic rate m s t’ n la p hich is e the formation, w and increas d o fo d an s is synthesi penings. Th aids in photo f stomata o o n o ti la h gu T e re nts. e ptake of pla caused by th u e id x io d e carbon h the micro increases th mbined wit co ss ce ts ro n p trie lation available nu natural che resently un p s es e ak m l al so le in stag nutrients al nt absorbab la p e m co e to b and minerals pment. lo of plant deve .au rifield.com w w w.nut
s e fr
ht
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE
t i k m r a f window sed all that wfarms have conden ido W at le op pe e Th nity projopen-source commu they learned in their can use. Any garden that anyone ing rk wo a o int t ec nts using this fficient to grow pla source of light is su h a window is with sunlight throug m ste sy ic on op dr hy t and the will is a Windowfarm Ki ideal. All you need from visiting farm won’t stop you ow ind W A . ow gr to is part of the ousand will, and that the grocers but a th y by letting the farm into the cit of rt pa ing br to a: ide . everyone participate s.org rm fa www.window
BUD JUICE onsiting imulator. C st m o lo B an Organic e activators Bud Juice is trient enzym u n ro ic m l rs that f natura w th regulato o of a blend o gr t n la p inoccurring ower sites, and naturally , increase fl n io ct u d p ro ld u to flower p enhance yie d an will trig ger n io ct u d gulantial oil pro nt grow th re la p d e crease esse as b anic gentle on ice is an org icals and is m e 40% . Bud Ju ch l fu m flowtains no har fast female ge ra u co tor and con n e g d oe s re flowerin humans. It creating mo y b plants and s ld e yi imulates big ering and st r. sites soone om australia .c w w w.grow
sh
Hyper Fans
Next generation Fans Hyper Fans are the next generation of fans available. Hyper Fan uses “Multi-Phase” EC Motors and power delivery to the fan blade is smooth, ultra efficient and vibration free. This fan uses up to half the power and produces half the heat of current leading industry mixed flow fans. This results in greatly reduced energy costs, less wear, improved reliability and increased lifespan. Hyper Fan produces the highest pressure of any fan in its diameter, delivering more air movement through ducting, carbon filters or air cooled hoods. A detachable speed controller is included. www.hyper-fans.com
gardenculture.net
9
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE
LIQUID LEAD precisely s a special formula Liquid Lead contain ique blend aviest harvest. A un designed for the he , essential Activators, Vitamins of Organic Enzyme will unleash Carbohydrates that Animo Acids and rite plants tential of your favou the full flowering po t weight, d optimises harves lea uid Liq s. rb or he es health of s grow th, increas Promotes vigorou aste. Liquid d enhances flavor/t flowering plants an dients inderived active ingre Lead uses naturally mins, Encarbohydrates, Vita , ids ac ino Am g: cludin ers logical yield enhanc zymes & proven bio ralia .com w w w.growaust
MAMMOTH TENTS
Full range available now!
Roots Excelurator Roots Excelurator is the top show piece in the House and Garden line of nutrients. It’s exact formulation is a well kept company secret. House & Garden maintains their own nutrient manufacturing facility as well as their own laboratories where they continually test each batch of fertilizer they produce. This ensures that gardeners employing House & Garden receive high quality, consistent products. www.sunlightsupply.com
ell known ave been w h ts n e T th nts. Mammo eter grow te m 6 x 3 ve si as for their m back from d with feed n lla o H in d just Designe moth Tents am M e id w d rl growers wo e of grow complete lin ir e th d ce difannoun nge of sizes, ng a large ra ri ve o C . ts d n te d pro uct n ranges, an o ti ca fi ci e sp ferent ge will have product ran e th s, n o ti p o Of course ery grower. ev r fo g in th e some th’s distinctiv ure Mammo at fe ts n u te d l al and e strength lik s ic st ri te charac is backed up the product rability and service. nt customer with excelle .nl mothtent www.mam
gardenculture.net
11
page 14
Gold Label Substrates Commercial growers worldwide recognise Gold Label as the premium quality substrate and nutrient manufacturer the world has to offer. We guarantee every bag of Gold Label substrate with each batch having been quality checked and sampled before sale. Coco
Buffered coco peat, the finest quality, RHP certified. A stable substrate based on the fine fibres of the coco husk. Mineral as well as organic nutrients can be used with this fully organic, recyclable top quality substrate.
Hydrocorn
Inert clay pebbles (8-16mm) with a unique rough structure for better stability and root development. Developed for horticulture. The porous structure has a high water capacity and is suitable for both ebb/flood and top irrigation systems. Also available in XL 16-25mm.
Distributed exclusively in Australia by Growhard www.growaustralia.com
Hydro
Hydro expanded round clay pebbles have a very solid outer ceramic layer, which limits the uptake of water. They are ideally suited for intense irrigation hydroponic styles of growing. We recommend top watering systems for Hydro.
60/40 Mix
Gold Label Hydrocorn and Coco is an ideal match for high water capacity, lower watering frequency and better rooting. We utilize the 8-16mm Hydrocorn from Gold Label and the purest Gold Label Coco to give to give you the perfect ebb and flood growing media which also works well in any pot based systems.
www.goldlabel.nl
An introduction:
Carbon dioxide There are a couple of things that plants can’t live without. Carbon dioxide is one of these substances. It’s a gas, commonly found in the atmosphere. Although it isn’t as common as oxygen and nitrogen, which make up around 99% of the atmosphere’s volume, carbon dioxide is still relatively common. Over the past decade or so, carbon dioxide has been in the news frequently and has suffered from a bad reputation for being a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. This conclusion has some merit since it is often added to greenhouses to boost plant production. This article is a short introduction into the how and why of carbon dioxide addition in greenhouses.
Plants, like all living creatures, need energy to survive. Animals get this energy feeding on plants or other creatures. But plants don’t feed on other creatures. Plants store the energy they need by combining elements from soil and air using sunlight to power the reactions. A radically different survival strategy compared to animals. This method of energy harvesting is commonly known as photosynthesis. In essence, photosynthesis isn’t all that complicated, however when inspected more closely, one will find out that it is a cascade of many chemical reactions. To make this a little less complicated photosynthesis can be split up in two parts; ‘Light reactions’ and ‘light-independent reactions’.
LIGHT REACTIONS Light reactions are the first part of photosynthesis. These reactions require light in order to work. When a
14
photon from the sun or a grow light strikes the photoreceptive pigment called chlorophyll, water is split into two oxygen molecules and one positively charged hydrogen atom, also known as a proton. These protons in turn are used by the plant in the light-independent reactions. But most importantly, the plant uses the energy of the protons to convert ADP (adenine di-phosphate) into ATP (adenine tri-phosphate) by adding a phosphorous group. This is how plants store energy in a usable way, essential in many vital processes. The ATP can be used as a means to transport chemical energy, because when it is converted back into ADP energy is released. The molecule can then be recycled into ATP again. The resources the plant has to invest in order to perform these reactions is always the same. However, not all wavelengths of light are equally effective at stimulating chlorophyll, and some wavelengths transfer no energy at all. In general plants are most efficient in the blue and red ranges of the spectrum. Green light is poorly
BY JEROEN
CARBON DIOXIDE I GARDEN CULTURE
in plants and greenhouses
The proteins that were created during the light reactions are now used to fixate carbon. Carbon fixation is performed by plants using a process called the ‘Calvin Cycle’. A number of different chemicals, including the protons, carbon dioxide and ATP go into the reaction and in the end yield a simple sugar which in turn can be used by the plant to produce a number of other things including larger sugars and starches. Contrary to the light reactions, these light-independent reactions cost the plant energy.
absorbed by chlorophyll. Instead it is reflected into our eyes, which makes plants look green to us.
LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTIONS The dark reactions then follow up on the light reactions. This is where carbon dioxide comes into play.
Like with any chemical reaction, or biochemical reaction for that matter, a plant has to have all the ingredients to perform photosynthesis. One of these ingredients is going to be the limiting factor to the reaction. One can understand that if enough water and light are available to plants, CO2 could become a limiting factor. This can certainly be the case since CO2 is present in the atmosphere at levels around 360ppm (parts per million). This
gardenculture.net
15
CARBON DIOXIDE I GARDEN CULTURE WHEN ENOUGH LIGHT AND WATER ARE AVAILABLE, CO2 BECOMES THE LIMITING FACTOR
is where it starts to get more difficult. Most plants benefit from CO2 addition because the enzyme that transports CO2 inside the plant can get distracted. You see, this enzyme can also bond with oxygen, transporting less carbon dioxide into the plant. This makes the process rather inefficient, as oxygen is available at higher concentrations in the atmosphere. These plants, called C3 plants, benefit greatly from added carbon dioxide.
CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCTION In a greenhouse there are a number of ways to produce carbon dioxide. Piles of composting materials can be used to produce carbon dioxide in a greenhouse however this has drawbacks when it comes to pest control. A more modern way to increase the CO2 concentration is by burning propane, or some other gas. Gas burners can be linked to controllers and sensors that monitor and adjust the burn rate according to the need of the plants. This is the most common method of CO2 production and, besides recycling CO2 from another source, the least costly. Using pressurized cylinders is too expensive and cumbersome. There are some drawbacks to burning fossil fuels to produce CO2 . With improper combustion there is a possibility carbon monoxide is formed instead of carbon dioxide.
16
This is a poisonous and potentially deadly gas, odorless and definitely something to watch out for. Carbon dioxide is something every plant needs and is present in the atmosphere in small concentrations. In situations where it’s preferable to grow crops intensively, CO2 is a welcome addition to boost plant growth. The addition of CO2 increases the rate of photosynthesis that is possible in nearly all plants but other factors change too. In order to get the maximum efficiency out of the added CO2 , temperature and humidity have to be pushed to an extreme. In reaction to this the speed of every process in the garden increases. This does sound rather easy, however a more extreme climate also increases the chances of pests and other problems one would want to avoid in the crops. Carbon dioxide addition requires a lot of attention to do well, but it can be a valuable tool in increasing yields. It is the next step for gardeners who have mastered their indoor growing environment. 3
16
K.I.S.S. I GARDEN CULTURE
BY DAVID GREEN
Keep It Simple Stupid
Historical concepts for a Bumper Crop The acronym was coined by Clarence Johnson, lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes,
The principle most likely finds its origins in similar concepts such as:
among many others). The principle is best exemplified
•
by the story of Johnson handing a team of design engineers a handful of tools, with the challenge that the jet aircraft they were designing must be repairable by an average mechanic in the field under combat conditions with only these tools. Hence, the ‘stupid’ refers to the relationship between the way things break and the so-
• • •
Albert Einstein’s maxim that “everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler”. Leonardo da Vinci’s “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Mies Van Der Rohe’s “Less is more”. Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s “It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”.
phistication available to fix them. What could this possibly have to do with NY prime steak and expect him to YOUR NEW GARDEN gardening and the success or failure of eat? Absolutely not. You’ve got to IS A LIKE A TINY BABY. take it slow, learn to walk before your garden? When you need a new cellWOULD YOU BRING phone do you head down to your local you run and K.I.S.S. YOUR NEW BUNDLE electronics supplier and buy a bunch of OF JOY HOME, SIT microprocessors and resistors and head A new grower should start simple HIM IN FRONT OF home to construct your new phone like with one ore two lights, minimal A GIANT NY PRIME the mad doctor did with Frankenstein on number of plants, pots with soil STEAK AND EXPECT that stormy night? Of course not. You and a very basic nutrient feed HIM TO EAT? head over to the cell phone store or dial solution. Hand water these new it up online and click buy, pay for it and born babies and spend time in then start texting your friends to boast of your new puryour garden EVERY DAY! chase. You don’t know how to wire or build a cell phone and Take the time to study your plants. Study their reactions, what for most of you new growers, your garden is no different. makes them happy and of course, what makes them sad. As you get through your fist crop or two, you will begin to realize You’ve spent hours researching online, head out to your lothat there is more to indoor gardening then meets the eye. cal Hydro store or order online and acquire your new grow Only then can you begin to make the educated decisions needequipment, head home and start to assemble the puzzle of ed to outfit your garden, and progress into a more advanced pots, trays, tubing, pumps and then muster up the courage and automated grow system. to mix up your first batch of feed solution. You’ve done all this with no experience growing a plant and no knowledge The simpler your first garden is, the more SUCCESSFUL of how it should all work, why? you will be! There will come a time for the latest technology and all the bells and whistles, just think of the evolution of Your new garden is a like a new baby. Would you bring spy planes. Clarence Johnson said it right when he coined the your new bundle of joy home and sit him in front of a giant phrase - Keep It Simple, Stupid! 3
gardenculture.net
19
, D O O G THE
& d a B e Th Y L G U E H T
20
BY TAMMY CLAYTON
HUMIDITY I GARDEN CULTURE
Everything and everyone is affected by humidity, or the lack of it. Plants are more sensitive to humidity levels and its variations than humans or animals. We manage to live through the discomfort. Plants manage humid conditions too, but the effect can be undesirable. Improper humidity levels affect plant functions and can cause irreparable
UNDERSTANDING WHAT RELATIVE HUMIDITY (RH) IS AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE PLANTS IN YOUR INDOOR GARDEN IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF A HEALTHY CROP AND AN ABUNDANT HARVEST
damage to roots, stem, foliage, flower and fruit. The worst case scenario is pretty ugly. You could watch the death dance in horror, not knowing how to stop the process.
