Garden Culture Magazine: UK 4

UK

EDITIO

N YEA

R 1 - ISSU

E 3 · SU

MM

ER 2013

- PRICE: £

3, 99

2 VIVA ESPAÑA & TEMPERAMENT

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Rhino Twin Speed FanRhino Twin speed fans provide the grower with the flexibility to move between a higher or lower power as their requirements change throughout their growing cycle.

Rhino Thermostatically Controlled FanRhino Thermostatically controlled fans allow for

the management of air exchanges according to the growers’ grow room temperature.

Rhino Single Speed FanA single speed fan designed for high power

and quiet running. Maintenance free, with long-lifespan and low power consumption.

A superior range of fans from Rhino

NEW

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IN THIS ISSUE OF GARDEN CULTURE:

FREAKYTOMATOES 12

68

7 Foreword

8 Product Spotlight

12 Freaky tomatoes

14 Water – the universal solvent

20 Sous vide cooking

23 Greenproducts:5coolfinds

24 Greenoffice:Agroofficespace

28 Urbanfarmer-Cultivatingwithyourcity

34 Grow your own: Mint

41 Sealing in freshness

42 Organic compost

46 Organic gardening basics

54 Greenlight–factorfiction?

56 The sealed room garden

58 AnnouncingtheHomeGrownExpo

62 ThetruthaboutLED

66 Yoursaladtrackstime!

68 Ballast pros & cons

73 4Amazingplantfacts

78 ResidentEvil

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT 8

MINTGROW-YOUR-OWN

34

78

RESIDENTEVIL

62

CONTENTS I GARDEN CULTURE

5 gardenculture.net

ORGANICCOMPOST42

SEALED ROOMGARDEN

56

pros&consballast

THE TRUTHABOUT LEDS

7

FOREWORD & CREDITS I GARDEN CULTURE

FOREWORD

Winter is off and running. Naturally, outdoor grow-

ers are sad, and indoor growers are happy. This time

of year growing food outdoors is tough at best, even

with cold frames and greenhouses. Growing indoors

becomes a lot easier, and the types of plants that do

well in your garden offers much more variety. Here the

grow tent is up with some nice chili’s and kitchen herbs

already flourishing.

Cold weather also means most of us will be cooking every meal indoors. Hopefully, your outdoor garden produced a truckload of great fruits and veggies to keep you eating well until next season. Whether your freezer and pantry is jam packed with summer’s boun-ty, or you buy fresh foods from the whole food store, there’s an excellent new way to cook it all. Better fla-vor with less work! Be sure to read the Sous Vide ar-ticle in this issue, so you don’t miss out on incredible taste created in the healthiest way possible. You’ll find some great reading in this issue. Some of it will help you be a better gardener indoors and in the backyard, and some of it might make your hair stand on end. We know you’ll think twice about tomatoes from the store, and discover more determination to grow your own food after reading Resident Evil.

We’re very busy here at Garden Culture Headquarters with an exciting new project - the Home Grown Expo 2014 in Coventry. We’re hoping to have around 3000 visitors, and with 90% of the floor space already sold out, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be a great event. If you’d like to learn more about the show, check out www.homegrownexpo.co.uk. Get 50% off at the door with discount code GCUK4.Happy reading, 3

Mike NivatoExecutive Editor

CREDITS

Garden Culture™ is a publication of GC Publishers B.V.

E D I TO R SExecutive Editor:Mike NivatoE. [email protected] Editor:Tammy Clayton

D E S I G NJob Hugenholtz

Special thanks the following contributors:Dan F, Sheldon Aberman, April Kazema, Jeroen Dercksen, Sylvia Bernstein, Tom Alexander.

P U B L I S H E RGC PublishersPostbus 4833200 AL SpijkenisseThe Netherlandst. +31(0)181-728101

w www.gcpublishers.nete [email protected]

A D V E R T I S I N GEric Coulombe E. [email protected]+1-855-427-8254+31(0)181-728101

S U B S C R I P T I O N SE. [email protected]

D I S T R I B U T I O N PA R T N E R SNutricultureMaxigrowDirect Garden Supplies

ISSN: 2211-9329

© GC Publishers B.V.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in

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tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior

permission in writing from the GC Publishers B.V.

Website : www.GardenCulture.net

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fresh

Mammoth Pro tents are designed for growers looking

for a premium-quality tent. They are feature-laden,

which makes them the perfect product for the pro-

fessional grower.

This range of tents are highly effective at containing

light and have a load capacity of 30kg as well as being

suitable for washing inside and out.

Win a Mammoth Pro 120!!!

For your chance to win a Mammoth Pro 120 tent,

simply log onto nutriculture.co.uk/competitions and

register your details, inserting the phrase ‘I want that

Mammoth’ into the comments area. One lucky win-

ner will be chosen at random which will be revealed

in issue 5 of Garden Culture.

Mammoth pro tents

available now!

8

product spotlightNEW Sunmaster Hobby 600W Digital Ballast

Green Power has become a favourite with UK growers look-ing for maximum grow room protection, thanks to their high-quality, reliable and easy-to-use relays and contactors. Now this popular brand has extended their range to meet the needs of the new and novice grower.The Green Power Hobby is manufactured using high-quality components and safeguards grow rooms from disasters caused by electrical surges.

Available as a 2 and 3 socket version, with maximum loads of 1200w and 1800w respectively, the Green Power Hobby can be connected to any timer, offering the utmost flexibility for the grower. For more information visit www.greenpowercontactors.co.uk

hobby relays

Green Power

The new Sunmaster Hobby digital ballast gives you all the latest digital features at a great price from a trusted brand. With

four power modes you can run your lamps at normal power, dim them, and boost the 600W by 10% with Power Boost at

the final flowering stage. Intelligent Ignition reduces the chance of an electrical surge when multiple ballasts start up, starting

each ballast one at a time. Soft start technology will gently start your lamps for longer lamp life. Dynamic frequency

control ensures consistent light output, even when your mains supply fluctuates. In the event of a power cut,

most ballasts have a set waiting period to let lamps completely cool, leaving your lights off for longer

than is necessary. The Sunmaster Hobby is built with fast lamp re-strike to safely re-ignite

hot lamps with minimum stoppage time. This is the affordable choice of top grade ballast.

www.maxibright.com.

http://www.maxibright.com/

fresh

gardenculture.net

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTUREproduct spotlight

9

Maxibright Compact Power Pack

The NEW Maxibright Compact Power Pack range is growing with units now available in 400W and 600W models! A new generation of magnetic power pack, it gives lower

heat output, ultra-efficient lamp control and silent operation. The internal unit is finished with injection-moulded resin, allowing core heat to dissipate at a greater rate to prevent over-heating. A

matched digital Smart IgniterTM provides efficient lamp start-up, detecting as soon as a lamp is ready for re-strike in the event of a power cut and when a lamp has reached its end of life. A precision wound ballast

gives it thermal and electrical durability. The wall-mountable case is complete with a handy carry handle for easy use. The Maxibright Compact is a Genuine Quality ballast, meeting specific EC quality standards to give the correct

power to the lamp, guaranteed safety and a nominal rated life span of ten years. For more information visit www.genuinequality.co.uk and check out www.compactpowerpack.co.uk.

new

Rhino has become the trusted name for grow room ventila-tion, and with the introduction of the new Rhino Fan range, growers can now get their hands on a fan that will provide the unrivalled performance that they have come to expect from Rhino products.This new range of highly efficient, superior quality fans are available in sizes to suit growers of different scale who now have the choice of a single, twin, and thermostatically controlled units to choose from. Fully compatible with growers existing Rhino prod-ucts, Rhino Fans are heavy-duty with a selection manufactured from steel, for those who need a fan of the highest durability.This means that no matter what type of grower you are, there’s a Rhino Fan to suit your needs.For more information, visit: www.nutriculture.co.uk

Rhino FansUntil now, growers watered and drained prop trays

by hand. Microclone makes the only low profile wa-

tering tray that fits the width of standard chrome and

steel racks. Four prop trays line up neatly across each

Microclone tray. Clone

trays can be handled

easily in the shallow

two-inch deep tray,

watered manually with

a collective drain, or

automatically by Flood

and drain, drip, NFT,

nearly anything you

can imagine. The Mi-

croclone Rack Tray is

45 inches wide to fit all

common rack units, and is no taller than the prop trays it

is designed to hold. Microclone exclusively uses a flat bot-

tom and thin raised ridges for plenty of drainage and easy

cleaning. There are twin-tap drain wells in the front (or

back) corners that work with all common fittings.

Microclone Rack Trays are distributed by DL Wholesale,

World Wide Garden Supply, and Green Planet Wholesale

an online at planttc.com

Microclone

Rack Tray

http://www.genuinequality.co.uk

http://www.compactpowerpack.co.uk

http://www.nutriculture.co.uk

http://planttc.com/

11 gardenculture.net

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT I GARDEN CULTURE

Biobizz supports Justdiggit. Justdiggit is an organization that creates

awareness on, and takes action in the battle against desertification

and climate change. Biobizz also fights for a world that is fertile and

therefore liveable; not only by producing organic fertilizers, but also

by supporting initiatives like Justdiggit.

You too can take part in this battle! Justdiggit is initiated by the Naga

Foundation. The project was established to involve more people in

the battle against desertification and climate change; phenomenons

that will affect us all sooner or later. Biobizz and Justdiggit want to

create more awareness that now is the time to take action! De-

forestation, overgrazing and detrimental agricultural practices are

turning large areas of the planet into deserts.

The top layer of soil has become hard and

impenetrable, and as a result of which rainwa-

ter cannot seep into the ground. The earth

is warming up and drying out. The natural

balance is being seriously disrupted, and the

earth becomes less fertile. Results are failed

crops, hunger, poverty, and climate change.

But there is a solution! This is the time for

you to take action. We need to take care that the rainwater can

seep in the ground again, and channel underground. This can be

done by digging ditches a metre deep along contour lines in the

landscape to open up the impenetrable top layer. All run-off

rainwater is collected in the ditches and can be absorbed and

retained by the soil. The seeds still present in the soil will start

to sprout, and the natural vegetation will return surprisingly

quickly. Thát’s our aim!

The first goal Justdiggit has is turning 266.000.000m2 green as

a start for climate recovery. Biobizz supports this project, and

is collecting money to support the battle for a greener world.

Our first action: for every new friend (like!) on Facebook, Bio-

bizz will donate “one green square meter” to Justdiggit.

You can help! Just go to the Biobizz Facebook Page, and click

the like-button. Help out before it’s too late! For more in-

formation on Justdiggit you can watch their video on: https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzCjSuu8azE. For more infor-

mation on Biobizz check out: www.biobizz.com

Dig in for a fertile w

orld!Select Power

Pack 600W & 1000W

The new DigiLight Pro® Select digital ballast

from Maxibright gives you the ultimate flexibil-

ity with just one ballast. Choose from 6 power

modes to run your lamps at normal power,

Super mode for 10% extra power on every

lamp wattage (the only ballast on the market

that can do this) or dimmed for ultimate light

control throughout the growth cycle. De-

veloped with new Surge Control ® software,

when multiple DigiLight Pro® Select ballasts

are started from the same power supply they

will safely ignite multiple lamps one at a time

to reduce electrical surges. Soft start technol-

ogy gently starts lamps with a low current for

significantly improved lamp life and to maintain

continual efficient lamp output. Fast lamp re-

strike ensures hot lamps start as quickly as

possible. Includes a built-in diagnostic LED for

fault finding. For full features and information

check out your nearest Maxibright stockist at

www.maxibright.com

Maxibright DigiLight Pro ®

12

Some say this micro tomato

forest thing is due to cold

storage. Others say it isn’t un-

common. Huh? Where did the

natural germina-

tion inhibitors go?

Stranger still, to-

matoes picked be-

fore perfect ripe-

ness don’t have

viable seeds. Mature tomato

seeds do not germinate without fermenting. Most of these

hyperactive tomato owners state that the fruit wasn’t rot-

ten. Some were freshly purchased, and furthermore, store-

bought tomatoes are picked unripe.

Freaky Tomatoes

In almost every case, the tomatoes were store-bought.

One woman found the seeds inside a cherry tomato all

germinated. She planted one in a pot out of curiosity. The

thing grew 10 individual main stems!

I had this happen with homegrown tomatoes a couple of

years ago. There was no cold storage. The fresh picked

tomatoes got tossed within days. Others gardeners have

had this happen too, but not with heirloom varieties to my

knowledge.

Are they Frankenmatoes with fish or frog genes in them?

Nope. Sources report transgenic GE tomato varieties are

history. In fact, no new GE tomatoes have been released

since 2000 due to regulation difficulties, among other com-

plexities. It does have to do with genetics... and mutants.

A number of hybridized crops suffer from this precocious

What’s up with the fruit here? A tomato is not supposed to sprout plants. Totally abnormal, and not

some isolated oddity. The earliest report found of buying tomatoes filled with germinating seeds is 2003.

More and more people are talking about this, and sharing bizarre tomato images. Suspicions of genetically

modified organisms loom large.

“Are they Frankenmatoes?”

BY TAMMY CLAYTON©

Chr

is &

Chr

istin

a C

urri

e”

“That ain’t natural. It’s defective.”

13 13

FREAKY TOMATOES I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

germination, or ‘viviparous’ tendency. An occasional odd-

ball seed that defies the status quo sounds reasonable. But

a whole fruit full, or several tomatoes on a stem cluster, or

most of your harvest? That ain’t natural. It’s defective.

The cause is hormonal imbalance.

