CAN Nov/Dec 2011 by Maximum Yield

CANADA November-December 2011

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The Future is Urban Hydro Hydroponic gardening for beginners Grow tents for the constructionally challenged Gourmet lettuce garden on a budget

Is hydroponics sustainable? Yes! B.C. biodome boasts modern and ecofriendly modern grow technologies

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2012

Indoor gardenING expo DENVER

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SAN FRANCISCO

LONG BEACH

March 10 - 11

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CONTENTS November/December 2011

FEATURES 33

Grow Tents for the Constructionally Challanged by Gabriel Bronzstein

44 52

Try Hydroponics by Grubbycup

The Cultivation Recipe by Lee McCall

The Vascular System

Plant Solutions: How to Deal With Yellowing Leaves

A Solid Investment

Consider Using Citric Acid

The ABCs of Hydroponics

Fantastic Fresh Fodder

by Casey Jones Fraser

by Donald Lester

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor

You Tell Us

MaximumYield.com

Talking Shop

Letters to the Editor

Max Mart

Simon Says

Distributors

MAX Facts

Do You Know?

Product Spotlight

Coming up next issue

by Matt LeBannister

The Amazing Hemp Plant by Michael Bloch

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

FROM THE EDITOR | Jessica Raymond

The future of food production is urban hydro. What does that mean? It means hydrogardening is coming to cities—including vertical gardens, rooftop farms, commercial aquaponic systems, indoor ecosystems (biodomes), aeroponics and more. Because more people are living in urban centres, and more consumers are demanding their food be ‘locally grown’, creative pioneers are coming up with solutions to answer this demand. Just look at what Canadian company RENERGY FOODS has come up with. Their state-of-the-art biodome—which is being erected in Surrey, B.C. —features vertical growing cabinets, aeroponics, climate control and cost-effective growing solutions. Learn more on page 14. That’s the goal of this issue: to shed light on where our industry is headed. We also focus on how we, as individual growers, can get involved

and join the movement. Simply growing your own is a great first step, and Maximum Yield is your best source for basic instructions for beginners, right up to the fine science of growing for more experienced growers. This issue is no exception and offers DIY grow tent construction tips (easy as 1, 2, 3), how to set up a gourmet lettuce garden on a budget, using citric acid and more helpful hints for beginners and experts alike. Hydrogardening is the future of food production. It might not be the perfect solution to our world’s food challenges, yet, but with every new innovation, every advancement, we get closer to Jessica Raymond, editor perfection. And you can get involved editor@maximumyield.com too. E-mail editor@maximumyield.com and let us know how you’re helping progress the movement.

contributors Gabriel Bronsztein is president and founder of Everest Garden Supply, a wholesale-only distribution company based in Northern California. Involved in the hydroponics industry for over 15 years, Gabriel focuses on market leadership through product innovation and superior customer service. He is a member of the Progressive GardeningTrade Association and The International Carnivorous Plant Society.

Grubbycup has been an avid indoor gardener for over 20 years. His articles were first published in the United Kingdom, and since then his gardening advice has been published in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Czechoslovakian and German. He is also considered one of the world’s leading authorities on crochet hydroponics.

Lee McCall is an alumnus of Johnson &

Michael Bloch is the owner and

Matt LeBannister developed a

Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort.

Casey Jones Fraser owns Garden

Donald Lester is the plant

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

Grove Organics, in Northern Kentucky/ Greater Cincinnati. He has a degree in communications and electronic media. He believes that indoor gardeners can achieve the highest quality crops and maximum yields when proper science is applied. Since 1998, Casey has been testing various nutrients and supplements in search of outstanding harvests.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

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

Wales University. His extensive culinary background helped him gain experience in and knowledge of fine dining and food production, which developed into a career in the hydroponics and year-round gardening industry. Lee and his business partner use their Denver-based businesses to educate the public on sustainable gardening and high quality produce. Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic greenhouse production from Massey University, New Zealand. Lynette is a partner with SUNTEC International Hydroponic Consultants and has authored five hydroponic technical books. Visit www.suntec.co.nz/ consultants.htm and www.suntec. co.nz/books.htm for more information.

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.

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

VOLUME 14 – NUMBER 4 November/December 2011 Maximum Yield is published bi-monthly by Maximum Yield Publications Inc. 2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher. If undeliverable please return to the address above. The views expressed by columnists are a personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect those of Maximum Yield or the Editor. Publication Agreement Number 40739092 Printed in Canada

Latest News Rooftop farms are sprouting up all over the globe and changing how people think of gardening. There’s probably one near you. Check them out on maximumyield.com under Latest News.

2012 Indoor Gardening Expo Tour The dates are set, the venues are chosen and the 2012 Indoor Gardening Expo Tour is coming to four North American cities near you. You’re invited to visit one, two, three or all four shows. Stay tuned to indoorgardenexpo.com for details.

Connect to MaximumYield.com instantly from your Smartphone with our Quick Response (QR) Code, found on the cover of every issue of Maximum Yield. Now you can access the best products, the most in-depth articles and information and the latest news, at high speeds. Simply download the QR Code Reader software compatible with your Smartphone, scan the QR Code and your phone’s browser will automatically launch, redirecting you to www.maximumyield.com. It’s that simple!

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

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim Jesson GENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda Jesson EDITOR - Jessica Raymond jessica@maximumyield.com ADVERTISING SALES 250.729.2677 Linda Jesson - linda@maximumyield.com Lisa Lambersek - lisa@maximumyield.com Ilona Hawser - ilona@maximumyield.com Ashley Heppell - ashley@maximumyield.com Hayley Jesson - hayley@maximumyield.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN ads@ads.maximumyield.com Tina Skujins - tina@maximumyield.com Mike Linden - mike@maximumyield.com Jennifer Duong - jennifer@maximumyield.com Alice Joe - alice@maximumyield.com ACCOUNTING - Tracy Greeno accounting@maximumyield.com

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Ammonia for Plants – Dangerous or Beneficial?

I love your magazine and online information, but cannot locate a search box, so I will just ask. I thought I read an article in your magazine regarding using ammonia in the garden. Do you recall what ammonia is used for? I bought four litres of it, and cannot decide what to do with it. I don’t want to destroy my greenhouse plants. I put a little ammonia in a spray bottle, and lightly sprayed the dirt on two planters in the greenhouse, hoping any spiders would scram; and they did. I have been keeping an eye on those plants and so far they show no ill effects, except for one low leaf is turning yellow, which I removed. Thank you for replying to my little inquiry. I appreciate it. Thanks Sharon Calabrese

Ammonia does have a place in the garden. Ammonia can be diluted and used as a fertilizer. A quarter cup of ammonia per four litres of water can be mixed, and the plants can be sprayed with this solution once per week. When ammonia breaks down it releases nitrates, a source of nitrogen. This should only be used on alkaline-loving plants such as sweet peas and asparagus because ammonia is very alkaline. It will actually damage acid-loving plants such as tomatoes. Many types of ammonia contain other ingredients intended only for cleaning and will not be safe for your plants. A safer alternative to using ammonia would be to use pine tree oil or kelp spray. These products can be applied safely to a wide range of plants. Ammonia can also be used to battle mildew growing on soil or on the plant itself. Use the same concentration as mentioned above and apply to the surface of the soil or on the leaves once per week until the mildew is gone. Ammonia is also often used to detour large pests from eating your crops. Outdoors it can be used to prevent raccoons, rabbits, skunks and other animals from getting at your crops. Indoors it can be used to keep your household pets, such as cats or dogs, from getting into your garden. For this purpose the plants do not need to be in direct contact with the ammonia, but it can be sprayed around the general garden area. The idea is that the ammonia will mimic the urine of predatory animals thus keeping the animals that will eat your plants at bay. Ammonia is a harsh chemical with powerful fumes that should not be inhaled. The mixing of ammonia should only be done outside or in a well ventilated room and should only be mixed with water and no other chemicals. If ammonia is mixed with bleach you would essentially make mustard gas, which is highly toxic when inhaled and can be lethal. Thanks for the inquiry, Sharon. Hope this answers your question. Matt LeBannister

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Homegrown Hydroponics

Thanks to Maximum Yield and its contributors for the helpful information and great articles. I am new to hydroponics and gardening all together and I believe I have found a new passion and lifestyle to enjoy! Over the summer I harvested a variety of tomatoes. I’m looking forward to my jalapenos and anything else I may grow. The goal now is to never have to buy veggies. Thank you, Angel Bueno Angel with his hybrid DWC tomato.

Grower’s Delight

We just wanted to send our thanks for the feature in Maximum Yield’s Talking Shop (September/October 2011 issue). We love MY and so do our customers. It gives great peace of mind to know that not everything we are reading from the industry is just more propaganda from one vendor or another. Allowing everyone to showcase their new products or send in comments inside one magazine really drives home the differences between MY and the other magazines out there. Keep up the great work and we look forward to the next issue. Keeping it real, Geof Brandick IncrediGrow Garden Centre Calgary, Alberta

Fine Food, Friendly Face

I appreciate you featuring Daniel Klein and The Perennial Plate in your magazine. As a supporter of eco-food and sustainability myself, I started following Daniel on Twitter, as his interests are inline with mine. I’ve watched every episode from the new season and am working my way back through last season’s episodes. My favourites are Brothers and Mushroom Music, but they are all wonderful—original and thought-provoking. Kayla Roberts

We want to hear from you! Write us at: Maximum Yield Publications Inc. 2339 Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 or e-mail us at: editor@maximumyield.com

SIMON SAYS

I have some yellowing leaves, both on the fringe and in a couple of cases the whole leaf. Two of the leaves look like yellow paint was spilled on them. Can you suggest possible causes? Thanks, Charlie

Ahhh, the murky world of nutrient deficiency diagnosis! This issue can be a bane to rookie and veteran gardeners alike. Many people are far too cavalier about this issue and their solutions end up causing more problems either through misdiagnosis or over correction. First off check the solution pH in a water system or test the leachate in a soilless system. There is no point in trying to mitigate a nutrient problem if your plants’ roots are in a situation where they can’t access the right mineral balance. With all plant issues you must visually assess the situation and track the movement of the issue on the plant structures themselves.Your question doesn’t specify enough to truly diagnose the issue, which is already difficult to solve without visual assessment of the plant in question. However, I will detail three of the most common deficiencies that could be causing the problem you are describing. Before commenting on the three most likely causes of the problem, I would like to remind all readers that whenever possible, if you determine it’s worth the cost, sending away a dried tissue sample to a lab for analysis is a great way to check the nutrient balance within your plant. In fact this could be useful even for healthy plants so you have a baseline of nutrient ratios that you can specifically target in successive crops. For now let’s try and

troubleshoot. Remember that taking the time to properly diagnosis a crop problem will benefit you in the future because you will be able to identify and address the issue rapidly, keeping your garden growing in the right direction. One of the most common causes of yellowing leaves in gardens is a nitrogen (N) problem. When deficient, nitrogen will cause new growth to be very small and plants will grow slowly. In cases of serious deficiency nitrogen will cause yellowing of leaves. In the case of nitrogen, which is mobile within the plant, you will see yellowing on the older, lower leaves first as nitrogen is shifted to developing growth. Check with your local grow shop or nutrient manufacturer for a product suggestion and for an application rate. Spot treat a plant with a nitrogen foliar spray (nitrate nitrogen if possible) and assess the effect. A spot treatment is a technique of testing a product on a small part of your garden prior to applying it to all plants. If you are unsure of the problem you can try different spot treatments at the same time to try and isolate the issue. Another possible culprit is a lack of magnesium (Mg). Again this issue will generally start in lower leaves but will be more pronounced initially in the leaf margin and along the edges of the lobes. Eventually the leaves will turn completely yellow with the exception of the venation. Remember that it starts from the older leaves because magnesium is not entirely mobile. This is distinct from the third possibility. Epsom salts (MgSO4) are a good idea for a root application or foliar