Common Hydroponic Crop Relative Humidity (RH) Averages • Chilli Peppers: Ideal 50-70% (RH), with 65% being optimal.
• Bell Peppers: Ideal RH is 75%. • Tomatoes: Ideal RH is 65-75% at night and
Moderation applies to all life forms As a grower you must regulate the environment and climate for your crop. Especially if you don’t want them to go on strike, get lazy and refuse to perform. It is best to take your role as climate creator seriously. Understanding what relative humidity (RH) is and how it affects the plants in your indoor garden is an important part of a healthy crop and an abundant harvest. The wrong humidity level can present you with a number of issues that vary by crop type. At early growth stages low humidity can cause your crop to go on a binge eating spree while profusely perspiring. The result is they burn to a crisp from the loss of water that maintains nutrient levels in their systems. Obviously, this is bad, at best. In an attempt to improve dry conditions the plants will absorb more nutrient solution than in proper humidity. At the same time they rapidly shed water through the cell pores on the underside of the leaves known as the stomata. What is the result of this undesirable situation? Even a weaker solution will lead to nutrient burn.
What’s the right RH Level? It would be great if it were that easy, to have one metric to aim for here. You have an average humidity level of 50-75% for best results with dark cycle RH levels being higher than
80-90% for light cycle. • Herbs: Most prefer 40-50% RH • Cucumbers: Will do well at 70-80% (RH), with 75% being perfect. • Lettuce: Maintain RH below 70% at all times.
light cycle. However, different plants and different stages of growth require varied humidity. So, be sure to learn what the best RH levels are for your crop at each stage, as some plants will prefer a drier climate and others need high humidity. A seed sprouts and rapidly develops a good foliage canopy and abundant roots in the cooler, shorter days of late spring and early summer when high moisture is present. As temperatures climb and day length increases, high outdoor humidity can be a bad, even ugly thing. The purpose of an indoor garden environment is to give plants optimal conditions through all stages to harvest. Coaxing them to produce that bumper crop you want includes controlling relative humidity. This is why many indoor hydroponic growers have separate vegetation and flowering to fruiting grow chambers. It is also why some plants are good indoor companions and others aren’t.
gardenculture.net
21
All House & Garden base A&B are 100% made in Holland, composed of pure liquid base elements, unlike most other “premium� nutrients on the market, we dont use powders or bulking agents. Because H&G only use a liquid mineral base, this ensures plants can uptake all the available food without having to separate out the unusable compounds. All our base nutrients are made with computer controlled precision, slightly heated during mixing for extended periods of time to ensure our base nutrients are blended to perfection. All nutrients are batch tested in our state of the art factory in Holland to ensure the outstanding quality H&G is renowned for. Our base nutrients come in three variations - Hydro / Cocos / Soil, to accomodate the various substrates available.
HUMIDITY I GARDEN CULTURE
...IT IS BEST TO TAKE YOUR ROLE AS CLIMATE CREATOR SERIOUSLY
VARYING RH LEVELS NEEDED FOR DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES GERMINATION & PROPAGATION STAGE: Maintain rooting cuttings or germinating seedlings humidity at above 80%. A propagator makes controlling RH more manageable and allows your new crop to concentrate energy on producing the roots. Some crops can be successfully propagated in your grow tent using a humidifier with a humidistat. YOUNG PLANTS: Between minimal foliage to breathe out water (transpiration) at night and the hot lights, many growers experience problems keeping the RH levels high enough to produce strong growth and plant vigor. In 0,6 m2 of grow space, using two 600 watt lights, you’ll generally find 35-50% RH and a temperature of 22-28 C. As described earlier, low humidity will make the plants work overtime at creating humidity. You don’t want the RH to drop below 40%. This brings issues with nutrient overload and other related problems. Your target RH level at this stage of growth should be 60-70% for faster root growth, leaf development and more compact plants. VEGETATIVE STAGE: These larger immature plants have more shoots and leaves. They will take up increasing amounts of nutrient and emit more water vapor as they increase in size. At this stage you want to ensure the RH levels don’t climb too high. This danger increases as plants thicken. FLOWERING & FRUITING STAGE: The ideal RH range here is 50-60% during daylight cycle and 60-70% during the dark cycle. Keep on top of RH control, as both fruit and flower are easily damaged by fungal disease with soaring humidity. High humidity related fungal problems can ruin many kinds of fruit, vegetable and flower crops.
Increasing the RH Misters and humidifiers are used to increase RH levels. The more water vapor being emitted by your plants into the grow room environment, the less the humidifier or mister needs to be run. For plants that need tight humidity control a humidification system with HR-HRSA humidistat is best.
Decreasing the RH Ventilation drops your grow room RH level. Depending on your crop and grow space situation, at times an extraction fan with a variable speed control is all that is needed. High RH levels can also be corrected by with a dehumidifier. Great care is needed to not remove too much moisture, creating a dry environment. This can cause some plants to emit water through leaf tips, allowing it to collect on foliage and promote disease development. Ultra-sensitive plants may do best with a humidification system that precisely delivers both humidifying and extraction functions in one.
Measuring Your Humidity Levels To stay on top of the RH level at all times, you need an instrument known as a hygrometer to give you humidity readings. Be sure to select one that is water resistant and designed for the demands of hydroponics. These will give you the connected accurate temperature and humidity measures.
RH Changes with Temperature Variation In your grow space, the relative air humidity is influenced by temperature. High RH disrupts a plant’s ability to get rid of excess water. Low RH makes the plant emit too much water and can cause the intake of CO2 to stagnate, leading to impaired growth. Nutrient uptake rate increases with dry air, and for about every 5.5 C temperature increase the amount up-take doubles. Both of these fluctuations greatly affect your crop. Ideally, you want your grow room to have a lower humidity during the day cycle than the night cycle. During the darkness hours in the growing space, many assume that without the heat of grow lamps, the humidity will drop. This assumption could get ugly. In darkness, plants breathe out water, increasing the need for air flow and ventilation. Ignoring this puts your entire crop at risk for pest and disease outbreaks, among other health issues. 3
gardenculture.net
23
BY ANNE GIBSON
BUDGET GARDENING I GARDEN CULTURE
“Limited space, time, money and sunlight?”
“Start with these easy-to-grow plants” Microgreens basil eready for harvest
Budget Edible Solutions for Urban Micro Gardeners
Lemon balm leaves
Have you tried growing herbs or vegies only to give up when it doesn’t seem as easy as first thought? The goal of eating healthy home grown food, becoming more self-reliant and living more sustainably can sound wonderful in theory but in reality, often presents challenges. Limited space, time, money and sunlight are just a few issues to contend with. Then there’s learning how to garden, what to grow when and pesky possums pinching your produce. If it’s all in the ‘too hard basket’, then don’t despair! Start with these easy-to-grow plants and get at least some food on the table without the need for garden tools. These ideas only require minimal time and a few basic supplies to start saving money and improving your health.
IF YOU BUY SPRING ONIONS (OR YOU MAY CALL THEM SHALLOTS), SAVE YOUR MONEY AND REGROW THEM FROM NOW ON.
The easiest plants to grow are those that don’t require gardening skills and only minimum time input, materials and space. Herbs that grow in a glass of water on a well-lit bench or window sill are an ideal choice. If you buy spring onions (or you may call them shallots), save your money and regrow them from now on. With a sharp knife, cut your spring onions about 5cm above the root. Use the leaves in your meals but add the stem base and roots to a small glass with 1-2cm of clean water. Change the water daily to prevent bacteria growing, then watch new green leaves grow. Snip with scissors for tasty, free meal additions!
Instead of buying bunches of fresh herbs, propagating your own will save you money and reduce wastage. For example, add leftover stems of mint, lemon balm, rosemary or basil (with lower leaves removed) to a glass of water. Change water daily. Roots should develop in 2 weeks or less and provide free plants to transplant into a pot for an easy herb garden. Mint and lemon balm are both shade lovers. Lemon balm tea is a natural anti-depressant, can lift the spirits
gardenculture.net
25
BUDGET GARDENING I GARDEN CULTURE
AUTHOR BIO
Microgreen buckwheat garnish on salad
Anne Gibson is author of the SOW SIMPLE™ Guide To Growing an Abundant Organic Edible Garden eBook and publishes The Micro Gardener, an inspiring DIY garden website. She is a writer, consultant, speaker and community educator and teaches people how to grow highly productive edible gardens on a budget in urban spaces. She is also Editor/Founder of Green Journey (www.greenjourney.com.au), an award-winning sustainable living website. Anne is passionate about helping people grow nutrientdense food, upcycling materials in the garden and maximising yields for minimal time, money and effort. Visit www.themicrogardener. com for more information or check out here facebook atfacebook. com/TheMicroGardener
Spring onions regrowing in water and relieve morning sickness if drunk with lemon first thing in the morning. Mint has antiseptic, antiviral and anaesthetic properties and chewing a few leaves can help relieve sore throats, colds, coughs, and headaches. These are great medicinal and culinary herbs to have on hand. Why waste time going to the chemist when you can have healthy alternatives right at home? Aloe vera is another hardy home pharmacy plant that thrives on neglect, grows well in a sunny spot indoors or outside in a shallow pot, with well-drained potting mix and an occasional watering. Break off a leaf and scrape the gel inside as an aftershave balm or skin moisturiser, to heal burns, soothe stings, bites, rashes and cuts. Keep cut leaves wrapped in the fridge.
MINT HAS ANTISEPTIC, ANTIVIRAL AND ANAESTHETIC PROPERTIES AND CHEWING A FEW LEAVES CAN HELP RELIEVE SORE THROATS, COLDS, COUGHS, AND HEADACHES. THESE ARE GREAT MEDICINAL AND CULINARY HERBS TO HAVE ON HAND For delicious salad or smoothie ingredients packed with digestive enzymes, microgreens are the perfect solution. These baby greens are healthy ‘fast food’ you can grow from ‘seed to feed’ in just 1-3 weeks depending on seed variety. Add about 2-3cm of moistened seed raising mix to a container with drainage holes (reusing a plastic strawberry punnet is ideal). Adding a sprinkle of rock minerals will boost nutrient value and flavour. Evenly spread a tea spoonful or so of organic herb or vegetable seeds over the mix. Sprinkle a little extra seed raising mix to just cover seeds, mist with water in a spray bottle and cover with a clear lid. Place in a well-lit area and mist daily to keep seeds moist until they sprout and grow. Snip with scissors just before adding to meals. 3
gardenculture.net
27
N E D R A G E L B I S I V THE IN Check this out. Some of the most important things regarding the evaluation of a garden and the food it produces cannot be observed. The majority of people don’t realize that the soil is alive and teeming with beneficial microbes, because they can’t see them.
The quality of food cannot truly be evaluated until it is eaten, but we cannot taste all the things that are harmful to us and artificial flavoring has resulted in us forgetting how food is supposed to taste anyway. We are farther away from the farm and our food than at any point in human history. Many farmers don’t eat what they grow. Agriculture has collectively become a race to the bottom line where the food that is produced is designed to sit on a shelf, not nourish our bodies.
growth truly a sign of thriving plants? Or is it obesity? Plant obesity and deficiency are what attract and create pests and disease, not unlike a human on a bad diet. Truthfully, the average gardener believes that pests and disease are bad luck. Due to this lack of perspective, most attempt to kill their problems away instead of addressing the roots of the issue. It’s a vicious cycle. Most of the time we are creating our own problems. What should we expect when we use artificial fertilizers and toxic pesticides to grow living plants? this way...
