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MaxiMuM Yield’s LONG BEACH CALIFORNIAOCTOBER 26-27, 2013
USA
FREE
indoorgardeningexpo.commaximumyield.com
Flowing with the Phloem • Quackuaponics • Taking Control
The Automation
RevoluTion
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10 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
120
DEPARTMENTS
CONTENTSSeptember 2013
12 From the Editor
14 MaximumYield.com
18 Letters to the Editor
20 Ask the Experts
24 MAX Facts
34 Product Spotlight
98 Avant Gardening
108 Green Thumb Gardening
118 Growing for Health
142 Tips and Tricks
172 Book Review
173 10 Facts On...
174 Talking Shop
176 You Tell Us
182 Max Mart
185 Distributors
201 Do You Know
202 Coming up in October
FEATURES
50 Miracle, Myth or Marketing: Are Epsom Salts a Garden Cure-All?by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
66 Surfactant Solutionsby Dr. Lynette Morgan
76 Organic Hydroponicsby Frank Rauscher
90 Flowing with the Phloemby Bill DeBoer
100 Perlite Revisitedby Casey Jones Fraser
110 A Closer Look at Carbon Dioxideby Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr.
120 Introducing Quackuaponicsby Joseph Hackenberg
134 Absentee Growing: How to Maximize a Garden’s Growth from Out of Townby Karen Wilkinson
144 Blushing Hydroponic Tomatoesby Raquel Neofit
152 Preparing the Next Patchby Russell Landry
160 Cycling Part II: Staring up an Aquaponics System without Fishby Sylvia Bernstein
166 Taking Control Using Control Systemsby Sanjay Kumar Rajpoot
170 Thinking Green: FreshDirect’s Green Angel Fund
110
134
166
14476
12 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Linda Jesson
Message from the
Editor
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FROM THE EDITOR | LiNda JESSON
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER - Jim JessonGENERAL MANAGER - Don Moores
BUSINESS MANAGER - Linda Jesson
EDITORIAl [email protected]
Editor-in-chief Linda Jesson Assistant Editor Julie McManus
Assistant Editor Jennifer McGarrigle
ADVERTISING SAlESSales Manager
Ilona Hawser - [email protected]
Account ExecutivesKelsey Hepples - [email protected] Montague - [email protected]
Jed Walker - [email protected] Doyle - [email protected]
DESIGN & PRODUCTION [email protected]
Art Director Alice JoeGraphic Designers
Jennifer EvertsDionne Hurd
Jesslyn Gosling
ACCOUNTING Tracy Greeno - [email protected]
Ava Seimens - [email protected]
USA DISTRIBUTIONAurora Innovations • BWGS • General Hydroponics
Humbolt Wholesale • Hydrofarm National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply
• Nickel City Wholesale Garden Supply • R&M Supply • Tradewinds
CANADIAN DISTRIBUTIONBrite-Lite Group • Biofloral • Eddis Wholesale • Greenstar Plant Products Inc. • MegaWatt
• Quality Wholesale
UK DISTRIBUTIONDirect Garden Supplies • Growth Technology
• Future Harvest Development Europe • Dutch Bio Power
Nutriculture UK • Dutch Pro • Maxigrow
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTION Dome Garden Supply • House N Garden
• Futchatec • Growth Technology
VOLUME 14 – NUMBER 6 September 2013
Maximum Yield is published monthly byMaximum Yield Publications Inc.
2339A Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9Phone: 250.729.2677; Fax 250.729.2687No part of this magazine may be reproduced
without permission from the publisher. If undeliverable please return to the address above.
The views expressed by columnists are a personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect those of Maximum Yield or the editor.
Publication Agreement Number 40739092
Printed In Canada
Fall is fast approaching and with the days getting shorter and shorter and the temperature about to get cooler and cooler, now is a good time to learn about all the latest trends in the indoor gardening industry. That’s why this issue includes articles on enjoying high-quality tomatoes year-round, why you should try growing your next crop in perlite and how an automated growroom can help guarantee results with minimal effort on the part of the grower. We also include information about growing organi-
cally in hydroponic systems, starting up an aquapon-ics system without the fish and how to save seeds if some of your plants are at the end of their life cycles.Bill DeBoer takes readers on a trip through the vas-
cular system of a plant and Joseph Hackenberg intro-duces us to the world of “quackuaponics”–a combina-tion of aquaponic and hydroponic growing methods that provides an ideal environment for his ducks.To round out the issue, we share the latest products
to help you with all of your growing needs and some interesting industry news, tips and trivia.If you haven’t had the chance to attend one of the
stops on Maximum Yield’s Grow Like a Pro Indoor Gardening Tour 2013, there’s still time! The final expo happens October 26 to 27 in Long Beach, California.
This world-class event will be a combination indoor gardening and hydro life expo featuring leading experts from the hydro, snow, surf, skate and bike industries. Held at the beautiful Long Beach Convention Centre for the fourth year running, this expo provides an ideal location with the perfect mix of culture and climate. Visit indoorgar-denexpo.com for special accommodation rates, exhibitor lists, free VIP tickets and more!In the meantime, enjoy the warm weather while it lasts and have fun planning your
next indoor crop!
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14 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
CONTribuTOrS
maximumyield.comfacebook.com/MaximumYieldindoorgardenexpo.comtwitter.com/max_yield
CONNECT wiTh uS
COMiNG uP ON ThE wEb
Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort. Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic greenhouse production from Massey University, New Zealand. Lynette is a partner with SUNTEC International Hydroponic Consultants and has authored fi ve hydroponic technical books. Visit suntec.co.nz for more information.
Dr. J. Benton Jones Jr. has 50 years of experience growing plants hydroponically. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens and has authored eight books and written articles for magazines that deal with hydroponic issues. He currently has his own consulting company, Grosystems, Inc. Dr. Jones currently lives in Anderson, SC, USA.
Sylvia Bernstein is the author of Aquaponic Gardening: A Step by Step Guide to Growing Fish and Vegetables Together. She is also the president of The Aquaponic Source, and the co-founder and past vice chairman of the Aquaponics Association. Before discovering aquaponics, she was the vice president of marketing and product development for AeroGrow International.
Become a Maximum Yield contributor and have your articles read by 250,000 readers throughout USA, Canada, UK, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Maximum Yield is the largest free-to-consumer indoor gardening magazine in the world. Every issue is available on maximumyield.com, which has thousands of unique visitors monthly.
Karen Wilkinson works for EZ-CLONE Enterprises, Inc., as its social media editor. She came to them with a background in journalism and technical writing and is learning to grow, clone and write for the hydroponics community. She’s a budding gardener and loves growing her own vegetables.
Frank Rauscher is a certifi ed horticulturist and consultant for the gardening industry. He’s a contributing author to several publications and was writer and editor of the Green Pages. Frank fi nds analyzing plant stress and fi nding solutions exciting. He is very much at home bringing new ideas to the fi eld of horticulture and indoor gardening.
Sanjay Kumar Rajpoot is a physicist, chemical and nanotechnology engineer. He is also an economist, an artist, an MMA enthusiast and the founder of Sustainable MicroFarms: the producers of the cheap and easy to use Genesis controller. He loves teaching and can be reached at [email protected]
Raquel Neofi t is a freelance writer for the horticulture, travel and lifestyle industries. She has a background in business and radio, and is an avid believer that hydroponics is the future. Follow Raquel’s writing on her blog, Black Thumbs Guide to Growing Green—the misadventures of the vertical herb gardening movement—and My Food Story on Facebook.
Russell Landry is the former vice president of the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth and its competitive weigh-off sites held worldwide. He is now the current president of the Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario (gvgo.ca). Russ grows giant pumpkins, tomatoes and squash. He has written numerous articles featuring methods to increase vegetable size and fruit yield.
Bill DeBoer is a laboratory scientist at Indiana-based steadyGROWpro. A master gardener intern, Bill is responsible for the company’s laboratory operations, including the design and execution of research projects, plant propagation, seed germination and overall plant care. Bill has a BS and MS from Purdue University, and was previously a research technician for the US Department of Agriculture.
Casey Jones Fraser owns Garden Grove Organics in northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati. He has a degree in communications and electronic media. He believes that indoor gardeners can achieve the highest-quality crops and maximum yields when proper science is applied. Since 1998, Casey has been testing various nutrients and supplements in search of outstanding harvests.
Get Free VIP Passes to the long Beach ExpoThere is only one more stop on the 2013 Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Grow Like a Pro Expo tour. So, be sure to join us in Long Beach, California, on October 26 to 27—whether you’re a new or experienced gardener, this show will offer something for everyone. Stay tuned to indoorgardenexpo.com where you'll soon be able to download and print free passes to Sunday's public day.
Compatible with Hand-held DevicesNo matter which smartphone or tablet you own, loading up your digital copies of Maximum Yield will now be possible thanks to multiple software upgrades and improvements. Readers can view their digital copies of Maximum Yield in even more places!
Meet the TeamThroughout 2013 there have been a few changes at the Maximum Yield office, including the addition of some great people to the team. To learn more about our current roster, check out maximumyield.com/about-us
E-News ArchivesEvery month, Maximum Yield sends out an electronic newsletter containing indoor gardening industry tidbits to our followers. We also keep all of that information posted on enews.maximumyield.com in case you ever miss something.
Free Digital SubscriptionReceive Maximum Yield USA free to your inbox every month. Subscribe to the digital edition of Maximum Yield by simply filling out the form at maximumyield.com/subscriptions
Ask an Expert Maximum Yield’s resident experts are ready to answer your modern gardening questions. Email [email protected] or fill out the “Ask the Experts” question form on maximumyield.com
Scan ItConnect to maximumyield.com instantly from your smartphone with our Quick Response (QR) Code found on the cover of every issue of Maximum Yield.
Joseph Hackenberg is an avid gardener with an interest in the environment. He owns and operates a small business in the building industry. A keen tinkerer, Joe likes to build or develop things beyond what can be sourced from the store. His knowledge of aquaponics and hydroponics is largely self-taught and he dreams of one day enjoying life on a small acreage.
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18 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
LETTErS TO ThE EdiTOr
Always a PleasureThanks for the follow! We always enjoy reading your magazine when we get our copy. Micro Maxx Organics, via Twitter @wallytothemax
Reader Tip on Selling at Farmers' MarketsWe sell mostly organic heirloom tomatoes and peppers. Heirlooms are fragile. We harvest produce into plastic bins with holes drilled in the bottoms, rinse in the same plastic bins, and take to market in same plastic bins. We then remove from plastic bins into plastic pints and as people buy, dump into a brown paper bag. Everything is sterilized in between markets using hot water and steam (no soap). Christian Flickinger, via Facebook
Seventh I’m a Fan Winner AnnouncedShawn Curry from Houston, Texas, is the seventh winner of Maximum Yield’s I’m a Fan Contest! Shawn said, “Your magazine is what got me first interested in growing and gardening. Using the information I read in your magazine has gotten me to experiment with many different growing techniques. It has also gotten me to think outside of the box when it comes to growing plants. To me growing is more than a hobby; it also is therapeutic. At age 20 I enlisted in the army infantry. I was in the third infantry division and in the initial invasion of Iraq. In 2004, I was honorably discharged from the army and for the last eight years I’ve been dealing with PTSD. I found that gardening and taking care of plants, experimenting with different ways of growing, has a calming effect that I don’t get from any other activity. I’m glad that two years ago I found your magazine because it is helping change my life for the better. Thank you.”
Thank you for sharing you story with us, Shawn, and congratula-tions on winning Maximum Yield’s seventh I’m a Fan contest! We hope you enjoy your $100 gift certificate at your favorite indoor gardening shop, Ultimate Hydroponic Garden Supply. Tell us why you’re a fan of Maximum Yield and you could be the
next winner. Visit maximumyield.com for full contest details.
Shawn Curry
Best in ClassThe information I get out of your mag is the best in the business. I've been gardening outside for 25-plus years and I really just love this mag. The products, the people, just awesome. Thank you, Maximum Yield.” John, Concord, New Hampshire
Great InformationHi, I love reading the mag online; you have great, informative articles. I also like to see the newest products available to the public. Keep doing what you are doing and keep up the good work.Peter, San Diego, California
Keeping it Real I'm a fan of Maximum Yield because you support all of your information with sound science.Ian, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Maximum Yield Publications Inc.Snail-mail: 2339 Delinea Place, Nanaimo, BC V9T 5L9Email: [email protected]: twitter.com/max_yieldFacebook: facebook.com/MaximumYield
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Ginger grows extremely well hydroponically and there has been a number of research trials
investigating the best meth-ods of production as well as plant nutrition. A good
hydroponic growing medium to use would be deep bags (at least 1-ft. deep) or containers of perlite mixed with coconut fiber with nutrients drip irrigated on several times a day and allowed to fully drain between nutrient applications. The nutrient solution for ginger should contain the follow-
ing approximate levels of elements: nitrogen 170 to 180ppm, phosphorus 110 to 120 ppm, potassium 200 to 240 ppm, calcium 220 to 230 ppm, magnesium 40 to 55 ppm, iron 4 to 6 ppm, manganese 3 ppm, zinc 0.25 ppm, boron 0.70 ppm, copper 0.07 ppm and molybdate 0.06 ppm. The ideal EC is 2.5 and pH should be within the range of 5.8 to 6.2. If you are growing on a small scale you can use hydroponic pre-mixed products like a general purpose grow formula-tion at an EC of 2.5 for the first two to three months, then switch to a fruiting formulation (higher in potassium and calcium) during the rhizome development stage. Ginger requires warm growing conditions of 71 to 86°F, with some slight shading under high light. Under these conditions, ginger should produce harvestable rhizomes in eight to nine months. Long day length is beneficial with 16 hours being ideal. The plants will also require hilling or earthing up during development of the rhizomes; in hydroponics this just means adding more growing medium to the top of the grow beds or bags that will help the rhizomes expand upwards and increase size and uniformity of shape.The yields obtained from hydroponic ginger are dependant
on a number of factors, not just the fact that the plants are grown in a hydroponic system. Climate, temperatures, light, size of seed rhizome, cultivar, planting density and length of time the crop has been grown for determine yield more than growing method used. Under ideal greenhouse conditions of temperature (71 to 86°F), day length (16-plus hours),
nutrition, watering, and with a good-sized seed rhizome from suitable commercial cultivars (at least 4 oz. in weight for each seed piece), researchers have obtained yields of between three to six pounds per square foot of greenhouse hydro-ponic grow bed area after a nine- to 10-month growing season (plant spacing was 1 ft. between plants and 1.5 ft. between rows). Yields, however, can be lower than this if growing conditions are not ideal or if disease causes rot of the rhi-zomes before they are harvested. Ginger is prone to bacterial wilt, soft rot and erwinia rot, although starting with a clean hydroponic system and high-quality water helps prevent (but not eliminate) the risk of these. Yield is also dependant on cultivar grown and only virus-free and disease-free seed rhi-zomes should be planted.The amount of nutrient solution to apply to the ginger
crop depends on the size of the plants; watering will increase as the plants get larger, and also depends on the growing conditions. Warmer conditions means the plants need more water and nutrients per day, and a higher rate of irrigation is used compared to cooler or more humid conditions. For that reason, it is not possible to give exact volumes of water and nutrients to be given each day; this has to be determined by the grower based on the growing conditions that day, how much water the crop is using under those conditions, and other factors such as the rate of drainage from the growing medium in the beds or bags. As a general guide with drip-irri-gated hydroponic crops, enough nutrients should be applied at each irrigation so that 10% of the volume applied drains out the base of the growing bed or bag (placing a shallow container underneath the drainage holes allows the grower to measure the amount of nutrient solution draining out after each irrigation). The frequency of irrigation needs to be decided based on how damp the growing medium remains between each irrigation. In hot climates with a mature crop, irrigation may be as frequent as six to nine times a day, while very small plants may only be irrigated one to three times a day depending on temperatures and other climatic factors.
Dr. Lynette MorganSuntec Int. Hydroponic Consultants
I am planning to grow ginger in hydroponics. Can you please let me know which nutrients I should provide for the crop and how I should go about adding these nutrients to the system? Also, what type of yields should I be expecting? Finally, I would also like to know how many nutrients should be used for feeding a 10-ft. long by 1-ft. wide area of ginger in a drip irrigation system. Many thanks!
