Iam fascinated by water. After graduating from university, I started a small company that sold water filters, among other things. I dove deep into the topic, learning everything I could about it. As it turns out, the rabbit hole is deep, and water is both an amazingly complicated and simple substance. Like lighting, environment, media, and plant nutrients, it is a subject worth investigating.
From water filtration to techniques for watering plants, the subject of water and your garden is vast. In this edition, we explore many aspects of this seemingly simple task. Everest Fernandez has contributed three articles: “Stone Wool: Expert Tips and Tricks,” “Testing RunOff,” and “Dissolved Oxygen: The Invisible Bottleneck Of Your Grow?”
Xavi Kief explores a controversial subject in “Going to the Poles: Can Magnets Improve Irrigation Water?”, and Keaton Haines offers advice on conscious gardening to protect our water sources.
In an industry where high-tech gardens with -sophisticated crop steering techniques produce excellent results, there is still a place for indoor organic farming. In “Living Soil - Novelty, Niche, or the Natural Choice?” one of Canada’s top organic ag consultants, Av Singh, gives his opinion on the future of commercial organic growing.
For all you mushroom enthusiasts, we have a few articles to help you get started. Mushroom growing and foraging are hot now because they are delicious and have many health benefits! Finally, it’s harvest season, and Catherine Sherriffs writes about preserving food for the colder months ahead and the canning comeback. Look for the recipe for canning spiced apple rings; perfect for the autumn!
Water is a crucial element in all life. Understanding how to deliver it to plants in the perfect amounts and intervals can significantly impact the yield and quality of your cherished plants. A great start is having your water tested! 3
Special thanks to:
Adam Clarke, Alex Field, Anne Gibson, Av Singh, Catherine Sheriffs, Everest Fernandez, Jennifer Cole, Keaton Haines, and Xavi Kief.
PRESIDENT
Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from 325 Media Inc.
Keaton Haines
Keaton Haines is a skilled writer who enjoys empowering gardeners with tips and tricks for growing clean and thriving gardens. In this edition, he examines how even the smallest actions in our gardens can affect our environment and offers advice on how to mitigate those risks, especially when it comes to watering. What sparked Keaton’s passion for clean water? Let’s find out!
You were raised with an emphasis on the importance of clean water. Can you tell us more about that? It’s funny to look back on, actually. My earliest water quality memory is from 4 years old, when my parents told me I wasn’t allowed to drink out of the hose with the neighbor’s kids. It only continued from there. In the house I grew up in, we installed two major water filtration methods: a reverse osmosis system beneath one of the sinks for drinking water and a giant pointof-entry whole-home carbon block water filtration system. This second one was a beast– it also included a pH-decreasing ion exchange element that would soften the water. If you were unbothered by whatever was in the pipes, you could drink water from the shower and the sink with little worries. We wanted a closer filtration method for our regular drinking, and that’s where the reverse osmosis system came in.
When the RO system started having recurring expensive problems, we started taking biweekly trips to the Water Wellness store in the Salt Lake Valley. They ran massive steam distillation and RO stations, and we had about 15 five-gallon jugs that we would fill up– you could feel their weight in the trunk on the drive back. I was in charge of making sure the lids didn’t come loose on the drive, and once we arrived home, we’d have to lug them one by one up the garage staircase, through the hallway, and down the basement staircase into the unfinished back room.
I despised the entire process then but was also an angsty teenager who thought I knew everything. And besides, I needed the cardio.
Nowadays, I’m in an apartment with little space. As much as I would love to install a fancy system, I highly doubt my landlord would go for it. I like to keep a 5-gallon jug of distilled water when I can, just for old times’ sake, but we also have an activated carbon filter attached to the sink for good measure. I’ve been researching other effective filtration methods for renting situations… maybe another article topic? :)
What made you decide to launch a writing career?
Growing up, I was a voracious reader; I always had a book at the dinner table and on family outings, which spurred my love for writing. In middle school, my interest in English flourished under phenomenal teachers– I was lucky.
My parents run a marketing firm, so when I entered high school, I started assisting them with writing projects for clients (in addition to whatever jobs I was working at the time). I have a full-time position at a marketing and branding agency and still help my folks with projects. The thing is, I spend a lot of time writing about other people’s interests; plants, gardening, and water quality are topics I enjoy, so it’s a breath of fresh air to make time for myself when researching and writing for Garden Culture.
What’s your favorite plant to grow?
We don’t have much space in our apartment, and we also have an orange cat who loves to chew on things that could potentially kill her, so my planting is relegated to a small table in my bedroom. I have quite the cactus and succulent collection; a few are a decade old, so they’ve been with me for almost half my life!
Eventually, I’d love to start a little herb garden when my partner and I upsize. I cook often and enjoy making cocktails, mocktails, and homemade syrups, so it’s a no-brainer.
My earliest water quality memory is from 4 years old, when my parents told me I wasn’t allowed to drink out of the hose with the neighbor’s kids. It only continued from there.
Other than water, what’s your favorite drink? Probably tea, iced or hot. All variations, too, but oolong and jasmine in particular.
What are some of your favorite podcasts?
• Stuff You Should Know: What it says on the tin–facts about anything and everything
• The Agency Rocket Show: I may be biased because I was in an episode, BUT it’s a font of knowledge for creative business owners!
• Old Gods of Appalachia: A fictional horror anthology podcast, perfect for the upcoming spooky season!
I also listen to many video essays on YouTube. It doesn’t matter what the topic is; I love to learn. 3
Eventually, I’d love to start a little herb garden when my partner and I upsize.
Are you interested in writing for Garden Culture Magazine?
We’d
Research proves that the Cool Cure is a breakthrough system that can increase your terpene retention by more than 15% by reducing trichome damage. No more stress and guesswork, just consistent, repeatable, high-quality results.
If you’re ready to take control of the post-harvest process, a Cannatrol System is your next step.
Grow excellence with Bloombastic and Rokzbastic from ATAMI
Bloombastic and Rokzbastic are two flowering products that support the generative phase of the plant due to their high concentration of phosphorus, potassium, and other trace elements. They share certain characteristics but were designed to address diverse needs. Rokzbastic promotes superior flower compactness through its high potassium concentration, while Bloombastic will maximize flower production and stimulate the onset of flowering through its balanced potassium/ phosphorus ratio. For the best results, apply these products in the same crop in this order: use Bloombastic when flowers start to form and then switch to Rokzbastic towards the last two weeks of flowering.
Check out ATAMI.com/Bastics for more information.
CANNATROL COOL CURE
Post-harvest is stressful after putting so much effort into your grow.Take the guesswork out of your drying and curing process. The new Patented Vaportrol® Technology ends the worry and gives growers precision control by harnessing the power of vapor pressure.The unit automatically runs the dry cycle through cure and holds buds at optimal settings.There is no burping, no maintenance, and everything is customizable.
Data shows more than a 15% increase in terpene retention compared to traditional dry/cure methods. Water is removed
Discover Biobizz Coco·Mix Substrate
Coco·Mix substrate is the perfect home for your plants and provides total versatility. This premium growing medium combines 100% natural coco coir, coconut powder, and fibers. It provides excellent water re tention properties and allows for consistent hydration while preventing overwatering. It also promotes root development, ensuring vigorous and healthy plants.
Bluelab OnePen* is the new all-in-one solution for measuring pH, Conductivity (EC), and Temperature. Premium materials and an IP68 dust / waterproof rating make this the most durable pH/EC pen on the market. The replaceable probe and health indicator simplify maintenance, reduce overall costs, and ensure long-lasting performance.
Ditch the ‘pen and paper’. Record, organize, and share your measurements easily with a seamless Bluetooth connection to your mobile device with Edenic - Bluelab’s groundbreaking app. Bluelab has been trusted by growers who have been com mitted to exceptional crops for generations. Master the art of growing with the insights needed to make informed decisions, whether you’re a home grower or a commercial cultivator.
Learn more: resources.bluelab.com/bluelab-onepen
gently and will not damage delicate trichomes, retaining potency, optimizing terpenes, and enhancing flavor. No burping, totally clean.
The Cool Cure processes 2.2 pounds of wet buds and stores up to 4 pounds of finished flower. Cannatrol makes systems for all sizes, from home grow to large scale, all using the patented Vaportrol Technology. Never worry about your buds again.
Unlike soil, Coco coir isn’t compact, so your plants’ roots have more flexibility and room to grow freely. Plants tend to grow rapidly when placed in coco coir, and nutrient absorption is also sped up, making for bigger plants in the same pot. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced gardener, Coco•Mix provides a reliable and versatile medium for a wide range of plants compatible with all types of nutrients.
Let your plants flourish with Coco·Mix by Biobizz!
Visit Biobizz.com for more information.
Gavita® CT 2000e LED
Designed to fit seamlessly in existing HPS layouts, the new Gavita CT 2000e LED produces 2000 μmol s-1 PAR and an impressively efficient 3.0 μmol/j.The CT 2000e delivers a broad white light with an enhanced blue spectrum which may intensify terpene and cannabinoid profiles. This powerful, full-spectrum light source is intended for full-term plant growth, from the vegetative stages to higher-light-requiring bloom and finishing stages. The CT 2000e is built with high-quality components, in cluding premium drivers and diodes, to deliver the performance and lifespan you expect from the name you trust.
Ask for the Gavita CT 2000e LED at your local grow shop. Available commercially from Quality Horticulture.
Visit qualityhort.com for more info.
Sakato Mushroom Grow Bags
Sakato Mushroom Grow Bags are meticulously designed to meet all your mushroom cultivation needs. Sturdy enough to withstand autoclave sterilization temperatures, these bags come in a variety of sizes for different use cases. Grow bags feature either a 5-micron filter patch, ideal for fruiting blocks, or a 0.2-micron filter patch and injection port, for optimized airflow and sterility control for grain or substrate. Available in clear grow bags for easy visibility or in extra-sturdy opaque or black bags to help limit premature pinning.
Visit RedwoodMushroomSupply.com to order in packs of 20, 50, or bulk sizes.
ThinkGrow ICL-300
An innovative inner-canopy LED that amplifies light distribution from all angles, the ICL-300 is unlike traditional overhead fixtures. It provides comprehensive coverage, eliminates shading, and enhances formation. Its modular design allows for boundless flexibility, adapting to each growth stage. With Daisy-Chain Cord connectivity, you can streamline your setup. Unrivaled controllability and adjustable height make the ICL-300 a game-changer for growers!
Learn more: Hydrofarm.com
Mills provides the benefits of hundreds of plant-supporting compounds in five easy-to-use products, offering growers an efficient system for gardens of all sizes. Stable, concentrated, and effective — this lineup has been tested in and formulated for all media and allows for easy modification of feeding regimens between crop cycles and cultivars. As they like to say, “Mills Pays the Bills”!
Learn more at Hydrofarm.com
Gavita® Pro RS 2400e LED
The Gavita Pro RS 2400e LED is a powerful, full-spectrum light source intended for full-term plant growth, from the vegetative stages to higher-light-requiring bloom and finishing stages. It produces 2400 μmol s-1 PAR and an impressively efficient 3.2 μmol/j and delivers a broad white light with an enhanced blue spectrum which may intensify terpene and cannabinoid profiles. The RS 2400e is built with high-quality components, including premium drivers and diodes, to deliver the performance and lifespan you expect from the name you trust.
Ask for the Gavita Pro RS 2400e LED at your local grow shop. Available commercially from Quality Horticulture.
Check out qualityhort.com to learn more.
The ICL-300 from ThinkGrow is now available at Hydrofarm!
Royal Gold Potting Mix & Propagation
Royal Gold is proud to introduce its newly reformulated Potting and Propagation Mix! A fresh take on the classic Basement Mix, this product will surely please the faithful and curious alike. Well-draining and peat-free, it offers excellent aeration, moderate water holding, and a light amendment charge to get your plants up and running quickly. Perfect for seedlings, propagation, and traditional container gardens of all sizes and styles. Royal Gold Potting and Propagation is your reliable choice for houseplants, fruit and veggie gardens, and much more!
Check out RoyalGoldCoco.com to learn more about the entire line of Royal Gold soils.
Fluence RAPTR
The Fluence RAPTR Series is a high-output top light ideal for 1:1 HPS replacement in controlled environment agriculture. Designed to deliver maximum intensity with industry-leading efficacy, RAPTR is available with two optical distributions and a range of Physiospec™ spectrums tailored for high intensity indoor horticulture and high-efficiency greenhouse applications.
Ask for the Fluence RAPTR Series at your local grow shop. Available commercially from Quality Horticulture.
Visit qualityhort.com for more lighting options.
MARKETpLACE
Easy-To-Use Growing Media
Mother Earth Coco
Mother Earth Coco is a diverse family of rich media blends featuring premium coir and carefully sourced inputs blended for various growing practices. Grow with confidence. Grow like a Mother. Growing media straight from Mother Earth®
For more information, visit Mother-EarthProducts.com/compare
now offers eleven different size options. This en sures cannabis growers have access to Grodan’s indus try-leading stone wool growing media without compromising quality and consistency. This innova tive product is perfect for indoor growers who use low—to medium-level technology to grow their crops and are interested in switching from soil, coco, or peat.
By choosing Pargro®, growers can receive Grodan’s technical and customer service support, in crease their crop cycles per year, and, hopefully, save more time and money. If you’re ready to transform your cannabis growing experience and leave soil, peat, and coco behind, start here with Pargro stone wool by Grodan®
Grodan101.com provides a wealth of information on how to grow with stone wool.
DLI Zenith 900W
The DLI Zenith 900W is the new flagship fixture for indoor cultivation. As the successor of the DLI Apex 800W, the Zenith has the same proven spectrum for maximum plant health, penetration deep into the crop, and increased product quality, but at a higher output and efficiency. The Zenith has optimized cooling, ensuring reliability and maximum lifespan.
Due to its DLC listing, the Zenith is now available and eligible for rebates in the United States and Canada. The DLI team can help for more
Specialized Predator Mite Solutions
Spidex (Phytoseiulus persimilis), Spical (Neoseiulus californicus), or a combination of the two are highly versatile and effective in almost all situations. Phytoseiulus persimilis, found in Spidex Vital, Spidex Red, and Spidex Boost, is a type 1 specialized predator mite particularly adapted to hunting in heavy webbing. It also has the highest numeric response to spider mites. Unlike other predatory mites, the Phytoseiulus persimilis does not require specialized plant hairs to lay eggs on, so it is better able to reproduce on plants lacking these hairs, such as cannabis or many ornamentals.
Check out this article from Koppert.ca to learn how to choose the right predator:
Ready-to-use or ready-to-amend coco media that feature buffered coir fiber. Blended with meticulously selected inputs, these mixes give growers a range of options to support a variety of cultivation protocols. Check out Botanicare.com for more information.
Fluence VYPR
Built upon patented thermal management technologies, FluenceVYPR top lights feature market-leading efficacies and high light output per fixture. Thus, helping reduce the fixture count and system cost per lit area to accelerate the adoption of LED horticulture lighting. With more compact power supplies, beam widening reflectors, and new mounting options, the Fluence VYPR Series empowers growers to achieve their growing targets all year round.
Ask for the Fluence VYPR Series at your local grow shop. Available commercially from Quality Horticulture.
qualityhort.com for more info.