Low levels of ABA or abscisic acid,

a phytohormone that regulates seed

development. Some tomato variet-

ies are more prone to this vivipa-

rous activity. Which ones are they?

The pretty ones that stay edible

in your fridge for weeks after pur-

chase. Bred to stay ripe without aging - a.k.a. Long Shelf

Life.

Vivipary was very common with early processing tomatoes

bred for one-time destructive machine harvesting. Truss,

or cluster types, and cherry tomatoes you buy at the gro-

cery store out of season will all be long shelf life varieties.

Long shelf life tomatoes, if picked at the right stage and

gassed, can remain ‘fresh’ 3-4 months after harvest. Rip-

ened on the plant, they have one month of shelf life max.

While the skin and meat don’t age, the seed continues to

mature using the sugars available

inside the fruit. The most extreme

viviparous tendencies are seen in

rin mutant tomatoes that mature,

but don’t ripen or rot.

What’s a rin mutant? A salad ornament. It’s bright red and

looks good, but has crunch and no flavor. Sound familiar?

It has to do with a mutant gene. One that inhibits ripening.

Rin mutant hybrids ship better. The store has less loss.

The rin gene controls the ripening process. In 2002 Cor-

nell University located the gene in tomato DNA. Scientists

are working on building a juicy GE tomato. Garden fresh

tomato flavor that will ship thousands of miles, and store

for months. Fat chance. Juiciness, soft garden fresh texture,

and flavor is what makes a real tomato unshippable. 3

“Where did the natural germination

inhibitors go?”

“Mature tomato seeds do not germinate without fermenting.”

14 14

BY STEPHEN

theuniversal solvent

water “ T H E B E T T E R WAT E R TA S T E S T O YO U ,

T H E B E T T E R I T W I L L TA S T E T O YO U R P L A N T ”

Like all life on Earth, water is the cornerstone of a plant’s survival. In

hydroponics, the water is the vehicle used to carry the nutrients, making

them available for the roots to take in. With this in mind, it becomes obvious

that water quality is paramount to a hydro-gardener’s success.

15 15 gardenculture.net

theuniversal solvent

water “PH AFFECTS HOW WELL A PLANT CAN

ABSORB EACH UNIQUE ELEMENT”Water Quality We categorize water into two descriptive terms - hard or

soft. The calcium and magnesium concentration will be the

deciding factor in which of the terms your water falls un-

der. Having an abundant (over 300) parts-per-million (PPM

or measurement of the total dissolved solids) of these es-

sential nutrients will make your water hard, while having a

miniscule PPM will make your water soft.

In hydroponics it is better to have a lower PPM in your base

water rather than a higher PPM. If you have hard water a

reverse osmosis filtration system is an invaluable tool to

any serious gardener. A good tip is that the better water

tastes to you, the better it will taste to your plant.

H2O Tools In hydroponics there are tools to help a gardener take

precise measurements of their water to enable them to

succeed.

pH Meter: Potential Hydrogen (a.k.a. pH) is the scale

used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous so-

lution. It’s measured on a scale from 1 to

14. Pure acid is a 1, pure base is a 14, and a

neutral solution is a 7. Every point change

on this scale exponentially multiplies the

acidity or alkalinity by ten. This fact de-

mands careful and exact measurement and

observation, which is achieved with this in-

valuable tool.

Most plants grown hydroponically prefer a

stable pH around a 6 with a .5 acceptable

variance ( i.e. 5.5-6.5). Since pH affects how well a plant can

absorb each unique element, scientific testing has shown

plants thrive on the higher threshold of this pH range in

vegetative growth, and more acidic in the flowering stage.

pH is safely manipulated and buffered using phosphoric acid

(pH Lower), or potassium hydroxide (pH Raise). The me-

ter must also be calibrated at least once a month to ensure

accurate readings using a calibration solution.

Hydroponic NutrientsHydroponic nutrients are a comprehensive soluble form of

all the essential nutrition required to raise plants to their

highest capabilities. There are primary nutrients known as

“macronutrients” or the primary nutrients. Others we re-

fer to as “micronutrients,” secondary nutrients, or trace

minerals. All nutrients are either mobile or immobile.

Mobile nutrients are able to move about the plant as the

plant sees fit. This means that the plant, identifying a mobile

nutrient deficiency, will move the nutrient to the newest

growth rendering the older growth damaged first.

“ALL NUTRIENTS ARE EITHER MOBILE OR IMMOBILE”

EC (or TDS) Meter: Hydroponic nutrients, in the form of

nutrient salts, are made up of a precise measurement of all

nutrients and minerals needed to grow vegetables, fruits,

and flowers. These salts are safe. Consider the pink Himala-

yan sea salt from your local whole food store. It is chock-full

of minerals! Salts make liquid more electrically conductive.

Therefore, the more hydroponic nutrient, the more con-

ductive your water is.

An EC (electrical conductivity)

meter measures the nutrient (salt)

strength via pulses of electricity. It then

calculates the total amount of nutrients

in your water, but doesn’t identify the in-

dividual nutrients present, or the portion

they contribute to the whole. We mea-

sure TDS (total dissolved solids) in PPM,

or parts-per-million. It is another way to express EC. You

can find the PPM from the EC by multiplying the EC by 500

or 700 depending on what the conversion factor of your

TDS meter is.

WATER I GARDEN CULTURE

16

nutrient puzzle! It’s needed throughout a plant’s life. Bo-

ron helps a plant’s calcium intake, cell growth, and RNA

development.

Zinc (Zn): a mobile micronutrient that is infamous for

deficiency in soil like ours in Florida! Zinc buddies up with

magnesium and manganese to help with enzymes. Sugars

and proteins owe a debt to zinc, as does stem growth and

chlorophyll. Florida soil’s high pH (above 7.0) is to blame for

the zinc deficiencies in our plants.

Iron (Fe): a mobile micronutrient that’s another casualty

to high pH soil. It also plays a big role in chlorophyll and pho-

tosynthesis. Iron also has a role in a plants respiration, but is

very difficult for a plant to intake, so it’s normally chemically

bonded (chelated).

Manganese (Mn): an immobile micronutrient that is es-

sential to chloroplasts which actually contain the chloro-

phyll. Manganese also helps with nitrogen and iron in the

chlorophyll production.

Chlorine (Cl): an immobile micronutrient that helps ut-

most with the osmotic pressure required to open and close

the stomata on the bottom of the leaves, allowing the plant

to transpire and release excess moisture. It also assists in

root and foliage growth.

Molybdenum (Mb): an immobile micronutrient that

converts nitrates to ammoniums. It’s needed only in very

small doses, and is most effective in roots and seedlings.

During your gardening career you will inevitably find differ-

ent methods and products to use. The goal is to find the

best quality nutrients that do not build up residue and salts

that lead to extra time and labor. You should ask your local

hydro professional for tips and advice in what will suit your

hydro-situation best.

Immobile nutrients do not

move about the plant. These

nutrients stay in their original placement, affecting newer

growth first in the case of a deficiency.

Nutrients used in growing most plants almost

always include:

Nitrogen (N): a mobile macronutrient that is required

most heavily in vegetative growth. Nitrogen is also need-

ed during the flowering phase in lower levels. Nitrogen is

quickly depleted, and makes regular feeding necessary, es-

pecially in early growth.

Phosphorous (P): a mobile macronutrient important

throughout a plant’s life. Fruiting and flowering plants need

the highest levels of this nutrient that helps with germination,

root growth, bud set, and production. There are also flower-

ing additives containing very high levels of phosphorous.

Potassium (K): a mobile macronutrient that assists in

the combination, production, and movement of starches,

sugars, and carbohydrates. It also can aid a plant’s immunity

to bad bacteria and mold issues.

Calcium (Ca): an immobile secondary nutrient that is as

necessary as the macronutrients, and should be equal in

concentration to phosphorous. Calcium creates cells, helps

their integrity and growth. It also creates strong roots.

Plants must always have calcium on their root tips.

Sulfur (S): an immobile secondary nutrient responsible

for important protein synthesis. It is found in several amino

acids, and is essential in oil and flavor production. Sulfur in

the form of sulfates help to buffer pH, and is the building

block of many vitamins and hormones. Vitamin B1, which

aids in stress relief for plants is one of the most notorious

vitamins owing its debt to sulfur.

Magnesium (Mg): a mobile secondary nutrient that is

the found in the central atom of chlorophyll molecules ab-

sorbing light energy for your plant. Magnesium is essential

to a fruiting and flowering plant by transferring enzymes

into carbohydrates and sugars that will become what your

plant produces. Magnesium helps a plant make use of all

other nutrients.

Boron (B): an immobile micronutrient that is one of

the most understood as far as the scope of functions it

performs in a plant. It is known as a needed piece of your

“POTASSIUM CAN AID A PLANT’S IMMUNITY

TO BAD BACTERIA”

16

17 17

Hydroponic MediumsThe inert mediums used in hydroponic growing have no

nutrient content. Their purpose is holding and supporting

the root system, and delivering oxygen, water and nutri-

ents in varying degrees. Factors such as the nutrient con-

tainment, the pH, as well as the composition and texture

of a medium all directly relate to the medium’s needs - and

how well your plant will perform overall.

Soilless Mix is a term that normally refers to a medium

that is a blend of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or coir. A

single material is sometimes mistakenly called a soilless

mix. It may be soilless, but it takes at least two of anything

to make a mix!

Perlite is volcanic rock that

can be used as an aggregate

- a substance used to break

up a medium with high moisture holding capacity. It’s also

used as a stand-alone medium with fast drainage.

Vermiculite acts the opposite of perlite. It has a

great ability to retain moisture. For this reason one can

use vermiculite to blend with perlite, soil, etc. when it

drains too fast.

Peat Moss after being wet

down has characteristics similar

to soil. It holds a lot of mois-

ture, and has a fine texture, which

is why it’s normally amended with per-

lite. Dolomite lime is usually added as well to add some

micronutrient charge, and raise the pH level of this

naturally acidic medium.

Coco Coir (Coconut pith) is the ground up material

underneath the husk. It’s a very environmentally con-

scious choice for a medium, as it is one of the only por-

tions left over in coconut processing. Unadulter-

ated, it needs a calcium/magnesium charge,

and a rinse to shed excess sodium con-

tent before use. Coir has natural anti-

fungal properties, and discourages al-

gae growth when added to the top of

other growth mediums.

Expanded Clay (Hydroton/Hydrokorrels) is a round-

ed medium created by heating clay at a high tempera-

ture resulting in expansion. These porous, reusable

beads allow for sharp drainage, nutrient uptake, and air

capacity. Hydroton also provides great support for the

gardenculture.net

root zone. You can add peat or coco coir to help re-

tain more moisture and nutrient con-

tent around the root zone for

plants to feed on between

irrigations.

Rockwool (Stonewool) is a porous

medium made by melting basalt rock using

extreme heat and transforming it into a cotton candy-

like material. It is then spun into a fibrous material that

resembles fiberglass. This medium that can hold 80%

water, and 15% oxygen when fully saturated. Rockwool

is arguably the most popularly

used medium worldwide in hy-

droponic food production. It’s

made into cubes, blocks,

slabs, and a granular material. You must soak

this medium before use in a pH of 5.5-6.0

for a length of time to neutralize its natural

alkalinity.

These are by far not the only mediums used in hy-

droponics today, but are the cornerstones. As hydro-

ponic enthusiasts, we are always anxious to see what’s

next. Testing new innovations always furthers the field

of hydro-gardening, and helps each grower see what

works best for us. 3

“ROCKWOOL CAN HOLD 80% WATER AND 15%

OXYGEN”

“COIR HAS NATURAL ANTI-FUNGAL

PROPERTIES”


WATER I GARDEN CULTURE

PERLITE

COCO COIR

EXPANDED CLAY

131223 Biogreenspread.indd 2 23-12-2013 14:31:33

131223 Biogreenspread.indd 2 23-12-2013 14:31:33 131223 Biogreenspread.indd 3 23-12-2013 14:35:56

20

S O U S V I DEC O O K I N G“YOU’LL GET UNPARALLELED RESULTS”

BY MIKE NIVATO

T H E S E C R E T T E C H N I Q U E O F G R E AT C H E F S A R O U N D T H E W O R L D . . .

I’ve always loved food, and I always loved cook-

ing, so much so, that I went to school to become

a chef. In all honesty, after getting my degree I

didn’t do much with it in a professional sense.

I’m more comfortable as an amateur cook, but I

haven’t forgotten the techniques learned at culi-

nary school. While some are the same as most

of you use in everyday life, some never make it

to the stove in regular households. The reasons

vary, but it’s mostly because it’s too complicated,

or too expensive.

21 21

COOKING I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

“THE JUICES OF WHAT YOU’RE COOKING ARE THE ESSENCE GETTING PRESERVED.”

“COOK BETTER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE FLAVORFUL

FOOD THAN EVER BEFORE”

sous vide [soo veed]

noun

the technique of cooking ingredients in a vacuum-sealed

plastic pouch, usually for a long time at a low temperature.

Sous Vide cooking was once one of those techniques that wasn’t

available for the masses, simply because the technique required

too high of an investment. When using this technique you’ll

get unparalleled results. Smells and tastes get locked in, flavors

become better, and the juices of what you’re cooking are the

essence getting preserved. So what is Sous Vide?

Sounds simple enough, but this is exactly where it becomes

complicated. First of all, vacuum sealing technique’s weren’t

readily available, dependable, or affordable. Good vacuum sealers

used to cost thousands and upwards. Right now, they’re around

a hundred.

The next step is to cook it for a long time

at a low temperature. What’s long I hear

you ask? For vegetables “long” is between 1

and 2 hours. When talking about meat, the

cooking time is 2 hours at minimum - all the

way up to 72 hours for something like spare

ribs.

