Maximum Yield CAN Sept/Oct 2012

CANADA September-October 2012

FREE

Feed Your Crops

Naturally 6 Natural Nutrients

The

Nutrients

&

Lighting Issue Eco-Friendly Lighting Trends

maximumyield.com

LONG BEACH

CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 3-4, 2012

CONTENTS September/October 2012

40

FEATURES 24

by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.

56

24

More to the Story: Nutrient Solution Formulations and Uses

30

Organic Nutrients for a Sustainable Tomorrow

by Matt LeBannister

36

Eco-friendly Horticultural Lighting: The Future is Here

by Eric Hopper

36

40

Recreating the Sun: Key Elements of Artificial Lighting for Highly Productive Plant Growth

by Mike Anderson

30

44

Photosynthesis and Plant Nutrition: Part 1

DEPARTMENTS

by Bentley Mills

50

Hydroponic Starts: Part 2

56

Food for Thought

60

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

by Kristen McKenzie

6

From the Editor

20

Product Spotlight

8

MaximumYield.com

65

Do You Know?

10

Letters to the Editor

68

Distributors

12

Simon Says

72

Max Mart

14

MAX Facts

74

Coming up next issue

Contain Yourself: Seven Reasons to Consider Container Gardening

by Heather Brautman

64

Venus Flytraps in Hydroponics?

by Chad Garbet

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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FROM THE EDITOR | JESSICA RAYMOND We are confident you’ll enjoy reading this whole issue cover to cover. Why? Nutrients and lighting— the most requested and asked about topics from Maximum Yield readers—are our focus this month.

This information-packed magazine looks at nutrients from a plant’s perspective. Kicking off our section on nutrients is “More to the Story” by Dr. J.B. Jones, Jr., who encourages growers to understand nutrient insufficiencies in order to help their crops reach maximum potential.

With the fall season on our doorstep, now is also the time to start planning a light scheme that your crops will love. The selection of lighting articles, including a timely piece on eco-friendly indoor lighting, options in this issue will help you do just that.

What’s more, I’m excited to introduce you to our new Canadian writer Kristen McKenzie, who brings to this issue a feature on a Richmond, BC school that is teaching children how to grow and harvest their own food. Also make sure to check out the amusing article on growing a Venus flytrap hydroponically by Chad Garbet, another of our Canadian authors.

Jessica Raymond, editor Finally, we rounded out editor@maximumyield.com this expansive issue with features on hydroponic starts, container gardening, organic nutrients and much more.

Enjoy this issue and implementing these lessons for feeding and lighting up your garden.

contributors 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.

Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr. has 50

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. Eric Hopper has over 10 years of experience in the hydroponic industry as both a retail store manager and owner. He continuously seeks new methods and products that could help maximize garden performance. Eric resides in Michigan where he and his family strive for a self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle.

Bentley Mills owns Georgia-based FloraHydroponics. He operates a one acre commercial hydroponic greenhouse where he grows produce using deep pool floating raft technology. Bentley’s background in horticulture began while managing Micro Macro International (MMI).

Bentley can be contacted at Bentley@ florahydroponics.com

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Mike Anderson, director of specialty products, is a 19-year veteran at EYE Lighting where, during his tenure, he has helped the company establish and aggressively grow business in the horticulture market throughout North America. He was also instrumental in the development and growth of EYE Lighting products in Canada.

Heather Brautman’s hydroponics knowledge consisted of her favorite ride at Walt Disney World’s before she moved to California in October 2011.

Since becoming Hydrofarm’s staff writer in February 2012, she’s been enjoying learning about grow media—like coco coir and perlite—not paparazzi. She has a master’s degrees in technical writing as well as PR/communications.

Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort.

Kristen McKenzie spent the last

Stephen Keen has been an indoor

Chad Garbet has grown accustom

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 suntec.co.nz for more information.

gardening hobbyist for nearly 10 years. His personal successes with his garden led him to want to bring new ideas, mainly water-cooling, to the mainstream, which led to the founding of Hydro Innovations.

10 years living in Vancouver, BC. Previously the communications specialist for Tourism Richmond, she also wrote for a variety of British Columbian publications including Vancouver View, VanCityBuzz.com and 24 hours Vancouver. You can follow her expat adventures on Twitter @MissAboutTown to growing. Plants are the most fascinating thing our planet has to offer, trying to get the information out to the general public is his goal. Working at Word of Mouth Hydroponics Inc. in management seems to be a step in the right direction.

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.

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VOLUME 15 – NUMBER 4 September/October 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.

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Final Stop of the 2012 Grow Like a Pro Tour Combines Indoor Gardening and Hydrolife Expo

This world-class event will be a combination Indoor OUR PROUD SPONSORS Gardening and Hydrolife Expo featuring leading experts from the hydro, snow, surf, skate and .COM 2507292677 iNDOORGARDENEXPO bike industries. Held at the beautiful Long Beach Convention Center for the third year running, this expo provides the ideal location with the perfect mix of culture and climate. Visit indoorgardenexpo.com for complete event details.

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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 Maxigrow UK DISTRIBUTION Direct Garden Supplies Growth Technology Northern Hydroponic Wholesale Nutriculture UK Dutch Pro Maxigrow Hydrogarden AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION Dome Garden Supply Holland Forge House N’ Garden Hydroponic Generations Plant Symbionts

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

First-class Feedback

As I am sure you all are aware, your publication is absolutely top-shelf. At least half of my indoor gardening success has come from the education I have received while reading Maximum Yield (MY). It is a privilege to have access to articles written by these accomplished experts, doctors and educators. Many of the articles about the state of modern horticulture—such as the renovation of large urban buildings for the purpose of indoor produce production— have enlightened me to issues I might never have stopped to think about otherwise.

After looking long and hard for a reliable and constant modern gardening periodical, I have found more outstanding, useful and simplified (for those of us with no doctorate) information in MY than in any other publication. Thank you all for the great publication.

For what it’s worth, Jeff S.

Well-read

After reading the editor’s letter from the July/August 2012 issue of Maximum Yield Canada, I love the fact that you explain the issue so well and break down plant science and chemistry. I happen to love growing and I have read a lot of books on the topic. I have gone through the trials and errors. I just wanted to let you know it is a great letter, as is the magazine in general. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Terry D. Haight, Jr.

Know Then Grow

I am new to hydroponics and trying to download an article from maximumyield.com by Rob Samborn titled “TDS and EC Metres for Hydroponics Explained.” Is it possible to get a copy of this article?

As a beginner to hydroponics and a new reader of Maximum Yield, the magazine has helped me to no end.

Kind regards, Geoff Splatt

We recently revamped our website and are in the process of uploading our archived articles to the site. Stay tuned to maximumyield.com for dozens up new featured articles every month.

Subscribe to Win Every month we give away a special issue of Maximum Yield to one lucky eNews subscriber. If you aren’t subscribed, you can’t participate. Get involved, share your thoughts and participate in discussions monthly and you could win. Sign up today at maximumyield.com/enewssignup so you can start winning!

Maximum Yield Team

Faithful Reader Writes in

Congratulations to you and Dr. Morgan for “Organic Hydroponics” (maximumyield.com, April 2012). Outstanding! You might enjoy reading “Understanding Certification” in Acres USA, May 2012.

I hope you are planning to promote hydroponics technology for realistic commercial production and not just a backyard or mom-and-pop operation.

Congratulations again, James B. Cleary

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

We want to hear from you!

Maximum Yield Publications Inc. Snail-mail: 2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 Email: editor@maximumyield.com Twitter: twitter.com/max_yield Facebook: facebook.com/MaximumYield

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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SIMON SIMON

SIMON SAYS

Hello, I’m a French journalism student in Paris researching urban agriculture and vertical farming projects that incorporate hydroponics and aeroponics.

What do you think about these vertical farm projects? Do you think that they are utopian? What are the advantages and the drawbacks of hydroponics and aeroponics? How does the quality of hydroponic and aeroponic crops compare to crops cultivated outside in soil?

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards, Thibaut Forté

The future of agriculture is becoming a very interesting conversation as farmers around the world struggle with more volatile weather conditions while feeding a growing population. There are many facets to the changing face of agriculture, and vertical farming is one of them. The concept of layered farming within a building is an efficient and creative opportunity. Vertical farms require supplemental lighting to ensure the plants in the middle are receiving the light required for healthy growth.

This adds a large energy component to the project and the more floors there are, the more energy needed.

LED lighting options might provide an alternative, but not for vining crops, such as cucumbers and tomatoes—which are two of the dominant crops grown hydroponically in the world. In the short to medium term, we should look at low cost, low input models before jumping into the high cost, high input option of dedicated structures for urban agriculture.

Using rooftops we already have is a good first step toward sustainable urban food production. There are a couple of problems when it comes to water-based roof gardens. The first problem is the amount of radiant heat on rooftops; this can make water temperature regulation a massive issue, especially in sensitive aeroponic systems.

Also, the waste water from hydroponic systems still has a vast amount

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of soluble nutrients unused by the plants. This creates an issue of disposal.

Fresh substrate would also need to be brought in between crops. Most large green roofs currently use drought-tolerant species that are planted and then basically forgotten. Now imagine the same space including people interacting with food crops.

“Building food and biodiversity into a system that improves the urban environment at the same time would be such a positive step forward.”

An amazing first step in our urban food development would be to take the Cuban organoponicos concept and place it on rooftops full of shallow (30.48 cm) raised beds filled with soilless mix and compost. You would get the insulation value, cooling effect and water retention of a green roof along with the low cost, nearly selfsufficient, aspect of the Cuban food experience.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Building food and biodiversity into a system that improves the urban environment at the same time would be such a positive step forward. Economically speaking, the building could generate revenue by leasing this as an additional floor and it would provide opportunity for entrepreneurs looking at food production but just needing the space. A chance to get a new generation of people excited about farming is always a good thing.

In keeping with efficient urban farming and organoponicos, vermicomposting could supply the majority of nutrition in the soilless beds on the rooftop.

A building based on green diversion could keep 30% of building waste onsite to build biodiversity and feed the plants. A small portion of the garden could also be dedicated to habitat for beneficial insects, improving the balance of the space.

The vertical farm is a very creative concept and will probably end up being exceptionally important in the future.

Until we have worked out an efficient system and a reasonable cost, we need to adapt in different ways. Our rooftops are numerous and can provide nutritious, low-impact food while reducing the heat island effect and making our cities more liveable. MY

Do you have a question for one of our resident experts?

Send it to editor@maximumyield.com or fill out the form on maximumyield.com and your answer might be printed in an upcoming issue.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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MAX FACTS

HYDROPONIC NEWS, TIPS AND TRIVIA

East Coast Lettuce Farm Thriving for Three Decades It was 25 years ago when the Peckford government approved millions in funding for high-tech hydroponic greenhouses for Newfoundland and Labrador. Philip Sprung’s hothouse project went bankrupt, but St. John's businessman Chris Snellen, who took over the Sprung property, has been turning a profit with his Lettuce Farm.

This mom-and-pop operation has been in business 30 years. They started out growing mushrooms, but now lettuce is their main game, with about 3,000 lettuce heads cropping up weekly. They also grow basil, spinach and arugula.

Making a case for hydroponics, Chris said to CBC radio in the spring, “All our food is imported, so if we can displace imports with a local product, not only is [the food] fresher… but the work stays here, the price is lower. It’s win, win, win!”

(Source: cbc.ca)

MAXFACTS hydroponic news, tips and trivia Edmonton Airport Unveils Massive Air-cleaning Living Green Wall Edmonton International Airport has a beautiful new living green wall that features 8,000 plants, representing 32 different species. The triptych living installation extends 1,420 sq. ft. and was inspired by cloud formations and two famous abstract paintings by Canadian artists Emily Carr and Donald Flathe.

The walls are completely hydroponic. The rigid waterproof eco-panels are made from post-consumer, food-grade plastic and the moss mimicking rooting material is made from recycled fibres from the textile industry.

