HYDROMAG-007-Hydroponics-Magazine by Hydro Magazine

Check out our website www.plagron.com for tips & tricks

a new growth experience.

pass it on!

THE MAKING OF HYDROMAG... Editor Cosmo Mackenzie cos@hydromag.co.uk Technical Assistant Editor Bill Sutherland bill@hydromag.co.uk MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Feeling festive Jason? ...See more from Jason and AutoPot on page 12...

Welcome...

I’d like to start by thanking everyone who attended Grow 2013. Whilst it is fair to say that the public didn’t attend in great droves on Sunday (we were never going to compete with a derby day in Manchester), Saturday’s trade day once again saw the great and the good of the Hydroponics community gather together from around the world to share in our passion for the industry that we’re lucky enough to be a part of.

Honourary mentions now; first to the handsome sow and the generous gentlemen dressing her, who together fed our glorious guests and kept us up till the wee small hours. Next, to the moving mountain of freebees and its pilot who cleverly thought to attend in his wheelchair, thereby allowing for the extra load. For those ardent followers who managed to drag themselves away from a match which happens at least twice each year, the glut of freebees you all walked away with will doubtless keep you busy till we’re ready to do it all over again. I’m not jealous, honest. Finally a rather more dubious mention goes out to the enthusiastic fans who tried to leave via the fire escape with half a display stall tucked unsubtly under their arms- it’s just what we all need after a weekend of hard graft. Top marks for effort and comedy value at least, but maybe save the petty larceny for another day if you don’t mind too much. In all seriousness, it’s great to see like-minded people gather together and geek out on Hydroponics. To the future, then! In this issue of HYRDOMAG, The Feed looks at lab grown burgers and the rise of Aquaponics on the wider market. Newton and Faraday duke it out from the grave as gravity take on electricity in Autopot Nurseries. Expert Opinions makes a welcome return as G.E.T. and Plagron get down to the nitty-gritty of nutrient solutions. LED lights suffer the scientific rigmarole of an entirely sound testing centre, or the tent behind Producer Pete’s desk as its better known. We also revisit HYDROSHOW’s Megarooms feature; whilst we’re on the subject of our sister show, series 1.2 is currently running on showcase 2 and, as ever, on our Youtube channel. Distractions takes a hearty step into the serious side of life with 100 films covering Documentaries, then takes a giant leap back into the absurd as The A-Z of Music covers troubadours. Finally we round off this Issue 7 with Bill Sutherland’s invaluable advice to our readership. Don’t forget to enter the competition - God knows I would happily chop off a finger or two for a shot at this month’s prize. I’m not jealous, honest.

Cosmo Mackenzie Have a very Merry Christmas from all of the team!

Lifestyle Christian Mason christian@hydromag.co.uk Lifestyle Buddy Mason buddy@hydromag.co.uk Managing Director / Sales Pete Turner sales@hydromag.co.uk Art Director Russ Sealey russ@hydromag.co.uk PR Executive Nick Stokoe nick@hydromag.co.uk Design / Illustration Emma Godley emma@hydromag.co.uk Design Kim Tinker kim@hydromag.co.uk Accounts Claire Kennedy accounts@hydromag.co.uk Sales Administrator Megan Corless sales@hydromag.co.uk Sales Manager Nico Hill nico@hydromag.co.uk

HYDRO PUBLISHING LTD 5, The Old Bakery, 90 Acre Street, Lindley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD3 3EL T: +44 (0) 203 384 8940 E: info@hydromag.co.uk W: www.hydromag.co.uk PRINTED IN THE UK

Thank you to our distributors: HYDROMAG is designed in partnership with PARA www.paraltd.com

All editorial is copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or be stored in any retrieval system in any form without the prior permission of the Publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy no responsibility will be accepted for inaccuracies however caused. Contributed material does not necessarily reﬂect the opinion of the Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited materials. It is assumed that any images taken from sources that are widely distributed such as the Internet, are in the public domain. However, since such images are passed between sources such as websites, the original source is not always possible to trace. The editorial policy and general layout of the publication is at the sole discretion of the Publisher and no debate will be entered into. No responsibility will be accepted for illustrations, artwork or photographs while in transmission with the Publisher or their agents unless such commitment is made in writing prior to receipt of such items.

ISSUE NO. 007 12.2013

Featured In This Issue... 40 08 42 10 THE FEED Hydroponics in the Home

We take a look at the harmful stigmas there are plaguing our industry, and ask what can be done to help the un-informed masses appreciate how beneﬁcial Hydroponics can really be.

THE FEED Lab-grown Meat

DISTRACTIONS Gadgets

From James Bond’s Q to Inspector Gadget (who loved them so much he changed his name by deed poll) – we all love gadgets. With the help of the Gadget Bank, this issue we take a look at wireless portable speakers...

DISTRACTIONS 100 Films to Watch…

“Roll up, roll-up! Get your meat. Two petrie dishes for a pound!” We take a look at Professor Post’s ground-breaking work and ask – will anyone eat it?

What’s that? Documentary ﬁlms are boring? Oh grow up, you child! Documentaries are awesome. But which should you watch before you die?

DISTRACTIONS A-Z of Music …Folk Troubadours

GROW GEAR Grow Gear

COMPETITION TIME Win Some Stuﬀ!

ASK THE EXPERT Letters:

FEATURE AutoPot Nurseries

We get the lowdown on AutoPot’s innovative AQUAvalve – an irrigation system that uses Gravity rather than its ﬂaky younger brother Electricity.

Oh great. First documentaries now folk troubadours we hear you say. Well you just don’t get it, do you? We’re all about the culture here at HYDROMAG.

We all love premier kit for our growrooms. Check out some of these fantastic products – you won’t be sorry!

FAVOURITES ePapillon and Uvonair

You’d have to be mad not to want free stuff. Especially when it’s our BIGGEST prize yet, an ePapillon unit worth £550... Just mad.

Our staff put the ePapillon lighting range and the Uvonair range of ozone products under the microscope.

24 30

EXPERT OPINIONS G.E.T. and Plagron - Growth Nutrients

We tap into the expertise of Growing Edge Technologies and Plagron and talk nutrients.

THE KNOWLEDGE Grow Test - LEDs

Growing under energy-saving LED lights? Does it work? We had to know. So we ran out the office like Usain Bolt to buy the kit and test it ourselves.

THE KNOWLEDGE Megarooms

Holland Hydroponics and Urban Hydroponics are given carte blanche to build the ultimate growroom in our studios.

No-one likes brown spots. We’re not talking freckles on a ginger kid here – we’re talking lettuce. And our expert Bill Sutherland is talking solutions.

Grow 2013 was marred by a lack of public attendance. Part of that was due to the derby, and theories abound about excessive numbers of shows in general, but there was a considerably more present and pressing issue that played its part. Visitors will probably have noticed the large empty space where normally the grand banner advertising the event would sit, emblazoned across the front of Manchester Central. How is it, then, that a Hydroponics show is barred from the same level of service that any other show would be afforded? This isn’t an attack on Manchester central, who ultimately have the right to determine who they do or don’t do business with and what form that business takes. Rather it is a question of why they might feel comfortable hosting the show, but uncomfortable with fully advertising that fact. For all the many decades that Hydroponics has been utilized in the commercial sector, the general public still view it with a certain degree of either apathy or distain. Obviously we all work towards better informing folk, but as a rule we’re probably talking to people of a

relative like-mind. Try telling your average middle-class white woman over forty that you work in Hydroponics- that look she’ll no doubt give you is one of distain and contempt normal reserved for traffic wardens and the homeless. It’s not hard to see how and why an industry might become insular in this climate. We can dispute the value of attempting to engage in debate with such a wilfully ignorant and judgemental creature as the average Daily Mail reader till the cows come home, but the fact is they are a solid voting bloc. So as long as we subscribe to a party political system, their opinions, more than anyone else’s, will continue to determine the political policies to which we are all subject. Commercial success goes a fair way to challenging this ingrained ignorance, but it’s yet to truly alter the zeitgeist amongst the general public. Short of following in the footsteps of the petty, censorious conservatism of the ‘No More Page 3’ campaign by printing and wearing t-shirts that claim “I am a Gardener, not a drug dealer”, how does this industry address its image problem? In short, we need to move away from the perception that hydroponics is only ever utilized for nefarious means. We do that by getting people using the methods themselves, in their day to day lives. It simply isn’t realistic to envisage Mr and Mrs Jones from Number

43 converting their Grandchildren’s bedroom into a growroom- not yet at least. But a window box, or a tray on a kitchen counter, or anything that fits into the free space in the corner of the room? Not only is that a credible vision, it’s also an increasingly important, some would say inevitable one. So how close are we to that vision? Monsanto, the Megalomaniacal megacorporation seeking to make even everyday gardening illegal have done a lot of the work for us. Alternative methods for feeding your family are a hot topic right now. Permaculture, an ecological philosophy and practice of self-maintained agricultural systems modelled from natural ecosystems (thanks Wikipedia), currently has a lot of traction. Even communality can’t adequately account for the fact that the greater part of humanity live in urban environments, so the practical applications of permaculture on a massive scale aren’t currently feasible. That’s not to detract from the importance of such ventures. Aquaponics is an increasingly prevalent practice and we’d all do well to involve ourselves with ventures like The Bristol Fish Project (www.bristolfish.org), where such endeavours are available to you locally. Youtube will provide you with any number of videos of homemade hydro and aeroponic towers. As a hydroponics fan it’s hard not to appreciate the Heath Robinson quality of some of these builds. Similarly, there are websites abound promoting hydroponic practices, amongst others; www.theurbanfarmingguys.com and www.survivaluk.net both do a great job of informing on said practices. But, for good or ill, they lack a level of accessibility that promises real market traction (which is to say they aren’t exactly designed to appeal to the Mumsnet crowd). The fact is, people are generally lazy; they don’t want to build it for themselves, they want to plug something in and sit back while the work is done for them. Really, the straw that breaks the camel’s back by offering everyday Hydroponics in everyday homes has to get as close as possible to the ‘plug in and sit back’ ideal as it can. It has to be attractive too; all the good will in the world can’t compete with western society’s obsession with looks. In issue three we looked at Greenfingers’ Pod, a Fogponics unit deigned to grow herbs on the kitchen counter. It’s a great project with untold potential, but whether it will remain a design project or take the

