Garden Culture Magazine UK 30 by Garden Culture Magazine

COMPACT DAYLIGHT 315W POWER PACK

The Compact DAYLIGHT 315W power pack, powers 315W ceramic metal halide lamps to give your plants a full spectrum of light.

Compact DAYLIGHT 315W Power Pack Key Features:

• Silent operation

• Precision wound ballast • Wall-mountable case with carry handle • Low frequency

Designed to run Maxibright 315W 3K & 4K CMH lamps

More Flower, Less Power

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GEAR

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CarboAir Filters Available in 50mm, 60mm & 100mm filter beds to suit any fan and environment.

CarboAir Pre-Filter Made of 100% polyester which is woven multi directionally to absorb dust and moisture before it reaches the carbon.

KEEP YOUR COOL THIS SUMMER

CarboAir Filter Mesh 55.5% open allowing air to travel through it easier, lowering the pressure drop and increasing air flow cooling the environment.

Superior Activated Carbon Sourced from Europe, specially made to be light-weight, dust free and filter all odours from your environment.

Galvanised Steel European galvanised steel construction.

CarboAir Filter Mesh Designed so that no nylon mesh is needed as this restricts air flow inside the filter.

CarboAir Testing All CarboAir filters have been tested at Systemair for accurate air flow and pressure drop. #factnotfiction

Heavy Duty Hanging Brackets Are fitted as standard on all filters.

Voted the best filter by growers.

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T GET CAUGHT OUT THIS SUMMER ONLY USE

Fan

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•Precisely set your intake & outtake fan speed •Balance your fans to achieve negative pressure •Plugs directly into Systemair’s EC fan range

The GAS EC Speed Controller is the perfect way to control the speeds of two EC fans. Powered from the fan there is no need for a power pack.

EC SPEED CONTROLLER

•Temperature control your fan •Set maximum fan speed. •Set minimum fan speed. •Plugs directly into Systemair’s EC fan range

The GAS EC1 thermostatic speed controller is the perfect way to control your outtake EC fan. With a minimum and maximum speed control and powered from the fan there is no need for a power pack.

EC1 CONTROLLER

•Intelligently learns to maintain the perfect humidity •Day and night settings •Dynamically changes the humidity based on the temperature

The Intelligent Humidity Controller monitors your grow room environment and controls the humidity levels to VPD, vapour pressure deficit or relative humidity.

INTELLIGENT HUMIDITY CONTROLLER

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•Temperature and humidity control •Set maximum and minimum fan speeds •Set day and night temperature and humidity •Set negative pressure

Thermostatically control your intake and outtake fans. Control AC and EC fans up to a total load of 10 amps.

TAKE TOTAL CONTROL OVER YOUR VENTILATION SYSTEM

•Available in 4 amp or 8 amp versions

•Silent controller no clicking between the steps •Made in Europe •Accurate temperature control

Quiet, simple to use and the most efficient way to regulate your AC fans. Also available with heater control.

GAS PRO STEP CONTROLLER

•Humidifier, Dehumidifier, Heater & Timer

•AC fans to a maximum 2200 watts •EC Revolution or Phresh Hyperfan •Day and night settings •Controls temperature and humidity

The GAS Enviro Controller will control every aspect of your grow room environment.

ENVIRO CONTROLLER

Find the Organic in you

Come and meet the Biobizz Team! Find us at Autopot Summer Social (August 17th-18th) and The Hydroponic Expo (August 23rd-25th)

CONTENTS

URBAN BEEKEEPING

THE LOST ART OF

SEED SAVING

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

40 AGRICULTURE’S DIRTY SECRET

66 WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE

91 74

DANDELIONS: WEEDS OF GOLD

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

15 Foreword

60 Relative Humidity,Transpiration, and VPD

17 Product Spotlights

66 The Lost Art Of Seed Saving

24 CEC in Living Soils

74 Nitrogen:Agriculture’s Dirty Secret

28 LED Revisited

80 The Hormesis Effect

36 Photosynthesis,Translocation,Transpiration, and Respiration

86 Columbia: From White to Green

40 Urban Beekeeping

91 Who’s Growing What Where

48 Dandelions:Weeds of Gold

95 Ask a Ph.D.

54 Book Review: No Waste Kitchen Gardening

96 Regenerative is the New Sustainable

55 Spice Up Your Life

104 5 Cool Ways To Help Beat The Heat

56 Can Mushrooms Save the Bees? GARDENCULTUREMAGAZINE.COM

FOREWORD & CREDITS

FOREWORD

dition 30! Thank you so much to our readers, adver tisers, writers, and friends for all their suppor t over the years.

In the indoor gardening market, some things have changed since we star ted. HPS has gone double-ended; digital ballasts have almost replaced magnetic; coco has practically replaced peat; and, new biological products are becoming the norm.

The most dynamic segment has been lighting. The first disrupter was double-ended HPS; Gavita led the charge, and everyone followed. Now, it’s LEDs, which are not a new technology, as growers have been using them for a decade now. Worldwide demand for energy efficiency in lighting, in general, has fueled massive R&D, and the result is a little light that keeps getting more efficient and more affordable. For the first time, LED is more efficient than HPS. And the ability to custom-create light spectrums that are programmable is huge. The results are in from outstanding growers, and it seems LEDs are producing results comparable to any other type of light. We are thrilled to announce that Theo Tekstra will be back writing. He will be covering everything LED. Check out LEDs Revisited to see what he has to say. We will also have specialists from a variety of LED manufacturers as regular contributors to push the conversation! Technology, of course, is not always good. One of the major technology-created tragedies is the plight of the bee and all pollinating insects. The poisons we use to help grow our food are killing them at alarming rates. Urban Bee Keeping, written by Alber t Mondor, and Rich Hamilton’s Can Mushrooms Save the Bees?, will give you a glimpse into their world. Such amazing creatures and they need our help. Of course, we also have some great ar ticles that will help boost your gardening game. Gareth Hopcroft will give us another lesson in the impor tance of understanding VPD in Relative Humidity, Transpiration, and VPD. In our newest segment, Ask a Ph.D., Colin Bell and the team at Growcentia answer one of the most asked, and seldom answered, question in regards to biology and growing. Thanks again for reading, and happy gardening,

CREDITS SPECI A L TH A N KS TO: Albert Mondor, Anne Gibson, Caroline Rivard, Catherine Sherriffs, Colin Bell, Evan Folds, Gareth Hopcroft, Grubbycup, Jessica Steinberg, Matt Barnes, Matt Mountain, Rich Hamilton, and Theo Tekstra. PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539 E XCU T I V E ED I TO R Celia Sayers celia@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-1539 ED I TO R Catherine Sherriffs cat@gardenculturemagazine.com DESIGN Job Hugenholtz job@gardenculturemagazine.com D I G I TA L & SO CI A L M A R K E T I N G CO O R D I N ATO R Serena Sayers serena@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-0062 ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com PUBLISHER 325 Media INC 44 Hyde Rd., Mille-Isles QC, Canada J0R 1A0 GardenCultureMagazine.com

ISSN 2562-3540 (Print) ISSN 2562-3559 (Online) Garden Culture is published six times a year, both in print and online.

@GardenCulture

@GardenCultureMagazine

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Eric 3 D I ST R I B U T I O N PA R T N ER S • Maxigrow • HydroGarden • The Growers Wholesale • Highlight Horticultur e

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from 325 Media Inc.

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

100% Recycled Fabric Pots

Strong stitching & reinforced handles Improves root zone conditions Improves water/nutrient uptake Made with BPA free fabric to maximise airflow to the root zone Space saving for bulk storage

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12L

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Quality fruits.

Breathable grow bags have taken the market by storm.

No longer should plants be subjected to tapering root systems, circling around the edges of a barren plastic pot.

Dirtbags prune the roots as they meet the relatively dryer fabric of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;potâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This forces the root system to branch off and form more sub-lateral roots, making full use of the volume of media in the pot. Resulting in a much larger root mass concentrated in an area that has much preferable conditions for roots. Also, being made from recycled plastic, they are much better for the environment too!

PRODUCT TerraSPOTLIGHTS

GROWING PRODUCTS

Aquatica Pro O

rganic H ighly co ncentrate d, fully Organic, 1 -part liqui d nutrient The first and only certified organic nutrient for all substrates;TA Pro Organic is a practical and incredibly effective way to feed your plants organically, for hobby growers and professionals alike.