Mossy Giant Custom TerpLoc® Bag The Bear
Mossy Giant (Pieter van Tongeren) is an actual Giant of a man who lives in a small coastal city in the Netherlands. His daily routine of painting, drawing, and design produces detailed artworks that are recognizable by many.
In this latest summer edition pouch, the ever-slow-moving Hippie and The Bear take a trip (and a drive…) through the sun-soaked desert.Their VW van sprouts wings and talons to become the Bird-House, bringing them higher than they’ve ever journeyed.
Grove Bags is happy to share that 50% of the proceeds from these limited-run bags go straight to the artist. Visit GroveBags.com to get yours today!
Runoff TestingRunoff
Everest Fernandez introduces the often-overlooked topic of testing runoff solution when growing in soilless substrates.
As someone who’s not shy about sharing his past mistakes on these pages (mercifully limited to indoor gardening), this oversight was huge.
Confession time: During my first decade as a soilless gardener, I grew thousands of plants in stone wool, coco coir, and perlite without ever considering testing the runoff. Yes, you read that right. As someone who’s not shy about sharing his past mistakes on these pages (mercifully limited to indoor gardening), this oversight was huge. I’m ready to explain why testing your nutrient leachate is crucial for soilless growing. So, if you’re new to hydroponics or don’t know what runoff is, this one’s for you!
Why Should You Care About Runoff?
So, what exactly is runoff? It’s the excess nutrient solution that drains out of your pots, blocks, or slabs after watering. While some hydro setups naturally minimize or eliminate runoff (like passive wicking systems), irrigating your plants so runoff emerges from your soilless media is vital in top-fed systems with coco coir or stone wool.
Here’s my rule of thumb: Aim for 25-30% of your daily nutrient solution to come out as runoff. This practice helps prevent salt buildup in the root zone, which can otherwise wreak havoc on nutrient balance and stress your plants. Think of runoff like clearing the screen of an “Etch a Sketch”—it’s a fresh start.
Growing in soilless media is a different ballgame compared to soil-based container gardening. In pots filled with soilless substrates, the grower provides all the nutrients through the feeding solution. The growing medium primarily offers physical support, water retention, and nutrient storage. This makes it super important to keep tabs on the nutrient environment—and that’s where runoff testing comes into play. Compare this with soilbased potting mixes, where growers aim to minimize runoff to avoid flushing away valuable nutrients.
Neglecting to create runoff when growing in soilless mixes (essentially, under-watering) can lead to nasty consequences like salt buildup, which results in nutrient toxicity. The symptoms— burnt leaf tips, stunted growth, and reduced yields—stem from the selective absorption of nutrients like nitrate, potassium, and phosphorus, while others like sodium, chloride, and magnesium accumulate. Over time, this imbalance stresses your plants and hinders their ability to take up water and nutrients.
Aim for 25-30% of your daily nutrient solution to come out as runoff
Environmental Factors and Their Impact on Runoff
Nutrient management should always be considered within the context of your environmental conditions. High air temperatures, low humidity, and intense lighting significantly affect plant health and nutrient uptake, impacting runoff pH and EC.
• High Air Temperatures: Elevated temperatures accelerate plant metabolism and increase transpiration, leading to rapid salt accumulation in the root zone and higher runoff EC. In extreme cases, high temperatures can cause nutrient imbalances or deficiencies when roots struggle to meet increased demand.
• Low Humidity: Low humidity levels create a high vapor pressure deficit, forcing plants to transpire more rapidly. This leads to higher nutrient concentrations in the root zone, as water evaporates faster than nutrients are absorbed. If increasing humidity isn’t an option, lowering the feed solution concentration is the next best step.
• Intense LED Lighting: High-intensity lighting, especially in LED grow rooms, can markedly increase the demand for water and nutrients, causing issues similar to those caused by high temperatures and low humidity. Photoinhibition or light stress can accumulate unused nutrients in the root zone, impacting runoff EC and pH. Use a dimmer to incrementally adjust light intensity to help mitigate these issues.
High EC in the runoff could mean your plants struggle with salt buildup from overfertilizing or poor drainage. Low EC might suggest your plants are underfed or that you’re not allowing sufficient dry-back with overly-frequent feedings.
When’s the Best Time to Collect Runoff?
Timing is critical when collecting runoff. Collecting it as soon as it appears provides a snapshot of the root zone’s condition, especially after an overnight dry-back period. However, waiting until runoff has flowed for a minute gives a more comprehensive sample, reflecting the entire root zone, including accumulated salts or nutrient deposits.
Try collecting a composite sample over the entire irrigation cycle for consistent data. This method averages out variations within the root zone, making it helpful in identifying long-term trends. However, be cautious, as this approach can mask localized nutrient imbalances.
Responding To Your Runoff Data
Once you’ve got your EC and pH readings, it’s time to put on your detective hat. High EC in the runoff could mean your plants struggle with salt buildup from over-fertilizing or poor drainage. Low EC might suggest your plants are underfed or that you’re not allowing sufficient dry-back with overly-frequent feedings.
pH fluctuations can indicate issues with your water source, growing medium, or nutrient solution. The goal is to keep your root zone happy and stable, with a pH typically between 5.5 and 6.5 for most soilless systems. Regularly testing your runoff and making informed tweaks based on your findings will help prevent nutrient lockout, reduce plant stress, and optimize growth and yield.
Looking at some hobby indoor grows online, it’s clear I’m not the only one who’s neglected runoff testing. It’s not just an optional extra—it’s a must for anyone serious about mastering soilless growing. You’ll gain valuable insights into what’s happening in your root zone and be able to make the necessary adjustments to keep your plants thriving.
Once runoff testing becomes a daily habit, it will become second nature. You’ll sidestep the pitfalls of salt buildup, nutrient imbalances, and pH fluctuations before they become visible in the aerial parts of your plants. Remember, consistency is vital—the more regular your testing and tweaks are, the happier and more productive your plants will be. 3
Bio
Everest Fernandez is a well-respected industry educator, veteran hydroponic grower and grow light enthusiast, based in France. He works primarily as a marketing and cultivation consultant and was the founding editor of Urban Garden Magazine in the UK, US and Canada. He also writes and researches for the popular hobby horticulturalist YouTube channel, Just4Growers.
Stone Wool
Expert Tips and Tricks Stone Wool
Two primary reasons stone wool (aka Rockwool) is popular with commercial growers are productivity and consistency. Without this duo front and center, commercial growers don’t stay in business for long! Stone wool cultivators consistently achieve higher yields because of stone wool’s unique physical characteristics— but there’s also some additional stone wool-specific know-how required to realize all the benefits.
What’s So Special About Stone Wool?
The porous ‘super-material’ created by spinning molten stone wool fibers allows stone wool cubes, blocks, and slabs to hold an incredible volume of nutrient solution while still providing excellent aeration—even when fully saturated. This unique feature makes stone wool stand out from other growing mediums. The fibers are arranged to ensure nutrients are evenly spread throughout the material, making it easy for roots to access moisture without much effort.
Because stone wool has a low cation exchange capacity (CEC), it doesn’t hold onto nutrients tightly, so they are readily available for plants to absorb. This leads to efficient nutrient uptake and less
Stone wool can quickly rehydrate after drying out, helping growers maintain optimal moisture levels.
Stone wool can quickly rehydrate after drying out, helping growers maintain optimal moisture levels. These combined properties support strong root growth, improve nutrient uptake, and produce healthier plants with minimal water and nutrient waste.
Here, we’ll explore tips and tricks to help seasoned growers and enthusiastic amateurs get the most out of their stone wool
Proper Initial Saturation and Draining
Before using stone wool, it’s crucial to ensure it’s properly saturated and drained. This step helps achieve uniform water content and prevents issues like water channeling. Thoroughly saturate the stone wool blocks with a nutrient solution matching the one you’ll use during early plant growth. Allow the blocks to drain thoroughly for at least 15–30 minutes before use to ensure they are evenly moist but not waterlogged.
Optimizing Irrigation Practices
Precision irrigation is critical to maximizing the benefits of stone wool. That means shot-sized irrigations, typically every 30 to 60 minutes, during the lights-on period. Unlike soil, stone wool requires more controlled watering to maintain ideal moisture levels and prevent water channeling.
Implement a multi-phase irrigation strategy:
• Phase 1 (P1): Start with frequent, small irrigations to build up water content without causing excessive runoff.
• Phase 2 (P2): Adjust irrigation frequency based on plant growth and environmental conditions to maintain steady moisture levels.
• Phase 3 (P3): Allow a dry-down period before lights off to encourage root aeration and prevent pathogen growth.
Use Drip Irrigation Systems
Drip irrigation is highly recommended for stone wool. This method allows precise control over water and nutrient delivery, ensuring each plant receives the right amount. Use pressure-compensated drippers to ensure uniform water distribution. To ensure even saturation, place two drip emitters per stone wool block, positioned at opposite ends.
Monitoring and Adjusting EC and pH Levels
Maintaining stable electrical conductivity (EC) and pH levels is vital for nutrient uptake. Stone wool’s inert nature means it won’t buffer nutrients, so regular monitoring is crucial. Invest in reliable EC and pH meters and check your levels daily. Commercial growers can push their plants in stone wool with higher EC nutrient solution.
Steer Your Crop
Crop steering involves manipulating environmental factors to promote vegetative or generative growth. Stone wool’s responsive nature makes it the ideal platform for experimenting with these techniques.
• Vegetative Steering: Apply more frequent, smaller irrigations with lower EC to promote leaf and stem growth.
• Generative Steering: Reduce irrigation frequency, increase EC slightly, and allow for more significant dry-back periods to encourage flowering and fruiting.
Some growers mistakenly believe that stone wool isn’t compatible with beneficial microbial products. The diametric opposite is true!
Mitigate Risk of Water Channeling Issues
Water channeling can lead to uneven water distribution, dry spots, and root health problems. Proper irrigation techniques and substrate management can mitigate this issue.
Perform regular weight checks on your stone wool blocks to ensure even water distribution. Adjust your irrigation strategy or reposition your drippers if you notice significant weight differences.
Don’t Transplant Too Early
Some novice stone wool growers make the mistake of transplanting seedlings and cuttings too early. Don’t get overexcited when white fuzzy roots pop out of the propagation cubes in record time! It’s best to wait a few more days until roots are prolifically coming out of the cubes before making the move.
Hold fire until you see a robust root system emerging from the stone wool cubes before transplanting. During these crucial extra days, keep a close eye on moisture levels to ensure the cubes remain adequately moist without being waterlogged.
Don’t Forget About Beneficial Microbial Products
Some growers mistakenly believe that stone wool isn’t compatible with beneficial microbial products. The diametric opposite is true! Incorporating microbial and beneficial biology products improves root health and pushes nutrient uptake even further! Early inoculation and regular re-inoculation with beneficial microbes is highly recommended. 3
Mushrooms GROWing on
Microwave Rice
Growing mushrooms can seem like a very serious business – all high-tech kit and complicated procedures. Fortunately, many mushrooms – like the delicious oyster, the fancy nootropic lion’s mane and other therapeutic species – will grow happily on pre-cooked microwaveable rice. Let me show you how to use this supermarket staple to produce a range of mushrooms straight from the bag – in as little as five weeks from start to finish. Introducing “Ben’s Tek!”
(This technique was created by a man who calls himself ‘90 Second Mycology’. I humbly thank him for making mushroom growing more accessible to the world.)
How Does it Work?
In “Ben’s Tek,” bags of pre-cooked rice become the ‘soil’ for a fungus to grow in. Mycelium will grow through the rice, and then we can produce a small crop of mushrooms straight from the bag. For bigger yields, mix the rice with other ‘soils’ or substrates in larger containers, where it can act as mushroom ‘seeds’. In this article, we will focus on growing straight from rice bags.
Why Microwave Rice?
When growing at home, mushrooms need a sterile space to start their lives and a warm, moist, and highly nutritious environment to thrive.
Microwaveable rice is already sterile, so your mycelium will have no competition when colonizing its new empire (if we can protect our bags from mold invasion!). The rice also has a good texture and moisture content for fungi to thrive.
What Rice to Use?
It’s essential to use brown (or ‘wholegrain’) rice, which prevents it from disintegrating into mush. The technique is commonly called ‘Ben’s Tek’ after the famous ready meals company (formerly ‘Uncle Bens’), but other packs work too. Cheaper ‘own brand’ packets can be even better for growing mushrooms than fancy ones. Just make sure your bags have some clear space (usually on the bottom) so you can see what’s happening inside.
In “Ben’s Tek,” bags of pre-cooked rice become the ‘soil’ for a fungus to grow in
What Else Will I Need?
The Underground Phase:
• A ‘spore syringe’ or ‘liquid culture syringe’ for the type of mushroom you want to grow. This is where the original mushroom genetics come from. A quick Google search will find you plenty to choose from.
• A clean place to inject your rice. This can be a clean bathroom floor, a purpose built Still-Air-Box or a laminar flow unit (see “How to Make a Home Mushroom Laboratory” in this issue for more on keeping clean!).
• Alcohol wipes or spray (70% isopropyl alcohol works best).
• Clean scissors.
• “Micropore” tape (breathable medical tape).
• A dark, warm place for ‘colonisation’.
The Overground Phase
• Two lunchboxes to contain the bags while mushrooms are growing – or a plastic bag to act as a ‘fruiting chamber.’
• A little coconut coir and a kettle if you are growing top-fruiting mushrooms.
• A spray gun of water to keep the mushrooms humid.
the delicious oyster, the fancy nootropic lion’s mane and other therapeutic species – will grow happily on pre-cooked microwaveable rice
Inoculating bags with a liquid culture or spore syringe An inoculated bag with micropore tape for clean air exchange
A colonized bag of rice Adding water to rehydrate colonized rice
A bag topped with pasteurized coconut coir
After a week or two, you will notice some white mycelium beginning to grow in your bags. Check the bottom of the bag or wherever you can see clearly inside.
How to do it
Inoculating and ‘Colonizing’ your
Checking and Massaging your Bags
Rice Packets
1. Gather your rice bags and spore or liquid culture syringe. Put them in your Still-Air-Box or other clean space. Remember that the cleaner you are here, the more successful you are likely to be.
2. Clean your bags, scissors, and hands/wrists with alcohol, and gently chop the top corner off each rice bag. Uncap your syringe and inject 0.5 ml of spore/culture solution into the hole in each bag. If your needle touches anything, hold it in a
1. After a week or two, you will notice some white mycelium beginning to grow in your bags. Check the bottom of the bag or wherever you can see clearly inside.
2. If you see any colors other than white—or if you see sludgy rice—you are growing mold or bacteria. Remove that bag from the others and throw it away so the contamination doesn’t spread to other bags.
3. When you see white in the bottom of your bags, massage them gently to break up clumps and redistribute the mycelium. Be careful not to touch the micropore tape with the rice or your fingers while you do this! Massage your bags again a week or so later when you see a thicker layer of mycelium starting to form.
A ‘fruiting chamber’ can be as simple as a plastic bag
After three to five weeks (depending on your temperatures and other conditions), your bags should be fully colonized— solid white blocks of rice!