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20 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
aSK ThE ExPErTS
Dr. Lynette Morgan
MAXFACTS HYDROPONIC NEWS, TIPS AND TRIVIA
Watermelon Benefits After the tomato, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is the number two vegetable in the world for cultivated surface and total production. Watermelon has been identified as a healthy food for its high content of lycopene and other antioxidant compounds. The amino acid L-citrulline helps regulate blood pressure and can serve as a source of arginine. Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, the content of which can vary according to the cultivar and the growing environment. (Source: freshplaza.com)
Raisin Grower Takes on the Government Raisin grower Marvin Horne has been breaking the law for 11 years now. He owes the United States govern-ment $650,000 in unpaid fines and 1.2 million pounds of raisins (equal to four years of harvest). The crime he is guilty of committing is part of a 64-year-old farm program known as the national raisin reserve that al-
lows the government to intercede in the supply and demand of dried grapes. In a given year, the government may decide that farmers are growing more raisins than Americans will want to eat. That would cause
supply to outstrip demand. Raisin prices would drop. And raisin farmers might go out of business. To prevent this from happening the government takes a percentage of raisins from each farmer, often
with no payment. Since 2002 Marvin has refused to take part in the reserve scheme. (Source: southcoasttoday.com)
24 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Max FaCTS hydrOPONiC NEwS, TiPS aNd Trivia
Protecting Strawberries Using Bumble BeesScientists have come up with a novel way of using bumble bees to deliver minute quantities of bio-fungicide to strawberry flowers. The process, still in the experi-mental stage, involves bees moving through a specially designed dispenser that fits into a hive. As the bees move through the dispenser, a minute quantity of a powdered formulation of the bio-fungicide containing Gliocladium catenulatum adheres to their bodies and legs. As they leave the hive and begin pollinating, they transfer the powder directly to the flowers, allowing a very pre-cise application of this bio-fungicide throughout flowering. The bio-fungicide, which is itself a fungus, competes for living space with gray mold on the flower parts, preventing the latent flower infection that causes fruit to rot.(Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com)
Seed Banks EssentialWith fewer than a dozen flowering plants out of 300,000 species accounting for 80% of humanity’s caloric intake, people need to tap unused plants to feed the world in the near future, claims Cornell University plant geneticist Susan McCouch. To keep pace with population growth and rising incomes around the world, researchers esti-mate that food availability must double in the next 25 years. The biodiversity stored in plant gene banks coupled with advances in genetics and plant breeding may hold the keys for meeting the demands of more food in the face of climate change, soil degradation and water and land short-ages. “Gene banks hold hundreds of thousands of seeds and tissue culture materials collected from farmers’ fields and from wild, ancestral populations, providing the raw material that plant breeders need to create crops of the future,” says Susan.(Source: sciencedaily.com)
How Solar-friendly is your State?Solar power’s progress has been strong in the United States
lately, but there can be a huge difference in solar-friendli-ness from state to state. Some have good net-metering policies, others don’t. Same for tax credits, rebates,
interconnection regulations, etc. With this many states and this many variables, it can be a huge headache to figure out what’s going on and how state X com-pares to state Y. But thanks to SolarPowerRocks it’s now a piece of cake to figure out which states
are getting it right. Currently Massachusetts is the top ranking state for solar-power friendli-
ness, followed by Maryland and New York. (Source: solarpowerrocks.com)
26 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Max FaCTS hydrOPONiC NEwS, TiPS aNd Trivia
Miniature Greenhouses in ClassroomsIn order to familiarize young people with the intricacies of modern horticulture, and also tempt them to choose horticulture as a career, a new project was launched earlier this year called GreenQ that will provide classrooms in elementary schools with mini-greenhouses. Through these small demonstration greenhouses, students of primary education will come in contact with the most important aspects of growing plants. Different techniques are used in the project, so as to demonstrate a wide range of possibilities. Teachers will introduce special classes and educational material to accompany the project. There is also an instructional video made available by primary school students. (Source: hortidaily.com)
Improving Drought ToleranceResearchers at the University of California, Riverside, have found a new drought-protecting chemical that shows high potential for becoming a powerful tool for crop protection in the new world of extreme weather. Named “quinabactin” by the researchers, the chemical mimics a naturally occurring stress hormone in plants that helps the plants cope with drought conditions. It works by affecting a plant’s stomata, which closes firmly during drought to limit water loss. A small hormone called abscisic acid (ABA) orchestrates the opening and closing of the pores. Cells throughout the plant produce increasing amounts of ABA as water levels decrease. If you can control the receptors the way ABA does, then you have a way to control water loss and drought-toler-ance, say researchers. (Source: ucr.edu)
Mighty MangoesMangoes are among the most popular fruits in the world and provide 100% of your daily vitamin C, 35% of your daily vitamin A and 12% of your daily fiber. They are grown from large trees: a mango tree can grow as tall as 100 ft. and have a canopy as wide as 35. ft. How to you know if your mango is ripe? Don’t judge a mango by its color! Red does not mean ripe. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness. A ripe mango will give slightly and a firm mango will ripen at room temperature over a few days. To speed up ripening, place mangoes in a paper bag at room temperature. Once ripe, mangoes can be moved to the refrigerator to slow down ripening for several days.(Source: mango.org)
28 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Max FaCTS hydrOPONiC NEwS, TiPS aNd Trivia
30 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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Max FaCTS hydrOPONiC NEwS, TiPS aNd Trivia
Desalination for the NationA recent breakthrough in desalination technology has led
to the development of a new method for removing the salts from seawater, one nanoliter at a time. The new method uses a water chip and a small electrical field to separate the salts from
the seawater. To achieve desalination, the researchers apply three volts to a plastic chip filled with seawater. The chip contains a microchannel with two branches. At the junction of the channel an embedded electrode neutralizes some of the chloride ions in
seawater to create an ion depletion zone that increases the local electric field compared with the rest of the channel. This change in the electric field is sufficient to redirect
salts into one branch, allowing desalinated water to pass through the other branch.
(Source: treehugger.com)
Plant Compounds lead to Food Safety Researchers are taking a fresh look at using olive powder and other plant compounds to combat foodborne pathogens and keep food safe to eat. Some of the studies focus on control of microbes such as E. coli that cause foodborne illness and can be formed during cooking of meats. Researchers added high levels of E. coli to ground beef patties along with olive powder or other plant compounds. The meat was cooked to the recommended temperature of 160ºF and then tested. Results showed olive pow-der outperformed the other powders (apple, onion and garlic). Follow-up studies are needed to pinpoint the compounds in olive powder that are responsible for these effects and to determine whether the amount added in the ground beef experiments alters the hamburger’s taste.(Source: sciencedaily.com) Funding for Fruits and Veggies
The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded $3 million in federal funds to 147 selected Maryland schools. These funds are made available by the USDA and encourage healthy eating habits in children by providing fresh fruits and veg-etables to participating schools. Every child enrolled in a par-ticipating school will be offered fruit and vegetable snacks regardless of income.(Source: stardem.com)
34 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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PrOduCT SPOTLiGhT
YOUR GUIDE TO THIS MONTH’S
HOTTEST ITEMSAsk for them at your local indoor gardening store
Mother Earth CocoMother Earth® Coco substrate contains the highest quality mix of coco pith and coco fiber. Mother Earth Coco is RHP certified and is free from chemical ad-ditives. Mother Earth Coco is buffered using a unique process of rinsing with calcium before bagging to provide minimal sodium content, balancing the naturally occurring potassium and ultimately aiding in the prevention of nutrient lockout. As it is pH adjusted to a neutral 6.3 to 6.8, Mother Earth Coco can aid in the promotion of strong root growth, populate micro-bial activity, discourage disease and insect outbreak and will release nutrients evenly so that overall plant health and fruit production can be maximized. Mother Earth Coco is great as a standalone growing substrate or you can mix with other media to enhance the growing environment. For an optimal hydroponic media, combine Mother Earth Coco with Mother Earth Hydroton™ for increased production. Visit a retail store to learn more.
Aquatic life Introduces CO2 Regulator with lighted Solenoid Valve Aquatic Life has introduced a new high-pressure CO2 regulator that in-corporates a lighted solenoid valve to indicate when CO2 is flowing. The needle valve adjustment makes it easier to regulate the amount of CO2 flowing through the system. Unlike most CO2 regulators that use a barb fitting to attach tubing, Aquatic Life’s CO2 regulator uses a compression fitting to securely lock the flexible tubing in place. Additionally, the compact size of the CO2 regulator makes it easy to place in limited spaces. Find further details at an indoor gardening store in your area.
Keep it Cool with a Utopian Portable A/CEasily control temperature and humidity indoors with a Utopian Portable A/C. This 12,000 BTU unit uses a self-evaporative condensation system to efficiently cool rooms up to 550 sq ft. With three circulation levels, a dual-hose intake and exhaust system, and a dehumidifying feature capable of removing more than 7 gal. of water from the air each day, the UL-listed portable A/C is a conve-nient, economical way to keep cool and dry. Find a local retailer for more information.
SuperCloset’s lED SuperNova Hydroponic Grow BoxSuperCloset has added its new LED hydroponic grow box, the LED SuperNova, to its suite of hydroponics systems and its grow cabinet product line. The LED SuperNova is among the largest grow boxes on the market today standing at 78-in. high by 42-in. wide by 24-in. deep. The LED SuperNova grow box utilizes a proprietary spectrum to flower large yields in tight spaces. Heat is dissipated efficiently amongst the 2-cm thick aluminum circuit boards that are the backbone of the SuperNova LED lighting system. The benefits of the new LED SuperNova are immense; it uses about half the electricity as a 600-W HID light while producing similar luminous efficiency. For more information, inquire at a local grow store.
36 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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RhizoFlora Terpinator Terpinator is the newest creation from RhizoFlora that is the one and only product of its kind, formulated to increase the concentration of terpinoids in aromatic plant oils and glands. Plants that produce flavor-ful oils have a unique chemistry that manufacturers have captured through a patented scientific process. By using naturally occurring plant and biological compounds, unique enzymatic pathways within a plant’s body are utilized to enhance the production of terpinoids and plant oils. Many herbs like sage, mint, rosemary and others have trichomes that contain terpinoids. These glands are brought to their maximum potential and size using Terpinator along with any nutrient regiment. Terpinator also catalyzes steps in a plant’s normal metabolism that will protect and prolong the fragrances of your plant’s dried fruits and flowers. For more informa-tion, visit a local gardening store.
Actinovate SPActinovate® SP is a powerful biological fungicide that effectively fights foliar dis-eases in your greenhouse. Use Actinovate SP for foliar diseases like powdery mildew and botrytis. The active ingredient inside Actinovate SP is a micro-organism called Streptomyces lydicus strain WYEC 108. When applied to foliage, this microbe effectively dis-rupts fungal pathogens that may harm your plants. Actinovate SP is also a great tool for fighting root diseases including phytophthora, phythium, rhizoctonia and more. For more information, stop by a local gardening store.
38 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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Active Eye Quantum PAR MeterThe Quantum PAR Meter from Active Eye measures photosynthetically active radia-tion (PAR) flux in wavelengths ranging from the 400 to 700 nm. This fully portable hand-held light meter measures up to 10,000 in units of micro-mol, which is also called phothosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). The response curve is almost constant (versus Gaussian for digital meters) that yields a much higher accuracy independent of wavelength being measured, which is great for measuring LED light correctly. The Quantum PAR Meter comes with a USB cable for easy data logging and data logging software, and features ultra-low power consumption with a built-in low-battery indicator. Visit a local retailer for more information.
RAW B-VitaminRAW B-Vitamin contains 1% vitamin B1 and is fully water soluble. This individualization allows the gardener maximum control and precise custom for-mulation, resulting in both the plants and the gardener getting exactly what they want. RAW B-Vitamin provides all garden-ers with the power to manage three key dynamics of gardening: value, quality and control. Keeping up with the industry’s standards is made easier by simplifying to the basics. For more information, visit a retail store near you.
Current Culture H2O’s Under CurrentThe Under Current™ is the system of choice for large-scale and commercial growers around the world. Due to the proven Sub-Current Culture method, the Under Current increases nutrient uptake and efficiency resulting in cost savings, time savings and increased yields. Available in more than 50 completely modular configurations, the Under Current offers growers a quick and convenient way to fill large spaces with fewer overall systems and plant sites. The largest 32-site systems can accommodate up to eight 1000-W lamps hung horizontally all the way up to 41 1,000-W lamps hung vertically. For more information, stop by a local hydroponics retail store.
Sunleaves Mini light StandThe Sunleaves Mini Light Stand is the perfect size for propagation lighting, measuring in at 2.6 in. wide and 3.5 in. tall. Its durable, sturdy steel frame is fitted with rubber feet for extra stabilization, and it supports up to 50 lbs. of equip-ment. The Mini Light Stand’s components are interchange-able with those of the Sunleaves Light Stand to cover multiple lighting sce-narios. Learn more at a retail store near you.
40 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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QUEST Portable DehumidifiersQUEST Portables are the perfect dehumidifiers for the grower wanting flexibility and convenience. Ideal for growers looking for a little extra ca-pacity at the most critical peaks of the grow cycle, a temporary supple-mental dryer or the flexibility of a product that can be easily moved to various rooms when needed, the QUEST PowerDry 1300, RDS 10 and PowerDry 4000 Pro Portable Dehumidifiers are the answer. While the QUEST PowerDry 1300 and RDS 10 are high performing and efficient, removing 8 gal. and 10 gal. respectively (80°/60%RH), and will solve almost any humidity issue, the QUEST PowerDry 4000 is the solution for large-scale growers with more than 22 gal. of capacity. The PowerDry 1300 and RDS 10 are constructed of durable dent and scratch resistant ROTO plastic and the Pow-erDry4000 Pro is con-structed of rugged, non-corro-sive stain-less steel. For further information, visit a local retail store.
Vital Cal-Mag Vital Garden Supply is excited to release the long-awaited Vital Cal-Mag. Vital Cal-Mag is an organic, non-chlorine source of calcium and magnesium that won’t kill your beneficial microbes. Vital Cal-Mag allows for stronger plant stalks and branches, contributes to vigor-ous root system development and strengthens plant tissue (leaves and flowers). This product also increases resistance to pests and disease, increases uptake of phosphorus in plants, promotes pho-tosynthesis, and solubilizes organic compounds such as carbohy-drates, lipids and proteins. Use Vital Cal-Mag to aid in assimilation of amino acids and cell proteins. Vital Cal-Mag will help make your overall gardening experience a huge success. Look for Vital Cal-Mag at your favorite garden or farm supply store today.
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Titan Controls Atlas Series CO2 ControllersTitan Controls® is proud to announce the latest additions to its CO2 controller line, the Atlas®Series models 8 and 9. These straightforward CO2 controllers provide the ultimate control for your indoor garden. The Atlas 8 features a simplistic push button control for your CO2 system. It is compatible with both CO2 regulators and burners. The Atlas 8 also uses fuzzy logic optimized for precise dosing in your garden when using a CO2 regulator. The Atlas 9 highlights easy-to-use dials and a 15-ft. remote sensor that accurately keeps the CO2 level exactly where you want it in your gar-den. Both products are ETL listed and manufactured in durable dust-, rust- and moisture-resistant plastic enclosures. For more information, visit an indoor retail store.
Coming Soon: Neutralizer Compact KitSynergy UK Ltd. is excited to announce the arrival of the Neutral-izer Compact Kit to the market. To provide hobbyists with a defini-tive solution to their odor problem, Synergy UK Ltd. has created a compact version of its popular Neutralizer Kit. This compact sys-tem features the same benefits as its big brother, but is housed in a smaller cartridge with its own smaller electronic molecule evaporator (EME). The Neutralizer Compact Kit is able to effectively neutral-ize foul odors within a space of approximately 15 to 20 cubic meters. It is supplied with ca-ble ties to attach to your grow tent’s frame and has the same six-week duration with 24/7 use. Packed with natural essential oils, the Compact Kit is designed to remove odors from within one hour of activation. This is a simple plug-and-play system, yet we prefer to call it “the plug and chill” and it’s coming soon to a retail store near you.
Control Water Circulation with an Elemental H2O PumpRely on an Elemental H2O pump for your water circulation needs. With models rated from 97 to 1110 gph, there’s one for any application, from hobbyist to commercial. Featuring waterproof motor casings, durable ceramic shafts, corrosion-resistant housing and a one-year warranty, these UL-listed pumps are built for durability. The five largest pumps can be operated inline or submerged, while the two smallest pumps are submersible only. Visit a retail store for more information.