“Short of printing and wearing t-shirts that claim ‘I am a Gardener, not a drug dealer’, how does this industry address its image problem?” next step into production and sale is yet to be seen. Similarly, Steve Cordova designed the incredibly attractive Staquaponics unit as part of a Sustainable Energy class. This stackable, solar powered aquaponics unit has clearly sacrificed practicality in favour of aesthetics, but the potential to build upon the work Mr. Cordova has done to date is high- and very much a reality since he has made his plans available online (http://itp.nyu.edu/~sbc345/ thebricks/?p=318) in the hope that they’ll be picked up and iterated on by the open source community. Recently funded on Kickstarter, the Aquallibrium garden is, in my opinion, leading the charge towards offering mass market aquaponics to the public at large. This closed loop system is stackable, simple and potentially beautiful. Measuring in at four foot tall, the Aqualibrium is made of UV protected clear plastic and requires very little setting up. At $300 dollars it isn’t all that cheap, but that isn’t necessarily the retail price, it’s simply the amount you can pay now to receive one in March, via their Kickstarter page. Check out their website, www. aqualibrium.com, to have a look for yourselves. Of course, nothing is perfect and ultimately the proof will, as ever, be in the pudding. What fish you can fit into an Aqualibrium might feed a kitten for a few days, if you’re lucky. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Windowfarms (www.windowfarms.com) and Tower Gardens (www.towergarden.com) both offer retail Aquaponic and Hydroponic units. We’ve yet to test them, but even a glimpse at the picture of the units would suggest they are superior in terms of how much produce they’ll yield. None the less, having either in your house would be a significant statement; they lack the beauty and relative innocuousness of the Aqualibrium. Either way, sales of each unit can’t help but booster sales of the others- for the time being at least. Which is the best is a question best saved for later, and probably for the accountants, too. In the meantime, we wait with bated breath. Ultimately it would be a dream come true to see everyone growing at least a portion of their food themselves. It would be incredibly beneficial to the planet too, if for no other reason than to eat into the profits of bastards like Monsanto. The more we support, promote and get involved with projects like this, the better it will be for the health of the industry. Of course, there’s very little reason not to take up the mantle yourself, if you think you’re worthy of the task. With crowd funding currently experiencing a massive following, even the old barrier of funding can be overcome with relative ease. It would be great to see the big sign hanging over Manchester Central again in the future. One sure fire way of making that a reality, is if it promises to attract those same members of Mumsnet and the comfortably retired grandparents, replete with funds. Of course, having that crowd as customers is a whole new kettle of fish… Words: Cosmo MacKenzie

Lab-grown Meat

The future is pink and it will be grown in a petri dish. On the 5th of August this year, in a sun-baked London, something extraordinary happened. In due course it may be viewed as significant as Wilbur Wright’s first flight in public at the Hunaudieres race course - or perhaps as doomed and irrelevant as Clive Sinclair’s 1985 unveiling of his eponymously titled C5. In front of the world’s media, chef Richard McGowan made the world’s most expensive burger (£250,000). But this wasn’t for some banker blowing his bonus, quaffing champagne and sticking two fingers up at an incensed public. Professor Mark Post, of Maastricht University, was unveiling the first slab of in vitro meat for the delectation of food critics Hanni Ruetzler and Josh Schonwald. His aim was to prove the technology worked and to highlight the pressing need to find a sustainable solution to food production. The result of the taste test? “I was expecting the texture to be more soft … it’s close to meat, but it’s not that juicy. The consistency is perfect … This is meat to me.” (Ruetzler). And “The mouth-feel is like meat. I miss the fat, there’s a leanness to it, but the general bite feels like a hamburger.” (Schonwald). Benjamin Franklin, were he alive, would be forced to reassess his quote “flesh eating is unprovoked murder” if Professor Post gets his way. No factory farms, no slaughter, but real flesh. Vegetarians everywhere have been thrown into confusion, with many counting the days before they can bin their carrots and dine on fine, guilt-free steak. Some are going even further - Julian Savulescu, the director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Ethics is practically demanding that vegetarians embrace the lab burger, saying “people who are vegetarian for moral reasons—the environment, the treatment of animals—have a moral obligation to eat this meat.” However, the Vegetarian Society is erring on the side of caution. While recognising the many benefits lab-grown meat can bring, they won’t fully endorse it as a kosher vegetarian option – with a poll on the Vegetarian Society’s website showing almost 80% would never eat it. But what of non-vegetarians? There is still a hurdle to overcome, with many put off by the unnatural processes required to create the meat. Firstly stem cells (the cells sat there waiting to repair damaged muscle) are extracted from the shoulder of a live cow. They are then transported to “breeding areas” that contain gel and anchor points which function as tendons. Fetal bovine serum, taken from the blood of calf fetuses, is then used to multiply the cells. Within 48 hours muscle begins to develop between the anchor points, and within weeks the muscle can be harvested. In between electrical impulses are passed through the cells to stimulate the muscle to “bulk up”. Stem cells don’t infinitely produce, so new donor cows will be required on a repeat basis. Finally, the same process is used with fat tissue, and ultimately the harvested muscle and fat is combined for taste purposes. But it’s indicative of our first world mind-set that while Post and others talk of his breakthrough as a supply-side solution for the increasing, unsustainable demand for meat; most commentators are fixating on the notion of a “cruelty-free” burger. Post is more interested in sustainability, even telling vegetarians they should stick to vegetables. The demand for meat has already seen production increase 20% over the last decade, and the predictions are that current levels will double over the next fifty years, driven largely by China and the East developing a taste for the Western diet. And with the world’s population set to rise from seven to nine billion during

this time, we’re heading for environmental disaster. Already 70% of the world’s farmland is used for livestock – which accounts for about 30% of the planet’s ice-free terrestrial surface area (Steinfeld et al. 2006). And the industry is also the cause of between 14.5% and 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Science & Technology journal found lab-grown beef uses 45% less energy than conventional farming methods, produces 96% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and requires 99% less land. For Professor Post to roll out his technology on an industrial scale he’ll have to overcome the double whammy of cost and emotion. At present the fetal serum required for cultivating the stem cells is prohibitively expensive and the base price of the burger will have to come a long way down from £250,000 a pop before we see them in the Sainsbury’s Basics section. But of the “emotional” reaction to the meat, Ingrid Newkirk of PETA believes people who already eat meat “shouldn’t be put off by the details of Post’s burger. It is a real burger made of real meat. It’s as real as real can be. The thing that is different about it is that it is not from a filthy slaughterhouse, but from a sterile laboratory.” At present it’s anyone’s guess whether we’re witnessing a truly historical advance in food production technology, or whether we’ll look back on Professor Post’s efforts as a bizarre curio, the subject of a “Top Ten Wacky Inventions that Failed” article on the Internet. Certainly Greenpeace is leaning towards the latter, telling the San Francisco Chronicle: “Synthetic meat distracts agricultural research and funding away from ecological farming, the real solution to the disastrous livestock model that causes environmental and socioeconomic crises.” Only time will tell. Words: Christian Mason

BVUPQPU! OVSTFSJFT After our visit to the AutoPot nurseries, we feel it’s our duty to show you what the good folk down at Brill View Farm have been up to recently…

I think most hobby hydroponic growers would agree with me when I say that to have a fully functioning hydroponic greenhouse to tinker around with is something that we all dream of having for ourselves. The benefits of an enclosed growing environment combined with using good old fashioned sunshine do wonders for plants. Providing you shelter from harsh weather conditions and giving you the ability to have greater control over your environmental factors truly give plants the opportunity to flourish. However, for all the benefits of a greenhouse there are always downsides as well. Other than simply the vast amount of time and money involved, pollination of certain crops may be required to be done by hand with the absence of insects/bees in greenhouses, and for the paranoid among you, there is always the risk of failures of electrical equipment particularly with irrigation equipment which can spell certain doom for your beloved crops. It is possible to get around these downsides however, for example you can hire a bee keeper to bring a hive down to your site to pollinate your crops for you to save you getting your paint brush out. Electrical failures pose an almost inescapable problem though, it is unlikely that many growers will have back-up generators to power everything should Mr Burns flick the wrong switch at the power station. Fortunately, there is one company that shares both this enthusiasm for greenhouse growing and provide a solution to electrical failures specifically with irrigation. AutoPot are responsible for bringing the AQUAvalve system(which I’m sure most readers will be familiar with) to the hydroponic market. Their confidence in the effectiveness of the AQUAvalve system is such that they have invested a great deal of time, effort and money in a 600m2 greenhouse area to showcase the ease and efficiency of the AQUAvalve system when it comes to growing some mean greens under the sun.

“Electrical failures pose an almost inescapable problem though, it is unlikely that many growers will have back-up generators to power everything should mr burns flick the wrong switch at the power station.”

HSBWJUZ!CBTFE!PQUJPOT Before we go any further, let’s have a quick look at all the options you have for an electricity-free irrigation system…..

GBCSJD!XJDL!TZTUFNT

CBH!ESJQ!XBUFSJOH!TZTUFNT

Simple but eﬀective, this method works by having a fabric wick running from your reservoir up to your plant pots/tray. The capillary action within the fabric draws water up to your pots, keeping them nicely moist.

Essentially, this is a sack of water hanging in the air. Your dangling sack is connected to feed lines going directly to each plant site that needs watering. Usually there will be twistable valves on the end of the drip lines to regulate the ﬂow being delivered to your plants.

POSITIVES: Eﬀective for a small growing area

POSITIVES: Simple design and set up. Provides many opportunities for double-entendres.

NEGATIVES: Not especially eﬀective for heavy feeding plants Not the most eﬀective/viable to use for a large/commercial growing area

NEGATIVES: Hard to regulate ﬂow correctly, easy to over/under-water. Not massive reservoirs of water, so only a short term option.

UIF!XBUFSJOH!DBO

DFSBNJD!WBMWFT

BVUPQPU!BRVBWBMWF

Research is still being conducted on the science behind exactly how it is that a watering can works. So far the consensus is that the tipping of the can creates what is referred to as a “pouring” motion within the water, which can then be directed to the area in need of saturation.

These are ceramic valves planted in your pot with your plant when you initially plant out. As your plant pot dries out, the soil tries to suck water out through the ceramic probe, this pressure opens the valve and lets water though to your thirsty plant.

A small plastic unit consisting of a series of valve chambers that regulate the level of water in your plant tray. Only until your plant has drunk all the water in the tray, will the valve let any new nourishment back through, giving the plants the control over their own individual supply requirements.

POSITIVES: Gives you the opportunity to closely inspect each plant for pests/diseases on your rounds. Each plant will be given exact amount of water required. Mild cardio-vascular beneﬁts.

POSITIVES: Can regulate each plants ﬂow as required. Top feeding

POSITIVES: Each plant fed to its own demands. Low maintenance. Multiple plants can be fed using just one valve. Works with a variety of growth media, even crushed coral! (maybe not the most ethical or sustainable media how-ever).

NEGATIVES: It takes freaking ages. It’s a pain in the arse – literally; constant bending over does your back no good.

NEGATIVES: Restricted to soil as a growth media. Small feed lines to potentially block with nutrient salts.

NEGATIVES: Cannot use liquid organic fertilisers. Though this could be said of all gravity systems, except the humble watering can.