When talking a low temperature, this is

more than a burner on the stove set to ‘low.’ It’s imperative that

we control the temperature accurately. Fluctuations will make

the product, and its quality, unpredictable at best. Naturally, the

temperature depends on what you’re cooking, but it’s normally

between 55 and 80° Celsius. Controlling a temperature of 55° in

your household kitchen is a nightmare. It requires tweaking, and

an expensive, accurate food thermometer.

That’s where our friends from SousVide Supreme come in to

action. They are so dedicated to sous vide cooking that it’s part

of their brand name. We reached out to them not to long ago,

and asked them for one of their water ovens to write about. A

couple of days later a big box arrived at GC HQ, and we started

cooking. SousVide Supreme developed the world’s first water

oven designed specifically for home kitchens.

This water oven helps you cook better, healthier, and more

flavorful food than ever before. The process combined with

some recipes is pretty straight forward actually. A recipe

book came with the cooker and vacuum

sealer they shipped us, and we’ve used it

extensively.

So what can you do with this cool piece

of tech? Essentially, the possibilities are

limitless. We’ve cooked green asparagus,

glazed carrots with basil, chicken with fresh

garden greens, and much more. A recipe I

loved was a piece of salmon topped with tomato and basil.

With the vacuum and the slow cooking you really could taste

the blending of all the flavors come together in the salmon.

We can highly recommend this technique for the reason

explained above, but also for the health aspect. Since you’re

cooking in a vacuum-sealed bag in water, all the natural juice

and good stuff like vitamins, amino acids, etc stay in your food.

Additionally, there’s no need to add butter or oils which

makes it even healthier eating. Last, but not least, and I’ve said

it multiple times - the flavor is outstanding. The healthy aspect

is great, but for me, flavor is the real reason I now cook with

the sous vide water cooker a big percentage of the time. 3

23

G A R D E N S G O P O S TA LDon’t just send a card. Send one with

more purpose than hanging around. Mail

a postcard with a green future. One with a

gift of fresh watercress that anyone can grow.

Available in 23 countries and a variety of city

and village scapes designed by Another Studio.

From www.PostCarden.com

23

GREEN PRODUCTS I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

Plants definitely make the world a better place. Here’s some

great ways to spread hope, beauty and nutrition around.

cool finds

2 0 , 0 0 0 E D I B L E P L A N T SThat’s how many exist on the planet,

and 90% of the modern food supply depends on

a mere 20 species. All of which have had the true

healthy benefits bred

out of them to create

market-perfect produce.

What tasty, nutrition-

packed fruits, greens,

roots and herbs are you

missing out on? They

might be growing in

your own backyard, or

be perfectly happy in your indoor garden. “Edible

Plants : An inspirational guide to choosing and

growing unusual edible plants” by Plants For A

Future is available from Amazon. 3

G R O W YO U R O W N F U N G IDid you know that

growing gourmet mushrooms

is super simple? Tasty pearl

oyster mushrooms that even

a child can succeed in just 10-

14 days. Mushroom kits in a

box make it a cinch. Just add

a little moisture, and sit back

to watch them grow. Kits are

made from recycled material.

At least 2 harvests in every box. From

www.Fungi-Futures.co.uk.

P E R F E C T S P R O U T FA R MGrow fresh sprouts faster and better.

The iPlant Sprout Garden perfects the process.

Automatic sprinkler, and built-in temperature

control with heating system corrects your wee

sprout farm’s environment. Great gift for you

or someone you know. Your choice of colors.

Comes with one or two growing chambers.

Replacement trays and seed kits are available

too. Search ‘iPlant Sprout Garden’ on Amazon.

S E E D B O M B V E N D I N GGuerilla gardening and seed bombs

aren’t new, but distributing them freely

is. GreenAid has great ways to spread edible, herb

and flowering gardens anywhere. Fresh salad, a

salsa garden, or a pollinator food plot planted via

slingshot in a wasteland? Why not! Buy a kit, buy a

tube of bombs, or put a guerilla gardener’s vending

machine in your business. Help make the world a

greener place. From www.GreenAid.co.

1

2

3

4

5

24

TEXT: GRUBBYCUP, PHOTOS: STOCK

My own adventures in cubicle hell took place in an office too

soul crushingly barren to allow such frivolities of personality

like a houseplant (even the photos of flowers I kept in my cell

were eyed suspiciously by the evil overlords). Fortunately,

my current occupation allows me the freedom to garden

and surround myself with living things (albeit at a substantial

reduction in pay), so here are some tips for those left behind.

Check to make sure it is not against company policy.Believe it or not, the medical industry office I worked in

prohibited personal houseplants for “health” reasons. While

the objection was not well-defined, it appeared to have

something to do with making sure the mold spores the air

conditioning system spewed out got

collected in human lungs, and not allowed to

become an obvious problem. If permission

for a plant is possible to obtain, make

sure to remove dead foliage immediately,

and keep the plant well maintained and

cared for. Healthy plants can brighten

an area, but a withered dead plant in a pot is a joy to

none but bugs, and bacterial and fungal decomposers.

While convincing Human Resources that having a plant with

you in your pen will not impinge on the pursuit of the CEO’s

wealth hoarding is likely the most difficult step, there are other

things to consider as well.

Find (or bring) enough light to grow something with.As sunlight is the cheapest and most efficient way to

light plants, I think a good light solution would be to use

the windows in the southwest corner offices for plants.

Unfortunately, that’s generally the location used as a reward

office for management, even though the extra heat such

offices receive often makes it the least desirable of the four

corner offices to inhabit. Consider any available natural

lighting for use, even if you still need supplemental lighting.

If the plant will be out in the open, use

a more natural looking light such as

fluorescents, or a small metal halide might

be the best bet. An advantage to using

fluorescent lighting in an office setting is

that since many offices are lit with them,

there is a familiarity to the lights that can

make them more palatable to others. T5 fluorescent lights

are available in various sizes, from a single 2’ bulb fixture, to

large arrays of bulbs for more intense lighting, and probably

the best choice for a small office shelf of plants.

Metal halide lamps generally give off a bluish colored

If allowed

by the

management,

plants can interject

a little soul into an

office space, and make being

a denizen of a windowless maze of

partitions a little more bearable.

“SUNLIGHT IS THE CHEAPEST AND MOST

EFFICIENT WAY TO LIGHT PLANTS...”

“MAKE SURE TO REMOVE

DEAD FOLIAGE IMMEDIATELY”

Agro Office SPACE

25

GREEN OFFICE I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

“AN ADVANTAGE TO USING FLUORESCENT LIGHTING IN AN

OFFICE SETTING IS... FAMILIARITY”

light that is also generally considered

pleasant, but requires a ballast. This

is perhaps more equipment than is

suitable for smaller cubicle spaces.

High pressure sodium light is a popular

choice for indoor gardening in general,

but the orange light is not the most

pleasant to work under and they need

a ballast. Light emitting diodes used

for plant growth often have an unusual

cast to the color of the light (since they

often have little to no green in them).

However, LEDs may be useful if you’re using the inside of a

filing cabinet or other closable container as a garden space.

Select the right sort of plant.Be realistic with your abilities as a gardener and the office

environment. Cacti and succulents do well in areas that have

lots of light and heat, but little access to water, or receive

infrequent watering. Such low maintenance plants often do

well even in conditions of neglect, and tend to bounce back

well from overly dry conditions. Select a variety with soft

or no spines to avoid accidental skin punctures, Jade being

a popular example, or Aloe for those that don’t mind the

thorns.

If a little daily fussing is more your style,

consider starting sprouts (such as radish

or bean), wheat grass, or other easy to

grow greens. If space and conditions

permit, a small cherry tomato plant is

satisfying and tasty to grow. These sorts

of plants offer a source of snacking along

with adding a little color to your space.

Ivy type plants, such as the Philodendron,

are popular office plant choices, that tend

to perform well, but are also poisonous.

Although not required to be

labeled as such, many decorative and

ornamental plants are poisonous, so

either keep such plants away from

children, pets, and unsuspecting

visitors, or better yet - plant

only mildly toxic or nontoxic

plants. Look up perspective

plants before purchase. Common

poisonous plants include foxglove,

some lilies, tulips, chrysanthemums,

English ivy, peace lilies, and pothos. Safer

alternatives include African violets, true

bamboo, banana trees, and Boston ferns.

“BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR ABILITIES AS A GARDENER

AND THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT”


GREEN OFFICE I GARDEN CULTURE

SIMPLE IS OFTEN THE BEST, AND

SAFEST SOLUTION

Although the scent may pose problems

if the neighboring stall is too close,

in offices that have doors that close,

aromatics are a delightful way to

brighten work days (HR regulations

permitting). Choosing dill, mints, or

other pleasant smelling plants to grow,

with a simple bruising of a leaf you can

freshen fingertips and partake in the

occasional aromatherapy moment.

For those with a bit more space, there are several trees and

bushes that respond well to bonsai-type techniques such

as root/branch pruning, training, and keeping restricted

by container size. Neem trees are drought tolerant, and

easy to keep small by pruning and root trimming. To trim

roots for stunting, remove about one-third of the roots,

and replant in the same container with fresh media.

Choose the growth media and container wisely.Using a quality indoor potting soil is the most comfortable

choice for many who have had prior experience with

it. It is also the most forgiving of minor mistakes.

The main drawbacks being that it is more attractive

to soil laying bugs, and prone to over watering.

As an alternative to potting soil, consider trying perlite (or

a perlite and coir mix). While not as forgiving of errors

as potting soil, the experience is similar to a fast drying

soil that requires nutrients. Perlite tends to have less

trouble with soil laying insects, and is more difficult to over

water, but the only nutrients available are those added,

and it requires watering more often. Dry perlite also

floats, which can take some getting used to. You can leave

enough water (or nutrient solution) in the tray to water

the plant for a couple of days.

It’s important not to allow the

solution to stand for too long or

it will release its suspended oxygen

and become stagnant, leading to

drowned plants, and/or the wrong sort

of bacterial growth. Capillary action

helps to distribute the nutrient solution

throughout the media in this sort of

passive hydroponic system. As long as

the media has exposure to nutrient

solution, the media will use wicking action to supply the roots.

In either case, make sure that the plant will get proper drainage,

and that a saucer or tray will catch any runoff. Use care when

watering, since spills can happen anytime liquids are present,

and offices are traditionally inconvenient places to spill in.

Self-contained growing systems are available, from simple

self-watering pots (handy for weekends and vacations), to

automated self-contained hydroponic systems (for the more

adventuresome). Be aware that active hydroponic systems

use pumps to run, so there is a noise element to contend with

that is not an issue with hand watered or passive systems.

Active systems also tend to make spectacular sprays of

nutrient solution under certain types of component failure.

While there are clever tabletop implementations

of each type of hydroponic method, simple

is often the best, and safest solution.

Although not nearly as neat, fast,

or trendy as growing virtual plants

online with mouse clicks, growing a

plant or two in the real world can be

a rewarding experience, and a reminder

that outside those bleak grey walls, life

does continue to exist. 3

“IF SPACE AND CONDITIONS PERMIT,

A SMALL CHERRY TOMATO PLANT IS SATISFYING AND

TASTY TO GROW”

28

“old planning

codes

and developmen

t

ordinances are

rapidly changi

ng...”

BY BEN GREENE

with your

citycity

cultivating

URBAN FARMER I GARDEN CULTURE


Many urban farmsteaders look at the needs for their plants and access to an eager local population

of foodies as priorities when searching for a site in their city. But urban farmers have a great obstacle

that rural farmers don’t have to contend with, a devilish nightmare called municipal governments. It’s

very important to consider city regulations when planning your farm because codes and development

ordinances often will shape the way your farm operates, looks, and what you can produce.

A good place to start when planning your urban farm is

to search the internet for press releases that announce

changes in the code or development ordinance. In the past

6 years, there has been a huge push by municipalities across

the nation to encourage urban farming, and as a result old

planning codes and development ordinances are rapidly

changing. Specific changes to look for are notifications

of changes in how produce stands are defined, growing

chickens, small livestock, beekeeping, and where in the

city farming is allowed.

A major advantage that urban farmers have over rural

farmers is easy access to customers and directly marketing

your products to them. However, many cities do not allow

you to grow food and sell food on the same lot, because

cities often categorize selling as a separate industry than

agriculture.

“City permits are often a tangled web of restrictions and requirements”

Distributed in the UK by:


URBAN FARMER I GARDEN CULTURE

“The doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise

his clients to plant vines.”

If you do have restrictions on

selling your produce at your

farm, you do have options.

One is to create a mobile

market out of a trailer,

converted bus, or the back

of a pickup. Mobile markets

are often not under the

jurisdiction of the planning

department. As an added

bonus, they do not have to

contend with building codes

as long as the mobile market

is a licensed vehicle. You

may also offer home delivery

through a subscription on

your website. Home delivery

is a very popular trend among

urban farmers who don’t have the time to stand for

hours at a farmers’ market or produce stand.

Farm structures have to contend with an onslaught

of code issues. If you’re looking to locate a shipping

container or cheap shed on your farm for storage,

you may run into issues with the aesthetics of the

structure coming under scrutiny from the city

administration.

There are two sure-fire ways to get around this.

The first is to locate the structure on a part of

your property that is not within view of the street.

The second one? Borrow

some wisdom from the great

architect, Frank Lloyd Wright:

“The doctor can bury his

mistakes, but an architect

can only advise his clients to

plant vines.” Trellised vine

crops around your structure

will take it out of the view of

the street and also provide a

cover that is agreeable to most

development ordinances.

