Maximum Yield CAN Jan/Feb 2012

CANADA January-February 2012

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Moisture Matters • Over saturation signs and symptoms • Nutrient application programs • A guide to moisture metres

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Why hydroponics works?

Prevent pests Maintain your motherplants Fight blight

We’ve got the science to back it up!

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

CONTENTS January/February 2012

FEATURES 26

26

Pinching the Pest

30

Preventing Bolting

32

Controlling Salt Buildup

34

Selecting and Maintaining Mother Plants

by Lee McCall

by Donald Lester

by Matt LeBannister

48

36

Aerobic Compost

38

Urban Renewal Through Agriculture

54

by Ian Davidson

by Ed Harwood and Jessica Bloomgarden

40

Strawberries - the Power Fruit

42

Moisture Matters

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

48

Hydroponics as a Science

50

We Need to Talk: An Insider’s Guide to Hydroponic Shops

by Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr.

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor

62

You Tell Us

8

MaximumYield.com

68

Do You Know?

10

Letters to the Editor

70

Distributors

12

Simon Says

74

Max Mart

14

MAX Facts

74

Coming up next issue

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Product Spotlight

by Casey Jones Fraser

54

Successful Cymbidium Growing for the Amateur Enthusiast

by Scott Barrie

58

Sun and Soil: The Wonders of Winter Sowing

by Roland Evans

66

Root Rot and Blight

by Karen Wilkinson

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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FROM THE EDITOR | Jessica Raymond Indoor gardening relates to science in a big way—and not just because horticulture in itself is a science.

As growers we’re constantly experimenting with different crops, different lighting patterns and techniques, and mixing and matching nutrients and mediums. We’re constantly reading and asking questions in our neverending quest for knowledge that will help us improve our grows. Hydroponics as a Science (page 48) explores whether hydroponics is a science by assessing and comparing various definitions, and how knowing the answer to this inquiry affects the future of the practice.

Canadian scientists and commercial growers are leading the way in hydroponics research and development (page 16). Working closely with plants, they are discovering new and fascinating characteristics and trialling new crops in diverse environments using advanced hydroponic technologies.

Growing indoors can seem pretty overwhelming when you consider the strong link to science, but everything in science must start at the beginning, with the basics. We haven’t forgotten to touch on the basics in this issue: system maintenance, pest and disease control and grow room cleanliness are all covered in the following pages.

We’d love to hear how you’re experimenting, what you’re learning and how you’re growing as a gardener by employing science in your indoor garden. E-mail editor@maximumyield.com The best way to advance your knowledge of the latest tools, toys and techniques being employed in indoor gardens globally is by learning from the pros at Maximum Yield’s 2012 ‘Grow Like A Pro’ Indoor Gardening Expos, coming to four North American cities this year. For full event details visit indoorgardenexpo.com. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Jessica Raymond, editor editor@maximumyield.com

contributors Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr. has 50

Lee McCall is an alumnus of Johnson &

Karen Wilkinson works for EZ-

Scott Barrie co-owns Barrita

Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort.

Casey Jones Fraser owns Garden

Roland Evans is lifelong gardener and CEO of Organic Bountea. As a student and teacher of Holistic Systems, he actively promotes an ecological approach to cultivation using the Soil Food Web. Trained as a psychologist, Roland also writes on the interface between gardening and personal growth.

Dr. Ed Harwood is founder and chief

Matt LeBannister developed a 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.

years of experience growing plants hydroponically. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens and has authored eight books and written articles for magazines that deal with hydroponic issues.

He currently has his own consulting company, Grosystems, Inc. Dr. Jones currently lives in Anderson, SC, USA.

CLONE Enterprises, Inc., as its social media editor. She came to them with a background in journalism and technical writing and is learning to grow, clone and write for the hydroponics community. She’s a budding gardener and loves growing her own vegetables.

Orchids, a specialist orchid nursery located in New South Wales, Australia.

As well as producing thousands of plant and flowers each year, Scott is a highly successful show producer, orchid lecturer and author of articles designed to introduce the public to the world of orchids.

Grove Organics, in Northern Kentucky/ Greater Cincinnati. He has a degree in communications and electronic media.

He believes that indoor gardeners can achieve the highest quality crops and maximum yields when proper science is applied. Since 1998, Casey has been testing various nutrients and supplements in search of outstanding harvests.

Donald Lester is the plant

products manager at JH Biotech, Inc., a California based agricultural technology company with 27 OMRI certified products. Donald has a master’s degree in agronomy with an emphasis in entomology. He is an agricultural scientist with over 10 years of research experience and 50 scientific publications to his credit.

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Wales University. His extensive culinary background helped him gain experience in and knowledge of fine dining and food production, which developed into a career in the hydroponics and year-round gardening industry. Lee and his business partner use their Denver-based businesses to educate the public on sustainable gardening and high quality produce.

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. executive officer of AeroFarms. Ed previously served as associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension for Agriculture. Prior to that, Ed served as CEO of Topline Waikato, Inc.

Become a Maximum Yield contributor and have your articles read by 250,000 readers throughout USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand 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 Canada | January / February 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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on the web

VOLUME 14 – NUMBER 5 January/February 2012 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.

‘Grow Like A Pro’ in 2012 The dates are set, the venues are chosen and the 2012 ‘Grow Like A Pro’ Indoor Gardening Expo Tour is coming to four North American cities next year. You’re invited to visit one, two, three or all four shows. Stay tuned to indoorgardenexpo.com for details so you can plan your 2012 vacation.

Got Questions? Get Answers.

Maximum Yield’s resident experts are available and ready to answer your modern gardening questions. E-mail editor@maximumyield.com or fill out the Ask the Experts question form on maximumyield.com

Free Digital Subscription to Maximum Yield Now you can receive Maximum Yield Magazine free to your inbox every month. Subscribe to the digital edition of Maximum Yield by simply filling out the form at maximumyield.com/subscribe-digital.php

Connect to MaximumYield.com instantly from your Smartphone with our Quick Response (QR) Code, found on the cover of every issue of Maximum Yield. Now you can access the best products, the most in-depth articles and information, and the latest news at high speeds.

Simply download the QR Code Reader software compatible with your Smartphone, scan the QR Code and your phone’s browser will automatically launch, redirecting you to www.maximumyield.com.

It’s that simple!

Connect with Maximum Yield

www.maximumyield.com www.facebook.com/MaximumYield www.indoorgardeningexpo.com twitter.com/max_yield

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

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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 Printed in Canada PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim Jesson GENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda Jesson 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 Hayley Jesson - hayley@maximumyield.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN ads@ads.maximumyield.com Mike Linden - mike@maximumyield.com Jennifer Duong - jennifer@maximumyield.com Alice Joe - alice@maximumyield.com ACCOUNTING - Tracy Greeno accounting@maximumyield.com

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION Brite-Lite Group Biofloral Eddis Wholesale Greenstar Plant Products Inc. Hydrotek MegaWatt Quality Wholesale USA DISTRIBUTION Aurora Innovations BWGS General Hydroponics Humboldt Wholesale Hydrofarm Hydro International National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply Nickel City Wholesale Garden Supply R&M Supply Tradewinds UK DISTRIBUTION Direct Garden Supplies Growth Technology Northern Hydroponic Wholesale Nutriculture UK Dutch Pro AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION House N Garden Futchatec Growth Technology Hydraspher

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A Circular Issue

When a plant becomes root bound does this actually harm the plant? If you transplant a root bound plant into a larger container will bound roots fix themselves?

Richard Bergen To help you answer your root bound question, I invite you to check out the following articles on maximumyield.com.We have published many articles on root health in the past couple years that may answer your question: • The Basics of Root Care by Matt LeBannister • Keeping Roots in Tip Top Condition by Dr. Lynette Morgan • Root Pruning 101 by Gabriel Bronzstein • The Root Whisperer by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr. All of these articles can be searched by author or article under the resources tab or by issue; simply click View All Editions of Maximum Yield on the left of the main screen.

Good luck with your root problem and thanks for reading.

I read Bumblebees: To Fight or Take Flight (Max Facts, November/ December 2011 Maximum Yield Canada). I think it is time to take a look at GMO foods and what is going on with the die-off of bees. GMO foods do not need to be pollinated. No one in upper management of GMO foods will admit to this link.

Bill Sutherland Growing Edge Technologies Inc.

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Thanks @PhillipW00

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Vermiculite is a standard horticultural substrate commonly used in hydroponics for germinating seeds and as a growing medium. The high quality grades of vermiculite sold in the United States hydroponic industry are free of asbestos, and it is recommended that only horticultural grade vermiculite be used to grow produce. Up until the early 1990s there were some products made from vermiculite that contained naturallyoccurring asbestos, however, this vermiculite was largely made into insulation and other products at that time. Pure vermiculite does not contain asbestos and is non-toxic, so it is safe to use for growing beets and other vegetables.

Lynette Morgan

To Bumble, or not to Bumble

Online Love

Love the website.

Great tips on hydroponic gardening. Keep up the good work.

Hydroponic Gardening Guru

A Question of Safety

In the article by Dr. Lynette Morgan titled Old Fashioned Crops are Making a Comeback she suggests that growing mediums such as coco fibre, perlite or vermiculite be used for growing beetroots. I thought that vermiculite was asbestos-based, and its use has been banned in most countries. In that case is it safe to use it as a growing medium for crops that could be consumed. Kindly guide me in the matter.

Thanks and regards, Mohan Udiavar

Is there a way to download the older issues for offline?

Todd Mueller I lost the July/August 2011 issue. On the past issues page I can only view it digitally. There is no option to save it. Can you please e-mail directions to me? Thanks in advance.

Ricardo Vergueiro Yes! Simply visit issuu.com, create a free profile and search for your favourite issues.You can download every archived issue as a PDF from there.

We want to hear from you!

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

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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SIMON

SIMON SAYS

Good day, I want to run a 400-watt light on solar power. Can you tell me how it can be done and what I require to make this possible? I need to run the light for up to 18-hours. I hope you can assist me.

Regards Keith

Well Keith I am always trying to think green, but living near Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada) I am not really focused on harnessing power from the sun. Still it’s an excellent idea and a feasible opportunity for those gardeners looking to grow indoors when there is a lack of space outside but lots of good sunshine to use.

Solar power can be generated in two distinct ways: The first is to align a series of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a small surface, which superheats a liquid substance that powers a turbine. It can be the most efficient way to access the sun’s energy but it is expensive and uses vast amounts of land. The second, more residentially friendly way, channels electrons from the sun’s rays through silicone panels and into batteries or directly onto a power grid.

Electrical energy is measured in watts and solar panels are primarily grouped based on their maximum wattage. This value fluctuates with variables such as temperature, angle of the sun and shading, which all reduce the potential energy created. The panels are becoming more efficient with most falling between 14 to 22 per cent efficiency. One company has actually achieved over 40 per cent but I am sure this comes with a high price tag.

When thinking about price, you need to consider the amount and size of panels required. The first and most obvious cost

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is installing a solar array.

To run a 400-watt light you need 400-watts of panels functioning at peak efficiency.You will be running your lights longer than normal sunlight hours so you will need to generate, and perhaps store, more energy.

Each 200-watt panel will cost you about $1,000 not including installation; you need at least three of these panels to run your light for the time you require.

You also need a way of taking the direct current (DC) created by the panels and converting it into alternating current (AC). For this task you need a grid tie inverter, one that handles a maximum load of 400-watts will be $300 but you will need one slightly bigger to cover three 200-watt panels. This means that you will have spent at least $3,300 not including installation. A pretty large price tag for green energy and one you need to consider. Check with you local government to see if there are any tax breaks or grants you might qualify for. For instance, in the UK they have announced a major incentive program to reward people with a guaranteed rate on a long term plan where you are paid for the electricity even if you use it all. An upfront investment of £10,000 pounds will give an estimated £25,000 pound return over 25 years. I would recommend checking the rate you pay for electricity ($ per kw/h) to see how long it would take to

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

pay of the investment. In this example the cost is paid off in 10 years.

Now you must decide whether to store or connect your power. If you are planning to conduct this experiment off the grid you will require a battery pack to store excess energy produced, unless you will only use the lights when sun is hitting the panels.Your requirement of 18-hours of light would make this a virtual impossibility. I am not familiar with the cost or maintenance of battery storage but a visit to a green energy site might help with the concept. The easier option is to turn you house into an energy provider for the larger grid. In some jurisdictions this could simply mean that your metre could theoretically turn back to zero meaning your monthly bill would be zero. In other areas, if you produce more power than you use you can actually gain income from this energy production.

Check with local authorities to get the most accurate information.

Good luck channelling its energy where the sun doesn’t shine!

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Spearmint Trials Show Promise in P.E.I. Agriculture Canada officials say that trials for growing spearmint on P.E.I. for its bioactive compounds are showing promising results. Federal researchers are working on the spearmint project with an Alberta-based biotechnology company in order to determine whether “spearmint grows equally well across Canada, and if the level of bioactives are affected by the region in which it is grown,” Agriculture Canada researcher David Main told CBC News.

Spearmint bioactives have been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

(Source: www.freshplaza.com)

MAXFACTS hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Toronto Architect Proposes 58-Floor ‘Sky Farm’ for Theatre District A Toronto architect has proposed a skyscraper hydroponics operation for the city’s theatre district. Gordon Graff’s 58-story ‘Sky Farm’ would include 2.7 million square feet of floor area and eight million square feet of growing area and is claimed to be capable of producing as much as a thousand acre farm and feeding 35 thousand people per year.

(Source: www.treehugger.com)

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Clean Seeds Essential to Producing Safe Sprouts A recent study at the University of Illinois has concluded that one of the secrets to keeping sprouts free of food borne pathogens lies in keeping them scrupulously clean at the seed stage—once they’ve germinated, it may be too late.

Although low doses of irradiation can be used to kill most pathogens that attach to sprout seeds, this treatment can also affect the sprouts’ quality and nutritional value.

The study called for “very strict control in the sprout production process, focusing on the cleanliness of seeds and expending money and effort on prevention.”

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

New ‘Smart’ Window System Delivers Unprecedented Performance

Strawberries Protect Stomach From Alcohol In a study conducted on rats, a team of European researchers have proven that eating strawberries can help protect stomach tissues from the effects of alcohol and the authors of the study have concluded that eating the fruit could also prevent gastric ulcers in humans. The study states that “the consumption of strawberries during or after pathology could lessen stomach mucous membrane damage.”

(Source: www.esciencenews.com)

A study appearing in the journal ACS Nano is reporting that a new ‘smart’ window system has the unprecedented ability to inexpensively change from summer to winter modes, darkening to save air conditioning costs on scorching days and returning to crystal clarity in the winter to capture free heat from the sun.

Although ‘smart’ windows that reflect sunlight away from buildings in summer and switch back to full transparency in winter are already in use, they have many drawbacks—including high cost, rapid deterioration in performance and manufacturing processes that involve potentially toxic substances.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Canada Leads U.S. in Greenhouse Technology A Statistics Canada report issued earlier this year in the aftermath of a trade dispute with the United States over alleged greenhouse tomato dumping has revealed that Canada’s primary advantage over indoor farming competitors in the United States lies in its use of technology.

