Garden Culture Magazine: US 2

LIVING

FOOD

PA N T R I E S

GROWING IN SPACE FOGPONICS

ROSEMARY miracle fruit

US/CA EDITION YEAR 1 - ISSUE 2 路 2013 - PRICE: $5,95 US | $5.95 CAN

GREEN

WASHING

IS EVERYWHERE

KORN

IS GROWING CORN? growing phytoplankton

WWW.GARDENCULTURE.NET

THE ART OF URBAN GARDENING AND INDOOR GROWING

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GREEN-UP

STOP THE YELLOWING Green-Up is designed to reduce yellowing when cuttings are rooting. It has the ability to feed a cutting before the roots have developed. Can be used on mature plants to reduce yellowing on lower leaves in flowering stage.

LIQUID BLACK CRYSTAL INCREASE YOUR PLANTS NUTRIENT INTAKE Liquid Black Crystal assists in increasing the ion exchange across the root membrane. It improves the plants ability to absorb nutrients. Liquid Black Crystal is most effective when it is applied to the root zone of a plant. It can be used for gardens and lawns, particularly where the pH of the soil is high.

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CONTENTS I GARDEN CULTURE

WHEATGRASS

72

FOG PONICS

GENETICS & BREEDING

34

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

14

KORN

52

64 GROWING

80

IN SPACE

10 IN THIS ISSUE OF GARDEN CULTURE: 9 Foreword & Credits

MINI-FOODS 52 Growing Korn

10 Growing in Space

58 Growing Phytoplankton

14 Product Spotlight

63 Dutch Innovations for the Future

24 Greenwashing is everywhere

64 Fogponics

29 The Miracle Fruit

66 Garden Efficiency

30 Living food pantries

68 Extinct Food

34 Genetics and Breeding

72 Superfoods: Wheatgrass

38 Ed Begley Jr.: Environmental Avatar

76 Life All Inclusive tm

45 Media Spotlight

80 Mini Foods you can grow yourself

46 Grown your own: Rosemary

86 Meet America’s Dirtiest Lawyer gardenculture.net

7

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FOREWORD & COLOFON I GARDEN CULTURE FOREWORD

CREDITS Garden Culture™ is a publication of GC Publishers B.V.

GARDEN CULTURE’S SECOND NORTH AMERICAN EDITION! I’d like to thank everyone for the great response to our North American launch. We couldn’t have done it without the support from our distributors though. It’s because we work with the best of the industry that we can say we’ve pulled it off. Of course, we’re not there yet. Not quite at our goal. We still have loads of work to do in making sure Garden Culture Magazine is available for the masses. At least we have arrived, and 30,000 magazines landed in North America.

I really hope you enjoy reading this second issue of the magazine as much as we enjoyed making it. I’m very proud of our lineup of writers and the content we’ve provided for you. Good content is hard to come by, and I’m very proud of our team that made it possible. If you have some cool tips on articles, projects or other interesting news I’d love to hear your ideas. We’re always looking to expand our horizons and bring you more great content.

In our efforts to make the magazine available for the masses our tech team also developed a IOS and Android apps so you can read Garden Culture on your favorite device as well. Check out Apple’s App Store or Google Play for more info. Starting with Issue 3 we also expect the magazine to be available from your local bookstore and Amazon.com. For us these are major milestones in bringing Garden Culture Magazine closer to the masses.

Have fun reading and keep it green!

Mike Nivato - Executive Editor

EDITORS

Executive Editor: Mike Nivato E. mike@gardenculture.net Design: Job Hugenholtz Special thanks the following contributors: Dan F, Wade, Tammy Clayton, April Kazema, Evan Folds, Fred Decker, Jeroen Kahteem, Sylvia Bernstein, Tom Alexander

PUBLISHER

GC Publishers Postbus 483 3200AL Spijkenisse The Netherlands t. 1-855-427-8254 w www.gcpublishers.net e info@gcpublishers.net

ADVERTISING

Eric Coulombe E. eric@gardenculture.net 1-855-427-8254 ext

SUBSCRIPTIONS

E. subscriptions@gardenculture.net

DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS Rambridge HydroFarm Sunlight Supply BioFloral

ISSN: 2211-9329 © GC Publishers B.V.

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

Website : www.GardenCulture.net

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9

growing I N S PAC E

Orbiting approximately 220 miles over the surface of the Earth is the International Space Station (ISS).

Since 2002 the ISS has a greenhouse where plants of all varieties are grown hydroponically. It is truly amazing to think of the dozens of plant experiments happening above us, but we live in a world where new advances occur on a daily basis, including miles over our heads. The coolest part about this technology is the type of experiments they are doing up there.

10

BY APRIL

GROWING IN SPACE I GARDEN CULTURE

fresh veg for astronauts

Mizuna lettuce in the ISS

SPACE PL ANTS NEED MORE WATER

green thumb, and astronauts are no different. While they may not be excellent gardeners, they still require fresh food, especially for extended periods in space. Enter VEGGIE, a vegetable production system that is being prepared to go up to the space station for this very reason.

The cool thing about VEGGIE is that it is a very simple idea, essentially a “do it yourself kit”, but it is supercharged with water, nutrients, and a bit of electricity. Edible plants like lettuce, radishes, and other leafy greens can be grown in a matter of days. Plants like tomatoes or beans could be fully grown in little time. The way the lights, water and nutrients work together in VEGGIE make it extremely speedy, and the eventual goal is to not only feed astronauts, but to use VEGGIE at home and even as a sort of outreach for impoverished groups here on Earth.

Imagine growing your own veggies in half the time, not to mention with half the money of a typical organic grocery bill!

IN THE CASE OF THE MIZUNA, THE EXPERIMENT SHOWED THAT THE LETTUCE LEAVES GREW TWICE AS FAST AS THEIR EARTHLY RELATIVES

In one of the most recent experiments, scientists were growing a plant they have not grown before, at least not in space. This plant, a type of Japanese lettuce known as Mizuna, grew much faster in space than it does on Earth.

After a sensor malfunctioned and more water poured into a module than was planned, the Mizuna shot up. This shows that plants in space may need more water than those on Earth if optimal growth is to be achieved. In the case of the Mizuna, the experiment showed that the lettuce leaves grew twice as fast as their Earthly relatives. This is extremely significant, as over the next several decades, humans will go further from the surface of the Earth than ever before. Sending food to those travelling through space will certainly not be an easy thing to do. The combination of microgravity and water, in this case, has shown that it is possible to grow food quickly, even in the confines of space.

FASTER HARVESTS ANYWHERE Another experiment soon to be going on over our heads is something that probably isn’t completely foreign to gardeners here on Earth. You probably know that not everyone has a

TAMING THE ROOTS OF SPACE PL ANTS Another experiment that has been done in the vast reaches of space, well... aboard the ISS that is, may be an exciting innovation to those interested in how plants grow. Known as HydroTropi, this experiment takes a look into how plants grow in

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FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS OR SO, EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN GOING ON TO FIND OUT IF PLANTS CAN GROW IN ENVIRONMENTS SIMILAR TO THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE

The International Space Station

12

GROWING IN SPACE I GARDEN CULTURE THE POINT OF THE EXPERIMENT IS TO FIND OUT IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO MANIPULATE ROOT GROWTH, WHICH COULD LEAD TO BETTER GROWING CONDITIONS ON EARTH. WITH THIS INFORMATION, WE COULD REALLY MAKE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN GARDENING AND AGRICULTURE RIGHT HERE microgravity and whether or not microgravity has a positive or negative effect on root growth. What is known already is that in microgravity situations, roots grow haphazardly and not up and down as they do on Earth. The point of the experiment is to find out if it is possible to manipulate root growth, which could lead to better growing conditions on Earth. With this information, we could really make significant advances in gardening and agriculture right here.

HOME AND LUNAR AIR FILTR ATION If these ingenious experiments aren’t quite enough to satisfy your sci-fi thirst, you might be more interested in some gardening experiments happening in China. Right now, they are exploring the possibility of putting a vegetable garden on Mars!

To test the theory, a 300 cubic meter cabin was constructed.

Inside of that cabin, lived two people and four types of vegetables. Because the plants gave them oxygen and they in turn gave the plants carbon dioxide, there was a perfect environment for both to live. The cabin served as a prototype for the Chinese space program’s astronaut life support system. Eventually, they intend to use it for housing on the moon, or even on Mars.

LOW PRESSURE: A LONG, DRY LIFE Speaking of Mars, for the past eight years or so, experiments have been going on to find out if plants can grow in environments similar to the Martian atmosphere. When you think about this possibility, growing plants on the moon seems like old news. In order to make it happen though, scientists will have to figure out how to overcome the pressure problem.

Atmospheric pressure on Mars is a lot lower than that on Earth. This causes plants to act as if they are drying out, which means they will not have sufficient output.

NASA greenhouse

There is good news though. The latest experiments done by NASA on these potential Martian gardens have been promising. Scientists have been able to manipulate pressure, light, water, and nutrients. This makes it possible to adjust conditions in slight increments for more accurate results. Hopefully, it will allow them to prevent plants from behaving as they would in drought conditions. On the other hand, plants in low pressure environments tend to live longer because of more efficient hormone production. While you may not be growing your balcony or backyard garden in any low-pressure zones quite this extreme, these experiments could result in more productive crops during drought years, leading to better and cheaper produce for all of us.

The gardening experiments being done in space could have a significant impact not only on the future of space exploration, but also on garden innovations here on earth. Whether they help us reduce the amount of land, water, or nutrients needed to grow our food or help our astronauts better survive on distant planets, they will surely help us move forward when it comes to how we grow food. Essentially, as we learn more about how plants grow in zero gravity and without the comforts of their native soil, we are also learning more about how to feed the future of humanity both here at home on earth and in space. 3

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product spotligh s k c a P · y r T z z i b Bio Discover the new Biobizz Try·Packs. Every pack consists of three familiar Biobizz products; all in the amount of 250 ml. The Try·Packs are available in four different flavours : Indoor·Pack, Outdoor·Pack, Stimul ant·Pack and the Hydro·Pack. Because of the variety of the packag es there is a suitable package for every gardener and every situation. Of course the packages can be combined, resulting in the maximum result for your plants, with the minimal costs! Because of the small format and the low costs it’s now even easier to try out Biobizz products. www.biobizz.com

kind

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Kontik Deep W ater Cu i lture The Konti ki is a mo dular raft Culture hy system for droponics.

Deep Wate This Deep r provide th Water Cu e new gard lt ure system e n e r th s with hydro e opportun ponics with ity to expe out being o riment raft system verwhelme is much le d. The Kon ss expensi Tiki is manufac v e than oth tured usin e r sy g st a e ms and durable U protects a V stable o layer of hig uter shell h floatatio allows the that n foam. Th gardener to e ergonom cultivate 1 ic d space and e sign 6 plants in is infinitely a compact scalable w flood tray..

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three a proprietary is m e st Sy t Nutrien the market.

KIND Plant any other on e lik n u m e t syst for calcipart nutrien ates the need in lim e n o ti e formula formulations Kind’s uniqu or separate s e iv it d ad m allowing nesiu um and mag quality thus r e at w r o ow media s. Kind is forbased on gr their formula e iz m o st cu ith a full asily ls fortified w growers to e ra e in m y it al , g high qu acids, silicate mulated usin mates, fulvic u h le b lu d so an ts mins, lant stimulan array of vita tes, potent p ra yd h o s the e rb d vi ca pro amino acids, ient system tr u n is h T . ts of use for lemen on and ease rare earth e ti ca ti is h p so between bbyist. ideal balance e aspiring ho th d an , rs e grow experienced nicare.com www.bota

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE

Star i g i D a t Gavi

s t s a l l a b e-series

nd rollers Gavita Holla Gavita Master cont e th th wi er e th Th ge .