HyperfanSunlight Supply®, Inc. is pleased to announce the arrival of the Hyperfan™. Best in its class, Hyperfan delivers the highest CFM’s per watt of any fan in the industry. Hyperfan uses next generation Multi-Phase EC Motors that energizes the motor 12 times per revolution. Power delivery to the fan blade is smooth, ultra efficient and vibration free. Hyperfan uses up to half the power and produces much less heat than other mixed flow fans. This results in greatly reduced energy costs, less wear, improved reliability and increased lifespan. Hyperfan produces up to a staggering 2.4 in. of water gauge pressure—the highest pressure of any fan in its diameter—delivering more air movement through ducting, carbon filters or air-cooled hoods. Detachable speed controller is included. Available in a 6-in. with 315-cfm size, an 8-in. with 710-cfm size and a 10-in. with a 1,065-cfm size. Stop by a local retail store for more information.
44 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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1000-W SG lite Convertible BallastThe 1000-W SG Lite Convertible Ballast offers versatility at a great price. It comes pre-wired with a patent-pending dual receptacle. It has an exclusive metal clip on the body that secures the power cord to the ballast. It also comes with a Lock and Seal Plug and now features rubber feet for stable operation with less vibration. The SG Lite has premium NRTL certification and is safety tested to meet all electrical re-quirements in the United States. You can be sure that your ballast will arrive in good shape as premium packaging for better handling integrity is used for all products distributed by Hydrofarm. Visit a local retailer for more information.
RAW Calcium/Mag RAW Calcium/Mag is a fully water soluble calcium/magnesium additive that dissolves quickly in water. RAW Calcium/Mag contains 15% calcium and 3% magnesium. This individualization allows the gardener maximum control and precise custom formulation, resulting in both the plants and the gardener getting exactly what they want. RAW Calcium/Mag provides all gardeners with the power to manage three key dynamics of gardening: value, quality and control. Keeping up with the industry’s standards is made easier by simplifying to the basics. For more information, visit a retail store near you.
Met52 Granular BioinsecticideBlack vine weevils and thrips can be a big problem in your greenhouse or nursery operation. Met52 granular bioinsec-ticide is a powerful new tool that protects plants against harmful black vine weevils and thrips. Met52 G contains a beneficial fungus that grows on the insect causing the black vine weevil larvae and the thrip pupae to die. The Met52 G spores also provide a consis-tent and protective barrier for your plants to grow and thrive without weevils and thrips interrupting your operation. Reduce chemi-cals and protect your plants at the same time with the new Met52 G bioinsecticide. Met52 G is available in 2.2-lb. and 22-lb. bags. Visit a local retailer to find more information.
QUEST 105, 155 and 205 Dual High Capacity DehumidifiersThe newest additions to the QUEST product line are the QUEST 105, 155 and 205 Dual Dehu-midifiers. Just like the QUEST Plug-N-Play dehumidifiers, the QUEST Duals require no instal-lation. The best part about the new QUEST Duals is that they are among the most energy efficient, large capacity dehumidifiers on the market. For example, the QUEST 155 Dual performs at 0.91 gal. kWh while the QUEST 105 Dual performs at over 1.1 gal. kWh. Compared to most standard dehumidifiers (0.47 gal. kWh), the QUEST 155 is nearly twice as efficient. This efficiency translates into savings of hundreds of dollars a year. Protect your investment, protect your plants and protect your profits with QUEST’s high-grade equipment for high-grade growers. For more information, ask about QUEST at a local grow store.
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RAW SilicaRAW Silica contains 45% silicon dioxide and is 100% flowable. This individualization allows the gardener maximum control and precise custom formula-tion, resulting in both the plants and the gardener getting exactly what they want. RAW Silica provides all garden-ers with the power to manage three key dynamics of garden-ing: value, quality and control. Keeping up with the industry’s standards is made easier by simplifying to the basics. For more information, visit a retail store near you.
QUEST Dry 180 QUEST Equipment is pleased to announce the newest addition to its industry-leading, high efficiency dehumidifiers—the QUEST Dry 180. The QUEST Dry 180 is the ideal solution for most small growrooms. With capacity up to 180 pt. (86ºF/80%RH), the 180 will pull ap-proximately 90 pt. (80ºF/60%RH) in a typical growroom. The QUEST Dry 180 was designed to be installed overhead, can be placed on a small shelf or even set on the floor for immediate plug-and-play performance. When extra space is required, an optional duct kit is available that allows the unit to be placed outside of the growroom. For further details, ask about QUEST at a local grow store.
California HumusVital Garden Supply is proud to be your source for California Humus. California Humus is an organic and biologically diverse compost. It is also a sustainable and highly concentrated compost. California Humus results from a three- to five-year, fungal-dominant decomposition process of woody plant materials. This process is powered by earthworms and millions of gal-lons of captured rainwater. The wood source is from California’s Central Valley orchard waste. California Humus reduces your water and fertilizer use while increasing a plant’s pest and disease resistance. It contains growth-promoting compounds. This rich compost also serves as a complete inoculant for beneficial soil micro-organisms. California Humus is free from pesticide residues, weed seeds and pathogens. It is a truly super-charged organic compost. Look for California Humus at your local farm and garden supply store.
Veg+Bloom DirtyThe Hydroponic Research crew proudly presents Veg+Bloom Dirty. We have taken our all-phase powder nutrient and packed it full of organic extracts and carbon-rich goodies. Our customers have had such great results with our RO/Soft and Tap/Hard formulas that we felt inspired to bring you another next level product to further your genetics growing potential. Our Dirty formula is different from our standard Veg+Bloom RO/Soft and Tap/Hard formulas in the array of organics available at the core of its design. It is pH-ready for soil and peat moss and will work extraordinarily well in inert medias such as rockwool. Now, not only are you giving your plants every-thing they need, but also what they want. Get Dirty on your next crop and experience the ultimate harvest. For more details, stop by a local hydroponics store.
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Cultured Solutions Premium Plant Nutrients Cultured Solutions™ premium plant nutrients by Current Culture H2O are spreading across the United States like wildfire. Cultured Solutions is the first and only nutrient in the hydroponics industry developed specifically for high performance water culture applications such as the Under Current™. Perfectly balanced mineral ratios and high quality chelates make Cultured Solutions extremely effective at lower EC/TDS
levels where water culture applications tend to perform best. By maximizing
nutrient solution uptake, crops grown using Cultured
Solutions are kept well-nourished and hydrated, which results in optimal evapo-transpiration and stellar plant performance. For more information, check out a local indoor gardening store.
Cocogro Cloning Plugs from BotanicareNew Cocogro Cloning Plugs from Botanicare provide a real alternative to traditional peat-based and tree-bark-based rooting plugs. Cocogro Cloning Plugs are the first coco-coir-based plugs in the industry. Our coco-coir-based plugs were developed specifically for cloning and provide a higher air holding capacity than traditional plugs as well as a natural resistance to pathogens. Cocogro Cloning Plugs do not easily become overly saturated or waterlogged. They allow for quicker and more vigorous rooting performance, and they con-tain the ideal nutrient charge to promote explosive root development. A healthy clone is the key to a fruitful harvest. Try Cocogro Cloning Plugs today to experience the latest in cloning technology from Botanicare. Visit a retail store near you for more information.
GreenCure Fungicide Defeat powdery mildew without harming your plants using GreenCure Fun-gicide; it’s real science with real results. GreenCure Fungicide, developed by Cornell University plant pathologist Dr. Ken Horst, is the trusted choice of organic gardeners both indoors and out. Sprayed on plant surfaces, Gre-enCure immediately splits open and dehydrates powdery mildew spores, mycelium and conidia, killing them within seconds of contact. Then, as new airborne spores land on leaf surfaces, they are killed, preventing germi-nation and breaking the fungal life cycle. GreenCure’s patented formula includes potassium bicarbonate along with special surfactants that spread and stick to plant surfaces. It safely kills fungal diseases and creates a protective shield against new fungal invasions. Mix one tablespoon per gal. of wa-ter; spray to cover, not to saturate, and turn the lights out after spray-ing. This is an odorless spray so there is no foul smell, and no mask is required. Visit a retail store near you for more information.
SuperCloset’s Big Buddha BoxThe Big Buddha Box is SuperCloset’s highest yielding hydroponic grow system. It is vertically oriented and contains four multi-shelved walls with 87-net cups nested within the tiered grow trays situated around a centralized light column that extends from floor to ceiling. The effect of this set-up is four lush walls of flora all growing towards the center of the system. The heart of the Big Buddha Box is the Superponics hydropon-ics system that utilizes both ebb and flow and deep water culture to achieve maxi-mum oxygenation of the plant roots. The Big Buddha helps growers quadruple their yields using half the electricity of a horizontally oriented hydroponics system. Fully automated pumps slowly raise and lower the water level in each lateral tank, which ensures roots receive equal levels of oxygen. In addition, the air stone diffusers create a “root Jacuzzi” for any remaining water in the tiered grow trays. For more information, inquire at a local indoor gardening store.
Miracle, Myth,
or Marketing:
are Epsomsalts aGarden
Cure-all? by dr. linda Chalker-scott
you may have recently heard
somewhere that Epsom salt, also
known as magnesium sulphate, is
an effective addition to any type
of garden because it is safe and
natural, but there is certainly
more to this story, as dr. linda
Chalker-scott explains.
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50 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
The MythWith the increased consumer interest in managing gardens and landscapes sustainably, products are likewise being marketed as safe and natural. Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulphate (MgSO4), is touted as one of the most perfect nutrients for gardens and plants.Numerous claims are made about its
effectiveness in increasing seed ger-mination, improving uptake of other nutrients and enhancing growth and overall health. Tried and true tips are provided, which include specifi c formu-lations for house plants, vegetables, turf, shrubs and trees. Dangers of nutrient over-load are minimized by assurances that Epsom salt is not persistent so you can’t overuse it.
The RealityEpsom salt has been used to relieve magnesium defi ciency found during intensive cropping of many fruit and vegetable species worldwide. These include commonly grown North American crops such as alfalfa, apple, beets, carrots, citrus,
caulifl ower, cotton, grains, hops, kale, nuts, okra, pep-pers, plums, potatoes, snap beans, sugar beets, sweet
potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, watermelon and wine grapes, as well as more exotic species
including banana, cacao, coffee, rubber, Swedish turnips and tea. Conifer spe-
cies grown for timber use have also been treated with Epsom salts under magnesium-defi cient conditions.
Among the diverse plant materi-als that have been studied under treatment with Epsom salts, there are two commonalities: all are intensively produced crops and all were suffering from magnesium
defi ciency. It is important to keep these two points in mind as we examine the
claims and recom-mendations regarding
Epsom salt use in the garden.
EPSOM SALT has been used to relieve magnesium deficiency found during intensive cropping of many fruit and vegetable species
worldwide.”
Causes of deficiencyThere are two primary causes of magnesium defi ciency in plants: an actual lack of soil magnesium, or an imposed defi -ciency caused by mineral imbalances in the soil or plant.Magnesium defi ciencies most commonly occur in soils
described as light, sandy or acidic, though occasionally clay soils under intensive production can show magnesium defi ciency as well.Regardless of type, soils heavily leached by rainfall or irriga-
tion are more likely to exhibit magnesium defi ciency. Thus, addition of highly soluble Epsom salts to soil under leaching conditions does not benefi t magnesium-defi cient plants but does increase mineral contamination of water passing through.Excessive levels of potassium contribute to a mineral imbal-
ance that causes magnesium defi ciency in a variety of species, even when soil levels of magnesium are adequate. High levels of soil potassium apparently interfere with root uptake of magnesium. Addition of nitrogen or reduction of available potassium are both recommended to overcome this indirect magnesium defi ciency; trees high in nitrogen were found to be less susceptible to magnesium defi ciency than those with reduced nitrogen levels.
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52 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
miracle, mYth or marketing
Examining the claims CLAIM: Unlike most commercial fertilizers, which build up in the soil over time, Epsom salt is not per-sistent, so you can’t overuse it
Several researchers have expressed concern with pos-sible toxicities associated with excessive applications of Epsom salts. Most commonly, Epsom salt solutions have been sprayed on foliage, resulting in leaf scorch. Inclusion of a wetting agent can relieve this. Excessively applied Epsom salt was also linked to root disease of sugar cane grown on clay soils, and with increased incidence of apple bitter pit. One researcher directly contradicts the above statement, finding instead that, “Magnesium residues from fertilizer unused by plants accumulate in the topsoil and are not rapidly removed by leaching.” Unfortunately, this evidence is generally ignored in adver-tising literature and application instructions.Epsom salt is a highly soluble form of magnesium,
leading to the claim of non-persistence in the land-scape. What is ignored, however, is that soluble nutri-ents applied in excess of what is needed by a landscape will end up somewhere else—often as a pollutant.
CLAIM: Spray [roses] with Epsom salt solution weekly to discourage pests. Epsom salts deter pests, including slugs and voles
The first article I found testing the pesti-cidal claim is from a 1915 paper investigat-ing chemical controls for larval control of flies. Of Epsom salts, the authors found “no apparent larvicidal effect.”Interest in Epsom salts languished until
the late 1930s with a preliminary report that Epsom salts could control grasshop-pers on beans. However, these results were refuted in later research. Likewise, Epsom salts were found ineffective against nutgrass armyworm, caterpillar pests on tomatoes and the alfalfa snout beetle. Interest again waned after these negative results, and there is no current research to suggest any insecticidal activ-ity. There is no literature that reports activity of Epsom salts against slugs or
“ solublE nuTRiEnTs APPlIEd In ExCESS oF WhAT IS nEEdEd By A lAndSCAPE WIll End UP SoMEWhERE ElSE—
oFTEn AS A PollUTAnT.” AD
54 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MIRAClE, MyTh oR MARKETInG
voles, and the sole published report on potential rabbit repellency was negative. No science can be found to sub-stantiate claims of control on any pest species.Though disease control is not specifi cally mentioned in
these claims, other popular websites avidly recommend Epsom salts for this purpose. There are two research reports from the early 1960s claiming a reduction in
powdery mildew on apples, but no peer-reviewed articles resulted from these initial fi ndings.
A third research report found Epsom salts to have no effect upon apple scab
occurrence.
CLAIM: Research indicates Epsom salt can help seeds germinate
This rather misleading claim has no basis in scientifi c research. Most seeds are able to germinate in the absence of external nutrients. Most seeds contain enough essential minerals to initiate root and shoot
growth on paper towels moistened only with pure water.
CLAIM: Research indicates Epsom Salt can make plants grow bushier
Nebulous terms like bushier are diffi cult to quantify, yet I approached this claim with
a great deal of latitude. Plants of any species that suffer magnesium or sulphur defi ciency have chlorotic
leaves that are less productive and more likely to grow old early; thus, relieving the defi ciency will improve leaf growth and return overall plant health to normal. Many scientifi c articles have demonstrated improved growth and production in magnesium- or sulfur-defi cient plants once a usable source of the missing nutrient is supplied. Most importantly, there is no evidence that excessive levels of nutrients provided by Epsom salts or anything else will cause plants to grow bushier or have any other measurable positive effect.
CLAIM: Research indicates Epsom salt can produce more � owers
Only two articles in my search specifi cally addressed fl ower initiation or production. One reported that Epsom salts provided as a foliar spray nine times annually for two years enhanced fl ower cluster numbers in the apple cultivar Cox’s orange pippin. This cultivar is particularly sensitive to magnesium defi ciency and responds well to Epsom salts application; thus, it is not surprising that fl owering may increase once a nutrient defi ciency has been relieved. The other research article investigated the role of magne-sium in fl ower initiation of orchids; there was no increase in fl owering associated with addition of Epsom salts. As other orchid researchers have stated, there is no scientifi c evidence that suggests the application of Epsom salts to orchids or any other plant will induce them to fl ower.
MOST SEEDS contain enough essential minerals to initiate root
and shoot growth on paper towels moistened only with pure water.”
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56 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
miracle, mYth or marketing
CLAIM: Research indicates Epsom salt can increase chlorophyll production
Magnesium is a physical part of the chlorophyll molecule. A deficiency of magnesium will cause a corresponding reduction in chlorophyll production (leading to leaf chlorosis often used as an indicator of magnesium deficiency). Epsom salts added to adequately fertilized plants will not increase chlorophyll production for that species.