People are clamoring for real Think of it food. Community Supported don’t feed your plants, Agriculture (CSA) programs Even hydroponic fertilizers and farmer’s markets are contain no more than 17 feed your soil booming, and record numbers elements, or only what a plant of people are planting gardens for the first time in their lives. has to have. Most plants can use upwards of 30-40 elements The future of food is to know your own personal agriculture. directly or indirectly, some more than that, but microbes use What better way can you do this than by growing your own? every single one of them to work their magic. Growing a garden without all of the elements in play is like hiring someone Growing the best garden of your life is done through the to build a house and giving them half the tools. marriage of quality gardening products and techniques, and Consider using rock dusts or sea-mineral based products to a proper perspective towards the natural world. One of the increase elemental diversity in the garden. Not only will you primary ideas to keep in mind when growing a garden is diversity. increase yields, but you will build the innate capacity in plants Using cheap budget fertilizers that have 6-7 elements in them and microbes to fend for themselves. After all, why would is the equivalent of fast food for plants. Sure, the plethora of Mother Nature make an element not needed in the garden? artificial gardening products available on the market stimulates The same is true for microbes. The greater the mineral and plant growth and often creates higher yields initially, but is the biological diversity in the garden, the more strength and
28
BY EVAN HOLDS
A PERFECT BALANCE I GARDEN CULTURE
balance you bring to the ecosystem. Think of it in this way… don’t feed your plants, feed your soil. Microbes have been helping and protecting plants since the beginning of time and they are not going to stop anytime soon. In fact, over half of the carbohydrates a plant makes for itself through photosynthesis are exuded through roots to attract beneficial microbes. A great way to enhance the PLANT OBESITY AND beneficial microbes in your garden DEFICIENCY ARE WHAT ATTRACT is by brewing compost tea. This involves using aeration to grow PESTS AND DISEASE, NOT UNLIKE A microbes from compost in the HUMAN ON A BAD DIET presence of biological food sources and mineral catalysts. Compost tea can and should be used in every garden, including hydroponics, as it is a great way to make sure you are growing thriving plants. After all, people don’t make plant food, microbes do. In addition to the friendly microbes and fungi there are other invisible forces active in your garden that affect the growth of all plants. For those feeling truly experimental, consider planting by celestial rhythms. It is well known that lunar cycles affect plant growth. There are many “plant by the moon” calendars online. There is even a method of gardening called Biodynamics that includes a broader range of celestial phenomenon and recommended planting days, flower days, root days, etc. It’s fascinating. Biodynamics is used extensively in other countries like Australia that have poor soil, and is also used widely in viticulture. Not many farmers pay closer attention to their crops than those growing grapes for wine. The idea of working with natural energies in the garden is a foreign concept to most, but life is defined by energy on every level of its existence. The
articulation and use of subtle energies is the new frontier of farming and gardening. The philosophy that utilizes the subtle forces of nature in the garden is called Bioenergetics and seeks physical, mineral, biological and energetic balance. This is the sweet spot that allows plants to truly thrive and become vitamins for life. Beyond all the products and techniques, the most powerful tool we have in the garden is our perspective. What we think, we grow. Sure, we don’t have to grow this way, but the question is…what are we missing? You will find your own way into testing and verifying these ideas, but hopefully some seeds of experimentation have been planted. Now get growing! 3
gardenculture.net
29
NF COCO A&B
“
BO R N
TO WO RK
MODERN SLAVERY
n o i s u l l i e h and t t n e s of c on
32
“
BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ
MODERN SLAVERY I GARDEN CULTURE
If you’ve got kids, you’ll probably hear these words on a daily basis. It’s not that “fairness” is a childish concept; it’s more that the idea establishes itself so early that it runs to the very foundations of our collective consciousness and remains there for the rest of our lives. Indeed, as we grow older many of us hold on to the belief that we possess an intrinsic ability to recognize when a situation is equitable.
In reality though, this world of fairness and equity is dependent on one thing; our brains and our willingness to exercise them. For instance, if I declare myself the “leader” of a remote Polynesian island and convince its inhabitants that I am their deity incarnate whom they must please with daily offerings of their youngest, fairest maidens, while the men labor all day in the fields and copper mines so that I, the Great Lord Everest, may be glorified and gracious in sparing them my wrath. The islanders, if taken in by this almighty bounder, may conclude that their situation is quite fair and just. It’s a square deal: they offer up their bodies for sexual and agricultural services in exchange for my “wrath” being spared. On the other hand, as an outside observer, you might conclude that they’re being exploited for their ignorance. If that example seems a little weak then picture another scenario, a little closer to home perhaps. Let’s say you and I are neighbors, living out in the lesser-trodden parts of the Humboldt countryside in Northern California. Add to this blissful scene a single cow grazing on my ample pastureland. And you, perhaps not enjoying so grand an estate, are content to take care of a small brood of chickens. Now, I’m not suggesting that this situation is unfair. I may have chosen to work longer and harder for my larger slice of this fine Earth. But, in the spirit of community, we choose to share stuff. I like eggs and you like milk, so we agree to make a swap each morning: a pint of my (or Daisy’s) milk for two of your (chickens’) eggs. What could be simpler than this direct barter? Notwithstanding our animals’ rights or wrongs, so long as we humans establish mutual consent, we can share and enjoy our collective resources and life seems a whole lot more sunnyside-up for the both of us.
However, here’s where the plot begins to curdle. What if I awoke one morning intent on pursuing a more favorable deal for myself—say, just half a pint of milk in exchange for your two eggs? What then? A civil discussion over the garden fence, perhaps, with the hope of modifying our consensual agreement? Of course, you might inform me that I can “keep my milk” or other choice words to that effect. So what if I choose to avoid confrontation by secretly diluting your “pint of milk” with rainwater? Just a few drops at first so as not to raise your suspicions, yet slowly but surely, over the course of a year or so, I diluted the milk to the point where it’s actually fifty percent water! I’m patting myself on the back for executing this change so gradually, while all along you are none the wiser! I laugh with contempt at your hapless children, for watery milk is all they’ve ever known! Moooooohahahahaha! Another generation of suckers is born! Perhaps I’m guilty of overly-indulging this example. Maybe I’m assuming a little too much naiveté on your part? Surely you’d detect that something was up with the milk, wouldn’t you? Nevertheless, emboldened by your seemingly boundless gullibility, I decide to take my scam to a whole new level. Instead of giving you watereddown milk, one day I turn up at the garden fence with something entirely new. It’s a piece of paper. I call it a “milk certificate.” “You can redeem this for ‘real milk’ anytime! (Wink, wink)” I assure you, “What’s more, you can use these milk certificates as payment in trades with other vendors. It’s so convenient for you! And, best of all, you don’t have to keep them in the refrigerator!” Okay, by now you’ve guessed it; we’re talking about money, not milk. But this milky analogy needs a few modifications before it even comes close to accurately reflecting our
gardenculture.net
33
SLAVERY I GARDEN CULTURE WEMODERN ARE INDEED WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG services. (The Spanish discovered WITH OUR this when they returned from the MONEY SYSTEM Americas with boats laden with
present predicament of economic slavery. You see, up until 1971, a dollar was redeemable for gold. Gold was chosen because it was viewed as universally valuable. People, knowingly or unknowingly, accepted dollar bills in exchange for real goods or services backed by a belief that these little pieces of paper would be later accepted by others—and an assurance that they were also convertible into physical gold at any time—well, during banking hours at least.
However, since the dollar was decoupled from the gold standard, it has lost around 90% of its purchasing power. Thinking back to our milk for eggs exchange, you might be tempted to picture a bottle of slightly cloudy water being handed to you over the garden fence, or a fistful of worthless “milk certificates.” But think again. For, if I am assuming the role of the banker in this scenario, I’m actually asking you to borrow some pieces of paper (with no mention of milk, eggs, sex, honey or anything else that’s tangible) and pay interest for the privilege! All these pieces of paper represent is your debt to me—a debt that I have created out of nothing, meanwhile you pledge to forfeit your house if you don’t keep up the repayments! Perhaps the Polynesian islander’s example wasn’t so far out of whack? With the woe-is-us-machine we know and love as the Internet now running on all twelve-cylinders, it’s easy to blame Wall Street greed, the Illuminati, the neoconservatives, the royal family—anybody, in fact, but ourselves for the mess we’re in. But the inescapable fact is the only thing that holds up our monetary system is our persistent belief in it and our unwillingness to embrace viable alternatives. Our problem is one of philosophy, not politics. How have so many of us been hoodwinked into accepting such an absurd tautology: a dollar is worth another dollar—what sort of insidious, circular, recursive symbolism is this? But then, take these dollars away and how are you going to pay for your groceries? You really don’t need a PhD in economics (or any other pseudo-science for that matter) to understand that as more make-believe money is pumped into the financial system, the purchasing power of each dollar is diluted, just like the nourishment of our watery milk. This is inevitable so long as an inflated money supply chases the same amount of goods and
gold. They thought they were going to be incredibly wealthy, but the amount of goods and services available back home had not really changed. Result? Prices simply went up!) The real privilege of the super-rich is their priority lane access to this newly created money. In essence, it’s not so much the quantity of money they have, but the fact that they get to spend it into circulation first, before the rest of us cotton on to the fact that it’s been watered down. By the time these dilute dollars finally meander to you and me, it’s little more than cloudy water, or symbolic cloudy water, or … confused? Good. Now get back to work. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves this very simple question: what is money? Don’t shy away from it—no need to overcomplicate it either. You don’t want to spend your life chasing an enigma now do you? Don’t leave this to the “experts”—the people whose career depends on maintaining their intellectual propriety with confusion and obfuscation. You shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that money is intrinsically a bad or evil thing either. At the very least concede that it’s very useful stuff, helping us to transcend the limitations of direct barter. Problems really occur when we seek money as if it were the true wealth in and of itself, rather than merely a symbolic means of exchange. So what are we to do? Should we join some protest movement waving “End the Fed” banners? Should we petition our governments for greater freedoms, or is that, as the monetary prophet E.C. Reigel wrote over fifty years ago, just an absurd act of deference, “wholly lacking the spirit of a freeman.” In short, are we going to take responsibility for the mess we’re in, or are we going to let “the economists” sort it all out for us? All facetiousness aside for a moment, one by one, we are indeed waking up to the fact that something is very wrong. Looking at the world with the eyes of our ancients we realize a fundamental truth—our monetary system has been corrupted to one where national sovereignty is a joke on a naive populous. We are collectively enslaved to ‘unelected’ central banks through usurious and fraudulent money systems, an eternally un-payable “debt,” created out of nothing but our promise to repay. It is a deeply absurd and untenable situation
gardenculture.net
35
MODERN SLAVERY I GARDEN CULTURE
for any person to endure. Yet the mainstream media persist in echoing the bankers’ threats of the sky falling down and untold misery if we don’t put up with the status quo. Heaven forbid if enough people discover the truth—that we don’t actually need banks at all in order to issue currency and trade with each other, on a personal, corporate or even national level.
Crucially, take note that a global scale of value is not the same thing as a global currency. Moreover, a global scale of value would give birth to thousands, maybe millions of different currencies, not just one—but they would all be measured on the same scale, and all of them backed by goods and services in common demand. The ratio of credit to demand (i.e. offers to buy vs. offers to sell a company’s credit token) can be instantly evaluated, thanks to the Internet, meaning the actual value of the credits in circulation can adjust in real time. The idea of money as fluid and self-correcting, does not reward greed and is based on real goods and services. It may be a little tricky to grasp at first but really we’re only describing a world where the monopoly over the issuance of credit, currently enjoyed by banks, has been removed. If this sounds crazy then remember, so did the idea that the world was a sphere and that there were potentially people living “upside-down.”
WE ARE COLLECTIVELY ENSLAVED TO ‘UNELECTED’ CENTRAL BANKS THROUGH USURIOUS AND FRAUDULENT MONEY SYSTEMS
The Internet has helped us share our ideas, but its real power is in the creation of a common monetary language. Forget about “internetbanking”—that’s just a sideshow. Imagine a new form of money, issued by the producers of this world. By producers I mean the corporations that generate our electricity, or make our computers, or grow the tomatoes. Imagine money backed, not by debt, or by gold (or tungsten) but by … wait for it … real stuff. Cars, beef burgers, Thai massages, goods and services that we use every day. Sounds unbelievable? Well, so did the concept of a spherical earth to most people a few thousand years ago. It’s time to unplug from the Matrix. At the center of it all is a global scale of value. What’s that? Well, think of an inch. Or, if you prefer, think of a centimeter, a foot, a mile, or a furlong. Where would we be without these universal units of length? Now imagine if we created the same thing, but for value. Of course, we’ve been conditioned into mistaking our monetary units as our value units. When we talk about the value of things we invariably think in terms of dollars, or pounds, or yen, don’t we? This beautiful, shiny phone costs $799. This car costs $25,000. This house is valued at $500,000. We need to stop thinking like this. This ignorance is at the kernel of our enslavement to the bankers. We are guzzling watery milk without so much of a whimper of complaint. Now it’s time for a good burping. Unlike an inch or a centimeter, the dimensions of a dollar keep changing. We call this “inflation.” But how then can we measure “value” using these shape-shifting units of exchange? It’s almost as if we are confusing the item being measured with the ruler it’s being measured on. Are you beginning to see the magician’s sleight of hand? Money has no real value.