Most of Canada’s tomato growers use hydroponics, the report stated, using computers to control temperatures, moisture levels and nutrient elements. The report also noted that the total greenhouse vegetable area in 2002 in Ontario alone was larger than the entire United States greenhouse vegetable industry.

An estimated one-half of Canada’s greenhouse tomato production is shipped south of the border.

(Source: www.freshplaza.com) 16

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

‘Fertilizer Trees’ Boost Food Security in Africa

Meeting World Food Needs, Sustainably Agroecology—which takes a whole-system approach to the production of food and draws on traditional knowledge, alternative agricultural practices and local food system experiences—relies on simple farming techniques, which increase crop yield by promoting beneficial interactions between soil, nutrients, crops, pollinators, trees and livestock and has so far led to average increases in crop yields of nearly 80 per cent in 286 projects in 57 countries around the world.

(Sources: www.makingitmagazine.net, www.theurbn.com)

UBC Scientists Isolate Growth Gene for Plants Scientists at the University of British Columbia have found that a protein called Clasp, which exists in strong concentrations around the sharp edges of newly formed plant cells, is responsible for overcoming the difficulties plants would otherwise have in growing to large sizes. In laboratory tests plants without this protein were severely stunted in growth.

(Source: www.nytimes.com)

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Some 400,000 small hold farmers in impoverished parts of southern Africa are boosting the productivity of their fields by planting ‘fertilizer trees’, which enhance soil health by drawing nitrogen from the air and transferring it to the soil through their roots and leaf litter, working like fertilizer on exhausted soils.

The lead author of a study on the practice said also that “when farmers plant these trees, water efficiency improves. Farmers are getting higher yields from the same amount of rainwater. And the trees are helping reduce the runoff and soil erosion that is a key factor behind food production shortfalls in Africa.”

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

YOUR GUIDE TO THIS ISSUE’S

HOTTEST ITEMS Ask for them at your local indoor gardening store.

Hydro International’s Super Hanger Our patented system pulls tight and secure! It locks in place and will never break, slip or rust. Made with special composite material, our Super Hangers are heat- and cold-resistant. It is perfect for hanging reflectors and light fixtures, and works great for hanging carbon filters, ventilation equipment and much more! This baby is easy-to-use, it’s fully adjustable with a locking mechanism, it secures items quickly and has a 150 pound weight capacity. For more information talk to your local indoor gardening retailer.

Introducing New Ducting Styles From Can-Filters Group Can-Filters has added three new styles of ducting to our product lineup. The Premium three ply Can-Duct is manufactured with triple foil laminate and industrial-grade casing. The Can-Duct premium insulated ducting is manufactured with our three ply Can-Duct with an additional layer of R4.2 insulation to maintain temperature and minimize noise. Max-Duct is manufactured with triple foil laminate with very durable black PVC and UV-inhibitor coating. MaxDuct is the strongest duct on the market and similar in cost to the leading competitor’s three ply ducting, plus it’s reusable. Each roll comes with two duct clamps. Visit your local hydro shop for more information.

Increase Beneficial Microbes With Bio Balancer Bio Balancer looks after the little things. Why use artificial beneficial microorganisms in your system when it already contains naturallyoccurring populations that are ready and waiting for the right conditions to go to work? Bio Balancer is uniquely formulated to provide the food necessary for these good bugs to grow. If you prefer to add beneficial microorganisms to your system, then Bio Balancer is the ideal way to make sure they thrive and don’t starve. Bio Balancer is suitable for use in soil, cocopeat or recirculating systems of all types. Visit a hydroponics shop near you to learn more.

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Go Green With the Eco Waste Reducer Elbow The Evolution-RO1000® from Hydro-Logic Purification Systems now includes the option to reduce your wastewater and achieve a true 1:1 ratio with the Eco Waste Reducer Elbow. Hydro-Logic is the clear choice for quality, customer support, cutting edge technologies and price!

These eco elbows are now included with each new Evolution-RO1000® and are also available to purchase separately for those who want to upgrade their original systems. Contact your local retailer for more information on this exciting new feature for the Evolution-RO1000!

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Increased Yields and Quality With Head Masta

Hydro International’s Zeus Hoods Hydro International presents our new Zeus Hoods with the choice of six- or eight-inch sizes. Our hoods will keep the light focused where it belongs, on your plants. We used the most current and innovative technologies in our Zeus Hoods. They are the solution to those who want high quality and performance without breaking the bank. Our hoods have two six-inch or eight-inch flanges for cooling airflow from an optional fan. A built-in socket and 15-foot lamp cord is perfect for quick and no hassle installation; no extra cord set is needed. Our hoods use our proprietary white anodized paint, which helps better reflect light. Choose Zeus and you won’t go wrong. Visit your local indoor gardening retail shop for more information.

The UK’s favorite yield enhancer is now available in North America. Head Masta will transform your crops into high-yielding, high quality, super crops. Head Masta does this in four ways: it stimulates plant hormonal responses that induce increased flower formation; it pumps plant cells full of the extra vitamins and minerals needed by the plant to convert excess light and nutrients into the highest quality amino acids, proteins and carbohydrates; it pumps more silicon into plant cells; and finally, it increases the plant’s desire for potassium. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you for more information.

The Original RootMaker RootMaker® is the original root pruning container system, built on continuous research since 1968. These revolutionary patented containers are available in a wide range of sizes, from propagation to 378-litres. Without toxic chemicals, RootMakers® build root systems that branch, extend horizontally and vertically and don’t circle. Each fibrous root system compliments the next. By turning that first root into 10, and those 10 into 100, thousands of active root tips can be created for greater and more efficient water and nutrient absorption, accelerated plant growth and increased vigour. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you for more information.

XTrays – Combining Technology and Design Introducing Hydrotek’s new line of plastics. XTrays: Grooved flo-thru channels keep plants well-irrigated, vibrant and healthy. Available in eight sizes from two-square-feet to four- by eight-feet. XReservoirs: Reinforced to stand up to the forces of nature. The rigid, durable construction even withstands extreme temperatures. Features easy-to-view level indicators. Available in five sizes from 94- to 473-litres. XGrow Systems: The perfect fusion of performance and simplicity, these convenient, readyto-grow systems are affordable and versatile. Available in aero, pots and cube systems. XAdvantages: Affordable, sturdy and resistant, easy-to-use and maintain. Compact design provides true interior measurement and capacity, and prevents the growth and spread of algae. Available in a variety of sizes to fit different needs and budgets. For more information go to your favourite indoor gardening shop.

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

CALiMAGic™

Compactor and Flowerator The Compactor is a hydroponic fertilizer that produces shorter, tighter internodes. It is a specially formulated nutrient that shortens the space between internodes to create more compact plants with stronger and thicker stems for improved resistance and sturdiness.

The Flowerator is an accelerator that promotes and regulates flowering and generates thick leaf density and luxuriant bushiness.

This treatment supplies the proper ratio of nutrients for flowering plants and speeds up the harvesting process. These two powerful nutrients will maximize your yields. For more information visit your favourite hydro shop.

CALiMAGic™ from General Hydroponics is a low nitrogen calcium magnesium supplement, specially formulated to prevent secondary nutrient deficiencies in fast-growing plants.

Many calcium-intensive plants, like lettuce and tomatoes, need that extra Ca+ boost to optimize growth. This prevents diseases related to calcium deficiency like blossom-end rot. CALiMAGic™ is a clean, fully soluble product that will not clog spray lines or drip emitters and is safe to use in reservoirs combined with many other fertilizers. Use CALiMAGic™ as a part of your regular feeding program. Visit an authorized Hydrofarm or Sunlight Supply retailer to purchase CALiMAGic™.

Pre-Evolution® High Capacity Pre-filter The new Pre-Evolution® high capacity pre-filter for the Evolution-RO1000® gives gardeners two extra stages of pre-filtration and extends the life of the carbon filter in the Evolution-RO1000® from 7,570to 26,497-litres. It increases the Evolution-RO1000’s efficiency and protects your investment. This system comes with a first stage cleanable, pleated sediment filter, second stage custom combination KDF85/55 carbon filter exclusive to Hydro-Logic to reduce chlorine, chloramines, iron, sulphur and heavy metals. Pure water’s not magic. It’s logic. Now available at hydro retail shops across the country.

Lightspeed Flip 16 - Another Hydrotek Exclusive Heading up our newly revamped line of ballasts and controllers, the new Lightspeed Flip 16 lighting controller gives you cost-saving, automated eightballast, 16-light switching. Flip 16 allows you to run 16 lights from eight ballasts, plus it works with ballasts plugged into any voltage. Heavy-duty, these units are built to last. Flip 16 can be used with any 120-volt timer. Comes with optional 240-volt timer outlet. For more information visit an indoor gardening shop near you.

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Announcing the Clone Lab Tall – Size Really Does Matter

A Massive Crop Needs a Massive Root System

Everest Garden Supply is proud to announce a new addition to the GrowLab Horticultural portable grow room line. The Clone Lab Tall is our newest grow room model and the big brother of the original Clone Lab, measuring two feet taller and adding one more shelf to create three growing levels. This grow tent is sure to be one of our best sellers, as small and large growers alike will be able to take advantage of the efficient use of space.

Contact your local indoor gardening shop for more details on this great addition to the GrowLab Horticultural Grow Room line.

Regen-A-Root is the original, and the best, root stimulator available. It combines great performance, ease-of-use and value for money. Regen-A-Root is the only product that forces brown, nearly dead roots to regrow, keeping them white and healthy through the flowering period. This is normally the time when roots are most susceptible to disease. Leaves that start to yellow three or four weeks after flowering is caused by root die-off and the plant being unable to extract the nutrients it desperately needs. Regen-A Root stops this problem. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you to learn more or pick up a bottle.

Sunshine Advanced Mix #4 Sunshine Advanced Mix #4 was created for the exacting demands of professionals, and now it’s available for everyone. It evolved with the hydroponics industry to become the gold standard for all crops. This allinclusive mix is blended with sustainable coconut coir and white peat for superior water retention, coupled with an organic rewetting agent. It contains our highest percentage of coarse perlite to guarantee optimal drainage. But what gives Mix #4 its punch is the integration of living mycorrhizae for a strong and extensive root system. Few media are as bioactive as #4 for holistic vigour. Our organic nutrient pack provides seedlings with everything they need from day one. The combination of a reputable scientific foundation and ease-of-use helps beginners achieve professional results every time. For more information visit an indoor gardening shop near you.

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Hercules Frame Support Offers Maximum Strength Give your GrowLab the strength of Hercules. The Hercules Frame Support is one of our newest products available for GrowLab horticultural grow rooms. This is an accessory that makes your tent’s maximum weight capacity virtually limitless! The cost-effective Hercules Frame Support pays off for those who want to bulk up with little effort.

Simply slide the Hercules Frame Support over the existing framework to add strength where you need it. Contact your favourite hydroponics shop for more details on these great additions to the GrowLab Horticultural Grow Room line.

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Pinching the

Pest b y L e e M c C a ll

Help ensure pests and parasites look for lunch elsewhere by implementing these maintenance and prevention strategies in the grow room.

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Indoor gardens, both hydroponic and soil-grown, are microenvironments that can be installed in virtually any available space. The quality and performance of the crop grown will—at least to some degree—be determined by the size of the grow space and the equipment and controls implemented. Highintensity lighting, state-of-the-art ventilation and intelligent CO2 control devices are a few examples of consumer products available to create and augment the perfect environment suitable for plant growth. Unfortunately, though, the conditions that make for a comfortable life for plants are also pretty appealing to plant pests of many kinds. Spidermites, thrips, fungus gnats, root aphids and whiteflies are some of the primary enemies commonly seen throughout gardens across the world on a wide variety of different crop types. In larger grow spaces, battling these life-sucking parasites is a full-time job, in addition to the regular routine maintenance that follows standard hydroponic and soil gardening practices, like reservoir changes, mixing soil and other grow mediums, transplanting, cloning, pruning and trimming. As soon as any plant pest threat is identified, treatment must be initiated in order to prevent any further or potential damage to the crop.

Foliar sprays and dips are common and preferably applied to plants that are not in a fruiting or blooming phase. This type of treatment is ideal for targeting pests that damage leaf and cellular production above the root mass on the plant tissue itself. Larger, more crowded grow rooms may not be effectively covered by foliar spraying, however, unless time and patience is invested into the application. Accidentally overlooking an infested corner or an untreated spot on a plant will usually result in regeneration of the initial pest—rendering the entire treatment a waste of time and money.

Pest damage is easily recognized through a wide variety of different physical traits, depending on the type of insect present—leaf spotting, webs, bug feces and poor growth are all physical signs of an infestation. To ensure that adequate treatment is applied, use a wetting agent or surfactant in addition to the chosen pesticide in order to increase surface area coverage of the spray or dipping treatment. Attempt to saturate most of the available surface area of the plant (tops and undersides of leaves and stalks and even fruits and blooms, if necessary).

Neem and other oil-based products may not easily or evenly mix with water; adding a wetting agent increases emulsification properties and will also prevent clogs in hand sprayers, atomizers, and emitters. Many new and improved pesticide formulas contain azadirachtin, a Neem derivative proven to be effective when utilized as a foliar, a root drench or even a systemic treatment. Although several companies offer proprietary formulas that differ in extraction method and concentration of the azadirachtin active ingredient, positive results are reported from all the available varieties on the market. Other formulas incorporate botanical ingredients such as pyrethrins, derived from the chrysanthemum flower, while rosemary, clove, citrus and capsicum also contain potent active compounds capable of controlling pest populations in egg, larvae, nymph and adult stages. A wide variety of brands and formulations are available

in systemic, organic, natural and synthetic grades, and aerosol options are also available, which provide effective coverage with minimal effort. “Bombs”—as these aerosols are commonly referred to—may contain an active ingredient such as pyrethrins or bifenthrin, and I suggest setting these off right when the grow lights are turning off for the dark cycle, or as close to this time as possible. These products are exceptionally advantageous for cleaning out spaces before building a grow room, or for setting off a day before plants are moved into a particular area.

Vegetative grow rooms that operate on a 24-hour time clock can be shut off for a short duration of time so that sprays may be applied and lights turned off immediately following. Foliage that is saturated in oil-based solutions or water droplets is susceptible to burn under the concentration of high-intensity grow lights, so ideal grow room ventilation designs will leave drenched foliage dry within an hour or even within minutes following the application. If plant foliage and tissue continues to stay wet hours after the application, this is an indication of poor air movement, and may promote the development of moulds, rots and mildews. I recommend that flowering, fruiting and blooming plants avoid foliar treatments past the third or fourth week as a preventative against botrytis and other floral rots that attack cluster formations. Damage to blooms and fruits are not uncommon if insecticidal sprays or bombs are applied late into the flowering cycle of the plant, so avoid using these products days or weeks before harvest so that produce quality is not hindered.

“Pest damage is easily recognized through a wide variety of different physical traits, depending on the type of insect present—leaf spotting, webs, bug feces and poor growth are all physical signs of an infestation.”