How about a suburban farm?

Locating just outside the city

limits can open a lot of options

for you. For starters, many

government farm programs

fall under the USDA Rural

Development. Farming inside city limits sometimes

disqualifies you from these programs that could

provide helpful loans and grants. Many states offer

certified roadside stand programs that often provide an

exemption from building codes, which could be useful

if you don’t want to worry about the energy code, or

providing a public restroom.

City permits are often a tangled web of restrictions and

requirements. Take care when choosing your site, and

look for obstacles in city ordinances that may hinder

your growth in the future. 3

“Farm structures have to contend

with an onslaught of code issues”

Large super-oxygenated pot. Floods from the bottom instead of the top maximising the effi ciency at which oxygen is supplied to a plants’ roots.

The Amazon aeroponic system maximises oxygen in the root zone resulting in the fastest growth and biggest yields.

Since 1976 we’ve been developing and manufacturing hydroponic systems, so you can get the yields you desire.

www.nutriculture.co.uk

Huge 25L pots

Specially designed trays allow

ultimate access to oxygen

Available as a single

and double plant system

01695 554 080 www.nutriculture.co.uk

01226 320 850www.directgardeningsupplies.co.uk

Looking for BIG yields? We’ve got a system for you

The ultimate DWC technique for maximum yields.

Unrestricted access to oxygen – without the need for a timer. Yields are typically 3x bigger than if growing in pots.

Provides roots with fresh

oxygen-rich air every feedUses virtually no

growing medium

Produces spectacular yields

Made in collaboration with

A giant step up from a pot. Perfect if you want the

familiarity of pots and the increased yields produced by

plants fed little and often.

Specially designed trays allow

ultimate access to oxygen

A Super-oxygenated pot. Ideal for maximising growth and yields from large plants and cultivating plants for cuttings.

and double plant system

Cool, refreshing Mentha has graced herb

gardens for thousands of years. There

are 10 mint common hybrids, all of which

prefer cooler climates, and soil with consi-

stent moisture.

Mint

C r o p B i o g r a p h yNamed after a rather fetching Roman nymph, Minthe,

who caught the fancy of Pluto, the god of death. Upon

discovering the dalliance, the enraged Persiphone turned

her into a ground hugging plant. The Queen of The

Shades wished her belittled and trod upon. The plot

backfired - mint was very valuable to the ancient world,

and globally through the ages.

“ANCIENT ROMANS THOUGHT EATING MINT MADE YOU SMARTER.”

34

Grow Your Own Series

35 35

PERKS & BENEFITSPeppermint tea has been used forever to cure what ails you. It’s

not just folklore. Even modern healers regard mint as a stimulant

and tonic, among its many other benefits. The herb continues

to hold immense value for its aromatic, culinary, and healing

qualities.

Mint tea has antiseptic and antibacterial qualities. Consumed on

a regular basis It’s a good blood cleanser, herbal mouthwash,

natural diarrhea remedy, antiseptic, and helps to combat acne

or blemishes.

A massage with oil infused with bruised spearmint and

peppermint leaves offers relief of migraines and aching muscles.

Adding peppermint oil to lotions helps reduce pain and sensitivity.

Strong mint oils also have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and

anesthetic properties for temporary relief of an infected tooth.

It’s a good herbal remedy for swollen gums, mouth ulcers,

mouth thrush, bruises, and swollen joints.

Revitalize skin and clean pores with apple mint and spearmint

in a facial steam. Gauze pads wetted with peppermint tea to

minimize dark circles under the eyes or refresh them on days

you wake up not well rested.

MINT I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

...USED FOREVER TO CURE WHAT AILS YOU...

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

Mint“EATING MINT KEPT ONE’S

TEMPER IN CHECK DURING THE MIDDLE AGES”

“EARLIEST RECORDED HEALING PROPERTIES...1550 B.C.”

Scotch Mint (Mentha x gracilis)More variegated and golden than other mints. It’s also

known as Ginger Mint and Scotch Spearmint. Commercially,

it is found in chewing gum, toothpaste and pharmaceuticals.

Popular fresh garnish and fruit dish seasoning.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata)More mildly flavored than Peppermint. Used in teas, chutneys,

salads, desserts, for seasoning vegetables, and more.

WHEN CAN I START… AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?True mint plants are sterile and not grown from seed. You

can start mint cuttings when healthy plants are available to

purchase, which is usually in spring.

Take tip cuttings just below a leaf node from non-blooming

stems about 4 inches long using super sharp shears. You

don’t want to crush the stem end. Remove a leaf or two

from the bottom, and snip off the immature set of leaves at

the tip. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone before inserting

it into rockwool cubes.

It takes 1-2 weeks to get your cuttings rooted nicely in

hydroponic starter cubes. Finishing the crop can be done

in slabs or directly in the NFT trough. You can expect the

first of unlimited harvests after transplant to be 4 weeks in

summer, and 6-7 weeks in winter. Mints are perennial, and

continue to produce future yields off the same roots.

Prefer using traditional potting methods? Start your cuttings

in a glass of plain tap water. You’ll have new roots in less

than a week. Let it sit a few more days, and new stems start

forming at the leaf nodes. Use quality soilless mix that has

excellent moisture retention with good drainage for potting.

Remember that mint hates dry feet.

WHAT DO I NEED?Both HID lamps and compact fluorescents running 14-16

hours a day will provide ample light for mint. Poor conditions

and weak light make it prone to develop rust - an incurable

and highly contagious plant disease. Do not buy plants with

yellow or brown spots on either side of the leaf. If you find it

on plants in your grow space, remove and destroy the plant

immediately.

RECOMMENDED VARIETIESSome types of mint have greater concentrations of menthol

valuable for essential oil used in commercial products and

pharmaceuticals. Others are more palatable for eating.

Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolns)Perfect for culinary use and tea. Lovely flavoring for drinks,

sauces, jellies, fruit and meat dishes. Hairy leaves make a

poor garnish. Variegated version is called Pineapple Mint.

Blue Balsam Mint (Mentha x piperita)A strong flavored hybrid often used for tea, culinary,

aromatherapy, and cosmetic applications.

Candy Mint (Mentha x piperita)Along with true peppermint, this is commonly used to

flavor chewing gum, oral health products, and medicines.

Valuable all around culinary herb too.

Chocolate Mint (Mentha piperita piperita)As rich looking as it tastes, the dark leaves with brown

veins offer big chocolate flavor laced with refreshing mint.

Divinely aromatic. Perfect for teas, iced drinks, syrups and

desserts. Harvest before flowering to avoid bitter leaves.

Egyptian Mint (Mentha niliaca)True biblical mint. Strongly flavored, and very aromatic.

Used for tea and cooking.

Ginger Mint (Mentha x gentilis)Distinctive flavor. Delicious tea, and fruit or vegetable

seasoning. Gold variegation makes a beautiful garnish. Dried

leaves are used in potpourris.

Orange Mint (Mentha aquatica ‘Citrata’)Heavy scented, and also known as Bergamot Mint and Eau

de Cologne Mint. Used fresh in beverages, vinegars, salads

and desserts, and as a garnish. The distilled oil is used in

making perfumes and Chartreuse liquor. Lime Mint has a

slightly different flavor popular in Middle East cuisine and

teas.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)The classic flavoring and fastest growing. It has the highest

menthol content and is used in making many products and

medicines. A strong disinfectant just as at home in recipes

and herbal remedies.

36


The Perfect Mojito

The secret to a truly great mojito contains 5 letters. FRESH.

Freshly picked mint steeped properly in simple syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 handfuls fresh mint leaves

• 1.5 - 2 ounces of light rum

• 1/2 lime

• Club soda or water

• 10 Easy Steps:

• Simple Syrup

• Mix the water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

• Stir for about 1 minute to dissolve all sugar. Turn off

the burner.

• Add 1 handful of mint leaves. Steep for at least an hour.

Strain and chill well.

• Mojito

• Tall glass. Pour in 1 oz. of your fresh mint syrup.

• Add a handful of mint leaves, and muddle it together

with a spoon or muddler.

• Add crushed ice. Muddle some more.

• Pour in the rum.

• Squeeze in the juice of half a lime.

• Add a splash of club soda and stir. No soda on hand?

Use water.

• Garnish with a sprig and slice of lime.


The sweetest flavor and heaviest oil yield comes from warm

days and cool nights. No special nutrient requirements

here. A standard NPK hydroponic nutrient can be used.

Their preferred pH range is 5.5-6.5. Maintain day temps of

75-80°F, nights at 55-60°F with 75-80% humidity in summer

for rooting and vegetative stages. You want lower humidity

in the winter to prevent leaf mold.

Use liquid or slow release fertilizer in traditional container

growing. Heavier feeding results in more abundant top

growth. Be sure to maintain air humidity and keep the roots

moist, but not waterlogged. Your yield will not be as high as

plants grown hydroponically.

HARVESTING TIPS A mint plant can produce harvests for up to 15 years. If

you’re growing it indoors using traditional potting methods,

you will need to divide and repot periodically to maintain

good vigor over such an extensive time. Root bound

container plants never perform at optimums, and keeping

media moisture present becomes difficult when root mass

is greater than the amount of media.

For the best flavor, harvest mint leaves in the morning. Never

cut in excess of two thirds of the plant’s height. Hydroponic

NFT system harvest yield should be 2-3 pounds per 5-feet

of trough in summer, and lower in winter at 1-2 pounds per

10-feet.

CULINARY OR HEALTHY INSPIRATIONRestaurants don’t give you after dinner mints for breath

freshening. It’s to aid digestion, a practice that has been in

use since ancient Rome.

Many delicious recipes from around the world feature mint

in fresh, dried or extract form. You will often see it paired

with lemon, and used in everything from entrees featuring

fish, lamb, or chicken to fruit or vegetable dishes, salads,

sauces, desserts and beverages. Mint jelly is simple to can,

and always have on hand.

Fresh mint is necessary for whipping up a proper Limonana,

Mint Julep, Mojito, and the best tasting Creme de Menthe

liqueur you’ve ever had.


DIY Essential Mint Oil1,001 BENEFITS & USES

There are more reasons to keep mint oil on hand than you

can shake a stick at. Good tasting stuff that’s valued for just

about anything. Google “uses for essential mint oil,” and

you’ll see just how much it can do for you.

Save your hard earned cash. It’s a cinch to whip up your own

using commonly available items.

• 473 ml Canning jar

• 354 ml Vodka

• 113 gr Fresh Mint Leaves, minced

• Cheesecloth

• Funnel

• Sharp knife

• Glass storage bottles

Pour the vodka and minced mint leaves into the jar. Cap it,

and shake well. Place the jar in a dark area. Shake it every

few days. Curing time is 6 weeks. When your brew time

has completed, pour the jar’s contents through a funnel lined

with cheesecloth into a clean glass jar. Gather the remaining

leaves in the cloth, and squeeze out all captured extract they

are still holding. Fill your glass storage bottles. Check that

the caps are on tight so no evaporation occurs. Store your

essence of mint in a cool dark place.

Since mint essential oil is measured in drops, storing it in

glass dropper bottles makes it much handier to use. Three of

these 118 milliliter bottles should store your yield. 3


41 41

SEALING I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

YOU CAN SAVE MONEY AND

TIME WITH THIS PRESERVING METHOD

Advantages of Vacuum SealingVacuum sealed foods will last longer than other storage

methods, aside from canning. Regular plastic wrap, foil, zip-lock

bags, and even air tight containers cannot preserve foods as

well as vacuum sealing. Besides lasting longer, they also taste

fresher, and the structure of foods (for example, vegetables)

feels better in your mouth than with other storage methods.

You can save money and time with this preserving method,

because the food you grow will not go to waste. To realize

just how possible this is, you need to understand the

science behind vacuum sealing.

Why Vacuum Sealing Works BetterFood ripens as a result of oxygen exposure. Fruits, herbs,

vegetables, and meats will begin to spoil after a certain amount

of time, because they’ve been exposed to the air. Often mold

and bacteria will develop, leaving the food undesirable, because

of the change in odor, color, and texture of it. Sometimes bacteria

can develop without air, but mold does not

develop without a healthy supply of oxygen.

When you vacuum seal your food, what you

are actually doing is removing the air and

oxygen from the bag. Without air, mold and

some bacteria are unable to live or grow.

Over time, however, the food you store

might spoil if it is not refrigerated or frozen.

If you vacuum seal your food while it is very fresh, and store

it appropriately, it will last longer than if you had used another

storage method.

How Does Vacuum Sealing Work?Actually it’s pretty easily explained. By sucking out all the air

the vacuum sealer creates a vacuum and then it seals it. Pretty

simple huh? It vacuums, and it seals. The technology behind it is

a little bit more complex.

There are 2 types of vacuum sealers on the market, the non-

chambered and the chamber vacuum sealer. Since the chamber

vacuum sealer is pretty expensive, it’s almost solely used by

professionals like chefs, and the food industry. So, for this article

I’ll focus on the non-chambered version.

The biggest difference in usage is that non-chamber units

cannot vacuum seal liquids. There’s a way around that limitation.

To package liquid items, first freeze them

into a solid form. They can then be vacuum

packaged and stored in the freezer to

maintain the frozen state.

Vacuum Sealing is Easy!It just so happens that I got sent a vacuum

sealer from our friends at SousVide Supreme

while researching another article on vacuum cooking, which you

can read in this issue. Some brands of vacuum sealers for home

use aren’t that great,

but I can definitely

recommend that

one since we’ve

used it extensively

over the last month.