Ultimately, the real treasure of this planet is you and I. It’s time for the credit commons to be restored to the people instead of being monopolized by bankers who create nothing. Until enough of us wake up to their false pretentions towards deity, docile and malleable human beings will remain the ultimate resource to be controlled, manipulated and exploited. 3
Want to know more? Check out these amazing videos: The Essence of Money (7 minutes) http://youtu.be/qBX-jaxMneo Digital Coin – An Introduction (15 minutes) http://youtu.be/dkXclJr1Z4U
Footnote: Everest Fernandez did not accept any legal tender in return for writing this article, but that doesn’t necessarily imply he wasn’t paid.
gardenculture.net
37
“Can we feed the more than 9 billion people anticipated to live on this planet in 2050 without destroying Earth’s life support systems?” This captivating conundrum was the title of a cover article for Nature Magazine’s edition titled “Solutions for a Cultivated Planet.” The article details the findings of an international group of scientists and researchers who gathered at the University of Minnesota tasked with nothing less than figuring out how to sustainably secure the world’s future food supply.
38
BY SYLVIA BERNSTEIN
AQUAPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE
Th e sustainable solution for th e world’s future food supply
? k r o w t i s e o How d
Aquaponics is, at its most basic level, the marriage of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water and without soil) together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides organic food for the growing plants and the plants naturally filter the water in which the fish live. The third and fourth critical, yet invisible actors in the play are the beneficial bacteria and composting red worms. Think of them as the Conversion Team. The beneficial bacteria exist on every moist surface of an aquaponic system. They convert the ammonia from the fish waste that is toxic to the fish and useless to the plants, first into nitrites and then into nitrates. The nitrates are relatively harmless to the fish and most importantly, they make terrific plant food. At the same time, the worms convert the solid waste and decaying plant matter in your aquaponic system into vermicompost.
gardenculture.net
39
40
AQUAPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE
Nothing in the Nature Magazine report was surprising for anyone engaged in the worldwide ‘future of food’ dialog. However, what was striking was that aquaponics (growing fish and plants together in a recirculating, soilless system) was not included among the set of proposed solutions. Aquaponics is a foodgrowing approach that addresses the harmful practices cited in the study and simultaneously realizes the potential for increased food production envisioned by the researchers. Widespread adaptation of aquaponics could both alleviate all of the environmental destruction cited by the researchers and provide the vehicle for increased sustainability and productivity. First, the environmental problems with current agricultural practices were outlined in the report as follows.
1
2
“Farm and ranch lands cover nearly 40 percent of Earth’s land area” While aquaponic techniques can’t address this shocking statistic per se, they can certainly mitigate the impact. Because aquaponics is a soil-less growing technique, plants and fish can be grown anywhere, including on land that is considered unfertile (too sandy, too rocky, too toxic) and even in old warehouse buildings and unused parking lots.
“Agriculture consumes nearly three quarters of the earth’s available water” Because aquaponics is a recirculating system, the only water “lost” is either held in the plants, transpires through their leaves, or evaporates from the top of the fish tank. Aquaponics is generally thought to use less than a tenth of the water of traditional agriculture for the same crop output.
4
“About 40% of all crops the planet produces are used to feed animals.” Fish are the single most efficient converter of feed to flesh of any edible animal. One and a half pounds of feed will bring to harvest one pound of edible, omnivorous fish fillets. It takes eight pounds of feed to produce the same single pound of beef fillets.
5
While not mentioned in the article, we should also add “consuming petroleum” to this list. Between oil-based fertilizers, oil-fueled farming machinery, and long distances between farm and table, modern food is “dripping” with oil. Aquaponic systems on the other hand, have no oil-based inputs and are run entirely on a small amount of electricity. This electricity can be created through currently available renewable energy methods.
3
“Agricultural activities such as clearing land, growing rice, raising cattle and overusing fertilizers make up 35 % of the single largest contributor of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere” None of these practices have any place in aquaponic growing.
gardenculture.net
41
mammoth tent pioneers in mobile climate rooms original manufacturer - designed in holland
Mammoth Classic
Mammoth Lite
A high quality tent for the hobby grower, this mid-range grow room has features normally associated with higher end tents • High light proofing (Level 1) • Equipment tubes are strong enough to hold 20kg • Large doors - easy to access and work in • Various intakes and exhausts make setup flexible • Straps and hooks for easy integration of equipment • Material is washable inside and out Sizes: 40, 60, 90, 100, 120, 150, 200, 240L, 240
Offers the price-conscious grower an easy and effective way to manage and contain their grows • Equipment tubes are strong enough to hold up to 20kg • Light proof highly reflective fabric • Material is washable inside and out • Assembly is quick and easy Sizes: 60, 90, 100, 120, 150, 240L
Mammoth Pro A high end range, ideal for the professional grower • High light proofing (Level 2) • Polypropylene corners for maximum rigidity • Equipment tubes that have 30kg load capacity • Large doors - easy to access and work in • Material is washable inside and out • Straps and hooks for easy integration of equipment • Light, easy-to-transport material and is easy to assemble • The range also features Mammoth Dual (90 & 120) Mammoth Propagator (90 & 120) and Mammoth Dryer (90) Sizes: 40, 60, 90, 100, 120L, 120, 150, 200, 240L, 240, 300L, 300
Mammoth Elite The ultimate in quality for the professional grower • Heavy duty frame, corners and fabric, with stainless steel / aluminium click system • Dual multiple intake and extraction socks • Equipment tubes that have a 75kg load capacity • Wide easy access door, with jamproof / waterproof zipper. Waterproof floor • Large doors - easy to access and work in • Material is washable inside and out • Modular: customize your own grow room by combining different Elites sizes - unique linkable panels - your shape, your size Sizes: Micro, 120, 150, 240, 300, 480, 600 New Sizes: 120Q, 150Q (square foot print)
Mammoth Accessories We have a comprehensive range of accessories to complement your tent including: • TCL Bulbs (Bloom, Daylight, Blue Sky), Neon Ballast (36w, 55w, 75w), Web, Dry (45 & 80), Hook, Strap, Adjust
Distributed exclusively in Australia by Growhard www.growaustralia.com
www.mammothtent.nl
AQUAPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE
The researchers then recommended five changes to current practices that they believe will not only help to solve the issues stated above, but will also extend our ability to feed the burgeoning world’s population. All but one can be implemented through aquaponic growing techniques.
1 2
3
“Halt farmland expansion.” As explained above, because aquaponics is a soilless growing system that can be set up anywhere, it is perfectly suited to address this goal.
“Close yield gaps. Many parts of Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe have substantial “yield gaps”- where farmland is not living up to its potential for producing crops. Closing these gaps through improved use of existing crop varieties, better management and improved genetics could increase current food production nearly 60 percent.” Because of the consistent and ideal mix of water, oxygen and fertilizer that an aquaponics system provides, plants grow significantly faster in an aquaponics system than they do in soil. In addition, plants can be placed closer together in aquaponics systems because they are not competing for those resources in their root zone. This is an answer to the search for “better management” techniques that the researchers are seeking.
“Use inputs more strategically. Current use of water, nutrients and agriculture chemicals suffer from what the research team calls “Goldilocks’ Problem”: too much in some places, too little in others, rarely just right. Strategic reallocation could substantially boost the benefit we get from precious inputs.” Since aquaponic systems use comparatively so little water, inherently produce their own nutrients, and use no agricultural chemicals, the problem of redistribution becomes a non-issue.
4
5
“Shift diets. Growing animal feed or biofuels on top croplands, no matter how efficiently, is a drain on human food supply. Dedicating croplands to direct human food production could boost calories produced per person by nearly 50 percent.” Fish protein is not only heart-healthy but, as mentioned above; it is the most efficient converter of plant protein to animal protein known to man.
“Reduce waste. One-third of the food farms produce ends up discarded, spoiled or eaten by pests. Eliminating waste in the path from farm to mouth could boost food available for consumption another 50 percent.” Because aquaponics systems are raised off the ground they tend to have fewer pest issues than traditional agriculture. And because aquaponic farms can be set up anywhere, producing food directly within densely populated communities can be implemented right now, with no new technologies needed. The path from farm to table can be made as short as down the block or even from back yard to table. Thus, aquaponics is an attractive way to localize food production and to cut out the waste inherent in the long paths we have from farm to market to home – paths that could be reduced to near zero with widespread aquaponics.
Aquaponics is not the answer to all of our future food supply and environmental issues. Grains and root crops, for example, will probably always be most efficiently grown in the soil. But for above ground, vegetative crops and fish protein, there simply isn’t a better growing technique on, and for, the planet. 3
gardenculture.net
43
The ORIGINAL
Patented/Patents Pending
®
ADJUST-A-WINGS DEFENDER REFLECTORS HIGH REFLECTIVITY, TITANIUM WHITE, POWDER COATED H18 ALUMINIUM
Australia’s favorite reflector
Single 1000 watt or Twin 600/400 watt lamps
LARGE
Advanced technonlogy Affordable price... Mimic seasonal changes with a large range of adjustments.
Single 400 or 600 watt lamps
MEDIUM
Follow our “LayOut Tips” for optimum results. (included) Resists corrosion or loss of brightness. Increase the growing area under each lamp by up to 75%
Single 150 or 250 watt lamps
SMALL
Control the dreaded “Hot Spot” with the optional “SUPER-SPREADER”. (Shown on the LARGE & MEDIUM models) (Not required for the SMALL model)
INCREASE YIELD
REDUCE HEAT
SAVE POWER
Please visit our website.. www.adjustawings.com Manufactured for Hygro International Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
AQUAPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE THE AQUAPONICS FARM HAS IT ALL...
Bio Sylvia Bernstein is the author of “Aquaponic Gardening: A Step by Step Guide to Growing Fish and Vegetables Together� and the President and Founder of The Aquaponic Source, the leading U.S. based company focused entirely on the home aquaponic gardener. She runs the Aquaponic Gardening Community, the largest online community site dedicated to aquaponic gardening in North America, and is the Vice Chairman of the Aquaponics Association. She also writes the Aquaponic Gardening Blog and teaches and speaks extensively about aquaponics and its exciting potential. Sylvia Bernstein President, The Aquaponic Source, Inc. email - Sylvia@theaquaponicsource.com website - http://theaquaponicsource.com/ book - http://aquaponicgardening.com/
gardenculture.net
45
Grow Your Own Series:
Scrumptious salsas, south of the border dishes, along with a variety of Asian and Indian delicacies just aren’t the same without the unique zip of different parts of the cilantro plant. Admittedly, there isn’t any middle ground with this herb when it comes to taste buds. You either love it or hate it. If you enjoy the taste, you can’t beat the just-picked vivaciousness it adds to cuisine. While it is available dried, cilantro is at its divine best freshly snipped from the plant. Within hours of being cut, fresh cilantro loses a great deal of flavor, so if you’re purchasing it by the bunch in the produce aisle, you’re already missing out on a lot. It’s simple to keep a never ending supply on hand at home.
46
BY TAMMY CLAYTON
CROP BIOGR APHY For many people, cilantro is excitingly new and trendy. Actually this wildly popular ingredient is as old as the hills and used in many foods and confections we’ve been enjoying forever. Properly identified as Coriandrumsativum, this name comes from the Greek word ‘koris’ and means ‘stinky bug’. Coriander is its common name in English and many other languages, but today generally refers to the seed. The leaves are known as ‘cilantro’ in Spanish, which is how the plant got to Mexico and why the leaves are so commonly used in Mexican food and the cuisine of other South American countries. This is one of the few plants that all parts are edible, as well as being classed as both an herb and a spice. Dried coriander seeds are a spice derived from the sweetly fragrant, lacy flower heads that are used ground or whole in cooking, baking and preserving. The pungent leaves and stems are classed as an herb, and together with the roots are used in cuisines from around the world. Which plant part is favored most often, depends on what culture created the recipe. For those who aren’t aware of it, there is a defining difference between an herb and a spice, though we use these words interchangeably today. Spices are fragrant or aromatic plants parts that are also edible. Herbs also have healing properties used for medicine, beneficial properties used in cosmetics and food preservation, along with adding great flavor to food or drink.
BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS The earliest record of health benefits from the coriander or cilantro plant is in ancient Egypt where it was brewed into tea as a cure for urinary tract infections, as well as made into salves and poultices.You know there is something truly special about a plant when its seeds are buried with King Tut to use in his afterlife. Cilantro tea is still used in holistic medicine today and in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to treat disorders of the stomach. The Greeks also used the essential oils from the foliage and stems for making perfumes. It is known to be high in antioxidants and has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties and has shown excellent results in treating diabetes where it lowers the blood sugar. Cilantro is also used in the U.S. today for fighting cholesterol, and research shows it is twice as effective at killing Salmonella as gentamicin.
SEED VARIETIES & CROP PL ANNING For those who try to time outdoor garden harvest of tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro for the most heavenly of salsas, the heat required to finish off the peppers and tomatoes makes the plants quickly bolt and turn into coriander. As soon as the plant
CILANTRO I GARDEN CULTURE
GYO Fast Facts • • • • •
pH range 6.5-7.5 for best results Cilantro likes low humidity 20-23 C best for leaf harvest 11-hour daylight minimum Crop yield: 0.5 Kg. / 1.5 m.) of NFT trough • Harvest per sowing: 2-3 • Harvest 12 months a year is possible
HIPPOCRATES PRAISED THE HERB FOR ITS HEALING BENEFITS AND WAS USING TEA BREWED FROM THE LEAVES TO TREAT HEALTH DISORDERS IN 500 B.C. begins to form flowering stems, the sought after flavor of cilantro is ruined as the leaves become bitter tasting. This makes indoor growing of cilantro even more valuable year around. Coriander, like all other cultivars, has been paid great attention to by hybridizers. You will find seed varieties available that are sold as having improved flavor and slower seed setting. Still, this annual performs best for prolonged cilantro harvest at cooler temperatures, so be sure to make note of this inherent trait. Pinching back flower stems buys you a little more foliage harvest time, but not much. For continual harvest, it is better to start new seeds about every 4-5 weeks to ensure that you have a continual supply of fresh cilantro for whipping up your favorite dishes. All varieties of cilantro or coriander mature to about 60 cm tall at flowering, so be sure to have ample height for lighting adjustment as they grow.
SOWING & GROWING INFO Cilantro is a great candidate for indoor gardening with its hardy constitution, minimal light requirements and preference for lower ambient temperatures. With good grow lighting, you can enjoy great success in potting soil, but it is also a simple crop for hydroponic containers, and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) or drip irrigation systems. In a greenhouse it is difficult to maintain the climate for this crop and it is prone to fungal infections. Days that are too short cause the plants to quickly thin, wither and die off, so don’t cheat your plants out of any of the required sunshine hours. This member of the carrot family does not transplant well, so
gardenculture.net
47
CILANTRO I GARDEN CULTURE DAYS THAT ARE TOO SHORT CAUSE THE PLANTS TO QUICKLY THIN, WITHER AND DIE OFF, SO DON’T CHEAT YOUR PLANTS OUT OF ANY OF THE REQUIRED SUNSHINE HOURS TASTE BUD TEASERS you will want to start and finish it in the same medium. The best mediums for hydroponic growing of cilantro are high quality free-draining soilless mixes or sterile media. Seeds start best at 20-24 C, and will germinate in 5-7 days. Cilantro is best started misting the medium twice a day and keeping the container in a covered germinating tray or sealed plastic bag. Maintain full sun lighting for 12-14 hours each day. Plants are ready for your drip irrigation or NFT hydroponic system when the seedlings are 5-7 centimeter tall. The plant’s preferred daytime temperature is 24 C and 15.5 C at night with no more than 75% humidity and a minimum of 11 hours of sunlight a day. Higher grow room temperature brings bolting rapidly. You want only the immature parsley-like leaves for cooking. Once the feathery leaves that precede bolting appear, you might as well allow it to produce seed. The feathery leaves are bitter and of no value. You can expect good harvesting in 4-6 weeks. If you can’t wait that long to whip up some salsa, you can begin cutting as early as when you have about 15 cm of leaf and stem available. The plants will continue to generate new stems, as their goal in life is to flower and set seed. Just don’t expect them to grow thick and full in the face of your impatience for culinary ingredients. At the same time, trimming helps to stall bolting. If you’re after both seed and leaf, plan your crop and harvest accordingly. Controlling the heat that causes cilantro to quickly bolt and start the seed setting process is much easier to accomplish with lighting versus summer temperatures outdoors. This plant does very well under standard fluorescent or high output fluorescent lights and High Intensity Discharge (HID) grow lights. With the thin leaf structure and hot HID lights, you will need a fan with the power to circulate air rapidly enough to prevent over-heating of your crop. The last thing you want after successfully producing great plants is to burn the uppermost foliage. Nutrients for cilantro will be ‘grow’ solutions that are high in nitrogen for increasing leaves and roots as opposed to flower and fruit. If your interest in growing fresh cilantro is more business orientated, plan on the full 6 weeks for your first crop harvest. You’ll find a good market for this fast growing herb in super fresh condition almost anywhere, especially when organically grown which will bring the highest wholesale crop income.
Rub it on meat, sprinkle it in salads or have a constant supply for any number of ethnic dishes. Cilantro is used in so many popular dishes today; it will be hard to imagine how you lived without it constantly available for picking fresh. Here’s an awesome sounding recipe to try. 3
Cilantro Pesto Spicy, piquant sauce perfect for topping off botanas or grilled vegetables. For fresher fire, omit the cayenne and add a jalapeno pepper. A little dab will do you. This flavor explosion sauce will go a long way. • 60 mL olive oil • 1 scallion, chopped • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 15 mL toasted pine nuts or walnuts • 7.5 mL lime juice • 237 mL lightly packed cilantro leaves (short stems) • 237 mL lightly packed parsley sprigs (small stem) • Few pinches of cayenne pepper • .5 mL teaspoon salt Put all ingredients but the salt and cayenne in your blender or food processor and mix to combine. If you’re using fresh chilli, you will want to add it with the first ingredients. Add the salt and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small serving dish for the table. Bon appetite!
gardenculture.net
49
Earthships DOWN TO EARTH Coming from the north, east or west it seems like a little hill grown over by grass. Approaching the Earthship from the south, one finds a crystal-like greenhouse instead. Surprising, but with a moment’s thought, you realize that the windows are facing south for a good reason. They are directed toward the most sunlight, toward where the sun gives life – in the Northern hemisphere, anyway. And this is one of the key concepts of what Earthships are all about: to enable one to live comfortably with what nature has to offer.
50
s
EARTHSHIPS I GARDEN CULTURE
BY MAAIKE VISSER
radically sustainable green Earthship in Taos, New Mexico
Public Park Nooterhof in the city of Zwolle (the Netherlands) lodges one of these Earthships. This Earthship functions as a public tea house, opening its glass doors to visitors fascinated about living in and with the earth, and outside the paradigm of the modern urban world.
THREE PRINCIPLES
THREE PRINCIPLES GIVE EARTHSHIPS THEIR DEEP GREEN COLOR: THE USE OF RECYCLED PRODUCTS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR ITS INHABITANTS, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Known as radically sustainable green, these curious buildings covered in dirt, not only spare the environment, but help improve several issues the environment is faced with nowadays. As is often the case with brilliant ideas, the principles behind an Earthship are surprisingly simple. In fact, the buildings leave anyone first looking into their concept startled by its simplicity. Three principles make Earthships extremely green: the use of recycled products, self-sufficiency for its inhabitants, and the implementation of sustainable technologies.
STACKED TIRES FILLED WITH EARTH Standing next to the Earthship’s 50-100 cm thick walls makes you realize that they are nearly impossible to penetrate, or even to disturb. It is discarded car tires, stacked like bricks
and jam-packed with earth, that make up the building’s frame. Visitors of the tea house are allowed a peak into the Earthship’s outer walls. A small piece of the northern wall has been left unfinished. It shows a couple of the thousand discarded car tires that shape the walls.
However impressive, not car tires but earth is the humble secret ingredient that makes up the Earthship. Just as the building’s name suggests. Earthships use earth as their weapon in a building’s never-ending battle with the ambient air temperature-with hardly any intervention of air conditioning or heating. Earth functions as thermal mass that passively absorbs natural heat when the sun is out. During the night or on cloudy days, the earth gives its stock of warmth back to the room. This way, even in climates as chilly as the Dutch have, Earthships provide for a constant indoor temperature year-round with a minimum of utility bills.
GL ASS WALLS Don’t assume that an Earthship will have an aesthetics deficit. Quite the contrary. Its car tire, earth-filled walls are
gardenculture.net
51
Earthship in Zwolle, the Netherlands
52
EARTHSHIPS I GARDEN CULTURE
AS EARTHSHIPS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO ANY POWER, GAS, WATER OR SEWAGE LINES,THEY ARE FULLY SELF-CONTAINED normally plastered and painted over making them appear similar to those of an elegant, modern adobe style house that would fit into any community. The inside walls, however, are the walls that allow for creativity in interior design. Looking at these artsy walls you would almost forget that they are sound-damping, temperature moderating as well as fine-looking.
Reynolds has been devoted to building houses out of natural resources and discarded items since graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 1969. His conviction that, with the right formula, products can be recycled to form buildings that won’t spoil the resources and beauty of the earth, led him to design the first Earthship in the 1970’s. He has authored five books on the topic, and directed the film ‘Garbage Warrior’ in 2007.
EFFICIENCY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY
WORLDWIDE HYPE
Now that the ‘earth’ part of the concept has been explained, the mystery remains why these buildings are dubbed ships. This piece of the puzzle will fall into place at the moment one enters an Earthship. Walking into one of these self-sufficient capsules feels like boarding a ship. Suddenly you are separated from the world - autonomous even. For Earthships are not connected to any power, gas, water or sewage lines, they are fully self contained. Not only does this trigger a strong feeling of independency, it also allows for more efficiency in terms of energy, water, economics and environment. Rainwater that hits the Earthship’s roof is collected, filtered in plant troughs several times, and then used and reused. Starting off as drinking water, it seconds as shower, washing machine, and toilet water, after which it is finally used to water the plants. And solar panels on top of the roof generate enough electricity and warmth for a family to get through a normal day.
The tea house in Zwolle is just one of the many Earthships that can be found worldwide. After some start-up trouble, they now have reached global celebrity status. Around the world today, you will find hundreds of Earthships with dozens of specialized crews building more of these uber green structures. Each building is custom made to fit the climate it is placed in, and through a process of trial and error, each new Earthship is a bit better than the last.
THE FIRST EARTHSHIP One tire at a time, an experienced international Earthship crew finished construction of the Dutch tea house in 2009. This was the first Earthship built in the Benelux Union area of Europe, but certainly not the very first of its kind. Introduced by American eco-architect Michael Reynolds, the prototype Earthship was built in the desert of Taos, New-Mexico.
As for the Netherlands, after having introduced Earthships to the Benelux, the country is currently the first in Europe to develop an official Earthship district. Last spring construction began on twenty-three more of these exciting self-sufficient buildings in the city Olst.
YOUR CUP OF TEA? Earthships are remarkable buildings that enable civilized living while helping to restore the exhausted and damaged environment. Anyone interested in these sustainable and recycled buildings can visit the tea house Earthship in Zwolle. Reflecting over a cup a fair-trade tea here makes you realize all too well the beauty and comfort of radically sustainable living. And while you are there, don’t worry about enjoying that piece of pie: it has been locally grown. 3
gardenculture.net
53
PHOTOS BAND: TDC PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK
Korn Garden Culture visits Korn’s recording
studio in Bakersfield, California to find out why the legendary nu-metal band is starting their own indoor food garden.
