Maximum Yield USA August 2012 by Maximum Yield

USA

FREE

Lighting THE

ISSUE

RECREATING THE SUN SOIL POP QUIZ

NURTURE EQUALS NATURE

www.maximumyield.com

2012

INDOOR GARDENING EXPO

LONG BEACH

CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 3-4

indoorgardeningexpo.com

USA

FREE

Lighting THE

ISSUE

RECREATING THE SUN SOIL POP QUIZ

NURTURE EQUALS NATURE

www.maximumyield.com

2012

INDOOR GARDENING EXPO

LONG BEACH

CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 3-4

indoorgardeningexpo.com

CONTENTS August 2012

FEATURES 54

The Complexities of Defining and Measuring Light Energy by Eric Hopper

114

Photons: The Secret to Light Speed Growth by Grubbycup

Recreating the Sun

The Red and the Blue of it

Soil Testing: Give Your Ground a Surprise Pop Quiz

by Mike Anderson

by Philip McIntosh

by Annie Spiegelman

92 96 Control Freak: How to Regulate Your Garden’s Artificial Lighting by Darryl Barry

104 Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

152

DEPARTMENTS 12

From the Editor

142

Avant-Gardening

Letters to the Editor

168

You Tell Us

by Bill DeBoer

MaximumYield.com

170

Talking Shop

128 A New Millennium

Ask the Experts

173

Coming up in September

MAX Facts

174

Max Mart

Product Spotlight

177

Distributors

Tips and Tricks

191

Do You Know?

102

Growing for Health

126

Green Thumb Gardening:

118 How Much Water is too Much? by Frank Rauscher

122 Water and Nutrient Uptake by Roots by Lee McCall

138 Raise the Roof...and the Floor by Casey Jones Fraser

144 Preparation of Fertilizer Stock Solutions for Hydroponics by Guy Sela

154 Nurture Equals Nature by Jonathan Valdman

164 Balmy Breezes by Shane Hutto

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

FROM THE EDITOR | Jessica Raymond

Jessica Raymond, editor editor@maximumyield.com

Achieve enlightenment—and big yields—in your indoor garden with bright lights. With fall just around the corner, now is the time to start planning a light scheme that your crops will love. The selection of light articles in this issue will help you do just that. Measuring light: terminology, techniques and technologies; LEDs in the red, white and blue; and how artificial indoor light differs from natural outdoor light are just a sample of the illuminating articles inside. But that’s not all: the almost 200 pages that follow are crammed with expert information on how to give your soil a pop quiz, raise the floor (instead of the roof!), physiological disorders of indoor gardens and nurturing nature. Plus, we blocked off over seven pages to highlight the latest and greatest new products, technologies and grow treats now available at local hydroponic shops across the country. As research sheds light on new facts, the industry evolves and improved products that minimize waste and maximize yields result. We are proud to be at the forefront in keeping you up-to-date with the industry’s latest. Enjoy this issue and implementing these lessons for lighting up your garden. Stay tuned next month for our special September Media Madness issue.

contributors Casey Jones Fraser owns Garden

Eric Hopper has over 10 years of

Frank Rauscher is a certified

Philip McIntosh is a science and

Lee McCall is an alumnus of Johnson

technology writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany and chemistry and a master’s degree in biological science. During his graduate research, he used hydroponic techniques to grow axenic plants. He lives in Colorado Springs, CO., where he teaches mathematics at Challenger Middle School.

& 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.

Guy Sela is an agronomist and a chemical engineer for his innovative software company, Smart Fertilizer (smart-fertilizer.com) that provides fertilizer management solutions. Applying his background in water treatment, he has lead a variety of projects on reverse osmosis, water disinfection and water purification, providing high-quality water for irrigation.

Jonathan Valdman, owner of

Darryl Barry, a BC native, has been involved in the hydroponics industry since 2004 when he began building timers and flips for local hydroponics stores. Feeling that there were no quality products on the market, he began building his own timers and controllers. Darryl graduated from the College of New Caledonia, Granton Institute of Technology.

Bill DeBoer is a laboratory scientist at Indiana-based steadyGROWpro. A master gardener intern, Bill is responsible for overseeing the company’s laboratory operation, including the design and execution of research projects, plant propagation, seed germination and overall plant care. Bill has a BS and MS from Purdue University, and was previously a research technician for the US Department of Agriculture.

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.

Mike Anderson, director of specialty

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.

Forever Flowering Greenhouses, has been striving to develop solutions to the environmental impact of current agricultural trends. Forever Flowering was born out of Jonathan’s desire to reduce the over-usage of HID lighting and to educate growers as to the potential of multiple crops with the free power of the sun. in automated light deprivation Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort. greenhouses. Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic jonathan has been involved in the greenhouse production from Massey industry for over 14 years and has University, New Zealand. Lynette is used his experience, exposure and a partner with SUNTEC International ingenuity to maximize production, Hydroponic Consultants and has quality and efficiency. he tries to bring authored five hydroponic technical his training in yoga and meditation books. Visit suntec.co.nz for more into the high pressure conditions information. of the industry. he has had much training and experience in both permaculture and organic gardening Annie Spiegelman was raised and hardened in the asphalt jungle of New York City. She moved to the Bay Area over fifteen years ago and became a passionate environmentalist and Master Gardener. She is the author of three books on gardening (and life).

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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

Shane Hutto is a technical advisor at Grodan Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture at Oklahoma State University and received a research assistantship for his master’s degree. During his graduate studies he researched production and extraction of surface waxes on horticultural commodities. His passion for growing is complimented by his experience in many types of controlled environment operations and design.

horticulturist and consultant for the garden industry. He’s a contributing author to several publications and was writer and editor of the Green Pages. Frank finds that analyzing plant stress and finding solutions is exciting. He is very much at home bringing new ideas to the field of horticulture and indoor gardening.

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

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.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mold Management—Reader Weighs in

I just read the “Ask the Experts” column from the June 2012 issue and have a couple problems with it that I wanted to address. Please don’t get me wrong—Matt’s ideas of the best ways [to combat mold] very well could work great, but they are far from the best ways. I will not nit-pick on the dangers of using sulfur or ammonia because they are pretty clear. I just would like to offer a little insight from an organic point of view. The safest way would be to fight the anaerobic fungi with aerobic fungi, which would quickly dominate to eliminate the mold/mildew. Do this by mixing 1.5 cups of earthworm castings with 1 tbsp. of oatmeal. Make sure it’s got a good amount of moisture (maybe add 1 tbsp. of water), mix it up and let it sit in a dark, warm place for three to four days. Then take your fungi-loaded earthworm castings and put them in a 5 gal. bucket with dechlorinated water. Use an air stone/pump that will give big, course bubbles (small bubbles will rip apart the fungi) and bubble for 30 hours. You then can dilute your fungi-dominant compost tea and inoculate your leaves with the aerobic fungi to battle the mold. Thank you for reading, Chris Kayser via Facebook

Michigan Expo Receives Rave Reviews Had the best time. Thanks. Jsin Miller Hurry up and come to the LB. Jaime Hicks Great Expo! Thanks! Shield N Seal Cyco Nutrients’ ice sculpture at Maximum Yield’s Indoor Garden Expo. Upand-coming nutrient line put on quite the show with their set-up. Marketing is key! Marcus Gee

Earthworm castings three days after being mixed with oatmeal. Hurray for fungi!

via Twitter

Great time at the @Max_Yield Indoor Garden Expo in Novi. Can’t wait until the San Francisco show. @GrowVent @getbluelab had an awesome time at the #IGEXPO in #Novi #Michigan this weekend. Thanks heaps @Max_Yield @Getbluelab Had a great time in Detroit this weekend for the @Max_Yield show! Hope you all did too! @Sunlight_Supply Had a great weekend at the @Max_Yield Great Lakes #IGEXPO in Michigan. Lots of new and exciting things in store for #HydroponicGardening @GardeningIndoor

Great show, good work! Thanks for coming to Michigan. Come again! Tony Medina

Great show at the @Max_Yield #IGEXPO this past weekend! Thanks to @UrbnAgNW for hosting. pic.twitter.com/Vev82AOs RXGreenSolution

Know, Then Grow

@Max_Yield: So ends another successful show! @EmilyMax_Yield @ IlonaMax_Yield @PhilMax_Yield #IGEXPO Nice work! GenHydro

I am new to hydroponics and am trying to download an article from the June 2010 issue of Maximum Yield written by Rob Samborn titled “TDS and EC Meters for Hydroponics Explained.” Is it possible to get a copy of this article? As a beginner to hydroponics and a new reader of Maximum Yield, the magazine has helped me to no end. Kind regards, Geoff Splatt We recently revamped our website and are in the process of uploading our archived articles to the site. Stay tuned to maximumyield.com for dozens up new featured articles every month.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

We want to hear from you! Maximum Yield Publications Inc. Snail-mail: 2339 Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9 Email: editor@maximumyield.com Twitter: twitter.com/max_yield Facebook: facebook.com/MaximumYield

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AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER

Long Beach With San Francisco still fresh in our minds, we’re planning ahead for our final stop on the “Grow Like a Pro” Expo Tour in Long Beach, California. Our 3rd annual Long Beach Expo will be a combination Indoor Gardening/Hydrolife event, featuring industry-leading hydro companies and renowned lifestyle brands. You won’t want to miss this highly anticipated event. Visit indoorgardenexpo.com for complete event details.

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Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

VOLUME 13 – NUMBER 5 August 2012 Maximum Yield is published 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 PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim Jesson GENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda Jesson editorial Editor-in-chief Jessica Raymond editor@maximumyield.com Assistant Editor Jessica Skelton ADVERTISING SALES Director of Sales Raymond Henderson raymond@maximumyield.com Account Executives Ilona Hawser - ilona@maximumyield.com Ashley Heppell - ashley@maximumyield.com Hayley Jesson - hayley@maximumyield.com Emily Rodgers - emily@maximumyield.com Kelsey Hepples - kelsey@maximumyield.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION ads@maximumyield.com Art Director Alice Joe Graphic Designers Jennifer Duong Liz Johnston Denise Higginson ACCOUNTING Tracy Greeno - accounting@maximumyield.com Tara Campbell - tara@maximumyield.com USA DISTRIBUTION Aurora Innovations • BWGS • General Hydroponics Humbolt Wholesale • Hydrofarm • Hydro International National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply • Nickel City Wholesale Garden Supply • R&M Supply • Tradewinds CANADIAN DISTRIBUTION Brite-Lite Group • Biofloral • Eddis Wholesale • Greenstar Plant Products Inc. • MegaWatt • Quality Wholesale UK DISTRIBUTION Direct Garden Supplies • Growth Technology • Future Harvest Development Europe • Hydrogarden Nutriculture UK • Dutch Pro • Maxigrow AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION Dome Garden Supply • House N Garden • Futchatec • Growth Technology • Hydraspher

ASK THE EXPERTS

Shane Hutto

I’ve been looking at set-up costs for pots and mediums for a larger-scale set-up (50 to 100+ tomatoes). Seems the cheapest way is rockwool slabs, as it is virtually your plant pot and medium in one. Gravity runoff could be used to water other things or it could be recycled (I’m definitely interested in a recirculating system). Any information would be appreciated. I am looking at designing a system with the elderly in mind. Rockwool is very clean in comparison to other mediums and it is also a lightweight material to work with for a set-up. However, I also understand some people can be allergic and there are hazards. Also, any information on mineral vs. organic nutrients for rockwool-only set-ups and about this system’s watersaving advantages would be good. Dave Kolaps

Rockwool is a great choice for elderly gardeners because it is lightweight and easy to deal with. Also, rockwool is not toxic. It is simply made from a basalt rock and is completely biosoluble. Rockwool is very easy to work with, but always wet it before handling. Since you are looking at slabs, I would go with Dutch leach trays. These are trays that fit the slabs close and have drain holes to allow runoff, which can be collected in your reservoir. Each slab can fit three huge tomato plants; however, you cannot plant the seeds or cuttings directly in the slab because the roots will not develop properly.You should begin in a starter cube, then transplant into one of the mid-size blocks. When root development begins to expand outside the block, then the plant can be put on top of the slab. If slabs seem too difficult for beginners, I recommend a potting container filled with crouton-size rockwool. This system is difficult to overwater and errors are less likely.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

I would definitely advise a recirculating drip system so that fertilizer and water use is more efficient. Rockwool actually uses little water and fertilizers. Mineral fertilizer is usually a better choice for drip systems so that the drippers stay clogfree. When using a recirculating system, the reservoir should be monitored for pH and EC fluctuation. pH should be kept between 5.8 and 6.2, and EC should start low (0.5) for baby plants and gradually increase as the plant grows in size. I would stop increasing the EC of the solution at 2.5 to 3.0 once the plants are full size. When growing tomatoes, it is a good idea to remove all but a couple main branches on each plant. This leads to a larger, more uniform fruit set with a larger yield.You should also consider some sort of trellis system to support the plants’ tall vines and heavy fruits. Lastly, bush cherry tomatoes are easy to keep healthy and might be a good place to start teaching the elderly. Shane Hutto

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Bee-friendly Flower Features

Scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol have discovered that Velcrolike cells on plant petals play a crucial role in helping bees grip flowers, especially when the wind gets up. These cells’ conical structures are best seen under an electron microscope. (Source: sciencedaily.com)

MAXFACTS hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Gatorponics Could Revive Defunct Chicken Farms

The symbiosis between fish farming and hydroponic vegetable growing is often touted as a Holy Grail of more sustainable food production, but why stop at fish? Aquaponics advocates Friendly Aquaponics has just proposed a new concept: gatorponics. They believe the system of farming alligators for meat and leather while using their poop to feed hydroponic vegetable beds could be the savior of many now-defunct chicken farms in the southern United States since certain types of large-scale chicken coops could be easily converted into gator pens and greenhouses. Friendly Aquaponics believes there are significant advantages over traditional aquaponic farms; in fact, they are so confident they are offering their design and consulting services for free to the first person willing to try this out. (Source: treehugger.com)

Gardening Robots Seek Your Help

Think of a tiny garden riding on the back of a walking robot that seeks you out for help in finding light and water to care for the plants. Well, that’s exactly what TE+ND Rovers, designed by Marnia Johnston and Corey McGuire, are. Johnston writes, “The goal of the project is to illustrate the plight of California’s native habitats, to disperse native plants in a new way, to encourage the general public to participate in conservation and to think about what is native. (Source: treehugger.com) 26

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Students Develop Hydroponic Furniture

This past semester, the Interactive Telecommunications Graduate Program at NYU’s Tisch school conducted its first ever course in living systems, which encouraged students to take on projects related to ecology, environmental data management and, obviously, living systems. One of the projects created in the course was Planting Steps, a fully-functional household hydroponic farm composed of four modular shelves that create a viable ebb-and-flow hydroponic system for your living room. Students also built a bathroom aquaponic system to filter pollutants in the bathroom air. The system is divided into four cells, and dracaena, Boston fern and English ivy absorb chemicals in the air while algae and anaerobic bacteria in other cells break down potential toxic chemicals in the water. (Source: inhabitat.com)

Help Kickstart Bitponics: the Siri of Hydroponic Growing

Ever wish there was a hydroponics-for-dummies button that you could press to evaluate your set-up and tell you what you needed to do every step along the way? Well, Bitponics’ Kickstarter project could be just that. Described as “your personal gardening assistant,” Bitponics is a device and website that promises to simplify hydroponic growing for everyone. You enter your set-up and plants that you are growing, and it provides you with a personalized growing plan. Sensors in the device send data to the Bitponics website, which in turn sends notifications back to the device to control things such as pumps and lights. (Source: treehugger.com)

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Plants Could Use Light Even More Effectively for Food Production

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

Vermicompost Beneficial for Organically Grown Tomatoes

Marketable yields of organic horticultural crops frequently fall below those of conventional crops. However, researchers recently concluded that the addition of vericompost to organic substrate was beneficial for tomato growth. In addition to the benefit of higher yields, the substrates containing vermicompost also produced a significantly lower incidence of defective fruit. (Source: sciencedaily.com)

Maximum Yield USAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;August 2012

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Plant Perfumes Woo Beneficial Bugs to Their Roots

Scientists have discovered that maize crops emit chemical signals that attract growth-promoting microbes to live among their roots. This research could be particularly useful in the fight against soil-borne pests and diseases. By breeding plants that are better at recruiting disease-suppressing and growth-promoting bacteria, scientists hope to reduce agricultural reliance on fertilizers and pesticides. (Source: sciencedaily.com)

How to Identify and Prevent Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a widespread disease whose characteristic white spots make your plants look like they’re covered in flour. Young, fresh growth is usually most susceptible, and the disease can lead to a loss of your fruit or vegetable crops and even kill entire plants. To control powdery mildew, avoid watering overhead to reduce the relative humidity around your plants (keep it below 90%). Selective pruning of overcrowded and overgrown plant material could help lower relative humidity and increase air circulation. Also, remove and destroy any infected plant parts with signs of infection. You can also use a homemade spray made of 1 tbsp. baking soda, 1 tbsp. liquid soap and 1 tbsp. vegetable oil mixed in 1 gal. water. Test spray and if there aren’t any adverse affects to your plant, apply to the entire plant once a week. Ideally, spray early in the morning after you have watered and on an overcast day to avoid burning your plant. (Source: treehugger.com)

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

MAX FACTS

hydroponic news, tips and trivia

Urban Mushroom Farm Pops Up in Seattle Storefront

Design team CityLab7 recently installed an experimental tented mushroom farm in Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects’ studio. This educational and interactive space displays 215 oyster mushroom growbags, giving an example of how small-scale urban farming really works. As homage to the city renowned for its coffee culture, visitors to the space will also see how coffee grounds donated from local cafés can be recycled into compost. (Source: inhabitat.com)

Red Tomato, Yellow Tomato, Purple Tomato

For many people, every tomato bought looks like a carbon copy of the one before it. However, food diversity means not all tomatoes are big and red. Some are yellow; some are even purple. But what does genetic diversity mean to the average person who can go to their local supermarket and buy anything at any time of the year? For those of us who are interested in helping people understand the issue of genetic diversity in food, Diane Ott Whealy—co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange—offers some advice: get people to walk a garden that displays this variety. Showcasing genetic diversity in your home and garden can be as easy as utilizing heirloom plants. You can purchase them through organizations like Seed Savers Exchange, which works to preserve and promote the many varieties of heirloom plants. (Source: treehugger.com)

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

YOUR GUIDE TO THIS MONTH’S

HOTTEST ITEMS Ask for them at your local indoor gardening store Atmosphere’s ProFilters

The new and revolutionary line of ProFilters has arrived. The ProFilters have the thickest carbon bed, manufactured with high-porosity 4 mm virgin-extruded activated carbon. All flanges, end-cap and filter ends are made with high-impact-resistant polycarbonate. The flanges also feature a rubber gasket, ensuring air-tight fitness. A twist lock system has been designed on both the flanges and end-caps, easing the installation. The pre-filter, now thicker and attached to the filter with elastic bands, has a high dust-holding capacity (670g/M²) and a low air resistance. And, of course, the ProFilters are still the only reversible carbon filters on the market, which make them the longest-lasting filter ever made! For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

DuraDampers by Sunleaves Another fine product is available from the Sunleaves family of brands. Sunleaves DuraDampers provide reliable ventilation control. Available in a range of size options (4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 in.), this product can fit almost any indoor garden. Sunleaves DuraDampers also feature sturdy zinc-anodized steel construction and neoprene grommets, so they’re made to last. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

All-in-One by MICROBE Life Hydroponics MICROBE Life’s All-in-One contains essential primary and secondary nutrients, and is a specialized formula of micro- and macronutrients for vegetables and plants of all types. Use this low-analysis supplement once or twice weekly for larger, brighter, faster blooms and healthier, stronger roots. This product can be used in hydro- or soil-based systems and is also safe for use in aquaponics. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Vital Landscaping's Vital Kelp Soluble Seaweed Extract 1-1-17 Vital Kelp is an extract made from Ascophyllim nodosum, a marine plant exclusive to the North Atlantic. It’s a super soluble, potassium-rich organic ingredient from the sea known to be rich in micro- and macronutrients, cytokines, amino acids and proteins that aid in overall plant and soil health. Vital Kelp can be used as a stand-alone foliar spray or root drench. Vital Kelp is also a must-have ingredient for compost tea and extracts, and is available in 1 and 20 lb. bags. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Hydroponic Fusion Systems by SuperPonics Supercloset, the industry-leading original equipment manufacturer of hydroponic systems, grow boxes and growrooms, is excited to begin supplying select stores with their SuperPonics line. Their portfolio of products includes the celebrated SuperPonics 16 (which fuses top feed and DWC), the brand new SuperFlow (the only aeroponic system that won’t clog and can be used with organic nutrients) and the recent winner of best bucket system: the hugely successful Super BubbleFlow Buckets. This monster system combines recirculating bubble buckets with “bottom to top” feed to produce the fastest and biggest growing plants possible. Also available to stores is SuperPonics’ inimitable vertical grow system, the Big Buddha Box. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Coral Calcium by OD's Distribution

Grodan’s Grow-Chunks

Our Coral Calcium is a 34%-water-soluble calcium supplement. Coral Calcium is harvested in the Caribbean from sunken World War II ships, inoculated with coral and then harvested every five years. Because of the rich biodiversity of the ocean, Coral Calcium provides over 70 important minerals that are essential for all growing plants. By re-mineralizing the soil, Coral Calcium increases plants’ energy level for higher-quality and healthier plants even through stressful periods. It also dramatically restores a healthy calcium balance in plants. Coral Calcium helps aerate your soil, creating better oxygen exchange in the root zone. Coral Calcium offers the most concentrated source of calcium and is the most cost-effective calcium product on the market today. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Grodan’s Grow-Chunks are a bigger version of Grow-Cubes. GrowChunks can be used alone as a hydroponic media or mixed with peat, soil or other mediums to create a better environment for your roots. How? Grow-Chunks are inert, all water and nutrients are readily available and you get better aeration. And, unlike peat, Grodan is a 100% sustainable product. Grow-Chunks are also a great replacement for clay pellets in ebb and flow bucket systems. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Grow More’s Bio-Cozyme Bio-Cozyme by Grow More is an organic bio-stimulant that benefits from a cutting-edge fermentation extraction. This extraction enhances a plant’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients by controlling the nutrient movement through the stem, leaves and roots, and augmenting the enzyme function in the plant. It acts as a regulatory measure for your root zone that increases the synthesis of chlorophyll and stimulates cell division. More importantly, the bottom line: bigger yields. Often referred to as “the original zyme formula,” its naturally occurring ionic precursors, cytokinins, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and micronutrients are derived from alfalfa meal, barley meal, hydrolyzed plant extracts, maize extract, mung beans, shark liver and tomato extract. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Vitamins & Amino Acids by MICROBE Life’s Hydroponics This buffered solution of vitamins and amino acids contains a blend of all of the essential micronutrients and minerals required—and that might not be present in your current nutrient program—by many fruits, vegetables and plants. It can be used in hydro or soil set-ups, and is also safe for use in aquaponics. Vitamins will help your plants flourish as long as you know what you are giving them and why. Amino acids—the true building blocks of all proteins—are required by plants throughout all stages of growth and are helpful when plants are under stress. Amino acids act as chelating molecules of essential nutrients during all stages of plant development. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Sunleaves Light Stand The Sunleaves Light Stand is a rigid, steel-frame structure with a 55 in. width. It also has two height options of 3 ft. and 6.5 ft., and can support up to 50 lb. of lighting for propagation or mature plants. It provides maximum growth results with minimal effort. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Hydrofarm’s Active Aqua Reverse Osmosis Systems Healthy water grows healthier plants. Active Aqua Reverse Osmosis Systems and accessories are built to deliver the pure water plants need for optimum growth and explosive yields. Municipal water supplies and well water can contain heavy metals, pesticides, VOCs and other materials that harm plants and that can upset the delicate balance of minerals in your nutrient solution. Active Aqua RO Systems remove contaminants so that your plants get just the water and nutrients they need and nothing else. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Sun Gro’s Sunshine Mix #4 With Myco (Consumer Size) Sunshine Mix #4—a popular growing mix with commercial greenhouse operations—is now available in a convenient 3 cu. ft. size to meet consumer needs for performance and package convenience. To give consumers professional level performance, the enhanced Mix #4 has been fortified with mycorrhizae and a modified starter-nutrient charge with a lower phosphorous level to facilitate the early mycorrhizal establishment in plants grown in the new mix. Increased horticultural grade perlite was also added, making this mix a great choice for the wide variety of plants that require improved root zone aeration. All of these consumer-oriented technical improvements make Mix #4 an ideal choice for both indoor and outdoor gardening. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Vegetable & Fruit Yield Enhancer by MICROBE Life’s Hydroponics MICROBE Life’s Vegetable & Fruit Yield Enhancer with endomycorrhizal fungi is a highly active and balanced blend of microbes and humic substances that combines photosynthetic cultures and essential elements. Formulated specifically to enhance the yield of vegetables and fruit, this product aids the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients more efficiently. MICROBE Life’s Vegetable & Fruit Yield Enhancer also speeds seed germination, root development and shoot outgrowth. Additionally, it increases nutrient value and enhances overall plant health and yield. What’s more, it’s safe for use in hydroponic, soil and aquaponics. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Just Right Xtra’s Smaller Option Sunleaves Super Starter Cloner Due to customer demand, Sunleaves is excited to deliver the new Sunleaves Super Starter Cloner 12-site cloning system. This basic cloning system includes a 6 gal. reservoir, a lid with access plug, 2 in. net pots, 2 in. Super Starter Inserts, a submersible water pump and a misting manifold. The system is also reusable for multiple propagation cycles. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Just Right Xtra, the well-known premium potting mix, now comes in a more convenient-to-carry 0.5 cu. ft. size. These organic “Bags of Biology™” contain a balance of nutrients, minerals, structure and microbiological agents to encourage vigorous plant growth. Easier to lift, these grab-and-go bags contain the same great Just Right Xtra product in bags one-third the size. Also well-suited for apartment dwellers and gardeners with space limitations, the smaller bags offer a choice for those who don’t need an entire full-sized 1.5 cu. ft. bag at once. Just right for a few houseplants—or cut the top off and poke a few holes in the bottom for an impromptu flowerpot. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Grodan’s Grow-Cubes Grodan Grow-Cubes are a versatile product that can be used alone, with hydroponic growing methods or in conjunction with other media. Adding some Grow-Cubes can improve your growing results if you are currently using peat, soil or soilless mixes since these mixes can hold back nutrients and water. Grow-Cubes are inert, so all water and nutrients are readily available. This product also adds layer of aeration. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Vital Lanscaping's Vital Fish 2.5-5-0.25 We are proud to have a new and improved Vital Fish. Vital Fish Hydrolysate is a natural cold-pressed fish fertilizer that has macro- and micronutrients, and is rich in oils that help feed the beneficial fungi in soil. Fish hydrolysate has been a staple in organic agriculture for decades. This, like all of the Vital products, serves multiple functions by feeding your beneficial microbes and giving your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. This product is available in 1, 5 and 55 gal. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

G-Rex by Cutting Edge Solutions G-Rex by Cutting Edge Solutions is a proprietary blend of uniquely derived components that support root health and protection. Plant roots need the magic that only G-Rex can bring them—an exuberant dose of strength that propels the plant into larger, more dramatic growth. Our unique formulation process ensures only the most viable and active materials are readily available to your plants. G-Rex contains organically derived sources of naturally occurring plant compounds that cause higher levels of cell division to occur in the rhizosphere. What this means is plants propagated from cuttings grow faster, with a greater rhizosphere surface area to absorb nutrients. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Hydrofarm’s Autopilot Hydrofarm is pleased to announce the arrival of Autopilot, their line of high-quality environmental controllers, timers and CO2 monitors. Autopilot’s mission is simple: to provide indoor gardeners with environmental-control instrumentation that is userfriendly and durable, incorporates an optimal level of performance and does so at the lowest cost of ownership possible. Autopilot by Hydrofarm provides excellence through design, resulting in products that are useful throughout the horticulture industry, delivering quality, performance and value in digital and analog environmental-control instrumentation. Free your inner control freak today with Autopilot by Hydrofarm. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

UNO's CO2 Regulators

Plants require carbon dioxide for healthy growth, and they can generally benefit from increased ambient CO2 levels. The crew at UNO Horticulture Lighting has a new CO2 combination regulator-emitter designed to help make bringing additional CO2 to your garden easy. The UNO CO2 Regulator/ Emitter will allow you to maintain higher CO2 levels for improved growth. The regulator features an accurate, easy-to-adjust CO2 flow meter with solenoid valve and is pre-set, so it never needs adjusting. For broadcasting the CO2, the emitter tubing can either be statically placed or attached to a back of an oscillating fan for powered dispersion. For best results, pair with a sealed light hood with independent airflow to prevent excess CO2 loss within the garden. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Hydrofarm’s Raptor Reflector 6 in. AC Unit The new Raptor 6 in. mega reflector was designed with our customers’ needs in mind. You wanted big, broad, bright light coverage, so our engineers built all that into our newest Raptor addition. It features a low-profile design for optimum light uniformity, an aerodynamic socket to streamline the airflow across the lamp and a full four-sided, 95% reflective specular interior that offers excellent reflectivity and diffusion. The Raptor 6 in. is stronger and more durable, and is completely sealed with gasketed tempered glass. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Black Gold’s Earthworm Castings Black Gold® Earthworm Castings pack a wonderful nutritional punch for your plants. They are so nutrient-charged that some states consider them fertilizers. Minerals and nutrients from earthworm castings are in a water-soluble form, making them readily available to plants. For this reason, many people like to brew a “tea” with castings, and then pour that rich liquid directly onto plants. Additionally, there is virtually no odor when using castings, making them useful in both outdoor and indoor applications. Castings can be used alone as a nutrient-rich top dressing or blended with soil to improve soil structure and stimulate plant growth. Black Gold® Earthworm Castings are now available in the new 8 qt. size, making them an easy-to-use size for consumers. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Grow More’s Mendocino Honey Grow More’s Mendocino Honey is an organic-based sweetener derived from molasses, yucca extract, yucca shidigera, seaweed extract and the soil-amending ingredient montmorillonite, which is a source of over 70 trace elements. Trace elements have proven catalytic properties to boost yield and increase the absorption rate. They act synergistically with vitamins, enzymes and amino acids to enhance bio-availability. Mendocino Honey is a naturally sweet carbohydrate, plus it has organic carbon to stimulate the growth of beneficial microbes and fungi in the root zone. Use Mendocino Honey’s naturally chelated complex to supply the essential trace elements that your crops need to remain healthy. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Hesi's Starter Kit Hesi, imported from Holland, is the name of a magic recipe for plants. Valuable additives like amino acids, enzymes and plant sugar turn every high-quality Hesi product into a source of health for your plants. Through intensive research into the secrets of plant metabolism, Hesi succeeded in developing an optimally balanced vitamin mix for each phase of the plant cycle. These vital materials enhance the energy and have a stimulating effect on the plants. This way the growth and blossoming of the plants are activated. The free Hesi brochures and information sheets provide solid knowledge and practical information. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