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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pINCHING THE PEST

“I recommend that flowering, fruiting and blooming plants avoid foliar treatments past the third or fourth week as a preventative against botrytis and other floral rots that attack cluster formations.”

Insects are attracted to plant strains with weaker immune systems and metabolic rates; when growing multiple strains it is not uncommon that certain types are susceptible to attack while others seem completely unharmed and immune. Personal preference will dictate which strains are worth keeping and which are a waste of a grower’s time and money.

Root drenching, or top feeding, is another way of applying insecticidal controls that target soil-dwelling pests in the root zone. Root aphids, fungus gnat larvae and select species of thrips will consume organic, decaying matter in the growing medium, including healthy feeder roots; this slows the absorption of water and nutrient uptake for the plant and ultimately may result in root rot if ignored.

A key concept to eradicating detrimental insect reproductive colonies is to disrupt their breeding cycles.

Applying pesticides every three days up to four times or more increases the chance that adults will be destroyed on contact. This will also mean that within three days of any eggs hatching the pupae and larvae will also be destroyed during the following application before they have a chance to mature into egg-laying adults.

Cleanliness and consistency should cause adult insects, larvae and egg populations to diminish drastically so long as the routine is upheld without interruption. As with foliar sprays, wetting agents will increase penetration of the active insecticidal ingredients in root zone drenches as well. I recommend thoroughly flushing each treated plant afterwards, as this helps to rinse away excess eggs and dead insects from the root mass. Plants grown in net pots, containers and buckets may benefit from full submersion of the root mass into a solution of insecticide, clean water and a wetting agent.

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For growers who prefer a pesticide-free garden, beneficial insects such as ladybugs, predatory nematodes, praying mantises, green lacewings, Feltiella Acarisuga—a predator midge that stalks spidermites—and other beneficial bugs provide a natural form of preventative maintenance and control. These insects are excellent for outdoor and indoor grows of all types. To increase the effectiveness and reproductive rates of beneficial insects, always use more of them rather than less.

HEPA filters over the intake points will prevent ‘bad’ insects from entering a controlled grow room.You should also always take care when accepting other growers’ clones or swapping genetics; this is one of the most common scenarios of how grow room contaminations are spread from one site to another. Utilize yellow and blue sticky traps to monitor insect populations— these traps capture many of the adults and keep infestations from occurring by alerting the grower to areas that need control. For best results, hang these traps close to canopies or the plant’s soil line. As feedings occur, the gnats may rise to the surface and flutter about aimlessly, allowing the traps to catch a small amount of the breeding population.

As with lighting, nutrition, ventilation and CO2, pest-control maintenance and prevention are vitally important factors in the successful practice of indoor gardening. The cleanliness of any grow room is a major indicator directly reflecting the quality and quantity of crop production. Put the time, effort and quality products into your indoor garden and you can reasonably expect to get the equivalent back in terms of growth and results—put in only the bare minimum and that’s about what you should expect back as well. Neglect of your crop can allow infestations to spread rampant in a living garden, so never be lazy about checking the plants for signs of pests on a regular basis. Follow up on treatments to ensure eradication is complete and always start from seed if possible. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Pre v enting

Bolting Why does cilantro bolt and how can it be stopped?

Cilantro bolting is one of the most frustrating things about this popular herb.

Many gardeners ask, “Why does cilantro bolt?” and, “How can I keep cilantro from flowering?” By paying attention to the environment your cilantro grows in, you can help lengthen the amount of time before cilantro will bolt and, therefore, increase the amount of time you can harvest leaves from your plants.

What to do when cilantro bolts

When gardeners see the white cilantro flowers, they wonder if they can simply cut them off. Unfortunately, once cilantro bolts, the leaves rapidly lose their flavour. Cutting the cilantro flowers off will not bring the flavour back to the leaves.

Instead, let the cilantro flowers go to seed. The seeds of the cilantro plant are the spice coriander and can be used in Asian, Indian, Mexican and many other ethnic recipes.

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Why does cilantro bolt

Cilantro grows best in cool, moist conditions and will bolt rapidly in hot weather or a hot room. This is a survival mechanism for the cilantro plant. The plant knows that it will die in hot weather and will try to produce seeds as quickly as possible to ensure that the next generation of cilantro will survive and grow.

How to keep cilantro from bolting

The first thing to understand is that there is no true way to keep cilantro

Maximum Yield Canada | January Canada | November / February / December 20122011

from bolting. Plants are designed to do one thing and that is to reproduce.You are fighting nature. But, there are several things you can do to significantly lengthen the time before the cilantro plant produces flowers: 1. If you’re growing in a warm environment, you can buy slow bolt cilantro. This is cilantro that has been bred to withstand higher temperatures.

2. No matter what kind of cilantro you grow, you should practice

succession planting. This is where you plant new seeds every one to two weeks so that as one set of cilantro plantings start to bolt, the next set will be ready to harvest.

3. Harvest your cilantro leaves frequently. The more you harvest your cilantro, the more likely you are to nip immature flowering stalks, which will delay cilantro flowering.

4. Mulch cilantro and plant it tightly. It is not the heat of

“The first thing to understand is that there is no true way to keep cilantro from bolting. Plants are designed to do one thing and that is to reproduce.” the air that causes cilantro to bolt, but rather the heat of the soil. Mulch will help keep the soil cool and retain moisture. Planting cilantro tightly will shade the ground it grows in, which also helps to keep the soil cooler.

For more gardening tips and tricks visit www.gardeningknowhow.com or check out www.gardeningknowhow.com/questions

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Salt Controlling

Buildup b y D o n a ld L e s t e r

Knowing why and how salt accumulates in hydroponic solutions and soilless systems can help you avoid the situation in the future.

Salt buildup is a common problem for growers; in soil systems, it is characterized by an accumulation of white or off-white (sometimes even brown or gray) crystals forming on the soil surface in fields and on the surface of potting mix in pots. Salt buildup can also occur in hydroponic solutions and in soilless systems.

Salt buildup can be a serious problem for plants because it affects the ability of their roots to take up water. Plants normally regulate how much water they have in their system by actively drinking through their roots.When the water surrounding the roots becomes too salty, however, the salty water does not have enough water molecules in it relative to the fresher water within the plant, so it becomes hard for the plant to suck up the few water molecules left in the salty water outside. Humans have the same problem with their cells trying to get fresh water from salty water—which is the reason a sailor lost at sea can die of thirst in the middle of the ocean.

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Plants respond to excess salt in the same way they respond to conditions of drought.The common symptoms are stunting, wilting, drying of the leaves and even death.

There are several reasons why salt accumulation can occur, including the use of high-salt fertilizers, a poor water source, poor water drainage, bad substrate selection or even salt-sensitive plants.

These factors can occur alone or in combination.

One side effect of too much salt is that it can negatively affect the pH of the soil or nutrient solution.When a weak acid or a weak base is added to a salt it is called a buffer. If the pH is not in the desired range, then buffering can make pH correction more difficult.This is one reason why growers can continue to add a pH adjuster and see quick results, but then over time they see the pH drift back to where it was before the adjuster was added.

Salt buildup can be corrected by leaching, changing the water

source, choosing the proper substrate, switching to fertilizers with a low salt index, by the addition of calcium or by adapting to the salt by using plants with a high salt tolerance.

When considering substrates, remember that growing media should contain a substantial quantity of large pores to facilitate good drainage.

Leaching and your water source

Low salt index fertilizers

In soil-based systems, salts can be leached out of the soil. Pure water can dissolve the salts and leach them out of the soil profile, but that is usually not practical in agricultural fields or large indoor cropping systems. Some growers resort to leaching salts out of the soil profile with water that is less salty.

This method works, but it takes a lot more water to dissolve the unwanted salts than it would with pure water.

Check the salt levels in your water source—any environmental laboratory can do this for you. Water softeners add sodium to the water, so softened water should never be used for watering plants.

There are several types of salts that can build up in soils and fertilizer solutions, but sodium chloride (table salt) is arguably the most common. In fact, many fertilizers use salts as active ingredients.You can get a good indication of how much salt is in a fertilizer by looking at the salt index (SI). University studies have measured how much salt is in certain brands of fertilizer and they have been ranked accordingly. It should be noted, however, that the SI does not predict the exact amount of fertilizer or the particular formulation that could produce crop injury, although it does compare one fertilizer formulation with others regarding the relative osmotic (salt-related) effects. It also shows which higherSI fertilizers will be most likely to cause injury to germinating seeds or seedlings if placed in close proximity. For example, a liquid 2-10-10 formula might rank 27.5, whereas a 2-20-20 might rank at 7.2. Clearly, using half the rate of 4-10-10 is still saltier than using the full rate of 2-20-20.

Substrate choice Some substrates can be high in salt, so staying away from the main culprits can help avoid the problem. Coir coconut fibre can be one of the offenders, so some industry experts recommend thoroughly rinsing the coir before use to remove excess salt.

Sphagnum peat and compost made from purely plant sources are both good low-salt choices. Ask for an analysis of any organic amendments that you are considering, and choose your amendments wisely. If no analysis is available, you should test a small amount of the amendment before purchasing a large quantity.

“Plants respond to excess salt in the same way they respond to conditions of drought. The common symptoms are stunting, wilting, drying of the leaves and even death.”

Addition of calcium In soils with high sodium content, gypsum (calcium sulphate) may be applied to improve the soil structure. Managing soil sodium is really about maintaining optimum levels of soluble soil calcium—in order to amend a salty soil, sodium must be replaced with calcium, which is usually accomplished with high rates of gypsum. Calcium has a more powerful electrical charge than sodium, so the application of gypsum will displace soil sodium.

Irrigation then leaches the free sodium through the soil profile, thus restoring the physical properties of the soil.

Salt tolerance in plants Plants vary in their susceptibility to high salt concentrations.

The table below catalogues some common plants into sensitive, moderately tolerant or highly salt-tolerant categories. A more exhaustive listing of salt-tolerant plants is available in Urban Horticulture Leaflet 14, published in the North Carolina Cooperative Extension publication.

Salt buildup is a common complication. If excessive salt accumulation is an issue in your garden, then hopefully these tips will help you isolate and rectify the situation and avoid the problem in the future. MY Sensitive

Moderately tolerant

Highly tolerant

African Violet Apricot Apple Beans Chrysanthemum Gardenia Geranium Lettuce Orange Petunia

Coleus Cucumber Fig Grape Honeysuckle Ivy Melon Olive Onion Pomegranate

Bermuda Grass Date Palm Daylily Lantana Lymegrass Oleander Pampas Grass Rosemary Russian Sage Saw Palmetto

Pear Peas Plum

Tomato Vinca Wheat

Spinach St. Augustine Grass Yucca

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by Matt LeBannister

With so many different varieties of plants available to the home gardener it is no wonder that people want to preserve their favourite strains. Gardeners can replicate all the traits that made a particular strain their favourite through cloning.

A clone will have the same genetic make-up and sex as the mother or parent plant they were taken from. If you have a chili pepper plant that delivers a high yield, is resistant to insects or thrives in the particular climate you are growing in, these traits are worth preserving. Cloning also saves the grower time since they do not have to determine the sex of the plant and because clones mature faster than seeds. This equals a faster crop rotation and more crops per annum. The way to get the best clones is to take them from healthy, strong motherplants.

When selecting a clone or seedling to become a motherplant there are some rules to keep in mind; when first choosing a new parent plant one should always sacrifice the strongest and healthiest clone or seedling because their vigour will be passed along to the next generation of clones. The stronger a plant, the faster it grows, the more it produces and the less chance it has of being affected by disease or insects.

Once the future motherplants have been selected they should be segregated from the rest of the plants. This will hopefully ensure that any outbreak of insects or disease among the general population of plants will not reach the motherplants. Any gardener who has lost their favourite strain to bugs 34

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

or disease will tell you that this simple precaution will protect years of hard work.

Once separated from the rest of the population, motherplants should be kept in the grow phase. Clones can be taken from plants that are flowering but they will not root easily and, therefore, it is not recommended. Eighteen-hours of uninterrupted light and six-hours of uninterrupted darkness is recommended although some gardeners will leave the lights on 24-hours a day. To improve the overall health and vigour of the motherplants only feed them premium grow-phase nutrients.

“Clones taken from plants that are too young or too old will be weak and will bare fewer fruit or vegetables.”

Motherplants should be at least two-months old before clones are taken and should be replaced once they are two-years-old to ensure clones taken are as healthy as possible. Clones taken from plants that are too young or too old will be weak and will bear fewer fruit or vegetables.

Leeching nutrients from the motherplants three days prior to cuttings being taken will also improve the health and vigour of the clones. Clones root quicker with no nitrogen in their system.

When there are no nutrients present the clone is forced to grow strong roots in order to search for nutrients.

The health of the motherplant is so important because it directly reflects the health of the next generation of clones.

Healthy plants mean less time, less trouble, better yields and more rewarding experiences for gardeners. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Aerobic Compost Maximize Your Microorganisms

by Ian Davidson

Brew up a batch of oxygen-rich aerobic compost tea What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic?

Aerobic soil is healthy soil. Every skilled grower knows the importance of oxygen penetration in the growing medium; almost all beneficial soil organisms prefer aerobic conditions. Anaerobic organisms also exist in healthy soils but in very small populations. Most anaerobic organisms produce metabolic byproducts, such as alcohol, that are toxic to plants. Many compost tea brewers and recipes produce facultative (partially) anaerobic teas that may not hurt plants, but they don’t offer the same level of benefits as a fully aerobic tea such as disease prevention and nutrient cycling.

Breath is life

Compost tea brewers must be able to maintain oxygen levels above six micrograms per millilitre (ug/ml) in order to grow aerobic organisms. Elevation and water temperature both decrease how much oxygen can be physically dissolved in water as they increase. For example, at 1,500 feet above sea level and water temperature of 16˚C, water can hold 9.4 ug/ml dissolved oxygen. At 1,500 feet and a water temperature of 27˚C, water can only hold 7.6 ug/ ml dissolved oxygen. With these factors considered, when brewing tea the quantity of microbes and food stocks added to the brew affects how rapidly the microbes consume the oxygen in the tea and reproduce. Additionally, the organisms raise the temperature of the water as they reproduce.

All these variables must be considered when making high quality aerobic compost teas.

Keep it Cool

A dissolved oxygen metre is the best way to monitor your tea’s oxygen content. However, monitoring temperature is one practical way to avoid making anaerobic teas. At elevations below 5,000 feet, water temperatures should not exceed 26ºC. At elevations above 5,000 feet, water tem-

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

peratures should not exceed 20ºC. At any elevation when daily high temperatures are above 24ºC, brew for 24 hours or less, and when daily high temperatures are below 24°C, brew for 48 hours.

Trust Your Sense of Smell

You’ll be surprised how little food it takes to drive a tea anaerobic even in brewers that are able to maximize dissolved oxygen potential.

The easiest indicator of anaerobic microbial growth in a tea is a foul smell.What you smell is the valuable macro and trace nutrients in the compost tea volatilizing and blowing off in gaseous forms.Teas should never smell bad. If it stinks, it’s anaerobic!