TA Pro Organic is easy to use, one part at a time in growth and flowering and equal amounts of each for seedlings. As a live organic product, TA Pro Organic actively improves the root environment by feeding microbes that live in harmony with your plant. This provides the essential nutrition and environment to deliver healthy vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting. Terra Aquatica Pro Organic is entirely soluble and well adapted to automatic and drip irrigation systems, or hand watering in conventional gardening. Terra Aquatica organic range meets EU regulations on Organic Agriculture (CE No. 834/2007).To find out more, check out TerraAquatica.com

s l o o T r e t s a M a u Aq

o r P 0 0 1 P n e P o b Com Featuring a modern and robust housing, the software within the pen ensures quick readings with accurate measurements of EC, pH and temperature.You can easily replace the probe should it become worn or damaged. The P100 Pro is ideal for measuring EC, pH and temperature of your nutrition tank as well as standard water. The user-friendly buttons effortlessly switch between EC, pH, and temperature. The metre is delivered fully calibrated and includes batteries.The P100 Pro is easily recalibrated if needed using the Â°C/Â°F buttons to open the calibration menu. Visit GlobalAirSupplies.co.uk for more great products.

Sentinel 8 Way With Heater Plug

Virtually all your electrical control needs wrapped-up into one tidy little unit. Sentinel has built a solid reputation amongst growers as highly dependable bits of kit to control a whole array of HID lighting. With the additional heater socket to control your fan heaters at night time, it could not be simpler to control day time lights and night time temps all from one handy little box. Get down your local store and ask for one today.

ing Maxifan Oscillat

Clip Fan

The heat of the summer is finally here.You need to do all you can to prevent it from evaporating your yield! The Maxifan Oscillating Clip Fan is an undeniable champion, ensuring your air is adequately mixed while maintaining homogenous temperatures. Comes with an 8-inch blade diameter and a sturdy and robust clip to provide a vice-like grip.These super-reliable little fans are great value for money. Beat the heat of summer and ask your local store for a Maxifan Clip fan today.

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

GROWING PRODUCTS

CF Fusion

Now at a Lower Price

RAM CO2

troller n o C d n a r o it n o M

Control Freak Fusion controllers allow your extraction fans to run as quiet as possible, even when on the lowest setting. They make a fantastic option for silenced tube fans such as the Isomax range. Dialling down the power supplied to the fan using electromagnetic induction rather than splicing up an electrical signal (causing an annoying whiney noise), these controllers keep everything whisper quiet. Now at an all-time low price point, there is almost no reason you shouldn’t include the Control Freak. Head down to your local store to grab one before they’re gone!

As the name suggests, RAM’s latest development enables you to monitor and control CO2 in your grow room easily.The complete and affordable unit is easy to install. Once plugged in, define a CO2 range by specifying your optimum level plus a PPM limit either side; the day/night sensor ensures the controller will not release CO2 in the dark.The 24-hour data log allows you to spot trends, leading to greater insight and a higher amount of control over your grow. Available to buy now from your local hydro store!

Introducing the new HLG 550 R-SPEC by the Horticulture Lighting Group Ideal for light-loving plants like Aubergines, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes, the 483 LED watts will directly replace a single-ended 1000 watt HID lamp. Backed by a no-risk, 100% money guarantee, the HLG 550 R-SPEC series promises to perform equal to HPS expectations. Visit hlg-uk-europe.com for more information.

MaxiBright

‘Special Chemistry’

HPS and MH lamps may not have the sex appeal of LEDs, but they are still the No.1 choice of growers everywhere for their reliability, overall efficiency, and cost. The new Maxibright HPS and MH 600W Special Chemistry lamps are unique due to their enhanced spectral output. PAR lock feature, maintaining the ideal spectral distribution when used on either a lower or overdriven power level. Having optimised light outputs, the 600W HPS delivers 29% more red and the 600W MH provides 53% more blue light than comparable lamps on the market. Combined with a more than ample total output of light, these lamps make sure you get the most out of your plants. Make the switch today!

600W HPS & MH Lamps

CMH technology. Gavita quality. New

Gavita CMH Our horticultural quality CMH fixtures are designed for the most efficient CMH lamp in the market. The 315W SE and 630W SE (dual 315W lamp) are available as 3000K for flowering, or 4200K for vegetative or supplemental use. The integrated Repeater Bus allows you to connect your fixture to the Gavita Master controller (safety features & timing control). • 240V input range • Designed for 315W CMH lamps • Choice of 930 Agro or 942 Full Spectrum lamp • External control with Repeater Bus interface • Fully sealed housing with Gore-Tex® plug • Mounting brackets for unistrut/c-profiles available as accessory

Discover more on gavita.com

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS A 100% Organic Way to Fight and Prevent

GROWING PRODUCTS

Plant Stress

Apply 2-5 ml/L to the substrate or 2 ml/L as a foliar spray and watch your plants recover their healthy, lusher, and greener foliage. Just like a stressed person, a stressed plant is less productive. Bring back peace and growth to your plants with this natural solution obtained from seaweed from the Northern Sea. Alg·A·Mic helps your plants recover from: • Deficiencies and overfeeding • Nutrient lock-out issues • Prolonged periods of heat and cold • Cutting clones from mother plants • Transplanting, training, or defoliating • Chlorophyll-related problems

The low NPK levels won’t mess up your regular nutrient regime; they improve the plant’s ability to metabolize all the good stuff you give it with each watering. Alg·A·Mic is obtained from cold-pressing algae, an organic and clean way to bring the best of the sea to your pot. Interested in trying out Alg·A·Mic? Visit Biobizz.com or head to your local shop.

s l o o T r e t s a M a Aqu e t e r P 70 0 P r o C omb o M

A monitoring station that continuously measures pH, EC, and temperature, displaying them on three large screens. Install the P700 Pro on a wall above the nutrient tank connected to mains power and leave it to monitor the tank.The P700 Pro also has a built-in battery and will store power for up to 3 months’ use. The pre-calibrated unit is accurate and reliable and can help you achieve and maintain the perfect temperature and nutrient levels in your hydroponic system. Replaceable pH probes are available should it become worn or damaged. Check out GlobalAirSupplies.co.uk for a full range of ventilation products.

TECOpon ic Water C hillers E fficient C ooling Tec hnology The TECOponic Hydroponic Water Chiller Line have the exclusive use of internationally recognised, high-performance compressors that ensure high levels of productivity. Decrease noise levels, achieve the highest coefficient of performance and save energy.The intuitive and accurate digital thermostat and the standard built-in heater ensure continuous and optimal maintenance of temperature in all conditions, allowing you to grow year-round and keep complete control of your climate in the most effortless way! Maintenance is quick and easy with a magnetic air filter. Available in four models. For complete details, visit TheGrowersWholesaleLTD.co.uk

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

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

NEW visit: GCmag.co/Product-Spotlight

Product spotlights

+ +

CEC Living +

+ +

&Soils 2+

CEC & LIVING SOILS

BY MATT BARNES

he benefits of growing in living, organic soil are many when compared with more conventional methods that use synthetic, chemical fertilisers and inert substrates. The complexity of flavour and aroma is improved, as is the nutrient density and overall quality of crops. Beyond that, when reusing soil, there are substantial cost savings over

multiple growing cycles, and that combined with no-till farming practices are environmentally sustainable practices we so desperately need.

The CEC and base saturation are paramount to a high-per forming living organic soil. Cations are positively charged nutrient ions consisting of mainly calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, as well as trace elements. The higher the soil CEC, the more negative exchange sites are available to hold onto the minerals. When building a quality potting soil with plenty of humus and biology, the aim is to fill the CEC with a ratio of about 70% calcium, 10% magnesium, 4% potassium and 1.5% sodium. The rest of the space should be free for trace elements and exchangeable hydrogen.

credit: www.tur fcaresupply.com

Cation Exchange Capacity

credit: Grab Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Grow Soil Products

A superior quality, well-constructed livA superior quality, well-constructed living potting ing potting soil will also have a high CEC soil will also have a high CEC (cation exchange (cation exchange capacity), which is the capacity), which is the measure of its ability to measure of its ability to hold minerals and nutrients. It has excellent moisture hold minerals and nutrients retention, which not only reduces the need for fer tiliser inputs but also presents a potential solution to harmful nitrate runoff and water waste.

mineral content provides maximum crop per formance. The results are often superior flavour and smell, increased secondary metabolite production, and nutritious yields limited only by plant genetics and environmental factors. To keep the soil balanced and restore consumed minerals, you can apply small spoon-fed amounts of organic amendments between growing cycles. When top-dressing, lightly scratch amendments into the top of your soil and apply a layer of worm castings or compost covered with some mulch. The soil biology will begin breaking down the organic minerals for the plant. Your living organic soil should increase in fer tility over time, requiring fewer inputs and less water. Be sure to always take the ratio of minerals above and the soil CEC into consideration, as applying too much of it can alter the balance and do more harm than good. If managed well, your soil can provide harvests for a lifetime. 3

Generally, when a soil CEC is filled close to the recommended ratio it will have an ideal mineral composition that allows efficient nutrient uptake by plants through root and microbial exudates. Both the plant roots and microorganisms can exude hydrogen ions and exchange them for calcium or other cations. This exchange is what leads to optimum soil pH levels of about 6.4. An excellent living organic potting soil takes all of this into account, and its rich

Bio

Matt Barnes, Director of Southern No-Till and Easy As Organics. Matt has worked to create viable gardening businesses in Australia with a focus on biological soil health. He has been heavily influenced by a number of forward-thinking people in the field of regenerative agriculture. Matt has studied soil biology and microscopy with Dr Mary Cole of AgPath and continues to use microscope analysis to determine compost and soil health. He also continues to develop sustainable, organic gardening products that maximise crop production while building soil carbon and encouraging ecological diversity.