T-Rex by Cutting Edge Solutions T-Rex by Cutting Edge Solutions is the first and only liquid mycorrhizal nutrient complex available for organic gardeners. Our analytical laboratory isolates its own natural beneficial organisms in the pristine soils of northern California. T-Rex motivates your plants to get a head start during vegetating phases of growth. This motivation can be seen in a more dynamic growth curve, which facilitates greater internodal expansion. Greater plant expansion means more growth points, and that means your reproductive cycle will be where you want it to be. You will find that T-Rex is never dehydrated, always liquid fresh and the number one biomechanism activator for your plants. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Ideal-Air's SEER Mini Split Air Conditioners Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the new 12,000, 24,000 and 36,000 BTU 13 SEER Mini Split Air Conditioners from Ideal-AirTM. These new units now can be used with the optional programmable thermostat with up to four temperature settings each day. An optional day/night mode is also now available. Most mini split air conditioners require a service technician for installation. However, the Ideal-Air Mini Split Air Conditioners are perfect for the grower with the do-it-yourself mentality; its quick-connect fittings and pre-charged line sets to make installation a breeze for any skill level. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Granular Kelp Meal by OD's Distribution Granular Kelp Meal Fertilizer is a 100% organic soil amendment harvested sustainably from the clean waters of Nova Scotia from the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum. Granular Kelp Meal feeds the beneficial soil microbes and contributes essential amino acids and carbohydrates that feed the plant directly. It also contains essential proteins. Granular Kelp Meal fertilizer adds potash to the soil, which increases yield, nutritional value, flower production and improves disease resistance. Granular Kelp Meal fertilizer stays in the soil for many months (feeding plant and soil microbes), which means less frequent applications. With an essential NPK of 4-0.1-2.3 Granular Kelp Meal fertilizer is a cost-effective all-purpose fertilizer. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Sunlight Supply’s Hydro Flow Sunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Hydro Flow. Hydro Flow is a new line of irrigation fittings that offers strength and durability. Our complete line of fittings is known for its superior performance and reliability. Hydro Flow offers every fitting needed for any indoor or outdoor gardening application. Our exclusive soft-feel fittings use a special plastic resin that makes them friendly to the hand and fingers. These non-corrosive plastic fittings are guaranteed to provide a secure, watertight and airtight connection. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Hum-Tea by Cutting Edge Solutions The biomechanisms in Cutting Edge Solutions’ Hum-Tea are directly related to the success of your plant’s health. The mineral catalysts found in Hum-Tea activate the mechanisms that facilitate uptake into the plant system. The incredible diversity in Hum-Tea provides the correct micro-environment for oxygen levels to be consistent and deliverable to the plant’s rhizosphere. As the brewing process accelerates and the biomechanisms work on the organics present in the Hum-Tea, there is a literal succession of diversity that acts to accelerate the mineral environment that the plants require to grow faster and produce higher-quality yields. Overall, Hum-Tea is formulated to bring you the richest biodynamic environment possible in soil and hydroponic systems. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Leonardite by OD's Distribution Leonardite is the remains of plants, animals and microorganisms from dried-up oceans that were buried under soil and rock and have never been exposed to heat. Leonardite contains humic matter, which is made of complex organic molecules formed by the breakdown of organic matter. It is a class of compounds with variable structure, functionalities and reactivities. Leonardite humic matter is characterized as three types of organics: fulvic, humic and humus. Leonardite is 85% humus, making it the best and cheapest source of humus on the market. For more information, visit your local indoor gardening retail shop.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Maximum Yield USA | A

Photons The Secret to Light

Speed Growth by Grubbycup Plants cannot grow without light, and the amount of light reaching your plants greatly affects how well they grow. Here, Grubbycup takes you through some of the math that will help determine if your plants are getting enough…

Photons are the tiny particle(ish) waves of energy that are more commonly referred to as a group with the term “light.” Plants use photons, when they’re in usable wavelengths, in order to first split the hydrogen from the oxygen in water and then combine the freed hydrogen with carbon dioxide to create the sugar glucose needed for growth. This process is known as photosynthesis. One common unit of measurement for light strength—or, intensity—is lux (lx). A lux is the amount of light given off by one candle at a distance of one meter spread over a square with one meter sides. Depending on location, direct outdoor sunlight is around 100,000 lx, and many full-sun garden plants need at least 25,000 to 50,000 lx to do well.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Recreating

sun the

Key Elements of Artificial Lighting for Highly Productive Plant Growth by Mike Anderson

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

Intensity, spectrum and focus are three key essentials of highquality lighting, both natural and artificial. When these three core elements are combined into a comprehensive indoorlighting system, it allows a grower to focus attention to other areas of plant growth like disease and bug prevention, plant nutrition and environmental control. However, before explaining the essential lighting elements, one must first understand how high-intensity discharge (HID) grow lamps create light. One of the best ways to begin learning how lamps create light is to compare HID lamps to something more familiar: the incandescent light bulb. In incandescent bulbs, electricity freely flows into the lamp (bulb) through the base and up to the filament. As the energy tries to flow across the filament, it slows down due to the resistance caused by the filament material and construction. This reduction in speed

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

generates heat, which causes the filament to glow. The hotter the filament gets, the brighter the light becomes. The key point: incandescent light sources have a filament that carries the electricity through the lamp and provides the visible light. HID lamps—metal halide (MH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS)—on the other hand do not have a filament. Instead, they contain an arc tube made from either quartz or ceramic materials. This is where the electrical discharge (hence the term “high-intensity discharge”) happens. Electrical discharge is similar to the arcing of a lightning strike, only much lower in terms of power and much longer in time. Electricity flows into the lamp from the ballast and stops at an electrode on one side of the arc tube. The ballast then pushes the electricity across the gap (from one electrode to the other) inside the arc tube, creating a mini lightning bolt

Recreating the Sun

“

Electrical called an arc stream. discharge The ballast then is similar to works hard to the arcing of maintain this arc a lightning stream inside strike, only the arc tube for much lower as long as the in terms of lamp power and is powered. much longer in The HID lamp time. gives off a fair amount of light while this arc stream is happening, but not anywhere near the amount required for plant growth. However, the arc stream also heats up chemicals inside the tube that produces an incredible amount of light once the lamp comes to full power. These chemicals are unique in their composition and ratios, and

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

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

“

More recently, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) has become a more meaningful way of quantifying light energy for plant growth. In very simple terms, PAR is the portion of a light’s energy that plants use to trigger photosynthesis. Some argue that ultraviolet light (UV) and infrared light (IR) are also critical for healthy plant growth, but these types of light are not included in the PAR scale. However, no matter whether you describe light intensity in lumens or PAR, it remains true that your plants will grow better when you have more intensity. It is often asked, “Can a plant have too much light?” The answer is yes, but these levels are typically extremely high and are plant specific. For example, desert plants tolerate much higher light levels than flower species that grow under the canopy of the rain forest. Other environmental issues also come into play and limit how much light should be used in a grow area. In other words, the better a grow environment is controlled, the higher the light levels can be provided.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

“

Spectrum

“

As light intensity increases, light spectrum becomes more important.

Spectrum is the second most significant criterion for plant lighting. As light intensity increases, light spectrum becomes more important—this cannot be stressed enough. As stated earlier, solar radiation is perfect for plant growth. Sunlight is intense and has a broad and balanced spectrum. Indoor plants require this same highintensity, broad-but-balanced spectrum. The chemistry inside a HID lamp’s arc tube is what produces the light that provides those spectrums. When considering different light sources for indoor gardening, pay attention to the spectral distribution charts published for the lamps. These charts explain the quality of light produced by each lamp and offers the opportunity to compare the light sources and make the best choice for your garden. Keep in mind too that there are only a few laboratories in the world that make chemistry for HID lamps. As a result, many companies use the same lamp chemistries, meaning that they produce similar light spectrums.

Focus Focus is the final essential element for high-quality plant lighting. Delivering light where it is needed is the job of a reflector. Well-designed reflectors deliver with excellent uniformity a higher percentage of the available light to where it’s needed. Choosing a good reflector is worth the additional up-front cost; high-quality reflectors use better materials that hold up to the heat, dust, dirt and moisture found in indoor gardens. They also use more effective designs. Using cheaper reflectors that more quickly degrade and lose their effectiveness could result in the light energy not being delivered to the plants. High-quality indoor plant lighting is not a mystery. Good results can be achieved by utilizing high-quality light sources and lighting systems. Good lighting comes from well-engineered materials and designs that produce intense light with broad and balanced spectrums. Focusing this light requires well-designed reflectors with high-quality materials that ensure a majority of the light reaches the plants in a uniform fashion over a long period of time. While the incredible intensity, spectrum and focus of our sun’s solar radiation cannot be duplicated in indoor gardens, high-quality indoor lighting is, in some ways, superior to outdoor growing…there are no cloudy days in indoor gardening! MY Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

The

red The

by Philip McIntosh

&BLUE

of It

Many gardeners have always known the technical advantages of LEDs, but the high initial cost can be a deterrent. However, as the price of LED lighting continues to drop, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at this technology…

The technical advantages of light-emitting diodes (LEDs)—low power requirement, low cost of operation, low heat output, high efficiency, compact form, precise direction and intensity control, shock resistance and long life—have always been clear, but the high initial purchase cost has prevented wider adoption. Times are changing, though, and LEDs with higher intensities and lower costs are making this technology an ever-more attractive choice for grow lights. While the cost still gives potential users pause, consider this—the cost per thousand lumens (kl) for LEDs dropped from $36 to $18 over the course of a single year (2009 to 2010) and it is estimated that this price will decrease to as low as $2 per kl by 2015. That is an impressive price reduction in a short time.

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

LED basics LEDs are semiconductor devices, which makes them completely different than any other kind of lightIn fact, one of the ing on the advantages of LED grow market. LEDs lights is that they emit are manumonochromatic light, or factured in foundries, or light in a very narrow fabs, using wavelength band. the same kinds of technology and equipment used to manufacture integrated circuits and microprocessors. White or seemingly broad spectrum LED lamps are available for household use (reading lamps, task lighting, etc.) and for portable use (flashlights, camping lamps, headlamps and the like), but white is not a natural output color for an LED. In fact, one of the advantages of LED grow lights is they emit monochromatic light, or light in a very narrow wavelength band. Since photosynthesis is preferentially driven by specific bands of red and blue light, LEDs offer the opportunity to provide energy of the required wavelengths without wasting any of the output on wavelengths that are not useful for photosynthesis. In theory at least, this should make red, blue or red-blue combination LED lamps less expensive than white LED lights because additional steps have to be taken to get an LED device to emit white light.

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Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

THE RED AND THE BLUE OF IT

”

LEDs are direct current (DC) devices, meaning they require some power conversion and conditioning to operate.

”

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

of light of a specific wavelength. This electrically stimulated emission of photons is called n-type p-type electroluminescence. The wavelength of the emission can be hole electron adjusted by controlling the chemical light makeup of the semiFermi level conductor materials band gap and by mixing the (forbidden band) light of different valence band colored LEDs in a Figure 1. Diagram of an LED single device. LEDs are made in a Anode Cathode few basic shapes and sizes, but ones useful for grow lighting are fairly large (as LEDs Figure 2. Schematic symbol for an LED go), packaged in a base and covered by a plastic “bulb.” The the bulb (which is made from a type of base supports the mounting wires and plastic resin) provides some options in recombination

A physical schematic view of a typical LED is shown in figure one and the electrical symbol for an LED is shown in figure two. As you can see in the first figure, two semiconductor materials are placed in contact with each other. One material is an n-type semiconductor, meaning it has a surplus of negativecharge-carrying particles (namely, electrons). The other material is a p-type semiconductor that contains a surplus of positive-charge carriers, which are referred to as “holes.” When a voltage is applied across the material junction, electrons flow through and they fall into the holes. As this happens, the electrons lose energy, which is then emitted as photons

THE RED AND THE BLUE OF IT

to grow light applications. These are ultra red (660 nm), which are fabricated from gallium aluminum arsenide, and high-efficiency red (635 nm), which use gallium arsenide phosphide and gallium phosphide. Arsenic and arsenide—sound rather dangerous, Prior to its terms of focusing don’t they? Yes, or dispersing the arsenic is a toxic invention in 1962, other emitted light. material, but in LEDs under research LEDs are diLEDs, it exists in emitted light that was rect current (DC) small amounts not visible to the human devices, meaning of a stable solid they require some form that do not eye (such as in the power conversion represent an enviinfrared range). and conditioning to ronmental threat operate.You can’t even if disposed just take an LED of in a landfill. and plug it in to a wall socket, but as a Also, you have to try pretty hard to break practical matter, manufacturers provide an LED, so even if by some form of accithe necessary circuitry to allow them to dent or abuse red LEDs are broken open, be operated off standard household or there is little chance of industrial power sources. arsenic contamination.

”

Red LEDs

Blue LEDs

The red LED holds a special place in LED history. Prior to its invention in 1962, other LEDs under research emitted light that was not visible to the human eye (such as in the infrared range). It was Nick Holonyak, Jr. who came up with a way to synthesize a semiconductor material—gallium arsenide phosphide—that resulted in the first useful visible light LED. Even so, red LEDs were at first mostly a subject of scientific curiosity and research due their high cost (hundreds of dollars each) and LEDs did not achieve an economically feasible price point for nearly another decade. Plants like red light with wavelengths of about 640 to 675 nanometers (nm). It just happens that LEDs with outputs in that range are readily available, and there are two in particular that are well-suited

The blue LED proved to be much more difficult to come by than the red. The first blue LEDs appeared in the early 1970s, but had a very low output. Commercially practical blues did not appear until 1989. Then, in the 1990s, these lights were revolutionized in Japan with the introduction of high power blue LEDs. Plants absorb blue light in the range of about 400 to 450 nm. One type of LED in particular is perfect for meeting these

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

wavelength requirements: the ultra blue (430 nm), which consists of a substrate made from the semiconductor materials silicon carbide and gallium nitride.

Red-Blue combination lighting So, does it make sense to build a light fixture containing a combination of only red and blue LEDs? You bet. An array of red and blue LEDs are available in both circular and rectangular panels designed to be hung above plants or mounted on walls. Some include separate controls to manually adjust the output ratio of red to blue light. There are also compact bulblike products that can be screwed into a standard Edison-base light fixture. Large arrays of blue and red LEDs can take the place of high intensity discharge (HID) lamps and fluorescent fixtures. Although the electroluminescent process itself does not generate much heat, the electricity used to make it happen does heat up the LED bases. When a bunch of them are put together, enough heat can be generated to require a cooling fan. Fortunately, most of the heating occurs at the back of the fixture, so LED lights can still be placed closer to plants than HID lamps. Smaller LED lamps can also be placed under the top of the plant canopy and directly among plants to provide light to the lower leaves. What might the future bring with respect to red and blue LED grow lights?

THE RED AND THE BLUE OF IT

Well, one intriguing idea is to produce a lamp that varies its red/blue ratio over time under computer control. Such lamps would be similar to ones already in production that combine both colors, except the circuits used to control the red and blue outputs would be automatically controlled with a computer. Why would this be desirable? Well, many plants regulate their flowering and fruiting cycle based on the ratio of red to blue light. As the summer comes to an end in nature, the relative amount of red light received on Earth tends to increase. Many plants have evolved to use this phenomenon as a signal to shift from vegetative growth mode into reproduction mode. So, a lamp that would automatically mimic this gradual shift over a time could conceivably improve crop performance by exposing plants to a more natural light environment. With further research, it might even be found that varying the red-blue ratio throughout a daylight period to simulate sunrise and sunset could have a beneficial effect on the performance of some crops. Moreover, it is possible that the use of wavelengths not directly associated with photosynthesis—such as far red or ultraviolet—might have desirable effects on plant processes. So, even if LEDs do not play a direct role in these aspects of plant physiology, in actual agriculture practice it might be able to play a role in the research. In any case, if the cost of LEDs does drop to $2/kl over the next few years, we can expect to see a rapid and dramatic shift into LED lighting for many uses. MY

References Anonymous. Solid State Lighting: LED Basics. U.S. Department of Energy. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/sslbasics_ledbasics.html <accessed May 31, 2012> Anonymous. Technical LED Color Chart. http://www.oksolar.com/led/ led_color_chart.htm <accessed June 1, 2012> Anonymous. Nick Holonyak, Jr., 2004 Lemelson-MIT Prize Winner. http:// web.mit.edu/invent/a-winners/a-holonyak.html <accessed June 1, 2012> Lots of LED information, both historical and more recent (up to 2008) including a collection of LED spectra, can be found at ledmuseum.org 82

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

tips And tricks

by Matt LeBannister

Making the Most of Your

Lights

There are many important tools needed when gardening indoors, but none are quite as necessary as your lights. Using your lights efficiently can be the difference between a good crop and a great crop. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your lights.

Maximum Yield USAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;|â&#x20AC;&#x201A;August 2012

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Give Your Ground a Surprise Pop Quiz by Annie Spiegelman

Having your yard landscaped can be expensive; so, before you or someone else starts digging, be sure to take the soil test so your money doesn’t go to waste…

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

SOIL TESTING

If you’re thinking about having your yard landscaped, here are some questions to first ask yourself (and anyone else who looks remotely interested) about your backyard soil: • Is the soil worked easily? • Is the soil full of living organisms? • Are earthworms abundant in the soil? • Is water and air available for plant growth? • Does my garden make me look good? “I’m really, really mystified by homeowners who will plop down $30,000 to a landscape designer who will come up with a plant palette without ever thinking to take a spoonful of soil to test it first,” says Professor Stephen Andrews, soil scientist at UC Berkeley. “One of the criteria for selecting a landscape architect is to give them a soil quiz! Ask them what kind of soil test they will be providing. Be an informed consumer.”

"we compost-spinning tree huggers believe all home gardeners caring for a plot of land, large or small, can be become superb stewards of their gift from Mother Nature by learning a little soil science." So, after you’re done hating your compacted soil and admiring yourself in front of the mirror in your new garden hat, it’s time to get scientific.Why? Because we compost spinning tree huggers believe all home gardeners caring for a plot of land, large or small, can be become superb stewards of their gift from Mother Nature by learning a little soil science. “If you’re going to do any type of landscaping project, make sure to test your soil first to understand what kind of a baseline you have,” says Andrews. “If you’re changing a large backyard area, doing drainage work or you’ve just purchased a new home, go get a commercial soil test done. It might cost you a few hundred dollars, but you’ll have a thorough analysis and interpretation of your land. The soil scientists at the testing company will give you specific advice on how to proceed.” For the rest of us, who don’t have the green to spend on the brown, it’s perfectly fine to take the mom-andpop route. Head down to your local plant nursery and purchase a home garden test kit. A good soil test will run 90

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

SOIL TESTING

about $20. Do it with the kids or grandkids. Or, get the entire neighborhood and have a soil testing barbecue! One test kit will have enough tubes to do 10 soil tests.You may be the diva who

"When collecting your home soil sample, choose a few different sections of your yard." does everything organic, but…you’re living next to Charlie Chevron who uses every petrochemical on the planet. Get together and literally talk dirt.” With the home soil test, you’ll be testing your soil’s pH. The pH level will tell you if nutrients are actually available to your plants or if you’re just out fertilizing, polluting and wasting your hard-earned cash on garden products. “The ideal pH of soil for many common plants is 6.5. The reason we want the soil to be slighty acidic is because the plant nutrients are carried in a solution. If it’s slightly acidic, the nutrients can dissolve and can be transported,” says Andrews. “If the pH is too alkaline, the nutrients will sit there like lead balls of pasta, not going anywhere. By having it slightly acidic you have the best pH for nutrient uptake. To lower the pH, use coffee grounds, tea bags, sulfur, aged animal manure or compost. To raise the pH, add limestone or oyster or egg shells.” Home tests also check the availability of your soil’s macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). These are the main nutrients and minerals needed by your plants (which is why you’ll see the letters NPK on fertilizer containers). Once you know which nutrients are already hanging out in your soil, you won’t be wasting money on unnecessary products. When collecting your home soil sample, choose a few different sections of your yard. For instance, your edible garden in raised beds would be one test area, while your front lawn, a slope or a woody spot would each be a separate area to test. “For each chosen area, do a representative sampling. Pick 10 to 15 different spots in that area and dig down 6 to 8 in.,” recommends Andrews. “Remove critters, rocks, roots and plant material.You just want soil 92

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

SOIL TESTING

parts. Take all samples from that area and mix them into a plastic baggie. Label the bag and the area accordingly. For a lawn, dig down only 2 to 3 in..” If you’ve decided to do the commercial test, you’ll want to decide just how comprehensive a test you need. Andrews suggests testing for pH nutrient availability, particle size analysis, bulk density, moisture content, organic matter content, macro- and micronutrients and soluble salts. If you live in an urban area and are growing edibles, or in an older home where lead contamination from paint is prevalent, heavy metals testing should be done as well.

“The home soil test would be useful to do any time a considerable amount of plants in your yard look beaten down, chewed up or super sluggish."

As mentioned earlier, commercial soil testing should be done when you first move into a home. It should also be done every 10 years or so, depending on your budget and your gardening success or utter failure. The home soil test, on the other hand, would be useful to do any time a considerable amount of plants in your yard look beaten down, chewed up or super sluggish. (Gardeners don’t have patience for lollygagging plants. Testing your soil twice a year—once in the spring and again in the fall—is especially helpful if you’re growing fruits and vegetables year-round. “Cold season crops have different needs than warm season crops. Like us, our underground soil friends slow down when it’s colder outside,” says Andrews. “The bacteria slow down; but, once the soil warms up, the disco lights come on and they’re ready to party!” MY

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Freak Control How to Regulate Your Garden’s Artificial Lighting

by Darryl Barry lndoor greenhouses are illuminated by artificial lighting that is required to be on and off for many hours during the day and night. Controlling this lighting can be a big job, but thankfully we have some help...

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Controlling a growroom’s lighting requires the use of electrical controllers built to handle four to 100+ lights. Power requirements might even require the indoor greenhouse to be powered with three-phase power, single-phase power with a 200-A service or something even larger. A lighting controller consists of contactor(s), 120 V or 240V receptacles, a timer or trigger cord and breakers. Many companies sell these pre-assembled with everything contained in one enclosure, which is easy to mount and wire into the building’s main power. If you have the money, you can even hire an electrician to custom-build your lighting controllers and load centers. It’s also easy to mount a load center with several breakers (some for 240 V and 120 V), which is then connected to another enclosure (which is NEMA rated) with electrical metallic tubing pipe. This set-up is National Electrical Code (NEC) compliant, and mounting two separate enclosures is also safer and easier to service any of the contactors, relays, timer, programmable logic controller (PLC), high-temp shutoffs, printed circuit boards and other electronics or parts mounted inside. Still, remember that when you are servicing a load center, you might be required to turn off power before removing the load center’s cover. With larger load centers (100 A or more), a main breaker is a must have. This way, in case of emergency, all the power can be shut off by switching the single main breaker as opposed to 10 or 20 individual ones. The main power supplied to your indoor greenhouse will be either single-phase or three-phase. In commercial buildings, it is more likely to be three-phase, which can be either a WYE or high delta. Installing dozens of lights in a three-phase location can be tricky to balance the loads across all three legs of the power system. The voltage across two legs will be either 240 V

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Control Freak

or 208 V. In a high delta three-phase, the second leg is not 120 V to ground, it’s 208 V—so, if a 120 V device is ever connected to this second leg, it will be burned out. Also, make sure that your ballasts are wired for the correct voltage. Electronic ballasts have operating voltages from 90 V to 240 V. Coil and core ballasts have multiple input voltages for the transformer, so make sure the ballast is wired for the correct voltage on three-phase power to make sure it operate correctly. Some electronic or digital ballast also now feature dimming levels for the lights, which reduce power

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

consumption, as well as light levels and temperatures. Indeed, heat can be a major problem in greenhouses. As such, a controller’s breakers and heavy duty contactors should be separated so that the heat generated by the contactors does not affect the breakers, which will trip because of high temperatures. Also, if your load center is located in an area that gets warm (in excess of 100ºF), that will affect the breakers too. Another way to reduce heat in a greenhouse without sacrificing light levels is to turn about 10% of the lights off when temperatures get too high. Each time this is done, the lights can be sequenced to make sure they cycle, instead of just the same ones every time. A chessboard pattern would be the easiest to manage, and a load center or controller can be built to shut off the different lights each time the temperature rises. Keep in mind though that today’s offthe-shelf lighting controller won’t allow

custom lighting controls. To achieve this, an electrician must be hired to build a controller with PLC options to handle all the lighting control and protection.

A simple PLC can have eight input triggers and four outputs to control four contactors or ballasts. It can also have a simple timer board for four lights or ballasts, with four input triggers and four outputs. Then, if needed, the ballasts can be programmed with on and off delays, from 1/100 second to several minutes—all programmable down to seconds. The four input triggers can be plugged into a timer, heat sensor, flood detector, etc. Each of these input triggers would control the number of ballasts or lights to turn off or on in the event of activation. For example, a smoke detector could shut off all lights or ballasts immediately, while a temperature controller could turn off and on one or two lights a few times a day when the temperature rises. More complex PLCs can control everything from hundreds of lights to AC, fans, heating, CO2, pumps, sensors, etc. It can also control the ballast dimming levels via time schedules or temperature settings. (A touchscreen makes it easier to change the PLC parameters or time cycles). If there’s ever a concern about how many amps are being drawn when all of the devices are on, even intermittently, some digital ammeters can be installed to monitor power in real time. With larger indoor gardens, a flip is sometimes used to create opposite 12-hour cycles in two separate rooms of flowering lights. There are several off-theshelf flips, which all have the same layout, or an electrician can also easily build you a NEC-compliant flip.

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Control Freak

If you have two separate growrooms, then the lamp cords should be plugged into opposite sides of the flip enclosure. You can also link the flip to your load center to allow the off and on cycling of ballasts as required when lights are flipping from either side. When a PLC is installed in a flip, multiple-timing cycles and individual flip relay control is achieved. Even if the lights are flipped every hour (to allow a vegetative cycle in both growrooms), the ballasts can still be powered off and on—for even a few seconds to a few minutes— and stagger the delays in between. There are several models of lighting controllers available off-the-shelf that are safe and reliable, but always check with local electrical inspectors before you install. Even though they might have an ETL marking, you need to inquire as to what the ETL listing is for— it might just be for the components inside and that all of the components are UL- or CSA-tested or listed. Ask if the UL or CSA rating applies to the controller as a whole, and if it has a UPC code. A lighting controller needs an ETL listing and to be in compliance with NEC guidelines and policies for building and installing electrical devices. Both of these guidelines are government regulated, and inspectors have to ensure that all the power and appliances are all built safe and reliable. If you have the money, find a local licensed electrician to build a load center and controller unit that will be easy to mount and is 100% compliant and customizable. MY

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growing for health

Sunlight: How its Intensity, Transmittance and Spectral Composition Affect Plants by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.