B!DMPTFS!MPPL!BU!B!UIF!BVUPQPU!OVSTFSJFT If there is one thing that a grower ultimately wants from their newly purchased irrigation system, it’s to have confidence in the fact that it is a tried and tested product that is actually going to work as it is supposed to! Knowing that your plants will be in safe hands if you have to leave them to their own devices for a few days, is basically priceless. That mojito you’re drinking whilst sat in a water-front bar soaking up the evening sun on your weekend getaway may not taste so good if you had the niggling worry of going back to a wilted mass of decaying matter that was once your prized plants. With that in mind it is quite refreshing when a manufacturer has so much confidence in their products, they will invest a great deal of time, effort and last but not least a whole lot of cash-money into a growing area that showcases just how effective, efficient and super-awesome the AutoPot AQUAvalve systems are. Jason (head-honcho at AutoPot) has a large 600m squared greenhouse from Keder down at Brill View Nurseries in Piddington, Oxfordshire. We stopped by to see them earlier on in the year and needless to say we were quite impressed. Not least with the myriad of types of plants that are grown: chillies, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, aubergines and many others all grace the greenhouse with their bountiful harvests. Surely a testament to the versatility of the AQUAvalve and AutoPot system; so many different plant types can be grown to their full potential. Have I already mentioned bountiful harvests? During just the first year for example, just over 13kg per square metre of cucumbers were grown and just under 20 kg per square metre of ‘Sparta’ Tomatoes. This most recent year, over 1800 kilos of chillies of various types were grown in total. These sort of productivity levels are such that even the greediest home grown enthusiast would be content, if not completely overwhelmed with the sheer amount of harvest potential. With it being a fairly low maintenance system, Jason spends on average roughly one day per week refilling reservoirs and checking feed lines. In fact, with the recent trials conducted with Biotabs in the AutoPots, things got even easier to maintain with simply water being needed to refill the reservoirs with. With the planned installation of a large header tank compete with Bluelab Peridoser, it should become even less time consuming. Considering there is anything up to 1000+ plants comprising of 30+ different species growing in the greenhouse during the peak of the season, that is definitely not something to be sniffed at. This sort of saving in time gives him the opportunity to sort out the many other aspects of the greenhouse, such as: plant pruning/ training, harvesting the vast amount of fruits in peak season or dealing with pest management or disease issues. Oh, and let’s not forget there is the small matter of having an entire business to run at the same time! Even though it is a large greenhouse, with an epic amount of plants, Jason explained to us how it still would not make a commercially viable option for him. This is pretty much down to the not so great summers and unpredictable nature of the English climate we all know and love. The main reason all the

Autopot AQUAvalve Once connected to the water supply the AQUAvalve will control the flow of water to the plants, by simple gravity pressure from a tank or water butt. effort has been put into the nurseries is purely to educate and inform the masses as to the effectiveness of his AQUAvalves. Not that it all goes to waste though, produce from the nurseries has been sold to markets for local community causes such as the ‘Little Growers’ initiative. So money has been made, but only for worthwhile community causes, nothing significant enough yet to line anybody’s pockets or pay for the Christmas parties! However, this is merely in terms of chillies and peppers, the usual hydroponic greenhouse suspects. This most recent year however, Jason has been delving into the world of Asian herbs, much sought after in some circles, particularly Asian restaurants and eateries. Sweet Basil, Holy Basil and Spicy Basil are but some of the varieties that he has been working with recently. These types of herbs are fast growing, and can be cut for harvest four, five or even more times each season, each time growing back with the same vigour and rate as before. The herbs are initially planted in small 10cm square pots. Four of these pots are then placed on a 4050mm bed of perlite within the normal 8.5L pots, and then into the base of an AutoPot tray as usual. Using this method means that after cutting the herbs back multiple times for harvest individual pots can then also be sold on as living herb plants, to be picked and used as needed, giving chef’s ultimate freshness and flavours for their culinary creations. Over a small area of just six trays, Jason estimates that he could produce a kilogram of herbs every three to four weeks. With the right market and buyers found it’s not hard to see the potential return that this could bring in.

“...it is quite refreshing when a manufacturer has so much confidence in their products, they will invest a great deal of time, effort and cash into showcasing just how effective it is.”

JOWPMWFNFOUT!XJUIJO!DPNNFSDJBM!0DPNNVOJUZ!CBTFE!QSPKFDUT

Little Growers In September 2007 AutoPot launched a new idea called “Little Growers”. The idea behind Little Growers is to help educate children, while having fun, in the way that our food grows.

To quote the tedious Jessie J song, it’s not all about the money, money, money. Or indeed the babling-ba-bling. AutoPot pride themselves getting involved with and making a difference within communities all around the world. In the UK, AutoPot set up the Little Growers scheme which is a shining example of this. Equipment and advice are provided to schools up and down the country to enable the children to really get an idea of where the handfuls of sustenance they eagerly cram into their faces actually comes from. It’s refreshing to think that at least these lucky children will understand that food doesn’t just magically appear in packets, and that there is a lot of effort and skill required in getting healthy food onto their plates. Not all community projects work out so well however. In Soweto, South Africa, AutoPot helped a small community set up an area and provided them when the know-how and equipment so that they could go some way towards providing themselves with the precious food they require. After it had all been setup and ready to go, the area was promptly broken into and all the equipment stolen. Thus giving further weight to the proverb “You can take a donkey to water, but you can’t make it drink”. Projects run with commercial greenhouses and organisations also give AutoPot the opportunity to further develop and prove the AQUAvalve’s worth. Trials have been conducted in conjunction with many prestige organisations showcasing the AQUAvalve’s values. A little place called the Eden project in Cornwall have been involved with AutoPot, and more recently a mammoth trial at Valley Grown Nurseries is underway. These guys are no strangers to growing capsicum peppers, having roughly a quarter of a million pepper plants growing at their premises each year in a very strictly controlled environment. The results of this trial, spanning a two year period, are eagerly awaited, with Jason being confident it will be their best commercial trial to date.

UJQT!PO!BVUPQPUT!TUSBJHIU! GSPN!UIF!IPSTFT!NPVUI As a manufacturer, you would generally try to make your system as fool proof and simple to use as feasibly possible. There is always one thing that will stand in the way of it working correctly. There are no prizes for guessing what this is, I’m sure most people can relate with the fact that human error will always play a big part in pretty much any catastrophic failure. Just look at the chap from Segway who managed to ride off a cliff to his death after banging on about how safe they were. We spoke to Jason about common issues and practical advice he can offer when it comes to getting the most out the AQUAvalves, which fortunately for you, we are willing to share. Aren’t we nice? A lot of growers find themselves scratching their heads when it comes to correctly placing the gold coloured root control and marix discs in the pots or trays. This often leads to issues with roots piping their way into the AQUAvalves and causing pesky blockages. The standardly advised configuration is the black marix disc in the bottom of the plant pot, and the root control disc under the pot with the gold side faced upwards. However, after many a year trialling various configurations, it has been determined that for ultimate protection, a second gold coloured disc can be placed in the bottom of your pot GOLD SIDE DOWN. Roots being roots(which at the end of the day can make their way through concrete), it is still prudent to check every now and again that none have made their way into the tray/valve. Possibly the most common user related issue, particularly with novice growers, is that they will turn the system on without correctly establishing young plants leading to grave problems with overwatering in the early cycle of a plant’s life. You need to let your plant establish a nice and healthy rootzone before turning the system on, otherwise you will basically flood and drown your plants at their most tender stage of life. Once planted into the final pots, hand water for a good week or two to build a healthy root system. Having a correctly established plant will ensure you great success when it comes to turning the tap on and getting everything automated. An issue some growers face is with blockages in the delivery lines from using various nutrients. There are three things that you can do to ensure the likelihood of this happening is as small as possible. Firstly, make sure you use a good quality, clean mineral fertilizer. AutoPot have designed their own version to use called the ‘Easy2grow liquid feed’. How-ever, other popular nutrients such as Canna or Dutch Pro work equally as well. Organic liquid feeds are a big no no. They will quickly block your feed lines up due to the thick nature of the liquid, and the proliferation in bacterial growth that they promote. Not to say organic feeds are completely out of

the question how-ever, Biotabs work wonders with this system. Simply place the tabs in your plant pots when potting up and they will slowly release nutrient over a long period of time to your beloved plants. You would only then need to supply them with water, thus saving you many hours of toil when it comes to topping up reservoirs. Secondly, place a flow control valve at the end of your irrigation line. This simple step will allow you to periodically flush through the delivery lines getting rid of any potential build ups that may be occurring. Thirdly, using a good quality line cleaning product will ensure blockages are kept to a minimum. You will find many nutrient companies that provide these products, Dutch Pro and House & Garden to name a few.Another question growers often ask themselves is what media they should be using in conjunction with AutoPots. Well, pretty much anything is the answer to that. Provided that your chosen media has a high air to water ratio, and a good capillary action, your plants will thrive in pretty much anything you provide them with. For example at the Eden project, pumice stone, cut up denim, and wood chips were used with great results. As mentioned earlier, in Thailand, dead coral reclaimed from the beach was boiled down several times to remove the salt, crushed up and then used to grow a 20 foot monster tomato plant. As a guideline, AutoPot advise that the substrate(s) that are easily sourced and provide positive results time and time again are: Coco / Perlite, Coco / Pebbles, Soil / Pebbles, Soil / Perlite, all as a 50/50 mix. Using peat based soil as a stand-alone substrate is NOT advisable, as the growers will need a good deal of experience to work their crop due to the water retaining ability of peat and lack of air retention. So there you have it. Hopefully you have gained a lot more about exactly what the team at AutoPot are all about. If you are intrigued by all of this, and want to put these practical tips to use in your own room or greenhouse, you will find AutoPots available in all good hydroponic stores up and down the country. Needless to say, a wealth of information can be found at their website www.AutoPot. co.uk or you can see our interview with Jason at Brill View Nursery on our own Youtube channel. If you happen to be in the area, you could also pop down to the nurseries in Piddington, Oxfordshire to see just how well the system works for yourself. Wait until summer time though mind, plants don’t tend to grow particularly well through the British winters. Words: Nico Hill

Watch HYDROSHOW TV’s full interview with Jason from Autopot on our Youtube channel.

The ePapillon 1000w complete lighting system is already popular within the commercial sector. Complete lighting systems combine reflector, lamp and ballast into a single unit, meaning less wires to fuss with and a more compact and efficient use of space, amongst other qualities. The arrival of the ePapillon 600w and the dPapillon (315w) units have torn down the pre-existing barrier to home growers and hobbyists created by the excessiveness of 1000w in a noncommercial, limited environment.

ePAPILLON 1000W

INNOVATIONS The Papillon range utilises Philips Green Power and Daylight/Agro Ceramic Metal Halide lamps. For those people who can accommodate the 1000w unit, the Philips GreenPower 1000W EL Plus utilises a double-ended design which maximises optical efficiency by removing the frame support wire which, in a single ended unit, casts a shadow on the bulb. It also has a guaranteed light output of 1925 µmol/s over a period of 10.000 hours (see ‘Making Light Work’ in issue 2 of HYDROMAG for an accurate guide to measuring light). The ultra-durable electronic ballast units utilized by the Pappilon range boast an impressive lifespan, with the dPapillon unit in particular offering a 50,000 hour lifespan- which equates to nearly six years of continuous use! Of course anyone with a keen eye will have noted that both the bulbs and ballast utilized by the Papillon range are also used by two other leading all-in-one units; namely the Gavita and the Hortilux. Where the Papillon range really sets itself apart is in their patented reflector design. Open Reflector functionality utilizes the natural flow of air to dissipate heat evenly throughout the environment, reducing the risk of heatspots forming on the plants. The obvious advantage to this is the ability to position your lamps closer to the plant canopy, which means they can utilize more light without suffering the detriment of excessive heat. Less heat trapped around the bulb also makes for a longer lifespan.