When you picture the members of Korn, you probably don’t envision them with propagators, nutrients and grow lights—but, between world tours and a grueling recording schedule, the band is determined to take steps towards controlling their own food supply. Here’s why… Via a friend I got in contact with Jim Otell, Korn’s right hand man, and Toi Russell, the band’s tech support guy. Jim and Toi’s job is keeping Korn sounding good and feeling good. Their jobs require the highest level of dedication. Eleven albums, countless concerts and running the sound both on the road and in studio, these guys work grueling hours and have tons of responsibility. The rock and roll lifestyle can be a killer—literally. The members of the band all gave up all drugs (including alcohol) years ago. They made a decision to live sober, healthier lives and focus on making music. But when it came to their diets nothing had changed. “I didn’t know any better than to serve them the standard of modern American cuisine, fast food and junk food,” Jim lamented. Then, about two years ago, Jim spoke to record producer Ross Robinson. “He told me
54
g n i w o r g is
Corn ?! that I should take better care of the guys—that life on the road was tough and the diet that went with it was just not good for them.
So Jim decided to replace processed junk food with healthy alternatives. He made daily visits to Whole foods and Trader Joes. Kale chips replaced regular chips. Salads took the place of chips and pizza. Within just a few months the guys were looking and feeling great. It turned out Ross was 100% on the money and the band members became hooked, so to speak, on healthy eating. The next step was to cut out all the shopping. “Few folks really have the time to go shopping every day, just to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables.” That’s when Jim first thought about growing his own garden—how could it be any fresher?
KORN I GARDEN CULTURE
BY ERIC COULOMBE
Korn Who? vis Jonathan Da
Toi approached hisfriend, Pat Gallager, about their garden aspirations. Pat owns The Hydro Store in Reno Nevada, and manufactures a bucket-style system for growing hydroponically, called the Hydrolife 7.8. The seed to Korn’s garden was planted. In the beginning of this year I was contacted by Pat and seven days later I landed at LAX and was on my way to the studio in Bakersfield, CA. Originally Toi had an idea to set up an 2.4m X 2.4m grow tent garden producing food hydroponically. I contacted some industry friends and quickly we got hooked up with a tent from Secret Jardin and a kickass grow room controller from Grohause. However, in the process of discussing their requirements, plans quickly started to turn into something bigger. Together we conceived the plan for the 30 X 8 foot room Korn had available for growing fresh produce. Here is the fun part. This garden is going to grow, literally. In the process of discussing their requirements, the plans quickly started evolving into something bigger. Together we conceived the plan for the entire 9 X 2,4 m room Korn had available for growing fresh produce. This is just the beginning. In a couple of weeks I’m back at Korn’s studio to finalize the set-up of a new and bigger grow room. Check out the next issue of this magazine for the follow up of Korn. 3
Korn’s unique distorted seven-strings style launched a new sound in American metal music, coined Nu Metal. Copied by many bands, Korn has forever left its mark on American music. The band first formed as LAPD (Love And Peace Dude) and was later changed to Creep. They renamed to Korn after the vocalist, Jonathan Davis, joined the band in 1993. Unfortunately, in 2005, the nu-metal godfathers lost their guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch to other projects. Korn’s current line-up is vocalist Jonathan Davis, Brian “Head” Welch, James “Munky” Shaffer, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. www.korn.com
Ray Luzier
Regin ald A rvizu
Who is Who? Jim Otell has been one of Korn’s technical supervisors, the guitar tech, and a friend of the band for almost 14 years. In the service of Korn Jim wears many hats; his newest will be gardener. Toi Russell has been with the band since 2010. He is the ProTools Guy and technical support for the drums. Like Jim, Toi does tons of different things. When they say the show must go on, it these guys who get that done. They are the glue. Of course they have lots of help too! Pat runs The Hydro Store in Reno Nevada. He also manufactures a Deep Water Bucket System called the Hydrolife 7.8. More info www.thehydrostore.com
Thank you to Bloomington Wholesale and Secret Jardin for supplying the Grow Tent and Cameron Laubisch andJordan Gartenhaus from Grohaus Automation for supplying the amazing Hydroid.
gardenculture.net
55
Fungi, Molasses,
& ROCK PHOSPHATE Many plants go through a juvenile stage where they sharply increase in size before shifting their energy into flowering and fruiting. The size plants reach during this stage has an impact on how much harvest they produce. Beneficial fungi, molasses, and rock phosphate have been used to help boost plant growth during this critical stage for years. They work in harmony to help plants thrive.
56
BY GRUBBYCUP
GROWTH BOOSTERS I GARDEN CULTURE
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MYCORRHIZAE AND THE PLANT IS A SYMBIOTIC ONE; BOTH ORGANISMS BENEFIT FROM THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH EACH OTHER
Since beneficial fungi take time to establish and colonize the root system, they are best introduced early. Mycorrhiza fungi are beneficial and assist in nutrient collection and uptake. Adding carbohydrates to a nutrient solution is a gardening trick for boosting plant performance going back to at least the 1960’s.
The two most important fungi for most gardeners are ecto-mycorrhizal, and endo-mycorrhizal. Ectomycorrhizae form primarily on tree and woody plant roots, although some can form on a wide variety of plants. The fungus forms a covering on the roots, and then branches out into the surrounding soil. Similar to hair extensions for roots, this fungal web called hyMycorrhizae (fungus-roots) are found phae both extends the reach of the root naturally occurring in healthy “live” system, and increases the amount of soil. Sterile hydroponic media may surface area collecting nutrients for require a spore inoculation to esthe plant. This network of nutritablish colonies. They are caused ent collecting hyphae is anchored by mycorrhiza fungi infecting a between the cortex cells of the plant root and the two together roots. The hyphae pick up nutriare what are known as mycorrhients from the soil, and transport zae. them to the plant in exchange for carbohydrates made by the plant. Mycorrhizae spore Plants with well-established mycorCertain varieties also have antibiwith external hyphae rhizae tend to perform better than otic properties, which help protect the those that do not. Approximately 90% of plant from infection, and the sheathing of all plants can benefit from some form of mycorfungus on the roots offers some protection from rhizae, including trees, shrubs, and garden plants. The nematodes. Since the hyphae strands are thinner than relationship between mycorrhizae and the plant is a symroots, they not only extend the reach of the root system biotic one; both organisms benefit from their association by meters, but they can also exploit smaller nooks and with the other. The plant provides a carbohydrate source cracks in the growing media. One milliliter of colonized for the fungus, and in return, the fungus helps assist the soil may contain up to four meters of ectomycorrhizae. plants in nutrient uptake, drought resistance, and blocking For most other green leafy plants including vegetables, entheir environmental niche from pathogenic fungi. It is betdomycorrhizae is the more important fungus. ter to have helpful roommates than destructive ones, so making sure beneficial fungi take up the space can prevent Instead of helping the plant by extending the root system, something worse from moving in. Mycorrhizae collect and they improve the existing root system. Where ectomycorprocess nitrogen, phosphorus and a variety of micronutrirhizae help by moving nutrients into the plant, endomycorents and pass them to the plant. Of particular use is their rhizae help move nutrients within the roots themselves, ability to increase phosphorus uptake, which dramatically speeding them to the rest of the plant for use. Weaving increases over non infected plants. itself into the cortical cells of the roots, endomycorrhizae
gardenculture.net
57
GROWTH BOOSTERS I GARDEN CULTURE
Roots with mycorrhizae
form small structures called arbuscules. These arbuscules are where the fungus delivers the transported nutrients for the plant to receive, and picks up carbohydrates supplied by the plant. Nutrients transported by endomycorrhizae include nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and zinc, with an emphasis on phosphorous uptake. Of particular use is where rock phosphate is being used as a phosphorous source instead of the more available superphosphate, as endomycorrhizae speeds the solubility conversion. Adding endomycorrhizae generally replicates the effect of increasing the strength of phosphorous in nutrient solution by improving existing phosphorous uptake. Although commonly already present in healthy soil, mycorrhizae fungus levels can be increased by adding powdered spores (inoculants) available at garden and hydroponic shops. Sterile media and poor soils can be brought from a complete absence of mycorrhizae to abundance with the use of inoculants. All they need is food (carbohydrates), water, and half a chance. High applications of chemical nutrients can be detrimental to development, so this system is less appropriate for “goose pate” style gardens where nutrient is supplied to the plant at the upper end of its ability to absorb. This can create an apparent paradox where continuing to apply additional nutrients can impede the plant’s nutrient absorption. For example, killing off the endomycorrhizae will require additional phosphorous to be added to make up for the loss in efficiency and uptake. If using mycorrhizal inoculants, apply at the beginning of the season to establish the colonies early. Once es-
THE BENEFITS OF ADDING CARBOHYDRATES ARE MOSTLY INDIRECT; THEY FEED THE BENEFICIAL MICROORGANISMS AND MYCORRHIZAE WHICH HELP THE PLANTS tablished, the infected roots should serve as a host to allow the fungus to spread throughout the root system. Much like a small colony of mold will take over an entire loaf of bread; in a healthy root system mycorrhiza will spread to fill the available space. Plant improvements from inoculate use are particularly pronounced when used early in poor or sterile mediums. In soil that already contains high levels beneficial fungi, adding more spores has a less pronounced effect. Mycorrhizae thrive on carbohydrates, which is part of what they receive in payment from the plant in exchange for helping the plant thrive. One way to boost beneficial microorganisms including mycorrhizae is to feed them with a carbohydrate additive such as molasses. Carbohydrates (saccharides) are molecules with spe-
gardenculture.net
59
GROWTH BOOSTERS I GARDEN CULTURE
cific combinations of carbon and as cattle feed supplement tends MYCORRHIZA water. A subset of carbohydrates to be pretty cheap. Molasses sold HELP BRING are the sugars ending in “-ose”. for cattle feed is often mixed with PHOSPHOROUS AND a grain to add structure. The adFor example, table sugar is sucrose OTHER BENEFITS (C12H22O11), milk sugar is lactose dition of grain not only makes the TO PLANTS, AND (also C12H22O11, but the atoms are molasses easier to work with, but CARBOHYDRATES arranged differently), blood sugar adds compostable organic material is glucose(C6H12O6) and so on. as an additional benefit. Personally, HELP MYCORRHIZA Carbohydrates store energy that I tend to purchase molasses made many life forms can use, people included. The “sugar for human consumption, as I don’t have a large garden; rush” from eating a lot of sweets is an effect from overI like it on my pancakes, and in Shoo Fly Pie. Apply at indulging in sugars. The energy is easily converted, but two teaspoons (about 10ml.) per gallon of water, or the then is quickly used. Keep in mind that unwelcome visisame amount per pancake. tors such as ants may be enticed to visit if a carbohydrate banquet is available, so make sure to clean up any To complete the trio, add a good dollop of powdered spills promptly. rock phosphate to the mix. Not only will this provide the mycorrhiza with a supply of phosphorous to supply The benefits of adding carbohydrates are mostly indithe plant, but it can also provide a suitable environment rect. They don’t help the plants directly, they feed the for other beneficial organisms to take up residence. The beneficial microorganisms and mycorrhizae which help well fed mycorrhiza should be put to work, and what they the plants. These microorganisms use the ready energy do best is absorb and supply phosphorous to the plant. available in carbohydrates to thrive and reproduce. Rock phosphate is available in two forms, “soft rock” Cane syrup, maple syrup, fruit juice, and molasses phosphate, and “hard rock” phosphate. Soft rock phoscan all be used as carbohydrate sources. Dilute to phate contains a higher amount of immediately available 10 ml. per 3,8 l.) of water. Cleanliness is a must, as phosphorous, and is usually the choice for container these may attract insects and leave a sticky residue. soil enhancement. Hard rock phosphate is better suitAnts may be attracted to the residue, and if hydrated ed to improve a field where plants are to be grown for (mixed with water) and allowed to go anaerobic (stale) several years, or where the soil is reused. these may encourage the wrong sort of fungal growth. Mycorrhiza help bring phosphorous and other benefits Molasses (also known as Treacle) is a byproduct of sugar to plants, and carbohydrates help mycorrhiza. During refining, and contains not only plenty of carbohydrates early growth is a good time to add inoculants with a to add to your garden, but potassium, nitrogen, and iron packed carbohydrate lunch and rock phosphorous desas well. Many micronutrients are locked in their chelated sert to your growing media. Feeding your fungus carform and require a chelating agent to unlock them. Mobohydrates regularly throughout flowering can have the lasses acts as a chelating agent (like Humic Acid), by enend result of giving your plants a phosphorous boost, and ergizing the root level biology, it makes micronutrients reintroducing spores can help reestablish lost colonies. more readily available for nutrient uptake by the plants. Beneficial fungi help with keeping plants well fed, and Be careful when purchasing molasses as prices vary proper nutrition is one of the keys to bountiful harwidely. Although all three are usable for gardening vests. Embrace the fungus among us, feed them, and purposes, molasses marketed as a plant additive tends give them phosphorous to carry. to be very expensive, molasses intended for human consumption is moderately priced, and molasses sold Peace, love, and puka shells. 3
gardenculture.net
61
10 TIPS: BE A BETTER GROWER INSTANTLY! 1
2
3
62
Measure, Monitor and Check Measuring is one of the most important things when growing. Don’t just measure your temperature in one place. Measure it in multiple places to make sure your climate is the same everywhere in your grow room. In addition, it’s good to know what happening when you’re not looking at the instruments. Get a data logger that can tell you what’s going on when you’re at work or asleep. Make sure your water is the right temperature by measuring it, and at the same time make sure the pH and EC/TDS are correct as well. The same goes for lighting. Get a light meter to make sure it’s evenly distributed. Monitor all these parameters. Correct them when necessary. You will see improvements instantly.