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

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SANlight Q6W Horticultural LED Lighting upgradeable maximum efficiency daisy-chainable www.sanlight.com | support@sanlight.com | +43 (0)5552 93080 distributor for the UK:

REVISITED

It has been quite an uphill bat tle for LED, and it ’s mos tly the indus tr y ’s own fault... 28

LED REVISITED

BY THEO TEKSTRA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Status of full spectrum LED today

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

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

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

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

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

+ control over your grow

- risk for you and your plants

LED REVISITED

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

When a fixture is equipped with a new lamp:

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

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

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

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

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

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

LIGHTS ON! NO DAMAGE!!

W O R G R E OV

SAFE ON FLOWERS

DO IT WITH THE LIGHTS ON

WWW.OPTICFOLIAR.CA | SALES@OPTICFOLIAR.COM

LED REVISITED

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

HPS

Criterium

LED

Efficiency

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

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

Heat dissipation

55-60% radiated heat.

10% radiated heat.

Spectrum

Limited, specifically in green and blue.

Custom, full spectrum.

Light spread

Optimal with reflector.

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

Light maintenance

Reflector as well as lamp degradation will require replacements.

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

Costs

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

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

Climate control

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

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

Crop cycle

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

Reduction in flowering time up to a week.

“Grams per Watt”

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

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

Crop quality

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

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

Multi-layer / short distance applications

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

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

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

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

•

• •

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

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

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

LED REVISITED

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

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

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

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

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

BY GRUBBYCUP

Photosynthesis, Translocation, Transpiration &Respiration

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

hotosynthesis takes sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to charge ATP and NADPH. These are in turn used to power sugar production, which can be transpor ted around the plant where it can be conver ted back into ATP and utilised by cells.

ATP ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a complex and useful molecule made of a nitrogen base (adenine), a sugar (ribose), and a phosphate “tail” (triphosphate). When charged, it is in a form called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), and when discharged, it either loses a single phosphate section to become ADP (adenine dinucleotide phosphate) or loses two par ts to become AMP (adenosine monophosphate). ATP is an essential driving force in growth and activity. It supplies energy to cells and is also used in a variety of functions including signalling, RNA and DNA formation, cell to cell transpor t, and amino acid activation. ATP is not just found in plants, but in higher animals as well. Human beings use and regenerate their body weight in ATP every day.

Photosynthesis Photosynthesis combines carbon dioxide, water, and light to produce sugar and oxygen. When the chlorophyll in a plant is exposed to light, par t of the energy is used to split water (H2O) molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This reaction captures electrons (to use as fuel), hydrogen (to conver t NADP to NADPH), and oxygen(O). The oxygen is released into the air, and the hydrogen and some of the energy is used to conver t low energy NADP+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) molecules into the higher energy NADPH molecules, and low energy ADP molecules into higher energy ATP molecules. In other words; light and water powers up the ADP to become ATP, and the NADP to become NADPH. These molecules store energy for the next reaction. The extra oxygen is released and is how plants produce it. Since this process requires light, it is referred to as the lightdependent por tion of photosynthesis. The ATP and NADPH can then be used to power the “Calvin-Benson cycle” in the light-independent por tion of photosynthesis, which takes carbon dioxide (CO2) entering through the stomata (pores on the undersides of leaves) and conver ts it to glucose (sugar) in a series of three steps:

1) Carbon Fixation: An enzyme known as RuBisCO (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) combines the carbon dioxide with RuBP (ribulose bisphosphate), creating two molecules of 3-PGA (phosphoglyceric acid). 2) Reduction: The energy from ATP and NADPH molecules is used to convert the 3-PGA molecules into a molecule called G3P. With their energy spent, the ATP and NADPH return to their low power (ADP and NADP+) forms which can be recharged and used again. 3) Regeneration: Most of the G3P is used to regenerate the RuBP (used in step one), but some of it is used to create glucose (C6H12O6) and fructose (also C6H12O6).

Translocation The glucose and fructose are combined to form sucrose (C12H 22O11 aka table sugar), which is a carbohydrate that is transpor ted throughout the plant by a series of veins, known as the phloem, as par t of translocation. The phloem is found in a layer just under the bark and over the xylem. The phloem translocates not only sucrose but amino acids, proteins, hormones, and mineral elements as well in a generally sticky substance known as phloem sap. Sucrose can be used to power a variety of processes and contributes to the formation of cellulose (fibre). Sucrose can also be conver ted into starches for long term storage such as the endosperm found in seeds.

Transpiration Transpiration in plants starts when water first enters the plant through root hairs. It then passes through the roots, up through the tube-shaped xylem vessels to the leaves, and finally through openings on the bottoms of leaves known as stomata, exiting the plant by passing their specialised guard cells. The plant can move water (xylem sap) this way because the attraction (cohesion) of the water molecules for each other forms a chain of water molecules linked together. This is the same force that creates surface tension and capillary action. As water escapes to evaporation past the open guard cells on the underside of leaves, it creates a tug which lifts replacement water into the root hairs at the bottom. In times of severe drought, since there is no replacement water available, the chains of water will begin to shrink, which will cause wilting, and eventually break, resulting in terminal wilt.

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PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. Glucose (from photosynthesis) and oxygen are converted back into ATP (energy), carbon dioxide, and water.

Guard cells surrounding the stomata openings can deflate to close off the opening or swell to clear the path. When open, stomata not only allow water to leave the plant as it evaporates into the air (driving transpiration) but carbon dioxide (CO2) which is needed for photosynthesis to enter. Stomata close at night when photosynthesis needs drop. They will also close to prevent water loss in drought conditions. Since they open by swelling with water, a general lack of water in the plant can cause them to remain closed even under conditions where they otherwise would open.

Respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. Glucose (from photosynthesis) and oxygen are converted back into ATP (energy), carbon dioxide, and water. For the above-ground portion of the plant, the oxygen is supplied by the stomata, and below ground, the roots must be able to absorb oxygen as well, which is why they can suffer from drowning.

Potassium is also used in enzyme activation. Enzymes are catalysts that interact with other molecules to effect change without being changed themselves. One analogy is that they are like keys that can change a lock from locked to unlocked, without any change in the key itself, and the same key could be used on several bolts (that are keyed the same). Potassium assists several vital enzymatic reactions including several involved with plant growth and photosynthesis.

Since respiration does not require light the way photosynthesis does, it occurs all the time throughout the plant.

Another use of potassium is in the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). A lack of potassium can slow ATP production, which in turn can slow all processes that use ATP for fuel. An overabundance of potassium is antagonistic to magnesium which is also needed for photosynthesis, so more is not always better.

Respiration

One of the reasons plants require potassium is the role it plays in guard cell function. The plant moves potassium ions (along with chloride) into the guard cells to draw water into them, causing them to swell and open. Potassium is pumped out to close the cells, which also pulls water out. A deficiency in potassium can interfere with proper guard cell function.

Interconnection Under well-lit conditions, plants will emit more oxygen from photosynthesis than they will release carbon dioxide through respiration. This gives them a net effect of being oxygen producers. Since animals canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use photosynthesis to gather energy, they generally rely on either eating plants or eating other animals that eat plants. Animals still use respiration, however, so they emit carbon dioxide. In a balanced environment, plants will use the carbon dioxide from animal respiration, and animals will use the oxygen freed by plant photosynthesis to mutual benefit. 3

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BY ALBERT MONDOR, HORTICULTURIST AND BIOLOGIST

Urban

Bee keeping T

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

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

Bees are essential for human survival

URBAN BEEKEEPING

T he Good Ou t weighs T he Bad

Without pollinators, our plates would be empty

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

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

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

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

URBAN BEEKEEPING

Leafcutter bees are solitary insects that are important pollinators.