PROS The reflectors are also designed to reflect light in all directions, as opposed to simply straight down. As a result plants receive more light in general, or to put it in layman’s terms, more of the leaves can capture light for the plant. This also plays out incredibly well for anyone using a number of units in series, whereby plants positioned in the overlap of two units produce at a simply startling relative rate; ultimately offering a more uniform crop. Where a traditional setup would require four lamps, three Papillons can achieve the same results. Some manufacturers of reflectors will claim that the reflectivity of their product is 96%. This is simply clever marketing. The reflective properties of the alloy used to make the reflectors may be 96%, however, when you bend and dimple the material, you lose at least 2-3% in reflective efficiency. The patented reflector included with the ePapillon 1000W has a yield of 95% (certified by the British Standardization Institute).

ePAPILLON 600W

dPAPILLON 315W

ePapillon Open Reflector Functionality:

MORE LIGHT - THE ePAPILLON REFLECTOR IS DESIGNED TO REFLECT THE LIGHT IN DIFFERENT ANGLES SO THERE WILL BE MORE LIGHT PENETRATING INTO THE CANOPY AND ONTO THE PLANTS.

LESS HEAT - THE OPEN REFLECTOR FUNCTIONALITY ALLOWS HEAT TO RISE AWAY FROM THE CANOPY MORE EFFICIENTLY MEANING LESS HOTSPOTS ON YOUR PLANTS.

CONS...? So where does the Papillon range falter? In truth, we need to see how these claims hold up over time and under the many variable factors of grow rooms which aren’t afforded the same levels of control on offer in a commercial grow-op. There’s nothing to suggest the Papillon range won’t continue to evolve over time - indeed the level of care and precision that has gone into their design would suggest that the opposite is true. Even the price- normally our go to criticismis incredibly reasonable considering the savings you stand to make.

For more infomation visit: www.epapillon.com

UVONAIR RANGE

Ozone Environmental Technologies have, for a long time, held the mantle of ‘the original and best’ not just in the hydroponics industry, but in many others too. The Uvonair range of ozone generators has well and truly stood the test of time. Ozone is utilized as a disinfectant in industries as varied as water treatment, used car dealerships and the medical profession. Ozone doesn’t cover odours; it actively alters the molecular structure of offensive micro-organisms in order to eliminate them. There are two basic methods for generating ozone; Ultraviolet (UV) ozone generation involves passing air over a UV lamp. Oxygen molecules (O2) split away from each other under the light’s influence, then bond with one another, seeking stability and creating ozone (O3) in the process. The second process, called Corona Discharge ozone generation, mimics the creation of ozone by lightning; air is passed through a gap between two electric nodes creating ozone when the current jumps between the nodes. More often than not a dielectric material is used in the process, which diffuses the charge across its surface, creating and electrical field know as a corona. The Uvonair UV range and the Uvonair CD range cover the two different methods respectively. Both methods have distinct advantages and disadvantages. CD generators produce relatively larger quantities of Ozone, but are more susceptible to fluctuations in humidity. UV generators are less susceptible to environmental changes, but their bulbs do require periodic changes. As with most aspects of hydroponics there are die-hard devotees of the two different schools, some of whom can be found at expos and on message boards deconstructing the intricacies of olfactory abstractions. INNOVATIONS

Whichever method you prefer, the Uvonair range will doubtless suit your needs. Each unit is designed to fit into a ducting system with relative ease and very little effort. The UV-80H and the CD-800 units are designed to fit into an 8’ (inch) ducting system, the CD-1000 units into a 10’ (25cm) system and the CD-1200 into a 12’ system. Of course there’s nothing to stop you from adapting your ducting system to accommodate the appropriate sized unit.

PROS Ozone is incredibly effective, but it’s also not to be messed with. Too little ozone generation and you’re wasting the effort, too much and you just might see your growroom wither to a gloopy vegetable mush of broken dreams. Thankfully the Uvonair CD range are all adjustable, meaning you can manage the load and conserve energy during periods of low demand. CD units in particular should always be set up outside the humid interior of any growing space.

CONS Ozone generators aren’t cheap, and whilst the CD units have a theoretically long lifespan, once the dielectric medium goes the whole unit will need replacing. It’s fair to say that, solid a product as it has been over the years, some aspects of the Uvonair range are starting to show their age. Rumour has it, however, that we won’t have to wait long for Ozone Environmental Technologies to address those very issues in the form of… well, you’ll just have to wait and see!

For more infomation visit: www.uvonair.com

Expert Opinions:

GROWTH NUTRIENTS

We’re at an interesting phase in human evolution. A hundred or so years ago if you wanted to fix your plough, find out what that lump in your groin was, or simply wondered what Australia was like – you’d have to put on your coat, and traipse over the rain-soaked moors to seek out an “expert”, perhaps having to ask around in unfriendly taverns, blowing one’s savings on a trip to the city, searching for the wise old sage who’d hold the answer to your problem. These days the Internet has blown this old model away. The democratisation of knowledge is complete. Any fool with access to a PC, a tablet or iPhone has at their fingertips an overwhelming sea of information on every subject under the sun. And this at a time of increasing Narcissism and illusory superiority. An era where everyone has a university degree while illiteracy and innumeracy rates go through the roof. An age where the expert is actively distrusted and resented, where anonymous Tweets are preferred to the informed critiques of the professional reviewer. But in many ways expertise is needed now more than ever. In a world of endless data, intuition and experience is vital to guide one’s way. Alexander Pope famously said “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, but a little knowledge of the wrong thing entirely is more dangerous still. The Internet is beset with trap doors, cul de sacs, and wrongly labelled paths. There’s no substitute for a lifetime’s accumulation of latent knowledge. Knowledge is derived from experience, all a book or a website can provide is information. Knowledge comes from the gut. As Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier write in their brilliant book Big Data: “What is greatest about human beings is precisely what the algorithms and silicon chips don’t reveal, what they can’t reveal because it can’t be captured in data. It is not the ‘what is,’ but the ‘what is not’: the empty space, the cracks in the sidewalk, the unspoken and the not-yet-thought.”

So without further ado, Hydromag present our experts from Growing Edge Technologies and Plagron, to share their knowledge, not a factsheet rubberstamped and handed to them by a faceless marketing advisor

EXPERT OPINIONS | PLAGRON

The intention of the application of nutrients during crop cultivation is the maintenance of a nutrient level in the root environment for an optimal crop development which holds a maximum production of the required quality. Fertilisers used for this purpose should be completely soluble in water. Although not directly harmful to plants, insoluble residues are undesirable because they easily block the narrow canals of an irrigation system. Furthermore, nutrient solutions should be free of heavy metals or other components that are toxic to plants or, after absorption by plants, to human beings. In hydroponics or related soilless systems, in mediums such as rock wool, clay pebbles and cocos, the quantity of nutrients available at any moment is restricted and covers only a few percentages of the total crop requirements. Therefore, nutrient solutions for specific crops in relation to growing conditions have been developed by Plagron and others. Growing conditions considered mainly concern the climatic conditions, the irrigation patterns, and the development stage of the crop. Additional important factors are the specific uptake of nutrients by the crop, the characteristics of the substrate itself, and the chemical composition of the irrigation water used. Nowadays, nutrient solutions for soilless systems contain more or less all the nutrients necessary for plant growth. This is despite the fact substrates and irrigation water often already contain nutrient elements that can be absorbed by plants. Elements added to nutrient solutions are the following: Major nutrients : Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) Micro nutrients: Iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo)

PLAGRON Cocos A & B Available in 1ltr, 5ltr & 10ltr

Besides the addition of these elements the EC and the pH values are important characteristics of nutrient solutions. The uptake of water and minerals is strongly affected by the EC value in the root zone. For most crops this EC value should be around or above 1.5 mS/cm. A pH value in the root environment below four is toxic to most plants. However, in practice the pH is mainly important because of its effect on the availability of plant nutrients, especially micro nutrients. High pH values (>6.5) reduce the uptake of all micro nutrients, except molybdenum. The micro nutrient iron is very unstable and easily precipitates in solutions. Therefore, iron is supplied in the form of organic complexes, best known as chelates. Nutrient uptake differs strongly between crops, not only with respect to the quantity of nutrients absorbed, but also the ratio between nutrients is different. Crops grown in hydroponics are generally grown at high nutrient concentrations and realise under these conditions an optimal nutrient status. A nutrient status in the external solution higher than required does not significantly affect the plant uptake. Mutual ratios in the external solution will affect the uptake of a specific element.

Cocos A&B by Plagron Cocos A&B is a two-component concentrated mineral liquid fertiliser, suitable in both the grow and the flowering phase of the plant. Cocos A&B consists of pure active ingredients. It contains humic and fulvic acids for, among other things, a better nutrient absorption by the roots and an improved metabolism. Advantages of Cocos A&B: • Nutrients easily absorbable over a wide pH range • No crystallisation in nutrient tank • Highly concentrated, so economical to use • Suitable for all types of watering systems

EXPERT OPINIONS | GROWING EDGE TECHNOLOGIES

However, the most striking effect that determines the internal plant nutrient concentration is the characteristic of the crop itself. Most plants are able to realise a certain optimal internal concentration of nutrients. This internal optimum concentration is realised by the plant through a relative high absorption at low concentrations and a relative low absorption at high concentrations. The major nutrients N, P, K and sulfate (SO4) are absorbed by plants at relative high quantities at low external concentrations whereas the uptake of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) are much more dependent of the external concentrations. The plant can achieve this specific nutrient uptake since the uptake of water and nutrients are two independent processes.

“The most striking effect that determines the internal plant nutrient concentration is the characteristic of the crop itself.“

G.E.T Lets Grow A & B Available in 1ltr & 5ltr

In the early days of the hydroponic industry there were very few manufacturers of hydroponic plant foods, as the hydroponic “craze” had not begun. All plant foods at that time were merely soil supplements - meaning gardeners were tending to their gardens with incomplete plant foods that failed to provide all 13 of the mineral elements plants need to flourish. When we started growing hydroponically in 1982 we quickly found that in order to get plants to grow properly we needed to develop a complete nutrient formula. We developed many types of formulas before settling on a nutrient solution we called The Aroma Formula. This formula took a bit of thought on the part of the gardener, with doses having to be applied incrementally every 4 days. Feedback from some of our customers suggested they wanted us to build a “keep it simple, stupid” (or KISS) method – so we duly came up with Let’s Grow A & B - a very userfriendly formula. Fortified with the best source of mineral elements that we could find and with over 30 years of mineral-sourcing experience, we have chosen the best raw materials you can get. At Growing Edge Technologies we don’t use pH buffers in our nutrient solution. Plants naturally adjust the growing mediums’ pH to allow better absorption of minerals. They’ve developed many natural defences against invading pathogens and parasites and we wanted to work with these natural functions. Further down the line and along came Rocket Power. This, my friend, will have to wait for another article. Our philosophy is to learn to read your plants like a book: pH rising in value? Then the plants are happy and actively feeding. If pH crashes? Then plants are under attack from pathogens and you’ll need to take corrective measures. Now if your plants are growing extremely fast and their leaf colour is light green or yellow this indicates you should increase your doses of plant food. Increase gradually with light green (1 to 2 millilitres) and faster with light yellow (2 to 4 millilitres). If your plants are dark green hold back a few millilitres until you have regained control of plant tissue colour. Manufacturers of plant foods sit in an office far away from your garden, whereas you work with your garden and are best placed to judge your plants’ needs. It is only with this delivery method of minerals that each and every grower can reach their gardens’ maximum potential.