CLAIM: Research indicates Epsom salt can improve phosphorus and nitrogen uptake
Plants deficient in magnesium or sulphur will be stressed and less able to take up and utilize other nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen. Relieving the deficiency will improve nutrient uptake and usage. Any source of available sulphur or magnesium will accomplish this, but excessive amounts will not increase normal uptake. This claim not only suggests that Epsom salts alone will have this effect, but also implies that somehow uptake will be greater than normal.
“ a dEfiCiEnCy oF MAGnESIUM WIll CAUSE A CoRRESPondInG REdUCTIon In ChloRoPhyll PRodUCTIon.”
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58 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MIRAClE, MyTh oR MARKETInG
Examining the recommendationsINSTRUCTION: Trees: apply 2 tbsp per 9 sq. ft. Apply over the root zone three times annually
Though more effective in treating magnesium defi ciency, application of foliar sprays to large trees may not be practi-cal; thus, soil application of fertilizer is more common in treating magnesium-defi cient tree plantations. Not surpris-ingly, soil application of Epsom salt was found to be ineffec-tive in treating magnesium defi ciency in coffee, hazelnuts, pine and plum trees; slow-release magnesium sources are better choices. Heavy applications of Epsom salts might temporarily correct magnesium defi ciency, but chemical overdosing is not an environmentally sustainable practice. Furthermore, practices that are geared towards intensive production of trees as a crop cannot be logically applied to ornamental landscapes.
INSTRUCTION: Shrubs (evergreens, azaleas, rhododendron): 1 tbsp per 9 sq. ft. Apply over root zone every two to four weeks
As with the information on trees above, there are no pub-lished studies that address shrubs in the landscape. Research on shrubs is limited to a single paper on nursery production, in which azalea, blueberry, juniper and holly were grown in
containers of sand and pine bark (a nutrient-poor medium).
Soil addition of Epsom salts improved leaf color in these magnesium-defi cient plants. It
would be inappropri-ate to apply these results to land-scape materials.
SOIL APPLICATION of epsom salt was found to be ineffective in treating magnesium deficiency in coffee, hazelnuts, pine
and plum trees”
INSTRUCTION: Lawns: apply 3 lbs. for every 1,250 sq. ft. with a spreader, or dilute in water and apply with a sprayer
Epsom salt has been used to relieve magnesium defi cien-cies on grasses used in turf and pasture land. Magnesium defi ciency is a serious disorder in grazing cattle and thus the magnesium content of highly grazed pastures must be man-aged. Soil application of Epsom salt will rapidly increase the magnesium content of pasture grasses, but the effect is short-lived. This is due to the highly soluble nature of Epsom salts, the leaching of which not only negates long-term benefi ts but also contributes to water pollution. In one study, 49% of the applied Epsom salt was lost in this manner.Less soluble forms of magnesium are generally recom-
mended for better lasting magnesium supplementation. In contrast to pasture land studies, turf research is sparse; a single report from 1951 suggests that Epsom salts can treat fairy rings (fungal diseases) in lawn. While Epsom salt is a quick fi x for intensively managed turf systems (such as golf courses), magnesium defi ciency does not appear to be a serious issue for most turf grasses, and therefore, Epsom salt addition is unnecessary. The excessive leaching of Epsom salts documented elsewhere is further incentive not to apply this material indiscriminately to lawns.
INSTRUCTION: Roses: 1 tbsp per 1 ft. of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks. Also scratch a half-cup into soil at base to encourage new basal cane growth. Soak unplanted bushes in 1 cup of Epsom salt per gallon of water to help roots recover. Add a tablespoon of Epsom salt to each hole
at planting time.
There is no published, scientifi c research on Epsom salt’s effect on roses. The origin of these recommendations is unclear.
60 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
miracle, mYth or marketing
INSTRUCTION: Garden start-up: Sprinkle 1 cup per 100 sq. ft. Mix into soil before planting
Unless your garden has been intensively cultivated for crop production, or soil tests indicate a magnesium defi ciency, there is no reason to add unnecessary chemicals. No scientifi c research could be found to support this recommendation.
INSTRUCTION: House plants: 2 tbsp per gal. of water; feed plants monthly
Generally house plants should receive a balanced fertilizer that contains all necessary macro- and micronutrients. Providing increased levels of magnesium and sulphur is not a rational approach to house plant maintenance, especially in the absence of any signs of defi ciency. Excessive nutrients will build up in the con-tainer (as they cannot leach away) and can cause salt-related damage to leaves.
INSTRUCTION: Tomatoes: 1 tbsp per foot of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks
There are two reports dating back more than 60 years on tomato production. When tomatoes are grown in
magnesium-defi cient soil, a foliar application of Epsom salt can relieve magnesium defi ciency in tomato plants; no effect on yield was reported. An automatic application of Epsom
salts to plants or soils that are not magnesium defi cient is a poor management strategy that can injure the
plants and contaminate the soil.
The Bottom LineThe urge to use common
household products as garden fertilizers and pesticides is compelling for many consumers who want simple, cheap approaches to landscape management. However, the use of any chemical in a landscape should be
thoughtfully considered:Is it necessary?
Can it cause damage?The science behind the use
of Epsom salt is only applicable to intensive crop production in
situations where magnesium is known to be defi cient in the soil or in the plants.
It is irresponsible to advise gardeners and other plant enthusiasts to apply Epsom salts, or any chemical, without regard to soil conditions, plant needs and environmental health.
GENERALLY house plants should receive a balanced
fertilizer that contains all necessary macro- and micronutrients.”
There are two reports dating back more than 60 years on tomato production. When tomatoes are grown in
without regard to soil conditions, plant needs and environmental health.
62 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
miracle, mYth or marketing
By Dr. Lynette Morgan
There are additives lurking in most gardening sprays, but not to worry, that’s a good thing! However, as with any potentially beneficial product or compound being added to hydroponic nutrient solutions, there are issues with surfactants that growers should know about.
66 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
There is nothing more satisfying than finding an exciting new application for a horticultural or hydroponic product. Many of us love to trial new ideas for old problems, and search out solutions for those troublesome aspects of plant production to dis-cover what might or might not boost crop growth that little bit more. One such idea, which is increasingly being backed up by some good science, is the use of non-ionic surfactants in the hydroponic nutrient solution. Most of us are familiar in one way or
another with surfactants, such as in our everyday life (household deter-gents) and as indoor gardeners, with these being a common component of plant foliar, insecticide and fun-gicide sprays. Surfactants, however, have much more potential than just a wetting agent in plant spray products; they have been proven to assist with root disease control in the nutrient solution and more recently have been proven to have plant growth boosting effects under certain conditions.
What are surfactants?Surfactants are one of the most widely used additives in agriculture. They essentially lower surface tension, allow the spreading and sticking of liquids and enhance the absorption of
The effect of non-ionic surfactants on fungal zoospores in the nutrient solution of a hydroponic lettuce crop was discovered by accident.
“non-IonIC SURFACTAnTS
hAvE ThE ABIlITy To KIll
PAThoGEn zooSPoRES And
ConTRol ThE SPREAd oF
CERTAIn RooT RoT dISEASES.”
68 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
SURFACTAnT SolUTIonS
compounds and sprays. In this way they allow a foliar applied spray to form a uniform, thin, easily absorbed layer over a leaf surface rather than just running off the waxy cuticle in large droplets. Surfactants are also used as wetting agents in soil and in soilless growing mixes, allowing the substrate to initially saturate up easily as media such as peat can be water repellent when fully dry. However, what is vital to remember with any use of surfactants in hydroponics is
that not all are created equal; it is only the non-ionic surfactants that have proven effects on pathogen control and plant growth when added to the nutrient solution. Other types of surfactants have
been proven to have toxic effects, so choosing a good quality, non-ionic type is essential. Commonly used synthetic non-ionic surfac-tants include ones used in many plant growth studies such as those conducted on Tween and Agral, although many others exist. These days the organic market has also been catered to with a number of bio-surfactants becoming avail-able. Many of these non-synthetic, saponin surfactants are derived from plants such as yucca and quil-laja and while they are non-ionic, they are often required to be used at higher rates than other more concentrated synthetic products. Luckily there is now non-ionic surfactant products designed spe-cifically for the hydroponic market so basic mistakes in choosing the right formulation and dose rate can be avoided.
Surfactant uses and potentialApart from their common use as spray additives and wetting agents, non-ionic surfactants have two major potential uses in hydroponic nutrient solutions. The first has been known since the 1960s—the fact that non-ionic surfactants have the ability to kill pathogen zoo-spores and control the spread of
< Non-ionic surfactants may act to boost the absorption and activity of plant hormones used to promote root formation.
70 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
SURFACTAnT SolUTIonS
certain root rot diseases in the nutrient solution. Another potential use is the more recently reported effect of surfactants boosting plant growth in some species under hydroponic conditions.
Surfactants and pathogen controlMany of the common root rot diseases problematic in hydroponics are spread via zoospores. Zoosporic fungi include the dreaded pythium, but also phytophthora root rot. In fact, there are approximately 143 species of zoosporic plant pathogens. What makes these particu-larly damaging in hydroponics is that diseases producing zoospores release these into the nutrient solution or irrigation water. Zoospores survive easily in water and are able to swim, locate and infest new root systems. Therefore, zoospores in hydroponic systems can rapidly spread an isolated disease outbreak through this highly efficient system of zoospore infection. Zoosporic fungal diseases such as pythium actually thrive under warm, wet hydroponic conditions that favor the spread via motile spores, particularly if plants have been weakened or stressed in any way.
Root rot diseases are spread via zoospores in the nutrient solution; however, non-ionic surfactants destroy the plasma membrane and can kill zoospores rapidly.
71Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
The effect non-ionic surfactants have on controlling disease zoospores in hydroponic nutrient solutions was actually discovered by accident when researchers applied a fungicide containing a surfactant to a hydroponic lettuce crop. It was discovered that the synthetic surfac-tant in the fungicide was effective in destroying the zoospore plasma membrane, thus reduc-ing the ability of the spores to move and infect plants and eventually kill them. While non-ionic surfactants had little or no effect on any other stage of the disease life cycle in killing or retard-ing the zoospores in the nutrient solution, the potential for the control of these root infecting pathogens was realized.
Further studies were carried out on a number of different hydroponic crops prone to zoosporic fungal disease outbreaks. Most found highly promis-ing results in that non-ionic surfactant used at the correct rate could give a high degree of disease control of pythium and phytophthora in the nutri-ent solution. However, while the surfactant could destroy large numbers of zoospores being carried by the nutrient solution, hence preventing or slow-ing the spread of these diseases, it had no effect on plants already infected when the disease was present inside plant tissue. Therefore, use of non-ionic surfactants in the
nutrient solution is more of a preventative action rather than curative. Non-ionic surfactants destroy
zoospores released by active disease outbreaks and prevent these from infecting new plants. For this to be effective, the cor-rect rate of non-ionic surfactant products needs to be continu-ally maintained in the nutrient solution and when this has been achieved, growers have reported good results.Non-ionic surfactants also have
an important role to play in gen-eral system and indoor garden hygiene. Since surfactants can not only assist in removal of bio-films and general cleaning, but also in the destruction of disease zoospores, they are a great tool for prevention of pathogen problems.
Surfactants and growth enhancementWhile there have been many research trials since the 1960s examining the effects of non-ionic surfactants on pathogen control in the nutrient solu-tion, the re-evaluation that these same surfactants may have other growth benefits has not been as extensive. The non-ionic surfactant called Tween 20 has been found to stimulate tobacco root respira-tion and succinoxidase activity in tissue culture media at rates of 0.001%. Whether this same effect occurs in intact mature plants growing hydroponically is not clear.
72 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
SURFACTAnT SolUTIonS
A more recent study reported that the addition of non-ionic surfactant to hydroponic nutrient solutions increased fresh and dry weights of peace lily and impa-tiens by 17% and 33% respectively. It was also found that water use efficiency of peace lily and impatiens with the Tween 20 solution was increased by 166% and 221% compared to the untreated control. The most likely mode of action of surfactants when added to the nutrient solution is that they may make root membranes more permeable, thus allowing more nutrients (or other compounds) to be absorbed by the roots. The plant growth promoting effects of non-ionic surfactants prob-ably go even further than this and it has been sug-gested that these compounds can also act as synergists with plant hormones such as IAA (and other auxins often used on cuttings for root formation), giving further growth boosting effects. It is likely that further research will clarify exactly how non-ionic surfactants applied at the correct dose for each species can positively benefit growth and development. It appears that the advanta-geous effects are a combination of both physical and biochemical interactions.
Pythium, also known as damping off, is a common fungal disease in hydroponics. >
“non-IonIC SURFACTAnTS
dESTRoy zooSPoRES RElEASEd
By ACTIvE dISEASE oUTBREAKS
And PREvEnT ThESE FRoM
InFECTInG nEW PlAnTS.”
73Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Surfactant issuesAs with any potentially beneficial product or compound being added to the hydroponic nutri-ent solutions, there are issues growers should know about. First, growers who have found the addition of non-ionic surfactant useful for reduction in root rot pathogens such as pythium also reported foaming in the nutrient reservoir was common, particularly in the few days after the surfactant was added. Foaming is to be expected when what is essentially a strong detergent is added to moving water; however, the degree of bubble formation dif-fers between surfactant products.
“IT APPEARS ThAT ThE
AdvAnTAGEoUS EFFECTS ARE
A CoMBInATIon oF BoTh
PhySICAl And BIoChEMICAl
InTERACTIonS.”
Surfactants have long been used as wetting agents in foliar sprays and in growing mediums.
74 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
SURFACTAnT SolUTIonS
Dosage rates can be another issue. Commercial lettuce growers have had success with using 0.85 oz. per 264 gal. of nutrient solution of Agral and other similar non-ionic surfactants for assistance with root disease control; however, different surfactant products may need different dosage rates depending on the concentration of active ingredients. Many of the newer bio surfactant products designed for hydroponic use give dose rates on the product label and these should be carefully followed. As with most products and compounds available to add to the nutrient solution, over-dosing does not give better results and in many cases can be quite toxic to the plants. Another issue with dosage rates is that surfactants are gradually broken down by microbial action over time so determining how often to re-dose may be difficult and require some trial and error.
In ConclusionWhile the use of ionic surfactants in the hydroponic nutri-ent solution is not a new idea and is proven to battle dis-ease spread via mobile swimming zoospores, the potential for growth enhancement is a relatively new area of study. There exists a great deal of potential to define exactly how these compounds may assist plant growth and the exciting possibility of using new and even more effective non-ionic surfactant products in the future.
Non-ionic surfactants have been shown in research studies to give control of root rot of hydroponically grown peppers caused by Phytophthora capsici. >
75Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
by Frank RauscherIs organic the only wise choice left out there? Let’s start by deciding what it means to be truly organic in the fi rst place, and then apply the concept of organics to a hydroponics system.
Hydroponics
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76 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
There is a lot of buzz and interest in organics. What is organic? What isn’t organic? Are hydroponic systems organic? Opinions on this seem to cover the entire spectrum. But what is real and what is marketing? A hydroponics system can
be organically operated. Take a hydroponics system or an aquaponics system for example. There is no more need to use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides in a hydroponics system than there would be in a conventional garden grow. Actually, due to the fact that many hydroponics systems are indoors or at least within a greenhouse, the reduced exposure to large popula-tions of insects can help one operate a hydroponics system with minimal use of any chemical pesticide. To really get to the root of this issue, however, we need to begin with some definition clarification. The term organic seems to have a wide variation of definitions and, therefore, differing opinions on the matter.
TerminologyAn organic compound is simply one that is carbon based, but there is no official scientific definition of an organic com-pound. This is why there is a need to use caution when hear-ing the claim that something is organic. Broadly defined, the dictionary entry for organic is any of the following: 1. Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms: organic matter2. Of, relating to, or affecting a bodily organ: an organic disease3 a. Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pes-ticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin: organic vegetables; an organic farmb. Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals: organic chicken; organic cattle farmingc. Serving organic food: an organic restaurantd. Simple, healthful, and close to nature: an organic lifestyle
“The reduced exposure to large populations of insects can help one operate a hydroponics system with minimal use of any chemical pesticide.”
oRGAnIC hydRoPonICS
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78 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
In regards to most of the questions I am asked about organics, the above definitions 3a and 3b are what most folks are interested in learning about and what, for the purpose of this discussion, will comprise the current, popular defini-tion of organic. Organic grow-ing will not use pesticides and fertilizers that may have risky synthetic chemicals in them. What seems certain is that consumers and grow-ers alike want as natural and as safe a growing process as possible with maximum productivity and taste. A clearer understanding of pesticides and fertilizers could help us achieve this.