Preparing for the ‘Fruiting’ Stage
Fruiting from the bag – ‘Top-fruiting’ mushrooms (like king oyster, chestnut or other therapeutic
Pour boiling water over a little coconut coir to hydrate and pasteurize it. When cool, gently squeeze out the excess wa-
Tear off the top of the rice bag and fill it with tap water. Leave it for a few hours to rehydrate the rice, and then drain.
Massage the top layer of rice through the bag to make a flat surface for growing mushrooms.
Add a thin layer of pasteurized coconut coir to the top of the bag and flatten it gently out. Wipe the inside of the top of the bag to keep things clean.
OR… Fruiting from the bag – ‘Side-fruiting’ mushrooms (like regular oyster and lion’s mane)
Cut an ‘X’ shape, a few inches long, on the side of each colonized bag. Make sure to use a clean blade.
Put the whole bag in a bowl of water to soak for a few hours.
Baby king oysters after one week in fruiting conditions
A mushroom feast!
Growing Mushrooms!
1. Create a humid environment for your bag. Place another (clear) bag on top of it or put it inside a lunchbox ‘dome’. This will be your makeshift ‘fruiting chamber’—you can make a purpose-built one later if you catch the growing bug!
2. Spray the inside of your ‘fruiting chamber’ a few times daily with your water gun on a fine mist setting. When you do this, waft your bags with a book to bring fresh air into the growing environment.
3. Pretty soon, you’ll see baby mushrooms appear. Keep wafting and spraying until they’re ready to harvest (the mushroom caps will start breaking away from their stems when it’s time to pick).
Harvest
1. For most mushrooms, grabbing and twisting them gently will work well to pick them with minimal damage to the surface of the bags.
2. If you need to cut your mushrooms (like if you are growing lion’s mane), cut as close as possible to the bag or soil surface.
King oysters fruiting from the top of the bag Lion’s mane
Getting More Mushrooms
1. Fill your bags with water again – or soak them in a bucket of water for a few hours. Drain.
2. Put your bags back into ‘fruiting’ conditions. You should get another ‘flush’ or two of mushrooms over the coming weeks!
What Will You Grow?
Using this method, I have successfully cultivated blue oyster, king oyster, lion’s mane, and chestnut mushrooms. Other medicinal varieties can also work well. I am sure more is possible, so get creative and see what you can grow! 3
They’re getting a lot of attention now – among foodies, health seekers and ecologists alike – and this is
Impatient oysters bursting out of the inoculation hole
Stay tuned for more specific guides from Alex in future issues of Garden Culture Magazine. You can download your free Healing Mushrooms Grow Guide from Alex’s website and check out his latest growing course at fungitribe.com Follow on Instagram: @fungi_tribe 3
BY ALEX FIELD
HomeLaboratoryMushroom
This is real-life magic, and you can do it all with a basic kit inside your home
Working with mushroom mycelium is where sci-fi becomes a reality—cloning mutant mushrooms, growing spores in fractal patterns on Petri dishes, and training mushroom genetics for new varieties that have never existed. This is real-life magic, and you can do it
all with a basic kit inside your home.
“With up to 10,000 spores in a cubic meter of air, many people grow more mold than mushrooms
Whether you’re looking to breed the perfect strain of mushroom – or get your grow on without contamination – Rule Number One for mycology is to have a clean workplace. Here are two options for doing sterile lab work at home.
The Bathroom Floor Method
With up to 10,000 spores in a cubic meter of air, many people grow more mold than mushrooms. This low-tech approach uses water vapor to ground particles in the air. This can create a clean enough environment for inoculation and other jobs that don’t involve lots of open-air exposure.
1. Clean your bathroom well.
2. Have (or run) a hot shower with the window and door closed. Let the room get steamy.
3. Turn off the shower, leave the room, and shut the door.
4. Come back in an hour later when the water vapor has landed. Ensure your hands and arms are clean and move slowly to avoid unnecessary air currents.
5. Now you can do your work!
The Still-Air-Box Method
This breathtakingly simple method allows for some proper geeking out. By obstructing airflow, particles inside the box are grounded, creating a sterile space. I have done open-air work with Petri dishes, clones, and spores inside one of these with a very high success rate.
Note: Avoid the temptation to stick gloves on the inside of your box – unless your unit is airtight. Moving in and out with gloves on can create air suction elsewhere and create a storm inside your box. It’s much better to make holes slightly bigger than your arms, as in this method.
1. Take a plastic box that’s big enough to move your arms around and contain whatever you will be working with. Around 110 liters is a good size. You will need a taller tub if you’ll be working with big bags of grain or substrate.
2. Take the lid off and turn the tub upside down. Put it on your table or wherever you will be doing your work, and mark with a pen where your arms will comfortably fit.
3. Take a 4-inch hole saw (bigger if you’ve got wide arms) and gently drill arm holes in the side of your tub. Go slow here and put your drill on reverse to prevent the tub from cracking. If you don’t have access to a hole saw, you can use a very hot, wide tin can to melt holes (not pleasant or advised!).
4. Clean off any loose bits of plastic, and you’re good to go!
When I do lab work with a Still-Air-Box, I lay a shower curtain on my work surface, spraying and wiping everything with 70% isopropyl alcohol (including my clean arms and hands). I like to put an over-grill tray on the tabletop so that I’m not disturbing any grounded particles when I pick things up and put them down. Then, I put my upturned Still-Air-Box on top, clean my arms and hands well, and get to work!
Cloning a king oyster mushroom inside a Still-Air-Box
Laminar flow units contain high-quality HEPA filters and push a steady stream of clean air over your work surface
Get a Laminar Flow Unit
It took me years of serious mycology to get one of these. They’re not cheap and take up a lot of space, but they’re excellent for the hardcore mycologist.
Laminar flow units contain high-quality HEPA filters and push a steady stream of clean air over your work surface. This means guaranteed sterility for open-air lab work. I can leave Petri dishes and test tubes open in front of mine, and if my kit (and my hands) are clean, no baddies are getting close.
Stuck for Choice?
My advice? Start with a Still-Air-Box. They’re easy and cheap to make and incredibly effective. If you catch the bug and decide to go pro one day, you can consider an upgrade. 3
BIO Alex, the founder of Fungi Tribe, loves empowering people to grow their own food and medicine. He has taught over 6,000 students worldwide to cultivate mushrooms at home. For more information visit fungitribe.com or follow Alex on Instagram at instagram.com/fungi_tribe
P:K ratio of 1:2 compared
Can I use them together?
The answer is yes, keep reading to find out how!
Their separate characteristics make them shine together:
- Bloombastic: Boosts early flowering with its high phosphorus and biostimulant content.
- Rokzbastic: Has a higher potassium concentration, providing more compaction and hardening at the end.
By combining Bloombastic and Rokzbastic, you provide your plants with a symphony of nutrients and biostimulants to reach their full potential.
For full instructions on how to make the best use of BLOOMBASTIC & ROKZBASTIC combined please see our PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT located towards the front of the magazine, OR scan our QR code!
BY KEATON HAINES
WATER WISE: Water How Conscious Gardening Protects Our
You’ve probably heard of the butterfly effect—the concept that even the smallest actions can create ripples, leading to much larger consequences.That applies to your garden, too.While it’s easy to focus on the square footage of your planter boxes, the choices you make out there can affect the wider environment, especially when it comes to water quality.
Pollution prevention gardening is all about those smart, sustainable choices that keep our water clean, so let’s dig into your garden routine and find how you can make a big splash in protecting our water sources.
We’ll start by covering some of the basics of soil displacement:
Soil Runoff
It may not look like it, but your garden has the potential to wreak some serious havoc downstream if you’re not careful. When intense rainfall hits, it doesn’t just mess with your soil structure; it can also wash away that precious soil, along with any nutrients or pesticides it’s carrying. When accumulated, these materials directly affect local ecosystems.
Slowing down and managing runoff, allowing water to soak into the soil, is crucial to reducing potential damage from pollutants.
Pro Tips for Runoff Management:
• Hard surfaces like concrete are the ultimate runoff culprits. Instead, opt for gravel, porous concrete, or mulch to give that water somewhere to go.
• Got sprinklers? Make sure they’re not watering your driveway; it’s not thirsty. Adjust your watering schedule, aiming for the cool hours between 10 PM and 6 AM.
• Set up rainwater collection on hard surfaces. Two birds, one stone: rainwater is prevented from washing down your concrete, and you get water to reuse in your garden, on your car, or lawn.
• Direct roof runoff to grassy areas, mulched beds, or a rain garden of native plants, shrubs, and trees that allow water to soak into the ground.
• Healthy lawns aren’t just for show—they’re great at soaking up runoff, trapping sediments, and keeping chemicals out of our water.
You’ve probably heard of the butterfly effect—the concept that even the smallest actions can create ripples, leading to much larger consequences
Landscape features like swales and berms can help slow and redirect water, especially on properties near streams or ponds. Creating buffer strips of woodland and grass near water bodies is also highly effective in filtering pollutants and providing habitat for wildlife.
Soil Erosion
Soil erosion occurs when valuable topsoil is displaced by water or wind, polluting waterways with sediment and nutrients. This sediment clouds the water, stresses aquatic life, and accumulates in stream beds, destroying habitats and reducing water depth. Signs of soil erosion may include exposed tree roots, soil splashes on buildings, small gullies forming, stream channels widening, and sediment piling up in low spots or on the pavement.
Erosion Defense Tactics:
• Stabilize slopes with vegetation.
• Avoid over-tilling; use mulch or cover your crops instead.
• Maintain ground cover, create water diversions, and leave vegetative buffers around your property to keep that soil where it belongs.
Now that we know how our soil can become displaced through runoff and erosion, let’s discuss what it carries and why it can harm the wider environment.
Fertilizer: Friend or Foe?
Fertilizers, whether synthetic or organic, provide essential nutrients for plant growth– but you know what they say about too much of a good thing. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), excess fertilizer in a body of water can cause eutrophication.
In this case, that means an excess growth of algae that deprives an aquatic ecosystem of sunlight and oxygen, killing off animals and underwater plant life.
So what are the main nutrients in fertilizer, what do they do for our gardens, and why are they so dangerous when allowed to run rampant?
The Big Three:
• Nitrogen (N): Crucial for plant growth but prone to leaching and runoff, especially in its quick-release form. Nitrogen creates algae blooms and can easily be lost through runoff or erosion.
• Phosphorus (P): Essential for root development and flowering, phosphorus is less mobile than nitrogen but creates algae blooms if attached to eroded soil particles carried into waterways.
• Potassium (K): Enhances plant drought resistance and disease resilience. While it can leach into the soil, potassium isn’t usually the troublemaking type.
WATER WISE
Water harvesting landscape to catch store and re-use storm water.
Composting yard waste is an excellent way to recycle organic material.
Nutrient Know-How
Careless or excessive use of lawn and garden fertilizer can contribute significantly to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in our streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
Want to minimize the environmental impact of your fertilizers? Keep these tips from the EPA in mind:
Before applying fertilizer:
• Conduct soil tests to determine nutrient needs.
• Calibrate fertilizer spreaders.
• Maintain grass borders around vegetable gardens.
Choosing the right fertilizer:
• Opt for slow-release fertilizers to cut back on nutrient leaching.
• Use iron supplements to green up lawns instead of extra nitrogen.
Timing of fertilizer application:
• Apply two-thirds of the nitrogen just before plants enter a growth phase.
• On sandy soils, make split, light applications of nitrogen.
How much to apply:
• Limit nitrogen applications to no more than 1 pound per 1,000 square feet per session.
Application methods:
• Use a drop spreader to avoid spreading fertilizer onto hard surfaces.
• Incorporate fertilizer into the soil where possible and water lightly afterwards.
Prevent fertilizer runoff:
• Avoid applying fertilizers to hard surfaces or near natural drainage areas.
• Sweep up and reuse any fertilizer that falls on non-soil areas.
• Don’t apply if wind or rain are in the forecast.
• Monitor your watering practices to avoid irrigation runoff and adjust as needed.
Slowing down and managing runoff, allowing water to soak into the soil, is crucial to reducing potential damage from pollutants
Pesky Pesticides
Like fertilizer, less is more… and none may be best regarding pesticides. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), “pesticides can reach water-bearing aquifers below ground from applications onto crop fields, seepage of contaminated surface water, accidental spills and leaks, improper disposal, and even through injection waste material into wells.”
If you must use them, read the labels and follow directions to avoid improper use and potential pollution. Only apply chemicals when it’s not windy and at least 48 hours before a rainstorm.
Minimizing or eliminating your usage entirely keeps the environment and your family safe.
Perhaps even more important than correct pesticide application is proper disposal. Improper disposal of unused pesticides, such as flushing them down sinks or dumping them outdoors, can seriously contaminate groundwater and surface water and impair waste treatment systems.
The Texas A&M University Horticulture Department recommends cleaning equipment thoroughly, disposing of any leftover mixtures according to label instructions, and triplerinsing empty containers before appropriately disposing.
Waste Not, Want Not
Yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, compost, and manure, can contribute to nutrient pollution in rivers, lakes, and streams when carried by stormwater into street gutters and ditches. Since stormwater runoff isn’t treated, it can directly introduce pollutants into water bodies, especially increasing phosphorus levels. To prevent this, avoid directing clippings into streets or ditches and promptly remove them from hard surfaces.
Waste Management 101:
• Instead of bagging clippings, leave them on the lawn to decompose naturally, reducing the need for additional fertilizer by up to 30%. (Pro tip: A mulching mower can help produce smaller clippings that integrate more easily into the turf.)
• Composting yard waste is an excellent way to recycle organic material. Use compost in planting beds or designate a natural area for disposing of larger organic debris like fallen leaves and branches.
• Pet waste isn’t fertilizer. It’s not compost. And you don’t want it in your water. Dispose of it properly by flushing, burying, or trashing it.
The Bigger Picture
In past issues, I’ve covered how to keep your garden healthy by safeguarding the water that nourishes it. But let’s not forget that the water in your garden is just one drop in the vast cycle that sustains life on Earth. Every smart choice you make in your own backyard has the power to ripple out and affect our broader waterways, from local streams and rivers to the oceans beyond.
The truth is, the water cycle doesn’t stop at your garden gate. It connects our communities, our ecosystems, and our planet. By adopting sustainable practices and being mindful of how we interact with our environment, we contribute to a healthier, more resilient world.
So, as you continue to nurture your garden, remember that you’re also playing a vital role in the larger effort to protect our precious water resources. The more we do to care for our waterways, the better off we’ll all be—plants, people, and planet alike. 3
The truth is, the water cycle doesn’t stop at your garden gate. It connects our communities, our ecosystems, and our planet
BIO Raised with an emphasis on the importance of clean water, Keaton Haines brings a unique blend of expertise to the world of gardening through his copywriting background. A keen eye for detail and passion for verdant landscapes drive him to explore water challenges and solutions in the grow industry. With water quality concerns on the rise, Keaton is committed to empowering gardeners with the knowledge to foster clean and contaminant-free gardens. When he’s not writing, Keaton can be found lifting weights, hiking outdoors, or cultivating his cactus collection — all while listening to new classes and podcasts.
Is Underrated moss Why Water-Savvy Gardeners Love It
Moss is an ancient plant providing modern-day ecological services.
There are over 12,000 moss species, and a few have found homes in Melanie Semlacher’s garden [1] .