4
5
Quality in - Quality out Using quality items saves you lots of trouble in the long run. Saving $40 on a pH meter seems like a good idea when you’re in the store. Somewhere down the road when you need to calibrate it or need replacement parts, you’ll discover it wasn’t your best idea. The same goes for critical items like ballasts, fans or carbon filters. You don’t want them to break or fail in the middle of your grow. Also, your substrate is very important. A cheap bag of soil or media is cheap for a reason. The quality of the components used in substrates make up a big portion of the price. Going into this cheap will hurt your bottom line in the end
Don’t Skimp on Climate Control Climate is essential for a plant to survive or thrive. With a bad controlled climate you can be sure the outcome of your grow isn’t what you expected. I understand an A/C is expensive but it’s even more expensive to buy an extra A/C because your initial A/C can’t cut it. The same goes the exhaust fan if your growing without A/C, bigger is better. Not only will it cool quicker but it also makes less sound because your exhaust fan doesn’t have to work as hard.
6
Whatcha Doing That For Know what you’re doing before you’re doing it. I know this sounds lame, but a lot of growers do stuff without knowing why they are doing it. Think before you act. Why are you upping the dose? Why are you changing the height of your lamps? Sometimes the question is just as important as the answer. If you’re unsure about how to fix a problem - check out the internet, call a friend or visit your local hydro store. Don’t make hasty decisions without knowing the outcome.
Prevention is Better than Cure It is better avoid a bad thing from happening than it is to fix the bad thing once it has happened. So what can you do right now? Run a tight operation. Clean your grow room, and don’t let dead leaves or plant materials lay around in your room. Clean before starting a new grow. It’s also very important when you’ve been outdoors or inside a friends grow room to change your clothes. Another great natural prevention is the introduction of beneficial bugs into your grow room. This truly “bio control” method helps you prevent and fight pest infestations by introducing their natural enemies in your room before they can get to it. Should mites come along they won’t have a chance in getting to your crop. Instead, its dinner time for their natural adversaries.
Too Much is Never Good! The wisdom of moderation is first taught to us as children and rings true until the day we die. Too much of anything can be bad for us, and it’s the same way with plants. Moderation is key. Don’t overwater your plants. Don’t overdose them with nutrients. Instead of feeding them half a gallon of water at once, use moderation. Spread that half a gallon out to four different feeds spaced through the day. You don’t drink a gallon of soda all at once. You drink it one glass at a time. The same goes for your plants. Too much is stressing them out. Moderate.
10 TIPS I GARDEN CULTURE
YO U W I L L SEE I M P R O V E M EN T S I N STA N T LY
7
Spend More Time in Your Garden Don’t just spend time sitting in your grow room. Look at the plants closely. Use a magnifying glass to see things better. The more time you spend with your plants the better you can “read” them, or see problems before the disaster strikes. For example, a spider mite infestation doesn’t just explode. It starts with one plant and then steadily becomes more and more. When you see massive webs across your plants, you’re too late, and you haven’t spent enough time with your plants. The same goes for malnutrition or crop deformation. It started small, with one plant. When you’re onto it early, you can still steer things back in the right direction.
8
Educate Yourself The thing that sets experts apart from novices is education. They know how to recognize problems, and how to correct them. You’re reading this magazine, so you’re well on your way to a good education. To become an expert, you need to do more. Buy a book on growing plants, take a subscription on Garden Culture, get a DVD and above all read more on the internet. You’re never too old or young to learn. Even experts with 25+ years of experience under their belt can still learn new things as long as they are open for it.
9
10
Be Passionate Good relationships are formed with passion. It isn’t any different with the relationship between you and your crop. Being passionate makes everything much easier, more fun and makes the learning curve less steep. Grow because you want to grow and focus on things you like to do when growing. Don’t dwell on the stuff you dislike. If you need to do something you dislike - turn on the tunes and dream about better times. Just remember the more you focus on the positive, the better the outcome will be.
“SOMETIMES THE QUESTION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE ANSWER”
Keep it Dark How do you feel being rudely awakened in the middle of the night with a big flashlight in your face? That how your plants feel every time you interrupt their rest to work in your grow room or to show your friends. Just don’t do it. Buy a green LED light to work or look in your grow room when your plants are awake. Also it’s important to make sure your room is actually dark when the lights are off. Plants can have a lot of stress with light leaking into the grow room, so make sure it’s dark. Leaks are easyly spotted by standing in your room with the lights off in the middle of the day.
gardenculture.net
63
COLUMN I GARDEN CULTURE
BY TOM ALEXANDER
Growing
on
the
E d ge
THE GROWING CONTROVERSY OF
GMOs
I first became aware of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) when press releases from Calgene, Monsanto and other large biotech companies started crossing my desk in 1995. I felt honored and proud that these large companies even knew Growing Edge existed, the magazine I was publishing at the time. WO R L DW I D E FAC T S: Calgene created a tomato called, Falvr Savr, which through genetic engineering slowed the ripening process preventing it from softening and rotting, resulting in a longer shelf life, yet retaining its natural color and flavor. It seemed cutting edge. So without knowing all the specifics, both good or bad, pro and con, I wrote a cover story in Growing Edge magazine touting all the talking points that were in the press release. The Flavr Savr tomato eventually was a failure due to only yielding 40-50% of traditional field grown tomatoes. Calgene was eventually bought out by Monsanto, who is now the largest GMO company in global agriculture. My cover story created a firestorm of response from organic growers and environmental activists. So much so, that a few issues later, I wrote another cover story titled Frankenfood. In it I presented the views of people and groups who were alarmed of the dangers of GMOs for the future of G M O A P P R O VA L S agriculture, gardening IN AUSTR ALIA and consumers eating the genetically Canola Potato engineered food. Corn Rice Unlike traditional Cotton Soybean hybrid breeding Lucerne Sugarbeet where like species are (AlfaAlfa) deliberately crossbred for desirable traits. Genetically modified breeding takes genes from distinctly different plant species creating a totally new variety of plant. Many of these genetic modifications have tried to boost nutritional benefits or productivity, but the two main traits that have been added to date are herbicide tolerance and the ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide within the plant. These results have no health benefit, only potential economic benefit for the biotech companies.
17.3 million farmers grow biotech crops. 170 million+ hectares growing GMO crops globally US$34 billion global 2012 GMO seed market value US$160 billion GMO grown produce grown annually 230% GMO seed prices increase since 2000
The profit motive has made many people question the safety of the GMOs. Scientists who study these GMOs must sign nondisclosure agreements, leaving the biotech company free to approve or disapprove releasing the results of any GMO studies. It has been difficult to find independent funding to conduct unbiased health studies of genetically engineered crops. Studies conducted or funded by GMO companies may be skewed to their advantage and negative results may be withheld from summary data shown to regulators and the public. What is outrageous is the pollen from field grown GMOs trespassing and polluting crops miles away from the GMO crops. When the trespassed upon grower replants saved contaminated seeds, Monsanto sues them for patent infringement. Monsanto has already filed lawsuits against hundreds of farmers for illegally using GMO patented seeds, and there have been judgments as high as a million dollars, with the average judgment being about $170,000. GMO pollen pollution can ruin an organic farm’s crop, profit and reputation. The solution to this problem is to grow as much of your own food as possible, hopefully far enough away from a commercial farm growing GMO crops. Reading every issue of Garden Culture magazine will help you do that. Tom Alexander has written on agriculture and gardening since 1980. He published Growing Edge magazine from 1990 until 2009. The Growing Edge website is still active at www. growingedge.com . He is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
gardenculture.net
65
Is your company in need of a face lift? GC Publishers is your ‘cosmetic surgeon’ of choice when it comes to re-vamping your company’s marketing needs. We specialize in creative concepts, from a fresh new logo or new advertisement to a high-tech website. For every budget. We’re happy to talk to you about your specific needs and wishes.
GC
www.GCpublishers.net publishers
BY TAMMY CLAYTON
GOOD FOOD I GARDEN CULTURE
“Highly irregular. How delightful”
Help Yourself You never know when some fresh young leaf will grab your attention. Tossing off alluring scent. Infusing your mind with an urge to do something a bit wild and less predictable. Herbs are like that. They just can’t help but share what the sun has energized them into creating. The scent makes it really hard to walk by without at least a little look-see, a bit closer inspection. Not only can you check THE WORLD them out here, inhaling COULD BE A scintillating aromas RICHER AND there’s a visual invitation FRIENDLIER to help yourself to some PLACE IF MORE fresh picked herbs for NEIGHBOURdinner. Who could HOODS HAD resist? Have a seat SOMEONE LIKE and contemplate the THIS AROUND. possibilities in front of you. Highly irregular. How delightful. The world could be a richer and friendlier place if more neighborhoods had someone like this around. He planted 20 different kinds of herbs in these wicking container gardens along the footpath just so he could offer them to anyone who happens by. A lovely idea. Generosity abounds. Is there more to it? What’s the real story here? Why would someone be inspired to plant a garden for the anyone and everyone. Was it for the karma points? Hardly. While he enjoys every thank you note tucked into his letterbox from someone who feasted on the curb herbs and even getting to know his neighbors after all these years, the real reason is to inspire people to grow fresh food. Once the self irrigating containers are constructed and planted, maintaining any garden like this is a breeze. Just
Jock Keene’s ‘Help Yourself garden’ in Sydney don’t let them run out of water, and you’re good to go. A little labor that will definitely give you miles of good karma, whether you like it or not. Don’t forget a bench. It’s the finishing touch and makes the garden so much more inviting. The bench adds a social air. Its a sign of welcome, a resting spot, a place to strike up a conversation or simply consider the beauty of what the gardener has to offer. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just sturdy. Whip up something fascinating using reclaimed wood from pallets. Thanks, Jock Keene of Sydney, for growing the good food revolution forward. We appreciate you sharing your garden pics and hope you get your wish... to inspire people to grow food. We’ll do our part and spread your inspiring idea for Help Yourself gardens around the world. 3
gardenculture.net
67
GROW YOUR OWN
MONEY BITCOINS
68
BY DAVID MURPHY
BITCOINS I GARDEN CULTURE
In final months of 2010, at the height of the Wikileaks scandal, the major online financial institutions VISA, Mastercard and Paypal moved to cut off the supply of donations to the site, under pressure from powerful governments around the world. Faced with ruin, Wikileaks turned to an alternative currency. One that wasn’t controlled by any government around the world. A currency that had essentially been created with the press of a single key, by an enterprising young programmer who was known in the cybersphere as Satoshi Nakamoto. It was called bitcoin.
Twenty years of aggressive ers there are, the less each one regrowth on the internet has given ceives, and the system is designed to us a string of dotcom billionaires. run for a twenty year period, yieldFrom Larry Paige to Mark Zucking no more than 21 million bitcoins. erberg, the ability to conjure up It is the combination of these facvast sums of money simply by tors that give bitcoins their value, in having the right idea at the right much the same way as gold acquired FOR YOUR CASH, time is nothing new. But what more value than water in the anYOU GET WHAT Nakatomo was trying to achieve cient world, because it was limited IS ESSENTIALLY A with bitcoin was something difin quantity and took a great deal of BLOCK OF UNIQUELY ENCRYPTED DATA. ferent. His system mimicked the effort to extract. IT CANNOT BE popular peer-to-peer networks REPLICATED already used by millions to downAlmost as soon as mining began, Bitload and share their favourite coin exchanges opened on the web. games, movies and music; it also If you can’t be bothered spending incorporated new anti-spamming your own money on a mining efand cryptography technology which would enable it fort, then you can simply buy a miner’s coins with to create money literally out of nothing. conventional money through a more traditional digital currency system such as paypal. At the peak of It functions on a simple principle. Bitcoins can only their value, a bitcoin was worth more than $16.83 be produced by completing complex mathematical although market fluctuations and other factors have puzzles, a process referred to as mining. The puzzles since brought the price back down to about $5.61. require a real world investment, in terms of computing power and the energy required to run a procesFor your cash, you get what is essentially a block of sor, and prospectors are rewarded by the occasional uniquely encrypted data. It cannot be replicated, and trickle of bitcoins into the system. The more minbecause every copy of the program keeps a record
gardenculture.net
69
BITCOINS I GARDEN CULTURE
SO WHY DID SATOSHI NAKAMOTO CREATE BITCOIN, AND SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR OFF THE FACE OF THE WEB?
of where every bitcoin was created, it would take a million times more work to fake the file than to create a real one. If you delete the encrypted data, or damage the computer it’s stored on, it’s gone. Other than that, it works just like any real world commodity. You can spend it at an exchange, or with a retailer – anyone else who runs the bitcoin software. You don’t register your name, and none of your personal details are included in the coin. Everything is tied to a single bitcoin address, secured by incredibly complicated, paired encryption keys.
