AUS_NovDec10

AUSTRALIA November-December 2010

FREE

EXOTIC ORCHIDS

A GROWING OBSESSION NCE

IE O SC R D Y

H

TESTING

& TRIALLING

IN THE GROW ROOM

2011

Indoor gardenING expo Denver

SAN FRancisco

long beach

March 31-April 3, 2001

July 16-17, 2011

October 22-23, 2011

Colorado, USA

California, USA

california, usa

indoorgardeningexpo.com

CONTENTS

november / december 2010

FEATURES 16

16

Testing and Trialling

26

Pass the Parsley

28

What is Foliar Feeding

34

Exotic Orchids at Home

39

The ABCs of Hydroponics - Part 1

40

The Amazing Hemp Plant

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

by Emma Cooper

by DutchMaster

by Matt LeBannister

by Michael Bloch

DEPARTMENTS

26

4

From the Editor

4

Letters to the Editor

6

MaximumYield.com

8

Simon Says

10

MAX Facts

12

Product Spotlight

36

You Tell Us - Humboldt Nutrients

42

Max-Mart

44

Retail Directory

46

Coming up in January/February

46

Do You Know?

34 Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

3

FROM THE editor

jessica raymond

Make sure your grow room or greenhouse is fit for summer by putting suggestions from the pros into practice. We’ve covered the bases for you, so you don’t have to. Impress your guests with Big Yields and Exotic Orchids this Christmas season; bone up on hemp facts; tackle foliar feeding; and start a grow trial. All this and more is inside this holiday edition.

Don’t put down this issue until you read up on Humboldt Nutrients—specialists in the world’s best hydroponic, natural and organic nutrients and additives—in You Tell Us (pg. 36), coming soon to your favourite hydro shop.

Here at MY HQ we’re planning and preparing for a busy 2011 and we’ve got you, the reader, in mind. Keep a lookout for new issues of MaxiJessica Raymond, Editor mum Yield’s monthly E-News, Aussie contests, new local contributors, news from Australia editor@maximumyield.com and the world and the best grow tips from the best indoor gardening magazine. Email me today at editor@maximumyield.com and tell me what you want to see in 2011.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the MY crew.

letters to the editor Food Grows in Concrete Jungle

What an awesome world we live in where even crowded urban centres offer a chance to connect with the natural world. I appreciate that you recognized “Wildman” Steve Brill and his foraging adventures. I talked my partner into joining me on one such adventure. Not only did we have a great time, but we learned a heck of a lot and got the real, unveiled view of our city and its food offerings. I frequent YouTube to check out his videos. Another naturalist to check out on YouTube is Andrew Price. His videos follow him on an outdoor food journey—on the beach, in hedges and in the woods—as he discovers nature’s edibles. You should check it out.

Adam Garrison

The Future of Food Production

Only the Beginning

Henry Danforth

Ron Thomas

I enjoy reading your publication whenever I can get it. It is full of useful articles written by the best and most dedicated people in the industry, but I don’t have to tell you that.

They wouldn’t be in your magazine if they weren’t the best in the industry. I also depend on your product reviews to keep up-to-date on the ever-changing industry products. The advertisements and the articles are my main influence in making purchasing decisions. They help me make confident, informed decisions.I am not a big, commercial grower; just a hobby gardener. I have been growing in soil for about 45 years and only in the past year have I become interested in hydroponics or as I think of it, the future of gardening. It is the future of food production and I am excited to play with the technology. Again, thank you very much for your great contribution to this emerging way of life.

Maximum Yield reserves the right to edit for brevity.

We want to hear from you!

Write us at: Maximum Yield Publications Inc. 2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 or Email us at: editor@maximumyield.com

4

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

I really enjoyed your article about the new breed of high intensity LED lighting in your Sept/ Oct issue of Maximum Yield Australia. I have wanted to switch to LED lighting since I first heard about them. Out of all the research that I’ve done, the problem for me is the smaller yields with some LED lights compared to HID lighting. I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times at this point.

Since indoor gardeners are experimenting with these new lights, I’m assuming that they’re available to the public. My question to you is where can I find these new lights and how much do they cost?

LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are lighting up indoor grow rooms around the globe. LEDs come in all shapes, sizes and prices. The best place to peruse your LED options is at an indoor gardening/hydroponic retail shop. The knowledgeable storeowners in our industry will be able to detail the various types available and outline the pros and cons of each to help you make a purchasing decision.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

5

Coming up on the Web Featured Articles Demystifying Nutrient Solutions The objective of this article is to provide the reader with an understanding of how to formulate and use a nutrient solution for a hydroponic growing system.

Maddening Mildew Powdery mildew, a frustrating and oftentimes reoccurring disease, can be conquered. This article helps you understand how it develops and spreads and exactly what you’re up against.

Agricultural Apocalypse Urban gardeners around the world can hone their skills for the day when small scale food production takes its rightful place in the food chain and becomes a prestigious and lucrative activity.

I N D O O R

G A R D E N I N G

VOLUME 8 – NUMBER 4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA Maximum Yield is published bi-monthly by Maximum Yield Publications Inc. 2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

If undeliverable please return to the address above.

The views expressed by columnists are a personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect those of Maximum Yield or the Editor.

Publication Agreement Number 40739092 PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim Jesson GENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda Jesson SALES DIRECTOR - Lisa Lambersek EDITOR - Jessica Raymond jessica@maximumyield.com ADVERTISING SALES 250.729.2677 Linda Jesson - linda@maximumyield.com Lisa Lambersek - lisa@maximumyield.com Ilona Hawser - ilona@maximumyield.com Ashley Heppell - ashley@maximumyield.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN ads@ads.maximumyield.com Wes Cargill - wes@maximumyield.com Daniel Peters - daniel@maximumyield.com Nicole Tennison - nicole@maximumyield.com Mike Linden - mike@maximumyield.com ACCOUNTING

Get in the Know

- Lee Anne Veres leeanne@maximumyield.com

Are you a subscriber to Maximum Yield’s E-News? You should be, and here’s why: Every month, Maximum Yield mails out our free newsletter full of the latest news, grow tips, upcoming events and more. Subscribe today at http://maximumyield.com/newsletter.php and get in the know.

Maximum Yield Announces 2011 Expo Tour - Get Ready to Grow Big The 2011 Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo Tour has been announced and we are proud to be hosting in three vibrant American cities: Colorado (March 31 - April 3), San Francisco (July 16 - 17) and Long Beach (October 22 - 23). Full details and dates will be available at www.indoorgardeningexpo.com

Connect with Maximum Yield www.maximumyield.com www.facebook.com/MaximumYield www.indoorgardeningexpo.com

Tell us what you think at editor@maximumyield.com. We’d love to hear from you.

contributors

Matt LeBannister developed a

Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort.

green thumb as a child, having been born into a family of experienced gardeners. During his career, he has managed a hydroponic retail store and represented leading companies at the Indoor Gardening Expos. Matt has been writing articles for Maximum Yield since 2007. His articles are published around the world.

Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic greenhouse production from Massey University, New Zealand. Lynette is a partner with SUNTEC International Hydroponic Consultants and has authored five hydroponic technical books. Visit www.suntec.co.nz/ consultants.htm and www.suntec. co.nz/books.htm for more information.

Emma Cooper is the voice of the

Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast and writes about kitchen gardening and environmental issues. An edible plant geek, she tries to grow her own food sustainably with the help of a reluctant husband and two pet chickens. Visit http://coopette.com for more information.

6

AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION Dome Garden Supply Futchatec Growth Technology Holland Forge House N’ Garden Hydrogarden Hydraspher UK DISTRIBUTION Growth Technology Hydrogarden Northern Hydroponic Wholesale Nutriculture UK CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION Brite-Lite Group Biofloral Eddis Wholesale Greenstar Plant Products Inc. Hydrotek MegaWatt Quality Wholesale USA DISTRIBUTION Aurora Innovations BWGS BWGS East BWGS West General Hydroponics Hydrofarm Hydro International National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply R&M Supply Tradewinds

Michael Bloch is the owner and editor of GreenLivingTips.com, an online resource powered by renewable energy. The site offers a wide variety of earth friendly tips, green guides, advice and environment-related news to help consumers and businesses reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact.

Become a Maximum Yield contributor and have your articles read by 250,000 readers throughout USA, Canada, UK and Australia. Maximum Yield is the largest free-to-consumer indoor gardening magazine in the world. Every issue is available on maximumyield.com, which has thousands of unique visitors monthly.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

7

SIMON says

Hi Simon, I want to use the water from my rain barrel to water my indoor plants.

Currently the rain barrel has a screen over it. What can I do to get rid of any negative substances or organisms in the water, in addition to the screen, before using the water inside? Maximum Yield is doing great work. The articles are educational and inspiring. I’ve learned a lot from this magazine. Keep up the great work.

Hue Captured rainwater is a valuable asset for gardeners. Although most people use that water outside, it’s a great idea to use it in your indoor space. For an indoor garden, rainwater presents some problems that an outdoor gardener may not consider. Be mindful of algae and mineralization (such as zinc coating for moss reduction on roofing), which can come off roofing materials. In addition, microbes will invariably follow the water down the gutters and into your catchment area. A screen does a great job of filtering debris but won’t help with algae or microbes.

Sterilizing the water is good idea given the lack of biological diversity found in indoor gardens and the speed at which pathogens can spread. The use of an oxidizer such as hydrogen peroxide or ozone is the easiest and most cost effective way to purify your water.You can also pump it through a reverse osmosis machine, which will last a long time between filter changes due to the relative purity of rainwater.