Request the Data

Manufacturers of compost tea brewers should be able to provide data that shows how much compost and food stocks you can add at what maximum elevation/temperature and still maintain aerobic conditions through the entire brew cycle. Before purchasing any compost tea equipment or subscribing to any brewing method, request data from the manufacturer showing how the machine or method functions under different conditions and what the parameters are in terms of inputs, elevation and temperature. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Urban Renewal Ed Hardwood and Through Agriculture Jessica Bloomgarden

by Ed Harwood and Jessica Bloomgarden

The term Urban Agriculture is largely associated with community farms and gardens that are operated for small-scale production, recreational and social purposes. While this type of urban agriculture is extremely beneficial to local communities through community building, food education and youth development, rising global trends require that we expand this momentum to include a commercial urban agricultural movement.

Urban Renewal Through Agriculture

The term urban agriculture is largely associated with community farms and gardens that are operated for smallscale production, recreational and social purposes. While this type of urban agriculture is extremely beneficial to local communities through community building, food education and youth development, rising global trends require that we expand this momentum to include a commercial urban agricultural movement.

With over 75 per cent of the North American population living in urban centers, and the rest of the world following a similar path of urbanization, our traditional food system of centralized, rural production with long transportation distances is no longer a sustainable model. Rising fuel costs and impending carbon legislation will result in increased transportation costs, which will be compounded by end-markets moving further away from the point of production. Centralized production represents a threat to food security, as a single disease or storm can destroy an entire crop or farm. This same concept applies to food safety, in which centralized production increases

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

the risk of spreading disease. These are just a few of the problems the supply side of the food chain faces, and these problems will only worsen with time.

On the demand side, consumers are getting smarter. They want to buy local, fresh and pesticide-free foods, and they want to buy it all year round. The number of consumers is rapidly rising, requiring world food production to double by 2050 according to the UN. Our current food system is already unsustainable with one in six people going hungry today, and will be even less capable of supporting the world’s demand in coming years.

Urban agriculture has the potential to fundamentally change our food system from the large scale, centralized, rural production it is today, to a distributed network of local production using innovative technological solutions.

Technologies such as hydroponics exist today and can be readily used in urban buildings, creating local jobs and often rehabilitating areas of urban blight. Some hydroponic methods require sunlight, and so necessitate greenhouse or rooftop locations. However, a growing number of products use even

Ed Hardwood and Jessica Bloomgarden

Urban Renewal Through Agriculture

more controlled environments and artificial lighting, and can therefore fill the interiors of buildings, creating much more reliable and large scale production opportunities. Some of these technologies boast yield efficiencies of up to 100 times that of conventional growing methods. Each technology fills a niche that could provide a broad array of produce year-round in urban settings. With lower transportation costs, integrated pest management and increased yield from these technologies, urban farmers can operate much more profitable farms while more fully satisfying consumer preferences.

Early adopters are starting to emerge with plans to transform cities across the country into commercial urban farms. They believe in the possibility of urban renewal through agriculture by creating jobs for local residents, supplying fresh and safe produce for local families and transforming urban blight and decay into productive and clean environments. Other cities and entrepreneurs would do well to evaluate their own urban agriculture opportunities.

This industry is ready for its future leaders to come forward and usher in this much needed movement. MY Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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Strawberries, the power fruit

Fresh strawberries are delicious and nutritious. An incredibly versatile berry, they contain a wide variety of naturallyoccurring nutrients including: vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Because strawberries do not transport well, some commercial varieties are bred for better post-harvest handling characteristics. These breeding tactics can compromise not only taste, but nutritional value as well.

What better way to enjoy the full benefits provided by strawberries than to grow your own hydroponically?

Temperature and Lighting Proper temperatures trigger the flowering and fruiting response in strawberries. Reservoir temperatures below 21°C will promote a healthier root system less susceptible to infections.

Organic Growing Growers can reap additional benefits from applications of enzyme-based products intended for the root system. These enzymes will noticeably increase the availability of organic nutrient components because they help solubilize organic materials into forms that are more easily digested by the plant.

Additional Important Facts Strawberries are typically self-pollinated plants and so the grower will benefit greatly by helping to disperse the pollen.

Indoor growers using artificial lighting might use mechanical vibrators to help disperse pollen, whereas greenhouse growers might introduce specific varieties of bumblebees—typically 50 bumblebees for 5,400 square feet of greenhouse space.

Nutrients and Supplements It is advisable to inoculate the root systems of young plants with beneficial bacteria and fungi—Trichoderma and Bacillus work well. An additional source of carbohydrates will help young plants thrive as well as nourish and assist the beneficial microorganisms that have been introduced.

Deterring Pests and Disease For control of fungus gnats in the root systems, Bacillus thurengiensis is added through the fertigation system in twoweek intervals. Mites, aphids and thrips are common pests that might infest strawberry crops. Biological control methods are safe, economical and effective with proper applications and timing. Geocoris punctipes, Orius insidiosus and Neoseiulus californicus are predator varieties that have been used commercially in strawberry crops with a level of success.

Powdery mildew can also be problematic in greenhouse and indoor strawberry production. One method that has worked to combat this problem is using a bio-fungicide containing Ampleomyces quisqualis as a measure of control in all stages of plant and fruit development.

Growing Mediums Perlite appears to be the medium of choice for greenhouse and indoor strawberry producers as it is fast draining, lightweight, near neutral in pH and relatively inexpensive.

This power fruit is fragrant, sweet and the most popular berry fruit in the world. They are full of unusual phytonutrients that promote good health. With this information you can grow your own juicy, red strawberries all year long. MY

Growing Systems Hobby growers can choose between a variety of hydroponic systems including NFT and the more popular perlite-filled bags (favoured among berry growers). Good aeration of the nutrient solutions and proper channel drainage is extremely important.

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Moisture Matters

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

The frequency, amount, timing and duration of nutrient application to a hydroponic substrate are some of the most commonly discussed concerns by new growers. Even those with some experience can be caught out when switching from one substrate to another without realizing that the physical properties can vary considerably between growing media. More hydroponic plants are lost through over saturation in the root zone and the risks that occur with root suffocation and opportunist pathogen attack, than end up suffering through a drought.

And while commercial growers can make use of computerized moisture sensors and

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complex formulas to determine the rate of irrigation, smaller growers need to be in tune with the growing environment, crop water uptake and media moisture levels.

Why media moisture matters

Hydroponics is often seen as a foolproof way of growing plants under automatic control, so every aspect of plant growth is optimized. However, the majority of hydroponic systems still use some form of substrate or growing media to support the plant and retain a reserve of moisture and nutrients around the root zone between nutrient applications. Even many solution culture systems rely on a small

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

amount of some substrate or material to hold the plant in position, while seeds and cuttings also need support during the propagation stages.

Plants require water, nutrients and oxygen in the root zone to both survive and obtain maximum growth and yields.

In a hydroponic substrate these requirements are determined by the physical and chemical properties of the media, such as the water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, pore size distribution and porosity. The substrate has to retain water and nutrients and at the same time must have enough oxygen and remove sufficient carbon dioxide for the plant

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moisture matters

often a better choice, with more moisture retentive media of greater use under warm, faster growing conditions Over saturation – signs and symptoms

Overwatering can cause problems such as fungus gnats and rapid growth of thick algae on the media surface.

to thrive. This water retention versus aeration within a growing media is a delicate balance as overwatering reduces the amount of oxygen in the media for root respiration, leading to anaerobic condi-

Although it may appear that a hydroponic substrate has better aeration and drainage than field soil, this may not always be the case; the bottom of the growing container, or bed, creates a barrier to downward drainage. Once the Overwatering is a more medium’s pores at the container common problem in hydroponic base become substrates that have a high saturated with water, the moismoisture holding capacity. ture moves out of the container’s tions. Drainage can be a problem in some drainage holes. The rate at which nutrihydroponic systems—–the water held in ent moves through a hydroponic substrate the growing container is effectively a baland the amount which is left behind after ance between the gravitational pull on the irrigation are vital properties of a substrate water, the tendency for water to adhere which are dependant on a number of to particles by surface tension and also physical properties of the media. the tendency for water to be retained in Overwatering is a more common probthe fine pores of the substrate by capillary lem in hydroponic substrates that have action. ‘Container capacity’ refers to the a high moisture holding capacity. These amount of water held in a container of include the finer grades of coconut fibre, a given depth after drainage is complete peat, some grades of rockwool slabs, deand most cropping plants will perform composed sawdust and vermiculite. Cool best in a substrate with a high percentgrowing conditions, high humidity and age of air filled pores when at container low rates of growth also predispose heavier capacity. To achieve this high rate of both media to over irrigation as moisture is not air filled porosity and water holding taken up as rapidly by the plants. Under capacity a particular type of structure is slow growth and cooler conditions, a required and this is seen in many good lighter growing media with a higher dehydroponic substrates. gree of aeration and more rapid drainage is

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Early signs of over saturation of a growing media may be as simple as the presence of shore flies and fungus gnats, which are attracted to the overly damp surface of a substrate. Fungus gnats are a particular problem as they can persist in hydroponic systems, which are continually over wet and where there is also organic matter such as compost. The adult gnat fly lays eggs in the wet substrate, which hatch into small larvae and can chew into the root system causing damage and creating wounds for root rot pathogens to enter. The best form of prevention of gnat problems is to keep the surface of all growing media slightly dry to prevent the gnats from laying eggs.

Large amounts of algae may also grow on the surface of the media if overwatering has been occurring. In seedling trays, high

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Some plant species prefer a heavier and damper media with little tolerance for drying out.

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high amount of moisture in Cool growing conditions, the root zone, high humidity and low rates wilt during the warmest part of growth predispose heavier of the day.This media to over irrigation. is a response to suffocation and hypoxic levels of moisture often lead to problems conditions in the root zone, as without a with damping off caused by opportunist high degree of respiration the plant can’t pathogens such as pythium and rhizoctonia take up sufficient water and nutrients. who prey on young plants stressed by over Longer term nutrient deficiencies may saturation and lack of oxygen. Cuttings show on the waterlogged plant, including and clones may suffer from stem rot and chlorosis (yellowing) or paleness in the new die back as over saturation cuts out foliage. In more mature plants, flower and much of the oxygen required for callus fruitlet drop is common in waterlogged and root formation. crops and older leaves may also yellow While most plants can handle a short stint and abscise. One of the more extreme of overwatering, if the saturated conditions symptoms of waterlogged roots is ‘epinasty’ continue, further damage is inflicted and where ethylene gas builds up within the root respiration rates begin to decline plant causing the upper side of the leaf through a lack of oxygen. Reduced root petiole cells to elongate whereas those on respiration often displays itself in a few the lower side do not.The result is a severe different ways, some of which are species bending downward of the leaves in response dependant. Some plants may, despite the to long term water logged conditions that cut out sufficient oxygenation in the root zone. Epinasty in response to saturated root zone conditions are often mistaken for wilting caused by a lack of moisture, so growers need to carefully check whether wilted plants are actually suffering from a lack of irrigation or not. Some plants such as tomatoes may also respond to over saturation of the root zone with the production of adventitious roots up on the stems. These root initials can be numerous and can even erupt as large bumps and slits which may be mistaken for a pest or disease attack.

Some plant species are highly prone to problems with overwatering, while others are quite tolerant. Strawberries, for instance, have no tolerance for a saturated substrate and many strawberry crop losses have resulted from overwatering the crown leading to root. Many cacti and succulents will also rot when over irrigated and prefer a coarse and very free draining substrate such as perlite or coarse sand. Other plants—more notably those that are grown under warm conditions—have large leaves and a rapid rate of growth are better suited to highly Cuttings require moisture and high levels moisture retentive media that will hold sufof aeration for callus formation; too much moisture will cause rotting of the cut stem. ficient water between irrigations.

”

Some crops are very intolerant of high levels of moisture and prefer a coarse and very free draining medium.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and similar crops perform well in a media that has a high water holding capacity and also a good rate of air filled porosity.

Nutrient application programs

Nutrient application rates, frequency and timing needs to be carefully matched to the crop, stage of growth, type of hydroponic system and the water holding capacity and drainage ability of the substrate. A crop growing in coarse perlite or expanded clay would be expected to have a different irrigation program to the same crop growing in fine coconut fibre or rockwool slabs. The coarser media would be expected to have a higher frequency of smaller volumes of irrigation, while the more moisture retentive media would have less frequent irrigation of a greater volume.

Determining how often to irrigate a particular substrate to avoid over saturation in the root zone can be difficult for newer growers. With experience growers soon develop an instinct of knowing how often to water certain media and how to adjust this for growing conditions and plant size. To start out inexperienced growers may want to choose one of the more free

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moisture matters

“

Strawberries have no tolerance for a saturated substrate and many crop losses have resulted from overwatering.

Perlite is a good choice for beginners as it is difficult to overwater, while holding some moisture between irrigations.

Rapid seed germination needs careful control of moisture as seeds will rot in over saturated conditions.

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draining substrates such as coarse grade perlite and monitor how much drainage solution occurs after each nutrient application as a guide to irrigation amounts. However, more moisture retentive substrates such as coconut fibre are more forgiving of a lack of watering and probably a better choice in systems that can’t be monitored through the day. The moisture status of coconut fibre and similar substrates can be determined by poking a finger into the top of the substrate—this should be almost dry on top, but moist underneath the surface, with some nutrient run off at each irrigation.

Systems such as ebb and flow, NFT and anywhere that a small volume of media is being used to support a plant in a larger system are also prone to overwatering problems. While the nutrient solution may carry some dissolved oxygen, this is only a very small amount (six to 13 ppm on average) compared to that contained in moist air surrounding roots, so aeration is still a priority. NFT relies on a thin film (two- to three-millimetres deep) of nutrient solution flowing over the base of a growing channel; if the flow becomes slower and deeper, especially under warm growing conditions, problems can arise with insufficient oxy-

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

”

Even NFT systems can become over saturated if the flow of nutrient deepens and slows.

genation and root death. The requirement for both oxygen and moisture in the root zone is a trade off that needs to be considered in any type of hydroponic system as both are essential for optimal plant functioning.

Moisture metres

Moisture metres are not a substitute for experience when it comes to plant irrigation and management; however, they are a useful tool for some hydroponic substrates. Most moisture metres have been developed for use in field soils; however, there are some models that can be used for soilless substrates. These should always be selected as they give a more accurate result with hydroponic mediums. Moisture metres range from the relatively inexpensive type sold for home gardeners to professional sensors for larger scale greenhouse growers. The inexpensive type only gives a rough approximation of moisture levels but is useful for houseplants and small container systems. MY

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Hydroponics

as a Science

by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.

Don’t let anything stop you in your quest for knowledge.

Defining hydroponics involves assessing and comparing previously offered definitions, looking at real-world situations and, of course, asking questions.