PesticidesPesticides that are derived from animals or plants, and not combined with other syn-thetic chemicals, are considered organic. Synthetic is a key term in this aspect of the dis-cussion. For example, a pyrethrin is an active component of a chry-santhemum flower and is available without the substantial process that might render it syn-thetic. Pyrethrins on their own are not really effective in killing many insects but do a good job of stunning them and making them vulnerable to being killed by other toxins. A pyrethroid is an organic compound because its molecules
contain carbon. These compounds are not extracted from the chrysanthemum but created through chemistry.
They are synthesized. They do, however, have simi-lar characteristics to pyrethrins in both efficacy in controlling insects and safety towards mammals.
They are actually a significant improvement over the naturally extracted pyrethrins.
Permethrins (second generation pyrethriods) use a common chemical piperonyl butoxide (an organic com-
pound) added to do the job of actually killing the insect. Remember that just because it is an organic compound doesn’t mean it isn’t synthetic. This one does, however, have a low oral and dermal toxicity to mammals while
being quite toxic to insects. It sounds desirable, but as it is combined with a synthetic it is grouped
outside the current popular definition of organic. I present this complex and potentially confusing infor-
mation to get everyone thinking outside the regular box known as organic, and to help give some good balance to an understanding of just what products you may want to use in your garden. Manufacturers can use the claim of organic simply because the molecules contain carbon. What is vital to look for is that the products are groundwater safe and
safe for mammals. On one side of safety con-siderations would be syn-thetic systemic pesticides that pervade the plant tis-sues and are subsequently available for consumption if the plant is eaten. It is clear we want to avoid these. There are pure, popular organic pesticides
that are safe for mammals, but perhaps not effective if used improperly or used to control a pest they are not effective at controlling. Then, on the other side, there are some long used and safe compounds we can trust to stop severe infestations. Having a better understanding of all these should give the grower maximum success.
“Pyrethrins on their own are not really effective in killing many insects but do a good job of stunning them.”
oRGAnIC hydRoPonICS
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80 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“Carefully evaluate just what is synthetic, what the risks are and what the trade-offs are for plant health and food safety. Always favor the organic option first, but keep other options on the table if needed.”
Keep in mind there are pests out there other than insects. If not beneficial, bacteria and fungi are also pests. So, pesticides are not just for killing or control-ling insects, but are used to stop or minimize disease. Some bacteria can be very dangerous to a hydroponic system. Once pythium gets started in the fluid media it can cause the entire crop to fail and create toxic by-products. In any type of system, the prevention or con-trol of pathogenic pests is vital to not only the garden’s yield, but also to the edible safety of the crop.Is it a good practice to simply discard all pesticides
that might be classified as non-organic and put other risk factors at a higher level? Carefully evaluate just what is synthetic, what the risks are and what the trade-offs are for plant health and food safety. Always favor the organic option first, but keep other options on the table if needed.Consider many of the food toxicity incidents in the
past few years, and just how many were from organic farms. As our current industry standards call for strict avoidance of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, this often makes the task of maintaining plant health and food safety difficult. I believe we need a new way to grade how our food source is grown—one that takes the level of risk in all areas into consideration and gives some sort of simple color code chart for the consumer to view and use to help them make better choices.
oRGAnIC hydRoPonICS
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82 Maximum Yield USA | September 201382 Maximum Yield USA | July 2013
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FertilizersMany fertilizers that fit under the popular definition of organic are primarily derived from some type of animal waste so there needs to be great care that micro-organisms are properly controlled to prevent pathogens like E. coli. Also keep in mind there is a strict requirement to use only organic pest controls to do this. Many companies are indeed capable of doing this, but it is no easy task. Look at the trade-offs before deciding.
Plants require ade-quate amounts of the three macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phos-phorous (P) and potassium (K), but also require micronu-trients such as iron, zinc, manganese and copper, etc. How are these plants being fed to assure that these essential heavy metals are available in trace amounts to provide plant health? No matter if a plant is grown in garden soil, or in a controlled hydroponic environment, these nutrients can become too scarce and the plant can subsequently suffer from this. A practical method for avoiding this is to add a safe micronutrient supplement to your organic nutrient. Though these nutrients can come from natural sources, I have not found a balanced combination of all (or even most) of the needed micronutrients in an organic fertilizer. Good soil will likely con-tain adequate amounts of these nutrients but will eventually become depleted. It doesn’t do much good to avoid the use of a
safe synthetic and at the same time subject your plants to nutrient deficiency. A balanced practi-cal approach to nutrient selection can go a long way towards optimal yield, plant health and the ultimate value of the food produced.
“It doesn’t do much good to avoid the use of a safe synthetic and at the same time subject your plants to nutrient deficiency.”
oRGAnIC hydRoPonICS
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84 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Naturally presentorganic toxinsToxins are in our food even if we never apply a synthetic substance. Cyanides are organically created toxins or poi-sons, but just because these are organic certainly doesn’t mean we want to expose ourselves to dangerous amounts of them. For example, apples contain cyanides, but in low quantities they are not harmful. You can’t achieve the goal desired by
dealing with this in the extreme. There is a type of common sense we all need to use when we consider what we are willing to allow in our food source, and what we add as supplements to our garden. There are trade-offs, of course. To use a small amount of a low-risk chemical (whether synthetic or naturally organic) to, for example, reduce the likeli-hood of botulism, would seem quite practical. Some of these chemicals can cause many maladies when used in high enough concentrations and used over a considerable period of time. Salt is a chemical that we feel pretty safe with(yes, salt is a chemical), but just consider people with hypertension and we see even here that we need to be careful. On the other hand consider that C. botulinum thrives in moist foods that are low in salt (less than 10%). It is therefore a good preservative to use if you are not predisposed to high blood pressure or a number of other issues.
In ConclusionGoing organic is great, and making your hydroponics system as organic and safe as possible is the way to go. Just because it is hydroponic doesn’t mean it’s synthetic, or that it needs to be. And, just because a product is claimed as organic doesn’t mean it is necessarily safe or effective. A balanced approach will give you the very best options for safety, yield and taste. Don’t automatically exclude something because it is classified as a synthetic compound. Look into it, do some research and then make your choice.
“There is a type of common sense we all need to use when we consider what we are willing to allow in our food source, and what we add as supplements to our garden.”
oRGAnIC hydRoPonICS
86 Maximum Yield USA | September 201386
ADby Bill DeBoer
Flowing with the Phloem
Flowing with the Phloem
A grower must think a lot about what to give their plants to help them grow, and what kinds of media to grow them in, but there is a lot happening inside
the plant once that’s all decided. Let’s take a trip through the vascular system of a plant, where we are sure to discover more about the phloem.
88 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“plants have the ability to close
off the sieve plate quickly in the event of
mechanical damage, thus preventing
the sap of one tube from flowing into
adjacent tissue.”AD
90 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Ah, the phloem! Isn’t that the thing that carries sugar? Or is that the xylem? While the vascular system of a plant can be confus-ing, these transportation highways play an integral role in plant metabolism. One major blockage without rectification and the plant will perish. This is particularly evident in the method of girdling the outside of a tree. Obstruct the phloem from supplying the roots with energy, and the whole plant dies. For the sake of distinguish-ing the plant vascular system, the xylem is a series of tubes com-prised of non-living cells. Water and solutes (nutrients) travel in one direction up the xylem via the transpirational stream. In other words, evaporation of water from the leaves creates a force not unlike a person sucking on a straw that draws these solutes up. This is in stark contrast to the phloem, which carries sugar and other photosynthates (products of photosynthesis, mostly sap) from the leaf source to the root sink. So, with that in mind, let’s first look at the anatomy of the phloem.
Composition and orientationSimplistically, the phloem consists of sieve tube elements, sieve plates, companion cells and parenchyma cells. The sieve tube elements are longitudinal in shape and are ori-ented end to end forming a con-secutive tube. These tube cells are comprised of living cells, albeit not quite fully functional without help. Once the network of tube cells reaches maturity, several organelles (organs of the cell) including the vacuole (storage) and nucleus (brain center of a cell), which would otherwise block the flow of sugar and other chemicals, dis-integrates. Other repackaging or modification organelles remain on either side of the cell to help with various facets of plant metabolism. Imagine how dysfunctional a tube would be when it contains numer-ous blockades. Consequently, these living tube cells are like a computer without a hard drive. So, how do they operate? Or, more importantly, live? Each sieve tube element depends on companion cells for life-support to help offset the functions of the lost organelles. At either end of the cell are screen-like sieve plates that allow passage of the sap from tube cell to tube cell. Lastly there are the paren-chyma cells on the outside of the tube cell that function as storage vessels for the various compounds that pass by.Exceptions notwithstanding, the
phloem resides in the vascular bundle closest to the outer epi-dermis/cortex layers of the stem. In between the phloem is a layer referred to as the cambium fol-lowed by the xylem that is closest to the pith or inner portion of the stem. Now it is easy to see why a wound to the outside of the plant stem can impact the overall health of the plant. Interestingly, plants have the ability to close off the sieve plate quickly in the event of mechanical damage, thus prevent-ing the sap of one tube from flow-ing into adjacent tissue.
1 Sieve tube2 Sieve plate3 Companion cell
1
2
3
FloWInG WITh ThE PhloEM
“don’t think of the phloem as one tube,
but rather a system of many tubes operating
like a series of elevators in a hotel.” AD
92 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Going up or down?While the title of this
article may be a bit of a misnomer, unlike the xylem, flow of sap is not unidirec-tional but rather bidirectional. It is important to note that within the same
tube at a particular moment, the movement
is unidirectional. Don’t think of the phloem as
one tube, but rather a system of many tubes operating like a
series of elevators in a hotel. Some are going up, some are going down, and it just depends on where the cargo is needed. Shoot meristems or new growth, roots, and flowering and fruiting bodies are considered energy sinks. That is to say they consume more than they produce. Therefore, downward flow in the phloem sup-plies energy to the roots so they can in turn uptake additional water and nutrients. However, actively growing regions of the plants also
require more energy (sugar) than mature leaves, so certain elevators of the phloem can go up to meet the metabolic demands. The most widely accepted theory explaining this movement involves the change in osmotic or water potential driving the sap up or down.
Water potentialThe force is not so clear-cut in this one. As previously described, phloem movement is dictated by a differ-ence between source and sink. But how does that occur? Source cells (mature leaves, high concentra-tion) load all compounds that will comprise the sap into the tube cells. This action favors water entering the tube cell as well, creating hydrostatic pressure against the wall of the tube cell driving the sap toward the sink (roots, low concentration). The offloading of solutes into the sink tissue likewise favors water to leave the tube cell where it is redistrib-uted to adjacent cells and back into the xylem. Therefore, gradients are created in the source such as a high
PhloemXylem
Cambium
FloWInG WITh ThE PhloEM
FloWInG WITh ThE PhloEM
AD
94 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
concentration of sucrose. And, once loaded into the tube cells of the phloem, they are propelled toward the area of lower concentration found in the sink (roots and fruit).
What is traveling in the elevator?The phloem is often credited with being the transporter of sugar manufactured in the leaves. While sugar is arguably one of the most important passengers, the phloem is also responsible for the transporta-tion of other compounds. This includes nitrogen in the form of amino acids and amides,
organic acids, proteins and various other solutes. While there are several constituents compressing the sap, sugar is the focal point. There is credence to this claim in that the sap consists of 16 to 25% carbohydrates, making it the single largest contributor to this chemical cocktail.
In conclusionThe phloem is a series of tubes consisting of sieve tube ele-ments (tube cells), sieve plates (screens), companion cells (life support) and parenchyma cells (storage). The phloem differs from the xylem in that
all cells of the xylem are non-living, and movement is only upward as dictated by transpi-ration. The phloem transporta-tion highway is responsible for delivering sugars, nitrogenous compounds and other assimi-lates from the source (leaves) to the sink (roots, flowers, fruit and newly developing leaves). The movement of these mate-rials is bidirectional; move-ment is down to supply roots, or upward to supply flower, fruit or new growth. Hopefully this article has illuminated what the phloem is and how integral it is to delivering energy and nutrients through-out the plant.
To Flowers, Fruit & New Growth
(Sink)
To Roots(Sink)
Mature Leaf Source
Mature Leaf
Source
Choosing Chlorine Chemicalsfor Water Disinfection
There is more than one type of chlorine chemical out
there, and each comes with its own set of pros and
cons when it comes to disinfecting your water supply.
by Guy Sela
Chlorine chemicals are effective when used against bacteria, viruses and fungi that contaminate water. Four types of chlorine chemicals are commonly used in agriculture: sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, gaseous chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
Sodium hypochloriteSodium hypochlorite(NaOCl) is a yellowish liquid with an active chlorine concentration of 10 to 15% with a pH around 13. It is unstable, and when it comes in contact with air, light or high temperatures, the chlorine evaporates and therefore its concentration in water decreases. The chemical reaction with water is:
NaOCl + H2O <--> HOCl + Na + OH- Due to its high pH, sodium
hypochlorite increases water pH. The reaction of sodium hypochlorite with water results in two forms: HOCl (hypochlorous acid) and OCl-. The ratio between HOCl and OCl- depends on the pH. HOCl is a more effective disinfectant than OCl (100 times more effective), and since this form is predominant in a pH range of 3.0 to 6.7, the treated water should be acidified. It is possible to acidify the water using sulfuric acid, and it is recommended to maintain the pH in the range of 5.8 to 6.5 to ensure effective disinfection while keeping the pH in a favorable
range for irrigation. The amount of sodium added to water using sodium hypochlorite generally does not significantly affect water quality since disinfection is achieved at relatively low concentrations of chlorine (usually <10 ppm). The addition of sodium can be considerable in water re-utilization systems in which sodium concentrations in the water increase gradually.
Advantages: easy to transport and store, highly effective when correctly used.
Disadvantages: corrosive, precautions should be taken when handling; evaporates/disintegrates upon contact with air, light and high temperatures; short shelf life.
96 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
AVANT-GARDENING
The amount of sodium added to water
using sodium hypochlorite
generally does not significantly
affect water quality since
disinfection is achieved at
relatively low concentrations
of chlorine (usually
<10 ppm).”
Calcium hypochlorite Calcium hypochlorite, Ca(ClO)2 is more stable than sodium hypochlorite and contains a higher chlorine concentration (30 to 75%).The chemical reaction with water is:
Ca(OCl)2 + 2H2O <--> 2HOCl + Ca+2 + 2OH-
Like sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite also increases water pH, so it is advised to acidify the water during the disinfection process. Calcium hypochlorite is available as white powder or tablets, so it should first be dissolved in water before injecting it into the treated water. Calcium hypochlorite isn’t highly soluble, so it dissolves better in soft or medium-hard water. It is recommended to dissolve it in warm water in order to improve its solubility. In any case, all forms of calcium hypochlorite contain insoluble residues that form sediments in the solution. It is important to eliminate the sediment before injecting the calcium hypochlorite solution into the treated water tank to avoid clogging.
Advantages: easy transport and storage, more stable than sodium hypochlorite, does not add sodium to the water, highly effective when correctly used.
Disadvantages: low solubility, might cause clogging, the final chlorine concentration in water is dependent on the extent of dissolution achieved.
Gaseous ChlorineGaseous chlorine (Cl2) is chlorine in its pure form, which is a strong oxidizing and disinfecting agent. It is stored and transported in cylinders as pressure-liquefied gas. The chemical reaction with water is:
Cl2(g) + H2O <--> HOCl + H+ + Cl-
Unlike sodium or calcium hypochlorite, gaseous chlorine decreases water pH.
Advantages: highly effective disinfectant, reduces water pH so additional acidification is not necessary, uniform and rapid dissolution in water.
Disadvantages: requires skill and strict
precautions in handling.
Chlorine dioxideChlorine dioxide(ClO2) is very
different from the other forms of chlorine described above. It cannot be compressed or commercially stored because it becomes volatile under pressure. Therefore, it is always produced on site as part of the disinfection process. Sodium chlorite and hypochlorous acid are stored in separate containers and are injected into a chlorine dioxide generator where they react and produce chlorine dioxide. The concentrations of chlorine dioxide needed to achieve effective disinfection are lower than the concentrations needed when using other chlorine forms.