Considering the purity of the water, you should also consider using it to inoculate your garden media with beneficial microbes. Consider using it for your own aerated compost tea or commercially available beneficial microbes.

Good luck in the garden.

MY Do you have a question for Simon?

Send it to simon@maximumyield.com with the words “Simon Says” in the subject line, and your answer will be printed in an upcoming edition.

8

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Maximum Maximum Yield YieldAustralia | November/December Australia | September/October 2010

9

MAX

facts

hydroponic news, tips and trivia from around the world

Maximum Yield Announces 2011 Expo Tour - Get Ready to Grow Big __________________________________ The 2011 Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo Tour has been announced and we are proud to be hosting in Colorado (Mar 31 - April 3, 2011), San Francisco (July 16 - 17) and Long Beach (October 22 - 23). Full details and dates will be available made available on www.indoorgardeningexpo.com. The Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expos are the industry’s best opportunity to meet with manufacturers and check out the latest and greatest products, technologies and techniques. The Maximum Yield Expo Experience is a two-day, pre-eminent educational event. Plan to take a trip to the United States and attend one, two or all three of these phenomenal 2011 events.

For more information call Maximum Yield at 1-250-729-2677 and stay tuned to indoorgardeningexpo.com for event updates and details for each expo.

Study Shows How Organic Labels Trick People Into Eating More ________ A new study confirms that consumers think products with organic labels are healthier and less fattening. The study was done with organic Oreos. Students, 114 to be exact, were asked to read the labels of both conventional Oreos, and the ones made with organic sugar and flour. Then they were asked which they could eat more of. Most thought that the organic Oreos had fewer calories and that they could eat more of them.

In another test, 215 college students read a story about a character who wanted to lose weight, but wanted to skip her usual after-dinner run. Participants read she had eaten either an organic or regular non-organic dessert. Then they rated whether it was okay for her to skip the run. The participants were more lenient toward the character if she had eaten the organic dessert instead of the conventional one.

So, a product with just as many calories, just as much fat from a whole lot of palm oil are perceived to be healthier to the point that you can skip your after dinner run.

(Source: www.treehugger.com)

Green Renters in Australia ________________________________ Nearly 30 per cent of people residing in Australia are in rental accommodations and many are keen to make improvements to their rental properties of their own initiatives such as veggie patches, energy efficient light bulbs and water saving devices. But one of the difficulties is that that a lot of people are genuinely fearful if they request or undertake any improvements to their property it might get them off-side with the landlord.

Green Renters started in 2009 after being tired of visiting environmental exhibitions and conferences and finding that the bulk of the information was targeting homeowners. In many respects renters were put in the 'too hard basket' as they were considered a group that lacked legal status, cohesiveness, economic power and a sense of permanence. The Green Renters website is full of simple, time effective and cost effective tips and ideas to turn your home, no matter how temporary, into a sustainable reality.

(Source: www.greenrenters.org)

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Bright New Dry Bean for Salads and Other Foods ________________________ Crimson, a new cranberry dry bean cultivar, is now available for production in the form of foundation seed that could give rise to a new bumper crop of the colourful legumes for 2010.

Crimson was developed by scientists from a cross between the commercial cultivar Cardinal and a dry bean breeding line. The combination of the two parents has endowed Crimson with viral disease resistance and a high yield of shapely, maroon-speckled seed.

Crimson owes its prized seed features and disease resistance to Cardinal, and specifically that cultivar's genes. The new cultivar also can tolerate the bean rust fungus.

Crimson's high yield comes from a breeding line, which brings diversity from a tropic bean into the mix. In tests across the country, Crimson produced on average 150 pounds more seed per acre than Capri, a top-performing commercial cultivar used for comparison. Crimson's plants also matured two days earlier than Capri.

(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)

House Built From Hemp is Full of Green Surprises _____________ Houses are now being made of Hemcrete, a mix of British hemp stems that is grown without agrichemicals, and processed without a lot of energy and no toxic products.

It is chopped and graded and mixed with a binder made from hydrated lime. It sequesters 110 kilograms of carbon dioxide per cubic metre of material. The hemp material isn't structural, so the house has a wood frame, but it is a great insulator and sound absorbent, and will give a complete seal.

The design focuses on non-toxic/chemical free and clean air; living and working environments. Every single material in the house, from the foundation up, was looked at and questioned.

(Source: www.treehugger.com)

Controlled Aquaculture ___________________________________ Fast-growing farm-raised salmon and trout that are sterile can now be produced using a method that blocks reproduction. This method allows researchers to more efficiently and reliably produce fish that have three sets of chromosomes. Fish with the extra set of chromosomes can't reproduce, so the energy from the food they eat is shifted from reproduction to growth.

Bigger fish for consumers and sterile fish for producers and anglers are the goals. Researchers and biologists have investigated the earliest stages of fish development, and developed a more effective way to produce rainbow trout that have four sets of chromosomes. Those trout are then crossed with typical fish that have two chromosome sets, yielding offspring that have the desired three sets of chromosomes.

Fish physiologists have improved on that method, and preliminary studies have expanded its application to Atlantic salmon, brook trout and brown trout. They are also in the process of breeding these fish for experiments that will determine whether three-chromosome-set fish are good performers in terms of production traits such as growth to market size, stress tolerance and disease resistance.

(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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PRODUCT spotlight

See it. Want it. Find it at your favourite indoor gardening shop.

Master A and B from Humboldt Nutrients Now Available in Australia ____ Humboldt Nutrients Master A and B is a premium, naturally derived, two part amino acid-based fertilizer program. The chelates, combined with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, complex organic compounds and other trace elements, allow your plants to effectively utilize all available nutrients. Amino acid chelates provide a much lower salt-index, eliminating potential salt build-up and nutrient lockout, and allowing microorganisms to thrive and multiply. We assure that your yields and quality will increase so dramatically that your friends will call you the master.To learn more about Master A and B visit your favourite hydro shop.

Smarten Up With Smart Garden® Disease Protector by Nutrifield® Smart Garden Disease Protector® (previously Defence System) prevents and cures diseases like black spot, rust and powdery mildew and stimulates the plant to turn on its natural defence system. Disease Protector helps plants produce abundant, healthy roots while increasing their drought tolerance. Once the micro-organisms make contact with roots, they begin to colonize the surface area. They then flood the plant’s rhizosphere with beneficial bacteria. These micro-organisms can devour an enormous amount of fungi, including pathogens—Rhizoctonia, Scerotinia, Fusarium and Verticillium, and the Straminopiles Pythium and Phytophthora. For more information about this product, please visit your local indoor gardening shop.

Stimulate Your Rootz ___________________ Cash Crop’s Rootz is an organic based root stimulator.

It consists of a special blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, humates, microelements and natural hormones derived from seaweed kelp, leonardite rock and natural minerals. Rootz is made for performance in hydroponic applications. Use Rootz in the early stages of plant growth. Can also be used as a stimulator for seed germination and root stimulant for cuttings. For more information visit your favourite indoor gardening or hydroponics retailer.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Australia’s Toughest Flexi Tub_____________________ Tuffys™ is the toughest and most affordable Flexi-Tub around. These 42 litre tubs feature double strength handle ribs, and come with a one year unbreakable guarantee (conditions apply). Available in eight colours.

Custom colours are also available.

Durable Flexi-Tubs are manufactured

by BatPhone in Brisbane, Australia for quality assurance and inventory control. Visit your favourite indoor gardening shop for more information.

Hydro-Logic Introduces the Evolution in Reverse Osmosis ______________________ Hydro-Logic is very proud to announce the latest addition to our family of professional quality water filters. The Evolution-RO1000 will produce 4,550 litres (1,000 gallons) per day of ultra low PPM water at only 60 psi. This is a breakthrough in reverse osmosis (RO) technology and sets a new standard for high flow RO systems capable of light commercial applications. The system includes a proprietary KDF/catalytic carbon pre-filter that reduces chlorine, chloramines, iron, sulphur and heavy metals— great for city or well water. The Evolution-RO1000 boasts a two to one waste water to RO water ratio—the lowest in the industry. All these features come in a super compact design and include all the parts necessary to start producing pure water immediately.

Pure water's not magic, it's logic! The Evolution will replace our Merlin.

For more information visit your favourite indoor gardening shop.

GGL Bulbs - Lighting the Digital Age _______ GGL Bulbs are designed specifically for digital ballasts, using the ultimate light spectrum for indoor gardening.

GGL sourced a Japanese bulb manufacturer to build the perfect HPS bulb. These bulbs are sturdy enough to handle both the high frequencies of digital ballasts and the power spike associated with coil ballasts.

By combining superior components and the right formula of gases, GGL has developed a light spectrum specifically formatted to stimulate indoor gardening cycles. The results are bulbs that give consistent levels of performance, lumen output and have long life.

Available in 400, 600 and 1,000 watt sizes. For more information visit an indoor gardening shop near you.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

13

PRODUCT spotlight

See it. Want it. Find it at your favourite indoor gardening shop.

Hanna Instruments Upgrades Combination Meter _________________ Hanna Instruments presents the HI 9813-6N meter, upgraded from the HI 9813-6 meter.

It is a versatile, water resistant multi-parameter (pH/EC/TDS) portable meter specifically designed for agricultural applications such as hydroponics, greenhouses, farming and nurseries. It features a larger LCD screen, tutorial messages for calibration, a new battery level indicator and lowered calibration knobs, which prevents calibration loss. The HI 9813-6N uses our exclusive Cal Check™ feature to check probe calibration status at any point during measurement. Order meters from your local hydroponics/indoor gardening retailer today.