The conversion of light energy (sunlight) into chemical energy by photosynthesis is the process that supports life on earth. However, the various characteristics of light energy have a large influence on how plants go about this process… The spectral wavelength range of sunlight is between 350 and 750 nanometers (nm). However, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), which is the portion of light wavelengths that participates in photosynthesis, has a range between 540 and 700 nm. Solar PAR (that is, naturally occurring PAR from the sun) varies considerably with latitude, altitude and the position of the sun based on the time of the year. PAR data can be used to select the location for green plant production, as well as illustrate the challenges that a grower can have in said selected location. (Other factors like hours of sunlight, degree of cloudiness and the characteristics of the atmosphere— suspended particles of dust, water vapor, etc.—can also be used for making a location decision). The following table is an example of a PAR data:

Solar PAR (moles per 10.76 sq. ft.) by location Location December June October–March Tucson, AZ Miami, FL San Diego, CA Denver, CO Philadelphia, PA Cleveland, OH New York, NY

23 25 21 17 10 8 6

63 44 48 58 46 48 44

195 187 172 153 100 92 78

Most light wavelengths have a significant influence on plant physiology. For example, the wavelength range of 400 to 800 nm (called photomorphogenic radiation) controls photochromic reactions, which governs development and differentiation of plant growth, respiration, vegetative growth, flowering, reproduction, elongation and dormancy. These influences and a variety of others are described in the following table. 102

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Breakdown of Wavelength Influence on Plant Physiology Wavelength Range (nm) Plant Response 280 to 315 315 to 400 400 to 520 520 to 610 620 to 720 720 to 1,000 Over 1,000 ___________ Source: Coene, 1995

Plant morphogenetic and physiological processes are influenced Chlorophyll slightly absorbs this light; photoperiod is influenced, holding back on elongation Large absorption of light by chlorophyll and carotenoids; photosynthesis process greatly influenced Low absorption by pigments Low absorption by chlorophyll; photosynthesis and photoperiod are greatly influenced Overall low absorption, cell elongation stimulated; flowering and germination influenced Absorption energy is converted to heat

As an example, wavelength characteristics of light have been shown to affect tomato plants. As would be expected, longer wavelength radiation (red and infrared) results in longer internodes, blue and green light have lesser affects, while the complete light spectrum (white) results in a more normal plant growth character. Plants are also affected by the intensity of sunlight, which varies depending on if the light radiation is direct or diffused. Solar intensity is determined by the light transmission characteristics of the atmosphere or, for those growing in a greenhouse, by the transmission characteristics of the glazing material. Another measure of the transmission characteristics of glazing materials is by their transmission coefficients. Although there can be small differences in light transmission characteristics among glazing materials, these differences become significant over the growing period of the plant due to their accumulated effects. In addition to a reduction in transmittance, there is also a wavelength shift when light passes through the atmosphere and glazing. This shift is not commonly recorded since the use of a spectrometer is required to measure the intensity at each wavelength. However, a shift in the wavelength distribution of transmitted light does affects a plant’s architecture (height, internode length, leaf form, etc.), foliage color, flowing, fruit set and rate of plant development. For example, tomato plants grown under glass have been observed to have long internodes with leaf color being dull green, while the tomato plants in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse have short internodes with a dark glossy green leaf color. This is because glass reduces the transmission of the shorter (blue) wavelengths of light and fiberglass reduces the transmission of the longer (red) wavelengths. For those gardeners growing plants under generated light instead of the sun, intensity and wavelength composition are both characteristics that need to be provided by light-generating devises since such characteristics significantly affect all aspects of plant growth. So, the proper selection of a light generating device needs to match the light requirements of the plant being grown. MY

Light (PAR) Transmission of Commonly Used Greenhouse Glazing Materials Glazing Material Transmission (PAR) Glass 90 Polyethylene 89 Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) 86 Fiberglass 82 Polycarbonate 80 Rigid PVC 70 ___________ Source: Morgan, 2003

Glazing Material

Transmission Coefficient

Single layer of glass Single layer of plastic film Single layer of fiberglass Double layer of plastic film Double layer of acrylic or polycarbonate _________ Source: Morgan, 2003

1.1 1.2 1.2 0.7 0.5

Resources

Beytes, C. (editor). 2003. Ball Redbook: Greenhouse and Equipment,Volume 1, 17th Edition. Ball Publishing, Batavia, IL. Coene,T. 1995. Greenhouse coverings uncovered. The GrowingEdge 6(3):66-73. Morgan, L. 2003. Inside greenhouse design. The GrowingEdge 14(3):26-38. Parker, D. 1994. Lighting for beginners, Part 1.The meaning of light. The GrowingEdge 5(4):53-57, 66-67. Wang, J.Y. 1963. Agricultural Meteorology. Pacemaker Press, Milwaukee,WI.

About the Author:

Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr. has 50 years of experience growing plants hydroponically. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens and has authored eight books and written articles for magazines that deal with hydroponic issues. He currently has his own consulting company, Grosystems, Inc. Dr. Jones currently lives in Anderson, SC, USA.

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Physiological

Disorders of Indoor Gardens

Indoor Gardening Allows gardeners to be fully in control of their plants. So, when physiological disorders strike, they can seem strange, mysterious and even sinister…

by Dr. Lynette Morgan

Indoor gardens can be a fairly intense environment for hydroponic plants. High levels of light, heat, carbon dioxide enrichment and a plentiful supply of water and nutrients give plants everything they could want; however, sometimes growth can still go awry with no obvious cause. Physiological disorders, which affect a plant’s development, are usually the culprit, and they are caused by environmental or cultural factors. Some of these physiological disorders, such as tip burn on heading lettuce or blossom-end rot on tomatoes, are common in indoor gardens, large-scale commercial greenhouses and outdoor production, so they are relatively wellunderstood and easily recognizable. Other physiological conditions, however, are 104

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much more specific to the enclosed environment of indoor hydroponic system and are not as well-understood or easily diagnosed by growers. Some physiological disorder symptoms are also non-specific, meaning the same symptom could be caused by a number of different issues— like plant pathogens, nutritional problems or a complex physiological problem. In this case, having a good idea of basic plant requirements and physiology is the best place to start.

Physiological problems in detail humidity & root pressure issues

Humidity levels—if not kept below a certain level—might be more often associated with an increased risk of fungal and bacterial disease; however, it also plays

an important role in plant physiology. The plant must be able to transpire and lose water in order to maintain the transpiration stream within itself. If transpiration is slowed down due to high humidity or lack of air movement (which removes the stale and humid boundary layer sounding the leaf), then elements like calcium can’t be transported fast enough to the developing leaf tips and fruit. When this occurs, many inexperienced growers mistake the resulting brown or black tissue of blossom-end rot (BER)— in tomatoes and peppers—and tip burn—on the youngest leaves in lettuce, strawberry and other salad crops—to be a disease. However, it is most often due to a localized deficiency of calcium that develops in the extremities of the

Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

plants. In well-run hydroponic systems, tip burn and BER are rarely caused by a calcium deficiency in the root zone; these calcium transport problems are more commonly found in warmer growing conditions and are usually associated with high humidity. These conditions can be improved by lowering humidity and increasing airflow over the plants to boost the rate of transpiration and, therefore, the flow of calcium out to developing fruits and leaf tips. Calcium transport disorders like these also have a genetic element, and many modern cultivars of lettuce and tomatoes have had some degree of BER or tipburn resistance bred into them.

Glassiness Another less well-known physiological disorder related to humidity levels is glassiness, most commonly seen in lettuce, young seedlings and other succulent crops. Glassiness creates patches with a water-soaked, almost translucent appearance on the leaves of plants—and it’s often seen first thing in the morning and it might disappear later on as the plants warm up. This disorder is related to both high humidity and root pressure, which is greatest at night. Roots can take up excess moisture under the cooler conditions at night and, using root pressure, pump this up to the foliage where it can’t be lost from the leaves thanks to the low rate of transpiration that occurs when temperatures are cool and humidity is high. This condition is usually reversible (with no lasting damage) once good ventilation and airflow are introduced and humidity is lowered. However, if glassiness persists and becomes severe, leaf cells can eventually die and create dead patches of foliage that could then be infected with disease.

Edema (Oedema) Edema is more common than most growers realize; however, its symptoms are often not correctly linked back to the cause. As with glassiness, edema is caused by an imbalance between

Water-soaked tissue in a young seedling caused by the physiological disorder “glassiness”.

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Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

the plant’s water uptake and water loss, and develops when root pressure is high and transpiration low. The enlarged cells— which are full of water—divide and rupture, causing a number of symptoms like raised blisters, galls and water-soaked swellings or protrusions on leaves, stems and veins. In later stages, the damaged tissue becomes corky with gall-like formations that harden and darken with age. In mild cases, plants can recover from edema; in severe ones, leaves can curl and become distorted and foliage will drop in the later stages. It has been suggested that edema is linked to the spectral quality of the lighting, with red light promoting the condition and ultraviolet inhibiting it. Edema, however, is usually controlled or prevented by careful management of the environment by increasing air movement, lowering humidity with high rates of ventilation, using a welldrained growing medium with optimum levels of nitrogen, etc.

Light, temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) issues specific to indoor gardens Continuous light injury or abnormal photoperiod effects

Light injury is another physiological disorder often only seen in indoor gardens, where HID lighting can be run continuously or for long periods. Many plant species can tolerate continuous lighting (although running lamps for 24 hours a day might not give the growth increases expected), but some

species—including tomato, potato and some ornamentals— are intolerant of extended or continuous periods of light. If exposed to such conditions, they can develop physiological disorders, such as becoming severely chlorotic, yellowed and stunted or with brown flecking of the foliage. High-light injury is also more common in environments where CO2 enrichment is used and it is thought that a high buildup of starch in the chloroplasts might play a role in this disorder.

CO2 injury

Enriching an enclosed growing area with CO2 can result in significant growth benefits; however, CO2 toxicity can occur when levels run too high. Some plant species are more susceptible to CO2 toxicity than others, so maximum-level recom-

"Some of these physiological disorders, such as tip burn on heading lettuce or blossom-end rot on tomatoes, are common in indoor gardens, large-scale commercial greenhouses and outdoor production.” mendations are hard to define. That being said, optimum ranges for most plants are below 1,600 ppm, more commonly in the 800 to 1,200 ppm range. Sometimes, in indoor gardens, the cause of CO2 toxicity is a faulty CO2 monitor; in that case, the grower would not be aware that CO2 levels are well above optimum. It should also be noted that high levels of CO2 are toxic to humans as well—levels of 5,000 ppm can cause dizziness or a lack of coordination—which is another good reason for keeping CO2 monitors properly calibrated.

A halo of yellow tissue around this cucumber leaf is a result of high EC in the root zone.

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Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

injury to indoor crops, but ethylene is a more common issue. Ethylene is a gas and a plant hormone that can originate from a number of sources, including rotting vegetation, ripening fruit, vehicle exhaust and some plant-growth regulators. However, malfunctioning heating systems and the incorrect use of burners to generate CO2 are the most common causes of ethylene contamination in growing environments. The severity of symptoms depends on the species being grown and the level of ethylene buildup. Some sensitive plants, such as tomatoes, will show symptoms—like epinasty (downward bending of the leaves while remaining turgid), reduced growth and height and, in severe cases, leaf and flower abscission—at ethylene levels as low as 0.05 ppm. Wilting plants, despite having sufficient water, is typical of a lack of oxygen in the root zone, often caused by over watering.

In plants, symptoms of CO2 toxicity can include leaf rolling or deformation, chlorosis or mottling of the leaves and, in later stages, leaf drop of older foliage.

Gasses as unvwanted contaminants Some of the most severe physiological disorders are caused by gasses that find their way into the growing environment. Propane leaks from heating systems have been known to cause

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Premature bolting “Bolting” is the term used to describe the premature elongation of a plant’s compact stem. The entire plant, which is still relatively young and immature, grows upward and forms a flower stalk. Lettuce, other salad greens and herbs can bolt or go to seed extremely early, sometimes while still in the seedling stage. Typically, this occurs when temperatures are higher than optimal, often combined with low light levels or overcrowding. Some cultivars have been bred to have some degree of premature bolting resistance, but this physiological disorder is still a

Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

common problem, particularly with lettuce. Prevention is relatively easy, however, maintain temperatures below 78oF for lettuce and other cool season salads, maintain suitably high light levels and prevent seedlings from becoming potbound and overcrowded before planting out.

Media and nutrient issues Overwatering and under watering are the most common causes of physiological disorders in hydroponic crops; however, overwatering is far more common and misdiagnosed than under watering (we all know what a dry root system looks like, after all). Interestingly, overwatering initially looks quite similar to under watering—at least from the top of the plant. Wilting, downward hanging leaves, eventual leaf/bud/flower drop, yellowing and chlorosis are all signs of overwatering. In the most severe cases, epinasty will result because the damaged root systems will have started producing ethylene. Overwatering can be prevented by reducing the frequency and volume of nutrient applied, particularly under cooler growing conditions, and using a coarse, free-draining medium like perlite.

Elephant’s foot The root zone can be the cause of other physiological disorders in hydroponics. Some of the most common of

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Salt burn can be mistaken for plant disease.

Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

these disorders are related to salinity damage and electrical conductivity (EC) buildup. As with many physiological disorders, the symptoms of these might be confusing to new or inexperienced growers; however, they are Tipburn can be common on lettuce and other vegetables under conditions of high humidity. usually never forgotten once encountered. For example, one condition that is common in pepper plants (other plants can also develop a similar appearance) is elephant’s foot—or, foot corkiness. Elephant’s foot is characterized by a swollen and sometimes cracked area on the stem close to the base of the plant, caused by injury to the stem cells by excessive amounts of salts. It is easy for nutrient salts to accumulate around the base of the plant, particularly where the nutrient is irrigated close to the stem area or when a

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highly free-draining growing medium is used under low-humidity conditions. Elephant’s foot is less likely to occur when seedlings are planted deeper into the growing medium and when nutrient salt buildup around the stem is prevented.

Salinity damage Salinity damage in hydroponic systems is much more common in some crops than others. Tomatoes, for example, are fairly tolerant of high EC and salt buildup, whereas other more sensitive plants like cucumbers and lettuce are not. Cucumbers show a fairly distinctive disorder when the EC becomes too high in the root zone (EC levels of only three to 3.5 have been shown to cause these symptoms in some cucumber crops): wilting during the warmest part of the day, followed by a distinctive leaf halo— a thin band of yellow coloration around the leaf margin. This disorder is more common under warm growing conditions with rapid evaporation from the growing media and high rates of water uptake by the plant. These act to concentrate the EC and salts around the root zone, leading to salinity damage. Salinity damage is common under the warm, dry conditions of many indoor hydroponics gardens where EC levels in the root zone can climb far more rapidly than a grower might realize. In this case, the EC in the feed solution should be dropped right back to adjust for the increased rate of water uptake by the plants.

Physiological Disorders of Indoor Gardens

"Some plant species are more susceptible to CO2 toxicity than others, so maximum-level recommendations are hard to define.” Physiological disorders can range from mild (sometimes not even noticeable) to severe (causing plant death), so identification of the problem is the key to a quick recovery. Physiological disorders can be easily forgotten and overlooked; so, when a problem starts occurring, it pays not to just assume that every issue is either a disease or nutrient disorder. Most of these physiological conditions are induced by factors that are fully under our control and—in an indoor situation—that means keeping a constant check on light, humidity, temperature, salinity in the root zone, CO2 and heating/venting systems. Luckily, these days growers have the choice of the latest technology for monitoring and adjusting the indoor growing environment so that many physiological disorders can be prevented—using and maintaining the best equipment to monitor CO2, root zone

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Strange growth, deformed leaves and plant stunting can all be caused by various physiological disorders.

moisture levels, pH, EC, temperature, humidity and vapor pressure deficit, airflow and light levels go a long way to preventing any unwanted growth issues. MY

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How Much

Water is too Much? by Frank Rauscher

Should you be watering your plants once a day? Probably not if they’re cacti! In truth, different plants and different soils need different watering regimens…here’s a general guide...

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Too much, not enough, too often or too seldom—these are concerns I hear from growers all the time regarding watering practices. The question most often heard, however, is simply, “How much?” A clearer understanding of the issues involved in watering your plants might help answer this for you. In regards to how much is too much—when your soil has good drainage, your only real concerns are wasting water and draining off essential nutrients; otherwise, it’s not really an issue. The optimal amount of water to apply is the amount you need to adequately saturate the soil to the depth of your plant’s root system. (If the plant is still in the early root development phase, the soil should be watered to a point a bit deeper than the roots currently exist.) When the amount of water applied is insufficient or the watering time too short, the water does not extend all the way to the depth of the roots—this problem is common with soil that drains or perks slowly, and often results in a plant with shallow roots and poor yield. Soil type has a huge impact on the amount of water you’ll need to provide your garden. No matter what the soil type you’re using, the entire root system should be wet when watering is completed. This process might take some time after the watering cycle has completed, as soil moisture osmosis can be slow and gradual. In heavy soils like clay, a fully wet root ball can take several watering cycles to achieve because the water tends to run off if applied all at once or too quickly. This means that the optimal amount of water your plants require is also tied to the rate at which it is applied. When you apply water by hand, it tends to be applied quickly and conditions of unequal soil moisture are more likely to occur. However, evenly moist soil provides your best chance for healthy root development and the maximum yield from your crop. The easiest way to achieve this is to use slowdrip watering, a process in which runoff is avoided and run time can be ascertained through the use of a soil probe and moisture meter. Although moisture meters are by no means 100% accurate, they do provide a digital comparison between moisture levels at various depths of the root ball. This can add a lot of insight compared to the simple use of an “educated finger” for checking soil wetness. All this can sound like way too much work in order to figure out how long to water, but it doesn’t need to be. With containers, potting soil is your typical growing medium. It provides good drainage, so if you have applied the water slowly, then the point at which you can observe runoff from the bottom of the container will indicate that you’re done. Then, to determine when to water again, know your plant’s preferences and check your soil moisture periodically. Also, take notes—you won’t have to keep repeating this process if you are using the same containers and medium again. Raised beds might have heavy, slow-draining soils, which introduce a variable of percolation rates and requires that water be applied slowly in order to prevent runoff at the top. Bottom runoff is not visible in raised beds, so a soil probe to examine the deeper levels of soil moisture will be required—in-ground garden beds need this even more.

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How Much Water is too Much?

temperature, wind and surface area. When growing indoors, Now, let’s address an even more important issue: how often is the air temperature is impacted to a great degree by the too often? Most houseplants need water about once a week, but what about other crops? Watering a plant every day is frequently type of light source employed and the number of hours that the lamps are run. If you’re growing in a room without air done, yet rarely debated; and while there are plants that do well with daily watering, there are many that do not. That’s why I feel conditioning, then evaporation will increase as the summer brings warmer temperatures. a better understanding of watering frequency is vital. Movement of water from the The ideal condition of roots to the stems and leaves besoil moisture for most fore exiting the pores or stoma plants is when the lower “The ideal condition of soil moisture is called transpiration. High air section of the root ball for most plants is when the lower temperatures, dry air, wind and does not ever dry out, but the type of plant involved all stays moist while the upper section of the root ball does not the rate of transpiration. section remains well-oxyever dry out, but stays moist while affect When soil moisture is depleted genated and only slightly the upper section remains welland the roots can no longer moist. (That being said, drought-tolerant species oxygenated and only slightly moist.“ pull up enough water, the rate and low-water users are will slow and the plant will start to stress. Leaves will flag or not tolerant of continually wilt and tissue death will eventually occur. When trying wet soil—their root systems need to have more oxygen present). to anticipate how much water might be needed for your Of course, when water is applied from the top—as is normal— then for a time the top section will naturally be the wettest. This is plants, it should be apparent that mature plants with large roots will take up and give off much more water than one reason why watering too frequently can cause trouble. small ones. Vegetative plants also use more water, in order Factors such as evaporation, transpiration and soil drainage to support production. In other words, you’ll need to inare all keys to figuring out a good watering schedule that will crease watering frequency as the plant matures—especially achieve the ideal soil moisture condition. Evaporation is a funcwhen growing in a container. tion related to the soil and is based primarily on ambient air

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www.OliviasSolutions.com

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Different soils also drain or percolate at different rates. Many potting soil products use coconut fiber to help retain water for a longer period of time, whereas other products add sand to help increase drainage and allow oxygen to return more quickly. Succulent plants do well with faster-draining soil, while bog plants, like horsetail and canna lilies, can have their roots wet all the time. Knowing plant and soil characteristics and then keeping that balance right during the various phases of plant growth is what makes for success. A good balance between the air and water in the root system is also extremely important. Respiration is the process within a plant where oxygen is taken into the roots from the soil and the plant converts the sugars it created during photosynthesis into energy.Without adequate soil oxygen (which can be depleted by overwatering), the roots do not function properly and the plant shuts down. Often the symptoms you’ll observe in this situation are almost identical to those you’ll see when a plant is drying out—the leaves flag or wilt and the plant begins to die.This is why plants will actually die much faster from overly frequent watering than from drought. A comparison might be made with humans—how long can we go without breathing air, compared to how long can we go without drinking water? Then there are those plants that are drought tolerant; these varieties have adapted to growing in conditions where water might be withheld for weeks or even months. Many of these plants take up as much water as they can when it’s available. So, when given irrigation frequently, these plants often take up so much water that it damages them.There is a big difference between low-water plants and drought-tolerant species, however— low-water plants just don’t take up water quickly and so will be far less affected by overwatering. Still, respiration is important for all plants and adequate soil oxygen must be assured.

“evenly moist soil provides your best chance for healthy root development and the maximum yield from your crop.“ So, the age-old question “How often and how much should I water my plants?” does not have a simple one-size-fits-all answer. Depending on plant characteristics and soil, proper watering frequency can vary greatly. The key to establishing an appropriate routine is knowing your plants and your soil. If you understand the interaction between your soil, your plants and the ambient temperature, you’ll have a head start on a good watering schedule. The use of a quality moisture meter can also help in monitoring and maintaining the correct frequency of irrigation. (The amount of dissolved oxygen in the soil is also great to know, but meters that measure this are rather expensive). Follow these steps and, within a short time, your plants will be healthy and vigorous. MY Reference:

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by Bill DeBoer

Growers universally understand the concept that roots take up nutrients and water to help promote shoot growth. Still, a better comprehension of certain principles of water and nutrient acquisition can help hydroponic growers achieve more impressive results…

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In order to do better understand the relationship of “root to shoots,” looking at the concepts of water/transpiration/ osmosis, root absorption, root/shoot relationship and root mass in hydroponics is a good place to start.

Water, transpiration and osmosis Nutrient uptake depends largely on water flow from the substrate to the roots and then up to the shoots. Interestingly, of the total water absorbed by the plant, only 5% is utilized in biochemical processes; the rest is lost via transpiration—the loss of water through the leaves due to a concentration gradient between air surrounding the leaf and the leaf itself. While transpiration might be viewed unfavorably, it is responsible for cooling the plants (absorbing solar energy via photosynthesis produces heat) and, most importantly, moving water and nutrients to the leaves where they are needed. Transpiration also creates water demand in plants. As the leaves lose water, transpiration creates a suction or pull that brings water and nutrients up through the xylem—imagine this process as a person sipping from a straw. Another concept, osmosis is the net movement of water driven by solute concentrations across a membrane that is semi-permeable and selective. If the solute concentration is higher on one side of the membrane, water will move to create an equilibrium between intracellular (inside a cell) and extracellular (outside the cell) solute concentrations. This movement of water creates a pressure either inward or outward. For example, think of a balloon filled with solute (NaCl). Next, imagine that balloon is surrounded by pure water. Since the concentration of salt inside the balloon is high, water will move into the balloon and place pressure that will inflate the balloon. Without outward rectification, the balloon would pop; thus, salts must be transferred out to reduce this water (osmotic) pressure. Now that we have discussed a specific role of water, let’s examine how that applies to nutrient absorption.

“Interestingly, of the total water absorbed by the plant, only 5% is utilized in biochemical processes; the rest is lost via transpiration.” How Roots Work Roots branch out both laterally and vertically, and most plants will produce root hairs (smaller, finer branches of roots) that further increase the surface area by several magnitudes. Roots provide two important functions for the plant. First, they act as structural anchors, fortifying the Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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high transpiration, then the plant will be unable to absorb enough water to meet its biological water demand and wilting will occur. This is why monitoring both the growing conditions and the nutrients within the rooting substrate is paramount to acceptable growth.

reduce the root mass, you will be reducing the absorption of both water and nutrients to the shoots, causing reduced overall growth. Application of chemical hormonal sprays might control excessive root formation, but they’re probably not practical or economical. In the end, it makes more sense to not invasively manipulate root growth. Instead, hydro-

“EXCESSIVE VEGETATIVE (SHOOT) GROWTH WILL FACILITATE CARBOHYDRATES AWAY FROM ROOTS; LIKEWISE, EXCESSIVE ROOT FORMATION WILL PULL AWAY TOO MANY CARBOHYDRATES, THUS REDUCING SHOOT DEVELOPMENT.” THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHOOTS AND ROOTS plant into the soil or rooting substrate. Secondly, they take up both water and nutrients to distribute throughout the plant.Absorption of water and nutrients is greatest in the new and younger sections of roots and is less active in the older sections. The is unclear, but it is known that ions are moved by both passive and active processes. Passive transport occurs when ions exist at a higher concentration and move to the lower concentration without the cost of energy. Active transport occurs when ions are moved against a concentration gradient, generally by a carrier protein. transporters is beyond the scope of this article; however, temperature can easily be explored and should be considered when

While separate organs of the plant, roots and shoots are dynamically interconnected. Leaves manufacture carbohydrates that provide the carbon needed to construct and grow roots. They are also the source for respiration-generated adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy “currency” needed for mineral absorption and other biological processes. The roots, in turn, uptake water and nutrients that the plants need to maintain turgor pressure and that assist with photosynthesis, as well as with promoting Excessive vegetative (shoot) growth will facilitate carbohydrates away from roots; likewise, excessive root formation will pull away too many carbohydrates, thus reducing shoot development. As a result, it is important to

cal reactions or in-depth plant physiology might not be interesting to some growers, understanding certain basic principles is integral in promoting optimal growth. Hydroponics involves soilless growing in a water-based system.Therefore, the role that water plays, especially in nutrient acquisition, for plants is vitally important to a hydroponic grower. Hopefully this article has highlighted a few key points and now that you are “rooted” with information, go out there and start growing! MY

production in hydroponics.

RESOURCES

Absorption of water and nutrients is kinetically driven.That is to say, tempera-

ROOT MASS AND HYDROPONICS

Ideal substrate temperatures should be between 68 and 86oF. Although the uptake of ions is regulated, water and ion absorption will increase as temperatures rise. Over time, this accelerated uptake could lead to mineral toxicity. Also, if the rooting substrate is below 68oF and the growing conditions favor

The roots in hydroponic systems do not have to work as hard at obtaining water and nutrients as its traditional soil-bound brethren. Indeed, moist, fertile conditions like those utilized in hydroponics favor extensive root formation. While root pruning might seem like the logical solution, it might only lead to further proliferation of roots. Also, if you severely

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ponic growers should establish practices to balance root and vegetative formation. Proper growing conditions (water status, temperature, humidity, etc) coupled with regular monitoring of nutrient status (especially nitrogen in nitrate form, phosphorus, sulfur and iron) will go a long way in promoting better growth and reducing excess nutrients that cause proliferation of the roots.

J. B. Jones Jr. Hydroponics: A Practical Guide for the Soilless Grower. 2nd Edition. CRC Press 2005. Salisbury, F. B., and C.W. Ross. Plant Physiology. 4th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing Company 1992. Bucio, J. L., Ramirez,A. C., and L. H. Estrella. The role of nutrient availability in regulating root architecture. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 2003, 6:280-287.

Green Thumb Gardening

Make It Rain

Then Collect It! by Heather Brautman

Rainfall is a precious natural resource, but all too often it goes to waste. Heather Brautman explains how you can learn to make effective use of this gift from above… The phrase “make it rain” has gone from something intoned by shamans around a fire to having an entirely different meaning in dance clubs, but the vital importance of this gift from the skies remains clear—rainwater is an essential resource and it shouldn’t go to waste. Whether you refer to the process as rainwater collection or the more active-sounding “rainwater harvesting,” saving rainwater might seem like a simple matter of getting something for nothing. However, longtime rainwater collectors know that both considerable effort and the right equipment are required to make the process a success. In fact, you might start to see “rainwater barrels” or “rain collection” signs crop up along the sides of your roadways come rainy season as folks try to make a business out of it. The Texas A&M System AgriLife Extension website offers how-to tutorial videos on rainwater harvesting basics, including information

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detailing the importance of picking the right components and installing them properly. After all, the plan is to collect the rainwater—not to have it spill or go to waste! Texas A&M encourages rainwater harvesters, noting that collected rainwater can be used for landscaping, rain gardens and storm water management, as well as in-home use (with a few additional steps for purification and safety). The University of Florida’s UF/IFAS Extension group recommends the practice too, remarking that collecting your own rainwater can reduce your water bills. Florida also notes that when you have your own water supply you’re not tied to local water restrictions—such as when residents are told they’re not to wash cars on an off-day during a drought. The path to becoming a rainwater collector usually starts with a bit of self-appraisal.You’ll need to determine when your area’s rainy

season starts and ends, and how much rainfall you get in a typical time period. According to the Florida website, you’ll get 600 gal. of water from every inch of rainwater per 1,000 sq. ft. of roof. If you’re anticipating a lot of rainfall, you might want to move up from the standard collection barrel method to cisterns, which usually hold more. However, they’re also much bigger and heavier, and require a more complicated and intensive set-up and construction effort.

Rain Barrel Guide website (rainbarrelguide.com), which offers informative online articles such as “Why Harvest Rainwater With Rain Barrels?,” “Where Do I Start? Collecting Water With Rain Barrels” and “How Much Water Can You Collect in Rain Barrels During a Rainfall?” Rainwater collection can be a rewarding do-it-yourself project. Although you’re really at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes

“Rainwater collection can be a rewarding do-it-yourself project.” Even seasoned gardeners and environmental enthusiasts might want to enlist some help to get started. Stop into a hardware store, garden center or hydroponics outfitter and just start asking around. Or spend some time surfing the web for advice such as that found on the

down to how many inches you’ll be able to harvest, the potential benefits—financial savings, freer use of your water supply—should outweigh your initial misgivings. So, pull up a barrel and get ready to get your feet wet! MY

Resources: http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/ http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/ in-home-use-videos/ http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_ topics/lawn_and_garden/harvest_rain_water.html http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail. php?itemid=12508 http://www.rainbarrelguide.com/

About the Author:

Heather Brautman’s hydroponics knowledge consisted of her favorite ride at Walt Disney World’s before she moved to California in October 2011. Since becoming Hydrofarm’s staff writer in February 2012, she’s been enjoying learning about grow media—like coco coir and perlite—not paparazzi. She has a master’s degrees in technical writing as well as PR/communications.