Is hydroponics a science? This question has been asked by many, but without a definite answer to date. Most dictionaries do not define hydroponics as a science, but as just another method of growing or cultivating plants. In the Wikipedia (www.Wikipedia.com) definition and accompanying description of hydroponics the word “science” does not even appear. However, the fourth edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary (1999) does define hydroponics as “the science of growing or the production of plants in a nutrientrich solution.” One dictionary (Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary) definition for science is “something (as a sport

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or technique) that may be studied or learned like systemized knowledge.”

Hydroponics is indeed a technique for growing plants and a body of knowledge regarding how to grow plants using the hydroponic method has indeed been accumulated, so hydroponics does match the criteria for being a “science” based on the above definition.

There is also an accumulated body of “systemized knowledge” with regard to hydroponics that fits the second part of this definition.

One of the aspects of hydroponics that has influenced its protocols is the fact that the hydroponic technique for growing plants is being used primarily

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

in controlled environments—greenhouses—where the airflow, temperature and humidity are all carefully monitored. Even incoming solar radiation is somewhat controlled, or at least modified, by the transmission characteristics of the greenhouse glazing. This aspect of control would seem to help the case for hydroponics being regarded as a science. However, say you have a grower reporting results on the use of a particular hydroponic method and making observations that are the result of the interaction between the plant’s environment and the growing technique, whether it’s a flood and drain, NFT or drip-irrigation method, with plants

rooted in rockwool slabs or buckets of perlite. What exactly is the scientific value of information of this nature being reported—when plants are being grown in a glass greenhouse using the rockwool slab drip-irrigation system— for a gardener who may be contemplating growing the same plant in a double polyethylene-covered greenhouse using the flood and drain growing method?

Several years ago, I made frequent visits to four hydroponic growers. All were growing tomatoes in doublewalled polyethylene-covered greenhouses, with the tomato plants rooted in perlite-filled BATO buckets using a drip-irrigation system for delivering a nutrient solution. I quickly learned that the skill of these growers was a major factor contributing to their obtained yield and fruit quality, although all were following the operational procedures provided by the supplier of the greenhouse and hydroponic system.

Each grower had experienced several instances of plant nutrient elemental insufficiencies, and, as a result, one had made a major change in the nutrient solution formulation that he had been using. All were still doing fairly well in terms of fruit yield and quality, although additional growing experience would probably have resulted in an improvement in both.

However, the following growing season things changed, as both fruit yield and quality declined, and all four growers struggled to adjust their operational procedures to cope with what was occurring—without success. One grower ended his crop in mid-season, the other three searched for an answer as to why things had changed, asking me for advice at each visit as well as making frantic telephone calls to those who had advised them in the past when dealing with other problems. Although there was no obvious cause for the decline, weather conditions had changed significantly that year as the winter and spring months were warmer than normal, with few cloudy days and very dry air conditions, the low rainfall leading to drought throughout the entire area.

From weather station data, it seemed

that the minutes of sunshine during this period of time were significantly greater than in previous years. Based on this data I concluded that the radiation input into the four greenhouses had been significantly higher than in previous seasons, thereby stressing the plants, with the result being low fruit yield and poor fruit quality (mostly small fruit).

What might have helped would have been the ability to draw shade cloth over the plant canopy during the high noon periods of intense radiation, but none of the growers had that particular capability in their greenhouses.

Altering the frequency and volume of the nutrient solution applied with each irrigation or changing the nutrient solution formulation might also have reduced the rate of accumulated salts in the perlite. In addition, bringing conditioned air into the greenhouse up through the plant canopy would have kept the plant foliage cooler and would have contributed to a more consistent leaf turgidity status.

Could these procedures be then considered “systemized knowledge,” and, if known and applied, would they have prevented the fruit losses these growers experienced?

Several experts have written about the future of hydroponics, expressing concern that the limitations associated with the currently employed hydroponic techniques are not being adequately investigated. For example, little effort is being devoted to making hydroponic growing methods more efficient as to their use of water and reagents in order to better meet the nutritional requirements of the plants being grown. There are many nutrient solution formulations to choose from, with little solid information available as to their impact on the biological potential of the treated plants.

“little effort is being devoted to making hydroponic growing methods more efficient as to their use of water and reagents in order to better meet the nutritional requirements of the plants being grown.”

From the time the Hoagland/Arnon nutrient solution formulations were introduced (Hoagland and Arnon, 1950) little research has been devoted to investigating the use of these two formulations under various application methodologies. It is not uncommon to read an article in a research journal or technical publication in which the writer uses the term “modified Hoagland nutrient solution” without indicating whether the formulation itself was altered, or one of its use parameters.

And what were the use parameters?

Four-litres of nutrient solution per plant with replacement each week was the established formula. Change one of these parameters, and how does the plant respond?

From real life experience, we can see that the science of hydroponics should be defined based on accompanying environmental conditions, with each set of hydroponic growing procedures applying only to a particular set of growing parameters—there can not be a fixed set of procedures that would apply universally.

Until this is understood, the application of the hydroponic method of growing will continue to flounder in a maze of misinformation, and growers will be constantly searching for answers to why this or that calamity occurred.

That hydroponics is a science is pretty much beyond doubt—that it is a science we are far from understanding completely and one that requires much further research is without question. MY

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We Need to Talk

An Insider's Guide to Hydroponic Shops

by Casey Jones Fraser

I can say with no hesitation that I want every indoor grower to reap bountiful harvests of picturesque crops. Guess what...I’m a hydroponics sales person. For salespeople like me, a successful garden is just good business. In fact, your success is more important to me than how much money you spend in a visit. We want long-term customers, not quick sales. The salespeople I know in this industry prefer gardening success over irrational purchases, regardless of the ticket price.

As a grower, I want the highest yields of gourmet produce out of every grow. As a salesman, I want customers to have excellent results too. So if the customer and the retailer are both after the same goal, why is there so much frustration, confusion and mistrust between the customers and sales reps?

In an effort to improve your shopping experience (not to mention your crops) I have created a list of focus areas for you. I believe this list will be useful for new and experienced growers. Focusing your questions will makes it easier for the sales rep to find solutions for your indoor garden troubles.

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Focus #1 – Catalogues Ask for a catalogue to view the available product options. Communicate with the clerk about what you’re looking for. If you need a specific product or are curious about pricing, simply ask. If you don’t know what you want, say so. If the shop does not carry what you need, ask for similar options that are available or ask to have something ordered in.

Focus #2 – Lighting Your garden starts with lighting. Tell the salesperson the light sizes you’re growing with, or the light you’re looking for. Outline the dimensions of your garden: square (3’ by 3’), rectangle (2’ by 4’), circle (5’), basement (10’ by 10’), etc.

Next, let us know the wattage and lighting

type (high pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent or LED). This specific lighting information, combined with grow room dimensions, will tell us how much light your plants need. When a salesperson suggests additional lighting or increased wattage, the motivation is not simply sales; we want you to be successful and satisfied. We want your lighting to be the perfect fit for your garden.

Focus #3 - Cooling, Exhaust Fans and CO2 This area can be complicated, so expert advice will be extremely helpful. Many grow light reflectors have built-in duct ports, so you can connect ventilation equipment.

Your sales clerk will suggest the perfect exhaust fan for your hot grow lights. Exhausting your room will cool things down and bring fresh air to your plants. An intake fan may also be help-

ful (exhaust fan kicks out old air/intake fan brings in fresh air). A more expensive (and often more productive) option is to use CO2 and air conditioning, instead of pulling a constant stream of fresh air through your room. If you want a professional set-up, you could use exhaust fans to cool the lights independently from the room, and keep the grow room supplemented with air conditioning and CO2.

For a small hobby set-up, you could simply install one exhaust fan that will dump out the old air, cool your light(s) and bring in new air via suction.

As you can see, the options are many. Once the clerk understands your lighting requirements and space, he or she will be able to recommend various ventilation equipment to suit your budget.

Focus #4 – Hydroponics If you choose to garden hydroponically (without soil) there are many different systems to choose from. Here are the basic topics for

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we need to talk: an insider’s guide to hydroponic shops

Grow stores carry individual products like perlite, biodynamic compost, worm castings, etc., to help you build your own custom soil. Ask your local store if they have a preferred soil mix for top yields.

hydro gear: performance, track record, ease-of-use, cleaning/maintenance, complexity and price.

Focus #5 – Soils and Growing Mediums (aka Root Zone Substrates) Indoor gardeners use soil, soilless mixes, grow rocks, rockwool, coco coir and

several other types of growing media.

If you grow in hydroponics, just tell the sales person what system you have, and they will direct you to the appropriate growing medium. Ask which products offer the ideal pH range and water holding capacity for your indoor gardening method. You can also search the Internet for soil recipes.

Focus #6 – Plant Nutrients and Supplements Simply put, nutrients feed your plants and supplements assist in that function.

The top nutrient companies offer recipe charts that have been researched and designed for gardens like yours. When using products simultaneously, don’t simply follow the label’s instructions; use the manufacturer’s recipe guide to determine the specific amounts of each product. Using too much will actually decrease yield and quality. If you are new to gardening, please don’t invent your own nutrient recipe.

Performance, quality and pricing should be considered when choosing a nutrient brand for your garden. ‘Grower A’ has a 1,000-watt garden. He spends $50 on two bottles and harvests less than one bucket of tomatoes, flowers and

“You must decide if the increase in yield is worth the increase in cost. For many growers, garden success is worth every penny.”

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herbs. ‘Grower B’ has an identical garden sales clerk and see if you left anything out. Together, you may realize a carbon set-up, but spends $500 on a scientific assortment of nutrients and supplements, filter and exhaust fan are more important than that aeroponics unit. When workand harvests more than two buckets of ing within a set budget, we want to tomatoes, flowers and herbs.You must make sure you get everything you need decide if the increase in yield is worth without overspending. Don’t try out a the increase in cost. For many growers, garden success is worth every penny. For new technology unless you can afford others, they are satisfied as long as the plants survive (regardless of yield and quality), in which “When working within a set case price rules. Be sure to ask budget, we want to make sure which brands guarantee quality you get everything you need and performance, and it’s always a good idea to ask which brand without overspending. Don’t they prefer or use personally.

gear for your specific situation.

Sure, I left out topics like climate controllers, digitals metres and cloning machines, but a good grow store will gladly keep you informed on such items. So please ask questions (heck, bring in a long list of questions), and be friendly.You might learn something new, and your plants will thank you for it. MY

try out a new technology unless you can afford them.”

Focus #7 – Budget and List Now that you know about the gear, grab that catalogue from #1, get a sheet of paper and start listing products for your current or future garden. Continue to add and delete products until you can fit everything into your budget. Share the list with your

them. We can also direct you away from products with a high failure rate. After all, we’re growers too!

That’s how you get the right growing

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Successful Cymbidium Growing for the Amateur Enthusiast

by Scott Barrie

The genus Cymbidium mainly comes from the mid-range altitude of central Asia. Over the years, Cymbidiums have been propagated and developed by dedicated growers to achieve the spectacular range of size and colour that can be seen today and they are the genera that gardeners traditionally think of when orchids are mentioned.While cultivation in the home garden is generally easy, there are a few key considerations that can greatly improve the amateur grower’s success.This article is intended to provide an outline of some of the topics that should be considered.

Growing Cymbidiums Most Cymbidiums are purchased as flowering plants that have already formed a clump of what are called pseudo bulbs.These pseudo bulbs are dependent on each other for the sharing of nutrients and moisture.The older pseudo bulbs, which are generally leafless, are referred to as back bulbs and are the plants reserve store of moisture. It is worth remembering that if these are removed for either propagation or division, extra care must be paid to maintain the plants moisture levels.

Cymbidiums are stage developmental growers.This means the plant has different requirements as it moves through a seasonal

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growing cycle.The new growth or lead has a high water requirement, and usually emerges as the flowers are finishing. By this stage, the plant is already developing the next season’s flowers so a low nitrogen fertilizer should be used to promote flower initiation. As the lead starts to become a bulb, usually five or six months later, high nitrogen fertilizer is used to produce a large bulb and boost the plant pre-flowering.

The Growing Environment Cymbidiums will grow very well for the average enthusiast on a patio or in the garden, although care should be taken to give plants protection from extremes such as frost or temperatures over 40°C. They are very keen on ventilation, so choose an open, airy position.

Many gardeners have had success growing cymbidiums in the ground by placing them in a very free-draining garden bed.The position of your Cymbidium is also crucial if the plant is grown in the ground, as high light is required to give the best flowering results. Foliage colour is a good indicator of light intensity, with dark green often meaning too little light, and pale green to white meaning the foliage is about to burn. From the point of view that we grow Cymbidium for flowers, I would rather see burnt leaves and lots of spikes than broad dark green leaves and no flowers.

Feeding and Watering Although Cymbidiums have evolved to overcome prolonged dry spells, they are more than happy to avoid them. Access to frequent watering without waterlogging will allow plants to take as required. It is unnecessary to dry plants between watering and plants in pots will have higher water requirements, particularly in the warmer months. Fertilizing plants is the icing on the cake, the final part of the process. Management of watering is much more important, though it is fertilizing that is at the forefront of most people’s minds. Cymbidiums are capable of growing in the garden with little attention in this area, though a regular application of a balanced fertilizer will give an increase in growth.

Experienced growers will reduce the ratio of nitrogen to other elements in the fertilizer as the plant is initiating flower spikes.

This is often done by using flower booster varieties of fertilizer.

Media Selection for Potting As Cymbidium growing is a long-term project, the growing media selected must have long-lasting properties. When growing in pots, having to re-pot your plant repeatedly

A stem of cymbidium “Forest Green”. Green is traditionally one of the most popular colours.

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successful cymbidium growing

Pests of the Plant Foliage Cymbidium Scale is often seen in older plants. It shows as a yellow discolouration on the leaf. As the pest increases in numbers they may be seen around the back bulbs. Twospotted mite is a very small pest often known as red spider.

These pests are active usually during the warmer months.

They cause a silvering of the underside of the leaf. Severe attacks will also show up on the flowers and this will cause a distortion of the bloom.

Pests of the Flowers Thrips are prevalent on the warm spring winds and will be attracted to pale bright coloured flowers. This pest will leave small clear spots on the flower. Snails and slugs are lurking at the base of the plant until the flower you have been waiting on for a year is about to open. They will devour a flower over night. Signs are the slimy silvery trail left by the pest. Aphids will appear in large numbers on the underside of the flower bud just prior to opening. Their attack will leave the flower distorted.

A stem of cymbidium Khan Flame ‘Barrita’. Bright colours are in high demand as cut flowers.

due to waterlogging caused by degrading mixes can have a significant negative impact on your plants. Because of this, inert, long-lasting materials are the best choice.

A horticultural rockwool and perlite mix is one excellent media choice and because inert media does not contain any nutrients, a soluble fertilizer is recommended.

Re-potting Developing a healthy clump of pseudo bulbs is crucial in getting the best from your Cymbidium, and re-potting is a major part of this. Using methods that reduce the incidence of division are the key, as once a plant is divided it will set back the growth of the plant and severely impact the potential of the plant to produce flowers in the following season.