Mayan MicroZyme from Humboldt Nutrients Now Available in Australia Mayan MicroZyme (MMZ) is an organic bacterial-enzymatic complex with biological nitrogen fixation achieved through the use of 24 species of micro-organisms. MMZ increases fertility while providing vital nutrients to plants, and increases their protein levels. The bacteria in MMZ are non-pathogenic, non-toxic and are resistant to extreme temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. MMZ mineralizes nutrients, produces nitrogen, natural antibiotics and plant growth hormones. As well, MMZ regulates nitrogen, builds organic matter in the soil, suppresses pathogens and improves fertility and yields. Ask your local hydro shop to carry Mayan MicroZyme from Humboldt Nutrients.

Instant Karma ________ Cash Crop’s Instant Karma is a natural flower, brix, resin and yield stimulator. This is the pride and signature product of Cash Crop Co. Instant Karma consists of a special blend of natural mineral phosphate, potassium, manganese and boron. It is not the amount of the elements in Instant Karma that make it perform so well; it’s the quality of the ingredients.

To be used from the fourth week of the flowering cycle until the last two weeks. For more information visit your favourite indoor gardening shop.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Smarten Up With Smart Garden® Plant Starter by Nutrifield® ___________ Smart Garden Plant Starter® (previously X10 Boost) provides the essential nutrition for young plants during the cutting stage.

It causes rapid root production to help seedlings and cuttings develop. Plant Starter stimulates the extension of a plant’s root system, ensuring reproductive success and increasing drought resistance. Plant Starter also provides protection from parasitic fungi and nematode infection by effectively increasing the amount of beneficial bacteria in your medium, therefore, restoring the bio-balance to your plant’s health. For more information about this product, please visit an indoor gardening shop near you.

Smarten Up With Smart Garden® Compost Tea Organic Accelerator by Nutrifield® ___________ Smart Garden® Compost Tea Organic Accelerator by Nutrifield® (previously Take Off) speeds up the activation of your compost. This organic plant invigorator decomposes dead roots, and if used as a foliar spray, fixes food directly to the leaves to increase plant health. Compost Tea Organic Accelerator is your dormant micro-organism arsenal that invigorates your plant’s rhizosphere. It also includes predatory micro-organisms to ward off pathogens and has the ability to fix minerals to enhance the uptake of nutrients and water. For more information about this product, please visit your local indoor gardening shop.

Oneness from Humboldt Nutrients Now Available in Australia ___________________ Through extensive research and development, the Humboldt Nutrients team has created the first naturally chelated, biodegradable, one-part formula on the market. Oneness is Humboldt Nutrients own unique blend of plant-based amino and organic acid chelates, concentrated in a solution with complex carbohydrates, secondary nutrients and micronutrients. Formulated with over 30 separate, proprietary natural chelates, Oneness ensures that your crops receive adequate nutrition. When foliar sprayed, the trademarked phosphorus booster makes photosynthesis in your plants function optimally, while the wide range of nutrients correct any potential deficiencies.

To learn more about Oneness visit your local hydro shop. MY

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

15

&

Testing

Trialling

16

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

by Dr. Lynette Morgan Not all of us are science geeks, but sometimes we need science to help us make important decisions about how we grow our crops. Horticulture is one branch of applied science that there is still much to learn about and even small growers can discover and investigate new ideas. Most of us have tried a new product, nutrient formulation, growth promotant or pest spray to see how well it performs on our plants, but often the results are just speculation. Natural variation within biological systems involving plants is so common that determining if there is an actual effect can be difficult unless the set-up is precise and correct in the first place. However, with good planning, knowledge of the correct scientific method and some basic math, accurate testing and trialling is possible.

The dangers of informal comparisons Unfortunately, many bad decisions and misinterpretations have been made because of informal plant tests. Applying a new product to be tested and ‘seeing how it goes’ doesn’t generate conclusive answers and may give an inaccurate result as to the effectiveness of the treatment. Tests must be compared to something else for the results to be relevant. The new idea, product or system is termed the ‘treatment’ and what it is compared against is called the ‘control.’ The control is a separate set of plants grown under the same conditions, to which the treatment is not applied. The treatment plants and control plants form the basis of the trial and accurate comparisons can be made.

Step 1. Ask a question All good experiments originate from a basic question. For instance, ‘Will this new product make my crop grow faster or producer higher yields?’ Depending on your production philosophy, other questions might involve wanting to know if organic pest control methods are effective, or if water treatment reduces the occurrence of pythium. Asking such questions leads to forming the hypothesis of the experiment—a statement about what the predicted result of the experiment might be. The experiment either proves or disproves the hypothesis.

Step 2.

Just using one or two plants per treatment is not sufficient for a correctly run trial and may lead to incorrect conclusions.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

17

Testing

and Trialling

Restrict biological bias

most reliable way of creating treatment groups that all start out exactly the same.

The problem with plant trials is that It prevents the largest seedlings or heaviplants are naturally quite variable. Even est plants from being selected for one within a crop sown at the same time, of treatment, while smaller plants end up the same cultivar and grown in the same in another—a major source of bias that environment, natural variations will exist gives incorrect results. in growth and yields from plant to plant.

Replication is equally important; suffiWith a correctly run trial, we want to cient replication improves the signifireduce this natural variation as much as cance of the result and reduces result varpossible; otherwise we might incorrectly Step 3. Replication and iability. Generally, in small experiments, assume that some naturally occurring difrandomization three or more replications are used, with ferences were caused by the treatment we To try to reduce the natural bias that each replication having at least six to 10 applied and assume the wrong concluplant experiments are prone to, replicaplants. For example, in a basic experiment sions. A good example of natural bias is involving tomatoes there would be two tion and randomization are used. In taking one or two plants and applying a randomized experimental design, treatments: (i) the old nutrient product, different treatments to each. Many plants plants or plots of plants are randomly which is the control treatment and (ii) are required to ensure that the differthe new nutrient product to be ences are more likely to be due to the treatment rather “To try and reduce the natural tested. Each of these treatments (control and new nutrient) than just some natural varibias that plant experiments would have three sets (replicaation between a small set of are prone to, replication and tions) each containing six or individual plants. Another randomization are used.” more plants. This gives a total of common mistake is putting six sets of six plants. Once the all of the treatment plants in data from this is obtained, it can be easily assigned to an experimental group a group and putting the control plants of treatment. Randomization is the analysed to determine if the new nutrient in a separate group across the other side of the growing area. There are always slight differences in temperature, humidity and light within a growing area, so any differences between the two sets of plants might be due to slight differences in their growing environment, rather than an indication of the treatment results.

n g i f nt e s e i o r e t d u e n ne (th l t w p e n , a nhe old o 3 p Examperime Ste ainst t n i x e e be: ampltested ag d l x e u o e

th being pw u g n t i e s nts ts Us oduct ), l a l a p t n pr ntrol erime six ix plan nts t n e co e exp tri rient s six pla u n th nts ts ew w nut rient a l n p 1 – – ne w nut six ix plan nts p t e n e R p2 n utrie trient s six pla n Re p 3 – l o t u Re ontr ntrol n nutrien c 1 – – co ntrol p e R p2 co Re p 3 – Re

18

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Side by side comparisons may not show differences, but the ‘hard’ data recorded from the crop might.

had a significant effect or not. This is far more accurate than simply dividing six plants into two separate treatment groups as the replications help eliminate some of that natural variation plants are prone to.

Each of the three reps of six plants would then be randomly assigned a position in the growing area. When the plants are measured or assessed, the data from each treatment replication is kept separate so that some statistics can be carried out to determine if differences caused by the new treatment actually exist.

Once the trial is up and running it is vital that, apart from the treatment being applied, all plants in the experiment are treated exactly the same. This means they are given the same amount of light, water, nutrients, pest and disease control (if needed during the trial) and any other growth factors, so as not to compromise the trial. The different treatments and replications need to be grown at the same time and they must be of the same species and cultivar (unless different species and cultivars are the actual trial).

Some growers choose to run their experiment more than once. This is a good idea if using a greenhouse or outdoor crop as seasons will affect the results of many trials. Running more than one trial over time can also confirm results of a certain treatment, which is worth doing to add weight to a product claim or a new idea being tested.

Natural variations in light, temperature and humidity tend to occur accross most growing environments, so experimental design is important to help prevent bias.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

19

Effective Micro-organisms

Testing

and Trialling

Unfortunately, many good plant trials have been wasted by not carrying out the correct assessment or measurements. Simply ‘eye-balling’ plants to see if there are any visible differences between treatments often gives rather inaccurate results, particularly if the treatments applied have highly visible labels so the assessor knows which is the control and which plants have been given the new treatment. Even when we try to be neutral, we tend to be influenced by what we want to see. Hoping a new treatment will grow faster can lead to the assessor seeing slight differences in height that are not actually there. Also, many successful treatments often have effects that can’t be seen by looking at the plants. Plants of the same height may have one treatment that is heavier or has a greater dry weight, or better tasting fruit, all of which can’t be measured by just looking at the

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Testing

and Trialing

Using photographic evidence of statistically proven results helps with presentation of experimental write ups.

to measure. There are obvious measurements such as plant weight at harvest or fruit yields per week, but sometimes determining the most treatments. Determinmeaninging what to measure ful data can and using analytical be difficult. data (weights, lengths, Plant height is leaf area index, not necessarily chemical composition, an indication nutritional analysis, etc.) gives of growth rate more accurate results than just having a or productivity. look-see at the plants.