There are at least three diﬀerent qualities of mineral salts: Farm grade, while acceptable for use on farm land, does not dissolve quickly. With Greenhouse grade minerals should dissolve in under three minutes. Finally there’s Lab grade - very expensive and not used in regular fertilizer mixes. GET uses Greenhouse (and higher grades) in our fertilizers. These elements are in their ionic form, meaning that plants can utilize them very actively. When using fast, active elements plants need a well-balanced formula. Typically it’s the least well-supplied mineral that becomes critical to your plants growth, not the ones that are in abundance. GET has paid special attention to all elements so that they work in harmony together causing explosive growth. Let’s Grow A & B contains all 13 minerals plants need for exceptional growth. GET recommends using our vitamin concoction Power Thrive to provide all the other elements that plants and soil organisms need. We’ve been growing with confidence for three decades.

Growth Products

A selection of other growth nutrients currently available on the market...

ATAMI ATA COCO MAX / TERRA MAX

B’CUZZ (ATAMI) COCO / HYDRO / SOIL

BIOBIZZ BIO GROW

CANNA AQUA / HYDRO / TERRA VEGA

CANNA COCO

CANNA BIO VEGA

CYCO GROW A & B

DUTCH PRO GROW HYDRO / COCO / GROW SOIL

G.E.T LET’S GROW A & B

G.H.E. FLORA GROW / FLORA MICRO

GROTEK SOLO TEK GROW

METROP MR1

GROWTH TECHNOOLOGY IONIC COCO / SOIL / HYDRO

HESI GROWTH / COCO

HOUSE & GARDEN COCO A&B / HYDRO A&B / SOIL A&B

PLAGRON ALGA GROW / TERRA GROW

PLANTLIFE HOLLAND SECRET GROW

PLANT MAGIC COCO GROW / HYDRO GROW

VITALINK EARTH GROW / COIR GROW / MAX GROW A&B

FLAIRFORM GREENDREAM

GROW TEST

LED A SERIOUS LOW POWERED LIGHTING ALTERNATIVE? In the second of our grow tests, we look at the IGS1 210W from Planet LED London Ltd. One sunny September afternoon at the AutoPot Nursery’s open day, I bumped in to Ricky from Planet LED London. We had met previously at Manchester Grow 2012, however back then his LED grow product range was in early development stages. Ricky explained that his new updated LED’s were the dogs knackers, and that he’s gladly give me a sample to try out in the Hydromag office. How could I refuse? “Free Grow gear?” I responded, “yes please!”. Nabbing four adolescent chilli plants from AutoPot, I took the light away with me and pilfered several other bits from IKON, Holland Hydroponics, Dutch Garden Supplies, FHD and Plant Magic. The LED grow test was on – could these puppies really bring me some championship chillies? Now before we go in to the test, here’s a bit of background to the slightly tainted reputation of LED’s and the UK grow industry. About 5 years ago (2008), a lovely looking ‘lady’ was doing the rounds with her new ‘state of the art’ LED grow lights, claiming they were every bit as good as sodium lamps whilst only consuming half the power. Maybe slightly charmed by the rare appearance of a ‘female’ sales person, and perhaps slightly spellbound by the appearance of these new LED lights, many grow stores took them on. At a hefty sum of around £500 for the equivalent of a 600w setup, the price tag was a little expensive. No wonder people were pissed off when they discovered they were about as genuine as the sexual appearance of said ‘Lady’. The main problem being, flowering under this original influx of LED grow lights was pretty much impossible as they were a complete con. LED’s from this day on truly got a BAD reputation in the UK. With this in mind, we entered this grow test with a justified amount of cynicism, however a man’s word is his bond, and if Ricky was willing to put his and his company’s reputation at risk, we at Hydromag were more than willing to give these new LED’s the benefit of the doubt.

THE TEST - Equipment Here’s Her e’s wh what at we had in th thee setu setup: p: 1 x Swi Swiss ss Pro 80 80cm cm Gro Grow w Tent Tent 1 x Pla Platin tinium ium Hydro Hydrosta starr 4 Po Pott Drip Dripper per Syste System m 2 x Air Airsto stones ness an and d Air Airpum pumps ps 1 x Swi Swiss ss Pro 6 Inc Inch h Low Low Powere Powered d Air Air Cir Circul culati ation on Fan 1 x TTU 5 inc inch h Extr Extract action ion Fan Fan (w (with ith Du Ducti cting) ng) Alpha Alp ha Mix Soil Soil (Gr (Growt owth h Tech Technol nology ogy))

“ ...a man’s word is his bond, and if Ricky was willing to put his and his company’s reputation at risk, we at Hydromag were more than willing to give these new LED’s the benefit of the doubt.” 30

1 x pa pair ir of Hor Hortil tiline ine Light Light Ha Hange ngers rs A litr litree of of Pla Plant nt Magic Magic Org Organi anicc Oldt Oldtime imerr Orga Organic nic Gr Grow ow The us usual ual pH Tes Testin ting g and Me Measu asurin ring g Equi Equipme pment nt The us usual ual Tim Timing ing Eq Equip uipmen mentt (f (for or lig lights hts an and d wate waterr pump pumps) s) ...and ... and of co cours urse, e, the IGS IGS1 12 210W 10W LE LED D Grow Grow light light

THE TEST - The Setup... METHOD Firstly, it is worth noting that this is not a direct, side by side comparison with a sodium lamp. This is due to follow shortly with the help of our new hydroponic chilli growing facebook friends, who will be trialling products for us using their background knowledge and experience with growing chillies. This test was an ‘ice breaker’ if you will, to merely see how well a plant would initially react and grow under these arrays, and whether further comparisons against sodium lamps would be viable/worthwhile with this particular make and model. We grew 4 chilli plants under the LED. To keep the test fair, and as each pot consisted of 60%+ Alpha mix potting soil from their initial pots, we only used a basic organic growth nutrient providing the plant with the basic nutrition it needs to grow. Admittedly not usually the first choice of nutrient for a drip irrigation system but with adequate aeration to keep the nutrient solution nicely aerobic, and regular changes of the reservoir, nothing went amiss. We wanted the fruits produced to be down to the light and not down to a massive influx of nutrient or hormonal additives and supplements (plus, we wanted to eat the chillies afterwards without the fear of morphing into the Incredible Hulk!). We left the plants to their own devices. I.e. no pruning took place, as accidentally over pruning may have hampered the development of the chillies. Conversely, pruning particularly well could encourage more flower production and have given us an unrealistic representation of the lights performance. Being Autumn, temperatures were generally easier to maintain. Situated within a room in our office that has an ambient temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius, the tent temperature during the day hovered around 22 - 25 and only dropped to 18 degrees Celsius during the night period. We tried to maintain humidity levels at around 60%, giving the plants a nice consistent environment to thrive in. The pH of the reservoir was set to between 5.5 and 6.5, and we consistently gave the plant the lower recommended amount of growth nutrient being 2ml per litre.

LET’S BE REALISTIC... Before we reveal the results... we think it would be fair to say it’s unrealistic to expect a 210w LED array to perform as well as a 600w Sodium lamp over the same period of time. Speaking refreshingly more conservative than most, the manufacturer states you will more likely see the return looking like what you would expect from a 400w sodium light. You could only expect to get a yield equivalent to a 600w if you had a perfectly dialled in room, a particularly high producing, and vigorous growing species of plant and the greenest of green thumbs. So why so many bold claims from previous companies? Well, it’s a simple matter of the LED technology still being within the fledgling stages of its life cycle: the potential is there, but the technology still needs to catch up to the expectations of the masses. More specifically the light spectrum and penetration of LED’s simply do not yet match the output of the tried and tested sodium lamp. Unfortunately from the units we have come across, they just aren’t there yet. However, we feel the IGS1 210W has come a long way compared to earlier LEDs (exactly how far we are yet to find out, we merely wanted to see if we get fruit from the LED, and not test it for production against a sodium).

HOWEVER... Let’s take a look at the other benefits of LED technology. Summer can be a pain, and all indoor growers have suffered with grow room temperature and humidity in recent years. This is where the LED comes in to its own. If you want to continue using your 600w sodium lamps in the summer, you’ll either suffer and have a reduced crop (or worse, dead plants!), or you’ll have to introduce air cooling and humidity control equipment at the expense of more electricity and of course further cost. “Well, I could just introduce 250w sodiums” you might say. Well fair enough, however the heat produced from an LED is still less, and you can get them much closer to the plants, giving you greater intensity at canopy level. Besides the potentially lower power consumption, temperature surely has to be key when outlining the benefits of LED grow lights, radiated heat is negligible compared to that of a sodium bulb. If you can reduce your air temperature (particularly tricky in the summer) as a consequence your nutrient solution temperature will be lower, therefore reducing the risk of dreaded root diseases such as Pytheum. Having a moderate temperature and good humidity will also reduce the risk of pests such as spidermites by giving them a less than favourable environment to live and reproduce in. A stable cool environment will also potentially increase your plants’ nutrient uptake due to transpiration rates becoming optimised. These are just some of the knock on benefits to the lower heat emitted from these lights, definitely worth noting and considering.

THE RESULTS Our Chilli plants were under the IGS1 210W for around 12 weeks. We didn’t overcare for them, only removing the odd dead leaf and making sure all the environmental factors spot on. During this period of time, we got a surprising amount of chillies coming through considering there were none on there when we first got hold them. In this time the plants over doubled their height, going from 13” to just over 28”, and yielded roughly 290 grams consisting of 251 chillies, however only 28% of these were fully ripe. Not a bad haul indeed. What wasn’t a surprise was the flowering sites themselves. We had roughly 50% more flowering sites in the top 30% of the plant, compared to the bottom 70%. This as explained earlier is likely due to the penetration of light – this would suggest that these LEDs may be more suited to a ‘sea of green’ style of growing, using a large number of shorter plants to flower, rather than larger plant-pot based methods. Also, after 12 weeks our chillies have only just turning red. The plants we brought back were a red variety called “Super Thai Chilli F1”, and under good sunny conditions, the fruit would turn black then red in around 4-5 weeks after getting up to size, where-as ours have taken roughly 6-7 weeks. We think it would be safe to suggest that this may well be down to a lack of a certain something in the light spectrum or intensity. So with this in mind, if you’re considering growing under LED’s it might be worth allowing yourself a little longer for your fruits to fully ripen.

BEFORE

AFTER

CONCLUSION... If you’re expecting to go out and buy this set of LED’s and get the same results as you would with a 600w sodium lamp, you may be in for a slight disappointment. Though if you’ve had temperature related problems (such poor nutrient uptake, or pest and disease problems, pythium, spidermite etc) then LED’s might be a serious alternative for you, however, you may need to adapt your style of growing and possibly prolong the flowering period. With this in mind Hydromag is happy to endorse the IGS1 210W with only the smallest of reservations. Our chilies did seem to grow nice and healthily under these lights, so much so we are going to perform further comparisons Words: Pete Turner directly against the industry standard that is the High Pressure Sodium lamp. The gap between LED and HPS technology is closing – and with the NEXT ISSUE planned side by side grow with a high pressure sodium light we will be able to clarify this further, but from the initial looks of things, there is still a We grow some cash crops in a cloning tent way to go before we’ll see the results that we’re accustomed to. and ask, is it possible to make a profit?