The project will increase the humidity within the airport, which is a great bonus as the air in Edmonton is quite dry.

(Source: inhabitat.com)

Plants Could Use Light Even More Effectively for Food Production

Scientists have concluded it is possible to develop plants that produce even more food by reducing the level of pigments that make no contribution to photosynthesis. This discover mainly applies to protected cultivation, such as in greenhouses, as at least some of the non-photosynthetic pigments have a protective function.

(Source: sciencedaily.com)

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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MAX FACTS

HYDROPONIC NEWS, TIPS AND TRIVIA

Vertical Gardens Meet Interior Design

There’s a growing trend that combines vertical gardens with interior design—a concept that is particularly popular with small-space, urban dwellers. Some of the more popular designs include a tall-racked garden that is designed to block the sun in summer and, after the leaves fall off, allow sun in during the winter (much like vines do); a modular system where small pots are held to the wall with strong magnets, making it easy to pull off for watering or rearranging; and a vertical, self-sustaining planter system that harnesses hydroponic technology.

(Source: treehugger.com)

Identifying Disease-carrying Aphids Can Reduce Insecticide Use

Agriculture scientists have found a way to distinguish aphids that spread plant viruses from those that do not by using protein biomarkers. They discovered that the insect’s ability to transmit yellow dwarf viruses was linked to the presence or absence of nine proteins found in the insect cells. Aphids do not need all nine biomarker proteins to spread the virus, but there are some that are essential.

The findings are expected to lead to development of a test to identify potential disease vectors.

Currently insecticides are used to control aphids and reduce the incidence of some viruses; however, this method is not the most effective since not all aphids transmit viruses and spraying is expensive and can harm the environment, people and animals.

(Source: ars.usda.gov)

id

h Ap

Air-cleaning Houseplants

Common houseplants, such as philodendron, peace lily, corn plant, Gerbera daisy, spider plant, golden pothos, English ivy, Marginata and others, can pull chemicals from the air and break them down through their leaves, roots and soil.

Dr. Bill Wolverton, a retired NASA scientist, found in his experiments that plants can remove up to 87% of the toxins in a room over 24 hours. All of the houseplants tested by Wolverton were able to remove formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene.

To clean the air in an average home or office, place one potted plant per 9 sq. m of floor space. In commercial buildings, atriums of plants can help filter circulated air.

(Source: scrippsnews.com)

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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MAX FACTS

HYDROPONIC NEWS, TIPS AND TRIVIA

Rooftop Fish Farms

The prototype Globe/Hedron is a bamboo greenhouse designed to utilize aquaponic farming techniques.

Optimized to feed four families of four all year round, the unit could annually produce 220 lb. of fish and 880 lb. of vegetables.

The geodesic-dome design allows the fish tank’s weight to be redistributed to a larger surface, so the unit can be placed on more roofs without any structural building adaptation. The dome can also be equipped with PV panels and cooling turbines to generate energy, and the basic structure can be adapted with greenhouse panels or insulating panels to suit different environments and weather conditions.

Once on the market, the unit could sell for about the price of a small car.

(Source: treehugger.com)

Desktop Computer Gardening

This modified desktop computer uses its own heat to control the soil temperature and help with the germination and growth of plants. The compact DIY unit allows the plants to flourish in an office space with limited sunlight.

The top of the case is made of acrylic, so one can see the inner workings of the computer and the soil used for growing the grass above. There are also acrylic tubes in the centre of the computer to slightly heat the soil, allow for more surface area and help with drainage.

In terms of regulating the temperature of the case and the soil, there is a variable-speedfan control on both the inlet and outlet fans. Turning the fan speed down increases the temperature inside the case and, correspondingly, raises the soil temperature.

(Source: inhabitat.com)

Underwater Carbon Storage

Seagrasses are recognized for their many ecosystem benefits, such as filtering sediment, serving as habitats for marine life and protecting coastlines against floods and storms. Now researchers have found that seagrass meadows might also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon stores. Studies show that coastal seagrass beds can store up to 83,000 metric tons of carbon per 3.99 sq m (mostly in the soils beneath them) and that the global carbon pool in seagrass beds is as much as 19.9 billion metric tons. Seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world’s temperate and tropical forests.

(Source: nsf.gov)

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

YOUR GUIDE TO THIS ISSUE’S

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

Ideal-Air’s 12,000 BTU 120 V Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the 12,000 BTU 120 V Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner from Ideal-AirTM. This air conditioner is an easy and inexpensive way to cool your small indoor garden. Simply roll the unit into the room you are cooling, hook up the inlet and outlet air hoses to the included window or wall adapter, and plug it in to a dedicated 120 V 15 A outlet. The dual hose design allows the air conditioner to draw air from outside of the room to cool the unit. There is no indoor/outdoor air exchange. Visit your favourite gardening shop for more information.

Ideal-Air’s 12,000 and 25,000 BTU Window Mount Air Conditioners

Greenstar’s Mini Greenhouse Deluxe Greenstar Plant Products Inc. has teamed up with Grodan, Grotek and SunBlaster to produce the ultimate all-in-one grow kit, the Mini Greenhouse Deluxe. A value-packed product, the Mini Greenhouse Deluxe makes propagation easy. This custom kit includes everything you need to start flower or vegetable seedlings, propagate fresh cuttings or grow fresh herbs right in your kitchen all year-long.

Your kit includes: the SunBlaster NanoDome, Double Thick prop flat, NanoTech Reflector, T5 Lamp, Grodan A-OK 1.5 in. Starter Plugs, Grotek Vitamax 250 ml, Grotek Rootmax 50 g, the Grodan Pocket Guide and a Mini Greenhouse Booklet.

Ask for the special Mini Greenhouse Deluxe kit at your local retail store.

Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the 12,000 and 25,000 BTU Window Mount Air Conditioners from IdealAirTM. The Ideal Air Energy Star window air conditioners are an excellent way to cool your room. Three fan speeds and the EZ-mount installation kit make this unit a convenient and costeffective solution to rising temperatures. With two sizes available, 12,000 BTU 120 V and 25,000 BTU 240 V, we have you covered no matter what your requirements are. These units can be installed either in a window or a wall, and come with all the hardware you’ll need. Visit your local gardening shop for more information.

Grozone’s SCC1 Climate Controller The Grozone SCC1 Climate Controller is the easiest-to-use climate controller on the market. Just connect your fan, your dehumidifier or humidifier or your CO2 generator; set the knobs; lock ‘em in and you’re ready to go. But don’t let its simple appearance fool you; this is one smart controller.

Some of the features in the SCC1 include empty CO2 tank detection, automatic competing equipment detection and high-temp and low-temp limits protection. The controller also has temperature- and CO2-priority settings for sealed or vented rooms, two built-in low voltage relays to control of high-power A/C or dehumidifier, optional output boxes for heating and variable fanspeed control. Visit your local indoor gardening shop for more information.

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Botanicare’s CocoRox Botanicare is excited to announce CocoRox™, our newest premium grow media. The first of its kind, CocoRox is a carefully blended mix of 80% high-pith coco coir and 20% Hydrolite®, a naturally occurring silica-based rock. Coco coir has become the media of choice due to its superior water- and nutrient-holding capacity. Silica rock is also popular in many gardens because of its unique ability to hold nutrients until the exact moment the plant demands them. This continuous supply of micro- and macronutrients results in a healthier plant and more vigorous growth throughout its life cycle.

Combining these products creates an unmatched environment for your plants, especially heavy fruiting and flowering varieties. CocoRox comes buffered and charged and can be planted in immediately. Expect to see hardier foliage and stems, accelerated growth and increased yields! For more information, visit your local gardening shop.

PowerSun’s Digital Dimmable Ballasts With an amazing 1% return rate, these ultra-reliable, UL- and FCC-listed Digital Dimmable Ballasts by PowerSun were specifically developed to service our best and most demanding customers of horticultural lighting. These completely silent, light-weight and energy-efficient ballasts operate for HPS or MH at either 120 V or 240 V, and can run at 50%, 75%, 100% or 110%.

They include a long-range igniter (up to 19.5 m), have internal RF protection and are available in 600 W or 1,000 W. For more information, visit your local retail shop.

Biotanicare’s Vitamino Aminos are all the rage in indoor gardens as hydroponic gardeners discover their key functions of maintaining balanced growth and optimizing yields under accelerated growth conditions. For the past 15 years, Botanicare has offered a multitude of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—in our nutrients and supplements. Now, we are proud to introduce the breakthrough, vitamin and amino acid formula Vitamino™. Vitamino contains a full complement of over 20 amino acids along with select B and C vitamins to help plants’ roots, leaves, stems and buds to grow as one harmonized body. Vitamino’s essential elements also assist plants in maintaining fundamental protein production and chlorophyll synthesis, act as powerful antioxidants to environmental stressors, and stimulate new root growth. Visit your local gardening shop for more information.

Sunlight Supply’s Hydro Flow Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the Hydro Flow. Hydro Flow is a new line of irrigation fittings that offers strength and durability. Our complete line of fittings is known for its superior performance and reliability. Hydro Flow offers every fitting needed for any indoor or outdoor gardening application. Our exclusive soft-feel fittings use a special plastic resin that makes them friendly to the hand and fingers, without sharp edges. These non-corrosive plastic fittings are guaranteed to provide a secure, watertight and airtight connection. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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More to the Story - Nutrient Solution Formulations and Uses Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr. May-11 3.5-4 pages NUTRIENT SOLUTION

MORE TO FORMULATIONS AND USES

by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.

Eliminate nutrient element insufficiencies and help your crops reach their maximum biological potential by further understanding the formulation and usage of nutrient solutions.

In a series of past articles appearing in Maximum Yield I discussed some of the parameters associated with formulating and using nutrient solutions. Even after applying nutrient solutions, growers might still be faced with essential nutrient element insufficiencies in certain crops.

These insufficiencies might not always manifest themselves as visual plant symptoms—although the rate of plant growth

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could be affected—but for fruiting plants, such as tomatoes, fruit yield and quality might fall below the maximum potential.

Without knowing the maximum yield potential, it is impossible to assess—for each combination of hydroponic growing method and crop—how well a nutrient solution formulation is able to supply the elements required at each stage of plant development in order to achieve

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

the biological maximum. For example, I would estimate that under what would be considered optimum growing conditions, tomato fruit yield obtained by most greenhouse growers is probably only between 50 to 70% of maximum. The question is: why?

In this discussion, let’s assume that environmental conditions are properly set and maintained at optimum levels,

In this discussion let’s assume that environmental conditions are properly set and maintained at optimum levels, and that the problem is only with the nutrient element supply system that adversely affects plant growth and yield. Also, this discussion is concerned only with flood and drain and drip irrigation systems, although the nutrient film technique (NFT) could be similarly affected, but to a lesser degree.

Initially, all of the essential nutrient elements required by the plant are supplied by the nutrient solution. However, with each successive irrigation a residue of the solution that was previously applied remains—the amount and composition depending on the frequency and volume of each irrigation. The plant also plays a role in determining the elemental composition of the residue due to root absorption, which removes portions of the elements from the applied nutrient solution.

With each additional nutrient solution irrigation the plant now has two sources of elements for root absorption—those being applied with each nutrient solution irrigation and those elements left behind as residue in the rooting media. At some point in this routine the grower is advised to run a test that will monitor the electrical conductivity (EC) of either the effluent from the rooting medium generated with each nutrient solution irrigation, or from a sample taken from a reservoir in the rooting medium. When the EC of the obtained solution reaches a certain level, the grower should water leach the rooting medium in order to remove the ‘accumulated salts’.

If this is not done on a routine basis, these accumulated salts will begin to affect water (and accompanying element) absorption by the plant roots.

“The major advantage wh en using this hydroponic growing syst em is that all of the applied water and nu trient elements are utilized by the plant.”

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

25

More to the Story

antage when “The major adv growing ic n o p ro d y h is using th e applied th f o ll a t a th is system ient elements water and nutr e plant.” are utilized by th

and the problem is only with the nutrient element supply system that adversely affects plant growth and yield. Also, this discussion is concerned only with drip irrigation and flood and drain systems, although the nutrient film technique (NFT) could be similarly affected, but to a lesser degree.

