Grozine issue 12

Volume 2 | Issue 12

A Hydroponics & Sustainable Gardening Community for Healthy LifeStyles.

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Ow

Hy Gr Fo dro ow r p in He on g Y a ic ou lth s r

Rich Gellert, President HydroLogic Systems

Hydroponics & Gardening Tips, Reviews, Tech & Community -Tincture Time- -Understanding Fertilizer Materials- -Multi Syndicate Amsterdam- -growing A Gardening Business-Dosing Systems- -Legal Moonshine Factory- -Commercail Res. MGMT- -Rock Invasion- & More, More, More!

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Contributors

Volume 2 | Issue 12

Frazer Love Knew his life was etched in stone after meeting a fellow UGA student, fully involved in a double major in horticulture and business management.

The next step was taking his passion to the next level by packing his college apartment with hydro equipment and mushroom cultivation projects. These home projects turned into a desire to make this his life’s work. Since 2005, Frazer has worked with various hydroponics shops (Atlantis Hydro & Flora Hydro) where he served and serves respectively as the branch manager.

As if working fulltime at a hydro shop wasn’t enough, he started his own CSA. He built Perpetual Harvest from the ground up, literally. This tiny sub-acre urban farm has given Frazer the gift of feeding the stomach and brains of his family and friends. “Through my work and writing I look to inspire others in the hopes that gardening brings them as much peace as it has brought me” www.facebook.com/PerpetualHarvest www.facebook.com/FloraHydroponics

lb a hard working member of the hydroponics industry that likes to share… his knowledge-and ability for achieving extraordinary yields with his fellow megawattage minded horticulturalists, that is! He’s always working on improving crops, or if your prefer: taking clones 2 zones! lbezzy365@icloud.com

Jeff Edwards A fixture in the hobby hydroponic industry since 1988.

Prior to joining, he was the Assistant Director at NORML. Jeff went on to found and operate Home Harvest Garden Supply as a retail and ecommerce concern for the next 24 years. He is a founding and current board member of the Progressive Gardening Trade Association, formerly known as the Hydroponic Merchants Association. More recently, he has been offering marketing, advertising, and web development services to manufacturers, distributor and retail hydroponic businesses. He also hates typos. jeff@gardeningadvantage.com

Casey Jones Fraser An obsessed gardener.

He grows veggies, herbs, and flowers with both traditional and hydroponic methods. His years of botanical experiences have taken him everywhere from Jamaica to Northern California on a quest for more knowledge. You can read his articles in various hydroponics magazines, or visit his retail shop: Garden Grove Organics in the Northern Kentucky region of Greater Cincinnati. www.gardengroveorganics.com

Michael Christian Michael has written numerous articles for trade journals to promote the use of hydroponic technology, as well as documenting his travels abroad, including Practical Hydroponics & Greenhouses, Growing Edge, Urban Garden, among others. He was featured in a 2007 episode of the television show California Heartland, a program that chronicles interesting and newsworthy stories in the state’s agricultural arenas. www.americanhydroponics.com

Jordan Gartenhaus One of those people that always tries to figure out how or why things work the way they do.

To that end he earned a BS in mechanical engineering, but shortly after graduating he realized his time spent in school created more questions about everything around him than answers. In an effort to prevent from overwhelming himself now he focuses just on making gardens as fruitful as is scientifically possible. He spends a lot of his time optimizing grow spaces to make the most of the resources available, and also strongly advocates quality automation systems. www.grohaus-automation.com

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CONTENTS

Volume 2 | Issue 12

Unlocking the Healing Powers of Plants with Tinctures & Extracts: Stinging Nettle Tincture Time

26 3 contributors

8 From the Editor

26 Tincture Time

Professional nutraceutical healing from the garden.

33 Hydroponic & Fertilizer InJection

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Dosing nutrients-smart.

47 Birth of Cool: AC ing the Possibilities

CONTents

10 biksa’s grow room

You CAN Re-USE Soilless

Volume 2 | Issue 12

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12 Multi-Syndicate,

Real Art for Real People.

20 Legal Moonshine

Casey Jones Fraser takes on a moon shining adventure, and this time it’s legal!

40 Rock Nutrients Invasion

No stopping the Rock.

40 66 52 Commercial Hydro Res MGMT 54 CCH2O Pro

The possibilities just got bigger.

66 What It takes Becoming a National Hydro-Brand

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72 GEAR

Expert hydroponics equipment

reviews.

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from the EDITOR

tioning-and we visit an old friend of ours to give you an account of how that’s been happening.

We skip across the globe to visit some friends in Amsterdam who dedicate themselves to the craft of urban art. While the visuals may stop you in your tracks, the parallels to urban growing may fill your inspiration banks a little too:)

Hydro the World

Gardening is a go-go!

By Erik Biksa

Hello Again!

Welcome to Issue 12 of Grozine.

We are pleased to roll out our fattest edition to date-and as you’ll see it’s all killer, no filler. We didn’t grow our page count this edition with fluff ads. No ladies and gentlemen, it’s thick because of our A-Team of hydroponics contributors and great people, just like you, in our growing global network sharing what matters to them—with the bond that connects us all, and that’s a serious love for all things leafy and green.

This issue comes a couple of weeks behind our usual monthly launches, but we wanted to make sure we had your attention, because we understand it’s a busy life. With International and North American Trade Shows and Related events unfolding in close timing, we figured it might do us some good to wait until you could catch your breath again.

We figured you might have time to lend us an ear in your travels and downtime, so hopefully you caught me, your faithful Editor, on A Girl and A Garden with host, Emily Walter on DFZ Radio. If you missed it, you can listen to the episode, commercial free, right here: http://agirlandagarden.com/2014/06/05/grozine/ The traditional gardening season is now in full swing!

This used to mean shutting down due to hotter weather, but that’s a trend that is fast fading as growers look for security and predictable results in sealed growing environments thanks to Growroom Air Condi-

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And speaking of crafts, we get beamed into Casey Jones Fraser’s world of backwoods moonshining-Jim Beamed, that is. Legal moonshine from the proudest of traditions, in this second installment that shakes hands with the good people still carrying the flame.

AND OF COURSE we are CHOCKED FULL OF HARDCORE HYDRO Growing Tips and Articles that you can put to work right away, in a wide variety of growing situations-a lot of which don’t cost a dime, just some of your head space.

We thought we might try and clean-up a bit meeting you at the table in our twelfth issue, as we are maturing and growing. There’s a touch of “biz” you may detect in some of our more Hydro-Industry-Direct related articles. Even if you could care less about the business end, most of these guys are master growers and were kind enough to spill a few jewels for Grozine fans:) Peace, friends.

Erik Biksa

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Q: Give it to me straight, can we re-use our specialty potting mixes? The stuff we use is a soilless commercial mix, that uses a peat moss base and has perlite for better drainage.

We then add our own ingredients like earth worm castings, some guanos, kelp, etc. Further to that, through the crop cycle we brew and water in our own aerobic tea blends.

We spend a lot of time, fuss and money on building up the health of our blend-should we really be throwing it away after?

The plants we harvest are healthy, and we always flush with plain water for at least a week before we crop out.

It really seems like a shame, and a bit of a waste. I’m no hippy, but “grow and toss” just doesn’t seem like the best possible answer>>>

a? s k i B rik E ons s i questi g n i r Who ornswe rs and been a

growe ge of suba has s s k c i i B n o Erik de ran , Feature ydrop i h w l a a e n n ed Colum from r ardeners o A & Q appear g is e s H v c a i . h n 9 a 9 g nce 19 ntributions uch as Max i s s t s co jec ns and es and publicatio l c i t ebud, r s A n o i R , e wid imes world eld, High T Yi e. imum agazin M s e b For

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Don’t tran forget s t soil planted hat cro l p trie ess mix into re s n u from ts “left have so sed me n low the cro in the u the bank p pr most plan e ” ts t vious-a o f star o l t t fe his bef use up e is u o sual ding ag re you ly i a or t n ju in, whic wo, st a depe well h n w d t e i he ek ng flus hed soilles on how crop du s befo ring th mix wa s re h e arve previo st us

A: Ok, my non-hippy friend, here is an answer that may work for you, as it has for others including myself.

In short, the answer is YES, you can reuse your soilless mix(es) with great success. Now in the long version, I’ll explain when it’s an option and how you stand a better chance of making it work.

Before contemplating reusing your soilless mix, make sure you have some experience with growing, especially if it’s for growing indoors under lights with specialty fertilizers, nutrients, etc. If not done right, it’s a great way to ruin a crop before it ever gets growing. On the bright side, if you reuse your mix for younger transplants, it’s not such a loss if you have to start a new batch if you don’t succeed in your first attempt.

refilling later.

• Add some additional perlite, • Flush well, very well, in the crop fresh earthworm castings and one previous; it improves the quality of cup of dolomite lime per commercial your harvests anyways “bale” of mix you used first.

• Remove as much root debris as • Re-wet with a healthy compost possible after letting medium dry out tea, adding enzymes and microbes is for a few days following a prolonged also recommended flush period.