To ballasts e-series electronic tar giS Di w ne e th s introduce mable by the selecllasts are not only dim ba s rie se etar giS Di vita Master RJ inputs for the Ga ve ha o als t bu st lla ba . tor on the rally control them all is way you can cent Th l. na sig r lle e ro th nt co en you operate r a switchboard wh There is no need fo d off the ballasts go roller: when switche nt co e th th wi sts lla ba ltage and temting mode, lamp, vo ra pe O . de mo y -b into stand e-color status LED e displayed by a thre ar s ing rn wa re tu ra pe ries operates s. The DigiStar e-se ing rn wa r fo ry mo e with a me ency lamps such as th requiring high frequ , cy en qu fre h d hig an a % at d to 50 They can be dimme p. lam S HP ed nc ha Gavita en ls) or 115% (1000W W and 600W mode 00 (4 0% 11 to d te os bo models). land.com www.gavita-hol

t r a t S p m Ju EM R SYST

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l control ves you tota gi m e st Sy r la d art T5 Modu be purchase The Jump St Start T5 can p m Ju e e h th T y . can bu ng setup ms, or you e of your lighti st sy t o fo out2 foot or 4 ow! The high gr u yo as in complete n o add nts get the ponents and that your pla re separate com su n e s p am fficient T5 L you want a put, energy e th. Whether w o gr st u b ed for ro light they ne plants, r over your fo m e st sy g hangin r seed unit for you e n o al d an st a strip s or a simple starting tray Start sill, the Jump w o d in w a r fo e for owers’ choic T5 is the gr rbs cuttings, he seed starts, and more! ofarm.com www.hydr

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Armor Si Silica Supplement Armor Si is General Hydroponics’ new premium silica supplement and contains extremely high levels of Silica. If you are growing in hydro, soil or in soilless media, silica is a critical element for your plants success. Silica helps plants fight humidity, elemental toxicity and drought. It also improves the stems rigidity and increases your plants ability to turn towards the light; this leads to increased photosynthesis which translates to a healthier, more robust plant. Armor Si from General Hydroponics will give you noticeable results in a matter of days, and continuous benefits throughout the life of the plant. www.genhydro.com

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE

Galaxy Grow Amp

Select-A-Watt Ballast

Ballasts is Amp Select-A-Watt The Galaxy Grow d to provide ballasts manufacture D HI t -ar he f-t -o te sta flexibility & er with maximum today’s serious grow the ability to lect-A-Watt offers Se e Th . ce an rm rfo pe hest wattage lamps or dim the hig run multiple wattage 1500, 1000, They are available in l). de mo by d ne efi (d features ultra tt. Grow Amp also 750, 600 and 400 wa e compatible emissions. They ar d an db oa br I RF low branded reflectors. with all Sun System® pply.com www.sunlightsu

ACTIVE AQUA

Premium White R eservoirs unparrvoirs offer se e R e it h ium W heavy-duty s new Prem value. These d Active Aqua’ an ce an esigned gth, perform y to clean. D as e d an alleled stren le b , dura systems, the e thick, rigid hydroponic r e reservoirs ar th o d an head fitflood tables ints for bulk o p ss ce to fit under ac ll le dri levels. ature multip verify water fe s to ir n o io rv at se ad re inside gr value at an e fittings and s are a great ir o rv se tings, drainag e R e d 115 hit n, 70 gallon an s Premium W a’ llo u q ga A 0 e 4 , iv n ct A in 20 gallo ce! Available affordable pri ada.

Made in Can gallon sizes. ofarm.com www.hydr

Lighting contro l made easy Gavita Holland introduces a line of electronic lighting controllers for her new controllable e-series DigiStar ballasts, plasma lamps and e-series Pro-line luminaires (Q4). The Gavita Master controllers are extremely easy to use due to the full text interface (5 languages) on the bright green OLED display and 5 button interface. They feature centralized on/off/dim/boost control, auto-dim at high temperatures, emergency shut-down at critical temperatures, sunrise/sunset, alarm outputs and can optionally switch 2x15 amps accessories such as CO2 equipment and heating with the optional External Contactor Modules (ECM). Connecting the Gavita Master controllers is a breeze due to the standard RJ connectors, enabling plug and play installation. The controller completely replaces your timer and switchboard and eliminates ballast inrush current. The EL2 controller can either steer one room with 80 ballasts, or two rooms with 40 ballasts alternating 12 hrs for optimal available power use.

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...the only boy our garden needs.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE

x o B a n i s Wheatgras key kit for growx is a complete turn Wheatgrass in a Bo s on the planet. nutritious wheatgras nt ra vib st mo e th ing ties, wheatgrass therapeutic proper Renowned for its and a complete ounts of chlorophyll am h hig s ain nt co juice ls, enzymes, and amino acids, minera range of vitamins, heatgrass in a dy requires. The W bo ur yo at th ts en nutri cing and for two weeks of jui ls ria ate m th wi s ain Box kit cont rass Soil Mix. and special Wheatg nic To rth Ea th wi s come arth.com www.ProgressE

nge a Wings R A t s r ju d o A ect l f e R CER just ENFOR just-A-Wings growers Ad all the esconscious For budget They possess . ge n ra r e ve for e Enforc reflectors, sa l e announced th d o m r ge the high end res of Aven ” finish and sential featu d e at co ss la to 86% flective “g ings is an 83 W r e the Super re rc fo n E e ie finish on th s) not to ox price tag. Th d (for 3 year e te l an ra ar u lt gu rticu that is igh tensile ho h e reflective film th m o fr is e ge or delaminat Enforcer ran dise, tarnish st-A-Wings ju d A e h T s. . e uminium Avenger seri grade base al r the famous fo e iv at rn te t al a great budge -int.com o r www.hyg

Hyper Fans Next

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Hyper Fan uses “Multi-Phase” EC Motors and power delivery to the fan blade is smooth, ultra efficient and vibration free. This fan uses up to half the power and produces half the heat of current leading industry mixed flow fans. This results in greatly reduced energy costs, less wear, improved reliability and increased lifespan. Hyper Fan produces the highest pressure of any fan in its diameter, delivering more air movement through ducting, carbon filters or air cooled hoods. A detachable speed controller is included. www.hyper-fans.com

For Mites an d Mildew!

Kryptomite is a ready-to-use so lution in the batt food-safe, non-to le against Mites xic, and leaves & Mildew. It’s no phytotoxic re bleaching plant sidue. No conc leaves and, bett erns about er yet, it’s accept production! It’s able for use in or a three-in-one pr ganic crop oduct that kills m powdery mildew ites and their eg , and completel gs , destroys y evaporates (n to remove it!). K o separate prod ryptomite can be uc t required used as both a w sure-fire treatm eekly preventativ ent for all your e and as a plant ailments. It harvest, as well can be used all th as on tender new e way up to cuttings, and finish www.xtremeed product. gardening.co m

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Would you fit in?

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE

a t c e f i r T Lighting Hard Core 1000 es the Sun System The Trifecta includ an Econo Wing 0/240 Volt Ballast, 12 ble ha itc Sw att W p all packaged tra Sun 1000 HPS lam Reflector and an Ul iet, rugged and rd core Ballast is qu Ha e Th x. bo e on in HPS/MH Dual 00 watt Switchable dependable. It is 10 e Econo Wing 120 or 240 volts. Th on ns ru at th ge lta Vo o assema 15ft lamp cord. N th wi d re wi epr is Reflector S lamp is a high tra Sun 1000 watt HP Ul e Th d. ire qu re bly m lamp and the horticultural spectru quality lamp in the growth and is excellent for plant re tu ra pe m te K 00 20 in one ed to get growing ne u yo g hin yt er Ev flowering.

L listed. convenient box! ET pply.com www.sunlightsu

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n conring a garde u at fe ff o in sp Kickstarter al time senBitponics is plete with re m co s e m co humidity package ps, light and m troller. The te r ai r/ e r. for pH, wat web browse sor readings n from any e rd ga r u th yo , Plan e manage onal Grow rs e p and lets you r u yo s your s Cloud run . It monitors re ca n e The Bitponic rd , of ga ries on & off a full season cted accesso e blueprint for n n co s rn matically tu sensors, auto take action. you when to s e fi ti o n d an onics.com www.Bitp

VermiFire

Premium Soil

VermiFire doesn’t follow trends, it starts them. VermiFire performs above and beyond the call of duty, it is a potting soil that over achieves at every opportunity. Born from the stellar reputation of VermiSoil and bred to be an all-star quarterback, VermiFire will jump higher, run faster and get all the girls. Vermicrop took their proven formula of VermiSoil and added extremely high levels of specific nutrients to kick your plants in higher gear. 1 bag will fill 9 one gallon containers.

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The ORIGINAL

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Greenwashing is everywhere

Something else that we’re going to see more and more in the future is called greenwashing. I looked it up in the dictionary and it says “greenwash - a superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment that is shown by an organization”. Sounds like something your not stupid enough to fall for right? Wrong! I’ll bet you that a lot of stores you shop at already does some form of greenwashing.

Gulf of Mexico. BP is really proud that they have “helped” business along the Gulf Coast with almost $15 billion. The true story is they only parted with the money because they are required so by law, and because of the generosity that is in their hearts.

All the big boys do it, take for example Britain’s most unsustainable company around, British Petroleum, also known as BP. They’ve launched a couple of big greenwashing PR projects after spilling millions of gallons of oil in the

Did you know that the word “natural” is totally unregulated, every brand can use it if they like. Take “Cif PowerPro Naturals” for example. According to Unilever, its “made with 98% naturally derived ingredients.” Sounds good,

copyright Cheryl Casey Shutterstock

24

I always imagine a CEO sitting there with a staff of people who also have other 3 letter acronyms for their job description saying: “Why don’t we say we’re doing something good for the environment, while in fact we’re not? We’ll get some nice press for free, and people will think we’re the best company in the world. A little twisting of the truth will bring us a rash of positive publicity, and more business equals a bigger bonus for us. The shareholders will love this trick!” Of course, his CFO, COO, CDO or CCO will applaud him in the boardroom, the directors will be impressed with the plot, and the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) will quickly draw up a plan for the brilliant greenwashing scheme.

GREENWASHING I GARDEN CULTURE

BY MIKE NIVATO

DO YOU BUY “ECO FRIENDLY” PRODUCTS? GOOD FOR YOU, BUT YOU’RE WRONG AGAIN

doesn’t it? Well that’s where greenwashing comes in, the product is 95% water. Pure H2O, so only 3% of the ingredients that clean are natural and 2% is chemical. What a nifty way of saying you have a 98% natural product.

Do you buy “eco friendly” products? Good for you, but you’re wrong again. A recent study shows that some popular consumer cleaning products such as laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and hand soap that claim to be eco-friendly are not 100% petroleum-free as claimed.

technique to determine the origin of carbon in the cleaning products. The study showed incredible variation from brand to brand, and not one product being 100% “green,” or derived solely from plant based materials.

Now you’d say but that’s wrong… Wrong again. Mr. CEO and CMO aren’t lying to you. There just simply isn’t a legal definition of “sustainable, natural or renewable” in product carbon content. So they can safely wash themselves green, and say they are not doing anything wrong.

Dubai is another classic example. They say that they have some amazing “sustainable” projects going on there that will definitely make the world and the city a greener place.

The study employed a carbon-14 dating technique, which is traditionally used in archeology to determine the age of bones, cloth, fossils and other artifacts.

The scientists used the

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GREENWASHING I GARDEN CULTURE DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY COLOR THE FISH WITH THE USE OF ASTAXANTHIN, A DYE ASSOCIATED WITH RETINAL DAMAGE USED TO MAKE GRAY FARMED FISH VARIOUS SHADES OF “WILD” PINK. WITHOUT THIS CHEMICAL, THAT LOVELY PINK SALMON IN THE MEAT COUNTER WOULD ACTUALLY BE LIGHT GREY. HOW CAN SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DIE TO SELL BE SUSTAINABLE?

They build the city in the middle of the desert with no big fresh water sources around!!! Seriously, sustainable?! What is sustainable in generating so much power for osmosis filters so you can water plants in the middle of the desert?

Ahhh, gotcha - your oil is still cheap and flowing freely, so that makes it sustainable.

Even the beloved salmon is in danger of greenwashing.

Much of the salmon in the market today is farm grown or cultivated, because the wild salmon is becoming scarce.

Did you know that they color the fish with the use of astaxanthin, a dye associated with retinal damage used to make gray farmed fish various shades of “wild” pink.