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

spray. Check with your local grow shop or nutrient manufacturer for a product suggestion and an application rate and then spot treat a plant to assess the effect. Iron (Fe) deficiency also causes yellowing in leaves and can be a common issue as well. Because iron is not incredibly mobile the deficiency will occur in the newer leaves rather than the older leaves as compared to a magnesium deficiency. It will also start in the leaf margins working its way to the middle while leaving the venation green. Chelated iron is available in many products and is absorbable as a foliar spray. Again, check with your local shop or nutrient manufacturer for a product suggestion and an application rate and then spot treat a plant to assess the effect. It is possible to find some products in the market that combine useful options for all three issues in one bottle. Check with you local hydroponic retailer and ask about their calcium supplement options. In general these products will contain nitrate nitrogen, magnesium and chelated iron within their formula. I can’t emphasize enough what an excellent resource your local grow shop can be. Whenever you have nutrient issues be sure to consult their knowledgeable staff. Good luck in the garden. Do you have a question for our experts? Send it to editor@maximumyield.com with the words Ask the Experts in the subject line, and your answer will be printed in an upcoming edition.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Slow Food’s 1,000 Sustainable Gardens for Africa One thousand gardens are blooming across Africa, where the international organization Slow Food is helping schools, villages and other communities grow fruits, vegetables and herbs using sustainable water management, pest repellent and fertilizing techniques. In Uganda, most of the food that makes up the daily diet is imported. The country’s soil is rapidly losing fertility, local varieties are disappearing, young people are abandoning the countryside and contempt for farming work is widespread (schoolchildren are often sent to work in the fields as punishment for bad behaviour). In this context, a project was launched in 17 schools, with a total of 620 students. Scholarships have enabled some young people from Africa to study at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and then return home to help their communities strengthen their economies and protect their cultural identities. (Source: www.treehugger.com)

MAXFACTS hydroponic news, tips and trivia Revolutionary Horticultural Technology to be Showcased on Surrey, B.C. Site RENERGY Foods AG, developer of market disruptive horticultural technologies targeting global commercial and retail growers, has received its building permit from the City of Surrey allowing the company to build a state of the art demonstration Biodome. The 27 by nine metre Biodome will showcase environmentally friendly, proprietary growing technologies. RENERGY biodomes can be located anywhere, including in the most climatically inhospitable areas. Given the enhanced yields, faster growing times and cost-effective energy management, clients will experience faster capital payback, enhanced profitability and compelling, consistent revenue growth. (Source: www.renergyfoods.com)

Bumblebees: To Fight or Take Flight

Due to disease problems in the late 1990s and declining bumblebee species, many greenhouse growers now use commercially produced Bombus impatiens, a generalist pollinator native to the Midwest and Eastern Canada and United States, to pollinate their crops like peppers and tomatoes. But scientists are concerned about using a bee outside its native range, and some western provinces and states restrict the import and use of non-native bees. If B. impatiens were to escape and form wild colonies in western North America, they could compete with native bees for food and resources and expose native bumblebees to pathogens they are ill equipped to combat. (Source: www.ars.usda.gov)

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Fundraising Effort for Hydroponics A fundraising effort was recently launched for an ongoing documentary project and web series called A Sustainable Reality: Redefining Roots that focuses on the key areas of sustainable indoor gardening. The goal is to raise at least $11,000 to redefine and restructure the concept of food production to enhance sustainability by farming indoors using a grow box and hydroponics systems. In the long-term, the people behind the project hope to expand the scope beyond Chicago and the MidWest and even to other states and eventually around the world. The mission is to reimagine the current models of sustainability in urban settings, transform long-abandoned decrepit buildings into spaces where visionaries can collectively work on sustainability projects. The project also aims to document and unite a number of individual and community grow projects to create a sustainable hub through donations. (Source: www.onlineprnews.com)

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;November / December 2011

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

First Soilless Harvest of Black Magic Table Grapes This summer grower Giannangelo Boccuzzi, who works in Rutigliano (Bari, Italy), harvested the first Black Magic table grape from plants grown without soil. The harvested grape looks good, with colour and shape typical of the cultivar. It has a sugar content of about 15 brix degrees. (Source: www.freshplaza.com)

E. coli an Unlikely Contaminant of Plant Vascular Systems Scientists have helped confirm that Escherichia coli is not likely to contaminate the internal vascular structure of field-grown leafy greens. There was no evidence that E. coli had become “internalized” in leaves or shoots of baby spinach plants 28 days after the plants had germinated and grown in pasteurized soil. (Source: www.ars.usda.gov)

Flower Power Scientists are investigating the pest-fighting potential of anthocyanins, healthful chemical compounds in the form of plant pigments that give blueberries, plums, grapes and flowers such as petunias their blue and purple colour. Studies of anthocyanins could give rise to new crop varieties that boast dual-use phytochemicals—fighting pests and benefiting human health. (Source: www.ars.usda.gov)

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Youth Employment and Empowerment One group of youth is learning valuable agricultural and business skills, and they’re getting paid to do so at the Food Works youth training and empowerment program. This initiative is about much more than just teaching gardening. Many graduates of the program go on to receive college scholarships through the Janus Youth Program that founded Food Works. Stars of The Perennial Plate, Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine, spent time with the kids at Food Works and highlighted some of their good work in one of their latest episodes: Kids at a Farm. (Sources: www.treehugger.com, www.theperennialplate.com)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

YOUR GUIDE TO THIS ISSUE’S

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

Introducing Extreme Propagation Trays New Low Cost Handheld pH Metre From HM Digital, Inc.

Tired of thin, flimsy trays that crack and warp? Then check out DL Wholesale’s brand new 25 by 50 centimetre Extreme Propagation Trays. These trays are three times thicker than any other tray on the market and feature wide ridges and continuous channels to evenly distribute water and offer better support for your grow mediums. Extreme Propagation Trays will last longer than standard trays due to their extreme thickness and will eliminate the need to constantly replace your trays, saving you precious time and money. Visit an indoor/outdoor gardening shop near you for more details.

HM Digital is proud to release its new pH-80, an economically-priced water-resistant handheld tester specifically designed for use in hydroponics. This easy-to-use metre is fast-acting, with a resolution of 0.1 pH and an accuracy of +/-0.02 pH. It includes one touch automatic digital calibration, as well as on-screen diagnostic messaging and temperature display on a large LCD. The pH-80 is backed by a one year factory warranty. For more information contact a hydroponics retailer near you.

Introducing Botanicare’s New Redesigned Power Cloner Line Evolution-RO1000 Evolves With 1:1 Ratio Hydro-Logic Purification Systems now offers customers the choice to conserve more water. The EvolutionRO1000 now includes the option to reduce your wastewater and achieve a true 1:1 ratio. Other systems require higher than standard household pressure to give true 1,000 GPD flow rates, cost nearly twice as much and do not give the option to choose your own ratio. Hydro-Logic is the clear choice for quality, customer support, cutting edge technologies and price. Contact your favourite retail distributor for more information on this exciting new update to the Evolution-RO1000. Pure water’s not magic. It’s logic.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Botanicare® Power Cloners™ have been modified and improved. Redeveloped with Botanicare’s low profile reservoir, these systems decrease propagation time and now include an array of new features and benefits: •

Drainage grid with a recessed pump • An internally seated tray • Humidome™ options • Customizable points for installation of spouts and fittings • Botanicare Ceramic Airstones with Air Pump These highly affordable second generation Power Cloners™—45, 77 and 180—are now available in black (100 per cent recycled ABS plastic) and white (70 per cent recycled ABS). Visit your favourite hydroponics shop for more information.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

HypoTek Digital Ballasts HypoTek Digital Ballasts were designed by growers for growers. Heatdispersing fins cover the entire outside of these ballasts helping to eliminate trapped heat. Rubber feet help prevent vibration, reducing noise. All models run both MH and HPS lamps, are compatible with ‘Type S’ reflectors and include a built-in surge protector. The 1,000 and 600 watt models have internal cooling fans and are resin-coated to prevent RF interference. The 1,000, 600 and 400 watt models are dimmable, featuring the Super Bright option for 10 per cent more lumens. For more information talk to your local hydroponics retailer.

Titan Controls® Orion 1™ 220/240 Volt Power Supply Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the Orion 1™ 220/240 volt power supply from Titan Controls®. This innovative, solid-state device combines two different 110/120 volt circuits into 220/240 volt power. This allows a user to operate a device without the expense of having an electrician install a specific volt outlet in their grow space. The Orion 1™ features a patented safety circuit feature that automatically locks out power until all connections and voltages are correct. Safely use all the power you need and grow with peace of mind. Rated to 12 amps and ETL listed. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you for more information.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Cyclone ONA Fan - High Efficiency Airflow Design a Win-Win for Odour Control Odorchem Manufacturing Corp., the makers of ONA Odour Neutralizers, is pleased to introduce our new ONA Cyclone Fan. Unlike its predecessor, the ONA Storm Fan, our new high-efficiency airflow design draws air in a cyclonic motion from above the fan propelling it directly into the pail of gel providing a 30 per cent increase of ONA into the air. ONA Cyclone provides enough air circulation to neutralize odours in a room up to a maximum of 465 square metres. Check out the Cyclone ONA Fan at your local indoor gardening shop.

Chameleon Fabric Pot by Root Pouch Root Pouch’s awardwinning fabric pot technology is now available in our new Chameleon line. Choose from standard and digital designs in Woodland or Desert Camouflage used by military forces around the world. Our Chameleon line of fabric pots has the ability to blend in with its surroundings as an effective form of camouflage. Check out the new camo line at your local indoor/ outdoor gardening shop.

SteadyGROWpro Introduces New 23 Litre Bucket System SteadyGROWpro is rolling out a new 23 lire bucket system designed as an all-in-one hydroponic system for growers. The steadyGROWpro 23 litre bucket system comes with an internal water pump, flexible drip tube system, water level/removal tube and basket loaded with steadyGROWpro H+ media. This standalone system is easy to use and features a flexible drip tube, which allows growers to direct and change the irrigation pattern to more quickly reach the root zone. The water level/removal tube provides a water level indicator that is easy to see, and a quick and easy method for draining. In addition, water and nutrient refills can be accomplished without removing the basket and steadyGROWpro media. Order it today at your local hydroponics shop.

Announcing Hydro-Logic’s Portable Water Purification Systems No matter what the water source—lake, river, stream, stagnant surface water, rain, high TDS, brackish or sea water—our filtration systems can handle the most challenging contamination levels. Three different filtration options are available, including Ultra-Filtration, Reverse Osmosis and Sea Water Reverse Osmosis, and each one fits into a virtually indestructible case the size of a standard suitcase. Each system can be powered by a variety of sources including: direct AC120 volts, 240 volts, solar PV, wind turbine, car battery or generator. You can produce pure, safe, drinking water at pennies per litre saving precious resources. Visit your favourite hydroponics shop for more information.

Sun System® Luxor™ Reflector Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is excited to announce the arrival of Luxor™, the latest addition to the Sun System reflector line. Luxor offers a vertical burning lamp in a completely symmetrical reflector providing optimal light usage from the lamp. This state-of-the-art reflector is specifically optimized to eliminate any hot spots from your growing area. The completely sealed reflective chamber, with double gasketted glass, ensures airtight performance. Luxor offers a robust design and is made from durable materials providing superior strength and longevity. The reflective insert is made from a combination of a new 98 per cent reflective German aluminum and 95 per cent reflective textured German aluminum in the corners for unmatched output and light diffusion. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you for more information.