You don’t need to become an expert to use a vacuum sealer. It’s

as simple as placing your produce in bag, place the open side of

the bag in the machine, and press the vacuum/seal button. 3

Every time I harvest something there’s usually more than I can eat in one go or keep fresh. The daunting question

then is what to do with it. Put it in a jar? Freeze it? Give it away? Dry it? Well, there’s another option I’d like to add to

that list, vacuum sealing.

“FOOD RIPENS AS A RESULT OF OXYGEN EXPOSURE.”

Sealing In Freshness

More info on vacuum sealers?

www.sousvidesupreme.com

42

ORGANICC O M P O S TC R E A T I N G R I C H S O I L

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

All organic matter naturally decomposes into compost,

be it from plants or animals. In some countries, compost

from strictly plant materials is known as green manure.

Animals of all sizes, fish, birds, worms, rodents, bugs,

and even microscopic organisms eat different parts of

plants. Whether dropped by a plant or an animal as

waste, at the end of the natural cycle, we have this soft,

rich soil that garden plants adore. It’s exactly what you

find as topsoil on the forest floor.

43

ORGANIC COMPOST I GARDEN CULTURE

ORGANICC O M P O S TC R E A T I N G R I C H S O I L

IT’S WONDERFUL STUFF FOR YOUR GARDEN, AND MAKING IT AT HOME HELPS TO REDUCE OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

You can buy compost by the bag

in any garden center. Bagged com-

post is a commercial product, and

the result of creating profit out of

waste that would otherwise increase

operating costs for waste removal

companies and landfills.

It does make more sense to recycle

organic waste as a soil amendment or natural fertil-

izer than to bury it. You could save a lot of money if you

stop paying a trash service to haul away your yard and

kitchen waste, only to pay them handsomely to buy it

back again! Anyone can make compost. It’s wonderful

stuff for your garden, and making it at home helps to

reduce our carbon footprint. It takes a lot of fuel to

make commercial compost available to you: collecting

it, processing it, packaging it, shipping it, and getting it

home... once again.

Still if you’d prefer the convenience route of just buying

it, being labeled as ‘compost’ doesn’t have anything to

do with the content’s quality. You don’t know what’s in

the bag. Commercial compost is fast and easy, but don’t

lose site of the fact that it’s just a means of handling

waste and garbage more profitably.

Don’t buy it blindly. Make sure it is richly colored, con-

tains no big chunks of trash or not yet decomposed ma-

terials and that it has a soft,

earthy smell. You would be

wise to get a soil analysis from

the manufacturer too. There is

also the possibility that residual herbicides and other

chemicals are present in commercial compost.

HOW COMPOST WORKS Good, rich soil isn’t always plentiful. Compost can do

much for improving soil quality in the outdoor garden.

Worked in deep over several years, it can build up san-

dy soil, making it very productive with good moisture

retention. The same practice on heavy clay can turn

rock-hard ground into a loose, fertile garden space with

drainage. You can repair over-worked soil with com-

post too, as it is full of important nutrients. This is why

farms plant cover crops, and till them into the fields,

to replenish the soil’s productivity and humus content.

They grow their compost on the spot.

Compost is nature’s way of providing the soil with nu-

trients, and an organic slow-release fertilizer. All essen-

tial nutrients that allow plants to thrive are in compost.

Working it into your garden delivers a slow and steady

source of the beneficial elements your crops need. It’s

also heavy on humus that serves several roles in making

soil good for growing beyond it’s fertility. It improves


COMPOST IS NATURE’S WAY OF PROVIDING THE SOIL WITH NUTRIENTS,

AND AN ORGANIC SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZER

COMPOST RECI PE

COMPOST CREATES HEAT. IT’S A NATURAL PART OF THE DECOMPOSITION PROCESS.

YOU HAVE TO LET THE MIDDLE OF THE PILE GET TO A TEMPERATURE OF 71° C.

COMPOST INGREDIENTSUse both green and dried materials to create compost.

Mixing them will give you the best results, and faster

compost. Precise measuring isn’t needed, but generally

one part green to three parts dried waste is perfect.

You’ll get far more smell with higher amounts of green

matter. Your compost will take longer to finish if you

add too much dried stuff. Now for the ‘recipe’...

soils by increasing air flow, its ability to absorb and re-

tain moisture, along with maintaining a happy middle

ground for drainage and workability. All of this increases

your garden’s vigor, and improves plants’ immune sys-

tem. The result? Incredibly robust plants and higher

yields.

MAKING YOUR OWN COMPOSTYou have a choice of a simple compost pile, or using

an enclosed bin. There’s minimal cost with both, but a

pile is usually free. Additionally, it takes water to make

compost, and an open pile will readily absorb rain. In a

closed composting barrel, you have to add the water.

Compost piles smell and attract animals, plus they are

messy looking. However, turning your organic waste

during the decomposing process is much easier in a pile

than an enclosed container.

They do make handy composting barrels that rotate

easily, but they aren’t cheap. There is also the upright

box option with a roof or lid. This will keep the smell

inside, stop marauding animals, and will look much nicer

to everyone who can see your compost area. Enclosed

like this though, you don’t want to forget about adding

water, and turning it now and then.

Compost creates heat. It’s a natural part of the decom-

position process. You have to let the middle of the pile

get to a temperature of 71° C. The temperature of com-

post also kills off harmful pathogens.

At first your compost pile will be fluffy and cool. As the

temperature rises inside, the process begins, and every-

thing starts packing down. On top of water, the waste

also needs air, as oxygen triggers the process too. You’ll

need a shovel or pitchfork to turn a pile, and it is a bit of

work. Containers need flipping too. Heavy as they are,

it’s the only way to restore the airflow to complete the

process. At least with a barrel, you can roll it around.

44

GREEN STUFF• Kitchen scraps - no meats or fish.

• Coffee grounds and tea bags.

• Lawn clippings and fresh green yard waste.

• Fresh manure - chicken, rabbit, sheep,

goat, horse or cow.

DRY STUFF• Dry leaves and cornstalks.

• Sawdust and wood chips.

• Old hay and straw.

45

ORGANIC COMPOST I GARDEN CULTURE


MANY PROGRESSIVE GARDENING STORES MAKE

FRESH COMPOST TEA WEEKLY

THAT YOU CAN BUY. THEY USE

COMPOST, EARTHWORM

CASTINGS, AND ADDITIVES TO FEED

THE MICROBES

This is aerated compost tea, which is more powerful

than the classic version created by steeping compost,

worm castings, and/or manure in a bucket of water. The

old way pales in benefits comparison.

Once removed from the active aeration, you have four

hours to use the tea by either watering it into the soil,

or as a foliar spray. If you refrigerate it within four hours

it can remain aerobic for about a week. After that it

must be disposed of. You can also “cut” it with water by

up to a 1:5 tea to water ratio. Although no bad effects

have been observed in its pure form, many gardeners

choose to stretch the goodness over a larger area.

The most advanced method of making aerobic compost

tea is vortex brewing, which adds a third dimension to

the process, and increases the benefits. Vortex brew-

ers aren’t cheap, but you just might find a hydro shop

not far away that sells this form of compost tea fresh

in gallons.

If you can’t find a shop nearby that sells fresh aerobic

compost tea, check with the area garden centers. Some

of them will be brewing this organic wonder juice too.

Live too far from any place to buy it? You can make

your own aerobic tea brewer with inexpensive, easy to

obtain items. Learn how to build one here:

gardenculture.net/nutrients/make-your-own-aerobic-

worm-tea-brewer-1494

WHAT IS

COMPOST TEA?Compost tea is an aerobic concentrate of beneficial microbes, and actually contains a denser

population of the beneficial microbes than stand alone compost! Many progressive gardening

stores make fresh compost tea weekly that you can buy. They use compost, earthworm cast-

ings, and additives to feed the microbes, and brew it in an actively aerated, de-chlorinated

reservoir for at least 24 hours.

46

G A R D E N I N G B A S I C S

BY STEPHEN

O R G A N I C - M A D E O F , D E R I V E D F R O M , O R R E L A T E D T O L I V I N G O R G A N I S M S

What is the rhizosphere?

The rhizosphere is the slim area of soil around the roots that

is inhabited by the soil food web, and receives the secretions

and exudates the roots let off at night. In organic gardening,

the rhizosphere helps to give last minute processing to nu-

trients with the help of the food web. The food web retains

much of the nutrient so it is not immediately lost as is the

case in hydroponics. Think of the rhizosphere as a screen to

catch, and filter out the nutrient before it passes through in

the water. The rhizosphere also is the first line of defense

from disease, pathogens, and bad microorganisms before

hitting a plant’s root zone. The rest of the soil outside of the

rhizosphere is called the “bulk soil”.

I have good soil. How do I get the

food web alive and thriving?

Chlorine and chloramines: One of the biggest mis-

takes novice gardeners make when starting organic farming is

using tap water that is saturated in chlorine and chloramines,

or mixing in synthetic components with organic counterparts.

Chlorine and chloramines kill the soil food web on contact!

If not using well water great care must be taken, either fil-

ter the chlorine out or to let the water sit 24 hours letting

the chlorine evaporate. Chloramines are much more stable

and a special catalytic filter must be used as regular carbon

filter provides no defense against them and they will not simply

What is unique about

organic gardening?

An organic gardener utilizes unadulterated natural sub-

stances and uses carbon as a main ingredient for plant

nutrition. Nothing synthetic is used whatsoever in this all

natural methodology. When a gardener grows organically,

he mimics what has been observed in nature; it can sustain

itself with no interference from humans. Decaying organic

materials will all eventually have a metamorphosis into a

form of carbon. Carbon is commonly known as the “build-

ing block of life”. The carbon byproduct is named humus.

Humic acid is a well known additive in organic world. Hu-

mus is one of the main foods for the members of the soil

food web.

What is the soil food web?

The soil web is comprised of a complex variety of mi-

croscopic organisms. These organisms are mainly earth-

worms, protozoa, mycorrhizae (beneficial fungi), nema-

todes, and beneficial bacteria. A good handful of healthy

soil can contains from the tens to the billions of these

symbiotic creatures. They eat humus (carbon), other car-

bohydrates and proteins (exudates), and even each other!

The roots release these exudates in their night time cycle.

They all colonize mostly in the roots rhizosphere compet-

ing for the exudates.

47

ORGANIC GARDENING I GARDEN CULTURE

AN ORGANIC GARDENER UTILIZES UNADULTERATED NATURAL SUBSTANCES AND USES CARBON AS A

MAIN INGREDIENT FOR PLANT NUTRITION

evaporate out. Synthetic fertilizers are

sodium based, and have a drying effect

on the biology. The salt-based casual-

ties lead to the retreating of the survivors ending the natural

balance and processes of a healthy rhizosphere.

Nutrients and Additives: The nutrients and ad-

ditives used in organic gardening are comprised of natural

ingredients and components both to feed the food web

and the plant itself. Popular substances used are emulsified

fish, seaweed, humic acid, humus, molasses, compost and/

or compost tea, yucca extract, guano, earthworm castings,

coffee grounds, bone meal, blood meal, alfalfa meal, green-

sand, dolomite lime, and the list goes on!

Beneficial Inoculants: There are many over-the-

counter beneficial inoculants that an organic gardener can

purchase to take the soil food web into their own hands.

Many of these inoculants contain some mixture of mycor-

rhizae, beneficial bacteria, trichaderma, humates, and/or

kelp (seaweed). The humates and kelp serve as an instant

food source for the other living ingredients. Some popu-

lar brand names for such products include: Mykos, Plant

Success, Piranha, Tarantula, and Orca. Another all natural

inoculant is compost.

What is compost?

Compost is the quintessential

representation of what happens

in nature. Organic green scraps, coffee grounds, and

fruit and vegetable scraps are decomposed using oxygen

and water. Earthworms and mycorrhizae start to inhab-

it and break down the organic material in an attempt to

convert it to humus which is a food source. Healthy aer-

obic bacteria also facilitate the chemical changes of the

organic matter by converting it into heat, CO2, and a

form of ammonium. The ammoniums then are convert-

ed into nitrates that are usable to the plant. Compost

typically contains nutrients (mostly nitrates), beneficial

microorganisms, and humus. It can also work great as

a soil conditioner in the sandy soil here in Florida by

adding moisture retention and increased nutrient up-

take. It is important to use well decomposed compost

as it will actually compete with the plant for nitrogen

if it isn’t. Well decomposed compost is what

gives extra nitrogen to the plant. The

soil food web is well at work here!

This is why compost tea is be-

coming more and more

popular.

THERE ARE MANY OVER-THE-COUNTER

BENEFICIAL INOCULANTS THAT AN ORGANIC GARDENER CAN PURCHASE TO

TAKE THE SOIL FOOD WEB INTO THEIR OWN

HANDS


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THESE HORMONES FACILITATE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AND VITALITY. IT ALSO CONTAINS

TRACES OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS, POTASSIUM, CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, SULFUR,

ZINC, AND IRON.

Other than a regular grow/bloom

nutrient, what are some popular

additives?

Vegetative and flowering additives can be in a liquid or

granular form. Liquids have to be added more frequently

and added cumulatively, while slow release granular ferti-

lizers are added less often, and often contain traces of ben-

eficial fungi and bacteria. Popular liquid or granular addi-

tives can help get the most out of your plant performance

and soil food web:

Humic Acid: a byproduct of the decomposition of or-

ganic matter. It feeds the soil food web, and helps with the

transportation of nutrients within the plant.

Kelp: typically Ascophyllum nodosum in the horticultural

field, kelp (seaweed) is a very popular additive due to its

myriad of benefits. Ascophyllum no-

dosum is a north Atlantic seaweed

that grows almost a meter a day in

just above freezing temperatures.