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

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

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

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

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Beehive

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

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

Honeybees love bee balm nectar

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

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

URBAN BEEKEEPING

Fennel is particularly prized by hoverflies, pollinating flies

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

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

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

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

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

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

BY CAROLINE RIVARD

Weeds of Gold With many of us now aware of declining bee populations, dandelions are making a remarkable comeback

GARDEN WEEDS

n our modern western culture, where perfect green lawns have been worshipped for so long, the dandelion is generally seen as one of the most disgraceful weeds.

We have been taught that it is an invasive plant that we must eradicate, usually targeted with herbicides. With many of us now aware of declining bee populations, dandelions are making a remarkable comeback. Their yellow blooms are rich in nectar and pollen and are one of the first sources of food for bees and other pollinating insects following a long winter. This fantastic weed is not only excellent for our buzzing little friends. It is a pot-ofgold of wonders for humans too! Let’s take the time to rediscover what our ancestors and other cultures knew about the great dandelion since the beginning of time.

It helps all of the digestive organs per form at their peak, and keeps the bowels healthy. An ex tremely safe herb, the plant can be used over a long period.

Taraxacum officinale, the official remedy for all disorders The common Latin name of ‘dandelion’ says it all: Taraxacum off icinale directly translates to “the official remedy for all disorders”. Five thousand years ago, Chinese medicine began using this wonderful weed as a remedy and as a tonic herb. Over many centuries, many different cultures and countries used the dandelion as an essential staple of nutritious food and for healing many disorders. The plant was often integrated into medicinal gardens belonging to monasteries. In the 16th century, dandelion water was given to the nobles in England to treat and cure different illnesses, and the Norman of France were using the plant to control scurvy. Today, scientific studies and researches are discovering more dandelion benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer proper ties.

Harvesting is always in the spring when “dent-de-lion” begin to carpet our fields and properties. The fresh, young leaves can be eaten raw in salads, the taste similar to slightly bitter arugula. If patient enough, you can even collect the tiny buds at the base of the rosette plant and make some pickled dandelion capers! Or as the Anglo-Saxon did, you can make dandelion wine, a beer-like beverage made from water, honey, yeast and the flowers fermented together for several days. Furthermore, the taproot can be dried, roasted, and used as a good coffee substitute.

Highly nutritious, dandelions are rich in potassium, calcium, lecithin, and are also excellent sources of iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, proteins, silicon, boron, and zinc. The dandelion provides several B vitamins along with vitamins C and vitamin E.

From weeding to collecting medicine It is safe to say that the dandelion can either be viewed as a curse for the gardener or as a blessing for the forager. The vitality of the tenacious weed is par t of what makes it such an effective medicine.

Dandelion plant washed and drying in the sun. Herbal tea in the making!

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GARDEN WEEDS

An easy and sustainable way to get rid of dandelions in your garden is to transform the weeds into medicine that you can use year around! The bitter taste of the leaves and the roots is an indication of its medicinal components. The bitter chemicals act as an anti-inflammatory, appetite stimulator, and diuretic. Pissa-bed plant, or Pissenlit in French, says it all: the diuretic proper ties of dandelions stimulate the kidneys, helping to eliminate urine and toxins from the body. Moreover, dandelions invigorate the digestive process, boosting the flow of bile while also protecting the liver and the pancreas, making them the perfect antidote to heavy meals and sluggish digestion, gas, and bloating. It helps all of the digestive organs perform at their peak, and keeps the bowels healthy. An extremely safe herb, the plant can be used over a long period. Unleash the natural medicine by using the dried leaves as an infusion or a decoction made of the dried roots. If you have a hard time with the bitter taste of the leaves, you can make them into a tincture and dilute it in water. If taken 20 minutes before a meal, a tincture will help with the digestion process. Fresh leaves may be added to salads or cooked as a potherb. The latex sap produced by the roots, leaves, and stems will help keep pests away, and the juice extracted from the stem and leaves is the most potent par t of the plant, medicinally speaking. It has long been used to get rid of war ts and soothe calluses. The key to the success of the process is to reapply the sap of the dandelion several times a day. An easy and sustainable way to get rid of dandelions in your garden is to transform the weeds into medicine that you can use year around!

Dandelion roots steeping in alcohol to make a medicinal tincture

• • •

•

Dig the roots of the dandelion and wash them thoroughly to remove dir t par ticles. Pat them dry and let them wilt for half a day. Chop them finely and put them in a glass jar, filled loosely to the top. Choose the size of the jar according to the number of roots you have. Fill the jar with a 40% alcohol or stronger. Cheap vodka does the trick, but organic alcohol will be a treat! Cover the roots completely. Cap the jar and let it sit in a cupboard for four to six weeks. Shake your jar a couple of times a week to extract more medicine from the plant. Strain and keep the liquid. Compost the plant material. Store the freshly made tincture in an amber glass bottle away from heat and light. Your homemade medicine will be potent for years!

When dandelions show their gold blooms in your gardens, be thankful for their presence; they are a valuable gift with many generous benefits to share. 3

A therapist and healer for over 15 years, Caroline’s passion for medicinal plants only began after leaving the city for the quiet country life in Quebec, Canada. Eager to learn, she’s never looked back, using forests and wildflower fields as her classroom ever since. In a time where reconnecting with plants and nature is badly needed, she spreads her love for herbalism by holding teaching workshops about the powers of medicinal herbs and natural remedies.

Bio

When it comes to foraging herbs and plants for food or medicine, we have the responsibility to do our own research and seek advice from experienced practitioners. This article provides a quick overview and is intended to raise awareness about a plant that is often discarded as a troublesome weed.

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

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

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

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

HERBS & SPICES

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

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

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

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

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

Source: Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide. Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best amzn.to/2xRd16y 55

BY RICH HAMILTON

I t is e s t im at ed t h at one-t hird of t he f ood t h at w e c ons ume da ily rel ie s on t he p ol l in at ion of hone y bee s 56

MUSHROOMS AND BEES

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

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

Why Are The Bees Dying?

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

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

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

Paul Stamets holding Fomitopsis officinalis

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

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

A bee with ‘Deformed Wing Virus’

credit: Klaas de Gelder

How Can We Help?

credit: By Dusty Yao-Stamets - Wikipedia

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

credit: Nikon’s Small World

MUSHROOMS AND BEES

Amadou mushroom

Varroa destructor parasite on the back of a bee

T he va r ie t y of mu shroom t h at m ay h av e t he p o w er t o s av e t he bee s bel ong s t o a n or der of f ungi k now n a s ‘p oly p or e s’, w hich a r e e x t r a c t s sho w n in numerou s s t udie s t o p o s se s s p o t en t a n t i v ir a l p rop er t ie s in hum a ns a ga ins t da ngerou s inf ec t ions l ik e s w ine f l u, p ox v iru se s, a nd e v en HI V This theory first emerged back in inal properties) experiencing a 79-fold So far, the results 1984, when Stamets observed bees reduction. Those fed amadou extract have been incredibly from his hive flying back and forth to a experienced a 44-fold reduction. promising. Caged pile of fungus-coated wood. They appeared to be sipping at a liquid that bees infected with The field test also showed promising had oozed from the mushroom’s myresults for another aggressive disease DWV have seen an celium, the fuzzy, white web of filthat is ravaging the honeybee popula800-fold decrease in aments through which fungi absorb tion, called Lake Sinai Virus; it saw a virus levels when nutrients. At the time, he believed substantial 45,000-fold reduction when the bees were attracted to the sugthe bees were fed red reishi extract! dosed with Amadou ar in the liquid, as fungi break wood mushroom extract. down into glucose. A few years ago, The research has only been conducted however, he woke from a lucid dream over two months in the summertime. in which the bees were ingesting the Future studies need to be carried out liquid as a form of self-medication for some ailment, and over a full year, and, especially during the winter, as this is the not for the sugar. hardest time for the honeybee. After telling friends about this dream, one of them urged him to call Washington State University (WSU) and speak to Walter Sheppard, the world’s leading bee expert. Less than five minutes into the phone conversation, Sheppard knew he wanted to work with Stamets.

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

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

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

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

Bio

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

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

BY GARETH HOPCROFT

Relative Humidity,

Transpiration and VPD

Transpiration is the driving force behind water uptake from the roots; critical nutrients are taken up and distributed through this process

RELATIVE HUMIDITY, TRANSPIRATION AND VPD

nvironmental factors are the most impor tant to get right when growing indoors. Having control over the lighting, temperature, CO2, relative humidity, and air movement within your grow room is essential to raising healthy and productive plants.