HYDROSHOW TV FEATURE

MEGAROOMS At HYDROMAG it is our raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;etre to uncover the best hydroponic practices and share with our readers the most cutting edge growroom setups and equipment the world has to offer. As part of our MEGAROOMS feature on HYDROSHOW TV, we have invited some of the most knowledgeable, experienced and creative people in the hydroponics industry to our studio, to show us what equipment they would choose and how they would go about building their ideal MEGAROOM. First up, HOLLAND HYDROPONICS.

For their MEGAROOM, URBAN HYDROPONICS did the following.

FOR the mother plant area, Holland Hydroponics used a 1.2m tent from Silverback and setup 3 Platinium Hydrogrower single pot systems. Holland recommends using 3 pot systems instead of 4, as this allows for extra space that provides easier access to the back of the tent when the time comes to collect the cuttings. To light the mother plant area, they used a 400w MH lamp, housed in a Growstar mini reflector. FOR the cloning area, Holland Hydroponics used a specialist Clone Station tent, which importantly comes with a hard top. Inside the cloning station they opted for a Platinium Aeroponic Super Cloner.. For the lighting of the cloning tent, they plumped for the Fluorescent PS1 T5 Tube Kit. FOR their main grow room, Holland Hydroponics opted for four Platinium big pot dripper systems. Holland stressed the need for leaving a bit of space between each of the pots, as creating that extra room means that they can be grown to a larger size. Holland have also installed a 310 litre tank. Connected to the tank is a Tri Meter reader, which displays the PH levels, the temperature and the electrical conductivity (EC). They also fitted a Uvonair Ultra Violet Ozone generator. Introducing ozone to the atmosphere helps prevent irritants like mould, mildew, bacteria and fungal viruses from ruining your crop. Boosting the CO2 levels will make your plants grow bigger and at a greater speed, so the last addition to the main growroom, was an EcoTechnics Unis CO2 controller.

FOR the mother area, Urban Hydroponics used a 1.2 metre tent, containing a 24 Pot Vegetator. To light the tent for the mother room, they used a 250 Watt Self Ballasted Compact Fluorescent Lamp. FOR the cloning area, Urban Hydroponics again went for the same sized, 1.2 meter tent, but chose to go for the fully automated X-Stream 36 Site Aeroponic Propagator. Urban combined this with a Platinium Hydrogrower Single Pot Dripper System and for the lighting they used another 250 Watt Self Ballasted CFL (compact fluorescent lamp). FOR the main growing room, Urban Hydroponics loaded up with Sun Master Dual Spectrum Lamps powered by 600W Hacienda Ballasts. To control the lighting, Urban used a Maxigrower 8 Wave Maxiswitch Pro, which can control up to 8 lights at a time and digitally turns them on and off. Urban were keen to keep the ambient temperature cool, so they used 2 250ml Airforce 2 Fans. Urban controlled both of these superb fans with a Rhino RC2 600W fan controller. In the main grow room Urban went for the impressive IWS (Intelligent Water System) 24 Pot Deep Water Culture System. Each pot is supplied by an automatic pump system, where all the nutrient solution is created and distributed to match the various relevant PH and EC levels, depending on the stage of the yield. One reservoir distributes to all 24 pots. It is a highyielding automatic system which oxygenates the roots and recycles the water used.

So there you have it. Two inspirational grow rooms from two expert companies. Thanks to Urban and Holland for their efforts and wisdom. Its a little close to pick a winner. HYDROMAG calls it a dead heat! Do you have a favourite? Let us know what you think of these MEGAROOMS in our letters page. We might just publish you in a future issue.

Gadgets

Music to our ears... this issue we take a peek at the latest in portable wireless speakers, reviewed by the gadget experts at the Gadget Bank.

Damson Oyster

Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (3D Sound)

Damson Twist Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Technology uses the surface it’s placed on to resonate incredible sounds. Try it on wooden tables, plastic, metal or glass, and hear the tunes you want, wherever you want. For a unit so small the Damson Twist really packs a punch!

POWER: The Damson Twist keeps pumping tunes out for up to 9 hours and charges from a USB so you’re never far from a power source.

OPTIONS: Bluetooth and 3mm jack inputs. Available in black and stunning metallic red, blue and silver. The stunning design has no buttons; it uses the twist function and emits a gorgeous glow when in use. Daisy-chaining (linking speakers together) in optional between other Twists via a 3mm jack cable. Supplied with a ‘Sound Tube’ which will amplify your sound if you’re away from your ideal solid surface.

Oracle

High-definition Wireless Carbon Fibre Bluetooth Speaker You simply won’t believe the quality of sound that this unit provides. With its solid build quality and gorgeous genuine carbon ﬁbre exterior, you’ll be hard pressed to ﬁnd a better, and more beautiful portable Bluetooth speaker for your money. This has to be heard to be believed; your audience won’t believe it’s coming from something so small. We love how easy it is to carry this around with you – just pop it in a small bag and you’re good to go for 10 hours.

POWER: streaming through Bluetooth, or up to 10 hours from the 3mm jack input. Rechargeable via a micro USB to USB cable so you can recharge from your session with most smartphone or tablet USB chargers. Handy!

At the Gadget Bank we’ve tried and tested many Bluetooth speakers, and we feel very passionate about these three products. You’ll be amazed how much quality and how much volume these tiny units emit from their beautifully designed shells. Take great design and music with you wherever you need it. Truly portable, high quality music has arrived.

We’ve saved the best ‘til last! Stop looking, here is the best portable Bluetooth speaker! The Damson Oyster is the heavyweight in portable Bluetooth speakers - but it’s not heavy at all. It packs a punch in design, quality and general awesomeness! The Oyster’s crystal clear sound and pitch perfect quality are superb, and the depth of sound is astonishing considering its size and lightweight build. This unit has four independent ampliﬁers powering four independent drivers. Together with the sleek design and 12 hour playback you’ll be partying long into the night before you need to power up. The Oyster has an excellent 10 metre range and its low tenancy Bluetooth technology enables synchronised video and audio streaming so you can add some visuals to your outdoor entertainment too!

POWER: 12 hours of gorgeous playback. 2 x 2” Front Facing Drivers, 2 x 1.5” Side Firing Drivers, and 1 x Passive Radiator keep your depth and pitch covered.

OPTIONS: The Oyster has a range of snap-oﬀ changeable colours to truly personalise your unit. Bluetooth of 3mm jack playback. Microphone, for Bluetooth voice calls.

Use Offer Code: HY1013 for 10% OFF all audio gadgets at www.thegadgetbank.com

100 FILMS TO WATCH BEFORE YOU SNUFF IT: DOCUMENTARY You levitate to the ceiling of the operating theatre. Looking down you see yourself surrounded by hospital staff battling with a defibrillator! With the sound of a flatlining EKG ringing in your ears you ascend into a dark tunnel. You hear a soothing voice: “Don’t be afraid. Step into the light.” Your thoughts briefly turn to whether you’d turned the gas off on the cooker… But then the voice returns, a slight change in tone. “Wait a minute. You did watch all those movies in HYDROMAG, right…? You didn’t!! Well get back down there you fool!” You free-fall through the tunnel, back onto the operating table with a thud. You gasp for air. Doctors high-five with nurses.

The Thin Blue Line DIRECTOR: Errol Morris (1988)

With a weary sigh you realise you’ll soon be back at work - behind your desk, forced to endure the grinding tedium of everyday life: phone calls, office “banter” about football and reality TV shows. Bills. Rain. Hangovers. Day after wretched day - punctuated only by the sight of yourself in the mirror becoming ever more wrinkled and grey… You curse that disembodied voice! But wait a minute – what did it say about great movies and HYDROMAG? Of course! A slither of hope! There’s a way to transcend the mundane, the suffering – it’s been under your nose all this time! Go. Enjoy your second chance. And watch these ﬁlms… This edition: Documentary. A factual ﬁlm about a person, people or an event, often made to highlight a social issue or touch on the human condition.

Crime reconstruction shows are now so ubiquitous it’s difficult to fully appreciate how influential this Errol Morris film has been. The Thin Blue Line is a “rough justice” investigation into a Dallas cop-killing and the subsequent shaky conviction of Randal Dale Adams. Adams, a highly articulate interviewee, had the misfortune of first running out of gas, and then being picked up by a 16-year-old psycho in the midst of a crime spree. One cop murder later and Adams found the entire criminal justice system inexplicably Hell-bent on nailing him, despite the wealth of evidence against the younger man. It’s a fascinating documentary, made all the more intriguing for the fact that Adams was still in jail throughout the film’s production. The police talk confidently in their interviews of having got their man, seemingly oblivious to the fact Morris thinks otherwise. Morris turned detective for this film and his findings forced the case to reopen. The Thin Blue Line is living proof of the power of film – this is investigative journalism at its finest and most effective.

Crumb DIRECTOR: Terry Zwigoff (1994) What might on the surface seem a rather niche film, one solely for the fans of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, turns out to be a disturbing yet riveting glimpse into one of the strangest families you’re ever likely to encounter. Director Terry Zwigoff follows Crumb as he prepares to move with his wife and daughter to France, saying his farewells in Philadelphia and San Francisco. As you’d expect from a film about an artist, we see a lot of his wonderful talent and delve into his impact on the comic book scene. What’s less expected is just how batshit-crazy he is (like his comic alter-ego, Crumb literally jumps on women’s backs and scrunches up their faces). But the twist is he’s the sane one in the family. The film transcends into something special when we meet his brothers Charles and Maxon - both unusually candid about their mental illnesses and appalling sexual deviancy. All three sons have sought to heal themselves or resolve their issues through their art – to widely varying degrees of success. This is a surprisingly haunting film – all the more so in the knowledge that Charles committed suicide before its release.

“...Robert Crumb, turns out to be a disturbing yet riveting glimpse into one of the strangest families you’re ever likely to encounter.”

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse

DIRECTORS: Fax Bahr & George Hickenlooper (1991) With Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s mission was to capture the madness of the Vietnam War. In this he certainly succeeded. And it was perhaps in part due to his unwitting nod to Stanislavski in creating a set of truly mad circumstances from which the film could emerge. “My film is not about Vietnam. It is Vietnam ….” (Coppola). In February 1976 the crew went to the Philippines. A shoot that was supposed to last 16 weeks ended up lasting 16 months. Every curveball imaginable was thrown their way – from insurgency, disease, and typhoons; to Martin Sheen’s heart attack and actors Brando and Hopper turning up out of shape and unable to remember their lines. Matters weren’t helped by the fact Coppola, facing financial ruin, had no idea how to end his film. And of course the cast and crew were almost permanently drugged to the eyeballs. Brando’s immortal line “The horror” may well have been referencing the shoot.

“Every curveball imaginable was thrown their way – from insurgency, disease, and typhoons; to Martin Sheen’s heart attack and actors Brando and Hopper turning up out of shape and unable to remember their lines”

“This ﬁlm is an extraordinary achievement. Very difficult to pin down or deﬁne. It’s dizzying, hypnotic, and exhausting in its relentless poetry”

Sans Soleil

DIRECTOR: Chris Marker (1983) This is not one for those who enjoy a conventional narrative structure. It’s as slippery and fragmented as human memory – the focus of much of this bizarre non-linear travelogue. The interconnectedness between time, space and memory are recurring themes, as director Chris Marker bounces us back and forth between Japan, Africa, Iceland, and San Francisco, relaying anecdotes and musings in the form of narrated letters from an unknown author. We hear of 11th Century ladies-in-waiting and their lists of things that quicken the heart, an analysis of Hitchcock’s Vertigo, and melancholy letters from a kamikaze pilot… This ﬁlm is an extraordinary achievement. Very difficult to pin down or deﬁne. It’s dizzying, hypnotic, and exhausting in its relentless poetry – giving us such beautiful observations as “I will have spent my life trying to understand the function of remembering, which is not the opposite of forgetting, but rather its lining.” It must be seen.