Without this chemical, that lovely pink salmon in the meat counter would actually be light grey. How can something you have to die to sell be sustainable? Remember this the

next time you see non-wild salmon labeled ‘sustainable’ or ‘green.’ At least you’re wise to what’s going on.

Greenwashing happens everywhere - even in your local hydro store or garden center. For example take organic bat guano (otherwise known as bat pooh) is not sustainable, however it is 100% organic. Bat Guano must age in an arid location, such as a cave, for decades before it can be harvested. The harvesting process disrupts the delicate ecosystem of the cave and deprives the other creatures living in the cave of an essential source of nutrients.

Additionally, shipping bat guano from Jamaica and other faraway places requires a great deal of fossil fuel.\ As its name suggests, rock phosphate contains a high concentration of phosphate, which makes it a popular organic fertilizer. However, it’s found in only a few places around the world and is harvested by strip mining. The resources are quite limited. Not only is rock phosphate not a renewable resource, collecting it isn’t ecofriendly.

Last, but not least, our politicians are the biggest greenwashers of them all. They promise you dreams of a green future, while putting their hands in the greasy pockets of big oil and other major industries. They are the ones allowing the companies to greenwash. My prediction for the future? They will keep their greasy hands in the pockets of big company’s 3-lettered managers, because otherwise they will not raise the $1.000.000+ for their campaigns. No matter what country you live in, he who is owned by the biggest pockets wins. 3

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Represent this premium nutrient from Holland in your store.

BY JEROEN

THE MIRACLE FRUIT I GARDEN CULTURE

The Miracle Fruit One Bite Sweetens Everything

Not into sour? You’re not alone. This berry changes sour flavors to sweet naturally by changing your taste perception. Synsepalum dulcificum, most commonly known as Miracle Fruit, is a native West Africa that is traditionally used as a sweetener. The berries grow on one-meter high bushes, and are well suited to the hot, humid West African climate.

Though very drought tolerant, the plants need good irrigation for consistently high fruit production.These bushes prefer a slightly acidic soil and plenty of sunlight. At harvest time the berries are freeze-dried to preserve the “miraculin” compound that changes the way foods taste.

HOW DOES SOUR BECOME SWEET?

MIRACULIN MAKES YOUR BRAIN PERCEIVE SWEET NO MATTER WHAT YOU’VE EATEN. GO AHEAD - DRINK STRAIGHT LEMON JUICE. YOU WON’T BE PULLING A SOUR FACE!

Your taste buds, depending on where they are located register various flavor sensations.When Miraculin is consumed, it temporarily changes taste by binding to those that register sweet flavors.At a neutral pH there is little to notice. Bite into something (with low pH) and the Miraculin bound taste buds activate to alter sour to sweet.

Miraculin makes your brain perceive sweet no matter what you’ve eaten. Go ahead - drink straight lemon juice.You won’t be pulling a sour face.. The effects of the miracle fruit are not permanent.

The taste altering effect wears off in about an hour, and your taste buds? Well, sour will definitely have pucker power again!

L IV E H A PPI E R W IT H M I R AC L E F RU IT Many foods have a low pH which would be impacted and changed to a sweet flavor after eating these berries. Beer and

coffee completely change flavor, as do cheese, nuts and fruits.

For those on a diet, Miracle Fruit is quite interesting, especially if you’ve got a sweet tooth. Pre-sweetened foods naturally contain a lot of that forbidden sugar.You can cheat without cheating! All foods seem sweeter than they actually are. You can satisfy that sweet tooth without the unwanted after effects. If sugar calories aren’t an issue, consider the benefits to your teeth! Cane sugar is the number one cause of cavities.

T H E M I R AC L E F RU IT I N T H E F U T U R E The benefits of miraculin are here to stay, though the form may change in the future. Scientists are working to isolate the compounds that make Miracle Fruit work, and introduce them to other fruits and vegetables, as well as synthesizing them in laboratories.

W H E R E TO G ET M I R AC L E F RU IT Though it can be difficult to find in some parts of Europe, in England it is somewhat easier. Simply search on the Internet.You will quickly find many websites that sell it in several different forms.3

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Living food Pantries

FRESH PRODUCE ALL YEAR ROUND

Have a black thumb? Start small and grow big. A basic living pantry can be growing onions in the kitchen window or rosemary and basil bought potted from the grocery store. It is something that can be grown year round and is ok with available light, such as from a window. Grab a pair of scissors and trim a bit of mint for a drink, or snip some basil for a caprese salad.

30

BY TAMMY

LIVING FOOD PANTRIES I GARDEN CULTURE

A food pantry can also be in the form of a mushroom kit.

Mushrooms are fresh, easy to grow and high in nutritional value.

Mushrooms can be grown from plugs or kits you can purchase at local hydroponic stores or ordered online from Fungi Perfecti (www.fungi.com). Mushroom’s can be grown in as little as 3 days in a small space on the kitchen counter or a dark cupboard.

You don’t need lots of space. It can fit on the kitchen counter or a window sill. For fresh herbs grown in minimal space, you’ve got options in the AeroGarden and the Jr. Ponics FishGarden. Both of these are small enough to fit on the counter and come with all growing items needed.

Small countertop gardens can also be made with components found at a hydroponics store. There’s a popular DIY plan at my.windowfarms.com made using parts most people will find available locally. Countertop designs are best for growing herbs. They require little additional light, quickly germinate and are fast growing.

Larger food pantries that will still fit comfortably into a living space can be bought in the form of smaller hydroponic hobby units. These are good for growing herbs and even some larger plants such as peppers with limited need of

additional light, such as t5 lighting. The all in one kits are great for beginner gardeners who want access to fresh food year round. Larger pantries can also be made from baker racks, grow tents or custom built in furniture.

Custom grow cabinets and drawers can add an aesthetic experience, as well as a the health benefit of living food pantries. Urban Culitvator makes systems customized to the kitchen or dining room.

Herbs and wheat grass are easy, fast growing for year round plants for these spaces.

Putting your imagination and a little engineering to work, you can create a hydroponic living pantry from many things. Items found at Ikea to can be used to build tents that produce food year round at home. There could even be a handmade hydroponic find just right for you on places like Etsy.com.

Moss isn’t a food staple, but this idea could be applied to finding space for growing herbs when you think you have none. Hydroponic and aquaponics could be the wave of the future for living pantries.

North American restaurants have also started using living pantries and creating urban gardens to supply fruits and vegetables for patrons. Bell,

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LIVING FOOD PANTRIES I GARDEN CULTURE

Chicago’s O’Hare airport

Book & Candle in New York City has a hydroponic rooftop garden. Chicago’s Uncommon Ground in had the first certified organic rooftop garden in the United States. These are just two examples of living food pantries being integrated into modern fresh restaurants.

Jsix in San Diego where fresh is always on the menu, also has a rooftop garden for garden to table dining. Using just cut herbs in both cocktails and meals ups the flavor factor for many a chef. Food grown from pantry to table can have stronger flavors and fresher taste, than crops grown with conventional methods.

Living pantries can also be found on a larger scale at grocery stores, such as the butter lettuce sold at Whole Foods and other upscale retail markets.

These are grown by companies like Bella Verdi Farms, Sweetwater Growers or Gotham Greens and sold freshly harvested on location from rooftop hydroponic gardens.

Living food pantries can be seasonal or become a dedicated grow space in the house for year round fresh food. Its the

BESIDES PROVIDING FRESH PRODUCE FOR COOKING, THESE PLANTS CAN ALSO IMPROVE A PERSONS MOOD AND PRODUCTIVITY perfect solution for giving a family piece of mind as to where their food comes from.

Hydroponic display gardens can also be visited around North America, like the O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Epcot Center at Disney World and the Science Barge in New York, NY. Besides providing fresh produce for cooking, these plants can also improve a persons mood and productivity.

Plants also provide cleaner, fresher air in a living space. Living food pantries can be as large or as small as your space and your needs.

Herbs and plants can be grown from seeds, starter plants known as liners, or even food scraps like onions.

Indoor gardens like these can provide year round food options. They also offer the option for locally grown food during specific seasons versus the same being flown in for a faraway source. It presents chefs around the world with the ability to grow organic or hard to locate herbs, and to preserve the harvest by drying their own harvest for future use. 3

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Genetics

and Breeding That offspring resemble each other is a fact that has been well known for ages. In the past, differences were attributed to superstition and supernatural powers. But scientist Gregor Mendel discovered in the 19th century that these differences can be explained and can even be mathematically predicted. Genetics has always been the key point in the breeding of plants, but now breeders apply more scientific and calculating methods than ever before.

WHAT ARE GENES?

HOW DOES BREEDING WORK?

Genes are a blueprint, a kind of manual statement of what should happen in a given situation. They are made up of code, what we call the DNA code. DNA is comprised of a double helix, which means that two long strands of code are twisted around each other.

Breeders play a game of chance. They combine two organisms and hope that this will create a more useful combination. But they also leverage the laws of genetics, which allow for the increase in certainty that specific properties can be passed down to the offspring.

In practice, genes can occur in various forms. Each different form of a gene is called an “allele”. Not all alleles are the same.

There are dominant and recessive alleles (i.e. submissive). In the event that an organism contains both a dominant and recessive gene, only the code of the dominant gene will be expressed. Hence, an organism must inherit both a recessive gene from the father and the mother for the recessive gene to be dominant and have an impact on organism.

A gene never stands alone. In the same strand one can find dozens, hundreds or even thousands of genes.

These strands are often quite long and are called chromosomes. It is these chromosomes that make us who we are, physically speaking. Normally, an organism has a fixed number of chromosomes, though how many depends on the species. Chromosomes normally appear – with exceptions in pairs, with one derived from the ‘father’ and one from the ‘mother’.

34

PHENOT YPES The offspring can be influenced by preventing a particular trait in a population. It is possible to calculate how certain alleles, and thus individual organisms or “phenotypes” can be realized by intentionally cross breeding with the appropriate parent.

Even with the right knowledge this remains a game of chance, and becomes considerably more complicated if more trait

BY JEROEN

GENETICS & BREEDING I GARDEN CULTURE

BREEDERS PLAY A GAME OF CHANCE. THEY COMBINE TWO ORGANISMS AND HOPE THAT THIS WILL CREATE A MORE USEFUL COMBINATION. BUT THEY ALSO LEVERAGE THE LAWS OF GENETICS, WHICH ALLOW FOR THE INCREASE IN CERTAINTY THAT SPECIFIC PROPERTIES CAN BE PASSED DOWN TO THE OFFSPRING

GENETIC FACTS Dolupta volupta turero venis eos ma si ad estorum quiaspicium enis rerum faccum ius, sae reictotam imenecustiis el molorpos dit pel mo quatem fugit optatum ullenis as dolutatus et magnate cum ene conecab orunditam, te es dolla parcipsus.

properties are taken into account. The number of individuals that is necessary in order to obtain the desired hybrids will therefore increase as attention is paid to more and more specific aspects.

However, as soon as it is known which piece of code relates to a particular gene, it is possible to test individuals for the presence of this gene. In this way, suitable plants can be selected for further breeding with higher speed and accuracy

WHAT IS F1?

GENETIC MODIFICATION

In the breeding of plants one often encounters the term ‘F1’.

This refers to the first generation. In many cases, crossing two very different subspecies within a plant species, the properties of the parents can surface more in the “child” than in the parental line itself. This advantage will again be reduced within the next generation, which is commercially interesting because offspring of F1 plants are less potent, making it necessary to obtain seeds again.

Genetic modification also makes use of these DNA techniques but takes it one step further by copying genes from one organism to another. With this technique it is also possible to utilize genes from completely different organisms. After all, DNA is a universal code.

DNA ANALYSIS Using modern techniques DNA can be analyzed, and the information gained put to good use. Analyzing DNA is widely done and it is very important to find out which property is associated with which piece of code. Unfortunately, this is not always clearly indicated by the DNA and is often guesswork.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Since the discovery of genetics, breeding has been elevated from an art to a science. Genetics is a very broad topic which is not easily understood by the layman. Years of study are required to learn all the details. This article only covers the tip of the iceberg. The rest of that iceberg contains a lot of math, logic and more complicated terms that would require significant study to understand. Genetics is the source of life and is therefore very important for everyone, whether one is aware of it or not. 3

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PHOTO: S_BUKLEY - SHUTTERTSTOCK

ed begleyjr.