Initially, all of the essential nutrient elements required by the plant are supplied by the nutrient solution. However, with each successive irrigation a residue of the solution that was previously applied remains—the amount and composition depending on the frequency

26

and volume of each irrigation. The plant also plays a role in determining the elemental composition of the residue due to root absorption, which removes portions of the elements from the applied nutrient solution. With each additional nutrient solution irrigation, the plant now has two sources of elements for root absorption: those being applied with each nutrient solution irrigation and those elements left behind as residue in the rooting media.

At some point in this routine, the grower is advised to run a test that will monitor the electrical conductivity (EC) of either the effluent from the rooting medium generated with each nutrient solution irrigation, or from a sample taken from a reservoir in the rooting medium. When the EC of the obtained solution reaches a certain level, the grower should water leach the rooting medium in order to remove the accumulated salts. If this is not done on a routine basis, these accumulated salts will begin to affect water (and accompanying element) absorption by the plant roots.

What is not generally known is that a potential third source of nutrient elements can begin to form—precipitates of calcium sulphate and phosphate— with other elements, such as magnesium, copper, iron, manganese and zinc becoming either trapped within or absorbed on

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

the precipitate’s surfaces. Initial precipitate formation provides the “seed” that keeps the precipitation process going with each nutrient solution application. The other driving force that enhances precipitate formation in the rooting medium is the extraction of water by plant transpiration, which concentrates the elements in the retained nutrient solution. These precipitates cannot be water leached from the rooting medium, and their accumulation will begin to significantly influence the nutritional status of the plant. Since the surface and immediate area around the plant root is strongly acidic, root precipitate contact will result in some dissolution, and those elements released will be available for root absorption. In addition, with precipitate formation, there is a reduction in the solution concentration of those elements forming the precipitates that can affect nutrient element availability. This is one explanation why in mid-season, visual symptoms of magnesium, iron and zinc deficiencies sometimes appear in those crops with high requirements for these elements.

At this point, the plant now has three nutrient element sources, and what portion from each source is being absorbed by the roots is unknown. One could conclude at this point that the nutritional aspect of the growing system is out of control, and that nutrient element insufficiencies are likely to occur, manifesting themselves as visual leaf symptoms or as unseen problems affecting the plant and preventing it from functioning at its biological maximum.

So what are the strategies one can use to maintain nutrient element availability

control? Good question—without an easy answer. Here are a few suggestions: • Apply sufficient nutrient solution at each irrigation to leach what remains behind from the previous irrigation (but what do you do with the effluent?)

• Apply only one or two aliquots of full-strength nutrient solution in one day’s cycle, and then only water as needed to maintain fully turgid plants

“Use a hydroponic growing system that maintains a co nstant level of nutrient solution in the base of the rooting vessel, an d a rooting mediu m of perlite, compo sted milled pine ba rk or possibly even ro ckwool or coir...”

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More to the Story

It is interesting that Allan Cooper—the inventor of the nutrient film technique— observed this same phenomenon of nutrient element accumulation. He recommended exposing plant roots only periodically to a full-strength nutrient solution, and then applying only water or a very dilute nutrient solution when necessary to satisfy the water requirements of the plant.

Another more complicated strategy would be to monitor the nutrient element content of the plant by periodic plant analyses, and, based on the assay results, to adjust the nutrient solution formulation and application procedures in order to maintain the plant’s nutrient element content within the sufficiency range specified for that plant species and particular stage of plant growth. A similar strategy would be to apply only what is specifically needed in terms of the amount and balance of nutrient elements, based on the crop requirement at each

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stage of plant growth (a carefully crafted nutrient solution formulation would be required, coupled with specific-use factors). I once consulted with a tomato grower who used the flood and drain growing method—after mid-season, he only needed to include the elements nitrogen and boron in his nutrient solution formulation, as all the other required elements were in sufficient supply as accumulated residue in the rooting medium.

In order for any of these strategies to work, the plant itself must be a cooperative entity in terms of growth characteristics and response to changing environmental conditions—such as light characteristics, air temperature, humidity and movement—as each of these factors will affect water absorption, and this will in turn affect nutrient element absorption by the roots. So, even a carefully crafted nutrient solution formulation and use program might not be sufficient

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

to avoid the potential for a plant nutrient element insufficiency.

What is the final answer? Use a hydroponic growing system that maintains a constant level of nutrient solution in the base of the rooting vessel, and a rooting medium of perlite, composted milled pine bark or possibly even rockwool or coir—substances that have long-term physical and chemical stability, as well as a wicking characteristic.

The plant itself is now in control, absorbing water and nutrient elements from a constantly maintained rooting environment, and requiring a nutrient solution with a low elemental concentration.The major advantage when using this hydroponic growing system is that all of the applied water and nutrient elements are utilized by the plant.There is also a better chance that plants growing under such conditions will remain in a condition of nutrient element sufficiency, and will be more likely to reach their maximum biological potential. MY

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Organic Nutrients for a

by Matt LeBannister

Sustainable

Tomorrow Organic Nutrients for a

Sustainable Tomorrow Matt LeBannister Jul-12 4 pages

In the quest for a sustainable future, it is not enough to simply grow our own food.

We must also grow in a knowledgeable, responsible and environmentally friendly way using appropriate systems, growing mediums, nutrients and more…

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organic nutrients for a sustainable tomorrow

"Seaweed and kelp grow in vast underwater "Seaweed forests and and can kelpbe grow harvested in vast underwater from theforests ocean, and grown cannaturally be harvested or farmed, from the or can ocean, be gathered grown naturally off beaches or asfarmed, they inevitably or can be gathered wash offashore." beaches as they inevitably Everyone wants a sustainable future to live in and we, as gardeners, tend to strive toward this goal in our own ways. wash ashore."

There are always some choices that are better than others— certain lights are more energy efficient than others, a number of greenhouses allow us to use the sun’s energy to provide light and heat, and some growing mediums are reusable and sustainable. This article is going to focus on a different, yet related, area: organic, sustainable nutrients.

Seaweed and Kelp

One such organic sustainable nutrient is seaweed, including the large brown variety known as kelp. Seaweed and kelp grow in vast underwater forests and can be harvested from the ocean, grown naturally or farmed, or can be gathered off beaches as they inevitably wash ashore. Since seaweed is extremely fast growing and does not harm native species—in fact, many animals feed, live and raise their young in dense kelp forests—these underwater plants are ideal candidates for a sustainable source of organic nutrients for the indoor garden.

However, seaweed- and kelp-based organic nutrients are not only just a great choice because of how environmentally friendly they are. They are also full of what plants need.

While having insignificant NPK levels, kelp-based nutrients do contain over 70 essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and plant hormones. This is what enables kelp to grow half a metre a day, reaching lengths exceeding 30 m. These fertilizers also contain natural antibiotic proper-

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ties that can suppress harmful bacteria while promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Organic kelp-based fertilizers help facilitate the uptake of nutrients and can help relieve the stress in cuttings and plants after being transplanted.

It is possible to dry seaweed and kelp into meal that can be mixed into your growing medium. There are also many liquid forms of seaweed-based fertilizers that are water-soluble, which can easily be added to a hydroponic reservoir, hand watered into planters or foliar sprayed. A benefit to liquid kelp-based fertilizers is that they are assimilated by the plants immediately, while kelp and seaweed meal can take up to a month or more to be assimilated by plants.

Seabird Guano

Seabird guano is an organic nutrient that is sustainable and can be collected with minimal disturbance to the wildlife and ecosystem. Seabird guano—the droppings of fish-eating seabirds—is high in nitrogen, phosphorous and calcium, with an average NPK around 10-10-3. The best seabird guano comes from Chile and Peru, where the Humboldt current along the coast keeps the rains away and prevents the decomposition of the guano. Seabird guano is watersoluble and has little odour, and can be assimilated by plants in one to four months when applied in powder form. For use in hydroponic systems or for quicker assimilation, liquid seabird-guano-based fertilizers are recommended. Or, as a DIY project, you can wrap powdered seabird guano in a nylon stocking and soak it in a bucket for one to three days to make your own liquid fertilizer that won’t clog pumps or drippers in hydroponic garden systems.

Fish Emulsion

Worm Castings

Worm castings—also known as vermicompost or worm humus—are the organic materials that have been digested by worms. Nutrient levels vary depending on what the worms have been fed, but there is usually some nitrogen and many trace elements. Worm castings are an excellent choice because it won’t reach toxic levels of nitrogen and burn plants. They also promote healthy soil and beneficial bacteria and fungi. Worm castings should be used in conjunction with some other organic nutrient because vermicompost will help break it down, making the nutrients more easily assimilated by the plant. Worm castings can also be used to help soil/soilless mediums retain more water. However, worm castings are dense and can cause the medium to have poor aeration, so be careful not to over apply.

Worm castings are an environmentally friendly option for an organic garden fertilizer because converting biowastes into a plant friendly nutrient reduces the waste that goes to landfills. Worm castings are more readily available to plants than regular compost, which can take years before it is safe to use in a garden.

Worm castings are also a cost-effective solution for plant nutrients that could be utilized by poorer nations and regions where soil conditions are less than ideal.

Fish emulsion is a soluble liquid fertilizer made of fish waste that has been heat and acid processed. It contains many micronutrients, has an average NPK of 4-1-1 and releases nutrients quite fast. Fish emulsion is beneficial for tender plants like seedlings and cuttings, and can be topwatered, used in a hydroponic solution or foliar sprayed.

The only downside of fish emulsion is that is can smell pretty foul—even the brands that are “deodourized” can have a bad odour.

Fish emulsion is a great sustainable source of organic nutrients for plants.With fish stocks steadily depleting, fish farming is becoming more common and the runoff water from these farms is loaded with fish emulsion.

Indeed, many fish farms are collecting the run-off water, processing it and selling to indoor and commercial gardeners. Some farms are also turning to aquaponics to incorporate gardening into their system. Here, the runoff from the fish farms is pumped to greenhouses and hydroponic systems, providing plants with the nutrients they need to thrive.

You can make your own fish emulsion if you have a fish tank at home.Whenever the water in the tank needs replacing, just use it to water your plants.

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organic nutrients for a sustainable tomorrow

"Every choice we make has an effect on the world and those around us."

Making Your Own Compost Tea

Another way to get a soluble organic fertilizer that is environmentally responsible is to make your own compost tea. By making it yourself, you can control exactly what is going into the substance. Some common ingredients are fish emulsion, soluble seaweed or kelp, molasses, worm castings, processed insect manure and seabird guano.

To make your own compost tea fill a nylon sock with your combination of water-soluble organic nutrients and soak them for a few days in a bucket filled with water. The sock will filter out anything that might clog up pumps or drippers used in hydroponic systems. After a few days the compost tea will be ready to add to a hydroponic reservoir or diluted and top-watered.

Another way to make compost tea is to get an old drip coffee maker (you can easily find one at thrift shops and reuse stores). Insert a coffee filter, add your watersoluble organic nutrient mix into the filter and run water through the coffee maker, just as you would

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when making coffee. The nutrient will percolate through the filter and you will end up with a coffee pot full of compost tea. A warning, however: Making your own compost tea can stink, so it might be best to create it in a shed, the garage or on a porch or balcony. Nutrient contents will also vary, so testing with an EC or PPM metre will help you dilute the solution to a plant-safe level.

Every choice we make has an effect on the world and those around us. There are consequences to our actions.

Starting a garden is a step in the right direction, but we must always try to be better. Think of the where your plants’ nutrients come from and what effect harvesting or creating that nutrient might have on the ecosystem.