The irony is that the supposed anonymity of bitcoins is a fallacy. The lengthy chain of data encrypted by each computer includes all of the transactions ever processed by the system, linked to the various IP addresses of the users. With enough forensic investigation, any particular transaction can be traced back to a physical location. There are now sites that offer what is called a bitcoin “fog”. This fog acts as a mixing service where funds transferred to the fog get mixed with other users’ funds and when requested are paid out in multiple randomized transactions to further obscure the source of the money.
So why did Satoshi Nakamoto create bitcoin, and suddenly disappear off the face of the web? He had done nothing illegal and he didn’t stand to make some outrageous, immoral level of profit from floating the company a year down the line. Like a 21st century Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine, he gave his invention away. There have been suggestions that Nakamoto hoarded a stash of bitcoins before the software’s release, and that at the optimum moment in the bitcoins twenty year lifespan he will release them onto the market and make millions. But like everything else surrounding Nakamoto, it is merely rumour, heaped on speculation, stacked on a wobbly pile of guesswork. Is he a single individual? A cadre of programmers working under a collective alias? The other coders credited with developing the bitcoin technology, and with maintaining it, stay tight-lipped about his identity. For them, the individual isn’t important. The project is more about good old-fashioned rebellion. A reaction to the financial irresponsibility demonstrated by the world’s leading institutions over the last five years. It’s about taking digital currency out of the hands of administrators and governments, and putting it back in the hand of the private individual. 3
gardenculture.net
71
WINDOW farming With farm land decreasing at the same time that population numbers are increasing globally, vertical hydroponic gardens may be one solution to the world’s food shortages. Being ecologically and economically sound, hydroponic gardening is one of the fastest growing areas of patenting in the U.S. today. The trend is far from restricted to the U.S. Many innovators across the globe are creating these gardens in urban environments.
72
BY MELANIE VOTAW
WINDOW FARMING I GARDEN CULTURE
MORE THAN 33,000 PEOPLE NOW PARTICIPATE IN THE WINDOWFARMS COMMUNITY
Some of these farms are large scale, such as the vertical greenhouse called Plantagon, which is set to be built in Linkoping, Sweden. The concept is a helix system in which plants are transported on a special elevator. The crops grow during the slow ride down the helix, and an automatic harvesting machine allows the food to be harvested in batches. A smaller scale, grassroots urban agriculture movement was launched in New York City in 2008 by Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray. What started as a simple idea has since turned into a worldwide movement and a company called Windowfarms. More than 33,000 people now participate in the Windowfarms community. Their concept was created for people to become more nutritionally independent. Using a vertical stack of recycled bottles in which plants are rooted in clay pellets with no soil, a pump at the bottom sends liquid nutrients to the top. The nutrients then trickle down through the root systems of the plants, and the roots remain compact, requiring less space than plants grown in dirt. As a result, organic vegetables can be grown indoors in any climate year-round using natural or artificial light.
Riley and Bray knew that NASA had been using hydroponics to explore growing food in space, discovering that optimal nutritional yield can be achieved by running high quality liquid nutrients over plant root systems. So, they gathered some friends and created their first prototype. As Riley said in her 2011 TED talk about Windowfarms, the first
systems were “leaky, loud, power-guzzlers that Martha Stewart would definitely never have approved.” She and her team were able to grow enough vegetables for a single salad a week in their New York apartments, but they wanted to work out the bugs in the system and make it better. So, they opened the idea to co-developers in what Riley calls “open source collaboration.” In order to encourage this collaboration, they created a social media website that spilled the beans on how the systems are created, as well as what was not working. They hoped people would take the idea and run with it. And run they did. A number of people wanted to become more nutritionally independent, so they each worked on improving and customizing the farms for their own needs. One Windowfarms enthusiast, for example, discovered that using air pumps instead of water pumps would cut the carbon footprint of the system by nearly half. Another learned by trial and error that he could get his strawberry plants to fruit in low light by simply changing the nutrients in the liquid. A Windowfarmer in Finland outfitted the system with LED grow lights. As people shared their ideas and discoveries, Riley’s team incorporated the improvements that were most likely to benefit the majority. The end result? Manufactured kits that became available for shipment in the U.S. and a few other countries in the summer of 2012. Funding for manufacturing was achieved through crowdsourcing. Riley’s Kickstarter.com page was begun with the goal of raising $56,000 in Windowfarm pre-sales. She
gardenculture.net
73
WINDOW FARMING I GARDEN CULTURE
WINDOWFARMS IS NOW BOTH A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY WITH A PATENT AND A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION raised $288,407 instead. Windowfarms is now both a forprofit company with a patent and a non-profit organization. The for-profit company makes the products, and the proceeds fund the non-profit, which focuses on the community, the movement, and education.
Recycling: collecting plastic bottles in Manhattan for creating window farms
CREATING A VERTICAL HYDROPONIC FARM AT HOME Individuals can build their own Windowfarm rather than purchase a kit using the instructions provided on the organization’s website. Setting it up can take from a few hours up to a full day. After that, the system is mostly selfsustaining. Water simply needs to be changed weekly, and some cleaning must be performed monthly. The systems are 1.2 m tall, fit in different sized windows, and are hung by a hook or sit on a platform below the window (on the floor, a shelf, or the windowsill). Wide windows can handle several columns, while tall windows can accommodate one on top of the other. Some growers use clip-on CFL or LED lights on timers to better control the environment for their plants. After the initial material costs, maintenance expenses are minimal. If the pump is run on a timer, as suggested, only
a small amount of electricity is required to run the Windowfarm. In the U.S., the average electricity cost of even a 4-column farm is just over $3.20 per year. While these small vertical hydroponics do not grow everything, such as root vegetables or tall grain plants like corn and wheat, most plants like greens and herbs, as well as fruit, can be grown, with heavier plants tied to the metal rack that holds the bottles.
gardenculture.net
75
WINDOW FARMING I GARDEN CULTURE
VERTICAL IS THE FUTURE While Plantagon is centralized, and the Windowfarms concept is decentralized, both seek to grow food in cities as a response to global crowding. Riley says that urbanites rely on others more than rural dwellers. “It’s precisely when we hand over the responsibility for all of these things to specialists that we cause the kinds of messes that we see with the food system,” she said in her TED talk. As a result of these food system issues, the vertical hydroponics trend is fully entrenched. As more and more people move into urban environments, growing their own food or purchasing from sources like Plantagon may become the norm rather than a novelty. 3
gardenculture.net
77
Grow Your Own Series:
Fresh
Wasabi If you’re a regular patron of Japanese restaurants, fiery green
wasabi paste is a familiar and welcome sight. So, it might come as a surprise to learn that you’ve probably never tasted real wasabi. Most restaurants use a substitute made from Western-style horseradish and other ingredients, including vinegar and mustard powder.
78
BY FRED DECKER
WASABI I GARDEN CULTURE
GROWING WASABI CAN PROVE A FASCINATING PROJECT FOR EXPERIENCED GARDENERS IN SEARCH OF A CHALLENGE
That’s because real wasabi, Wasabia japonica, is rare and expensive even in its Japanese homeland. It’s native to the cold upland streams of that mountainous country, and is notoriously difficult to grow. It flourishes only in a narrow range of conditions, and most cultivars are specific to one small region of Japan. However, commercial growers in Japan, Taiwan and North America have slowly learned to coax this uncooperative plant into producing reliable crops.
and a microclimate that can be kept humid and temperature-controlled. A fertilizer containing sulphur will help increase the root’s potency.
In nature, wasabi grows in a semi-aquatic environment along stony riverbeds. If you have running water on your property, or have an existing hydroponic system, you can use that water to cultivate wasabi. Prepare a deep bed or large box-shaped planter, approximately 75-125 cm in depth. Fill the bed with stones approximately 6-8 cm in Wasabi is part of the larger brassica family, which also indiameter, leaving 10 cm at the top. Cover the stones with cludes the cabbages and mustards a layer of rounded gravel the size of as well as Western horseradish and large peas, approximately 6-8 cm. other root plants including turnips, Finally, fill the rest of the bed with LIKE HORSERADISH daikon and the familiar garden radfine sand. AND THE MUSTARDS, ish. Like horseradish and the musWASABI’S FIERY NOSTRIL- The plants will flourish best when tards, its fiery nostril-clearing charCLEARING CHARACTER acter is a chemical defence against the water flows gently down a slight IS A CHEMICAL DEFENCE predators. When the cell walls are slope, usually 2 to 4 degrees. Water AGAINST HERBIVORES crushed or grated, enzymes in the should be distinctly cool, with an root quickly convert stored sulphur ideal temperature of 12-15 C. Wacompounds into an irritating chemiter flow should be gentle, no more cal called sinigrin. It’s highly volatile than 10 cm per second, to produce and aerosolizes quickly, which is straight and healthy rhizomes. If the why you feel the effect primarily in water flow is too strong, the roots your sinuses. will grow in a curved shape. The flavor will still be fine, but if you’re Growing wasabi can prove a fasgrowing them for sale, curved roots cinating project for experienced don’t fetch as high a price. gardeners in search of a challenge. The plant requires lots of shade, Wasabi can also be cultivated on ideally 75 % coverage or better. It dry land, in a light, well-drained soil requires high humidity and cool air with lots of sand and organic matetemperatures, ranging from 8-20 C, rial. Prepare your beds in an area and flourishes best at 12-15 C. In where there’s a lot of natural shade, warmer, sunnier or drier climates or where you can easily shade the the shade-type greenhouse can be plants with a cover. The plants rethe best solution, providing shelter quire constant moisture even on
gardenculture.net
79
80
WASABI I GARDEN CULTURE
Japanese wasabi farm
WASABI CAN BE PROPAGATED FROM SEED, SLIPS OR THE SMALL PLANTLETS THAT GROW AROUND THE CROWN OF A MATURE PLANT land, so plan to irrigate with soaker hoses or some other form of low-flow irrigation. Monitor your plants closely. Provide more water if they wilt, and less if you begin to find stem rot. Wasabi can be propagated from seed, slips or the small plantlets that grow around the crown of a mature plant. Plantlets 3 cm long, with four or five leaves of their own, can usually be planted directly into your aquatic or dryland beds. Place each plantlet in its own hole, about 30 cm apart, with about 1 cm of the root left above the surface once you’ve patted the sand or soil back into place. Plants grown from slips or seeds must be grown to a height of approximately 5 cm before transplanting into their beds. The fiery roots will usually be large enough to harvest in 16 to 24 months, depending on your growing conditions. Remove plantlets from the main stem for replanting, and then wash the root thoroughly. Trim away any small roots then peel the stem with a paring knife or peeler. As with chilli peppers, it’s best to wear gloves while working with fresh wasabi. The juices can be decidedly unpleasant if they find their way to a sensitive spot.
Real wasabi is best when grated as needed. Japanese chefs use a special grater made from shark skin, but a very fine conventional grater will also work. The flavor will reach its peak within 3 to 5 minutes, and will diminish within 15 to 20 minutes if it’s left uncovered. Fresh wasabi has the familiar, fiery effect in the diner’s sinuses, but mellows quickly to a sweet and complex flavor quite unlike the artificial variety. Grate only as much as you need for one meal, then store the remainder of the root tightly wrapped in your refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks. To preserve your wasabi for the longer term, slice and dehydrate the roots. Grind the dried roots into powder in your spice grinder, and store it in airtight packaging in a cool, dark place. 3
gardenculture.net
81