Environmental

Avatar

38

BY BRIAN BURK

ED BEGLEY JR. I GARDEN CULTURE Save the Earth, clean up the air, clean up the oceans; hell yes!’

For this article, I had the pleasure of interviewing a fine actor, and an advocate for green design, Ed Begley Jr. You may have seen his work on the show St. Elsewhere, or more recently, in the popular comedy Arrested Development. As of this moment, he is gearing up his brand new energy efficient home for his web series entitled ‘On Begley Street’.

I sat down with Mr. Begley, at his modest Californian home, to discuss his beginnings, how he feels about organic foods, the Monsanto Corporation, and a bit about his new web show.

When did you know you wanted to do something about the environment?

1970. It was the first Earth Day and I wanted to get involved because, at that time, I’d been living twenty years in the horrible smog of Los Angeles. So after that I thought, ‘hey they’re not kidding. Save the Earth, clean up the air, clean up the oceans; hell yes!’ I knew it was dirty out there because you couldn’t catch your breath as a young man just sitting, let alone running around. The oceans, you went out in the Santa Monica Bay and could see all the crap floating out there. It wasn’t the media trying to scare us; it was real. So in 1970, I started recycling, composting, and I bought my first electric car.

Do you think there is a big difference between organic foods vs. commercially grown foods?

There is. I’ve sought out organic foods since 1970, when I became a vegetarian. But the word organic, for years, really meant nothing because there was no way to prove it. There were no standards. Now when you see organic carrots that means something. If you’re wrong, you’re going to get in big trouble. You will have your farm shut down. You’ll lose credibility in the industry. Organic produce now has to be organic. But, besides organics, there is something else that is equal in importance, and that is local.

What is local?

Local is locally grown. It affects the carbon footprint of that food. It’s not coming from as far away. I think it’s good to support your local farmers.

You can meet them and talk to them.

So locally grown and organic, I think, are equally as important.

So we know you’re against GMO’s (genetically modified organisms). How did you feel about proposition 37 for the labeling of genetically modified foods?

I think it was a good proposition. I was very much in favor of 37. It’s a good idea that people can choose.

It’s not saying we are going to ban GMO’s, but people should have the right to know what’s going into their food. But the opposition to prop 37 was pretty brilliant; even though I don’t agree with them. You have to admire them for the genius of what they did. They convinced the poor that their food costs were going to go up radically. When in other counties that have passed a similar labeling law (see China, Russia, all of Europe, etc.) the food bills never went up. It was simply nonsense.

Proposition 37 did not pass in California this last election. Do you think it still has a chance?

I think if it comes back again and we write it better, fight for removal of some of the exemptions, show credible sources citing counties where a similar law passed and it did not increase food costs; it could. We should also show more about who is for the bill and then who is against it; like Monsanto.

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ED BEGLEY JR. I GARDEN CULTURE

So now that were on to Monsanto, how do you feel about their Roundup Ready soybeans?

I’m going to take off my cynical hat and say that I think that most people at Monsanto, and a lot of the legislators who fight for them, really believe that they are going to help feed the world with this. I really think they do.

And certainly, if things went perfectly, it’s a possible outcome. But, the fact is, you can see what has happened in India with the farmers committing suicide from being dependent on Monsanto seeds. They used to gather their own seeds, and they would garden without pesticides, now with their dependence on those (roundup) seeds, which they have been instructed and urged to buy, has made them go bankrupt. Then they kill themselves with pesticides in their fields.

But I really do think they believe they are helping the world. I don’t think that’s the case when you look at what can go wrong, and what has gone wrong. Even natural organisms in the wrong place can cause major problems. What is going to happen when one of these things (GMOs) goes wrong? I mean this is not like the old day of Gregor Mendel taking peas and grafting one strain of pea with another to hybridize it. That’s art. Like Rodin, the sculptor, taking a rock and gradually taking away everything but “The Thinker.” What GMO’s are, is a guy working on this crazy sculpture of his own, putting it on a catapult, and firing it at a window at the Louvre hoping it lands on a pedestal upright so he can call it art.

That’s what they do. They attach this gene that they have altered, onto a virus. Then they inject it into the nucleus of a cell, and wait and see if it works. To see if you have tomatoes that could resist frost because you’ve put in some genes from an artic char. But I’m not prepared to say, “Let’s ban all GMO’s.” Keep working on it in the lab and come up with something that does work and is foolproof.

But for now, it’s not ready for primetime.

How do you feel about Monsanto and the ties to the USDA and FDA? It’s a revolving door from Monsanto to the USDA back to Monsanto again. And the thing is, it’s not a partisan issue. Obama was playing golf with the guy from Monsanto a few days before the Monsanto Protection Act (Agricultural Appropriations Bill) was signed.

I’ve sought out organic foods since 1970, when I became a vegetarian. But the word organic, for years, really meant nothing because there was no way to prove it. There were no standards.

So my final question, I hear that you have a new web series called ‘On Begley Street’.

What is it about?

I’ve tried to show, since 1988 when I purchased this current house, what you can do with a remodel. To try and make this 1930s energy inefficient home as efficient as possible; I’ve taken it as far as you can go. My wife has been angling me for many years to move to a different place. But I vowed I would never move from this place. Though, I finally said to my wife, “Ok, if you can find a place that would give us a bigger yard so I can grow more vegetables and stick a ten thousand gallon rainwater tank underground, a nice south facing roof that gets good solar exposure, and find it for this price; I’ll move.” I thought she would never find it. She found a place within a week. So then I had to put up or shut up.

So ‘On Begley Street’ is about showing what you can do with a new home. Once the new place is finished, the series will take you around the country to show off other green technologies. You’ll see what it is like to build green and live green in 2013 and beyond.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Ed and his green series, ‘On Begley Street’, check out edbegley.com

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The Android version will be coming out soon as well. www.grodan101.com

grozine Grozine is a free and completely original paperless hydroponics publication that typically launches every two to three weeks and is produced by Erik Biksa and features a variety of grower/writers as well as Erik Biksa’s contributions. Look for lots of hardcore grow tips, reviews and mind bending layouts. For grower by growers-”the straight dope”. www.grozine.com

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Grow Your Own Series

y r a m e s Ro HISTORY

A delightful herb with something offer just about everyone, Rosemary originates from the Mediterranean region. Arri-

ving in England with the Romans, the plant thrived just as well as in its native land. Prized since ancient times, Rosemary spread through many cultures. You now can find it growing in every country in the world.

46

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

ROSEMARY I GARDEN CULTURE

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT INDOOR GROWING IS YOU CAN START NEW CROPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, PROVIDING THE SEED OR STARTER PLANTS ARE READILY AVAILABLE RECOMMENDED VARIETIES There is no need for tracking down any special cultivars. Grow the original (latin: Rosmarinus officinalas). You will find an assortment of named varieties available. The differences they offer are purely ornamental, and would only be noticeable in landscaping and floral arrangements.

GROWING ROSEMARY INDOORS One of the best things about indoor growing is you can start new crops throughout the year, providing the seed or starter plants are readily available. Rosemary can be grown from both seed and cuttings. However, it is notorious for being difficult to impossible to start from seed. It also has a very low germination rate, yet some seed houses in the USA offer ‘primed’ rosemary seed that has great reviews for an excellent sprout rate. Check out: www.johnnyseeds.com.

Rosemary is a slow growing plant. Seed takes 4-8 weeks to germinate. The plants take 15 months to mature, and years to grow to full size. To speed up the process, many people start new plants from cuttings. In a greenhouse or grow room situation, this is not always the wisest choice.

If you do try starting it from cuttings, you want soft growth about 4 inch long that has been cut below a leaf node on an angle. Rooting hormone is not necessary, but media warmth is

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ROSEMARY I GARDEN CULTURE A NATIVE OF THE WARM AND SUNNY MEDITERRANEAN AREA, YOUR PLANTS REQUIRE LONG DAY LENGTH AND STRONG LIGHT. FOR BEST RESULTS, YOU’LL WANT ROSEMARY IN THE INDOOR GARDEN TO BE BASKING UNDER LIGHTS FOR A MINIMUM OF 11 HOURS A DAY - maintain it at 75 F (24 C) with a heat mat. Cutting stock may not be readily available year around. Herb plants are generally sold when in demand, during outdoor planting season in spring and early summer. Do remember to strip the leaves from the lower end of the cut stem before sticking it into your media.

First harvest in the indoor garden will be 6 weeks in summer or 8-12 weeks in winter from the time of transplanting.

GYO Fast Facts • pH range 5.5-7.0 for best results • Rosemary likes a normal humidity • 70-50 F best for leaf harvest • 11-hour daylight minimum • Harvest per sowing: 2-3 • Harvesting year round is possible

WHAT DO I NEED? A native of the warm and sunny Mediterranean area, your plants require long day length and strong light. For best results, you’ll want rosemary in the indoor garden to be basking under lights for a minimum of 11 hours a day. High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps are best at mimicking the strong sun in their native climate, but you can get by with compact fluorescent grow lamps too. If you choose the more budget friendly CFL, it would be wise to run your lights a couple more hours a day. Skimping on the day light hours causes lower yields, at best. Death from light starvation is also possible.

Propagation temperature needs to be 75-85 F with 75% humidity. Once your crop has been transplanted to grow on, maintain day time temps used in propagating and nights at little cooler at 65 F. It’s preferred pH range is 5.5-7.0, and good air circulation is a must.

Rosemary does well in hydroponic systems. Use rockwool starter cubes for germination. Sufficient root growth for transplanting takes 1-2 weeks after germination. Once you have roots penetrating the cube, transplant them to slabs or into the NFT trough. For frequent shearing, you’ll want them spaced 4-6 inch on center.

Preserving your harvest is very simple with rosemary. It is still tasty and pungent dried, which is done by hanging loose bunches upside down in a dark place or in drying racks.

You can also freeze it by laying the sprigs on a baking sheet or tray and cover it before placing it in the icebox. The next day, simply strip all the frozen leaves off the stem into a freezer box.

They will keep very nicely for up to 6 months and provide you with just picked flavor in cooked recipes. 3

If you’ve decided to grow this crop in traditional containers, start your seeds in an uncovered germination tray using peat or perlite as the cell media. Transplant them to growing pots at 2-3 inch tall, and be sure to pick a quality soilless mix with good drainage. Rosemary requires a well-drained loamy soil.

A light fertilizing periodically is all that is required. The thing that will be important for you to do is not over water. Mist the foliage several times a week.

HARVESTING TIPS

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Korn PHOTOS BAND: TDC PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK

Growing

Despite Korn’s hardcore appearance these guys are seriously concerned about what they eat. So

they decided to grow their own food. There is no doubt that these guys have changed. Korn like most rock/metal bands lived the rock star lives. As cliché as it might sound, sex, drugs and rock n’ roll were what they lived for many many years. That life style has taken so many great artists from us. But, Jonathan, Korn’s leading vocalist and frontman, and the whole band decided to live.

To do so they needed to get clean. It’s been years since they made that decision and this garden was part of the evolution of this healthy life style.

Somehow I ended up at the right place at the right time and I was asked to design and build Korn’s indoor garden. I accepted. You might have read the inception of this in Garden Culture’s last issue, now it’s time for an update.

We had a room. A big dirty room, with a wonderful history. This dirty old room was once the back entrance to the stage at the Buck Ownes studio. Iconic country music legends such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash would have hung out here, before heading out on stage. Now I was about to turn it into an indoor food garden.

I had an idea of what Korn wanted but no specifics.

The night before, Nick (my helper who came along for the trip) and I, had sketched out the blueprints for Korn’s garden. Now we had to build it. We arrived at the studio and started work. We cut and drilled, screwed and glued, diligently for hours. Slowly the room was transforming into a garden. Korn was in studio that night recording their new album. We worked to the muffled sounds of a guitar bass. I wondered if they picked up any of our hammer drills with their recording equipment.