Advantages: a powerful oxidant, effectiveness of disinfection does not depend on pH or organic load in the water, no byproducts (such as chloramines) are formed, rapid and uniform dissolution in water.
Disadvantages: requires skill, requires strict precautions in handling.
97Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Perlite revisited
By casey Jones fraser
Anyone looking for a hydroponic system addition that is reliable, easy to use, easy to reuse and is quite budget friendly, should try growing their next crop in perlite. Read on to discover how horticulturists benefit from this time-tested growing addition.
AD
98 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Perlite, easily recognizable as little white rocks, is both cheap and easy to use, which is why you should reconsider using it to grow your plants. Perlite was one of the first reliable hydroponic growing mediums available to the horticulture market. You have seen it in the form of hard white bits in potting soil, but perlite can be used by itself in many hydroponic systems.You can find varieties of perlite in liquid filtra-
tion systems, insulation and even soap. Growers add it to soil and soilless mixes to reduce com-paction and increase drainage and aeration. The manufacturing process involves heating the raw material until it pops like popcorn, thus the porous nature of horticultural perlite.I work in the gardening industry and it’s my
job to test different growing products and methods. In an effort to familiarize myself with all possible scenarios, I continue to experiment with various soil blends and all the latest and greatest hydro substrates. While perlite is often a component of these mixes, there are also ben-efits to using perlite by itself.
Benefits Unlike most growing mediums, perlite starts out neu-tral in pH. There is no rinsing or buffering required to correct pH. Simply adjust the solution and water it in. Perlite will take on the acidity or alkalinity of the liquids that saturate it. Even when rinsed and dried, the naturally occurring pH of 7.0 isn’t going to harm a typical indoor garden plant species.While it’s true that perlite is a non-renewable resource
(volcanic rock), the supply on our planet is quite extensive. The current amount is expected to last hundreds of years. For me personally, environmental concerns are also a factor in choosing perlite. It’s easy to reuse. Recycling this medium is simpler than most others currently available.Perlite doesn’t hold onto nutrients the same way as
soil, rockwool, coco coir or even clay pebbles. You can reuse any of those mediums if you choose, but perlite can be cleaned in a matter of minutes, not days. When removing root balls, the medium falls away gently with a shake. Simply remove all visible organic matter (mostly roots) and rinse the perlite until the runoff measures less than 150 ppm.If you need to sterilize the used perlite, just soak it
in a 10% bleach solution. After 20 minutes of soak-ing, rinse thoroughly. Rain, dehumidifiers and reverse osmosis filters are always the preferred sources for rinse water. Actually, those are the best sources of water for most indoor garden applications.Perlite is often a component of soil blends.
evenwhen rinsed and dried, the naturally occurring ph of 7.0 isn’t going to harm a typical indoor garden plant species.”
PERlITE REvISITEd
AD
100 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
There are even more benefits to using perlite in your grow space. It is one of the cheapest growing mediums you can find. It’s so lightweight that you can easily lift four cubic feet of it without straining. Plus, perlite is a staple in both traditional and hydro-ponic gardening, so you can find it at most garden supply stores. All of the above factors make perlite easy to acquire.
DrawBacksNow for the bad news. Perlite is messy. You don’t need to rinse it before mixing with soil, but you wouldn’t want all that dust in a hydro system. Perlite dust is not just a problem for pumps and tubing, but also for your respiratory system. It is listed as a “nui-sance dust,” which means it can aggravate your eyes, mouth, throat and lungs.
Perlite is available in a variety of sizes and configurations.
Perlitedust is not just a
problem for pumps and tubing, but also for your
respiratory system.”
102 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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PERlITE REvISITEd
Perlite is not considered carcinogenic, although the main component (alumina silicate) is. The research and safety information for perlite shows that it will aggravate pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, but does not directly cause lung cancer. Long-term exposure to high levels of this dust can cause a non-cancerous disease called silicosis.The bottom line: wear goggles and a dust mask.
You aren’t in any serious danger, but avoid the nui-sance anyway. I’ve had perlite in my eyes and mouth, and since then I wear basic protection. Some growers prefer to fill their bags of perlite with water before opening to reduce or even eliminate airborne particulate.
for Best resultsPerlite works great in net cups, and even better in fabric pots. For hydroponics, get the large grade perlite (size #3 or #4). Ebb and flow, dutch buckets, deep water culture and drip systems are all excellent methods for growing in perlite. I’ve also seen large plastic totes filled with the stuff, and the gardener watered by hand only when required. To my surprise, those plants were healthy and productive.
in conclusionIf you need reliability, ease of use, ease of re-use and budget pricing, try growing your next crop in perlite. On a side note, there is a new soil aerator going around that may outdo perlite because it offers many of the same benefits. This new stuff is made in North America from recycled glass so it is truly a renewable resource. It looks like reddish-orange perlite. Be sure to check a local grow store for more details.
Share your experiences using perlite with the editor of Maximum Yield by contacting [email protected]
if youneed reliability, ease of use, ease of re-use
and budget pricing, try growing your nextcrop in perlite.”
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104 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
PERlITE REvISITEd
Simply put, gardeners who save their own seeds increase their own food security. With an ever-rising number of hybrid and genetically modified crops (that either have infertile seeds or seeds that are legal property of a corpora-tion), it is imperative to our future security that we keep heirloom varieties in existence and we continue to preserve our own seeds. Anyone who has the ability to grow plants can master preserving their own seeds.The first thing any gardener who wishes to
save seeds must do is to grow heirloom varieties and not hybrids or GMOs. It is also important to avoid multiple varieties of a plant in the same area of the garden with the exception of tomatoes, which are self-pollinating. Different varieties of plants in the same area can be cross-pollinated by insects, causing them to create offspring with unknown traits. Some plants, like peppers, can be inadvertently cross-pollinated by insects. Varying species must be separated by 500 ft. to ensure a pure offspring. Other plants, like squash, cucumbers, gourds and melons, need even more space than peppers. Because these plants rely solely on insects to pollinate, they need up to a half a mile to ensure no cross-pollination occurs. For the seed saver with limited space, it is best to choose one variety of each plant species that is known to do well in the given climate.
SavingSeeds
One of the most important
skills a gardener who wishes
to gain self-sufficiency must
possess is the ability to
save his or her own seeds.
Fortunately, saving seeds
is pretty simple to do.
by Eric Hopper
106 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
GREEN THUMB GARDENING
Saving Tomato SeedsHarvest several ripe tomatoes from several plants of the same variety. Slice open the ripe toma-toes and squeeze or pour the seeds (and other innards) into a bowl. Upon close inspection you can see that each tomato seed has a clear jelly-like coating. To remove that coating you must ferment the seeds. Start by adding water at roughly half the volume of the collected seeds and juice. Stir the mixture a few times a day and watch closely. Some people choose to cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes
in it for air flow, but that is optional. The surface of the mixture will soon become covered in a gray or white mold. It’s OK. In fact, if it stinks, and it probably will, you may want to find a suitable
place to ferment your tomato seeds. When either a thick coat of mold has formed,
or if bubbles start to rise in the mixture, you can stop the fermentation process. Add the same volume of water as the total volume of the mixture and stir. Hollow, bad seeds will rise to the surface, and good, viable seeds will sink. After the solution settles a bit, gently pour off the mold, bad seeds and as much of the liquid as you can. You can add water again to rinse off the good remaining seeds. Pour the remaining seeds and liquid through a strainer. Tomato seeds will germinate quickly so it is important to dry them right away. Place them on a baking sheet and dry with a fan gently blowing on them. Avoid drying any seeds in the sun or in the oven.
Saving Pepper SeedsPepper seeds are easy to store. Harvest ripe pep-pers (once they have changed color), slice open and scrape out the seeds onto a plate or baking sheet. Place seeds in a dark, dry environment until the seeds break when bent. At this point the seeds are ready to be stored until planting time.
Saving Squash and Melon SeedsSquash and melons are just as easy as peppers. To preserve the most seeds from a squash, avoid cut-ting directly through the center. Take small slices off the side of the squash until you cut open the seed cavity. Scoop the seeds from the fibers, rinse them with clean water and place them in a dark, dry place. Melons can be done in the exact same way. Scoop, rinse and dry.
Saving Cucumber SeedsTo harvest cucumbers for seeds, allow a few of your late cucumbers to become very ripe. When this happens the cucumber will change color and start to become soft. Cut the ripe cucumber in half and scrape the seeds into a bowl. In a strainer, run the seeds under water while gently rub-bing the seeds with your fingers. This is the best way to easily remove the seed’s coating. Another option is to let seeds soak in water for about two days and then gently rinse. After the seeds have been rinsed and the coating has been removed, the seeds are ready to be dried in a dark, dry area.
In ConclusionFew things are as imperative to self-sufficiency as the preser-vation of seeds for future food crops. Our modern ability to cultivate and harvest food crops is a direct result of the col-lection and proper storage of seeds by our forefathers and mothers. The lineage of our plants today stems from seeds that were passed down from ancient ancestors, brought over oceans and shared with friends and neighbors. Now more than ever, growing one’s own food and saving the seeds for future crops is impor-tant for the preservation of self-reliance, sustainability and the future of agriculture.
For theseed saver with
limited space, it is best to choose one
variety of each plant species that is known
to do well in the given climate.”
107Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
CarbonDioxide
108 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
CO2 PROPERTIES AND CHARACTERISTICSWithout CO2, there would be no plant life because it is CO2 combined with hydrogen (from water) in the process called photosynthesis that forms a carbohydrate, which are the basic building block for all plant life. As with all biological systems, photosynthesis is not particularly simple in terms of how it works as well as the factors that affect its function. But, in simple terms, a molecule of H2O is split and com-bined with a molecule of CO2 in the presence of chlorophyll and light to form a carbohydrate as is illustrated in the fol-lowing chemical equation:
carbon dioxide (6CO2) + water (6H2O)in the presence of light and chlorophyll yields
carbohydrate (C6H12O6) + oxygen (6O2)Merriam Webster defines photosynthesis as formation of
carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydro-gen (as water) in the chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to light.When the first product of photosynthesis was determined, it
was found that there are two pathways for carbohydrate for-mation, one being the formation of a 3-carbon carbohydrate and the other a 4-carbon carbohydrate. From this came the designation of plants as being either C3 or C4 based on which was the first product of photosynthesis, a 3- or 4-carbon carbohydrate. Is this finding a big deal? Yes indeed. Most plant species are C3, while most grasses, which includes
all the major food grain crops, such as corn, wheat, rice, sorghum, etc., are C4 plants. C3 plants are quite responsive to the concentration of CO2 in air surrounding them, while C4 are less so. C3 plants are sensitive to high light intensity, are not as drought tolerant and are more sensitive to chang-ing growing conditions both in the rooting medium and surrounding atmosphere as compared to C4 plants.Experiments have shown that in many situations, the main-
tenance of a constant level of CO2 in the air surrounding the plant is as important as its concentration. Therefore, air movement over plant leaves, as well as air movement into and within the plant canopy, can significantly affect plant growth and yield. Good examples are the orienta-tion of corn rows so that the predominate directional wind currents will move down between the rows and not be impeded when having to move across the rows, and then the making of provisions for air movement up through a greenhouse tomato plant canopy rather than trying to push or pull air through the canopy.
A CloSER looK AT CARBon dIoxIdE
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110 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“ CARBON DIOxIDE MEETS All THE CRITERIA FOR BEING DESIGNATED AS AN ESSENTIAl PlANT NUTRIENT ElEMENT.”
Could carbon dioxide be the seventeenth essential plant nutrient element? It’s an interesting question that doesn’t have a definitive answer. One might argue that since both carbon (C) and oxygen (O) are already accepted essential plant nutrient elements, why should their combination also be designated? If the CO2 molecule is to be designated as an essential plant nutrient element, why not the water molecule (H2O) also? Such reasoning could be never ending. Carbon dioxide meets all the criteria for being designated as an essential plant nutrient element. By criteria, I mean the fol-lowing criteria that have been accepted as proposed by D.I. Arnon and R.R. Stout in 1939:
• Omission of the element in question must result in abnormal growth, failure to complete its life cycle or premature death of the plant
• The element must be specific and not replaceable by another
• The element must exert its effects directly on growth or metabolism and not by some indirect effect, such as by antagonizing another element present at the same level.
For some, the designation as being essential as an element may be the factor that would eliminate CO2, which is a molecule, from being considered an essential plant nutrient element.
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112 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Photosynthesis primarily takes place within leaf sto-mata—unique leaf structures where the exchange of water and air takes place. Guard cells surrounding the stoma control its opening and closing. When the CO2 concentration in the air surrounding the plant is high, there is danger that such high concentrations can result in the closure of stomata. At what CO2 concentration this occurs varies with other factors, but experience has shown that stoma closure is more likely to occur when the CO2 air concentration is greater than 800 ppm. It has been shown that the correlation between plant growth rate and CO2 concentration is not linear, with the rate of growth declining with each increasing incre-ment of CO2 concentration as is shown in Table 1.
CO2 Concentration on Relative Yield of Tomatoes
CO2 Concentration Relative Fruit Yield 4 Weeks 20 WeeksAmbient* 100 100600 ppm 179 1261,000 ppm 235 1371,400 ppm 254 139
*Ambient means that no CO2 enrichment was carried out that could consequently have resulted in CO2 depletion as ventilation was only used to control air temperature levels during the growing period.
Table 1. The effects of CO2 concentration on relative yield (weight) of tomatoes
after four and 20 weeks of harvest.
A CloSER looK AT CARBon dIoxIdE
A CloSER looK AT CARBon dIoxIdE
114 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
There is an issue regarding the value for CO2 enrichment of air surrounding the plant in terms of the cost-benefit ratio, a return in increased plant growth and product yield versus the cost for the CO2 and its distribution in the air surrounding the plant and within the plant canopy. Light intensity and duration, combined with air temperature and the moisture and nutritional status of the plant, are correlated factors that will determine the extent of the CO2 effect. Therefore, just increasing the CO2 concentration of the air surrounding the plant does not automatically result in a significant increase in plant growth.
Under optimal conditions the rate of photo-synthesis versus the CO2 concentration of the
air surrounding the plant can be significant. This was illustrated from results obtained
when the CO2 concentration of the air within a greenhouse tomato canopy was
being continuously monitored. Within just a few minutes at dawn, when the
morning light reached the plants in the greenhouse, the CO2 concentration of
the air within the plant canopy dropped by more than 50 ppm, and did not return to the
atmospheric level of about 325 ppm until the ventilation fans came on. The ability of a plant
to suck CO2 from the atmosphere probably has an equilib-rium point, a point that will vary with growing conditions, i.e., light intensity, moisture conditions, plant characteris-tics, stoma status, etc. For example, how far could the CO2 concentration within that tomato plant canopy be drawn down? That level would be correlated with the rate of pho-tosynthesis, decreasing with each increment decrease in the CO2 air concentration. It also should be noted that the air in contact with plant leaves is held in place by surface leaf characteristics as well as the surface tension properties of the leaf itself; therefore, that air is not easily displaced even when there is gentle air movement over the plant leaf surface.The beneficial effects of CO2 are well established under
various circumstances, but with varying results. Simply adding CO2 to the air surrounding the plant will not auto-matically result in a significant increase in plant growth or product yield. Therefore, the grower needs to weigh the potential benefits of CO2 enrichment against the costs, and the probable potential for no significant effect as well as possible adverse effects.
“ jUST INCREASING THE CO2 CONCENTRATION OF THE AIR SURROUNDING THE PlANT DOES NOT AUTOMATICAllY RESUlT IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PlANT GROWTH.”
116 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
A seedling that is too tall and too thin is considered a leggy seedling, and it's not what a grower wants to see! A seedling that is too tall and too thin won't be able to hold up well when planted, but at least there is a simple solution to prevent it from happening in the first place.
byHeather Rhoades
GROWING FOR HEALTH
117Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Seed starting is an exciting time for many gardeners. It seems almost magical to place a tiny seed into some soil and watch a small seedling emerge just a short time later. But sometimes things can go wrong. We watch with excitement as the seedlings grow taller, only to realize that sometimes they’ve grown too tall and become a bit floppy. This is known as leggy seedlings. If you are wondering what causes leggy seedlings and, more importantly, how to prevent leggy seedlings, keep reading.