Sticky Traps Protect your plants from annoying pests with non-poisonous Sticky Traps from DL Wholesale. Available in two models, these Sticky Traps are weatherproof and extremely versatile. Lay them flat or fold them sticky side out and hang them with the included twist ties. The yellow trap is designed for aphids, whiteflies and mosquitoes; the blue trap works great for thrips and leafminers as well as gnats, fruitflies, leafhoppers and froghoppers. Order them today from your favourite indoor gardening shop.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT CO2 Boost Proudly Presents the Boost Buddy The Boost Buddy is a safe, organic way to add CO2 to small, indoor growing environments (four square feet or smaller) and is usable during all stages of growth from vegetative to fruiting. The Boost Buddy constantly produces CO2, requires no daily maintenance and doesn’t produce electricity or heat. Simply place the Boost Buddy inside your garden space and watch your garden grow. For areas larger than four square feet, Boost Buddy should be used as an accessory only to your all-natural, organic CO2 generator, CO2 Boost. Ask your local hydroponics shop to carry CO2 Boost Buddy.

Increase the Beneficial Microbes in Your System With Bio Balancer Bio Balancer looks after the little things. Why use artificial beneficial microorganisms in your system when it already contains a naturally-occurring population that is ready and waiting for the right conditions to go to work? Bio Balancer is uniquely formulated to provide the food necessary for these good bugs to grow. If you prefer to add beneficial microorganisms to your system, then Bio Balancer is the ideal way to make sure they thrive and don’t starve. Bio Balancer is suitable for use in soil, cocopeat or recirculating systems of all types. Tip the balance your way and add Bio Balancer to your system. Check out Bio Balancer at your local hydroponics shop.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Maximum Yield Canada | September / October

S olid by Casey Jones Fraser

Investment:

Gourmet Hydroponics Lettuce Garden

You too can have gourmet lettuce like this! Lusher, crisper and more nutrient-rich, and at a fraction of the cost you would pay in the grocery store. How? With hydroponics. Where? In your living room. When? Today.

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;November / December 2011

Shopping List:

Let’s face it, hydroponics can get a little bit expensive; then again, so can golf. But why should gardeners plunk down hard earned cash for their favourite hobby in this tough economy? Well, I did the math, and even a small hydroponics garden can make good economic sense.You will also reap the health benefits of eating fresh, high-quality produce. My wife and I eat at least a couple of salads every week. Iceberg lettuce gets boring, so we opt for a mix of gourmet greens. When possible, we always get organically-grown leaf lettuce and other mixed leafy greens. We are not alone in our quest for the best possible salad base. Produce departments continue to stock increased numbers of the vitamin-rich leaves. Unfortunately, premium produce comes at a premium price. So the question is can a small indoor garden provide the same quantity and quality of mixed salad greens? And more importantly, can it be done without spending more on the garden than you would on the salads? I set out to answer these questions, and maybe a few others. My wife, Heather, set out to make sure I didn’t flood the living room carpet. The idea of a hydroponics garden, complete with grow lights, sounds about as homey as a Petri dish. I had to make it safe, and I had to make it look good.

• 16 soilless growing cubes (eight centimetres) • two pumps (606 LPH) • bucket and lid • organic seeds • ebb-and-flow tray (30 centimetres by one metre) • hose and fittings • high output T5 grow light (1.2 metres, four tubes, 6500K) • organic nutrients (one litre) • organic catalyst with seaweed and vitamins (one litre) • organic compost solution (one litre) • air pump and air stone *Note: Get your tray custom drilled for the fittings. A good hydro shop will drill it at no cost.

Ready, Set, Grow! A couple of trips to the hydro store and hardware store, and I have everything I need.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011 Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

27 27

A solid investment

Preparations for the gourmet lettuce garden include drilling a hole in the lid for fill and drain tubing; threading tubing through the lid into the reservoir; filling the reservoir with water to desired height; and creatively hiding the setup with greenery.

“Always plant lettuce seeds a mere ¼ inches into the medium. Lettuce prefers the shallow planting for the tiny seeds.“

I took a four foot folding table out of the basement and covered it with a flower-embroidered tablecloth (Heather approves)! The table goes under the new T5 fixture. The ebb-andflow tray sits on the tablecloth. I crowd the entire set-up with houseplants, orchids, Bonsai trees and cacti. The living room looks nicer than it did before I started. Score! Now that the garden is aesthetically pleasing, the next step is a safe and reliable watering setup. Ebb-and-flow is effective, easy and unlikely to fail. If you are not familiar with ebb-and-flow hydroponics (also known as fill-and-drain), just ask the sales team at your local hydroponics store.You’ll be surprised at how simple it really is.

Step 1. Soak and rinse growing cubes Soak your growing cubes in a 5.5 pH solution for an hour, and then rinse with fresh pH adjusted water.

Step 2. Plant seeds Shove a few seeds into the eight centimetre growing blocks. Plant the seeds in a square pattern: four holes, half an inch from the edge of the cube, and two seeds in each whole. That’s eight seeds per eight centimetre cube, which may sound like too much, but you will be harvesting leaves as the plants grow. I used 16 of the eight centimetre cubes. Always plant lettuce seeds a mere ¼ inches into the medium. Lettuce prefers the shallow planting for the tiny seeds. Any type of loose leaf lettuce will work, but I chose the following varieties for this particular garden: Red Oak Leaf, Black Seed Simpson, Arugula, Ruben’s Red Romaine and others from a Mesclun salad mix. After a few days, the lettuce seeds will sprout, and young leaves will start to emerge. It’s now time to set up the fill-and-drain system with pumps and a reservoir.

Step 4. Hydro plumbing For this step you will need a bucket (with lid), a drill and the hydroponic components from the shopping list. I had a small hydroponics reservoir in my basement, but you can get the classic 23 litre bucket and a lid for around $6 at the hardware store. Drill three holes in the lid: one for the ½ inch fill line, one for the ¾ inch overflow line and one smaller one for the air stone. The tray has been pre-drilled at the local hydro shop, and the drain-and-fill fittings attach easily. The ½ inch fitting and tubing connect to a 160 gph pump; this is the fill line. The ¾ inch fitting and tubing are routed straight into the reservoir; this is 28

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

your overflow line (no flooding the living room). Add the air stone connected to a small air pump via ¼ inch tubing. I measure exact amounts of water and pour it into the reservoir. After wiping the surface dry, I use a permanent marker to designate 23 litre and 45 litre levels inside my reservoir. For 23 litre buckets, measure and mark at the 11 litre and 23 litre levels. This extra step will make nutrient measuring precise and easy.

Step 5. Nutrients I add my nutrients and supplements to the reservoir water at the “seedling rate” suggested on the bottles. During this process, I have the additional water pump (160 gph) sitting in the reservoir, mixing up the solution. This pump is not attached to a hose; it just keeps the hydroponic solution well blended. To water my garden, I plug in the fill pump and the tray begins to flood with water. Once the water fills the tray, excess solution drains back into the reservoir via the overflow. I return and shut off the mixing pump and the fill pump 15 minutes later. The tray drains and the plants look happy. Every morning I turn on the mixing pump, and then the fill pump while I make coffee. When I’m done, I shut off the pumps. The air pump stays on to keep the solution aerated. Once every two weeks, the reservoir is dumped and a new solution is mixed. I use the old solution to feed houseplants, so there is no waste.

The big payoff In three weeks we start picking lettuce leaves. That is some of the best salad mix ever. With little effort, Heather and I are eating four salads per week, plus lettuce on sandwiches, and all the leaves we eat when walking past the garden. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think my skin is looking healthier. Why didn’t I build this garden sooner?

The math and the money We are consuming at least $15 worth of lettuce each week. The shopping list for this small project totaled $320. That

Heather picks some fresh greenery to munch on.

means we break even in less than six months. If we keep this up for a year, we come out way ahead on our grocery bills. Hydroponics doesn’t seem so expensive anymore. It’s more like a solid investment, because we can grow something for less than we would pay for it in the grocery store. An added benefit is that the quality of homegrown plant material is often higher than what you can buy. So do the math the next time you price-shop premium gardening products.You may find they are well worth the sticker price when you reap a large harvest of valuable produce. MY

Lettuce Garden Analysis Shopping List Cost High Output T5 Grow light $150.00 Organic nutrients $19.00 Organic Catalyst with Seaweed and Vitamins $27.50 Organic compost solution $14.00 Air pump and air stone $10.00 16 soilless growing cubes $9.50 Two pumps $28.00 Bucket and lid $6.00 Organic seeds $3.00 Ebb-and-flow tray $40.00 Hose and fitting $13.00 Total Cost $320.00 Salad Greens Yield Weekly salad greens consumption $15.00

Six Months @ $15/week Total Value $390.00

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Consider Using

Citric

Acid by Donald Lester

Knowing the ways citric acid works in a variety of situations can bring you closer to understanding its benefits in greenhouses, indoor gardens or protected cropping systems.

OH O 30

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;November / December 2011

O OH

“At room temperature, citric acid is a white crystalline powder that resembles table salt and readily dissolves in water.”

Citric acid has many uses in hydroponics and greenhouse environments. In greenhouses and farming operations, citric acid can be used to acidify water or nutrient solutions—and remove calcium deposits, scale and other hard water buildup from tubing, pipes, drippers, tanks, cooling pads, nozzles, glass, equipment and other surfaces. If run through the irrigation or drip system citric acid not only clears and removes hard water, calcium and scale deposits, but over time it can reduce the pH of the soil as well. Citric acid is responsible for the sour taste we experience when eating lemons, limes, grapefruits, oranges or other citrus fruits. As an ingredient, citric acid is used in many industries you would not expect. Citric acid is a good general cleaner, and is the active ingredient in many bathroom and kitchen cleaning solutions—a solution with a citric acid content of six per cent will remove hard water stains from glass without the need for scrubbing. In industry, citric acid is also used to dissolve rust from steel. Here is another example: tobacco is a leafy green plant with high levels of chlorophyll, which is alkaline or high pH. This alkalinity gives cigarette smoke a harsh flavour. Citric acid is added to tobacco during processing to reduce the alkalinity of the leaves. Citric acid is also added to cigarette paper to control the rate at which it burns, allowing the paper and tobacco to burn at the same rate. Many people confuse citric acid with Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), but the two are different, if only slightly. Chemically, the only difference between ascorbic acid and citric acid is that citric acid has one additional oxygen atom.Vitamin C tastes very bitter, just like most vitamins, so citric acid is used as a flavouring in many preparations of Vitamin C to mask the bitter taste of ascorbic acid. At room temperature, citric acid is a white crystalline powder that resembles table salt and readily dissolves in water. Acids have different strengths. The acids commonly used in hydroponics and greenhouses—nitric acid, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid—are all considered to be strong acids, whereas citric acid, acetic acid (vinegar) and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are considered to be weak acids. Citric acid may be weak, but the citric acid in a lemon is strong enough to power a clock. Those LED clocks plugged into a lemon at children’s science fairs are powered principally by citric acid reacting with the metal in the wires to create a crude battery. Citric acid is also used in beverages and candies, and although it is considered to be a weak acid, it is known to be capable of dissolving away tooth enamel over time. In fact, it is said that the citric acid in lemon juice will even dissolve a pearl. Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Consider Using Citric Acid

“Growers who acidify their water should adjust their fertilization program to account for any nutrient supplied by the corresponding acid.”