Using organic nutrients from a sustainable source can make gardening that much more environmentally friendly and, gradually, lead to a better tomorrow. MY

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Eco-friendly

Horticultural Lighting The Future is Here

by Eric Hopper

Things are looking brighter than ever in the field of horticultural lighting— and it’s going to take a lot less energy to get the job done in the future…

We are in the midst of an ecological movement stemming from a heightened sense of awareness that our current path of over-consumption is unsustainable and detrimental to our planet. This global movement affects every industry and technology and challenges manufacturers to not only produce “green” products, but to do so in a manner that is eco-friendly. To this end, the horticultural industry has been making significant progress in developing new, energy-efficient light fixtures. Its main goals are to produce light technologies that consume less energy, produce more photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and contain fewer hazardous materials. Products designed under this multifaceted approach will reduce pollution created as a byproduct of electricity production—most of the CO2 emissions in North America are caused by the generation of electricity—and reduce harmful waste that eventually contaminates our soil and water.

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The future of horticultural lighting

Two lighting technologies stand out in my mind as being “the future” of eco-friendly horticultural lighting: LEDs and induction lighting technologies. Neither technology is new; in fact, induction lighting has been around since the 1890s—although the more advanced sulphur-plasma technology was developed in the 1990s—and LEDs were introduced in the 1960s. The expanded use of these forms of lighting in future horticultural applications will be due to advancements we’re now beginning to make in our understanding of plant physiology, combined with improvements in production methods that will lower costs.

“

Two lighting technologies stand out in my mind as being ‘the future’ of eco-friendly horticultural lighting: LEDs and induction lighting technologies.

LEDs

”

Light-emitting diode, or LED, technology is gaining huge popularity in the horticultural industry. This is due mainly to NASA, who continues to conduct plant-growth experiments under LED lighting. LEDs show immense potential as horticultural lighting fixtures due to low energy consumption, cool operation and the capability to customize their spectral output to emit the specific wavelengths most usable by plants. All of these factors— combined with their longevity and durability—make LEDs the most viable eco-friendly solution for horticultural lighting.

LEDs are also solid state devices that do not depreciate in their output of usable plant energy (PAR) like their HID and fluorescent counterparts—in fact, LEDs can be used for horticulture for up to 10 years without a substantial decline in PAR output.

LEDs emit light in a very unique and efficient way that produces much less heat than standard lighting fixtures. In most indoor gardens, heat is considered waste and is generally removed by a fan or air conditioner, but LEDs are able to reduce the energy consumption associated with the removal of excess heat by not producing so much in the first place. LEDs contain no mercury, but due to the presence of other compounds these bulbs should still be recycled after their long lifespan.

Induction lighting

Induction lighting illuminates without the use of an electrode, instead using an electromagnetic field to stimulate compounds found within the bulb. Electrodes are generally the limiting factor in lamp life and efficiency, so it makes sense that induction lighting would be a great choice for a long-lasting, efficient lighting source. There are also certain higher-efficiency substances that can be used in electrode-less lamps that would react poorly with the metal electrodes used in standard lamps. For horticultural purposes, there are two types of induction lighting currently showing the most potential: sulphur-plasma lamps and fluorescent magnetic induction lamps.

Sulphur-plasma

Sulphur-plasma lamps consist of a small fused quartz sphere (or bulb) containing a mixture of argon gas and sulphur powder.

The sulphur and argon gas are excited by microwaves produced by a magnetron—which heats the sulphur, causing it to illuminate. What makes sulphur-plasma so exciting for the horticultural industry is the truly full-spectrum output it can emit

“

What makes sulfur-plasma so exciting for the horticultural industry is the truly full-spectrum output it can emit and its long lifespan.

”

and its long lifespan. A sulphur-plasma bulb is rated for 60,000 hours (five to seven years of continuous use) with virtually no depreciation of photosynthetically active radiation. Although sulphur-plasma lamps are realistically years away from practical use in horticultural applications, their long life—combined with the absence of mercury and other hazardous waste—makes them a strong candidate to be a leading eco-friendly choice for the future.

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Eco-friendly Horticultural Lighting: The Future is Here

“

The absence of any electrode in the fluorescent light tube creates a multitude of ecologically friendly benefits.

”

Magnetic induction fluorescent

As with standard fluorescent lighting, magnetic induction fluorescents use electricity to excite mercury vapour, which excites phosphors—thus producing light. The difference lies in the way the mercury vapour is excited. Magnetic induction fluorescents, like their name suggests, use electromagnetic induction to transfer energy through the glass envelope of the bulb to excite the mercury within. The absence of any electrode in the fluorescent light tube creates a multitude of ecologically friendly benefits.

Electrodes found in standard fluorescents create an escape route for the gases in the tube—the escape of these gases decreases light output and requires more mercury to be used. Induction fluorescents require half the mercury content of comparable standard fluorescents, making them a much better choice for the environment. Although standard fluorescents need to be replaced about once a year because the usable light energy for plants diminishes as the bulb’s internal compounds break down or escape, magnetic induction fluorescents can be used continu-

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ously for five to seven years with little or no reduction in PAR. It should also be noted that the mercury used in induction lighting is in a solid form, which reduces contamination in case of accidental breakage and makes full recovery during recycling simpler. Magnetic induction fluorescents—just like LEDs—also produce much less heat than high-intensity discharge lighting, which reduces overall energy consumption.

Proper disposal of fluorescents, metal halides and high pressure sodiums

Many growers do not realize they can reduce the amount of toxic material entering our soil and water by simply recycling (versus throwing out) their old bulbs. Almost every recycling facility accepts bulbs and will actually salvage some of the components and compounds that can be reused. Contact your local recycling centre to find out the proper procedures for your area—recycling unwanted bulbs is a useful contribution to our planet’s bright future. MY

Recreating

sun the

Key Elements of Artificial Lighting for Highly Productive Plant Growth

by Mike Anderson

Outdoor plants grow under the perfect light source: the sun. While perfect duplication of solar radiation indoors is not possible, producing the best possible results is possible when you understand and apply three key essentials of natural lighting to artificial sources‌

Intensity, spectrum and focus are three key essentials of high-quality lighting, both natural and artificial. When these three core elements are combined into a comprehensive indoor-lighting system, it allows a grower to focus attention to other areas of plant growth like disease and bug prevention, plant nutrition and environmental control. However, before explaining the essential lighting elements, one must first understand how high-intensity discharge (HID) grow lamps create light.

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This reduction in speed generates heat, which causes the filament to glow. The hotter the filament gets, the brighter the light becomes. The key point: incandescent light sources have a filament that carries the electricity through the lamp and provides the visible light.

HID lamps— metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS)—on the other hand do not have a filament. Instead, they contain an arc tube made from either quartz or ceramic materials.

This is where the electrical discharge

(hence the term “highintensity discharge”) happens. Electrical discharge is similar to the arcing of a lightning strike, only much lower in terms of power and

much longer in time. Electricity flows into the lamp from the ballast and stops at an electrode on one side of the arc Electrical tube. The ballast then discharge pushes the electricity is similar to across the gap (from the arcing of one electrode to the a lightning other) inside the arc strike, only tube, creating a mini

“

much lower in terms of power and much longer in time.

“

One of the best ways to begin learning how lamps create light is to compare HID lamps to something more familiar: the incandescent light bulb. In incandescent bulbs, electricity freely flows into the lamp (bulb) through the base and up to the filament. As the energy tries to flow across the filament, it slows down due to the resistance caused by the filament material and construction.

lightning bolt called an arc stream. The ballast then works hard to maintain this arc stream inside the arc tube for as long as the lamp is powered.

The HID lamp gives off a fair amount of light while this arc stream is happening, but not anywhere near the amount required for plant growth. However, the arc stream also heats up chemicals inside the arc tube that produces an incredible amount of light once the lamp comes to full power. These chemicals are unique in their composition and ratios, and each lamp has a specific chemical formula that produces the

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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Recreating the Sun

light spectrums advertised on its packaging. This unique formula is also what produces the energy that plants use to grow. Exactly how much growth is achieved is a result of a lamp’s intensity, spectrum and ability to put the light where it’s needed. Let’s look closer at these three key elements.

and limit how much light should be used in a grow area. In other words, the better a grow environment is controlled, the higher the light levels can be provided.

Spectrum

too that there are only a few laboratories in the world that make chemistry for HID lamps. As a result, many companies use the same lamp chemistries, meaning they produce similar light spectrums.

Focus

Intensity is the most important aspect of lighting. High-intensity lighting is required for rapid plant growth.The indoor horticulture market still measures light intensity in terms of lumens.While one could argue that the lumen does not exactly correlate to plant growth, for all practical purposes, the more lumens a light source produces, the better plants will grow.

Spectrum is the second most significant criterion for plant lighting. As light Focus is the final essential element for intensity increases, light spectrum high-quality plant lighting. Delivering becomes more important—this cannot be light where it is needed is the job of a stressed enough. reflector. Well-designed reflectors deliver As stated earlier, solar radiation is perfect with excellent uniformity a higher for plant growth. Sunlight is intense and percentage of the available light to has a broad and balanced spectrum. where it’s needed. Choosing Indoor plants require this same a good reflector is worth high-intensity, broadthe additional up-front but-balanced cost; high-quality As light spectrum. The reflectors use better intensity chemistry materials that increases, hold up to the light heat, dust, dirt and spectrum moisture found becomes more in indoor gardens. important.

They also use more

More recently, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) has become a more meaningful way of quantifying light energy for plant growth.

In very simple terms, PAR is the portion of a light’s energy that plants use to trigger photosynthesis. Some argue that ultraviolet light (UV) and infrared light (IR) are also critical for healthy plant growth, but these types of light are not included in the PAR scale.

However, no matter whether you describe light intensity in lumens or PAR, it remains true that your plants will grow better when you have more intensity. It is often asked, “Can a plant have too much light?” The answer is yes, but these levels are typically extremely high and are plant specific. For example, desert plants tolerate much higher light levels than flower species that grow under the canopy of the rainforest. Other environmental issues also come into play

effective designs. Using cheaper reflectors that more quickly degrade and lose their effectiveness could result in the light energy not being delivered to the plants.

High-quality indoor plant lighting is not a mystery.

Good results can be achieved by utilizing high-quality light sources and lighting systems.

Good lighting comes from wellengineered materials and designs that produce intense light with broad and balanced spectrums. Focusing this light requires well-designed reflectors with high-quality materials that ensure a majority of the light reaches the plants in a uniform fashion over a long period of time. While the incredible intensity, spectrum and focus of our sun’s solar radiation cannot be duplicated in indoor gardens, high-quality indoor lighting is in some ways superior to outdoor growing…there are no cloudy days in indoor gardening! MY

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“

inside a HID lamp’s arc tube is what produces the light that provides those spectrums. When considering different light sources for indoor gardening, pay attention to the spectral distribution charts published for the lamps. These charts explain the quality of light produced by each lamp and offers the opportunity to compare the light sources and make the best choice for your garden. Keep in mind

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“

Intensity

&

P hotosynthes i s P lant N utr i t i on

by B entley M i lls

Certain essential plant elements are required for photosynthesis and related metabolic processes. Some have a direct role in the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus. Necrosis and chlorosis (chlorophyll loss), which gives brown or yellow discolouration in the leaf, that accompanies a deficiency of an essential plant nutrient, results in reduced leaf area and plant metabolic activity.

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Often by the time symptoms are visible in the plant leaf, the metabolic activity in the chloroplast is severe and plant growth has been reduced to a loss for the grower. Essential plant nutrients involved in the translocation of photosynthesis from the site formed (light and dark reactions) to areas of sink formation—fruits, grains and storage organs—are another area where deficiencies of a specific plant nutrient can reduce overall plant growth. The rates of photosynthesis can be reduced significantly if storage sites are not developing properly and acting as a sink for the photosynthate formed in photosynthesis. Understanding how essential plant nutrients are involved in the photosynthesis process is necessary for the plant nutritionist to maximize plant health and economic growth of the crop.