• Let the soil “rest” for a few days • Break up and mix the material. (at average growing temperatures) This may mean emptying out pots and after re-wetting before transplanting

Do’s:

Biksas Growroom

Your Growing Concerns Answered Here. Have a Question? Email: erikbiksa@grozine.com

Don’ts:

• Reuse mixes that have been watered with an abundance of products that contain hormones.

• Reuse mixes that have had ANY applications of strong PGRs that “halt” vertical growth.

• Reuse mixes where crops have

had insects, root diseases, or serious issues with over fertilization or deficiencies with fertilizers.

• ONLY reuse mixes where you know what’s been fed to the crop and for how long previous-you are carrying over fertilizers, to some extent, from one crop to the next when you reuse the soilless mix.

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: e t a c i d n y S i t l Mu m a d r e t Ams

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People’s minds can be busy and crowded places-much like the environment one’s mind is surrounded by in a modern metropolitan city.

Have you ever been waltzing or riding along and then, “POW”, just get stopped dead in your tracks by a striking piece of work or a message “spray bombed” onto a building top, rail car or even right below your feet on the sidewalk itself?

A lot of of folks into gardening appreciate art, whether simply to admire and look at, or as another outlet, like gardening, to express and enjoy in life “hands on”.

A number of years ago traveling along a very fast train from Amsterdam to Frankfurt Germany there were several moments in time that simply stood still-even when experienced at a breakneck pace. It was the walls along areas of train yards that the passenger train past very quickly that did it. Sure, I’d seen plenty of graffiti before, >>>

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CONT.’D riding the subways and wandering the streets of North American cities-but, THIS...this was different somehow. It really POPPED! The walls along the tracks were colorful living murals with some of the most imaginative, original and inventive scenes and characters this side of standing outside of someone’s head with a serious penchant for seeing the world from a perspective of living and moving color and sound.

That was my first real appreciation of how powerful some of this style of art can be, and it got me thinking into the dedication that goes into it...what made it really interesting for me too was seeing some of the parallels shared in the culture of “street art” and those gardeners in the world of “hydro” in contrast to conventional gardening or agriculture.

Both have been considered at times by popular culture to be in light of “underground” or even “subversive” in extreme examples, and yet, continue to grow and at this time even flourish as an accepted and often admired part of modern culture and society.

A very strong parallel is the fondness, dedication and the “live it an love it” attitude that a lot of creative people share in these and other traditionally less walked paths of expression.

However, popular culture has found it difficult to ignore the appeal of both hydroponics and street art and has made them household terms in recent years. Take for example household names like Mark Ecko, the “Obey” guy, and thanks to plenty of TV shows, commercials and even Hollywood movie placements, there are hydroponics companies and concepts that share a similar level of acceptance and popularity.

All of this means change-and in a changing world.

To preserve some “original seeds” as street art has established roots across the globe, Grozine was lucky to track down and speak at length with Amy of Multi-Syndicate Amsterdam.

Amy, who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know through the international hydroponics industry is part of a group of international artists working together under the banner of Multi-Syndicate. The background of the fellowship spans the world, and has been working collectively out of Amsterdam in the Netherlands for several years.

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Here’s a recent a roster recent of roster of the some of verysome cool of thethatvery people have been cool people together that working as have Multi-Syndicate: been working together as Bustart (CH) Multi-Syndicate:

Zaira (CH) Skatin Bustart(UK) (CH) Zaira (CH)(UK) Karma83 Skatin (UK) Sket185 (NL) Karma83 (UK) Sket185 Like a (NL) hardcore hydroponics grower, this isn’t stuff they do Like once every a hardcore in a while-hydroponics they LIVE IT. grower, this isn’t stuff they do every The group once works in a whileandthey livesLIVE out IT. of a studio that is part of the AntiThe group Kraak housing works society and lives in Amsterout of a studio dam.

It’s athat pretty is part coll concept, of the Antiand Krak housing creates affordable societyand in Amsterunique dam. It’s aand housing pretty studio coll concept, opportuniand creates ties.

Basically, affordable you occupy and unique housing and buildings that are studio slated opportunifor redeties. Basically,oryoudemolition-that velopment occupy unique buildings would otherwise that are slated be unoccupied for redevelopment and thereforeorquickly demolition-that attract vanwould otherwise dalism, squatters etc be that unoccupied tend to and therefore branch out in situations, quickly attract dragging vandalism,the down squatters local quality etc that of living tendfor to branch out people in the in situations, vicinity. dragging down the local quality of living for people in the vicinity.

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CONT.’D You can learn more about Anti Kraak here (you may select “translate” from the Dutch language page) http://www.amsterdamstudentenstad.nl/nl/wonen-in-amsterdam/anti-kraak It keeps you moving. Multi-Syndicate has moved their doors many times in the last few years. Now imagine doing that by bicycle and tram. Dedication....character building and inspiring. Fuel for the tank, as you may detect through the intensity and vibrance of some of their works featured here.

Like we said these guys (and gals!) are all about living it, and in doing so preserve and pass along the torch that helped to start the scene we see today as it relates to street art and “graffiti”.

The style is deeply rooted in foundational hip-hop culture, “breaks” n such-savvy? If you dig hip hop, you know the colorful, playful and poetic flow that tip toes with grace through the broken shards of razor sharp landscape it stemmed from, you can “see the music” here, and maybe even hear it looking back through the looking glass, from the other perspective.

When we spoke to Amy she also confessed, “I love hip hop, but reggae is my mistress” Duly noted, as it influences her own works in the collection

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And not surprisingly, there is a strong love of hydro in this community, as Amy of Multi-Syndicate Amsterdam highlighted, especially amongst current generation.

space to do it will be displaced by such developments.

What is preserved is a culture steeped in the ability to adapt, live in and beautify just about any modern living environment by something that is cultivated from within through experiences and thought-with simple materials like spray bombs on a scale and in a form that will stop you dead in your tracks.

But, while maintaining roots it’s equally important to have directions to grow in, and Multi -Syndicate is doing exactly that Makes sense to use here-the through art exhibits, like the ability to create and nurture one coming up this Summer something full of life in an 2014, their second to be held environment that would typ- at the famous De Slang (Dutch ically be inhospitable to such for “The Snake”).

Countless passersby to their an addition without some love works will continue to enjoy, if and dedication.

De Slang, a colorful yellow only for a brief frozen moment, building in Amsterdam that an explosion of colour and We talked about the impor- has been held legally for nearly thought in what may otherwise tance of preserving “original thirty years by squatters. For may just be a fast moving landseeds” early in this article, North American readers, this scape in 256 shades of grey. and the enactment of Project may sound surprising-but it’s Preserve a piece of culture1012 in Amsterdam and how a different approach (or was) support your local arts. Mulit relates to the ability of this when it comes to housing and ti-Syndicate, Amsterdam...and creative group is an example of people in parts of Europe. beyond. how that is so important.

For more information on the The dates for the upcoming Project 1012 is one of many of upcoming Nothing to Lose Nothing to Lose show are: it’s kind that sweeps through Project and Expo and some larger metropolitan cities that cool insights into an enduring Opening 27th June 17:00 have a healthy value in growth, group of modern artists, check Until 2nd July. economy and of course, real out Multi-Syndicates Multi-Synidcate’s site site here: here: estate.

Also Live Painting and Art http://multi-syndicate.com/ Battle In simple terms it means that at areas get “sanitized”, ie, out You can also stay connected De Slang with the old, in with the new. and see some mind blowing Spuistraat 199, Amsterdam Why keep around old historic works via their FaceBook page “We will also be painting live sites that don’t make any at: outside the Homegrown Fanmoney and are considered tasy Coffeeshop on Sunday, “unsightly” when you can https://www.facebook.com/ the 29th of June, 2014’ repave the landscape with MultiSyndicate shiny new and handsomely For Online Multi-Syndicate priced compartments for waitSales: ing buyers or leasers. Face it, What the members of Mulin busy growing cities there ti-Syndicate have created http://multi-syndicate.com/ is often nowhere to go-so it’s and inspired collaboratively about-us/shop/ sometime directly over top of is set to seed new journeys what may have already been and experiences as individual there. group members return to their home countries like the U.K. or That means that colorful murals Switzerland or continue abroad like the ones Multi-Syndicate in the circles and communities helps to create, and having an shared by the group. affordable studio and living

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Home Hydroponics Gardens don’t Need to be Big to Be Productive

LEGAL Moonshine Legal Moonshine and the Limestone Branch Distillery b y C a sey J ones F r a ser

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I am completely sober, as I type these words. Perhaps it’s obvious, but my written wit often comes from an outside substance. Lately, I’ve been drinking too much liquor. The idea was that imbibing alcohol would conjure up some serious journalistic genius. Instead, I’ve just been drunk on moonshine, and I’m a week past my deadline.

Personal Experience My wife and I were up late baking bread. She makes gourmet doughs from unusual grains, using a natural yeast that takes several hours to ferment. We were also draining a rare bottle of single barrel Jefferson’s Bourbon. Once it was empty, I pulled out the mason jar of moonshine. The smell of fermenting dough is so much like sour mash, moonshine was the logical (drunk) choice at 2am.