This is facilitated through the pow-

erful growth hormones (auxin-like

gibberellins and cytokinins). These

hormones facilitate explosive

growth and vitality. It also contains traces

of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium,

calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc,

and iron. It can almost be a fer-

tilizer on its own!

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51


POPULAR LIQUID OR GRANULAR ADDITIVES CAN HELP GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PLANT

PERFORMANCE AND SOIL FOOD WEB


Emulsified fish/squid: a cheap, water-soluble liquid that is high

in available nitrogen. It also contains

traces of phosphorous, potassium, and

secondary/trace minerals. Plants need

a ton of this to develop a toxicity and

the nutrient is immediately available to

the plant.

Worm Castings: is “worm poop”.

Digested humus and nitrogen heavy decay-

ing matter are found in castings along with

many other trace elements. Worm castings

should never exceed 1/5 of the total composi-

tion of the soil. 1 to 1 ½ cups per plant of castings

should be enough to sustain through vegetative growth.

Take care to mix evenly in soil.

Blood Meal: this is the dried and ground

blood that is recycled from slaughterhous-

es. It is mainly a nitrogen booster and

therefore should be used in vegetative

growth. It can be potent so try to add

a little at a time to avoid a toxicity.

Bone Meal: is ground up cow bone

that is collected from slaughterhouses. It

is typically phosphorous heavy and becomes

more so the older the bone was at time of death. This is

therefore more of a flowering additive. Bone meal can also

contain lime and therefore could be a good amendment to

soils with higher peat content to counteract the natural

acidity.

Dolomite Lime: contains re-

spectable amounts of calcium and

magnesium which are two very

important secondary nutrients.

The base PH of lime makes it a

nice treatment for acidic soils as

well.

Coffee grounds: if you make drip coffee

you’re in luck! Coffee grounds are abundant

in nitrogen and trace elements. It is also

very acidic. This can be used to treat base

soil but be careful not to use to much. It

also draws bacteria to the soil!

Greensand: is a great source

for silica, iron, phosphorous,

and potassium. Greensand can

be very slow releasing, so its

better to treat soil or plants that

will be utilized for quite some time.

Rock Phosphate: is another very slow releasing

fertilizer. It can contain up to 30% phosphorous giving it

its moniker.

Guano: the excrement of bats and seabirds from around

the world. The rule usually is that the new guano is high

nitrogen, while older guano is high phosphorous.

As far as buying it goes, Mexican guano

is high nitrogen, Peruvian guano is

high nitrogen and phosphorus (all-

purpose), Jamaican is high phos-

phorous (bulking), and Indonesian

is high phosphorous (ripening). Guano

can be brewed in a tea and watered in

or applied as a slow release top dressing.

Feather Meal: is good for com-

post piles or as an additive. It is high

in nitrogen and releases slowly.

Chicken manure may also be found

in the mix. The feathers are taken

from the slaughterhouse, steamed,

dried out, and ground into a pow-

der-like substance. 3

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54

How Plants “See” LightThe sun is the ideal light source for plants, because it

includes the full spectrum of colors, from red to violet.

Plants use the entire spectrum of colors for the process of

photosynthesis. However, most plants respond best to red

and blue light in the grow room.

The color we see when we are looking at an object is the

reflected light that isn’t absorbed. This means that since we

see most plants as green, they are reflecting some green

spectrum, instead of absorbing this light.

Pigments are responsible

for light absorption in

plants. Chlorophyll is their

primary pigment, and ab-

sorbs very little green

light. While the leaves

have other pigments that

do absorb green light, the

primary pigment does not

have this ability.

Green Light

The Effects of Green LightDespite plants being less sensitive to green light as ener-

gy for growth, in nature they are exposed to green light

from the sun. Obviously, green light is not harmful, but is

only helpful to the growth process when used in the full

spectrum lamp. Hanging a green light will not benefit the

growth of your plant.

Why Growers Use Green LightGreen lights are used by gardeners to “see” in the dark.

The new generation green LED lights have a low percent-

age of “white light leakage” combined with low lumens.

This allows a grower can see in the grow room during the

night cycle with the normal grow lights off.

Using a green LED light, you can check up on your plants,

perform maintenance, and other tasks without too much

disturbance of the crop’s nightly cycle. A word to the wise -

never keep a green LED on all the time. There’s still a small

percentage white light “leaking” from the bulb, which can

disturb your plants’ rest. Always switch off the green light

when you’re done. 3

The use of green light is a commonly debated topic in the world of indoor growing. On one side of the

debate are those who believe green light will hurt plants and their growth, while others firmly believe that

it will have little impact at all, and then there are those who say it’s possibly beneficial to plant growth.

“Chlorophyll is their primary pigment and absorbs very little green

light.”

BY APRIL KLAZEMA

“green light is a commonly debated topic...”

Fact or Fiction?

“Green lights are used by gardeners to “see” in the dark.”

GARDEN CULTURE I GREEN LIGHT

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56

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

THEsealedroom GARDEN

“IN A SEALED GROW SPACE YOU’VE GOT EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR PLANT’S NEEDS COVERED”

To gain total control of your indoor

growing environment, you need to

take it a step further than having a

grow tent or grow room. You’ve gotta

have a totally sealed space - like a food

storage box for the freezer. When you

have holes and cracks, air and light

leaks in from outside the garden. This

makes it impossible to manipulate and

customize the optimum conditions for

your plants. A sealed grow space isn’t

the least expensive approach, but it is

what you need for the ultimate harvest.

YOU WILL HAVE EXPLICIT CONTROL OF HUMIDITY LEVELS DAY AND NIGHT - 365 DAYS A YEAR WITH A SEALED GROW ROOM.

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57

SEALED ROOM GARDEN I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

Wondering about

humidity being an

issue? True, your

plants in a sealed

indoor garden will

continue to transpire,

and if left unchecked, high humidity can

invite pathogens to attack, along with a marked reduction

in plant growth. Standard venting is going to bring natural

humidity in from outside the grow room anyway in most

geographic locations. You will have explicit control of humidity

levels day and night - 365 days a year with a sealed grow room.

Using a dehumidifier that is the right size for your space will

take care of your humidity woes in short order. Don’t skimp.

Make sure it’s a good fit.

One thing that will get far easier to control in a sealed

indoor garden is pests and disease. Of course, you still

have to keep the space clean, and ensure you don’t

inadvertently carry in bad stuff from outdoors, or from

other people’s growing rooms and greenhouses.

There are three ways these nightmares

looking for a place to happen arrive in your

garden - on your clothes or skin, on your

pet, or through the fresh air duct. Granted,

a well controlled environment can ward off

some growing problems, because weakened

plants from radical temperature changes,

high humidity and other things that are out

of kilter, also invites pest and disease issues

to take off like a rabbit from hell. Especially,

if you’re not paying close attention to what’s

going on in your garden on a daily basis.

The sealed grow room gives you complete control, and a

garden free of anything that is going on outdoors. This really

is the best way to protect your garden from negative outside

influences. Growers have found great success in heightened

efficiency using this concept for years, and it’s something

every new gardener really should consider. Your job gets

so much easier when you’re not battling Mother Nature, or

other people’s need for spraying chemicals on everything in

their yards. Chemicals? Well yes, if your garden isn’t sealed,

anything floating in the air will enter. 3

Wait a minute! Surely temps will soar with

these lights blasting sunshine up to 18 hours

a day. Not to worry, in a sealed grow space

you’ve got every aspect of your plant’s

needs covered. The optimum temperature

range for any plant is not very wide, and

they don’t like radical changes. On top of the heat your grow

lamps give off - hydro pumps, HID ballasts, dehumidifiers, and

any other equipment inside the room create even more heat.

The solution to controlling the temperature is an air

conditioner. Figuring out how much AC you need is simple.

For every 1000 watts of light power you’ll need 4000 BTUs of

cooling power. It’s not necessary to have central air installed.

You will find a number of portable AC units designed just for

the indoor garden available.

Having conquered temperature control, now

you need to address your plants’ need for CO2.

Without it photosynthesis can’t take place,

which won’t do your harvest any favors. A

standard ventilation setup will give you normal

atmospheric levels of CO2, but what if your

crop needs more? In fact, why wouldn’t you

want total control when adding CO2 ups your

harvest by 30%? It doesn’t make much sense to add it when

the exhaust fan will just pump it out straightaway. You

could simply shut down the ventilation system for a bit, but

your plants will be baking in soaring temperatures. Radical

change. Not good.

In a sealed room you can add more CO2 without losing it

all before your crop can make use of it. So, how does one

add CO2? There are a number of ways to accomplish this

- propane burners, natural gas burners and simple bottled

CO2. In a small grow room the bottled gas is sufficient. With

a bigger room that’s running 6000 watts or more of lighting,

it is usually the burner that’s opted for to supply the required

400-2200 PPM boost in CO2.

Naturally, a CO2 burner will create a new source of heat, but

your AC unit will take care of that. Something you won’t need

to worry about with the bottled gas, and there are also water-

cooled CO2 generators available. If your room is small, you

might want to add a diffuser to your bottled CO2 to deliver it

automatically as needed by your plants.

“THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR GARDEN

FROM NEGATIVE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES.”

“YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE A TOTALLY SEALED SPACE - LIKE A FOOD STORAGE BOX FOR THE FREEZER.”

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Announcing the Home Grown Expo 2014

We’re proud to co-host the next big thing in the urban gardening field.

We’ve been secretly working on it for a while but now the cats out of the

bag and Home Grown Expo 2014 is a fact. The event will open on Saturday

the 31st of May 2014 at 10.00 am for the general public. For business owners

we have Sunday June 1st reserved as a “trade-only” day.

58

HOME GROWN EXPO I GARDEN CULTURE

What to expect?Expect to see Garden Culture magazine coming to life. Expect

walls with fresh plants, the top companies in the industry and

of course expect Urban Gardening examples. We already

have the vast majority of the floor space sold to the major

brands & companies in our industry like Maxigrow, Dutch

Pro, Gavita, Hesi and many more. If you want to check out

new gear, learn techniques or roam around with likeminded

people this show is for you. We also have several artisan food

companies lined up to provide you with tasty juices, raw food

and mind blowing high quality meats. Be ready to get your

taste buds blown away!

How to buy tickets?We’re sending tickets to all hydro stores in the UK to give

away to their customers for free. So ask them first. If they’re

fresh out of tickets you can always go to the Home Grown

Expo website at www.homegrownexpo.co.uk and enter the

discount code: GCUK4 for 50% off your ticket. Last but not

least check out our facebook at fb.com/homegrownexpo for

raffles and other give aways.

The locationFinding the right location at the right date was hard to say the

least. Our team has roamed all over the UK to find the perfect

spot because just like in real estate, location is key. After a

lot of comparisons

we’ve came up with the

perfect location for our

first show, Coventry in

the West-Midlands. It’s

right in the middle of the

UK and is right near the

M6, M69, M45 and M40

motorways. Also for our

international visitors it’s ideal, we’re expecting a couple of

busloads of them, its 15 minutes away from the Airport.

The event is held in the Ricoh Arena, a stadium complex that

houses the football stadium, a 6,000m2 exhibition hall, a hotel,

a night club, a leisure club and a casino. The perfect location

for the show itself but also for the VIP party we’re hosting on

a Saturday Night.

Get your tickets now at

www.homegrownexpo.co.uk

IF YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT NEW GEAR, LEARN TECHNIQUES

OR ROAM AROUND WITH LIKEMINDED PEOPLE THIS SHOW

IS FOR YOU


Check our website for more info:

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62

surface at a certain distance. LED light is very directional too,

with poor intensity spread - like a flashlight. It also doesn’t

blend nicely, and well... sunlight isn’t spotted. It delivers the

same spectrum levels smoothly and evenly.

There are certain colors of LEDs available that are as efficient,

or even more efficient, than HID lamps. However, not all

colors are evenly efficient and specifically not the white LEDs

which provide a wide spectrum. Basically, they are just blue or

near UV LEDs which have a phosphor coating, so actually they

give indirect light just like a CFL.

Still, Tekstra says that LEDs have merit in certain applications.

On top of growing greens and let-

tuce, they’re great for conserving

space by layered growing of young

plants, because you’re able to have

them close to the light. Far red LEDs

work well as steering lights to make young cucumbers stretch,

and to spread light into the lower regions of tall crops like

tomatoes, where overhead light cannot penetrate as it should.

Growing in a warm climate? For you LEDs are a blessing as

they don’t produce the infrared heat that ID lights create.

However, you need growing style and fertigation adjustments

to overcome lowered plant transpiration.

More advantages are found in using LEDs in greenhouses as

supplemental light. Here they provide ‘interlighting’ between

rows of tall crops, help increase day length, and allow pho-

LIGHTING EXPERT POINTS OF VIEWIf you really want to know the truth about grow lights, it is

wise to gather some input from people who make high quality

garden lighting. These are the guys who find solutions to light

issues in the grow room or greenhouse. It’s those solutions

that put them in business, and keeps them providing you with

the gear it takes to succeed in energizing your plants.

Here’s what horticultural lighting expert had to say from a

manufacturer and marketing point of view:

“For a long time the market has been literally fooled by manufactur-

ers who say that you can replace HID lighting with much lower watt-

age LEDs. You might remember the red

and blue LED UFO lights, where 200W

of LED would be able to replace 600W

of HPS. Most of the fixtures were based

on just red and blue, while in horticultur-

al research we already know for many years that other colors such

as orange, yellow, and green are just as important for healthy devel-

opment of a flowering plant. In many cases the simple recipes of red

and blue do work - but only for purely vegetative crops. Horticultural

research already proved that the complete sunlight spectrum is the

best light for plant development, including UVA and UVB.”