There have been several articles written about the basic principles of pH—how low pH is acidic and high pH is alkaline (or basic)—so I will not review that here. But if a solution (or the water for the solution) is high in pH, then the way to reduce that pH is to add an acid. Citric acid products for growers and greenhouse applications usually come as pHreducing additives, with tables supplied to assist in approximating the amount of product needed to adjust the pH from a given level to the desired level. These tables are helpful, but it is generally better to use a pH meter to ensure accuracy. Perhaps the central issue in mixing any nutrient solution is the pH or acidity of the water and finished mix. Citric acid is ideal as an acidifier for nutrient stock solutions and pesticide solutions because it is much less likely to react with fertilizer salts or pesticides than other acids. Use citric acid for acidifying water used to make concentrated fertilizer stocks and pesticide solutions, because high-pH water can hydrolyze or degrade pesticides that are added. By adjusting the pH beforehand, pesticide solutions last longer and their effectiveness is maintained. Some acids used for water acidification also supply a plant nutrient in conjunction with the acid. For example, nitric acid supplies nitrogen and phosphoric acid supplies phosphorus. The nutrient supplied can be beneficial to plant growth if not supplied in excess, but it can also react with fertilizer salts in concentrated stock solutions or with pesticides if mixed into spray solutions. Growers who acidify their water should adjust their fertilization program to account for any nutrient supplied by the corresponding acid. For example, if using phosphoric acid, growers need to make sure to reduce the phosphorus fertilizer they add accordingly to account for the phosphorus supplied by the acid. These calculations may be too complicated for a beginner, so using citric acid can simplify the process.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

With the growth of the organic market over the years, citric acid has become popular because it is principally made from natural sources and certified as suitable for use in organic food production. Industrial-scale citric acid production originally began in 1890, based on the Italian citrus fruit industry. However, microbial production of citric acid did not become important until World War I disrupted Italian citrus exports. Today, most citric acid is produced commercially on a large scale by feeding sugar to the bacteria Aspergillus niger. Citric acid is a weak acid that is relatively safe compared to the strong acids like nitric acid, phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid. Because citric acid reduces the pH of solutions it is also a good disinfectant, and it is sometimes used as a cut-flower preservative in vases to reduce the pH of the water to 3.5 to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Citric acid is relatively safe to use, inexpensive, versatile in its uses, natural, widely available and certified for use in organic food production. With all of these benefits shouldn’t you consider using citric acid in your greenhouse, indoor garden or protected cropping system? MY

The

ABCs

of Hydroponics For the beginner, indoor gardening and hydroponics can be a bit daunting. Technological terms and sophisticated language are a regular occurrence and can cause the new gardener to give up too early due to misunderstanding. Thankfully, help is here. The following terms are commonly used in hydroponics. Before too long you will be relaxing with your feet up while your indoor garden thrives.

Leaf curl: leaf malformation indicative of overwatering, overfertilizing, lack of magnesium, insect damage, fungus damage or negative tropism Acid: an acidic solution that has a pH below 7.0 Alkaline: a term describing a grow medium or nutrient solution with a high pH (over 7.0) Ballast: a device used to regulate the flow of electricity to match the needs of a specific bulb Bolt: a plant that has gone to seed prematurely Burn: leaf tips that turn noticeably dark from excess fertilizers or salts Chitin: a tough, protective, semi-transparent substance, primarily a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, forming the principal component of arthropod exoskeletons and the cell walls of certain fungi Clone: a plant that has been produced through asexual reproduction (e.g., cuttings, layerings and tissue culture) Cotyledon: a leaf of the embryo of a seed plant, which upon germination either remains in the seed or emerges, enlarges and becomes green (also called seed leaf) Cytokinin: any of a class of plant hormones that promote cell division and growth and delay the senescence of leaves

Microbial: a minute life form; a microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease pH: a scale from 1.0 to 14.0 that measures acid to alkaline balance Photoperiod: the relationship between the length of light and dark in a 24 hour period Polyploid: an organism with more than two sets of chromosomes Pyrethrum: natural insecticide made from the blossoms of various chrysanthemums Reverse Osmosis (RO): water that has had all of its contaminates and salts removed Spidermite: any of various small red mites of the family Tetranychidae that feed on vegetation, causing damage to the leaves Systemic: a term used in reference to a disease within the plant tissue, not initiated from the external cells Thrips: any of various minute insects of the order Thysanoptera, having usually four narrow wings fringed with hairs, and many of which are major pests of various plants and trees Vermiculite: mica processed and expanded by heat

Damping off fungus: a disease that attacks young seedlings and cuttings causing them to rot at the base

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

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

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

Guano: a substance composed chiefly of the dung of sea birds or bats Harden off: to gradually acclimatize a plant to a harsher environment Humus: a brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water

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

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;November / December 2011

F a n ta s t i c F r e s h

Fodder Dr. Lynette Morgan

T h e r e ’ s n o d o u b t a b o u t i t: h y d r o p o n i c s isn’t just for humans. Fresh fodder g r o w n h y d r o p o n i c a ll y c a n b e f e d t o livestock, zoo animals and even pets.

We usually think of hydroponic or indoor crops as being destined for human use, but livestock and pets can also benefit. Many of us are familiar with wheatgrass shoots grown in trays and snipped to produce a healthy juice —the principal of hydroponic animal fodder is exactly the same, only the livestock eat the entire product, root mat and all, without the need for any expensive juicing equipment. Although green fodder production using sprouted grains is not a new idea, using modern technology and methods to produce high volumes of quality animal feed in a small space is something that has a lot of appeal today. The great thing about hydroponic fodder is that it can be produced by everyone from pet owners to large-scale commercial operations with considerable benefits to livestock health and productivity.

What is hydroponic fodder production? Hydroponic green fodder is essentially sprouted grain such as wheat or rye—or barley, which works best. The grains are soaked, laid out onto growing trays or channels and left to germinate under ideal temperatures of 16 to 24°C. While the grain initially contains enough storage reserves to fuel growth for the first few days, a complete hydroponic nutrient solution is then given to the developing fodder shoots to boost nutrition and produce a better product. Every two pounds of grain produces between 15 to 20 pounds of fresh green feed after seven to eight days and the resulting feed consists of large thick mats of shoots and roots that are then fed entire to livestock

The benefits of hydroponic fodder

Using fodder systems has allowed farmers with relatively small blocks of land to run higher stock numbers than would normally be possible by supplementing grass or other feed with fresh fodder on a daily basis. Feeding high-value animals such as horses, that need a certain level of quality nutrition, is another area where commercial fodder systems have been put to good use, particularly in areas where grass production is low 34

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Domestic NFT fodder system designed by FodderTech in Australia.

for many months of the year.Young or sick animals—as well as breeding, lactating and fattening livestock and those being housed indoors—can all obtain enhanced benefits from fresh fodder year round as a supplement to dry feed, and they enjoy the juicy shoots once they become familiar with the mats of fodder. Hydroponic fodder has been fed to livestock as diverse as dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, rabbits, poultry and deer in both commercial and domestic applications. Well-designed hydroponic fodder factories are also very economical with water and fertilizer. In these systems the nutrient solution is circulated round the trays of sprouting fodder so there is maximum efficiency and no wastage of valuable nutrients.

Why sprouted fodder?

There are numerous benefits to feeding sprouted grains. Many of us are familiar with the health benefits of wheatgrass, which is essentially a type of fodder that is cut when young and juiced for us to drink. However, hydroponic fodder goes one step further, as the livestock actually consume the root mat, grains and 25 centimetre shoots, thus ensuring they get the most nutrition possible from the entire system. While wheat shoots are grown hydroponically in NFT systems for food juicing, animal fodder systems often utilize only barley grain. Seed barley (Hordeum vulgare) has proven to be one of the best grains in terms of production and animal nutrition and is in fact recognized as being one of the most nutritious of all plant

“Every two pounds of grain produces between 15 to 20 pounds of fresh green feed after seven to eight days and the resulting feed consists of large thick mats of shoots and roots that are then fed entirely to livestock.” Continued on page 38. Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Fantastic Fresh Fodder

Continued from page 35.

“Young green barley leaves are almost 40 per cent protein; protein which is 90 per cent usable and easily digested and assimilated.”

Commercial livestock operations can use fresh hydroponic fodder to supplement other feed.

foods, containing a broad range of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids in high concentrations.Young green barley leaves are almost 40 per cent protein; protein which is 90 per cent usable and easily digested and assimilated. Cereal grains are high in phytates, which are enzyme inhibitors. As the seed germinates the phytates are eliminated and this allows maximum absorption of the nutrients contained in the grain. Many other nutrition changes occur in the sprouting grain as well—complex compounds break down into more simple constituents and there are increases in hydrolytic enzymes and improvements in the content of total proteins, fats, essential amino acids, total sugars and B-group vitamins. In particular, the increases in vitamin E, beta carotene, biotin and free folic acid in sprouted grains are often more than tenfold. Nutritional feed analysis of hydroponic barley fodder has found protein levels of up to 40 per cent, amino acids at 12.9 per cent,

Wheat grains sprouting, 24 hours after soaking.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

carbohydrates at 71 per cent and fat at three per cent, as well as enzymes, vitamins and minerals—including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B6, C, folic acid, chlorophyll and alkalinity (required for animal diets). Finally, fresh fodder does not cause acidosis in livestock in the way that dry grain can.

Fodder systems—big and small

Fodder system package deals consisting of growing sheds, channels, nutrients and equipment to provide the correct growing environment and nutritional system for maximum feed production are now commercially available. Many of these systems originated in Australia, where fresh hydroponic fodder production was initially seen as an answer to prolonged drought conditions. These days, however, fodder systems are common around the world, as the value of the fodder they produce is considered superior to many other types of feed available for livestock. Fodder-production systems for livestock are essentially the same as those used for many other crops, such as lettuce, herbs, microgreens and even the human equivalent of fodder—wheatgrass for juicing. NFT—or nutrient film technique—is the preferred method of fodder production, although other systems using overhead misters that deliver water and nutrients to the trays of sprouting grains are also sometimes used. In NFT systems large shallow channels contain pre-soaked grain, while hydroponic nutrient solution flows through these channels at a shallow depth, providing mineral elements and moisture. Within 24 hours the barley or wheat grains begin to sprout and rapidly send up fresh green shoots—and at the high density the grain is sown at, a dense mat of fodder is ready to harvest within a week. The main concern with sprouting grains for both animal and human consumption is hygiene and climate control. High humidity around the developing grain can lead to the development of certain bacteria and fungi, some of which produce toxins that can lead to animal health problems. The best way of combating the growth of these naturally-occurring fungi is to not sprout the grains in a high-humidity environment and to ensure there is adequate air movement around the developing fodder, to keep everything as clean as possible and to use bottom-watered systems such as NFT rather than overhead misting. Some growers, particularly those just growing a few trays of fodder on a small scale, pre-sterilize their grains with a short soak in a diluted household bleach solution to kill off any fungi spores naturally

occurring on the grain. A one per cent solution of bleach should be used to wash the grains for 10 minutes before rinsing with fresh water several times, then soaking and sowing into the fodder system or trays. Water should also be treated to make sure it is clean before applying to the grains and general hygiene procedures—such as washing and sterilizing trays between crops of fodder—should be maintained in order to produce a clean and healthy product. A crop of fast-growing grains under ideal conditions of temperature and humidity will produce healthy fodder at a rapid rate. Although wheat and barley will sprout and grow under cooler conditions, temperatures of 16 to 24°C provide the fastest rate of production and lessen the possibility of any problematic fungi developing. Most hydroponic fodder systems for small-scale feed production for a few animals don’t really need a lot of space. The growing trays or channels are usually stacked into a tiered system of shelves from floor to roof, allowing sufficient space for the sprouts to grow upward and for air movement over the trays. Hydroponic fodder grown on a large scale is typically produced in specifically designed, climate-controlled sheds rather then greenhouses, as high light levels are not required. However, many smaller-scale fodder producers modify existing buildings or use shaded greenhouses or propagation areas, provided they are warm, free of rodents and can be kept clean and dry.