You see, moonshine contains just a dash of Pure Crazy, which allows the drinker to bake all night. Our conversations got more and more bizarre, and our speech began to slur, but we didn’t burn a single loaf. Basically, we got all fucked up and had a great time. Wait, how’d I get all these blisters and burns on my hands?

Image: Clawhammer Stills

Going Legal at Limestone Branch When I heard that some companies were going to make and sell legal moonshine, I was immediately skeptical. What if these distillers don’t know how to properly bottle Insanity? What if it’s weak and just for show? What if everyone has access to it, and I ain’t so damn special anymore?

Those concerns were put to bed when I had my first sip of T.J. Pottinger Sugar Shine from Limestone Branch Distillery. Instead of pure corn sour mash, they use a 50/50 mix of corn mash and sugar mash. The liquor is bottled at 50% alcohol (100 proof), so they call it a “50/50/50” shine. Down the hatch. Oh, that’s really good. And straight to to head! Well, hot damn, this IS moonshine!

As a way of distinguishing their product from the more clandestine variety, Limestone Branch uses the term “Moon*Shine” with capital letters and an asterisk.

The slight variation is a great way of paying respect to all of the bootleggers who came before them.

Heritage and the Family Name Bootlegging corn liquor is a part of the Sugar Shine history. Brothers Steve and Paul Beam opened Limestone branch just a few years ago, but liquor is in their blood, er uh, heritage. Ever heard of Jim Beam bourbon? Steve and Paul are the great-great-grandsons of Joseph Washington Dant, a historic distiller. They are also the great-grandsons of Minor Case Beam, who was famous for his sour mash and rye whiskey. And they are something like the great-greatgreat-great-grandsons of Jacob Boehm. “Boehm” was changed to “Beam” and Jacob produced his first barrel of whiskey in 1795.

That’s a lot of history. No, these guys don’t own Jim Beam.

That company has changed hands several times over the generations. Today it’s owned by a Japanese whiskey giant.

Craft Distilling Paul and Steve represent Craft Distillers. Most large distilleries want to generate as much product as possible, to ensure maximum profits. Craft distilleries, like Limestone Branch, make small amounts of carefully brewed booze. Small batches allow them to taste test and analyze much more carefully than a large distillery.

I was lucky enough to meet Steve Beam in person when I visited Limestone Branch, nestled in the hills of Lebanon, Ky. Unlike the large, sprawling bourbon distilleries that I had previously toured, this place is downright cozy. If the big whiskey distilleries are factory farms, then this place is a backyard garden.

I told Steve about my writing and gardening background. “I worked in horticulture for years!” he exclaimed, with a big grin. I thought he was just making friendly conversation. Then he showed me a magazine cover with beautiful flowers and hanging baskets. “That was my front porch.” Now we were both grinning.

His professional work with plants encouraged the Beams to incorporate non-GMO corn into their liquor.

They get heirloom corn from Boone County, Ky. “We like the organic corn, when it’s available,” Steve told VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 12

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me. He’s also been experimenting with organic blue corn for his ‘shine. Of course, the liquor comes out clear, not blue.

Mr. Minor Case Beam’s Revenge Speaking of color, my favorite Limestone Branch beverage was the golden brown Revenge. The dark color comes from a storage process in charred oak barrels, previously used for bourbon. It has hints of caramel, vanilla, and smoke. At the distillery, they were calling it “Minor’s Revenge.”

The Beam’s great-grandfather, Minor Case Beam, was making liquor just prior to prohibition. He died only 115 days after prohibition ended in 1933, never knowing that his traditions would live on into the next millennium. This oak-infused corn liquor is his revenge, and it Uncle Sam can’t stop ‘em now!

I also enjoyed both the Jalapeno Shine and the Apple Pie Shine. My wife’s favorite was the Blackberry, but I really can’t get over that Revenge. It was fantastic. The taste is very bourbon influenced, but the effect is pure moonshine.

After four shots at 11:15am, I went into

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the distillation area to take photos. They all came out blurry, and my wife noticed that my pants were unzipped. It was my 36th birthday, and I was on a bender.

The Beam’s great- The Distillery The most notable item in the building grandfather, Minor was the 150 gallon copper still. It was hand-built and hammered out, just like Case Beam, was making an old Appalachian whiskey pot. I was a bit disturbed to see the liquor dripping liquor just prior to out of the copper coil into a plastic paint bucket. “We pour off the first 10% to prohibition. avoid contaminants,” they explained. Of

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moon pies, sweet and salty snacks, a microscope, bottles of brown liquor with the labels removed, bottles of clear liquor with the labels removed, a glass still that looked like [this], raw corn, various other foods, beverages, and lab-grade testing equipment.

The Beam Brothers have taken hillbilly liquor to new intellectual heights! Their pursuit of quality is obvious. I can’t wait

course! I already knew about this vital step in the moonshine process, but I was relieved to hear it. After a few gallons, they switched to a pristine, steel receptacle.

As I walked around the facility, an employee in a camouflage hat and Carhartt shirt gave me a serious stare that seemed to say “Stay out of my way. I’m making moonshine.” Respect.

There was one corner of the distillery where no photography was allowed.

While I couldn’t take pictures of this Experimental Tasting and Tinkering station, here is what I saw: candy, chips,

Image: Clawhammer Stills

to try their bourbon when it is finally available. Maybe I’m not supposed to mention that part in print. Never tell a drunk man your secrets.

From what I can tell, these are some of the best distillers in the moonshine business, legal or otherwise. Another feather in their cap is the fact that they make Tim Smith’s Climax moonshine. If you’ve seen the television show “Moonshiners”, Tim Smith is the shirtless guy with the funny hat and overalls. He is considered an expert in corn liquor, and he only trusts Limestone Branch to make his white lighting. Climax is made with a completely different recipe and process than the Sugar Shine.

If you live in the U.S., you might be able to find Sugar Shine at your favorite liquor store. If not, find a new place to buy booze. Seriously though, as moonshine continues to gain popularity, more and more beer joints and party stores are stocking it on the shelf. If your brain and body have been working too hard, have a shot or four. And don’t forget to take some action photos, once the Crazy kicks in. Drink responsibly?

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Tincture

Time

n e ard G y M f o Out Get and Into My Jar b y F r a z er Lo v e

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Recent articles have focused on herbal curing and extraction. Today we are going to continue the conversation with tinctures, Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle) tinctures in particular.

Those who know this plant revere it for its seemingly endless medicinal and even plant beneficial applications. Many organic gardeners I’ve talked to incorporate nettle into their gardening practice in some way. It is integral as part of their probiotic teas/brews. To understand why Nettle is so well respected we must first understand its origins and biologic profile.

I first started growing nettle last year after buying some seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. I’d heard about all the good things it can do for both body and garden, so I went for it.

Although, it wasn’t until recently that I began to seriously look into its various preparations and benefits. Much of the beginning of my knowledge came, as one might expect in a digital age, from my social media friends. As with most theory, though, it’s just that, until you find someone within driving distance to help you apply these theories. It was an old friend, Virginia Nellans, who actually took my ideas and made something of them.

Virginia has studied Ethnobotany, or the scientific study of the relationship between people and plants. She has taken this knowledge and applied it liberally to creating natural remedies such as salves, ointments, decoctions, capsules, tinctures, infused cooking oils, and even herb infused whiskey.

This passion wouldn’t have come about had she not changed direction from primate studies to ethnobotany, a last minute decision.

Luckily, for me and you as a reader, we are able to benefit from the nettle knowledge bomb she’s dropped.

“Nettle has been the center of herbal medicine for centuries. It has several proven benefits including anti-inflammatory action, anti-irritant, anti-asthmatic, adrenal supporting properties, and when taken for 30 days or more, Nettle can help control allergic reactions.

Nettle is a general body tonic, and a nutrient dense herb. It contains a significant amount of plant protein (25%), chlorophyll, vitamins A, C, and D, and minerals iron, calcium, potassium, and manganese.

The calcium content makes it a wonderful herb for easing leg cramps and muscle spasms. Nettle is one of the highest sources of plant-digestible iron and can be used to treat mild anemia.

Nettle’s most popular use is as a cleansing and detoxifying herb. It’s a natural diuretic and aids in the body’s elimination of waste products. It can also be used topically for many skin conditions and to stop bleeding.”

Nettle Facts: • Grows in temperate regions around the world as a perennial.

• Aerial parts of the plant are picked in the summer before the plant blooms.

• Has the flavor of spinach, and has replaced it in many cultures due to its relative hardiness.

• In bloom the plant produces cystoliths, which can irritate the urinary trac.

• The plant also becomes bitter like most greens when they bolt.

• In fall the roots and rhizomes can be harvested and dried for teas which have been proven effective in scientific trials in both Germany and Japan as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Recent studies done in Europe have shown the active constituents of nettle leaf have significant anti-inflammatory properties.