What causes leggy seedlingsAt the most basic level, leggy seedlings are caused by a lack of light. It could be that the window you are growing your seedlings in does not provide enough light or it could be that the lights you are using as grow lights are not close enough to the seedling. Either way, the seedlings will get leggy. This happens due to the natural reaction of plants to light. Plants will always grow towards a light. Leggy seedlings happen for the same reason crooked houseplants happen. The plant grows towards the light and since the light is too far away the plant tries to accelerate its height to get close enough to the light to survive. Unfortunately, there is only a lim-ited amount of growth a plant can do. What a plant gains in height, it sacrifices in the width of the stem. As a result, you get long, floppy seedlings.Leggy seedlings are a problem
for many reasons. First, seedlings that are too tall will have prob-lems when they are moved outdoors. Because they are thin and floppy, they can’t stand up as well to natural occurrences like wind and hard rain. Second, floppy seedlings have a hard time growing into strong plants. Third, seedlings that are falling over can be more prone to disease and pests.
How to prevent leggy seedlingsAs you might have guessed by now, the best way to prevent leggy seedlings is to make sure they are getting enough light. If you are growing seedlings in a window, try to grow them in a south-facing window. This will give you the best light from the sun. If a south-facing window is not avail-able, you may want to consider supplementing the light the seedlings are getting from the window with a small flu-orescent bulb placed within a few inches of the seedlings.If you are growing your seedlings under lights (either a
grow light or a fluorescent light), the best way to prevent leggy seedlings is to make sure that the lights are close enough to the seedlings. The lights should remain just a
few inches above the seedlings, as long as you have them indoors, or your seedlings will get too tall. Many gardeners put their lights on adjustable chains or strings so that the lights can be moved
upwards as the seedlings get taller.You can force seedlings that are too tall to
grow thicker by brushing your hands over them a few times a day or by placing an
oscillating fan to blow gently on them for a few hours every day. This tricks the plant into
thinking that it is growing in a windy envi-ronment and releases chemicals in the plant to grow thicker stems to be better
able to withstand the supposed windy environment. This should not replace
providing more light, but can help prevent leggy seedlings in the first place.
to prevent leggy seedlings is to
make sure they are getting
enough light.”
GROWING FOR HEALTH
Meet a man who has combined aquaponic and hydroponic growing methods to provide
an ideal environment for his ducks. he’s called it quackuaponics, and it just makes sense.
introducing...QuackuapOnicsby joseph hackenberg
118 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Feathered friend helping to grow plants.Photos courtesy of author.
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Perhaps she is also the mother of adaptation and innovation. Here is the story of how I have applied my meagre knowl-edge of aquaponic and hydroponic concepts and developed a system to provide fresh water and greens for my ducks. An important point to make about
quackuaponics, as devised by me, is that the primary reason for using the system differs from the primary reason behind hydro and aquapon-ics. The first goal of quackuapon-ics is to provide a rough bio-filter, which discharges fresh, clean water for the ducks to use. (I am using the terms fresh and clean loosely). Of course there is the usual symbiosis; the growing of plants using nutri-ents trapped by the filter, along with those in solution passing through the system in the water. The growbed however, is primarily a filter.
OriginsNot long ago I saw a news story about a duck farm that had been raided by animal welfare activists who videoed the poor state of the ducks. Hundreds of them in each shed languished in filth. Water to drink was provided by chicken farm style drippers. No water at all was provided for the ducks to use to wash, preen and breed in. The situa-tion was appalling.The farmer explained that what-
ever water the ducks were given, they fouled and ruined immediately. There was no way the farm could provide regular fresh water to these large flocks and stay in business. I understood completely. I keep ducks. They provide eggs; they help control insect pests and provide fertilizer for the lawn and garden beds. They are also animated lawn ornaments and quite entertaining to watch.
119Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
My ducks like to have lots of fresh water, which they quickly turn foul and muddy. This filthy water they go on liking just as much, if not more so. Given that ducks will do far better with regular provision of fresh water, I go out of my way to empty and recharge their pond and other containers about the place almost daily. It is hard work, and my devotion to the ducks shows for all to see on my water bill. I had a rainwater tank installed and this helped; however, I quickly found that my 1,320-gal. tank needed to be doubled to limit using water from the city system. Slowly, my quackuapon-ics system began to evolve and throughout its gradual development, scalability has fortunately remained.
Duck behaviOrOne really notable difference between quackuaponics and aquaponics would have to be hygiene. Whereas aquaponics must be clean and controlled for the sake of avoiding illness and disease for both plants and fish, quackuaponics is a filthy game. Aside from their excre-tions, ducks have some other dirty little habits. Here is the typical scenario: if a large tub of fresh water was placed among some ducks, with a hose running into it, allowing it to overflow at a nominal rate, the major-ity of the little flock would partake in the overflow-ing water on the ground, using it to muddle into the surrounding soil. They would grovel away with their bills and create a muddy little wetland. They consume water, sand, dirt and plant matter, and whatever else they can stir up with their bills. They use a washing process inside their bill, crop and gut to separate food-stuffs from soil and sand in a fairly haphazard way. As the sordid banquet continues, the ducks will move in and out of the tub, continuing the digestive process all the while. By way of their frolicking, splashing, washing and mating, ducks cause loads of overflow.
“one really notable difference between quackuaponics and aquaponics would have to be hygiene. whereas aquaponics
must be clean and controlled for the sake of avoiding illness and
disease for both plants and fish, quackuaponics is a filthy game.”
qUACKUAPonICS
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120 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“ducks are not called fowl for nothing!”
In just hours, a heavy sludge will develop in the bottom of the tub. Ducks will mill through this sediment with their heads underwater, stirring it and seeking scraps of nutrition from it. This is the mode of eating the duck prefers. When I give them comfrey, lettuce, grains, layer-mash and scraps, or when a duck snatches a large grasshopper, the duck will take it to the water and make a stew from it, pulverising it with its bill, drinking and filtering the result. Indeed, emptying and refreshing the tub after one
day is a dirty and smelly job. Emptying and refreshing the tub after three or four days is a putrid, disgusting smelly job. Ducks are not called fowl for nothing! Oddly enough, given a reasonable water supply, the ducks manage to do all this and remain squeaky clean. As a side note, it is quite important to maintain proper
personal hygiene while working with the quackuapon-ics concept. You are going to come in contact with the filth. You must wash your hands. If you uproot a nice big lettuce and shake it around to free up the grow-media gravel from the root ball, it’s going to splash back into your face. Since I’ve been developing and running my system, I’ve always been in contact with the filthy aspects of the system and I’ve not yet suffered any real illness worth recalling even after regularly consuming plants and eggs from the system.To bring it back to the first goal of quackuaponics,
though, it’s about taking out all these solids, dirt and sands, partially digested and undigested foods from the water, and returning the water for re-use in a reasonably clear and odor-free state. The following is an overview of my basic system.
qUACKUAPonICS
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122 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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A beautiful strawberry grown using ducks and hydroponics.
Main reservOirEssentially the duck pond, this is an acrylic tub about 50-gal. Ducks mess around in here, injecting nutrients and other solids to the system.Typically the bottom is covered with a drift of fine sand—the product of the filter feeding process. The lighter solids are taken up by the system and eventually end up in the growbed and filter. I occasionally scoop the majority of this sand out and dispose of it on nearby garden beds. If I am nearby and realize the pond is about to be pumped out, I can give the water a good stir with a broom, ensuring settled matter is taken up by the pump and enters the rest of the system. In most cases though, the ducks and the discharge flow can do enough agitating for the system to work without me.
Dirty water suMp puMpThis pump is a heavy duty dirty water pump and its run times are one or two minutes per hour. It virtually empties the pond in that short time, which is not long enough to see the pump really run dry. Its specifications tell me it can take solids up to 1.37 in., and as such I expect it will take whatever matter the ducks drag into the pond, along with the odd discarded feather. It sits on the floor of the pond and it’s common to see a duck or drake ride the water level down and then take advantage of the low tide to forage through whatever sands and debris cover the pond floor.
settling tank The secondary reservoir is a large plastic barrel standing on
end. It has a drain cock, which I have not used so far. This barrel allows for some settling, and there is a decent amount of sludge sit-ting on the bottom. It was added to the system for another important reason: in summer, the water in the system ran much too hot. My big shallow growbed acted like a solar panel, and water discharging from the bed sometimes exceeded 86°F. By adding the settling tank, and more than tripling the system’s water capacity, the temperature instantly dropped and has since remained below 66°F. AD
124 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
The settling tank is also where an automated top-up line enters the system. A big difference in comparison to a standard hydroponics system is that dilution by rain and by topping up is not an issue. My growbed is populated with compost worms, and they are working alongside the nitrobacteria, struggling to keep up with the digestible matter trapped in the bed. I have a top-up line fed into the settling tank on a timer via a float valve. This gives the system a shot of water if needed and serves another important role: allowing me to leave the system alone for days. There is a tee junction in the top-up line feeding a misting hose. This misting hose, which runs across various garden beds, is also suspended about 4 ft. above and runs the length of the growbed.Without the misting hose, the top-up line occasionally
over-pressurizes and bursts free once the float valve had shut off flow. Now, the misting line runs on gentle idle until the settling tank level causes the float valve to shut off. Then the misting hose runs full force for the remain-der of the time period—only five minutes total. In the event of otherwise catastrophic pump timer failures in the main system, this daily five-minute misting can keep all the plants alive until I return and set things right. In hotter months I boost this aspect of the system to two five-minute runs, one in the morning, one in the evening.
OutflOw puMpThis is just a little pond fountain pump. It is mounted about halfway down in the settling tank. Settling tank levels vary from just over half full to almost full when the system is running properly. The outflow pump is timed to run a few minutes after the main reservoir pump has stopped, and it is set to run for four minutes, as its flow rate is around half that of the dirty water pump. This out-flow pump sends water to the top of the growbed where a buffer tank helps moderate flow.
buffer tank anD flOw cOntrOl ManifOlDThis is a largish plastic tub resting on the intake end of the growbed. Even though the outflow pump is the smallest in the system, the growbed may flow too slow, restricted by root proliferation and trapped solids building up, and will overflow at the top end if fed directly with enough water.
“in the event of otherwise catastrophic pump timer failures in the main system, this daily five-minute misting can keep all
the plants alive until i return and set things right.”
The buffer tank has a rudimentary drip manifold run-ning from it, made of drilled 0.78-in. electrical conduit. This manifold runs three quarters of the way along the growbed. It comes from a loose-fitting hole in the side of the buffer tank, and inside the buffer tank it bends to one side at a 90° angle, extending inside the buffer tank. By adjusting the elbow tighter or looser against the hole in the buffer tank, and by turning the con-duit so that the open end inside the buffer tank is at a deeper or shallower in the buffer tank, outflow can be infinitely adjusted.If the elbow is loose against the hole, more water passes
around the conduit and directly into the top end of the growbed. However, when the top end of the growbed is tending to overflow, I simply pull the elbow of the mani-fold tube more snugly into the orifice, so more water must then flow down through the manifold, dispersing neatly across the length of the growbed, avoiding over-flow at the top end. To simplify, the buffer tank allows much more water to be sent to the top of the growbed during a shorter pump run.
grOwbeD The growbed is a tray 2-ft. wide, 16-ft. long and only 4-in. deep. The tray is lined with plastic, and the grow media is small sharp gravel. As the pri-mary purpose of the system is filtra-tion, there is no place for an auto-siphon of any sort. The water and nutrients should pass (if possible) the full length of the growbed, which could be more correctly referred to as the filtration bed.
qUACKUAPonICS
Joseph spending time with the ducks.
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126 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
I see the depth of the growbed as a short coming in the system. Growbed depth should ideally be closer to 12 in. The compromise exists because of the materials at hand when building the system and the lighter weight suits the support-ing structure. The bed runs at a slight slope and a height of 4 ft. to save the plants from the ducks, and save my back as I tend to the plants.The growbed discharges into a small section of roofing
gutter, which has a down-pipe, sending the discharge as a little waterfall, back to the pond (the primary reservoir). This waterfall assists with aeration, agitation and cooling, and seems very enjoyable for the ducks during their use of the pond.
“i consider a plant to be pulling its weight in the system as long as a decent root system
develops. in other words, the plant must play a part in the filtration process. if things are also going well above ground, that’s a bonus.”
qUACKUAPonICS
plantsI’ve populated the growbed with a wide variety of plants, such as various forms of basil like Greek, Thai, lemon and standard basil. There are always several types of lettuce through the bed, and most of these end up self-seeding to some extent. These are shared between ducks and humans. I have had great success growing burpless cucumbers, too. Capsicums and chillies grow and fruit well. Strawberry plants are certainly growing well, though they have not so far produced worthwhile fruit. Rockmelon vines grew well, also poorly fruiting. Other plants inhabiting the bed are cauliflower, thriving
clumps of garlic chives and rosemary. I consider a plant to be pulling its weight in the system as long as a decent root system develops. In other words, the plant must play a part in the filtration process. If things are also going well above ground, that’s a bonus.One plant I have found to be unsuitable is tomatoes.
These did a little too well, and the massive matted root systems gagged the growbed, restricting flow almost com-pletely, causing the bed to overflow excessively. On the sub-ject of roots, I seem to be able to leave any broken-off root matter in the growbed without problem. This left-over root matter rots down quickly and adds to the nutrient mix.
128 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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“the aim is to shore up deficiencies in the plant’s nutrient base. it’s
a difficult game but now that the growbed has matured i’m certain
the system will run happily without additives.”
aDDitivesWhen I first built the system and began to cycle I researched aquaponics to kick the growbed into action. I wasn’t really confident the system would work at first. The plants weren’t doing too well, probably because the nitrobacteria hadn’t yet populated, so I began to collect an array of hydro-style chemicals and research mixing rates and ways to add them to my system. Thankfully, the system began to work, but I was left with several com-pounds and elements that I didn’t really need. After a while, I learned that some of them could still be useful and not harmful. I now add chellated iron, sulphate of potash, and Epsom salts all dissolved in hot water about every month to six weeks. I have recently tried adding a little of the sulphate of potash to the buffer tank. It is heavy and sits on the bottom dissolving slowly. I also add seaweed-based liquid fertilizer. The aim is to shore up deficiencies in the plant’s nutrient base. It’s a difficult game but now that the growbed has matured I’m certain the system will run happily without additives.
Other aDjustMentsThe system is fairly stable, but there are behav-ioral variations I need to manage, which mainly effect flow. Levels of solids and nutrients can vary wildly with the behavior of the flock as the seasons change. Differing foods are available, distractions such as mating, egg-laying and brooding arise, and flock size can vary for many reasons. The flow of solids can vary to some extent without need for adjustment. If things get too heavy though, there is a chance the growbed will overflow. A strategi-cally placed bucket catches some of this loss, and the ducks don’t mind puddling round in what ends up on the ground. My top-up system takes care of water loss and I can decide on making adjustments to the buffer tank manifold when I see overflow appearing in the overflow bucket.
final thOughtsThough happy with my system, I’m always consider-ing modifications and alterations. Many concepts and ideas and experiments have led to how the unit runs today, and no doubt new concepts, ideas and experiments are ahead. I’m pleased to say that the unit can be scaled up to an industrial size, and whatever I do to it, I will seek to maintain scalabil-ity. For the future I envision a duck farm complete with a sizeable collection of hot-houses producing a marketable side product of lettuce or cucumbers, as well as providing some feed and better condi-tions for livestock and limiting water expenses.
qUACKUAPonICS
AD
130 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
132 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Gardens certainly don’t grow themselves, and indoor grows require much more atten-tion and care than the outdoor type, which have Mother Nature’s built-in support system. Indoor gardening is a demanding hobby that sucks up a lot of time and money, can add work to your already busy life and dramatically alter your chill lifestyle. It will cause stress, takes tough decision making and a lot of space in your home. The daily, weekly and monthly rituals can seem like burdens, but the payoff is well worth the amount of effort you’ll put in.To help shoulder some of the burden, many growers auto-
mate the process to some degree, lessening the workload while allowing their gardens to thrive. Advances in technol-ogy have made it so that you can leave your indoor garden for weeks at a time, or while holding a demanding, full-time job, and come back to a stable growing environment with increased yields. This means less time worrying, less stress and improved overall efficiency and performance. More bang for your buck, if you will.While nothing can replace the constant monitoring and
interaction that comes under the guidance of the human hand, an automated growroom can reduce the grower’s time commitment and increase efficiency to maximize the plants’ yield. The automated systems only perform as programmed, so if you aren’t present to monitor the changing needs of the plant, anticipate some suffering. Remember, it’s all about supplementing, not replacing, quality care.
