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Hydroponics gardening resources by Maximum Yield, a free how-to hydroponics gardening and indoor gardening magazine that is distributed internationally through stores that retail hydroponics gardening products.
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october 16-17
long beachcalifornia, usa
www.maximumyield.com
indoor gardening expo
indoorgardeningexpo.com
USA
Long Beach expo IssueYour ultimate guide to the industry’s latest
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
44 Plant Factories: Efficient and Profitable Food Productionby Dr. Mike Nichols
56 Agricultural Apocalypse: A Cuban Storyby Simon Hart
62 Maddening Mildew: Prevention and Controlby Dr. Lynette Morgan
76 Vegetable Crops: An Objective Reviewby Clair Schwan
92 The Cost of Sunlightby Ed Harwood
104 The New Grow: Getting it Tightby Erik Biksa
114 Demystifying Nutrient Solutionsby Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.
126 Coco: What is it all About?by Luis Bartolo
136 Small Spaces, Big Yields Bloom - Part 3by Lee McCall
152 How To Produce Cuttings and Seedlingsby Bob Taylor
10 From the Editor
12 Letters to the Editor
14 MaximumYield.com
20 Simon Says
22 MAX Facts
34 Product Spotlight
90 Beginner’s Corner
100 Green Thumb Gardening
122 Avant-Gardening
124 You Tell Us
134 Growing for Health
146 Tips & Tricks
150 Talking Shop
160 Max Mart
164 Coming up in November
164 Do You Know?
166 Distributors
October 2010CONTENTS
76
9Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
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10 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
FROM THEeditor jessica raymond
contributors
Jessica Raymond, [email protected]
Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort. Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic greenhouse production from Massey University, New Zealand. Lynette is a partner with SUNTEC International Hydroponic Consultants and has authored five hydroponic technical books. Visit www.suntec.co.nz/consultants.htm and www.suntec.co.nz/books.htm for more information.
Lee McCall graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a concentration in Culinary Arts. Culinary school opened the door to research and work with hydroponics and organic production. Currently, Lee attends business school in Denver and focuses on continuing advancements with Maximum Yield and indoor gardening technology.
Jose Luis Pinheiro Bartolo is the president of Biobizz Worldwide Inc., a global leader in the production of hydroponic organic fertilizers and soil mixtures. He is passionate about the organic market and providing the highest service and perfectionism that comes direct from his heart and is projected to all aspects of his life.
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.
Dr. Mike Nichols is a retired university lecturer and an honorary research associate in the College of Sciences at Massey University, New Zealand. He speaks extensively at conferences for international organizations such as the United Nations, and also writes and consults on a range of intensive horticultural topics.
Simon Hart is a certified organic gardener and soil manager. He grew up on a 30 acre mixed farm, which inspired a deep-rooted passion for nature and gardening. His university studies focused on forestry, biology and the environment. He’s worked as Greenstar Plant Products jack-of-all-trades for the past seven years and is the author of Maximum Yield’s “Simon Says’ column.
Dr. Ed Harwood is founder and chief executive officer of AeroFarms. Ed previously served as associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension for Agriculture. Prior to that, Ed served as CEO of Topline Waikato, Inc.
Erik Biksa holds a diploma in agriculture with majors in fertilizer sciences and crop production. Erik has amassed over 18 years of indoor gardening experience and intensive research. Since first appearing in Maximum Yield in 1999, the “Ask Erik” column and numerous articles have reached growers throughout the world.
Bob Taylor is the chief chemist of Flairform (www.flairform.com) - an Australian based manufacturing company. Bob was an approved NATA signatory and an official registered analyst for the government’s chemical analysis monitoring program of all fertilizers registered in Western Australia.
This special Long Beach Expo Edition of Maximum Yield is filled to the brim with how-to tips from some of your favorite authors, our industry’s latest news and some great new products, many of which will be on display in Long Beach. Whether you are starting a new crop or looking for ways to improve your current one, this issue has a bountiful source of informa-tion to put you on the right track. Mixing the right nutrient solutions, keeping mildew and fungi at bay and optimiz-ing your yields are all covered in this issue.World Food Day (October 16)
is a global event designed to increase awareness about and alleviate world hunger. In this issue, Dr Mike Nichols pens Plant Factories: Efficient and Profitable Food Production, which outlines efficient ways to be more produc-tive and sustainable in your garden. Educa-tion like this is the
first step in accomplishing these goals. Maximum Yield will con-tinue to offer informative growing choices to help you grow your way to a sustainable future, a future where no one goes hungry.We welcome you all to come and BROADEN your knowledge, BOOST your skills and BECOME the master of your modern
garden at the Long Beach Indoor Gardening Expo, Sunday, October 17 from noon to 5 p.m. Discov-
er the latest techniques and innovative products our industry has to offer and participate in
education sessions and live demonstrations. Visit indoorgardeningexpo.com for full event details. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the Maximum Yield team; we’d love to meet you!
12 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Maximum Yield reserves the right to edit for brevity.
We want to hear from you!Write us at:Maximum Yield Publications Inc.2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9or Email us at: [email protected]
LETTERS TOthe editorOnly the BeginningI really enjoyed your article about the new breed of high intensity LED lighting in your August issue. I have wanted to switch to LED lighting since I first heard about them. Out of all the research that I've done, the problem for me is the smaller yields with some LED lights compared to HID lighting. I'm sure you've heard that a million times at this point. Since indoor gardeners are experimenting with these new lights, I'm assuming that they’re available to the public. My question to you is where can I find these new lights and how much do they cost?
Ron
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are lighting up indoor grow rooms around the globe. LEDs come in all shapes, sizes and prices. The best place to peruse your LED options is at an indoor gardening/hydroponic retail shop. The knowledgeable storeowners in our industry will be able to detail the various types available and outline the pros and cons of each to help you make a purchasing decision.
Food Grows in Concrete JungleWhat an awesome world we live in where even crowded urban centers offer a chance to connect with the natural world. I appreciate that you recognized “Wildman” Steve Brill and his foraging adventures. I talked my partner into joining me on one such adventure. Not only did we have a great time, but we learned a heck of a lot and got the real, unveiled view of our city and its food offerings. I frequent YouTube to check out his videos. Another naturalist to check out on YouTube is Andrew Price, based in South Wales. His videos follow him on an outdoor food journey—on the beach, in hedges and in the woods—as he discovers nature’s edibles. You should check it out.
Adam Garrison
Helping Hands WorldwideOne of my customers recently told me how helpful your magazine is. I would like to receive a few copies for myself and customers of my market stall where I stock books on vegetable, fruit and herb cultivation. Please can you let me know how much it costs? Look forward to hearing from you.
Lynda Clark
Maximum Yield is available for free at hundreds of indoor gardening retail stores across the globe and on maximumyield.com. Personal subscriptions are also available by visiting http://maximumyield.com/subscriptions.php or calling 1-250-729-2677.
Social Network Shout Outsvia Facebook Loving the newest issue!
Sara Hope Smith
via Facebook The Dr. Lynette Morgan article, “Strands of Gold: Growing Saffron” was so helpful.
Sarah Rapley
Check out all of Dr. Lynette Morgan’s articles—root zone chilling, cool toys and tools, flavor chemistry, vertical gardening, edible shoots and more—on maximumyield.com under our author archive.
Sustainable Eating - Balanced LivingHave you ever heard of “Meatless Mondays?” It’s a pretty awesome movement that encourages people to reduce their meet consumption for the betterment of personal health and the planet’s health. Their site (www.meatlessmonday.com) is loaded with
inspirational stories, the latest in health news and yummy recipes that use ingredients from your garden. I tried the
Quinoa Zucchini Burgers this week and they were a hit with my kids and my husband. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with eating meat; overindulgence is the
problem. This rant is really just my way of thanking you for promoting balanced living. In our industry,
we brag about being environmentalists and living green. Sustainable eating is just one more aspect of that. Cheers.
Sasha Parry
14 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim JessonGENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores
BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda JessonSALES DIRECTOR - Lisa Lambersek
EDITOR - Jessica Raymond [email protected]
ADVERTISING SALES 250.729.2677
Linda Jesson - [email protected] Lambersek - [email protected] Hawser - [email protected] Morin - [email protected]
Ashley Heppell - [email protected]
PRODUCTION & DESIGN [email protected]
Mike Linden - [email protected] Cargill - [email protected]
Daniel Peters - [email protected] Tennison - [email protected]
ACCOUNTING - Lee Anne [email protected]
USA DISTRIBUTIONAurora Innovations
BWGS, BWGS West and BWGS EastGeneral Hydroponics
HydrofarmHydro International
National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight SupplyR&M SupplyTradewinds
CANADIAN DISTRIBUTIONBrite-Lite Group
BiofloralEddis Wholesale
Greenstar Plant Products Inc.HydrotekMegaWatt
Quality Wholesale
UK DISTRIBUTIONGrowth Technology
HydrogardenNorthern Hydroponic Wholesale
Nutriculture UK
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTIONFutchatec
Growth TechnologyHydraspher
I N D O O R G A R D E N I N G
VOLUME 11 – NUMBER 7 October 2010
Maximum Yield is published monthly byMaximum Yield Publications Inc.
2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687
No part of this magazine may be reproducedwithout 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.
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Printed In Canada.
Tell us what you think at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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CONNECt WitH MaxiMuM YiELd
You’re invited to the Long Beach indoor Gardening ExpoWith over 200 booths and over 90 unique exhibitors showcasing our industry’s latest products and technologies, the Long Beach Indoor Gardening Expo, October 16-17, is our industry’s biggest and best show for 2010. Full event details are available at www.indoorgardeningexpo.com
Get in the KnowAre you a subscriber to Maximum Yield’s E-News? You should be, and here’s why: Every month, Maximum Yield mails out our
free newsletter full of the latest news, grow tips, upcoming events and more. Subscribe today
at http://maximumyield.com/newsletter.php and get in the know.
Last Chance to Win BigOctober 15 is your last chance
to enter our Win Big…Grow Big contest for September/October.
The latest grow gear from Frontier Specialty Products, Global Garden
Friends, Grotek and Sunshine Systems are up for grabs.
Enter at www.maximumyield.com/winbig
Featured Products
Our industry has some cool new offerings that will help your garden grow. This month on maximumyield.com we spotlight: the award winning EarthBox, the latest in LEDs from LumiGrow, the Fungal Activator from Organic Bountea, and so much more.
20 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
If you want to produce a certified organic crop, foliar feeding with a non-organic nutrient is out of the question; but, it sounds like you are more concerned with its effect on a quality organic medium full of microbial life. As a rule, the application of chemicals to an organic medium is generally detrimental. However, in the case of a foliar application, excluding any large quantity of direct runoff from the leaves into the medium, its effects will be negligible. As nutrients are absorbed into the plant, they are generally converted into various organic acids and other substances. These by-products are then moved throughout the plant, including to the roots where some, such as carbohydrates and amino acids, are secreted into the rhizosphere. So without question some of the elements provided in your foliar spray will end up in your medium but for the most part I would think that they would be in a form that is beneficial to your microbiology.The second part of your question relates directly to
ammonium sulfate. (NH4)2SO
4 is a chemical fertilizer
with 21 per cent ammonium nitrogen and 24 per cent sulfur in sulfate form. The use of sulfur as a fungicide is well documented but it is generally in its elemental form. Sulfates aren’t fungicides and neither is ammonium sulfate. Ammonium sulfate can be helpful in some cases as an adjuvant for certain pesticides. An adjuvant is a substance that increases the efficacy of the pesticide while lowering the cost of use. In the case of ammonium sulfate it can assist the process by boosting a gene expression resisting pathogen attack. The mechanism that seems to be the cause of this benefit is the acidification of the cytosolic pH within the plant cells themselves.
SIMONsaysSimon, what’s up man? How goes it? My question is if I’m growing organic and really focusing on microbial life in the soil, is it ok to foliar feed with a nutrient blend that isn’t organic? Meaning, will those non-organic foliar applications hinder the life below? You might wonder why I would want to do that. I’ve been learning about ammonium sulfate and how it works as an herbicide, pesticide and fungicide. I’ve been using Humboldt Nutrients (specifically Ginormous), which is not organic, but it’s supposed to help boost blooms and help with mold issues because it contains ammonium sulfate. Your thoughts are appreciated.
Eric
Remember that microbiology in some cases can be used as a foliar fungicide. I can’t resist suggesting an organic option. An aerated compost tea can be tested and there are registered organic fungicides that are based on bacterial isolates. Perhaps you could look to these options to maintain the true organic nature of your system. This way, even as the runoff fell into your medium, you would still be seeing additional organic benefits.
Good luck
22 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Peppers for Fall ____________________________________________Two new pepper varieties, being bred specifically for the Halloween and fall season, have been rightly named “Lil’ Pumpkin” and “Pepper Jack.” Geneticists bred these new peppers
to add a seasonal interest for Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays, bearing ornamen-tal and culinary markets in mind.
With vibrant colors and unique shapes, these enticing and spicy varieties are sure to be a hit among Americans. The Lil’ Pumpkin
has black foliage and orange pumpkin-like fruit; Pepper Jack bears greenish-black foliage and a mix of orange and black, small, cone-shaped fruit, similar to the ever-popular Halloween candy corn.Ornamental peppers perform best in high light and warm tem-
peratures, according to breeders.(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)
Subway Japan Rolls Out in-Store HydroponicLettuce Factories __________________________________A new branch of Subway Japan in Tokyo will feature a hydroponic vegetable growing station in the middle of the store. Lettuce will be grown at the Marunouchi Building location, and the company is looking into other such onsite farming projects to offer different types of fresh produce to its customers. Seats are arranged around the hydroponic set-up so customers can enjoy a meal while watching lettuce grow.(Source: www.psfk.com)
hydroponic news, tips and triviaMAXfacts
things Green Learning Center (California) Makes Big Splash ____________________SeeUsOnline.org’s Things Green Learning Center came alive in an international way with a special visit from 13 Italian students and one German exchange student this past summer. The 17 and 18-year-old globe trekkers came to America to strengthen their learning skills by learning environmental techniques as offered by syndicated radio talk show host, Nick Federoff.The group participated in a lively discussion of water conservation and natural pest control. They also
visited the radio studios of AdviceRadio.com, which provided the perfect place to show the students one of the first ‘green’ studios in America.Back in the Things Green Learning Center they planted California Poppies in recycled containers. They
will give the plants to their respective American family hosts as a gift.(Sources: SeeUsOnline.org, ThingsGreen.com)
24 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
hydroponic news, tips and triviaMAXfacts
Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly Potting Medium _______________________A new type of sustainable and environmentally friendly potting medium made from thinned pine trees has been created by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists.WholeTree is made from all parts of a tree, in particular
the southern pine tree, and can be used alone or mixed with other materials to make substrate. The trees used to make WholeTree are harvested from tree plantations at the thinning stage, when some trees are removed to achieve a density the site can support.WholeTree could be one of the first available U.S. products
made from locally grown materials. Field and laboratory studies have demonstrated the successful use of WholeTree, even at 100 per cent for some nursery plants.Scientists are further researching WholeTree’s suitability
for use in cutting and seedling propagation of herbaceous perennial and woody ornamental crops. So far, they have conducted tests on plants popular to the ornamental and landscaping industries.(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)
“Gro-Smart with Grodan®” debut _________At the recent Maximum Yield Indoor Garden Expo in San Francisco, Grodan debuted their new series of training videos aptly named, Gro-Smart with Grodan. The first of its kind, the Gro-Smart series will be played in indoor garden-ing shops to help educate consumers.“We wanted to dispel common misconceptions about
Grodan products, and show growers how they can achieve the absolute best results,” Vibeke (Vee) Kjoelhede, North American retail business manager, explains.
Entertaining and educational, these videos are highly recommended. Visit your favorite indoor gardening shop today and ask about the Grodan Gro-Smart series. Also, watch for new videos that will be uploaded to Grodan’s website (grodan101.com) in the near future.
28 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
hydroponic news, tips and triviaMAXfacts
New Belgium Gets top Honors on List of Greenest Breweries ________________________Greenopia.com recently released its updated green rankings of the world’s 15 largest breweries. Judged on the grow-ing practices of the barley, malt and hops it uses, transportation, production efficiency and packaging of its beer, New Belgium came out on top, with a perfect four out of four leaves. The company considers sustainability a key tenet of its philosophy, and is entirely wind-powered.With three leaves each, the runners-up are Berkeley-based Bison Brewery (which produces exclusively organic beers),
and Eel River, which came out with America’s first certified organic beer in 1999.In a time when we’re seeing an upsurge of microbreweries and organic beer, having some concrete rankings as to what’s green and what’s greenwashing is crucial.(Source: www.treehugger.com)
add Hydroponic Greenery to Your Space ____Carlsbad-based Vertical Earth Gardens aims to bring some green to balconies, side yards, backyards, roofs, decks, frame patios and facades of your abodes. The company aims to help San Diego residents grow healthy food while fighting perennial drought problems and conserving envi-ronmental resources. Their vertical gardens not only save space, but also grow healthy lettuce, herbs and vegetables more efficiently than a traditional garden bed.Founders Mark DeMitchell and Mike Tarzian utilize hydro-ponics to deliver water to plants that uses 80 per cent less water than traditional gardens. The patent pending design
touts a detach-able reservoir that recycles water and keeps it circulating through the system continuously. It also contains nutrients that are so neces-sary for speedy plant growth.The self-supporting framework is mostly handmade and looks great in nurseries, schools, restaurants and homes.
(Source: www.greendiary.com, www.verticalearthgardens.com)
Controlled aquacultureFast-growing farm-raised salmon and trout that are sterile can now be produced using a method that blocks reproduction. This method allows researchers to more efficiently and reliably produce fish that have three sets of chromosomes. Fish with the extra set of chromosomes can’t reproduce, so the energy from the food they eat is shifted from reproduction to growth.Bigger fish for consumers and sterile fish for producers and anglers are the goals. Researchers and biologists have investigated the earliest stages of fish development, and developed a more effective way to produce rainbow trout that have four sets of chromosomes. Those trout are then crossed with typical fish that have two chromosome sets, yielding offspring that have the desired three sets of chro-mosomes.Fish physiologists have improved on that method, and pre-liminary studies have expanded its application to Atlantic salmon, brook trout and brown trout. They are also in the process of breeding these fish for experiments that will determine whether three-chromosome-set fish are good performers in terms of production traits such as growth to market size, stress tolerance and disease resistance.(Source: www.ars.usda.gov)
30 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
hydroponic news, tips and triviaMAXfacts
Federal Judge Bans Genetically Modified Sugar Beets _____________U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White revoked a five-year-old approval of genetically altered sugar beets from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Judge White cited the USDA’s insuffi-cient testing of weedkiller-tolerant sugar beets and their possible effects to the
environment. Plants with this genetic mutation are immune to glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup.Many non-profit and environmental organizations hail this
decision as a major victory, but this could be a major head-ache for sugar beet growers and food producers. Sugar beets make up one-half of the U.S. sugar supply. This could also be a huge win in the fight against GMO foods.Genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets are already plant-
ed on more than one million acres of farmland, spanning 10 different states from Michigan to Oregon. The Roundup-resistant gene is present in 95 per cent of U.S.-grown sugar beet plants.This year’s yield can be harvested, processed and sold as
sugar, but no genetically-altered seeds may be planted next spring.(Source: www.treehugger.com)
GrowFood.org unites Farmers with Willing Volunteers and Workers _________________Are you looking to volunteer or work part or full time on a farm? Do you fancy picking fruit for a weekend or even for a season? Are you curious where your nearest local farm is that sells local, organic produce for the right price? GrowFood.org is the site for you. This website is simple and easy to navigate. Their goal is “to help grow a com-munity of 50 million new small-scale organic farmers.”You can volunteer, or you can look for a job. You can go
and help pick fruit for a weekend, or work for a season. You can check out a farm close to where you live or take the opportunity to trav-el to a farm further afield and get room and board.There is also a section to
post exactly what you are looking for, whether you are a farmer or a worker. Cur-rently there are about 2,100 farms listed.(Source: www.treehugger.com, www.growfood.org)
32 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Family of Four Grows Food in a Swimming PoolA family living in Mesa, Arizona has decided to convert an old, unused backyard swimming pool into a very produc-tive DIY urban green-house, which they named Garden Pool. Within a small, mostly enclosed space, they grow all kinds of vegetables and herbs, as well as raise chickens and tilapia fish. They started this project in 2009 and expected to be “self-suffi-cient” by 2012, but they’ve reached that goal this year, get-ting eight fresh eggs a day, unlimited tilapia fish, organic fruit, veggies and herbs 365 days a year. The Garden Pool combines the following techniques: solar power, water conservation, poultry farming, aquaculture, hydroponics, organic horticulture, aquaponics and biofiltration.(Source: www.treehugger.com, http://gardenpool.org)
R & M Supply - On the Move and Going Green _______________R&M Supply will soon be moving into a
new, state-of-the-art, 100,000 square foot facility. It is centrally located in Southern California and features skylights through-out that provide natural, ambient light to nearly every corner of the building.
Uncovered floor surfaces have been polished and coated to recapture roughly 28 per cent of the light normally lost to absorption. They have adopted a “smart” HVAC design that only operates when needed.They have also decided to print all of their wholesale and
retail catalogs on recycled paper using only soy ink. They are making a conscious and concerted effort to decrease their overall impact on the planet. Two examples of their green ini-tiatives are using recycled PET and polypropylene to make their trays and using controllers that monitor and activate high demand devices only when needed. This approach to gardening will save you money while helping the planet from further exploitation. MY
MAXfacts hydroponic news, tips and trivia
34 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlightSee it. Want it. Find it at your local indoor gardening store.
Protect Yourself with Water alarms ________In the presence of moisture buildup, the Water Alarm will alert you to a potential problem. The Water Alarm will de-tect standing or running water, condensation or moisture in carpeting or other types of flooring. Place a Water Alarm in any room where water could cause damage. When moisture comes in contact with any two adjacent metal legs, the alarm will sound an extremely loud (110 dB) warning. User manual with installation instructions and complete warranty information included. Alarm chirps when bat-tery is low. Visit your indoor gardening shop to learn more.
CubeCap® introduces their Long awaited 4” dripCap®The new DripCap® features an innovative hose holder and dripper technology that accommodates a host of propagation hose sizes rang-ing from 0.16 to 0.3 inches. The new DripCap allows for an even distribu-tion of water and nutrients to saturate the block and root zone. This results in increased root mass and plant yields and minimizes or eliminates algae, fungus gnats, shore flies and their root eating, crop damaging larva. The DripCap eliminates the need for pesticides, larvacides, bacticides and fungicides. For more information on the DripCap® and CubeCap® visit your favorite indoor gardening shop.
LumiGrow ES-165 LEd Grow Light _________________________The LumiGrow ES-165 LED grow light provides professional-grade LED technology for small indoor spaces. The LumiGrow ES-165 packs in all the features of the LumiGrow ES-330, from full PAR spectrum light to the industry’s most powerful LEDs, in a small-profile, budget-friendly package. LumiGrow’s proprietary color blend is engineered to promote healthy plants through all growth phases. Cost-efficient, reliable and safe, the 165 watt ES-165 runs cool to the touch and is backed by LumiGrow’s no-hassle warranty. The Lumi-Grow ES-165 fulfills the promise of LED lighting technology in a no-fuss solution. Visit your local indoor gardening retailer for more information.
New Predator Sighted in indoor Gardens _____________Sunleaves Predator Series Plug N’ Play Viper 6 is perfect for gardeners on the hunt for an affordable, high-quality reflector. Its durable steel housing and compact size make it ideal for any space, and its 15 foot built-in ballast power cord, complete with the industry-standard com-mon plug, makes set up simple. A hinged, airtight lens, six inch inline vent flanges and aerodynamic mogul socket makes it a perfect fit for gar-deners who currently use CO2 enrichment or plan to do so in the future. Ask for the Viper 6 at your local indoor gardening shop.
36 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlight See it. Want it. Find it at your favorite indoor gardening store.
true Liberty Bags ____________________________________________________True Liberty Bags is pleased to introduce our high quality, large quantity Turkey Bags™. True Liberty’s Turkey Bags™ are 18 inches by 20 inches and are available in boxes of 10, 25 and 100. True Liberty Bags are thicker than the leading brand and proudly made in the USA. They are produced from 100 per cent BPA free, FDA approved, nylon materials. Discover what commercial organic farmers, food storage experts and hobby vegetable growers are using to keep their foods fresh, healthy and stable, with all of the aroma, flavor and nutrients locked right in! Visit your local hydroponics shop for more information.
Smart Float Grow tray with Plugs _____________Hydrofarm’s Smart Float comes complete with a 55 cell reusable floating insert, heavy duty tray and 55 earth-friendly Ready Gro plugs to get your plants off to a great start. The floating insert sits inside the tray and rises and falls with the water level. This ensures no overwatering or underwatering. Smart Float provides and ideal air-to-water ratio and is perfect for starting seeds or cuttings. Works great with Hydrofarm domes to create a mini greenhouse. Contact an authorized Hydrofarm retailer for more information.
38 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlight See it. Want it. Find it at your favorite indoor gardening store.
GGL Regulator Pebbled Wing Reflector _____Simple design and great performance makes the GGL Regulator a favorite of Humboldt County. The super reflec-tive pebbled aluminum design of the Regulator provides optimum light distribution, bathing your garden in what it needs to produce the fattest flowers out there. Take it from the master growers of Humboldt County. The regulator optimizes your dollar while still bringing you the best re-sults! Quality inspected and including a socket with a 15 foot cord, the Regu-lator works with both HPS and MH lamps. Use this classic to regulate your garden. For more information visit your nearest indoor gardening shop.
the award Winning EarthBox is Now available _____The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial farm-ers and has been proven effective in lab and farm tests. This maintenance-free, award winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden. It requires less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort in the proc-ess. The EarthBox Garden Kit includes an EarthBox, an aeration screen, a fill tube, mulch covers, casters, fertilizer and dolomite soil amendment. Gardeners just supply a peat- or coir-based growing medium, plants and water. Ask for the EarthBox at your local indoor gardening shop.
the Standard 4 drip System _______________________________The Standard 4 Drip System from Frontier Specialty Products consists of four mov-able drippers with an enclosed 110 volt circulation pump. This 3.5 gallon container is 10 inches high and 10 inches in circumference. The inner net basket is seven inches deep and snaps on to the rim of the grow site. Included in this kit are 16 ounces of nutrients, five pounds of hydroton, a nutrient solution level indicator and a drain tube. This system can be used indoors or outdoors to grow herbs and vegetables. It uses very little electric-ity and saves water. For more information visit your favorite local gardening shop.