Some of these regulating factors have an intimate relationship. For example, the ideal relative humidity in a room is very dependant on the temperature. Humidity controllers help optimise the grow room environment. Most humidity controllers work as a humidistat, turning the humidifier on and off according to the relative humidity (RH) setpoint. This has limitations because the optimum RH changes depending on the temperatures of both the air and plants. To solve this problem, a new generation of humidity controllers have a setting that uses the metrics of Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD), which takes all of the above into consideration.

Having control over the lighting, temperature, CO2, relative humidity, and air movement within your grow room is essential to raising healthy and productive plant

Transpiration

Humidity, Relative Humidity, and Vapour Pressure Humidity Humidity is the amount of water in the air. The airâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moisture level can only be present as an invisible vapour. Unlike fog, steam, or mist, humidity is not visible. Relative Humidity (RH) is slightly different. RH is a measure of the actual water vapour in the air compared to the total amount of humidity the air could hold at the same temperature. As the air warms up, it expands, and as it cools, it contacts. Warmer air can hold more water than cooler air.

Relative Humidity and Vapour Pressure

RH has a significant impact on plant growth and greatly influences transpiration. Transpiration is the loss of water vapour from the leaves to the air. If there is not much water vapour in the air (low RH), there will be more demand for the plant to transpire. Transpiration is the driving force behind water uptake from the roots; critical nutrients are taken up and distributed through this process. Plants need to transpire to grow, but a balance is required. Too much will cause undue stress, and too little will lead to weak growth.

Water vapour in the air will exert pressure on plants; this is essential to understanding water movement through plants. In high RH conditions, the pressure on the plant is more significant than in low RH conditions. The more water vapour in the air, the more vapour pressure the plant feels. Think of all that water vapour in the air as a force pushing down on the plants; the more there is, the harder it is for the plant to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;push backâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; through transpiration.

credit: onfloriculture.wordpress.com

Relative Humidity and Plant Growth

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

Vapour Pressure Deficit Healthy plants have leaves and stems that are turgid, or in other words, pumped full of water. The water vapour inside the leaf that exits via transpiration is 100% RH. When the vapour pressure in the air is lower than the vapour pressure in the leaves, there is potential for transpiration. VPD is a measurement of the difference of the water vapour pressure of the plant’s leaves compared with the vapour pressure of the air. The smaller the difference or the lower the VPD, the less the plant will transpire. An excellent way to think about VPD is the ‘drying power’ of the air or a measure of the air’s ability to pull water from the plant’s foliage. VPD is, essentially, one value that provides more information about how a plant will transpire and grow in its environment than anything else. The unit of measure is commonly kilopascals (Kpa).

Temperature is Key Many growers will have heard advice about optimal RH levels in various stages of growth, but often, the temperature is disregarded, and it shouldn’t be. From a plant’s perspective, 55% RH as a single value doesn’t mean much. The example below represents two nearly identical grow rooms.

VPD is a measurement of the difference of the water vapour pressure of the plant’s leaves compared with the vapour pressure of the air A VPD of 0.4Kpa is very low and is mainly used for hardening-off plants that are fresh out of a propagator. This is best achieved at a low grow room temperature of 21-24°C, with the RH no higher than 70-75% (see Table A). At the middle of this range, a VPD of 0.6Kpa is still quite low and is best suited for small plants that have already hardened-off and are starting to grow larger leaves with healthy root systems. Again, keeping the temperature moderate, between 22-25°C and 65-70% RH is best practice (see Table A). At the end of this range, a VPD of 0.8Kpa is considered near optimum for healthy and productive growth and can be used throughout a plant’s life cycle. To maintain this VPD, run the room somewhere between 23-27°C with RH between 60-65%. (see Table A). Late Veg - Early Flower- VPD 0.8-1.2Kpa

Example: A) Temperature 25°C (77°F), RH 55% B) Temperature 28°C (82.5°F), RH 55%

= typical VPD – 1.07Kpa = typical VPD – 1.28Kpa

The above example shows us why measuring VPD is so critical! With only a slight increase in temperature and the same RH value, the VPD has increased by 20%. Temperature and RH need to be considered together to understand how the plants are reacting to their environment.

What VPD should I aim for? The optimum VPD range for plants grown indoors is between 0.8-1.0Kpa. There are situations where you may want to go higher or lower than this, and we outline typical examples below. Early Veg – VPD 0.4-0.8Kpa This is for late propagation when the plants are young. They have few leaves and a small root system, so will perform best in this range when transpiration is limited.

When plants begin vigorous growth later in the vegetative stage and early flower, they have more leaves and roots and can and take up more water and nutrients with a higher transpiration setting range.

With a VPD of 1.0Kpa, transpiration will be moderate but not too stressful. This is an acceptable reading for plants in late veg and early to mid-flowering where healthy root systems will support the increased water uptake. At the end of this range, a VPD of 1.2Kpa creates a high transpiration rate from the leaves and is best suited for large, mature plants in the mid to late flowering stage. Late Flower – VPD 1.2-1.6Kpa When the plants have stopped vegetative growth and are maturing in the flowering stage, they have well-established root systems and leafy canopies to better cope with a higher rate of transpiration. The increased water uptake is helpful at this setting range, and the dry environment helps prevent pathogens.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY, TRANSPIRATION AND VPD

Temperature and RH need to be considered together to understand how the plants are reacting to their environment

A VPD of 1.4 -1.6Kpa creates a high transpiration rate from the leaves. This should only be used at the end of a plant’s life cycle when you may want to force increased water uptake and higher transpiration.

As the stomata close, the leaves become turgid (they are full of water). This is perfectly fine, and it is not necessary to set a significantly different VPD or RH level at night. Usually, the cooler air temperature at night will cause the RH to rise slightly, and the humidifier will remain off.

VPD at Night Controlling the vapour pressure deficit is managed by allowing transpiration to occur at a healthy rate. Transpiration happens during the day when leaves are exposed to light. At night, the stomata on the leaves close and transpiration stops.

°C

Table A: Temperatures, RH, and VPD values recommended for each growth stage.

Growth Stage

VPD

Low Transpiration / Propagation /Early Veg Healthy Transpiration / Late Veg / Early Flower High Transpiration / Late Flower Danger Zone

0.4-0.8 0.8-1.2 1.2-1.6 <0.4 / >1.6

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

AIR TEMPERATURE

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

85 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.10 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.19 0.20 0.22 0.23 0.25 0.27 0.29 0.31 0.33

80 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.10 0.11 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.19 0.21 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28 0.29 0.32 0.34 0.36 0.39 0.41 0.44 0.47 0.50 0.53 0.57 0.60 0.64 0.68

75 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.18 0.19 0.20 0.22 0.23 0.25 0.27 0.29 0.31 0.33 0.36 0.38 0.41 0.43 0.46 0.49 0.53 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.68 0.72 0.77 0.81 0.86 0.92 0.97 1.03

70 0.10 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.18 0.20 0.21 0.23 0.25 0.26 0.28 0.30 0.33 0.35 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.46 0.49 0.52 0.56 0.59 0.63 0.67 0.72 0.76 0.81 0.86 0.91 0.97 1.03 1.09 1.16 1.23 1.30 1.38

65 0.13 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.18 0.19 0.21 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.27 0.30 0.32 0.34 0.36 0.39 0.42 0.45 0.48 0.51 0.54 0.58 0.62 0.66 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.96 1.02 1.08 1.15 1.22 1.30 1.38 1.46 1.54 1.63 1.73

60 0.16 0.17 0.19 0.20 0.22 0.23 0.25 0.27 0.29 0.31 0.34 0.36 0.39 0.41 0.44 0.47 0.51 0.54 0.58 0.62 0.66 0.71 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.91 0.97 1.03 1.09 1.16 1.23 1.31 1.39 1.47 1.56 1.66 1.75 1.86 1.97 2.08

55 0.19 0.21 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28 0.30 0.32 0.34 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.46 0.49 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.68 0.73 0.78 0.83 0.88 0.94 1.00 1.07 1.13 1.21 1.28 1.36 1.45 1.53 1.63 1.73 1.83 1.94 2.05 2.17 2.30 2.43

50 0.22 0.24 0.26 0.28 0.30 0.32 0.35 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.46 0.49 0.53 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.69 0.74 0.79 0.84 0.89 0.95 1.02 1.08 1.15 1.23 1.30 1.38 1.47 1.56 1.66 1.76 1.87 1.98 2.09 2.22 2.35 2.48 2.63 2.78

45 0.25 0.27 0.29 0.32 0.34 0.37 0.39 0.42 0.45 0.49 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.68 0.73 0.78 0.83 0.89 0.95 1.01 1.08 1.15 1.22 1.30 1.38 1.47 1.56 1.66 1.76 1.87 1.98 2.10 2.23 2.36 2.50 2.64 2.80 2.96 3.13