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A New

Millennium by Lee McCall

A food revolution is upon us and the ways we go about growing fresh food in urban areas is as varied as the growers themselves. Here’s a look at one such food-production facility that’s all about researching and developing even more of these growing techniques...…

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A New Millennium

A fresh food revolution has begun and the indoor gardening market has heavily influenced the spread of this concept. Urban greenhouses and growroom food-production facilities are springing up across major metros all over the country. Some have the intention to provide poverty-stricken areas with high-quality produce; others are growing so they can sell organically grown or pesticide-free products at local farmers’ markets. Either way, growers have transformed indoor gardening into a diverse and stylized set of skills that vary from person to person. Hydroponics, soilless, coco, drip, ebb and flow, aero, wick—these words don’t seem to have the same meaning to everyone anymore. What you think is impossible is probably being executed with precision performance and success by someone somewhere. There is an art to growing plants that is not restricted by method, and that is able to be expressed individually. Color, variety, aroma, taste and texture can all be expressed through crop varietal and grower preference, and the combinations are endless. Still, no matter how many different ways there are to grow, there is the distinct impression that these urban garden facilities are here to stay and that they’re only going to get bigger and more varied. Retailer store Chlorophyll’s new (and yet to be named) research and development lab, located in the heart of Denver, Colorado, is one of this sector’s latest additions. Custom designed from the

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A New Millennium

ground up, the new space is outfitted for educational purposes and with the spectator in mind. The public is welcome to walk in and see virtually every aspect involved with gardening, from plant propagation with seedlings and cuttings to flowering crops. Alternatively, the front of the room is completely encased by commercial-grade glass panes so that people can view everything in the room without actually having to enter. Inside, 8,000 W of HID light (which are broken up into two separate banks of four) hang from the ceiling to illuminate all available floor space. Each reflector alternates between halide- and sodiumstyle operations so that plants receive a wider and denser array of usable light. Each row also features a specific reflector design engineered for horticultural specific light dispersion to the canopy. Custom 16-in. hard pipe manifolds feed through each row of lights to ensure the uniform cooling of each reflector with equalized pressure throughout the entire manifold system. Two 12-in., 2,050 CFM fans control the airflow of the manifold, with one feeding and one dumping. This action is what induces equal pressure through each light so that there is a consistent temperature from hood to hood and throughout the room.

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A New Millennium

On top of state-of-the-art lighting, the lab also uses premium ventilation equipment to keep in-and-out air as clean as possible. Two different styles of HEPA filters are used to screen out all types of dusts, debris, pathogens, pollens, insects and fungal spores. A 12-in., mushroom-shaped foam HEPA filter is used on the lighting manifolds so that the reflectors stay clean of contaminants and maintain high visibility through the lenses. Two 12-in. cone style HEPA filters, similar to those seen in the automotive industry, are used to cleanse passive fresh air into the garden itself. Rather than use additional fans to project positive pressure, negative pressure is enforced through the sole exhaust for the grow room. Centrally mounted from the I-beam that runs down the middle of the room is 100 lb. or more of activated carbon wrapped up in an aluminum housing and Dacron (pre-filter). A 1,019 CFM dual-prop, high-velocity fan is used to pull air through the carbon filter and maintain clean air movement throughout the room. It’s through this action that passive air is brought in through the HEPA filters, feeding the room so fresh air and CO2 exchange is kept at a high-efficiency turnover rate. There are also three 16-in. oscillating wall-mount fans set up in a triangular pattern on the walls to simulate natural wind currents and promote pollination rates.

“

Two different styles of HEPA filters are used to screen out all types of dusts, debris, pathogens, pollens, insects and fungal spores.

”

One of the first hydroponic gardens to be executed in this new space is a well-known plug-and-play drip system that perfectly emulates the theory of square-foot gardening. Eight Dutch Bato buckets sit atop a 40-gal. reservoir and accept a nutrient solution, projected via drip emitters, 24 hours a day. The slow drip rate and specific layering of specialized grow mediums (bottom to top: small-grade diatomite, triple-rinsed coconut coir, another layer of diatomite and finally a layer of grow rocks) within each bucket allow for excellent capillary properties throughout the root system, as well as high concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Personally, I highly recommend this type of hydroponic system for the home hobby grower. It is a perfect explanation of hydroponic square-foot gardening and allows for multiple crop production within a restricted foot print. The collage of plant varietals within a system can be a touchy experiment since you never know how plants will react together in the same nutrient solution; however, once dialed in, things grow 134

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“

The collage of plant varietals within a system can be a touchy experiment since you never know how plants will react together in the same nutrient solution.

”

rather nicely. In the lab, we feature a special variety of cucumber, an early girl tomato variety, Genovese basil, lobster flowers as a companion plant to deter pests and snap dragons for color and nutrient monitoring. So far, this type of system has proved to be a success in the new facility. It is productive and a great way to learn more about plant varietals in general, as well as gather information on nutrient solutions and their effect on different plant species. Nonetheless, this system is just the first step. Slowly but surely, Chlorophyll will continue to grow into its new lab space and conduct further experiments with nutrient solutions, growing mediums, hydroponic methods and organic inputs. Be sure to come down and check out these new trials and experiments in the works. MY 136

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Jones In his recent article on indoor greenhouses, Casey floor. Fraser mentioned rising grow tents off of the rdy If you don’t know how to construct such a stu ate stand, check out these instructions on how to elev your entire garden in an afternoon…

J by Casey

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ser a r F nes

Even if your indoor garden doesn’t involve a grow tent, you’ll probably need a table at some point. A garden table needs to be sturdy and the exact size for your space, especially when dealing with valuable plants and equipment. Metal stands are available in the hydroponics industry, but they are often expensive. So, if you need to raise your flood tray and are on a budget, you can use these instructions to design and build your own custom table that is capable of supporting hundreds of pounds.

Tools and requirements

For tools, you will need a drill and some bits. Lumber and screws are the only materials required. (Also, if you don’t own a circular saw, get your lumber cut at the hardware store for a nominal charge.) For the stand I’m going to “build” in this article, I need four 8-ft. two-by-fours and a 4-by-8-ft. sheet of 3/4 in. plywood. A small amount of experience is preferred over none, but you still might be able to get through this project if you have never built anything before. Always ask a professional for help if you need it. Oh, and don’t forget your safety goggles (damn sawdust)!

The basic steps

First, measure the object that will be supported. For this article, I am trying to rise a grow tent that measures about 54 in. wide by 30 in. deep. To make sure the tent won’t get knocked off the edge, I will design the table with the slightly bigger footprint of 60 in. by 32 in. Second, consider the items (reservoir, chiller, supplies, etc.) that will go under the rack you are building. For most reservoirs, 2 ft. is more than enough clearance, so this might be a good height for your stand. Also, check the ceiling height. To start constructing a stand with the above dimensions (60 in. wide by 32 in. deep by 24 in. tall) pre-cut the two-by-four boards into pieces as follows:

Rear: 2 x 60 in.; 4 x 21 in. Left side: 2 x 33 in.; 2 x 21 in. Right side: 2 x 33 in.; 2 x 21 in. To build the side frames, connect the two 33-in. twoby-fours—which act as top and bottom boards—with the two 21-in. planks. Similarly, the rear frame has the two 60-in. two-by-four boards as top and bottom planks, with the four 21-in. boards placed upright in-between the top and bottom. For all frames, mark the locations of each upright on the corresponding top and bottom boards so you will know where to drill your pilot holes (before Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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drilling, to make sure the upright locations line up on both the top and bottom planks by setting them next to each other). Once the back and side frames are built, trace them on the sheet of plywood. Measure an extra 3 in. of plywood on one edge for the side frames. This extra flap of plywood will allow you to connect the sides to the rear frame, creating a more solid support for the table. Cut out the plywood pieces and screw them onto the frames, and connect the side frames to the rear. Then, measure and cut the plywood top, and add it to the base. Your heavy-duty hydro stand is now complete.

A word or two about materials and design

Be sure to get decking screws for this garden project because you might need to change the dimensions or dismantle the table at some point. Decking screws are much less likely to rust or strip out, so deconstruction and reconstruction will be less frustrating. Other materials for this project should always be of a quality that suits your specific situation.You might wish to use pressure-treated wood, but standard studs work great for this project and are much cheaper. Also, the plywood used for the back and sides can be quite thin (3/8 in.), but the top sheet has to support your garden, so make sure you get the thickest plywood you can for this. Speaking of plywood, you might think that the sheets on the back and sides of the table are unnecessary, but that is not so. When you build a wooden frame with two-by-fours, the plywood backing secures the entire unit into place and prevents the parallelogram effect (a slipping or leaning that can lead to the entire structure collapsing, especially when hit by a sudden force).

Why raise the tent?

There are many advantages to lifting your garden off of the floor, the most important of which for hydro gardeners is a cooler reservoir. Water temperatures should be kept near 72Â°F,

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and this is much easier to do when the reservoir is kept directly on a cold concrete floor instead of in the tent, where it is under the hot, penetrating rays of an HPS lamp. Since many growers use chillers to cool reservoirs in hot summer months, it becomes easier to chill the water without adding heat directly to the plants (chillers expel hot air) when the reservoir is separated from the garden space. Also, with the plastic grow trays now placed on the floor of the tent, there is plenty of room to raise your bright grow light. Even with it at 18 in. or more above the canopy, there is still enough spare room to hang a carbon filter and an inline fan. As a result, taller plants can be grown, so you might see an increase in yield. Also, if your plants were burned by the light before, this step will definitely improve your results. These are only a few of the advantages of building your own garden frames. If temperatures and space are an issue in your garden, try making your own heavy-duty table. The conveniences will more than make up for any effort or cost. MY

avant-gardening

Outdoor

Hydroponics

Don’t Forget About the Patio by Ryan M. Taylor

Want to grow some plants hydroponically outdoors, but are afraid you have neither a greenhouse nor enough space? Not a problem— hydroponic horticulture can be done in small spaces, portable systems can be made affordably and fresh hydroponic plants are in demand all season long.

Time and again I have heard growers balk at the suggestion of growing hydroponic plants outdoors. Perhaps the greatest misconception about outdoor hydroponics is that a greenhouse or some other large investment in equipment is needed to shield systems from rain that can contaminate media and nutrient solutions. Another common misbelief is that hydroponic horticulture necessitates large spaces to hold complex systems that are cumbersome to move around. To the naysayers, I tell them neither of those impressions accurately reflect reality—hydroponics and patio gardening go together like peas in a pod. The simplest approach to growing outdoors is to basically mimic traditional patio growers

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by using pots, buckets or totes to grow your plants. Rather than filling the containers with soil, simply substitute a hydroponic substrate or soilless mix. Do-it-yourselfers can purchase inexpensive containers from hardware or gardening stores, but you can also purchase modular commercial systems. Likewise, soilless mixes can be purchased pre-made or can be custom-made from a large variety of media, including peat, coco, perlite, vermiculite, etc. One consideration informing your choice of containers and substrates is the total weight you would need to lift in the event you decide to move your plants. For example, bringing your plants inside or to a sheltered area is wise in particularly windy or stormy conditions. Another common reason to move plants is

Patio growing means having the freshest ingredients when it counts. Barbeque anybody?

to offer them the best can save more money sunlight coverage at all than anything else by times. Some growers, relying on the sun for however, don’t move your lumens rather their plants unless than paying for artifioutside weather concial lighting indoors. ditions are extreme; Also, using rain as a rather, they will utilize supplemental water rainwater as a flushing Because they use relatively little water, source—whether aeroponic systems are generally lightweight mechanism for their storing it in rain barplants’ substrate, then and portable. rels or letting the rain re-apply nutrients at flush your systems—can save time, labor an appropriate level following the rainfall. and money that would be needed filling Still, this stationary approach isn’t recombuckets of distilled water; just make sure mended for water culture systems unless to check the initial pH and conductivity they are protected from potential rainfall. values of the water and adjust accordingly. Since water is relatively heavy—a single Another excellent benefit of patio gallon weighs approximately 8.33 lb.—it growing is that you will always have the would be easy to assume that growers freshest ingredients possible for your should stick to soilless mixes and forget home cooking; you can’t get any more about water culture methods.This is, again, MY local than this! a misconception. Deep water culture systems are great for growing either a small number of large plants or a large number of About the Author: Ryan Taylor is the founder and president small plants with relatively small reservoirs. of the Taylor Horticulture Company. In Aeroponic buckets and totes use even less addition to growing a wide variety of water, making the planting systems lighthydroponic and bioponic crops, he also weight enough for frequent moving. specializes in the manufacturing of hybrid One of the best benefits of hydroponic hydroponic systems and consults with patio growing is taking advantage of the horticulturalists on methods for optimizfreebies offered by nature. If your grow ing their production processes. Ryan is budget is tight in these lean times, you obsessed with hydroponics and his cat. Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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Preparation of

Fertilizer

Stock Solutions for Hydroponics by Guy Sela

Stock solutions are time- and labor-saving liquids that also offer gardeners a lot of control. Here’s how to go about making your own…

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Preparation of Fertilizer Stock Solutions

In proportional hydroponics, concentrated nutrient solutions—also known as stock solutions or mother solutions—are prepared in a number of tanks. These solutions are then injected to the system’s irrigation water at adequate ratios. The main advantage of utilizing this method is that it reduces the number of times that a nutrient solution has to be prepared; therefore, the grower saves time and labor. It also gives more flexibility in adjusting the salinity of the final nutrient solution and the ratios between nutrients, with the grower injecting different amounts from each stock tank. However, in hydroponics, knowing the fertilizer amounts that have to be applied is not enough. Other factors must be considered when preparing fertilizer stock solutions. The main ones are the compatibility of fertilizers, number of stock tanks, solubility of fertilizers, injection ratio or injection time, types of fertilizers to be used, use of chelates and interaction of fertilizers with water (endothermic reactions, reactions with elements present in water, etc.). In this article, we will concentrate on the first four factors.

"when incompatible fertilizers interact, they’ll form insoluble compounds and precipitates." Fertilizer compatibility Some fertilizer materials are non-compatible—for example, fertilizers containing calcium must not be mixed with fertilizers containing sulfates or phosphates. Often, when incompatible fertilizers interact, they’ll form insoluble compounds and precipitates. These precipitates tie up the nutrients and make them unavailable to the plant and cause clogging in the irrigation equipment. In order to avoid this, incompatible fertilizers must be separated and dissolved in different tanks. Determining the number of tanks required The types of fertilizers being used and their compatibility determine the minimum number of tanks that is required. The quality of the irrigation water and the nutrients available in the soil also affect the number of stock tanks, since they determine which fertilizers should be used. That is, if the source water or soil contains essential nutrients—such as sulfur, calcium and magnesium—at sufficient concentrations, fertilizers containing these elements might not be needed for the recipe. 146

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Preparation of Fertilizer Stock Solutions

For example, two to four stock tanks would be required when using fertilizers that contain calcium, magnesium or sulfur due to incompatibility limitations. Assume that the fertilizers you have to use are potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and magnesium sulfate. In this case, a minimum of three tanks is required. Calcium nitrate is incompatible with both MAP and magnesium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate is incompatible with MAP. A possible distribution in this situation is: Tank one—MAP, Tank two— calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate, and Tank three—magnesium sulfate.

"The quality of the irrigation water and the nutrients available in the soil also affect the number of stock tanks, since they determine which fertilizers should be used." The solubility of fertilizers and its effect on system design The solubility of a fertilizer is determined as its maximum amount that can be fully dissolved in a determined volume of water. Exceeding this maximum amount will result in precipitation of the fertilizers in the irrigation system and can be a serious problem. The solubility is expressed in units of weight/volume of water (for example: lb./gal.). The solubility of each fertilizer is also dependent on the temperature of the water in which it is dissolved. The solubility of most fertilizers increases with the temperature. Therefore, at lower temperatures, the fertilizer stock solutions must be more diluted. At higher temperatures, more concentrated stock solutions can be prepared. The solubility is also dependent on other fertilizers in the stock solution due to the common ion effect. If a certain fertilizer is being dissolved in the same stock tank with another fertilizer that contains a common ion, the solubility of both fertilizers is reduced. For example, potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate are compatible, and can be dissolved in the same stock tank. However, since both contain potassium, their solubility is reduced when mixed together.

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Preparation of Fertilizer Stock Solutions

In jection ratio or in jection time The injection ratio is defined as the ratio between the volumes of the fertilizer solution injected and the irrigation water. Therefore, it has units of volume/volume (for example: L/m3). The injection ratio can be expressed through this formula: Injection rate ÷ irrigation discharge (flow), where the injection rate and the irrigation discharge are expressed in units of volume/time. For example, if the injector has a capacity of 200 L/hr and the irrigation discharge is 40 m3/hr, then the injection ratio is 200 L/hr ÷ 40 m3/hr = 5 L/m3. This result can also be expressed as 0.5% or a ratio of 1:200.

"The solubility of each fertilizer is also dependent on the temperature of the water in which it is dissolved." The minimum injection ratio required is dependent on the solubility of the fertilizers and on the nutrient requirements of the crop (the nutrient requirement of the crop determines the amount of fertilizer to be applied to the field). The solubility of the fertilizer determines the maximum amount that can be dissolved in the tank. If, for example, the solubility of a certain fertilizer is 100 g/L and the required concentration of this fertilizer in the irrigation water is 500 g/m3, the minimum injection ratio will be: 500 g/m3 ÷ 100 g/L = 5 l/m3. In order to reach the same concentration of 500 g/m3 in the irrigation water, a lower injection ratio requires dissolving a larger amount of fertilizer in the tank: Injection ratio 4 L/m3 = 500 g/m3 ÷ X g/l (X = 500 g/m3 ÷ 4 L/m3 = 125 g/m3, which exceeds the solubility of the fertilizer). To convert injection ratio to necessary injection time or vice versa, use the following equation: Injection time (min.) = (F x D x IR) ÷ IFR, where F is the irrigation flow rate (m3/hr), D is the irrigation duration (min), IR is the injection ratio (L/ m3) and IFR is the injector flow rate (L/hr). MY 150

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Nurture

Equals

Nature

by Jonathan Valdman, with Josh Sarvis of Dragonfly Earth Medicine

We, as growers, have a responsibility to provide quality crops to consumers. We also, however, have a responsibility to serve quality products to the subterranean living things that support our plants...

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Nurture Equals Nature

What is the difference between an organic farmer and a biologic farmer? Well, “organic” means that the products are certified by an authorizing agency, while “biologic” means that they are either alive or meant to feed the live biology (organisms) in the soil and on the plant. As such, an organic farmer might not be concerned about the balance within the plant’s soil substrate nor the nutritional value of the crop. Conversely, biologic farmers focus on what is being fed to the plant’s soil and its biology rather than the plant itself. It is as if the plant is a by-product of a well-balanced soil. This is because there is the thought that a healthy, diverse and alive soil system will produce healthy and vibrant disease-free plants that are more holistic and integral in their nutritional and medicinal content. How to cultivate a biologically alive and diverse soil system It is time to wake up and realize what we are putting in our gardens. We have forgotten about the health and well-being of our planet, ourselves and our gardens Maybe we lost track when we began to focus solely on the yields. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides have depleted our soils and tainted our ground water, streams and ocean. They have given us a false sense that they are better than what nature can offer. Campaigns have convinced us that in order to keep up with the growth of the population of the planet, we need to bioengineer plants and the “food” we are feeding them.

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"Biologic farmers focus on what is being fed to the plant’s soil and its biology rather than the plant itself."

Nurture Equals Nature

"Herbs also help remediate carcinogenic compounds in soils and create more organic food for these beneficial bacterial friends."

So much of what we put into our indoor and outdoor gardens goes to waste simply because the plants do not have an intact immune system response to uptake all the nutrients they are given. However, by turning to nature for our garden nutrients, we can nurture full-nutrient uptake. Herbs contain high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, sulfur, copper and iodine. The idea that plants only need nitrogen during their vegetative state and phosphorus during fruiting/flowering/seeding stages is simply untrue. Plants crave biodiversity and uptake many different nutrients at all stages of growth. All in all, we have forgotten that nature is the only true authority of the plant kingdom. However, there are more than 5,000 years of herbal health studies that prove herbs promote health in humans, livestock and gardens. Plants respond to the same nutrients as we do. They need proper amounts of minerals and vitamins to boost immunity—which in turn leads to maximum

nutrient uptake—and produce large, multi-generational yields. These same vitamins, minerals, trace elements, antioxidants and sugars are also the key to transforming nutrients into easily accessible food—a process that takes place in the soil thanks to live bacteria and fungi. (Herbs also help remediate carcinogenic compounds in soils and create more organic food for these beneficial bacterial friends.) The bacteria can have huge positive impact on the fertility of our gardens; therefore, it follows that healthy soil and diverse soil biology will equate into healthy, abundant plants. Herbs will play a key role in the future of agriculture, just as they did in the past. Alfalfa, nettle, burdock root, yarrow, comfrey, chickweed, kelp, dandelion—just to name a few—are ever present, totally renewable and sustainable. They grow on the edges of our gardens and they can be found in soluble forms in health food stores. Used in conjunction with beneficial bacteria, they can be added into tea brewers, foliar sprays and sprinkled in as a soil amendment. Weeds, herbs and beneficial microbes can be put into barrels with a bubbler and be ready as a root drench within 24 hours. Also, microbial manure from organic herbs is one of the best ways to help plants receive immediate nutrients. In hydroponic and aeroponic gardening settings, herbs can play a key role in pure nutrient uptake. They can be steeped for 24 hours and then used as a vitamin and mineral supplement. They can also be used as a foliar spray for new cuttings. Some herbs also contain different healing properties, and knowing these properties is key to knowing what to useand when. Superfoods for plants A superfood is a food that contains exceptionally high nutrient content, so a small amount can be used to supply large quantities of nutrients. (However, it is important to note that plants cannot be harmed by adding too much of any beneficial herb).

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"In hydroponic and aeroponic gardening settings, herbs can play a key role in pure nutrient uptake."

Below are some herbs—listed by the nutrients and elements they contain in high amounts—that can be considered superfoods for your plants. Just remember that searching out organic, non-GMO and sustainably harvested herbs is paramount to providing nutritious food, medicine and soil. Calcium: alfalfa, burdock root, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion, horsetail, kelp, mullein, nettle, plantain, raspberry leaf, red clover, shepherd’s purse, violet leaves, yarrow, yellow dock and wild yam Iron: alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion, horsetail, kelp, thistle, mullein, nettle, oat straw, plantain, raspberry leaf, shepherd’s purse, spirulina and yellow dock Magnesium: alfalfa, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, dandelion hops, horsetail, mullein, nettle, oat straw, raspberry leaf, red clover, sage, shepherd’s purse, spirulina, yarrow, yellow dock, raw cacao and wild yam Phosphorus: burdock root, turkey rhubarb, slippery elm bark and wild yam

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Nurture Equals Nature

"A superfood is a food that contains exceptionally high nutrient content, so a small amount can be used to supply large quantities of nutrients."

Nitrogen: alfalfa, kelp, nettle and spirulina  Potassium: burdock root, catnip, hops, horsetail, nettle, plantain, raw cacao, red clover, sage, skullcap, spirulina and wild yam   Sulfur: horsetail Iodine: calendula, turkey rhubarb and kelp Vitamin C: alfalfa, burdock root, chickweed, hops, horsetail, kelp, peppermint, mullein, nettle, pine needle, plantain, raspberry leaf, red clover, rose hips, violet leaves, yarrow and yellow dock Vitamin Bs: alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, chamomile, chickweed, hops, licorice, mullein, nettle, parsley, peppermint, raspberry leaf, raw cacao, red clover, rose hips, spirulina and yellow dock MY

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Balmy Breezes by Shane Hutto

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We all know that circulating air inside a growroom is essential for replacing the CO2 used by plants. However, other factors are also affected by these breezes, including humidity and temperature…

We’ve all heard that moving and exchanging the air inside a growroom is essential. Why? When growing indoors, you are artificially creating a microclimate in which the CO2 in the air immediately around the plants’ leaves depletes rapidly when plants feed during daytime hours. This depleted atmosphere must be exchanged with the higher-CO2 air in the rest of the growroom in order to improve the conditions for the plants. (Additionally, this circulation of air deters pests and disease outbreaks, and aids plant health by keeping transpiration rates high). Proper circulation is as simple as adding an oscillating fan to the room. Then, as the overall CO2 levels in the growroom diminish, this air must also be replaced. Air inside the growroom also affects humidity and temperature. There are several different methods and tools available for purchase that will help you to control these sectors, but the main trick for new to intermediate growers to understand is how they should work. The main goals of ventilation systems are to remove heat, correct humidity and circulate the air.Your budget will determine what sort of system you can install. The components of a high-end ventilation system can run into thousands of dollars, but many low-budget systems can also perform satisfactorily when designed properly. The best ventilation systems are planned well in advance and are designed to be effective beyond what is necessary. The reason they need to be oversized is because summer heat and winter cold are often more drastic than expected. In order to determine what you need in your growroom, first monitor and record your existing conditions. In particular, you should have a good idea of the range between nighttime lows to daytime highs, and how this changes throughout the growing season. Next you will need to evaluate how much air needs to be moved. To estimate your ventilation requirements, simply measure the length, height and width (in feet, as this is how most components are rated) and multiply these three numbers together. The resulting figure will be cubic feet (CF). Now, keep in mind that if you have a 600 CF room, a 600-cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) fan will likely take longer than one minute to exchange the air because it is not perfect. Expect a certain amount of pressure loss throughout the

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BALMY BREEZES

system—which is another reason why your components should be oversized for your space (if your budget allows it, of course). In order to affect temperature, you will either have to cool the air that is already in the room or bring in fresh, cooler air. The latter is easiest and less expensive compared to cooling the air and leaving it in the room. The biggest problem associated with bringing in new air, however, is that the old hot air must go somewhere. Most often, it is vented directly outside through a high-placed outlet (the higher it is, the less likely the outlet is to cause discomfort or problems outside). These outlets also often have carbon filters attached to aid with any odors that might be present in the exhaust. Keep in mind though that the carbon filter creates a loss of pressure, thus lowering the volume rating of your components. Air conditioners work well in a sealed system—but not so much in a system that brings in outside air. Sealed systems can be tricky to build and maintain, but often are more effective in holding temperatures at the desired point. The major problem when using a sealed system for production growing is the lack of CO2 input. A properly constructed sealed system will need some sort of CO2 injection system. CO2 injection can be achieved with bottled CO2 or by using a burner, both of which can be purchased at most hydroponic stores. Bottled CO2 can be cumbersome, but it does not add heat to the room as a burner would. CO2 burners are a good choice, however, if you have extremely oversized air conditioners or if you grow in a colder climate where heat is not a problem.

Humidity correction is another constant battle in most growrooms because every time you water, turn on a fan or air conditioner, or even open a door to outside air, the humidity in the room changes. Even the plants themselves can drastically affect humidity levels—we know that approximately 90% of the water absorbed by plants is evaporated through their leaves, meaning 90% of the water you feed your plants goes into the air as humidity. Also, since air conditioners (by design) cause the humidity to drop, air conditioners operating in humid climates have a greater tendency to wear out because they will run nonstop to lower the humidity. In dry climates, conversely, air conditioners are often fighting a humidifier. The key to humidity control is an overall environmental controller. If you can afford the normally expensive set-up, environmental controllers are a highly effective weapon. In the end, the components you select for your system should be of good quality because your plants’ survival depends on it—it only takes one day of your controls failing to fry your plants. This also goes back to why the first step of monitoring is also the most important. By simply checking your thermometer, you can usually tell a few days in advance if your components are experiencing problems because most part will not fail immediately, but rather over time. Remember, plants don’t care how fancy your components are as long as they effectively provide adequate air circulation, and control the humidity and temperature. MY

The biggest problem associated with bringing in new air, however, is that the old hot air must go somewhere.

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you tell us

Gene Nalbandian

Gene Nalbandian, founder and chairman of Eco Growing Systems, sits down with Maximum Yield to talk about self-watering growing systems, the future of hydroponics and why we should call Ernie… Maximum Yield(MY): Who are the people behind Eco Grow Systems? Who started the company? Gene Nalbandian: I am the founder and inventor of the Eco Grow System. I have over 22 years of growing experience with ornamental foliage and fruit, and over 12 years experience in growing herbs and all varieties of vegetables. I came out of retirement two years ago to bring the scientifically patented Eco Grow Pot system to the hydroponics industry. MY: What exactly is an eco pot? What makes it eco? Gene: The Eco Grow sub-irrigated grow pot system (the Eco Grow Pot) was developed by looking at the natural process that allows plants to flourish while using a reservoir that sits below their roots. Each Eco Grow sub-irrigation pot has a builtin reservoir that sits in the bottom of the container, and a specially designed insert separates the growing media—well-aerated coco coir—from the reservoir. The

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MY: Who is Ernie and why should we call him for help? Gene: Eco Ernie is our mascot and symbol for assisting consumers, hobbyists, new growers and all interested parties on how to grow by “standards,” which I created while growing for 20 years. "Ernie" is available to converse and help people on our16-hour hotline (call 1-855-443-7643).

patented holes around the perimeter of the pot serve as a constant aerator to the soilless medium and a built-in drainage system to prevent overwatering. Perlite is added to the growing media to create air space that fosters capillary action, which causes a physical process called adhesion. Adhesion draws the water and nutrients from the reservoir into the Eco Grow Pot, allowing the plant’s metabolism to take up water as it needs.