P hotosynthes i s i n general In the most general terms, photosynthesis can be described as the process by which plants use light energy to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and carbohydrates. A general reaction for the photosynthetic process is shown below: C O 2 + H 2 O + L i ght E nergy - - - - > ( C H 2 O ) + O 2

“C hlorophyll takes the energy i t absorbs from these wavelengths of l i ght and converts i t to useable chem i cal energy w i th i n the photosystems of the l i ght react i on of photosynthes i s .“

Photosynthesis, however, is not that simple. It actually consists of several interconnected processes that work together in taking solar radiation and using it to turn carbon dioxide and water into starches and oxygen gas. Inorganic elements play a vital role in all of the processes of photosynthesis. Nutrients can play both a direct and indirect role in photosynthesis.

Direct effects of nutrient deficiencies are usually considered reversible. Elements can be considered to have direct effects on photosynthesis when deficiencies of a particular element can cause a rapid decline in photosynthetic activity; and upon reintroduction of that element at a proper level, photosynthesis resumes. Indirect effects are not usually readily reversible. They occur over a longer period of time and involve an element that is not necessarily critical in the photosynthetic process, but instead is crucial in the production of something that is directly

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Photosynthesis and Plant Nutrition

P hotosynthes i s i s a ser i es of part i al processes : 1. Interception of incident radiation and its conversion into chemical energy as NADPH and ATP.

involved. An example of an indirect effect would be the depletion of sulphur. Although sulphur is not directly involved in the reactions of photosynthesis, it is a major component of amino acids, which make up many of the proteins of the chloroplasts. Without sulphur, chloroplast production would suffer and photosynthesis rates would fall off. Unlike the elements having direct effects on photosynthesis, the reintroduction of elements that indirectly affect the photosynthetic process may not readily improve rates of photosynthesis.

Often, the symptoms of many nutrient deficiencies are simply the visual manifestations of decreased photosynthetic activity by a plant. For example, the chlorosis that occurs when plants are deficient in magnesium (Mg) is due to the fact that magnesium makes up part of the chlorophyll molecule.

Chlorophyll is a pigment in plants responsible for giving them their green colour. Thus, when magnesium is lacking, chlorophyll production is lowered and leaves yellow. In order to understand the role of the essential elements in photosynthesis we must first have an understanding of where, how and why the various processes of photosynthesis occur.

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2. Diffusion of CO2 to the chloroplasts.

Photosynthesis largely occurs in the leaves of green plants.

In particular it occurs within an organelle that is unique to plants called the chloroplast. The chloroplast is one of three general types of plastids. The other two types are called chromoplasts and leucoplasts. Chloroplasts are organelles that are bounded by a double membrane system; which encloses an internal membrane system, the thylakoids, and a gel-like matrix called the stroma. Thylakoids are grouped into stack structures called grana, and several grana can be connected by tube structures called frets. It is among these structures that photosynthesis occurs.

Chloroplasts have also been shown to contain significant concentrations of inorganic nutrient ions. Studies have shown that more than half of the N, Ca and Mg in a plant is in the leaves.

Concentrations of Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Mg, Al and Si have all been detected in the lamellae of the chloroplasts.

When essential elements are deficient or present in toxic amounts, a number of common changes can occur in the chloroplasts of a plant. Often, the chloroplasts of affected plants display the following irregularities: • Chloroplasts are more spherical than ovoid in shape.

• The number of grana tends to be reduced or appear as indistinguishable plastids.

• Deficiencies in calcium can result in membrane irregularities.

• Deficiencies in sulphur can result in general chloroplast irregularities.

• Deficiencies in magnesium of iron can result in destruction of lamellar systems as well as irregularities in chloroplast membranes.

• Ammonium toxicity can result in a decrease in the number of grana present as well as a general swelling of the chloroplast. This is likely related to the uncoupling effect that ammonia has on photosynthetic phosphorylation.

It must be noted that although we have split photosynthesis into several different processes for the purpose of studying it; all of the steps listed are invariably linked together and can all occur at the same time in the plant.

“ W i thout sulphur , chloroplast product i on would suffer and photosynthes i s rates would fall off. “

Photosynthesis and Plant Nutrition

3. Synthesis from triosephosphate of starch in the chloroplasts or sucrose in the cytoplasm.

T he L i ght R eact i on The light reaction of photosynthesis involves the adsorption of light radiation of particular wavelengths and the utilization of this absorbed energy to split water molecules in order to generate ATP and NADPH, which can be used as a source of

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“ T he var i ous p i gments i n plants help g i ve them the un i que ab i l i ty to absorb l i ght energy and convert i t i nto useable chem i cal energy. “

lengths of light better than others. It absorbs very little light chemical energy in the dark reaction. The light reaction in the 500 nanometer range of wavelength. Not surpristakes place within two working units called photosystems. ingly, this corresponds to green light in the electromagnetic Photosystems consist of chlorophyll and other pigment spectrum. Chlorophyll best absorbs light from the 680 to 700 molecules, such as xanthophylls and carotenoids, which nanometer range. This corresponds to red/far red light on absorb light energy from particular wavelengths. The pigthe electromagnetic spectrum. Chlorophyll takes the energy ments that absorb light energy are called antenna pigments. it absorbs from these wavelengths of light and converts it These pigments absorb light energy and deliver it to an area to useable chemical energy called the reaction center. within the photosystems of The reaction centre consists the light reaction of photosynof some proteins and chloro“ T he react i on centre cons i sts of some thesis. There are two separate phyll molecules that use this prote i ns and chlorophyll molecules photosystems over which gathered energy and convert that use th i s gathered energy and the light reaction takes place. it into chemical energy.

Appropriately enough, they The various pigments in convert i t i nto chem i cal energy. “ are named photosystem I and plants help give them the photosystem II after the order unique ability to absorb in which they were discovered. light energy and convert it One of the main differences between the two photosysinto useable chemical energy. Though all the pigments play tems is that antenna pigments of photosystem I absorb light important roles in the functioning of green plants, the one predominately of a wavelength of 700 nanometers while the whose role is the most obvious is chlorophyll and thus it pigments of photosystem II absorb light mostly from the will be discussed here.

680 nanometer wavelength. The two photosystems are Chlorophyll is a large molecule with a heme structure, joined by an electron transport chain made of a number much like the hemoglobin in our red blood cells. However, of proteins, many of which contain inorganic nutrients instead of having an iron atom in the center like a nitrogen within them. MY porphyrin ring hemoglobin does, it has a magnesium atom.

There are different types of chlorophyll: chlorophyll a, b To Be continued.... and c. Chlorophyll a makes up about 75% of the chlorophyll in a green plant and is thus most essential to the We continue our discussion of photosynthesis and plant photosynthetic process. What makes chlorophyll so special is nutrition in our next issue of Maximum Yield. its ability to absorb light. Chlorophyll absorbs some waveMaximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

49

Starts2

Mo rgan

Hydroponic part

tte

Starting Plants for Hydroponic Systems

e yn L .

by Dr

Sharpening up your knowledge of the propagation environment and necessary propagation materials can help you raise healthy, happy starts, which can lead to healthy, happy plants.

50

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Hydroponic starts 2

successful, including or fish ponds, which will destroy most some form of tempathogen spores. perature control, usually Propagation materials supplied with a heated Most hydroponic growers have favoured pad or mat; air movematerials for raising new planting stock, ment to vent out overly Hybrid tomato plants being raised in the rockwool although it pays to keep a watch for new warm, humid air when system of propagation cubes and blocks. products and materials that come onto necessary—this can be Hybrid tomato plants being raised in the rockwool system of propagation cubes and blocks. the market, as in the past new developprovided with a small household fan or simply ments have proven to provide significant A healthy and productive hydroponic advantages. For many years hydroponic by rolling up the sides of the propagation system is dependent on good-quality starts were raised in the tried-and-true area and allowing some airflow; correct planting stock. Strong, well-hardened foli- intensity and type of lighting—clonpotting mixes, such as the peat-lite type age with a well-developed and diseasemixes, and although these work well, they ing lights or fluorescents are ideal and free root system make all the difference to shouldn’t provide too much heat, which are not ideally suited to solution culture the success of a young seedling or cutting can scorch young seedlings. In greenhydroponics. For systems such as NFT, when it is introduced to a hydroponic DFT, aeroponics, float or raft systems, houses, some overhead shade is also system. Most new plants are raised in grit contamination from the propagation usually required in propagation areas for separate propagation or nursery areas that spring and summer seasons. Finally, the media needs to be avoided and the “solid” allow for additional heat for seed germiarea needs to be nation and increased humidity for cutsparkling clean— “The area needs to be sparkling clean— tings, as well as specific lighting designed dust, dirt, soil and dust, dirt, soil and plant debris harbour for the delicate, early stages of growth. Al- plant debris harbour disease pathogens that will prey on though many new growers have managed disease pathogens sensitive and tender young plantlets.” with a sunny windowsill to get those first that will prey on few seedlings underway, the need for a sensitive and tender larger propagation area usually becomes young plantlets. For trouble-free propaga- cubes, blocks and disks are a good choice. an issue as the hydroponic system grows tion, the water supply also needs some Rockwool and foam products have been and expands over time. consideration, as seedlings of many spethe mainstay of commercial growers; however, there is a great selection of new cies are more susceptible to water-quality materials for propagation, some of them The propagation environment issues than mature plants, and water A propagation area for hydroponic starts treatment chemicals—such as chlorine, biodegradable, others organically based requires a few basic conditions to be chloramines, sodium and others—can and usually clean, sterile and ready to cause germination use with little preparation. For mediaproblems if levels are based production systems the choice of high enough. Also, propagation materials is extensive—not microbial cononly can the standard blocks and cubes tamination of other be used, but a wide range of loose media water supplies has in is available from perlite, vermiculite, the past seen some composed bark fines, sand, coconut fiber, pretty impressive shredded rockwool, peat, pumice, scoria, propagation failures organic mixes and many others. Even due to waterborne growers who like to follow a more orpathogens like ganic philosophy are catered to these days pythium, so clean, as there are propagation materials, plugs, high-quality water blocks and cubes formed from coconut is a must. Small volfibre and other organic materials that give umes of water used new plants a good start. in a propagation area Each media or substrate combination can be treated with has its own unique physical and chemical carbon filtration and properties that influence the germination boiling, or small UV and rooting environment of the young Microgreens and baby leaf crops are best direct sown into filters, such as those plants, so choosing well is important. hydroponic beds lined with growing media, such as grow mats. used in aquariums Since the main cause of seedling death 52

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

or lack of germination experienced by new or inexperienced growers is oversaturation of the propagation media, it’s usually a good idea to start out with a specific propagation product designed for hydroponics and carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Pre-formed propagation cubes or blocks are designed to be wet at the base and fairly dry toward the top, so that nutrient or water is wicked up by capillary action from the propagation tray without the need for overhead watering, which is not ideal during germination and with young seedlings. The drier surface of modern propagation products helps prevent problems, such as damping off, which is common when oversaturation has occurred.

Raising healthy starts: Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers These warm-season crops are hydroponic favourites, and with a little extra heat and plenty of light, they can be grown and propagated year round in indoor gardens. The ideal germination temperature is 22°C to 24°C for tomatoes and peppers/ chillies and 24 to 28ºC for cucumbers, melons, squash and other cucurbits. Usually these plants are raised in individual pots or cubes of propagation media and grown until they have at least four true leaves before planting out into a hydroponic system. This allows the roots to grow and extend out the base of the propagation material before planting out, giving a better success rate and faster establishment. As with all hydroponic starts, tomatoes, peppers, chillies and cucumbers need to be hardened off before planting out to prevent transplant shock and the growth reduction that goes with it. Inside the propagation area the environment is highly protected and light levels are often lower than they are out in the main hydroponic growing area, so the seedlings have softer, more tender growth than more mature plants. This tender growth can lead to wilting and stress when seedlings are transferred to higher

light/lower humidity conditions, particularly if the nutrient solution EC is also higher than the seedlings have become accustomed to. Hardening off young transplants is relatively simple—light should be increased and the EC of the seedling nutrients gradually brought up to the same level the hydroponic system will be running at. It only takes a few days for rapid-growing plants, such as tomatoes, to harden off, and this is an important step that will prevent any check in growth after transplanting. Tomato starts also have a tendency to stretch or elongate in the propagation area if conditions are too warm and not enough light is provided, particularly if the plants are too close together. Stocky, short and compact transplants will give a more productive crop and plant height can be kept under

The correct propagation tools and materials are the best way to set up a small nursery area to raise new plants.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

53

Hydroponic starts 2

control by spacing the seedlings well, reducing temperatures after germination (particularly the night temperature) and ensuring there is sufficient light—having seedlings under full-strength light by the time they have their second true leaf will keep them short and compact. With tomatoes in particular, young seedlings can also be kept compact with the use of a high-nutrient EC (as high as 3.5), although this should not be used with more sensitive plants, such as cucumbers.