He also made some solid points in regards to lighting specs

on LEDS and their efficiency. It’s difficult to measure the total

output as we do with other lights. LED manufacturers only

state the PPFD, which means the intensity of the light on the

Forget the marketing hype. What’s the real story

with LED lighting in the indoor garden? Experts and

seasoned growers tell it all.

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

“ L E D S H AV E M E R I T I N C E R TA I N

A P P L I C AT I O N S . . .”

“ S U N L I G H T I S N ’ T S P O T T E D ”

THE

ABOUTTRUTH

63

LEDS I GARDEN CULTURE

gardenculture.net

to-periodic manipulation at a huge operating cost reduction

over the traditional HID supplement so common in commer-

cial growing in the past. Don’t overlook the point that these

situations include all available sunlight as well. Not just a sunny

window - a building that is all window.

Tesla induction lighting manufacturer,

Darryl Cotton, has some other in-

sights to offer.

“There are certain benefits to LEDs that

can’t be found in any other technology. They emit relatively narrow

spectrums that can be tailored to meet plant responses. The prob-

lem is it takes a lot of diodes in different wavelengths to attempt to

accomplish what is in your plants’ overall net action photosynthetic

absorption requirements.

When it takes that many diodes to get even close to meeting action

spectra, there is going to be heat, fans, and the difficulty of getting

all those wavelengths to blend into a uniform spectral pattern that

evenly bathes the plant canopy. What diodes strive mightily to do in

terms of broad spectrum, HID lights do effortlessly.”

Cotton points out that this is still a developing technology, and

plant lighting experts’ understanding of it changes constantly.

Anyone using LEDs today is paying for the R&D as an early

adapter.

Speaking of research and development. Steer clear of inexpen-

sive LED lights from China - all claiming to have the ‘best LED

light ever.’ It’s all marketing hype. These lights are inferior. Man-

“THERE IS A REASON WHY THE PROS DON’T USE LEDS”

“ I T I S T R U E T H AT U V L E D S I N C R E A S E

F L AV O N O I D S . . .”

ufacturers of quality LEDs, like Philips, makes no such claims. In

fact, they admit they’re still working on it.

The horticulture division at Philips does a lot of work with fruit

and greens growers, as well as bedding plant, cut flower, and

ornamental plant growing opera-

tions. These businesses work with

Philips to get their supplemental

lighting in greenhouses perfectly

tuned to individual crops during

the off-season. Their livelihood depends on getting things just

right, and Philips configures the LED spectrum recipes plant

by plant to fit their needs. This is highly scientific stuff. Indoor

gardening need not be this complex or costly.

64

GARDEN CULTURE I LEDS

SEASONED GARDENER POINTS OF VIEWIf you ask different experienced indoor growers which LED

light is the best, every one of them will give you a different

answer. Some might give you the name of one they claim

works pretty good on most plants, while the next few will

answer, “as long as all you want are leaves.” A lot of them

will tell you that none of them are good.

There is a reason that the pros don’t use LEDs. It isn’t just

the price of the light. Here’s some quotes:

“There is a ton to know about grow lighting in general, and LEDs

are only one part of it. It offers some great effects, but if used as

a whole, they aren’t a replacement for HID fixtures.”

“LEDs simply don’t provide the required intensity to produce

heavy yielding plants... As far as supplemental lighting is con-

cerned, I can say that they seem to improve the overall quality.

But again, they’re still too pricey even in those terms. If you’re

looking for good and affordable supplemental lighting, I would

recommend just using a few high output T5s in an array of dif-

ferent color temperatures (Kelvin)

placed at near the base of the plants

and shining upward into the plant

canopy.”

“It is true that UV LEDs increase

flavonoids and other desirable compounds. After 6 months your

other diodes will cloud up relieving your garden of needed light,

while all the electricity you’re using for lighting is wasted.”

“LEDs have great color, but lack the ability to enhance evapo-

transportation in plants, which aid the plant’s ability to absorb

nutrients in accelerated amounts to achieve rapid growth rates.

Bright light doesn’t mean intense light. If you’re looking to keep

temps down, use T5 HO lights, or invest in HID lighting and

exhaust to help maintain proper temps.”

“Plants like to cook in the sun. And there’s a reason why the

majority uses HID lights, because you get such a direct sinking

of light... that by using certain hydro or nute methods, you can in-

crease metabolism. Whereas in LED light the plant would never

accept such a huge dose of nutes.”

Good point! Not much energy would be going on in less

intense light.

“Most people look to LED as an option to high wattage/high

temp HID systems. And there are options that work beautifully

in terms of plant yields and quality that do outperform HIDs...

but to find an LED panel that would

be a straight option to HID that

makes sense economically? There

is a reason why most people keep

pumping heat into their gardens.”

Is there such an LED panel available at any price?

Yep. Garden pros say that Heliospectra makes an awe-

some LED. Their 600 watt light even gives your garden well

blended sunlight effects from dawn to dusk. You’ll need a

mortgage to put them in your grow room. The 7 spectrum

arrays developed for researchers cost £4580 each. Rumor

has it that the shipping is free.

Hmm, maybe you should look at the new high output LEDs?

They’re much more affordable than Heliospectra. As one

grow room expert puts it, “It defeats the purpose, as you

have high power requirements and diodes that die quickly.”

The names of some witnesses who provided evidence were with-

held to protect the innocent. 3

“ANYONE USING LEDS TODAY IS PAYING FOR THE R&D...”

“A S LO N G A S A L L YO U WA N T A R E

L E AV E S . . .”

“Plants like to cook in the sun”

66

GARDEN CULTURE I FRESH FOODS

Biology research at Rice Uni-

versity uncovered this fact

while studying how the cir-

cadian clock affects natu-

ral pest fighting compounds

to come to a plant’s assis-

tance. It started with cab-

bage leaves, and investigat-

ing the plant’s ability to resist attack by caterpillars

that feed on its leaves in the field - the very same

enzymes believed to have cancer fighting benefits.

This crossover benefit thing isn’t unique to cabbage. A

lot of the different antioxidants and disease fighting ele-

ments in fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs are part of

their built-in pest, disease and stress resistance mecha-

nisms.

They tested average store produce that’s been picked,

shipped, and stored. The researchers discovered that

cabbage, lettuce, sweet potatoes, blueberries, and

more... all respond to light. Too many light or dark

hours reduces resistance production, as does constant

light, or constant dark. They found that late in the day

on a 12 hour light/12 hour dark schedule, resistance

was twice as strong.

You might want to stop shopping for fresh food at 24-

hour stores - there is no night cycle there. Maybe we

should add a light cycle to the produce drawer in the

refrigerator. The light is only on when you open the

door. 3

“YOU MIGHT WANT TO STOP SHOPPING

FOR FRESH FOOD AT 24-HOUR STORES”

An amazing new discovery reveals that fruits and

vegetables continue functioning after the harvest.

Fresh foods are still alive. They know what time

it is and perform certain behaviors, like increas-

ing beneficial compounds according to hours

of light received. Your food still follows day and

night cycles. It could be at its healthiest best right

before dusk in their current daylength cycle.

“Fresh foods are still alive”

your salad tracks time!

68 68

BALLAST

“IT’S THE BALLAST’S JOB TO MAINTAIN A STABLE OPERATING POINT”

MAGNETIC VS. ELECTRONIC PROS&CONS

Almost every grow room has a pile of ballasts driving a bunch of lights.

There’s a lot of confusion among growers about ballasts. How do they

work? What are they for? What kind is best? Let’s take a look...


BALLASTS I GARDEN CULTUREBY GREG RICHTER

Magnetic ballasts use a capacitor to move the current and

voltage closer to being in-phase, but the net result is that with

the power factor being quite a bit less than 1. The resistance

of all that wire and the magnetic losses in the core, a mag-

netic ballast’s efficiency is going to be around 85% or so. That

means it’ll take 1170 Watts of power to light a 1000W bulb,

with the extra 170 Watts just heating up the room. Not ex-

actly what we want, but easy to build and inexpensive to buy.

The good news is the only thing that ever really goes

bad on a magnetic ballast is the capacitor, which can

usually be fixed at the store where you bought it.

Electronic BallastsElectronic ballasts have four big advantages over core and

coil ballasts:

1. Variable operating point – Elec-

tronic ballasts can compensate for aging

bulbs so that you get the same light output

even as the lamps age.

2. Efficiency – Core and coil

ballasts gobble up 1100-1200 Watts to run

a 1000 Watt bulb where a good quality

electronic ballast will only need 1050-1100

Watts.

3. Bulbs live longer – Electronic ballasts can adaptive-

ly maintain output power levels to keep bulbs brighter

for a longer period of time. You change bulbs less often.

4. Dimming – Electronic ballasts can be dimmed, and

some advanced designs can also drive multiple bulb

types and power ratings (400 / 600 / 1000).

Electronic ballasts are also:

• Smaller and lighter

• Able to restrike a hot bulb sooner

• Lower in perceived lamp flicker

• Can be quieter and produce less acoustic noise

As prices on power semiconductors came down in the 1990s,

engineers started pushing forward with Switched Mode Pow-

er Supplies (SMPS) since a switching supply running at high

frequency requires smaller transformers and inductors (the

expensive parts) than an SMPS running at a lower frequency.

Designs for HID ballasts have steadily improved and elec-

tronic ballasts are now a practical and accepted solution for

running HID lights. A good electronic ballast has a Power

Factor > 0.98, almost perfect, and runs at better than 90%

What IS a Ballast?Grow lights are usually High Intensity Discharge (HID)

bulbs which take a little work to get running. Whether the

bulb is a metal halide used for vegetative growth or an HPS

(High Pressure Sodium) bulb used for flowering, they all re-

quire a very high voltage to ionize the material in the bulb to

get it glowing and conducting electricity. This Strike Voltage

can run as high as 4000 volts, and is only on for a few sec-

onds or tens of seconds, just enough to get the gasses in the

bulb glowing and conductive enough for the bulb to light.

Once the arc strikes, the bulb needs to be current-limited

as it warms up, and finally held at a stable operating point

when it’s good and hot. It’s the ballast’s job to strike the

arc, limit current during warm-up, and maintain a stable

operating point once we’re up and running. Kind of like a

tightrope walker with a balance pole – it’s

the ballast’s job to maintain a stable oper-

ating point for a naturally unstable arc light.

Core & CoilIron core inductors are a simple and cheap

way to make some of these things happen. If

you wire an inductor in series with your HID

bulb two things happen: First, the inductor

charges up when current flows through it, and dumps all

that energy when the current stops. You can get a pretty

good-sized spark this way, and it’s the same technique we

use to fire spark plugs in a car. Since the AC power line

cycles 50-60 times per second, the

inductor can provide us the needed

high voltage for starting the arc.

Since an inductor resists changes

in current, it can also act as a cur-

rent limiter and, if you choose your

parts wisely, it can set the final operating point of the

bulb. Not bad for a steel core wound with a mile of wire!

The bad news is that current and voltage move close to

90 degrees out of phase with each other across an induc-

tor. Power is voltage multiplied by current, and if they are

out of phase you don’t get the use of all that power you’re

paying for at the meter. Electrical engineers report this out-

of-phase condition as Power Factor, with 1.0 being perfect.

You can think of Power Factor as the percentage of power

you pay for that doesn’t get used by the light – a PF of 0.85

means 15% of the power you buy doesn’t do any work.

“A MAGNETIC BALLAST’S

EFFICIENCY IS GOING TO BE AROUND

85%...”

BALLASTS I GARDEN CULTURE


efficiency. Some advanced designs are now pushing 97% effi-

ciency, at power factors approaching 0.995! There’s a world of

difference between magnetic and electronic ballasts, and quite

a difference between brands of electronic ballasts as well.

FansOne question I see a lot on the forums and hear in hydro

stores is about fans. Is it better to have a fan on the ballast or

not? Heat is the ending of all electronic devices and you can

count on halving the life of a given device for every 18°F rise in

temperature. So, a fan is good, right? Well, sometimes... Fans

on electronics are like turbochargers on cars – if you can run

without it, the machine will live longer.

If the ballast runs cool without the fan, a little forced-air cool-

ing will make it live longer. If a ballast NEEDS a fan to keep

from melting, that’s not so good. Fans suck in dirt as well as

air, and dirt makes things break. Put your hand on the ballast at

full power. If it is warm to the touch and has a small fan, that’s

fine. If it’s hot to the touch, or has big fans and is still hot, that’s

not what we want. If it needs a fan to stay alive, it’ll die when

the fan does.

Cooler is always better for the life of the equipment, and

for your power bill. Remember, you’re paying TWICE for

all that heat: once to heat up the ballast, and again to have

your air conditioning remove the heat from the room.

Electrical NoiseAcoustic noise is easy to check just by listening, but electrical

noise is the kind that makes pH and TDS meters read wrong.

It also alerts anyone with a radio that there’s a room full of

lights and ballasts next door. When the local WiFi has prob-

lems precisely 12 hours on and 12 hours off, it doesn’t take an

electronic engineer to sniff out the cause!

“ELECTRONIC BALLASTS CAN BE DIMMED...”

A simple and easy test is to take a hand-held AM radio and

tune it between stations so you just hear static. Turn the

lights on and tune up and down the band – do you hear

your ballasts blasting away? Most of them do, and it’s an

easy check to make before purchasing a ballast. Quieter is

better because if your ballast doesn’t interfere with your

neighbor’s radio, cellphone or computer he’s less likely to

give you a hard time about your garden.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) can come from ballast

itself as radiation, from the lamp cord or from the power

wiring. Every wire is an antenna at some frequency, and

the longer your lamp wiring is, the more likely you’re go-

ing to hit the antenna jackpot. For lamp wiring, shorter

is better.