Nettle’s key constituents include: Aerial Parts • Flavanoids (quercitin) • Amines (histamine, choline, acetylcholine, serotonin) • Glucoquinone • Mineral (calcium, potassium, silicic acid, iron)

Root • Plant sterols (stigmast-4-enzone and stigmasterol) • Phenols

Key Actions • Diuretic • Tonic • Astringent • Prevents hemorrhaging • Antiallergenic • Reduces prostate enlargement (root) • Anti-inflammatory

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Could Be You Right Here :)

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You CAN Afford this.

You CAN TOTALLY Afford this.

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Most recently, Virginia created a nettle tincture from a large bouquet of nettle stalks I plucked from my little experimental permaculture plot. The tincture is one of the best ways of preserving all of the volatile medicinal compounds held within the fresh nettle. She mentions that fresh is usually better than dried when extracting medicinal compounds from herbs. The reactive nature of phenolic acids and aromatic hydrocarbons makes fresh extractions critical.

However, this does not always hold true. There are some plants that are toxic when not dried or cured properly.

I suggest reading Andrew Chevallier’s text, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, in order to better recognize and understand a wide range of medicinal plants. Making a tincture requires soaking the herb in alcohol (vodka, rum, whiskey). Alcohol and oil dissolve evenly into each other due to them being miscible, as well as, having a similar molecular make-up. This makes tinctures fairly strait forward and simple. The tincture has a stable shelf life of up to 2 years!

• Tinctures are strong preparations, and it is essential to check the recommended dosage. Never use industrial alcohol, methylated spirits (methyl alcohol), or rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) in tinctures.

• Alcoholic tinctures should be avoided during pregnancy and/or gastric inflammation.

• Adding 5 ml of tincture to a small glass of almost boiling water and leaving for 5 minutes allows the alcohol to evaporate.

• To make nonalcoholic tinctures, replace alcohol with vinegar or glycerol.

• Standard tincture ratio is 1:5 at 1 part herb to 5 parts alcohol When preparing to make a tincture you’ll need the following items: • Pesticide/Fungicide free herb of choice (Nettle in this case) 1 part • Tincture specific alcohol of choice 5 parts • Large glass jar with lid • Small label w/ date and contents written • Small wine press or nylon/cheese cloth for straining plant matter • Funnel • Dark colored glass (preferably UV proof/Violiv jars from a Bloomington Wholesale distributor like Flora Hydroponics) • And 2 to 6 weeks of patience 1. Place the plant matter into the glass jar.

2. Pour in the alcohol making sure it covers all the herbs.

3. Make sure to shake the bottle up to ensure everything is mixed thoroughly.

4. Store in a cool dark place for the next two to six weeks; 5. The longer the soak the stronger the brew.

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Over time the tincture will begin to darken as the oils and alcohols dissolve into one another, infusing your tincture with the awesome healing power of medicinal herbs.

Once the herbs have soaked for several weeks it’s time to drain and press the mash. If you’ve got a small wine press, then this is a bit easier. If not, cheesecloth will work fine or even a mesh strainer.

After straining out the mash, carefully transfer the tincture into clean dark glass.

With this final product you have a highly concentrated form of the complete medicinal profile of your selected herb.

With a tincture you only need a dropper full in a cup of water or tea to get the full benefits of the plant. So, as you can see a quart or even a pint could last you a long time.

If you are looking for a source of organic medicinal herbs, Virginia recommends Mountain Rose Herbs. This company is known for practicing what it preaches through sustainable growing methods and integrated communal action. They have a sister company, HerbMentor that hosts forums for easy sharing and learning, provides guided lessons, and exclusive content on Herbalism. Both come highly recommended from my extract queen, Virginia. I’d like to personally thank Virginia for helping me gather all this information into one helpful article.

Her dedication to her craft is inspirational. Hopefully, it will inspire some of you to grow and extract your own medicine.

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CLICK FOR DOSSIERS

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Hydroponic & Fertiliz e r Injection Dosing Nutrients The Smart Way

By Jordan Gartenhaus

Fact: Life thrives under optimal conditions. Any deviation from the optimum will prevent an organism from realizing it’s true genetic potential.

Adjustability as a Double-Edged Sword Hydroponics is a wonderful way to grow plants because it allows for tremendous control over the conditions within the root zone. But with added adjustability comes the need for added vigilance; there’s more you have to pay attention to. In the end, added adjustability is only beneficial if we’re able to use it to our advantage.

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If you’re old enough, you might remember having to adjust the choke in your car every morning before you could start it. It was a clunky way to adjust the fuel mixture, and if you forgot to set the choke back after the engine warmed up it generally drove like crap. Once electronic fuel injection was introduced people decided adjusting the fuel mixture was better left to a computer, and rightly so. As a result engines ran smoother thanks to the computer controlled mixture control, and people could concentrate on actually driving their car. The computer control was unequivocally regarded as superior to making the fueling adjustments manually>>>

If you consider it, that argument can be applied to your hydroponic nutrient solution, except it’s the nutrient concentration and pH you’re constantly fiddling with. And just like in the choke example, if the grower isn’t able to actively monitor and precisely regulate those variables then he or she won’t realize their plant’s full potential. So why not let a computer do the hard work?

Getting It Under Control Would anyone really complain if they were told that they never had to feed their plants anymore?

Like most people living today, I’ve got things to do!

Probably the most compelling reason to embrace computer-controlled nutrient delivery is simply for the convenience.

Every time I have to feed my pants I almost invariably make a mess, I’m usually tripping over electrical cords and hoses in the process, and when the stars and moons are in perfect alignment I’ll get the nutrient concentration and pH around where I need it on the first try. And then I can’t forget to rinse all of the measuring cups and other vessels out or else the next time I use them they’re going to be a crusty, salty mess.

Letting a computer handle nutrient delivery and pH adjustments provides a most welcome break from feeding duties, but there are also measurable advantages in letting a computer perfectly maintain your nutrient solution.

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(Cont.d from ABOVE) How do you feel when you miss breakfast one day? Not great? Well when nutritional requirements aren’t available to your plants they become physiologically stressed in much the same way people do.

This can happen if nutrients aren’t being actively replenished as they consumed by the plant, and also when the pH drifts up or down enough to lockout particular micro-nutrients.

In 1990 Cornell University constructed what they call their “Controlled Environment Agriculture” facility to help students and researchers understand how a given environment affects plant growth, including nutrient solution management.

Their conclusion? >>>

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The Bottom Line

Cont.’d “The lack of buffering within [a hydroponics] system can lead to significant instability of control with rapid, and possibly detrimental changes of nutrition levels unless there is careful and continual monitoring and control.”

They don’t mix words when pointing out how quickly damage can occur, “Quality and productivity suffer when careful attention to every small detail is omitted, even for a day.”

To be fair, you probably won’t lose an entire crop if you ignore it for a day or two, but the information published by Cornell quoted above were recommendations for those that wish to grow pants on a commercial level. In other words, these are instructions for those looking to get the absolute most out of their investment-are you?

Computer Controlled Nutrient Delivery So how do computer controlled dosers work?

The theory is actually very simple:.

Nutrient dosers utilize electrical conductivity and pH probes in order to continuously monitor the nutrient concentration and pH respectively. Anytime the solution deviates from the user’s intended targets the computer will correct the imbalance by either injecting plant food or pH modifiers as necessary.

This can go on for about 2-4 weeks at which point you should flush the entire system and start over with fresh water again. All you have to do is set your target, and make sure the system never runs out of fertilizer.

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Computers aren’t being integrated into absolutely every facet of our lives because they’re chic, it’s because computers are perfect for monotonous jobs that require serious precision.

I don’t want to have to sit by my hydroponic system and adjust the pH every time it changes, nor do I want to measure out and add more nutrients every time I top the system off. But if I ignore these duties then I’m not going to get the most out of my plants. So it seems logical to incorporate some computer assistance in order to get the most out of my crop. After all, what’s the point of spending all that money buying the latest and greatest nutrients if you can’t ensure they’re always available to your plants?

Why Computer Controlled Nutrient Delivery?

• Ideal nutrient concentration ensures essential nutrients are always available to your plants • Less movement in your grow room means less chance of an accident • Eliminate dosing mistakes that cause short-term stress to your plants and invite invasive pests • Vastly reduce labor and worry • Stop pH swings that can cause vital nutrients to precipitate out of the hydroponic solution

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THE

Rock Nutrients Invasion

Rock is Here to Stay.

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If you are a grower in North America, it’s a good bet that you have been hearing about, or even experiencing the Rock Nutrients invasion that has touched down and taken root over the last year or so. While on this side of the pond Rock Nutrients is fast becoming a familiar name associated with high quality hydroponics and horticultural crop production, growers in Australia have been running with Rock for a while, mate-in fact, this year marks their 20th Anniversary.

Rock Nutrients has it’s origins in Adelaide, South Austra- true, an Aussie is more likely to show up at your front door than anylia. Adelaide and much of Australia has been savvy to body if they are dissatisfied with how your product lives up to it’s claims. commercial hydroponics production, and on a very large Besides having to work as claimed, there is a lot of competition in the scale, for a very long time compared to North America.

NFT strawberries, lettuce and other high value hydroponics crops are grown on an acre or hectare scale. This is serious growing, where results count. Crop failure can put you out of business when you grow like this.