Sometimes shorter, more branched plants produce more fruit than taller, leaner ones, and plant fresh weight may not be Step 4: Recording that meaningful if testing a product that Every aspect of an experiment should claims to increase fruit flavour. Fruit or be recorded: observations, applications, vegetable flavour assessment can be a measurements, calculations, conclusions, minefield as taste tests need to run coretc. This rectly and by serves two many differ“Even when we try to be purposes—it ent trained neutral, we tend to be allows others panellists to influenced by what we to follow get a true want to see.” your method indication of and achieve flavour imthe same results and it allows the trial to provement. There are also analytical tests be reviewed in case of an unexpected such as brix for sweetness, which can be result. Sometimes unintended biases can easily carried out by growers running occur in a trial and often reviewing resmall trials. Often in horticultural trials, cords can help the grower work out what percentage of dry plant matter is used as went wrong. Taking photographs of any a better indication of increased phototreatment differences or unusual occursynthesis and biomass production. With rences is also useful for future reference. hydroponic experiments, it is always a Part of the experimental design is good idea to keep track of EC, pH and careful consideration of what variables water usage between different treatments.

When trialling pest and disease control products other factors may be more relevant such as the number of live or dead insects after spray application, size of disease lesions, spray damage occurrence as well as overall yields and plant performance.

Step 5: What to do with the data Once the data has been collected from a trial—plant weight, height, leaf area, yield or any other ‘hard’ data—the first step to analysing the results is to find the mean or average from each treatment set. Just eyeballing a set of measurements and trying to decide which is highest, or totalling them, is not going to give an accurate answer. The mean value per treatment is required. The mean is calculated by adding up all the numbers for each treatment and dividing it by the number of plants in that treatment. Technically, with a true scientific trial, we would not

Record all differences and observations, roots, shoots, leaves, fruits, flowers as well as EC and pH in hydroponic trials.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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Testing

and Trialling

just stop at working out the mean of each treatment. While it gives us a rough indication of differences that might be significant, it is the variance of the data around the mean that gives the final answer as to whether a treatment had a relevant effect or not. It is not difficult to work out the variance and standard error of a set of data and is usually well covered in basic math courses. For those of us for whom school was quite a long time ago and who need a reminder the following links and references detail the process.

A well thought out and run trial with correctly analysed data can tell us a great deal about the effects of a new treatment and give sufficient credibility to make claims about a new idea, system, product or cultivar. However, plants are part of a biological system naturally prone to individual differences and biases, so understanding the experimental method and why it is used is a great tool for anyone wanting to carry out evaluations. MY

Information on handling trial data and statistical analysis

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•

The Really Easy Statistics Site www.biology.ed.ac.uk/research/groups/jdeacon/statistics/ tress1.html

•

Statistical Tests for Significance www.biology.ed.ac.uk/research/groups/jdeacon/statistics/ tress4.html

•

Statistics in Plant Physiology http://plantphys.info/plant_physiology/labpdf/statistics.pdf

•

“Practical Statistics and Experimental Design for Plant and Crop Science” by Alan G. Clewer

•

“Statistics For the Terrified” (4th Edition) by Gerald Kranzler, Janet Moursund and John H. Kranzler

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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by Emma Cooper

When I was growing up, one of my favourite meals was gammon with parsley sauce. So when I started my own kitchen garden, I was determined to grow plenty of parsley. I found that even with just a few containers on the patio, it was easy to grow plenty of fresh parsley and it was much cheaper than the herbs on sale at the grocery store.

There are two main types of parsley. Curly parsley is very pretty, and looks great when it’s growing (try using it as an edging plant) and as a garnish on the plate. The other type, flat-leafed parsley, is thought to have a better flavour and is therefore the choice of chefs and keen cooks.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Parsley grows best indoors, as warm growing conditions initiate quick seed germination.

Both types are grown in the same way.The seeds can be slow to germinate outdoors so growing them indoors is preferable. If you start them in pots undercover they will germinate faster, and the seedlings don’t mind being transplanted. Keep them well watered until they are established.

Parsley grows well in containers, and can tolerate some shade. It likes a more plentiful supply of water than some other herbs, and you’ll get better crops if the plants aren’t thirsty. A container grown plant will need feeding to keep growing fresh leaves.

Slugs will attack young seedlings, but once the plants have reached a reasonable size they’re pretty much trouble-free. A sowing in late summer/early fall will give you fresh leaves through mild winters and crops in spring before the spring-sown plants mature.

Parsley is a biennial, so it will flower in its second season. If you have the space, try leaving a flowering plant in place. Outdoors it will attract beneficial insects into the garden, and you can try saving your own parsley seeds for next year.

Two more unusual plants that you might want to consider growing are Hamburg parsley and Par-Cel. Hamburg parsley is a root crop, commonly grown in Europe, with a parsley flavour. Par-Cel is an herb that looks like parsley, but tastes like celery. Both can be grown from seed, so keep an eye out for them in your seed catalogues.

MY Emma Cooper is the voice of the Alternative Kitchen Garden podcast and writes about kitchen gardening and environmental issues. An edible plant geek, she tries to grow her own food sustainably with the help of a reluctant husband and two pet chickens.

Visit http://coopette.com for more information.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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r g a i n i l d o F Fee s i at

er

ast

by

hM utc

D

h W

Foliar feeding is the application or feeding of a plant with a liquid nutrient or additive through the leaves instead of via the roots. Foliar spraying was first proven to work by the notable plant researcher Dr. H.B. Tukey. His early experiments used radioactive labelled/tagged phosphorus and potassium to view the uptake and transport of these ions by the leaves and their transport around the plant. Dr. Tukey found plant nutrients moved at the rate of about 30 centimetres per hour to all parts of the plants.

Comparing efficiency of plant use of foliar-fed nutrients versus soil-applied nutrients near roots, he found foliar feeding provided about 95 per cent efficiency of use compared to about 10 per cent of use from soil applications. This early work showed that foliar spraying has great potential as an additional feeding program to allow for increased growth rates and development of plants. In fact, a recent study of foliarsprayed leaf versus root absorption of radioactive tagged complex carbohydrates and amino acids at a Canadian university indicated that these molecules are just too big to be effectively absorbed by the roots, but can be easily and effectively absorbed by the leaves.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Why should we foliar feed?

If we think of a plant as a city, then the leaves would be the manufacturing centres of that city. Almost everything a plant requires to grow and develop is manufactured in the leaves.

Hormones, metabolites, proteins and amino acids—the list goes on, and they are all manufactured in specialized cells contained within the plant’s leaves. Sunlight is the main catalyst for this, as everything begins with a photon of light received from the sun or an artificial source. The roots, too, produce some hormones but it is insignificant compared to what is produced in the leaves. If we look at a plant in this way, we can see that the best opportunity to increase the plant’s production capacity, and hence our yield, is to go direct to the factories themselves, the leaves. Foliar spraying is the only practical way that most of these little leaf-based factories can be accelerated due to two primary factors:

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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What is Foliar Feeding?

1. The presence of a specialized root structure called the Casparian strip. This strip is located inside each and every root and acts as a specialized barrier that blocks the uptake of all elements or compounds except simple sugars and regular plant nutrients like nitrogen and potassium. Numerous studies conducted at a Canadian university have indicated that plants cannot uptake things like amino acids and complex carbohydrates effectively through their roots. Rootbased supplements or growth and flowering stimulants based on these things can never really work unless they are foliar-fed, because, quite simply, they are never taken up by the plant’s roots.

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2. The negative feedback loop system. Even if some elements such as hormones are taken up by the roots, this feedback loop stops almost all of these additives from ever working.

It does so by detecting the basic hormones contained in these performance additives and correspondingly slowing or completely stopping the plant’s own internal production of these compounds to compensate and keep everything in balance—almost like a plant veto! However, when used in conjunction with a highquality commercial delivery agent, foliar feeding defeats this system easily by temporarily and suddenly flooding the plant’s negative feedback loop system,

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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What is Foliar Feeding?

overwhelming it and allowing for a temporary increase in growth and development. It is by this systematic and periodic flooding of the plant’s metabolic systems that we can increase overall growth and development when using foliar feeding—and of course obtain that maximum yield!

What should I foliar feed?

Foliar feeding should never be used as the sole source of plant nutrition. Instead, a good foliar program supports the plant via the foliar application of carefully selected plant additives that accelerate or enhance the action of one or more of the plant’s metabolic subsystems, in some cases helping to speed up the plant’s use of light itself. To get the best out of foliar feeding, you must apply something that directly affects one of the many production pathways inside the leaf.

Using a commercially available delivery agent, it is possible to directly increase the production pathway associated with light energy conversion into plant energy (sugar, carbon and so on)—also known as photosynthesis. Other things that can be successfully used are a ⅓-strength grow nutrient solution. This can quickly correct any nutrient deficiencies, but remember to use a delivery agent with any foliar application for best results.

I’ve tried foliar feeding before but it didn’t work like it was supposed to.

What can I do?

For any foliar program to be completely effective in enhancing that maximum yield, you must be able to deliver your specialized plant stimulants and nutrients inside the leaf of your plant. Now, this is not as easy as it sounds—because you first have to get past the protective waxy layer that surrounds every leaf. Once past this layer, you must then get it inside the cells where all the action is taking place. This is not as simple as just madly spraying your leaves with plant nutrients or additives, as most of what you apply to the leaves will never be absorbed.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

“To get the best out of foliar feeding, you must apply something that directly affects one of the many production pathways inside the leaf.”

For many years it was believed that by allowing a solution to remain in contact with the leaf surface for an extended period of time, the effective absorption of that solution would take place through tiny openings in the leaf ’s surface called the stomata. The plant uses its stomata to absorb and exchange gases (CO2, O2) and to regulate water flow (transpiration).