Healthy, dense fresh shoots; fodder requires a clean system and humidity control to prevent fungal diseases outbreaks.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Fantastic Fresh Fodder

Fodder production with indoor grow rooms

Growing fodder indoors offers the same benefits as other hydroponic crops. The main advantage is complete control over the environment, which is essential for high-quality, healthy fodder growth. Like many crops grown at a high density, the sprouted grain is prone to problems originating because of high humidity, a condition in which many fungal and bacterial pathogens thrive. Maintaining the right temperature range (16 to 24°C) and humidity level (70 to 80 per cent) as well as a good degree of airflow in the grow room area will provide the best fodder growth and nutritional value. Lighting for indoor fodder production doesn’t need to be intense, but it does need to be of sufficient strength to promote a good degree of chlorophyll formation. Compact fluorescents are ideal, as additional heat from overhead lamps can scorch tender new shoots. While automatic systems such as wide NFT channels are used for commercial fodder production, in a small indoor system hand-watered shallow trays stacked on tiers to maximize production space are a good option. Trays should have drainage holes in the base and will need to be checked and watered once or twice daily, but with the average crop taking less than 10 days to maturity a full tray of healthy green fodder can be grown with very little effort. A simple ebb and flow system with a solid tray placed underneath the perforated sprouting tray holding the grains is the best system for manual watering, rather than pouring water and nutrient solution over the crop. Water alone should be given for the first few days as the grains sprout, then a dilute, complete hydroponic nutrient solution—a grow formulation—can be applied at an EC of 0.8 to one mS

“Cereal grains are high in phytates, which are enzyme inhibitors. As the seed germinates the phytates are eliminated and this allows maximum absorption of the nutrients contained in the grain.”

A wide range of animals such as these petting zoo residents enjoy a feed of fresh green hydroponic fodder.

cm-1. The entire tray of fodder can then be offered to pets or livestock to graze or the whole mat of fodder, roots and all, can be rolled up and taken out to feeding areas. Trays should then be thoroughly sterilized before reseeding with the next crop. If any fungal growth (mould) or bacterial disease (slimy grains) has developed during the fodder production process the tray should be discarded, sterilized and re-sown with clean grains.

Fodder for pets

The diets of many animals can benefit from supplementation with fresh green fodder and while the main commercial use of hydroponics fodder factories is for larger livestock such as cattle, deer and horses, smaller animals and pets also enjoy fresh hydroponic sprouts on their menu. Zebras in zoos, petting animals, rabbits and poultry are some of the livestock known to enjoy a feed of hydroponic fodder, particularly if they are housed indoors or in areas suffering drought or low winter-grass production. Fresh hydroponic fodder may also prove to be a valuable and cost-effective supplement to help hens produce higher-value, more ‘consumer-friendly’ eggs when access to outdoor green feed is limited or not possible. If you have livestock pets or hens, providing a few trays of sprouted green fodder can give them a higher degree of nutrition as well as cut back on the cost of providing them dry feed. MY

References and sources

Wheatgrass is commonly used as a popular juice for humans, but is also a nutritional fodder for a range of animals.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

www.foddertech.com www.grazegreen.com ww.farmtek.com

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; | November / December 2011

Grow Tents for the Constructionally Challenged

If building a garden space from scratch is not your idea of a good time, check out the various benefits and ease of set-up with indoor grow tents, which come in a variety of sizes and can be assembled by one person in a matter of minutes. Why build a grow tent?

One of the biggest obstacles for indoor gardeners is designing and building or setting up the grow space. For the DIY-challenged, grow tents are an excellent alternative for those gardeners that don’t feel comfortable swinging a hammer or using a screw gun. Indoor grow tents come in many sizes from 1.5 square feet to 10 square feet. They are extremely compact, and even the largest available size fits in a single box that most people could carry. Grow tents are easy to set-up and can be assembled by one person in a matter of minutes. Many grow tents are lined with a highly reflective material, usually a metalized film to maximize light efficiency. Initially, due to the limited sizes available, these tents were most attractive to beginner gardeners lacking experience setting up a grow room. With the recent addition of many new sizes, these tents have become much more attractive to a variety of gardeners with varying levels of experience. Even expert growers are finding grow tents to be convenient and effective for their needs. If you are considering the DIY route, consider this, you will spend more time at Home Hardware in line at the checkout counter than it would take to assemble a grow tent! When you get home, laden with heavy lumber, sheet rock, screws, paint and primer, you’ve set yourself for more than a few days work. While I think it’s a great idea to build a custom indoor garden if you are a homeowner, it’s not the most logical option for renters. Indoor grow tents can be taken down and put up in a new location so easily and quickly your plants won’t even notice they moved. 42

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

by Gabriel Bronzstein

Really making it work

It is becoming increasingly popular for vegetable gardeners to start their plants indoors before moving them outside in late spring. This gives them a head start allowing them to start their plants earlier without fear of frost. Indoor grow tents are so versatile allowing temporary gardens to be made in just about any indoor space. The space returns to normal in a few weeks when plants are moved outdoors. Today most indoor gardeners take cuttings or clone plants that have desirable characteristics. Too often these plants are shared among fellow gardeners. Inadvertently they are also sharing pests. It is good practice to isolate or quarantine new plants in a separate garden to observe them for pests. This quarantined area can also be used to treat plants with pests before you introduce them into the main garden. This is a great idea that can save you from a serious pest infestation in your garden. Often after building a grow room the grower realizes it would be nice to have a separate (second or even third) grow space. If not as a quarantine area, the additional space could be used to grow parent material for cuttings (motherplants). Or, it could be a vegetative room featuring a long day light cycle to help your plants grow large and healthy before transferring them into a bloom room with a short day cycle. Having two (or more) separate areas allows you to grow your plants under 18 hours of light until they have reached the desired bloom height. Then you can move them into your bloom room with 12 hours of light. This has a number of advantages. First, you can have a perpetual harvest by harvesting a few plants every week while having replacements ready to go in the garden. Another advantage is that by eliminating the veg time you can have more harvest cycles in a given period of time.

Benefits of indoor grow tents: • • •

• • •

can be set up and taken down quickly and easily create gardens with a minimal impact to homes and rental properties allow for separate garden spaces to be created easily for separate vegetative and blooming gardens, quarantine areas or temporary gardens to establish plants for outdoor growing are sturdy but flexible to eliminate breaking or snapping are non-toxic are adjustable and can be modified

Constructing a Grow Tent - Easy as 1...2...3

Begin to construct your grow tent by assembling the tent poles from the ground up. Start at one corner piece and install the top poles.

After unpacking the tent, unzip its main zipper as well as the top and bottom too. Drag the tent over the top of the frame, ensuring the vent port is on top. The floor of the tent can now be pulled under the frame and positioned properly.

Once the tent is properly positioned, install the roof supports. The tent can now be zipped and the viewing windows opened if desired. Happy growing! MY

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; | November / December 2011

Stop stressing, start growing! Here are the basic elements, strategies and steps that will help any beginner grow a hydroponic garden with ease.

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; November / December 2011

A new friend recently confided, “As a beginner, I’ve been discouraged from trying hydroponics because of the many complicated elements that must be considered.” That any friend (or reader) of mine feels that hydroponics is too complex to even try is a wrong that simply must be put right. So for any other beginners feeling this way, here are some words of encouragement… Hydroponics is simply the substitution of soil with a different growing medium, and it has some definite advantages over traditional soil gardening. It tends to be more pest resistant, containers can be smaller and some hydroponic methods require either no rooting support or one made with reusable media. Unfortunately, hydroponics also has a reputation for being dauntingly complex, and this can certainly be discouraging to newbies. Part of the problem is that all too often people talk about the advanced techniques that are possible with hydroponics, but forget to mention how simple the whole process can be. Trying to learn about hydroponics by listening to experts talk about the nuances is like someone with a learner’s permit trying to figure out how to start a car by listening to NASCAR drivers at a high-performance racing shop—the fundamentals are often not seriously explained to curious gardeners, and the basic simplicity of the practice is obscured by abbreviations and jargon.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

try hydroponics

The reality of the matter is that it does not take all that much to get you around the block in hydroponics: you just need to know a few basics. Hydroponics can be rocket science (NASA does research into the use of hydroponics in space, after all), but the requirements for successfully bringing a plant to maturity hydroponically are within the reach of anyone with the desire to learn how. A person does not need an advanced degree to garden hydroponically, any more than you would require nitro boost and racing slicks just to drive to the corner grocery store and back. It is easy for a novice to become overwhelmed, but all gardeners have one thing in common; none were born experts, and at some point each grew something for the first time. Learning hydroponics is like learning to drive. The first goal is just to make it around the block. As your experience and comfort levels increase, so will the complexity of your projects and the level of your technique. There is no shame in not being as far along the learning path as someone else—there is only shame in standing still.

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Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011 Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

As with all types of gardening, the elements that plants require to thrive are light, water, nutrients, air and a suitable growing temperature. A good first step in learning how to grow hydroponically is to begin by understanding how to grow a houseplant in soil. The light and environmental needs of the plant do not change when shifting from soil to a hydroponic system, and a plant that performs well under a given set of conditions in soil can generally do as well under the same conditions in a hydroponic system as

“Trying to learn about hydroponics by listening to experts talk about the nuances is like someone with a learner’s permit trying to figure out how to start a car by listening to NASCAR drivers at a high-performance racing shop.” long as the plant’s nutrient requirements are properly addressed. Growing a houseplant in potting soil also tends to be more forgiving of minor mistakes than hydroponic systems, so it is a less frustrating place to learn early lessons in gardening. By starting with soil, the correct conditions for lighting, temperature and air circulation can all be learned, and this knowledge will serve as your foundation for a successful first hydroponic experience. Learning how to grow the same plants hydroponically will then only require you to figure out how the application of water, nutrients and air supply to the roots will differ—once the fundamentals of how to grow a houseplant are learned, it is just a small additional step to move on to a simple hydroponic garden. Most people don’t learn to drive in a high-performance sports car; they learn how to drive with the cheapest, most expendable vehicle in the family garage. Start with something similarly cheap, expendable and simple for your first hydroponic attempt. Perlite and other hydroponic materials tend to behave like fast-drying soils. The simplest of the hydroponic systems is called a passive system and provides a very similar experience to using traditional potting soil. A simple passive hydroponic system does not even require a mechanical pump to operate, as capillary action helps to distribute the nutrient solution throughout the medium. As long as the medium is exposed to the nutrient solution, wicking action will supply the roots with the elements they require.

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; | November / December 2011

try hydroponics

Here are some directions for assembling a very simple hydroponic system. 1. First, take a pot or container with drainage holes in the bottom and fill with rinsed perlite. 2. Then set the pot in a large, lipped dish or container. 2. Plant the plant in the perlite as a transplant. (Try saying that three times fast!) 3. Then, mix the hydroponic nutrient solution as directed by the manufacturer. Nutrients designed for use in soil usually lack the micronutrients needed for hydroponic use, so use a fertilizer designed for hydroponics. 4. Add enough nutrient solution to run through the pot and let enough collect in the bottom dish to last for one or two days. It is important that the solution is not allowed to stand for too long, or it will release its suspended oxygen and become stagnant. This type of handwatering is labour-intensive, which is one issue addressed in more advanced hydroponic systems. Active hydroponic systems tend to run on timers and can accommodate the storage of several days’ worth of nutrient solution, reducing the number of times new solution must be added. 5. Some plants thrive in a very moist medium, and some prefer the medium to dry out a bit between waterings. Temperature and humidity have a strong influence on evaporation rate. Adjust your watering schedule as needed to keep the perlite moist without giving it more than a couple of day’s worth of solution. 6. With a traditional houseplant or garden situation, air is supplied to the roots by the drying of the soil. In our simple hydroponic example, air is supplied to the roots by the drying of the perlite. Either way, the roots require both moisture and air to remain healthy and cannot withstand prolonged periods without either.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Hydroponics can be as simple as media in a pot with a tray.

More complicated systems are just variations on this same basic theme of supplying water, air and nutrients to the roots. A drip system automates the watering by using a pump to drip solution at the top of the pot and collects the runoff for reuse. In an ebb and flow system the plants sit in a container that is flooded by a pump, after which the solution is allowed to drain back to a reservoir. The nutrient film technique slowly moves water at the bottom of the roots along a channel. In aeroponics, a nutrient solution sprays onto roots suspended in the air.