Lettuce seeds germinating in oasis cubes.

Strawberries Strawberry plants sometimes create some confusion about the best way to raise or prepare plants for hydroponic systems.

While there is now seed available for large-fruited strawberries, plants are still more commonly grown from runners, which are newly rooted plantlets formed from the motherplant. Using pre-chilled runners allows a very rapid development of the flowers and fruits, with harvesting being possible within a few weeks of establishing well-formed runners into a hydroponic system. The problem with bringing in strawberry runners is that they are often propagated out in the field and might therefore be carrying soil and disease pathogens. A better option is to use nursery-raised runner tip plantlets

54

that are grown in a soilless growing media that is easily washed off the root system.

Plants should be given a quick dip in a fungicide treatment solution before planting out as this will help prevent many of the root and crown rot pathogens that strawberries can be prone to developing.

For hydroponics, pre-chilled, day-neutral strawberry runners are the type to purchase. The pre-chilling means the plants have had their dormancy treatment and will be ready to flower once established into warm growing conditions, and day-neutral types will flower and fruit under any day length once they have been chilled for long enough.

Lettuce and herbs

Lettuce, herbs and many salad greens are fairly easy to propagate, although they prefer cooler temperatures than tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers and are best raised separately. The optimum temperature for lettuce germination is 12 to 18ºC and some varieties of lettuce will fail to germinate and go into secondary dormancy if conditions are too warm. Lettuce is usually raised in small propagation cubes, which can be separated during planting out as this prevents root disturbance and lessens the time to harvest. However, the exception is when lettuce or other greens are being grown for baby leaf or microgreen harvest—in this case, the seed needs to be direct-sown onto sheets of media or directly onto a media bed. Since seedlings grown for baby “Once mature leaf or microgreens are strawberry plants are only grown for a short in a hydroponic system period of time, they are sown very densely and and have completed the crowding predisthe flowering and poses the young plants fruiting cycle many will to fungal pathogens. then produce runners For this reason, a good and small plantlets of rate of airflow over the seedlings, careful watertheir own.” ing from the base and use of a sterile growing This means the photoperiod or amount of light provided to the hydroponic system doesn’t need to be changed to suit strawberries, and the plants can be grown alongside many other fruiting and vegetable crops. Once mature strawberry plants are in a hydroponic system and have completed the flowering and fruiting cycle, many will then produce runners and small plantlets of their own, which can be used to propagate a further crop using soilCarrots are another root crop that are best sown direct into hydroponic less media and methods.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

media beds.

mat will help give a healthy and trouble-free crop of baby leaves. While still in the young seedling stage, lettuce starts need particular care and attention as high temperatures and low light, particularly when combined with a long day length, can induce bolting or premature formation of a flower stalk in the plants

Nursery grown plug plants can be used to establish a hydroponic media bed of strawberries.

“Lettuce, herbs and many salad greens are fairly easy to propagate, although they prefer cooler temperatures than tomatoes.” when they are planted out. Bolting is characterized by the lettuce elongating from the center rather than staying as a compact rosette of foliage, and this physiological disorder is often induced in the seedling stage by overcrowding the plants in overly warm growing conditions.

Herbs vary considerably in their germination requirements, so the guidelines for each species should be checked. These can be roughly divided into warm-season herbs like basil, oregano, arugula, dill and coriander (cilantro), which germinate well with temperatures similar to those used with tomatoes. Cooler-season herbs like chives, mint and sorrel as well as many of the endives and chicory, prefer similar germination temperatures to lettuce.

Sturdy, healthy, well-hardened hydroponic transplants are well worth the effort required to design and construct a small propagation area. Armed with the right information and equipment for generating rapid germination and root formation, the propagation of hydroponics starts is a relatively straightforward and highly rewarding process. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

55

FOOD Thought for

by Kristen McKenzie

How a Canadian City is Raising a New Generation of Agricultural Revolutionaries

This fall, kids across the country will return to classrooms in droves, armed with pricey brand-name backpacks, laptops, smartphones and every other conceivable gadget deemed “necessary” for schooling these days. But over in Richmond, British Columbia, a select group of students are getting back to their roots with trowels, hoes and watering cans serving as their educational tools.

The innovative Richmond Schoolyard Society, a nonprofit community project, has, for the last seven years, seeped its way into the Richmond school curriculum, instructing elementary school students on subjects ranging from organic gardening to food security. Children who participate in the program learn to seed, grow, harvest, compost and even create tasty, nutritious dishes using the fruits of their labour.

“Children are starting to understand the food system and the food cycle,” says Ian Lai, the program’s founder and project coordinator. “They’re becoming advocates for healthy food.”

A food activist himself—imagine the Canadian equivalent of Jamie Oliver—Ian is a trained chef who has worked for Four Seasons and Sheraton hotels, as well as served 56

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

In the Field: Ian Lai, founder and project coordinator of the Richmond Schoolyard Society, in the fields at Terra Nova Rural Park.

as resident chef for the Consulate General of the United States of America. The idea for the schoolyard program first sprouted when Lai began teaching at Vancouver’s Northwest Culinary Academy; here, he grew frustrated with his students’ lack of knowledge and respect for the food cycle, referring to the dishes they ultimately prepared as “angry food.”

Hoping to better educate the next generation about food production, and inspired by the University of British Columbia’s Landed Learning project (a hands-on, year-round farming and environmental initiative that pairs youth with adult volunteers), Lai began the schoolyard program with his daughter’s grade three and four classmates from Quilchena Elementary.

From that point on, he’s been working tirelessly to educate both schoolchildren and adults alike on sustainable agriculture and seed-to-table cuisine. Letting nothing go to waste, Ian creates everything from homemade dandelion wine to kombucha tea on-site, demonstrating to his young pupils that everything has a place and purpose.

“[Ian’s] dedication to changing the world, his selflessness, passion and work ethic is very admirable,” says fellow chef Alex Tung, who has served on the schoolyard program’s board of directors since 2010. “I aspire to give back the way he has.”

To say that Ian has already made significant headway with the program since its inception would be an understatement. In 2005, he started with 30 students—this autumn he’ll welcome over 800 children from schools across the city.

And the lessons those 800 impressionable individuals will come away with are priceless—namely, to respect food and the labour that goes into producing it.

“With students in the spring of the 2008 to 2009 school term, Ian planted some wheat with the kids,” Tung recalls “They took care of the wheat until their summer break, where Ian continued to take care of the crop. In the fall, when the kids returned to school, they harvested the wheat, dried it and eventually milled the wheat into flour. I was fortunate enough to join the kids at school and help teach the kids how to make bread from that flour.

Children are starting to understand the ‘‘ food system and the food cycle. They’re

‘‘

becoming advocates for healthy food.

Cooking lesson: Breakfast Television Vancouver films Ian’s cooking lesson with a group of students from the Richmond Schoolyard program.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

57

food for thought

“Was it great bread? No. But, you should have seen the look on the kids’ faces. They were so proud of their bread and so excited to bring it home to show their parents. This process encapsulates the ideal of [the schoolyard program] and I guarantee the kids value wheat, flour and bread that much more to this date.”

Considering today’s society is inundated with sugary soda, fatty fast food and preservative-laden boxed dinners, one of the program’s other primary goals is to help combat the current epidemic of childhood obesity.

“Parents are so busy.

They’re taking the easy way out. Not necessarily with fast food, with processed food,” Ian says. “A lot of people are so caught up in material things that they end up working themselves so hard at the expense of leisure time and family time. That affects the food that they eat.”

The Richmond program not only instills within children a sense of mindfulness when it comes to eating habits, but its dietary teachings are also consequently spread among the students’ parents, siblings and friends.

“The children go home and they talk [healthy eating] up.

They do not stop talking about the garden project,” Ian says.

“A lot of children that we work with can articulate what we’re teaching them. They know what they’re speaking about.

They’re passionate about what they’re learning.”

The operation and continued success of the schoolyard program is very much a community initiative, depending on volunteers, municipal partners and a variety of financial supporters.

The program’s indoor and outdoor tutorials are held within the Terra Nova Rural Park Farm Centre on over 5,000 sq. ft. of

land and buildings provided by the City of Richmond. Located along Richmond’s northwest corner, the Terra Nova Rural Park is an oasis of garden plots, chicken coops, hazelnut trees and beehives where community gardeners cheerfully socialize and where 2.5 acres are designated as crops for the Richmond Food Bank, operated by the Sharing Farm and Kwantlen Farm School. Dotted with buildings equipped with indoor classroom space and a fullystocked kitchen, the site is a constant buzz of activity that offers cooking demonstrations, catered dinners, monthly community potlucks, produce markets and festivals.

Despite the strong community support, continuance and growth remain great concerns for those involved with the schoolyard program.

“We have very supportive teachers and a very supportive community including city staff,” Ian says. “But there are many other groups out there that are also doing similar fantastic things…there’s always a competition for resources.”

Adds Alex: “My ultimate hope for this program is that we get the program into every school in Richmond and eventually every school in the Lower Mainland. I think it’s a lofty goal, but we’ll get there someday...our mantra of “kids + gardens + healthy food = stronger communities” says it all to me and I want to help spread that message.”

A lot of children that we work with can ‘‘ articulate what we’re teaching them. They

‘‘

know what they’re speaking about. They’re passionate about what they’re learning.

58

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

For more information on the Richmond Schoolyard Society or to make a donation, visit kidsinthegarden.org. To learn more about Ian Lai and his culinary and agricultural endeavours, visit his personal website at myurbanag.com MY

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maximumyield.com

Contain Yourself:

7

Reasons to

Consider

Container

GARDENING

by Heather Brautman

If you grew something in a Styrofoam cup as a child, you’ve already done some container gardening—but there’s a whole world of new possibilities out there for today’s grower…

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Nobody puts Baby in the corner (according to the late, great Patrick Swayze), but put Baby in a container—if she’s a seedling—and you might just have something. You too can have the time of your life in very small spaces through the joy of container gardening. While it might seem limiting at first, what you could find is that container gardening is a way to broaden—not limit—your gardening possibilities.

Trying to describe exactly what container gardening encompasses might be a little too much like trying to stuff 8 L of growing medium into a 4 L pot. According to the University of Illinois Extension’s Successful Container Gardens website, container gardening is a way of growing that lets you customize your greenery and growth for any circumstance—this means you can container garden if you live in a 45 sq. m sixth-floor apartment or a multi-acre plot in the country. In fact, one of the biggest pros of container gardening is just how much about it is up to you, which takes us to the first in our list of seven reasons to consider container gardening.

Upcycling: not just for hipsters

“While it might seem limiting at first, what you could find is that container gardening is a way to broaden—not limit—your gardening possibilities.”

If you’ve been to a craft show or visited DIY websites such as Etsy. com, you’ll have noticed the term “upcycling.” Suddenly, recycling just isn’t good enough—now you need to find newer, better uses for your stuff instead of just sorting it out at the curb. With container gardening, you’ve got the perfect excuse to upcycle. Check around your home for throwaways like yogourt cartons, coffee cans and even old planters and pots relegated to your garage. As the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension puts it, “If it holds soil, it’s a container.” All of these items would make ideal homes for your new container garden—in fact, smaller items such as those old (cleaned out, of course) yogourt

containers are the ideal size to line a windowsill and start growing your own salad fixings. Suddenly, you’re a trendsetter—you’re not only growing your own, but you’re reducing your waste footprint by upcycling as well!