52

BY ERIC COULOMBE

KORN I GARDEN CULTURE

We had been at it for about 8 hours, it was about 11:00 pm when Jim O’Tell came climbing up through the Korn hole. “I’m not alone” he said with a smile, a stream people emerged out of the ground. About 10 people in all, including Jonathon Davis and Ray Luzier of Korn were coming to see the garden. The guys had tons of questions, and seemed thrilled that this was being built for them. For sure the Hydroid was the hit, the remote viewing and control was a must for these busy guys. We referred to it as the garden butler.

It was amazing to see rock stars getting excited about strawberries, cucumbers and kale. You could see how much food touches everybody especially when you are growing it yourself. Over the next 2 days we built that garden, just as it looked on our plan. It took us 40 hrs over 3 days, and probably 6 trips to Happy Hydro to get it all done but we did it. Once it was built we ran water through all the systems it to make sure there was no leaks, added or nutrients, balanced our pH and finally planted the plants. We even built a trellis arch for the cucumbers to cross. The sounds of cascading water filled your ears and green plants had transformed this space into a garden and the ultimate retreat room.

This garden was built a couple of months ago, so how is it going now? Well it has had some ups and downs.

The garden had 6 weeks with proper care, and it flourished. Then Korn went on tour. A very well intentioned but rookie gardener volunteered to take care of the garden. I remember when I got the email about some webs on the peppers. Yikes, you got mites!! Mites?? I told him to run to Happy Hydro down the road and get something to kill them. He wrote back and told me the battle was over and the peppers lost. Oh well, it happens. But that was only the beginning. 8 weeks lat-

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GARDEN CU LT U R E

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KORN I GARDEN CULTURE

Korn bio Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band’s current lineup includes five members: Jonathan Davis, Brian “Head” Welch, James “Munky” Shaffer, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. vis Jonathan Da

Regin ald A rvizu

Ray Luzier

Melon and tomato

er, when Korn got back from tour only the NFT herb garden, under induction was still thriving. Everything else was, not doing so well. Personally, I blame myself.

Should have made the garden smaller. Sorry Korn. But let this be a lesson to all new gardeners. You are working with Mother Nature, without your love and attention your garden will suffer and eventually die.

Having the opportunity to be Korn’s garden consultant and designer even for a short time has been a privilege but what is really exciting is the potential for Korn to become a catalyst in the urban farming movement. There has never been such a high profile group or person, that I know of to start something like this, as simple as it is. Let’s hope they turn their millions of fans into gardeners.

Stay tuned because this story is not over. JD and Ray Luzier have both said that now they want this type of gardens at home. We will continue to follow the Korn garden at the studio and hopefully into their homes and lives. 3

A BIG Thank You to my helpers. Without them, this never would have happened. Nick Ulintz (Organic Rescue Mist), and Cameron and Jordon from Grohaus Automation (Hydroid). We spent almost 40 hours at the studio in 3 days creating this garden. They paid 100% of all their expenses to be there, and never complained once.

Also thank you to Inda Gro for donating their new Induction light, Chris Lopez, Bloomington Wholesale, Secret Jardin, Pat Gallagher and Korn, it was fun.

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GROWING PHYTOPLANKTON USEFUL GREEN STUFF

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BY JEROEN

GROWING PHYTOPLANKTON I GARDEN CULTURE

Yes, this article is about cultivating that ‘green stuff that grows in the water’. Actually, phytoplankton can be almost any color. At the moment you’re probably wondering why would anyone want to grow watery goo? The best reason is off course; because you can. It’s an amazingly fast and simple process that’s fun to watch, but there are some things this goo can be used for.

There are thousands of different species of phytoplankton, but what is it ? Plankton is a general name for all organisms that inhabit water and simply float around.

This means, they go wherever the current takes them. These can be anything from animals to bacteria, but in the case of ‘Phytoplankton’ we are talking about plants. Microscopic plants. Although their tiny cells can grow to great numbers making the waters they live in heavily colored.

THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO BEGAN GROWING THEIR OWN PHYTOPLANKTON WERE AQUARIUM OWNERS. IT’S A GREAT BENEFIT TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE WHOLE FOOD CHAIN

In nature, phytoplankton is on the bottom of the food chain. Like any other plant species, phytoplankton consume sunlight and minerals from water. In turn, phytoplankton is consumed by larger organisms living in the water. The first people who began growing their own phytoplankton were aquarium owners.

It’s a great benefit to be able to control the whole food chain. This is especially important when dealing with ecological systems with a high density of living organisms in a small space where a lot of metabolism is happening.

From a medical perspective phytoplankton is also interesting, specifically marine phytoplankton that grows in the oceans. Salt water is quite dense in minerals that are vital for life. Phytoplankton very efficiently concentrate these minerals and incorporate them into their cells. It can then be dried and turned into a powder containing a range of essential minerals in nearly ideal ratios for human consumption.

Huge benefits are claimed to come from taking phytoplankton supplements. Many problems and diseases are said to be cured - according to specialists on the internet. No one knows how many of these claims are true. Considering the wide range of minerals and other nutrients, they could be onto something here.

HOW TO GET STARTED First, identify and find a specimen of the species of beneficial goo you want to grow. Maybe you’ll find it in a sample of water from a local creek with tools you used in high school biology. You can also order

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GROWING PHYTOPLANKTON I GARDEN CULTURE

BE PATIENT. IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE ANYTHING REALLY HAPPENS. GROWTH OF THESE TINY PLANTS IS EXPONENTIAL

a scientifically prepared culture online. A number of places will happily sell you a tube of the exact species requested.

Specimen in hand, you have to find out the condition this species likes, the tolerable pH level along with its required nutrient density (Electric Conductivity, PPM). Next make a solution to meet these needs using basic plant nutrients. Make sure to use nutrients with a wide variety of micronutrients, or you’ll fail to create a mineral dense supplement. Marine phytoplankton require marine conditions. Special salt mixtures are available to mimic their native ocean realm.

You can grow phytoplankton in almost any translucent container, glass is probably best. Now you need to introduce carbon dioxide. Like all other plants they consume carbon dioxide, which is easily introduced using an aquarium air pump. These bubble carbon dioxide sufficient air into the water regularly for your crop of goo.

Be patient. It will take some time before anything really happens. Growth of these tiny plants is exponential. A moment will come when the color of the water starts to change. The color of the water changes according to the pigments that are contained in the cells.

THE RIGHT LIGHT

You must have light, but the color of the light depends on the type of phytoplankton you’re growing.

The amount of light depends on the amount of culture, however with air bubbles agitating the solution, all the cells’ light distribution is better than in most other agricultural systems. Fluorescent lights seem to perfectly suit phytoplankton, but it may well be that Plasma or LED lighting is even better.

These are still unknowns since growing phytoplankton isn’t ‘mainstream’ yet.

Once the density of phytoplankton is high enough, you can harvest. Separating the phytoplankton from your solution is done with a sieve, and may require ultra fine sieves. Depending on the planned use, the material can either be used fresh or dried and turned into a powder.

Be advised! There can always be harmful microorganisms when consuming raw products.

So you have dried your phytoplankton harvest. What to do with this powder? It may enhance soil life, by increasing the availability of micronutrients and add proteins and phytohormones that are the same hormones found in plants on land. It can also be used in aquariums or to brew compost tea. 3

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BY MIKE NIVATO

INNOVATIONS I GARDEN CULTURE

Dutch innovations for the Future

“Green” energy is hot in Dutch greenhouses. Some of the world’s most innovative energy solutions are being developed in the Netherlands for its energy-intensive greenhouse farming industry. Dutch companies are re-using heat that is created by other sources, such as an IT data center and a fertilizer factory, in greenhouse cultivation. In turn, greenhouses are being used as solar panels to harvest and supply surplus energy to schools and retirement homes. This cross-sector innovation is a growing trend.

Take the Dutch energy project, ‘Warm CO2’. It has turned Terneuzen, in the south of the Netherlands, into the most sustainable horticulture-under-glass area in the country. Warm CO2’s innovative heating network which derives residual heat and CO2 from a artificial fertilizer plant and distributes it through its own 5 km pipeline to nearby greenhouses. The system produces up to 84 megawatts of residual heat and 70,000 tons of pure CO2 per year.

DUTCH COMPANY, PARTHENON, HAS COME UP WITH THE WORLD’S FIRST ‘GREEN’ IT SOLUTION. IT HAS BUILT ITS NEW DATACENTER RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VAST GREENHOUSE FARMING AREA

Greenhouse farmers traditionally use a gas-fired furnace to produce both CO2 and heat for the entire growing season.

By taking advantage of the WarmCO2 system, farmers can reduce their use of fossil fuels by 90 percent. That is a drastic reduction in their carbon footprint.

Similar reductions are being made by greenhouse farmers in the northern Dutch town of Wieringermeer, but here the energy source is an IT datacenter. Dutch company, Parthenon, has come up with the world’s first ‘green’ IT solution. It has built its new datacenter right in the middle of a vast greenhouse farming area. The heat from the datacenter, which in conventional buildings disappears through the roof, is being channeled to the greenhouses to grow peppers and tomatoes. This will save up to 800 tons of carbon emissions per year.

A similar but also unique approach is being taken by a tomato grower in Venlo, in the south of the Netherlands.

This tomato grower is actually harvesting surplus heat from his greenhouses and using it to heat a nearby home for the elderly, a school for disabled children and a public swimming pool. The savings in energy costs that these new partners enjoy are subsequently channeled into their core tasks, such as providing care for their clients.

The grower Joep Raemakers explains: “I want to grow tasty tomatoes, decrease the use of fossil fuel, reduce the carbon footprint and integrate my company in the local society.” Many of Raemakers’ peers in the greenhouse industry have already expressed interest in the sustainable system. We’re sure that in the future we’ll see more similar initiatives, if you’ve seen something online or in real life, please shoot us an email : editor@gardenculture.net 3

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FOG PONICS

FOOD FROM VA P O U R Futuristic plots never cease to grab our attention. Man is all agog over new thrills, cool gadgets and the next big thing. In the world of indoor gardening, fogponics is the next generation in soilless growing. This advancement of aeroponic principles is based on NASA innovations for the space program. Once again, overcoming the challenges of grow food in among the stars offers us solutions needed here on Earth as well.

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FOGPONICS I GARDEN CULTURE

Fogponics came about as NASA’s solution to issues found in aeroponic growing. Perfecting food production for astronauts means heavy production in a compact space while conserving every ounce of resources possible. Their agenda also includes doing away overcoming pests and disease. It’s not like astronauts can run up to McDonalds if crop failure strikes.

The ‘dry mist’ technology used in fogponics is generated true ultrasonic foggers, with the nutrient droplets being only 5-10 microns. A huge difference in the 20-50 micron size of the mist droplets used in aeroponics. There are shortcomings with aeroponics, one being that the wet mist is not all used by the plants who best absorb in the 1-25 micron range.

While the excess drains back into the reservoir, this causes some undesirable effects. The development of algae on the surfaces inside the root chamber, and the possibility of waterborne pests and diseases are aeroponic issues that fogponics reduces.

Fogponics uses less water and energy to complete the growing cycle than the parent aeroponics system. The growth rate difference is also remarkable. Speed of food delivery in space is critical to survival and the benefits of faster harvest with even less possibility of pest or disease issues found in fogponics ensures that astronauts will not go hungry. It also reduces water and energy use, translating to cheaper food production on Earth.

Timing your misting cycle is critical in fogponics. If the misting cycle is allowed to run too long roots cannot absorb the dry mist and water droplets form on them that can bring about the issues of heavier moisture present in aeroponics.

If the cycle is not long enough, insufficient moisture is being supplied which translates to drying roots. Additionally, a rather weak nutrient solution is used to offset the constant absorption rate. A regular nutrient dilution causes root burn and alternatively the proper dilution allows for higher efficiency in nutrient uptake. Like all the different types of

FOGPONICS USES LESS WATER AND ENERGY TO COMPLETE THE GROWING CYCLE THAN THE PARENT AEROPONICS SYSTEM. THE GROWTH RATE DIFFERENCE IS ALSO REMARKABLE hydro growing, here too you must monitor your system and nutrients very well.

Fogponics systems have come available for propagation in the USA for the past couple of years and are widely available.