40 0.28 0.30 0.33 0.35 0.38 0.41 0.44 0.47 0.51 0.54 0.58 0.62 0.67 0.71 0.76 0.82 0.87 0.93 0.99 1.06 1.13 1.20 1.28 1.36 1.45 1.54 1.64 1.74 1.85 1.96 2.08 2.21 2.34 2.48 2.63 2.78 2.94 3.11 3.29 3.48

35 0.31 0.34 0.36 0.39 0.42 0.45 0.49 0.52 0.56 0.60 0.64 0.69 0.74 0.79 0.84 0.90 0.96 1.03 1.10 1.17 1.25 1.33 1.41 1.50 1.60 1.70 1.81 1.92 2.04 2.16 2.29 2.43 2.58 2.73 2.89 3.06 3.24 3.43 3.62 3.83

30 0.34 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.46 0.50 0.53 0.57 0.61 0.66 0.70 0.75 0.81 0.86 0.92 0.99 1.05 1.12 1.20 1.28 1.36 1.45 1.54 1.64 1.75 1.86 1.97 2.10 2.23 2.36 2.51 2.66 2.82 2.98 3.16 3.34 3.54 3.74 3.95 4.18

25 0.37 0.40 0.43 0.47 0.50 0.54 0.58 0.62 0.67 0.71 0.77 0.82 0.88 0.94 1.00 1.07 1.14 1.22 1.30 1.39 1.48 1.58 1.68 1.78 1.90 2.02 2.14 2.28 2.42 2.56 2.72 2.88 3.05 3.23 3.42 3.62 3.83 4.05 4.28 4.53

20 0.41 0.44 0.47 0.50 0.54 0.58 0.63 0.67 0.72 0.77 0.83 0.89 0.95 1.01 1.08 1.16 1.23 1.32 1.41 1.50 1.60 1.70 1.81 1.92 2.05 2.18 2.31 2.45 2.60 2.76 2.93 3.11 3.29 3.49 3.69 3.90 4.13 4.37 4.61 4.88

15 0.44 0.47 0.50 0.54 0.58 0.63 0.67 0.72 0.77 0.83 0.89 0.95 1.02 1.09 1.16 1.24 1.33 1.41 1.51 1.61 1.71 1.82 1.94 2.07 2.20 2.33 2.48 2.63 2.79 2.96 3.14 3.33 3.53 3.74 3.96 4.19 4.43 4.68 4.95 5.22

10 0.47 0.50 0.54 0.58 0.62 0.67 0.72 0.77 0.83 0.89 0.95 1.02 1.09 1.16 1.24 1.33 1.42 1.51 1.61 1.72 1.83 1.95 2.07 2.21 2.35 2.49 2.65 2.81 2.98 3.16 3.35 3.56 3.77 3.99 4.22 4.47 4.72 4.99 5.28 5.57

5 0.50 0.53 0.58 0.62 0.66 0.71 0.77 0.82 0.88 0.94 1.01 1.08 1.16 1.24 1.32 1.41 1.51 1.61 1.71 1.83 1.95 2.07 2.21 2.35 2.49 2.65 2.82 2.99 3.17 3.36 3.57 3.78 4.00 4.24 4.49 4.75 5.02 5.31 5.61 5.92

0 0.53 0.57 0.61 0.66 0.71 0.76 0.81 0.87 0.93 1.00 1.07 1.15 1.23 1.31 1.40 1.50 1.60 1.71 1.82 1.94 2.06 2.20 2.34 2.49 2.64 2.81 2.98 3.17 3.36 3.56 3.78 4.00 4.24 4.49 4.75 5.03 5.32 5.62 5.94 6.27

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

AIR TEMPERATURE

°C

RELATIVE HUMIDITY % 100 95 90 °F -0.08 -0.05 -0.02 32.0 -0.09 -0.06 -0.02 33.8 -0.09 -0.06 -0.02 35.6 -0.10 -0.06 -0.03 37.4 -0.11 -0.07 -0.03 39.2 -0.11 -0.07 -0.03 41.0 -0.12 -0.08 -0.03 42.8 -0.13 -0.08 -0.03 44.6 -0.14 -0.08 -0.03 46.4 -0.15 -0.09 -0.03 48.2 -0.16 -0.09 -0.03 50.0 -0.16 -0.10 -0.03 51.8 -0.17 -0.10 -0.03 53.6 -0.19 -0.11 -0.03 55.4 -0.20 -0.12 -0.04 57.2 -0.21 -0.12 -0.04 59.0 -0.22 -0.13 -0.04 60.8 -0.23 -0.14 -0.04 62.6 -0.25 -0.14 -0.04 64.4 -0.26 -0.15 -0.04 66.2 -0.27 -0.16 -0.04 68.0 -0.29 -0.16 -0.04 69.8 -0.31 -0.17 -0.04 71.6 -0.32 -0.18 -0.04 73.4 -0.34 -0.19 -0.04 75.2 -0.36 -0.20 -0.04 77.0 -0.38 -0.21 -0.04 78.8 -0.40 -0.22 -0.04 80.6 -0.42 -0.23 -0.04 82.4 -0.44 -0.24 -0.04 84.2 -0.46 -0.25 -0.04 86.0 -0.49 -0.26 -0.04 87.8 -0.51 -0.27 -0.04 89.6 -0.54 -0.29 -0.03 91.4 -0.56 -0.30 -0.03 93.2 -0.59 -0.31 -0.03 95.0 -0.62 -0.33 -0.03 96.8 -0.65 -0.34 -0.02 98.6 -0.68 -0.35 -0.02 100.4 -0.72 -0.37 -0.02 102.2

RELATIVE HUMIDITY, TRANSPIRATION AND VPD

To avoid the risk of pathogens, it is essential that water droplets never form on the plant’s leaves

Measuring the Plant Temperature If you are growing crops that are prone to fungal pathogens, run the RH slightly lower at night. This can be achieved through air extraction or using a dehumidifier.

Day – Night Transition It is imperative to change the environment between night and day slowly. A significant drop in temperature over a shor t period will increase the chance of water vapour condensing out of the air, par ticularly if running a high relative humidity. When water vapour condenses to a liquid, it is called the ‘dew point’. To avoid the risk of pathogens, it is essential that water droplets never form on the plant’s leaves. A lighting controller with a sunrise/sunset mode is better able to manage a slow transition from day to night. Many growers blame high RH for fungal pathogens on crops, but it is more often the changing RH and the dew point that makes the room so inviting to disease.

The plant’s temperature must be known to calculate VPD. An infrared thermometer provides a snapshot of the plant by measuring the leaf surface temperature. Doing this often is critical; just as you would check your thermostat each time you visit the grow room, you should also take a few leaf temperature measurements. When measuring leaf temperature, choose the leaves that are exposed to full light and positioned fur ther away from circulation fans. Optimum results will be leaves that are 1-3 degrees cooler than the air. Take as many readings as possible across the canopy, then input the average plant difference into the controller. When the leaves are cooler than the air, they are transpiring well, and their temperature is regulated. If the leaves are just as warm as the air or warmer, it’s a sign that the plant is in trouble. This could be a result of dry air, high temperatures, or a lack of available water. 3

BIO Gareth Hopcroft is a certified plant geek and all Will running high humidity cause any problems? When creating a grow room environment with a healthy VPD, remember to keep the temperature lower so that maintaining a high RH isn’t necessary. Aim for lows of 23°C and RH of 55%, and highs of 26°C and 70% RH.

round organic gardening devotee. Gareth has been involved in the UK hydro industry for 15 years and is currently the owner of Ecothrive; known mostly for bringing frass to the UK scene through his product ‘Charge’. When he’s not talking about indoor growing or microbes, you’ll find Gareth getting his hands dirty on his allotment or falling off his skateboard. Follow Gareth @ecothrive

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

BY ANNE GIBSON

The Case for Rekindling the Lost Art of

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

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

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

SEED SAVING

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

Seed Heritage

Consolidation of the Seed Industry

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

Loss of Diversity

A variety of runner bean seeds

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

SEED SAVING

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

Australian seeds

Corn cobs with dried kernels save for seed

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

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

Saving Life’s Building Blocks

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

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SEED SAVING

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

The Open Source Seed Initiative

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

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

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

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

BY MATT MOUNTAIN

Agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dirty Secret 74

NITROGEN

Knowledge is power. A problem you know about is far less dangerous than the one you don’t. It can be analysed, worked on, and fixed until we make progress.

ou may have seen repor ts in the science world recently about a par ticularly imaginative use for Google Streetview cars in America. Researchers have used them to assess real-world greenhouse gas emissions from nitrate fer tiliser plants in the United States (1). It has grabbed headlines because of

the conclusion that methane emissions from nitrate fer tiliser production in the U.S. are 149 times higher than previously thought. Fer tiliser production alone emits three times more methane than the U.S. thought it’s total annual methane emissions represented. These emissions are par ticularly harmful because methane (marketed as natural gas) is a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The study looked at fertiliser production because a previous assessment of pollution coming from methane had focused on its production and how it is burned to generate energy. However, the researchers point out that not all methane is used in power generation. A large amount goes into putting food on our plates via one of agriculture’s dirtiest secrets: the fertiliser industry.