When plants are young, use slip potting. Simply remove the outgrown pot and select a pot approximately 50-millimetres larger and the fill the gap with new media. Not disturbing the roots will keep the plant growing. This should be done as soon after flowering as practical. As plants mature and develop a clump it may be necessary to remove some of the leaves from the older bulbs. This process is known as stripping and allows the new growths access to the light, encouraging them to grow back into the centre of the plant and creating stacking of the bulbs. Using stacking greatly reduces the need for division.

“Snails and slugs are lurking at the base of the plant until the flower you have been waiting on for a year is about to open. They will devour a flower over night.”

Diseases Fungal diseases often occur during the autumn and spring, and may affect the foliage. This will be seen first as small black areas on the leaf. In the worst case, plants will blacken and die. Botrytis may affect the flowers if they are wet for prolonged periods. This will show up as fine black spots which will cover the flower.

Usually this will be a problem in pale colours, although all colours may be affected. By following a few easy steps and being vigilant of your plant’s health, you should experience great satisfaction with growing your Cymbidium and enjoy many years of beautiful flowers. Good luck and happy growing! MY

Pest and Disease Management Cymbidiums are subject to a number of pests and diseases. It is important to be able to identify these problems to protect flowers and foliage. Swift treatment with an appropriate, commercially-available product is advisable.

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A large seven year old cymbidium plant in a pot. Back bulbs in the foreground.

This plant is developing a stack as the new or leads grow back into the centre of the plant. Stacking helps to limit the requirement for division.

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by Roland Evans

sun and soil: The wonders of winter sowing

Christmas is gone but winter stretches on. The outdoor garden lays dormant, soil frozen and covered with snow. In my greenhouses, the veggies are taking a short rest, waiting for a burst of growth as soon as the days lengthen. Maybe they are trying to teach me patience, remind me to stay in hibernation. Not likely!

With the New Year nipping at our noses, it’s time to get out those seeds and start planting. Yep, you heard me right, its time to sow seeds.

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If you think about it for a moment, it makes perfect sense.

In nature, a seed drops from the plant in autumn and is covered by falling leaves and decaying organic matter. It sleeps throughout the winter season. As the soil warms and the days lengthen, the seed knows when to sprout. It does this slowly, carefully, reaching its roots deep into the earth before it raises its vulnerable leaves into the cool air. Each seed has millions of years of inherent knowledge about how to survive. If it ignores that knowledge, it dies. In this way, only the strongest and fittest plants survive.

Stratification We have been led to believe that seeds need pampering: sow them at the perfect time in an artificial growing medium and set them in heated plastic trays under florescent lighting. Only them will they consent to germinate. This may be true of some fragile hybrids but not for most plant varieties. In fact, many plant seeds need a period of intense cold before they will sprout. This is called stratification. Many annuals and perennials as well as the majority of trees and shrubs need their seeds to cold stratify.

For example, chilling is essential if you want to sow salad greens in July or August. In the height of summer; I pop seed packets of lettuce, onions and particularly spinach into the freezer for a week or so before I put them in the ground.

Without this stratification, I get as little as 10 per cent germination of summer spinach. With a little cooling off time, I can expect near normal numbers of seedlings in August.

that you buy in the garden centre around Mother’s Day. With a little effort and less expense, you can have as many bedding plants as you want. It even works for tomatoes and cucumbers.

Winter sowing has many benefits. The seeds germinate naturally and establish strong root systems. Temperature fluctuations stress both seeds and seedlings so only the strongest and healthiest plants survive. Cold sowing is not a demanding task: you plant whenever you have time in whatever container you can lay your hands on. Best of all, it gives you something to do in those empty winter months.

How to do it Cold sowing is simple. You plant seeds in a container with a transparent cover and leave it outdoors. As the weather warms up, the seeds germinate and your seedlings are ready to transplant into bigger pots or straight into the garden. That’s it! Well, not quite. Like any growing technique, there are a few things you need to know to ensure success.

Containers First find your containers. The essential elements are depth and a transparent or translucent top.You need a minimum of eight-centimetres of soil in the pot for strong root growth and adequate light for the leaves to stay green and strong.

Four-litre jugs for milk or water are very popular. Cut them almost in half near the handle, leaving a hinge of plastic. After sowing, the parts can be taped shut with masking or duct tape or connected with a twist tie. Pop bottles can also be cut in half, with three wedge-shaped slits in the top half so it slips over the bottom. I have lots of four-litre plant pots, so I simply put a thick plastic bag over the top, held in place with a large rubber band.

Drainage and air Whatever container you use, make sure there are drainage and air holes. Stick a knife three times through the bottom of any solid container. Plant pots already have large holes. I place pebbles over these to restrict water loss. Transparent covers need to let in a certain amount of

Winter Sowing Dedicated and impatient gardeners have run with these ideas. Gardening forums are filled with postings about winter sowing. Practically every variety of flower, herb and vegetable can be cold sown. It is particularly useful for those perennial and annual flowers

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sun and soil: the wonders of winter sowing

with a little peat moss if your soil is rich and fertile.

The soil should be at least eightcentimetres deep and well moistened.

Place the container in a bucket of water so it gets watered from the bottom.

Seeds are planted in the normal way at a depth of about two times the smallest dimension of the seed. Sow any variety you think might grow and be sure to label every container. Plant moderately thickly and you can expect a survival rate of 80 per cent or less. air without allowing the soil to dry out.

Unscrew the cap on jugs or bottles; pierce a few holes in plastic bags.

Soil and seeds The seedlings grow in the pot until they are somewhat mature with true leaves, so soilless mixes may not provide enough nutrition and mass for the roots. I make my own traditional seed mix: one part sand, two parts humisoil or compost, four parts peat moss—all sifted through a .5-centimetre mesh.

You can also use garden soil mixed

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Location and care The main threat to your plants will not be cold but overheating and drying out.

Do not put the containers in full sun; the north side of a shed works well. It is fine if they get covered with snow but they do not want sit in a puddle of water. If you have harsh winters, surround the containers with mulch such as leaves or straw or dig them a little into the ground. This helps modulate fluctuations in temperature.

Make sure the soil stays somewhat moist; check every week or so and add

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

water as needed. When the seedlings are up, protect from frost with row covers and blankets and start feeding with compost tea and dilute nutrients. If you have the option, move the seedlings into your greenhouse in March to enjoy early flowers and vegetables.

Now is the time to throw off your gardening doldrums. Pull out all those seed packets, rummage through the recycle bin and take a chance. With a little ingenuity, you will be flooded with so many spring plants you will be able to supply all your friends. What have you got to lose? MY

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you tell us

give you an instant framework upon which to hang lights and ventilation equipment.You can even have multiple grow tents right next to each other, meaning it’s quite feasible to grow plants on different light cycles in the same room because our grow tents are virtually lightproof, thanks to high-end materials and super-durable sewn-in zippers.

Denis Sauermann, Homebox founder

Big Grow Tents for a Big Country Canadian growers will soon be able to get their hands on the world’s most sought-after name in grow tents: Homebox. But can the makers of the original grow tent meet the needs of some of the world’s most demanding indoor gardeners? We quizzed Denis Sauermann, Homebox’s founder, on their planned venture into the big country.

Maximum Yield (MY): To the uninitiated, your products just look like big closet organizers lined with tinfoil, but we know there’s more to them than that, isn’t there?

Denis Sauermann: You canny Canadians are well known for being hands-on but surely you can appreciated not having to drill holes into walls or screwing hooks into ceilings in order to start growing indoors?! Our grow tents make it possible to set up an indoor garden in just a few minutes and they

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MY: You mention “high-end materials” but what really sets your Homeboxes apart from similar products that are already out there?

Denis: We use a layer of polyethylene for light-proofing our tent material.

It’s more expensive, but after extensive research we found it was the best choice.

Not only does PVC quickly become brittle under the glare of grow lights, but it’s totally unsuitable as grow tent material for a far more serious reason— it releases harmful gases that cause plants

to get sick and turn yellow!

There are multiple ports for air-cooling in just the right places, hangers and harnesses for your carbon filter and additional holes for irrigation pipes and electrical wires. The floor even has an extra waterproof layer so you don’t have to worry about those inevitable spills.

Recently we’ve incorporated even more great features into our tents—clear viewing windows, thermal protection and a super-reflective interior lining to help maximize the efficiency of your grow lights.

MY: Who came up with the idea for the Homebox in the first place?

Denis: I did. I’m a highly experienced indoor gardener from Berlin, and I quickly grew tired of continually constructing wooden frames and other grow room scaffolding. That’s when the idea of a purpose-built, lightweight grow

The Grow Lab 80 is the perfect starter tent for beginners new to indoor gardening

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

tent first began to crystallize and I formed the company Eastside Impex.

MY: In the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and now Canada you are now offering tents called GrowLab Horticultural portable grow rooms. Can you explain the differences between these products and the Classic Homebox line?

Denis: Although Homeboxes were the original portable grow rooms in the United States and worldwide, the distributors we first chose to sell them tried to knock off our products.

Then along came Gabriel (Gaby) Bronsztein and Everest Garden Supply.

Gaby came to Germany to meet with me and the Eastside Impex team. He told me that the white knock-off tents then being sold in the United States were toxic and killing plants. Gaby and I quickly came to an agreement and Gaby commissioned Eastside Impex to create a new line of Homebox tents—and the GrowLab portable grow room by Homebox was born!

MY: So I’ve never gardened in my life and I just got a Homebox for my birthday.

What else do I need to purchase and set up in order to actually grow something?

Lights? Fans? And what do I need to keep buying, like nutrients or media?

Denis: A GrowLab 80, which accommodates six-inch ducting, is perfect for housing a motherplant. She will thrive under a 400-watt metal halide grow light, rich in the blue part of the spectrum that encourages vegetative growth. The tent is almost seven-feet high so you’ll have plenty of headroom. A 19-litre pot is large enough but we suggest a pruning container, which will create more root tips, allowing a more productive root system and preventing root circling. Use a highquality potting mix, or—if you’re growing with hydroponic nutrients—you may want to use coco. Alternatively, you could consider a top-feed bucket system for less maintenance overhead. Finally, don’t forget an oscillating fan to move air around the grow chamber.

When you want to encourage fruiting and flowering you’ll have to change your lights, or you could even set up three grow tents to accommodate motherplants, cuttings and flowering plants in different tents—three grow tents will fit easily into one average size bedroom and will give you a complete, fully functioning nursery.

Remember, for any tent you set up you will need to take your input air from a cool, fresh source—there’s no point recirculating air back into your grow tents, or CO2 levels will quickly become depleted.

You will need to keep buying nutrients, of course. The growth medium you choose will really depend on how you grow, but you will be able to find a variety of trays and growing systems to fit in your Homebox.

If you’re a beginner and you need more information on how to get started, all our products come with recommendations for the additional equipment needed for a successful grow.

MY: What is the size range of your boxes?

Do you have any that are gigantic?

Denis: Our GrowLab GL290 is a real monster—almost 10-feet wide and seven-feet tall—and we also have the Homebox Modular range, which allows you to build a grow room of virtually any size and shape.

MY: Do you see products like yours becoming more mainstream in the future?

Do you think products of this nature have the potential to alleviate food security issues down the road?

Denis: Sure—an area that really excites us is the market for indoor propagation.

People who enjoy more exotic crops in northern climates can really benefit from extending the growing season a little with some help from a T5 fluorescent or two and slow-growing seedlings like chilies really benefit from a few weeks under lights indoors before being transferred to a cold frame or greenhouse.

MY: What’s next for the Homebox team? Anything new and exciting on the horizon?

Denis: Two of the major limiting factors with grow tents are tent-weight limits and the inability to easily hang things on the wall—so we’re introducing the Hercules frame support system and an accessory hanging board. The Hercules frame support is really exciting: it simply slides over the existing framework. By adding strength where you need it, the Hercules system makes your tent’s maximum weight–bearing capacity virtually limitless—and the hanging board is an essential accessory, allowing you to hang wall-mounted fans, ballasts, or EC and pH metres on the wall.

Homebox is currently considering qualified distributors in Canada, so it shouldn’t be long before you see our products at your local grow store. Until then, Canadian retail shops and end-users can order from Everest Garden Supply.

For more information, e-mail denis@homebox.net or check out our websites: • homebox.net • homebox-growlab.net • hbmodular.net • everestgardensupply.com You can contact Gabriel Bronsztein (Everest Garden Supply) at • everestgardensupply@me.com

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Root Rot and Blight

Often Death to Plants

by Karen Wilkinson

Banish blight and root rot. We highlight smart maintenance moves.

Some of the dirtiest words—for gardeners, that is—have nothing to do with human anatomy or sexuality, but rather the pests and diseases that threaten their crops.

This article discusses two common, dirty, dreadful diseases that have the potential to kill plants if not caught early and treated. Root rot and blight—a fungi and disease—generally show up when there’s overwatering and limited treatment options. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain healthy, well-drained plants in as sterile an environment as possible.

Root Rot: Typically caused by prolonged overwatering, oxygen deprivation or by fungus-infected soil, root rot symptoms include yellowing and possibly wilting leaves. The fungi basically blocks roots’ oxygen intake, eventually leading to decaying, dying roots; in essence you can lose the entire plant if the problem isn’t caught and treated early.

The best way to diagnose root rot is to inspect the roots. Infected roots can ap-

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pear light brown to dark brown and even turn black. They might feel mushy and slimy and may even fall off. In the worstcase scenario, the plant’s base can become infected and turn dark.

Quickly treating an infected plant is your best defense, and even then, the plant’s chances of full recovery are slim. No spray will cure this devastating ailment. Cultural controls—such as preventing root-eating insects, fungi and bacteria, maintaining a proper pH, using a clean growing medium and maintaining adequate calcium levels—are the only defense.

Upon detection, immediately remove the plant from the soil or growing medium and wash the roots with water, washing away as much soil and affected roots as possible. Be careful while doing this; your poor plant is already in a fragile state.

Then get a sharp, sterile pair of scissors or trimming shears and cut off any rotting roots; if the disease is significant enough, you may have to remove a large

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

portion of the root system. Also get rid of the soil or growing medium the plant was in and thoroughly wash the container with a bleach/water solution to rid it of any lingering fungus. As a precaution, dip the healthy roots in a fungicide solution to kill any remaining root rot. Replant using new potting mix in a clean container with good drainage and only water when the soil is dry.

Blight: This is a general term that describes a variety of diseases caused by fungus, usually showing up a few weeks before harvest. Symptoms of blight include leaves that suddenly yellow and wilt, or have dark, blotchy spots, which can all lead to death. It spreads quickly, it’s hard to control when in advanced stages and sometimes the only way to rid your plants of the problem is to rid yourself of the plants.

Prevention, as with all pests, diseases and fungal infections, is the key to combating blight. Maintain a well-drained growing medium and avoid excessively fertilizing with nitrogen. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | January February 2012 Maximum Yield USA |/ December 2011

67 67

DO YOU KNOW?

1.

Bacillus subtilis, considered the most powerful beneficial bacteria, have small tails (flagella), which makes them motile.

2.

3.

If you can decide on a soil or medium mix that suits your need, you can custom create your own with the help of a knowledgeable sales clerk at your local grow shop.