LumiGrow, inc. introduces LumiGrow ECC™ LEd Light Bulbs for Environmental Control Chambers and Greenhouses _________________The LumiGrow ECC™ series from LumiGrow, Inc. offers a direct replacement for the incandes-
cent bulbs used in environmental control chambers (ECCs) and greenhouses. The LumiGrow ECC-R™ and ECC-FR™ LED light bulbs provide plants with red and far red respectively, and use 75 per cent less energy than incandescent bulbs. They operate at just 17 watts, produc-ing an annual savings of over 500 kilowatt-hours compared to 100 watt bulbs. LumiGrow ECC bulbs last 10 to 20 times longer than standard bulbs. For more information, visit your nearest indoor gardening retailer.
40 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlightaeroponic Cloning at its Best ______________CloneBucket 18 is a true aeroponic cloning system that gives you healthy rooted clones in five to 10 days. The dura-ble black bucket inhibits algae growth within the machine while the white lid reflects valuable light needed for clon-ing. Uses two inch neoprene inserts, with or without net pots. Compatible with rock-wool or Sure To Grow for effortless seed starting. Hydro West offers CloneBucket with a variety of cloning sites (eight, 12, 18 and 30). CloneBucket.com offers free technical support with any CloneBucket purchase. Visit your local indoor gardening shop for more information.
New intermatic 24/7 timers _______________Both the 24 hour and seven day Intermatic timers feature all the bells and whistles you’ll need to control your electri-
cal devices. Intermatic timers feature power and status LED indicator lights and a real time clock face that
is easy to program and read. The timers are rated at 40 amps and multi-voltage: 120, 208-240 or 277 VAC. They also feature a field adjustable DIP switch, SPDT and DPDT all-in-one. Contact your au-thorized Hydrofarm retailer for more information.
Hydro international Presents Bloom Seaweed ___________Bloom Seaweed is a natural plant tonic that provides natural amino acids and vitamins for plants and micro-organisms. Organic plant stimulates allow plants to grow up to five inches per day in freezing saline conditions. Contains micro-organisms involved in the composting process. Contains cold-composted kelp. Visit an indoor garden-ing shop near you for more information.
42 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlight
Continues on page 148
SteadyGROWpro introduces Medius and Maximus ____________________________SteadyGROWpro is rolling out two larger sized, bio-wrapped blocks designed for growing single plants from seed to maturity. In addition, plants can be started from steadyGROWpro sheet media or plugs and transplanted to Medius six inch or Maximus eight inch blocks. The Medius blocks are available in eight block packs; the Maximus blocks are available in six block packs. Suitable for drip or overhead irrigation, Medius and Maximus can be easily moved during the growing process. Consistent from top to
bottom, the blocks are inert, sterile, will minimize algae growth and do not attract insects. For more informa-
tion visit your favorite indoor gar-dening store.
Hydro international Presents Bloom Sea Minerals ________Sea Minerals is a natural mineral supplement. It will fill inadequacies in plant nutrient absorption. Sea Minerals con-tains a full mineral profile of 100 chemical elements. Developed from seawater through concen-tration and removal of sodium. Contains sea water extract. Visit an indoor gardening shop near you for more information.
CarrotsCarrots
CuCumbers
Brocolli
Efficient & Profitable
Food Productionby Dr. Mike Nichols
Plant FactoriesPlant Factories
44 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
45Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
To develop successful urban agriculture requires space, suitable soil types and knowledge. The increasing population density and disappearance of sound agronomic skills in many of our major cities poses major difficulties for food supplies in the future. The answer to these increasing challenges may be plant factories that utilize modern technology for increased yields, superior quality and the ultimate in control.The current population of planet earth is 6.8 billion.
This number is expected to rise to nine billion by the year 2050. Homo sapiens have proved to be a profligate user of finite resources. Peak oil occurred in 2006; global warming is a major threat; fresh water supplies are limited; fertilizer is limited. Our increasing population has led to an increasing urbanization, and this has resulted in a loss of rural skills, and a need for more food supplies close to urban centers. Urbanization has resulted in a loss of productive land close to cities.
“Society is rapidly becoming predominantly urban. This will place major constraints on the availability
of food and clean water.”
Greenhouses originated from the orangeries of the 18th Century, but these orangeries show little in common with the modern, high-tech, sophisticated greenhouses of the 21st Century. Greenhouses have become more sophisticated, and thus, increasingly expensive, both to establish and also to run. We attempt to control the greenhouse environment while the external environment fluctuates from hour to hour and minute to minute. This has meant that, although it’s possible to determine the optimum environment for a crop, it’s extremely difficult to achieve this in practice because of the variation of the external environment—particularly radiation.The original concept of controlling minimal temperature by
means of a simple thermostat has been replaced by computer controlled heating, ventilation, CO
2 levels, humidity and
possibly more. Clearly greenhouse production has many advantages over field production, in terms of productivity per unit area, product quality and productivity per quart of water, particularly when a re-circulating hydroponic system is used. In fact, efficient use of water is going to become increasingly important in the future, not only for crop production, but also for human existence.Plant factories—in which the crop environment is totally
controlled—have existed for many years. Essentially they are an extension of the controlled climate rooms/cabinets developed for research, and expanded for commercial production. The weakness of many of these cabinets is the difficulty in reducing temperature under high radiation loads. Water screens have helped, but essentially large amounts of refrigeration have been needed to ensure that plant temperatures
are not too high. This has been particularly true
when higher than ambient CO2 levels are
being used, and the air is being re-circulated.Japan is undoubtedly the most advanced country in the development of plant factories. This probably
relates to the very high cost of
Plant Factories
land in the major cities, and the “desirability” of producing crops (particularly salad lettuce) close to where they are to be consumed. These problems will be the same for all urban areas in the future.
the Plant environmentThe plant environment comprises both below the ground and above the ground factors. In a field situation there is not
a great deal of environmental modification that can be done. In the greenhouse, however, particularly a modern, high-tech greenhouse with good environmental control, it is possible to modify the environment to enhance
productivity, particularly in relation to the below ground environment. Even in the aerial environment it is possible to exert some control on air temperature, humidity, day length, and to a lesser extent, radiation. However, the greenhouse does not lend itself to the accurate control of the environment, and it is possible (and even probable) that the very high levels of productivity needed for the future will only be achieved with a much better control of the plant environment than is currently possible.An excellent example is in relation to plant temperature. We
know that during periods of insulation, leaf temperature will exceed air temperature, whereas at night leaf, temperature will
be lower than air temperature. Yet we always control the
“Japan is undoubtedly the most advanced country in the development
of plant factories. This probably relates to the very high cost of land in
the major cities.”
46 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The high-tech version of 18th century greenhouses has been modernized for ultimate productivity.
air temperature of the greenhouse, even to the stage of ensuring that temperature probes are not exposed to direct radiation. However, a plant’s (leaf ’s) biological activity is determined by it’s temperature, not that of the surrounding air. The interaction of radiation, temperature and CO
2 level is critical in determining
the rate of photosynthesis, and yet in a greenhouse it is necessary to ventilate well before radiation levels approach saturation point because of the excessively high temperatures in the house (cause by infrared radiation). Thus, the biological optimum use of CO
2
is never reached.The below ground environment is, to some extent, easier
to modify and control. Although growing rooms have been developed using artificial lights, until recently none of these have been totally closed circuit rooms because of the requirement to remove excess heat generated by the lights. Using LEDs as the primary photosynthetic energy source, the radiant heat load of the lights is substantially reduced, and it now becomes feasible to use a closed circuit re-circulating system for the entire system. This immediately makes it possible to increase the level of CO
2 in the atmosphere
from 2,000 to 3,000 ppm, with a clearly enhanced level of photosynthesis, although much more research is still needed to evaluate the impact of elevated CO
2 levels on plant
growth and productivity. Plants can now be grown in a fully insulated light proof growing room with minimal heat load, and it now becomes possible to control the air temperature, humidity and CO
2 levels more precisely than in a standard greenhouse.
Plant Factories
The major objective of a plant factory is to efficiently convert carbon dioxide saleable plant product. In a fully closed system, 0.04 ounces of carbon dioxide converts into approximately 0.02 ounces of carbohydrate in the plant. However, plant product is sold as fresh weight not dry
weight so 0.04 ounces of carbon dioxide will equate to 1.76 ounces of leafy vegetable (such as lettuce) or 2.50 ounces of fruit (such as tomatoes). To date plant factories have not been developed
as closed circuit rooms, but if we determine the relationship between photosynthesis and radiation/temperature/CO
2 at
high (2,000+ ppm) CO2 levels, we are then in a position to
optimize radiation, and possibly temperature. Using LEDs as the primary photosynthetic energy source, the heat load on the plants is substantially reduced because there is no infrared radiation. Thus much higher temperatures may be feasible, possibly as high as 93°F.Plant temperature can also be more closely attuned to
optimum, as the higher leaf temperatures that occur under conditions of high insulation (due to infrared radiation) no longer occur and similarly the lower leaf temperatures that occur in a greenhouse on a clear night also do not happen. Because the plant factory is a fully insulated building, it is feasible to grow the crop at much higher temperatures than would be economic in a greenhouse. Thus it may be feasible to grow plants (particularly in the early stages where ground cover development is important) at air temperatures (and therefore plant temperatures) approaching 95°F, with photoperiods of 24 hours, and at high CO
2 levels.
With a fixed temperature the control of humidity is also
“The very high levels of productivity needed for the future will only be achieved with a
much better control of the plant environment than is currently possible.”
48 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Pumps are used to remove heat, caused by lighting, from the plant factory.
Using LEDs in a grow room substantially reduces the heat load, making it feasible to use a closed circuit re-circulating system.
50 Maximum Yield USA | October 201050 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
far simpler. A wide range of lighting is available for plant factories, but although high pressure sodium lights and other types of discharge tubes have predominated up to now, these all produce considerable amounts of heat (both sensible and radiant). LED lights, which can be virtually monochromatic, appear to have a far higher potential, because although they still produce sensible heat, the wavelengths used for photosynthesis (red and blue) are outside the infrared range. Careful selection might also ensure that the wavelengths are outside the phytochrome sensitive range, and it might then become possible to grow day length sensitive plants in a 24 hour photoperiod, without any photoperiodic response—a fascinating development.
a Plant nurseryOne of the key factors in efficient (and therefore profitable) commercial vegetable crop production is to balance demand and supply, and this is a serious problem with any field grown vegetables. Supermarkets require a regulated supply of raw product just as much as the processing factories.The usual method of regulating supply is to use long term
climatic data for the district (plus experience), to ensure a regular quantity of fresh produce for market. In temperate climates the system does not work effectively during the
Plant Factories
winter months. This was primarily because the growth of the seedlings in the greenhouse was too unreliable, not because the growing degree days model was not effective, but because it was overridden by the effect of the low level of solar radiation (both quantity and day length) during the winter, when day lengths are about ½ of the summer, and radiation levels are an even lower proportion.When growing (for example) lettuce or broccoli, over 50 per
cent of the growing time is spent in the propagation stage, and this is difficult to standardized. If this period of growth could be standardized economically, then the potential to improve the timing of maturity of such vegetables would be huge. Plant factories have the potential to provide a standard plant at any time of the year, and greatly improve the ability of growers to time the maturity of their crops. Perhaps more important than the ability to produce a standard transplant at any time of the year, is the fact that it is possible to grow 50 times the number of similar quality seedlings per three square feet of floor space per year compared with a conventional greenhouse not only because the improved growing conditions double the production, but also because even in a “standard” 10 foot tall module it is possible to use five tier racks. Because the plant factory is a closed system with artificial light (currently fluorescent tubes, but inevitably in the future LEDs), high levels of CO
2 can be used, and
nutrients and water use is minimal. Cooling is by heat pumps.
Plant factories offer an ultimate environment for producing vegetable seedlings.
52 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Plant Factories
Grafting of tomatoes and of cucurbits is simplified, because timing can be much more precise for the growth of rootstocks and scion.In the final analysis it would appear that plant factories will
be used to produce crops to maturity (as is already done in Japan for lettuce), but in the short term they would appear to have excellent potential for producing high quality vegetable seedlings to simplify ensuring continuity of supply of fresh market vegetables.
conclusionsWith a growing awareness of food miles the scene is set for a return to the local production. Plant factories offer the potential to produce high yields of produce close to major areas of consumption. Accurate control of air and root temperatures, the potential to increase carbon dioxide levels well above those possible in a greenhouse situation, combined with the enhanced levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) due to the use of LEDs, combined with the potential to provide light for 24 hours a day, could lead to significantly increased crop productivity.Greenhouse crop production (using re-circulating
hydroponic systems) offers three times the improvement in water use efficiency, and plant factories as totally closed systems offer even greater efficiencies. MY
Note: Dr. Mike Nichols is actively involved in assisting the Singapore based Global Agricultural Holdings in developing the appropriate environmental factors to maximize biological yield using plant factories.
56 Maximum Yield USA | October 201056 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
by Simon Hart
AgriculturAl★
ApocAlypseA Cuban Story
As an organic gardener, I sometimes wonder why more people don’t embrace the natural cycling of nutrients that has built the world around us for the last four billion years. Most of us are more willing to embrace agricultural technology that has less than a 100 year track record instead of a time tested flow of energy through the system. Recently I read
articles suggesting that organics are ineffective and can actually be dangerous. Does this type of commentary perhaps reflect ignorance or commercial bias? Four billion years versus 100 years—remember that.
57Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
I admit that a massive switch to organics would cause a shockwave through the system and would probably have some unpleasant consequences. Without question, worldwide yields would drop substantially, if only temporarily. It is also plausible that there would not be enough organic material to supply the agricultural industrial complex in its current form. Still, to say these are reasons to avoid a shift is to gloss over the underlying issues of environmental pollution and soil degradation.Environmental degradation is always viewed as an
externality to efficiency, yet we rely on the environment heavily to produce food—how is that external? Although technology is ever increasing, yields are generally not going up because the fertility of our soil has diminished with the use of chemicals and depletion of organic matter.Despite corporate protest and the lack of politically
mandated change, people are beginning to consider how sustainable our current system really is. The population is becoming more aware of the precarious nature of our food system. Many people are now dealing with the uncomfortable question of where our food is coming from. However, as a society, we continue down the path of industrializing our food supply.What if a food bubble took the place of the housing
bubble and the economic meltdown we have just experienced? Would this catastrophic situation cause a readjustment of the way we feed ourselves? We will never know until it happens. But wait; it has already happened, in Cuba.It all began before the revolution, when Cuba was
essentially a huge plantation with 50 per cent of the land owned by one per cent of the people. This changed in 1959 when Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries changed the political landscape of Cuba forever. The shift to communist style governance was supported by the U.S.S.R, and they bought Cuban commodity crops in
58 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
exchange for food imports, chemical fertilizers and fossil fuels. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-90, this changed dramatically. Between the collapse of their only real trading partner and the US embargo Cubans fell into what was called the “Special Period.” Access to 1.3 million tons of chemical fertilizers a year was gone; all the fuel for machinery and transport disappeared; pesticides vanished into thin air; and the daily caloric intake for the average Cuban went from 2,600 to 1,250. You could substitute the words “disastrous period” for Special Period, but necessity is the mother of all invention.The stubborn leadership took a hard look at agricultural
practices and realized there was no choice but to be more self-sufficient and sustainable. Only survival of the population could cause such a dramatic shift as was proposed. Although large scale farming continues to a certain extent, the leadership realized that with 70 per cent of their population living in cities, and without fuel for transport, they needed to bring the food to the people. This meant less industrialized and more local production of food. This local emphasis has resulted in a massive reduction of food miles and greenhouse gas emissions, so their experience benefits us all.The Organoponicos, which were the brainchild of this
new direction, would turn out to be the world’s largest example, and experiment, in localized urban organic food production. This system uses disturbed and agriculturally useless lands within city limits. The land is modified by using raised beds of composts and manures, sometimes in concrete channels, creating incredibly rich soil over a barren area.
Agricultural Apocalypse
Following the “Special Period”, the leadership realized that with 70 per cent of their population living in cities, and without fuel for transport, they needed to bring the food to the people.
59Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Ideas like integrated pest management, composting, crop rotation and green manures all contribute to soil conservation and improvement. This is in stark comparison to the shrinking fertility in conventional systems. Use of techniques including drip irrigation, deterrent plants, beneficial insects and microbes all enhance the soil management practices. Crop diversity is also a major component. Diversity is not set up for the industrial agricultural complex with machinery but it works very well when you actually have people rather than machines working the land. A broader, healthier range of foods and lower susceptibility to pest problems is the result.Approximately 60 per cent of Cuba’s vegetables are
now produced in urban gardens. In Havana this is pegged at 90 per cent. This is a good news story, but it also showcases the fact that Cuba still imports some food to balance out its domestic production. There are over one million registered urban gardens now and over 7,000 large scale Organoponicos. Built on sustainable techniques, such as composting, the Cuban experience has learned a lot of lessons that can help us all with the future of local agriculture.Much of the composting is done by worms in larger
scale vermicomposting (93,000 tons in 2006) a fantastic way of recycling nutrients and increasing soil biology.
“Access to 1.3 million tons of chemical fertilizers
a year was gone; all the fuel for machinery and
transport disappeared; pesticides vanished into thin
air; and the daily caloric intake for the average Cuban
went from 2,600 to 1,250.”
60 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Pest management is also a big part of the knowledge-base on these farms. Specialists grow predator insects on site in some cases and if not there are over 200 government run plant clinics that offer diagnosis of problems and biopesticide remedies.In Cuba, there is
good income and great pride for those who work the soil in these urban gardens. Vivero Organoponico in Havana employs 25 people on 0.7 hectares of land. Once the farm reaches its government quota for production it is allowed to sell the excess produce in the free market, and divide the profits among workers. The hard thing for North Americans to understand is that this means farmers can make more than doctors. Imagine a system where people who feed us are rewarded—a novel concept in the North American system
of production. But what an excellent incentive to increase understanding of crop production.The development of small-scale local
polyculture in Cuba has provided a high level of food security; the diversity has also improved everyone’s diet, and the process has become far more efficient in the last two decades. In 1994 the farms were producing 12 pounds per three
square feet, but by 1999 this number was 1,161 pounds per three square feet, a staggering increase in production and a true lesson in experimenting and observing in your garden. Miguel Salcines Lopez manages Vivero and sums it up nicely: “Growing food this way is much more interesting; it is much more intelligent.”There is a rub to this
incredible story. There is a good chance the US embargo against
Cuba could be lifted in the near future. This will increase the likelihood of a large scale influx of petrochemical fertilizer and pesticides back into the system. In many cases, large scale farms have only shifted to more organic methods because they have had no choice. What will this mean for the urban Organoponicos?There is a strong likelihood they will
persist; and no matter what, the past two decades have provided fabulous research on the ability of an entire system to switch to organic methods. The Cuban experience will help others move more seamlessly into this adaptive method of production.So can this idea work in other places?
Time will tell, but urban gardeners around the world can hone their skills for the day where small scale food production takes its rightful place in the food chain and becomes a prestigious and lucrative activity. It is time to grow. MY
Agricultural Apocalypse
Organoponicos use disturbed and agriculturally useless lands within city limits. The land is modified by using raised
beds of composts and manures, sometimes in concrete channels, creating incredibly rich soil over a barren area.
60 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
62 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
A sprinkling of powdery spores coating otherwise healthy plants is a sight that sends chills down growers’ spines. Powdery mildew is a disease that should be relatively easy to control; however, mildew has become a real menace that reoccurs with surprising frequency. Powdery mildew is not a disease to be ignored; although it won’t rapidly outright kill plants, it can cause considerable damage, loss in yields and quality as well as unsightly plant appearances. Researchers estimate that one per cent leaf coverage with mildew can result in a one per cent loss in production with crops such as peppers; a heavy infection can result in yield losses of 30 per cent or more. With ornamentals and houseplants, powdery mildew outbreaks can make entire crops unmarketable with damage such as leaf spotting and discoloration, bud distortion, defoliation, leaf rolling, stunted growth and twisted new stems. What is more troubling is that powdery mildew appears to be more difficult to eradicate from protected growing areas than ever before, despite the range of products on the market developed for control. However, this disease can be conquered if we understand enough about its development and how it spreads.
Maddening Mildewprevention and control
by Dr. Lynette Morgan
The first sprinklings of mildew are often missed as they can form inside a dense plant canopy.
An ExtEnsivE FAMiLyPowdery mildew has a common symptom—the development of fine, whitish, powdery deposits that form mostly on the upper leaf surface. These deposits look like a sprinkling of talc and the early stages are often missed by growers as they tend to first form inside leafy canopies. Despite this common symptom, powdery mildew is not one disease, but can be caused by a number of different genera of fungi. Some of the powdery mildew fungi species are specific to certain plants—for example, Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosae is confined to roses—while others have a much wider host range. In greenhouses and grow rooms, the most common species of fungi that cause powdery mildew symptoms are Erisyphe, Leveillula, Microsphaera, Podosphaera, Odium and Sphaerotheca. It’s not usually possible to tell exactly which of these fungal pathogens are causing powdery mildew symptoms in different situations, although Leveillula—which occurs mostly on tomatoes and peppers and is sometimes called internal powdery mildew—may produce fungal spores on the lower leaf surfaces as well as the upper surfaces. This poses another problem, as downy mildew, which is a separate, less common disease, also produces grayish-white powdery spores on the undersides of leaves. Mistaking downy mildew and Leveillula powdery mildew creates problems with control as different sprays need to be used for these two very different diseases. To get the diagnosis correct, both leaf surfaces should be checked carefully for the presence of powdery spores. If these are present on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces, then Leveillula powdery mildew is likely to be the cause; if grayish-white spores are only on the lower surface, then downy mildew is more likely. Neither Leveillula
nor downy mildew should be confused with Botrytis or grey mould, which has brownish-grey spores and is also a common fungal pathogen in enclosed growing areas.Apart from Leveillula or internal powdery mildew, most
of the other powdery mildew species have a simple cycle of infection. The spores are often carried into the grow room on wind currents from infected plants. They are introduced to the growing area on infected seedlings or cuttings or
develop from survival structures on plant debris. Most infections come from airborne spores landing on leaf surfaces. The spores do not need an open wound or injured plant to infect their host; they happily germinate on dry leaves, penetrating the leaf tissue and sending food absorbing haustoria into the cells. The threadlike fungus (hyphae) grow over the leaf surface and eventually produce more spores, which trigger further infections. This infection process takes anywhere from three to seven days depending on conditions, but in as little as 72 hours from landing on a leaf surface, the fungi can send fresh spores into the air creating a high degree of infection over a wide area.
Maddening Mildew
64 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Powdery mildew not only forms on the foliage, but also on stems, buds, flowers and fruit.
Powdery mildew can develop rapidly from a few isolated spots to complete plant coverage in a short period.
66 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Leveillula powdery mildew is one fungal species that seems to be on the rise in greenhouses and has been occurring at higher rates in indoor gardens as well. Leveillula typically infects tomatoes and peppers, although it has also been seen in cucumbers, eggplant, chile, cotton, globe artichoke and many weeds. It may have a wider host range than initially thought. Leveillula powdery mildew is sometimes termed internal powdery mildew, as unlike other mildew species, it grows unseen within the leaf tissue for a latency period of up to three weeks. This species of mildew can also destroy plants and is much more difficult to control than other types.A Leveillula powdery mildew infection can occur with
either low or high humidity and over a wide temperature range, so this may explain many unexpected mildew outbreaks in otherwise clean growing environments where mildew has not been a problem in the past and where humidity is always well controlled. Other symptoms are fluffy white patches of spores occurring on the upper and under sides of leaves, or in the case of peppers, on the lower leaf surface. The upper leaf surface may also have yellow patches that correspond to the spores underneath. Infected leaves may wither and drop off causing the plant to die.
Maddening Mildew
Once powdery mildew coats most of the leaf surface, the fungal pathogen takes a real toll on the plant, weakening growth and lowering yields.
Maddening Mildew
EnvironMEntAL ConDitions AnD ControLConditions for development of powdery mildew vary depending on the species of fungi. Most of the common powdery mildew species prefer high humidity (greater than 90 per cent), while Leveillula infection on tomatoes and peppers can occur across a wide range of relatively humidity levels. Generally, moderate to warm temperatures favor infection (68 to 86°F). While many powdery mildew species favor high humidity, the greatest rate of infection can spread within a growing area when humidity levels climb at night, allowing the spores to germinate and infect leaves. Less humid daytime air allows the newly produced spores to dry and be released into the air to spread further. Control of humidity—particularly nighttime relative humidity levels that are more difficult to deal with—is seen as one of the best tools for prevention of powdery mildew. Increasing air movement up, under and through the canopy often gives a good degree of mildew control. Another option is to prevent overcrowding through selective pruning to let air flow through the crop.
sprAys AnD ChEMiCAL rEsistAnCEThere are many control products on the market for powdery mildew as well as a number of natural remedies that have varying degrees of success. Different control options may work better on one species of powdery mildew fungi than they do others, so it pays to trial a number of different sprays if the disease has become difficult to eradicate. The other concern with powdery mildew has been the increasing occurrence of spray
resistance. Many of the fungicides available for control of powdery mildew can result in the pathogen building up resistance to the effects of the product. This can happen rapidly if the same fungicide compound is applied for more than a few applications over a short period. Disease resistance to fungicides (the same can occur with pesticides) has become a major industry problem and may also be a reason why control of powdery mildew with products that once were effective, no longer seems to work as well. To avoid powdery mildew resistance the same class of chemical fungicide should not be used more than twice in succession. Outbreaks are better controlled by using compounds (such as sulfur) to which fungal resistance won’t occur or by rotating different classes of control products over time. A build up of fungicide resistant powdery mildew can become impossible to control with sprays and this can occur rapidly in any growing situation.
ControL optionsAs with many diseases, genetic resistance is one of the best forms of powdery mildew prevention, however, few crops have a wide selection of resistant cultivars to choose from. Many cucurbit plants such as cucumbers and melons have hybrid cultivars with a high degree of powdery mildew resistance and these should be selected wherever possible, as
“thE grEAtEst rAtE oF inFECtion CAn sprEAD within A growing ArEA whEn
huMiDity LEvELs CLiMb At night.”
68 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Below: The first signs of Oidium powdery mildew on tomato leaves.
Above: Just like a sprinkling of talc, powdery mildew is quite distinctive and easy to recognize.
Right: Members of the cucurbit family such as melons and cucumbers are highly susceptible to powdery mildew unless resistant cultivars are used.