Man with a Movie Camera DIRECTOR: Dziga Vertov (1929)

It almost feels a shame to discuss this film, as to write anything about it is to spoil the surprise. As Stephen Fry once said about the writing of P.G. Wodehouse – I envy those who’ve yet to experience it for the first time. It’s essentially a typical day in the life of a Ukrainian city, a silent film without captions. Where it strays into exceptional territory is in the use of the camera. To call it “surprisingly modern” is to damn it with faint praise. This feels more radical, more alive, and more innovative than many films today. It’s simply decades ahead of its time in its use of camera position and trickery. The filmmaker lugs his cumbersome 1920s camera and tripod into some astonishingly dangerous positions to capture his shots (on and under moving vehicles, balancing precariously from great heights, risking life and limb in the process). Director Dziga Vertov demonstrates an incredible visionary gift in his use of slow and fast motion techniques as well as freeze frames, split screens, stop motion, superimposition, film in reverse, tracking shots – you name it. Vertov’s mission was “for a decisive cleaning up of filmlanguage, for its complete separation from the language of theatre and literature.” He certainly achieved his goal.

Words: Christian Mason See the oﬃcial trailers for these movies. HYDROMAG YouTube channel will be full of playlists to supplement our articles. You can also see sponsored playlists from our advertisers. Visit: www.youtube.com/user/hydromagazine

Go Folk Yourself…. William Thoms, who first coined the term ‘folklore’, from which the term folk springs, wrote in 1846, that ‘folk involves the traditions, customs and superstitions of the uncultured classes,’. Like the dictionary of mental health disorders, the lexicon of musical genres is added to every year, with niche styles cropping up all the time such as Progressive Crunkcore and Psychedelic Math Jazz-Rock Fusion. These esoteric new genres however, have all evolved from a time when there were only two styles of music, Classical and Folk. Classical music was normally a language learnt and taught to the wealthier classes. It involved expensive instruments and years of training, with top composers performing to Kings and Queens in palatial venues and becoming household names in the process. Traditional Folk does away with the ‘elitism’ of classical music. It’s amateur’s music from the fields, from the bedsides of babes, from hoedown’s, from watering holes and campfires. It does not require intimate knowledge of the Dorian and Ionian modes to perform it. Any instrument, broken or otherwise could work, as long as it was played with ‘meaning’. No matter what your level of talent, with Folk music honesty and sincerity supersedes sophistication and technical skill. Every musical style that isn’t Classical, Electro or Jazz, could almost be termed Folk. It is absolutely huge and includes everything from Mongolian throat singing and the Blues, to the cynically, sagaciously crafted, faux-bucolic, ear-drum stabbingly bland, mawkish ‘nu-folk’ from Mumford and Sons. To narrow the field slightly, the criteria we have gone for is albums that we think are fantastic examples of Folk style troubadours, or singer songwriters. World music and Folk rock bands will come later. We’ve gone for confessional music, written for one voice

TIM BUCKLEY

and one instrument, that involves stunningly written, beautiful lyrics, performed by players that have authenticity, heft, depth and originality about them, that are consistent with the romantic ideal, summed up well by this quote; ‘Romanticism came to stand for authenticity, integrity and spontaneity. It was seen as a positive artistic and intellectual assertion of the extremes in the human psyche, the areas of experience beyond logic and reason which could only be expressed in a direct and heartfelt way’ Duncan Heath on the Romantic movement… Generally art that says ‘things are not ok, but you are not alone’, resonates more powerfully than the perhaps more jejune ‘Everything is great!’ approach and for that cathartic, emotional connectivity, there is nothing quite like a talented, expressive troubadour, that can articulate well and engage you fully in their often weird and wonderful worlds. Words: Buddy Mason

STARSAILOR: THE ANTHOLOGY (2011) Tim Buckley had one of the finest voices ever heard in popular music, his ability to careen effortlessly between multiple octaves, with his stunning trademark vibrato, making him the envy of almost every singer imaginable. His song writing at times was equally as engaging, but unlike say Dylan and Leonard Cohen, who were/are masters of crafting their personas and have always had a very clear direction for their art, Tim Buckley perhaps suffered a little bit from lacking a stronger over-arching narrative to his act and music. In terms of pure talent, at his best Tim Buckley was unmatchable and an ethereal genius. His boldness and desire to experiment and switch up musical styles, should be commended, but he did at times push himself creatively to the point of being unlistenable, so perhaps also cursed. His best moments, like Song To The Siren, Once I Was, Dolphins and Morning Glory are so beautiful and unique, they make him an essential, timeless listen. It is immensely sad that an accidental overdose took him away from the world at the age of 28 and in an eerie tragic parallel, his son Jeff who in all likelihood would have also gone on to become one of the greatest artists of a generation, drowned after only releasing one album at a similar age. Despite father and son being taken from us all too soon, given 3 lifetimes even the greatest songwriters would struggle to come up with something as good as Song To The Siren or Grace. In the words of Jeff, his work and voice ‘hangs like a tear inside the soul forever’…

KURT VILE SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO (2011)

DOC WATSON THE VANGUARD YEARS BOXSET (1995) Like so many great American musicians, Doc was blind before his first birthday. Born in North Carolina, Doc threw himself into learning all the great Southern country folk classics and performed on street corners from an early age, going on to join country bands playing gigs regularly. His early band didn’t have a fiddle player and ‘square dances’ were hugely popular at that time, so he taught himself fiddle style solo’s on his Les Paul junior. It is here that he perfected his trademark flatpicking style, which is unsurpassed by pretty much all other guitarists. He is a staggering talent, whose music feels as effortless as it is profound. An eerily natural performer, player and singer, his authenticity, and virtuoso guitar playing transport you instantly to somewhere in the South of depression era America, where beers, tears, sex, god, dancing and real hard living are the order of the day. Doc Watson really gets under the skin of the old Southern folk tales and puts them across with the kind of feeling and intensity that is rarely heard anywhere.

Kurt Vile claims he makes music as an accompaniment to listen to the morning after the night before, where one tends to walk that mental tightrope between rapture, fatigue, sketchy paranoia and discovering beauty, often in the simplest of things. He creates these stunning, hazy, gentle psychedelic soundscapes, using repetitive riffs and a vocal style so simple that on first listen it seems like not that much is going on, but once you delve a little deeper, there is an authentic strength and brilliance behind his gentle uninvasiveness. Kurt has made an art out of the less is more approach and reward is hidden beneath the surface of every track. He is unbelievably assured and self-possessed with his art. Listening to him puts you in a sort of fairytalelike trance, where if you close your eyes it’s like he’s guiding you through a dangerous, industrial, dystopian world, pointing out the areas of beauty, giving you a sense of hope amongst the unforgiving harshness. He didn’t go to college and was a fork-lift truck driver in Philadelphia amongst other things for many years before making it and I think this experience has definitely influenced his approach. He’s personally felt the anxiety of trying to survive in the harshness of a modern city with hippie sensibilities. Searching for beauty in the vast, hefty, humming neon and steamy darkness of the urban nightmare. He is a special, unique artist and one of the best around today.

JUDEE SILL Live In London The BBC Recordings 1972-1973 (2007) The tragic story of Judee Sill is one of the more remarkable in music. Her Father died when she was 6 and not forgiving her mother for marrying a man she didn’t approve of, ran away at the first opportunity. A wild, rambling lifestyle through her teens, that included drink and drugs and robbing liquor stores at gun point with her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, got her into a young offenders institution age 17, where Judee became the church organist. Once released she started performing her own material in dingy clubs and met and married a fellow pianist, who got her heavily into heroin. They developed such an addiction ($150 a day habit), that she begun prostituting herself to fund their habit. She was back in jail for drug offences before long and after this second stint inside, she decided to get clean and using family contacts in LA, moved there to try to make it as a musician. Her break came when The Turtles asked to release one of her songs called ‘Lady-O’ that did well enough to give her a career. She was the first artist to be signed by David Geffen and wrote a collection of highly original, genuinely affecting songs for her debut, that didn’t really sell too well. There aren’t many artists that play baroque style church music through an LSD filter and given her life experience, her voice is quite simply heart breaking. As Bob Harris comments on OGWT, ‘she looks every bit the librarian’ and has such a tender, gentle style, it seems totally anathema to her image that she has lived such a wild life. Her story is an important backdrop, because it provides the obvious authenticity to her desperation for redemption and her longing for safety and love from the spiritual realm, as clearly she felt she wasn’t going to find it on Earth, having become so disaffected through her bitter experience.

TOWNES VAN ZANDT

ROY HARPER

Texas Troubadour (2005)

Flat, Baroque and Beserk (1970)

The son of a successful corporate lawyer and part of a major Texan oil dynasty, Townes Van Zandt with an SAT score of 170, was being groomed to continue the family tradition of corporate majesty and success, but a combination of an impressionable young Townes watching Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, a diagnosis of manic depression and a proclivity for drugs and alcohol put the kybosh on that particular plan. Much to the chagrin of his parents, who were so worried about his exploits at university (depression, erratic behaviour and drinking), they took him out and got him the best healthcare in the land. This involved treating his manic depression with insulin shock therapy, which erased most of his long-term memory. He decided playing music was all he wanted to do, but as he himself said everyone was a better singer and guitarist than him, so he focussed mainly on his song writing. ‘You’re the only one I want and I don’t even know your name. Maybe we’ll meet someday. If we don’t it’s all the same. And I’ll meet the ones between us, but I’ll be thinking about you, And all the places I have seen and why you were not there.’ – Highway Kind. Not interested in celebrity, he never did well commercially. Instead he toured relentlessly in dive bars for peanuts, battling heroin and alcohol addiction and his bouts of depression. Indecently good looking, Townes also had women throwing themselves at him everywhere he went, which brought yet more melodrama. Every major American country and folk star has cited Townes as one of the greatest ever songwriters, Steve Earle saying ‘Townes is the best songwriter in the whole world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.’ A ‘cult’ star, his music is regularly used in hip tv and films such as The Big Lebowski, Breaking Bad, Deadwood and Six Feet Under.

Roy Harper is a prolific titan of British Folk, with some 23 studio albums to his name and is revered by critics and fellow artists alike. Influenced by the romantic poets like Keats, Blake and Coleridge, he is one of the most visionary lyricist’s Britain has ever produced. Roy Harper has an inimitable, wildly original and creative style and is also a virtuosic guitar player and singer. The only reason he remains on the fringe of fame, is because of his totally unyielding attitude to record executives, who for example balked at his most treasured album by many ‘Stormcock’, which only has 4 songs, all roughly 10 minutes long, and were considered ‘rambling ‘, ‘inaccessible’ and ‘esoteric’ and not radio friendly at all. He bent to no one and annoyed the money-men a lot and probably irritatingly for Roy, as a result has more vicarious fame through his associations with Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, than for his stellar recording career. He is seeing something of a resurgence now though, with artists Joanna Newsome, Fleet Foxes and Jonathan Wilson all professing a serious admiration and love for his music, which has introduced his back catalogue to a whole new generation of music lovers. Successful indie label Bella Union has released his new album to real acclaim and he deserves every bit of the limelight and success he’s been long overdue.