Catnip and other mints are a good choice for hydroponic gardening.

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; | November / December 2011

try hydroponics

In deep water culture, air is sprayed into the nutrient solution containing the roots. In each instance the roots are being supplied with both air and nutrient solution, and only the particulars of the delivery system change from method to method. For a slightly more advanced hydroponic system to try, consider a tabletop deep water culture hydroponic system. In deep water culture, air is supplied both by exposed roots and by aerating the nutrient solution with an air stone. The plant absorbs the nutrient solution by keeping the bottom of the roots submerged. To create a small desktop deep-water culture system, take a watertight contain-

All this DWC needs to be complete is nutrient solution and an air stone.

“By starting with soil, the correct conditions for lighting, temperature and air circulation can all be learned, and this knowledge will serve as your foundation for a successful first hydroponic experience.”

er—glass is pretty, but keep it covered when not observing it in order to retard algae growth—and affix a support for the plant, such as the crocheted netting shown. There are also plastic nets made expressly for this purpose, but I had the yarn and a crochet hook handy at the time. Connect an air stone to an air line and the air line to a small air pump. (Say that four times fast on Friday!) Then place the air stone in the bottom of the container and run the air line out of the top. Place the plant into the netting, allowing the roots to dangle into the container. Add enough nutrient solution to cover the bottom portion of the roots. Then turn on the air pump. Add to the solution as needed and completely change the solution every few weeks. The closer the solution matches the plant’s needs, the longer it can last between full solution replacements. Rinse out the container when changing the water. The plant is suspended by the netting, and receives air both from exposed roots and the air added to the nutrient solution. To my new friend and any others who might be thinking about trying hydroponics but have been discouraged by its reported complexity, I have a suggestion: get a pot, growing media, dish and fertilizer together and give hydroponics a try. Don’t be surprised if your success and courage build together, as well as your desire for an ever bigger and better garden. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

Drip emitters can replace hand watering and save labour.

“The closer the solution matches the plant’s needs, the longer it can last between full solution replacements. Rinse out the container when changing the water.” Hydroponics can be as complex and scientific as an expensive racing car—but it can also be as simple as a walk around the block… Potential hydroponic gardeners can easily become overwhelmed by the complex processes involved with soilless cultivation. Understanding the basics prior to venturing into advanced gardening manuals can help prevent frustration and confusion. An informed gardener is more likely to succeed, and a successful gardener is more likely to continue to garden. Grubbycup’s Simple Hydroponics is a gentle overview of hydroponic gardening for the beginner featuring 40 full colour pages with over 60 photos illustrating concepts including artificial lighting, media choices and basic nutrition. Visit your local hydroponic retail shop or Amazon.com to order Grubbycup’s Simple Hydroponics today.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

The

Cultivation Recipe by Lee McCall

ydro the h and d n u aro big wing t, or hit it ht, and e r b s uct , lig hor prod and fall s nutrition cing t n e r , en O ffe ick ny di come qu rts. Air, H 2 ajor influ crop’s a m are na her tive re m There ry that eit cultivatio control, a a prospec or the f t e f d indus tionize th , balance utcome o has been enefits y o d u l l t n e eb revo ortan rmine th ooming a vering th s and T5 ve p m i e “[Kelp is] one of the highest most that det ustry is b are disco ening. LED rooms ha s n d e r d l concentrated natural forms facto ial. The in ore peop ough gar able grow lways bee t t r a r t n M h s a o of plant soluble vitamins, t . e a t s h p po year stainable tion and ere h lations t , h e w l T e u . f y d u t hormones, proteins, amino acids, u a e b pas self-s put ventil eous hob and form ding sch g n i s e e t gibberellins and micro‑ and ou g fe and ding of b rbac , high ed the he utrient br espondin These fee the s t macronutrients.” h g r o z . li tioni vailable n d by a cor additives itives int n u l o v d d d re tio of a mpanie and a las an e dilu plus a sur ally acco se formu nutrients nclude th amount a i su s set all are u includes b he variou ction and into a le might c d t u e h e d x c i m lac du . In pro whi ules p weeks of ct is to be ne a sche r product me d e h o c a u s sa k te d ul opria h the pro le, in wee f a partic r stay the many r p p a c o p o ke of t whi ease itres ct. Li exam rate a tion. For per four l ease, decr he produ re capable s t u l of ts a in u oon incr of so teasp rate may d function ty nutrien nnoisseur -bye n o i e s l for o, thi the use an most qua for the co ecipe. Sid er’s w t k , nt r row ver wee ding on hat find t lts. Howe the nutrie rror is a g cess. n I e , p s r e c e u e d grow sitive res erfecting trial and ieving su r e h t o h p c o p t nd abou ing a t bet for a ering s deliv all, it’s all side test e b

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

“When selecting a choice nutrient system with additives, or building your own, several factors should influence the final decision before a purchase is made.”

micro and macro elements will come from the base. Occasionally, a calcium supplement is necessary to accompany different base nutrients, but this mainly depends on if the base contains calcium or not. Calcium is a very important micronutrient and should always be available on the menu, particularly during flowering. During vegetative growth, that is from the point at which any seedling or cutting is healthily rooted and transplanted into its first grow medium, supplement the base growth formula with a seaweed/kelp derivative. This aquatic plant serves as one of the highest concentrated natural forms of plant soluble vitamins, hormones, proteins, amino acids, gibberellins and micro- and macronutrients. Whether the base nutrient(s) are synthetic or organic, and no matter what type of system, kelp will enhance the vitality and vigour of the garden. It also works excellent applied as a

Nutrients are always a headlining topic for advanced growers. This is when things become exceptionally fun from an experimentation standpoint, especially if an environment is dialled in for optimal control and production. When selecting a choice nutrient system with additives, or building your own, several factors should influence the final decision before a purchase is made. First, what kind of system will be used (e.g., drip, ebb and flow, aeroponics, drain-to-waste, etc.)? Also, what type of grow medium will be used (e.g., coco, rockwool, hydroton (expanded clay), PET-1, organic soil, etc.)? My nutrient choice is dependent on the variance of these two factors and for several reasons. Different liquid nutrients feature different viscosities, compounds and derivatives. This means that after being diluted into water, the colour, viscosity, amount of sediment (if any) and odour of the final solution will vary. My nutrient preference for an aeroponics or drip system will differ from an organic soil garden in a raised bed or container. After identifying the method of cultivation and the desired medium, choose a base nutrient. Grow and bloom base nutrients come in a variety of parts and systems. Three part systems, A and B formulas and one part nutrients are most common nutrient systems available in the market. Many companies also make specific formulations that target growers who use coconut coir as their base grow medium. These special “coco” formulated nutrients may be slightly different in composition opposed to those that are made for other types of hydroponic or soil gardens. The base formula will serve as the foundation for the accompanying additives to work from. Most major sources of

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

The cultivation recipe

foliar spray during the transition week from vegetative growth into bloom. Only apply foliar sprays during a “lights out” period or during the night cycle, otherwise you risk burning delicate foliage. B vitamins are also a great additive to accompany the initial feedings of any vegetative base nutrient system as this will reduce stress and transplant shock that may have resulted from the initial planting. Once flowering is induced, phosphorous and potassium concentrations increase, while nitrogen levels may decrease. P/K

“Every nutrient recipe should be hooked up with an enzyme formula to break down dead root material and keep the root mass healthy.” boosters overload the plant to the point at which it believes it should produce fruits/flowers/seeds and end its life for the season. These P/K boosters come in a wide range of concentrations, powder and liquid forms, each designed to influence fruit set, bloom production and ripening. Boosters that feature lower N-P-K concentrations 10 per cent or lower can be used more frequently than those that are closer to 50 per cent phosphorous or potassium. Guano is an organic booster that will enhance fruit/flower production quantity and quality; this is a must in my opinion. Guano can be used in conjunction or as an alternative to synthetic P/K boosters. Guanos have a tendency to stress the essential oil production of most fruit/flower bearing plants thus increasing flavour and aroma profiles of the end product. Silica is becoming an increasingly popular additive as well, and is not as overlooked as it once was now that more people are familiar with its benefits. Used in low concentrations at the proper ratio, silica is “meat on the bone.” Tissue becomes increasingly stronger and thicker, tolerance to environmental stressors is increased, and as an end result, the plant is stronger and

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

able to uptake more essential nutrition for stronger, healthier plants and maximum yields. Every nutrient recipe should be hooked up with an enzyme formula to break down dead root material and keep the root mass healthy. Carbs are a great addition as well. Plants that consume carbohydrates tend to have increased density and weight profiles of fruits and flowers. Simple and complex forms of these carbs fuel microbial production in the root mass and increase the biomass of the actual seed pod (fruit).You should never use straight tap water. A de-chlorinator and sediment filter will work in the garden and not procure any wastewater. This inexpensive investment will ensure optimal result from your expensive nutrients and additives, and keep beneficial organisms healthy and flourishing in the root system. Mycorrhizal inoculants between transplanting will expand the size of the root mass and production of the feeder roots. Granular mycorrhizae may be cascaded onto the top soil, diluted into non-chlorinated water or placed directly in the planting site at which the transplant will occur. A pro-biotic bacterium applied once every three to four weeks will keep negative pathogens out of the rhizosphere and protect the delicate feeder roots. The addition of these two beneficial microbial families should increase overall production and yield by a minimum of 10 per cent. Compost teas are also a superlative choice for microbial activity. Many of the strains of bacterium and fungi found in compost teas have not yet been dubbed with a scientific name or class because of the overwhelming

populao is tion. With so Guan anic “ g many different an or ter that beneficial miboos nhance croorganisms each assisting with the will e flower / bond between plant and fruit uction element, it is advantageous prod tity and to incorporate this addiquan ty.” tive into any existing nutrient i recipe. qual Less is more. For every additive that joins the rank, reduce the amount of everything else. It all adds up eventually. Document side-by-side testing in order to record the most accurate results of a nutrient test; use a host with and a host without. Determine which products are most effective and do everything as efficient as possible. The idea is to put as little in as possible and get the most out. Cover the garden’s food pyramid and reap the benefits of a healthy, heavy-hitting, high quality product. MY

“Used in low concentrations at the proper ratio, silica is “meat on the bone.”

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

FLOWER

The

LEAF

Vascular System

From Top to Bottom

STEM

BUD

Plants, like all living things, respond to their environments for good or for bad. A good environment breeds a healthy plant. A bad environment breeds an unhealthy plant, or can kill the plant. tap root

You likely know the basic plant life system, but let’s refresh. Through its leaves, a plant takes in light and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Through its roots, it takes in water and nutrients from the soil or growing environment. It converts light and CO2 into sugar and releases oxygen (O2). The plant then uses these sugars, the water and nutrients for growth.

FIBROUS root

No ifs or buts

Hydroponic growing lets you give the best care possible to your plants. The quality of care is in your control. These are the most important factors you need to know:

LIGHT water purityoxygenpH valueppm valuetemperature Hydroponics is the first choice when you want the most control possible over plant growth. That control depends on knowing as much as possible about the growing environment. It’s why we need accurate measuring systems. They tell us when things are going well and when they’re turning for the worse. First, we measure what’s happening in the growing environment. Then we can make sure we keep growing conditions superb. We can, in other words, add our knowledge and skills to nature. Water and nutrient conducting tissue throughout the plant ensure that all parts of the plant get the water and nutrition they need to grow.

Shoot System • •

Above ground parts of the plant Leaves trap energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air to create “food” (photosynthesis).

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

• • • •

Leaves release oxygen into the air (respiration). Stems provide structure and position leaves so they can collect sunlight. Buds produce new plants or plant parts. Flowers or cones produce seeds from which new plants can grow.