Our favorite is the Dominaero by Fogponics but others on the marketplace are very good as well.

If you like to experiment with with fogponics yourself we advise you to do some research online. Researching this method of growing online will also turn up DIY instructions.

Essentially all you need is a tray or bucket with a cover and an ultrasonic fogger to start. Have fun experimenting! 3

DIY Video Fogponics www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjWLyA-w4Bo

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garden efficiency Waste is a bad word in the twenty-first century. We need to focus on efficiency - not just in the vehicle we drive or appliances and electronics we buy, but in everything we use and do. Efficiency in gardening boils down to input versus output, which just happens to be the general definition of efficiency.

Everything is becoming more efficient. Electronic ballasts have increased efficiency over magnetic ballasts. Newer greenhouse materials have better insulating capacity. These are just two examples of increased efficiency. Energy efficiency is important for all indoor growers, but is crucial to very intensive systems where a lot is at stake and maintaining a constant climate is critical.

Energy can be lost in a number of ways. Ventilation being a big cause of energy losses. Excess heat must be ventilated out, but where no excess in temperature is present, fresh air does have to be added to insure proper plant growth. In both cases energy will be lost through ventilation. Closedoff or semi-closed off systems counter this problem by adding CO2 to the air and recirculating it, instead of ventilating the air out.

There is also energy lost when heat is absorbed by surrounding material. For instance, concrete floors provide good summer cooling, but also suck up winter heat. It is best to have proper insulation for efficient energy use. In turn, your utility bill is lower and stabilizing the growing climate is easier Then there is biological efficiency. Every plant has an optimal temperature, humidity and other parameters. Maximizing biological efficiency means meeting all parameters

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and keeping them as stable as possible. Many times this comes from experience, though rough parameters are established for most plant species. The most important aspect is to keep the climate as stable as possible. Plants adapt to a changing climate, but productivity is greatest with very little climate variation. Large swings in temperature and humidity impedes growth, and eventually noticeably affects quality and quantity of your harvest.

Several factors define your maximum attainable yield light, temperature and genetics. These set the upper bar of possibilities. To attain this the grower must provide sufficient water, nutrients and CO2 to ensure the plants efficiently use all available light at the temperature their photosynthesis is most active. Meet these parameters and crops will convert the input energy most efficiently into a harvestable output.

Hydroponics is especially suited for very efficient production.

It allows for very precise constant monitoring of the complete climate including root-zone. Hydroponics allows for rapid reaction to changes. It is usually less susceptible to pests that can be real efficiency killers - wasting input energy by lowering output yield. This environment is perfectly suited to control and stability. Insulated containers or systems can be used and nutrient heated for maintaining root temperature.

BY JEROEN

GARDEN EFFICIENCY I GARDEN CULTURE

SEVERAL FACTORS DEFINE YOUR MAXIMUM ATTAINABLE YIELD LIGHT, TEMPERATURE AND GENETICS. THESE SET THE UPPER BAR OF POSSIBILITIES. TO ATTAIN THIS THE GROWER MUST PROVIDE SUFFICIENT WATER, NUTRIENTS AND CO2 TO ENSURE THE PLANTS EFFICIENTLY USE ALL AVAILABLE LIGHT AT THE TEMPERATURE THEIR PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS MOST ACTIVE Some will argue that growing plants at their highest biological efficiency is a contradiction, and won’t reduce the energy use. Yes, more equipment is needed to stabilize the climate, but what is the goal? You must choose growing a high quality product using biological efficiency, or greatly reducing energy use by sacrificing harvest size and quality.

We all want to reduce waste, energy use and costs - but reduced harvest is inefficient too.

Labour is also an energy input. A grower’s chores can be done with absolute perfection or just adequately. Both ways mean time and effort is invested. It’s up to your perspective in choosing which details matter most. Planning is the most vital chore a successful grower has to do. Efficiently using space, time and other inputs all require planning.

Although plants don’t seem to move very fast at some growth stages, they still require a quick response. Properly planning ahead reduces the chance of messing things up or being overwhelmed with work all at once. Especially when juggling a variety of plants at different growth stages planning becomes difficult and a vast amount of experience is required for best results. Many times, planning ahead will be save you time working later on.

Efficiency may not be equally valued by everyone, but only compostable waste is valued by anyone. Now it’s not exactly waste, but the base material for fertile soil amendments production. Recycling is yet another way to increase garden efficiency.

Finding total efficiency is a struggle for more output from less input. The solution varies by each grower’s perspective on which parts of the garden must run efficiently. With planning and innovation there are solutions possible to deliver savings in time, money and effort or energy. In the end you must choose which inputs are most valuable to you, and use them most efficiently in your situation. 3

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extinct

FOOD

W H AT WO N ’ T W E E AT 50 YEARS FROM NOW? In the course of the last ten thousand years the human diet has changed dramatically. Slowly, but surely, we have changed from the famous hunter gatherers into farmers. Humanity has taken matters into their own hands by organizing nature. Now, a few thousand years later, agriculture is still very important for humans, with supermarkets offering hundreds of fresh fruit and vegetables types from all over the world. The choice of new species only seems to be increasing, but is it also possible to imagine that the future would see a decline in the diversity of our diet?

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BY JEROEN

EXTINCT FOOD I GARDEN CULTURE

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF AGRICULTURE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, MAN HAS INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON MONOCULTURES. THESE LARGE MONOCULTURES LIMIT THE NATURAL CROSS POLLINATION OF MANY PLANT SPECIES SIMPLY BY REDUCING THE AVAILABLE HABITAT

MODERN AGRICULTURE The discovery of agriculture is certainly one of the developments that rank high on the list of important changes that made humans into what we are today. The crops that were bred at the beginning of the agricultural times are nothing like the crops that we now accept as normal. The thick ears of corn that are familiar to us now once appeared more like the seeds of wild grasses along the road.

Most of these age old species are still present, but are now no longer grown due to the availability of more efficient crops.

Due to humanity’s success and the immense population growth there has always been a high demand for food. Despite that we encounter limits of what is possible; fisherman are likely the most familiar with this. Several important species of fish such as tuna and swordfish, but also many others, are endangered because of over-fishing, but that has not lessened the demand for fish. If no successful method is invented to breed these fish, the fish will be lost to the success of humans.

NATURAL EVOLUTION The extinction of species is a natural process of evolution.

Species that are not strong enough to survive in a particular environment will slowly become extinct. The presence of other competing species can have a strong causal effect on that process. Since the beginning of agriculture thousands of years ago, man has increasingly focused on monocultures. These large monocultures limit the natural cross pollination of many plant species simply by reducing the available habitat.

GENETIC MANIPULATION Another major problem that has only recently been acknowledged is contamination with genes from genetically modified plants. A familiar example is corn. In many places around the world corn is grown and very often this is a genetically modified variant. The genes of these man-modified plants are now also found in wild corn plants.

It is quite possible that in the future only the genetically modified version will be available because the other will have simply disappeared. This is a serious problem. Unfortunately it will probably only be recognized and appreciated by the majority for its impact when it is too late.

RISKS There is a trend towards increasing genetic manipulation of crops. Through accidental pollination wild variants are being lost. It is therefore possible that the most frequently eaten crops ‘disappear’. The most important, and most frequently cultivated crops, strangely enough face the most risk for becoming extinct. This change will be hard to spot, especially for consumers who just shop for fruits and vegetables in the stores. Right now, science‘s position is that genetic engineering won’t do much harm, but this perspective can easily change in the future. Asbestos was also initially also seen as harmless.

SEED SAVERS Fortunately, there are projects focused on saving such variants and species for the future to explain. For exam

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EXTINCT FOOD I GARDEN CULTURE Modern style farming!

Svalbard Global Seed Vault

ple, there are difTHIS PROJECT IS ferent seed banks DESIGNED LIKE A which store seeds ‘NOAH’S ARK’ FOR under the optimal conditions so PLANT SPECIES AND that they can be IS THEREFORE BEING preserved for as FILLED AT BREAKNECK long as possible.

SPEED. CURRENTLY IT Since 2008 the CONTAINS MORE “Svalbard Global THAN 750,000 Seed Vault” has DIFFERENT SAMPLES operated on the island of Svalbard. This underground building is in the permafrost, and will in the case of power failure, warm up very gradually. This project is designed like a ‘Noah’s Ark’ for plant species and is therefore being filled at breakneck speed. Currently it contains more than 750,000 different samples.

Still, it is possible that different food sources will be depleted and disappear. Though the trend still appears to be going in the direction of a wider range of foods, there is always a possibility that a certain type of plant will dissapear. It is up to the consumer to ensure that all products have a future. In some cases, a greater demand for products will be important for the survival of the species, like non genetically modified corn. In other cases, such as endangered species of large fish, a lower consumption is recommendable. In both cases, there certainly is no harm for consumers to understand where the product comes from and what it takes to create and sustain it. 3

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Superfoods 101 :

Wheatgrass Heard of wheatgrass? It’s in most health food stores and juice bars, and is considered by all who are aware of its nourishign capacities as the superfood of superfoods. Wheatgrass has an affinity to take up more elements than almost any other plant and contains the entire range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and nutrients that your body requires. This explains why ruminants like cows or bison can live off it alone, or why the family cat or dog constantly gnaws on your lawn.

For those that don’t like their vegetables, consider this…Dr. Earp Thomas states that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of vegetables. Now you can get it all over at once!

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The History of Wheatgrass consumption

What is Wheatgrass?

The consumption of wheatgrass in the Western world began in the 1930’s as a result of experiments conducted by Charles F. Schnabel (1895 – 1974) and his attempts to popularize the plant.

He nursed dying hens back to health and they not only recovered, but they produced eggs at a higher rate than healthy hens.

In the US there are numerous healing centers that use wheatgrass to heal disease, such as the Gershon Institute and the Hippocrates Institute founded by the late Ann Wigmore.

Ann Wigmore, a nutritionist, whole foods advocate and writer, discovered the value of wheatgrass for herself in healing her various illnesses. In her own words, “Whereas before I was unable to work more than a few hours a day because of exhaustion and nervousness, the wheatgrass juice seemed to bring new alertness and energy into my body. No task seemed to be too difficult and work became a pleasure instead of a chore.”

Wheatgrass is the sprouted grass of a wheat seed. Because it is sprouted it contains no gluten or other allergic agents, which are only contained in the seed itself.

Hard red winter wheat is considered to be the most nutritious strain for growing wheatgrass, although there are strong arguments by those that champion the theories of ancient wheat like Green Kamut (Khorasan) being better. Wheat has been hybridized to such an extent that it is hard to create any sort of baseline on what it should be in the first place.

How to grow wheatgrass The process of growing wheatgrass is pretty simple. Soak the wheatberries for a day, then once the seed has germinated direct seed into a growing vessel and keep hydrated for 10-12 days depending on the amount of light made available for the plants. If you use a growing media you will need to water every 1-2 days,

BY EVAN FOLDS

WHEATGRASS I GARDEN CULTURE

If you’re looking to improve your health - and who isn’t this very well could be the most important article you’ve ever read and without growing media you will water 1-2 times every day.

Some wheatgrass growers encourage growing using no soil and only the seed energy to nourish the growing plants, arguing that simply soaking and watering the grass is sufficient for optimal growth.

This argument is misguided. Seeds are certainly designed to contain the nutrients and forces necessary to jump start growth, but to say plants do not benefit from what the soil contains once they begin their journey into the soil is folly. Surely there are minerals and nutrients the plant can take advantage of in order to thrive and grow to maximum potency?

The results of growing with a good soil mix are increased nutrient density and a superior and sweeter tasting juice. You should expect to get 10-14 ounces of juice from a healthy flat of wheatgrass. And with reputable wheatgrass juicer the process of extracting the juice is very easy.

There are two types of juicers on the market today, centrifugal and masticating. The main benefit of a masticating juicer is that it crushes the fruits and vegetables as opposed to shredding them as the average centrifugal juicer does.

wheatberries

This process of crushing and squeezing extracts more juice and also has less heat buildup than the high speed centrifugal juicers, which destroys the enzymes and other vital nutrients.