“I absolutely love moss. I find it magical, and the many varieties of mosses have such great beauty,” she says. “I can never understand why people want to get rid of it.”
Before we understood that lawns were more than grass, gardeners discouraged moss. They applied lime in the spring to change the soil’s pH balance and deter moss from growing [2]. Now, moss is recognized for its ecological service to the garden and as one of the oldest plants on Earth.
Before we understood that lawns were more than grass, gardeners discouraged moss
A Terraforming Genius
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have traced moss’s family tree back over 400 million years. According to scientists, early mosses were crucial in forming soils by breaking down rock surfaces and creating a habitat for other plants and microorganisms [3] .
Moss has many unique characteristics. Without roots, the plant sucks in needed nutrients and water through its leaves. Made up of individual plants clumped together in colonies, the spongy mat we associate with moss comprises dead layers of organic material. As the tiny leaves of each plant die, they fall to the ground along with the decaying stems of the plant. These layers create the spongy surface from which moss grows.
Moss doesn’t rely on pollinators to propagate; it reproduces through fragmentation. One part of the plant breaks off to form a new plant, explaining how moss grew millions of years ago before bees and other pollinators evolved [4]
One of the enigmas of mosses is the misconception that they only thrive in shady and damp conditions. Many varieties are drought tolerant. Moss is found everywhere, from deserts to alpine meadows, rainforests, caves, and even on the edges of glaciers. Its adaptability and resilience have scientists speculating that some Antarctica varieties may survive on Mars in addition to our gardens.
A paper published in Innovation describes how researchers replicated the Mars environment to see if moss would grow, and it did [5]
“I think another reason I love moss is that we inherently recognize that it is ancient and part of an evolved and complex ecosystem,” Semlacher says.
Environmental Heroes
With feet firmly planted on planet Earth, for now, mosses prove they are the stars of biodiversity in the garden.
“Moss acts as a tiny ecosystem for small insects, “says Sheri Friesen, a Chilliwack, B.C. gardener and another moss ad vocate.
In Ontario, spotted turtles spend winters sheltering under sphagnum moss. The moss acts like a blanket, keeping the animal warm and snug until spring [6]
Mosses are excellent at binding soil, which helps control erosion. Their dense mats protect soil surfaces and absorb water, reducing runoff and soil loss. By acting as mulch, they warm up or cool down the soil, helping to reduce humidity in the garden, which can cause fungal diseases like powdery mildew [7] .
Remember, mosses absorb nutrients through their leaves and grab impurities from the atmosphere, making them excellent carbon sinks. In urban environments where air pollution is a concern, having a moss garden is a natural air purifier. This has made mosses popular for living roofs and walls in cities.
Because of their drought tolerance, mosses make an excellent replacement for grass lawns. Once established, moss requires little water. As primitive plants, mosses have learned to grow in low-nutrient environments so they don’t need synthetic fertilizers, which add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere [8]
Because of their drought tolerance, mosses make an excellent replacement for grass lawns. Once established, moss requires little water
Garden Whimsey
Finding moss for the garden can be challenging. Big box gar den centers often don’t sell moss as a plant. Small nurseries may carry some varieties, but it is possible to harvest your own.
thrives in partial sun to shade.
• American tree moss: resembling a miniature pine tree, it’s happiest in moist soil and shade.
• Common fern moss: a perfect alternative lawn cover that turns golden in the fall.
“I will gather the moss I use for my garden from the river trail close to my home, and I’ll also carefully lift out some moss from certain parts of my lawn and transplant it to other areas that I’d like,” Friesen says.
The best time to harvest or transplant moss is early spring or fall when rain has moistened the ground, giving the plant a head start on reproduction. But be careful. Different types of moss have adapted to various environments and won’t take well to change. For example, moss harvested from the deep woods will not grow well in an open area.
“I remove a little carpet of moss with a dirt underlay and transplant it,” Semlacher says. “That’s how I know and keep some of the original conditions that allowed it to grow.”
Once you have your moss, lay it on a smooth surface free of leaves and other garden debris. This can be an arrangement of rocks or tree branches designed to create a miniature moss garden or between pavers or stones in a rockery. Place small pieces of the moss at regular intervals over the desired surface. This method is a natural way to transplant and establish moss. Although it will look spotty initially, as long as you water regularly, the moss will start to fill in within a few months [9][10][11] .
“I use moss around my spring pots. It adds a bit of whimsey and helps retain moisture,” Friesen says. 3
• Feather moss: appreciates deep shade and is ideal for between pavers or on stones.
Footnotes
1. 7 interesting things about moss | Kew (kew.org/read-and-watch/moss)
2. Does Lime Kill Moss? | How To Get Rid of Moss In Your Lawn (bakerlime.com)
3. New Evidence Shows the Evolving Nature of Moss - UConn Today (today.uconn.edu/2019/04/mosses-dynamic-built-to-last)
4. Moss Propagation - Science World (scienceworld.ca/resource/ moss-propagation)
5. The extremotolerant desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments: The Innovation (rebrand.ly/16b527)
6. 7 interesting things about moss | Kew (kew.org/read-and-watch/moss)
7. Moss Gardens and all Their Benefits - Native Wildflowers Nursery (nativewildflowers.net)
8. Unveiling The Truth: Does Moss Really Need Fertilizer To Thrive? | ShunCy (rebrand.ly/29a1f4)
9. 7 Tips for Growing Your Own Moss Garden (thespruce.com)
10. How I Grow Moss in My Garden and Why You Should Consider it Too (treehugger.com)
11. Growing Moss: How To Grow Moss In The Garden | Gardening Know How (gardeningknowhow.com)
12. The 10 Most Popular Moss Types (And 1 Lichen) For Gardens (mossandstonegardens.com)
Additional resources
• What Is Moss? - Everything you need to know about moss (allabout-moss.com)
• How to grow moss: the greenest groundcover for shade gardens | (homesandgardens.com)
• What To Know About Moss Gardens (familyhandyman.com)
BIO Jennifer Cole is a writer and garden enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree focused on history from Simon Fraser University, and a freelance writing career spanning two and half decades. Jennifer lives in Vancouver British Columbia. Her by-lines have regularly appeared in the opinion section of the Toronto Star and her portfolio includes articles in various newspapers, magazines, and websites across Canada. When not writing her own blog or visiting local garden centers, you can find her puttering, planting, and nourishing her own urban garden oasis.
broom moss
Watering Techniques To Optimize Plant Health In
A Challenging Climate
I stopped planting for the first time in years. It was a time for deep reflection to rethink my strategies and mitigate these issues
Over the past couple of months, there has been virtually no rain. Despite a wet summer, the soil moisture reservoir has dwindled. After the joy of experiencing overflowing water tanks, robust, healthy plant growth and luxury levels of soil moisture, watering has again become a high priority.
watering has again become a high priority
Last year, we endured many long months of drought. The view of our garden was so sad. The grass was crisp or died; brown was the new green. The lush green valley below is again on the turn. It’s been a dry winter. Just as plants burst into bud and new growth in early spring, they desperately need water to thrive. Since we are on tank water, every drop is precious and used intentionally. Once again, I’m watching the water trucks delivering this much-needed resource to many gardeners relying on rainwater rather than town supply.
During the drought, we lost two mature mandarin trees. It was heartbreaking. I learned hard lessons from taking tree survival for granted. Even the perennials and many established trees hung on for dear life. I assumed they were resilient enough to withstand the harsh conditions with limited water and heavy mulch. It pained me to realize I needed to shift my thinking and strategies, or I could lose more trees.
Abiotic Stresses
As they say, ‘no pain, no gain’! I realized that my plants were experiencing the harmful effects of multiple abiotic stresses. Fires were everywhere. Cloudy conditions and heavy smoke reduce
Our growing media is one of the factors determining how water infiltrates and is stored in soil pores
photosynthesis, resulting in poor sugar development due to lack of sunlight. Many plants became weakened. The ongoing drought contributed to low soil moisture levels. High-temperature stress causes an increase in transpiration and damage to plant cells. Heatwaves went on for days. The conditions were hot, dry and windy. Strong winds have an impact on moisture loss through leaf stomata. Wind stress can cause higher transpiration and plant dehydration. While we have some windbreaks for crop protection, other garden zones are still exposed to gusty winds as we are high on a hill. These abiotic stresses are often precursors to biotic stresses like pests, pathogens and weed competition. A domino effect! So, I stopped planting for the first time in years. It was a time for deep reflection to rethink my strategies and mitigate these issues.
With challenging climate abnormalities in so many locations, gardeners need a variety of techniques in their toolkits to help plants survive and thrive. I’m optimizing plant health by working on the soil’s moisture-holding capacity, supplementing nutrition, and using diverse irrigation methods.
Techniques to Improve Water Retention
Soils and potting mixes are like giant sponges. Our growing media is one of the factors determining how water infiltrates and is stored in soil pores. Garden soils are diverse, with combinations of clay, loam and sand with different moisture-holding capacities. I have a predominance of clay soil that tends to hold moisture well so long as it’s covered with mulch. Adding bentonite clay can improve water retention in very sandy soils. It can also help improve water absorption on water-repellent soils. As a bonus, bentonite clay provides soluble plant nutrients like calcium, magnesium and po -
I also grow many plants in containers using homemade potting mix. Most commercial potting mixes are based on pine bark, which quickly becomes hydrophobic. To avoid this, I include coir peat, compost, vermiculite, and worm castings . These ingredients retain water and help buffer plant stress.
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Rarely found in commercial growing media
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Foliar
spraying is an easy way to manage nutrient deficiencies in plants with drought-related water stress
I also add organic matter like mulch, aged manures and kitchen scraps to enhance soil structure. These inputs add bioavailable nutrients and increase the soil’s moisture-holding capacity.
Rehydrated coir peat or coconut fiber is hydrophilic and re-wets easily. Some forms of coir can hold water up to 8-9 times its dry weight, making it a valuable input for retaining soil moisture.
Vermiculite can absorb 3-4 times its weight in water due to a strong capillary action. The particles hold water, gradually discharging moisture. Due to its durability, I can justify the investment.
The worm farms I use provide a rich source of vermicast that helps regulate soil moisture and lessen drought-induced plant stress. Worm castings store 2-3 times more moisture than their weight and help water infiltrate through the potting mix and soil.
Likewise, compost is another input that holds moisture like a sponge, buffering abiotic stresses. As a result, my container-grown plants survive a lot longer between watering. I also add organic matter like mulch, aged manures and kitchen scraps to enhance soil structure. These inputs add bioavailable nutrients and increase the soil’s moisture-holding capacity.
Watering Techniques to Enhance Plant Nutrition
While plants have many adaptive defence systems to survive changing environmental conditions, they can use a helping hand.
I give my food crops priority with more regular applications of water enriched with nutrients. I make the watering count! I also use every opportunity to liquid fertilize.
Soil drenching is one technique I use for potted plants. I add liquid nutrients like seaweed, fish emulsion or vermicast leachate to a large tub, then submerge the pots to rehydrate them until bubbles appear. My indoor plants have a weekly ‘day spa’ treatment; the outdoor container plants get one monthly. Soil drenching rehydrates potting mix with trace elements that slowly release between treatments. The plants perk up considerably as a result.
Foliar spraying is an easy way to manage nutrient deficiencies in plants with drought-related water stress. It’s also a protective strategy in hot weather. This efficient nutrient delivery technique replenishes macro and micronutrients via the leaf stomata. I spray early in the morning and find foliar nutrition helps minimize the negative impacts of drought stress, like lower yields and poor growth.
Liquid fertilizers, vermicast and compost teas are also in my toolkit. I vary the soluble nutrition I apply to plants depending on what they need or what I have available. Biostimulants like
Kitchen water from scrubbing potatoes used on leafy greens
Foliar spraying plants with liquid nutrients
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•
Fertigation or irrigating with fertilizer is an opportunity for many gardeners. Nutrients can be added to rainwater collected in tanks, barrels and buckets.
seaweed, aloe vera and fish emulsion help enhance plant defences and mitigate water stress. The kelp and fish products are available in powdered or liquid forms and are easy to apply to the root zone or via foliar sprays. I make liquid aloe vera plant extracts and use them similarly.
Aerated teas made from worm castings and compost also provide plants with water, nutrients, and biology to build plant health. Some of my favorite liquid plant extract fertilizers are made from stinging nettles and comfrey. The leaves are rich in minerals, and although they can be stinky after soaking in water, plants respond quickly to the bioavailable nutrients.
Fertigation or irrigating with fertilizer is an opportunity for many gardeners. Nutrients can be added to rainwater collected in tanks, barrels and buckets. One of my clients installed a mini 1000L water tank for her suburban garden. She connected the irrigation pipe so she could use the tap system to selectively water the garden beds as needed. I suggested Su use this dedicated tank to liquid fertilize simultaneously. All she had to do was add
BIOliquid seaweed and other biostimulants to the tank water. This saved Su time and effort in mixing liquid fertilizers in watering cans. She was thrilled to have her tank perform double duty. We also fertigate several garden zones with 40-gallon tubs with taps. I add the nutrients to the rainwater and use watering cans to apply to the soil. Another benefit is that these fertilizers are not contaminated with chlorine, fluoride, or other town water chemicals.
Waste not, want not! Lastly, cooking water, spent flower vase water, fish tanks, ponds, bird baths, and pet water bowls are examples of nutrient-enriched water sources. Watering plants with ‘waste’ water is a way to add bioavailable minerals into the soil. We use buckets to capture shower or bath water and apply this to perennials in rotation as needed. These free liquid resources enhance sustainable gardening while building plant health.
By following various watering techniques to retain moisture and enhance plant nutrition, our plants will be healthier, more tolerant to stresses and likely to thrive rather than just survive. 3
Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener, is an author, speaker and urban garden community educator on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia. Anne is passionate about inspiring people to improve health and wellbeing, by growing nutrient-dense food gardens in creative containers and small spaces. Anne regularly presents workshops, speaks at sustainable living events, coaches private clients and teaches community education classes about organic gardening and ways to live sustainably. She has authored several eBooks and gardening guides. Anne shares organic gardening tips and tutorials to save time, money and energy on her popular website - TheMicroGardener.com
Bin used for liquid compost teas as nutrient-rich bioavailable fertilizer
Vermicast liquid tea concentrate
Fertigation tank used to apply nutrients to garden
Salt Pass The Salt
Amelt, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists predict that sea levels along the East Coast of North America will rise a foot by 2050 [1]
It’s already happening. In New Jersey, John Zander’s 1,300-acre family farm, Cohansey Meadows, sits on a peninsula that juts out into the saltwater of Delaware Bay [2]. Once or twice a year, a high tide or storm surge pushes ocean water deep onto the farm. It eventually recedes, but the salt from the water remains.
“The farm has been in my family since the 1990s,” Zander says. “We farm corn, soybeans and traditional hay.”
As time progressed, Zander watched cordgrass and other perennial grasses typical of saltwater marshes encroach upon productive crop areas. He estimates that one area of approximately 25 acres has seen its perimeter shrink up to three meters.
Too much salt in the soil causes osmotic stress. It dries the roots, rendering them unable to absorb water or nutrients. Farmers like Zander are looking for solutions and coming up with inventive ideas. Combined with ongoing research projects, this paves the way for a “salty” but productive future.