Modern research now shows, however, that only a tiny portion of what you spray can actually get inside the leaf surface via the stomata. In fact, typically less than 10 per cent of the stomata uptake any plant nutrients. This inefficiency is then further compounded by the fact that even once taken up, most of the supplied material is

immobilized on the inner side of the leaf surface by ion exchange membranes. This certainly explains the very hit-and-miss effects of traditional foliar spraying when trying to get that maximum yield with plant nutrients and additives.

The only way to effectively deliver large amounts of specialized elements inside the leaves of your plant is to use a new type of product known as a delivery agent, which is not to be confused with a wetting agent. The difference between a wetting agent and a delivery agent is very simple and very important. A wetting agent

“The only way to effectively deliver large amounts of specialized elements inside the leaves of your plant is to use a new type of product known as a delivery agent, which is not to be confused with a wetting agent.”

is designed to make water wetter, so that it sits more evenly over the leaf and extends the contact area and time of contact when applied to a leaf. A delivery agent is primarily designed to actively deliver or translocate plant stimulants from the outside of the leaf surface to the inside, past the ion-exchange membranes and directly to the cells where they are needed to achieve a maximum yield.

A delivery agent is designed to do this independently of the stomatal openings in the leaves, giving you a unique opportunity to profoundly affect the development and growth patterns of your plant. Make sure you use a delivery agent—not a wetting agent—if you want to be able to maximize the results from a specialized foliar spraying program. MY

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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by Matt LeBannister

Orchids have a mysterious way of becoming an instant obsession. Gardeners throughout history have been enamoured by their beauty, searching the ends of the world for more specimens. Gardeners may become intimidated with the many exotic varieties and the sometimes difficult care involved. Some orchids can be quite tough to care for outside of a greenhouse, but many can be grown in one’s home quite easily. Here are three types of orchids that can be grown at home and what you must do to care for them.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Originating in New Guinea, Dendrobium spectabile may be one of the most exotic looking orchids that can be grown easily at home. This orchid produces single blooms containing multiple green, brown and burgundy spots and stripes, and has petals that seem to twist and turn in every direction. Dendrobium spectabile resembles an alien life form more than a flower from this world.

To care for Dendrobium spectabile, light should be between 1,500 to 2,000 foot candles. This orchid can handle extreme temperatures but is best kept between 16 to 27°C and humidity should stay relatively around 50 to 70 per cent. This orchid would do well in a window that doesn’t get direct sunlight, and should have a humidifier running when necessary. Don’t drown this orchid but keep the growing medium always moist and fertilized infrequently.

Paphiopedilum venustum is another great windowsill orchid. This orchid produces single flowers of marbled green, orange, gray, tan, pink and dark purple. The flowers are quite unique with spots and hairs and can last up to a month.

Paphiopedilium venustum can handle extremes well but grows best when light is kept in the 600 to 2,000 foot candle range. The humidity levels should remain between 40 to 60 per cent and temperature should be 16 to 27°C. The growing medium should be always kept moist and fertilized every third watering.

Brassia verrucosa is a beautiful orchid often referred to as a spider orchid since its long, slender petals resemble spiderlegs. The thin flowers can actually measure more than 50 centimetres from the top of the dorsal sepals to the bottom of the hanging petals.

This orchid can have 20 plus flowers on each spike. These extraordinary flowers are spotted in brown, green, cream and white.

Brassia verrucosa orchids like warmer temperatures in the 21 to 32°C range. The humidity levels are best kept around 40 to 60 per cent. Like the previous two orchids, Brassia verrucosa needs the growing medium to remain always moist and only needs to be fertilized every third watering.

Diverse and exotic, orchids can be intimidating. We can’t help but assume that these unique beauties require equally unique growing conditions. Hopefully this article has eased your anxieties and given you the MY courage to grow orchids at home.

Source: Orchids Simplified: An Indoor Gardening Guide. By Henry Jaworshi, Chapters Publishing Inc. 1992 2031 Shelbourne Rd, Shelbourne, Vermont 05482

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

35

YOU TELL US

Maximum Yields talk to Humboldt Nutrients about their unique line of products, the importance of naturally derived source materials and the benefits of one, two and three part nutrition programs.

Roy Gomez, Owner Maximum Yield (MY): What products in the Humboldt Nutrients line are you most passionate about right now?

Humboldt Nutrients (H.N.): Our Master A&B program, our premier line, continues to excel in coco, soil, hydro or any garden set-up. The plant-based amino-chelated formula combines the effective delivery system of a conventional salt-based program with the quality that can only be achieved with high quality, naturally derived source materials.

MY: What makes your products unique from the other options available in the market?

H.N.: Humboldt Nutrients (H.N.) spares no expense in our raw materials. We use the finest and freshest materials available anywhere to craft our award winning blends. We continue to devote a large portion of our budget to research, development and testing of new formulas (or improvements to current formulas) to ensure that we are constantly improving our entire line. The concentration of H.N. products is also very high; we prefer to sell nutritional elements, not water.

MY: What ingredients are used in your products to ensure superior excellence and ease-of-use?

H.N.: Our proprietary plant-based aminoacid chelates separate our products from all synthetically chelated products on the market.

These chelates offer your plants the best possible chances at a Maximum Yield, while

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

offering the gardener peace of mind in knowing that they are using 100 per cent safe and biodegradable compounds.We only purchase a two to three month supply of source materials at a time. Although this process is costly, as the manufacturer, it is the only way to ensure that our materials are always fresh, and always up to our high expectations.

MY: You tout your Oneness (one part), Master A&B (two part) and Grow-Micro-Bloom (three part) as high powered nutrition. What ingredients are used and how do they work to deliver excellence without compromising on quality?

H.N.: Our original three part line contains the fertilizer compounds that have made salt-based feeding programs among the most popular horticulture feeding regimes for the last 20 years.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, all the vital minerals and nutrients necessary to make a garden thrive are included in our three part system.You will not find a more successful, or more competitively priced three part program on the market.

Our Oneness program uses the same aminoacid chelate system as our premium Master A&B program, however Oneness is a more affordable and more forgiving feeding regime aimed at the

beginning gardener; all the vital requirements for your plants are supplied by the one part base nutrient, Oneness.

Ginormous is our liquid super-bloom booster, which is the only plant-based amino chelated PK booster on the market.

Used in any one of our feeding programs or as a stand alone bloom booster, the performance and value of Ginormous cannot be matched.

Our award winning professional series, Master A&B, is the product of years of testing and refining with the goal of creating the finest fertilizer feeding program in existence. Master A&B contains zero EDTAs and is biodegradable. Using amino-acid chelates to essentially force-feed naturally derived nutrients into your plants, our two part Master A&B provides all the essentials to your garden.

USA are produced.We have seen first hand the environmental impact of industrial farming, as well as the human toll of over-fertilization, over-application of pesticides and irresponsible farming.

One of the goals when Humboldt Nutrients was launched was to spread the word on healthy organic farming and practices. Worldwide, we must return to a more sustainable mode of agriculture that takes into account the living soil beneath our feet. Simply introducing toxic fertilizers into the soil year after year is a recipe for environmental disaster.

The biologically alive and active products we produce not only alleviate some of the “toxicburden” incurred by our soils, but these diverse ecosystems of fungi and bacteria continue to live on for years, improving the quality and health of the soil, and directly affecting the quality of the crops that are grown and the health of the people and animals who consume the crops.

MY: How can a hobby or commercial grower in Australia choose the right option for their unique situation?

H.N.: Choosing what’s best for your particular MY: What does Humboldt Nutrients have garden should not be an assumption planned for the future?

“We must return to a more or a hope.You must fully evaluate the H.N.: As we have done up to this point, sustainable mode of agriculture Humboldt Nutrients will continue to situation in which you are growing, the challenges in that specific environment, that takes into account the living refine and improve our existing products soil beneath our feet.” the amount of time and effort that can in attempt to offer the customer the be allotted to the garden, the seasonal best possible products for their plants. changes that your garden might have to endure, and that is just Humboldt Nutrients will continue to increase the value to the the tip of the iceberg. customer whenever possible by finding the freshest and most The best advice H.N. can give is to find a knowledgeable and effective source materials available, and we will continue to dependable horticulture store in your area. The stores spend 100 listen to our customers to develop per cent of their energy and time dealing with gardening chalproducts that fit a niche or a need lenges and gardens, what works and what fails. When you have a that is currently unfulfilled. Lastly, quality store it makes all the difference.You do not have to spend Humboldt Nutrients will continue 100 per cent of your time determining what is best for your garto be the kind of company where den, because the team at your local store is doing that research for your feedback is heard, appreciated you. Find a good store and trust their advice on what will work and used to drive the next chapter well given the parameters of your specific garden. in our story.

MY: What strategies has Humboldt Nutrients implemented to lessen their environmental impact on our planet?

H.N.: Most of the H.N. team was born and raised in California where the majority of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the

Check out Humbolt Nutrients product line at www.humboltnutrients.com, coming to an Australian store near you. MY

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

37

The ABCs of

Hydroponics - Part One For the beginner, indoor gardening and hydroponics can be a bit daunting. Technological terms and sophisticated language are a regular occurrence and can cause the new gardener to give up too early due to misunderstanding.

Thankfully, help is here. Below you will find a list of terms commonly used in hydroponics. Before too long you will be relaxing with your feet up while your indoor garden thrives.