Wheatgrass is at its most potent when ingested within fifteen minutes of juicing, as the enzyme content and life force of the juice begins to degrade after this time. This qualitative aspect of food is a major reason modern people experience illness at higher rates than our ancestors.

Name one thing in your diet that is eaten within 15 minutes of harvest? Did you know that the apples you purchase form the grocery store can be over a year old? Our food no longer contains the forces people need to carry their will into action.

The concept of life force is fascinating and a conundrum for many. It cannot be measured directly like the physical aspects of our world, but at the same time it cannot be denied as there is surely more to life than what is physically here.

This phenomenon is called the “grass juice factor” in the wheatgrass world. It is not a single ingredient that creates the therapeutic effect, but the synergy of all of the living ingredients working together.

The health benefits of wheatgrass may sound too good to be true for those that have not tried it, but be assured that they are not an exaggeration. This author has grown and juiced wheatgrass for many years and can personally attest.

Because wheatgrass juice is alive it is immediately absorbed into the body with no wasted energy and actually aides significantly in digestion and in cleaning out the digestive tract and colon. It is even used for enemas. You can literally feel it work its way through your body.

It is a boost to the immune system and helps restore alkalinity in the body acting as a powerful detoxifier, making it outstanding for the health of the skin, hair, mouth and teeth.

Wheatgrass is often called “liquid sunshine” because it is one of the richest sources of chlorophyll available. Chlorophyll mimics

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WHEATGRASS I GARDEN CULTURE

hemoglobin in blood, which helps the blood carry healing oxygen to all the cells. So taking a daily shot of wheatgrass is literally a life infusion!

So why don’t doctors prescribe wheatgrass? The answer to this question would no doubt comprise another article entirely, but wheatgrass is no pharmaceutical. It cannot be patented and corporatized, meaning that it can absolutely be grown at home!

A 2 oz shot of wheatgrass in the health food store can cost up to $6. You can grow 12-14 oz. by yourself for about $4-6 per week.

Powdered or dried wheatgrass is also very expensive, taste terrible and does not have near the health benefits of fresh wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass juice and other living foods raise all ships. They provide the body what it needs in a potent manner so your body can play catch-up and operate at peak efficiency. It is really as simple as that.

If you have never tried wheatgrass juice consider yourself challenged. Do your research and stop by a health food store or juice bar to try it out, or better yet, grow your own? You will feel the difference…guaranteed. 3

Popular Wheatgrass Varieties • Hard Red Winter • Green Kamut (Khorasan) • Hard Red Spring • Einkorn

Steps to grow 1. Soak for 24 hours 2. Move to growing medium 3. Hydrate for 10-12 days 4. Harvest

Earth-Friendly Organic & Water-Wise Gardening Ready To Grow Your Business?

Tainted Vegetables

These are just a few of the many reasons why the home vegetable garden is making a comeback in a big way. If you own a small nursery or garden shop, the PGTA can help you grow Financial Hardship your business, all year long, while significantly minimizing seasonal sales fluctuations.

Soaring Food Prices Sales of vegetable seeds and plants for the 2009-2010 season were up by 40 percent over the previous year, an unheard of one year growth rate for any segment of the $40 billion annual Regional Drought lawn and garden market. Why? Because the rise in energy prices is not only affecting fuel prices, but virtually every consumer product including food. Obviously, one of the easiest Climate Change ways to provide a hedge against rising food prices is to grow your own.

Of course, other factors are driving this growth, including continuing reports of contaminated vegetables, growing concern for the environment, and even supplementing the family income with small market farms and gardens.

The Progressive Gardening Trade Association has been on the forefront of these issues for over a decade, providing information on progressive home gardening techniques that include organics, hydroponics, drip irrigation, container and other eco-friendly, water-wise plant growth and food production solutions.

Progressive Gardening Trade Association 7809 FM 179, Shallowater, TX 79363 United States

Tel. 806.832.5306 Tel. 806.832.5244 FAX

info@pgta.org www.pgta.org

BY EVEREST FERNANDEZ

The Looming Specter of 21st Century Fascism

“ALL OUR PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE STRICTLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF GROWING NON-NUTRITIVE PLANTS ONLY. DO NOT ASK US ABOUT GROWING FOOD.”

“What’s with the sign?” I asked. The old guy sighed without looking up. I waited for a few seconds but he appeared to be totally absorbed in the perusal of a thick product catalog.

“Which part of it don’t you understand, kid?” he grunted with a well-practiced, jaded sarcasm, still refusing to even look at me, his stubby fingers pinning down a pair of the directory’s biblically thin pages with an unkind precision.

I glanced about the store. There was nobody else around.

“All of it.”

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LIFE ALL-INCLUSIVE TM I GARDEN CULTURE

WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON IN THIS CRAZY PLACE THEY USED TO CALL AMERICA ANYWAY? The old guy finally looked up at me bringing his white, wiser-than-thou beard into full view. Well into his sixties, his long, receding hair was scraped back into a rat’s tail while his tired, beady eyes conveyed a longing to be retired somewhere up in the Old Oregonian hills, presumably tending to his own plantation of edibles. Somehow though, he’d ended up being stuck serving noobs like me at a franchise of OrnaMental™—the region’s premiere vendor of ornamental growing equipment. He looked at me as if I personified everything and everyone he’d ever hated.

“You’re not from round here are you?”

“No—I just moved to the areaah,” I lied, affecting my accent a little more in the hope of softening his contempt for me.

His eyes narrowed further as if discerning whether I was for real.

“You see that potting mix?” he pointed to a pile of bags slumped on a wooden shipping palette dumped precariously in the middle of the floor.

“Yeah.”

“That’s available—but only if you’re growing 93 percent of plants.”

“93 percent?”

He sighed again. “The non-edibles. Roughly 93 percent of the plant world. If you want to grow premium quality, non-nutritive plants, then this potting mix is ideal.”

“But what about….?” I began.

“Uh-uh,” he interrupted, pointing up at the sign, “Don’t forget—93 percent of botany is open for discussion here today.

The other seven percent is out of bounds. That ain’t so bad now is it?”

There was a strange desperation in his laugh. I looked at him blankly not really wanting to play along.

“Let’s say you wanted to grow Argemone mexicana, the Mexican Poppy,” he began what seemed to be a well rehearsed setpiece, “I’ve got growing systems, nutrients, lights and seeds— yellow or white. You can use them in certain herbal applications if you have a license. But you can’t eat them, y’hear?” The old

man’s catalog flopped itself shut on the counter. He looked mildly irritated at losing his place.

“What if I don’t want to grow Mexican poppies?” I asked. The old guy just stared at me. “You know … is it really so bad? I just want to grow some of my own tomah-toes!”

That did it. Conversation over. He stood up all of a sudden then he asked … no he ordered me to leave, right there and then, cussing loudly, but strangely gleeful with it too, like he was glad of the drama to brighten his day.

“Stupid friggin’ idiot!” he yelled. I got straight out of there of course—I even felt a mild push through the door. It was the same in every store I’d visited. I walked hurriedly back to my car, then navigated my way home via intersections, strip malls and burger joints. Distinct landmarks were hard to find.

On my drive home I reflected on another wasted day.

Technically I hadn’t asked about growing tomatoes—I’d only stated my intention to grow them—entirely different to that which was prohibited by his stupid sign. What the hell was going on in this crazy place they used to call America anyway? I looked up and noticed the video billboard: “CHILL TIME!” it declared with a bunch of young, guffawing jocks sprawled on a couch, swilling on beers, eating potato chips, and playing total-immersion video games. It was an advertisement for the latest, voguish lifestyle package aimed at young men called “CHILLAX™.”

Americans—if you could even call them that anymore— were living a different kind of life to the rest of us on the planet. Admittedly, they were historically early adopters.

Things always seemed to happen there first and, whether the rest of us liked it or not, we would all end up taking our lead from them sooner or later. But this latest stuff? The “lifestyle packages,” the “governmental corporations?” It was just unthinkable.

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THE CHANGES WERE SUBTLE, ESPECIALLY AT THE BEGINNING. NOBODY REALLY CARED THAT, OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS OR SO, THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE STATE OF OREGON HAD BECOME NEW OREGON™ AND THE WHOLE STATE BECAME PRIVATELY OWNED CORPORATE PREMISES.

You have to understand. It was a really, really big deal when America was sold—at least for those with access to alternative news sources. No mainstream media outlet dared use words like “sold” or “purchased.” And nobody, and I mean nobody, mentioned the “C-word”—China. To the average American it was all about “international debt consolidation,” “book balancing,” “modernizing paradigms of civic administration” and “making good on our collective fiscal commitments.”

The changes were subtle, especially at the beginning.

Nobody really cared that, over the course of five years or so, the official name of the State of Oregon had become New Oregon™ and the whole state became privately owned corporate premises. Life felt the same for most regular people. The fact that everything from schools, healthcare and transport to military, police, family planning and food production was now operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of a Chinese banking mega corporation, Zhìzào Jong, called “New Oregonian Incorporated” was largely academic and irrelevant. What really mattered on the ground was that life got better for everyday Americans.

Genetically modified food three times a day? It sure tastes good when it’s subsidized though! Sodium fluoride in the water? Hey you can drink all the soda you want!

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The Chinese hired some awesome American PR of course.

Huge American flags seemed to be flapping on every street corner as if to counteract any notion of its devolved status.

Some evil genius had come up with the strap line, “Life— All Inclusive™” and the idea really caught fire. It wasn’t so much luxury but the idea of “choice” and a life of “ease.”

Now you could choose where you lived and what you did with your days, without having to worry about money, insurance, food, healthcare and all the other distracting details. You didn’t need to save for retirement or budget for vacations. Everything was available on a new form of credit and, unbelievably, the majority of young folks I spoke to actually believed they were born with a microchip in their right arm. I kid you not. Some didn’t even know it was there. Very quickly, it seemed, the all-inclusive lifestyle had become all-pervasive and totally normalized in postAmerican society.

The billboard cycled through another loop of lifestyle propaganda, the young jocks started slapping their thighs again accompanied by big bold letters. “Screw 9-5! It’s time to CHILLAX™!” You got a free apartment with up to four other likeminded males. Internet—free. (Some restrictions applied.) Video games—yes, you got to play them all day, every day if you wanted to. Work—optional! Yes, optional!

Meals—delivered hot, three times a day, right to your front

LIFE ALL-INCLUSIVE TM I GARDEN CULTURE

I spent five fruitless weeks searching for folks who opted not to live according to some predetermined “lifestyle package.” I’d been certain that I’d find some hippies up in the hills stoically defending their “old way” of life, growing their own open-pollinated crops either independently or communally—but they were nowhere to be found. Some places were eerily quiet, like everybody had left town at once. The only people I met were blithely happy, overweight consumers, wandering around cities that resembled theme parks, insistent on telling me how happy they were now that they didn’t have a care in the world.

door with sachets of your favorite condiments. The video finished and the lights finally turned green.

Millions of young men had subscribed. They couldn’t build the apartments quick enough. There was a sixmonth waiting list but still they advertised it incessantly.

None of the young men, it seemed, had read the small print or, at least, they paid no mind to their contractual obligations to provide monthly semen and urine samples to authorized representatives of New Oregonian Medical Research Cooperative LLC. After all, it was just part of the obligatory “healthcare program” included in the CHILLAX™ package—and in no way had any substantial clinical evidence ever been produced that linked statistically significant differences in fertility rates among men who chose the CHILLAX™ lifestyle package compared with those who had not.

Got two or more kids and vocational qualifications at level 3 or higher? Choose FamilyGuy™. You could drive a Class 2 luxury saloon or people carrier and change it for a new model every year—and arrive home each night at your Suburban ENVY™ class C dwelling in a triple-star rated urban residential zone. 150 LeisureCredits™ every month.

Subsidized daycare was available when you took advantage of the free contraception offer.

I took my flight back to Europe, a little disheartened. At the airport they showed ads for HighFlyer Aspire™—the lifestyle package for the “Type A, city-slicking go-getter.”

Work hard. Play harder. The screen showed slick-haired executives sealing deals in “elevated goal-orientated business environments” then drinking cocktails with doeeyed supermodels in exclusive bars and nightclubs, eating in the city’s best fine dining restaurants, and working it all off in prestige gyms below their SkyView™ apartments. My flight was finally called.