Maddening Mildew
mildew is a very common and devastating disease on these crops. Some tomato cultivars have resistance to Odium species of mildew, but not to other forms. Certain ornamentals such as zinnia may also have resistant cultivars.Having powdery mildew’s fungal
hyphae and spores exposed on the leaf surface should, in theory, be easy to control with sprays provided there is good and thorough leaf coverage. There are a few natural remedies such as spraying the foliage with milk and other weakly alkaline compounds, which changes the pH of the leaf surface making it less desirable for the fungal spores to germinate. These have proven to have only a very short term and limited range of effect. However, sodium and potassium bicarbonate have been scientifically proven to be much more effective for powdery mildew control and prevention for a number of common mildew-causing fungi species. While mixing up one level teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with a squirt of good quality detergent (as a sticking
and spreading agent) in one quart of water and spraying onto mildly infected plants does often work, potassium bicarbonate has proven to be even more effective without extra and unwanted sodium run off. Potassium bicarbonate is found in a number of fungicide products and is a completely safe spray to use in enclosed areas. Sodium and potassium bicarbonate do need to be used with care; overdosing plants with baking soda doesn’t kill mildew better, but will burn the foliage severely. The general recommendation of one teaspoon per quart should be followed.Another highly effective compound
is sulfur applied either as a protectant fungicide (micronized sulfur) or in a sulfur vaporizer. Sulfur works by a process of ‘selective toxicity’ that is the sulfur is more toxic to the disease than to the host. However, sulfur must be used with care; if applied when temperatures are too warm in the growing area it can cause considerable plant injury. Other compounds that may have some effectiveness against powdery mildew are foliar sprays of silica, salicylic acid or chitosan, all of which may help provide either a barrier to infection to induce the plant’s natural defense response to attack by powdery mildew.There are also some biological
fungicides such as those using suppressive beneficial fungi like Bacillus subtilis, however, results with these can vary somewhat depending on the environmental conditions, which need to
70 Maximum Yield USA | October 201070 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Peppers need good air flow up, under and around plants and are susceptible to Leveillula or internal powdery mildew.
Maddening Mildew
“puLL quotE hErE.”
be optimal for the beneficials to grow and multiply before they can start suppressing the pathogen. Some growers have found that light sprays of horticultural oils or neem oil have assisted with powdery mildew control, but many research studies have found these are not that effective.Of the chemical fungicides, many are still highly effective
if used correctly and rotated so that disease resistance does not build up. The effectiveness of different fungicides can vary significantly with the particular powdery mildew fungi species and the crop, so if one product does not appear to be working, another should be tried. Eradication fungicides need to be used as soon as the first powdery signs are seen as early control is critical. It is also important to check the labels on products that are listed as controlling powdery mildew—many are only registered for use on ornamental crops and should not be applied to edibles. Others may have withholding periods that must be waited out before the plants can be harvested and consumed.
Successful control of powdery mildew involves more than just a quick-fix spray. For complete control, the environment, plant density, humidity levels, air movement, genetic resistance, natural, biological and chemical control compounds all have something to offer and often more than one approach will be needed to get the mildew monsters under control. MY
72 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The first faint signs of a recent mildew infection, such as is occurring on this wasabi plant, are often missed.
Cucumber crops benefit from being well spaced to allow maximum air flow and humidity, which assist with powdery mildew prevention.
I’m big on planning, whether in my personal or professional life. I enjoy establishing objectives for activities and then, with proper management, achieving those objectives. Like any good manager, I periodically step back from the fray and reassess my ac-tivities to see if what I’m doing still makes sense. This is a good way to check my course and speed so I can make necessary adjustments to main-tain a reasonable and cost-effective approach to success.
Now that the regular growing season is slipping past us, this might be an ideal time to catch our breath and re-acquaint ourselves with our objectives in the garden. Perhaps a review might show us where we could benefit from a little correction to get ourselves better aligned with what we originally set out to do. This re-examination process can help us get reacquainted with our purpose, recalibrate our expectations in terms of resources and formulate more cost-effective approaches to achieving our objectives. It might also help us identify new objectives to incorporate. All of this
Ve
ge
tab
le
Cro
psaN objeCtiVe reView
76 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
by Clair Schwan
78 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
may sound like it’s reserved for the commercial producer, but even the hobbyist needs to have reasonable objectives to guide their investment of time and resources. So, let’s look at some typical objectives for the hobbyist and the commercial vegetable grower, and see if we’re missing something in our own planning. Along with a fresh action plan, we should also have modi-
fied expectations and a new sense of resource requirements. We might be surprised at what we learn when we take a fresh look at our own operation in light of the objectives suggested below. Like Yogi Berra might very well note, “It’s amazing the things we can see just by looking.”
loCal, orgaNiC, affordableThese are increasingly important concerns for many individu-als who recognize the threat of food contamination, and the vulnerability and cost associated with food transportation and distribution. Vegetables that travel a thousand miles or more naturally have lower nutritional value because they need to be harvested before they’re ripe. There are also concerns about the ever more centralized nature of our food supply, which makes us all more vulnerable to marketplace perturbations caused by weather, pests, government, contamination and competitors in the marketplace.As a hobby grower, perhaps this suggests a reason to kick up
it a couple of notches and be more self sufficient. Maybe that small indoor growing space needs to become something more serious to create near self sufficiency. Perhaps a full size green-house is called for—one with all the bells and whistles.For a commercial grower, such concerns represent opportuni-
ties to participate in the “slow food” movement and increase revenues by offering superior quality products from a trusted source, without all of the cost of transportation and storage. These concerns in the marketplace also provide opportunity for a producer to differentiate themselves in the eyes of the consumer by offering whole, organic and other value-added products from a clean and reliable source.
VarietyWhether it’s on the table or in the marketplace, variety is always welcome among people who appreciate choice. Some-times an unusual offering takes a while to catch on, but it always draws a crowd of curious seekers. Who says tomatoes and beets should be red and round? What about green, white, pink and striped?For the commercial producer, variety offers a chance to stand
out from competitors. It also provides an opportunity to create
Vegetable Crops
80 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
and serve a niche market among consumers and restaurants. One can always be more pragmatic about it and offer produce that has caught on already, but that’s “me too” marketing, and no way to make a name for yourself or a loyal following. Part of being in business for yourself means you’re doing what few people find the nerve to do—blaze their own trail. So, while you’re trail blazing, you might as well distinguish yourself in the marketplace with unusual varieties that offer intriguing shapes, colors and flavors to a marketplace.
In the case of the hobby or homestead gardener, offer-ing variety provides a degree of pest and disease resistance, opportunities for companion planting, new learning experi-ences and better satisfaction. With only a handful of toma-toes offered in the commercial marketplace, it’s no wonder the vegetable gardener prefers to grow his or her own—there are several thousand types to choose from.
HigH yieldsHigh yields is an objec-tive that most of us should embrace, especially if we’re dealing with smaller spaces, trying to help feed others or supple-menting food for homestead animals.
Vegetable Crops
Climbing vines with winter squash.
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For both the commercial grower and backyard gardener, rethink-ing higher yields might suggest a shift of focus to crops that offer a high return of food for the space required to grow them. Summer squash comes to mind as a prolific producer of fruits in a limited space. In addition, if left to grow, they produce longer and larger fruits as well. Some varieties provide nice quality produce even when they’re grown to larger sizes.We might also shift our focus a bit
towards “cut and come again” crops that continue to produce food from the same space when we harvest in a manner that encourages ad-ditional food production. Pro-duce like collards, kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce and Swiss chard continue to supply plenty of food when selectively harvested.Our interests might also shift to making use of a “double harvest”
from many crops like beets, kohlrabi, cabbage and turnips. The leaves associated with such crops are perfectly edible, as well as the
main crop. Cabbage leaves can be harvested before the cabbage head. Kohlrabi leaves can be eaten, a few from each plant, long before the above ground swollen root is ready to be harvested.
Turnips and beets can be grown simply for greens in the summer and then the root can be harvest-ed later in the season.Lastly, we would be well advised
to focus on growing up instead of out. Vertical gardens can make better use of space we have avail-able overhead instead of looking to expand laterally in an effort to improve overall production. Whether it’s pole beans, win-ter squash, peas or cucumbers, a little effort to trellis our crops can provide exceptional yields
without consuming additional floor space. Any concern we might have about shading out lower profile crops can be addressed with lighting, reflective surfaces and proper placement of plants in the growing space.
“Variety provides a degree of pest and disease resistance,
opportunities for companion planting, new learning experiences
and better satisfaction.”
Vegetable Crops
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CoNtrol aNd preparatioNControlling our food supply and being prepared for emergen-cies is a legitimate concern for many who recognize that gro-cery stores only have several days supply of food on the shelves, and price fluctuations in the marketplace are driven by seasons, fuel prices, recalls, weather, demand and other factors that are often not predictable or controllable. I don’t promote or support alarmism, but I do believe in being prepared.As a homestead vegetable gardener, such objectives might
strongly suggest an enhanced focus on cool weather vegetables that thrive in the spring and fall. These “winter vegetables” quite often allow for an extended harvest into the early winter, and this means the indoor gardener has a reliable year-round harvest within easy reach. Vegetables such as greens, peas and root crops fit the bill. Cruciferous vegetables are also excellent choices for ensuring an extended growing season, and many can provide a suitable harvest throughout the winter months even in northern climes. A focus on these objectives might also influence the size and number of greenhouses as well as the acquisition of cold frames, row covers, cloches and supplemental heating resources for winter protection of cool weather crops.Additional thought should also be given to storage options
to extend the harvest by preserving what has already been grown to maturity or harvested. Simple alternatives to canning, freezing and drying include leaving crops in place and simply offering more protection in the form of row covers and heavy mulching. Another alternative is cool and dark storage like an in-ground or indoor root cellar.Lastly, such concerns about a continuous supply of produce
would strongly suggest succession planting instead of tradi-tional seasonal planting so no matter how the grower chooses
Vegetable Crops
When harvested selectively, kale will continue to produce food in the same space. Inset: Summer squash is also a prolific producer of fruits in limited space.
85Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
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to harvest, there is always more produce on the way. Successful succession planting requires knowledge of vegetable and when to plant them; it also requires a bit of experience with maintain-ing conditions that are favorable for survival of our vegetables during what many consider to be the “off season.”
ComplemeNtiNg CropsComplementing your vegetable harvest with herbs is a great way to round out your garden and provide a nice set of complemen-tary plants for gourmet cooks. Who doesn’t like fresh thyme with
scrambled eggs, chive on their baked potato or homemade pesto sauce for their angel hair pasta?For the hobby gar-
dener, herbs are a great way to save money. A handful of fresh basil
costs as much as a pound of steak in the grocery store, so you’re well off if you grow your own. Herbs are a perfect addition to your kitchen greenhouse garden and they’re easy to grow, harvest and dry for longer storage and use.On the flip side, commercial
producers will find herbs to be a great way to make money. Whether you’re selling fresh or dried, the return on investment of time and space is quite high. Better yet, provide some added value by creating a dried herb blend or fresh pesto sauce, and you can charge a pre-mium for that which grows like a weed in your greenhouses. MY
About the Author: Clair Schwan is an avid greenhouse gardener who grows over 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs in homemade greenhouses of his own design and construction. See his adventures in greenhouse gardening at www.Frugal-Living-Freedom.com and see his advice for the homestead vegetable gardener at www.Vegetable-Gardening-and-Greenhouses.com.Both sites are dedicated to helping others become more self sufficient by teaching them how to grow food.
Vegetable Crops
Winter squash vines and fruit.
Trellised cucumber
90 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
BEGINNER’S CORNER
by Emma Cooper
Container Herbs for Beginners
Firstly, you will need some containers. Herb plants are sold in small pots, which will quickly be outgrown. Look for some containers that are at least six inches in diameter (they don’t need to be huge). If they don’t have drainage holes in the bottom then you’ll need to punch some yourself.You’ll also need some compost – potting or multipurpose is fine
for most herbs. Look out for composts that say they are peat-free. You won’t need a large bag to pot up a few herbs; your containers might have their volume printed on the bottom. If not, estimate how much compost you’ll need.Herbs can be divided into two main categories. Perennial herbs
live for several years whilst for annual herbs you’ll need new plants each year.Perennial culinary herbs include thyme, mint, rosemary and
oregano. There are many different varieties of each, but the most
useful varieties will be widely available. For perennial plants it’s easiest to buy a small plant from the garden center and grow that on at home.Thyme is a low-growing plant that likes sunny and dry
conditions. Rosemary likes the same things, but makes a much larger plant. You can get upright rosemary and prostrate (which grows down over the side of the pot), but the flavor is the same. Oregano is another herb in this group (known as Mediterranean herbs, because they like it sunny and dry) and also grows quite tall, but oregano is much less woody than rosemary.With all of these sun-loving herbs, you will need to water them
to start with when you plant them into your pots. But once they show signs of new growth you can leave it longer between watering and let the compost dry out. Never leave them sitting in water, because they will rot. They are tough plants, but you may
want to bring them under cover in wet weather.Mint is different, it can handle a
lot more water and more shade than the
“The flavors in upright rosemary and prostrate are
the same.”
Increasingly, we’re being told that we can ‘green up’ our lifestyle by growing some of our own food. Articles everywhere suggest that everyone can grow a few herbs on the windowsill, but if you’ve never gardened before then that’s not as simple as it sounds. Here is a basic run down of what you’ll need, and what you’ll need to know, to grow some easy culinary herbs in pots.
91Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Mediterranean herbs. It’s also a thug – keep it in a container by itself, because it will push out anything else that’s planted with it.With just a little bit of care, perennial herbs will provide all
the fresh leaves you need for several years. If they start to look too big for their pots, you can either pot them into bigger pots, or tip them out and divide them into sections and replant the sections into different pots – so you’ll have more plants for your garden, or to share.The cheapest way to grow annual herbs, like basil, coriander and
parsley, is to buy some seeds and sow them yourself. If you sow them indoors, on the windowsill, the warmer conditions indoors will help them to germinate more quickly.
Parsley is best sown early in the spring, for summer harvests, and in late summer for autumn and winter harvests. Parsley will happily live indoors on the windowsill, or outside on the patio. The seeds can take a few weeks to germinate, though, so be patient. One or two parsley plants should be enough at any one time. Parsley likes sunny spots, but more water than the Mediterranean herbs.Coriander likes warmer weather than parsley, so don’t put your
plants outside until the weather has warmed up (usually May) or the cold will kill them. Keep harvesting leaves from your coriander, even if you don’t want to use them. Coriander runs to seed very quickly, and then the leaves taste bitter, but regular harvesting slows it down. Sow a pot of seeds every couple of weeks for a continuous supply throughout the summer. Bring a couple of pots indoors if you want fresh coriander.Basil is a sun-loving herb, so don’t sow your seeds too early in
the year unless the plants will be growing indoors – they don’t like cold weather. Keep your basil well watered, and harvest leaves even if you don’t use them, because (like coriander) this will stop the plants flowering too soon.When your annual herbs are flowering, put them and their used
potting compost onto the compost heap and start again with fresh seeds and fresh compost – used potting compost has no plant nutrients left in it to feed new plants. If you don’t have a compost bin yet then it’s time to start one so that you can turn your plant and kitchen waste into home made compost to feed your herbs next year! MY
“Parsley is best sown...in late summer for autumn and winter harvests.”
Sunlight is an abundant and renewable resource, one utilized by nature, the energy industry and agriculture alike. Yet, unlike most agricultural inputs, the sun’s energy is generally left off the balance sheet, as farmers usually assume that sunlight has no monetary cost. However, contrary to popular belief, agricultural utilization of sunlight is far from free.
SUNLIGHTby Ed Harwood
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the cost of
94 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The Cost of Sunlight
We begin with an understanding of light energy. The intensity or luminance of light supplied to a plant canopy is both instantaneously and cumulatively quantified using Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF). The instantaneous measurement (µmoles m-2 sec-1) plotted on a grid can be used to graph the uniformity of luminance provided to the plant canopy using a meter. Variance of intensity occurs with obstructions that create shade, distance from luminaire and with construction of bulb and reflector in artificial lighting situations. The accumulation of PPF in 24 hours is called the daily light integral (DLI).The first cost to light utilization is managing its inconsistency.
In sunlit situations DLI is impacted by the variation caused by cloud cover, diurnal and seasonal conditions. In artificial situations where variation is generally absent, it is most often calculated using the instantaneous measure multiplied by time. Work with strawberries proved that the DLI is more important to plants than any peak intensity during a 24 hour period. This
means we can worry less about clouds and should worry more about day length.It is useful to compare the complexity of using sunlight
to using a steady light source like artificial light. Most plant species require from nine to 20 moles per three square feet per day to grow well. The “Monthly Light Integral” figure graphs
the average monthly DLI over the year at latitude 42° (in New York under average cloud conditions). If the targeted daily integral is 17 moles per three square feet per day
(red line), this target is met only for a few weeks during the year. The complexities and costs of managing the variation in natural light provides the first reason for utilizing luminaires as opposed to sunlight.When the DLI is above the target and commensurate
increases in nutrient availability are not made, the plants will suffer a number of anomalies (tip burn and bolting). The anomalies decrease yields and make plants potentially unsalable. Exacerbating the detrimental impact of a high DLI
“The complexities and costs of managing the variation in natural light provides the first reason for utilizing luminaires as opposed to sunlight.“
95Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
is the considerable radiant heat generated in a greenhouse structure. The sun produces short wave radiation from wavelength 290 to 2,500 nanometers. All of this energy can be degraded to heat. This heat makes personnel uncomfortable, some plants less productive and carbon dioxide supplementation extremely difficult or expensive when trying to use ventilation. Computerized control of motorized
TABLE 1: Chabot, B. F., Jurik, T. W., & Chabot, J. F. (1979). Influence of Instantaneous and Integrated Light-Flux Density on Leaf Anatomy and Photosynthesis. Am. J. Bot. , 66:8:940-945.
96 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The Cost of Sunlight
shading has brought high DLI under control with expense.Insufficient DLI will alter plant growth undesirably with
“reaching” (etiolation) and lack of photosynthetic capacity (often exhibited as chlorosis). During the winter months at latitude 42° the DLI is lower than the target (below the red line) without supplemental lighting. Also at this latitude low DLI months require supplemental heating in a structure not well suited to heat retention.The second cost of
sunlight is the radiant energy excess or deficiency. The traditional greenhouse using a “free” resource—the sun—is an expensive building (a special use facility with a short lifespan and high maintenance costs), and requires additional equipment (supplemental lights and shading) and energy to optimize the internal climate for yearlong use in northern
latitudes. The costs come from removing or supplementing heat to keep plants and workers happy.Some plants have a requirement for a dark period in order to
thrive. Most leafy greens do not have a dark period requirement allowing 100 per cent photoperiod and consequent yield enhancement. So an opportunity lost with sunlight is gained with artificial light used 24/7 for those plants that tolerate it.In conclusion, the
management of sunlight and the associated costs of use, including
structure and maintenance, temperature modifications and shading and supplementation, present the potentially more advantageous opportunity to utilize artificial light.Of course artificial light is not perfect. In Controlled
Environment Agriculture (CEA), supplemental light
TABLE 2 :Aldrich, R.A, and J.W. Bartok Jr. 1994. Greenhouse Engineering. NRAES, Ithaca, NY. Page 99.
Source Total Wattage consumed (W)
Average Life (hrs) Efficiency (lumens watt-1)
Incandescent 40 750 12LED 0.025 50,000 35Fluorescent 48 20,000 66MH – 400 425 15,000 94MH – 1000 1,060 10,000 118HPS – 400 425 24,000 117HPS – 1000 1,060 24,000 132
The Cost of Sunlight
97Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The Cost of Sunlight
(supplemental to the sun) is produced by a number of different luminaires. A luminaire is the bulb, ballast and reflector (i.e. a complete assembly providing illumination). The type of luminaire used for growing plants variably includes fluorescent, high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH). The latter two luminaires are types of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting. Table two includes some characteristics of these luminaires.Luminaires vary in intensity, spectrum and life affecting both
the quantity and quality of the light provided. All luminaires attenuate (lose intensity) over time. HID and LED luminaires do not attenuate appreciably until very near the end of life.The energy consumed per luminaire, generally indicative
of the intensity of the light, can range from less than 250 watts to 1,000 watts. For HID and fluorescent luminaires, the ballast consumes some of the energy supplied and other engineering differences alter efficiency sometimes referred to as the power factor (the percentage of total supplied energy that is the rated watts of output). The efficiency can vary considerably with type and wattage as seen in the table. HIDs are the more typical luminaire chosen for supplemental light. Fluorescents do not make good choices for commercial facilities as they produce little light per individual luminaire, when broken create a toxic spill and greatly interfere with use of sunlight.Typical choice of luminaire is based mostly on desired light
intensity (derived from the mounting distance from canopy and bulb wattage) and economics. For a greenhouse where the luminaire itself shades the plants, higher wattage is used to allow greater mounting height and lower density of luminaires. The higher wattage also obtains an improvement in individual luminaire efficiency. The voltage and phase
98 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
of the electrical supply can also impact the total energy consumption of a luminaire. Distance has a big impact, reducing light intensity proportional to the square of the distance.Reflectors used in luminaires are an attempt to provide a
uniform intensity over a canopy of plants. These reflectors vary considerably in how effectively they create this uniform surface as can be seen in figure one, which was made using two 400 watt metal halide bulbs mounted three feet above the measured surface grid of two inch squares. The design problem for a reflector is complex due to the need to avoid reflecting light onto the filament, to manage the varying output from the element’s glass globe and to fill the area to be illuminated evenly. When a luminaire is placed within a chamber having reflective surfaces surrounding the luminaire, these surfaces can also affect the uniformity of light. Although most reflectors are made of shiny metal, clean white surfaces reflect light just as well with less added expense. MY
1. Aldrich, R.A, and J.W. Bartok Jr. 1994. Greenhouse Engineering. NRAES, Ithaca,
NY. Page 99.
2. Chabot, B. F., Jurik, T. W., & Chabot, J. F. (1979). Influence of Instantaneous and
Integrated Light-Flux Density on Leaf Anatomy and Photosynthesis. Am. J. Bot. ,
66:8:940-945.
GREEN THUMB GARDENING
by Bruce A. Tucker
Home Vegetable Gardening:
GarlicI was watching a rerun of the television show Friends the other night and in the episode, Phoebe accuses Monica of using too much garlic in her restaurant recipes. That led me to question, is too much garlic a bad thing? Personally, I don’t think so.Beyond warding off vampires, garlic is a
great addition to many wonderful recipes. To make those recipes even better you can use garlic grown at home or in your backyard.Growing garlic is not complicated. If grown
in an optimal environment, you can expect to harvest plenty to last you for months. Garlic loves a soil rich in organic matter such as compost.Garlic germinates at cooler temperatures.
It likes the soil to be around 55°F. Once it germinates in the cooler soil, you can grow it in soil that gets a bit warmer. However, if you keep it cool you will be better off.Even though garlic can be a bit spicy, the
soil it needs is anything but. Garlic loves
100 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
the soil pH level to be above 6.0 and as near 7.0 as possible. There is a variety of methods available for testing your soil’s pH. You can use an inexpensive home soil testing kit available from any home center or indoor/outdoor garden shop. These shops will also carry pH testing instrumentation that is easy-to-use for the beginner. Under 7.0 and your soil is acidic; over 7.0 and your soil is alkaline. Adjust your soil as per the instructions on the kit.
Garlic loves lots of light and requires minimal watering. Garlic requires excellent drainage—moist but not saturated. Saturating the soil could cause the garlic cloves to rot. If you mix in plenty of compost you shouldn’t have much of a problem.When the bottom two or three leaves turn yellow it is time
to harvest the garlic. Tip: Planting garlic in between beets is a great way to keep the soil cool for your garlic.
“If grown in an optimal environment, you can expect to
harvest plenty to last you for months.”
Now you have no excuses for not adding garlic to your home vegetable garden. It doesn’t matter if you have a ½ acre farm, grow vegetables in containers or garden indoors. You can grow garlic at home at your convenience.
About the Author: Bruce A. Tucker is the author of the book “Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person,” available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and wherever gardening books are sold. Visit his website at AveragePersonGardening.com where you can sign up for his free newsletter and he will send you a pack of vegetable seeds to get your home vegetable garden started. Source: www.organicgardenarticles.com
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104 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
THE NEW GROW Getting it Tight
So you promised yourself after summer vacation from growing indoors that you
were going to improve your grow room this time around, ironing out the wrinkles
that keep coming back to bite you; the ones that cost you yields.
It got too warm or too humid, typically you settled for a compromise and unfortunately your crop had to as well. The combination of the two was paining you with more “stretch” than you would like to see in your strain, and the higher humidity levels, especially during the dark cycle, were lessening the essential oil contents and other qualities in your harvests, even contributing to diseases like moulds and rots in severe cases.Furthermore, the more you hear about the yield levels fellow growers are achieving who have their
environment dialed in and are supplementing their carbon dioxide levels, the more you want to tighten-up your grow room to the point where you too can efficiently boost yields with CO
2. The
extra yield levels are especially welcome, and the reduction in cropping time wouldn’t hurt either.At this point, you have a lot of important things dialed in. For example, the number of plants per
light, how you prune them, how long you usually veg for and many other loving details that are required for successful harvests growing indoors under HID (high intensity discharge) lighting. That didn’t come overnight either; it has taken a while to get to where you are. At this point, you know you can do better, if you can overcome some of the environmental issues that so far, you have not been able to control with a high level of precision due to the nature of in/out (intake/exhaust) style artificially lit gardens.Now, how you choose to follow along from here will depend on what type of equipment and
set-up you already have, as well as how far you are willing to go in your quest for maximum
by Erik Biksa
Thermal CoversMade to measure thermal covers help prevent heat being radiated from reflectors, ducting and fans improving cooling efficiency. They are a wise investment.
106 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
yields. Keeping in mind the average grow room set-up, the fol-lowing is a possible scenario and course of action and creates a CEA environment; the first steps on the way to breaking your own personal yield barriers.If the room isn’t already well insulated that should be the first
job on the list, starting with a freshly cleaned and scrubbed room. For temporary situations, extruded insulation boards such
as Styrofoam can be placed over existing surfaces and sealed-off with reflective film. Thermally reflective film helps to keep the maximum amount of light energy available in the growing area. Make sure to overlap edges by around six inches when install-ing thermal coverings. Aluminium tape is very durable and won’t crumble over time like duct tape will. Acoustic deadening materi-als can be incorporated as well, if noises from the growing area prove to be obnoxious or obtrusive to living areas.If you don’t already have high quality four-sided air-cooled
lamp reflectors in your set-up, use your existing intake and exhaust port to supply the IN/OUT for the air-cooled lighting. Otherwise, you may just cap-off the intake and exhaust ports. When it comes to lamp reflectors, knock-offs that just “look” good don’t distribute light very evenly and create hot spots; choose reflectors that are engineered for even light distribution. The manufacturer should be able to provide photometric data. A lamp reflector can be a very important piece of growing equip-ment. For maximum efficiency, you can also install thermal, made to measure covers for your lamp reflectors, duct work and fans. The material does not allow heat emissions; improving the cooling efficiency in your grow room. During cooler months, you can duct the warm air from the air-cooled lighting system to heat living areas; it’s usually OK to use this air because it’s sealed off from the grow-ing environment and does not contain odors, spores or
Grow Room ACMake sure that you find the right sized AC for your application and that allows you to cool as low as 59°F.