Plants respond to excess salt in the same way they respond to conditions of drought. The common symptoms are stunting, wilting, drying of the leaves and even death.

The adult fungus gnat fly lays eggs in wet substrate, which hatch into small larvae and can chew into the root system causing damage and creating wounds for root rot pathogens to enter.

8.

4.

Feltiella Acarisuga—a predator midge that stalks spidermites—are excellent for outdoor and indoor grows of all types.

5.

Epinasty is one of the more extreme symptoms of waterlogged roots, where ethylene gas builds up within the plant.

6.

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Sodium chloride (table salt) is arguably the most common salt that builds up in soils and fertilizer solutions.

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

7.

The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms that develops around a plant’s roots.

The order of longest to shortest wavelengths is: radio waves, infrared (heat), visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays.

9.

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MAXIMUMdistributors YIELD ALBERTA Double AA Garden Supplies Ltd. Bay 9 2820 Centre Avenue Calgary, AB T2A 7P5 403-273-9188 IncrediGrow Garden Centre 103-7500 MacLeod Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 0L9 Garden Centre 403-255-0740 Quick Grow 1-1204 Edmonton Trail Road NE Calgary, AB T2E 3K5 877-426-4769 Smart Grow 2422 - 23 Avenue, NE Calgary, AB T2E 8J4 403-236-9999 Twins Greenhouse 13 - 2235 30th Avenue, NE Calgary, AB T2C 7C7 403-273-2881 Hydro-Lite 12249 Fort Road Edmonton, AB T5B 4H7 780-477-7860 Niloc Wholesale Inc. Box 82008 Yellowbird RPO Edmonton, AB T6J 7E6 780-885-4769 Fusion 5 Organic Gardens Inc. PO Box 5821, 120B 1 Street, SW High River, AB T1V 1P3 866-652-2594 BRITISH COLUMBIA Interior Gardener’s Supply 221 - 1 McDermid Road, Box 1257 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0 250-395-3399 A.R.I. Research 120 - 4111 Hastings Street Burnaby, BC V5C 6Y7 604 433 6067 Jon’s Plant Factory 3925 East Hastings Burnaby, BC V5C 2H8 604-294-3000 Solar Greenhouse and Hydroponic Supply 4752 Imperial Street Burnaby, BC V5J 1C2 604-438-7244 Hygro Gardening Supplies Inc. 1791 Tamarac Street Campbell River, BC V9W 5Y7 250-286-0424 Canadian Garden Supply 1730 Highway 3 Castlegar, BC V1N 4W1 250-304-2911 Sun Beam Central 3444 River Road Chemainus, BC V0R 1K4 250-246-1379 Chilliwack Indoor Garden Centre Ltd. 311 - 44500 South Sumas Road Chilliwack, BC V9R 5M3 604-824-2944 Valley Indoor Geenhouse Supplies 103 - 44195 Yale Road West Chilliwack, BC V2R 4H2 877-702-1169 Art Knapp 2855 Wentworth Road Courtenay, BC V9N 6B7 250-334-3024 Just-N-Tyme Greenhouse and Hydroponics Supply 1094 McKenzie Avenue Courteney, BC V9N 3C5 250-703-0476 Pacific NW Garden Supply 1139B Industrial Road 3 Cranbrook, BC V1C 5E3 250-489-4761 Cowichan Hydroponic Supplies 4 - 2955 Jacob Road Duncan, BC V9L 6W4 250-746-0244

Your Plant’s Personal Trainer

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Duncan Plants & Ponics 6512 Bell McKinnon Road Duncan, BC V9L 6C1 250-746-5591 Better Than Nature Enderby 1900 George Street Enderby, BC 250-838-5502 Growing Solutions Box 650, 1150 Bowlby Road Errington, BC V0R 1V0 250-248-1101 Kamloops Sunshine Gardens Greenhouse Superstore 5 - 1744 Kelly Douglas Road Kamloops, BC V2C 5S4 877-372-2270 Room 2 Grow 901 Laval Crescent Kamloops, BC V2C 5P4 250-372-3663 West Coast Gardens Equipment and Supplies 113 - 805 Notre Dame Kamloops, BC V2C 5N8 250-851-2992 Better Than Nature Kelowna 725B Evans Court Kelowna, BC V1X 6G4 250-868-8978 Oasis 12 - 1771 Cooper Road Kelowna, BC V1Y 7T1 250-763-4769 Pacific NW Garden Supply Unit C1 - 1810 Kyle Court Kelowna, BC V1Z 3Z4 250-769-4791 Sal’s Indoor Garden Supplies & Hydroponics 187 Asher Road Kelowna, BC V1X 3H5 778-753-5549 BC Hydroponics 3 - 20092-93A Avenue Langley, BC V1M 3Y4 604-888-5716 Green Earth Garden Supplies Unit 5, 19300, Langley Bypass Langley, BC V3S 6K2 604-532-7106 GreenStar Plant Products Inc. 9430 198 Street Langley, BC V1M 3C8 604-882-7699 Excel Air Systems 200 - 20170 Stewart Crescent Maple Ridge, BC V2X 0T4 604-728-0757 Pacific NW Garden Supply 109 - 20110 Lougheed Highway Maple Ridge, BC V2X 2P7 Planting Plus Greenhouse Supplies and Hardware 22394 Dewdney Truck Road Maple Ridge, BC V2X 3J2 604-466-5949 Triple Tree Nursery 20503 Lougheed Highway Maple Ridge, BC V2X 2P9 604-465-9313 Nutty Zone 5 & 6 - 33201 London Avenue Mission, BC V2V 4P9 604-814-2223 Long Lake Nursery Hydroponic Supply 4900 Island Highway, North Nanaimo, BC 250-758-5012 Progressive Growth 41 - 1925 Bowen Road Nanaimo, BC V9S 1H1 800-405-4769 Tridon Hydroponics 12 - 1708 Bowen Road Nanaimo, BC V9S 1G9 250-755-1900

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Vancouver Island Garden Supply Ltd. 4770 Wellington Rd Nanaimo, BC V9T 2H3 250-585-8881 Kootenay Grower’s Supply Nelson 721-G Front Street Nelson, BC V1L 4B8 250 353 1887 Pacific NW Garden Supply Unit 14- 104 Silica Street Nelson, BC V1L 4M1 250-354-4767 Buckerfields 587 Alberni Highway Parksville, BC V9P 1J9 250-248-3243 Sundogz Garden Supply & Hydroponics 30 - 1365 Old Alberni Highway Parksville, BC V9P 2B8 250-954-2046 Better Than Nature Penticton 101 - 78 Industrial Avenue, West Penticton, BC V2A 6M2 250-770-8978 Advanced Wholesale Superstore 406 - 1952 Kingsway Avenue Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6C2 604-945-0174 Aurora Lighting 750 3rd Avenue Prince George, BC V2L 3C5 250-564-9888 Backwoods Hydroponic & Garden 10590 Carlson Road Prince George, BC V2K 5E5 250-963-9541 PG2 1798 Nicholson Street Prince George, BC V2N 1V6 250-612-4769; 1-888-817-4769 Skytek Indoor Solutions 833 4th Avenue Prince George, BC V2L 3H5 1-800-975-9835 Spruce Capital Feeds 1694 Quinn Street Prince George, BC V2N 1X3 250-564-6010 Omega Garden Inc. 1695 Peligren Place Qualicum Beach, BC V9K 2S3 250-752-1301; 888 976 6342 Garden Effects 200-2288 #5 Road Richmond, BC V6X 2T1 604-214-6620 Pacific Rim Indoor Garden & Lighting 170- 12111 Bridgeport Road Richmond, BC V6V 1J4 604-232-4468 Natural Choice Garden Centre, The 5500 48th Avenue, SE Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1X2 250-832-7151 S.A. Ecoline Products Ltd. 5671 Auto Road, SE Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4S1 250-833-4769 Nico’s Nurseryland 830 - 28th Street, NE Salmon Arm, BC V1E 2S7 250-804-2004 Mylo’s 3837 Squilax Anglemont Hwy Scotch Creek BC V0E 1M0 250-955-0525 Green & Clean Energy Co. Ltd. 2875 Cudlip Road Shawnigan Lake, BC V0R 2W0 250-732-7224 Happy Acres Greens & Backroad Hydroponics Equipment 2058 Cambie-Solsqua Road Sicamous, BC V0E 2V0 250-836-3878

Kootenay Bubble Refinery PO Box 81 Slocan Park, BC V0G 2E0 250-226-7753 Garibaldi Nurseryland & Florist 38917 Progress Way, Squamish Industrial Park Squamish, BC V0N 3G0 604-892-3892 Coastal Growers Supply 103 - 12824 Anvil Way Surrey, BC V3W 8E7 604-599-1778 Fast Eddie’s Systems 108 - 18760 96th Avenue Surrey, BC V4N 3P9 604-888-2499 Garden King Supplies 7533 135 Street, Unit 109 Surrey, BC V3W OM8 604-598-1912 Pacific NW Garden Supply 15374-103A Avenue Surrey, BC V3R 9V8 604-588-4769; 800-443-4769 Warehouse Garden Supplies & Hydroponic 109 - 8173 128 Street Surrey, BC V3W 4G1 604-543-3177 A+ Gardening Supplies 1450 Venables Street Vancouver, BC V5L 2G5 604-876-4769 BN Garden Supply 4493 Boundary Road Vancouver, BC V5R 2N3 604-431-2977 Double AA Garden Supplies Ltd. 2908 Commercial Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 4C9 604-876-8837 Pacific NW Garden Supply 2137 East Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V5L 1V2 604-254-4765 Vancouver Garden Supply 4894 Fraser Street Vancouver, BC V5V 4H5 604-879-8167 Advanced Garden Supplies 7979 Aspen Road Vernon, BC V1B 3M9 250-545-9545 AJs Pets & Things 3219 - 31st Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 2H2 250-549-3222 Better Than Nature Vernon 3506 25th Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 1P4 250-260-4466 Northern Lights Greenspace 3 - 2706 45th Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 3N4 250-558-4757 Indoor Jungle 2624 Quadra Street Victoria, BC V8T 4E4 250-388-5611 Mr. Fertilizer 9 Burnside Road, West Victoria, BC V9A 1B2 250-381-4644 Progressive Growth 111 - 1790 Island Highway Victoria, BC V9B 1H5 250-391-9519 Sunwest Garden Supply 2035 Unit B Louie Drive Westbank, BC V4T 1Y2 250-768-1636 Good Guys Gardening Center 250 McKenzie Avenue, South Williams Lake, BC V2G 1C6 250-392-2069

Trees Company Nursery & Garden Supplies G9 C17 RR1, 7030 Powell Road Winlaw, BC V0G 2J0 250-226-7334 MANITOBA All Grow Distributors 410 Madison Street Winnipeg, MB R3J 1J1 204-231-1694 Better Than Nature Winnipeg 2B - 2 Donald Street Winnipeg, MB R3L 0K5 204-453-3032 Gro Pro International Hydroponics 101-904 Porthee Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3G 0P4 204-956-1389 Kleen Gro Hydroponics 218 Osbourne Street South Winnipeg, MB R3L 1Z3 204-475-7096 My Two Sons 2 - 2055 McPhillips Street Winnipeg, MB R2Y 3C6 204-339-3489 Nature’s Nutrition 1819 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3J 0G4 204-889-2979 Northern Lights Hydroponics 129 Regent Avenue East Winnipeg, MB R2C 0C2 204-415-5106 Ready Set Grow!

375 Henderson Highway Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H2 204-668-GROW NEW BRUNSWICK Dieppe Hydroponics 988 Champlain St. Door #3 Dieppe, NB E18 1P8 506-384-4769 Craft N’ Grow 60 Micmac Road Eel Ground, NB E1V 4B1 506-624-9317 Ultimate Hydroponics PO Box 1191 Hampton, NB E5N 8H2 506-639-5948 Scott’s Nursery Ltd. 2192 Route 102 Highway Lincoln, NB E3B 8N1 506-458-9208 Atlantic Hydroponics & Greenhouses Inc. 42 Brandon Street Moncton, NB E1C 7E8 506-858-0158 Jardins Notik Gardens 798 Gray Road St-Charles, NB E4W 4N9 506-876-9100 21st Century Gardening 20 Bayside Drive St. John, NB E2J 1A2 506-657-9982 NOVA SCOTIA Den Haan’s Garden World 12688 Highway 1, Brickton Annapolis County, NS B0S 1M0 902-825-4722 Woodland Farm Nursery 3544 Highway 1, Annapolis Royal, NS B0S 1A0 902-532-7617 S&L Worx Hydroponics 135 Main Street, Unit 14 Dartmouth, NS B2X 1R6 902-434-GROW (4769) Sweetleaf Smoke Shop and Hydroponics 3132 Isleville Street Halifax, NS B3K 3Y2 902-454-6646

Plant Manager Gardening 12 Industrial Drive, Richmond County Industrial Park Lennox Passage, Cape Breton, NS B0E 1V0 902-345-2112 Steve’s Hydroponic Headquarters 131 Sackville Drive Lower Sackville, NS B4C 2R3 902-865-7764 Greenfield Grow & Brew 69 Wilson Mountain Road Murray Siding, NS B6L 4N7 902-897-6568 Woodin Nickel Hydroponics 3393 Central West, Highway 4 Pictou County, NS BOK 1H0 902-695-7640 ONTARIO Canadian Hydrogardens Ltd. 1330 Sandhill Drive Ancaster, ON L9G 4V5 905 648 1801 Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 521 Dunlop Street West Barrie, ON L4N 9W4 705-721-8715 Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 5386 Greenlane Road Beamsville, ON L0R 1B3 905-563-6121 BMA Hydroponics 404A Maitland Drive, Unit 2 Belleville, ON K8N 4Z5 613-967-9888 D&M Gardens 2961 Main Street Blezard Valley, ON P0M 1E0 705-897-3727 Home Hydroponics 289 Rutherford Road, South 22 Brampton, ON L6W 3R9 905-874-GROW In-Home Gardens 279 Colborne Street Brantford, ON N3T 2H3 519-754-9090 Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 79 Woolwich Street South Breslau, ON N0B 1M0 519-648-2374 AKA The Indoor Gardener 3014 Highway 29 Brockville, ON K6V 5T4 613-342-2700 Indoor Harvest 3040 New Street Burlington, ON L7R 1M5 289-337-9169 J & C Hydroponics 343 Elgin Street, Unit A Cambridge, ON M1R 7H9 519-622-9969 Pro Grow Indoor Garden Supplies 1710 Bishop St. Unit 2 Cambridge, ON N1T 1T2 519-624-7692 Hydrogarden 1122 Paul Street Cornwall, ON K6H 6H5 613-360-6996 Agrogreen Canada Inc. 1938 Hwy #20, RR#1 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 866-650-1136 Diatomite Canada 1938 Hwy #20, RR#1 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 866-650-1136 Northern Lights Green Supply 1938 Highway 20 (at 406), RR 1 Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 905-892-3743 Brite-Lite Indoor Garden Centre 1677 Cyrville Road, Meadowbrooke Plaza Gloucester, ON K1B 3L7 613-842-8999