Once or twice a year, a high tide or storm surge pushes ocean water deep onto the farm. It eventually recedes, but the salt from the water remains
Sea levels are rising, and farmers and researchers are finding “salty” solutions.
Turning Salt into Hay
The salty situation at Cohansey Meadows has inspired Zander.
“The farm’s history talks about salt hay harvests as far back as the 1600s,” he explains.
Salt hay is a colloquial term for different types of grasses growing naturally in saltwater marshes along the Atlantic Seaboard, including New Jersey’s Delaware Bay.
Historically, these grasses have been used as animal fodder, but other uses have included packing material and even mulch for berry and flower growers.
One of the drawbacks of salt hay and why it is no longer popular is its penchant for growing in marshy areas.
“You need a good freeze to get equipment into the marsh to harvest the hay,” Zander says.
Harvesting the hay by hand can be exhausting and muddy work. Thanks to a warming planet, the last hard freeze Zander remembers in the area was in 2018.
His solution has been to transplant plugs of the grasses from the wetlands on his property to higher and drier land. Growing the plugs this way makes harvesting using tractors and combines easier. As far as Zander is aware, Cohansey Mead-
We may eventually use saline water sources such as brackish groundwater or seawater for irrigation in freshwater-scarce regions
ows is the only farm in the U.S. that grows the plugs naturally in open fields as a commercial crop outside of their traditional marshy habitat.
Zander sees multiple uses for the hay. Cattle love salt, so it can be used as livestock feed. More importantly, if farmers re-seed the perimeters of fields with these coastal grasses, they can act as a buffer, blocking saltwater intrusion onto productive land. Their dense root systems suck in the seawater, which helps distil it from spreading. This border will be imperative in keeping coastal farmland productive despite the inevitable rise in sea level.
Salt and Tomatoes
Scientists worldwide are also looking for solutions to combat a salty future. At Clemson University in South Carolina, researchers believe some crops, such as mustard greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes, can also be grown sustainably in saline water. To test this hypothesis, they are experimenting with growing these edibles hydroponically [3]
“The vast majority of vegetable crops are completely interchangeable between conventional soil farming and soilless hydroponic systems, “says W. Patrick Wechter, director of the Coastal Research and Education Center at Clemson. “Once a variety that does well in a salt-based hydroponic system is developed, it is not a huge leap to use that variety in a breeding program to fairly quickly develop a line that can be more suited to soil farming.”
They will be entirely adaptable for organic growing systems because they develop these salt-tolerant varieties through standard breeding procedures, not genetic modification.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says that as the population increases, the world’s food supply will need to increase by 60% by 2050. But there is only enough fresh water on Earth for a 10% increase [4]. Although 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, 96.5% is salt water.
We may eventually use saline water sources such as brackish groundwater or seawater for irrigation in freshwater-scarce regions. It will matter that crops grown in these regions can tolerate the salt the water deposits into the soil.
In the future, will tomatoes and cucumbers taste salty?
“Whether the fruits or greens will become saltier is yet to be determined as there are numerous mechanisms that may be used by a plant to either take up or filter out the salt,” Wechter says.
Time will tell, but your days of reaching for extra salt might be over. 3
Footnotes:
1. U.S. coastline to see up to a foot of sea level rise by 2050 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov) rebrand.ly/2ca06c
2. HOME | Cohansey Meadows cohanseymeadows.com
3. Clemson awarded USDA grant to study saline-water irrigation to grow salt-tolerant crops | Clemson News rebrand.ly/m1v2m2f
4. How Much Water is There on Earth? | U.S. Geological Survey usgs.gov
The Invisible Bottleneck Of Your Grow? The Invisible Bottleneck Of Your Grow?
Everest Fernandez invites us to reconsider dissolved oxygen in our modern grow rooms.
Everest Fernandez invites us to reconsider dissolved oxygen in our modern grow rooms.
With the advent of LED grow lights and the accompanying trend of running our rooms at higher air temperatures, indoor growers arguably need to pay more attention than ever to dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in irrigation water and nutrient solutions.
Self Assessment
Before we explore the details, consider your growing practices. How many of these statements apply to you?
1. You cultivate fast-growing, warm-season plants.
2. Your setup includes high-intensity LED grow lights.
3. Your nutrient reservoir is located within your grow room.
4. You incorporate beneficial biological products (e.g., mycorrhizae, bacteria).
5. Your growing medium is relatively restrictive (soil, peat, coco coir, or stone wool).
6. You operate a recirculating hydroponic system.
7. You maintain high nutrient concentrations in your solution.
The more points that resonate with you, the more critical dissolved oxygen becomes for your garden’s success. Even if you only checked one box, understanding DO is vital for optimizing plant health.
The Basics of Dissolved Oxygen
So, what exactly is dissolved oxygen? Simply put, it’s the amount of free oxygen molecules dispersed in your water or nutrient solution. It’s not the oxygen in H2O molecules or the tiny bubbles from your air stone, but rather, separate O2 that has mixed into the liquid at a molecular level. Imagine sugar dissolving in coffee - it’s present but invisible to the naked eye.
Why is Dissolved Oxygen Important?
DO forms the foundation of root health, supporting overall plant vitality. Adequate DO levels enable efficient aerobic respiration, the process by which roots convert nutrients into energy for growth.
In hydroponic systems or container growing, where roots are confined, maintaining high DO helps prevent root suffocation, stunted growth, and increased susceptibility to diseases like root rot.
The Interplay of Your Growing Environment and Dissolved Oxygen
Let’s reconsider those initial seven statements and examine how different growing conditions impact DO levels and why they matter:
1. Fast-growing, warm-season plants: These crops have higher metabolic rates, demanding more oxygen for respiration. As they develop quickly, their need for oxygen in the root zone intensifies.
2. High-intensity LED grow lights: These powerful lights boost photosynthesis, increasing metabolic activity. This heightened plant activity raises oxygen demand in the root zone, necessitating higher DO levels.
3. In-room nutrient reservoirs: When your reservoir rubs shoulders with your plants, it’s subject to the same elevated temperatures. Warmer water holds less oxygen, increasing the risk of DO depletion, especially in LED-lit environments.
So, what exactly is dissolved oxygen?
Simply put, it’s the amount of free oxygen molecules dispersed in your water or nutrient solution
4. Beneficial biological products: While microbes like mycorrhizae and bacteria enhance nutrient uptake, they also consume some of the available dissolved oxygen. High DO levels are crucial to prevent oxygen deficiency in the root zone.
5. Restrictive growing media: Media with smaller pore spaces, such as peat or coco coir, can limit air exchange and oxygen diffusion. Even professional media like stone wool, designed for water retention and aeration, benefit from high DO levels in the nutrient solution.
6. Recirculating hydroponic systems: These setups can accumulate organic matter and microbial activity over time, both of which increase oxygen consumption. Regular monitoring and maintenance of DO levels are necessary to avoid oxygen depletion.
7. High nutrient concentrations: Concentrated nutrient solutions can increase osmotic potential, potentially reducing oxygen availability to the roots. Maintaining optimal DO levels becomes even more critical under these conditions.
understanding DO is vital for optimizing plant health
Optimal Dissolved Oxygen Levels for Thriving Plants
For fast-growing, warm-season plants, aim for DO levels between 6.0 to 8.0 mg/L in your nutrient solution. Understand that the DO saturation point decreases as temperature increases. For instance, water at 18°C (64.4°F) has a DO saturation point of 9.45 mg/L, but this drops to 7.58 mg/L at 30°C (86.0°F). Generally, lower temperatures closer to 18°C are better for maintaining higher DO levels, especially in hydroponic systems.
How To Boost Dissolved Oxygen Levels
1. Aerate your nutrient solution: Place an air stone connected to an air pump at the bottom of your nutrient reservoir. This continuously infuses air (containing 20% oxygen) into the water. Constantly running the pump is more effective than intermittent aeration, especially in warm environments or systems with large root masses.
2. Chill your nutrient solution: Since warmer water holds less oxygen, aim to keep your nutrient solution between 18°C and 22°C (64°F to 72°F). If an aquarium chiller isn’t feasible, consider relocating your reservoir to a cooler area to prevent temperature-induced oxygen depletion.
3. Optimize water movement: Use a small water pump to periodically circulate your nutrient solution. Good circulation prevents stagnant areas where oxygen might be depleted and ensures even distribution throughout the system. Be aware that constant pump operation can generate heat, so monitor temperatures closely.
4. Employ advanced oxygenation techniques: Electrolysis or nanobubbles can infuse water with pure oxygen, significantly enhancing DO levels.
Products containing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), like OxyBlast and OxyPlus, can add free oxygen to the nutrient solution. Use these carefully to avoid harming beneficial microbes or plant roots.
Venturi injectors can be integrated with nutrient dosing systems to oxygenate the solution before it reaches the plants.
5. Choose high-drainage growing media: Well-aerated media such as a 50/50 mix of coco and perlite or expanded clay balls require more frequent irrigation, which can be automated. This ensures that plant roots have continuous access to oxygen-rich solution.
6. Implement a regular maintenance schedule: Consistently clean and maintain all aeration and circulation equipment. Clogged air stones or dirty pumps can reduce the efficiency of oxygenation efforts, leading to lower DO levels.
Measuring Dissolved Oxygen: Tools of the Trade
The cost of handheld DO meters varies widely based on features, durability, and precision. For most hydroponic applications, the Hanna HI-9147-04 with a galvanic probe is an excellent choice, though it comes with a price tag upwards of $750. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, consider the Milwaukee MW600, which retails around $150. 3
DC Powered Weedery
GWe aim to reduce our draw on the grid and try to produce and minimize power consumption in growing “
aliano Grow House Inc.”, a purpose-built hemp and food farm in Western BC, has partnered with “West Coast Weedery Inc.” to create a fully licensed and operational cannabis growing facility under the Canadian Cannabis Act. While this may seem routine, this task focuses on sustainability in growing and processing indoor cannabis. We aim to reduce our draw on the grid and try to produce and minimize power consumption in growing. We plan to approach this through efficient systems, power generation and storage. We are still mid-construction, so we will only see the dreams vs. realities after we finish building.
With my background in growing and designing cannabis facilities, I have been fortunate enough to have seen systems that perform incredibly well and other systems that are terrible. These systems are all different; some might work in one climate, not another. However, people have not yet connected the dots relating to integrating their entire system to lower energy consumption without compromising quality. We see a significant disconnect between lighting, HVAC, and controls at the engineering level, so the base infrastructure of the building makes it difficult to expand energy efficiently in the future.
We will start by making our LEDs even more efficient for the Weedery. However, we are not going to be doing it traditionally. Most LEDs you buy come with an integrated or remote ‘driver.’ This driver is responsible for converting the AC to DC power and deals with spectral control and dimming. The issue I have with drivers isn’t the driver’s fault but how we distribute power in a building. In North America, we traditionally use AC distribution because it has always been the best way to transmit large amounts of power without wasting too much energy through transmission. Based on this and
the power available, it made sense for lighting companies to have an AC-to-DC converter on their lights for easy installation. However, most people forget that converting AC to DC comes with its efficiency losses. These losses vary, but most agree they are in the 10-20% loss range.
Why don’t we take standard grow lights, remove the driver, and control directly through DC power and generation? I got this idea by combining the distribution efficiency of California Light Works with the traditional Aelius lights I also have on hand. The beautiful thing about California Light Works products is that they come with full DC distribution, which has many advantages. However, they are running a very high DC voltage, making it difficult for me to use them for the smaller system I propose. It is an excellent solution for a large-scale facility and saves installation costs.
Why don’t we take standard grow lights, remove the driver, and control directly through DC power and generation?
We propose collecting solar energy directly from batteries and distributing it to the LED lighting without the driver. This will require an advanced control system to monitor voltage levels and then vary them to achieve the desired light output. Changing the voltage the lights see will change the dimming level of the lights. For a small-scale growing facility, the hope is that we can decrease our energy consumption through fewer losses in distribution. I doubt this would be viable for a largescale growing facility based on install cost versus energy savings. The disadvantage of DC distribution to the lights is that the wire size when running a 48V system is larger than traditional AC systems. As the grow lights are already 48V and storage batteries are readily available in that size, it is practical to use 48V. However, this means the wire size is larger than a much higher voltage DC distribution, so this solution may only work for small-scale growing facilities.
In addition to solar generation, we plan to use wind energy, and we will also connect the batteries to a grid charger for the days we cannot generate enough electricity.
Stay tuned to see how this idea pans out! 3
In addition to solar generation, we plan to use wind energy, and we will also connect the batteries to a grid charger for the days we cannot generate enough electricity
Adam has provided planning and design services for cannabis and hemp cultivation and processing facilities over the last seven years with Stratus. His projects involve outdoor cultivation, indoor cultivation, drying, processing, extraction, storage, bottling and packaging, and more. Living on a hobby farm, Adam loves all plants, including flowers, vegetables, and microgreens, but is most passionate about hemp and is in awe of the fast-growing plant and all of the benefits it offers to humans and the environment alike.
An Appetite for change eco-optimism
The Positive Impact of Slow Food
You do it a few times every day, so why not go about it as sustainably as possible? We’re talking about eating! Our food system is broken; generally, how we grow, distribute goods, and eat have fallen out of line with what Mother Nature intended. Conventional agriculture depletes the soil and strips it of nutrients, resulting in food lacking essential minerals and vitamins. We’ve accepted this model because it’s easy, and in a fast-paced world where we have mouths to feed and bills to pay, convenience is appreciated. But our health and the planet are suffering.
Feeling overwhelmed and anxious about agriculture’s impact on the environment and human health is natural, but don’t let anyone tell you nothing can be done . Many organizations, small-scale farmers, and individuals make a difference every day—at least three times a day! The Slow Food movement is revolutionizing how we grow, buy, prepare, and preserve food. Slow Food is about reconnecting what we eat with nature, and you can join the movement at home in several different ways. Whether it’s growing a garden, eating seasonally, making better use of leftovers, or preserving your harvests, you can be the change . All you need to do is slow down.
The following information comes from a Regeneration Toolkit put together by slowfood.com . The toolkit contains tips on how we can Eat , Learn , and Act to help restore our ecosystems, communities, and health. This edition of our Eco-Optimism feature explores the Eat and Learn sections.
You do it a few times every day, so why not go about it as sustainably as possible?
EAT
Eat Seasonally
Building meals around seasonal foods makes a positive impact in many ways. Seasonal goods have a lower environmental burden because they require fewer growing resources. They’re also more affordable because they’re more abundant, and they’re fresher and more nutritious because they’re produced locally and don’t carry many food miles. Eating with the seasons might seem simple, but it’s powerful, benefiting your health, wallet, the environment, and local farmers.
Keep Things Biodiverse
Eat a wide range of foods, mostly plants. You don’t have to stop eating meat, but when you eat it, purchase it from a local farm that ethically raises animals in a pasture. You’ll taste the difference, we promise! Experiment with different fruits, vegetables, and grains; make your plate as biodiverse and colorful as possible to support small-scale farmers and a resilient food system.
Eat more
legumes!
This sustainable crop doesn’t require many resources and enriches the soil as it grows. Legumes are rich in antioxidants and complex fibers, are a good source of protein, and are low in cholesterol. Including them in your diet can help prevent heart disease and diabetes. They’re affordable, store well, and are essential to global food security. Examples of legumes include lentils, peas, beans, and chickpeas.