The New Grow
“During cooler months, you can duct the warm air from the air-cooled lighting system to
heat living areas.”
108 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
other offensive materials. Good quality AC reflectors seal-off completely.Chances are the fans you were using for
your intake and outtake of your previ-ous garden will fit the bill nicely for an air cooled lamp reflector set-up, proportionately speaking. If you are using high efficiency centrifugal inline fans, you can really “tighten” things up in terms of environmental control and ef-ficiency by installing one of the new “smart” fan speed control-lers that are available. The device will automatically speed-up or slow down your fans in both day and night grower set points. In conjunction with room cooling by an air-conditioner and the combination of precision controlled air-cooled lamps, it’s relative-ly easy for growers to maintain the perfect temperature everyday consistently. Now because none of the air is leaving the room, you can effectively increase CO
2 levels for faster growth rates and
heavier yields.An air-conditioner or water-cooled heat exchanger will be
required to lower grow room temperatures, as even with air-cooled lighting some additional cooling will be required. When using air-cooled or water cooled lighting, air-conditioners and chillers need to cycle much less frequently, reducing electrical
consumption and in some cases improving CO2 use efficiency.
Using an air conditioner or water cooled heat exchanger allows growers to “seal” the environment for tighter levels of tempera-ture, humidity and CO
2 control that lead to improved yield
levels and better crop qualities.Cooling the grow room with an air conditioner or water
cooled heat exchanger is a lengthy discussion, although it’s not
The New Grow
Cooling & DeHumidificationIn a sealed environment important conditions such as temperature and humidity are more pre-cisely controlled versus “IN/OUT” style gardens.
110 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The New Grow
that complicated, so it is not included in this article. Examine previous CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) ar-ticles in Maximum Yield and you will be armed with the information required to make an informed decision when choos-ing and installing an air-conditioner or
water cooled heat exchanger.For a smaller scale
set-up, bottled CO2
delivered by a tank
AC ReflectorsAir-cooled lamp reflectors can significantly lower the cycling of other cooling equipment such as air conditioners.
and REG (solenoid flow rate controller) via timer or infrared CO
2 monitor is relatively
safe and effective. If the room isn’t tightly sealed, expect to replace CO
2 tanks frequent-
ly, which can become a bothersome chore. Infrared monitors/controllers are superior to using timed release methods in many respects, although it is a greater investment.For mid to larger scale indoor gardens,
a gas-fired CO2 generator is typical;
provided of course that it can be installed and managed safely. Gas fired CO
2 gen-
erators should be operated with infrared monitors/controllers that also have a high temperature sensor/shut-off. Modern CO
2 generators have built in safety fea-
tures and use electronic ignition, avoiding standing pilot lights. Some models are even water-cooled, and can effectively reduce the frequency at which electrically consumption intensive appliances like air conditioners will be required to cycle. Gas-fired CO
2 generators will put out
some heat; it’s very important that their heat level output is accounted for when sizing up the cooling capacity of air con-ditioners or water cooled heat exchangers (see previous CEA articles).
As plants transpire moisture through their leaves, the humidity will rise. A de-humidifier is necessary in most CEA situations, although air conditioners can significantly lower humidity levels when cycling. Proper humidity levels are always very important. If humidity is too high, you will see a lot of stretch in your plants, which hurts yield potential when growing under artificial light sources. Also, higher humidity levels will yield poorer quality harvests. Most indoor crops like to have the humidity maintained between 50-60 per cent RH (relative humidity).Be warned that dehumidifiers cre-
ate hot dry air, and may require the air conditioner unit to cycle simultaneously
“Be warned that dehumidifiers create hot dry air, and may require the air conditioner unit to cycle si-multaneously at times to maintain
optimal temperatures. ”
112 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
at times to maintain optimal tempera-tures. Always make sure that you have sufficient electrical service supplied and the correct amperage breakers. Keep in mind that all appliances may cycle at the same time occasionally when determin-ing the capacity of your electrical supply for the garden.When taking the time and expense to
create the optimal growing environment so you can break your personal yield barriers, do not cut corners on the “little” things like controls. The importance and significance of grow room controls can sometimes be overlooked after spending all the time and great expense sourcing and installing equipment such as lighting, air conditioners, CO
2 generators, etc.
Your grow room appliances are only as good as the “brains” telling them what to do. Unless you are personally in the grow room 24/7, you place a high degree of reliance on automation. Integrated
controllers that run several functions like temperature, humidity, and CO
2 at the same
time are a good investment. Every grow room should have a high temperature shut-off/kill switch integrated into the power supply for crop lighting. So, if you find yourself at
a plateau in your growing endeavors, and want to start the next journey towards the top consider dialing-in your grow room. For budget minded growers, consider a new addition each crop, although complete overhauls re-capture the investment back quickly.
The New Grow
Once you do, you can make better use of your specialty crop feeding programs and all the knowledge you have gained with your previous gardens. Go for it, and take the next step up the ladder towards maximum yields. MY
Every grow room should have a high temperature shut-off/kill switch integrated into the power supply for crop lighting.
IntroductIonPlants are able to grow reasonably well in a wide range of nutrient solution formulations, a testament to the stable physiological character of the plant and its roots. Some believe that plant roots do not drive the process of nutrient element uptake, but instead respond to it, dictated by the growth of the above-ground part of the plant. Some believe that this is an extremely important concept and may well affect the entire conceptual model for uptake of a wide range of nutrient elements. Using formulations that are nutrient element concentrated, this may be true. But when using dilute nutrient solution formulations, the switch is from root responsive to root control. This suggests that plants will grow best when the nutrient element concentration is maintained at low balanced elemental concentrations, not easily done when using the current hydroponic growing systems.
by Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr.
DemystifyingNutrient
SolutionsThe objective here is to provide the reader with an understanding on how to formulate and use a nutrient solution for a hydroponic growing system.
114 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
115Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Driven primarily by atmospheric demand, water is drawn passively from the roots into the plant roots. The elements are root absorbed by means of a transfer system that requires energy obtained from root respiration, a selective system regulated by the physio-chemical environment surrounding the root as well as root physiology. Both water and element uptake require that the roots are actively functioning in an aerobic [oxygen (O
2) is present] environment, and that the root
environment temperature is within that range (70° to 80°F) for best plant growth. Some suggest that the air and root temperatures be the same for normal root uptake function. Wilting of plant foliage may be caused by a temperature differential between the aerial portions of the plant and its roots, or the result of an anaerobic root environment or inactive roots due to disease or physical damage. The size of the root mass is important in terms of water uptake, but is not a significant factor in elemental absorption.The area immediately surrounding the root is known
as the rhizosphere, a highly acidic and biologically active area, and it is that area from which both water and element absorption into the root occurs. In the three non-medium hydroponic growing systems (Standing Aerated, Nutrient Film Technique and Aeroponics), the rhizosphere is not well formed and has little influence on element and water uptake as compared to the three media hydroponic growing systems (flood-and-drain, drip irrigation and sub-irrigation). The rhizosphere plays a major role in water and elemental uptake depending on the frequency of nutrient solution irrigation and the physio-chemical properties (whether organic or inorganic) of the rooting medium.
Some plant species are known as being either “efficient” or “inefficient” in their ability to absorb an element from the surrounding root environment.Most plant roots easily adapt to a changing root
environment, which occurs when plants are grown hydroponically, minimizing the impact that a changing nutrient solution composition and irrigation schedule will have on plant growth and nutritional status. Therefore, plants will grow quite well even though the elements in an applied nutrient solution are not
“waTer and elemenT upTake require ThaT The rooTS are acTively funcTioning in an
aerobic environmenT.”
116 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
within their ideal concentration or ratio for best plant growth. This would also suggest that a specific manipulation of a nutrient solution composition may not always obtain the plant response desired.
How It All StArtedThe primary work on nutrient solution formulations and use appeared in a 1950 University of California Agricultural Experiment Station Circular 347, “The Water Culture Method of Growing Plants without Soil,” authored by D. R. Hoagland and D. I. Arnon. This article set the parameters for those who use hydroponic systems. Over the next 60 years, there have been minor as well as major formulation modifications made to suit particular plant needs and methods of nutrient solution use. Some have suggested basing a nutrient solution formulation on the balance between anions and cations in the solution, and the ratio among the major cations. For those basing their nutrient solution formulation on the Hoagland/Arnon formulations, the concentration of magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) may be too low and phosphorus (P) too high.
nutrIent SolutIon PArAmeterSA. Elemental ContentA complete nutrient solution will contain all 13 essential mineral plant nutrient elements, the major elements being nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S), all required in relatively high concentration; and the micronutrients, boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn), all required at lower concentrations.
deMystifying nutrient solutions
D. R. Hoagland and D. I. Arnon, from left, authored a 1950 article establishing nutrient formulations that would set the basis for hydroponic growing. The University of California Agricultural Experiment Station Circular 347, “The Water Culture Method of Growing Plants without Soil,” is considered the base reference for those who use hydroponic systems.
117Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
B. Elemental FormsThe 13 essential mineral plant nutrient elements must exist as an ion in solution in order to be absorbed by plant roots, although there is evidence that small molecules, such as chelates, proteins and boric acid (H
3BO
3) molecules, can be transported through
the root membrane. The ionic forms of the major elements and micronutrients are:
Which form of phosphorus exists in the nutrient solution will depend on pH, dihydrogen phosphate (H
2PO
4-) and
monohydrogen phosphate (HPO42-) in acid solutions and
triphosphate (PO43-) in nutrient solutions when the pH is
approaching alkalinity (>7.0). It has been suggested that the boric acid molecule (H
3BO
3) can exist in a nutrient solution
and that molecule root absorbed.Two ions, the nitrate (NO
3-) anion and potassium (K+)
cation, present in most nutrient solutions in relatively high concentrations, are readily absorbed by the plant root, maintaining the ionic balance within the plant, while all the other ions in the nutrient solution are selectively absorbed.
MaJOR ELEMENtSNitrogenAmmonium (NH4
+)Nitrate (NO3
-)Phosphate, triphosphate (PO4
3-)Dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4
-)Monohydrogen phosphate HPO4
2-)Potassium (K+)Calcium (Ca2+)Magnesium (Mg2+)Sulfate (SO4
2-)
MiCRONutRiENtSBoron (BO3
3-)Chloride (Cl-)Copper (Cu2+)Iron (ferrous, ferric) (Fe2+ and Fe3+)Manganese (Mn2+)Molybdenum (MoO3-)Zinc (Zn2+)
118 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
deMystifying nutrient solutions
C. Elemental Concentration Ranges and RatiosAll 13 essential mineral plant nutrient elements must be within a particular concentration range as well as certain ratios among the elements in a nutrient solution in order to insure sufficiency with its use. Most nutrient solution formulations contain higher concentrations of some of the elements than required by the plant, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) as the nitrate-N (NO
3-N) anion. In some nutrient solution formulations,
the ratios among the major cation elements, potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are frequently out-of-balance.Elements in a nutrient solution interact among
themselves, exhibiting both antagonistic as well as synergistic characteristics. For example, among the major cations, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, the least competitive is Mg2+; therefore its deficiency is likely to occur with the use of some nutrient solution formulations having high concentrations of K or Ca when growing Mg-sensitive plants, such as tomatoes. Ammonium-N is a strong competitive cation (NH4+) and can interfere with the uptake of both Ca2+ and Mg2+, resulting in
a deficiency of either element for those plant species sensitive to either Ca or Mg or both. There is a synergistic relationship between nitrate-nitrogen (NO
3-N) and K, the presence of
high concentrations of NO3-N enhancing the uptake of K.
The presence of a low concentration of ammonium-nitrogen (NH
4-N) in a nutrient solution will enhance the uptake of
NO3-N.
D. Nitrate and AmmoniumThere is considerable research that indicates the form of nitrogen (N) supplied to the plant can have a significant effect on vegetative growth and yield as well as quality. A mixture of ammonium (NH
4) and nitrate (NO
3) frequently results in better
plant growth, if that concentration ratio does not exceed 25 to 75, as compared to when nitrate (NO
3) is the only N source.
For some crops, such as tomatoes, ammonium (NH4) in the
nutrient solution can increase the incidence of blossom-end rot (BER). Therefore, some recommend that ammonium (NH
4)
be included in the nutrient solution during the tomato plant’s vegetative growth period, but not when the plants are setting and producing fruit.The question is, “should ammonium-N (NH
4-N) be included
in a nutrient formulation, and if so, at what concentration or ratio?” It is recommended that at least five to per cent of the total nitrogen (N) in the formulation be as the ammonium
Element Ionic Form Concentration Range,mg/L (ppm)a
MAjOR ELEMENtS
nitrogen (n) no3-, nh4
+ 100 to 200
phosphorus (p) hpo42-, h2po4-b 15 to 30
potassium (k) k+ 100 to 200
calcium (ca) ca2+ 200 to 300
magnesium (mg) mg2+ 30 to 80
Sulfur (S) So42- 70 to 150
MICRONutRIENtS
boron (b) bo33-c 0.30
chlorine (cl) cl- not specified
copper (cu) cu2+ 0.01 to 0.10
iron (fe) fe3+, fe2+d 2 to 12
manganese (mn) mn2+ 0.5 to 2.0
molybdenum (mo) moo4- 0.05
Zinc (Zn) Zn2+ 0.05 to 0.50
a Concentration range based on what is found in the current literatureb Ionic form depends on the pH of the nutrient solutionc The molecule boric acid (H3BO3) can be absorbed by plant rootsd Ionic form depends on the pH and oxygen level in the nutrient solution
table 1. Major Element and Micronutrient Ionic Forms and Normal
Concentration Range Found in Most Nutrient Solutions
Reagents Formula Elemental Content (%)MAjOR ELEMENt
potassium dihydrogen phosphate
kh2po4 p (32), k (30)
potassium nitrate kno3 k (36), n (13)
calcium nitrate ca(no3)2.4h2o ca (19), n (i5)
magnesium sulfate mgSo4.7h2o mg (10), S (23)
MICRONutRIENt
boric acid h3bo3 b (16)
borax na2b4o24.10h2o b (11)
manganese sulfate mnSo4.4h2o mn (24)
manganese chloride mncl2.4h2o mn (28)
Zinc sulfate ZnSo4.5h2o Zn (22)
copper sulfate cuSo4.5h2o cu (25)
ammonium molybdate (nh4)6moo24.4h2o mo (8)
iron (ferrous) sulfate feSo4.7h2o fe (20)
iron (ferric) sulfate fe2(So4)3 fe (28)
iron (ferric) chloride fecl3.6h2o fe (14)
iron ammonium sulfate feSo4
table 2. Reagents Commonly used for Making a Nutrient Solution
119Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
(NH4) form, even when growing tomatoes.
E. ChelatesThe use of chelated forms for the micronutrients, iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn), in a nutrient solution formulations is questionable. It has been demonstrated that the chelate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), can be toxic to plants, and therefore, some formulations use the chelate, diaminetriaminetetraacetic acid (DTPA), which has not been found to be plant toxic. Although chelated forms for these micronutrients have proven to be of value based on certain soil conditions, particularly in alkaline and organic soils and organic soilless rooting media, there use in hydroponic nutrient solutions is not justified in terms of keeping iron (Fe) in solution. When adding a chelate to a mix of elements in a solution, the stability of the initial chelate will depend on the concentration of the other ions in the solution as well as the pH, which in turn can significantly reduce the “chelate effect,” therefore losing the reason that the chelated form of the element was selected over others elemental forms.Several inorganic forms of iron (Fe), such as:• iron (ferrous) sulfate (FeSO
4.7H
2O)
• iron (ferric) sulfate [Fe2(SO
4)3]
• iron (ferric) chloride (FeCl3.6H
2O)
• iron ammonium sulfate [(NH4)
2SO
4..
FeSO4.6H
2O]
will keep Fe in solution, and therefore, able
120 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
to meet the plant’s Fe requirement without the need for a chelated Fe form.F. Beneficial ElementsThere are elements that have been identified as being potentially "beneficial" to plants, but do not meet the established criteria for essentiality, elements that
deMystifying nutrient solutions
may enhance plant growth under certain circumstances. Therefore, should these elements be included in a nutrient solution formulation? The early hydroponic researchers devised an "A-Z Micronutrient Solution" as a means of ensuring that potentially influencing elements at trace levels be included in a nutrient solution formulation. Two elements whose possible essentiality have been supported by recent research are nickel (Ni) and silicon (Si). Nickel is not generally recommended for inclusion in a nutrient solution formulation since its function primarily relates to seed viability. On the other hand, some recommend silicon (Si) inclusion in a nutrient solution formulation since it provides some degree of leaf disease protection and stalk strength, silicic acid (H
4SiO
4) at 100 ppm being the
common recommendation. Potassium silicate and sodium silicate also have been suggested as equally suitable
“The early hydroponic reSearcherS deviSed an
‘a-Z micronuTrienT SoluTion’ aS a meanS of enSuring ThaT
poTenTially influencing elemenTS...aT Trace levelS be included in a nuTrienT SoluTion formulaTion.”
121Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
sources of silicon (Si) for addition to a nutrient solution.Since many of these so-called “beneficial elements” may be
found as "contaminants" in either the rooting medium or some of the major element source reagents (see table one), there may not be the need to purposely add a mix of beneficial elements. This would also suggest that selecting high purity reagents may not be the best choice. In addition, the rooting medium itself may contain trace levels of some of these same elements.
G. Temperature as a Factor in Nutrient Solution and Water UseThe temperature of both the nutrient solution and water applied to plant roots can significantly affect the plant; when cold (less than the ambient air temperature around the plants) resulting in plant wilting, and when hot (above 90°F) interfering with normal root metabolism. In addition, with increasing temperature, the dissolved oxygen concentration in water and a nutrient solution declines, a factor that can affect plant growth due to inadequate oxygen (O
2) surrounding the
respiring plant roots. MY
look for maximum yield uSa november for part two when we
cover ph and electrical conductivity, concentrates and reagents,
use factors and various hydroponic system parameters.
“The temperature of both the nutrient solution and water,
whether hot or cold, applied to plant roots
can significantly affect the plant; resulting
in plant wilting, and interfering with normal
root metabolism respectively.”
AVANT-GARDENING
Beer drinkers, now you can go green and save cash by brewing your own beer at home. Some indoor gardening retailers have taken a big swig out of the home brewing world. These integrated hydroponics/hop juice shops offer all the products and services you may need for growing produce—and hops—at home, plus complete beer brewing kits.
Humans have been drinking beer since 9,000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt. Today, it’s said to be the third most popular beverage in the world.A major environmental challenge of any beverage or
food product aside from packaging is transportation (i.e. food miles). No matter if a beer is made from organic ingredients and bottled in recyclable glass or aluminum containers, it still has to be distributed from point A to point B. Millions of barrels of oil are consumed each year and huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are generated annually in the transportation of beer. What a waste! Until such time that beer trucks are all electric and recharged by solar panels, it’s going to be pretty difficult to address this issue on a commercial scale.Nearly 20 years ago, I decided to take a crack at
brewing my own beer. The environment wasn’t on my mind then—the only thing that was, was beer; cheap beer and lots of it.I bought a barrel, hydrometer, thermometer, bottles,
bottle caps and a press; plus the ingredients in a readily available kit. Soon the amber fluid was flowing in large quantities. It takes about one week for beer to ferment, depending on the temperature of the environment. A cold environment will require an external heat source such as a low wattage thermal pad under the barrel. After fermenting, the beer is left for around a week to mature before bottling. It should then be left three to four weeks before drinking.I experimented with different alcohol levels by adding
more or less sugar. I never had it tested, but the more
sugar I added, the bigger kick it had.You can use glass
bottles over and over again, saving on resources and energy used in bottle production and recycling. If you only brew during warmer times of the year, you can also avoid having to incorporate an external heat source during fermentation. There’s just something so satisfying about brewing your own beer.These days, you can buy a home
microbrewery kit for as little as $50, containing everything you need to get started; including step-by-step instructions. Many indoor gardening shops in the United States are now supplying brewing equipment in addition to all the tools and equipment you need to grow indoors. You may wish to go as far as growing your own hops at home hydroponically for added control over the final product.If you really get into home brewing, you don’t need to stop
at beer—you can also try cider, and with some more specialized equipment, wine, port and spiritsIf this article has inspired you to give home brewing a try, make
sure to say cheers to the environment when testing your first batch. And please have a beer for me. MY
122 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Home Brewed Green Beer
YOU TELL US
Maximum Yield (MY): Myron L Company has been in business for more than 50 years. How has your company—and product offerings—changed over the last five decades?Kathryn Robinson: Prior to developing water quality products, the Myron L Company developed and patented a variety of specialty items for university studies and projects, for the space industry and for industrial use. A few of the specialty items include an irradiation chamber, a spectrophotometer, plasto-met fittings and gas detection instrumentation. Many of those early instruments are still in use today. We then developed water quality instrumentation in response to the need to monitor cooling water. Myron L analog conductivity meters have been used since the 1960s for measuring dissolved solids in boilers and cooling towers as a standard method for
optimizing blowdown schedules. We continued to develop and manufacture instrumentation for water quality applications, implementing technological advances in electrical engineering and manufacturing processes along the way. Our current product line has expanded to include inline monitor/controllers and digital handhelds that employ microprocessors for increased performance and functionality. These new handhelds measure the same parameters as several different instruments with greater accuracy over a broader range. The Myron L Company today has expanded to a global distribution network that serves over 30 water quality markets.
MY: What tests are important for hydroponic applications and what makes them so valuable?Kathryn: TDS and pH are the most important parameters in hydroponics. Monitoring these parameters allows the grower to optimize the amount of nutrients in the solution for plant health and growth. pH control is critical as it affects the types and amounts of nutrients dissolved in the solution. You could use a high concentration of nutrients, but at the wrong pH they would not be available in the right form in the solution for root uptake. TDS, or total dissolved solids, is a direct measurement
Maximum Yields talk to Kathryn Robinson, Myron L Company’s director of sales and marketing, about instrumentation for hydroponics, and the meaning and importance of several indoor gardening acronyms including pH, TDS and ORP.
Water Quality InstrumentationAccuracy • Reliability • Simplicity
KaTHRYn RObinSOnDiReCTOR Of SaLeS anD MaRKeTing
124 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
of the concentration of nutrients in a solution. If the chemistry is set up right, you get the best possible yield, with abundant healthy plants. ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential or Redox) can also be used to screen the water coming into the system for chlorine concentrations that can be unhealthy to the plants.
MY: You tout your latest product, the Ultrameter II6Psi, as a 6-in-1 instrument. What tasks can it handle for hydroponics and indoor gardening applications that make life easier in the grow room?Kathryn: The 6Psi delivers fast lab accurate results of pH and TDS so you can analyze water quality on the spot. You can also store readings in memory. These readings can then be wirelessly transferred to U2CI application for trend analysis. You can then download that information into a graph and look for growth trends correlated to nutrient concentration from week to week. This gives the grower the ability to determine the minimum nutrient concentration that yields the maximum growth, which helps you minimize nutrients consumption, reducing costs and conserving chemicals.
MY: Tell me more about the advanced features available with this awesome new product.Kathryn: The 6Psi is a professional, high performance instrument that delivers lab accurate measurements. All TDS conversions and temperature compensation is performed by the microprocessor using proprietary algorithms; It’s standardized
to three different solution types, so you get the greatest degree of accuracy in diverse applications by choosing the solution mode that most closely matches your make-up water. The four pole conductivity cell delivers stable, reliable, repeatable results. Internal sensors provide extra durability and are included with the instrument. It’s also extremely easy to use and easy to calibrate with a user intuitive interface.
MY: What other products do you carry for indoor/outdoor gardeners and how do they function?Kathryn: We also manufacture 720II pH monitor/controllers and 750II TDS monitor/controllers for continuous inline solution control, so nutrient injection is automatic.
MY: What design elements are used in your products to ensure superior excellence and ease-of-use?Kathryn: The 6Psi features one touch keypad measurement functions, an advanced four pole conductivity cell, proprietary conversions algorithms, keypad calibration and user replaceable pH/ORP sensor. We also manufacture a variety of application-specific solutions for precision calibration, including the 442 Natural Water™ Standard, originally developed by the Myron L Company to model the characteristics of fresh water. Our monitor/controllers are an easy to install, no frills, cost-effective way to automate nutrient and pH control chemical injections. MY
125Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Myron L Company’s website (www.myronl.com) is an excellent resource, highlighting their various
products for hydroponics, horticulture and the numerous other industries they supply.
MyronL.com also features a variety of helpful and informative manuals, guides, data sheets and faQs for ease-of-use with products.
What is it all about?
CoCo
Humans have made great use out of most parts of the coconut plant—the flower, the husk and the shell in particular. The health benefits of the coconut fruit are numerous. In India, coconuts are used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine for a variety of disorders. Its use in many western health and cosmetic products echoes its Asian roots where it is a common ingredient in many hair care and skin remedies. Coco is also used as a growing medium but not before it is processed. The question of the day is what happens to the coconut before it can be used as a soil alternative?
by Luis Bartolo
126 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
128 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Many horticulturalists use coco peat and fiber as a grow medium. Coco fiber or pith is an environmental alternative to peat and other soil-based mediums that are extracted from the earth and don’t replenish readily. Coco fiber is a waste product of the coconut industry. After
the inner coconut fruit is extracted, the husk remains and is processed. Most of the coco in use is grown and harvested in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is a lucrative industry for these regions and greatly supports the local economies.
There are two ways of processing the husks:
Method one: Sieve or beat the coco fiber, shred it and wash it in chemical detergents to remove salts and degrade the fiber into a more useable form. This process takes a few months to complete and is commercially viable.
Method two: Recover the pith and dust from the shelled and harvested fruits of the coconut and wash it in clean water, usually river water. Then dry it and age it in the sun for up to 20 years where it will naturally break down into the friable and fluffy, almost peat-like consistency, have come to recognize.
This finer grade of coco—that resembles peat in both quality and texture—is used extensively in horticulture as mulch and a stand alone growing medium. The younger treated variety is often used in hydroponic applications, whereas the aged peat variety is used in bed and container culture.Coir retains
moisture and absorbs and holds nutrients easily within its structure, particularly mineral nutrients. Commercial coir is mixed with other growing mediums such as peat, garden soil, clay pebbles and artificial substrates such as rockwool and polyester flakes. It provides extra aeration, nutrients and water retention. Due to the conditioning process with either mechanical or organic repurposed coir, the naturally occurring
coco: what is it all about?