Root System • • • • •

Below ground parts of the plant Anchors and supports the plant in the ground. Fibrous roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Taproots store “food” created during photosynthesis. May produce new plant from roots buds.

It sounds obvious, and it is. Plants eat!

Article contributed by Bluelab Corporation Limited MY

Plant Solutions:

How to Deal With Yellowing Leaves Yellow leaves giving you the blues? Matt LeBannister sheds some light on the condition. Consider the following nutrient deficiencies to cure this common plant ailment. by Matt LeBannister

Intro Page Photo Credit: Nick Persichilli

Maximum Yield Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; |â&#x20AC;&#x201A; November / December 2011

Plants are complex organisms that require certain environmental and nutritional conditions to survive. Given the right levels of sunlight, air temperature, root zone temperature, pH and nutrients, plants will not just survive, but thrive. With all the advances in indoor gardening it is now possible for every indoor gardener to totally regulate all aspects of a plant’s growing environment and nutrient intake. If any aspect of this sensitive system is allowed to go out of sync, however, problems can arise. If the EC or nutrient levels get too high or low, for example, or the pH moves out of the plant’s optimum level, plants can develop yellow leaves. Usually, though, yellowing leaves are a result of a deficiency in any one of a number of specific nutrients. The most common cause of yellowing leaves in plants is a nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen is a mobile macronutrient that is needed for the production of chlorophyll. Plants deficient in nitrogen will be unable to produce enough chlorophyll, causing leaves to yellow. The symptoms will begin with the older leaves closest to the base of the plant. This is because the plant is sending what little nitrogen it has to the newest growth at the top of the plant. The leaves will begin to yellow in between the veins and this will spread to the whole leaf—if the problem is not corrected, the leaf will die and fall off. Other symptoms include the stem and leaf undersides turning purple, and overall stunted growth.

“The symptoms of iron deficiency and nitrogen deficiency are similar: the leaf begins to turn yellow between the veins.” The main cause of nitrogen deficiencies is having a pH that is too high. Every plant has an ideal pH range that allows for a maximum uptake of nutrients, and the water they are given should be pH balanced to be in the plant’s specific requirement zone. Soil and soilless growing mediums are very forgiving and can handle a wider pH range, where hydroponics and aeroponics need the pH range to be very specific for plants to thrive.

For instance, tomatoes grown in soil can handle their water pH from 5.8 to 6.8, whereas tomatoes grown in hydroponics prefer the water pH to remain between 5.8 at the lowest and 6.4 at the very highest. To effectively treat a nitrogen deficiency, you must first determine whether enough nitrogen is being added to the nutrient mix. If the nutrient is high quality and being added at the directed rate this is not likely to be the source of the problem, however. An overly high pH—causing nutrient lockout—then becomes the most likely cause. Simply correct the pH levels and begin to check them more often. Another common cause of yellowing leaves is an iron deficiency. The symptoms of iron deficiency and nitrogen deficiency are similar: the leaf begins to turn yellow between the veins, which always remain green. If left untreated, the leaf will eventually die and fall off. The one symptom that can help you differentiate an iron deficiency from a nitrogen deficiency is that the leaves first affected will be the youngest leaves, closest to the top of the plant, and the yellowing will then spread from the youngest to the oldest leaves. The use of poor quality nutrients is one cause of an iron deficiency in plants. Cheaper nutrient formulas do not always have the right amount of micronutrients to promote ideal plant health. Switching to a more complete nutrient or adding kelp spray to your feeding schedule is usually a quick solution to the problem. Iron deficiency can also often be caused by having a pH over 6.5. If soil or water becomes more alkaline than pH 6.5 it will cause the plant to lockout some nutrients, including iron. By correcting the pH level and checking it often you will be able to address this problem and prevent it from happening again in the future. Iron deficiencies in plants can also be caused by an overabundance of potassium or phosphorous. Just like having an overly high pH level, potassium and phosphorous toxicities lockout other nutrients. To ensure that plants do not develop toxic levels of nutrients one should always follow the nutrient instructions Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

How to Deal with Yellowing Leaves

carefully. Plants in soil or soilless mixes should be flushed with straight pH-balanced water every other watering to prevent a buildup of nutrients. For plants growing in hydroponics, using an EC (electric conductivity) metre or a PPM (part per million) metre can help prevent nutrient toxicities. These metres do not tell you the exact amount of each nutrient, but give you a reading of the overall nutrient level. If a quality nutrient is being used, this is a safe method of measuring nutrient levels. If the toxicity has reached a dangerous level in the plant you may want to use a clearing solution to leach the excess nutrients out of the plant—this may save plants before they become too damaged and crops are affected. Another very common deficiency that results in yellowing leaves is a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is a nutrient essential to the production of the chlorophyll the plant needs in abundance to absorb photons to enable the process of photosynthesis.

“The symptoms of iron deficiency and nitrogen deficiency are similar: the leaf begins to turn yellow between the veins.” The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency also include leaves yellowing in between green veins, but with this particular deficiency the leaf tips become brown and turn upwards, and the area first affected will be the middle leaves of the plant. Magnesium deficiencies are common indoors and have many causes. Plants growing in soil or soilless mediums could have lots of magnesium present but it may not be available to them because it has become bound in the medium. This happens with soil and soilless mixes that are too acidic. Simply adjust pH to the ideal level and continue to check more frequently. Magnesium also becomes bound in soil when the soil is too cold or too wet. To correct this problem, allow plants to drain and dry before their next watering. Adding perlite to your soil/soilless mix can also improve drainage and air retention. When a plant’s root zone becomes too cold it is also unable to take up adequate amounts of magnesium—to have an ideal root zone, keep the temperature between 18 to 24°C. Magnesium can also become deficient in plants when there is an overly high EC. Having too much potassium, nitrogen and calcium in soil/soilless mixes or reservoir nutrient solutions will cause magnesium to become locked out of the plant. Adjusting the EC levels in the nutrient and checking more frequently can fix this problem and prevent it 60

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

from happening in the future. If your problem is simply poor quality nutrients devoid of magnesium you can try watering occasionally with water treated with one teaspoon of Epsom salts per 1.1 litre. This is a safe, low-risk way of increasing magnesium levels in the nutrients without burning your plant leaves. Sometimes leaves begin to yellow and there is nothing wrong with the plant.Yellowing leaves are just a natural part of the plant’s lifecycle—they turn yellow and fall off when they get old. This can trick gardeners into thinking that the plant has a deficiency, when really the old leaves are simply falling off due to old age. These old leaves are no longer photosynthesizing efficiently and it is in the plant’s best interest to shed them, allowing the plant to focus its energy on growing new leaves that will photosynthesize at maximum efficiency. There are many different possible causes for a plant’s leaves to yellow, but a nutrient deficiency is usually to blame. Deficiencies generally result from fluctuating pH and EC levels, but overly saturated and cold root zones can be responsible as well. And sometimes yellowing leaves are just a symptom of old age—the old leaves are dying and falling off to be replaced with newer and more efficient ones. The important thing is to investigate the root of the problem to prevent nutrient deficiencies from reoccurring in the future. Vigilantly monitoring your pH and EC levels for any fluctuations away from the ideal zone can make all the difference when gardening. MY

THE AMAZING Hemp Plant

by Michael Bloch

Industrial hemp is an extraordinarily useful plant that can provide environmentally friendly food, fibre, fuel, medicine and building products. Hemp is incredibly robust to the point in some places it is invasive and considered a noxious weed. Some varieties are very hardy and able to thrive in saline and heavily degraded soils. It’s these characteristics that make it a great candidate to replace pesticide and herbicide dependent crops such as cotton. Hemp is also a water miser and can be processed into useful products with little energy and without requiring toxic chemicals.

Here are some other fast facts about hemp: • Hempseed has high levels of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, essential fatty acids and trace elements. • Hempseed oil comprises nearly 1/3 of the seeds’ weight making it a viable source for cooking oil, lighting and bio-fuel. • Hempseed oil is also beneficial as a body care product and can be made into soaps, conditioners and lotions. • The stalk provides an incredibly strong, durable and rot resistant fibre that’s been used in the shipping industry for centuries. As hemp can grow over three metres tall, the long fibres are perfect for rope. • The short fibres of the stalk can be used in textiles as a replacement or blender fibre for cotton. • The core of the stalk can be used to make paper and organic plastics.

• • • • • • •

The woody core, known as hurds, can be mixed with lime, sand, plaster and cement to create very strong concrete or building bricks. The core fibre can also be utilized in producing fibreboard that is twice as strong as wood-based fibreboard. The stalk can also be used to make methanol and ethanol. Hemp can be planted as a crop for restoring the fertility of fields in the process of stock rotation. Given its fast growth, hemp may also be useful in carbon sequestration (taking carbon out of the air and putting it back into the earth). Hemp is a great insulation material that can be applied in the wall cavities and roof spaces of houses as a replacement for fibreglass batts. The flowers and leaves are used to make medicines for treating many ailments such as glaucoma and cancer sufferers can be prescribed it to ease pain.

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

Maximum Yield Canada | July / August 2011

YOU TELL US

Other improvements to the lamp include a stronger design (fewer welds) and an improved thermal design that increases reliability under varying frequencies (60 to 100,000 hertz). Our ultra pure vacuum seal improves lamp performance over life. From an environmental standpoint, HORTILUX™ has always been the market leader—one of the few lamp brands in the hydroponic industry that has tested and certified EPA/TCLP compliant products (look for the environmentally friendly or EN symbol on our lamp boxes). This means that the lamp is considered non-hazardous, is completely lead free and contains less mercury than standard HPS lamps. Another green feature on this lamp is that all the barium has been removed. Choosing HORTILUX™ brand lamps means you are not only doing the right thing for your plants, but you’re also doing the right thing for the environment.

Doreen Langa Maximum Yield sits down with Doreen Langa, product manager for EYE Lighting International, to discuss grow light set-ups for beginners, the benefits of HID lights and game-changing products coming to Canada. Maximum Yield (MY): What products in the EYE HORTILUX™ line are you most excited about right now and why? Doreen Langa: EYE HORTILUX™ is excited to launch a newly redesigned 1,000 watt HPS lamp that has been improved for more reliable use on all electronic ballasts. This new lamp is now available in Canada. We made the environmentally friendly decision to use up inventory of old boxes and overlay a ‘newand-improved’ sticker so as not to waste packaging. One easy way to distinguish this new lamp is to look at the glass along the base of the lamp. The glass is completely clear—gone is the traditional silver colour sprayed along the bottom (figure one). Look for both the stickered and new style packaging at local stores (see figure two).

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011 Canada | November

MY: What other products does EYE Lighting offer that are important to today’s modern indoor gardener? Doreen: EYE HORTILUX™ will be launching an electronic ballast that is designed and manufactured by our parent company, Iwasaki Electric, in Japan. This ballast will optimize the performance of both our HPS and metal halide lamps as well as other competitive lamps. Look for more information to be released very soon. This ballast will truly be a game changer for the hydroponics industry as we have been perfecting the technology for years. As with all products produced and designed by our Japanese parent, they are, “Simply the best!” MY: What design elements are used in your products to ensure superior excellence and ease-of-use? Figure One.