Conducted EMI coming down the power line is more likely

to cause problems with computers than radios, but there’s

not much a grower can do about it without redesigning

the ballast. In our own EMI testing we found that all the

electronic ballasts were noisy on the lamp wiring but the

worst offenders were the ones that had conducted EMI

(power line) issues.

NotesMagnetic ballasts are heavy, inexpensive and less efficient

than electronic ballasts. Electronic ballasts beat magnetics

in all areas of performance, but poorly designed units can

make enough electrical (RF) noise to cause instrumenta-

tion issues for the grower and radio interference issues for

his neighbors. A quick radio check can save a lot of trouble

in telling a good one from a bad one, as can simply putting

your hand on the ballast to see how cool it runs. You don’t

need expensive instruments to check your ballast – just a

cheap radio and your five senses. 3


“ELECTRONIC BALLASTS CAN COMPENSATE FOR AGING BULBS...”

“CORE AND COIL BALLASTS

GOBBLE... WATTS”

“IF A BALLAST NEEDS

A FAN TO KEEP

FROM MELTING, THAT’S

NOT SO GOOD.”

“A GOOD ELECTRONIC BALLAST HAS A POWER FACTOR > 0.98...”

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PLANT FACTS I GARDEN CULTURE

D

u

h

!

E

=

M

C

2

Plants Are Math ExpertsNot simple stuff like addition

and subtraction. We’re talking complicated

equations - tricky formulas they can adjust at

a moment’s notice. Plants use stored starches

from daylight hours throughout the night to grow.

However, they never run short and until very recently it was

unknown how they made this happen.

Plants can measure the amount of stored food in their cells

and actually ration it out over the hours between sunset and

dawn. They figure out the rate of consuming the rations by

complex division. Every morning at dawn only about 5% of

stored starches remain unconsumed.

Researchers have studied this. They made nights longer and

shorter trying to trip them up. The plants still made sure they

didn’t run out. Lights were even turned on in the middle of

the night. Plants just adjust their rate of processing stored

food instantly to match the new situation.

Plants Are SocialThis isn’t some far out fringe idea. Plants have a secret

social life. Research not only shows that plants com-

municate with each other, but they have a high vocabulary of

various signals. They respond to

the messages and meet the situ-

ation by changing their behavior

to fit whatever is going on.

What are they telling each oth-

er? They send out alerts about

bad bugs or disease moving in,

changes in the environment, and

more. They report discomfort

and pain, communicate condi-

tions both above and below ground, and combat competing

neighbors in a unified effort.

How do they talk among themselves? Chemicals, physical

contact, and light emissions, or altered wavelength reflection.

Makes you wonder if there are concerns about the noise level

in a meadow, and if plants have a sense of humor.

sources:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10134715/Scientists-find-proof-plants-are-capable-of-complex-arithmetic.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130507-talking-chili-plant-communication-science/http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037382http://www.mindpowernews.com/PlantsControlWeather.htm

No Plant Is An Island They prefer company. Plants perform better in

groups than alone. They also recognize family. Some,

like strawberries, maintain really

close ties being connected to each

other with shared roots or runners.

They have found that this family thing

extends to more distant relations

like cousins. It’s all about survival.

Plants share food and water resourc-

es. They help each other deal with

enemies,and other dangers.

Amazing Plant Facts

4

Hey,

you

look

sw

eeeet!

1

2

4

3

W

an

na

ha

ng

ou

t?

Grrr... gimme some space!!!

The War on WeedsWhy do weeds work

overtime to choke out your garden? Your im-

ported interlopers are hogging the natural re-

sources. Plant families don’t

mind sharing with siblings

and cousins, but your toma-

toes and begonias? They’re

illegal immigrants. The na-

tives are in hostile mode.

It’s war alright, and you

started it. 3

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10134715/Scientists-find-proof-plants-are-capable-of-complex-arithmetic.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10134715/Scientists-find-proof-plants-are-capable-of-complex-arithmetic.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130507-talking-chili-plant-communication-science/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130507-talking-chili-plant-communication-science/

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037382

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037382

http://www.mindpowernews.com/PlantsControlWeather.htm

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show off your indoor/urban garden!

76

Want to see your indoor/urban garden star in this magazine? Garden Culture Magazine

would love to see your unique garden set-up, be it high- or low tech, a window farm,

vertical garden or a real balcony beauty, send your pictures to [email protected]

and you might just get selected to show off your garden to the entire country!

show off your indoor/urban garden!

YOUR GARDEN I GARDEN CULTURE


No. words : 2526No. pages : 3Written by : Tammy ClaytonResources / Pictures : http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-73068163/stock-vector-ecology-background-chemical-formulas-digital-wave-green-bokeh-abstract-light.html?src=artknkW26b9XJhKUEBh1Bg-1-67http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-112545050/stock-photo-a-wall-of-corn-stalks-full-of-corn-in-vertical-format.html?src=ML6VjGVso8fF8F-DxLljOA-1-14http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-133425092/stock-vector-contaminated-food.html?src=jEoVrWlctxojBibsbvL-4w-1-61http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-72844987/stock-photo-contaminated-dirty-water-drop-symbol-representing-dirty-drinking-liquid-that-is-infested-with.html?src=p-76988938-2http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-104402267/stock-photo-toxic-stamp-shows-poisonous-lethal-and-noxious-substance.html?src=gb-wZ7SRuo6Q0DUeFNwyvw-1-36http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-129141344/stock-photo-illustration-label-biohazard.html?src=gb-wZ7SRuo6Q0DUeFNwyvw-7-90http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-132444908/stock-photo-dangerous-food-food-wrapped-in-crime-scene-tape.html?src=h1uC0GEyuiGRuxY_wOFfKA-1-46Checked by : TammyApproved by :

78

BY TAMMY CLAYTON

water too. A situation that is increasing, and will con-

tinue to do so with higher agricultural use for no-till

and Roundup Ready crop production, along with use for

residential, commercial, municipal, and public land main-

tenance. Testing for glyphosate in wells is sporadic, but

water departments do this every year.

Less Toxic Than AspirinIn the 1980s regulations for the allowable residual lev-

els in food crops for animals or humans was close to

non-existent. Glyphosate was then deemed not harmful

at 0.02 ppm on fruits, vegetables and meats, but grains

being a larger part of the human diet, they set at 0.01

ppm. The original list contained 50 crops consumed by

animals and people. Roundup Ready soybeans came out

in 1996 and the allowable levels went up the following

year, as did the number of foods listed. These changes

were just in time to welcome Roundup Ready canola,

and prepare for corn the following year. Levels were

again increased in 2001 with over 100 foods and fodder

crops now on the list. Sugar beets and alfalfa joined the

glyphosate tolerant crop array in 2005.

Soybeans have had an allowable 20 ppm of glyphosate

The active ingredient in Monsanto’s non-selective weed

killer Roundup is government-approved as an acceptable

part of your daily diet. The stuff is in everything you eat

and drink. Don’t breathe a sigh of relief because you’re

only eating organic foods. You haven’t escaped. No one

can.

Glyphosate - the most used herbicide in the world - is

in the air, the soil, rain, snow, and the water supply. The

Potomac River, source of tap water for 3 million people,

contains alarming levels of this chemical.[1] The ill-

health of the fish in the Potomac has the EPA seriously

concerned. Farm and residential runoff are causing large

tumors in catfish and carp - the same results reported

in glyphosate lab tests with rats. There are also gender

bending male bass in the river and the bay carrying eggs

in their testicles.

Contamination is found in well and city water all over

the place. On April 12, 2013, the U.S. Geological Ser-

vice published a report that glyphosate had been found

in 51 streams over a 9 state area of the Midwest - an

increase from just a few years ago.[2] Both the active

and degraded forms of this chemical are found in surface

water, municipal water, well water and no doubt bottled

(Climate Techniques)

The longer you live, the more apparent it becomes that man is his own worst enemy. Some, through

greed, lust, or an overpowering need to control everything, present the world with danger through hid-

den agendas disguised as benefits. Others, and this would be the majority, are so busy specializing or being

entertained that they are totally unaware of what is really happening to them or around them. They have

better things to do.

Failure to pay attention bears a price. What you don’t know can be harmful. Like this fact: it’s okay with the

EPA if you ingest glyphosate, as long as it’s not a lethal dose.

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79 79

Furthermore, if GMOs and Roundup Ready crops were

truly so wonderful, there would not be such an issue

identifying them on food labeling, and no labs wouldn’t

have failed to report a high number of lab animal deaths,

falsified data in reports,

or been found guilty of

tampering with glypho-

sate test records.[5]

The idea that non-GMO

crops make food more expensive is ridiculous. Roundup

Ready crops need more chemicals than standard vari-

eties. Plus, the cost of production is higher, the seed

is more expensive and cannot be saved, weeds are be-

coming immune to Roundup, and plant diseases have in-

creased. That’s okay though, Monsanto sells a cure for

every one of these issues.

The reason we have Roundup Ready crops is to guar-

antee that farmers buy Roundup brand weed killer. Any

other glyphosate-based herbicide will kill every plant be-

cause right along with the herbicide resistor, Roundup

has something the knockoffs lack. It has nothing to do

with feeding the world, it is all about corporate profit

and global market monopolization

gardenculture.net

since 1996 - a major part of infant formulas and people’s

diets. Some other alarming acceptable ppms: sunflower

seeds - 85, molasses - 30, instant tea - 5, dried peas - 8...

the list in the Federal Register is lengthy.[3] The ruling

applies to ag producers, food

manufacturers, and chemical

companies alike.

As of May 1, 2013, they have

once again increased the allow-

able levels of glyphosate on your plate.[4] Why would

they do this? Simple. Monsanto petitioned for it. No one

protested. There will be more glyphosate in your food

effective immediately, at rates set by Monsanto to agree

with those filed in their petition. The EPA did not re-

quest any second opinions.

Should you be concerned? Definitely. Glyphosate-herbi-

cides aren’t as safe as they prefer you to believe. There

are plenty of independent studies done outside the

United States that have reported the dangers in medical

and science journals. When it comes to the USDA, EPA

and FDA, wording is more important than realities, and

there’s a revolving door between the government, these

organizations, and Monsanto.

“MONSANTO ORDERS, PAYS FOR AND CONTROLS ALL ‘CREDIBLE’ TESTING.”

HEALTHY FOOD I GARDEN CULTURE

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN BE HARMFUL

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“FARM AND RESIDENTIAL USE OF GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDES NOW EXCEEDS 185 MILLION POUNDS ANNUALLY IN THE U.S.”

just Roundup Ready varieties. It doesn’t matter at this

point that the plant will quickly die, it’s done its job. The

purpose is to dry up the green matter, and getting the

harvest to market takes precedence.

With the erratic weather seen globally, more and more

farmers have turned to Roundup crop desiccation.[7]

Not only does this increase the use of chemicals, it

leaves a fresh dose of glyphosate and POE destined -

straight for your plate. What’s POE? Keep reading. The

worst is yet to come.

Roundup More ToxicThere’s a lot more to be concerned over with the use of

Roundup and rival brands of glyphosate-based herbicides

than the active ingredient. You see, POEs are 3 times

more toxic than glyphosate...

Damn - we ran out of space! There’s a lot more you need

to know. Get the rest of the true Roundup story with

referenced sources here:

www.GardenCulture.net/non-garden-related/resident-

evil-2036. 3

Monsanto has never conducted any testing that would

provide the real results of humans having a continual

exposure to Roundup or glyphosate, and consum-

ing both from birth to old age. Findings reported are

vague, and even use assumptions. Carcinogenic testing

has never been carried out conclusively. The EPA states

that “glyphosate presents a reasonable risk to human

health.” [6] If you’re going to risk your health, shouldn’t

this be elective, not forced upon you? Nothing like being

a lab rat in Monsanto’s world.

Like it or not - we’ve been eating and drinking residual

Roundup, and genetically modified organisms for de-

cades. The worst glyphosate accumulations will have

taken place since the 1996 harvest of amalgamated

soybeans. The amount of glyphosate herbicides ap-

plied annually has tripled since 1997, and it’s not just

Roundup. Monsanto’s patent ended in 2000, open-

ing the doors for all ag chemical companies to produce

their own version. See why it is so important that the

world grow Roundup Ready crops?

A Jug of Magic TricksFarm and residential use of glyphosate herbicides now

exceeds 185 million pounds annually in the U.S. The

worldwide tally in 2010 was 0.6 million metric tonnes -

expected to hit 1.35 million metric tonnes by 2017.

It’s not all being used for killing weeds either. There is

this practice called ‘crop desiccation’ recommended by

Monsanto to get your harvest in earlier with the help of

their miracle weed killer. How does that work? Spraying

Roundup on grain fields at harvest time dries out plants

so the seed is uniformly low in moisture content. The

only grains farmers won’t do this with are barley and

rye because it’s unsellable, breweries and distilleries will

not accept it. However, just fine for food manufacturers,

and it’s done to all other cereal crops.

Granted there are problems when a farmer’s grain has

too high of a moisture level. Many is the field left stand-

ing long into fall or early winter because the grain isn’t

dry enough yet. This desiccation isn’t practiced with

HEALTHY FOOD I GARDEN CULTURE

CONTAMINATION REMAINS UP TO 3 YEARS AFTER ONE APPLICATION

“ROUNDUP... APPROVED AS AN

ACCEPTABLE PART OF YOUR DAILY DIET”

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