130 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
nutrient within the substrate degrades over time. Fresh or untreated coco can contain high amounts of potassium.It is possible to grow with coco coir organically, however, it
is very labor intensive and requires far more frequent manual attention, is not suitable for commercial operations and isn’t widespread. Work is underway to develop more user friendly and automated ways of growing with coco. It is a matter of inoculating the medium so it can respond to organic nutrients, whilst maintaining the compost tea or organic liquids in a low maintenance watering systems that will allow for the automated feed regime that is required for larger growing areas. This process is favored by companies specializing in organics. The chemically treated variety, which is generally composed of long fibrous strands due to not undergoing the natural degradation process, has trichoderma added after the chemical cleaning process and is often sold as a trichoderma-enriched product. This is a misnomer as the trichoderma was already there before it was chemically removed. The common usage of chemical/mineral nutrients with coco also severely damages the trichoderma. Hydrogen peroxide, a common addition to hydroponic systems kills all friendly fungi and other beneficial organisms stone dead.
Coco is an excellent medium for plants; it allows for free drainage and holds water well. The non-chemically treated variety also contains high levels of naturally occurring trichoderma, which forms a very beneficial relationship with the plants’ roots.The coconut is the seed of the palm tree. It takes about one
year to develop into a young coconut. As coco is a waste product it is deemed environmentally friendly, as it is not being removed from a natural environment. The trees are left to live and the fruits continue to grow and be harvested. Therefore, it is a renewable resource as compared to peat extraction, which takes longer to recover.
Coco fiber as a medium is pH neutral. The pH falls between 5.0 to 6.0 (slightly acidic), and is not suitable for all plants but it’s nothing that cannot be amended easily with organic substances such as dolo lime or kelp. Again, the introduction of chemical pH raising or lowering agents such as phosphoric or nitric acids will sterilize the naturally occurring trichodermas and other beneficials.Tests have shown that coco can be reused up to three
times without a loss in productivity. As with reusing soil, any medium that has been infested must be discarded. With careful removal of roots and the addition of fresh coco a very renewable resource can be further recycled making it even more ecologically sound.
“Coco is an excellent medium for plants; it allows for free drainage
and holds water well.”
coco: what is it all about?
132 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
coco: what is it all about?
Organic CertificationThere is a popular movement around soilless growing nowadays. Certification exists for quality and approved organics. The RHP foundation (quality mark for substrates) and RAG are two certification foundations for the horticulture industry.Attention to quality assurance and certification in business
and industry is increasing. In the field of substrates, soil supply and soil improvement materials, the following quality marks exist: RHP and RAG. The RHP foundation aims to optimize the quality of peat products, raw material, potting soil formulas, substrates and soil supply and soil improvement materials.The quality marks are awarded to producers, traders and
importers of peat products, raw material, potting soil formulas, substrates, soil supply and soil improvement materials. The RHP quality mark is awarded when a candidate satisfies all of the certification requirements. Only after extensive independent inspection by ECAS can the RHP quality mark be issued. The RAG quality mark is awarded when a company fulfills the requirements and demonstrates them.Besides ensuring quality companies can also ensure their
product as organic. For this process, you either go through companies like Control Union or OMRI.
Control Union has global recognition and accreditation, and authorities in almost every country in the world accept the certificates issued by them. Furthermore, Control Union and the USDA are working together to build bridges regarding differences in regulation and certification between continents. Today, Control Union certifications are officially accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture.There lies a road of many opportunities and options regarding
coco fibre/soilless cultivation; still there is much to be learned in the field of quality and certification. MY
“The RHP quality mark is awarded when a candidate satisfies all of the certification requirements. Only after extensive independent inspection by ECAS can the RHP quality mark be issued.”
GROWING FOR HEALTH
Growing and Usage
Some say that Aloe Vera, the fascinating and mystical succulent, contains healing and soothing properties. The following tips will help you navigate the world of buying, growing and caring for this mineral-rich medicinal.
Alo
e V
er
a
by Therese Cressman
134 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
135Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Buying tipsAloe Vera usually grows slowly indoors so if this is the route you choose, purchase a large, more mature plant if possible. If a young plant is your only option, you can still use it for first aid treatments but know it will take a few years to grow large. Young aloe plants are potent enough to use for first aid treatments, but a more mature plant is more potent; strength does increase with age.
Growing tipsAloe Vera can be planted indoors or outdoors, but will turn brown in harsh sunlight so plant in indirect light. It will freeze, so make sure to protect it during frost dangers. Aloe Vera is not suitable for wintering over in cold weather zones. It will grow faster outside than inside, but definitely makes a good indoor plant. Use well-drained sandy potting soil; a good quality commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit or coarse sand is recommended. Cacti and succulent mixes may also be used.
WateringAloe Vera is a succulent and so should not be overwatered. Allow the soil to become fairly dry before watering. During winter months it can be lightly watered. If planting in a pot, make sure there are drainage holes.
RepottingA plant that is root bound will be top heavy and send out more new shoots or pups. In this case, it’s time to repot. Remove new shoots when they are three to four inches high and replant them in their own pots. If you don’t, they will suck life from the mother plant. Signs of this happening: the mother plant will turn bright green and spread its leaves horizontally rather than vertically. Water the pups well when repotting then don’t water again for about three weeks, forcing the new roots to get strong and seek water. They may turn grey or brown initially; this is normal. These make great gifts so give freely!
Symptoms of poor plant careLeaves lie flat instead of upright: usually because of
insufficient light Leaves are thin and curled: plant is not being watered enough;
it’s using up its own liquidLeaves are brown: too much direct sunlight Very slow growth: high alkaline soil or water; too damp for too
long; not enough light; too much fertilizer
Removing leavesHarvest leaves as you need; the plant wound seals and heals quickly. The leaf will not grow back so choose those closest to the ground as they are the most mature and most potent.
How to cut a leafRemove the leaf from the plant with a sharp knife. Trim the thorny edges from the severed leaf then slice across its width. The inner transparent, gooey gel is ready to be applied directly to the afflicted area. Use generously; it will be absorbed by the skin within several minutes. After the gel from the first layer of ruptured cells has run dry, scratch the surface with a clean knife to rupture more cells, releasing more juice. This can be continued until there is nothing but green skin left. Partially used aloe Vera leaves will last for days if wrapped in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated.
Consuming the plantThe colorless pulp is tasteless, but before consuming, rinse off the bitter yellow sap. Peel the green skin from the pulp, then rinse off the sap with cool water. MY
by Lee McCall
Small Spaces3Big Yields
BloomPart 3
In the final edition of Small Spaces, Big Yields Bloom series, the fruits of labor are finally revealed. The final
summary—including fruit development, ripening techniques and total harvested yield—is examined to
determine if this small space is in fact capable of big yields.
136 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
138 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
The all-you-can-eat buffet of supplements and base nutrients provided in the organic and hydroponic plants’ diets has fueled intense metabolic rates, particularly with the Early Girls. Despite the diseased appearance of the Sugar Baby crop, fruit production remains steady. The Sugar Baby’s foliar development was damaged in both the hydroponic and soil experiments for the duration of the trial, and the overall mass and expected yield appears to be only about half. The average plant height is approximately two feet tall for both strains, and judging by the amount of fruit on each plant, the yields appear to be considerably generous even with the short stature of the plants and weaker growth of the cherry variety. As with most grows, the produce must first be cut down, separated from the vegetation and weighed in order to determine the success of the current cycle. This type
of data should always be recorded in the event a comparative reference for a future experiment is needed.
Week 12, Day 78:The Early Girl fruits on the hydroponic specimen have swollen to what appears to be a maximum capacity threshold for the size and density of the fruit. Only days out
Small Spaces, Big Yields: Bloom - Part Three
The average plant height is approximately two feet tall for both strains, and judging by the amount of fruit on each plant, the yields appear to be considerably generous even with the short stature of the plants and weaker growth of the cherry variety.
140 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
from harvest, the flesh is very firm but still green with no signs of rot. Fortunately, I have not lost any fruit to blossom end rot, but a few fruits have broken off due to rough handling during feedings, cleaning and reservoir changes. There are a total of nine uniform fruits on the hydroponic Early Girl plant, each ranging around four inches in diameter, which should make it to the final harvest. This recorded size is exceptional for the trial considering this type of plant usually yields smaller fruits according to the seed bank background
information on the strain. All of the fruit on this particular strain has developed the unique ribbed shape that many heirloom varieties exhibit over many on-the-vine
varieties that are completely round in shape and sold in major markets. The
Sugar Baby fruits are also slightly ribbed as well, which is very unique for a cherry variety. This
physical trait is an added bonus that is appealing to consumers, and might indicate a higher quality of genetics from the specimen.The Early Girl root mass is vibrant and
Small Spaces, Big Yields: Bloom - Part Three
Early Girl roots, view from the bottom.
“All of the fruit on this particular strain has developed the unique
ribbed shape that many heirloom varieties exhibit. ”
Early Girl roots at 14 weeks.
142 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Early Girl plant is completely flawless. Fruit is plentiful, foliage is dense, color is vibrant, water consumption is heavy and microbial
colonization is aggressive based on the root tips penetrating the fabric container walls. Between the two Early Girl plants, two gallons of nutrient solution is consumed and transpired
every single day. This makes for strict daily check-ups with more maintenance, but the result should be well worth it in the end.The Sugar Baby plant in organic soil will end up the smallest of
all the plants in the garden, and similar to the Early Girl scenario, its hydroponic sister is thriving in terms of comparative fruit size but lacks the quantity of sites of the soil plant. Between these two plants, much less water is needed. Rather than two gallons per day, it takes almost four days for two gallons to be consumed.I have slightly tweaked the nutrient schedule starting week
12 to focus on even fruit ripening and in an attempt to turn all of the green fruits to the delicious supple red color that every tomato connoisseur searches for. The 1-2-3 ratio of grow, micro and bloom is drastically reduced to a lower EC level so more breathing room is available for the addition of a special bloom boosting dry formulation. The 2-45-28 recipe packs a powerful punch to facilitate even ripening, stimulate essential oil production and add extra fruit weight. The strong concentration of the powdered additive easily dissolves into the nutrient solution without clumping and jacks the parts per million (PPM) up with only a minute amount added per gallon of feed water. Enzymes continue to be added into the mixture to enhance the breakdown of nutrients and digestion of dead root material along with a pineapple infused carbohydrate supplement. These enzymes not
aggressive, branching out across the top of the hydroton like a thick network of live trellis netting. Even after several months of exposure to ambient air, the structure of the root mass on top is still healthy, white and dense indicating that water and nutrient uptake is prolific throughout the core of the plant. Unfortunately, the Sugar Baby roots have not done as well due to the lack of shaded protection offered by healthy foliage. Since the leaf development is sparse compared to the densely shaded canopy protruding from the core of the Early Girl, the 1,000 watts of light from the sodium and halide above penetrates the weak Sugar Baby canopy causing algae to grow on overly-saturated portions of the root mass and hydroton.The Early Girl soil plant remains the healthiest and more
vigorous plant in the entire garden. This plant has easily double the amount of fruit compared to its hydroponic sister, but they are smaller in size ranging much closer to the described three inch diameter as depicted from the source of the strains. The organic nutrient schedule seems to have more of a slower, time-released effect on the crop metabolism opposed to the force fed mineral nutrients on the hydroponic side. Visually, the organic soil
Small Spaces, Big Yields: Bloom - Part Three
“Almost 100 days after a seemingly failure of a seed germination, a plethora of ripe red
fruits are ready for harvest.”
Hydroponics Sugar Babies
144 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
only speed up the nutritional assimilation process, but are largely responsible for promoting a clean root environment.The soil feed schedule is consistent and
simple in terms of application, but is complex in components. Enzymatically digested fish emulsion; several forms of seaweed extracts; humic acid; organic calcium and magnesium (cal-mag); protein hydrolyslate rich in amino acids; vitamins and soluble phosphorous; pineapple infused carbohydrates; and the base bloom nutrient as described in part one comprised of kieserite, alfalfa meal, molasses, cane sugar and glacial rock dust make up the organic soil menu. Enzymes compliment the soil feeding in addition to a diverse compost tea, which is also used in the hydroponic systems. The beauty of hand-feeding organic soil gardening is that it can absorb “soupier” more viscous nutrient solutions without clogging emitters and hydroponic plumbing components. Feed the soil and let the soil feed the plants.
Week 13, Day 85:Like clockwork, the fruits in the hydroponic buckets exhibit a beautiful sheen of orange and red. The ripening
additive in conjunction with the base nutrition has completely taken hold of the fruit only days after the initial introduction. The organic soil Early Girl plant is not exhibiting any changes in fruit coloration, but I decide to implement a thorough seven day flush using only enzymes for the first four days and plain water for the last three. Drain-to-waste is very important when implementing a clean water flush so as not to re-introduce plant waste back into the system. For the hydroponic specimens, I will have to change the water daily so as to ensure the plants are thoroughly cleansed of excess nutrient salts and waste. There is a strong chance that these organic Early Girl fruits will not be able to be harvested at the same time as the other three plants due to the slower response time. Nevertheless, patience is my focus in completing a healthy harvest.
Week 14, Day 92:Almost 100 days after a seemingly failure of a seed germination, a plethora of ripe red fruits are ready for harvest. Unfortunately as expected, the healthiest plant in the garden with the most fruit refuses to ripen as quickly as the other three, and thus will not be included in the final outcome of this extensive series. However, there is plenty of fruit from the other plants and the largest ones are vine ripened and ready for consumption. The flush was extended by an extra week to ensure a more flavorful crop, and to wait for the perfect moment when the flesh was at its peak—not too soft but not too firm, simply perfection.This trial was one of the best grows I
have ever completed. Despite the one strain that gave me problems, I was still able to walk away with over 10 pounds of fruit from two sickly Sugar Babies and one beautiful Early Girl. Thank you for taking the time to follow this study and happy growing! MY
Small Spaces, Big Yields: Bloom - Part Three
146 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
TIPS & TRICKS
October is the perfect time to set up a greenhouse, when the weather is still warm enough to be outside, but just cool enough to keeping you working and building until the job is done. Once you’ve decided what your inventory will be, where your space will be and how much time you will have to devote to your greenhouse, you are ready to look at the different materials available for construction.
Choosing material for the panesAcrylic is sturdy, strong and less likely to break during accidents and intense weather; however, it does not provide much diffusion of direct sunrays, which can cause scorching of delicate or young plants.Glass is scratch-resistant, retains heat well and is a stable
material. The downside of glass is that it heats up and cools off quickly making it an unreliable insulator. It is breakable and can be difficult to install in tight corners. Like acrylic, it is subject to frying fragile plants with concentrated sunrays.Contrary to glass and acrylic, polycarbonate diffuses light
and averts hot and cold spot development. This characteristic makes it more energy efficient. It is lightweight and easy to install. Although it is more expensive, it is resilient, which may save on future replacement costs.A lower budget option is polyethylene. This material is
easy to work with and can be energy efficient if applied in layers. Because of its flexibility, it can tear easily and does not recover well from accidents, making ongoing maintenance a concern. Replacement costs may offset the initial savings.For smaller greenhouses, PVC is a likely choice because it
is easy to manipulate, conducts heat well and diffuses light effectively in smaller areas.
What do I use for the frame?Less opaque material in a greenhouse makes more effective use of the light exchange. This is a good principle to keep in mind when choosing a construction material.Aluminum is hardwearing, easy to maintain and long
lasting. It can be expensive and does require a wider or longer measurement than steel that takes away from the amount of windowpane space. This ultimately reduces the available area for sunlight.Plastic is more energy efficient than metal. It is easier to
work with because it is lighter. Because of its lightweight
Choosing Greenhouse Construction Materials
by Charlene Rennick
147Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
composition, more of it is necessary to build a solid structure. This reduces the amount of space left for light. This same characteristic also makes it more susceptible to damage and replacement costs.Although steel is very stable and robust, it weighs more than
the other options and will rust at some point. This requires an additional cost to replace or treat. Because it is the most enduring metal, less is needed, which maximizes the available space for sunlight.
Wood frames look nice. They are lighter than steel, easier to work with and modify well to adding accessories in design and construction. Wood does get damaged and needs some extra elbow grease to maintain and protect it from weathering. It also needs a wider measurement compared to metal, which reduces the sunlight factor.
Making the final decisionBuilding a greenhouse is a commitment. If you are satisfied with your blueprint and have developed a long-range budget for supplies and maintenance costs, your greenhouse is ready for construction. On the other hand, if the planning process has exposed areas you hadn’t planned on dealing with, a portable or indoor model may be the wiser choice for you.
148 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
PRODUCTspotlight See it. Want it. Find it at your favorite indoor gardening store.
Continued from page 42
Hydro international Presents Sea Fuel ________________Sea Fuel is a natural plant tonic that provides natural amino acids and vitamins for plants and micro-or-ganisms; fulvic acid for plant nutri-tion; and contains micro-organisms involved in the composting process. Contains cold composted blue fin tuna, cold composted kelp and fulvic acid. Visit an indoor gardening store near you for more information.
LumiGrow LumiBloom LEd Grow Bulb ________________________The LumiBloom bulb gives your plants that all-important red boost. Originally devel-oped for university and industrial plant scientists, LumiBloom delivers 17 watts of pure concentrated 660 nanometer red to target the plant’s primary photosynthetic response. One bulb will cover two to four square feet. Great for difficult to flower plants like orchids and African Violets. LumiBloom is a great supplement to your existing lighting system. Featuring cool-running LEDs with the highest flux density available, LumiBloom delivers optimal performance, reliability and safety. Each LumiBloom bulb lasts over eight years based on 30,000 hours lamp life. Visit your local indoor gardening shop for more information.
the Bountea Growing System Expands _____In response to demand from growers, Organic Bountea has added Fungal Activator to its range of products in the Bountea Growing System. Fungal Activator stimulates the growth of beneficial fungi in compost tea. Research has show that fungally-dominant compost teas help provide the perfect root environment for woody and fibrous stemmed plants such as tomatoes. Fungal Activator is first added to Alaska Humisoil 48 hours before brewing Bountea Compost Tea. This pre-cultured humisoil is then aerated with additional Fungal Activator to create a compost tea that is extraordinarily rich in fungal activity. Fungal Activator is available now from indoor and outdoor gardening centers.
New MaxLume H.i.d. Bulbs from C.a.P. ____________________________________Boasting high lumen output and superior color spectrum, these bulbs will drive your garden to its maximum potential. More plant-available blues from the M.H. series gives your garden what it needs for early vigor and healthy branching. More oranges and reds available from the H.P.S. lamps for your flowering plants
promotes both quality and quantity in floral clusters. For discerning production grow-ers, the extra low lumen depreciation means more crops from every MaxLume bulb,
maximizing costs and minimizing maintenance. Contact your local retailer for more information.
150 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010150 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
TALKING SHOP
My passion is gardening; it has been for more than two decades. My hands were dirty from outdoor organic gardening for eight years before I decided to experiment with the soilless world of hydroponics. Before my wife Alyssia and I had children, we worked in retail—her in operations and me in sales management.Due to our retail expertise, we knew we could create a better shopping
experience than what was currently offered. We decided to open our own store and run it the way we knew best—simply low prices, great customer service with a smile and knowledgeable staff.
AT A GLANCE
Store name: All Ways Hydro
Owners: Jerry and Alyssia McMillian
Location: 2220 Eastridge Ave. Suite C Riverside, CA
Phone: 888-HYDRO-98
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.AllWaysHydro.com
Motto: “We make your garden greener in All Ways!”
Alyssia and Jerry McMillian
151Maximum Yield USA | October 2010 151Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
It started with a website (www.AllWaysHydro.com) and an eBay store with local delivery. We were quickly overwhelmed with the amount of business we were getting; within one month we tripled our website traffic from 7,000 to 22,000 hits, and a year later, we opened a shop in Riverside, California, and closed the eBay store. Alyssia assisted with operations while I focused on consultations, and handled orders and deliveries. My first sale was to a friend who patiently waited for two months while we got set up and stocked, and then spent $4,000 for a full system. Not a bad first day.One of our main struggles was getting inventory and keeping
it. Product was flying off the shelves as fast as we could stock it. This was a problem specifically with some of the newer and hot industry products.I used to assist music stores in preparation for their grand
opening so store set up was easy. Having been an outdoor/organic gardener for 20 years and a hydroponics gardener for 12, made taking care of customers and answering their questions an easy task as well. Our philosophy is, “take care of your customers and they will take care of you.” We also make sure to always have some Maximum Yield magazines available for our customers.
We wanted to do business with companies that appreciate and support the small business owner so the first products we stocked in store were from C.A.P. They were the only hydroponics distributor that was willing to take a chance and do business with a website only company without a huge first order. Also, C.A.P. makes quality products that I use personally and believe in, and they also have a great price point that can’t be beat. We also chose to carry brands like Sun Systems from National Garden Wholesale (NGW). Their American-made lighting systems are manufactured to high standards. NGW had a great selection of additional products to fully stock our store.All Ways Hydro consists of three employees: myself, my wife
Alyssia and our nephew Hoss, who delivers many of our large orders. You definitely get personal service at our store. We are experienced not only in hydroponics and soil gardening but also in retail. We want you to have a pleasant shopping experience; if you come into our store you will see we mean it.This is such a cool industry to be a part of and the people
are great. They love their jobs and it shows. It’s pretty apparent this industry is staying put; the companies and retailers that appreciate and respect others are the ones that will survive, because eventually everyone will shop where they are taken care of. It really boils down to who does it best. We are amazed and very thankful for our customers and their loyalty to our store. I believe we all need to work together to cultivate as many new gardeners as possible. Now, let’s get growing! MYJerry takes good care of his customers. With years of experience in retail, he
feels he can offer the very best shopping experience.
All Ways Hydro offers a variety of American-made and high quality products that Jerry uses in his own garden, and believes in.
A popular method of reproducing plants is by means of cuttings (or clones). A cutting is a plant part removed from a stock or donor plant that will develop roots and shoots when placed in soil under favorable conditions. In comparison to reproduction via seed, this method offers some lucrative benefits.
How to Produce cuttings and seedlings
StepS to SucceSS
by Bob Taylor: Chief Chemist at Flairform
Cuttings taken from the most recent growth will produce plants that take less time to reach biological maturity. Commercial fruit growers do this to minimize the lengthy non-fruiting phase associated with seed propagated plants.
Cuttings produce a plant having the same genetic characteristics as the stock plant (e.g. same appearance, size, yield, etc). This cannot be achieved using seeds.
152 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
153Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
STEm CUTTINGS: The most appro-priate cutting material will vary between species; however, most species can be propagated using stem cuttings. Stem cuttings possess stems, leaves and sprouts (see Figure 4.2). Roots grow from the basal wood (Figure 4.1a and 4.1b) and shoots grow from the sprouts. The physical age of the material selected
is important to a cutting’s survival. Mate-rial can be classified as softwood, semi-hardwood or hardwood. Semi-hardwood generally provides the best cutting mate-rial because it’s relatively unsusceptible to rotting, fungal attack or dehydration and it has a relatively high rooting potential. This material is best identified by wood turning hard and changing color from green to brown with the formation of bark; it is not as supple as softwood, but still flexible; and its leaves are darker in color.
Figure 4.1a:Callus tissue forms prior to the formation of root initials (typically within 5 days.)
Figure 4.1b:Adventious roots break out of the callus tissue (typically 7-10 days).
Figure 4.1 - Initial root formation
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Figure 4.2:Material for stem cutting
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154 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
fluorescent lighting timed to run for 18 hours per day. Ensure this environment is established prior to planting cuttings.
*Heat mat: A heat mat applies heat directly to the medium and basal end of the cutting to promote rapid root development.
steP 4 Select a plant that has been well maintained, has favorable characteristics and is free of disease. The cuttings ma-terial must be of semi-hardwood. Avoid plants that are well into the flowering
Procedure
steP 1 Thor-oughly wash and sterilize all hardware and areas that are likely to contact cuttings and cause disease contamination.
steP 2 Pre-soak medium by immersing in a highly pH buffered seedling nutri-ent. This helps ensure that excess alka-linity is removed and ensures optimum root-zone pH. Gently squeeze to drain excess nutrient.
steP 3 To increase the success rate of cuttings (see figure 4.6) and seedlings, use a heat mat* and propagation lid to maintain root and air temperature at 68 to 77°F and relative humidity at 80 per cent. As a light source use cool white
How to Produce Cuttings and Seedlings
Figure 4.3:How to produce a stem cutting
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Figure 4.6:Heat mat, propagation lid and artificial lighting are beneficial for maximixing the success rate of cuttings and seedlings.
Copyright ©2006 www.flairform.com
With minimal foliage and no roots, cuttings largely depend upon existing (internal)
energy reserves for the creation of roots. Consequently, the longer it takes to form
roots, the less chance there is of survival. Heating the air alone is counter produc-
tive as this promotes unnecessary foliage growth, which wastes valuable energy
supplies that are required for the production of roots.
stage.
steP 5 Using secateurs (or a scalpel) remove a lateral (side branch) that has at least two sets of leaves on it and has a stem diameter of at least five millimeters (see Figure 4.2). Then immediately place the cut end into tepid water.
steP 6 Using a scalpel, trim cuttings as per figure 4.3: (1) Remove bottom set of leaves and nodes, (2) Cut through stem* at a 45° angle approximately five to 10 millimeters below where the leaves and nodes were, (3) Scuff (but do not fully remove) the bark between the nodes and the base of cutting, (4) if bottom set of leaves are too large these should be cut in half**.
** Better results may be achieved by trimming this set of leaves 24 hours prior to removing the cutting from the plant.
steP 7 Immediately immerse entire basal end into cutting gel. (See region three in Figure 4.3). Punch a hole in the medium of
155Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
diameter slightly greater than that of the basal end and deep enough so cutting will not fall over. Push right to the base of the pre-made hole then press medium against the stem. Do not re-water!
steP 8 Mist cuttings daily using water, and water the medium as required using a seedling nutrient (EC 0.8mS). Ensure to maintain root and air temperature at 68 to 77°F and relative humidity at 80 per cent. Diligently remove any dead leaves or dead cuttings as these are an ideal host for fungi. Also, keep removing floral buds.
steP 9 Depending on the plant variety, roots usually develop within seven to 10 days. Once this occurs, gradually expose cuttings to their proposed environment. Note that a sudden change in humid-ity, nutrient strength, light intensity or temperature might kill them. Therefore, gradually increase nutrient strength to EC 1.5mS. Also, remove the propaga-tion lid for 30 minute periods initially, increasing the frequency over the course of a few days (or as required) until the cuttings are ready to be planted into their proposed environment.
steP 10 When transplanting, to avoid disturbing roots, simply plant the entire root block and medium used in the propagation system. If it is necessary to remove the cutting from the propaga-tion medium, ensure to be extremely gentle with the roots during the trans-planting process:1. Allow the roots to settle naturally into the
new medium. Do not allow the roots to become twisted or bent
upwards.2. Plant cutting to the same depth as it was before.