Figure Two. Doreen: There are two major elements that guarantee superior performance from our products: 1) Exclusive arc tube chemistry. EYE HORTILUX™ uses one-of-a-kind chemistry that no other manufacturer has access to in the industry. Simply put, we own our own chemistry! Therefore, the chemical dosing of our bulbs (that provides the full spectrum) is unique. 2) Quality. Engineered in Japan and built in the USA, all HORTILUX™ bulbs are produced in compliance with strict environmental controls in an ISO14001:2004 facility. Every lamp is hand inspected and lit prior to shipment. All factory waste is disposed of properly following strict environmental guidelines. All these technological innovations and process controls may mean you pay a little more for our lamps—but, if your plants could talk they would say HORTILUX™ is worth every penny! MY: In your opinion, what is the ideal lighting arrangement for a beginner with a modest grow room set-up? Doreen: Beginner and expert growers both have many choices when it comes to lighting. Many growers start vegetative growth with metal halide lamps (increased blue spectrum) and finish with high pressure sodium (increased red spectrum). Some growers stick with one type of lamp for the entire cycle—and there is nothing wrong with this option. The best advice we give growers is to not dim any lamp, be it a HORTILUX™ or any other HID lamp. Dimming a lamp changes the spectral output. The chemicals within the arc tube are not fully energized and this phenomenon decreases the spectral quality of the light. We always suggest choosing the best wattage for the plants being grown and operate the lamp at full power. MY: Why are HID lights ideal for an indoor garden? What benefits do they offer? Doreen: The three most important aspects of lighting for highly productive plant growth are intensity, spectrum and

focus. (For a complete article on this subject visit our website www.eyehortilux.com and query Newsletter, Issue 2: 2011). Currently, there is no other type of lighting source that delivers the intensity and spectrum required for plant growth as economically as HID (high intensity discharge lighting). Within HID lighting, high pressure sodium (HPS) is truly the most economical (lumens per watt). While LED lighting certainly has the ability to deliver the exact blue and red spectral peaks from the plant sensitivity curve, currently they are unable to provide the intensity (lumens per watt) required at a reasonable price range for large grows. Hence, you may consider LEDs for vegetative growth only or for supplemental lighting within an HID system. A further benefit of HID lighting is also the areas outside the visible range. Like the sun, HID lighting delivers ultraviolet light (UV) and infrared light (IR), both critical for healthy plant growth and not necessarily produced with all artificial light sources. MY: What can gardeners expect from EYE Lighting in the future? Doreen: EYE Lighting and EYE HORTILUX™ will never stop bringing quality products to market. Having traditional Japanese roots means we always take a very steady and sure path. We always strive to bring proven, world-class technology with every innovation. Often, to the outsider, it may appear that we are slow to react. However, this is not necessarily true. With a less than .05 per cent return rate on our lamps, we make sure the kinks are worked out long before a product is released. Our United States manufacturing team takes pride in ensuring the products used in your garden are safe and reliable all the while following an environmentally friendly credo. In closing, we invite you, our valued customers, to visit our website www.eyehortilux.com to learn more about our products and our recommended publications. We thank you for choosing EYE HORTILUX™. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

TALKING SHOP

AT A GLANCE Company: Pacific Northwest Garden Supply Owner: Steven Betts Location: Surrey British Columbia Phone: 1-604-588-4769 Web: info@pnwgardensupply.com Web: www.pnwgardensupply.com Motto: “Helping our community grow.”

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The PNW team from left: Abby Abiodun (assist ant manager), Dan Coomber (manager), Daniel Ortega (head of sales) and John Berfelo (gardening expert).

We’ve seen it all and been through it all. After 18 years in this industry, Pacific Northwest Garden Supply can still hold their heads high. Before the days of Pacific Northwest Garden Supply (PNW) Steven Betts worked at another indoor gardening shop called Canadian Hydroponics. It was a natural path for him with his love of gardening and a high school horticulture education. In the first three months at Canadian Hydroponics Steven tripled the shop’s sales. After seeing the potential of the industry Steven decided to open his own store.This marked the conception of Pacific Northwest Garden Supply. In 1993 Steven opened his first store in Surrey, British Columbia.To get the lease, Steven had a good friend write up a fake invoice for $50,000 just so the bank and landlord thought he had inventory. Little did anyone know, Steven filled the store with empty boxes to make the shop look full and busy. For the first six months Steven worked 16 hour days, seven days a week trying to keep the doors open.The first few months were so slow the shop couldn’t even afford heat. After six months the industry boomed in British Columbia and Steven had no choice but to hire staff.With one employee and himself, Steven started to see the business pour in. Shortly thereafter PNW was the top store in B.C. “It was all a blur,” Steven said. He was still working those 16 hour days, seven days a week, but now it was all for the goal he set just a year ago. Before the time of digital and pre-made ballasts, he had to build his own. Steven recalls boxing and wiring 50 ballasts a day. Before going home for those few hours of down time, the last duty of the day was

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011 Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

gluing another 50 ballasts to be wired in the morning. After the ballasts came the drilling of coroplast, tables and buckets. “I could have gone mad from the amount of drilling I did; I would go through drill bits weekly.” In 1995, two years after opening the doors in Surrey, the second PNW store opened in Vancouver where it still stands today. Back then everyone used bucket systems and General Hydroponics. Steve remembers having to go to other local retail shops to borrow inventory daily as he often ran out. “We just couldn’t keep up with the orders. I would have skids show up daily trying to keep up with the demand but it was never enough.” To stay ahead of the competition, PNW saturated the community with advertising: cards and flyers on every car in the area, advertisements in every local paper and advertisements on every bus. Throughout the years, PNW opened shops all over B.C.Today you can find them in Vancouver, Maple Ridge, Kelowna, Nelson, as well as the original location in Surrey, which has grown to be one of the largest hydroponic shops in Canada. The original Surrey location, which is now an astonishing 12,000 square feet, is now run by PNW’s general manager Dan Coomber.

With such a massive location they carry everything from Green Planet to General Hydroponics, plus the kitchen sink, and if they don’t have it, Dan guarantees he will have it for the customer within a day or two. “With my amazing staff and longevity in this industry, we do what it takes to have the customer leave with a smile on their face, even if it takes calling in a favour or two.” When you enter the store, there’s always a fresh pot of coffee and some snacks for the customers. If you come on the right day, you will also get to experience some home baked goodies courtesy of Steven’s mom, who has been bringing in baking since day one. “Without our customer service we’re just another shop. I want customers to come to my shop for the service, not for the convenience,” says Dan. Over the years we have learned that this industry is changing daily and that we need to stay on top of it or we’ll be left in the dust. By educating ourselves daily, we can give the customers the advice and products they need for every situation. The only advice we have after all these years in this industry is that it’s a long, scary, busy, frustrating, fun, stressful, sleepless ride, but it’s worth every second. MY

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011 Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

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

Your Plant’s Personal Trainer

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

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

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

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

Trees Company Nursery & Garden Supplies G9 C17 RR1, 7030 Powell Road Winlaw, BC V0G 2J0 250-226-7334 MANITOBA All Grow Distributors 410 Madison Street Winnipeg, MB R3J 1J1 204-231-1694 Better Than Nature Winnipeg 2B - 2 Donald Street Winnipeg, MB R3L 0K5 204-453-3032 Gro Pro International Hydroponics 101-904 Porthee Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3G 0P4 204-956-1389 Kleen Gro Hydroponics 218 Osbourne Street South Winnipeg, MB R3L 1Z3 204-475-7096 My Two Sons 2 - 2055 McPhillips Street Winnipeg, MB R2Y 3C6 204-339-3489 Nature’s Nutrition 1819 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3J 0G4 204-889-2979 Northern Lights Hydroponics 129 Regent Avenue East Winnipeg, MB R2C 0C2 204-415-5106 Ready Set Grow! 375 Henderson Highway Winnipeg, MB R3C 2H2 204-668-GROW NEW BRUNSWICK Dieppe Hydroponics 988 Champlain St. Door #3 Dieppe, NB E18 1P8 506-384-4769 Craft N’ Grow 60 Micmac Road Eel Ground, NB E1V 4B1 506-624-9317 Ultimate Hydroponics PO Box 1191 Hampton, NB E5N 8H2 506-639-5948 Scott’s Nursery Ltd. 2192 Route 102 Highway Lincoln, NB E3B 8N1 506-458-9208 Atlantic Hydroponics & Greenhouses Inc. 42 Brandon Street Moncton, NB E1C 7E8 506-858-0158 Jardins Notik Gardens 798 Gray Road St-Charles, NB E4W 4N9 506-876-9100 21st Century Gardening 20 Bayside Drive St. John, NB E2J 1A2 506-657-9982 NOVA SCOTIA Den Haan’s Garden World 12688 Highway 1, Brickton Annapolis County, NS B0S 1M0 902-825-4722 Woodland Farm Nursery 3544 Highway 1, Annapolis Royal, NS B0S 1A0 902-532-7617 S&L Worx Hydroponics 135 Main Street, Unit 14 Dartmouth, NS B2X 1R6 902-434-GROW (4769) Sweetleaf Smoke Shop and Hydroponics 3132 Isleville Street Halifax, NS B3K 3Y2 902-454-6646

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

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

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

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

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

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fred Lamontagne Inc. 356 Chemin du Sommet Est, Rimouski, QC G5L 7B5 418-723-5746 Qué-Pousse - Sherbrooke 4394 Bourque Rt. 112 Rock Forest, QC J1N 1S3 819-563-0353 Hydro Plus 149 avenue Principale A Rouyn Noranda, QC J9X 4E3 819-762-4367 wRap Hydroponique 5700, rue Martineau Local 7 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8B1 450-768-5188 Culture Uni Vert 36 rue de Martigny E Saint-Jérôme, QC J7Z 1V4 www.cultureunivert.com Comptoir Richelieu Inc. 350, du Collège Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 6T7 800-363-9466 Ferme Florale Inc. (Botanix) 2190 Blvd. Laurier (route 116) St. Bruno de Montarville, QC J3V 4P6 450-653-6383 Hydrobec 2145 Lavoisier Suite 4 Ste-Foy, QC G1N 4B2 418-687-1119 Chanvre du Nord Inc. 38 DeMartigny est St-Jérome, QC J7Z 1V4 866-565-5305 Hydro Sciences 4800 de la Cote-Vertu Blvd. Saint-Laurent, QC H4S 1J9 514-331-9090 Pablo Jardinage Shawinigan 5023 Boulevard Royal Shawinigan QC J9N 6T8 819-731-9766 Sherbrooke Hydroponique 3545 King Est, Sherbrooke, QC J1G 5J4 819-829-9299 Plant-T-Plantes 3439 boulevard Fiset Sorel-Tracy, QC J3P 5J3 450-780-0008 Qué-Pousse - St-Constant 6264 Route 132 Ste-Catherine, QC J0L 1E0 450-635-4881 Benoit Dupuis Extincteurs Inc. 2503 Victoria Street Ste-Julienne, QC J0K 2T0 450-831-4240 Hydroponique 2000 84 Boul. Curé Labelle Ste-Therese, QC J7E 2X5 450-971-0726

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

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Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

DO YOU KNOW?

Chemically, the only difference between ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and citric acid—is that citric acid has one additional oxygen atom.

Seed barley has proven to be one of the best grains in terms of production and animal nutrition and is in fact recognized as being one of the most nutritious of all plant foods, containing a broad range of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids in high concentrations.

3. 4.

B vitamins, when accompanying the initial feedings of any vegetative base nutrient, will reduce stress and transplant shock that may have resulted from the initial planting.

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

The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency include leaves yellowing in between green veins, but with this particular deficiency the leaf tips become brown and turn upward, and the area first affected will be the middle leaves of the plant.

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COMING UP NEXT ISSUE

It is said that the citric acid in lemon juice will dissolve a pearl.

A nitrogen deficiency is the most common cause of yellowing leaves in plants.

Maximum Yield Canada | November / December 2011

mOISTURE MATTERS Many hydroponic plants are lost through over saturation in the root zone. Growers need to be in tune with the growing environment because moisture matters.

Selecting and Maintaining MotherPlants Preserving your favourite plant strains through cloning is easy with these easy expert tips.

The Wonders of Winter Sowing Roland Evans keeps you tuned in on greenhouse growing to last all winter long.

Plus: Nutes, lights, environmental control, exclusive contests, industry’s latest, more!

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