GROW GEAR Grow Gear gives you a taste of our advertiser’s premier products, from popular classics to new-fangled curiosities. We can’t guarantee that they’re right for you, but we can tell you that we wouldn’t have them in HYDROMAG if we didn’t respect their work. Even if you aren’t in the market for something new, Grow Gear is well worth a read.

ATAMI The Dynamic Duo - Bloombastic & Rootbastic Our well-known Bloombastic is now bundled with 50 ml of Rootbastic. Here at Atami we do not brag about our products, instead we prefer to let them speak for themselves. A stimulant for your roots and your flowers in 1 package. Bloombastic is a high-quality cocktail of bio-minerals and bio-stimulators that is suitable for the last flowering and ripening phase (4-6 weeks). Bloombastic increases the sugar content of your crop and therefore the weight and the smell. Rootbastic is a highly concentrated supplement/ additive which should be used in the beginning of the rooting phase during the first 3 weeks of the growth of the plant. Increases the E.C. level based on your nutrient solution. Rootbastic ensures a proper development of the root system of the plant. Follow us on facebook and twitter and we will keep you informed! More info: www.bloombastic.com | www.rootbastic.com | www.atami.com

ATAMI Wilma Systems The co-developed Atami Wilmasystem by Atami BV is since its launch a worl wide success, which is particularly due to the combination of versatility, quality and simplicity. This culture system is designed so that everyone can handle it, thus can be used at any location and ideal in combination with tents. The Wilma system is a tank and irrigation system in a set up and available as a stand alone, or in reciculating edd and flood. The Wilma system scan be used in combination with any medium, the pots are easy to install and easy to remove, if necessary without removing the nutrition supply to the other pots. This highly versatile system is available in 6,5, 11 and 18L pots, using the easy setup and automatic feeding saves a lot of work and you get great results in any medium. For more information you can visit us at www.atami.com

Grow Gear gives you a taste of our advertiser’s premier products, from popular classics to new-fangled curiosities. We can’t guarantee that they’re right for you, but we can tell you that we wouldn’t have them in HYDROMAG if we didn’t respect their work. Even if you aren’t in the market for something new, Grow Gear is well worth a read.

CANNA Calendar 2014 - OUT NOW! CANNA has selected once again the finest girls for you to make an awesome calendar for 2014! On our brand new website you can ﬁnd all the ins and outs about the making oﬀ of the calendar and more information about the calendar girls. Can’t wait for the calendar? Visit www.canna-calendar.com

CANNA Find Mr. & Mrs. BoosT Mr. & Mrs. BoosT are the experts of CANNA that know everything about CANNABOOST. This lovely couple will be travelling around the UK in the last few months of 2013 and are ready for you! They are able to answer all your CANNABOOST questions and might be able to tell you even more about CANNABOOST. Want to know where they are? Well like us on facebook and stay up to date where you can ﬁnd Mr. & Mrs. BoosT. Visit www.facebook.com/GetboostedUK

METROP MR2 Metrop MR2 is a high concentrated liquid Flower fertilizer. Maximum use is 100ml/100 litre water. That means you dont have to carry large bottles of fertilizers anymore. In the MR2 Flower fertilizer, the NPK and micro-elements balance is specially composed to produce the highest possible yield from the plant. Because The more potassium to a flower, the fatter the flower ! That is the basic rule, but for the maximum volume increase, you need twice the potassium than phosphorus !! That is why MR2 is a flower fertilizer and PK booster in one. Also the MR2 assures the availability of magnesium for optimal chlorophyll and protein synthesis.

GROW GEAR G.E.T The Aroma Formula What makes us diﬀerent, it is the way we feed your plants! Nothing eats the same each day and why should we feed our plants the same way everyday. Plants needs change every few days and TAF allows you to tailor make your nutrients for your favorite plants. Watch your plants then apply TAF, in the way they grow. Want to learn more go to www.thearomaformula.com

G.E.T Power Thrive Want to help your garden grow, it’s simple! Feed them PT along with your favorite nutrient solution such as The Aroma Formula or Lets Grow and Bloom and watch them ﬂourish. PT provides plants with every known mineral that plants want. Rest assured that with our customer satisfaction guarantee no one has ever returned a bottle because of the PT performs. Works with all nutrient formulas to date.

PLAGRON Terra Grow & Terra Bloom Together, Terra Grow and Terra Bloom, guarantee the highest yield. By growing mineral with Terra Grow and Terra Bloom, you can benefit from a stable self-regulating pH-value and you are able to determine the EC-value of the nutrient water. The roots absorb the most optimal level of nutrition which makes the plant grow fast. Besides, with Terra Grow and Terra Bloom you can react fast on the nutritional need of the plant. The results are visible in only one day because the roots are able to absorb these fertilisers directly. Terra Grow is a highly concentrated mineral basic fertiliser that can be used in the plant’s growing phase. This liquid fertiliser ensures optimum fertilisation during the plant’s growth and supports and promotes a solid foundation. Terra Bloom is also a mineral fertiliser and can be used in the flowering phase. This basic plant food supports and promotes flower development. Together, Terra Grow and Terra Bloom are the perfect partnership for optimum growth, flowering and yield – and a much better flavour! The advantages of Terra Grow and Terra Bloom: - Guarantees optimal fruit setting. - Immediately absorbable. - Can be used on all types of soil. - Suitable for all watering systems. - Combats deficiency phenomena, diseases and stress. For the best result, combine Terra Grow and Terra Bloom with Lightmix or Growmix, the substrates from the 100% TERRA grow style. This is the perfect grow style for growers who value the highest yield. Do you have any questions? servicedesk@plagron.com For additional information about Terra Grow, Terra Bloom and other products, www.plagron.com

OPTICLIMATE Ultimate Climate Control The all-singing, all-dancing climate control unit. With the functionality to cool, heat, dehumidify, filter and circulate the air in your grow room, you will barely need any other equipment! The Opticlimate performs all of this with only the need of a cold water supply, simply attach to your mains water supply and you’re away! The heat from your room is transferred to the water and conveniently disposed of. Catering for a wide range of growers, these have the ability to control an environment housing anywhere from six, up to twenty four 600w lights depending on the particular model.

COMPETITION...

Worth

£550.00

Our BIGGEST competition prize yet

This is our biggest competition prize yet… very kindly donated by the hydroponic philanthropist’s from Dutch Garden Supplies, the Issue 007 competition is for this lovely 1000w / 400v ePapillon unit worth a whopping £550, and if you’re not happy with that, the guys at Dutch Garden (Birmingham) have also chucked in 5 Co2 pads for the runner-up prizes. How about that? For more info on the dPapillon light, see this issues ‘FAVE’ section.

This month’s prize is donated by Dutch Garden Supplies

ePAPILLON 1000W LIGHT REFLECTOR & BALLAST IN ONE SUPPLIED WITH PHILLIPS GREEN POWER LAMP

HOW TO ENTER...

To be in with a chance of winning this excellent prize, simply send us a postcard with your name, email and phone number and send it to the address below. Or visit www.facebook.com/HYDROMAG, like us, then find the ePapillon light image and click ‘like’ on the picture. Winners will be chosen at random on March 1st 2014. POST TO: HYDROMAG COMPETITION, No.5 The Old Bakery, 90 Acre St, Lindley, Huddersfield, HD3 3EL

AVAILABLE JOR T H R O U G H MA DISTRIBUTORS WORLDWIDE

HYDRO-SCOPE.COM

not just a fertilizer...

W W W. B I O B I Z Z .C O M

LETTERS

The HYDROMAG surgery is open for business...

It’s often said frequent questioning is the key to wisdom. That’s certainly a maxim that we at HYDROMAG like to adhere to. Question authority, question assumptions … Question your sexuality! But most importantly – growers – submit your questions to our resident expert Bill Sutherland (perhaps not about your sexuality). Try to keep them focussed on hydroponics too. In this issue, Bill had some questions of his own. So keep reading and see how his question-ping-pong panned out with Pete, UK.

Get in touch with us by writing to us at: 5, The Old Bakery, 90 Acre St, Lindley, Huddersﬁeld, West Yorkshire, England, HD3 3EL or alternatively email Bill directly bill@hydromag.co.uk You can also get in touch via Facebook & Twitter: facebook.com/hydromag twitter.com/hydromagazine

Browned off with brown spots Hello Bill, What are these brown spots please? (See photo attached) Pete, UK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hi Pete, I have a few questions of my own before I can answer that definitively. Here goes: How old are the affected leaves? Are these spots on new leaves or just the older ones? How often do you change your nutrients? How far away is your light from the plants? What’s the temperature of your growing area? Do you have any air pumps in your system? I.e. Do your plants get plenty of dissolved oxygen? Cheers, Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

REPLY FROM PETE

REPLY FROM BILL

Hello In reply to your questions...

Thanks for getting back! Okay, brown spots aﬀecting all your leaves would suggest there’s a nutrient problem. Changing your nutrient once every two weeks is not enough. Nutrient solution is basically no good if you leave it for two weeks. It’s the equivalent of someone eating buﬀet food after it’s been left out all day. There’s food – but would you want to eat it?

It seems to be aﬀecting all leaves; old and new. Nutrients have been changed once about 2 weeks ago to a stronger nutrient base. The indoor temperature of the tent is 20-26c. Water temperature is steady at 20c.There is plenty of dissolved oxygen in the water. Also the tent humidity ranges from 40-50%. Thanks Bill! Please advise. Hopefully this helps! Pete

NICE POSTCARD As you may know, our Pete is a bit partial to a scenic postcard or two. So imagine his glee when these two beauties came through the HYDROMAG letterbox. To say Thank You, some previously unclaimed competition prizes are on their way to you.

Moving on to the temperature - lettuce is a cool weather crop so 26c is too high. Your water temperature is okay but it’s on the high end of what’s acceptable. Watch out for that one! When you say there’s plenty of dissolved oxygen you must be using air pumps. That’s good. I’d be interested to know the colour of the plant’s roots though. There’s no mention of them and they’re not visible in the photo. Putting on my thinking cap I’d say overall the temperature and lack of nutrients seem to be the culprit. These are the ﬁrst things you’ve got to change. I see this over and over. Growers scratching their heads saying “but there’s still food in my water by my readings?” Unfortunately changing nutrients once every two weeks isn’t going to cut it. A commercial greenhouse will change them daily. One greenhouse I know went through nearly £500,000.00 worth of plant foods in just one year. It’s worth it because they sell millions of tomatoes (something they wouldn’t have done without this investment). Growers, for example, have a 1000 watt lamp and budget for £60 worth of electricity for three months. They’ll put aside £60 for plant food and at the end of the three months they might well have some plant food left over but in all probability ﬁnd their electricity bill is £10, £20 higher than anticipated. Because the electrical use is something they can’t avoid, they often skimp on the plant foods but to get those great plants we need to give it balance. Unfortunately using the same solution for two weeks means the balance simply will not be there. Cheers Bill