Leaf Curl: leaf malformation indicative of over watering, over-fertilizing, lack of magnesium, insect damage, fungus damage or negative tropism

Acid: an acidic solution that has a pH below 7.0

Microbial: a minute life form; a micro-organism, especially a bacterium that causes disease

Alkaline: a term describing a grow medium or nutrient solution with a high pH (over 7.0)

pH: a scale from 1.0 to 14.0 that measures acid to alkaline balance

Ballast: a device used to regulate flow of electricity to match the needs of a specific bulb

Photoperiod: the relationship between the length of light and dark in a 24 hour period

Bolt: a plant which has gone to seed prematurely

Polyploid: an organism with more than two sets of chromosomes

Burn: leaf tips that turn noticeably dark from excess fertilizers or salts Chitin: a tough, protective, semi-transparent substance, primarily a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, forming the principal component of arthropod exoskeletons and the cell walls of certain fungi

Pyrethrum: natural insecticide made from the blossoms of various chrysanthemums Reverse Osmosis (RO): water that has had all of its contaminates and salts removed

Clone: a plant that has been produced through asexual reproduction (i.e. cuttings, layerings and tissue culture)

Spider Mite: any of various small red mites of the family Tetranychidae that feed on vegetation, causing damage to the leaves

Cotyledon: a leaf of the embryo of a seed plant, which upon germination either remains in the seed or emerges, enlarges and becomes green (also called seed leaf)

Systemic: a term used in reference to a disease within the plant tissue, not initiated from the external cells

Cytokinin: any of a class of plant hormones that promote cell division and growth and delay the senescence of leaves Damping Off Fungus: a disease that attacks young seedlings and cuttings causing them to rot at the base

Thrips: any of various minute insects of the order Thysanoptera, having usually four narrow wings fringed with hairs, and many of which are major pests of various plants and trees Vermiculite: mica processed and expanded by heat

Grafting: uniting (a shoot or bud) with a growing plant by insertion or by placing in close contact

Wetting Agent: compound that reduces the droplet size and lowers the surface tension of the water, making it wetter

Guano: a substance composed chiefly of the dung of sea birds or bats

Whitefly: any of various small whitish homopterous insects of the family Aleyrodidae, having long wings and a white waxy body, often injurious to plants

Harden Off: to gradually acclimatize a plant to a harsher environment Humus: a brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Wick: part of a passive hydroponic system using a wick suspended in the nutrient solution; the nutrients pass up the wick and are absorbed by the medium and roots Worm Castings: the nutrient rich fertilizer created by earthworms

by Michael Bloch

THE AMAZING Hemp Plant

Industrial hemp is an extraordinarily useful plant that can provide environmentally friendly food, fibre, fuel, medicine and building products.

Hemp is incredibly robust to the point in some places it is invasive and considered a noxious weed. Some varieties are very hardy and able to thrive in saline and heavily degraded soils. It's these characteristics that make it a great candidate to replace pesticide and herbicide dependent crops such as cotton. Hemp is also a water miser and can be processed into useful products with little energy and without requiring toxic chemicals.

Here are some other fast facts about hemp: • Hempseed has high levels of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, essential fatty acids and trace elements.

• Hempseed oil comprises nearly ⅓ of the seeds' weight making it a viable source for cooking oil, lighting and bio-fuel.

• Hempseed oil is also beneficial as a body care product and can be made into soaps, conditioners and lotions.

• The stalk provides an incredibly strong, durable and rot resistant fibre that's been used in the shipping industry for centuries. As hemp can grow over three metres tall, the long fibres are perfect for rope.

• The short fibres of the stalk can be used in textiles as a replacement or blender fibre for cotton.

• The core of the stalk can be used to make paper and organic plastics.

• The woody core, known as hurds, can be mixed with lime, sand, plaster and cement to create very strong concrete or building bricks.

• The core fibre can also be utilized in producing fibre board that is twice as strong as wood-based fibreboard.

• The stalk can also be used to make methanol and ethanol.

• Hemp can be planted as a crop for restoring the fertility of fields in the process of stock rotation.

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

• Given its fast growth, hemp may also be useful in carbon sequestration (taking carbon out of the air and putting it back into the earth).

• Hemp is a great insulation material that can be applied in the wall cavities and roof spaces of houses as a replacement for fibreglass batts.

• The flowers and leaves are used to make medicines for treating many ailments such as glaucoma and cancer sufferers can be prescribed to ease pain.

And that's just a short list. Currently, most hemp products are imported. Thankfully, this is changing; but the changes are too slow. Hemp is truly an amazing plant that countries should be making far more use of in an effort to reduce our impact on the environment. We should be doing more to help farmers grow it in our own countries or growing ourselves.

MY

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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MAX-MART

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

43

RETAIL

directory

ACT South Pacific Hydroponics #2 - 84 - 86 Wollongong St., Fyshwick ACT 2609 South Pacific Hydroponics 70 Oatley Court , Belconnen ACT 2617

(02) 6239 2598 (02) 6251 0600

NEW SOUTH WALES ABC Aquaculture 54 Wahroonga Road, Kanwal NSW 2259 (61) 2 4393 3131 ASE Hydroponics Factory 10/45 Leighton Pl., Hornsby NSW 2077 (02) 9477 3710 Ballina Hydro 3 Ray O’Niell Crescent, Ballina NSW 2478 (02) 6686 7321 Brunswick Hydro & Aquarium Supplies 19 Booyun Street, Brunswick Heads NSW 2483 (02) 6685 1552 Criscete Hydroponics and Organics Unit 2/15 Kam Close, Morisset, NSW 2264 (02) 4973 5779 Dr. Van Der Bloom’s Hydroponics Supplies 5/5 Forge Drive, Coff’s Harbour, NSW 2450 (02) 6651 9992 Dubbo Hydro & Tobacconist 42c Victoria Street, Dubbo West NSW 2830 (02) 6885 1616 Ezi Grow Hydro 177 Mt Druit Road, Mt Druitt NSW 2770 (02) 9832 1610 Ezi Grow Hydro 1B/340 Windsor Street, Richmond NSW 2753 (02) 4588 5826 Ezi Grow Hydro 56 Fish Parade, Bathurst NSW 2795 (02) 9832 1610 Ezi Grow Hydro - Head Office 18 Part Street, Eglinton NSW 2795 (02) 6337 1485 Favgro Hydroponics Growers 107 Glenella Road, Batehaven NSW 2536 (02) 4472 7165 Felanza - Hydroponics 140 Princess Highway, Arncliffe, NSW 2205 (02) 9556 1494 General Hydroponics 7/14 Sunnyholt Road, Blacktown NSW 9676 (02) 9676 8682 Grow Australia Factory 1/5 Sefton Road, Thronleigh NSW 2120 (02) 9473 5000 Grow Your Own Unit 6/34 Alliance Ave, Morisset NSW 2264 (02) 4973 5179 Happy Grow Hydro 15/The Crescent Street, Penrith NSW 2750 (02) 4732 2870 Hobby Grow 25 Skinner Street, South Grafton NSW 2460 (04) 2283 8069 Home Harvest 423 Princess Highway, Rockdale NSW 2216 (02) 9567 8841 Hyalite Moorebank 6/376 Newsbridge Road, Moorebank NSW 2170 (02) 9824 3400 Hyalite Villawood 2/21 Birmingham Avenue, Villawood NSW 2163 (02) 9723 7199 Hydro Masta 100 Station Road, Seven Hills, Sydney NSW 2147 (02) 8812 2845 Hydro Masta Pty Ltd 76 Beecroft Road, Epping NSW 2121 (02) 9869 3011 Hydro Net 2/14 Aific Street, Long Jetty NSW 2261 (02) 4334 6955 Hydro Place 1/68 Nelson Street, Wallsend NSW 2287 (02) 4965 6595 Hydro Shop and Reptile Supplies 2/390 The Esplanade, Warners Bay NSW 2282 (02) 4958 1489 Hydro Shop Pty Ltd Unit 1/5-7 Channel Road, Mayfield West NSW 2304 (02) 4960 0707 Hydro Supplies 57 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 (02) 9326 0307 Hydro Wise B/385 The Entrance Road, Long Jetty NSW 2261 (02) 4333 5700 Hydroponics Grow All Year 14 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 (02) 6921 5911 Hygrow Horticulture (Greenlite) 252 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022 (02) 9369 3928 Indoor Sun Shop 745 Victoria Road, Top Ryde NSW 2112 (02) 9808 6511 Indoor Sun Shop Unit 2/109 Junction Road, Moorebank NSW 2170 (02) 9822 4700