While we’re talking about produc-ing cuttings, it wouldn’t hurt to review how to produce seedlings. Compared to cuttings, seeds are relatively quick to plant and are less likely to carry pests and disease.
Figure 2a: Initial stage of growth - ‘colydens’ remain below the soil’s surface.
Figure 2b: Later stage of growth - ‘colydens’ are carried above the soil’s surface.
156 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
COLLECTING SEEDS: Seeds should be collected from a well maintained plant that has favorable characteristics and is disease free. Seeds should be collected when mature; seeds that are immature will not germinate when planted.SEED STORAGE: To suppress germi-nation but maintain the seed in a dor-mant state, storage conditions should be maintained as follows:
Cool (36°F to 46°F)• Dry conditions with limited oxygen• Darkness•
mEDIUm: The medium should pro-vide high oxygen and water levels, and good drainage.DISEASE: Sterilization of hardware and media before and during propagation is paramount. Maintaining adequate venti-lation is also essential for minimizing the threat of disease.
Procedure
steP 1. Thoroughly wash and sterilize all hardware and areas that are likely to come into contact with the seedlings and cause contamination.
steP 2. To increase the success rate of seedlings, use a heat mat and propagation lid (vents closed) to maintain root and air temperature at 68°F to 77°F and relative humidity at 80 per cent. Cool conditions delay germination of most seeds making them more susceptible to fungal attack.
steP 3. Pre-soak medium with a highly pH buffered nutrient. This ensures excess alkalin-ity is removed and the medium is bedded down. Allow to drain.
steP 4.Option 1. Pre-germinate seeds prior to planting. To do this, place them between moist tissues on a plate. Cover them with an up-turned plate. Check every few days, ensuring that the tissue does not become dry; sprinkle with water as nec-essary. Once the root or radical becomes
How to Produce Cuttings and Seedlings
exposed, place upright in medium two to five millimeters below the surface.Option 2. Sow seeds at a depth equal to 2.5 times their diameter. Cover the seed with medium and gently tap down.
steP 5. Immediately after planting, lightly re-water using water or dilute seedling nutrient. Continue to water the medium as required, typically every two or three days. Ensure to maintain root and air temperature at 68°F to 77°F and relative humidity at 80 per cent. Diligently re-move any dead leaves or seedlings—these are an ideal host for fungi.Note: Some plants or mediums may require little or no nutrient until the first few true leaves appear. If the success rate is poor, try feeding with just water.
steP 6. Remove the propagation lid once the first shoot appears. High humid-ity and poor ventilation will encourage fungal diseases.
steP 7. Light is not required during the actual germination process. However, once the first shoot (plumule) begins to appear the seedlings need good light to begin photosynthesising and prevent the plumule from becoming spindly or etio-lating. Use low intensity lighting for the first few weeks of growth. Preferably use cool white fluorescent lights and position four inches above the plants.
steP 8. Gradually expose the seedlings to their proposed environment. Depend-ing on the plant variety this may take only a few days or many months. Begin to gradually increase light intensity and nutrient strength; a sudden change might kill them.
steP 9. Healthy seedlings grow quickly and, therefore, it is essential to trans-plant them into a bigger system that provides adequate room for further growth. Do this only after a minimum of two true leaves have formed. If the seedling is left in its current position for too long the roots may grow long enough to become tangled.
When transplanting, avoid disturbing roots - simply plant the entire root block and medium. If it is necessary to remove the seedling from the propagation me-dium, ensure to be extremely gentle with the roots during the transplanting process:
Allow the roots to settle naturally 1. into the new medium. Do not al-low the roots to become twisted or bent upwards.Plant the seedling to the same 2. depth as it was before. MY
Seedlings are usually due to be transplanted once the first ‘true leaves’ have formed. When transplanting do not allow the roots to become twisted or bent upwards and plant at the same depth as before.
160 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
MAX-MART
161Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
LLC
13762 Doolittle Drive, San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 510.903.1808 Fax: 510.764.1246
www.hydrogardendelight.com
162 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
MAX-MART
163Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
164 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
COMING UP INnovember
www.maximumyield.com
will be available November 1 for FREE at selected indoor gardening retail stores across USA and on maximumyield.com
I N D O O R G A R D E N I N G
1
DO YOUknow?
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Well FedWith a surplus of nutrient brands and formulations available, it’s hard to know what will work best. But you can get a lot from a little by perfecting the nutritional recipe for your best crops.
Grow Tents for the Constructionally ChallengedIf building a garden space from scratch is not your idea of a good time, check out the various benefits of indoor grow tents, which come in a variety of sizes and can be assembled by one person in a matter of minutes.
Hydroponic StartsRaising healthy, young hydroponic starts involves an optimal environment, ideal substrate and proper technique. In part one of this series, we cover materials and techniques for raising hydroponic starts.
The Hydroponics GreenhouseWhen building a greenhouse from the ground up, the choice of materials used has both economic and biological implications. Basic design and flooring are the first items to be considered.
Subscriptions are available atmaximumyield.com/subscriptions.php
Powdery mildew is not one disease, but can be caused by a number of different genera of fungi.
Among the major cations, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, the least competitive is Mg2+; therefore its deficiency is likely to occur with the use of some nutrient solution formulations having high concentrations of K or Ca when growing Mg-sensitive plants, such as tomatoes.
Leveillula powdery mildew is sometimes termed internal powdery mildew because it grows unseen within the leaf tissue.
The sun produces short wave radiation from wavelength 290 to 2,500 nanometers.
The chelate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), can be toxic to plants, and therefore, some formulations use the chelate, diaminetriaminetetraacetic acid (DTPA).
The Organoponicos (Cuba) may be the world’s largest example, and experiment, in localized urban organic food production.
166 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
ALABAMAAlabama Organics3348 Bethel Road,Valley Head, AL 35989256-635-0802
ALASKABrown’s Electrical Supply365 Industrial Way,Anchorage, AK 99501907-272-2259Far North Garden Supply300 Centaur Street,Wasilla, AK 99654907-376-7586Far North Garden Supply2834 Boniface ParkwayAnchorage, AK 99504907-333-3141Holmtown Nursery Inc.1301 - 30th Avenue,Fairbanks, AK 99701907-451-8733
ARIZONAACI Hydroponics1325 South Park Lane,Tempe, AZ 85282800-633-2137Homegrown Hydroponics601 East Broadway Road,Tempe, AZ 85282480-377-9096Homegrown Hydroponics1702 East Prince Road,Tucson, AZ 85719520-323-1212Natural Pools & Gardens2143 North Country Suite C,Tucson, AZ 85716520-323-2627Sea of Green Hydroponics1301 E. University Dr.Tempe AZ, 85281800-266-4136Sea of Green West2340 W. Bell Road, Suite 116,Phoenix, AZ 85023602-504-8842Sea of Green Hydroponics402 North 4th Avenue,Tucson, AZ 85705520-622-6344
ARKANSASFermentables3915 Crutcher Street,N. Little Rock, AR 72118501-758-6261Mickey’s Mercantile1303 Highway 65 South,Clinton, AR 72031501-412-0214Old Soul Organics and More1771 Crossover Road,Fayetteville, AR 72701479-444-6955
CALIFORNIA3rd Street Hydroponics636 3rd StreetOakland, CA 94607510-452-5521805 Hydroponics & Organics1785 E. Thousand Oaks BoulevardThousand Oaks, CA 91362805-494-1785 A+ Hydroponics & Organics1604 Babcock Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627949-642-7776A Fertile World (Eureka)65th Street, Eureka, CA 95501707-444-0200
A Fertile World (Fortuna)610 7th Street,Fortuna, CA 95540707-725-0700 Abundant Hydroponics LLC1611 Shop Street, #1-A,South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150530-54 HYDROAdvanced Garden Supply2660 Lake Tahoe Boulevard,Building C, Unit 9,S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150530-541-4769 Advanced Garden Supply3113 Alhambra Drive, Unit F,Cameron Park, CA 95682,530-676-2100Advanced Hydroponics17808 Sierra Highway,Canyon Country, CA 91351661-299-1603AG Natural403 Idaho Maryland Road,Grass Valley, CA 95945530-274 0990All Seasons Hydroponics17614 Chatsworth Street,Granada Hills, CA 91344818-368-4388Alternative Hydro3870 East, Colorado Boulevard,Pasadena, CA 91107888-50-HYDROAlways Sunny Hydroponics708 W. Swain RoadStockton, CA 95207209-473-9827Always Sunny Hydroponics2511 West LN. Stockton, CA 95205209-939-0660 All Ways Hydro2220 Eastridge Ave. Suite CRiverside CA 92507888-HYDRO98 American Hydroponics286 South G Street,Arcata, CA 95521800-458-6543America’s Best Hydroponics & Gardening Center641 W. Palmdale Blvd. Unit DPalmdale, CA 93551661-266-3906 Anthony’s Garden & Lighting Supply30 Ridge Road, Suites 8 & 9Sutter Creek, CA 95685209-267-5416Anything Grows10607 W. River Street, Building 3 Suite C,Truckee, CA 96161530-582-0479Art of Hydro2636 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.Thousand Oaks, CA 91362805-230-2227 Atlantis Garden Supply2851 A Whipple Road,Union City, CA 94587510-487-8007Atwater Hydroponics3350 Glendale Boulevard,Los Angeles, CA 90039323-663-8881Auburn Organic4035 Grass Valley Highway,Auburn, CA 95602530-823-8900B & S Gardening Supplies590 Commerce Court,Manteca, CA 95336209-239-8648
Bakersfield Hydroponics2408 Brundage Lane, Suite BBakersfield, CA 93304661-323-7333Bare Roots Hydroponics1615 East Cypress, #5Redding, CA 96002530-244-2215Beginning HydroponicsPO Box 1232,Corona, CA 92787951-735-4446Berkeley Indoor Garden844 University AvenueBerkeley, CA 94710510-549-2918Berkeley’s Secret Garden921 University Avenue,Berkeley, CA 94710510-486-0117 Best Coast Growers4417 Glacier Avenue Suite C,San Diego, CA 92120800-827-1876 Best Yield Garden Supply3503 West Temple Avenue, Unit A,Pomona, CA 91768909-839-0505Better Choice Hydroponics610 S. Washington Street,Senora, CA 95370209 533 2400Better Grow Hydro Pasadena1271 E. Colorado Boulevard,Pasedena, CA 91106626 737 6612 Better Grow Hydro Los Angeles5554 Bandini Boulevard,Bell, CA 91106323-510-2700; 877 640 GROW Box Of Rain Inc.Po Box 302, Rexford, CA 59930406-755-7245Brentwood Hydroponics & Organics560 Valdry Ct #85Brentwood, CA 94513925-634-6704 BWGS-CA7530 W. Sunnyview AvenueVisalia, CA 93291888-316-1306 California Hydro Garden1043 South Glendora Avenue, Suite AWest Covina, CA 91790626-813-0868California Hydroponics310 Coral Street, Suite CSanta Cruz, CA 95060831-423-4769Calwest Hydroponics11620 Sterling Avenue, Suite A Riverside, CA 92503 800-301-9009 Central Coast Hydrogarden1951 Santa Barbara Street,San Luis Obispo, CA 93401805-544-GROWCitrus Heights Hydrogarden8043 Greenback LaneCitrus Heights, CA 95610916-728-4769City Farm Hydroponics8903 Laurel Canyon Boulevard,Sun Valley, CA 91352818-767-2076City Farmer’s Nursery4832 Home Avenue,San Diego, CA 92105619-284-6358Clover Hydroponics & Garden Supply43 Soda Bay Road,Lakeport, CA 95453707-263-4000
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributors
167Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
CNG Garden Supplies22 Ricknbacker Circle,Livermore, CA 94551209-836-5550 Coca’s Central Valley Hydroponics116 West Orangeburg Avenue,Modesto, CA 95350209-567-0590Concord Indoor Garden2771 Clayton Road,Concord, CA 94519925-671-2520Conejo Hydroponics3481 Old Conejo Road #106Newbury Park, CA 91320805-480-9596Conrad Hydroponics Inc.14915 Unit E, Olympic Drive,Clearlake, CA 95422707-994 3264Constantly Growing6200 Enterprise Drive, Suite ADiamond Springs, CA 95619530-642-9710Constantly Growing4343 Hazel Avenue,Fair Oaks, CA 95628916-962-0043Constantly Growing - Davis123 D StreetDavis, CA 95616530-756-4774D&S Garden Supplies17-130 Doolittle DriveSan Leandro, CA 94577510-430-8589Dazey’s Supply3082 Redwood Drive,Redway, CA 95560707-923-3002Direct Hydroponics Wholesale14228 Alberts Way,Chino, CA 91710909-606-5885Dirt Cheap Hydroponics17975 H Highway 1,Fort Bragg, CA 95437707-964-4211Discount Hydroponics4745 Hiers Avenue,Riverside, CA 92505877-476-9487 Dr. Greenthumbs Hydroponic Garden Supplies566 San Ramon Valley Blvd.Danville, CA 94526925-314-9376Eel River Hydroponics & Soil Supply164 Dinsmore Drive,Fortuna, CA 95540707-726-0395 El Centro Hydro & Brew Supply Inc.591 main Street, Suite N-2El Centro, CA 92243760-235-4985Elite Horticulture Supply22330 Sherman Way, C13,Canoga Park, CA 91303818-347-5172Emerald Garden8249 Archibald Avenue,Ranch Cucamanga, CA 91730909-466-3796Emerald Garden13325 South Highway 101,Hopland, CA 95482707-744-8300Emerald Garden307 East Perkins Street,Ukiah, CA 95482707-463-2510Endless Green Hydroponics25 Enterprise Court, Suite 3Napa, CA 94558707-254-0200 Evergreen Hydroponics923 N. Central Avenue, Suite B,Upland, CA 91786909-946-7100Everything Green Hydroponics915 Texas Street,Fairfield, CA 94533707-432-0774
Everything Green448 Georgia Street,Vallejo, CA 94590707-647-0774Extreme Hydroponics11479 San Fernando Road C,San Fernando, CA 91340818-898-0915EZ Green Hydroponics7017 Reseda Boulevard,Reseda, CA 91335818-776-9076Farm Hydroponics, The1950 Lake Tahoe Boulevard #3,S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150530-541-3276Flairform1751 S Pointe Avenue,Ontario, CA 91761213-596-8820Flower Hut Nursery603 4th StreetWheatland, CA 95692 530-633-4526Foothill Hydroponics10705 Burbank Boulevard,N. Hollywood, CA 91601818-760-0688 Foothills Hydrogarden3133 Penryn Road,Penryn, CA 95663916-270-2413Full Sun Supply3535 Industrial Drive, Unit B-3Santa Rosa, CA 95403877-FULL-SUNFunny Farms Hydroponics963 Transport Way, #12Petaluma, CA 94954707-775-3111 G & G Organics and Hydroponics901 W. Victoria Street Unit D,Compton, CA 90220310-632-0122Garden Connection, The 2145 Park Avenue, Unit 2Chico, CA 95928530-342-7762Garden Depot, The203 Commerce Street, Suite 101Lodi, CA 95240209-339-9950Garden Highway Garden Supply598 Garden Highway #22Yuba City, CA 95991530-755-2877Garden Shed, The1136 El Camino RealSan Carlos, CA650-508-8600Garden Spout, The44800 Highway 101,Laytonville, CA 95454707-984-7260Garden Spout, The630 S. Main Street,Willits, CA 95490707-456-0196Garden Warehouse6355 Scarlet Court, #2,Dublin, CA 94568925-556-3319Gardening Unlimited60 Old El Pueblo Road,Scotts Valley, CA 95066831-457-1236Go Big Hydroponics4501 Van Nuys Boulevard,Sherman Oaks, CA 91403818-789-3341Go Green Hydroponics15721 Ventura Boulevard,Encino, CA 91436818-990-1198Golden Gecko Garden Center, The4665 Marshall Road,Garden Valley, CA 95633530-333-2394Golden Harvest Hydroponics & Garden Supply8626 Lower Sacramento Road #48,Stockton, CA 95210209-951-3550
Gonzo Grow2550 Guerneville Road, Suite C,Santa Rosa, CA 95401707-546-1800 Gottagrow Garden Supply769 Wilson Street,Santa Rosa, CA 95404707-544-7782Grass Roots Hydroponics31875 Corydon, Suite 130Lake Elsinore, CA 92530951-245-2390 Grass Valley Hydrogarden12506 Loma Rica Drive,Grass Valley, CA 95945530-477-2996Green Acres Hydroponics1215 Striker Avenue, Suite 180,Sacramento, CA 95834916-419-4394Green Coast Hydroponics3560 State Street,Santa Barbara, CA 93105805-898-9922 Green Coast Hydroponics2405 Mira Mar Avenue,Long Beach, CA 90815562-627-5636 Green Coast Hydroponics496 Meats AvenueOrange, CA 92865714-974-4769 Green Coast Hydroponics11510 Whittier BoulevardWhittier, CA 90601562-699-4201 Green Door Hydro and Solar830 Traction Avenue,Los Angeles, CA 90013212-625-1323Greenfire Sacramento3230 Auburn Boulevard,Sacramento, CA 95821916-485-8023Green Giant Hydroponics7183 Hwy 49 Unit BLotus CA 95651530 622 4465Green Gopher Garden Supply679 Redwood Avenue, Suite A,Sand City, CA 93955831-899-0203Green Joint Ventures61 Tarp Circle,Salinas, CA 93901831-998-8628 Green Lady Hydroponics4879 Newport Avenue,San Diego, CA 92107619-222-5011GreenLeaf Hydroponics2212 Artesia Boulevard,Redondo Beach, CA 90278310-374-2585 Green Light Hydroponics2615 Honolula Ave.Montrose, CA 91020818-640-2623 Green Logic Garden Supply860 Piner Road, #38,Santa Rosa, CA 95403707-843-3156 Greenmile Hydroponic Garden Supply1480 South E. Street, Suite D,San Bernardino, CA 92408909-885-5919Green Thumb Hydroponics35 Quinta Court, Suite B,Sacramento, CA 95823916-689-6464Green Thumb Lighting & Garden1647 W. Sepulveda Boulevard, Unit 5,Torrance, CA 90501888-326-GROWGreentrees Hydroponics Inc.2581 Pioneer Avenue, Unit DVista, CA 92081760-598-7551GreenWay Hydroponics11510 Whittier Boulevard,Whittier, CA 90601562-699-4201
168 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Grodan Inc.5152 Commerce Avenue,Moorpark, CA 93021541-646-8245 Gro More Garden Supply2937 Larkin Avenue,Clovis, CA 93021541-646-8245 Grow It Right AquaponicsPOB 552,Eureka, CA 95502707-407-6519Grow A Lot Hydroponics, San Diego1591 N. Cuyamaca Street,El Cajon, CA 93612619-749-6777Growers Choice Hydroponics1100 Carver Road,Modesto, CA 95350209-522-2727Growers Choice Hydroponics16754 East 14th Street,San Leandro, CA 94578510-278-6200Grow It Yourself Gardens401 Sunset Drive, Suite L,Antioch, CA 94509925-755-GROWGrow Light Express5318 East Second Street suite 164,Long Beach, CA 90803888-318-GROWGrow Your Own3401 Traval Street,San Francisco, CA 94116415-731-2115 Grow Zone718 Willow Rd. Menlo Park CA 94025650-326-4769Grow Wurks Hydroponics 765 S. State College Boulevard. Suite J Fullerton, CA 92831 Grunder Family Organics & Hydroponics12321 Magnolia Avenue, Suite C,Riverside, CA 92503877-468-7974H20 Gardening355 West 7th Street,San Pedro, CA 90731310-514-1416Hahn’s Lighting260 E. VA Suite 1,San Jose, CA 95112408-295-1755Harvest Hydroponics6650 Merchandise Way Suite B,Diamond Springs, CA 95619530-622-5190Healthy Harvest Hydroponics and Organics2958 S. Higuera St.San Luis Obispo, CA 93401805.596.0430High Desert Hydroponics13631 Pawnee Road, #7Apple Valley, CA 92308760-247-2090High Street Hydro180 Cleveland Avenue,Auburn, CA 95603530-885-5888Hi-Tech Gardening5327 Jacuzzi Street, #282,Richmond, CA 94804510-524-4710Hollywood Hydroponics and Organics5109 1/2 Hollywood Boulevard,Los Angeles, CA 90027-6105323-662-1908Home Brews & Gardens3176 Thorn StSan Diego, CA 92104619 630 2739
Home Life Hydroponics and Organics1745 East Vista Way,Vista, CA 92084760-643-2150 Hooked Up Hydroponics339 S. Golden State Boulevard,Turlock, CA 95380209-668-1300House of Hydro224 Weller Street, #B,Petaluma, CA 94952707-762-4769Humboldt Electronics2547 California Street,Eureka, CA 95501707-443-9408Humboldt Hydroponics1302 Union Street,Eureka, CA 95501707-443-4304 Humboldt Hydroponics2174 Pine Street,Redding, CA 96001530-241-7454Humboldt Hydroponics601 I Street,Arcata, CA 95521707-822-3377Humboldt Hydroponics2010 Tunnel Road,Redway, CA 95560707-923-1402Humboldt Nutrients65th Street,Eureka, CA 95501888-420-7770 Hydroasis2643 S. Fairfax Avenue,Los Angeles, CA 90232888-355-4769Hydrobrew1319 South Coast Highway,Oceanside, CA 92054760-966-1885; 877-966-GROWHydro Depot5665 Redwood Drive, #B,Rohnert Park, CA 94928707-584-2384Hydrogarden Delight13762 Doolittle Drive,San Leandro, CA 94577510-903-1808Hydrogarden Mendocino County1240 North Main Street,Fort Bragg, CA 95437707-962-9252Hydro International7935 Alabama AvenueCanoga Park, CA 91304Hydro King105 Hartnell Avenue, Suite C and D,Redding, CA 96002888-822-8941Hydro King2540 South Whitman Place,Chico, CA 959282530-893-GROW (4769)Hydro-Logic Purification Systems2825 Mattison Lane,Suite 103,Santa Cruz, CA 95065888 H2O LOGIC Hydronation2491 Boatman Drive, Suite BWest Sacramento, CA 95691916-372-4444 HydroPacific - Hydroponics & Garden Supplies351 C Hastings Av.,Ukiah, CA 95482707-467-0400 Hydroponic Connection Warehouse, The1995 Evans Avenue,San Francisco, CA 94124415-824-9376
Hydroponics 4 Less41669 Winchester Avenue,Temecula, CA 92590800-A1-HYDRO
Hydroponics Market15816 Arminta StVan Nuys, CA 91406818-305-6261Hydroponics Plus2250 Commerce Avenue, Suite CConcord, CA 94520925-691-7615Hydroponics Unlimited641 W. Palmdale Blvd. “D”Palmdale, CA 93550661-266-3906 Hydrostar Hydroponics & Organics1307 W. Sixth Street, #211,Corona, CA 92882951-479-8069Igrow Hydro2280 Veatch Street,Oroville, CA 95965530-534-4476Igrow Hydro9000 Atkinson Street,Roseville, CA 95678916-773-4476Inland Empire Hydrogarden1301-C South State Street,San Jancinto, CA 92853886-72-HYDROInland Empire Hydrogarden28822 Old Town Front St. #206Temecula, CA 92590886-74-HYDROInnovative Growing Solutions (IGS)7922-B Miramar Road,San Diego, CA 92126858-578-IGS7Kaweah Grower Supply1106 1/2 N. Ben Maddox Way,Visalia, CA 93293559-625-4937Kern Hydroponics2408 Brundage Lane, Suite B,Bakersfield, CA 93304661-323-7333La Habra1301 S Beach Boulevard, La Habra, CA 90631562-947-8383 LAX Hydro10912 S. La Cienaga Boulevard,Los Angeles, CA 90304310-337-6995Lazy Gardeners Hydroponics ‘N’ More14626 East Whittier Boulevard,Whittier, CA 90605562-945-0909Let it Grow1228 2nd Street,Crescent City, CA 95531707-464-9086Let it Grow160 Westwood Center,Arcata, CA 95521707-822-8733Liquid Gardens21752 Devonshire Street,Chatsworth, CA 91311818-718-7624Long Beach Hydroponics & Organics1772 Clark Avenue,Long Beach, CA 90815562-498-9525 Los Angeles Hydroponics and Organics3007-3009 W. Artesia Blvd.Torrance, CA 90504310-323-4937Lumatek Digital Ballasts33 Commercial Boulevard, Suite BNovato, CA 94949415-233-4273
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributors
169Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
M&M Garden Supply2509 West Lane, Suite BStockton, CA 95205209-939-0664M&M Garden Supply22540 D Foothill Boulevard, 2509 Westlane Suite BStockton, CA 95205Marin Hydroponics1219 Grant Avenue,Novato, CA 94945415-897-2197Medicine Man Farms1602 53rd Avenue,Oakland, CA 94601707-980-0456Mendocino Garden ShopPO Box 1301, 44720 Maint Street (at Hwy. 1),Mendocino, CA 95460707-937-3459Mendocino Greenhouse & Garden Supply900 East School Way,Redwood Valley, CA 95470707-485-0668Merced Hydroponics1809 East 21st Street,Merced, CA 95340209-726-4769M.G.S.22540 D Foothill Boulevard,Hayward, CA 94541510-582-0900Mighty Garden Supply4780 Mission Gorge Pl. #A-1,San Diego, CA 92120619-287-3238 Modern Gardens26620 Valley Center Dr. Santa Clarita, CA 91351661-513-4733Monterey Bay Horticulture Supply224B Reindollar Avenue,Marina, CA 93933831-38-HYDROMonterey Bay Hydroponics and Organics81 Hangar Way, #1,Watsonville, CA 95076831-761-9999Myron L Company2450 Impala Drive,Carlsband, CA 9210-7226760-438-2021Mystic Gardens8484 Florin Road, #110,Sacramento, CA 95828916-381-2464National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply1900 Bendixsen Street , Bldg. 1,Samoa, CA 95564800-683-1114 (Northern CA) National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply6485 Brisa Street,Livermore, CA 94550888-570-4678 (Southern CA) National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply1950 C South Grove Avenue,Ontario, CA 91761888-888-3319 Natural Pest Controls8320 B Hazel Avenue,Orangevale, CA 95662916-726-0855Nature’s Secret Garden and Supply41469 Albrae Street,Fremont, CA 94577510-623-8393New Leaf Hydro34150 123rd Street,Parablossom, CA 93553 661-944-2226NorCal CreationsPO Box 28,Cedar Ridge, CA 95924Nor Cal Hydroponics4837 Geary Boulevard,San Francisco, CA 94118 415-933-8262Northcoast Horticulture Supply60 West 4th Street,Eureka, CA 95501707-444-9999
Northcoast Horticulture Supply357 Main Street,Fortuna, CA 95540707-725-5550Northcoast Horticulture Supply1070 Highway 101,Crescent City, CA 95531707-464-1200Northcoast Hydrogardens3450 North State Street,Ukiah, CA 95482707-462-7214No Stress Hydroponics7543 Santa Monica Boulevard,West Hollywood, CA 90046323-845-9874Nutes Int’l204 N Quarantina Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-687-6699One Stop Hydroponics12822 Victory BoulevardNorth Hollywood, CA 91606818-980-5855Oracle Garden Supply5755 Oberlin Drive, Suite 100San Diego, CA 92121858-558-6006Orange County Hydroponics12687 Beach Boulevard, Unit H,Stanton, CA 90680714-893-9493Organic Bountea1919 Dennis Lane,Santa Rosa, CA 95403800-798-0765Orville Organic Gardens5250 Olive Hwy Ste 1Oroville, CA 95966530-589-9950Orsa Organix111 Willow Street,Redwood City, CA 94063650-369-1269Pacific Beach Hydroponics1852 Garnet Avenue,San Diego, CA 92109858-274-2559Pacific Coast Hydroponics4147 Sepulveda Boulevard,Culver City, CA 90230310-313-1354Pacific Garden Supply128 H Carlos Drive,San Rafael, CA 94903Pacifica Hydroponics90 Eureka SquarePacifica, CA 94044650-355-5100Palm Springs Hydroponics4651 Ramon Road,Palm Springs, CA 92264760-327-ROOT Plant It Earth2279 Market Street,San Francisco, CA 94114415-626-5082Plant Life32 Race Street,San Jose, CA 95126408-283-9191Plant-N-Grow1602 53rd Avenue,Oakland, CA 94601707-980-0456Precision Hydroponics132 Kennedy Avenue,Campbell, CA 95008408-866-8176Probiotic Solutions20889 Geyserville Avenue,Geyserville, CA 95441707-354-4342Pro Gardening Systems3715 Santa Rosa Avenue #2,Santa Rosa, CA 95407707-585-8633 Pro Gardening Systems4936 Highway 12,Santa Rosa, CA 95472707-538-8402