Methane emissions from nitrate fertiliser production in the U.S. are 149 times higher than previously thought

Humans have been using naturally occurring minerals such as saltpetre (potassium and other nitrates) to add fer tility to soils for thousands of years. In the 1800s, notably in Germany and the U.K., people used controlled testing to assess the effects of different chemical soil additives. In 1842, this scientific process led to the first patent for what was called a ‘chemically enhanced manure.’

Some organisms can fix atmospheric nitrogen by taking the gas and turning it into a relatively stable compound that can be used by plants. These organisms are microbes living in specialised environments. Some live freely in the soil, and some, such as those that survive as symbiotes within nodules on the roots of plants, live in the legume (pea) family.

The Nitrogen Cycle

When these discoveries were combined with the technical and mechanical advances of the day, they boosted farming productivity, giving bir th to the agricultural revolution that our modern society knows well. And while many of the raw materials used in agriculture are mined or collected, some of them have to be made. Nitrogen, the element plants need to produce chlorophyll, is a macronutrient and plants cannot live without it. However, unlike potassium or phosphorus, it is unreactive to the extreme, which causes a problem. While you can find naturally occurring nitrogen compounds, such as potassium nitrate, nitrogen doesn’t like forming compounds with other elements. And so for a very long time, we have only been able to find it through the very plants that need it to grow. 75

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NITROGEN

Until the beginning of the last century, adding extra nitrogen to the soil meant either composting plants with high nitrogen levels (such as comfrey) or collecting manure from animals that had eaten those plants

Atmospheric nitrogen is sequestered in plants which eventually die and decay or get eaten by animals. When this happens, their tissues are broken down, and the nitrogen is made available for other plants or fungi to use. Until the beginning of the last century, adding extra nitrogen to the soil meant either composting plants with high nitrogen levels (such as comfrey) or collecting manure from animals that had eaten those plants.

In 1909, however, this historic loop was opened when Fritz Haber produced the first practical and ar tificial ammonia (NH3) by combining hydrogen gas with atmospheric nitrogen under high pressure. BASF bought the concept, and fellow chemist, Carl Bosch, was asked to collaborate, resulting in Nobel prizes for both men. It also liberated the international community from depending on mining historic animal waste deposits for fer tiliser production.

Comfrey is a plant with a high nitrogen level

At the very beginning, the only flaw in the process seemed to be what happens when too much nitrogen in the form of nitrate or ammonia is released into the environment. But in modern agriculture, our concerns are much more significant and involve runoff and eutrophication: algal blooms that create dead zones thousands of miles across the seas of the world.

The vast majority of both the consumption of and pollution by nitrate fer tiliser is due to â&#x20AC;&#x153;row farmingâ&#x20AC;?. Row farming usually involves crops such as wheat, corn, oilseed, and so on. In other words, the basis of our food production. For many years, farmers have applied vast quantities of nitrogen, generally in the form of ammonia (NH 4+) because it is so concentrated. Ammonia is toxic and dangerous, but microorganisms in the soil can conver t it into a form that crops can use. The result is supposed to be cheap productivity, but this is a false promise.

The Haber Process

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THEY CALL US THE RISING SUN

We will go to the ends of the Earth NPK MEDIA | Changing The View

NITROGEN

Above and beyond the runoff concerns, upon application, the toxic ammonia star ts to off-gas. Overapplication causes soil bacteria to emit nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO2) at much higher levels than previously thought (2). The production of nitrogen fer tilisers uses and leaks massive amounts of methane and also emits CO2 .

Ammonia is toxic and dangerous, but microorganisms in the soil can convert it into a form that crops can use. The result is supposed to be cheap productivity, but this is a false promise

Of all the CO2 used in the world, 60% of it comes from ammonium nitrate production, despite the majority being condensed to prevent even more pollution. This latest scientific discovery pushes nitrate production into the category of most polluting activities, and with that position comes increased taxation and pressure to remediate and change production practices. What are we to do? Now that we know about the leakage from nitrate plants, we can fix it, stop leaks, and reduce emissions to where they were thought to be. But more impor tantly, we need to move away from nitrate-based fer tilisers.

In Europe, we have been doing so slowly, but still somewhat faster than North America. Last year, there was a shortage of CO2 for use in bars for carbonating drinks, a direct result of ammonium nitrate sales dropping as Europe shifted away from the product. As of 2027, it will be illegal to use quick release nitrate fertiliser in Spain, and many countries will likely follow suit to protect the environment and public health.

As we move to ban fast-release nitrate products, many companies are choosing an organic approach by using soil-based nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Others are developing ways to use algae to fix atmospheric nitrogen commercially, essentially providing advanced green manure. As with most problems, organic will not magically solve everything, as they are often animal-based and can cause the same runoff problems as mineral fer tiliser. However, when combined with other techniques, such as mixing nitrogen-fixing and leaching crops, moving to a system that is par tially organic (at the very least) holds a lot of promise. 3

Bio

Matt Mountain - Clearspeech.london With a Bachelor of Sciences degree and background in management consultancy, Mattâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day job is helping everyday people - aka customers, understand and benefit from the developments that researchers and manufacturers in advanced horticulture make every year. Matt has over 20 years of urban gardening experience in France and England, is now particularly concentrated on the practical application of hydroponics in small-scale urban food production with a focus on high value, high carbon cost produce.

Nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules

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

BY RICH HAMILTON

THE HORMESIS EFFECT

here are two schools of thought in the world of growing: the first is that you should give your plant everything that it needs throughout its lifecycle and that you should never deviate from the scheduled temperature, light conditions, or feedings. The result is a zero-stress environment; many

believe that altering it could have a detrimental effect on the plant’s growth, health, and yield.

The other opinion is that a little bit of stress is a good thing and that depriving the plant of water, light, and heat in small amounts at specific times could make it stronger, healthier, and more productive. Evidence shows there is some truth to this theory! This phenomenon is referred to as hormesis and occurs in all biological structures, including humans.

Scientific research finds that a fundamental level of stress is needed Applying stress for plants to reach optimum health. in the right There are a variety of environmental stressors that can be introduced amounts makes throughout the growing cycle to help them stronger, make it happen. Your best plants are likely to be the ones that not only hardier, and survive doses of good stress but healthier ones that thrive on it. Remember: timing is critical, as prolonged periods of stress can result in genetic Hormesis is the idea that exposing abnormalities, hermaphroditism, or cells and organisms to mild intermittent stress will in some cases, irreparable damage and even plant death. result in a “hormetic”(adaptive) response that can have various biological benefits. Biological stressors include Temperature exercise, dietary restriction, and heat shock. German Excess heat can be detrimental to plants in an indoor pharmacologist Hugo Schulz first described hormesis grow environment, as it can dramatically affect the rate in 1888, following his observations that small doses of of photosynthesis and alter growth patterns. The result is poisons could stimulate the growth of yeast. usually overstretched plants with fewer flowers and low resin production. Today, hormesis is par t of cutting edge research related to humans, as evidence suggests that repetitive mild stress Hormesis is the idea that exposure has anti-ageing effects. When exposed to mild exposing cells and organisms stressors, the body reacts by using compounds called hormetins to adapt and stimulate response pathways to to mild intermittent increase the production of protective and restorative stress will result in a proteins. These help the body become more dynamic and better equipped to deal with various stressors. Studies “hormetic”(adaptive) response on hormesis are helping develop new prevention and that can have various treatment of many age-related diseases.

biological benefits

Exercise is an excellent example of hormesis in action. How does a bodybuilder achieve a perfectly toned, muscular physique? By lifting only light weights? Of course not! While they do carry out light resistance conditioning training, it is performed intermittently with very heavy weightlifting that causes the body immense stress and tears the muscle. By tearing a muscle, the body has to become stronger to repair it and is ready to repeat the process to achieve better results. The same rules apply to plants. Applying stress in the right amounts makes them stronger, hardier, and healthier. Hormesis can help transform plants from Danny DeVito to Arnold Schwarzenneger.