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International Fans PO Box 120, St. Mary’s NSW 2760 Kyper’s Tools and Hydroponics Stuart & Tincogan Sts, Mullumbimby NSW 2482 Lismore Hydro 1/106 Canway Street, Lismore NSW 2480 Lismore Hydroponics rear of 28 Casino St., South Lismore, NSW 2480 Northern Nursery Supplies Pty Ltd 14-16 Nance Road, Kempsey NSW 2440 Nowra Hydro 68 Bridge Road, Nowra NSW 2541 Nutriflo Hydroponic Systems 19/5 Daintree Place, Gosford West NSW 2250 Parkview Plants 250 Princess Highway, Nowra South NSW 2541 Port Pumps and Irrigation 20 Uralla Road, Pt Macquarie NSW 2444 Quik Grow 510a Great Western Hwy., Pendle Hill NSW 2145 Quick Grow 823 King Georges Road, S. Hurstville NSW 2221 Quik Grow Pty Ltd 490 Parramatta Road, Petersham NSW 2049 Simple Grow Hassall Street & Windem, Wetherill Pk NSW 2164 Tweed Coast Hydroponics 2/58 Machinery Dr., Tweeds Head South NSW 2486 Uncle Wal’s Gardenland 31 Crescent Avenue, Taree NSW 2430 Home Grown Aquaponics 13/8a-8b Hartley Drive, Thornton NSW 2322 Westside Lighting & Electrical (Ezi Range) PO Box 274, Mascot NSW 1400 Wollongong Hydroponic Center 318 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500 NORTHERN TERRITORY Katherine Hydroponics Centre 17 Rundle Street, Katherine NT 0850 QUEENSLAND A Happy Medium Hydroponics Unit2/10 Central Court, Browns Plains QLD 4118 Allgrow Hydro 13 - 58 Bullock Head St., Sumner Park QLD 4074 Aquatic Oasis Unit 2/33 Smith Street, Capalaba QLD 4157 Billabong Hydroponics Lot 1, Billabong Court, Childers QLD 4660 D-Bay Hydroponics Shop 5/404 Deception Bay Road, Deception Bay QLD 4508 E.T. Grow Home Unit 1/4 Windmill Street, Southport QLD 4215 Eye Lighting Australia Pty Ltd PO Box 306, Carole Park QLD 4300 Green Power Hydroponics 2/80 Beerburrum Road, Caboolture QLD 4510 Grow Hydro 22 Mining Street, Bundamba QLD 4304 Hyalite Varsity 5/11 John Duncan Crt.,Varsity Lakes QLD 4227 Hydroponic Roots & Shoots Lot 3 Herberton Road, Atherton QLD 4883 Hydroponics & Garden Supplies 93 Cook St., Portsmith QLD 4870 Hydroponics Today PO Box 785, Stanthorpe QLD 4380 Indoor Solutions Unit 2 / 79 Oxford Tce., Taringa QLD 4068 J&K Hydroponics 10 Wacol Station Road, Wacol, Brisbane QLD, 4076

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

(02) 9833 7500 (02) 6684 4928 (02) 6621 3311 (02) 6621 3311 (02) 6563 1599 (02) 4423 3224 (02) 4323 1599 (02) 4423 0599 (02) 6581 1272 (02) 9636 7023 (02) 9546 8642 (02) 9568 2900 (02) 9604 0469 (07) 5524 8588 (02) 6550 0221 (02) 4028 6388 1 800 661 475 (02) 4225 8773

(08) 8972 1730

(07) 3809 3322 (07) 3376 7222 (07) 3245 7777 (07) 4126 3551 (07) 3204 8324 (07) 5591 6501 (07) 3335 3556 (07) 5428 1133 (07) 3816 3206 (07) 5593 7385 (07) 4091 3217 (07) 4035 5422 (07) 4683 3133

(07) 3271 6210

KY Garden 3/31 Argyle PDE, Darra Brisbane QLD 4076 Nerang Hydroponic Centre 27 Lawrence Drive, Nerang QLD 4211 North Queensland Hydro Supplies Shop 2B/20-22 Fleming St., Townsville QLD 4810 Northern Hydroponics 383 Mulgrave Road, Cairns QLD 4870 Pioneer Hydroponics 194 Doyles Road, Pleystowe QLD 4741 SA Hydroponics Shed 3, 1191 Anzac Avenue, Kallangar QLD 4503 Simply Hydroponics Gold Coast 42 Lawrence Drive, Nerang QLD 4211 Sunstate Hydroponics 1137 Ipswitch Road, Moorooka QLD 4105 Sunstate Hydroponics 67 Aerodrome Road, Maroochydore QLD 4558 The Hydroponic Warehouse Shop 3/73 PIckering Street, Enoggera QLD 4051 Tumbling Waters Hydroponics 2 Clarkes Track, Malanda QLD 4885 Walsh’s Seeds Garden Centre 881 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba QLD 4350 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Amazon Aquariums & Gardening Unit 5, 16 Research Road, Pooraka SA 5095 Ascot Park 753 Marion Road, Ascot Park SA 5043 Barry’s Hardware Saints & Main North Rd., Salisbury Plains SA 5109 Bolzon Home & Garden 103 Tolley Road, St Agnes SA 5097 Chocablock Discount Variety Store 15-17/1220 Grand Junction, Hope Valley SA 5090 Complete Hydroponics 1581 Main North Road Salisbury East SA 5109 Country Hydro 434 Saddleback Road, Whyalla SA 5600 D & W Dependable Hardware 45B Kettering Road, Elizabeth South SA 5112 Festive Hydro 2 Kreig Street, Evanston Park SA 5116 Fulham Gardener Nursery 597 Tapleys Hill Road, Fulham SA 5024 Futchatec Distribution 4 Symonds St. Royal Park, 5014 Glandore Hydroponics 644 - 646 South Road, Glandore SA 5037 Greener then Green 52 - 54 Cliff Avenue, Port Noarlunga South SA 51 Greenhouse Superstore Lonsdale 35 to 37 Aldenhoven Road SA 5160 Greenhouse Superstore Royal Park 4 Symonds St. Royal Park SA 5014 Ground-Up Service Nursery 3 Copinger Road, Pt. Pirie SA 5540 Harvest Time Hydroponics Shop 3/146-148, Findon Road, Findon SA 5023 Hindmarsh Hydroponics 39a Manton Street, Hindmarsh SA 5095 Highland Hydro 14/1042 Grand Junction Road, Holden Hill SA 5088 Hong Kong Hydro 13 Research Road, Pooraka SA 5095 Hydro Heaven Kane Motors-Hunt Road, Mount Barker SA 5251 Hydro Sales & Service 1 Salisbury Crescent, Colonel Light SA 5041 Hydro Technics 321 South Road, Croydon SA 5008 Hydro Warehouse 181 Seacombe Road, South Brighton SA 5048

(07) 3375 9098 (07) 5527 4155 (07) 4728 3957 (07) 4054 5884 (07) 4959 2016 (07) 3285 1355 (07) 5596 2250 (07) 3848 5288 (07) 5479 1011 (07) 3354 1588 (07) 4096 6443 (07) 4636 1077

(08) 8359 1800 (08) 8357 4700 (08) 8281 4066 (08) 8265 0665 (08) 8396 3133 (08) 8258 4022 (08) 8645 3105 (08) 8287 6399 (08) 8523 5100 (08) 8235 2004 (08) 8447-1122 (08) 8371 5777 (08) 8386 2596 (08) 8382 0100 (08) 8447 5899 (08) 8264 9455 (08) 8244 0222 (08) 8346 9461 (08) 8395 4455 (08) 8260 2000 (08) 8391 1880 (08) 8272 2000 (08) 8241 5022 (08) 8377 1200

RETAIL

directory

Hydro World 40 Folland Avenue, Northfield SA 5085 (08) 8262 8323 Koko’s Hydro Warehouse Unit 2/2 McGowan Street, Pooraka SA 5095 (08) 8260 5463 Larg’s Bay Garden Supply 239 Victoria Road, Largs Bay SA 5016 (08) 8242 3788 Martins Road Hydro # 5- 353 Martins Road, Parafield Gardens SA 5107 (08) 8283 4011 Mitre 10 Drive In 152 Hanson Road, Mansfield Park SA 5012 (08) 8445 1813 New Age Hydroponics 135-137 Sir Donald Bradman Dr., Hilton SA 5033 (08) 8351 9100 Owen Agencies 17-19 Railway Terrace, Owen SA 5460 (08) 8528 6008 Professional Hydro 4/522 Grange Road, Fulham Gardens SA 5024 (08) 8353 0133 Professional Hydro Shop 5/645 Lower North East Road SA 5075 (08) 8365 5172 Professional Hydroponics 113 Maurice Road, Murray Bridge SA (08) 8532 3441 Soladome Aquaculture & Hydro 44 Chapel St., Norwood SA 5067 (08) 8362 8042 South Coast Hydroponics 6/25 Gulfview Road, Christies Beach SA 5165 (08) 8384 2380 State Hydroponics 174 Semaphore Road, Exeter SA 5019 (08) 8341 5991 Tea Tree Gully Hydro 32 Famechon Cresent, Modbury North SA 5092 (08) 8264 9455 Two Wells Hardware 86 Old Port Wakefield Road, Two Wells SA 5501 (08) 8520 2287 Urban Grow Solutions 1/111 Main Sth Rd, O’Halloran Hill, S.A 5189 (08) 8322 0040 West Garden Centre Peachey Road, Elizabeth West SA 5113 (08) 8255 1355 TASMANIA Advanced Hydroponics 26 Mulgrave Street, South Launceston Tas 7249 Ezy Grow 625 East Derwent Highway, Lindisfarne Tas 7015 Garden World 717 West Tamar Highway, Legana Tas 7277 Green Acres Hydroponics Unit 1 46-48 Bingalong Rd, Mornington, TAS 7018 Growers Choice 225 Main Road, Derwent Park Tas 7009 Hydroponics Systems 131 Main Rd, Moonah, TAS 7009 Hydroponic World 322 Bass Highway, Sulphur Creek Tas 7316 Organic Garden Supplies Tas 17 Don Road, Devonport Tas 7310 Tas Hydroponic Supplies 99 Lampton Avenue, Derwent Park Tas 7009 The Hydroponic Company 69 Charles Street, Moonah Tas 7009 The Hydroponics Company 289 Hobart Road, Kings Medow Tas 7428 VICTORIA Albury Hydroponics 62 Thomas Mitchell Drive, Springvale Vic 3171 All Seasons Hydroponics 3 Springvale Road, Springvale Vic 3171 Banksia Greenhouse and Outdoor Garden 530 Burwood Highway, Wantirna Vic 3152 Barb’s Hydro and Nursery 15 Wallace Avenue, Interverloch Vic 3196 Bayside Hydroponics Factory 2/8 Rutherford Road, Seaford Vic 3196 Belgrave Hydroponics 1642 Burwood Highway, Belgrave Vic 3160 Brew ‘N’ Grow 4 - 479 Nepean Highway, Edithvale Vic 3199