Pro Gardening Systems765 Petaluma Avenue,Sebastopol, CA 95472707-829-7252 Redway Feed Garden and Pet Supply290 Briceland Road,Redway, CA 95560707-923-2765Redwood Garden Supply55 Myers Avenue,Myers Flat, CA 95554707-943-1515Reforestation Technologies International1341 Daton Street, Units G&ISalinas, CA 93901831-424-1494; 800-RTI-GROW RH Distribution1751 S. Pointe AvenueOntario, CA 91761888-545-8112 Roots Grow Supply1330 North Hulbert, #101Fresno, CA 93728559-840-0122 Roots Grow Supply 40091 Enterprise Dr.Oakhurst CA 93644559 683 6622Sac Hydroponics9529 Folson Boulevard, Suite CSacramento, CA 95827916-369-7968San Diego Hydroponics East County11649 Riverside Drive,Suite 141,Lakeside, CA 92040619-562-3276 San Diego Hydroponics Beach Cities4122 Napier Street,San Diego, CA 92110619-276-0657San Diego Hydroponics North802 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road #108San Marcos, CA 92069760-510-1444 San Francisco Hydro123 Tenth Street,San Francisco, CA 94103San Rafael Hydroponics1417 Fourth Sreet San Rafael, CA 94901415 455 9655Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - West Side815 Almar Avenue, Unit K,Santa Cruz, CA 95060831-466-9000Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - East Side4000 Cordelia LaneSoquel, CA 95073831-475-9900Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - North6241 Graham Hill Road,Felton, CA 95018831-335-9990Santee Hydroponics7973A Mission Gorge Road,Santee, CA 92071619-270-8649 SB Hydro1109 W. 190th Street, Unit #F,Gardena, CA 90248310-538-5788Seaside Hydrogarden1070 Highway 101 North,Crescent City, CA 95531707-465-3520Shadow Valley Aquatics75 Kimick Way,Red Bluff, CA 96080530-526-0479Skywide Import & Export Ltd.5900 Lemon Hill Avenue,Sacramento, CA 95824916-383-2369Socal Hydroponics1727-B Oceanside Boulevard,Oceanside, CA 92054760-439-1084
170 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - Mtn. View569 East Evelyn Avenue,Mountain View, CA 94041650-968-4070South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - San Jose1185 South Bascom Avenue,San Jose, CA 95128408-292-4040South County Hydroponics22511 Aspan Street, Suite ELake Forest, CA 92630949-837-8252South Valley Hydroponics320 Kishimura Drive, #3Gilroy, CA 950201-866-848-GROW Southern Humbolt Garden Supplies34919 Yucaipa Boulevard, Yucaipa, CA 92399 909-797-6888Sparetime Supply208 E. San Francisco Avenue,Willits, CA 95490-4006707-459-6791Specialty Garden Center1970 East Vista Way, Suite 10,Vista, CA 92084760-758-4769 Stop N Grow340 Pine Avenue,Goleta, CA 93003805-685-3000 Stop N Grow4160 Market Street, Unit 11Ventura, CA 93003805-639-9489 Stop N Grow640 S. Frontage Road,Nipomo, CA 93444805-619-5125 Sun-In Hydroponics1257A Cleveland Avenue,Santa Rosa, CA 95401707-578-5747 Sunland Hydroponics8300 Foothill Boulevard,Sunland, CA 91040818-352-5300 Sunland Hydroponics4136 Eagle Rock Blvd,Los Angeles, CA 90065323-254-2800 Supersonic Hydroponic and Organic Garden Supply850 Shasta Avenue, Suite BMorro Bay, CA 93442805-772-5869Supersonic Hydroponic and Organic Garden Supply3850 Ramada Drive, Unit D2Paso Robles, CA 93446805-434-2333Super StartsPO Box 732,Bellmont, CA 94002650-346-8009 Surf City Hydroponics7319 Warner Street, Suite BHuntington Beach, CA 92647714-847-7900Sweet Leaf Hydroponics1611 Sebastobol Road,Santa Rosa, CA 95407707-575-GROW (4237)Sylvandale Gardens1151 Evergreen Road,Redway, CA 95560707-923-3606Tahoe Garden Supply645 Westlake Boulevard, Suite 2, PO Box 487Tahoe City, CA 96145530-581-3200
Tell 2 Friends Indoor Gardening62 Sutherland Drive,Auburn, CA 95603530-889-8171The Green Shop66420 Mooney Boulevard, Suite 1Visalia, CA 93277559-688-4200The Hydro Source671 E. Edna PlaceCovina, CA 91723877 HYDRO 82; 626-915-3128The Hydro Shop3980 Saco RoadBakersfield, CA661-399-3336 The Shop6542 Front Street,Forestville, CA 95436707-887-2280The Urban Farmer Store653 E. Blithedale Avenue,Mill Valley, CA 94941415-380-3840The Urban Farmer Store2833 Vicente Street,San Francisco, CA 94116415-661-2204The Urban Farmer Store2121 San Joaquin Street,Richmond, CA 94804510-524-1604Thrive Hydroponics70 A West North Street,Healdsburg, CA 95446707-433-4068Thunders Hydroponic Center1729 Yosemite Boulevard,Medesco, CA 95354TNC Supply9490 Main Street, P.O. Box 763Upper Lake, CA 95485707-275-9565Tower Garden Supply & Organic Nursery403 W. Olive Avenue,Fresno, CA 93728559-495-1140Tradewinds Wholesale Garden Supplies1235 Striker Avenue #180,Sacramento, CA 95834888-557-8896Tulare County Growers Supply435 W. Noble Avenue, Unit A,Farmersville, CA 93223559-732-8247 Turbo Grow1889 San Pablo Avenue,Pinole, CA 94564510-724-1291Two Chix Garden Supply1230 Yuba Street,Marysville, CA 95901530-923-2536Quail Mountain Ranch230 Palm AveAuburn, CA 95603530-889-2390Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com937-252-4769 Under The Sun12638 Foothill Boulevard,Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423707-998-GROW (4769)Urban Gardens22516 Ventura Boulevard,Woodland Hills, CA 91364818-876-0222Urban Gardens Unlimited704 Filbert Street,San Francisco, CA 94133415-421-4769
US Orchid & Hydroponic Supplies1621 South Rose Avenue,Oxnard, CA 93033805-247-0086Valley Garden Solutions Inc.15650 Nordhoff Avenue, Suite 104,North Hills, CA 91345818-336-0041Valley Hydroponics6632 N Blackstone Avenue, Unit B Fresno, CA 93710 559-449-0426 Valley Rock Landscape Supply2222 N H StreetLompoc CA 93436P: 805 736 0841805 735 5921Vital Landscaping Inc.12817 Loma Rica Drive,Grass Valley, CA 95945530-273-3187 Watch It Grow Hydro9453 Firestone Blvd. Downey, CA 90241562-861-1982 Wai Kula Hydrogardens5297 Linda Vista Road,San Diego, CA 92110619-299-7299Weather Top Nursery44901 Harmon Drive,Laytonville, CA 95454707-984-6385We Grow Hydroponics3350 East Los Angeles Avenue,Simi Valley, CA 93063805-624-4566 West Coast Growers Hydroponics13481 Colifax Highway,Grass Valley, CA 95945888-924-4769West Coast Hydroponics, Inc.27665 Forbes Road, Unit 10Laguna Niguel, CA 92677949-348-2424Western Auto1156 Main Street,Fortuna, CA 95540707-725-1189
COLORADOBath Nursery & Garden Center2000 E. Prospect,Fort Collins, CO 80525970-484-5022Big Tomato, The14440 E. 6th Avenue,Aurora, CO 80011303-364-4769 Big Tomato, The3000 Main Avenue,Durango, CO 81301970-375-1238 Boulder Hydroponics1630 N. 63rd Street, #5,Boulder, CO 80301303-415-0045BWGS-CO 11685 E. 55th Avenue Denver, CO 80239 888-316-1306 Cultivate Hydroponics & Organics7777 W. 38th Avenue, #A120A, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033303-954-9897 Deep Roots Garden Supply1790 Airport Road, Unit 1Breckenridge, CO 80424970-453-1440 Denver Hydroponic & Organic Center6810 North Broadway, Unit DDenver, CO 80221303-650-0091
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributors
171Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Desert Bloom Hydroponics445 Pitkin Avenue,Grand Junction, CO 81501970-245-6427Ever Green Hydroponics Inc.1131 Francis Street, Suite A,Longmont, CO 80501303-682-6435Family Hydroponics-Boulder2125 32nd StreetBoulder, CO 80301303-996-6100Garden Tech737 Garden of the Gods Road,Colorado Springs, CO 80907719-278-9777Go Green Hydro1005 Caprice Drive,Castle Rock, CO 80109303-688-0599Greeley Nutrients700 11th Street Unit 101Greeley CO 80631970 673 8302Greenhouse Tech917 East Fillmore,Colorado Springs, CO 80907719-634-0637GroWize3225 S. Wadsworth Boulevard,Lakewood, CO 80227303-986-2706Grow Store South, The5050 S. Federal Boulevard, #37,Englewood, CO 80110303-738-0202Grow Store, The8644 W. Colfax Avenue,Lakewood, CO 80215888-510-0350GWS Hydroponics7025 Highway 82 Building 4B,Glenwood Springs, CO 81601970-384-2040Head Start Hydroponics & Organic Gardening Emporium34500 US Highway 6, Unit B-9,North Edwards, CO 81632970-569-3139Hydro Grow Supply644 Peterson Road,Colorado Springs, CO 80915719-596-2600Hydro Planet711 Washington Avenue,Golden, CO 80401303-279-6090Hydro Shack, The220 Main Street, Suite EFrisco, CO 80443970-668-0359 Indoor Garden Warehouse8100 S Akron St., Suite 322,Centennial, CO 80112720-496-2110Indoor Paradise Hydroponics309 S. Summit View, Unit 17,Fort Collins, CO 80524-1462970-221-3751J&D Organic Growing Solutions217 1/2 Clayton Street Brush, CO 80723970-310-5408Lyons Indoor Gardening138 Main Street,Lyons, CO 80540720-530-3828Mile High Hydroponics37 Strong St. Brighton, CO 80601303 637 0069National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply3550 B Odessa Way, Aurora, CO 80011866-877-4188 (Northeast) Nick’s Garden Center2001 S. Chambers,Aurora, CO 80014303-696-6657Olympic Hydroponics Supply LLC.1530 S Nevada Avenue,Colorado Springs, CO 80906719-635-5859
Polar Ray5171 Eldorado Springs Dr.Boulder, CO 80303303 494 5773Primo Gardens 1600 North Ave. Suite BGrand Junction, CO 81501970-241-1209 Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics15985 S. Golden RoadGolden, CO 80401720-475-1725Rocky Mountain Lighting and Hydroponics7100 N. Broadway, Suite 3DDenver, CO 80221303-428-5020Roll-N-Green Farms Horticultural Supply25797 Conifer Rd #A-8Conifer, CO 80433303-838-5520 The Grow Outlet4272 Lowell Boulevard Denver, CO 80211 303-586-5543Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com937-252-4769 Way To Grow301 East 57th Ave.Denver, CO 80216303-296-7900Way To Grow3201 E. Mulberry Street,Fort Collins, CO 80524970-484-4769Way To Grow6395 Gunpark Drive,Boulder, CO 80301303-473-4769
CONNECTICUTHarvest Moon Hydroponics775 Silver Lane,East Hartford, CT 06118860-568-4067LiquidSun® CT10C South Main Street,East Windsor, CT 06088860-254-5757Organix Hydroponics749 Saybrook Road, (Tradewinds Plaza)Middletown, CT 06457860-343-1923
FLORIDA3D Hydroponics and Organics7139 US Highway #19,New Port Richey, FL 34652727-847-3491Absolute Hydroponic Garden Center Inc1607 Old Daytona SteetDeland, FL 32724386-734-0696Advanced Hydro Gardens4960 NW 165 Street, Suite B-4,Miami, FL 33014866-97-HYDROAtlantic Hydroponics430 Count Street,Melbourne, FL 32901321-821-1535Best Hydro4920 Lena Road,Bradenton, FL 34211941-756-1928Blossoms Experience, The7207 NW 54th Street,Miami, FL 33166866-452-4769Cultivating Eden Hydroponic Supplies946 18th Avenue SW,Vero Beach, FL 32962772-564-8880East Coast Hydroponics & Organics461 Forrest Avenue, Suite 105Coca, FL 32922321-243-6800 Eden Garden Supply5044 N. Palafox Street,Pensacola, FL 32505850-439-1299
Esposito Garden Center2743 Capital Circle NE,Tallahassee, FL 32308850-386-2114EZ Grow Green604 S.W. Bayshore Blvd.Port St. Lucie, Fl 34983772-807-7755Florida Garden Supplies2692 W 79 Street,Hialeah, FL 330161-800-931-5215 Florida Garden Supplies8020 Belvedere Road, Unit 4, West Palm Beach,FL 33411800-931-5215 Florida Garden Supplies9545 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33173800-931-5215 Florida Garden Supplies8442 Tradeport Drive, Unit 200,Orlando, FL 32827 800-931-5215 Future Farms Inc., The14291 SW 120th Street, Suite 105Miami, FL 33186305-382-2757Gardener’s Edge Gainesville5000 NW 34th Street, Suite 13,Gainesville, FL 32605352-375-2769Gold Coast Hydroponics1539 SW 21st Avenue,Fort Lauderdale, FL 333121-800-780-7371Gold Coast Hydroponics4241 SW 71st Avenue,Miami, FL 331551-800-780-6805Grace’s Hydro-Organic Garden Center8877 North 56th StreetTampa, FL 33617813-514-9376Green Thumb Hydroponics Supplies13482 North Cleveland Avenue,Fort Meyers, FL 33903239-997-4769GreenTouch Hydroponics Inc.5011 S State Road 7, Suite 104Davie, FL 33314954-316-8815Green Winters Inc.147 Tomoka Avenue,Ormond Beach, FL 32174386-235-8730Grower's Choice & Hydroponics11855 North Main Street,Jackonsonville, FL 32218904-683-4517 Growing Garden Inc., The12811 SW 42nd Street,Miami, FL 33175305-559-0309GrowSmart Indoor Garden Centers14587 Southern Boulevard,Loxahatchee, FL 33470561-429-3527Harvest Time Hydroponics14414 N. Florida Avenue,Tampa, FL 33613813-264-7101Healthy Gardens and Supply of Florida, Inc.196 East Nine Mile Road, Suite F,Pensacola, FL 32534850-912-4545High Tech Garden Supply2975 West New Haven Avenue,Melbourne, FL 32901321-821-0853Hydroponic Depot II2395 S Tamiami Trail #19Port Charlotte FL 33952941 255 3999tHydroponics International Inc.7029-10 Commonwealth Avenue,Jacksonville, FL 32220904-693-6554Hydroponics of Tampa120 W. Bougain Villea,Tampa, FL 33612813-333-6828
172 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Hydro Terra Corp.924 North Federal Highway,Hollywood, FL 33020954-920-0889National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply455 S. Andrews Avenue, Pompano Beach, FL 33069877-649-3567 (Southeast) Palm Beach Hydroponics Supply, Inc.968 N. Congress Avenue,West Palm Beach, FL 33409561-296-6161Palm Coast Hydroponics4490 N Hwy US1 Ste. 108Bunnell FL 32110386 246 4119Simply Hydroponics & Organics7949 Ulmerton Road,Largo, FL 33773727-531-5355Simply Hydroponics & Organics (North)3642 South Suncoast Boulevard,Homosassa, FL 34448352-628-2655Stoney Hydro @ Schiro's Barn n Garden Supplies7812 Causeway Boulevard,Tampa, FL 33619813-626-0902Urban Organics & Hydroponics5325 Fairmont Street,Jacksonville, FL 32207904-398-8012Urban Sunshine6142 S. Orange AveOrlando, FL 32809407-859-7728 Urban Sunshine6100 Hanging Moss Rd ste 500Orlando, FL 32807407-647-4769 Urban Sunshine1420 E. Altamonte Dr.Altamonte Springs, FL 32701407-830-4769 VitaOrganix7921 NW 67th StMiami, FL 33166786 845 8633Worm’s Way Florida4412 North 56th Street,Tampa, FL 33610800-283-9676; 813-621-1792
GEORGIAAtlantis Hydroponics1422 Woodmont Lane, #4,Atlanta, GA 30318404-367-0052 Atlantis Hydroponics2561 West Point Avenue,College Park, GA 30337678-510-0032 Flora Hydroponics Inc.2475 Jefferson Road, Suite 600Athens, GA 30607866-404-0551Savannah Hydroponics & Organics4107 Eighth Street, Suite CGarden City, GA 31408912-349-4030
HAWAIIAqua Plant Hawaii / Kahala Hydroponics4224 Wailae, Suite 1A,Honolulu, HI 96816808-735-8665Eco-Island Supply810 Haiku Road, #394Haiku, HI 96708808-575-9171Green Hands of Aloha1713 Mary Street,Honolulu, HI 96819808-847-4263
Ohana Greenhouse & Garden Supply300 Hukilike Street, #2M,Kahalui, HI 96732808-871-6393Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer15-2754 Old Government Road,Pahoa, HI 96778808-965-9955
IDAHOBoise Hydroponics614 North Orchard Street,Boise, ID 83706208-344-3053Greenthumb Greenhouses5895 Ensign Avenue,Boise, ID 83714
ILLINOISAerostar Global824 South Kay Avenue,Addison, IL 60101Alternative Garden Supply615 Industrial Drive, Unit ACary, IL 60013800-444-2837Big Grow Hydroponics9225 Trinity Drive,Lake In The Hills, IL 60156847-854-4450Brew and Grow359 W. Irving Park Road Unit E,Roselle, IL 60172630-894-4885Brew and Grow3625 N. Kedzi Avenue,Chicago, IL 60618773-463-7430Brew and Grow3224 South Alpine Road,Rockford, IL 61109815-874-5700Brew and Grow2379 Bode Road, Schaumburg, IL 60440630-771-0555Brew and Grow181 Crossroads Parkway, Bolingbrook, IL 60194847-885-8282Fertile Ground463 West MacArthur Drive,Cottage Hills, IL 62018618-259-5500Goldman's Grow Shop910 Greenwood Road,Glenview, IL 60025847-657-7250
Inc.
Green Fields8137 N. Milwaukee,Niles, IL 60714847-965-5056Grow Big Hydroponics7817 B North 2nd Street,Manchesney Park, IL 61115815-637-4769Hydrocork20647 Renwick Road,Crest Hill, IL 60435815-838-0100 Kreation’s Indoor Gardening Center3427 Old Chatman Road,Springfield, IL 62704217-341-0821 Let it Grow - CarbondaleWest Main Street,Carbondale, IL 62908573-450-5401 Prairie House Garden Center15151 South Harlem Avenue,Orland, IL 60462708-687-3131
Water Works Indoor Gardening1900 South Dirksen Parkway,Springfield, IL 62703217-553-6929
INDIANABWGS-IN7854 North State Road 37,Bloomington, IN 47404800-316-1306 Five Point Gardens56555 Oak Road,South Bend, IN 46619574-287-9232 Frogs Lilly Pad, The706 Citation Road,Carmel, IN 46032317-846-4610Harvest Moon Hydroponics4200 S. East Street,Indianapolis, IN 46227317-780-8070Hops & Harvest4616 E. DuPont Road, Suite Q,Fort Wayne, IN 46825260-918-3035Magic Bulb Garden Center6229 Allisonville Road,Indianapolis, IN 46220317-202-2852Sunleaves Garden Products7854 North State Road 37,Bloomington, IN 47404888-464-9676Worm’s Way Indiana7850 North State Road 37,Bloomington, IN 47404800-598-8158 Worm’s Way Mail Order7850 North State Road 37Bloomington, IN 47404800-274-9676
KANSASGreen Circle Hydroponics6890 W. 105th Street,Overland Park, KS 66212913-642-3888
KENTUCKYGarden Grove Organics29 East 7th Street,Covington, (Cincinnati Metro), KY 41011859-360-1843Grow Shop, The of Lexington2320 Palumbo Drive, Suite 130,Lexington, KY 40509859-268-0779Louisville Hydroponics3471 Taylor Boulevard,Louisville, KY 40215502-366-4000New Earth Garden Center9810 Taylorsville Road,Louisville, KY 40299800-462-5953Worm’s Way Kentucky1360 Donaldson Hwy. Suite A,Erlanger, KY 41018800-669-2088
LOUISIANAGeaux Hydroponics!2126 O’Neal Lane,Baton Rouge, LA 70816225-751-4769Laughing Buddha Nursery4516 Clearview Parkway,Metairie, LA 70006504-887-4336Ourcrazydeals Hydroponics201 Angus Drive,Yungsville, LA 70592337-303-6146
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributors
173Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Urban Organics285 St. Claude Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70117504-352-4709
MAINEGreen Thumb Indoor Gardening19 Stage Road,St. Albans, ME 04971207-938-5909Greenlife Garden Supply611 US Rt. 1York, ME 03909978 262 9966Urban Garden Center235 Lewiston Road,Toposhan, ME 04086207-373-0990
MARYLANDEast Coast Organics2800 Sisson Street,Baltimore, MD 21211Healthy Gardens and Supply5001-F Harford Road,Baltimore, MD 21214443-708-5144Maryland Hydroponics Inc.10051 North 2nd Street, Laurel, MD 20723301-490-9236Maryland Hydroponics Inc.12130 Nebel Street, Rockville, MD 20852240-551-4625Meadowview Feed & Garden Center1202 Meadowview Road,Pasadena, MD 21122443-817-0018Purple Mountain Organics100-7010 Westmoreland Avenue,Takoma Park, MD 20912877-538-9901
MASSACHUSETTSGreenlife Garden Supply481 Boston Road, Unit 4,Billerica, MA 01821978-262-9966Green Path Garden Supply276 West Main Street,Northborough, MA 01532508-393-4181Harvest Moon Hydroponics29 Washington Street, Route 1Foxboro, MA 02035800-660-6977LiquidSun® MA8 Lynwood Avenue,Holyoke, MA 01040413-539-6875 New England Hydroponics15 D Coolege Hwy. (Rt. 10),Southampton, MA 01073888-529-9025 Worm’s Way Massachusetts121 Worc-Providence Turnpike,Sutton, MA 01590800-284-9676
MICHIGANBIg Creek Hydroponics555 Old Little Lake Road,Marquette, MI 49855906-249-5297Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The23529 Little Mack Avenue,St. Clair, MI 48080586-775-9485 Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The6540 Allen Road,Allen Park, MI 48101313-383-1766 Cultivation Station 3 Inc.46912 Gratiot,Chesterfield, MI 48051586-949-7453 Flo-N-Grow.214 N. 2nd Street,Niles, MI 49120269-683-1877
Gro Blue Indoor Gardening Supplies270 W. Liberty Street,Ann Arbor, MI 48104734-913-2750Grow Store, The721 W. Blue Star Drive,Traverse City, MI 49684231-421-5191Growco Garden Supply1042 Michigan Street, NE,Grand Rapids, MI 49503877-939-6900 Growing Consultant2260 Apple Avenue,Muskegon, MI 49442231-773-5600High Tech Garden Supply7889 Telegraph Road.Taylor, MI 48180313-908-7554 Holland Hydroponic Outlet587-40 East 8th StreetHolland, MI 49423616-298-7395Home Grown Hydroponics8075 Gratiot Road, Unit C,Saginaw MI 48609989-781-1930Homelight Gardens3471 S. Huron Road,Bay City, MI 48706989-922-0088Horizen Hydroponics1614 Leonard Street, NW,Grand Rapids,MI 49504866-791-1664 Horizen Hydroponics4646 W. Main Street,Kalamazoo, MI 49006269-567-3333HotHydro®5245 Jackson Road, Suite FAnn Arbor, MI 48103734-761-5040; 877-893-0716Hydroharrys.com24500 Dequindre,Warren, MI 48091800-461-8819Hydro Heaven73647 W 8th Mile Road,Detroit, MI 48235313-861-0333; 877-823-2076Hydro Grow, The8210 Telegraph Road,Taylor, MI 48180313-633-0641Hydrospot34236 Michigan Avenue,Wayne, MI 48184734-722-1285 Indoor Garden Superstore2570 Dixie Highway,Waterford Twp., MI 48328248-673-2200; 877 22 HYDROJ&L Growco206 S. Michigan Avenue,Big Rapids, MI 49307231-796-1528Kalamazoo Indoor Garden450 W. Maple,Kalamazoo, MI 49001269-344-2550Light Green Water3661 Highland Road,Waterford, MI 48329248-681-0001 Stealth Hydro15 E. Cross Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198866-998-1916 Sunnyside Hydroponics24930 Gratiot Avenue,Eastpoint, MI 48021586-777-2528Sunshine Supply Co.5800 East Pickard Street,Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858989-775-3700Superior Growers Supply19582 Middlebelt Road,Livonia, MI 48152248-473-0450
Superior Growers Supply4870 Dawn Avenue,East Lansing, MI 48823517-332-2663 Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com937-252-4769 Urban Gardening Center, The2520 22nd Street,Detroit, MI 48216313-898-0200 Van Hydro7480 N State,Davison, MI 48423810-653-8267Wild Child7740 M 72 East,Traverse City, MI 49690866-711-GROW
MINNESOTAAmerican Garden Supply601-6th Avenue, North,Princeton, MN 55371763-631-0543 Brew and Grow8179 University Avenue,Fridley, MN 55432612-780-8191Duluth Hydroponics26 W 1st StreetDuluth, MN 55802218-341-7253Eco Garden Supply800 Transfer Door 25 in rearSt. Paul, MN 55114651-647-1896Eden Indoor Organic Gardens831 Highway 75 NorthMoorhead, MN 56560218-477-EDEN (3336) Indoor Gardening10 NE 3rd Street,Faribault, MN 55021507-209-1546 Interior Gardens115 -1620 Central Avenue NE,Minneapolis, MN 55413800-498-4178; 612-870-9077Midwest Hydroponics3440 Belt Line Boulevard, Suite A, Minneapolis,MN 55416888-449-2739 Still-H2O Inc.14375 North 60th Street,Stillwater, MN 55082651-351-2822
MISSISSIPPIIndoor Garden Shop LLC1310 Bienville Boulevard,Ocean Springs, MS 39564228-875-3725
MISSOURIDivine Hydroponics301 North Bishop Avenue,Rolla, MO 65401573-426-2348Grow Your Own Hydroponics3617 Saint John Avenue,Kansas City, MO 64123816-241-2122Green Circle Hydroponics12 East Missouri,Kansas City, MO 64106816-421-1840 Green Thumb Organics249 Mid Rivers Mall Drive,St. Peters, MO 63376636-397-4769 (GROW) Heartland Hydrogardens705 Vandiver Drive, Suite G Columbia, MO 65202573-474-4769 HYDROGARDENS
Let It Grow - Springfield2519 E. Kearney Street,Springfield, MO 65803417-862-GROW
174 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Let It Grow - Girardeau879 S. Kings Highway,Cape Girardeau, MO 63703573-803-0628 U-Grow1724 North, 13th Street,St. Louis, MO 63106314-452-6368 Worm’s Way Missouri1225 North Warson Road,St. Louis, MO 63132800-285-9676
MONTANAAlpengrow Nursery Supplies238 Highway 93 S.,Eureka, MT 59917406-882-4496Bizzy Beez LLP5875 Highway 93 S,Whitefish, MT 59937406-863-9937Big Sky Garden Supply528 West Idaho, Kallispell, MT 59901 406-755-1465Cornucopia Grow Your Own127 Stoner Creek RoadLakeside, MT 59922406-709-1076Dr. Green Thumbs1106 West Park,Livingston, MO 59047406-222-7440Heightened Harvests2018 Main Street #4,Billings, MT 59105406-252-4311Heightened Harvests3103 Harrison Avenue, Suite BButte, MT 59701
NEBRASKAAdvanced Hydro-Ponics10711 Mockingbird Drive,Omaha, NE 68127 (108th and L-Q)402-991-6630 Paradigm Gardens8949 J Street, Suite 5,Omaha, NE 68127402-339-4949 Patio-Ponics3255 Cornhusker Highway, Suite 4Lincoln, NE 68504402-466-9218
NEVADAAAA Indoor Organic Garden SuperCenter2101 S. Decatur Boulevard, #21,Las Vegas, NV 89102702-450-4769Advanced Gardens Hydroponics3111 South Valley View, (on Desert Inn West of Valley View) Suite V103Las Vegas, NV 89102702-257-4769 All American Hydroponics2675 East Patrick Lane, Unit 8,Las Vegas, NV 89120702-894-9888Anything Grows190 West Moana Lane,Reno, NV 89509775-828-1460Best Hydroponic Supply6818 W Cheyenne,Las Vegas, NV 89108702-750-9300Carson Valley Hydroponics2520 Empire Ranch Road,Carson City, NV 89701775-884-4769Hydro Store, The7145 W. Ann Road,Las Vegas, NV 89130702-434-9376
Hydro Store, The1014 W. Sunset Road,Henderson, NV 89014702-434-7365Lorraine Ink290 Spear Court,Fernley, NV 89408775-575-7757Nevada Hydroponics4700 B Maryland, Suite 1,Las Vegas, NV 89119702-798-2852
NEW HAMPSHIREHydro World17 White Birch Lane,Lincoln, NH 03251603-745-3030
NEW JERSEY77HYDRO37 Fairfield Place,West Caldwell, NJ 07006877-774-9376Claraqua4 Redwood Court,West Windsor, NJ 08550East Coast Horticultural Supply1652 Hurffville Road,Swewell, NJ 08080856-228-5290 Garden State Hydroponics511 Avenel Street,Avenel, NJ 07001888-300-8711Green Touch 2 Hydroponics Inc.888 Route 33, Unit 1,Hamilton, NJ 08619609-570-8829 H Y D R O P O N I C S I N C .