This means there’s a lot of practical and University level know how in the Aussie hydro-pool, and some of the more leading edge technologies that have evolved and emerged have been further refined and developed by the chief chemist and co-founder of Rock Nutrients. In an established marketplace products HAVE to work, and half kidding half

Australian marketplace, so to stay in business for 20 years you simply must have products that offer more value. This means things like supplying multiple benefits with each bottle you offer growers for their reservoir, rather than breaking up the same formula, for example, into 3 or 4 different products.

This recipe for success has been the keystone in Rock Nutrients obvious success in breaking into and establishing themselves as a top-shelf hydroponics fertilizer and nutrient company in North America. This year Rock Nutrients Int.’l under the drive of Ash Day, >>>

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has simultaneously entered and gained acceptance in The United States, Spain, the U.K. and very pleased to announce: Canada too, eh!

If you aren’t familiar;with how the hydropopnics marketplace works, this is no small feat!

There are plenty of brands on your favourite hydroponic vendor’s website or shelf already, all with their claims to fame and boasts of benefits. To get picked up by a leading distributor like HydroFarm Supply and get some of the best reps in their respective fields behind your product full force and into retail hydroponics shops and grow rooms across a nation means that people can SEE your nutrient delivers results.

We caught up with Ash Day-who you can find on Instagram as “Rock Nutrients”-to ask him some questions about the hard to ignore success Rock has been having advancing into global markets.

GZ-Ash, we have tried your nutrients, as you know, and we love them! Great product. We didn’t expect to be so amazed by the results. Thanks for the samples you forwarded us about a year or so back.

Ash Day-My pleasure....that’s been one of the key elements to our success into coming over to North America. We are results driven, and seeing is believing. Other companies down under learned that the hard way—you have to offer exceptional results and good value. It’s not enough to offer simple fertilizers, people expect more when they shop for their crops at hydroponics shops.

GZ-As a nutrient manufacturer with your roots outside of the USA, you must have a lot of confidence in what you have to offer to try your luck in global markets, given the competitive nature of the existing hydroponics fertilizer companies that are already established.

Ash Day-We like to think that we as a company, like our products, can get along with just about anything else in harmony.

It is my hope that we add something to the markets we choose to offer our brand of nutrients in-we aren’t out to take anything away and the thought of coexisting with other established companies is what we are about. Also, I should add, as sales increase, we move closer to manufacturing here in the USA. A very positive step we look forward to making soon.

GZ-We can see what you mean by that with our experience in using Resinator (RSN8), your bloom additive. It went side by

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side in addition to an existing program that was giving our test garden consistently good results. It “got along” great with the other stuff from different companies we were already using-and as you know, we have used it extensively since.

Rock Till You Drop!

We don’t mind telling you we have actually used it to replace a couple of other items we had been using-it’s just easier to mix a reservoir with less parts.

Ash Day-I certainly don’t mind hearing that either! This is what we mean: we have to be able to offer something above and beyond what you already have. This is foundational for us at Rock, and has been for over 20 years now-it’s why we are where we are.

GZ-Besides your formulas, what else would you say has been instrumental to your success in getting established as a manufacturer in global markets?

Ash Day-Oh, that’s an easy one. It’s good people.

We know what we have is good stuff, but without the people we work with, we are just an idea. It’s our reps, distributors and other team members that really help bring us to life in the eyes of growers. Essentially it is our love for the plant and the results and simplicity with which they are delivered.

Social media has really helped us drive this point across too: we are real people with a real love for growing-not stuffed shirts pretending to understand what it’s like to be a grower. Besides understanding the needs of a real world grower, it’s been critical for us to conduct ourselves in a manner that is professional, with integrity while being true to our roots.

GZ-That’s right you were a career grower before Rock...

Ash Day-Ha, ha...yes, correct. I always have said “if you can’t beat them, join them”. I tried just about everything under the sun for grow products in my day, and I could never do better than with Rock; it also happened to be easier to use too. The original founders in Australia, Shane and Tyler, were friends long before we thought about working together...and the rest as they say, is history.

GZ-Thanks for the inside scoop, Ash. We wish you continued success-AND-happy trails on your V-ROD this summer.

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So Many Brands...

So Little Time

By J eff E dw a rds

With so many established hydroponic nutrient brands, how does a new nutrient line get your attention in what is already a very crowded section of the typical hydroponic retail store?

There are literally dozens of plant nutrient lines manufactured by specialty hydroponic and organic nutrient manufacturers. Even mainstream fertilizer companies are recognizing the potential of the increased interest in and utilization of hydroponics.

In reality, very few growers exclusively use a single nutrient line for their entire plant feeding regimen. What most hydroponic and indoor garden store owners report is that growers are using an established, tried and true base nutrient and customizing their formulas by incorporating specialty products by other, often competing, brands.

The key point here is that base plant nutrients have evolved into a pretty standard commodity product, widely available, essentially similar, at a relatively inexpensive price point. What has put most of the newer nutrient companies on the store shelves has been the introduction of a single or narrow range of highly effective supplements or additives that sell at a premium price.

Many of these new offerings are highly researched, well developed, and thoroughly tested prior to their release to the market.

Others are direct knock-offs of previously released products; and still others have no business being sold to the public.>>>

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Advertising clearly plays an important role in the introduction of a new nutrient product or line, especially to retailers with limited shelf space to devote to newly released, largely untested, hydroponic nutrients. And just as store shelves can get unproductively cluttered with nutrients that don’t sell, so too can industry trade magazines, where the number of nutrient ads must surely overwhelm any grower with a tried and true feeding regimen.

However, simple word of mouth via growers forums, and increasingly social media, is the key that gives the newly released product credibility in today’s world and what puts it in the hands of experienced growers; and those grower testimonials are what drive initial interest to the point that the product will be accepted and sought after.

If a product doesn’t live up to its hype, or doesn’t provide the expected return for the capital invested, the power of the experienced and socially active grower will quickly spell its doom, as they have done time and time again.

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If you have been around the indoor gardening scene or have been growing with more than a few lights for ten years or longer, it’s likely that aside from the increase in popularity of your favorite past time, you have also seen it become more of a “year round” endevor, rather than a seasonal venture.

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Historically speaking in most parts of the world it gets too hot outdoors during summer months, even at night, to be able to rely on outside air temperatures to keep the temperature from getting too hot for the crop when HID grow lights are running. In the past, indoor growers using High Intensity Discharge grow lighting like HPS and MH relied solely on vent fans drawing cooler outside air through the room and exhausting back outdoors to try and keep temperatures below 85 Deg F when the lights are operational.

If it’s already 70 Deg F or warmer outside (in some cases +85 Deg F already) it’s a losing battle, and plants produce poorly-and at great cost and headaches to the grower.

While hydroponics methods that used larger reservoir volumes and water chillers allowed some gardeners to harvest healthy and productive crops, most gardeners opted to shut-down the grow room for the summer and enjoy the outdoors. Air cooled lighting offers benefits in some situations too.

For professionals, this created a level of fluctuation in the supply and demand end of the trade-as with most seasonal markets.

Enter Grow Room Air Conditioning H&M Heat Exchangers took root in 2002 in the B.C Lower Mainland during the height of the Western Canadian hydro-boom by providing cooling solutions that allowed indoor gardeners using multiple HID lighting sources to operate year-round, even during summer months with no decline in production levels or crop quality.

Growers of the day tended to be adamant Do-It-Yourselfers, and typically did not entertain the thought of hiring outside HVAC technicians to come in and install an Air Conditioning System into their growing operations. Normally, it requires a licensed technician to work with

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refrigerant-the stuff in Air Conditioner Compressor Lines.

In much of the lower mainland water was un-metered. Why not, it rains onto the mountains all winter on it’s way back to the ocean. Most locations simply paid a monthly sewer charge, and if it was metered, there was typically a “maximum rate” the water company would charge.

This may sound very wasteful and unfathomable in some parts of the world-but the stuff falls from the sky most of the year in the Pacific North West.

Swamp Coolers” were the first grow room cooling adopted by savvy growers in the BC Mainland, and H&M started to source and offer efficient units, that Desmond and Co at H&M, modified with speciality controls and other features that made them easy to install in any growing location. Re-circulating hydroponic systems like the early “bucket systems” that growers fabricated themselves also lended well to the addition of reservoir chilling. Cooling coils and plug and play water solenoid with thermostat controls were, and still are, one of H&M Heat Exchangers’ offerings available for global shipment.

It wasn’t long before H&M and enterprising growers began seeing further potential in what having some cooling power in your grow room could mean for crop growth rates and yields. Rather than just helping to cool the intake air and still exhaust it outdoors, growers started to get hip to CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) or “sealed” growing methods.

It didn’t take long to figure out that when the swamp cooler was operating, that air

l o o C f Birth o How ACs Changed Growing Indoors

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was getting dehumidified-eventually a “what if” came into the equation and growers went completely sealed.

No More Intake or Exhaust Rather, the air is now being manufactured since adequate cooling power became available.