(03) 6344 5588 (03) 6243 9490 (03) 6330 1177 (03) 6245 1066 (03) 6273 6088 (03) 6278 3457 (03) 6435 4411 (03) 6424 7815 (03) 6272 2202 (03) 6273 1411 (03) 6340 2222

(03) 9540 8000 (03) 9540 8000 (03) 9801 8070 (03) 5674 2584 (03) 9775 0495 (03) 9754 3712 (03) 9783 3006

Casey Hydro 12 The Arcade Street, Cranbourne Vic 3977 (03) 5996 3697 Casey Hydro 78 Spring Square, Hallam Vic 3803 (03) 9796 3776 Chronic Hydroponics 31 Anderson Street, Templestowe Vic 3106 (03) 9646 8133 Complete Garden Supplies 580 Ballarat Road, Sunshine Vic 3020 (03) 9311 9776 Discount Hydroponics 752 Waverley Road, Chadstone Vic 3148 (03) 9568 1860 Echuca Hydroponic Nursery & Supplies 23 Ogilvie Avenue, Echuca Vic 3564 (03) 5480 2036 Echuca Pump Shop 128 Ogilvie Avenue, Echuca Vic 3564 (03) 5480 7080 Excel Distributors Pty Ltd 2/41 Quinn Street, Preston Vic 3072 (03) 9495 0083 F.L.O.W. Plants and Environments 66B Chapel Street, Windsor Vic 3181 (03) 9510 6832 Gardensmart 810-834 Springvale Road, Keysborough Vic 3173 (03) 9769 1411 Global Hydroponics 10 Knight Avenue, Sunshine Vic 3020 (03) 9356 9400 Greenleaf Hydroponics 9a Church Street, Traralgon Vic 3844 (03) 5176 0898 Greenleaf Hydroponics Factory 7, Industrial Park Drive, Lilydale Vic 3140 (03) 9739 7311 GreenLite - Ringwood 291 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood Vic 3134 (03) 9870 8566 Grow 4 XS Rear 24 Simms Road, Greensborough Vic 3088 (03) 9435 6425 Holland Forge Pty Ltd. 5 Hi-tech Place, Rowville Vic 3178 (03) 9764 1372 Hydroware 59a Lara Way, Campbellfield, Vic, 3061 (03) 9357 8805 Hyalite Airport West Unit 4/504-506 Fullarton Road, Airport West 3042 (03) 9331 5452 Hyalite Bayswater 4/19 Jersey Road, Bayswater Vic 3153 (03) 9720 1946 Hyalite Global 10 Knight Avenue, Sunshine North Vic 3020 (03) 9356 9400 Hyalite Westend 3 Third Avenue, Sunshine Vic 3020 (03) 9311 3510 Indoor Garden Company 29 Glasgow Street, Collingwood Vic 3066 (03) 9416 1699 Impact Distribution PO Box 2188, Salisbury Downs 5108 (08) 8250-1515 JB Lighting 492 - 500 Neerim Road, Murrumbeena Vic 3163 (03) 9569 4399 Just Hydroponics Deer Park Unit 11 29-39 Westwood Drive, Deer Park, VIC 3023 (03) 8390 0861 Just Hydroponics Geelong Unit 7 36-38 Saunders street, North Geelong, VIC 3215 (03) 5278 6478 Latrove Valley Home Brew Supplies PO Box 802, Morwell Vic 3804 (03) 5133 9140 Living Jungle 345 Sommerville Road, Footscray West Vic 3012 (03) 9314 0055 Melton Hydroponic Supplies 18/10 Norton Drive, Melton Vic 3194 (03) 9746 9256 Midtown Hydroponics Factory 1, 821B Howitt St., Wendouree Vic 3355 (03) 5339 1300 One Stop Sprinklers 1 Burwood Highway, Wantirna Vic 3152 (03) 9800 2177 Pam’s Home Brew & Hydroponics 61 McArthur Street, Sale Vic 3850 (03) 5143 1143 Palms & Plants 175 Salisbury Highway, Salisbury S.A. 5108 (08) 8285 7575 Shepparton Hydroponics 87A Archer Street, Shepparton Vic 3630 (03) 5831 6433 Simply Hydroponics 5/ 411-413 Old Geelong Rd., Hoppers Cros. 3029 (03) 9360 9344 Simply Hydroponics 8, 59-61 Miller St., Epping 3076 (03) 9408 4677

Sunlite Hydroponics 1/104 Shannon Avenue, Geelong West Vic 3281 Sunray Hydro 157 Tenth Street, Mildura Vic 3500 Supply Net International P/L PO Box 171, Highbury Vic 5089 The Hydroponic Connection 397 Dorset Road, Boronia Vic 3155 Waterworks Hydroponics Unit 1, 5 Brand Drive, Thomastown Vic 3074 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Accent Hydroponics Unit 2/141 Russell Street, Morley WA 6062 Aqua Post Unit 2B 7 Yampi Way, Willetton WA 6155 Aquaponics Lot 12 Warton Road, Canning Vale WA 6155 Creative Hydroponics 1/95 Dixon Road, Rockingham WA 6168 Great Southern Hydroponics Shop 1, 21 Hennessy Road, Bunbury WA 6230 Greenfingers World of Hydroponics Albany Hwy & Kelvin Rd.,Maddington WA 6109 Greenfingers World of Hydroponics Unit C 14-16 Elliot Street, Midvale WA 6056 Greenlite Hydroponics 4/91 Wanneroo Road, Tuart Hill WA 6060 Growsmart Hydroponics 47768 South Coast Highway, Albany WA 6330 Hydro Nation 41A Rockingham Road, Hamilton Hill WA 6163 Hydroponic Solutions 1/1928 Beach Road, Malaga WA 6090 Hydroponic Warehouse Unit 7/627 Wanneroo Road, Wanneroo WA 6065 Hydroponica 317 Guildford Road, Maylands WA 6051 Isabella’s Hydroponics 66 Jambanis Road, Wanneroo WA 6065 Johnson’s Nursery Garden Centre 30 Blencowe Road, Geralton WA 6530 Neerabup Organic & Hydroponic Supplies Unit 1, 21 Warman St. Neerabup WA 6031 One Stop Hydroponics 947 Beaufort Street, Inglewood WA 6052 Perth Hydroponic Centre Shop 4, 171-175 Abernathy Road, Belmont WA 6104 Reptile and Grow Store Unit 7 - 117-119 Dixon Road, Rockingham WA 6168 Southwest Hydroponics Lot 29, Pinjarra Road, Mandurah WA 6210 The Grow Room 1/1451 Albany Highway, Cannington WA 6107 Bloem PO Box 1816, Subiaco WA 6008 The Watershed Water Systems 150 Russell Street, Morley WA 6062 The Watershed Water Systems 2874 Albany Highway, Kelmscott WA 6111 The Watershed Water Systems 1/146 Great Eastern Highway, Midland WA 6210 Water Garden Warehouse 14 Drake Street, Osborne Park WA 6017

(03) 5222 6730 (03) 5023 6422 (88) 264-3600 (03) 9761 0662 (03) 9465 1455

(08) 9375 9355 (08) 9354 2888 1800 640 222 (08) 9528 1310 (08) 9721 8322 (08) 9452 0546 (08) 9274 8388 (08) 9345 5321 (08) 9841 3220 (08) 9336 7368 (08) 9248 1901 (08) 9206 0188 (08) 9371 5757 (08) 9306 3028 (08) 9921 6016 (08) 9404 7155 (08) 9471 7000 (08) 9478 1211 (08) 9527 2245 (08) 9534 8544 (08) 9356 7044 (08) 9217 4400 (08) 9473 1473 (08) 9495 1495 (08) 9274 3232 (08) 9443 7993

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

45

COMING UP IN

January-February 2011

DO YOU

know?

1

In horticultural trials, percentage of dry plant matter is used as an indication of increased photosynthesis and biomass production.

2

Flat-leafed parsley is thought to have a better flavour and is therefore the choice of chefs and keen cooks.

Expert Advice Maximum Yield Australia features manufacturers, retailers and growers from this ever-expanding industry. Get to know our industry in Talking Shop and You Tell Us.

Grow Tents for the Constructionally Challenged If building a garden space from scratch is not your idea of a good time, check out the various benefits of indoor grow tents, which come in a variety of sizes and can be assembled by one person in a matter of minutes.

3

Brassia verrucosa is a beautiful orchid often referred to as a spider orchid since its long, slender petals resemble spiderlegs.

4

Almost everything a plant requires to grow and develop is manufactured in the leaves— hormones, metabolites, proteins and amino acids.

GMO vs Selective Breeding

Find out the difference between Genetically Modified (GM) crops and selective breeding, the dangers of GM crops and how they actually work against nature.

Plus: Exclusive industry interviews, new contests, latest

news, grow systems, lights, instrumentation and nutrients.

www.maximumyield.com

5

Maximum Yield Australia January/February will be available January 1 for FREE at selected indoor gardening retail stores across Australia. Subscriptions are available by contacting editor@maximumyield.com or visiting maximumyield.com/subscriptions.php

6 7

46

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

A common mistake in horticulture tests is putting all of the treatment plants in a group and the control plants in a separate group. Any differences between the two sets of plants might be due to slight differences in their growing environment, rather than an indication of the treatment results.

Hempseed has high levels of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, essential fatty acids and trace elements.

Modern research shows that only a tiny portion of what you spray on your plants can actually get inside the leaf surface via the stomata. In fact, typically less than 10 per cent of the stomata uptake plant nutrients.

Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010

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Maximum Yield Australia | November/December 2010