Eating with the seasons might seem simple, but it’s powerful, benefiting your health, wallet, the environment, and local farmers.
Ensure none of your precious harvest goes to waste, and consider pickling or canning so you can enjoy homegrown or seasonal foods year-round
Grow a Garden
There’s nothing slower (or more rewarding) than growing your own food! Whether you have a sunny windowsill, balcony, small plot of land, or community space, food gardens increase access to fresh and nutritious produce. You control what goes into it and will develop a deeper connection with nature and an appreciation of how much effort it takes to grow healthy food.
LEARN
All About Gut Health
If you’re keen to learn and want to be blown away, educate yourself on the functions of the gut and how a healthy one affects the entire body. Our intestines contain a microbiota that absorbs the microorganisms from our food. If the food lacks nutrients, the microbiota isn’t properly fed, which can result in gastrointestinal issues, leading to weight gain and problems with the metabolism. The gut can even affect mental health! Want to keep your microbiota happy? Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and foods high in fiber.
Learn How To Read Food Labels
When selecting products from a grocery store, take the time to read and understand the food labels. Where did the food item come from? Is it local, or has it traveled the seven seas? Check out the ingredient list; do you know what it means? Generally, the shorter the list, the better. Check the sugar, sodium, fat, protein, and fiber levels. Many store-bought foods can contain too much of a bad thing. Educate yourself on what your body needs, and read the labels carefully!
Know The Story Behind Your Food
Where does your food come from? Do the farmers have a safe working environment, and are they fairly compensated? The concept of ‘fair trade’ is just as important as knowing how your food was grown. The best way to get the story behind both factors is to meet the farmer. Go to local markets and talk to the people who grew the food. Find out how and why they do it. Knowing your farmer gives you peace of mind and helps boost the local food economy.
Get Creative With Food Waste
Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut is an excellent documentary to watch if you want to learn more about gut health.
A third of all food produced worldwide goes to waste, yet there are so many hungry people. We can be part of the solution by purchasing less at once and ensuring all leftovers are eaten. Get creative with leftover food and turn it into a delicious new meal. Ensure none of your precious harvest goes to waste, and consider pickling or canning so you can enjoy homegrown or seasonal foods year-round. Use veggie scraps to make a delicious broth for soups, and put anything else you can’t use directly into the compost.
Download Slow Food’s complete Regeneration Toolkit more fantastic resources at slowfood.org 3
visit www.grow-genius.com or Instagram.com/grow_genius for more on the most concentrated AND best value mono-silicic you can get
Novelty, Niche, or the Natural Choice? Living Soil
The renaissance of “soil” in horticulture has been spearheaded by a regenerative agricultural movement that has imposed a lifecycle assessment on all cultivation inputs
Technological advancement and innovation in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) have been rapid but are better stated as dramatic, futuristic, and, to some, unrecognizable to current agriculture. With these changes, the foundational notion that plants are grown in “soil” has been pushed to the margins and growers choosing “soil” as their growing medium are considered niche.
growers choosing “soil” as their growing medium are considered niche
Soil’s Decline
Within the past few decades, creating sterile environments free from potential pathogens has made “soil” a thing of the past. Growers have turned towards stone wool (e.g., Rockwool), expanded clay pebbles (e.g., Hydroton), perlite, irradiated/ pasteurized soilless mixes involving coconut coir and peat moss, or use water or air as their growing media (as in aquaponics/deep water culture or aeroponics, respectively).
In the CEA cannabis industry worldwide, most facilities use a hydroponic growing methodology and choose a growing media such as stone wool or a coco coir/peat moss mix. The numbers are likely greater in other sectors, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, ornamental flowers, and lettuces.
Welcome Back, Soil
What’s Up With The Quotation Marks?
Before going any further, the fact that “soil” is being written using quotation marks requires an explanation. In most Soil Science textbooks, the soil is defined as being comprised of minerals (i.e., 45% - sand, silt, and clay), organic matter (less than 5%, usually), air (25%), and water (25%).
In the CEA cannabis industry worldwide, most facilities use a hydroponic growing methodology and choose a growing media such as stone wool or a coco coir/peat moss mix.
The majority of “soil” mixes, often described as potting soils, contain only peat moss and/or coco coir, with some perlite or vermiculite for aeration and, at times, limestone or synthetic fertilizer to address pH and offer some starter nutrients. These mixes lack a significant mineral component, and despite being comprised of primarily organic matter, they are essentially absent of “life” (i.e., beneficial microbes). However, most certifying bodies have created standards that define soils used in CEA as requiring a mineral fraction and a microbial element such as compost. Moreover, some standards specify plant density based on the available soil volume.
In 2018, Canada, one of the first nations to legalize cannabis cultivation, had almost 95% of all facilities using media suitable for hydroponics. In large part, the idea of using a living “soil” that contained microbes seemed counterintuitive to the fact that cannabis flower had to be tested for the presence of such microbes before being eligible for sale. However, the notion of creating pathogen-free growing environments using sterile media has worked, much like the concept that hospitals are sterile, clean, and safe from disease. Welcome back, “soil.”
The false promise of reducing crop losses to fungal and bacterial diseases has led many growers to reconsider what “soil” may offer as a growing medium.
The renaissance of “soil” in horticulture is spearheaded by a regenerative agricultural movement that has imposed a lifecycle assessment on all cultivation inputs. However, perhaps an equal amount of interest has been spurred on by our increasing knowledge of the rhizomicrobiome and what this means for the health and quality of the plant.
Living Soil Organics
Terminology in the cannabis sector has described these cultivation systems as Living Soil Organics (LSO). This serves as a catchall phrase capturing some of the work from pioneers of organic cannabis cultivation during prohibition, like Subcool, Clackamas Coot, and The Rev, as well as those in Northern California and The Kootenays in British Columbia, who have arguably created an appellation for cannabis. Traditionally, these soils were nutrient-dense, chock full of amendments like alfalfa meal, feather meal, bone meal, blood meal, bat guano, rock powders (e.g., glacial rock dust, basalt, Azomite), kelp, animal manures, and compost. More recently, these recipes have been supercharged with microbes primarily selected to help cycle the above ingredients quicker to help maintain the necessary growth and development for a heavy-feeding crop like cannabis.
The parallels between our knowledge of the human gut microbiome and what microbes offer the plant are striking
Living soil is taking its place in cannabis cultivation, with more growers making it their natural choice
Initially, choosing microbial species that could turn organic amendments into plant-available nutrients was paramount. However, a corollary outcome of re-introducing microbes into the soil was increased plant health and product quality. In striking contrast to conventional thought, the re-introduction of microbial diversity within the growing media directly impacted plant immunity towards pathogens and increased robustness and resilience to abiotic stress like drought, heat, cold, and even transplanting.
Arguably, the increased benefits in plant health and product quality are the primary determinants in growers choosing living soil for CEA cannabis cultivation. Countries that regulate cannabis production place strict standards on what pesticides are permitted and restrict the vast majority of fungicides allowed for food production. As a result, LSO growers have turned to their soil as their first line of defense by creating a plant that can withstand biotic stresses like pests and pathogens. The mechanisms by which a plant achieves this are multifold and range from incorporating endophytes (i.e., taking in microbes that live within the plant and fight off invading bacteria and fungi) to stimulating internal responses to heighten the immune system, much like a vaccination.
Microbes: Understated Heros
The parallels between our knowledge of the human gut microbiome and what microbes offer the plant are striking. From inflammation to nutritional disorders, which both humans and plants face, the understated hero is the microbe. This is none more apparent than when cannabis growers talk about some of the quality factors in their final product. The aroma and taste of cannabis are primarily attributed to terpenes and flavorants, which are medicinal metabolites produced by the plant and, in many cases, some of the initial heavy lifting done by microbes. Similarly, the colors of the leaves and flowers are expressions of flavonoids like carotenoids, xanthophylls, and anthocyanins, all of which serve as antioxidants and are produced in greater quantities in the presence of microbes.
Living soil is taking its place in cannabis cultivation, with more growers making it their natural choice. This is not because of yield or some notion of sustainability; their decision is primarily based on plant health and the quality of flower harvested. The re-emergence of soil in greenhouses, container gardening, vertical farming, and other controlled environment agriculture and horticulture is another shining example that, as a species, we can’t box out Nature. 3
Av Singh, PhD, PAg is an advocate of regenerative organic agriculture serving various organizations including Regeneration Canada, Navdanya, and the Canadian Organic Growers.
SafeVac® brings the auto-curing, terpene preserving, weight-retaining benefits of TerpLoc® growers love to an all new format, allowing you to cure in transit. Saving space and staying discrete shouldn’t cost you quality.
My canning journey began not too long ago on a slow Sunday morning. After harvesting a generous Italian tomato crop in my garden and supplementing it with another 20 pounds purchased at my local farmer’s market, I blanched, peeled, and quartered them, eventually adding them to a stock pot with diced onions, peppers, garlic, and spices. After letting the sauce simmer for four to five hours, I filled quart-sized Mason jars and placed them in a water bath to preserve them for the cold months and busy nights ahead. By the end of the next day, my pantry shelves were lined with vibrant red jars that looked comforting and delicious. I was proud of myself for making the most of some fresh, seasonal produce for my family, and I was hooked.
The following week, I pulled more ripe tomatoes from my vines and returned to the farmer’s market for 20 pounds each of Roma and San Marzano tomatoes. Back in my kitchen, I made another batch of pasta sauce and one for pizza, adding more sealed jars to my pantry. It goes without saying that I need a break from peeling tomatoes at this point, but I know my canning adventures have only just begun.
The Canning Comeback
I need a break from peeling tomatoes at this point, but I know my canning adventures have only just begun
I caught the canning bug after reading Preserving with a Purpose: Next-Generation Canning Recipes & Kitchen Wisdom by Sarah Thrush, creator of @peeliesnpetals. Unlike me, Thrush has a long history of canning to preserve food; it’s in her blood. She considers herself a third-generation canner because her first memories are of canning with her grandmothers, although she has family recipes dating back to the 1800s, some of which are shared in her book. Surprisingly, writing a book about canning is never something Thrush set out to do. When she and I chatted via video at the end of the summer, she admitted the book happened by accident.
Like many others, Thrush joined TikTok during the pandemic to connect with people and quickly made ‘friends’ with other homesteaders. While saying goodbye in the comment section of a live one day, she mentioned she had apples that needed to be canned. The interest was immediate; many asked if she could show them how.
“I had 15,000 people watching me live canning apple juice,” she says. “I was completely shocked and overwhelmed, and it kind of just snowballed from there.”
It had never occurred to her that people didn’t know how to preserve food this way. Thrush started making simple tutorial videos on safely preserving fruits, vegetables, and meat via pressure canning. She gained almost a million followers in her first year and over a million in the second. It wasn’t long before they were begging for a book.
“It was very organic,” she explains. “There was an obvious need, and I was more than happy to teach people how to do what I’ve been doing my whole life.”
Preserving with a Purpose
Thrush’s book opens with a heartfelt and vulnerable introduction. In it, she talks about growing up in a micro-community called ‘the Region’ on the border of Indiana and Illinois. She describes the Region as an American melting pot of ethnic diversity with harsh winters and short growing seasons. She heard stories of Victory Gardens and understood the importance of stretching food resources, learning to make something from nothing, and using canning to preserve harvests.
“I grew up in a long line of poor people. We had never been rich, so to speak, but we always had what we needed to survive,” she tells me. “I grew up with two grandmothers who had survived the Great Depression. One of my grandmothers told a story about how she and her sisters would sit outside and eat dirt because there wasn’t any food. So I grew up with a waste not, want not mindset.”
Thrush has a long history of canning to preserve food; it’s in her blood.
That mindset made Thrush incredibly resilient. When she and her children later struggled with food insecurity, she fell back on the education she had received as a girl about food preservation. She began growing food again and canning it to keep her family well-fed. Thrush eventually lost her home and turned to new solutions like community gardens. She wrote Preserving with a Purpose to help people maintain their food security through challenging times, whether financial or caused by weather events or changes in the political climate. After all, she believes food security is a fundamental human right, yet too many people go hungry.
The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only method for safely canning low-acid foods such as vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood
“I wanted to bring canning into the now –into the modern and show people that you can do this, and it doesn’t have to be jams, jellies, and pickles,” she says of her book.
“Of course, there are jams, jellies, and pickles in there, so if that’s your thing, they’re there too.”
Equipment, Recipe Selection, and Dollars Saved
The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only method for safely canning low-acid foods such as vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. Tomatoes and apples, for example, are high-acid and can be canned via pressure canning or in a simple water bath.
“Canning is on the rise again as the cost of food continues to rise, as people are starting to wake up from what I call their grocery store comas,” she explains. “Where does our food come from? What is in my food? Who put that food there? There are all these questions. People are starting to look at their food and say, ‘Hey, I’m disconnected from my food and my food source, and I want to be connected to that again.’”
Thrush’s book features dozens of beloved recipes (some are family heirlooms) that extend far beyond the classic jams and jellies. Think DIY Teriyaki Sauce, Cowboy Salsa, Bourbon Chicken, Corned Beef Hash, Pork Carnitas Meal-in-a-Jar, soups of all kinds, and more. The recipes aren’t fancy or expensive; they’re simple, delicious, nutritious, and, where Thrush is concerned, often sentimental.
“My great, great, great grandmother’s pickles are in there,” she says. “That recipe is the very last recipe of the book because it is so special to me. Every time that jar is opened, and I taste it, it reminds me of my childhood and being in the kitchen with my grandmothers.”
Preserving with a Purpose also includes chapters on planning your pantry and how much food you’ll need for your family, meal plans, and mastering the canning fundamentals. Thrush breaks down the science behind and the difference between water baths and pressure canning, discusses the equipment and supplies needed, and offers solutions to frequently encountered canning issues. It’s a book that suits beginners and long-time canners alike.
“If you start with water bath canning, you’ll already have 90% of what you need in your kitchen,” Thrush explains. “You need a large stock pot, some jars, and the lids will be your expense. When you get into pressure canning, you’re more involved with equipment. But those things pay for themselves quickly.”
Thrush says a pressure canner should be a one-time investment, with many families eventually passing them down from generation to generation. They range in price from a couple hundred dollars and up, depending on the make and model. However, Thrush, who has anywhere between 800 and 1,000 jars of home-canned food on her shelves after every harvest season, estimates significant savings on her grocery bills.
“We save, on average, $10,000 to $12,000 a year on groceries,” she says. “And that number keeps growing as the price of groceries rises.”
Of course, we won’t all save as much money at the supermarket. But any amount of food you can preserve from your garden, no matter its size, is a step in the right direction. If you don’t have much space, Thrush recommends renting an allotment or participating in a community garden where the rewards can be very similar. She also suggests being smart about the foods you grow and planning canning recipes around the seasonal foods you can buy affordably (and at peak nutrition) from local farmers.
“When you start making your food work for you, you start making money,” she explains. “I don’t grow any corn, garlic, or potatoes. Why? In my community, I have three farmers who do that. So I purchase from them. I won’t waste my land space doing that when I know I can get it in bulk from them. That frees up my space to do the more expensive things at home.”