Because no outside air is being exchanged, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) supplementation could be effective in producing better yields, especially when coupled with optimal and consistent day/night temperatures in the grow room by swamp coolers and supplemental de-humidifcation equipment.

This was a proverbial “game changer”.

The next step was to allow for more cooling power and less water consumption. The next step in the evolutionary chain was Water Cooled Air Conditioning, which some Pros to this day will say if you can supply the 1.5 GPM of water it takes to cycle when ON, it’s “simply the best”.

And it can go ANYWHERE.

Pre-Charged Lines and Split ACs are Here Ultimately, H&M and other innovative comapnies were able to offer the solution that is widely adopted today by serious year round indoor growers, and that’s Split Acs (like your “whole house” AC system) that come with Pre Charged Refrigerant Lines.

Today, growers can install their own AC units-your heat exchanger goes outside, the air handler goes in your grow room. No outside air is exchanged, like window air conditioners do. The very fundamental difference between NOW and THEN is that companies like H&M can supply totally safe and certified pre-charged lines that simply connect the inside and outside portion of your split AC system.

No water is used to operate Split AC units.

Actually, they can give back water that is lost

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from the plants-if you collect, store and mange the condensate capture possibilities.

Better yet, they can supply you with a total grow room cooling package; including a timed Air Handler “Flip” plenum, that allows you to operate TWO separate short-day flowering rooms from the same cooling system. Effectively, you can double your production potential-just add a flip relay to your lighting system and you are most of the way there...

Desmond at H&M doesn’t believe in guess work. By education, experience and background he is an Engineer-with many years of practical experience in the field of grow room cooling applications. Meeting the grow room cooling needs of BC’s “Big Guys” means you know how to provide effective solutions that are reliable-and at a price that growers can justify and recapture in improved year long production.

Besides offering complete cooling systems like Split ACs (double and triple splits), Swamp Coolers, Reservoir Chiller, Thermostatic Solenoids, Water Cooled Air Conditioning and other growing appliances, Desmond is also well known and respected for the work H&M Heat Exchanger does in servicing and repairing just about any make or model out there. We can personally testify to his amazing ability to troubleshoot over the phone, even complex stuff that most of us would have to consult a wiring diagram for—he’s got it “upstairs” for fast and friendly retrieval.

The Cool Today It wasn’t that long ago that many indoor growers were “forced off the job” during summer months; having a ripple effect through the hydroponic industry and beyond. Today, thanks to innovative companies like H&M and people like Des who have the background and foresight to make a difference we can all welcome, indoor growers not only enjoy year round production....they harvest heavier and more often, thanks to the ability to operate CEA indoor growing set ups.

In fact, when you run totally sealed you can re-use your water over and over— by capturing what the plant transpired from the condensate return in your AC system and supplemental dehumidification equipment. Just one more example of the ripples that cool innovations can have for all of us with a love of the leafy and green side of life.

Super Cool.

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American Hydroponics

Pioneering Crop Performance Since 1984

CAPITALIZE ON THE DEMAND FOR ‘LOCALLY GROWN’ PRODUCE. Declining markets?

Looking to diversify?

Pursuing alternate greenhouse uses?

• Custom hydroponic systems to fit your area.

• Modular systems, easy to install AND take down.

• Highly productive, 26 crop turns a year possible.

Commercial Growing LARGE $cale HYDRO Reservoir MGMT: Take it to the Bank By eri k b i k s a

Professional Hydroponics Reservoir MGMT TIPS N TRICKS: In Issue 11 of Grozine we drew attention to the work American Hydroponics has done in bridging the gap between high tech industrial growing technologies like N.F.T. (Nutrient Flow Technique) to home and market gardeners looking for an efficient and friendly way to grow more of what they eat through hydroponic gardening in a home or backyard setting.

Michael Christian, President of American Hydroponics, has worked hands on and with other growers and of course on the company’s own mid to large scale hydroponics growing projects that have to be economically viable because they are modelled to provide a source of income, as well as as a steady supply of healthy fresh produce for home use.

Previous we shared some details about what helps make the NFT system itself so effective, after many years of refinements and development.

This time, when we caught up with Michael, he was able to share some insights any grower should find useful. For commercial growers, the information is pure gold, because you need to weigh in on your cost of production more heavily versus home hydroponics gardening.

While high quality herbs and lettuces fetch top dollar, they must still compete at some level with field grown produce-while certainly not on quality or a pesticide-free grown crop*. This means you aren’t likely to afford the cost of higher priced speciality nutrients that smaller scale growers use to in an attempt to maximize crop performance to get the most yield possible from the space available. *With the ability to harvest up to 24 crop turn around per year with NFT grown greens (two weeks in finishing system per crop), growers typically avoid pest problems all together, or may terminate a crop and start fresh with a minimal expense or loss versus field growers who work with different economic thresholds because they can only harvest an average of 5 crops per year versus Modern Hydroponics Farming.

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Besides cost, there are also some practical considerations when you are working with thousands of gallons in a hydroponic reservoir versus 100L Reservoirs like you might be at home in a spare room: -time it takes to drain and fill a reservoir -the number of plants at any given moment that are depending on a stable and consistent solution -the cost of water -availability of water for commercial crop production -water quality, and treatment (scale of and equipment) -the cost, time and potential for error in mixing a fresh batch of hydroponics fertilizer solution

In short, the goal is to keep a long working life per hydroponics reservoir mixed from “empty”.

Through experience and research, American Hydroponics has some great growing tips to share on the subject of managing and maintain hydroponics reservoirs for optimal crop growth while keeping in budget.

Examine the water quality. Water tests are easy, affordable and typically accurate. There can be fundamental differences in how a fertilizer formula will perform in one source water over another* Source fertilizers that are stable, ie “clean” synthetic fertilizers. An abundance of organic materials may cause instability in things like pH, affecting nutrient ability and creating stresses that can lead to crop troubles.

Select a fertilizer blend that is intended for your plant type and season-look for formulas that provide good results consistently and that come with information on what type of water quality is recommended, ie upper and lower limits.

Determine how the level of pH adjuster (ie Phosphoric Acid or Potassium Hydroxide) will contribute to the elemental value of the fertilizer solution over time-because it will.

Keep the reservoir topped up with fresh water. The reservoir may be purged by as much as 50% and remixed-often up to 3 or 4 times to extend the life of the nutrient solution while not compromising cropping performance.

Using accurate monitoring equipment for EC, temperature and pH in the nutrient solution, and by developing a basic understanding of how plants use fertilizers, growers are able to run for several months in instances without completely draining and changing the hydroponics reservoir.

When you understand plant fertility, and more recently, have access to ion-specific nutrient monitoring equipment, you can add individual fertilizer components as needed to “bump” individual mineral values (for example, Calcium) to replace what has been taken up by the crop more rapidly over others due to seasonal conditions or the working life and maintenance of the fertilizer solution.

All this adds up to better “fuel economy” and less issues associated with redirecting spent nutrient solutions and mixing fresh batches to the tune of thousands of litres of water and a respectable dollar value in good quality fertilizers.

Above: Commercial growers resources via American Hydroponics

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: O 2 H re u lt u C t n e rr u C R A E G S E I R E S PRO

Made for Commercial Growers The re-designed Under Current™ PRO represents the largest, highest quality, most durable version of our Under Current™ system to-date. With high levels of aeration and circulation, nutrient efficiency is maximized and yields are expected to be off the charts.

The 35 gallon Under Current™ PRO systems will function much like their 8 and 13 gallon counterparts but will feature several unique and up-sized heavy duty components. Every element of the system has been reinforced and maximized for longevity in adverse greenhouse-style conditions. >>> 54

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CONT.’D

Greenhouse Grade PRO Components PRO Growth Module: The reinforced solid ABS PRO Growth Module features water level indicators, recessed bulkhead coves, easy drain bottom, recessed drain valve cove and custom inlets for our float valve and water inlet tee. Made in CA.

• PRO Lids: The reinforced solid ABS PRO Lid allows growers to easily transfer plants from our 8 or 13 gallon systems by simply moving our standard CCH2O Lid and CCH2O Net Pot intact. The PRO Lid will also be available in a 4-site, 6-site and 11-site version for tighter plant spacing and Sea of Green cultivation. All four PRO Lids incorporate dual port-hole access points and air inlet coves. Made In CA. • Aqua-Pore PRO XL Air Diffusers: All PRO systems come standard with our new Aqua-Pore PRO XL Air Diffusers.

Aqua-Pore Pro Diffusers have low back pressure creating significantly higher oxygen transfer rates and higher dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The membrane’s tiny pore size creates extremely small diameter bubbles. These new diffusers are more durable, have a long-life, require lowmaintenance and feature a quick connect fitting for easy installation.

• PRO Air Delivery System: The PRO Air Delivery system will include the highest quality linear air pump or commercial regenerative blower (16-site and above). It will come standard with up-sized, quick-connect air manifold fittings and premium quality air hose.