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MAXIMUMdistributors YIELD Happy Hydroponics 68 Princess Street Hamilton, ON L8L 3K9 905-545-8434 Garden Depot 605 Justus Drive Kingston,ON Canada K7M 4H5 613-384-8882 Brite-Lite Indoor Garden Centre 1659 Victoria Street, North, Unit 6 Kitchener, ON N2B 3E6 888-670-0611 AKA The Indoor Gardener 207 Exeter Road, Unit D London, ON N6L 1A4 519-652-4224 Best of Hydroponics 360 Richmond Street London, ON N6A 3C3 519-858-1533 Ontario Growers Supply 1540 Fanshawe Park Road West London, ON N6H 5L8 519-641-3992 Vantage Hydroponics 1 Adelaide Street North London, ON N6B 3P8 519-451-4769 Markham Hydroponics 95 Royal Crest Court 18 Markham, ON L3R 9X5 905-305-0698 Nature’s Garden Supplies 24-340 Don Park Road Markham, ON L3R 1C5 905-470-7887 All Seasons 1000 Dundas Street East Mississauga, ON L4Y 2B8 905-848-2619 Green Thumb Hydroponics 3075 Ridgeway Drive, 25 Mississauga, ON L5L 5M6 Hydro Culture Emporium Inc. 150 Robertson Rd Unit 22 Nepean, ON K2H 9S1 613-715-9472 Second Nature Hydroponics 4 - 2133 Royal Windsor Drive Mississauga, ON L5J 1K5 905-403-4769

Nature’s Elements Box 119 500 Mill Street Neustadt, ON N0G 2M0 519-799-5323 Yield of Dreams Hydroponics 559 Steven Court 12 Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z3 877-778-7960 Green Kingdom Hemp 1103 Cassells Street North Bay, ON P1B 4B3 705-494-7169 Brite-Lite Indoor Garden Centre 4373 Steeles Avenue West North York, ON M3N 1V7 416-663-2999 Supply For You 3615 Weston Road, Unit 6 North York, ON M9L 1V8 416-741-8062 All Grow Hydroponic 391 Marwood Drive, Unit 14 Oshawa, ON 866-606-4723 Paradise Gardens Hydroponics 2158 Chiefswood Road Oshweken, ON N0A 1M0 519-445-2275 Ontario Hydroponics 103015 Grey Road 18 Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N6 519-372-1144

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Envirotex P.O. Box 21069 Paris, ON N3L 4A5 519-442-1237 Peterborough Hydroponic Center 347 Pido Road, Unit 32 Peterborough, ON K9J 6X7 705-745-6868 Sweet Hydroponic Gardens 776 Bruce Street Renfrew, ON K7V 3Z8 613-433-9600 Bluewater Hydroponics 1173 Michener Road, Unit 12 Sarnia, ON N7S 5G5 519-337-7475 Planetary Pride 372 Queen Street East Sault Ste Marie, ON P6A 1Y7 1-888-215-8970 Indoor Gardens Canada 2952 Thompson Road Smithville, ON L0R 2A0 905-957-6969 Green And Clean 761 Barrydowne Road Sudbury, ON P3A 3T6 800-246-5503 Northern Hydroponics 236 Simpson Street Thunder Bay, ON P7C 3H4 807-623-3666 Greenthumbs Garden Supply 338 Kingston Road Toronto, ON M4L 1T7 647-345-GROW (4769) www.green-thumbs.ca Grow It All Hydroponics Inc. grow it all 165 Geary Avenue, Unit 3B hydroponics for everyone Toronto, ON M6H 2B8 416-588-9595 Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 26 Meteor Drive Toronto, ON M9W 1A4 416-242-4769 Hydrotech 2436 Kingston Road Toronto, ON M1N 1V2 416-267-4769 Jungle Hydroponics 2215 Gerrard Street East Toronto, ON M4E 2C8 416-699-0861 Toronto Hemp Company 665 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z9 416-920-1980 Grower’s Choice Hydroponics 1621 McEwen Drive 14 Whitby, ON L1N 9A5 905-725-GROW Northern Lights Hydroponics 2690 Oulette Ave Windsor, ON N8X 1L7 519-254-4015 Urban GreenHouse Hydroponics & Aguaculture 7635 Tecumseh Road E. Windsor, ON N8T 3H1 519-944-8444 urbangreenhousehydroponics.com Ozone Environmental Technologies 361 Rowntree Dairy Road Unit 4 Woodridge, ON L4L 8H1 905-264-6618 QUEBEC Un Monde Sans Terre 565 Beausejour Alma, QC G8B 5V3 418-480-3274 Hydro-Tonyque 761 Avenue Gilles Villeneuve Berthierville, QC J0K 1AO 450-836-8088 Plant-O-Maxx 3169 Blais, Boisbriand, QC, J7H 1H2 514-968-7799

Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

Gerard Bourbeau & Fils Inc. 8285, 1 re Avenue Charlesbourg, QC G1G 5E6 418-623-5401 Les Grands Jardins Lavel 2900, Boul. Cure-Lavelle Chomedey, Laval, QC H7P 5S8 250-729-2687 Simplement Vert 8B Georges-Gagne Delson, QC J5B 2E1 514-913-8378 (VERT) Hydrosphere 2000 2400 rue Canadian, Suite 104 Drummondville, QC J2C 7W3 819-478-9791 Les Serres Binette Inc 2568 Boul. Mercurre Drummondville, QC J2A 1H2 819-478-7195 Pablo Jardinage Drummondville 2080 Joseph St-Cyr Drummondville, QC J2C 8V6 819-475-2525 Les Entreprises Fernand Pigeon Inc. 174 Beaudoin Nord Durham-Sud, QC J0H 2C0 819-858-2777 Hydromax Gatineau 3-1695 Atmec (porte 6) Gatineau, QC J8P 7G7 819-663-7470 Naturexpert Inc. 828 Chemin du Sixième Rang Gatineau QC J8R 3A4 Jardinages Gilles Robert Inc. 574 St-Hubert Granby, QC J0H 1Y5 450-375-3441 Méristème Hydroponique 871 Dufferin Granby, QC J2G 9H8 450-991-1514 Jardinage d’intérieur Huntingdon 72 Dalhousie Huntingdon, PQ J0S1H0, Canada 450-322-6079 Hydroponique Plus Inc. 405 - 18 Avenue Lachine, QC H8S 3R1 514-634-3677 Biofloral 675 Montee, St. Francois Laval, QC H7C 2S8 877-38-HYDRO Brite Lite Hydroponics 940 Bergar, Laval, QC H7L 4Z8 450-669-3803 Espace Culture Boutique 17 boul. Ste-Rose Est Laval, QC H7V 3K3 450-622-2710 Fernand Corbeil Produits Horticoles - Horticultural Products 17 boul. Ste-Rose Est Laval, QC H7L 3K3 450-622-2710 Hydro Times 1533 Boulevard Cure Labelle Laval, QC H7V 2W4 450-688-4848 Hydromax Laval 295 Boulevard Curé Labelle Laval, QC H7L 2Z9 450-628-8380 Qué-Pousse - Laval 940 Bergar Laval, QC H7L 4Z8 450-667-3809 Point De Vue 880 chemin St-Féréol Les Cèdres, QC J7T 1N3 450-452-2878 / 1-877-510-2991

Hydro Rive-sud 4721 Boulvard de la rive sud Levis, QC G6W 1H5 418-835-0082 Boutique Grunge 364 rue Sherbrooke Magog, QC J1X 2S1 819-847-4141 Hydromax Mont-Laurier 388 Rue Hebert Mont-Laurier, QC J9L 2X2 888-609-4476 Hydroculture Guy Dionne 8473 - 19th Avenue Montreal, QC H1Z 4J2 514-722-9496 Hydro Expert 12752 Industriel Montreal, QC H1A 3V2 514-624-3091 B&S Electrique Inc. 2240 Pitt Street Montreal, QC H4E 4H1 514-931-3817 Distribution De la Plante 5498 Hochelaga Suite 910 Montreal, QC H1N 3L7 514-255-1111 Hydromax Montreal 9300 Lajeunesse Montreal, QC H2M 1S4 514-381-0111 Hydromax St-Henri 3522 Notre-Dame Montréal, QC H4C 1P4 514-481-3939 International Hydroponique 5478 Hochelaga St Montreal, QC H1N 3L7 514-255-2525 Momentum 11289 London Avenue Montreal, QC H1H 4J3 888-327-4595 Pousse Magique Atwater 3522 Notre-Dame, ouest, Montreal, Qc H4C 1P4 514-481-3939 Qué-Pousse - Montreal 2215 Walkley Montreal, QC H4B 2J9 514-489-3803 Summum Bio Teck 2100 Ontario Est Montreal, QC H2K 1V5 866-460-2226 Univert 4 Saisons 2100 Ontario Est Montréal, QC H2K 1V5 514-527-2226 Vinexpert De L’Est 6384 Beaubien est Montreal, QC H1M 3G8 514-354-8020 XXXtractor Inc. 1228 St. Marc Montreal, QC H3H 2E5 514-931-4944 www.xxxtractor.com Qué-Pousse - Mont. Tremblant 462 Montée Kavanagh Mont-Tremblant, QC J8E 2P2 819-429-6145 MegaWatt Hydroculture 636 Route 364 Morin Heights, QC J0R 1H0 450-226-2515 Fleuriste Savard Inc. 1833 boul. Louis-Frechette Nicolet, QC J3T 1M4 819-293-5933 Qué-Pousse - Point-Claire 1860D Sources Blvd Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 5B1 514-426-5057 Boutique Echologik 829, cote d’Abraham Quebec, QC G1R 1A4 418-648-8288

Boutique Echologik 790 St - Jean Quebec, QC G1R 1P9 418-648-2828

Pépinière Eco-Verdure 965 Boul. Sauvé St-Eustache, QC J7R 4K3 450-472-6474

échologik 798 St Jean Québec, QC G1R 1P9 418-648-2828; 418-648-8288

Amazonia Hydroponique 394 Boulvard Arthur-sauve St. Eustache, QC J7R 2J5 450-623-2790

Hydroculture Guy Dionne 1990 Cyrill-Duquet Local 150 Québec, QC G1N 4K8 418-681-4643

P.P.M. Hydroponique 504 Rue du Parc St. Eustache, QC J7R 5B2 450-491-2444

Pousse Magique 515 rue Lanaudiere Repentigny, QC J6A 7N1 450-582-6662

Hydrotek 12300 Rue de l’avenir St. Janvier, QC J7J 2K4

Fred Lamontagne Inc. 356 Chemin du Sommet Est, Rimouski, QC G5L 7B5 418-723-5746 Qué-Pousse - Sherbrooke 4394 Bourque Rt. 112 Rock Forest, QC J1N 1S3 819-563-0353 Hydro Plus 149 avenue Principale A Rouyn Noranda, QC J9X 4E3 819-762-4367 wRap Hydroponique 5700, rue Martineau Local 7 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8B1 450-768-5188 Culture Uni Vert 36 rue de Martigny E Saint-Jérôme, QC J7Z 1V4 www.cultureunivert.com Comptoir Richelieu Inc. 350, du Collège Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 6T7 800-363-9466 Ferme Florale Inc. (Botanix) 2190 Blvd. Laurier (route 116) St. Bruno de Montarville, QC J3V 4P6 450-653-6383 Hydrobec 2145 Lavoisier Suite 4 Ste-Foy, QC G1N 4B2 418-687-1119 Chanvre du Nord Inc. 38 DeMartigny est St-Jérome, QC J7Z 1V4 866-565-5305 Hydro Sciences 4800 de la Cote-Vertu Blvd.

Saint-Laurent, QC H4S 1J9 514-331-9090 Pablo Jardinage Shawinigan 5023 Boulevard Royal Shawinigan QC J9N 6T8 819-731-9766 Sherbrooke Hydroponique 3545 King Est, Sherbrooke, QC J1G 5J4 819-829-9299 Plant-T-Plantes 3439 boulevard Fiset Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 5J3 450-780-0008 Qué-Pousse - St-Constant 6264 Route 132 Ste-Catherine, QC J0L 1E0 450-635-4881 Benoit Dupuis Extincteurs Inc. 2503 Victoria Street Ste-Julienne, QC J0K 2T0 450-831-4240 Hydroponique 2000 84 Boul. Curé Labelle Ste-Therese, QC J7E 2X5 450-971-0726

St-Jean Hydroponique 747 rue St-Jacques St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC J3B 2M9 450-346-9633 Hydromax Terrebonne 1674 Chemin Gascon Terrebonne, QC J6X 4H9 450-492-7447 Hydromax Trois-Rivières 6157 rue Corbeil Trois-Rivières Ouest, QC G8Z 4P8 819-372-0500 Pablo Jardinage Intérieur 2 Des Ormeaux Suite 500 Trois-Rivières, QC G8W 1S6 819-693-6000 Rap Hydroponique 326 Rue Vachon Trois-Rivières QC G8T 8Y2 819-376-5959 Hydromax Val-David 895 route 117 nord Val-David, QC J0T 2N0 888-320-0129 Val d’Or Hydroculture 1261 3e Avenue Val d’Or, QC J9P 1V4 Horticulture Piégo 228 Pierre Bertrand Sud Vanier, QC G1M 2C4 418-527-2006 Qué-Pousse - Vaudreuil-Dorion 3666-D, boul. Cité des Jeunes Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC J7V 8P2 450-424-0306 Centre Jardin Denis Brodeur 15 Nord C.P. 658 Waterloo, QC J0E 2N0 Sonador Horticulture Inc. 819-479-2941 SASKATCHEWAN Busy Bee Upholstery Box 811, 134 5th Avenue East Gravelbourg, SK S0H 1X0 306-648-3659 B&B Hydroponics and Indoor Gardening 1404 Cornwall Street Regina, SK S4R 2H7 306-522-4769 Waterboy Supply 401 Dewdney Avenue East Regina, SK S4N 4G3 306-757-6242 YUKON, NUNAVUT and NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Porter Creek Indoor Garden Centre 1307 Centennial Street Whitehorse, YT Y1A 3Z1 867-667-2123

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012

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COMING UP NEXT ISSUE

The Pythium Predator Do you run and cower when you hear the word Pythium?

You’re not alone. This plant plague can strike at any time leaving behind wilted leaves and brown roots. By understanding how and why it spreads, you will more easily be able to control and eventually prevent this devastating disease.

Strong Stems, Healthy Plants Weak, discoloured or stretched stems indicate the plant’s needs are not being met. Thankfully, most stem problems can be treated and prevented with a little knowledge and foresight.

Growing Japanese Style Exotic and expensive, the Japanese wasabi has a reputation of being difficult to grow; but, hydroponics offers an almost ideal environment for this fiery herb to thrive. Grow your own wasabi with this growing guide.

www.maximumyield.com Maximum Yield Canada (March/April) will be available March 1 for FREE at select indoor gardening retail stores across Canada, and on maximumyield.com Subscriptions are available at maximumyield.com/subscriptions.php

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Maximum Yield Canada | January / February 2012