As I sat on the plane wondering what story I could concoct for the obscure independent gardening media outlet I’d convinced to fund the trip, I could just make out the huge robots tending the “nutritionally optimized” biotech crops in the heavily fortified “megafarms” below. I wouldn’t get any closer than 40,000 feet—those places were locked down tighter than Old Fort Knox.

How had “The Land of the Free” changed so much in just a few decades? Or had it, really? Maybe I was just having a delayed realization of the way things had always been heading? It didn’t seem right though—all that power, all that production, concentrated and monopolized. I sure hoped that there were still folks out there growing more than just “ornamental” plants, saving seeds, sharing genetics, educating their kids, and living free. ~ Everest Fernandez September, 2035.

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Mini Foods you can grow yourself SMALL IS Call them whatever you want. Miniature, midget, baby or dwarf - diminutive vegetables are available in big numbers in stores throughout the world. The number of different types are literally growing too.

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WHAT ARE MINI VEGETABLES? Mini-vegetables are bred to mature at a smaller than average vegetables or are normal sized but picked prematurely. They are available as seed, seedlings or cuttings in most gardening stores or online.

Mini-vegetable gardens are a sustainable food source that can be grown virtually anywhere. These gardens can produce enough vegetables to help feed a small family, and they can be grown without the use of pesticides. They are even easy to plant and grow, needing only a little strategy and maintenance to keep them growing.

WHY MINI VEGETABLES? In the old days the purpose of growing big vegetables where for simple reasons: Feed as many people as possible. Now in our society of abundance, people choose mini for a number of reasons. Size; big vegetables are crude on the plate, clunky and sometimes hard to handle.

Taste; some mini variants simply just taste better than their larger cousins. Efficiency; lot’s of people are more conscience about waste. Why throw half of what you buy in the dump?

BY TAMMY

MINI FOODS I GARDEN CULTURE

Cherry Tomatoes Bio : A cherry tomato is a very small variety of tomato. Cherry tomatoes range in size from a thumbtip up to the size of a golf ball. Growing Cherry tomatoes indoors are easy and simple, the tomato are sweet, juicy and versatile. You can start picking your tomatoes after +/- 60-65 days. pH: 5.9 - 6.5 Humidity: 40 to 80 % Light Hours: 12-16 hours per day

Mini Iceberg Lettuce Bio: Waste is a big problem with full size head lettuce. Mini Iceberg Lettuce is tennis ball sized, producing the perfect salad for one. Growing lettuce in the indoor garden is very simple - its one of the most common hydroponic crops around. Enjoy garden fresh salad in 65 days. pH: 5.5 - 6.0 Humidity: 60 to 80% Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Mini Cabbage Bio: Don’t want aging cabbage hanging around in the fridge? Great tasting, tight 15 cm diameter heads on mini cabbages like ‘Gonzales’ provide just enough for serving one or two people. A surprising addition to the hydro garden that does well. Seed to harvest in about 66 days. pH: 6.5 - 7.0 Humidity: 50 to 60% Light Hours: 16 hours a day

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MINI FOODS I GARDEN CULTURE

Baby Cauliflower

Mini Cucumber

Bio: Here’s one of those veggies that you can harvest large or small and maintain great flavor. Cauliflower ‘Freedom’ was aptly named, but there are improved versions like Bishop available. You can start harvesting 5-10 cm heads in 60-70 days from seeding with the right hybrids.. pH: 6.5 - 7.0 Humidity: 50 to 60% Light Hours: 16 hours a day

pH: 5.5 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Mini Pak Choi pH: 7.0 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Baby Eggplant pH: 6.0 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Mini Watermelons pH: 5.5 - 6.5 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Baby Peppers pH: 5.8 - 6.3 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Mini Pumpkins pH: 5.5 - 7.5 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Baby Corn pH: 6.0 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Baby Spinach pH: 6.0 - 7.0 Light Hours: 16 hours a day

Mini Romanesco Broccoli Bio: Not a new development, Romanesco is a 16th century Italian hybrid that is uniquely beautiful on your plate. A cauliflower - broccoli cross with incredible flavor for eating raw and lightly cooked.

You can harvest individual florets or the whole head in +/- 75-100 days. pH: 6.0 - 6.8 Humidity: 50 - 60% Light Hours: 16 hours a day

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“USING THE SOIL FOOD WEB IS EASY AND MAKE SO MUCH SENSE.”

MEET

AMERICA’S

DIRTIEST LAWYER

86 86

BY TOM ALEXANDER

INTERVIEW I GARDEN CULTURE

Jeff Lowenfels immediately became one of the gurus of the organic gardening world, when his bestselling book, “Teaming With Microbes”, was published in 2006, and he started traveling around the U.S. and Canada giving over a hundred presentations at gardening conferences and meetings on the soil food web and how to keep it healthy. His presentations are a fast mix of useful information and garden comedy. He splits the year living in Anchorage, Alaska and Portland, Oregon. We were together in Kauai, Hawaii on vacation when we sat down for this interview.

What was your gardening history while growing up in Scarsdale, N.Y.?

Were you organic back then?

My family became organic sometime when I was reaching my teen years. Before that we were pretty heavy into spraying the apples and we knew the founder of Miracle Gro so we used that as well for fertilizing the gardens. My Dad met J.R Rodale (founder of Organic Gardening magazine) somewhere along the line. We grew pretty much all of our food so it was a pretty important step. We were big Miracle Gro users, so it was quite a change.

You are a past president of the Garden Writers Association. How have garden writers embraced organic gardening?

I can remember a meeting in NYC when the group almost broke up because there was an organic presentation on the agenda. Wow. Bad feelings were everywhere… almost no one was organic! Now it is hard to find anyone who is using chemicals. The group is probably “TEAMING WITH 99% organic. That is quite a change over MICROBES IS ABOUT 20 years.

MICROBIOLOGY

AND ITS STORY GETS THE FOOD TO THE PLANT.”

You have been called America’s dirtiest lawyer. How did you get that moniker?

I am a practicing lawyer (even licensed to argue before the Supreme Court!.) I have also been writing garden columns and stuff for over 38 years. The combination seemed like a natural one to a couple of my friends and it stuck….soil and law…dirty lawyer.

You were once a proponent of chemical gardening. What changed your mind?

A great friend, you, sent me a picture of a nematode being eaten by a fungi that is protecting a root with the words, “soil food web.” I read up on it and was sold from the very start. It makes so much sense to let things protect themselves the natural way. Who uses pesticides on those old, old Redwoods?

What are the most important benefits of organic gardening and how do you achieve them?

Well, from the plant’s perspective it is better soil. Organics support the life that makes soil structure. You have to have good structure to have healthy plants. From the animal perspective, we are not only poisoning ourselves, our families, our friends and our neighbors. It is pretty simple. There is no question that the industrial chemicals we are sold are full of things we should not be putting on our gardens, let alone on our skin, in our lungs and on the food we eat.

While you were President of the Garden Writers Association you started Plant a Row for the Hungry. Tell me more about that.

Hey, Plant a Row is a great program. Everyone who has a garden has something that goes to waste. This is a way we can dedicate one or more rows in our gardens to feed those

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INTERVIEW I GARDEN CULTURE

Right: Food crops treated with mychorrhizal fungi showed increased drought resistance

who need the food without the government getting involved. Nothing slips from cup to lip. Gardener’s take their excess to soup kitchens, food banks, places of worship or just to those they know who will appreciate it. Real simple. And, unfortunately, really needed.

“ORGANICS SUPPORT THE LIFE THAT MAKES SOIL STRUCTURE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD STRUCTURE TO HAVE HEALTHY PLANTS”

Your book “Teaming with Microbes” and your presentations around the country about the soil food web have changed gardening techniques for hundreds of thousands of people. What have your readers shared with you on how your book and/or presentations changed the way they garden?

I am overwhelmed by the comments I get. Some folks literally changed their lives after reading the book and hearing the talks and started soil food web businesses. Hard to believe a book could have that kind of impact. The other day, I had a fellow come up to me at a conference in Springfield, Massachusetts.

He flew up from South Africa to hear my talk and to thank me for changing his life four years ago. Now he is a leading organic businessman in his country!

Anyhow, once people have the knowledge of what chemicals do to the soil and the soil food web, they instantly get it. Given the tools to change how they do things, and they are off and running. You can tell from their faces and from their questions.

Using the Soil Food Web is easy and make so much sense.

Some businesses and several university scientists are critical of aerated compost tea, one of the foundations of creating a healthy soil food web, claiming there are no double blind scientific studies showing it works.

Still commercial farmers, golf courses, landscape companies are investing big bucks in using it and doing so with fantastic results. What’s up with these scientists? Show them a good lab experiment and it isn’t good enough. Show them great plants and that isn’t good enough.

Well, first of all, it is hard to duplicate things when you use compost as one of the variables because it is so variable.

However, I know when I test mine on basil or cilantro, for example, I get demonstrable differences every time. I know farmers who do too. I have read college thesis demonstrating teas work and last month read a fantastic study from the University of Arizona demonstrating that tea worked. Still a certain group just keeps hammering on compost tea. The last study was “no good because it was a lab study, not one done out in the field.” O.K. Don’t use compost tea if you don’t want to. It is one of three or four ways you can restore the soil food web. If you don’t want to use it, there are others! It is curious, however, that so many commercial farmers are successful and continue to use it. That is pretty good proof to me. These folks are not fools and wasting their hard earned money on something that doesn’t work.

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INTERVIEW I GARDEN CULTURE “LOTS OF THE MINERALS NEEDED

BY PLANTS, ESPECIALLY THE METALS, ARE CHEMICALLY BOUND TO THE SOIL PARTICLES. MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ARE ABLE TO UNBIND THESE NUTRIENTS”

Cultivating the next generation of organic growers...

Fungi, like these mushrooms, are an essential part of the soil food web

How do mycorrhiza fit into the soil food web?

Lots of the minerals needed by plants, especially the metals, are chemically bound to the soil particles. The root comes into contact with them and these nutrients diffuse into the plant root. The area becomes depleted and the plant has to find more. Mycorrhizal fungi are able to unbind these nutrients and are so much smaller than root hairs providing much more surface area contact with the nutrients. They then deliver these nutrients to plant roots. The plant provides the carbon the fungi needs completing the symbiosis. This makes a mycorrhiza, mycorrhizae is the plural… i.e. a root-fungus partnership, made up by mychorrizal fungi and the roots.

These fungi also come into contact with water and bring that back to the plant along with some of the nutrients dissolved in it.

Your new book, “Teaming with Nutrients,” is due out later this year. The title is obvious but get more into what it is about.

Well, “Teaming With Microbes” was about microbiology and its story gets the food to the plant as ultimately it is the plant’s exudates that attract the bacteria and fungi to the roots where they eat and are excreted as plant usable nutrients. (exudates, bacteria and fungi, protozoa and nematodes recycle them in the rhizosphere) but I started to wonder how the food gets into a plant. How do they eat? So, “Teaming With Nutrients: The Organic Gardener’s Guide To Optimizing Plant Nutrition” takes over. Whew, quite a title, huh? It is based on cellular biology, for the most part. You have to have

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“IF THEY (GMOS) WERE AS SAFE AS MONSANTO AND OTHERS WANT US TO BELIEVE, THEN WHY WON’T THEY JUST AGREE TO LABELING”

some chemistry and botany and cellular biology to get the full picture… I try and include what is needed and do so in a “light,” understandable fashion. It’s an interesting read which will lead you to some logical conclusions to make you a better and more sustainable gardener.

What is your opinion about GMOs? Are they screwing up the environment? What are the dangers of GMOs in your opinion?

Well, there is no question that the stuff being used as a result of GMOs, glyphosate mixtures, are harming soil structure and that is not good. It takes a long time to make good soil. If they were as safe as Monsanto and others want us to believe, then why won’t they agree to labeling. My goodness….what else needs to be said?

Will there be a third book? A Teaming trilogy?

Well, I have one in mind as we speak. You never know. I like the idea of doing a trilogy and becoming “Lord of The Roots” instead of America’s Dirtiest Lawyer! 3

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