You’re the king of the world Not everyone can be Leonardo DiCaprio—but you can be the king (or queen) of your own world through container gardening. Container gardening removes any limits that might be imposed on you by climate, seasonal growth patterns or even the kind of restrictions you sometimes encounter if you live in an apartment or condo, which doesn’t allow outside planting. With container gardening, you can grow what you like.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

61

Contain Yourself: Seven Reasons to Consider Container Gardening

Choose your own adventure With container gardening, you have so many choices—and each choice you make will reveal something about you as a gardener. You’ve got your choice of the actual containers you’ll be growing in, but then you also get to choose your growing medium. In most cases, soil and nutrients will be the options you’ll choose, but don’t rule out hydroponics. In many cases, hydroponics is container gardening—just on a much larger scale. Once you open up to that option, you’ll have choices like coco coir, rockwool, perlite and other media in which to house your soon-to-be lush greenery. And of course you’ll also get to choose what you plant. It doesn’t matter any more if you only get sun three hours a day (for plants that need massive sun exposure daily) or if you experience morning cold snaps that would be deadly to fragile new growth—container gardening makes all of that irrelevant.

“You can grow all the elements you need to make an entire salad, herbs and spices to soup up sauces, plus fruits and vegetables to round out the meal.”

A gift for growing gifts Whether you already have a thumb so green it’s verdant or you’re just starting out, container gardening can make gift-giving easy. Remember that joy you felt as a child being able to say, “I made it myself?” Whether it was a macaroni face on a plate or a strange, floppy piece of pottery, DIY always seemed to mean more than store-bought. With container gardening, you get to say “GIY”—you grew it yourself. Got a friend who loves those lavender sachets? Decorate a few pots and get planting the real thing. Of course, good things come to those who wait—you’ll need to plan in advance if you’re going to grow your own gifts so that they’ll be fresh and ready when it’s time to bestow them on their eager recipients. You can even do themes—say, sprigs of mint in red-and-green-painted pots for Christmas.

Menu master You probably can’t grow everything you need for a three-course meal in your container garden—but this doesn’t mean your container garden can’t contribute in a big way to your meal planning. You can grow all the elements you need to make an entire salad, herbs and spices to soup up sauces, plus fruits and vegetables to round out the meal. In many cases, you might even find yourself consulting the garden before you plan your menu—what’s sprouting, ripe and ready to pluck might be what’s for dinner that evening.

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Going the extra kilometre One of the biggest pluses of container gardening is just how flexible it really is. There’s no competition—you don’t have to worry about whether your neighbour has five azalea bushes that have bloomed before yours even took root. The container-garden ball is entirely in your corner, and whether you want to bunt, kick or knock it out of the park is up to you. If you’d like to take things further, you can enhance your container garden with options such as grow lights (available from hydroponics stores), automatic waterers and more. You can also move the containers (another big bonus of container gardens is their portability) throughout the day to take advantage of the best sunlight. Depending on what you’re growing, a wealth of additives and nutrients to encourage bloom and taste can also be part of your daily routine—if you want it to. But you can also just fill a few containers with soil, plunk in your seeds or cuttings and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your hard labour at your own pace.

WIN BIG! MAXIMUM YIELD’S

The truth is out there (Also known as “we are not alone”) Container gardening might seem, well, rather contained. It’s something you can do entirely on your own—but you don’t have to. Maybe you’re wondering how to get started, maybe you want to know what’s best to buy or maybe you want to find expert advice. While a quick check of the Internet can “plant the seeds” for you to get started, dig a little deeper to learn from those who really know. Novice and long-term container gardeners will find truly helpful information on many college websites—especially ones with agricultural extensions. Some websites offer suggestions on containers, watering, media and lighting and a list of recommended vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers that do well in container gardening applications. There are also many books (in both print and electronic versions), web tutorials, videos and free sessions at gardening stores and local gardening clubs just waiting to help you get started. MY

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

63

VENUS

Flytraps

by Chad Garbet

IN HYDROPONICS? Some people see the impossible as nothing more than a challenge. Venus flytraps are a bit of a challenge to grow hydroponically, but if you can get it just right, they make a gorgeous and exciting addition (or centrepiece) to your garden…

A lot of time and effort has to go into a hydroponic Venus flytrap—it’s not any ordinary plant. Checking the pH at least twice a day is usually a must, and a humidity dome helps a bit too since most carnivorous plants like the flytrap are found in bogs and swamps, so they like a moist climate.

Medium

When choosing a grow medium for the flytrap, don’t try something that raises the pH too much. Certain hydroponic grow media are particularly great because they are pH neutral.

A good mix to try is coco polymer covered with a layer of diatomaceous earth.

One can also use soil in conjunction with a hydroponic system when growing flytraps since these plants will not get any form of root rot. Soil is a harder method, but it does pay off. The soil mix should consist of something like this: five parts peat moss, three parts silica sand and two parts perlite by volume. The silica sand helps with aeration and the formation of a healthy root system. To hold the soil in the hydroponic system, use a reusable coffee filter. Be sure to use one of the plastic ones so the water can flow through into the soil without making a big muddy mess in the reservoir. It’s still possible to lose some soil through the reusable coffee filter, so top ups every once in awhile might be necessary.

pH

This is the most hassle of the whole hydroponic flytrap experiment.

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

The Venus flytrap likes low pH—like most plants that live in bogs or swamps—so some pH down and a pH pen or strips are definitely needed when growing this plant.

A constant pH of 4.5 to 5.5 is ideal, so one must check the pH at least twice a day (pH will slowly rise even when using a pHneutral grow medium). If using soil, one will probably have to check levels three or four times a day. A bigger reservoir, however, can help fix this problem, often to the point that a gardener only has to check pH a few times a week.

Diet

The diet of the Venus flytrap is extremely important. The roots of the plant don’t absorb nutrients, so that leaves all the work up to the flytrap’s head. Even though it’s called a flytrap, flies are the least of the plant’s diet. It mostly eats insects that crawl on the ground, such as ants, spiders, beetles and grasshoppers. The flytrap traps its prey and sucks the needed nutrients out of it with enzymes made in glands found in the plant’s head. It takes the plant several days to fully digest the nutrients from an insect; afterward, the trap will open to reveal a depleted husk of an exoskeleton.

It is an amazing sight to see the flytrap shut on its prey, trapping them into their impending doom, and slowly digest them over several days. It also makes the plant—which comes in a few different colours and shapes—a great interactive treat for company. MY

DO YOU KNOW?

1.

Propane tanks are inexpensive, weigh less and last longer than CO2 tanks and if your house has natural gas, you can get a CO2 generator that will hook up directly to your gas line.

2.

3.

LEDs contain no mercury, but due to the presence of other compounds these bulbs should still be recycled after their long lifespan.

A standard 1,000 W HID bulb produces approximately 4,000 BTUs of heat. (Watt for watt, the heat production of an LED is similar to that of an HID lamp.)

Root growth will increase dramatically if you can maintain the root zone temperature at 24 to 27°C and keep the air temperature around six to eight degrees cooler.

5.

A sulfur-plasma bulb is rated for 60,000 hours (five to seven years of continuous use) with virtually no depreciation of photosynthetically active radiation.

6.

7.

4.

There are only a few laboratories in the world that make chemistry for HID lamps.

As a result, many companies use the same lamp chemistries, meaning they produce similar light spectrums.

The hotter it is outside ,the less efficiently most air conditioners will run—the same is true of chillers in water-cooled applications, but to a much lesser extent.

Roots growing in soil will do best in a temperature range between 18 and 24°C.

8.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

65

talking shop

AT A GLANCE The Valley Indoor team from left: Dave (president), Davis (sales) and Dean (owner).

Company:

Valley Indoor Owner:

Dean Luzny Location:

103 - 44195 Yale Rd. W Chilliwack, BC V2R 4H2

Phone:

1-877-702-1169 1-604-702-1169 Email:

info@valleyindoor.com Website: valleyindoor.com Motto: “We’re not happy till you are.”

66

Over the years,Valley Indoor gardening shop has changed buildings, employees and the services it offers in order to keep up with the times. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the principals and strategies the business was built on…

There was a time in the not too distant past when Valley Indoor was a dream at the back of my mind. I was working at another hydroponic company and wondering how I could get ahead and become my own boss.

Then, my wife and I decided to move back to our hometown of Chilliwack, British Columbia and open our own store. Neither of us had ever run our own company prior to opening Valley Indoor.

My wife had worked as a bookkeeper for a large auto dealership, and I had only ever worked for other people (as a bricklayer, salesman and countless other jobs). We knew we were hard workers

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

and the thought of running our own company was exciting and scary at the same time, but I am not afraid of a good gamble and like a new challenge.

The first years at Valley Indoor were rocky, as all start up companies can be.

The days and weeks were long, the customers trickled in slowly and we had to really watch our overhead and our inventory levels. I did have an edge, however, as I had worked for a busy hydroponic store. I knew what items to stock up on, what ones to only hold a few on hand and which items were quality made. Also, those years in the industry imparted me with the knowledge needed to pass the

right wisdom onto my customers—this good advice and service helped to slowly gain their trust.

After relying on friends and family for help for the first two years, we eventually had enough work and income that we were able to hire my father part-time as our maintenance and repair guru. This repair and maintenance service only added to our depth of service. It helped us to continue gaining the trust and loyalty of our customers as knowing that we could

service their equipment kept them coming in for regular maintenance. Three years after our opening, we had then moved my dad to

full-time and we hired another full-time sales person. Seven years after opening, we were able to expand and open a second location in a neighbouring Abbotsford and hired three more employees. Then, three years after our opening the second location, we combined the two stores into one larger warehouse store and opened our web store (as you see us operate the company presently). And although some of the faces have changed, we still employ seven of the most dedicated, knowledgeable, courteous and hardworking people today.

In today’s hydroponic industry, Valley Indoor is constantly fighting to keep its share of the market.

We have had to adapt, as everything must, when outside factors and competition arise. With the hydroponic industry having numerous outlets in every town and at everyone’s finger

tips on the Internet, having quality products in large stock with good prices and having a knowledgeable staff can no longer be the main draws and attractants to your stores customer base. We have had to approach the way we market our company differently; we have had to refocus our marketing to a provincial, national and continental approach while still focusing on the traditional localized media. With the key products available for sale almost everywhere,Valley Indoor has had to offer the customer a more attractive sale, be that a great deal, fast or free shipping, product freebies, never waiting for the products they want (made possible by having a large variety of inventory) and easy warranty or repair service. We will do what it takes to earn and keep your business.

We have made our mistakes, but the key is to learn from them and to not repeat them. As Valley Indoor approaches our 20th year in business and the hydroponic market rises from a small niche market to one that is more mainstream and constantly evolving, we will openly embrace new ideals and technology or whatever it takes to provide Valley Indoor’s customers with a positive experience while keeping them informed with the latest information and technology this ever changing market has to offer them. After all, the principals and strategies that we built our business on still stand; service, knowledge, product availability and going the extra mile still make us who we are. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

67

MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

ALBERTA Double AA Garden Supplies Ltd. Bay 9 2820 Centre Avenue Calgary, AB T2A 7P5 403-273-9188 ------------------------------------------------

Chilliwack Indoor Garden Centre Ltd. 311 - 44500 South Sumas Road Chilliwack, BC V9R 5M3 604-824-2944

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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 1779 100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0 250-395-3399 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

68

Valley Indoor Geenhouse Supplies 103 - 44195 Yale Road West Chilliwack, BC V2R 4H2 877-702-1169 -----------------------------------------------Sundogz Garden Supply 1824 Alberni Hwy. Coombs BC V0R 1M0 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 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

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Word of Mouth Hydroponics Inc. 1-1611 Bowen Rd., Nanaimo, BC V9S 1G5 250.591.1180 ------------------------------------------------

West Coast Gardens Equipment and Supplies 113 - 805 Notre Dame Kamloops, BC V2C 5N8 250-851-2992

Garden Centre

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------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------

Your Plant’s Personal Trainer

IncrediGrow Garden Centre 103-7500 MacLeod Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 0L9 403-255-0740

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each province.