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Growing in the Under Current PRO For commercial applications the Under Current™ PRO triumphs in efficiency and yields. The PRO system offers growers the opportunity to fill very large spaces and grow massive plants without the extra work of managing multiple systems and reservoirs. Having fewer larger systems equals higher productivity in terms of workflow, transplanting, maintenance and harvesting.

The Under Current™ PRO system would be best situated in either a greenhouse or indoors with a combination of vertical and horizontal lighting. The 35 gallon PRO growth module with single plant sites will be best utilized on 70”+ plant centers. Starting plants in our 8-gallon Under Current™ systems and transplanting them to the PRO module at a height of 3-4’ will yield a monstrous 8-10’+ finished plant when harvested.

For even more flexibility we offer interchangeable PRO Lids in 4, 6 and 11-site configurations. These durable ABS lids increase the PRO system’s versatility and allow for tighter plant spacing, quicker turnaround times and Sea of Green (S.O.G) style cultivation methods.

Under Current PRO Systems Include CCH2O PRO 35 Gallon Heavy Duty ABS Growth Modules

CCH2O PRO Heavy Duty ABS Lids with Dual Portholes

CCH2O 8” Heavy Duty Lids with Port Hole

CCH2O 8” Heavy Duty Net Pots

3” Manifold Fittings and 3” UC Spin-Tight Bulkheads

Premium Mag-Drive Return Pump

Premium Linear Air Pump or Regenerative Blower (16-site and above)

Aqua-Pore Pro XL Air Diffusers

PRO Air Distribution Manifold Fittings and PRO Air Tees

Quick Connect Air Hose

In-Line Filter(s)

Adjustable Float Valve with Reservoir Adapter Kit

Drain Valve, Chiller Adapter

Garden Hose Drain Adapter

Cultured Solutions™ VEG A/B

1-Year Warranty Spacing Options All PRO systems come standard in a “Boneless” configuration WITHOUT straight sections of 3” PVC to allow for custom plant spacing. The PRO Air Manifold also comes standard in a “Boneless” configuration WITHOUT straight sections of 1.5” PVC to allow for custom plant spacing.

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Could Be You Right Here :)

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You CAN Afford this.

You CAN TOTALLY Afford this.

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Plant Fertilizer Ingredients . .. ts n e i d e gr n I e h t s A d o o G s A y l n O s i A recipe By lb

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Welcome back to the lb journal, hopefully I was missed. I’m Enjoying my Holiday weekend in the states. Good things are in the air, puts me in the frame of mind to drop some jewels.

I wanted to write about plant nutrients but not from the normal stance, where I layout what products I’ve noticed work best with certain growing varieties.

Let’s talk about the basics, the difference with nutrient source quality. I’ve come across many growers in my day that are stuck in stone on certain plant recipes that the grower will use.

Ever used one of these products in your custom feed recipe?

(Lab results- Tests conducted on PGR Containing Products in

The specific recipe changes nutrient profile based on NPK ratios and plant booster and occasionally naturally occurring hormones, sometimes day by day or week by week. These recipes usually form from the grower or growers painstaking, time, and investment growing the variety for years with many different products and coming together with what they think works best.

Many growers that I have came in contact with don’t have the slightest clue on nutrients sources and important considerations the grades of the fertilizer materials used to make the formula, or sometimes what is in the product that is giving the desired effect.

March,2011 [FOIA Data obtained from Californian Department of Food and Agriculture]

• F DRAGON-18,400-18,650ppm,daminozide,30-46.3ppm • • • •

paclobutrazol P LOAD-17,800ppm,daminozide,20.6ppm paclobutrazol T Load- 3,467ppm daminozide B Master-271ppm paclobutrazol G-516ppm paclobutrazol

All this being said I have also come across many growers with less moral set on what they put into the plant than what they want out from it. For example, they care more with>>> VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 12

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Cont’d quantity than with overall quality, so for them to apply nasty pesticides, PGR’s and other known products that are not meant for edible crops, it is nothing.

So while the yield might be heavy , the quality is slim.

Personally my goal is always to attain the highest yield possible without hindering or cutting corners with plant quality. I’m sure this is the same mind set for many other health conscious growers that are still trying to get the most out of their limited growspace.

There are instances where even the health conscious growers can be fooled by all the smoke and mirrors and shady marketing tactics these nutrient companies are using. For example, a little quote “...This highly specialized mixture of selected rare earth elements and photo nutrients supports your newly supplied bio available phosphorous by helping focus your plants internal energies into flowering, producing large abundant flowers, without the necessary lag...

My intention of this article is not to scare people but more to inform them so they start to ask questions on how their favorite nutrient is made and what different GRADES of materials were used to make it.

Here is a quick breakdown for everyone on nutrients and how they are graded based off impurities.

Four Types of Chemical Grades for Fertilizer Materials: Fertilizer or Industrial Grade- this grade is typically less

than 90% pure and contains the largest amount of impurities.

Technical Grade- this grade is typically 90%-95% pure, can

still contain a lot of impurities, including detrimental elements

British Pharmaceutical Grade-is the most preferred grade

of material. It is approximately 99% pure, and is tested to be free of any metals and Perchlorates.

Laboratory Reagent Grade- Is above 99.5% purity, but

sometimes does not undergo specific heavy metal and perchlorate testing.

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So now we know not all fertilizer ingredients are created equal.

The reality is that pharmaceutical grade and food grade fertilizers are extremely expensive.

For instance you can purchase a kilo of calcium nitrate with a purity of 98% for about a dollar, a single kilogram of the same fertilizer at 99.5% purity (Pharmaceutical grade) would cost much more. How do you know what grade was used? Did the nutrient manufacture buy on price?

There can be huge differences in grade or even how the material was handled in the process. For example CaNO3 is sometimes shipped with a plasticizer coating to protect the fertilizer- this needs to be skimmed out of solution if it is used... If not you may be eating the stuff, and that’s just one example.

I wanted to shed light in this journal with the growers who care about high quality, that they need to pay attention to where there favorite nutrient is sourced.

Reliable websites that list the metal content and finding for your favorite nutrients. A good source for this information, Visit department of agriculture Oregon website also Washington. Finding might vary slightly state by state. For my fellow growers here is a good checklist to think of when shopping for nutrients.

5 things you can do to help insure your quality of purchase 1. It can pay to have a good relation with your local hydro store. Ask someone you trust what they know about the product. Be specific with questions, ask if there are any PGr’s in the product/hormones/etc..

2. Research the product and check out metal and purity levels from one of the listed reliable websites (Oregon Ag/Washington Ag) 3. If the label is flashy and product has big claims, be skeptical 4. If the company is NEW check around via social media and word of mouth--has anyone actually USED the product to be able to make any kind of claims?

5. Be skeptical with additives-especially high priced additives. (usually the hormone mix’s and PGr’s are in the additives, although there have been exceptions)

Benjamin Franklin Quote:

“Buy what thou has no need of and ere long thou wilt sell thy necessaries. At a great pennyworth pause awhile. Many are ruined by buying bargains.”

In conclusion you are what you eat and you get back what you put in. Growing your own food is always a safer choice than buying produce from the marketplace.

It’s up to the consumer to have a knowledge base to better keep the manufactures in check with quality control. Hydro Manufacturers usually have incentive to try and make the best product they can in the competitive marketplace. However, there can be variations with many mfgs formulas based on raw materials available at the time of production. Use your knowledge to be both the rock and wind. The rock to break the mirrors and wind to clear the smoke. As always turning clones to zones. Lb

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customers that are available for hydroponics retailers to serve at present versus only as few as 10 years ago.

What It Takes To Be A National Success When you think of Santa Cruz, California USA it wouldn’t surprise anyone if you also made an association with hydroponics for home growers.

After all, a lot of the earliest hydroponics supply shops for walk in customers grew up and seeded so many others from the areas in and surrounding the Bay Area (we haven’t forgotten about you either, SoCal).

What’s interesting, is a lot of the type of thinking that helped create the hydroponics supply industry that exists today-as there was no real “industry” to speak of only twenty years ago-is thankfully still being cultivated to this day in some of the same spots.

Only now, it’s different.

Pioneering hydroponics retailers still in it for love of the game today, admit some degree of amazement in market growth and the sheer numbers of potential

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If you are an existing member of the hydroponics industry in the USA, it’s unlikely you haven’t heard of Eric Shedlarski and Vando Bertaccini: the owners of Gardening Unlimited.

And if you are a grower in any part of the world who also shops for growing supplies online, via the world wide web, it’s also possible you know them (while perhaps less directly through www.ehydroponics.com That’s because under the combined umbrella of Gardening Unlimited affiliate stores, they have over brick and mortar retail 14 locations! And they are always growing.

As a matter of fact, when Grozine had a chance to catch up with the had just caught his breath from running back from meeting (and hiring) a new member of Team Gardening Unlimited.

The 14 locations, listed at www.gardeningunlimited. com along with their new Commercial Sales Division employs over 80 hard working and dedicated people.

That’s the right kind of growththe kind people should seewhen it comes to what hydroponics can offer society at large, aside from a fun and exciting business.

Retail locations include Buffalo, N.Y. and in Chicago.