MY: Where is your focus of operations right now? Do you plan to expand into other regions or into foreign markets? Gene: Our focus is to reduce the concept of “more is better” in the growing industry. We are developing a nutrient-based soil that will reduce the usage of fertilizers that produce toxicity and salts levels that can imprede plant growth. The Eco Grow Pot, with its inverted leeching, is a powerful combatant against this menace to efficient and effective growing. MY

MY: What are the benefits of the eco pot? How does it compare to other growing containers? Gene: The benefits of the patented Eco Grow Pot system are that the pot’s built-in drainage and aeration holes regulate and prevent over watering and drying out of soil, and that you can grow indoors and outdoors. Other key benefits include the prevention of diseases and pest infestations caused by water mismanagement, the protection of your plant’s immune system from over watering syndrome, the proliferation of root and plant growth by 50%, the dramatic reduction of water use and the elimination of water runoff, and salt and toxic buildup from fertilizer usage. Finally, this system cuts energy usage by 50%. MY: What awards have your eco growing systems won? Gene: Eco Growing Systems was awarded the best commercial growing system in 1996-97 by Dr. Charles Conover, professor emeritus at University of Florida and director of Apopka Research Center for growing ornamental foliage, fruits and hydroponically grown vegetables. It was also endorsed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and EPA for cutting water and energy use in growing all varieties of foliage and vegetation. Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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talking shop

AT A GLANCE Company: Garden Grove Organics Owner: Casey Jones Fraser Location: 29 E. 7th St., Covington, KY (in greater Cincinnati, OH) Phone: 1-859-360-1843 Email: gardengroveorganics@yahoo.com Website: gardengroveorganics.com Motto: "The biggest yields and the highest quality are achieved when real science is applied."

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Casey and Heather Fraser at a farmers market.

Casey Jones Fraser started indoor gardening in the late ’90s and hasn’t looked back since. Now, he is the owner of Garden Grove Organics, a grow store run with the goal to be the best at what they do… After graduating from college, gardening had superseded all other interests to become my favorite hobby and my profession. Subsequent to working in management for other hydroponic retailers, I was hired as a sales rep for a large nutrient distributor in 2005. To gardeners who knew me back then, I was the "answer man". I would recommend products and explain how to use them successfully. Several of those consultations ended with my friends saying, “You should really open a grow store.” Since I was often suggesting products that were

not available locally, I saw that the need for a new retailer was fairly obvious. Six months after quitting my sales rep job, Garden Grove Organics opened less than a mile from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio (however, we have a Kentucky address). My wife Heather and I renovated a vacant storefront across from City Hall, and we’ve been here ever since. That was five years ago, and business keeps getting better. My reputation as an obsessive gardener was a great benefit, as customers were ready to start shopping here right away.

Inventory was weak at first, but our stock greatly increased as the months passed. Eventually, we knocked down a wall to expand the sales floor and acquired an adjoining store front for storage, compost tea brewing and seed starting. In the early days, I knew Garden Grove Organics needed to be different from other local vendors. But how? The answer came to us from our handful of loyal customers, who were blown away by their improved results and were giving us all the credit. Their praise gave me the confidence to make the following guarantee: shop at Garden Grove Organics, follow our advice and you will see an increase in quality and yield. I even told customers that I would buy products back if I was wrong. It was a gamble, but it paid off. These days, people know that Garden Grove Organics is the local source for high-performance garden products and scientific information. I no longer need to make any guarantees—customers brag

Although she was hired into corporate accounting, she eventually left that position to work here full time. I give thanks to this day! Bert Corn manages the shop five days a week. We met at a grow store years ago, and I eventually realized that Bert was possibly the most knowledgeable gardener in Cincinnati. He will surely deny that, though, humble genius that he is. I had to beg Bert to come work here! We also have an unspoken agreement to inform each other on the latest microbiological discoveries as it relates to our gardens. Alex Fraser is my brother and part-time assistant. At our shop, he takes care of customers and computers, helps me build displays and fixes broken stuff. Alex is a college-educated computer geek and electronics repairman. If you don’t have a Bert Corn guy like this in your corner, get one. Unfortunately, Alex was unavailable for photos, as he is currently touring the globe with funk legend Bootsy Collins. (Alex’s knowledge and skills keep him in high demand).

Maximized

to their friends about shopping here. We call that street cred, and it’s the best marketing campaign one can have.

The staff I would be remiss to claim all the credit for Garden Grove Organic’s success. Fortunately, I am backed by a team of people that I truly love and respect. Their hard work is undeniable. Heather Fraser is my wife, and a relentless accountant. She finished her degree while we were getting started in retail.

A couple of years into this retail venture, I was contacted by Maximum Yield to do an interview. Due to my education in news writing, I ended up penning an article instead. I’ve been writing for hydroponics magazines ever since. Writing professionally has been an excellent opportunity to spread the word on garden techniques. I also get the chance to dispute outdated theories while offering a modern approach to hydroponics. I have been blessed by industry professionals who have taught me more than I ever imagined. Magazines like Maximum Yield allow me to share this knowledge and experience with growers all over the world. Good information is like compost: it needs to be spread around. MY Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER

Special MEDIUMS Issue

Media Mania + Back to School Focus Never stop learning about your indoor garden. Even if you’re not going back to school, September is the perfect time to crack open the books and discover how to get the most out of the growing mediums that support your indoor crops. Look forward to choosing the right media, getting hydro schooled and learning how to reuse your media. Some of the other articles rounding out this issue include:

• Organic Soil from Scratch • Creating Hybrid Hydroponic Systems • How Roots Absorb Nutrients: Soil vs Soilless Media • More!

www.maximumyield.com Maximum Yield USA September will be available next month for free at select indoor gardening retail stores across the country and on maximumyield.com Subscriptions are available at maximumyield.com/subscriptions

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MAX-mART

TOTAL HYDROPONICS CENTER WWW.MYTOTALHYDROPONICSCENTER.COM

Family owned and operated, we open early and stay open late so that someone is always available to help our local gardeners with their growing needs. We are proud to be Lakewood’s only one stop hydro shop.

562-984-4769 GROW 4820 pARAMOUNT bLvd LAKEWOOd, cA 90712

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GREEN BROS HYDROPONICS

Our product offering of over 4,000 different products include everything needed for indoor, hydroponic, organic and greenhouse gardening. We also carry a wide variety of products for the outdoor gardener. 14072 OSBORNE ST., PANORAMA CITY, CA 91402 (818) 891-0200 | WWW.GREENBROSHYDRO.COM Maximum Yield USAâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; | August 2012

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MAX-mART

LLC

Phone: 510.903.1808 Fax: 510.764.1246 13762 Doolittle Drive, San Leandro, CA 94577

www.hydrogardendelight.com

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

ALABAMA Alabama Organics 3348 Bethel Rd., Hammondville, AL 35989 256-635-0802 ALASKA Far North Garden Supply 2834 Boniface Parkway, Anchorage, AK 99504 907-333-3141 Southside Garden Supply AK 12870 Old Seward Hwy., Unit 114, Anchorage, AK 99515 907-339-9997 Holmtown Nursery Inc. 1301 - 30th Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-451-8733 Ground Control Landscape ServicesHydroponic & Garden Supplies 1067 Ocean Dr., Homer, AK 99603 907-235-1521 Northern Lights Greenhouse & Garden Supply Suite 105-9737 Mud Bay Rd., Ketchikan, AK 9901 907-225-GROW (4769) Alaska Jack’s Hydroponics and Garden Supply 1150 S. Colony Way, Ste.9, Palmer, AK 99645 907-746-4774 Peninsula Garden Supply AK 44224 Sterling Highway, Suite 4, Soldotna, AK 99669 907-420-0401 Far North Garden Supply 300 Centaur Street, Wasilla, AK 99654 907-376-7586

Sea of Green Hydroponics 1301 E. University Dr., Tempe, AZ, 85281 800-266-4136

Sea of Green Flagstaff 204 East Route 66 Flagstaff, AZ 86001 928-774-7643

Northcoast Horticulture Supply 639 6th St., Arcata, CA 95521 707-826-9998 ____________________________

Homegrown Hydroponics 2401 East Baseline Rd. Gilbert AZ 85234 480-633-2100 ____________________________

Sweet Harvest Hydroponics & Organics 1041 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande,CA 93420 805-473-0004

Gonzo Grow 10297 W Van Buren St., Suite 8 Tolleson, AZ 85353 623-780-GROW (4769) ____________________________ Natural Pools & Gardens 2143 North Country, Suite C, Tucson, AZ 85716 520-323-2627 Sea of Green Hydroponics 402 North 4th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85705 520-622-6344 ____________________________

Tucson Hydroponics & Organics 4235 W. Ina Rd., Ste. 131 Tucson, AZ 85741 520-395-2052 ____________________________ ARKANSAS

Casa Grande Hydroponics 205 N. Florence St., Casa Grande, AZ 85122 520-836-4606

Mickey’s Mercantile 1303 Hwy., 65 South, Clinton, AR 72031 501-412-0214

The Hydro Closet 5826 West Olive Ave. #106, Glendale, AZ 85302 02-361-2049 ____________________________

Growtown Horticulture Supply 1945 E. Indian School RD. Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-277-0121 ____________________________ Homegrown Hydroponics 2525 West Glendale Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 602-368-4005 Sea of Green West 2340 W. Bell Rd., Suite 116, Phoenix, AZ 602-504-8842 Show Low Hydroponics 1400 E. Deuce of Clubs #2 Show Low, AZ 85901 928-537-4606 ACI Hydroponics 1325 South Park Lane, Tempe, AZ 85282 800-633-2137 Homegrown Hydroponics 1845 East Broadway Tempe, AZ 85282 480-377-9096

Let it Grow 160 Westwood Center, Arcata, CA 95521 707-822-8733 ____________________________

Mesa Hydroponics 1720 W. Southern Ave, Ste. C7 Mesa AZ 85202 480-969-4769

ARIZONA

Sea of Green Flagstaff 204-C E. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 928-774-SOGF (7643)

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Old Soul Organics and More 1771 Crossover Rd., Fayetteville, AR 72701 479-444-6955 Growfresh Organics & More 2900 Zero St., Ste 106, Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-648-8885 Fermentables 3915 Crutcher St., N. Little Rock, AR 72118 501-758-6261 Anuway Hydroponics 2711 W. Walnut St., Rogers, Arkansas 72756 479-631-0099 CALIFORNIA Greenleaf Hydroponics 1839 W Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801 714-254-0005 Grow It Yourself Gardens 401 Sunset Dr., Suite L, Antioch, CA 94509 925-755-GROW High Desert Hydroponics 13631 Pawnee Rd., #7, Apple Valley, CA 92308 760-247-2090 American Hydroponics 286 South G St., Arcata, CA 95521 800-458-6543 Humboldt Hydroponics 601 I St., Arcata, CA 95521 707-822-3377

Auburn Organic 4035 Grass Valley Hwy., Auburn, CA 95602 530-823-8900 High Street Hydro 180 Cleveland Ave., Auburn, CA 95603 530-885-5888 Quail Mountain Ranch 230 Palm Ave., Auburn, CA 95603 530-889-2390 Tell 2 Friends Indoor Gardening 62 Sutherland Dr., Auburn, CA 95603 530-889-8171 Bakersfield Hydroponics Bakersfield , CA 661-808-4640 ____________________________

Stop N Grow 5455 Rosedale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93308 661-859-1988 ____________________________ Green Leaf Hydroponics 3903 Patton Way #103 Bakersfield, CA 93308 661-245-2616 Kern Hydroponics 2408 Brundage Lane, Suite B, Bakersfield, CA 93304 661-323-7333 ____________________________

The Hydro Shop 3980 Saco Rd., Bakersfield, CA 661-399-3336 ____________________________ Better Grow Hydro Los Angeles 5554 Bandini Boulevard, Bell, CA 91106 323-510-2700; 877 640 GROW Super Starts PO Box 732, Bellmont, CA 94002 650-346-8009 Berkeley Indoor Garden 844 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710 510-549-2918

Brentwood Hydroponics & Organics 560 Valdry Ct #85, Brentwood, CA 94513 925-634-6704

G & G Organics and Hydroponics 901 W. Victoria Street Unit D, Compton, CA 90220 310-632-0122

Good To Grow & Global Garden Supply 1350 Rollins Rd., Burlingame, CA, 94010 650-733-4420

Concord Indoor Garden 2771 Clayton Rd., Concord, CA 94519 925-671-2520

Advanced Garden Supply 3113 Alhambra Dr., Unit F, Cameron Park, CA 95682 530-676-2100 Precision Hydroponics 132 Kennedy Ave., Campbell, CA 95008 408-866-8176 Elite Horticulture Supply 22330 Sherman Way, C13, Canoga Park, CA 91303 818-347-5172 Hydro International 7935 Alabama Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304 Advanced Hydroponics 17808 Sierra Hwy., Canyon Country, CA 91351 Myron L Company 2450 Impala Dr., Carlsband, CA 9210-7226 760-438-2021 661-299-1603 ____________________________

San Diego Hydroponics North County Coastal 6352 Corte Del Abeto #J Carlsbad CA, 92011 760-420-8934 ____________________________ The Greenhouse Garden Supply 7619 Fair Oak Blvd. Carmichael, CA 95608 916-515-9130 NorCal Creations PO Box 28, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 Garden Connection, The 2145 Park Avenue, Unit 2 Chico, CA 95928 530-342-7762 Hydro King 2540 South Whitman Place, Chico, CA 959282 530-893-GROW (4769) Grow4Less garden Supply & Hydroponics 320 Trousdale Dr., Suite L Chula Visa, CA 91910 619-425-GROW Citrus Heights Hydrogarden 8043 Greenback Lane Citrus Heights, CA 95610 916-728-4769 Conrad Hydroponics Inc. 14915 Unit E, Olympic Dr., Clearlake, CA 95422 707-994 3264 Under The Sun 12638 Foothill Boulevard, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423 707-998-GROW (4769) ____________________________

Berkeley’s Secret Garden 921 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510-486-0117 Hydroponic Connection, The 2816 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702 510-704-9376

Gro More Garden Supply 2937 Larkin Ave., Clovis, CA 93021 559-348-1055 ____________________________

Hydroponics Plus 2250 Commerce Ave., Suite C Concord, CA 94520 925-691-7615 Hydrostar Hydroponics & Organics 1307 W. Sixth St., #211, Corona, CA 92882 951-479-8069 The Hydro Spot 21785 Temescal Cyn Rd., Corona, CA 92883 A+ Hydroponics & Organics 1604 Babcock St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627 949-642-7776 The Hydro Source 671 E. Edna Place Covina, CA 91723 877 HYDRO 82; 626-915-3128 Let it Grow 1228 2nd St., Crescent City, CA 95531 707-464-9086 ____________________________

Northcoast Horticulture Supply 1070 Highway 101, Crescent City, CA 95531 707-464-1200 ____________________________ Seaside Hydrogarden 1070 Hwy., 101 North, Crescent City, CA 95531; 707-465-3520 Pacific Coast Hydroponics 4147 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90230 310-313-1354 Dr. Greenthumbs Hydroponic Garden Supplies 566 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Danville, CA 94526 925-314-9376 Constantly Growing - Davis 123 D St., Davis, CA 95616 530-756-4774 Constantly Growing 6200 Enterprise Dr., Suite A Diamond Springs, CA 95619 530-642-9710 Harvest Hydroponics 6650 Merchandise Way Suite B, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 530-622-5190 Victory Garden Supply 1900 N Lincoln St., #100 Dixon, CA 95620 707 678 5800 ____________________________

The Lucky Garden Dublin Hydroponics 7071 Village Pkwy., Dublin, Ca 94568 925-828-GROW (4769) ____________________________ Grow A Lot Hydroponics, San Diego 1591 N. Cuyamaca St., El Cajon, CA 93612 619-749-6777

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

Indoor Garden Solution Inc. 12424 Exline St., El Monte, CA 91732, 626-453-0443 Go Green Hydroponics 15721 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, CA 91436 818-990-1198 ____________________________

A Fertile World (Eureka) 6th Street, Eureka, CA 95501 707-444-0200 ____________________________ Bayside Garden Supply 4061 Highway 101 Ste 6 Eureka, CA 95503 707-826-7435 Humboldt Hydroponics 1302 Union St., Eureka, CA 95501 707-443-4304 ____________________________

Northcoast Horticulture Supply 60 West 4th St., Eureka, CA 95501 707-444-9999 ____________________________ Constantly Growing 4343 Hazel Ave., Fair Oaks, CA 95628 916-962-0043 Fallbrook Hydro 208 E Mission Rd., Ste B Fallbrook, CA 92028 760-728-4769 ____________________________

Tulare County Growers Supply 435 W. Noble Ave., Unit A, Farmersville, CA 93223 559-732-8247 ____________________________ Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - North 6241 Graham Hill Rd., Felton, CA 95018; 831-335-9000 ____________________________

Eel River Hydroponics & Soil Supply 164 Dinsmore Dr., Fortuna, CA 95540 707-726-0395 ____________________________ The Shop 6542 Front Str., Forestville, CA 95436 707-887-2280

AG Natural 403 Idaho Maryland Rd., Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-274 0990 Northcoast Horticulture Supply 357 Main St., Fortuna, CA 95540 707-725-5550 ____________________________ Nature’s Secret Garden and Supply 41469 Albrae St., Fremont, CA 94577 510-623-8393 Gro More Garden Supply 2686 Clovis Ave., Ste.109 Fresno, CA 93722 559-348-1055 ____________________________

Roots Grow Supply 1330 North Hulbert, #101 Fresno, CA 93728 559-840-0122 ____________________________ Tower Garden Supply & Organic Nursery 403 W. Olive Ave., Fresno, CA 93728 559-495-1140 Valley Hydroponics 207 E. Sierra Ave. Fresno, CA 93710; 559-449-0426 Grow Wurks Hydroponics 765 S. State College Boulevard. Suite J Fullerton, CA 92831 714-253-Grow (4769) SB Hydro 1109 W. 190th Street, Unit #F, Gardena, CA 90248 310-538-5788 Golden Gecko Garden Center, The 4665 Marshall Rd., Garden Valley, CA 95633 530-333-2394 Probiotic Solutions 20889 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, CA 95441 707-354-4342 South Valley Hydroponics 320 Kishimura Dr., #3 Gilroy, CA 95020 866-848-GROW ____________________________

Zen Hydroponics 1801 Victory Blvd. Glendale, CA 91201 877 ZEN Grow; 818 806 4500 ____________________________

Dirt Cheap Hydroponics 17975 H Hwy. 1, Fort Bragg, CA 95437; 707-964-4211 Hydrogarden Mendocino County 1240 North Main St., Fort Bragg, CA 95437 707-962-9252 ____________________________

A Fertile World (Fortuna) 610 7th St., Fortuna, CA 95540 707-725-0700 ____________________________

178

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Stop N Grow 340 Pine Ave., Goleta, CA 93003 805-685-3000 ____________________________

All Seasons Hydroponics 17614 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344 818-368-4388 ____________________________

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Grass Valley Hydrogarden 12506 Loma Rica Dr., Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-477-2996 ____________________________

Vital Landscaping Inc. 12817 Loma Rica Dr., Grass Valley, CA 95945 530-273-3187 ____________________________ West Coast Growers Hydroponics 13481 Colifax Hwy., Grass Valley, CA 95945 888-924-4769 Joy's Green Garden Supply 340-A Elm Ave, Greenfield, CA 93927 831-674-1416 M.G.S. 22540 D Foothill Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94541; 510-582-0900 Thrive Hydroponics 70 A West North St., Healdsburg, CA 95446 707-433-4068 Bear Valley Hydroponics & Homebrewing 17455 Bear Valley Rd., Hesperia CA 92345 760 949 3400 Emerald Garden 13325 South Hwy. 101, Hopland, CA 95482 707-744-8300 Surf City Hydroponics 7319 Warner St., Suite B Huntington Beach, CA 92647 714-847-7900 Dutch Garden Supplies Park Circle Suite 12 Irvine CA 92614 949-748-8777 West Coast Hydroponics, Inc. 27665 Forbes Road, Unit 10 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 949-348-2424 La Habra Hydroponics 1301 S Beach Blvd., Suite O. La Habra, CA 90631 562-947-8383 ____________________________

Grass Roots Hydroponics 31875 Corydon, Suite 130 Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 951-245-2390 ____________________________ South County Hydroponics 22511 Aspan St., Suite E Lake Forest, CA 92630 949-837-8252 Clover Hydroponics & Garden Supply 43 Soda Bay Rd., Lakeport, CA 95453 707-263-4000 ____________________________

San Diego Hydroponics East County 11649 Riverside Dr., Suite 141, Lakeside, CA 92040 619-562-3276 ____________________________

Hollywood Hydroponics and Organics 5109 1/2 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027-6105 323-662-1908 Total Hydroponics Center Inc 4820 Paramount Blvd., Lakewood, CA 90712 562-984-GROW (4769) ____________________________ Weather Top Nursery 44901 Harmon Dr., Laytonville, CA 95454 707-984-6385 ____________________________

CNG Garden Supplies 22 Ricknbacker Circle, Livermore, CA 94551 925-454-9376 ____________________________ DL Wholesale 6764 Preston Ave. Suite D Livermore CA 94551 510-550-0018 ____________________________

Hydroasis 2643 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90232 888-355-4769 LAX Hydro 10912 S. La Cienaga Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90304; 310-337-6995 Nirvana Hydroponics 340 South San Pedro Los Angeles, CA 90013 310-795-2914 ____________________________

Sunland Hydroponics 4136 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90065 323-254-2800 ____________________________

Superior Hydroponic Supply 5651 Hollywood Blvd., 90028 Los Angeles,CA 323 465-grow (4769) ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply 6485 Brisa Street, Livermore, CA 94550 888-570-4678 (Southern CA) ____________________________

Green Giant Hydroponics 7183 Hwy. 49 Unit B Lotus, CA 95651; 530-622-4465

Garden Depot, The 203 Commerce Street, Suite 101 Lodi, CA 95240 209-339-9950

Big Momma’s 11455 Clayton Creek Rd., Lower Lake, CA 95457 707-994-1788

Valley Rock Landscape Supply 2222 N H Street; Lompoc CA 93436 805 736 0841; 805 735 5921

California Green Hydroponics 16491 Rd., 26, Suite 101 Madera, California 93638 559-674-1400

562 Hydro Shop 717 East Artesia Blvd. Long Beach Ca,90805 562-726-1101 ____________________________

grow 22333 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 101 Malibu, CA 90265; 310-456-2910

Green Coast Hydroponics 2405 Mira Mar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815 562-627-5636 ____________________________ Grow Light Express 5318 East Second St. Suite 164, Long Beach, CA 90803 888-318-GROW ____________________________

Long Beach Hydroponics & Organics 1772 Clark Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815 562-498-9525 ____________________________ Atwater Hydroponics 3350 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039; 323-663-8881 Green Door Hydro and Solar 830 Traction Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013 212-625-1323 Hardman Hydroponics 3511 Youree Dr., Shreveport Los Angeles 71105 318-865-0317

Deep Roots Garden Center & Flower Shop 207 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-376-0567 B & S Gardening Supplies 592 Commerce Court, Manteca, CA 95336 209-239-8648 Monterey Bay Horticulture Supply 218 Reindollar Ave., Suite 7A, Marina, CA 93933 831-38-HYDRO Two Chix Garden Supply 1230 Yuba St., Marysville, CA 95901 530-923-2536 ____________________________

Northcoast Horticulture Supply 1580 Nursery Way McKinleyville, CA 95519 707-839-9998 ____________________________ Mendocino Garden Shop PO Box 1301, 44720 Maint St. (at Hwy. 1), Mendocino, CA 95460 707-937-3459 Hooked Up Hydroponics 1004 W. 15th St. Suite B & C, Merced, Ca 95340; 209-723-1300

INDOOR/OUTDOOR GARDEN SUPPLY 1501 W. Main St., Merced, CA 95340 209-580-4425

One Stop Hydroponics 12822 Victory Boulevard North Hollywood, CA 91606 818-980-5855

Natural Pest Controls 8320 B Hazel Ave., Orangevale, CA 95662 916-726-0855

New Leaf Hydro 34150 123rd St., Parablossom, CA 93553 661-944-2226

Shadow Valley Aquatics 75 Kimick Way, Red Bluff, CA 96080 530-526-0479

The Urban Farmer Store 653 E. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941 415-380-3840

Lumatek Digital Ballasts 33 Commercial Boulevard, Suite B Novato, CA 94949 415-233-4273

Mission Viejo Hydroponics 24002 Via Fabricante Suite 502 Mission Viejo, CA 92691 949-380-1894

Alternative Hydro 3870 East, Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107 888-50-HYDRO

Bear Roots Hydroponics 1615 East Cypress, #5 Redding, CA 96002 530-244-2215

Marin Hydroponics 55 Frosty Ln Novato, CA 94949 415-233-4104

Greenback Garden Supply 9341 Greenback Ln., Ste C Orangevale, CA 95662 530-391-4329 ____________________________

Coca’s Central Valley Hydroponics 116 West Orangeburg Ave., Modesto, CA 95350 209-567-0590

Marin Hydroponics 1219 Grant Ave., Novato, CA 94945 415-897-2197

Dazey’s Supply 3082 Redwood Dr., Redway, CA 95560 707-923-3002

Year Round Garden Supply 11000 Carver Rd. #20 Modesto, CA 95350 Tel: 209 522 2727 ____________________________

Roots Grow Supply 40091 Enterprise Dr. Oakhurst CA 93644 559-683-6622

Advanced Soil & Garden Supply 350 Oro Dam Boulevard, Oroville, CA 95965 530-533-2747 ____________________________

Better Grow Hydro Pasadena 1271 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasedena, CA 91106 626-737-6612 365 Hydroponics 2062 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 626-345-9015

Green Light Hydroponics 2615 Honolula Ave. Montrose, CA 91020 818-640-2623 ____________________________ South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - Mtn. View 569 East Evelyn Ave., Mountain View, CA 94041 650-968-4070 Redwood Garden Supply 55 Myers Ave., Myers Flat, CA 95554 707-943-1515 ____________________________

3rd Street Hydroponics 636 3rd St., Oakland, CA 94607 510-452-5521 Medicine Man Farms 1602 53rd Ave., Oakland, CA 94601 707-980-0456 Plant-N-Grow 1602 53rd Ave., Oakland, CA 94601 707-980-0456 Hydrobrew 1319 South Coast Hwy., Oceanside, CA 92054 760-966-1885; 877-966-GROW

Wyatt Supply 4407 Solano Ave., Napa, CA 94558; 707-251-3747

Flairform 1751 S Pointe Ave., Ontario, CA 91761 213-596-8820 GreenCoast Ontario Unit 102-103 1920 South Rochester Ave., Ontario, CA 909-605-5777 ____________________________

Conejo Hydroponics 3481 Old Conejo Rd., #106 Newbury Park, CA 91320 805-480-9596 Big Momma’s 2581 Stokes Ave., Nice, CA 95464 707-274-8369 ____________________________

Stop N Grow 640 S. Frontage Rd., Nipomo, CA 93444 805-619-5125 ____________________________ Valley Garden Solutions Inc. 15650 Nordhoff Ave., Suite 104, North Hills, CA 91345 818-336-0041 ____________________________

Foothill Hydroponics 10705 Burbank Boulevard, N. Hollywood, CA 91601 818-760-0688 ___________________________

Orville Organic Gardens 5250 Olive Hwy Ste 1 Oroville, CA 95966 530-589-9950 US Orchid & Hydroponic Supplies 1621 South Rose Ave.,, Oxnard, CA 93033 805-247-0086 Pacifica Hydroponics 90 Eureka Square Pacifica, CA 94044 650-355-5100 ____________________________

Socal Hydroponics 1727-B Oceanside Boulevard, Oceanside, CA 92054 760-439-1084 Cultivate Ontario 2000 Grove Ave. #a110 Ontario, CA 91761 909-781-6142

Endless Green Hydroponics 25 Enterprise Court, Suite 3 Napa, CA 94558 707-254-0200 ____________________________

Igrow Hydro 2280 Veatch St., Oroville, CA 95965 530-534-4476

National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply 1950 C South Grove Ave., Ontario, CA 91761 888-888-3319 ____________________________ Palm Tree Hydroponics 2235 E 4th St, Suite G Ontario, CA 91764 909-941-9017 ____________________________

America’s Best Hydroponics & Gardening Center 641 W. Palmdale Blvd. Unit D Palmdale, CA 93551 661-266-3906 ____________________________

Hydroponics Unlimited 641 W. Palmdale Blvd. “D” Palmdale, CA 93550 661-266-3906 ____________________________ Palm Springs Hydroponics 4651 Ramon Rd., Palm Springs, CA 92264 760-327-ROOT ____________________________

DNA Hydroponics Inc 19345 North Indian Canyon Dr., North Palm Springs, Suite 2-F CA 92258 760-671-5872 ____________________________

RH Distribution 1751 S. Pointe Ave., Ontario, CA 91761 888-545-8112 ____________________________

Green Coast Hydroponics 496 Meats Ave., Orange, CA 92865 714-974-4769 ____________________________

Green Bros Hydroponics 14072 Osborne St., Panorama City, CA 91402 818-891-0200 ____________________________ Mission Hydroponics 1236 East Mission Pomona, CA 91766 909-620-7099

Supersonic Hydroponic and Organic Garden Supply 3850 Ramada Dr., Unit D2 Paso Robles, CA 93446 805-434-2333 Foothills Hydrogarden 3133 Penryn Rd., Penryn, CA 95663 916-270-2413 ____________________________

Funny Farms Hydroponics 963 Transport Way, #12 Petaluma, CA 94954 707-775-3111 ____________________________ House of Hydro 224 Weller St., #B, Petaluma, CA 94952 707-762-4769

Humboldt Hydroponics 2010 Tunnel Rd., Redway, CA 95560 707-923-1402 Redway Feed Garden and Pet Supply 290 Briceland Rd., Redway, CA 95560 707-923-2765 Sylvandale Gardens 1151 Evergreen Rd., Redway, CA 95560 707-923-3606 ____________________________

Humboldt Hydroponics 2174 Pine Str., Redding, CA 96001 530-241-7454 ____________________________ Hydro King 105 Hartnell Ave., Suite C and D, Redding, CA 96002 888-822-8941 Orsa Organix 111 Willow St., Redwood City, CA 94063 650-369-1269 ____________________________