Good for the Body and the Soul
If you’re new to canning, Thrush suggests starting small and simple, like with a couple of jars of fruits or fruit juices. Some people (ahem!) might go a little overboard and buy 60 pounds of Italian tomatoes at the farmer’s market their first time, but you don’t have to go to that extreme.
Canning can be done in quiet solitude in your kitchen or with your friends and family. Either way, you’re slowing things down and preserving seasonal, nutritious food, and you know exactly how it’s been prepared. Plus, seeing lines of jars on your pantry shelves brings an enormous amount of pride and, initially, some awe.
“I no longer have that awe and shock this late in my canning life,” Thrush laughs. “I’m so blind to it because it is just how we eat. But there is a real sense of accomplishment when you see all those jars on your shelf; it doesn’t matter if it’s four jars or 400 [...] There is an excellent mental health boost when canning your food because it gives you a sense of purpose and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.”
Thrush encourages everyone to discover their purpose for canning food and use that as a driving force. Mine is capitalizing on seasonal, affordable produce that is more expensive or difficult to find during cold Canadian winters. It’s about ensuring I have healthy, homemade options on those busy school nights when my kids have activities. It’s about cosiness, comfort, and slow food. As I move forward on my canning journey, I’ll take a much-needed break from tomatoes for the season. Next up? Applesauce and soups. 3
There is an excellent mental health boost when canning your food because it gives you a sense of purpose and it gives you a sense of accomplishment
Catherine is a Canadian award-winning journalist who worked as a reporter and news anchor in Montreal’s radio and television scene for 10 years.A graduate of Concordia University, she left the hustle and bustle of the business after starting a family. Now, she’s the editor and a writer for Garden Culture Magazine while also enjoying being a mom to her three young kids. Her interests include great food, gardening, fitness, animals, and anything outdoors.
Preserving with a Purpose: Next-Generation Canning Recipes & Kitchen Wisdom by Sarah Thrush can be purchased online and at all major bookstores. Sample one of the recipes on the next page!
Round one, complete!
Simmering sauce
Canning Recipe
There’s a certain charm in preserving age-old family recipes that have been passed down through generations. For me, spiced apple rings hold a special place in my heart, since I inherited the recipe from my mother and grandmother. This delightful dish was a fixture at our family gatherings, especially during the holiday season.
• 8 cups (1.9 L) water
• Splash of lemon juice or
• 1 tablespoon (19 g) citric acid
• Approximately 20 large, firm apples
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 13/4 cups (280 g) cinnamon Red Hots
• candies
• 4 cups (944 ml) water
• 31/2 teaspoons (7 g) whole cloves
1. To a large bowl, add 4 cups (1.9 L) of water and the lemon juice or citric acid.
2. Begin peeling, coring, and slicing the apples into 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) thick rings. The apples should resemble a flattened doughnut shape. A small melon baller makes easy work of coring whole apples. To prevent browning, drop the apple rings in the lemon juice/citric acid water as you work through them.
3. Heat sugar, Red Hots, and the remaining 4 cups (944 ml) of water in a saucepan to make cinnamon syrup.
4. Stir often with a metal spoon until the sugar and cinnamon candy are completely melted. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
5. Drain the apple rings and add to the syrup mixture. Toss gently to coat. Turn off heat and let apple syrup mixture sit for 15 minutes.
6. Place canning jars in a canning pot filled with water and bring it to a simmer (180°F/82°C) to heat the jars.
CANNING (HOT PACK)
1. Retrieve hot jars from canner.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves to the bottom of each jar.
3. Place a canning funnel on top of a jar and, using a slotted spoon, stack apple rings vertically into jars, leaving 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) headspace. The apple rings will be soft; do the best you can, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
4. Ladle remaining hot syrup over apple rings, leaving 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) headspace.
5. Use a bubble remover tool to remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary. If you don’t have any spare syrup, add water to achieve correct headspace.
6. Wipe the jar rim with a clean, damp towel or a vinegar-dampened towel to remove any residue.
7. Place the lid on top of the jar and secure with a band, screwing it on until finger light.
8. Place the filled jars back into the canning pot using a canning rack. Ensure the jars are covered with at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water.
9. Bring the water to a boil and, once boiling, start timer: for pints, 15 minutes; for quarts, 20 minutes.
10. Adjust processing times for your altitude as needed.
Sharing Your Love of
Mushrooms
with a Beginner’s Mind
When you’re into mycology, there’s a good chance you’re really into mycology. Not everyone who enjoys mushrooms becomes obsessed with how they connect widely and wildly with nearly any aspect of our lives. However, for many of us, the fun(gi) never stops.
Positive examples of human relationships with fungi include basic sustenance to gustatory triumph, support and promotion of physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and spiritual or extranormal experiences. You could choose to focus on how the potency of mushrooms allows some to be dangerous in all of the same areas, but a grounded, balanced, and hopeful mindset is more productive. Respect for their potential and humility in our relationships with them can guide us to rich and impactful experiences!
It’s certainly not lost on “mushroom people” that mycelium, as a network of interconnectivity, sharing, and a sense that the sums are more significant than the parts, is a solid metaphor for the power of community. Trust-building through shared experiences is neurochemically rewarding, and organizing opportunities for folks to find delight and satisfaction together is a gift you also receive.
If going out into nature to find mushrooms is your cup of tea, or if you’ve got access to land where you cultivate and/or wildcraft mushrooms, why not invite some people to enjoy a day out with you? Here are some tips I’ve put together based on my experiences.
If going out into nature to find mushrooms is your cup of tea, or if you’ve got access to land where you cultivate and/or wildcraft mushrooms, why not invite some people to enjoy a day out with you?
A Beginner-Friendly Approach to Organizing and Guiding a Mushroom Walk
Choose an accessible and safe place to meet and be familiar with the conditions of where you’ll walk. Ensure someone knows where you are, who you’re with, and when you’re expected to return.
Decide how you will select your companions for the trip. Are they friends and family? Is it an open, public event or one arranged in collaboration with a community organization? If you’re artsy, you might make a poster or other design with the main details: what you’re doing, who’s welcome, when it’ll be happening, where , and why you hope people will join you.
There’s no need to advertise the location specifics publicly; instead, ask people to RSVP to receive the details. It’s best to know how many people you expect to attend and be able to cancel if personal or weather-related reasons for postponement or cancellation arise.
A few common questions I have found people would like answered before they commit include:
• Are there any costs involved (e.g. parking, park entrance fees)
• Are children and/or dogs welcome to attend?
• What should I bring with me?
• How strenuous is the terrain? What is the expected pace, distance, and timeframe for the outing?
In your invitation to participate, be clear about the point and parameters of the excursion. Build trust by being honest about your experience and knowledge about mushrooms. Don’t try to sound authoritative beyond your comfort level; allow your curiosity and passion to shine through.
SPARK YOUR PLANTS TO NEW HEIGHTS
HIGH CONCENTRATION = FASTER INOCULATION AND POTENCY
3600 endomycorrhizal propagules/g
Beneficial bacteria including Mycorrhizae Helper Bacteria (MHB)
Growth enhancers & biostimulants
Before the meeting, request attendees review a drafted community agreement. This agreement can include expectations of mutual respect, recognizing that each participant is to be valued and accepted as they are. It can be explicit that each person will come with their own prior experiences with mushrooms and make clear everyone is responsible for keeping the event fun and safe.
This agreement can also be practical, asking party members to take only photographs (or drawings) and memories when they leave. This removes the expectation that the walk will focus on foraging and instead be centered around mushroom appreciation.
On The Day of the Walk
It’s a good idea to wear a high-visibility vest or similarly bright attire and bring a whistle. This way, your walking companions can return to following your lead while their attention is divided between absorbing the natural setting and seeking mushrooms to observe.
At the set meeting time, welcome the group and thank them for coming! It’s already a success if you’re not the only one standing alone in a parking lot. I have found that asking participants to form a circle rather than standing in front of a loose pack is best for making everyone feel included and equal. Review the community agreement and ask folks to reconfirm their intent to have a fun time. It might seem a little juvenile, but proposing a buddy system can be a good check against anyone feeling left out or wandering away.
Ask people to introduce themselves and give a one-sentence summary about their interest in mushrooms. Open the floor to anyone wishing to share concerns they may have about the activity itself. They might disclose accessibility challenges, personal boundaries around space and touch, or well-meaning “help” from others. Demonstrate, with prior warning, the sound of the whistle.
During the Walk
I always like to scope out the trail before bringing others out with me or use a place I’m very familiar with for beginner-level walks. Coming prepared with a short list of expected species to keep an eye out for is very handy, as is having a few “fun facts” or mushroom-related anecdotes in mind to set the vibe.
Hopefully, folks are stoked to see any kind of mushroom and try to discover more about it. Why do you think it is located where you found it? What’s unique about this mushroom? Are there many, or does it stand alone?
Although people want to learn which mushrooms they can eat, there’s a lot of responsibility in providing definitive answers. When you don’t know how much detail someone will take and retain from the information you share, it can be better to keep people accountable for their actions. Select locally relevant species identification guides and help folks develop their myco-vocabulary with real-world subjects. If you do find specimens of choice edibles, encourage people to use their senses to observe and become physically familiar with them. Creating that memory for personal reference is valuable in itself.
Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera)
Hopefully, folks are stoked to see any kind of mushroom and try to discover more about it. Why do you think it is located where you found it? What’s unique about this mushroom? Are there many, or does it stand alone?
As you make your way along the chosen route, remember that you have placed yourself in a position of trust and example-setting. Be free with your enthusiasm for mycology, mushrooms, and other marvels of nature you’re witnessing. Model care and regard for the conservation of the space.
When the Trip is Over
Offer an email sign-up list or other means of communicating about future fungi experiences (like a hosted server or group) that all will share. Be clear about the level of moderation you’re willing/able to provide, and remind people that they are placing trust in one another not to abuse the disclosure of contact details.
An expression of gratitude for accompanying you on the mushroom walk is always appreciated. This doesn’t have to cost you anything other than your time. It could be as simple as a sincere “Thanks for coming” at the end of the outing, a follow-up email with a photograph from the day and maybe some links to your favorite mushroom-related resources. If you feel really fancy, design a digital participation certificate that people can post to their social media or even print off for their wall at home or scrapbook.
Additional Preparatory Considerations
Keep your ambition proportional to your abilities. Mushrooms are everywhere! There’s no need to venture far into the wilderness to find plenty of fungal life just waiting to be noticed.
It’s good to prepare for the unexpected whenever you’re in nature. If you don’t have any first-aid training, ask a qualified friend to join you. Be clear on how you will handle any medical emergencies that could arise. Are you sure that cell phones will have signals if you need to contact emergency services?
Reflect on the Experience
If you have fun with the group and enjoy your role as organizer, other activities are similarly friendly to all levels of mycological expertise. You could arrange a meet-up for a meal prepared by a qualified cook with safe food handling training using fungi acquired through credible sources. A fungi-focused art-making get-together or topical movie screening are also good options for the ‘indoor cats’ among us. Both are good choices for times of year when it is less opportune to observe wild-growing mushrooms.
Final Thoughts
Rather than trying to masquerade as the ultimate expert in all things myco, invite yourself to develop new wisdom as a consequence of communion with others. Although the concept of “set and setting” may be most familiar in the paradigm of psychedelics, consider that they may also apply to any scenario in which folks may learn about new things and discover how this knowledge transforms them, perhaps even affecting their worldview. Cultivate a setting that supports you and your companions. Maybe you’ll inspire others, and next time, someone else will put out the call! 3
Going To The Poles: Going To The Poles:
Can Magnets Improve Irrigation Water?
Conservation and effective use of irrigation water is a central concern for every grower.
Many researchers are still interested in examining the possibilities of using magnetic fields to change the character of water used to grow plants
Conservation and effective use of irrigation water is a central concern for every grower. Whether for cost or access, it’s well worth considering anything we can do to better use the water provided to our crops. Loss of surface water to evaporation at higher global temperatures and increased soil salinity are significant challenges to food production worldwide. Dry earth does not support the diverse web of life that cycles and maintains a healthy layer of soil for growing.
Beneficial microscopic lifeforms, including various bacteria, fungi, and nematodes, help build and maintain the water-holding capacity of soil and unstructured substrates like peat— and coir-based mixes. Their contributions to plant health and yields are invaluable and multi-dimensional.
Applying physical controls, like simple magnets, to use less water and achieve the same or improved results would complement this biological aspect of water management in the garden.
Proponents of magnetic water technologies assert that water is physically reorganized into smaller molecular clusters through exposure to strong magnetic fields
In the past, any promised benefit of so-called “hexagonal” or “structured” water was largely written off as pseudoscience, a marketing ploy, or something too “woo-woo” to be taken seriously. Yet science marches forward. Many researchers are still interested in examining the possibilities of using magnetic fields to change the character of water used to grow plants. Is there truth to these hopeful claims about altering irrigation water with magnets?
What Do They Claim?
Proponents of magnetic water technologies assert that water is physically reorganized into smaller molecular clusters through exposure to strong magnetic fields. The theory is that these smaller, more orderly groups of H20 can better be absorbed into cells, whether plant or microorganism.
Proponents of this technology also argue that magnetically-treated water is better at holding other molecules in solution. They suggest this makes elemental nutrients more available for uptake in nutrient cycling.
On a farm or home garden scale, using less water to grow healthy plants and maintain (or improve) produce quality could improve efficiencies elsewhere. It could mean reducing the amount of money spent on electricity to pump well water, lower water
bills where civic water is metered, less wear and tear on irrigation machinery, and, in cases of hand-spraying, reduced demand for physical labour.
How Have These Concepts Been Tested?
As a species, we have a history of being curious about magnets. Various uses of magnetism are found throughout human record, as it is a naturally occurring phenomenon that affects all life on Earth. Our modern understanding of how plants orient themselves to grow upright comes from experiments done using strong magnets to artificially simulate the direction of “down” (“magnetotropism”).
Tropism: A growth response prompted by directional stimulation. For example, how shelf mushrooms grow parallel to the ground, even after a tree has fallen (gravitropism), or how plants turn and twist toward available
Phototropism
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS
Seed germination and new tissue growth were improved when the seeds and the water used to start them were magnetized
So we know that even as seeds, plants respond to the felt effects of a magnetic field. Yet pure magnetized water itself does not carry the property of magnetism.
When studying strawberries, apricots, peaches, and grapes, production quantities and qualities were found to be better using magnetized irrigation water
Researchers have developed many ways to test and measure whether magnetized water results in better crop yields when directly compared to non-magnetized water. Due to the wide variety in experimental design, it is difficult to determine which growth characteristics were influenced by treating the water.
A 2022 review of studies conducted across many field crops, including sunflowers, eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, wheat, corn, chickpeas, and others, summarized the results of many recent trials. Many promising outcomes were observed when using magnetized water.
Seeds and Young Plants
Seed germination and new tissue growth were improved when the seeds and the water used to start them were magnetized. Generally, a better start to life improves yields by providing the plant with quickly established roots and a sturdier immune system, including a more populous supportive diversity in the rhizobiome.
Flowers and Fruits
When studying strawberries, apricots, peaches, and grapes, production quantities and qualities were found to be better using magnetized irrigation water. Eggplants grown with magnetically-treated water were longer, wider, and individually heavier than those in the controlled group. They also demonstrated higher levels of Vitamin C, organic acids, and mineral content.