You might say they have learned to grow as a company from beyond their own back yard. Part of their success in growing from out of the traditional limitations and boundaries has been recognizing and being an early adaptor of social media and building a strong web presence-effectively extending their reach. When you visit their main page, you’ll see all the great ways you

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can stay connected with them for killer deals and helpful tips.

only does this save busy growers time and hassle-it also saves money.

Naturally, they have built a solid foundation and reputation, as they gained a lot of hands on experience in working with a variety of clients and suppliers from the more grass roots days when they started off with the new millennium through their first retail hydroponics store locations in California. The Santa Cruz location on the UCSC side of town was the first to open under the Gardening Unlimited umbrella that is widely recognized today in June 2003.

So far it’s been a hit-and as with everything else they have touched, the hydro hits will just keep on coming for Eric and Vando and the growing Gardening Unlimited Family.

Pioneering hydroponics retailers still in it for love While you might think that’s where of the game tothis article may end-contrarily, it’s where we start to see the next stepping stone day, admit some along the path of our growing hydrodegree of amazeponics industry. I.E. back to that notion of the type of thinking that got this ment in market industry growing in the first place: growth and the By popular customer demand, Garsheer numbers of dening Unlimited recognizes and has answered the call of many commercial potential customgrowers that are facing new and evolvers that are availing challenges themselves in an exploding marketplace of consumers. able for hydroGardening Unlimited now offers a ponics retailers commercial retail division. to serve at presIf you are a commercial scale grower, ent versus only you likely don’t have oodles of time to as few as 10 years spare. Especially for driving through heavy traffic from store to store, trying ago. to find a fair price (and enough inventory in-store) to fulfil the needs of your cropping demands for inputs like nutrients, lamps, filters, fans, growing media, etc when you need them.

The Commercial Division offered

by Gardening Unlimited allows qualified commercial scale growers to open accounts and deal with a professional Gardening Unlimited Representative over the phone, fax or email to source the right gear for the job and get it delivered to a location of their choosing. Not

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Another key element to the success of the company’s growth has been Loyalty-and that is Gardening Unlimited’s loyalty to their valued clients.

Have you ever felt that you have been a good customer somewhere, but the person ahead of you who spends much less is getting a better deal because he is “buddies” with the guy who works there?

That can never happen at Gardening Unlimited.

Customers can sign up to the Loyalty program-where they receive a great discount based on not how much they spend, but more on things like how often they make a purchase-big OR small. It’s been a big hit since it’s inception-and isn’t limited to having “your guy” there at the location when you want to shop.

ALL of Gardening Unlimited Family is “your guy” this way.

As with other water-marks in the Ebb and Flow through the history of the North American hydroponics marketplace, with this working service model for helping meet the needs of today’s evolving growers, clearly, Gardening Unlimited has added yet another new mark on the rising tide of hydro.

Do You Have a Serious Love For All Things Leafy and Green That You Burn to Share?

Having your own hydroponics and specialty gardening shop may be right for you!

Let’s face it, the landscape of retail sales is rapidly evolving-and it’s never been more true than it is now in the hydroponics & indoor gardening industry.

If you want to know more about how you can take on an active role in a growing opportunity, you should have a serious look at Gardening Unlimited’s Partnership Program.

After speaking with Company President Eric Shedlarski we quickly concluded that these guys are destined to be a serious driving force in the development of what the future of specialty gardening product sales are going to look like.

These guys are definitely pioneers and not settlers!

For more information, please click here:

http://gardeningunlimited.com/partnership/

14 Great Locations And Growing!

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G EA R The Straight Dope: Expert Hydro-Gear

Reviews By eri k b i k s a

HomeBox Modular Series: Kiel www.homebox.net It’s been a few years with our HomeBox Modular, and we were a little sad to see her go. Not that we were dissatisfied in any way-the space had new uses and it was time for something different.

HomeBox is considered to the THE Original grow tent, developed and fabricated in Berlin, Germany. Besides being known for exceptional quality, and very seriously guaranteed non-toxic to plants coverings, they are also the first and possibly only grow tent system to offer modular designs.

What the “Modular” means is that you can use their grow tents like building blocks, and can connect them, without partitioning the interior into just about any size or more importantly ANY SHAPE that best suits the area you have available to set up your indoor gardening enclosure.

For example, u can construct “L”, “T” or “C” shaped configurations; whatever suits your pace or any obstructions you may need to work around in buildings. This way you don’t sacrifice any available growing space; no wonder it was pioneered in Europe where space is a very valuable commodity-and so is the importance of not damaging a historic building, for example, with dripping pots.

HomeBox enclosures are water and light tight, protecting the surrounding building and providing a productive, healthy and secure environment to grow crops just about anywhere.

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HeartMagic Easy & Safe Water Soluble Plant Oil Extractions www.HeartMagic.com

Current Culture Cultured Solutions Hydro Ferts

Members of Grozine were involved in a cool project that you may have noticed, and that’s the testing of crop fertilizer additive to test for and note any increases in essential oil production in a crop of spearmint grown under lights in a carefully controlled environment.

In the end it was all about resin and essential oil, and that’s where we came across this beauty to separate water soluble essential oils from fresh or dried plant material.

The design, quality of materials and effectiveness are impressive.

All materials arrived intact, and ready to start extracting water soluble plant oils—just add plant material and water.

Seriously, you feel smarter after you try this system out. The results are even more impressive-absolutely pure and potent plant extracts.

FIVE drops of spearmint oil extract into one liter of hot water now makes the most potent and flavorful spearmint tea you ever sampled.

Special thanks to Smiley for the tip! www.home-distilling.com

www.cch2o.com Current Culture is world famous for their very well recognized Under Current Series of deep water re-circulating hydroponics systems. If you haven’t noticed their systems, you haven’t been following Grozine. While the design has been refined through the years, the fundamental principal remains the same: maximum aeration and continuous movement of pure mineral solutions around bare roots produces maximum growth rates and yield potential.

However, it’s been a challenge at times when it comes to nutrients. Until they launched Cultured Solutions, a series of hydroponic nutrients tailored to the needs of DWC crops, their customers ran the risk of using the wrong types of nutrients for hydroponics, for example nutrients with lots of organics and sugars. Using the UC Series of Systems like The PRO along with Cultured Solutions hydroponics fertilizers allows growers to 1/2 or even 1/4 of the concentration of fertilizers for optimal results. Believe it or not, you use less water in one of their systems than you would in the same sized area with a conventional soilless garden too. BTW, we have tested for over a year, and Cultured Solutions work great in peat based mixes too-super clean and very stable nutes; plain and simple.

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www.Jasegraphics.com

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! e e r F e b i r c s Sub

Issues

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PAR – Spectrum of Light Utilized for Plant Growth Plasma – Full-Spectrum Nutritional Sun-Light Energy

Produced by Plasma Lighting HPS – Partial Spectrum of Light Produced by High Pressure Sodium Chameleon® Grow Systems Plasma Light Systems Powered by LUXIM Light Emitting Plasma®

Plasma Light Systems - Features & Benefits • 34% Longer Lifespan (over HPS & MH) • Ten Year Limited Warranty – 90 Day Satisfaction Guarantee • Ideal for and all Stages of Plant & Coral Growth • Salt Water Corrosion Resistant, Wet Location Rated, Camera Quality Optics, Aircraft Quality Construction

In Grozine Vol.2, Issue 11, Editor Erik Biksa sat down with Chris Pieser of Chameleon Grow Systems to discuss the future of Plasma Grow Lighting for horticultural crops. -CLICK HERE- to read.

New Product Release!

500w Plasma Grow & Aquarium Lighting Special Offer – First 100 Units $945 – Begin Shipping in July Plasma Lighting Technology Grows More Nutritious Vegetables Compared to Traditional Greenhouse Lighting for Less Electricity

Press Release – Orlando, FL – June 2014 Chameleon® Grow Systems announced today that they have begun shipping their new 500w Plasma Horticulture and Aquaculture Lighting. Founder & President Chris Pieser reports that the Full-Spectrum Nutritional Sun-Light Energy generated by their Plasma Lighting has produced spectacular results.

Chris says: “We have been concentrating on doctorate-level third-party research to validate this technology for the past four years; we are exceptionally pleased with the research data we have collected”.

Chameleon® Grow Systems will not recommend their product until they are certain that it is the right fit for your particular appli-

cation, They are so confident in their product that they are offering a 10 year limited warranty and a 90 day satisfaction guarantee! Chris notes:“If you apply this technology in accordance with our Application Notes and are not completely satisfied, send it back. We are not aware of any other horticulture or aquaculture lighting company with this level of confidence in their product.” Chris concludes by saying “what differentiates us from traditional grow lighting products is our exceptionally robust product design and incredible nutritional sunlight spectrum, there is really nothing else with this quality of light spectrum on the planet.”

Chameleon® Grow Systems Solar Genesis Plasma Grow & Aquarium Lighting is designed by aerospace engineers, built to be

salt water corrosion resistant, wet location rated with camera quality optics and aircraft quality construction, it’s not often easy to find a product with such attention to detail. You can see them douse it with a water hose on their You Tube channel if you are not convinced by now.