Better Than Nature Kelowna 725B Evans Court Kelowna, BC V1X 6G4 250-868-8978

Tridon Hydroponics 12 - 1708 Bowen Road Nanaimo, BC V9S 1G9 250-755-1900 ------------------------------------------------

Skytek Indoor Solutions 833 4th Avenue Prince George, BC V2L 3H5 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

Oasis 12 - 1771 Cooper Road Kelowna, BC V1Y 7T1 250-763-4769

Vancouver Island Garden Supply Ltd. 4770 Wellington Rd Nanaimo, BC V9T 2H3 250-585-8881

Pacific NW Garden Supply Unit C1 - 1810 Kyle Court Kelowna, BC V1Z 3Z4 250-769-4791

Kootenay Grower’s Supply Nelson 721-G Front Street Nelson, BC V1L 4B8 250 353 1887

BC Hydroponics 3 - 20092-93A Avenue Langley, BC V1M 3Y4 604-888-5716

Pacific NW Garden Supply Unit 14- 104 Silica Street Nelson, BC V1L 4M1 250-354-4767

Green Earth Garden Supplies Unit 5, 19300, Langley Bypass Langley, BC V3S 6K2 604-532-7106

Buckerfields 587 Alberni Highway Parksville, BC V9P 1J9 250-248-3243

GreenStar Plant Products Inc. 9430 198 Street, Langley, BC V1M 3C8 604-882-7699

Sundogz Garden Supply & Hydroponics 30 - 1365 Old Alberni Highway Parksville, BC V9P 2B8 250-954-2046

Nico’s Nurseryland 830 - 28th Street, NE Salmon Arm, BC V1E 2S7 250-804-2004

Better Than Nature Penticton 101 - 78 Industrial Avenue, West Penticton, BC V2A 6M2 250-770-8978

Mylo’s 3837 Squilax Anglemont Hwy Scotch Creek BC V0E 1M0 250-955-0525

Advanced Wholesale Superstore 406 - 1952 Kingsway Avenue Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6C2 604-945-0174

Green & Clean Energy Co. Ltd. 2875 Cudlip Road Shawnigan Lake, BC V0R 2W0 250-732-7224

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

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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 ------------------------------------------------

Happy Acres Greens & Backroad Hydroponics Equipment 2058 Cambie-Solsqua Road Sicamous, BC V0E 2V0 250-836-3878 ------------------------------------------------

Aurora Lighting 750 3rd Avenue Prince George, BC V2L 3C5 250-564-9888

Nutty Zone 5 & 6 - 33201 London Avenue Mission, BC V2V 4P9 604-814-2223

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Long Lake Nursery Hydroponic Supply 4900 Island Highway, North Nanaimo, BC 250-758-5012

Backwoods Hydroponic & Garden 10590 Carlson Road Prince George, BC V2K 5E5 250-963-9541

Progressive Growth 41 - 1925 Bowen Road Nanaimo, BC V9S 1H1 800-405-4769

PG2 1798 Nicholson Street Prince George, BC V2N 1V6 250-612-4769; 1-888-817-4769

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 -----------------------------------------------Fat Eddies Systems Inc. 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

Indoor Jungle 2624 Quadra Street Victoria, BC V8T 4E4 250-388-5611

Ready Set Grow!

375 Henderson Highway Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H2 204-668-GROW

Mr. Fertilizer 9 Burnside Road, West Victoria, BC V9A 1B2 250-381-4644

NEW BRUNSWICK

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 50-768-1636 Good Guys Gardening Center 250 McKenzie Avenue, South Williams Lake, BC V2G 1C6 250-392-2069

A+ Gardening Supplies 1450 Venables Street Vancouver, BC V5L 2G5 604-876-4769

Trees Company Nursery & Garden Supplies G9 C17 RR1, 7030 Powell Road Winlaw, BC V0G 2J0 250-226-7334

BN Garden Supply 4493 Boundary Road Vancouver, BC V5R 2N3 604-431-2977

MANITOBA

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

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

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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 cott’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

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

Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 521 Dunlop Street West Barrie, ON L4N 9W4 705-721-8715

Brite-Lite Indoor Garden Centre 1677 Cyrville Road, Meadowbrooke Plaza Gloucester, ON K1B 3L7 613-842-8999

Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 5386 Greenlane Road Beamsville, ON L0R 1B3 905-563-6121

Happy Hydroponics 68 Princess Street Hamilton, ON L8L 3K9 905-545-8434

BMA Hydroponics 404A Maitland Drive, Unit 2 Belleville, ON K8N 4Z5 613-967-9888

Garden Depot 605 Justus Drive Kingston,ON Canada K7M 4H5 613-384-8882

D&M Gardens 2961 Main Street Blezard Valley, ON P0M 1E0 705-897-3727

Brite-Lite Indoor Garden Centre 1659 Victoria Street, North, Unit 6 Kitchener, ON N2B 3E6 888-670-0611

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

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

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

69

MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

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

70

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 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

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each province.

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

Green And Clean 761 Barrydowne Road Sudbury, ON P3A 3T6 800-246-5503

Un Monde Sans Terre 565 Beausejour Alma, QC G8B 5V3 418-480-3274

Northern Hydroponics 236 Simpson Street Thunder Bay, ON P7C 3H4 807-623-3666

Hydro-Tonyque 761 Avenue Gilles Villeneuve Berthierville, QC J0K 1AO 450-836-8088

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grow it all

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

Indoor Gardens Canada 2952 Thompson Road Smithville, ON L0R 2A0 905-957-6969

Greenthumbs Garden Supply 338 Kingston Road Toronto, ON M4L 1T7 647-345-GROW (4769)

Hydrosphere 2000 2400 rue Canadian, Suite 104 Drummondville, QC J2C 7W3 819-478-9791

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Plant-O-Maxx 3169 Blais, Boisbriand, QC, J7H 1H2 514-968-7799

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 J0S 1H0, 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

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

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B&S Electrique Inc. 2240 Pitt Street, Montreal, QC H4E 4H1 514-931-3817

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Gerard Bourbeau & Fils Inc. 8285, 1 re Avenue Charlesbourg, QC G1G 5E6 418-623-5401

Distribution De la Plante 5498 Hochelaga Suite 910 Montreal, QC H1N 3L7 514-255-1111

Homegrown Hydroponics Inc. 26 Meteor Drive Toronto, ON M9W 1A4 416-242-4769

Les Grands Jardins Lavel 2900, Boul. Cure-Lavelle Chomedey, Laval, QC H7P 5S8 250-729-2687

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Hydromax Montreal 9300 Lajeunesse Montreal, QC H2M 1S4 514-381-0111

Hydrotech 2436 Kingston Road Toronto, ON M1N 1V2 416-267-4769

Simplement Vert 8B Georges-Gagne Delson, QC J5B 2E1 514-913-8378 (VERT)

Espace Culture Boutique 17 boul. Ste-Rose Est Laval, QC H7V 3K3 450-622-2710

Hydromax St-Henri 3522 Notre-Dame Montréal, QC H4C 1P4 514-481-3939

hydroponics for everyone

Grow It All Hydroponics Inc. 165 Geary Avenue, Unit 3B Toronto, ON M6H 2B8 416-588-9595

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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Brite Lite Hydroponics 940 Bergar, Laval, QC H7L 4Z8 450-669-3803

International Hydroponique 5478 Hochelaga St Montreal, QC H1N 3L7 514-255-2525

Qué-Pousse - Point-Claire 1860D Sources Blvd Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 5B1 514-426-5057

Comptoir Richelieu Inc. 350, du Collège Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 6T7 800-363-9466

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

Momentum 11289 London Avenue Montreal, QC H1H 4J3 888-327-4595

Boutique Echologik 829, cote d’Abraham Quebec, QC G1R 1A4 418-648-8288

Ferme Florale Inc. (Botanix) 2190 Blvd. Laurier (route 116) St. Bruno de Montarville, QC J3V 4P6 450-653-6383

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

Pousse Magique Atwater 3522 Notre-Dame, ouest,

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

Hydrobec 2145 Lavoisier Suite 4 Ste-Foy, QC G1N 4B2 418-687-1119

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

Chanvre du Nord Inc. 38 DeMartigny est St-Jérome, QC J7Z 1V4 866-565-5305

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

Hydro Sciences 4800 de la Cote-Vertu Blvd.

Saint-Laurent, QC H4S 1J9 514-331-9090

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

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

Pablo Jardinage Shawinigan 5023 Boulevard Royal Shawinigan QC J9N 6T8 819-731-9766

St-Jean Hydroponique 747 rue St-Jacques St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC J3B 2M9 450-346-9633

Fred Lamontagne Inc. 356 Chemin du Sommet Est, Rimouski, QC G5L 7B5 418-723-5746

Sherbrooke Hydroponique 3545 King Est, Sherbrooke, QC J1G 5J4 819-829-9299

Hydromax Terrebonne 1674 Chemin Gascon Terrebonne, QC J6X 4H9 450-492-7447

Qué-Pousse - Sherbrooke 4394 Bourque Rt. 112 Rock Forest, QC J1N 1S3 819-563-0353

Plant-T-Plantes 3439 boulevard Fiset Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 5J3 450-780-0008

Hydromax Trois-Rivières 6157 rue Corbeil Trois-Rivières Ouest, QC G8Z 4P8 819-372-0500

Hydro Plus 149 avenue Principale A Rouyn Noranda, QC J9X 4E3 819-762-4367

Qué-Pousse - St-Constant 6264 Route 132 Ste-Catherine, QC J0L 1E0 450-635-4881

Pablo Jardinage Intérieur 2 Des Ormeaux Suite 500 Trois-Rivières, QC G8W 1S6 819-693-6000

Rap Hydroponique 5700, rue Martineau Local 7 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8B1 450-768-5188

Benoit Dupuis Extincteurs Inc. 2503 Victoria Street Ste-Julienne, QC J0K 2T0 450-831-4240

Rap Hydroponique 326 Rue Vachon Trois-Rivières QC G8T 8Y2 819-376-5959

Culture Uni Vert 36 rue de Martigny E Saint-Jérôme, QC J7Z 1V4 www.cultureunivert.com

Hydroponique 2000 84 Boul. Curé Labelle Ste-Therese, QC J7E 2X5 450-971-0726

Hydromax Val-David 895 route 117 nord Val-David, QC J0T 2N0 888-320-0129

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

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

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 - VaudreuilDorion 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 WE THANK ALL OF OUR DEDICATED RETAILERS FOR OFFERING MAXIMUM YIELD TO Their cUSTOMERS.

Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

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COMING UP NEXT ISSUE Issue Focus: Mediums & Ventilation

Ventilation Systems for Greenhouses and Indoor Gardens Ensuring your greenhouse or indoor garden is properly ventilated is every bit as important to the health of your plants as adequate water and proper nutrition. This guide will give you access to the basics.

How to Succ e ssfu l ly Ch o o s e Gr owin g Me d i a Choosing the right growing medium for your crop is crucial to a great yield. In this article, the author runs through all your choices of media according to their physical properties.

Photosynthesis, Maximized.

Dr. Morgan explains just how much light your indoor garden needs—and what colours it should be.

Plus:

Hydroponic news, tips and trivia; hot new products; exclusive giveaways and more!

www.maximumyield.com Maximum Yield Canada (November/December) will be available in November for free at select indoor gardening retail stores across Canada and on maximumyield.com Subscriptions are available at maximumyield.com/subscriptions and maximumyield.com/digital-subscription

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Maximum Yield Canada | September/October 2012

Come Grow With Us on Facebook!

We’re growing.... and we’d love for you to be a part of it. Join us at facebook.com/maximumyield for discussions and comments about the latest techniques and products in the Indoor Gardening Industry.