Wyatt Supply 1016 Lakeville St., Petaluma, CA 94952 707-762-3747 JNJ Hydroponics 4774 Phelan Rd. Suite 2 Phelan, CA 92371 760-868-0002 Turbo Grow 1889 San Pablo Ave., Pinole, CA 94564 510-724-1291 Hillside Hydro & Garden 4570 Pleasant Valley Rd., Placerville CA 95662 530-644-1401 Best Yield Garden Supply 3503 West Temple Ave., Unit A, Pomona, CA 91768 909-839-0505 Mission Hydroponics 1236 East Mission Pomona, CA 91766 909-620-7099

Mendocino Greenhouse & Garden Supply 960 East School Way, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 707-485-0668 ____________________________ EZ Green Hydroponics 7017 Reseda Boulevard, Reseda, CA 91335 818-776-9076 Hydro Hills Hydroponics 19320 Vanowen St., Reseda CA 91335

Emerald Garden 8249 Archibald Ave., Ranch Cucamanga, CA 91730 909-466-3796 ____________________________

GreenLeaf Hydroponics 2212 Artesia Boulevard, Redondo Beach, CA 90278 310-374-2585 ____________________________ Radiant Roots Gardening & Hydroponics 1394 S Pacific Coast Hwy., Redondo Beach, CA 90277 310-540-2005

Box Of Rain Inc. Po Box 302, Rexford, CA 59930 406-755-7245 Hi-Tech Gardening 5327 Jacuzzi St., #282, Richmond, CA 94804 510-524-4710 The Urban Farmer Store 2121 San Joaquin St., Richmond, CA 94804 510-524-1604 ____________________________

Discount Hydroponics 4745 Hiers Ave., Riverside, CA 92505 877-476-9487 ____________________________

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

179

MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

All Ways Hydro 2220 Eastridge Ave. Suite C Riverside CA 92507 888-HYDRO98 ____________________________

Calwest Hydroponics 11620 Sterling Ave., Suite A Riverside, CA 92503 800-301-9009 ____________________________ Hydro Depot 5665 Redwood Dr., #B, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 707-584-2384 Igrow Hydro 9000 Atkinson St., Roseville, CA 95678 916-773-4476 Green Acres Hydroponics 1215 Striker Ave., Suite 180, Sacramento, CA 95834 916-419-4394 Greenfire Sacramento 3230 Auburn Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95821 916-485-8023 Green Thumb Hydroponics 35 Quinta Court, Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95823 916-689-6464 ____________________________

KY Wholesale 8671 Elder Creek Rd. #600 Sacramento, CA 95828 916 383 3366 ____________________________ Mystic Gardens 8484 Florin Rd., #110, Sacramento, CA 95828 916-381-2464 Sac Hydroponics 9529 Folson Boulevard, Suite C Sacramento, CA 95827 916-369-7968

National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply 1900 Bendixsen St. , Bldg. 1, Samoa, CA 95564 800-683-1114 (Northern CA) ____________________________ Greenmile Hydroponic Garden Supply 1480 South E. Street, Suite D, San Bernardino, CA 92408 909-885-5919 Garden Shed, The 1136 El Camino Real San Carlos, CA 650-508-8600 Pure Food Gardening/Microclone 830 H Bransten Rd. San Carlos,CA 94070-3338 Green Gopher Garden Supply 679 Redwood Ave., Suite A, Sand City, CA 93955 831-899-0203 Modern Gardens 26620 Valley Center Dr. Santa Clarita, CA 91351 661-513-4733 Best Coast Growers 4417 Glacier Ave. Suite C, San Diego, CA 92120 800-827-1876 City Farmer’s Nursery 4832 Home Ave., San Diego, CA 92105 619-284-6358 Green Lady Hydroponics 4879 Newport Ave., San Diego, CA 92107 619-222-5011 Home Brews & Gardens 3176 Thorn St., San Diego, CA 92104 619-630-2739 ____________________________

Skywide Import & Export Ltd. 5900 Lemon Hill Ave., Sacramento, CA 95824 916-383-2369

Indoor Garden Depot 1848 Commercial St. San Diego CA 92113 619-255-3552 ____________________________

Tradewinds Wholesale Garden Supplies 1235 Striker Ave. #180, Sacramento, CA 95834 888-557-8896

Innovative Growing Solutions (IGS) 5060 Santa Fe St. Ste.D San Diego, CA 92109 858-578-4477 ____________________________

Green Joint Ventures 61 Tarp Circle, Salinas, CA 93901 831-998-8628 ____________________________

Reforestation Technologies International 1341 Daton St., Unit G Salinas, CA 93901 800-784-4769 ____________________________

Xtreme Gardening 1341 Dayton St. Annex B Salinas CA 93901 800-784-4769 ____________________________

180

Mighty Garden Supply 4780 Mission Gorge Pl. #A-1, San Diego, CA 92120 619-287-3238 ____________________________

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Oracle Garden Supply 5755 Oberlin Dr., Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92121 858-558-6006 ____________________________ Pacific Beach Hydroponics 1852 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA 92109 858-274-2559 ____________________________

San Diego Hydroponics Beach Cities 4122 Napier St., San Diego, CA 92110 619-276-0657 ____________________________ Wai Kula Hydrogardens 5297 Linda Vista Rd., San Diego, CA 92110 619-299-7299 Direct Hydroponics Wholesale 1034 W. Arrow Hwy. #D San Dimas, CA 91773 888-924-9376 Liquid Gardens 1034 West Arrow Hwy. #D San Dimas, CA 91773 888-924-9376 Extreme Hydroponics 11479 San Fernando Road C, San Fernando, CA 91340 818-898-0915 Plant It Earth 661 Divisadero San Francisco, CA 94117 415-626-5082 Plant It Earth Warehouse 1 Dorman Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124 415-970-2465 ____________________________

Grow Your Own 3401 Traval St., San Francisco, CA 94116 415-731-2115 ____________________________ Hydroponic Connection Warehouse, The 1995 Evans Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124 415-824-9376 Nor Cal Hydroponics 4837 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94118 415-933-8262 Plant It Earth 2279 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114 415-626-5082 ____________________________

US Garden 417 Agostinio Rd., San Gabriel Ca 91776 626 285-5009 Inland Empire Hydrogarden 1301-C South State St., San Jancinto, CA 92853 Hahn’s Lighting 260 E. VA Suite 1, San Jose, CA 95112 408-295-1755 Plant Life 32 Race St., San Jose, CA 95126 408-283-9191 Hydrofarm, Inc. 2249 South McDowell Extension Petaluma, CA 94954 800-634-9990 Hydrofarm Southwest 12991 Leffingwell Road Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 800-634-9990 South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - San Jose 1185 South Bascom Ave., San Jose, CA 95128 408-292-4040 D&S Garden Supplies 17-130 Doolittle Dr., San Leandro, CA 94577 510-430-8589 Hydrogarden Delight 13762 Doolittle Dr., San Leandro, CA 94577 510-903-1808 Central Coast Hydrogarden 1951 Santa Barbara St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-544-GROW Healthy Harvest Hydroponics and Organics 2958 S. Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805.596.0430 ____________________________

San Diego Hydroponics North 802 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road #108 San Marcos, CA 92069 760-510-1444 ____________________________ H20 Gardening 355 West 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90731 310-514-1416 Marin Hydroponics 721 Francisco Blvd East San Rafael, CA 94901 415-482-8802 Pacific Garden Supply 128 H Carlos Dr., San Rafael, CA 94903 San Rafael Hydroponics 1417 Fourth St. San Rafael, CA 94901 415 455 9655 ____________________________

UrbanGardens advanced hydroponics and gardening

704 Filbert Street, San Francisco, CA 94133

Urban Gardens Unlimited 704 Filbert St., San Francisco, CA 94133 415-421-4769 ____________________________ Miramar Hydroponics & Organics 8952 Empire St., San Diego CA 92126 858-549-8649 ____________________________

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

San Francisco Hydro 123 Tenth St., San Francisco, CA 94103 The Urban Farmer Store 2833 Vicente St., San Francisco, CA 94116 415-661-2204

Green Coast Hydroponics 3560 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 805-898-9922 ____________________________ Nutes Int’l 204 N Quarantina St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-687-6699 Planet Earth Hydroponics 102 East Haley St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805 899 0033

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Urban Grow Systems 204 N Quarantine St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-637-6699 ____________________________ Santa Clarita Valley Hydroponics 25835 Railroad Ave. #26 Santa Clarita CA 91350 661 255 3700 661 255 3701 California Hydroponics 310 Coral St., Suite C Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-423-4769 Hydro-Logic Purification Systems 370 Encinal St., Suite 150, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 888 H2O LOGIC Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - West Side 815 Almar Ave., Unit K, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-466-9000 Gottagrow Garden Supply 769 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, CA 95404 707-544-7782 ____________________________

Green Logic Garden Supply 860 Piner Road, #38, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-843-3156 ____________________________ Organic Bountea 1919 Dennis Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 800-798-0765 Wyatt Supply 747 Yolanda Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95404 707-578-3747 Next Generation Hydroponics 10658 Prospect Ave., Ste.A Santee, CA 92071 619-438 2415 ____________________________

Santa Rosa Hydroponics 4880 Sonoma Hwy Santa Rosa, CA 707-595-1340 Santa Rosa Hydroponics 4130 S Moorland Ave Santa Rosa, CA 707-584-9370 ____________________________ Santee Hydroponics 7949 Mission Gorge Rd., Santee, CA 92071 619-270-8649 Gardening Unlimited 60 Old El Pueblo Rd., Scotts Valley, CA 95066 831-457-1236 Pro Gardening Systems 765 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol, CA 95472 707-829-7252 Better Choice Hydroponics 610 S. Washington St., Senora, CA 95370 209 533 2400 Go Big Hydroponics 4501 Van Nuys Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818-789-3341

Bloom Brothers Garden Supply, Inc. 3293 Industry Dr. Signal Hill, CA 90755 562 494-0060 We Grow Hydroponics 3350 East Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93063 805-624-4566 Abundant Hydroponics LLC 1611 Shop St., #1-A, S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 530-54 HYDRO ____________________________

Anthony’s Garden & Lighting Supply 30 Ridge Road, Suites 8 & 9 Sutter Creek, CA 95685 209-267-5416 Tahoe Garden Supply 645 Westlake Boulevard, Suite 2, PO Box 487 Tahoe City, CA 96145 530-581-3200 The Otherside Hydroponics 19425 Ventura Blvd Tarzana CA 91356 818 881 hydro (4937) Hydroponics 4 Less 41669 Winchester Avenue, Temecula, CA 92590 800-A1-HYDRO

Advanced Garden Supply 2660 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Building C, Unit 9, S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 530-541-4769 ____________________________

Inland Empire Hydrogarden 28822 Old Town Front St. #206 Temecula, CA 92590 886-74-HYDRO ____________________________

Evergreen Hydroponics 923 N. Central Avenue, Suite B, Upland, CA 91786 909-946-7100 TNC Supply 9490 Main Street, P.O. Box 763 Upper Lake, CA 95485 707-275-9565 Everything Green 1650 Lewis Brown Dr. Vallejo, CA 94589 707 647 0774 Sky High Garden Supply 3081 Alhambra Dr. Suite 105 Cameron Park CA 95682 530-676-4009 Hydroponics Market 15816 Arminta St Van Nuys, CA 91406 818-305-6261 886-72-HYDRO ____________________________

Farm Hydroponics, The 1950 Lake Tahoe Boulevard #3, S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 530-541-3276 Valley Hydro and Organics 19230 Sonoma Hwy. Sonoma CA 95476 707-396-8734 Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - East Side 4000 Cordelia Lane Soquel, CA 95073 831-475-9900 ____________________________

Orange County Hydroponics 12797 Beach Boulevard, Stanton, CA 90680 714-893-9493 ____________________________

HomeGrown Indoor Garden Supply 681 A Grider Way, Stockton, CA 95210 209-477-4447 ____________________________ Golden Harvest Hydroponics & Garden Supply 8626 Lower Sacramento Road #48, Stockton, CA 95210 209-951-3550 M&M Garden Supply 2509 West Lane, Suite B Stockton, CA 95205 209-939-0664 Pacific Ave Indoor Garden Supply 4633 pacific Ave Stockton , CA 95207 209-955-0945 City Farm Hydroponics 8903 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Sun Valley, CA 91352 818-767-2076 ____________________________

805 Hydroponics & Organics 1785 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 805-494-1785 ____________________________

BWGS-CA 7530 W. Sunnyview Avenue Visalia, CA 93291 888-316-1306 ____________________________

Green Thumb Lighting & Garden 1647 W. Sepulveda Boulevard, Unit 5, Torrance, CA 90501 888-326-GROW Los Angeles Hydroponics and Organics 3007-3009 W. Artesia Blvd. Torrance, CA 90504 310-323-4937

The Green Shop 66420 Mooney Boulevard, Suite 1 Visalia, CA 93277 559-688-4200

Hooked Up Hydroponics 339 S. Golden State Boulevard, Turlock, CA 95380 209-668-1300 Emerald Garden 307 East Perkins Street, Ukiah, CA 95482 707-463-2510 ____________________________

HydroPacific - Hydroponics & Garden Supplies 351 C Hastings Av., Ukiah, CA 95482 707-467-0400 ____________________________ Northcoast Hydrogardens 3450 North State Street, Ukiah, CA 95482 707-462-7214 Wyatt Supply 2200 N. State St. Ukiah, CA 95482 707-462-7473

Sunland Hydroponics 8300 Foothill Boulevard, Sunland, CA 91040 818-352-5300 ____________________________

Atlantis Garden Supply 2851 A Whipple Road, Union City, CA 94587 510-487-8007

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Green Coast Hydroponics 11510 Whittier Boulevard Whittier, CA 90601 562-699-4201 ____________________________

The Big Tomato Indoor Garden Supply 14440 E. 6th Ave. Aurora, CO 80011 (303) 364-4769 ___________________________

GreenWay Hydroponics 11510 Whittier Boulevard, Whittier, CA 90601 Lazy Gardeners Hydroponics ‘N’ More 14626 East Whittier Boulevard, Whittier, CA 90605 562-945-0909 Garden Spout, The 260 Margie Dr Willits, CA 95490 707-456-0196 Sparetime Supply 208 E. San Francisco Avenue, Willits, CA 95490-4006 ____________________________

Stop N Grow 4160 Market Street, Unit 11 Ventura, CA 93003 805-639-9489 ____________________________

Art of Hydro 2636 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 805-230-2227 ____________________________

Anything Grows 10607 W. River Street, Building 3 Suite C, Truckee, CA 96161 530-582-0479

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Kaweah Grower Supply 1106 1/2 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia, CA 93293 559-625-4937 Greentrees Hydroponics Inc. 2581 Pioneer Avenue, Unit D Vista, CA 92081 760-598-7551 Home Life Hydroponics and Organics 1745 East Vista Way, Vista, CA 92084 760-643-2150 Specialty Garden Supply 7 Hangar Way Ste B Watsonville Ca 95075 831-768-0420 Evergreen Farm Feed and Garden 1131 Main Street Weaverville, CA 96093 530-623-2884 California Hydro Garden 1043 South Glendora Avenue, Suite A West Covina, CA 91790 626-813-0868 No Stress Hydroponics 7543 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046 323-845-9874 Hydronation 2491 Boatman Drive, Suite B West Sacramento, CA 95691 916-372-4444 Flower Hut Nursery 603 4th Street Wheatland, CA 95692 530-633-4526

Hydromagic Supply 40 N. East St. Suite F Woodland,CA 95776 530-661-0117 ____________________________ Urban Gardens 22516 Ventura Boulevard, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 818-876-0222 ____________________________

Ultra Lo Hydro ultralohydro.com 937-252-8224 ____________________________ Garden Highway Garden Supply 598 Garden Highway #22 Yuba City, CA 95991 530-755-2877 Golden Valley Hydroponics 870 W. Onsott Rd. Ste F Yuba City, CA 95993 530-763-2151 Southern Humbolt Garden Supplies 34919 Yucaipa Boulevard, Yucaipa, CA 92399 909-797-6888; 707-459-6791 Yucca Valley Hydroponics 56825 Twentynine Palms Hwy. Yucca Valley, CA 92284 760 369 0300 COLORADO South Park Hydroponics 42 E Buckskin Rd. Alma CO 80420 719 836 1533 ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply 3550 B Odessa Way, Aurora, CO 80011 866-877-4188 (Northeast) ____________________________

Nick’s Garden Center 2001 S. Chambers, Aurora, CO 80014 303-696-6657

Family Hydroponics-Boulder 2125 32nd Street Boulder, co 80301 303-996-6100 Polar Ray 5171 Eldorado Springs Dr. Boulder, CO 80303 303 494 5773 Way To Grow 6395 Gunpark Drive, Boulder, CO 80301 303-473-4769 Deep Roots Garden Supply 1790 Airport Road, Unit 1 Breckenridge, CO 80424 970-453-1440 Mile High Hydroponics 37 Strong St. Brighton, CO 80601 303-637-0069 Brighton Hydroponics 839so.Kuner rd., Brighton CO 80601 303-655-1427 ___________________________

ACME Hydroponics 300 Nickel St Suite 3 Broomfield, CO 80020 720.524.7306 ___________________________ Colorado Grow 3400 Industrial Lane, Unit 10A Broomfield, CO 80020 303-465-GROW (4769) Hydrofarm CO 400 Burbank St Broomfield, CO 80020 800-634-9990 J&D Organic Growing Solutions 217 1/2 Clayton Street Brush, CO 80723 970-310-5408 BIG BloomZ 1011 Caprice Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80109 303-688-0599 ___________________________

Indoor

The

Gardener

Indoor Gardener. The 3225 I-70 Business Loop Unit A10 Clifton, Colorado 81520 970-434-9999 ____________________________ Indoor Garden Warehouse 8100 S Akron St., Suite 322, Centennial, CO 80112 720-496-2110 Garden Tech 737 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-278-9777 Greenhouse Tech 917 East Fillmore, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 719-634-0637 Hydro Grow Supply 644 Peterson Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80915

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

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719-596-2600 Purple Mountain Hydroponics LLC 1530 S Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 719-635-5859 Room To Grow LLC 422 South 8th Street Colorado Springs CO 80905 719-633-8682 Roots and Rocks Hydroponic and Organic Garden Supply 1014 S. 21st Street Colorado Springs, CO 80904 719-634-1024 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 5275 Quebec St. Commerce City, CO 80022 720-222-0772

N-BR Y-

ROC K

____________________________

I F E R, C

R-n-B Horticultural Supply 25797 Conifer Rd #a-8 Conifer, Co 80433 303-838-5520 ____________________________

Roll-N-Green Farms Horticultural Supply 25797 Conifer Rd #A-8 Conifer, Co 80433 303-838-5520 ____________________________

All Seasons Gardening 434 Turner Drive, Suite 2B Durango, CO 81303 (970) 385-4769 ____________________________ Blue Sky Hydroponics 1301 Florida Road Unit C Durango, CO 81301 970-375-1238 DHL Garden Supply 178 Bodo Dr.Unit B Durango, Co 81303 970-247-1090 Grow Store South, The 5050 S. Federal Boulevard, #37, Englewood, CO 80110 303-738-0202 Alpenglow Garden Supply 2712 South College Ave Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-266-8888 Bath Nursery & Garden Center 2000 E. Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-484-5022 Gold Coast Hydroponics West 8101 S.W. Frontage Road Suite 300 Fort Collins, Colorado 80528 970-232-3220

Chlorophyll 3801 Mariposa St. Denver CO 80211 303-433-1155 ____________________________ Denver Hydroponic & Organic Center 6810 North Broadway, Unit D Denver, CO 80221 303-650-0091 Rocky Mountain Lighting and Hydroponics 7100 N. Broadway, Suite 3D Denver, CO 80221 303-428-5020 The Grow Outlet 4272 Lowell Boulevard Denver, CO 80211 303-586-5543 Way To Grow 301 East 57th Ave. Denver, CO 80216 303-296-7900

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Your Grow Bud 6801 South Emporia St. Suite 106 Greenwood Village, CO 80112 Tel: 303-790-2211 GroWize 3225 S. Wadsworth Boulevard, Lakewood, CO 80227 303-986-2706 Grow Store, The 8644 W. Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80215 888-510-0350 ____________________________

MileHydro 355 S. Harlan St. Lakewood CO 80226 303-935-4769 ____________________________ Ever Green Hydroponics Inc. 1131 Francis Street, Suite A, Longmont, CO 80501 303-682-6435 ____________________________

Ultra Lo Hydro ultralohydro.com 937-252-8224 ____________________________

Indoor Paradise Hydroponics 309 S. Summit View, Unit 17, Fort Collins, CO 80524-1462 970-221-3751 Way To Grow 3201 E. Mulberry Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524 970-484-4769 ____________________________

Global Organics & Hydroponics 11 N Broadway Cortez CO 81321 970-564-8100 ____________________________

BWGS-CO 11685 E. 55th Avenue Denver, CO 80239 888-316-1306 ____________________________

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Victory Hydro Gardening 1387 E. South Boulder Rd. Louisville, CO, 80027 303-664-9376 ____________________________ Lyons Indoor Gardening 138 Main Street, Lyons, CO 80540 720-530-3828

Hydro Shack, The 220 Main Street, Suite E Frisco, CO 80443 970-668-0359 ____________________________ GWS Hydroponics 7025 Highway 82 Building 4B, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-384-2040

Head Start Hydroponics & Organic Gardening Emporium 34500 US Highway 6, Unit B-9, North Edwards, CO 81632 970-569-313 Grow Depot 1434 W. 104th Ave. Northglenn, CO 80234 303-459-7878

Hydro Planet 711 Washington Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 303-279-6090

Pueblo Hydroponicss and Organics - Downtown 113 W 4th St, Pueblo CO 81003 719 542 6798

Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics 15985 S. Golden Road Golden, CO 80401 720-475-1725

Pueblo Hydroponics and Organics- South 2704 S Prarie Ave Suite C Pueblo CO 81005 719 564 2660

Desert Bloom Hydroponics 445 Pitkin Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 970-245-6427 970-668-0359 ____________________________

Pueblo Hydroponics and Organics 609 E Enterprise Dr Pueblo West CO 81007 709 647 0907

Primo Gardens 1600 North Ave. Suite B Grand Junction, CO 81501 970-241-1209 970-668-0359 ____________________________ Greeley Nutrients 700 11th Street Unit 101 Greeley CO 80631 970 673 8302

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Salida Hydroponic Supply 1242 C Street Salida, CO 81201 719-539-4000 ____________________________

Cultivate Hydroponics & Organics 7777 W. 38th Avenue, A120A, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 303-954-9897 ____________________________

CONNECTICUT ____________________________

CT Home Grown 45 South Canterbury Canterbury, CT 06331 860-546-6161 ____________________________ Grow Crazy 11 Berlin Rd. Unit 2 Cromwell CT 06416 203-660-8486 Harvest Moon Hydroponics 775 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118 860-568-4067 LiquidSun® CT 10C South Main Street, East Windsor, CT 06088 860-254-5757 ____________________________

Rogue Hydroponics 160 Broadway Hamden, CT 06518 866-277-4432 ____________________________ Organix Hydroponics 749 Saybrook Road, (Tradewinds Plaza) Middletown, CT 06457 860-343-1923 ____________________________

Good To Grow 335 Westport Avenue Norwalk, CT 06851 203 956 5600 www.goodtogrowct.com ____________________________ Delaware Sunny Day Organics 1867 Coastal Hwy. Rehoboth Beach, Delaware MD 19917 302 703 2538 FLORIDA ____________________________

Urban Sunshine 1420 E. Altamonte Dr. Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 407-830-4769 ____________________________ Best Hydro 4920 Lena Road, Bradenton, FL 34211 941-756-1928 Palm Coast Hydroponics 4490 N Hwy US1 Ste. 108 Bunnell FL 32110 386 246 4119 ____________________________

East Coast Hydroponics & Organics 461 Forrest Avenue, Suite 105 Coca, FL 32922 321-243-6800 ____________________________

GreenTouch Hydroponics Inc. 5011 S State Road 7, Suite 104 Davie, FL 33314 954-316-8815 Absolute Hydroponic Garden Center Inc 1607 Old Daytona Steet Deland, FL 32724 386-734-0696 Organic Grow Hut 2 780 Deltona Blvd. #107 Deltona, Florida 32725 1-888-574-grow 386-259-5777 Gold Coast Hydroponics 1539 SW 21st Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312 1-800-780-7371 ____________________________

Biofloral 6250 NW 27th Way, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 877 735 6725 ____________________________ Green Thumb Hydroponics Supplies 13482 North Cleveland Avenue, Fort Meyers, FL 33903 239-997-4769 Gardener’s Edge Gainesville 5000 NW 34th Street, Suite 13, Gainesville, FL 32605 352-375-2769 ____________________________

Florida Garden Supplies 2692 W 79 Street, Hialeah, FL 33016 1-800-931-5215 ____________________________ Hydro Terra Corp. 924 North Federal Highway, Hollywood, FL 33020 954-920-0889 Simply Hydroponics & Organics (North) 3642 South Suncoast Boulevard, Homosassa, FL 34448 352-628-2655 Hydroponics International Inc. 7029-10 Commonwealth Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32220 904-693-6554 ____________________________

Grower’s Choice & Hydroponics 11855 North Main Street, Jacksonville, FL 32218 904-683-4517 ____________________________ Urban Organics & Hydroponics 5325 Fairmont Street, Jacksonville, FL 32207 904-398-8012 Simply Hydroponics & Organics 7949 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33773 727-531-5355 GrowSmart Indoor Garden Centers 14587 Southern Boulevard, Loxahatchee, FL 33470 561-429-3527 Palm Beach Discount Hydroponics – West 14703 Southern Blvd. Loxahatchee, FL 33470 561 296 8555

Atlantic Hydroponics 430 Count Street, Melbourne, FL 32901 321-821-1535 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 2975 West New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32901 321-821-0853 ____________________________ Advanced Hydro Gardens 4960 NW 165 Street, Suite B-4, Miami, FL 33014 866-97-HYDRO Blossoms Experience, The 7207 NW 54th Street, Miami, FL 33166 866-452-4769 ____________________________

Florida Garden Supplies 9545 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33173 800-931-5215 ____________________________ Future Farms Inc., The 14291 SW 120th Street, Suite 105 Miami, FL 33186 305-382-2757 Gold Coast Hydroponics 4241 SW 71st Avenue, Miami, FL 33155 1-800-780-6805 Growing Garden Inc., The 12811 SW 42nd Street, Miami, FL 33175 305-559-0309 VitaOrganix 7921 NW 67th St Miami, FL 33166 786 845 8633 3D Hydroponics and Organics 7139 US Highway #19, New Port Richey, FL 34652 727-847-3491 ____________________________

Florida Garden Supplies 8442 Tradeport Drive, Unit 200, Orlando, FL 32827 ____________________________

Healthy Gardens and Supply of Florida, Inc. 196 East Nine Mile Road, Suite F, Pensacola, FL 32534 850-912-4545 ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply 455 S. Andrews Avenue, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 877-649-3567 (Southeast) ____________________________ Hydroponic Depot II 2395 S Tamiami Trail #19 Port Charlotte FL 33952 941 255 3999t EZ Grow Green 604 S.W. Bayshore Blvd. Port St. Lucie, Fl 34983 772-807-7755 Urban Sunshine Organic & Hydroponic Gardening 2841 South Nove Rd., Ste. 5 South Daytona, FL 32119 386-236-9989 386-492-6978 Mr. Nice Guy Hydroponics 1800 NW. Federal Hwy., Stuart, FL 34994 772 934 6785

Green Winters Inc. 147 Tomoka Avenue, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 386-235-8730 800-931-5215 The Healthy Harvest Ste. 126 21113 Johnson St. Pembroke Pines, FL. 33029 954-538-1511 Eden Garden Supply 5044 N. Palafox Street, Pensacola, FL 32505 850-439-1299

Aiyah’s Garden 3-3122 Kuhio Hwy. unit B-2 Lihue, Hi. 96766 808 245 2627

Florida Garden Supplies 8020 Belvedere Road,Unit 4, West Palm Beach,FL 33411 800-931-5215 ____________________________

IDAHO

Palm Beach Discount Hydroponics – East 968 North Congress Ave. West Palm Beach, FL 33409 561 296 6161

Greenthumb Greenhouses 5895 Ensign Avenue, Boise, ID 83714

GEORGIA ____________________________

Evershine Hydroponics 1519 Capital Circle NE Unit #35 Tallahassee FL 32308 850-765-0040 Grace’s Hydro-Organic Garden Center 8877 North 56th Street Tampa, FL 33617 813-514-9376

Flora Hydroponics, Inc. 1239 Fowler St. NW Atlanta, GA 30318

Harvest Time Hydroponics 14414 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613 813-264-7101

Flora Hydroponics Inc. 2475 Jefferson Road, Suite 600 Athens, GA 30607 866-404-0551

Hydroponics of Tampa 120 W. Bougain Villea, Tampa, FL 33612 813-333-6828

Flora Hydroponics, Inc. 195 Paradise Blvd. Athens, GA 30607 ____________________________

Hydrofarm Southeast 12600 NW 115th Avenue Medley, FL 33178-3199 877-780-4567 Stoney Hydro @ Schiro’s Barn n Garden Supplies 7812 Causeway Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33619 813-626-0902 ____________________________

Worm’s Way Florida 4412 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL 33610 800-283-9676; 813-621-1792 ____________________________

Monkey Hydroponics 940 West Oakland Ave. Unit A1 407-574-8495 ____________________________

Happy Planet Hydroponics 11433 U.S. HWY 441 Tavares FL, 32778 352-253-1001 ____________________________

Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer 15-2754 Old Government Road, Pahoa, HI 96778 808-965-9955 Boise Hydroponics 614 North Orchard Street, Boise, ID 83706 208-344-3053

Atlantis Hydroponics 2561 West Point Avenue, College Park, GA 30337 678-510-0032 ____________________________ Alpha Hydroponics and Garden Supply Inc. 3904 N Druid Hills Rd. Suite 247 Decatur GA 30033 404 590 4769

HAWAII

Green Fields 8137 N. Milwaukee, Niles, IL 60714 847-965-5056 ____________________________

Aerostar Global 824 South Kay Avenue, Addison, IL 60101

Let it Grow - Carbondale West Main Street, Carbondale, IL 62908 573-450-5401 Alternative Garden Supply 615 Industrial Drive, Unit A Cary, IL 60013 800-444-2837 Brew and Grow 3625 N. Kedzi Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618 773-463-7430

Autumn Bloom Alternative Indoor Gardening 1020 Derby Street Pekin, Illinois 61554 309-642-6943 ____________________________ Grow Shop of Peoria 2621 N University Peoria, IL 61604 (309)-299-0953 wix.com/growshoppeoria/growshoppeoria GroUp Gardening 221 N. 5TH St. Pekin, IL 61554 309-349-4407

Fertile Ground 463 West MacArthur Drive, Cottage Hills, IL 62018 618-259-5500 Brew and Grow- Crystal Lake 176 W. Terra Cotta Ave. Crystal Lake, IL 60014 815-301-4950 ____________________________

Midwest Hydroganics 20647 Renwick Road, Crest Hill, IL 60403 815-838-0100 ____________________________

Savannah Hydroponics & Organics 4107 Eighth Street, Suite C Garden City, GA 31408 912-349-4030 Atlantis Hydroponics 5182-B Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross, GA 30071 770.558.1346

Gardinside 618 S. Rt. 59 suite 104 Naperville, IL 60540 630-276-9885 ____________________________

ILLINOIS

Brew and Grow 181 Crossroads Parkway, Bolingbrook, IL 60194 847-885-8282 Atlantis Hydroponics 1422 Woodmont Lane, #4, Atlanta, GA 30318 404-367-0052 ____________________________

Grow Big Hydroponics 7817 B North 2nd Street, Manchesney Park, IL 61115 815-637-4769 ____________________________

Aiyah’s Garden 4558 kukui st. kapa’a, Hi. 96746

Cultivating Eden Hydroponic Supplies 946 18th Avenue SW, Vero Beach, FL 32962 772-564-8880 ____________________________

Esposito Garden Center 2743 Capital Circle NE, Tallahassee, FL 32308 850-386-2114

Urban Sunshine 6100 Hanging Moss Rd ste 50 Orlando, FL 32807 407-647-4769 ____________________________

Urban Sunshine 6142 S. Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32809 407-859-7728 ____________________________

365 Hydroponics 13054 W Colonial Drive Winter Garden, FL 34787 407-656-GROW(4769) ____________________________

Ohana Greenhouse & Garden Supply 300 Hukilike Street, #2M, Kahalui, HI 96732 808-871-6393

Inc.