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THE HORMESIS EFFECT

Cold temperatures can act as a beneficial stressor if introduced at the right time

Light Cold temperatures can act as a Many crops are sensitive to beneficial stressor if introduced at The response disruptions in their light cycles, as the right time. Allowing the room will boost both various essential processes occur to cool down to between 50 and during the “lights on” and “lights 60 0 F (10-15°C) at night during the the metabolic off ” periods. Never interrupt a last two weeks of the flower cycle system and plant’s dark or light times during will induce a hormetic response its grow th and f lowering periods. in the plants, which will begin to production of It is possible, however, to play panic about the onset of winter. anthocyanins, around with the type of light used The response will boost both the resulting in at critical points. metabolic system and production of anthocyanins, resulting in more more resin and In the natural world, UV light is resin and more vivid colours in more vivid more intense at higher altitudes. the flowers. Another trick is to When the plant is exposed to try flushing the plant with ice cold colours in the the harsh intensity of UV light, its water for the 48 hours before flowers hormetic response is to protect harvest. The sudden change will itself by producing more resin, send the plant into hormetic which acts as a natural defence response, and it will spend all of its against the power ful and damaging effects of UV light. energy on protecting itself. Expect to see an increase in Make the most of this oppor tunity by using a “f inishing” essential oils, terpenes, and trichomes. lamp in the later phases of f lower. A f inishing lamp is a f lowering lamp which has had its spectral output Water modif ied to produce more UV light. Most fast-growing annuals require a lot of water to keep up with the growing demands throughout their lifecycle. The only time I recommend deviating from your plant’s You can, however, withhold water to trick the plant into light schedule is in the 48 hours before har vest. During thinking it is about to experience a period of drought. this time, keep the plant in complete darkness, only The plant’s hormetic reaction to dryness is to accelerate switching the lights back on a strict two hours before root growth to search fur ther and wider to find a new picking. This dark period fools the plants into believing moisture source. This process also has the added benefit they are going to die, and the hormetic reaction is to of increasing oxygen levels available to the root zone, go into sur vival mode and bulk up wherever possible. making for healthier roots. Once the lights come back on, the plants will begin absorbing all the water they can, f illing up with a f inal Perform this exercise during the last two weeks of the swell of goodness before har vest. vegetative stage to achieve optimum root mass before the onset of flower. Do not withhold water for too long, So, you see, not all stress is a bad thing; some of it is however, as this could result in wilting or fatal conditions. essential for optimum per formance. It most def initely Reducing humidity and water levels during flowering is takes some practice to get it right, but the benef its are also proven to induce a beneficial hormetic response in plenty. With a little pain comes a whole lot of gain! 3 plants. Faced with drought conditions, many plants will produce extra resin to coat its flowers and seeds in an attempt to seal in any existing moisture and protect against damage. Extra resin is always a good thing.

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See all the urban growers, backyard gardeners, and inspiring communities featured in Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Growing What Where over the years.

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visit: GCmag.co/WGWW

BY JESSICA STEINBERG

n e e r G o t e From Whit

The Colombian culture, and the warmth of their people that I experienced while there never caught mention, not even a breath of attention 86

COLOMBIA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COLOMBIA

to Green From White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIO

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

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WHAT’S GROWING ON

s ’ o h W Growing

t a h W Wh

ere

in the U Kreland & I

Devon, England

Flower Salads

Credit: Maddocks Farm Organics

Keeping things simple has resulted in a wildly successful business venture for Jan and Stuart of Maddocks Farm Organics. After living and working in the hustle and bustle of London for several years, they moved with their family to the countryside in 2002, and Jan never looked back. At first, her small scale farm distributed seasonal organic vegetable boxes. Then in 2008, Jan decided to specialise in edible flowers, growing and selling tasty organic plants of all kinds to incorporate into the salad of your dreams, whether it be savoury, slightly sweet, or spicy. Why organic? Flowers cannot be washed and peeled to remove chemical residue, and so for Maddocks Farm Organics, it’s the only way to grow. Over the years, the farm has been recognised multiple times by the Soil Association and other groups. It also takes the depletion of the UK’s bee population very seriously and donates 1% of its profits to bee, butterfly, and insect conservation efforts. Simple ideas are often the best ideas. Learn more: maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk

Bristol, England

Cities around the world need to find ways to feed people healthy, fresh food, and Grow Bristol thinks it has the solution. Using hydroponics and controlled environment agriculture, the indoor vertical farm produces high-quality leafy greens year-round without the help of any pesticides. The social enterprise’s pilot project system can grow 100 kg of nutritious produce every month with minimal environmental impact. So far, more than 50 crops have been trialed, and customers are eating them up! As pioneers in the UK’s urban farming movement, Grow Bristol believes the way of the future is ‘growing up’ and that the result will be smart cities with healthier people. It is working to help shape the industry so that others hoping to join the movement can do so smoothly; the more players in the game, the brighter we will be.

Credit: Grow Bristol

Smart Cities

Ultra-local food at your fingertips. Learn more: growbristol.co.uk

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WHAT’S GROWING ON

Who’s Growing

WhWaht

ere

Bath, England

in the Kland U Ire &

Ethical Harvests

Credit: Electric Daisy Flower Farm

The team at Electric Daisy Flower Farm takes growing beautiful flowers seriously. From sowing the seeds to harvest, it is a journey they all very much enjoy, and it shows in the finished product. Stunning varieties are grown with the seasons, so the property is continuously in bloom no matter what time of the year. The flowers and foliage are all chemical-free, and the only air miles accumulated on the farm are by the abundance of pollinating insects. Founder Fiona Haser Bizony is an artist and curator, a profession she now channels through her bouquets. Each one is multi-sensory, exploding with vibrant colour and sweet fragrance. Incredible energy comes at no extra charge. Small farm, big, beautiful flowers. Learn more: electricdaisyflowerfarm.co.uk

Credit: Donnycarney West Community Association

Dublin, Ireland

Thriving Laneway

It is safe to say Mucky Lane has undergone a significant transformation. The small alleyway used to be dirty and unsafe to walk through; today, a group of Northside volunteers has turned it into a beefriendly garden. The project spans about three-quarters of an acre and includes homemade birdhouses, bat boxes, and bee and insect hotels; plant life ranges from herbaceous bordered pathways and shrubberies to a native Irish holly hedge and 16,000 flowering bulbs that provide pops of colour throughout a 50-metre long ‘snake’. Raised strawberry beds and a small apple orchard are also featured. The volunteer group has even thought of building a compost heap to keep the soil thriving. New life and beauty for the entire community to enjoy. Learn more: facebook.com/donnycarneycommunity 3

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

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Base Nutrients: RO/SOFT is our most universal and popular one-part base nutrient. A hybrid of synthetics and organics; a pH stable formula for those who have small or large containers and a start water of 0.0-0.3 EC. It is completely soluble in RO water and built for coco, rockwool, or soil. TAP/HARD is a revolutionary pH stable formula for farms that have hard water 0.3-0.7 EC. No other company offers this as “water chemistry” is difficult to educate. With TAP/HARD you can potentially skip the costly RO water filter system and also save on the cost of water. Due to a higher pH in hard tap water, this formula is buffered appropriately so the use of large amounts of pH down can be avoided. Best used in coco and rockwool. DIRTY is a comprehensive formula for those who have a start water of 0.0-0.7 EC and are growing in soil or peat based mediums indoor or outdoor. Enhanced with humics, fulvics, crab meal extract and compost tea powder, this base was intended to provide the benefits of both synethetic and organic additives giving you extra bag appeal.

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Additives: PUSH is our foliar spray additive used during vegetative growth that includes bio available calcium, silica, plant stimulants and kelp. The plant hormones allow for cells to divide faster, reducing your overall veg cycle, while increasing cell wall strength and vigor. SHINE is our best product, a flowering bloom additive formulated with phosphites and organics such as compost tea powder for enhanced terpene and resin production. SHINE can be used not only in conjunction with our full nutrient line but can also be used with other base nutrient lines. Distributed in the UK by:

hydroponic-research.com

ASK A PH.D.

Garden Culture’s

Ask A Ph.D.!

Question:

How do microbes work in hydroponic growing systems?

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

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

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

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

Bio

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

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

BY EVAN FOLDS

Regenerative is the New Sustainable

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

REGENERATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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REGENERATION

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

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

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

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

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

Regenerative is the new sustainable.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REGENERATION

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

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

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

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

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

Bio

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

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

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GREEN ADVICE

cool

ways T

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

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

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

Palm Fronds

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

Credit: Custom Shade

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Credit: Giavanna Accurso

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

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NEW

GREEN ADVICE

cool

ways

TO HELP YOU R G A RD ENS BEAT T H E H EAT

Mulch

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

I nsul atin g Co ntainers

Choose Plants Carefully

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

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

Credit: pixaby.

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

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Credit: pixaby.

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