Chickpeas and Soybeans
Using magnetized water led to higher protein in both of these crops. Chickpeas’ leaves and seeds also contained more nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. At the same time, plants were generally longer and stacked up more mass during the growing season.
How Can We Explain These Findings?
Several important factors are believed to be behind these incredible results. Soil structure, nutrient accessibility and use efficiency, and water availability throughout the growing cycle are critical for maintaining the health of a singular crop and the land on which each season’s production depends.
Soil Structure and Character
Improvements to soil structure, which provides the architecture for all of the activities of life within it, have been observed.
In 2020, a team based in Tunisia examined the effect of treating irrigation water with magnets on soil porosity, a measurement of the space between soil particles. The trials found that magnetic treatment of the irrigation water had a “strong” effect on soil porosity, improving it at the macro and micro levels.
Improved macroporosity is associated with better drainage when water is abundant, allowing deeper penetration and preventing oversaturation, compaction, and salt accumulation. Greater microporosity is related to the soil’s ability to hold moisture where needed, the free movement of microbes, and root growth.
The proliferation of microbes, especially beneficial bacteria associated with nutrient cycling, appears to be linked to magnetic irrigation water treatment. Whether more microbial activity is the cause of the porosity improvement or a result of it is not known.
Soil pH, a factor in the availability of many nutrients, was lower after magnetized water irrigation. Calcium carbonate and gypsum were made more soluble and readily available to plants.
Better photosynthesis, measured by higher levels of plant pigments, is also noted. Not only were the green parts of plants greener, but the carotenoids we associate with brightly colored, more nutritious produce were present in higher quantities. The magnetic treatment appears to help plants more effectively convert light energy!
Stress Tolerance and Pathogen Control
Under irrigation with magnetically treated water, enzymatic activity and secondary metabolite production are also improved. Secondary metabolites are chemicals a plant makes to survive in its environment. These include many of the compounds we consider medicinal, such as terpenes and flavonoids used for insect signaling and cannabinoids.
The magnetic treatment appears to help plants more effectively convert light energy!
In a study on fusarium wilt in tomatoes, magnetic treatment showed remarkable promise for mitigating the fungus’s negative effects. Under observation, fusarium cultures were severely inhibited by the application of magnetized water, and plants intentionally infected with fusarium produced more tomatoes with the increasing exposure of their irrigation water to magnetic fields. Similar findings were noted in an experiment on reducing harm to cucumbers by Pythium aphanidermatum, a fungus linked with damping off.
Looking Ahead
Developing and making appropriate technologies available at scale is a hurdle yet to be fully overcome. With the now-established body of evidence supporting magnetism in agricultural irrigation, attention must now turn to funding and engineering research on water remediation for food production.
Soil Salinity and Lack of Fresh Water
It’s all well and good when there’s enough fresh water. Unfortunately, that scenario is becoming increasingly rare in many regions. Magnetizing water encourages the coupling of more water molecules in a given volume with soil particles, keeping it where it has been applied for longer. As discussed, the greater ease of
water’s bond with desired minerals in the soil makes nutrient uptake easier. This also helps flush excess salts, preventing them from building up.
Crop scientists have been especially interested in understanding whether or not exposing salinated, even brackish, water to magnetic fields can make it usable for growing plants. Some preliminary evidence suggests this could be the case, but researchers are adamant that more extensive testing is needed.
Hopefully, proponents of safe magnetic field generation will succeed in partnering with the rest of the invested life (the local humans, non-human animals, and microbes) to rejuvenate, restore, and conserve agricultural lands. 3
References
• Alattar, E., Radwan, E., & Elwasife, K. (2022). Improvement in growth of plants under the effect of magnetized water. AIMS Biophysics, 9(4), 346–387. doi.org/10.3934/biophy.2022029
• Bogatin, J., Bondarenko, N. Ph., Gak, E. Z., Rokhinson, E. E., & Ananyev, I. P. (1999). Magnetic Treatment of Irrigation Water: Experimental Results and Application Conditions. Environmental Science & Technology, 33(8), 1280–1285. doi.org/10.1021/es980172k
• Chibowski, E., & Szcześ, A. (2018). Magnetic water treatment–A review of the latest approaches. Chemosphere, 203, 54–67. doi.org/10.1016/j. chemosphere.2018.03.160
• Dobránszki, Judit. (2023). From mystery to reality: Magnetized water to tackle the challenges of climate change and for cleaner agricultural production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 425, 139077–139077. doi. org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139077
• Hatem, M., et al (2020). The Effect of Magnetically Treated Water Against Fusarium Wilt Disease in Tomato Caused by the Fungus Fusarium oxysporum and its Effect on Production Under Fertilized Farming Conditions. Plant Archives Volume 20 No. 1, 2020 pp. 533-536. rebrand. ly/76e3b6
Xavi Kief is a writer, researcher, and lifelong learner with their hands in the dirt and their imagination traversing the universe. Seeking always to deepen and integrate their connection with the living planet and its diverse inhabitants, Xavi finds joy by infusing their practical and playful approach to cultivation with a healthy dose of science.They grow food and medicine for their family and community on their NorthEast Coast homestead.
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Local Growers
WHO’S GROWING WHAT
WHERE USA & Canada
Cookstown Greens
Cookstown Greens prides itself on supplying Toronto and the GTA with certified organic vegetables year-round. Vicky and Mike Ffrench have been running the family business since 2012, but the farm was initially established in 1988 as an artisan farm specializing in unique veggies, garnishes, herbs, and edible flowers for chefs. Vicky and Mike wanted to hone in on specific crops and do it well, so the farm has evolved over the years and now grows delicious potatoes, carrots, turnips, and radishes, a selection of salad mixes and greens, oyster mushrooms, winter squash, and seasonal specialties like peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and asparagus. Customers can order the veg online and arrange to pick it up at the farm, or they can find it at several retail locations in the GTA, Simcoe County, and Ottawa.
Vicky and Mike are about achieving the best flavor and nutrition while following sustainable farming techniques on their 100 acres. The farm employs various organic and regenerative growing practices, including cover crops, to build soil fertility and suppress weeds. There are 18 fields, two-thirds dedicated to rotating cover crops and the other one-third for growing vegetables. The clay loam soil is rich with organic matter and great for nutrient exchange for the plant roots. Some of the land is untouched, and no-till or non-intensive methods contribute to farm biodiversity. They also use integrated pest management strategies, including beneficial bugs, row covers, and handpicking pests like tomato hornworms and potato beetles.
Egbert Creek, which feeds the Nottawasaga River. Vicky and Mike collaborate with the Nottawasaga Conservation Authority to ensure the water they use doesn’t affect the watershed’s ecology.
Thanks to its eight propane-heated greenhouses, Cookstown Greens can grow year-round, producing tomatoes in the summer and greens throughout the winter. Some greenhouses rest in the winter so the soil can rebuild nutrients or are used to grow marigolds for salads and to transplant outside when the temperatures warm in the spring. The Ffrench family uses a natural water supply from the
The team at Cookstown Greens has over 40 years of combined experience in agriculture, supported by an extensive network of seasoned growers. Ten migrant workers from Mexico also work the fields, prepping beds, planting, harvesting, and tending to the veggies. The same group returns to the farm annually to help maintain the farm’s high standards and feed Ontarians the best-quality organic produce possible.
Caney Fork Farms strives to prove that regenerative, organic farming is a productive model good for farmers, the community, and the environment, hopefully inspiring others along the way. The organic farm in Middle Tennessee uses carbon farming practices to grow healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables and regenerative beef, lamb, pork, and chicken, which are available for order via flexible CSA programs. A small team of farmers is at the helm, and they’ve made responsible land stewardship their top priority. Their regenerative philosophy follows a whole-farm approach, meaning the health of one part of the system affects the health of the entire property. So it’s not only about the plants and animals; Caney Fork Farms is constantly regenerating the health of the soil, its pastures, waterways, air, and more.
The farm features several regions, including a section for field crops covered year-round with various root veggies, corn, beans, and squash. Cover crops help rebuild the soil, and the fields return to perennial pasture for grazing on a ten-year cycle. Doing so increases the soil structure and microbial diversity, leading to higher fertility and fewer farm inputs or mechanical interventions. Growing crops on such a large scale requires tractor-based tools, but all machinery is used carefully to minimize fossil fuels, tillage, and soil compaction. Crop rotation and mulches with shallow cultivation also help keep the precious soil structure intact.
The farm’s market garden is nestled in a food forest containing fruit trees, berries, shrubs, flowers, perennial herbs, and water features. Birds, insects, and amphibians call this section of the farm home and help with natural pest control. Seasonal produce grows closely together following bio-intensive growing methods to allow for the efficient use of space and to form a canopy that protects the soil from erosion, weeds, and water evaporation. All the market garden crops are tended to and harvested by hand, and homemade compost maintains a vibrant
Would you like to be featured as one of our local growers? If you’ve got a garden, grow room, or farm and have a story to share, contact us at growers@gardenculturemagazine.com.
microbial ecology. Several high tunnels allow for year-round food production, creating a more resilient local food system.
The agroforestry section of the farm integrates trees to create a multilevel ecosystem and shade for the animals and plants while helping with nutrient cycling. Hedgerows and forested property lines are home to wildlife, prevent erosion and flooding, and create microclimates. Finally, a large grassland area allows for planned rotational grazing so the farm’s livestock eats and lives well without depleting the land.
The team at Caney Fork Farms puts its heart and soul into loving and caring for the animals it raises and the plants it grows. The result is delicious and nutritious food that all of Tennessee can be proud of. Furthermore, the farm works with scientists nationwide to research and implement innovative farming techniques leading to strong regional food systems so more people can benefit.
Watering the garden is one of the most basic tasks growers have, yet it’s also one of the most complex. We hope you’ve gained a wealth of knowledge from this edition regarding water and how to best offer it to your plants. In the era of climate change, this precious natural resource is a concern for us all, so we’d like to cap things off by suggesting 5 Cool Ways To Make The Most Of Your Water. These recommendations benefit us, our gardens, and the planet.
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation involves using a series of hoses and tubes strategically placed at the base of plants throughout container gardens, raised beds, or in the ground. The gardener attaches a hose bib or sprinkler valve, and multiple plants simultaneously receive water. Some growers shy away from drip irrigation because the concept may initially seem overwhelming. But in reality, this method is easy to install, saves time and water, and offers several other benefits to plants. Drip irrigation allows water to slowly seep down to the roots where crops need it the most. As a result, it minimizes the risk of diseases like powdery mildew and blight and reduces evaporation, quenching the garden’s thirst for longer. Hand watering takes a lot of time, but with drip irrigation, you only have to turn the water on and let the hoses handle the rest.You can purchase readyto-go kits and set a timer for automated garden watering! Now, that’s what we call smart gardening.
Hugelkultur Beds 2
We can’t emphasize enough how efficient hugelkultur beds and containers are for the eco-friendly and water-conscious gardener. Building this type of garden involves layering slow-to-decompose materials at the bottom of the bed or container, like rotting logs, woody stems and branches, egg shells, and fruit pits. Top these materials with leaf mold, compost, and manure, and get planting! If you use rotted logs, you’ll notice how well they retain moisture, slowly released to plant roots. Trust us; we’ve tried building garden beds this way and loved the results, with Garden Culture’s editor noticing she didn’t have to water her crops even on the hottest days! If you’re not interested in building a hugelkultur bed, consider simply placing decomposing wood at the bottom of your beds or containers for water retention (and to reduce the amount of soil you’ll need!).
Capture and Reuse Rainwater and Runoff
Sometimes, when it rains, it pours, so why not make the best of a storm and capture water for later use in your gardens? Capturing water can be as simple as putting buckets and wheelbarrows on the lawn before the rain starts. Others use rain barrels with a capacity of about 50 gallons to collect and store rainwater. Install the barrel near a downspout; if using the water for edible crops, a metal roof is ideal, as many roofing materials contain petroleum. A wicking bed is another option that requires some preparation but pays off in the long run. This type of garden features a reservoir that captures and holds water runoff throughout the growing season. Make the reservoir base with an impermeable barrier. Drainage pipes allow the water to flow, and gravel stores the water. Plants drink water from the reservoir as needed, resulting in less evaporation and water waste.
Good Watering Practices 5
Good watering practices will help you be more efficient and reduce water waste. For example, water the garden only early in the morning or late when the sun sets. Getting your timing right will allow the water to soak into the soil rather than evaporate with the day’s heat. Another good rule of thumb is to water for longer, less often. With a deep soaking, you’ll notice the water pools at the plant’s base and then slowly disappears into the soil. If you do a quick watering, the roots will likely never feel the moisture, which will be quickly absorbed by the soil at the surface. Finally, never underestimate the importance of mulch. Placing compost, fallen leaves, or straw around the base of your plants (but not touching!) will protect the soil from erosion, nutrient leaching, and water evaporation. A quick tip: water before applying mulch to keep the moisture in the ground longer. 3
Garden Ollas or Clay Pots
Our ancestors were clever and had a waste not, want not mentality; in the era of climate change, we need to adopt that mindset again. With experts predicting water will become more expensive or difficult to access, looking to our past for smart water-saving techniques is necessary. Many farmers in dry parts bury water ollas or unglazed clay pots because they are porous and water can pass freely through them. All you have to do is dig a hole in the garden for the pot, fill it with water about once a week, and cover it with a clay saucer or another pot to act as a lid. Ensure the lid sits at the soil surface so you can fill it with water. Place ollas 3 to 5 feet apart, depending on the crop type you’re growing. Ollas will offer plants extra water during dry spells and increase the time between watering. They’re an excellent option for containers as well. For large containers, use a 6-8-inch olla. In a garden bed, consider burying several 8-12-inch ollas.
Sources:
• The Climate Change Garden: Down To Earth Advice for Growing a Resilient Garden by Sally Morgan and Kim Stoddart.
• Organic Gardening for Everyone by Calikim
• The Regenerative Garden: 80 Practical Projects for Creating a Selfsustaining Garden Ecosystem by Stephanie Rose
Nick Hetherington
Head Grower - Zenleaf
MIICROBIAL MASS PRO has been a staple in our garden for a few years now. It provides great benefits from mothers to clones, and all the way through flower. We’ve found these microbes promote vigorous growth, much stronger root systems, and increased resistance to diseases and pests. Its easy to use, and it is so clean that it never clogs our lines. MIICROBIAL MASS PRO is instrumental in helping us maintain a happy root zone, higher yields, and better-quality buds, which is what we strive for here at Zenleaf.
PROFESSIONAL BIO
Nick Hetherington has more than a decade of indoor growing experience. As Zenleaf’s Head Grower, he helped to design and build out their facility, fine-tuning their SOPs and helping to develop a strong cultivation business. He absolutely loves his job. It affords him the opportunity to work with his closest friends growing his favourite plant. And he gets to provide quality flower to countless people in the area where he grew up, a situation he finds extremely gratifying.
Zenleaf is a specialty cannabis company located in the heart of San Diego, California. They strive to cultivate the best cannabis possible. Their passionate team is always breeding and collecting new genetics to separate themselves from the pack in a saturated market. Their love for the plant has allowed them to find success in a challenging marketplace, consistently bringing forth exceptional quality products.
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