Aerogro 502 N Prospect suite 18 Bloomington, IL, 61704 Prairie House Garden Center 15151 South Harlem Avenue, Orland, IL 60462 708-687-3131 Brew and Grow 3224 South Alpine Road, Rockford, IL 61109 815-874-5700 Brew and Grow 359 W. Irving Park Road Unit E, Roselle, IL 60172 630-894-4885 Organic Garden Center 9223 Skokie Blvd. Skokie, IL 60077 847-675-2722 ____________________________

Goldman’s Grow Shop 910 Greenwood Road, Glenview, IL 60025 847-657-7250 ____________________________

Eco-Island Supply 810 Haiku Road, #394 Haiku, HI 96708 808-575-9171 Aqua Plant Hawaii / Kahala Hydroponics 4224 Wailae, Suite 1A, Honolulu, HI 96816 808-735-8665

Grow Masters 4641 Old Grand Ave. Gurnee, Il. 60031 224-399-9877 ____________________________

Green Hands of Aloha 1713 Mary Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 808-847-4263

Big Grow Hydroponics 9225 Trinity Drive, Lake In The Hills, IL 60156 847-854-4450

Kreation’s Indoor Gardening Center 3427 Old Chatman Road, Springfield, IL 62704 217-341-0821 Kreation’s Indoor Gardening Center 2110 North Grand Ave Springfield , IL, 62702 217-341-0821 ____________________________

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

Kentuckiana Hydroponic Garden Supply 632 Eastern Blvd, Unit B Clarksville IN, 47129 812-725-8005 kentuckianahydro.com Water Works Indoor Gardening 1900 South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield, IL 62703 217-553-6929 ____________________________

____________________________

Five Point Gardens 56555 Oak Road, South Bend, IN 46619 574-287-9232 ____________________________ KANSAS Green Circle Hydroponics 6890 W. 105th Street, Overland Park, KS 66212 913-642-3888

Midwest Hydroganics 949 W Irving Park Rd. Streamwood IL 60107 630-483-1600 ____________________________ INDIANA

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Evergreen Garden Center 301 Forest Avenue Portland, ME 04101 207-761-2800 ____________________________

KENTUCKY Garden Grove Organics 29 East 7th Street, Covington, (Cincinnati Metro), KY 41011 859-360-1843 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply Maine178 Rand Rd. Portland, ME 04102 Phone 207-899-4387 ____________________________

BWGS-IN 1400 Hancel Pkwy., Mooresville, IN 46158 800-316-1306 ____________________________ Sunleaves Garden Products 7854 North State Road 37, Bloomington, IN 47404 888-464-9676 ____________________________

Worm’s Way Indiana 7850 North State Road 37, Bloomington, IN 47404 800-598-8158 ____________________________

Worm’s Way Mail Order 7850 North State Road 37 Bloomington, IN 47404 800-274-9676 ____________________________ Frogs Lilly Pad, The 706 Citation Road, Carmel, IN 46032 317-846-4610 Hops & Harvest 4616 E. DuPont Road, Suite Q, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 260-918-3035 Harvest Moon Hydroponics 1336 East Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46202 317-780-8020 Magic Bulb Garden Center 6229 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46220 317-202-2852 Maximum Grow Gardening 6117 E Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46219 317-359-GROW (4769) Next Generation Gardening & Hydroponics 6805 Madison Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46227 317-786-0066 nggandh.com ____________________________

184

Worm’s Way Kentucky 1360 Donaldson Hwy. Suite A, Erlanger, KY 41018 800-669-2088 ____________________________

The Urban Garden Center 659 Warren Ave Portland, ME 04103 1-207-347-2350 Here We Grow 30 Parsons St. Presque Isle, ME 04769 207-SOY-BEAN (769-2326)

Grow Shop, The of Lexington 2320 Palumbo Drive, Suite 130, Lexington, KY 40509 859-268-0779

Green Thumb Indoor Gardening 19 Stage Road, St. Albans, ME 04971 207-938-5909

Louisville Hydroponics 3471 Taylor Boulevard, Louisville, KY 40215 502-366-4000

New England Horticulture Supply 125 John Roberts Road Suite 1 South Portland, ME 04106 207-899-0510 newenglandhorticultersupply.com

New Earth Garden Center 9810 Taylorsville Road, Louisville, KY 40299 800-462-5953 The Wine-N-Vine Inc. 1524 East McGalliard RD. Muncie IN. 47303 765) 282-3300 Bluegrass Organic Grow Shop 125 Quinn Dr., Nicholasville, KY 40356 859 887 0677 LOUISIANA Geaux Hydroponics! 2126 O’Neal Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 225-751-4769 Laughing Buddha Nursery 4516 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, LA 70006 504-887-4336 Urban Organics 285 St. Claude Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117 504-352-4709 Ourcrazydeals Hydroponics 201 Angus Drive, Yungsville, LA 70592 337-303-6146 MAINE The Urban Garden Center 600 Wilson St. Brewer, ME 04412 207-989-2020 LiquidSun of Maine 51West Gray Rd. Gray, ME 04039 207-657-8033 Natures Palate Indoor Garden Store 1321 Mercer Rd ( rte2) Mercer, Maine 04957 877-587-4150 207-587-4150

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Urban Garden Center 235 Lewiston Road, Topsham, ME 04086 207-373-0990 Greenlife Garden Supply 611 US Rt. 1 York, ME 03909 207-363-0844

Harvest Moon Hydroponics 29 Washington Street, Route 1 Foxboro, MA 02035 800-660-6977

HydroMaster 36345 Groesbeck Hwy Clinton Twp, MI 48035 586-792-0277

Here We Grow 123 Russell St. (Rt. 9) Hadley, MA 01035 413-584-FARM (3276)

Granny Green Thumbs 103 W. Grand River Flowerville MI 48836

LiquidSun® MA 8 Lynwood Avenue, Holyoke, MA 01040 413-539-6875 Green Path Garden Supply 276 West Main Street, Northborough, MA 01532 508-393-4181 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 560 Boston Turnpike (Rt.9) Shrewsbury, MA 01545 508-845-4477 ____________________________

New England Hydroponics 15 D College Hwy. (Rt. 10), Southampton, MA 01073 888-529-9025 ___________________________

Worm’s Way Massachusetts 121 Worc-Providence Turnpike, Sutton, MA 01590 800-284-9676 ____________________________ MICHIGAN ___________________________

MARYLAND East Coast Organics 2800 Sisson Street, Baltimore, MD 21211 Healthy Gardens and Supply 5001-F Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214 443-708-5144 Maryland Hydroponics Inc. 10051 North 2nd Street, Laurel, MD 20723 301-490-9236 Meadowview Feed & Garden Center 1202 Meadowview Road, Pasadena, MD 21122 443-817-0018 Maryland Hydroponics Inc. 12130 Nebel Street, Rockville, MD 20852 240-551-4625 Purple Mountain Organics 100-7010 Westmoreland Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912 877-538-9901 MASSACHUSETTS Greenlife Garden Supply 481 Boston Road, Unit 4, Billerica, MA 01821 978-262-9966 GYOstuff – Grow Your Own 2400 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140 617-945-1654

Flo-N-Grow Hydroponics Co. 214 North 2nd Street Niles, MI 49120 (269) 683-1877 www.FNGhydro.com ____________________________ Get Growing Urban Garden Centre 142 S. Main St Adrian MI 49221

Hydro Grow Room 15201 N. Holly Road, Unit B Holly, MI 48442 248-369-8333 ____________________________

Aric’s Indoor Garden Supply 611 Main st. Norway, Michigan 49870 (906)563-1518 ____________________________

Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The 6540 Allen Road, Allen Park, MI 48101 313-383-1766 ____________________________ Gro Blue Indoor Gardening Supplies 270 W. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-913-2750 Grow Show, The 4095 Stone School Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48108 734-677-0009; 734-677-0509 HotHydro® 5245 Jackson Road, Suite F Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-761-5040; 877-893-0716 Homelight Gardens 3471 S. Huron Road, Bay City, MI 48706 989-922-0088 J&L Growco 206 S. Michigan Avenue, Big Rapids, MI 49307 231-796-1528 Greenway Gardens 916 W 13th St Cadillac, Mi,49601 231-775-7075 Hydro Vision 303 W 14 Mile Rd. Clawson, MI 48017 248-435-2250 ___________________________

U Can Grow Hydro 2247 W. Liberty Ann Arbor MI 48103 Hydro Vision 11820 Belleville Belleville, MI 48111 (734) 325-6210 Growers Outlet 7720 Clyde Park SW Byron Center, MI 49513 616-878-4444 A Plus Hydroponics of Michigan LLC 9750 Cherry Valley Ave SE Caledonia MI 49316 (616) 891-0706 Hydro Vision 5844 N. Shelton Rd. Canton, MI 48187 (734) 335-6818 Absolute Hydro & Grow Centre 2583 Union Lake Rd., Commerce Township, MI 48382 248-937-8664

Cultivation Station 3 Inc. 46912 Gratiot, Chesterfield, MI 48051 586-949-7453 ___________________________ H2O Grow Supply 3364 Arent Ct Coloma, MI 49038 269-468-3890 Van Hydro 7480 N State, Davison, MI 48423 810-653-8267 The Grow Station 5670 Telegraph Rd. Dearborn, MI 48127 313-406-5147 800-797-4769 (GROW)

Hydro Giant 14455 Ford Rd, Dearborn, MI ____________________________

Growco Garden Supply 1042 Michigan Street, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 877-939-6900 ____________________________ Home Grown Hydroponix 5333 Plainfield Suite C, Grand Rapids MI 49525, 616-361-2924 ____________________________

Cultivation Station – Eastern Market, The 2518 Market Street, Detroit, MI 48207 313-394-0441 ____________________________

Hydro Giant 21651 W. 8 Mile Rd. Detroit, MI (8Mile & Lahser) 313-387-7700 313-216-8888 ____________________________ Hydro Heaven 73647 W 8th Mile Road, Detroit, MI 48235 313-861-0333; 877-823-2076 ____________________________

Ultra Lo Hydro ultralohydro.com 937-252-8224 ____________________________

Urban Gardening Center, The 2520 22nd Street, Detroit, MI 48216 313-898-0200 ____________________________

Superior Growers Supply 4870 Dawn Avenue, East Lansing, MI 48823 517-332-2663 ____________________________ Sunnyside Hydroponics 24930 Gratiot Avenue, Eastpoint, MI 48021 586-777-2528 Hydro Vision 495 Fenway Dr. Fenton, MI 810-714-1719 ___________________________

Horizen Hydroponics 1614 Leonard Street, NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 866-791-1664 ____________________________

Hydroharrys- HP 24047 Dequindre Road Hazel Park, MI 48030 248-541-0099 ____________________________ Hydro Grow Room 15201 N Holly Rd Unit B Holly MI, 48430 248-369-8333 ____________________________

Flower Factory, The 2223 East Highland Road Highland, MI 48356 248-714-9292 ____________________________ Hydro Vision 2858 E Highland rd Highland, MI 48356 248-714-5556 Holland Hydroponic Outlet 587-40 East 8th Street, Holland, MI 49423 616-298-7395 ____________________________

Synthetic Sun Hydroponics, LLC 705 S., Loxley Houghton Lake, MI 48629 989-422-2800 ____________________________ Hydro Vision 1247 e Grand River Howell, MI 48843 517-552-4965 ____________________________

Sunshine Supply Co. 5800 East Pickard Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 989-775-3700 High Tech Garden Supply 1745 West Main St. Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-978-8697 ____________________________ Horizen Hydroponics 4646 W. Main Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-567-3333 Kalamazoo Indoor Garden 450 W. Maple, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-344-2550 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 2815 East Grand River Ave. Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 580-0555 ____________________________ Hills Hydro 1290 S. Lapeer Rd., Lake Onion, MI 48360 248-693-5747 Horizen Hydroponics 5425 W. Saginaw Highway Lansing, MI 48917 517-323-ROOT ____________________________

The Grow Shop of Garden City 28505 Ford Road Garden City, MI 48135 734-956-5400 ___________________________

Superior Growers Supply, Inc. 2731 East Grand River Howell, MI 48843 517-376-6843 ____________________________

Green Forest Indoor Garden Supply, LLC. 2555 N. State(M-66) Rd. Ionia, MI 48846 616-523-6111 ____________________________

Green Earth Hydroponics 8127 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002 269-342-4190 Hydroponics Highway Inc. 2708 14th Ave. Port Huron MI, 48060 810-982-4769 Hydro Vision 66783 Gratiot Ave. Richmond, MI 48062 (586) 430-1956

Hills Hydro 896 S. Rochester Rd. Rochester Hills, MI 48307 248-650-4937 Green Thumb Hydroponics and Organic Indoor Supply 8460 Algoma Suite G Rockford MI 49341 616 884 5500 ____________________________

Hills Hydro 700 Main St. Ste III Lapeer, MI 48446 810-245-8687 ____________________________

Home Grown Hydroponics 8075 Gratiot Road, Unit C, Saginaw MI 48609 989-781-1930 ____________________________

Superior Growers Supply 292200 Seven Mile West Livonia, MI 48152 248-473-0450 ____________________________ Northern Lights Hydroponic and Garden Supply 29090 Campbell rd. Madison Heights, MI 48071 248-439-6269 BIg Creek Hydroponics 555 Old Little Lake Road, Marquette, MI 49855 906-249-5297

Indoor Garden Center 236 Mystic Ave. Medford, MA 02155 781-874-1693

Superior Growers Supply, Inc. 5716 South Pennsylvania Avenue South Lansing, MI 48911 517-393-1600 ___________________________

Hydro Giant 19363 Eureka Rd, Southgate, MI 734.281.8888 ___________________________ Hydro Vision 22180 Pontiac Trail South Lyon, MI 48178 248-435-2268 ____________________________

Great Lakes Green Horticultural Supply 757 S. U.S. Highway 131 Three Rivers, MI 49093 269-278-130 Grow Store, The 90 N U.S. Highway 31 South , Traverse City, MI 49685-7923 231-421-5191 ____________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 720 South Garfield Ave. Traverse City, MI 49686 231-668-6913 ____________________________ Wild Child 7740 M 72 East Traverse City, MI 49690 866-711-GROW Hydro Vision 1910 West rd Trenton, MI 48183 734-301-3745 ____________________________

Hydroharrys – WL 1138 E. West Maple Road Walled Lake, MI 48390 248-896-0099 ____________________________ Beste's Indoor/Outdoor Garden Supply 21410 Schoenherr Warren, MI 48089 586 776-1794 Hydro King Indoor Garden Supply 32000 Van Dyke Ave Warren MI 48093 Indoor Garden Superstore 2570 Dixie Highway, Waterford Twp., MI 48328 248-673-2200; 877 22 HYDRO ___________________________

Light Green Water 3661 Highland Road, Waterford, MI 48329 248-681-0001 ___________________________ Bubonic Hydroponics 38540 Michigan Ave Wayne MI, 48184 734-331-2316 ___________________________

Stealth Hydro 14630 King Dr. Milan, MI 48160 734 961 4333

Green Lantern H2O 1383 E. Laketon Ave Muskegon, Mi 49442 greenlanternh2o@yahoo.com www.greenlanternh2o.com 231-722-0420

High Tech Garden Supply 7889 Telegraph Road. Taylor, MI 48180 313-908-7554 ____________________________ Hydro Grow, The 8210 Telegraph Road, Taylor, MI 48180 313-633-0641

Growers Edge 175 Marcell Dr Rockford MI 49341

High Tech Garden Supply 28000 Groesbeck Highway Roseville, Michigan 48066 586-435-2335 ____________________________

Growing Consultant 2260 Apple Avenue, Muskegon, MI 49442 231-773-5600 Synthetic Sun Hydroponics, LLC 799 S. Wisconsin Avenue Gaylord, MI 49735 989-731-8800 ____________________________

Super Grow 288 W. MONTCALM PONTIAC, MI 48342 248-24SUPER (78737)

Superior Growers Supply Inc. 3928 West Saginaw Highway Lansing, MI 48917 517-327-1900 ____________________________

Rootdown Hydroponics OÊFÊÊÊGÊAÊRÊDÊEÊNÊÊÊCÊIÊTÊY

Flo-N-Grow. 214 N. 2nd Street, Niles, MI 49120 269-683-1877

Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The 23529 Little Mack Avenue, St. Clair, MI 48080 586-775-9485 ____________________________

Hydrospot 34236 Michigan Avenue, Wayne, MI 48184 734-722-1285 ___________________________

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

Synthetic Sun Hydroponics, LLC 3218 W. Houghton Avenue West Branch, MI 48661 989-345-8800 ____________________________ B&B Hydro Supply 28974 Warren Rd Westland MI 48185 G.C. II 1006 E. Colby St. Suite A Whitehall, MI 49417 231-893-2400 ___________________________

Indoor Eden 9281 East-M 36 Whitmore MI 48189 810-355-1465 ____________________________ AAA Hydroponics LLC 22 50th Street Wyoming, MI 49504 616-249-8338 Urban Garden Supply 4516 Pasadena Ave. Flint, MI 48504 810-733-0420 Urban Garden Supply 3410 S. Dort Hwy Flint, MI 48507 810-875-9580 ____________________________

Brew and Grow 8302 Highway 65 NE., Minneapolis, MN 55432 763-780-8191 Interior Gardens 115 -1620 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413 800-498-4178; 612-870-9077 ____________________________

Midwest Hydroponics 5825 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park,MN 55416 888-449-2739 ____________________________ Eden Indoor Organic Gardens 831 Highway 75 North Moorhead, MN 56560 218-477-EDEN (3336) ____________________________

American Garden Supply 601-6th Avenue, North, Princeton, MN 55371 763-631-0543Q ____________________________

The Interior Tomato, LLC 519 N. Central Ave. Duluth, MN 55087 218-260-5167 www.theinteriortomato.com ____________________________

Indoor Gardening 10 NE 3rd Street, Faribault, MN 55021 507-209-1546 ___________________________

186

Green Thumb Organics 249 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, St. Peters, MO 63376 636-397-4769 (GROW) ____________________________

Heightened Harvests 2018 Main Street #4, Billings, MT 59105 406-252-4311 Magic City Organic & Hydroponic Supply 812 Central Billings, MT 59102 406-245-LEAF(5323)

Eco Garden Supply 800 Transfer Door 25 in rear St. Paul, MN 55114 651-647-1896

One World – Life Products 906 Broadwater Billings MT 59101 406 839 9969

MISSISSIPPI

Heightened Harvests 3103 Harrison Avenue, Suite B

Sunrise Garden Center 5173 W. 4th St., Hattiesburg, MS 39402 601-264-9300 ____________________________ Versaponics Hydro Supply 879 S Kings Hwy Cape Girardeau, MO 63703 573 450 5401 ____________________________

MINNESOTA Duluth Hydroponics 26 W 1st Street Duluth, MN 55802 218-341-7253

Worm’s Way Missouri 1225 North Warson Road, St. Louis, MO 63132 800-285-9676 ____________________________

Still-H2O Inc. 14375 North 60th Street, Stillwater, MN 55082 651-351-2822

MISSOURI Stealth Hydro 15 E. Cross Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 866-998-1916 ____________________________

U-Grow 1724 North, 13th Street, St. Louis, MO 63106 314-452-6368 ____________________________

MONTANA

Indoor Garden Shop LLC 1310 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 228-875-3725 ____________________________ Cultivation Station – Grand Rapids, The 4907 S. Division Ave., Wyoming, MI 49548 616-855-4440 ____________________________

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

Butte, MT 59701 Alpengrow Nursery Supplies 238 Highway 93 S., Eureka, MT 59917 406-882-4496 ____________________________

Butteopia 127 Main Street, Butte, Montana 59701 1-406-782-8476 ____________________________ Big Sky Garden Supply 528 West Idaho, Kallispell, MT 59901 406-755-1465 Box of Rain Indoor Garden Center 860 N. Meridian Road B-19, Kalispell, MT 59901 406-755-RAIN (7246)

____________________________

NEW HAMPSHIRE Advanced Hydro-Ponics 10711 Mockingbird Drive, Omaha, NE 68127 (108th and L-Q) 402-991-6630 ____________________________

Paradigm Gardens 8949 J Street, Suite 5, Omaha, NE 68127 402-339-4949 ____________________________ NEVADA Carson Valley Hydroponics 2520 Empire Ranch Road, Carson City, NV 89701 775-884-4769 Lorraine Ink 290 Spear Court, Fernley, NV 89408 775-575-7757 Hydro Store, The 1014 W. Sunset Road, Henderson, NV 89014 702-434-7365 AAA Indoor Organic Garden SuperCenter 2101 S. Decatur Boulevard, #21, Las Vegas, NV 89102 702-450-4769 ___________________________

Advanced Gardens Hydroponics 3111 South Valley View, (on Desert Inn West of Valley View) Suite V103 Las Vegas, NV 89102 702-257-4769 ____________________________ Advanced Gardens Hydroponics 7850 Dean Martin Dr. Suite 506 Las Vegas,NV 89139 702-247-4769 All American Hydroponics 2675 East Patrick Lane, Unit 8, Las Vegas, NV 89120 702-894-9888 Best Hydroponic Supply 6818 W Cheyenne, Las Vegas, NV 89108 702-750-9300

Heartland Hydrogardens 705 Vandiver Drive, Suite G Columbia, MO 65202 573-474-4769 ____________________________

Cornucopia Grow Your Own 127 Stoner Creek Road Lakeside, MT 59922 406-709-1076

Green Circle Hydroponics 12 East Missouri, Kansas City, MO 64106 816-421-1840 ____________________________

Dr. Green Thumbs 1106 West Park, Livingston, MO 59047 406-222-7440

Hydro Store, The 7145 W. Ann Road, Las Vegas, NV 89130 702-434-9376

Bizzy Beez LLP 5875 Highway 93 S, Whitefish, MT 59937 406-863-9937

Nevada Hydroponics 4700 B Maryland, Suite 1, Las Vegas, NV 89119 702-798-2852

NEBRASKA

Anything Grows 190 West Moana Lane, Reno, NV 89509 775-828-1460

Grow Your Own Hydroponics 3617 Saint John Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64123 816-241-2122 Let It Grow - Springfield 2519 E. Kearney Street, Springfield, MO 65803 417-862-GROW

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Bodhi Organic Garden Supply 1438 S1 St. Ste 6 Lincoln, NE 68502 402 438 6785 Patio-Ponics 3255 Cornhusker Highway, Suite 4 Lincoln, NE 68504 402-466-9218

Greenlife Garden Supply 885 Second Street Manchester, NH 03102 603-782 8259 www.greenlifegardensupply.com The Beez Kneez Garden Supply 180 Emerald St., Keene, NH 03431 603-903-1488 info@thebeezkneezgardensupply.com www.thebeezkneezgardensupply.com ____________________________

Hydro101 545 Hooksett Rd. #24 Manchester, NH 03104 603-782-8894 ____________________________ Natural Roots Hydroponics 24 Crown St. Nashua, NH 603-204-5528 NEW JERSEY Garden State Hydroponics 511 Avenel Street, Avenel, NJ 07001 888-300-8711 Bergen County Hydroponics 70 Essex Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-342-2001 ____________________________

Grow Hydro Gardens 5870 s Decatur Suite 11 Las Vegas, NV 89148 702-997-7053 Local 866-568-4769 Toll Free GrowHydroGardens.com

HYDROGARDENS

The Hydro Store 121 Woodland Ave #160 Reno NV 89523 775 787 2760

Everything Green Hydroponics Box 34869 Reno, Nevada 89533

greentouch2 HYDROPONI C S

I NC .