greentouch2
NEW MEXICOAHL Year Round Garden Supply1051 San Mateo Blvd. SE,Albuquerque, NM 87108505-255-3677AHL Year Round Garden Supply9421 Coors Blvd. NW Suite K,Albuquerque, NM 87114 505-899-0592 All Seasons Gardening3600 Osuna Road, Suite 406 Alburquerque, NM 87109 505-508-4292 All Seasons Gardening1228 Parkway, Suite E Sante Fe, NM 87507 505-438-GROW Common Shaman1319 San Mateo N.E.,Albuquerque, NM 87110505-255-6463
NEW YORKBklyn Hydro & Garden3116 McGuiness BlvdBrooklyn NY 11222718-383-0095Bronx Hydro & Garden39 Bruckner Boulevard,Bronx, NY 10454718-993-3787Brooklyn Farms521 Hicks StreetBrooklyn, NY 11231347-725-3491 California Hydroponics27 Corporate Circle,East Syracuse, NY 13057315-432-9387East Coast Hydroponics14649 Horace Harding Exp,Flushing, NY 11367718-762-8880Environmental Gardens8 John Walsh Boulevard, Suite 310Peekskills, NY 10566800-254-0507; 914-736-6676
FutureGarden Inc.59 Central Avenue,Farmingdale, NY 11735516-420-0884 Greentree Nursery308 Elmira Road,Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-3666Grow Room, The8 Bridge Street,Nyack, NY 10960800-449-9630Harvest Moon HydroponicsHenrietta Townline Plaza, 3047 West Henrietta Road,Rochester, NY 14623716-865-7353Harvest Moon Hydroponics340 West at 59,Central Nyack, NY 10960Harvest Moon Hydroponics147 Fourth Street,Troy, NY 10960Healthy Harvest Organics and Hydro163 Broadway,Fort Edwart, NY 12828518-480-4698Hudson Valley Hydroponics217 Route 32 North,New Paltz, NY 12561845-255-3633Hydro Garden Center1069B Lyell Avenue,Rochester, NY 146061-800-277-1322Hydroponics of Buffalo1497 Hertel Avenue,Buffalo, NY 14216716-838-3545Hydroponics Shops of America2606 Erie Boulevard,Syracuse, NY 13224315-251-2516Indoor Outdoor Gardener8223 5th Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11209718-836-2402KG Garden Supply1327 Floyd Avenue,Rome, NY 134401-877-KG-HYDROSaratoga Organics & Hydroponic Supply19 Front Street,Ballston Spa, NY 12020518-885-2005; 800-850-4769Sunlight Solutions Hydroponics2045 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Suite 13,Niagara Falls, NY 14304888-GROWBOXSunset Hydroponics & Home Brewing1590 West Ridge Road,Rochester, NY 14615866-395-9204Upstate Hydroponics2026 Lake Rd unit BElmira, NY 14903607 483 9199
NORTH CAROLINABe Well Hydroponics & Urban Gardening4732 Monroe Road,Charlotte, NC 28205704-344-8010BWGS-NC4045 Perimeter West Drive, Suite 400Charlotte, NC 28214800-316-1306Fifth Season Gardening Company21 B Westside Dr. Asheville NC 28806828-225-5007 Fifth Season Gardening Company45 Banks Avenue,Asheville, NC 28801828-253-4112
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributors
175Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Fifth Season Gardening Company106 South Greensboro Street,Carrboro, NC 27510919-932-7600Fifth Season Gardening Company1616 D-3 Battleground Avenue,Greensboro, NC 27408336-271-3373Fifth Season Gardening Company5619-A Hillsborough Street,Raleigh, NC 27606919-852-4747Flow & Grow Hydroponics & Organic Garden Center4521 Cumberland Road,Fayetteville, NC 28306910-423-FLOW (3569)High Tech Garden Supply2712 B Freedom DriveCharlotte, NC 28208704-697-0911New Age Gardens2236A US Highway 70,Swannanoa, NC 28778828-299-9989Progressive Gardens6005 Oleander Drive,Wilmington, NC 28403910-395-1156
OHIOAdvanced Hydrorganics Indoor Garden Center5204 Darrow Road,Hudson, OH 44236234-380-1287Akron Garden Center434 W Wilbeth Road,Akron, OH 44314330-724-2700Cleveland Garden Center Inc.727 East 185th Street,Cleveland, OH 44119216-481-7868CropKing134 West Drive,Lodi, OH 44254330-302-4203Carefree Garden Center134 West Drive,Lodi, OH 44254330-302-4203Dayton Hydroponics3856 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, West Carrolton, OH 45449937-859-3999Eastside Hydroponics550 Ohio PikeCincinnati, OH 45255513-528-GROWGarden Connections3341 Centerpoint Dr.Grove City OH 43123614 871 0707Garden Indoors of Ohio4720 Indianola Avenue,Columbus, OH 43214800-833-6868Greenleaf Hydroponics1805 Elm Road,Warren, OH 44483330-372-1039Grow Wizard, The5700 Denison Avenue,Cleveland, OH 44102216-961-2500Harvest Moon9215 Market Street,Youngstown (North Lima), OH 44452800-776-8399Herb-N-Garden Center14901 Puritas Avenue,Cleveland, OH 44135216-252-2001Hydro Gardens and Lights1144 N Memorial Drive Lancaster, OH 43130 705-65 Hydro Indoor Garden Worx906 Blue Avenue,Zanesville, OH 43701866-900-9679Indoor Gardens1222 Hill Road, North,Pickerington, OH 43147614-866-6065
Kissed by the Sun Hydroponic10740 Reading Road,Cincinnati, OH 45241513-769-0159Magic Home Gardens209 Cemetery Road,Canal Winchester, OH 43110614-837-2440Magic Home Garden4538 Indianola Avenue,Columbus, OH 43214614-263-2440Summit Hydroponics1030 Kenmore Boulevard Akron, OH 44314-2114330-753-5222Sweet Greens5540 Brecksville RoadIndependence, OH 44131800-421-7084Toledo Hydroponics Ltd.855 S. Holland-Sylvania Road, Suite 2Toledo, OH 436151-877-893-0716Trinity Hydro Organics435 Woodman DriveRiverside, OH 45431937-252-GROW Urban Gardens671 E. Center StreetMarion, OH 43302740-375-2800
OKLAHOMAAAAAHA! Hydroponics Unlimited P.O. Box 74,Oakhurst, OK 74050Organics OKC Garden Supply3620 N Pennsylvania Avenue,Oklahoma City, OK 73118405-528-GROWTulsa County Hydro-Organics1928 W. Albany,Broken Arrow, OK 74012918-259-HYDROUrban Garden3141 E. 15th Street,Tulsa, OK 74104918-289-0018
OREGONAmerican Agriculture9220 Southeast Stark Street,Portland, OR 97216800-433-6805Anthony’s Garden & Light Supply93779 B Troy Lane,Coos Bay, OR 97420541-266-8822Aqua Serene2836 W. 11th Avenue,Eugene, OR 97402541-302-9073 Aqua Serene465 Applegate Way,Ashland, OR 97520541-482-7600 Aurora InnovationsPO Box 22041,Eugene, OR 97402866-376-8578 Basin Indoor Gardening1221 Main Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97601541-273-2023B.I.G.S.155 SW Century Drive, Suite 401,Bend, OR 97702541-385-5222BIGS Warehouse2606 SW 4th Street, Unit BRedmond, OR 97756541-504-8886Cascade Horticulture39570 Pioneer Boulevard,Sandy, OR 97055503-668-8242Corvallis Hydroponics & Organics5490 SW Philomath Boulevard,Corvallis, OR 97333541-738-2820
Everybody’s Garden Center2701 SE 14th Avenue,Portland, OR 97202800-669-5483Forever Green Organic Hydro Gardens7530 Crater Lake Highway,White City, OR 97503541-826-2946Garden Spout, The4532 South East 63rd Avenue,Portland, OR 97206503-788-4769Gorilla Garden Supply1810 Virginia Avenue,North Bend, OR 97459541-756-5005 Garden Supplies
Green Thumb Hydrogarden and Organic Supply2021 West Main Street,Medford, OR 97501541-779-8600Grow America Garden Supply LLC11511 SW Pacific Highway,Tigard, OR 97223503-841-6868Growing Crazy (Hooked On Hydroponics)817 W. 2nd Street,Medford, OR 97501H2organic LCC620 NE 3rd Street,McMinnville, OR 97128503-434-6107Herb N’ Jungle Hydroponics930 SE Textron Drive,Bend, OR 97702541-382-4010Homegrown Garden Supply7112 NE Gilsan Street,Portland, OR 97213877-EZ2-GROWIn and Out Gardens1574 Skypark DriveMedford, OR 97501541-858-3333 Indoor Garden Center1697 SE 25th Street,Salem, OR 97302503-566-7888Indoor Garden Depot15828 SE McGloughlin Boulevard,Milwaukie, OR 97267503-786-2445 Indoor Garden Supply536 SW 6th Street (rear alley),Redmond, OR 97756541-504-7750Island Flowers & Indoor Garden Center909 N. Tomahawk Island Drive, Suite 103, Portland, OR 97217503-546-3185J-N-B Hydro 2 Go155 West Central Avenue,Sutherlin, OR 97479541-459-9211Ladybug Indoor Gardens3960 W. Main Street,Medford, OR 97501541-618-4459Lights Distributing9843 SW 55th Avenue,Portland, OR 97219Liquid Sun1845 Southwest Highway 101,Lincoln City, OR 97367541-994-7070Moonshine Park Farm135 South East 62nd, Unit FSouth Beach, OR 97366541-444-2298Northern Light and Garden Beaverton9290 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, Beaverton, OR 97005503-297-7331Northern Light and Garden Grants Pass1203 Rogue River Highway,Grants Pass, OR 97527541-474-1700Northern Light and Garden Salem1915 Lancester Drive,Salem, OR 97305503-364-4769
176 Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
MAXIMUM YIELDdistributorsOregon Rainforest Co.19949 E. Burnside Street,Gresham, OR 97233503-465-9909 Paradise Supply LLC560 NE. "F" Street, Unit C,Grand Pass, OR 97526541-955-7293Rain or Shine13126 NE Airport Way,Portland, OR 97230503-255-1981Rogue Silicates Inc. POB 21,Azalea, OR 97410541-837-8590Roots Garden Supply5426 North Gay Avenue,Portland, OR 97217503-285-4768Roseburg Hydroponics853 SE Stephens Street,Roseburg, OR 97470541-229-1420SunInside Gardening Co.665 Conger, Unit F,Eugene, OR 97402541-686-9966The Good Earth Organics30088 Redwood Highway,Cave Junction, OR 97523541-592-4496Urban Flora2865 South East,Portland, OR 97214503-236-3344Vital Organix932-B SE “M” StreetGrants Pass, OR 97526541-226-9283Westcoast Organic and Hydroponic Supply12410 SE 282nd Avenue, Unit CBoring, OR 97009503-766-4106Wizard's Garden, LLC621 Spruce Street, Unit C,Myrtle Point, OR 97458541-572-2333
PENNSYLVANIA422 GROW1775 North Main Street ExtensionButler, PA 16001-1327724-561-3777 FlairformPOB 1417,Lansdale, PA 19446215-395-6353 Full Bloom Hydroponics84 South 24th Street,Pittsburgh, PA 15203888-872-3602Garden Indoors of Pennsylvania208 Route 13,Bristol, PA 19007800-227-4567Harvest Moon Hydroponics1239 South Airport Road,Allentown, PA 18103610-432-4949Healthy Gardens and Supply1012 Lincoln Avenue,Prospect Park, PA 19076866-32-HYDROHigh Tech Garden Supply20232 Route 19, Unit 6,Cranberry Twp., PA 16066724-473-1113Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh2008 Smallman Street,Pittsburgh, PA 15222412-232-7030Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh830 Route 119,Greensburg, PA 15601724-836-1118
Hydro Ponics of Harrisburg310 South 10th Street, Lemoyne, PA 17043877-684-3808National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply450 Grim Lane, York,PA 17406877-779-7111(Northeast) New Stanton Hydro150 Post Ave.New Stanton, PA. 15672724-635-0297Organic Garden Center800 Washington Blvd.Williamsport, PA 17701570-322-3120PA Hydroponics & Home Gardening Supply20 Quaker Church Road,York Springs, PA 17372717-528-4175Pocono Hydroponic Solutions25 Route 611Bartonsville, PA 18321Tel: 570-730-4544RH DistributionPOB 1417Lansdale, PA 19446888-545-8112
RHODE ISLANDGood To Grow34 Nooseneck Hill Road,West Greenwich, RI 02817401-392-3100 Hydro-Earth1243 Mineral Springs Avenue,North Providence, RI 02904401-305-5520LiquidSun® RI1179 Central Avenue,Pawtucket, MA 02861401-722-2724Oakworld Garden Center39 West Street,Barrington, RI 02806401-245-5705Organically Grown768 Atwood AveCranston, RI 02920401-944-0549Solar Seed Hydroponics, Inc.2406 Putman Pike,Chepachet, RI 02814 401-710-9010
SOUTH CAROLINA247 Garden Supply535 D Clemson Road,Columbia, SC 29229803-788-4445All Good Hydroponics & Gardening6729 Two Notch Road,Columbia, SC 29223803-708-4819 GreenSpirit Hydrogarden1864 Meeting Street,Charleston, SC 29405843-225-1GRO; Green Thumb Unique Gardening & More1230 Rutherford Road,Greenville, SC 29609864-271-8830
SOUTH DAKOTAGreen Earth Products Inc.5700 Highway 79 S.,Unit 1,Rapid City, SD 57702605-342-1307
TENNESSEEAdvanced Hydroponic Garden783 French Mill Road,Dandridge, TN 37725800-521-1643
Advanced Hydroponic Garden6912 Clinton Highway,Knoxville, TN 37921866-938-3318All Seasons Gardening and Brewing Supply Co.924 8th Avenue, South,Nashville, TN 37203800-790-2188Atlantis Hydroponics1800 Rossville Avenue, #3,Chattanooga, TN 37408423-752-5400National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply126 Belinda Parkway,Mt. Juliet, TN 37122888-265-9005 Perpetual Harvest75 Riverport Drive,Jackson, TN 38301877-422-3391Sun City Hydroponics2235 Whitten Road, Suite 104,Memphis, TN 38133901-372-8100Worm’s Way Tennessee901 Main Street, Nashville, TN 37072 800-397-4153
TEXASAbundant Harvest Hydroponics & Organics3101 Avenue E East,Arlington Road, TX 76011817-649-0100Airline HydroponicsP.O. Box 980904, Trader’s Village #363,Houston, TX 77098713-942-0484Botani Garden15120 Bellaire BlvdHouston, TX 77083281-575-1999Brite Ideas Hydroponics & Organics4360 S.Congress Avenue, #310,Austin, TX 78745512-444-2100Earth Organics1360 Lee Trevino Drive,Suite 105El Paso, TX 79936915-591-9500Field of Dreams Indoor Growing Supplies5302 Slide Road Unit B,Lubbock, TX 79414806-793-2901GreenMaker Nursery3030 Northwest Loop,Stephenville, TX 76401254-965-7273 GroGreen Hydroponics4015 Main Street,Dallas, TX 75226214-370-9984Happy Harvest Hydroponics & Organic1500 Crescent Drive, Suite 202Carrollton, TX 75006972-466-1300Houston Discount Hydroponics9384 Richmond Avenue,Houston, TX 77063713-464-9406Hydro Mart3841 Main Street,Rowlett, TX 75088972-475-6114Hydroponic Nation9700 Almeda Genoa Road, Suite 108,Houston, TX 77075281-501-9636Innergrow Hydroponics24451 Interstate Highway 20,Wills Point, TX 75169866-475-4769
177Maximum Yield USA | October 2010
Jolly Green Hydroponics (Greenhouse Horticultural Supplies)13628 Neutron Road,Dallas, TX 75244 (866) WE-JOLLY; 469-341-5555 Lone Star Hydroponics and Organics1302 Motor Circle,Dallas, TX 75207214-634-9376Sol Organics & Hydroponics1634 Babcock Road,San Antonio, TX 78229210-366-9082Texas Growers Supply5990 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E. #602,Humble, TX 77396281-441-3739Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Central Austin)5126 Burnet Road,Austin, TX 78756512-459-4769Texas Hydroponics & Organics (South Austin)2125-A Goodrich Avenue,Austin, TX 78704512-440-4769Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Dallas)3400 Elm Street,Dallas, TX 75226214-744-4769Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Houston)7730 A Park Place Boulevard,Houston, TX 77087713-641-4769Ultimate Hydroponic Garden Supply6125 West Sam HoustonParkway, North Suite 206Houston, TX 77041713-856-8425
UTAHSalt Lake Plant & Hydro60 West 3300 S. #6,South Salt Lake, UT 84115801-488-3200
VERMONTGreen Thumb GardeningP.O. Box 235, Route 15,Underhill, VT 5489800-564-9376Greenthumb - Vermont394 Route 15,Jericho, VT 05465 802-899-4323LiquidSun® VT1 Bellows Falls Road, (Route 5 North)Putney, VT 05158802-387-1100Peak Hydroponic Garden Supplies20 School Street,Plainfield, VT 05667802-454-8000
VIRGINIABlue Ridge Hydroponics & Home Brewing Co.5524 Williamson Road, Suite 11Roanoke VA 24012540-265-2483Clean & Green Technologies196 Corning Drive,Christiansburg, VA 24073866-694-1628Fifth Season Gardening Company900 Preston Ave. Charlottesville VA 22903434-293-2332 Hydroponics & Growlights13400 Occoquan Road,Woodbridge, VA 22191703-490-0700I Love Hydroponics612 N. Sheppard Street,Richmond, VA 23221804-377-3020I Love Hydroponics368 Newtown Road, #105,Virginia Beach, VA 23462757-490-5425
Inside-Out Garden Supply6517 Backlick Road,Springfield, VA 22150703-451-3259
WEST VIRGINIAPanhandle Hydroculture800 East Moler Ave.Martinsburg, WV 25401304-240-7587
WASHINGTON509 Grow2718 N DivisionSpokane, WA 99207509-327-GROW(4769)Aqua Serene3839 Stone Way North,Seattle, WA 98103206-547-GROW (4769) Eco Enterprises1240 NE 175th Street, #BShoreline, WA 98155800-426-6937Garden Smart500 Bond Drive,Castlerock, WA 98611360-274-7960Green Gardens Distributing12738 Bel-Red Road,Bellevue, WA 98005425-454-5731Green Tree Hydroponics and Garden12316 Pacisic Ave SouthTacome, WA 98444 253-495-6757Grow Center, The17524 N. Franklin Crescent,Colbert, WA 99005509-456-GROWHydro-Tech2121 Aurora Avenue, North,Seattle, WA 98103206-547-2202Indoor Garden Depot6400 NE Highway 99, Suite H,Vancouver, WA 98665360-993-7779 Indoor Garden Depot1401 S. 324th Street,Federal Way, WA 98003253-874-1112 Indoor Garden & Lighting3839 6th Avenue,Tacoma, WA 98406253-761-7478 Indoor Garden & Lighting23303 Highway 99, Suite A,Edmonds, WA 98026425-673-2755 Indoor Garden & Lighting714 South Central Avenue,Kent, WA 98032253-373-9060 Indoor Garden Supply LLC1950b Belmont Loop,Woodland, WA 98674360-841-8055InDoor Gardening1158 CommerceLongview WA, 98632360-353-3851Island Hydroponic & Supplies1515 5th Street #B,Marysville, WA 98271425-299-5855Kent Garden Supplies Ltd.18817 East Valley Highway,Kent, WA 98032425-251-9299Kitsap Garden & Lighting2130 6th Street,Bremerton, WA 98312360-377-1277Linda’s Gardening & Hydroponics11522 Canyon Road East,Puyallup, WA 98373253-531-9641
Liquid Sunshine Hydroponics5087 Lincoln Road,Blaine, WA 98230M & R Lighting17238 Memorial Drive,Mt. Vernon, WA 98273360-848-1080M & R LightingUnit C 22914 Highway 410,Buckley, WA 98390253-891-4190Mike's Indoor Garden Supply6121 172nd Street NE #A,Arlington, WA 98223425-346-6481National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply 4525 NW Fruit Valley Road, Vancouver, WA 98660 888-478-6544 (Northwest) National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply5408 NE 88th Street, Building A,Vancouver, WA 98665888-478-6544 Northern Lights Gardening4159 Hannegan Road,Bellingham, WA 98225360-715-8585Northwest Horticulture Supply161 Hooker Road, #1,Sequim, WA 98057360-582-0702Renton Indoor Garden Center207 Sunset Blvd. N, Building A,Renton, WA 98055425-917-9000River City Hydroponics1514 East Francis Avenue,Spokane, WA 99208509-464-0246Sodo Hydro1727 1st Ave. South,Seattle, WA 98134888-904-9376Solar Shop306 West 4th Street,Tonasket, WA 98855509-486-4508Spokane Organic and Hydroponic Supply4823 East Sprague Avenue E.,Spokane Valley, WA 99212509-534-4055
WISCONSINAric's Indoor Garden Supply1104 West Wisconsin Avenue,Appleton, WI 54914920-574-3258 Brew and Grow285 N. Janacek Road,Brookfield, WI 53045262-789-0555Brew and Grow3317 Agriculture Drive,Madison, WI 53716608-226-8910Grow BIG Hydroponics954 S. Westland,Appleton, WI 54914920-749-4769Paradigm Gardens4539 Helgesen Drive,Madison, WI 53718608-241-3800
PUERTO RICOTecno-HydroAve Campo Rico GJ17,Carolina, PR 00982787-752-8252
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