Green Touch 2 Hydroponics Inc. 888 Route 33, Unit 1, Hamilton, NJ 08619 609-570-8829 ____________________________ East Coast Horticultural Supply 1652 Hurffville Road, Sewell, NJ 08080 856-228-5290 77HYDRO 37 Fairfield Place, West Caldwell, NJ 07006 877-774-9376 Claraqua 4 Redwood Court, West Windsor, NJ 08550 NEW MEXICO AHL Year Round Garden Supply 1051 San Mateo Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108 505-255-3677 ___________________________

All Seasons Gardening 3600 Osuna Road, Suite 406 Alburquerque, NM 87109 505-508-4292 ____________________________ Common Shaman 1319 San Mateo N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-255-6463

Mike’s Nursery and Grower Supplies 199 E. Fairmount Ave, Lakewood, NY 14750 716-763-1612 All Seasons Gardening 1228 Parkway, Suite E Sante Fe, NM 87507 505-438-GROW ____________________________

Crossroads Hydroponics & Organics 181 S. Plank Rd. Newburgh, NY 12550 845-561-GROW

Santa Fe Hydroponics 821 W. San Mateo Road, Suite 4, Santa Fe, NM 87505 505-467-8454

Hudson Valley Hydroponics 217 Route 32 North, New Paltz, NY 12561 845-255-3633

NEW YORK

Sunlight Solutions Hydroponics 2045 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Suite 13, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 888-GROWBOX

Organica: Garden Supply & Hydroponics 296 Delaware Ave., Albany, NY 12209 518-618-7666 The Grow Room 32-32 49th Street Astoria, NY 11103 718-218-GROW (4769) Saratoga Organics & Hydroponic Supply 19 Front Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020 518-885-2005; 800-850-4769 The Grape Vine 4020 Hempstead Turnpike Bethpage,NY,11714 516-731-1100 Bronx Hydro & Garden 39 Bruckner Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10454 718-993-3787 Bklyn Hydro & Garden 316 McGuiness Blvd Brooklyn NY 11222 718-383-0095 Brooklyn Farms 51Hicks Street St. Brooklyn, NY 11231 347-725-3491

The Grow Room 8 Bridge Street, Nyack, NY 10960 800-449-9630 Revolution Hydroponics 309 West State St. Olean NY 14760 716.373.Grow (4769) Mor Gro Hydroponics 5680 State Route 104 E Oswego , NY 13126 315-877-8725 Environmental Gardens 8 John Walsh Boulevard, Suite 310 Peekskills, NY 10566 800-254-0507; 914-736-6676 Harvest Moon Hydroponics Henrietta Townline Plaza, 3047 West Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14623 716-865-7353 Hydro Garden Center 1069B Lyell Avenue, Rochester, NY 14606 1-800-277-1322

Indoor Outdoor Gardener 8223 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11209 718-836-2402

Sunset Hydroponics & Home Brewing 1590 West Ridge Road, Rochester, NY 14615 866-395-9204

Hydroponics of Buffalo 1497 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216 716-838-3545

KG Garden Supply 4575 Commercial Drive New Hartford, NY 13413 877-KG-HYDRO

Harvest Moon Hydroponics 340 West at 59, Central Nyack, NY 10960

LiquidSun of New York 1702 Fiero ave Rotterdam, NY 12150 518-952-4654

California Hydroponics 27 Corporate Circle, East Syracuse, NY 13057 315-432-9387 Upstate Hydroponics 2026 Lake Rd unit B Elmira, NY 14903 607-483-9199 ____________________________

FutureGarden Inc. 59 Central Avenue, Farmingdale, NY 11735 516-420-0884 ____________________________ East Coast Hydroponics 14649 Horace Harding Exp, Flushing, NY 11367 718-762-8880 Healthy Harvest Organics and Hydro 163 Broadway, Fort Edwart, NY 12828 518-480-4698 Saratoga Organics & Hydroponic Supply 10 Saratoga Ave S. Glen Falls, NY 12803 518-798-820 Greentree Nursery 308 Elmira Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-272-3666

Fifth Season Gardening Company 106 South Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC 27510 919-932-7600 ___________________________

Hydroponics Shops of America 2606 Erie Boulevard, Syracuse, NY 13224 315-251-2516 ____________________________

BWGS-NC 4045 Perimeter West Drive,Suite 400, Charlotte, NC 28214 800-316-1306 ___________________________

High Tech Garden Supply 2712 B Freedom Drive Charlotte, NC 28208 704-697-0911 ___________________________ Flow & Grow Hydroponics & Organic Garden Center 4521 Cumberland Road, Fayetteville, NC 28306 910-423-FLOW (3569) Fifth Season Gardening Company 1616 D-3 Battleground Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27408 336-271-3373 Good Harvest Garden Center 629 Oakridge Farm Hwy. Mooresville NC 28115 704-658-9136 Fifth Season Gardening Company 5619-A Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606 919-852-4747 New Age Gardens 2236A US Highway 70, Swannanoa, NC 28778 828-299-9989 ____________________________

All Season Hydroponics 890 South Kerr Avenue, Wilmington, NC 28410 ____________________________ Progressive Gardens 6005 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28403 910-395-1156

Harvest Moon Hydroponics 147 Fourth Street, Troy, NY 10960 NORTH CAROLINA Advanced Hydroponic Garden 55 Shiloh Road #6 Asheville, NC 28803 1 (828) 277-3488

Urban Gardens 671 E. Center Street Marion, OH 43302 740-375-2800 ____________________________

Eastside Hydroponics 834 Ohio Pike #318 Cincinnati, Ohio 45245 513-528-4769 Eastside Hydroponics 550 Ohio Pike #136 Cincinnati, OH 45255 513-528-GROW

Top Garden Products 8600 East Avenue Suite C. Mentor, OH 44060 440-290-8773

Kissed by the Sun Hydroponic 10740 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45241 513-769-0159

Green Garden Indoor Garden Center 1664 North Main St. N. Canton, OH 44720 330-494-1234

Cleveland Garden Center Inc. 727 East 185th Street, Cleveland, OH 44119 216-481-7868 Grow Wizard, The 5700 Denison Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102 216-961-2500 Herb-N-Garden Center 14901 Puritas Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44135 216-252-2001 Garden Indoors of Ohio 4720 Indianola Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214 800-833-6868 Magic Home Garden 4538 Indianola Avenue, Columbus, OH 43214 614-263-2440 Gardening-Indoor 48977 Calcutta-Smiths Ferry Rd., East Liverpool OH 43920 330-932-1023 Garden Connections 3341 Centerpoint Dr. Grove City OH 43123 614 871 0707 Advanced Hydrorganics Indoor Garden Center 5204 Darrow Road, Hudson, OH 44236 234-380-1287 Sweet Greens 5540 Brecksville Road Independence, OH 44131 800-421-7084 ____________________________

Summit Hydroponics 1030 Kenmore Boulevard Akron, OH 44314-2114 330-753-5222

Hydro Gardens Wholesale 1144 N Memorial Drive Lancaster, OH 43130 855-210-5599 ____________________________

Campbells Indoor Gardening Supplies 1721 Greenville Road Bristolville, OH 44402 330-889-0049

Carefree Garden Center 134 West Drive, Lodi, OH 44254 330-302-4203

Magic Home Gardens 209 Cemetery Road, Canal Winchester, OH 43110 614-837-2440 ___________________________

CropKing 134 West Drive, Lodi, OH 44254 330-302-4203

Fifth Season Gardening Company 21 B Westside Dr. Asheville NC 28806 828-225-5007 Fifth Season Gardening Company 45 Banks Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 828-253-4112

Dayton Hydroponics 4920 Provident Drive Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 513-942-7111

OHIO Akron Garden Center 434 W Wilbeth Road, Akron, OH 44314 330-724-2700

Green Zone Hydroponics 2148 Niagara Falls Blvd. Tonawanda, NY. 14150 716-693-9663 ____________________________

Dumont Seed Co. 619 30th ST. N.W. Canton, ohio 44709 330-492-0204

CincyPonics 3314 Harrison Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45211 513-661-3886

USA Hydrogarden 7450 Industrial Pkwy, Ste. A Lorain, Ohio 44053 440-282-4880 The Grow Shop 165 Davids St. Marion OH 43302 740-223-7467

Pet Finatics LLC 3150 Navarre Ave Suite A Oregon OH 43616 Indoor Gardens 1222 Hill Road, North, Pickerington, OH 43147 614-866-6065 ____________________________

Trinity Hydro Organics 465 Woodman Drive Riverside, OH 45431 937-252-GROW ____________________________ Toledo Hydroponics Ltd. 855 S. Holland-Sylvania Road, Suite 2 Toledo, OH 43615 877-893-0716 Greenleaf Hydroponics 1805 Elm Road, Warren, OH 44483 330-372-1039 Dayton Hydroponics 3856 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, West Carrolton, OH 45449 937-859-3999 Gardening-Indoor 9215 Market St. Youngstown (North Lima) OH 44452 330 758 0272 Harvest Moon 9215 Market Street, Youngstown (North Lima), OH 44452 800-776-8399 Indoor Garden Worx 906 Blue Avenue, Zanesville, OH 43701 866-900-9679 OKLAHOMA Tulsa County Hydro-Organics 1928 W. Albany, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 918-259-HYDRO AAAAHA! Hydroponics Unlimited P.O. Box 74, Oakhurst, OK 74050 Organics OKC Garden Supply 3620 N Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-528-GROW The OKC Urban Gardener 3711 N. Western Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-521-9300 Urban Garden 3141 E. 15th Street, Tulsa, OK 74104 918-289-0018

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187

MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

OREGON ____________________________

Aqua Serene 465 Applegate Way, Ashland, OR 97520 541-482-7600 ____________________________

Astoria Indoor Garden Supply 1343 Duane St. Unit C Astoria OR 97103 503 468 0606 ____________________________ Rogue Silicates Inc. POB 21, Azalea, OR 97410 541-837-8590 B.I.G.S. 155 SW Century Drive, Suite 401, Bend, OR 97702 541-385-5222 Herb N’ Jungle Hydroponics 930 SE Textron Drive, Bend, OR 97702 541-382-4010 Northern Light and Garden Beaverton 9290 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Beaverton, OR 97005 503-297-7331 Westcoast Organic and Hydroponic Supply 12410 SE 282nd Avenue, Unit C Boring, OR 97009 503-766-4106 The Good Earth Organics 30088 Redwood Highway, Cave Junction, OR 97523 541-592-4496

Paradise Supply LLC 560 NE. “F” Street, Unit C, Grand Pass, OR 97526 541-955-7293 Vital Organix 932-B SE “M” Street Grants Pass, OR 97526 541-226-9283 ____________________________

Oregon Rainforest Co. 19949 E. Burnside Street, Gresham, OR 97233503-465-9909 ____________________________ Healthy Harvest 1635 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy., Hillsboro, OR 97123 503-640-0995 ____________________________

In & Out Gardens 93484 Hwy 99 South Junctin City OR 97448 541-234-2342 ____________________________ Basin Indoor Gardening 417 N. Spring St. Klamath Falls, OR 97601 541-273-2023 Green Zone Garden Center & Hydroponic Supplies 1845 S W Hwy. 101 Ste. 3 Lincoln OR 97367 USA 541 994 7070

Corvallis Hydroponics & Organics 5490 SW Philomath Boulevard, Corvallis, OR 97333 541-738-2820 ____________________________

Growing Crazy (Hooked On Hydroponics) 817 W. 2nd Street, Medford, OR 97501 ____________________________

SunInside Gardening Co. 665 Conger, Unit F, Eugene, OR 97402 541-686-9966

In & Out Gardens 1574 Skypark Drive Medford, OR 97501 541-858-3333 ____________________________ Ladybug Indoor Gardens 3960 W. Main Street, Medford, OR 97501 541-618-4459 Advanced Organics & Garden Supply 290- B Merlin Avenue Merlin, Oregon 97532 541-659-1466 H2organic LCC 620 NE 3rd Street, McMinnville, OR 97128 503-434-6107 ____________________________

Advanced Indoor Gardens 17831 se 82nd drive Gladstone, OR 97027 503 305 6341 Northern Light and Garden Grants Pass 1203 Rogue River Highway, Grants Pass, OR 97527 541-474-1700

188

Gorilla Garden Supply 2011 Union Ave, North Bend, OR 97459 541-756-5005 ____________________________ Green Garden Indoor Garden Center 1664 North Main St. N. Canton, OH 44720 330-494-1234 ____________________________

Indoor Garden Depot 3260 SE Oak Grove Blvd., Oak Grove, OR 97267-1421 503-786-2445 ____________________________ American Agriculture 9220 Southeast Stark Street, Portland, OR 97216 800-433-6805 Bloom Garden Supply 518 NE 20th Ave. Portland, OR 97232 971-255-1336 ___________________________

BWGS-OR 18201 NE Portal Way, Ste. 104 Portland, OR 97230 888-316-1306 ___________________________

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

DC Hydroponics & Organics 7275 Green Siding Rd. Roseburg, OR 97471 541-679-3700 Roseburg Hydroponics 853 SE Stephens Street, Roseburg, OR 97470 541-229-1420 Indoor Garden Center 1697 SE 25th Street, Salem, OR 97302 503-566-7888

The Companion Plant 363 E. Main St Kutztown, PA 19530 610-683-9676 ____________________________ Flairform PO 1417, Lansdale, PA 19446 215-395-6353 ____________________________

Northern Light and Garden Salem 1915 Lancester Drive, Salem, OR 97305 503-364-4769 Cascade Horticulture 39570 Pioneer Boulevard, Sandy, OR 97055 503-668-8242

RH Distribution PO 1417, Lansdale, PA 19446 888-545-8112 ____________________________

Moonshine Park Farm 135 South East 62nd, Unit F South Beach, OR 97366 541-444-2298

Esbenshades Greenhouses 546A East 28th Div Hwy Lititz Pa 17543 717-626-7007

J-N-B Hydro 2 Go 155 West Central Avenue, Sutherlin, OR 97479 541-459-9211

Hydro Ponics of Harrisburg 310 South 10th Street, Lemoyne, PA 17043 877-684-3808

Samurai Greenhouse Supply 32067 Old Hwy. 34 Tanget, OR 97389 541-928-3431 Grow America Garden Supply LLC 11511 SW Pacific Highway, Tigard, OR 97223 503-841-6868

PENNSYLVANIA Pocono Hydroponic Solutions 25 Route 611 Bartonsville, PA 18321 570-730-4544

Always Green Garden Supply 4400 Old William Penn Hwy Ste. 106 Monroeville PA 15146 412-646-1243 New Stanton Hydro 150 Post Ave. New Stanton, PA. 15672 724-635-0297 Hydrofarm East 270 Canal Road Fairless Hills, PA 19030 888-780-4567 The Companion Plant 363 E. Main St Kutztown, PA 19530 610-683-9676 Esbenshades Greenhouses 546A East 28th Div Hwy Lititz Pa 17543 717-626-7007

Everybody’s Garden Center 2701 SE 14th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202 800-669-5483

Green Solutions Hydroponics 1700 Orange Street Berwick, PA 18603 570-752-1530

Garden Spout, The 4532 South East 63rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97206 503-788-4769

Garden Indoors of Pennsylvania 208 Route 13, Bristol, PA 19007 800-227-4567

Full Bloom Hydroponics 84 South 24th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 888-872-3602

Homegrown Garden Supply 7112 NE Gilsan Street, Portland, OR 97213 877-EZ2-GROW

422 GROW 1775 North Main Street Extension Butler, PA 16001-1327 724-561-3777 ___________________________

Gardening-Indoor 20550 Rt. #19 Cranberry Twp. Pitsburgh PA 16066 724 591 8086

Island Flowers & Indoor Garden Center 909 N. Tomahawk Island Drive, Suite 103, Portland, OR 97217 503-546-3185 Lights Distributing 9843 SW 55th Avenue, Portland, OR 97219 Rain or Shine 13126 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97230 503-255-1981 Roots Garden Supply 5426 North Gay Avenue, Portland, OR 97217 503-285-4768 Urban Flora 2865 South East, Portland, OR 97214 503-236-3344

Wizard’s Garden, LLC 621 Spruce Street, Unit C, Myrtle Point, OR 97458 541-572-2333

Indoor Garden Supply 536 SW 6th Street (rear alley), Redmond, OR 97756 541-504-7750

Pharmer Hydroponics 11135 SW Industrial Way Bldg 10-4 Tualatin, OR 97062 503-486-5751

H2organic LCC 620 NE 3rd Street, McMinnville, OR 97128 503-434-6107 Green Thumb Hydrogarden and Organic Supply 2021 West Main Street, Medford, OR 97501 541-779-8600

Aurora Innovations PO Box 22041, Eugene, OR 97402 866-376-8578 ____________________________

Green Zone Garden Center & Hydroponic Supplies 454 S.W. Coast Hwy Newport OR 97365 USA 541-265-8252 ____________________________

Garden Supplies

Anthony’s Garden & Light Supply 93779 B Troy Lane, Coos Bay, OR 97420 541-266-8822

Aqua Serene 2836 W. 11th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402 541-302-9073 ____________________________

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

BIGS Warehouse 2606 SW 4th Street, Unit B Redmond, OR 97756 541-504-8886

High Tech Garden Supply 20232 Route 19, Unit 6, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 724-473-1113 ___________________________ New Moon Indoor Garden Supply 20550 Route 19 Perry Highway, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 724-591-8086 Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh 830 Route 119, Greensburg, PA 15601 724-836-1118 Buds to Blooms Garden and Supply Co., LLC 509 Orchard Avenue Kennett Square, PA 19348 484-860-8056

Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh 2008 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-232-7030 Healthy Gardens and Supply 1012 Lincoln Avenue, Prospect Park, PA 19076 866-32-HYDRO Northeast Hydroponics & Homebrewing 221 Scranton Carbondale Hwy. Scranton PA 18508 570-209-7924 Full Time Garden Supply 1011 Ritner Highway Shippensburg PA.17257 717-477-0350 www.fulltimegardensupply.com Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh 9 North Main St. Washington, PA 15301 724-222-0200

MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

Western Pennsylvania Innovative Gardening 1177 Pittsburgh Road, Suite 103 Valencia, PA 16059 724-903-0800 Organic Garden Center 800 Washington Blvd. Williamsport, PA 17701 570-322-3120 ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply 450 Grim Lane, York,PA 17406 877-779-7111(Northeast) ____________________________ PA Hydroponics & Home Gardening Supply 20 Quaker Church Road, York Springs, PA 17372 717-528-4175 RHODE ISLAND Oakworld Garden Center 39 West Street, Barrington, RI 02806 401-245-5705

Advanced Hydroponic Garden 6912 Clinton Highway, Knoxville, TN 37921 866-938-3318 All Good Hydroponics & Gardening 6729 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223 803-708-4819 ____________________________

All Season Hydroponics 6729 Two North Road, 10B Columbia, SC 29223 803-708-4819 ____________________________ The Urban Garden Hydroponics 9557 Two Notch Rd. Ste. E Columbia, SC 29223 803-788-9313

Hydro-Earth 1243 Mineral Springs Avenue, North Providence, RI 02904 401-305-5520 The Organic Grow Hut 375 Putnam Pike- Ste 13 Smithfield, RI 02828 401-349-4141 South County Hydroponics 51 Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879 401-783-1733 Mother Nature Hydroponics 1268 Post Rd. Warwick RI 02888 401-780-0600 LiquidSun® RI 1179 Central Avenue, Pawtucket, MA 02861 401-722-2724 ____________________________

Good To Grow 34 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich, RI 02817 401-392-3100 ____________________________ Growin’ Crazy 93 Kingston Road Wyoming, Rhode Island 02898 401-284-0810 SOUTH CAROLINA GreenSpirit Hydrogarden 1864 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29405 843-225-1GRO 247 Garden Supply 535 D Clemson Road, Columbia, SC 29229 803-788-4445

Sun City Hydroponics 2235 Whitten Road, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133 901-372-8100 ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply 126 Belinda Parkway, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 888-265-9005 ____________________________ All Seasons Gardening and Brewing Supply Co. 924 8th Avenue, South, Nashville, TN 37203 800-790-2188 ____________________________

Worm’s Way Tennessee 901 Main Street, Nashville, TN 37072 800-397-4153 ____________________________ All Season Hydroponics 1350 Hwy. 501 Business, Store 3&4 Conway, SC 29526 843-347-9266 ____________________________ Green Thumb Unique Gardening & More 1230 Rutherford Road, Greenville, SC 29609 864-271-8830 ____________________________

Greenspirit Hydrogardens 3600 Unite 1 Hwy.17 S. North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 843-361-7777 ____________________________ SOUTH DAKOTA

Green Earth Products Inc. 5700 Highway 79 S.,Unit 1, Rapid City, SD 57702 605-342-1307 ____________________________

TENNESSEE Innovative Hydroponic Supply Inc. 3286 North Park Blvd. Unit G Alcoa TN 37701 865 984 0280 Atlantis Hydroponics 1800 Rossville Avenue, #3, Chattanooga, TN 37408 423-752-5400 Advanced Hydroponic Garden 783 French Mill Road, Dandridge, TN 37725 800-521-1643 Perpetual Harvest 75 Riverport Drive, Jackson, TN 38301 877-422-3391

Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Dallas) 3400 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75226 214-744-4769 ____________________________

Organic Garden & Feed 3801 N Interstate Hwy 35,Suite126, Denton Texas 76207 940-381-9890 ____________________________ Earth Organics 1360 Lee Trevino Drive,Suite 105 El Paso, TX 79936 915-591-9500 Airline Hydroponics P.O. Box 980904, Trader’s Village #363, Houston, TX 77098 713-942-0484 Botani Garden 15120 Bellaire Blvd Houston, TX 77083 281-575-1999 Houston Discount Hydroponics 9384 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX 77063 713-464-9406

Okatie Organics and Hydroponics 138 Short Cut Rd. Ridgeland SC 29936 ____________________________

Solar Seed Hydroponics, Inc. 2406 Putman Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814 401-710-9010 Organically Grown 768 Atwood Ave Cranston, RI 02920 401-944-0549

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

TEXAS Abundant Harvest Hydroponics & Organics 3101 Avenue E East, Arlington, TX 76011 817-649-0100 Brite Ideas Hydroponics & Organics 4360 S.Congress Avenue, #310, Austin, TX 78745 512-444-2100 Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Central Austin) 5126 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78756 512-459-4769 Texas Hydroponics & Organics (South Austin) 2125-A Goodrich Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 512-440-4769 Third Coast Horticulture Supplies 7010 Burnet Rd., Ste.A Austin, TX 78757 512 459 4353 Happy Harvest Hydroponics & Organic 1500 C rescent Drive, Suite 202 Carrollton, TX 75006 972-466-1300 Hydrofarm Central 950 Avenue S Grand Prairie, TX 75050-1133 800-634-9999 GroGreen Hydroponics 4015 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75226 214-370-9984

Hydroponic Nation 9001 Frey Road Houston TX 77034 713-943-1115 In-N-Out Garden Supply 11011 S Wilcrest Drive Ste K Houston, TX 77099 281-568-5265 Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Houston) 7730 A Park Place Boulevard, Houston, TX 77087 713-641-4769 Ultimate Hydroponic Garden Supply 6125 West Sam Houston Parkway, North Suite 206 Houston, TX 77041 713-856-8425 Texas Growers Supply 5990 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E. #602, Humble, TX 77396 281-441-3739 Field of Dreams Indoor Growing Supplies 5302 Slide Road Unit B,Lubbock, TX 79414 806-793-2901 Hydro Mart 3841 Main Street, Rowlett, TX 75088 972-475-6114 ____________________________

Salt Lake Plant & Hydro 60 West 3300 S. #6 South Salt Lake, UT 84115 801-488-3200 ____________________________ VERMONT Greenthumb - Vermont 394 Route 15, Jericho, VT 05465 802-899-4323 Peak Hydroponic Garden Supplies 20 School Street, Plainfield, VT 05667 802-454-8000 LiquidSun® VT 1 Bellows Falls Road, (Route 5 North) Putney, VT 05158 802-387-1100 Green Thumb Gardening P.O. Box 235, Route 15, Underhill, VT 5489 800-564-9376 VIRGINIA Fifth Season Gardening Company 900 Preston Ave. Charlottesville VA 22903 434-293-2332 Clean & Green Technologies 196 Corning Drive, Christiansburg, VA 24073 866-694-1628 I Love Hydroponics 612 N. Sheppard Street, Richmond, VA 23221 804-377-3020 Lucky Roots 612 North Sheppard St. Richmond, VA 23221 804-377-3020 Blue Ridge Hydroponics & Home Brewing Company The Williamson Road Plaza, 5327 D Williamson Road Roanoke, VA 24012 540-265-2483 Inside-Out Garden Supply 6517 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22150 703-451-3259 I Love Hydroponics 368 Newtown Road, #105, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-490-5425 Hydroponics & Growlights 13400 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191 703-490-0700 West VIRGINIA

Sol Organics & Hydroponics 1634 Babcock Road, San Antonio, TX 78229 210-366-9082 ____________________________

Jolly Green Hydroponics (Greenhouse Horticultural Supplies) 13628 Neutron Road, Dallas, TX 75244 866-WE-JOLLY; 469-341-5555

Innergrow Hydroponics 24451 Interstate Highway 20, Wills Point, TX 75169 866-475-4769

Lone Star Hydroponics and Organics 1302 Motor Circle, Dallas, TX 75207 214-634-9376

Wasatch Hydroponics 4050 South Howick, Suite 11E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84107 801-716-4133

Panhandle Hydroculture 800 East Moler Ave. Martinsburg, WV 25401 304-240-7587

WASHINGTON ____________________________

UTAH

Island Horticulture Supply 8608 S March Point Rd. Anacortes WA 98221 360 293 0000

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MAXIMUM YIELD distributors

Mike’s Indoor Garden Supply 6121 172nd Street NE #A, Arlington, WA 98223 360-474-1900 Belfair Garden & Lighting 24090 NE State Route 3 #F Belfair,WA 98528 360-275-2130 Green Gardens Distributing 12738 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, WA 98005 425-454-5731 Northern Lights Gardening 4159 Hannegan Road, Bellingham, WA 98225 360-715-8585 Liquid Sunshine Hydroponics 5087 Lincoln Road, Blaine, WA 98230 Kitsap Garden & Lighting 2130 6th Street, Bremerton, WA 98312 360-377-1277 M & R Lighting Unit C 22914 Highway 410, Buckley, WA 98390 253-891-4190 ____________________________

Indoor Tropics 5930 Sunburst Lane #B Cashmere, WA 98815 509-470-7782 ___________________________ Garden Smart 500 Bond Drive, Castlerock, WA 98611 360-274-7960 Grow Center, The 615 South Fir DeerPark WA 99006 509-276-GROW ____________________________

Indoor Tropics 704 N. Wenas St. Ellensburg, WA 98926 509-933-4441 ___________________________ Healthy Grow Indoor Garden Supplies 10 SE Everett Mall Way Suite B Everett WA 98208 425-374-2227 ___________________________

Indoor Garden Depot 8630 Evergreen Way, Suite B Everett, WA 98208 425-347-0700 ___________________________

Indoor Garden Depot 1401 S. 324th Street, Federal Way, WA 98003 253-874-1112

190

Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.

360-658-GROW (4769) Island Hydroponic & Supplies 1515 5th Street #B, Marysville, WA 98271 425-299-5855 North West Hydro Supply 1355Pacific Pl Unit 117 Ferndale WA 98248-7824 360-778-3254 ___________________________ Good 2 Gro 3507 W Clearwater Ave. Kennewick WA 99336 509-737-1313 Hefty Harvest Garden & Hydroponic Supply 2825 Marvin Road NE Ste M Lacey WA 98516 360-628-8964 ____________________________

Indoor Garden & Lighting 714 South Central Avenue, Kent, WA 98032 253-373-9060 ____________________________ Kent Garden Supplies Ltd. 18817 East Valley Highway, Kent, WA 98032 425-251-9299 Grogro Hydro 12403 NE. 124th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034 888-7-GROGRO 425-820-6200 ___________________________

KP Indoor Garden Store 8912 Key Peninsula HWY N Lakebay, WA 98349 253-884-SURE (7873) ___________________________ InDoor Gardening 1158 Commerce Longview WA, 98632 360-353-3851 ___________________________

Indoor Garden & Lighting 20505 Highway 99,, Lynnwood, WA 98036 425-673-2755 ____________________________ Go-N-Green Hydroponics 1241 State Ave Suite #102 Marysville, WA 98270 (360)386-8230 Green Acres Indoor Garden & Lighting 514 State Ave Suite #102 Marysville, WA 98270

Maximum Yield USA | August 2012

Mike’s Indoor Garden Supply 1204 East Wheeler Road, Moses Lake, WA 98837 509-766-5856 M & R Lighting 17238 Memorial Drive, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273 360-848-1080 Northern Lights Gardening 1524 Riverside Dr #2 Mt. Vernon, WA 98273 360-982-2217 ___________________________

Indoor Garden & Lighting 8606 Preston Fall City Rd. SE Preston WA 98050 425-222-9661 ___________________________ Linda’s Gardening & Hydroponics 11522 Canyon Road East, Puyallup, WA 98373 253-531-9641 Renton Indoor Garden Center 207 Sunset Blvd. N, Building A, Renton, WA 98055 425-917-9000 Eco Enterprises 1240 NE 175th Street, #B Shoreline, WA 98155 800-426-6937 ____________________________

Aqua Serene 3839 Stone Way North, Seattle, WA 98103 206-547-GROW (4769) ___________________________ Grogro Hydro 12316 32nd AVE NE #103 Seattle, WA 98125 Hydro-Tech 2121 Aurora Avenue, North, Seattle, WA 98103 206-547-2202 ___________________________

Sodo Hydro 1727 1st Ave. South, Seattle, WA 98134 206-682-9377 888-90HYDRO (904-9376) __________________________ Northwest Horticulture Supply 161 Hooker Road, #1, Sequim, WA 98057 360-582-0702

509 Grow 2718 N Division Spokane, WA 99207 509-327-GROW(4769) Grow Center, The 2808 W Sprague Spokane WA 99202 509-456-GROW River City Hydroponics 1514 East Francis Avenue, Spokane, WA 99208 509-464-0246 Spokane Organic and Hydroponic Supply 4823 East Sprague Avenue E., Spokane Valley, WA 99212 509-534-4055 ___________________________

Waterworks Hydroponics 5039 S. Washington Tacoma, WA 98409 253-301-4343 waterworkshydro@hotmail.com ___________________________ Garden City Hydroponics 14103 Pacific Ave., S. Tacoma WA 98444 253-301-3985 ___________________________

Indoor Garden & Lighting 3839 6th Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98406 253-761-7478 ___________________________

Indoor Garden Supply LLC 1250 Atlantic Ave, Woodland, WA 98674 360-841-8055 WISCONSIN ____________________________

Aric’s Indoor Garden Supply 1104 West Wisconsin Avenue, Appleton, WI 54914 920-574-3258 ____________________________ Grow BIG Hydroponics 954 S. Westland, Appleton, WI 54914 920-749-4769 H2oGrow 1150 Madison rd Beloit WI 53511 608-289-1852 Brew and Grow 285 N. Janacek Road, Brookfield, WI 53045 262-789-0555 Garden Supply Guys 752 Memorial Drive - Suite A Green Bay, WI 54303 920-857-9493 Hydro Your Own 8501-75th Street, Unit C Kenosha, WI 53142 262 697 6112 Brew and Grow 3317 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53716 608-226-8910 ____________________________

Solar Shop 306 West 4th Street, Tonasket, WA 98855 509-486-4508 ___________________________ Paradigm Gardens 4501 Helgesen Drive, Madison, WI 53718 608-241-3800 ____________________________ Indoor Garden Depot 6400 NE Highway 99, Suite H, Vancouver, WA 98665 360-993-7779 ___________________________

Brew and Grow 2246 Bluemound Road Ste. B Waukesha, WI 53186 262-717-0666 PUERTO RICO ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply 4525 NW Fruit Valley Road, Vancouver, WA 98660 888-478-6544 (Northwest) ____________________________

National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply 5408 NE 88th Street, Building A, Vancouver, WA 98665 888-478-6544

Tecno-Hydro Ave Campo Rico GJ17, PO Box 1450 Carolina, PR 00982 787-752-8252 ____________________________

DO YOU KNOW?

Overwatering initially looks quite similar to under watering—wilting, downward hanging leaves, eventual leaf/bud/flower drop, yellowing and chlorosis.

Approximately 90% of the water absorbed by plants is evaporated through their leaves, meaning 90% of the water you feed your plants goes into the air as humidity.

Of the total water absorbed by the plant, only 5% is utilized in biochemical processes; the rest is lost via transpiration.

5. 8.

Leaves manufacture carbohydrates that provide the carbon needed to construct and grow roots. The roots, in turn, take up water and nutrients that assist the plant with photosynthesis, promote vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting, and help maintain turgor pressure.

Lamp hoods are constructed to reflect light from the tops and sides of the bulb into the garden, hopefully without adding too much distance to the light’s travel path.

Physiological disorders, which affect a plant’s development, are caused by environmental or cultural factors.

Depending on location, direct outdoor sunlight is around 100,000 lx, and many full-sun garden plants need at least 25,000 to 50,000 lx to do well.

Genetics play a part in calcium transport disorders, so many modern cultivars of lettuce and tomatoes have had some degree of blossomend-root or tip-burn resistance bred into them.

10.

Since LEDs heat up mostly at the back of the fixture, they can be placed closer to plants than HID lamps.

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