ABSEnTEE GRoWInG
Other than the initial installation
and occasional check-in to monitor your plants’
health, an automated grow-room can help guarantee results with
minimal effort on your part. An automated growroom can maintain a controlled environment,
while reducing problems and saving time, but it’s not a replacement for the inherent quality of the human touch. Both combined, however, can leave you with an abundance of time and peace of mind knowing that your plants are being cared for when you can’t.Plainly put, an automated garden employs a combination of
user-specified parameters, while operating and controlling the growing process using highly automatic methods, such as electronic or mechanical devices, which greatly reduce the need for human interaction.Some common automation means include timers, tempera-
ture or humidity controllers and CO2 monitors, with the most basic method being a timer to control the lighting. As with any technology, growroom automation is in constant flux, always changing and evolving, so there are continually new gadgets, smartphone apps and ways to check up on your plants without having to be present.
134 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“advances in technology have made it so that you can leave your indoor garden for weeks at a time, or while holding a demanding, full-time job, and come back to a stable growing
environment with increased yields.”
But let’s first get down to basics, the essentials you’ll need to get started:
Climate control The most common of automation controllers, this umbrella term covers three factors: humidity, temperature and CO2.A climate controller (or atmospheric controller) will allow
you to create an environment fit for the plants’ needs, which is achieved by keeping CO2 at ideal levels and maintaining the humidity and temperature levels. Growers with fully automated climates or atmospheres can anticipate larger yields and quicker growth thanks to the compatible environ-mental conditions.
“an automated growroom can maintain a controlled
environment, while reducing problems and saving time, but it's
not a replacement for the inherent quality of the human touch.”
135Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Beginners can get started with a thermostat/humidistat con-troller, which lets the grower control multiple devices such as fans, air conditioners and dehumidifiers by plugging them into a single controller.Proper ventilation is one of the main elements
of growing that, if neglected, can ruin your investment. If your plants suffer from poor ventilation due to stagnant air throughout the growroom, the plants can consume all of the CO2 in a matter of hours. The room should include fans to circu-late air, along with fresh air vented in to avoid dead zones void of CO2 that can form around the leaves. However, ventilation isn’t needed when lighting is off and your intake fans should be turned off, though you may still run them or exhaust fans for controlling the temperature. Fans can be controlled manually, by using a timer, fan control-ler or multi-function climate controller that also controls humidity and temperature (more on these later).Growers wanting to add CO2 can
combine multiple atmospheric con-trollers or buy a complete controller, often referred to as a brain, that controls light timing, temperature, humidity and CO2 control. To avoid wasting carbon dioxide, automa-tion is a key factor to increase the room’s levels. Controllers designed to enhance the room’s CO2 levels will automatically turn off or reduce exhaust fans while the device is in use.An infrared beam scans the air in the room and when the
specified parameters aren’t being met, the controlling device sends power to the CO2 generator or tank, adding carbon dioxide to your garden. Controllers can also automatically turn off during the garden’s dark cycle, as they’re equipped with a photocell. It’s also imperative that the grower can set the room to an exact temperature, as an indoor growroom’s optimal run-ning temperature increases slightly with higher CO2 levels.
“maintaining an ideal nutrient balance is vital to plants' health and vitality, which leads to stronger, more bountiful harvests
and plants that are less susceptible to pests and disease.”
ABSEnTEE GRoWInG
Nutrient automationFor those who already have atmospheric automation on lock down and want even more relief from the daily chores of growing indoors, adding nutrient reservoir automation is the
next logical step. A nutrient reservoir that is main-tained by hand can be incredibly time consum-
ing and is prone to errors given the water makeup and fluctuations in pH and EC.
Maintaining an ideal nutrient balance is vital to plants’ health and vital-
ity, which leads to stronger, more bountiful harvests and plants that are less susceptible to pests and disease. Consistency here is key, as the root zone supports and encourages life.
For an automated nutrient reservoir system that needs the least maintenance, a grower should use the fol-lowing connected to the source of water: a water chiller/heater, nutrient auto doser, pH auto adjuster and
an auto shut-off valve. This way the grower can set the
parameters for the temperature, nutrient concentration and the
nutrient solution’s pH.Combined properly, climate control
and nutrient reservoir automation can provide an optimal growing environ-
ment that can be tweaked to meet the plants’ needs. But there’s always something even bigger
and badder out there, which brings us to the next section.
Everything automation The most advanced controller is an all-in-one grow-room controller, a.k.a. a brain. These mega-gadgets can simultaneously monitor and control all sorts of growing parameters and there are even models with long-term data loggers and graphing features. You can monitor multiple growrooms using a single brain, and receive alerts when something is wrong, from anywhere in the world using a computer or smartphone.
136 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
When automating systems in the growroom, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the technology and slip on the basics, such as regularly tending to the plants and making sure your systems are in top shape. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
❯ Inspect your plants for overall health and moisture levels at least once a week if possible
❯ Look for pests or disease❯ Trim and clean foliage as needed❯ Toss and replace any dead or dying plants❯ Replace any broken irrigation pieces❯ Check the water tank’s levels and refill as needed❯ Add fertilizer to the irrigation system as needed❯ Inspect pumps and timers, clean filters weekly
“when automating systems in the growroom, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the technology and slip on the basics, such as
regularly tending to the plants and making sure your systems are in top shape.”
ABSEnTEE GRoWInG
138 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
140 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
A Beginner’s guide to Product LABeLs
For any beginner gardener, walking into a local hydroponics shop for the first time can be an intimidating experience. As a former hydroponic store manager, I witnessed the looks of disbelief given by first-time patrons when confronted with a multitude of products stacked on never-ending shelves, each labeled with a set of various ingredients and numbers. They appeared overwhelmed by the massive amount of great products now available to every grower. With a bit of advice and some trust
in the knowledgeable hands of your local hydroponic retailer, you can easily navigate the world of hydro-ponic products by understanding the
wealth of information listed on each product’s label. But always remem-ber to keep in mind that each state, province and country has different rules as to what information must be listed on a product label and each has different rules regarding what is prohibited from being listed.
nPKThe most visible numbers on plant fertilizer labels refer to the NPK levels that list the relative content or percentage of soluble nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) in the product. Nitrogen, phospho-rous and potassium are the three
PArt 1: nutrient soLutions And FertiLizers
By MAtt LeBAnnister
thinK you Know whAt
ALL those nuMBers
on A Product’s LABeL Are ALL ABout?
reAd on to discover
whAt Might hAve Been
deLiBerAteLy LeFt
out oF the equAtion.
TIPS AND TRICKS
141Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
most essential nutrients that plants require large amounts of for growth, hence their priority placement on all fertilizer labels.There is often confusion when we see two
products with the exact same NPK ratios, yet they are priced differently. To save some money, one might be tempted to buy the less expensive product since, according to the labels, they are the same. Or are they? What people might not know is that the more expensive product, such as a bloom fortifier, could contain more than 20 ingredients that are not listed on the label, such as amino acids, citric acid and ascorbic acid. These ingredients could greatly improve your yield, yet in many areas companies are not allowed to list them on the labels or make any claims about performance. If you want a detailed list of ingredients contained in any plant fertilizer, visit the manufacturer’s website or give them a call. You can always consult your local hydroponic retailers who often have more info than the labels can offer.
trAce eLeMentsCompared to NPK, trace elements are needed by plants in smaller amounts. Trace elements include zinc, copper, manganese and iron to name the most important. There is also calcium, magnesium and sulfur, which are required in slightly larger amounts. They are all essential to plant growth and development yet they are not always listed on product labels. If any of these elements are listed on a fertilizer label, they will be listed as a percentage of the overall content. The percentage will seem minute compared to the NPK listing but that is because your plants only need trace amounts of these nutrients. The difference between a quality fertilizer and a mediocre fertilizer is oftentimes just the content of trace elements each one contains.
orgAnicsTrying to find organic nutrient additives and
fertilizers can be tricky. Many products are labeled as organic making it simple for the average consumer. Products that are listed as organic must be
certified organic by an independent group, such as the Organic Material
Review Institute (OMRI). This levels the playing field and protects consum-
ers by ensuring that there is a standard by which these products are judged. The tricky part comes when you realize that there are nutrient additives and fertilizers that could very well be organic, they just have not been submitted for certification. Having a product certified organic can be a long, costly process and many small manu-facturers simply cannot afford to do this. Their product may be as good and naturally organic as the certi-fied competitor, but you would never know this by looking at the label. This is where having a conversation with the knowledgeable staff at your local hydroponic shop pays off. They have insight into products that goes beyond the label and can fill you in on what products will be right for you.
in concLusionThere are so many great nutrient solutions and fertilizers on the market today making choices seem endless. The hydroponic industry shows no sign of slowing down and could very well be the future of agriculture. Unfortunately, the product labels have not kept up with the growth of the hydroponic busi-ness. Just remember there is as much unsaid on product labels as is said. Have trust in the bevy of knowledge your local hydroponic retailer has gained over the years. They can help you navigate the rough seas that are fertilizer product labels.
In the next issue of Maximum Yield we will explore the equally as diverse realm of navigating grow light labels.
"the diFFerence Between A
quALity FertiLizer And A
Mediocre FertiLizer is oFtentiMes
just the content oF trAce eLeMents
eAch one contAins."
Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) 33.5% NCalcium nitrate liquid (7-0-0-11) 12.1 lb/gal (Ca(NO3)2) 7%N, 11% CaCalcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2)-dry 15% N, 19% CaCalcium chloride (CaCl2) 36% CaPotassium nitrate (KNO3) 13% N, 36.5 KMonopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) 23% P, 28% KPhosphoric acid (H3PO4) 13 lb./gal. 23% PPotassium chloride (KCl) - greenhouse 51% K
Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) 10% Mg, 14% S
Solubor 20.5% B
Copper sulfate (CuSO4) 25% Cu
Zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) 36% Zn
Iron, chelated iron (Fe 330) chelated iron 10% Fe
Manganous sulfate (MnSO4) 28% Mn
Sodium molybdate (Na2(Mo)4) (liquid), (11.4 lb/gal) 17% Mo
Sodium molybdate (dry) (Na2(MoO4) 39.6 % Mo
Soluble Trace Element Mixture (S.T.E.M.) 1.35% B
K - potassium 279 200 400
N - nitrate NO3 196 70 200
N - as ammonia NH4 0 0 31
P - phosphorous 31 30 90
Ca - calcium 160 150 400
S - sulphur 64 60 333
Mg - magnesium 48 25 75
Fe - iron 0.8 0.5 5
Mn - manganese 0.25 0.1 1
B - boron 0.06 0.1 1
Zn - zinc 0.05 0.02 0.2
Cu - copper 0.02 0.02 0.2
Mo - molybdenum 0.04 0.01 0.1
Chlorine 0 0 350
9.5-5.67-11.38.2-5.9-13.65.5-7.97-18.4
bLushing Many of us are familiar with the bene� ts of eating locally and seasonally. Fortunately, by taking advantage of the technology used in hydroponics, we can all enjoy high-quality produce year-round. Read on to learn more about the how’s and why’s of hydroponic growing—through the eyes of the tomato.
TomAToesHYDROPONIC
by rAQueL neofiT
AD
142 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
bLushing Many of us are familiar with the bene� ts of eating locally and seasonally. Fortunately, by taking advantage of the technology used in hydroponics, we can all enjoy high-quality produce year-round. Read on to learn more about the how’s and why’s of hydroponic growing—through the eyes of the tomato.
TomAToesHYDROPONIC
by rAQueL neofiT
AD
BlUShInG hydRoPonIC ToMAToES
Nothing beats the taste, texture and sweet juiciness of a freshly
picked tomato in the height of summer. We’re all well aware of
the trends and benefits of eating seasonally, but by taking advantage
of the technology used in hydro-ponic growing practices, we can
enjoy high-quality tomatoes through-out the year and avoid those that have
been picked green, cold stored and manipulated into the tasteless versions
that sometimes find their way onto our plates in winter and spring.There’s a reason why a blushing hydro-
ponic tomato tastes better, is more appeal-ing to the eye and is, admittedly, sometimes
slightly more expensive than their field-grown cousins. It all comes down to control-
ling their growing environment.Glass and greenhouses are the perfect place
to create the environment a crop needs to grow—and not just grow, but thrive, blossom
and develop into a taste sensation that transports your tender tastebuds to another world. Even
though a hydroponic truss of delights might cost a bit more per unit, you should reach to the higher
shelves in your fruit shop or supermarket and pick up a truss of hydroponically cultivated tomatoes. Or, begin growing your own.
A brief bAckground on hydroponicsMost of the population has a fair idea of the concept behind hydroponics—plants are grown indoors in an inert medium and are fed by nutrient-rich, pH-bal-anced water while the grower manipulates the indoor environment to the ideal climate for optimal growth, yield and fruit production. What makes hydroponics a preferred growing method for a lot of growers is that the nutrient-rich water is recycled through the hydroponic channels, reducing water and nutrient usage. Most hydroponic growers use a third less water to grow twice the amount of produce than traditional farming methods. Natural pest controls are generally introduced
to the indoor environment, cutting out the use of hard-chemicals—controls like integrated pest management. If a pest is discovered in the local area or greenhouse, farmers introduce a new insect, one that is the natural predator of the bad bug; I like to call it the ‘bug-eat-bug’ method. If the situation is identified early and given quick attention, no insec-ticides are sprayed on the crops.
The hydroponic fArmerIn the early days of hydroponic cultivation, hydro-ponic tomatoes received a pretty bad rap—they were tasteless, bland, pale and expensive—so many
Most hydroponic
growers use a third less water to grow twice
the amount of produce than traditional farming
methods.”AD
144 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
consumers (and growers for that matter) avoided hydroponic crops. But as we approached the 21st century, knowledge of hydro-ponic practices evolved. Jump to the present day, and hydroponic growers are not only conscious of environ-mental impact and sustainability, but also of the importance of flavor and nutritional value.Growers have acknowledged that we
have entered into a fresh-food revolu-tion where consumers are avoiding cheap, mass-produced, poor-quality produce. Savvy consumers are buying less produce in favor of food that has a higher nutritional value, is environmentally sound, in season and tastes like it should taste.We no longer want fresh produce that has
traveled thousands of miles to reach our plates, amassing more stamps on their passports than us. This is where hydroponics becomes our food savior; we can grow more produce on less land than ever before, utilizing even barren wasteland where nothing has ever grown in the past, and not only can we grow fresh and flavorful fruits out of
We no longer want fresh produce that
has traveled thousands of miles to reach
our plates, amassing more stamps on their passports than us.”
BlUShInG hydRoPonIC ToMAToES
146 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
season, but because hydroponic food is grown closer to our
population, we are drastically reducing our carbon footprint.
WhAT mAkes A hydro-ponic TomATo beTTer?
Essential nutrients are supplied directly to a hydroponic tomato
plant’s root system constantly, so the plant can conserve its energy and con-
centrate on using that energy to grow its budding fruits. Growers can cater
to the specific growing requirements throughout a plant’s life cycle on a daily
basis and give the plant the right nutrients at the right time, depending on where
the plant is at in its growth cycle. A tomato requires different levels of nutrients when
it’s in the fruit producing stage, for example. Because of this, nutrient levels are tested daily
so the grower knows exactly which nutri-
ents the plant is receiving; it’s
much harder to control nutri-
ent levels in the ground.Hydroponic
tomatoes are never picked green and
stored in a cool room because hydroponic grow-
ers understand that to produce superior fruit they must be ripened on the vine for ulti-
mate flavor, sweetness and juiciness and to develop a rich and invigorating color. Then we come to production—the
yield far outweighs that of field-grown tomatoes with small to medium commercial growers looking to yield a mini-
mum of around 88 lbs. per square foot and large growers looking for yields as much as 132 lbs.
LongeviTyHydroponic tomatoes can have a fresh and happy shelf life of up to two weeks once harvested if you store them cor-rectly. The optimal holding temperature for a tomato sits at 55°F, making a refrigerator the worst possible home for them because the cold kills the cells in the fruit, in turn reducing the flavor of the tomato. Store them the cupboard or in a fruit bowl on the counter.
green pickingThere are a couple reasons field growers pick tomatoes green. A ripe tomato’s worst enemy is over-handling, whereas green tomatoes travel better and are less likely to bruise in transport or with constant handling. The problem here is that the flavor and juiciness of the tomatoes hasn’t had
At 39°F, tomatoes will stop naturally ripening
and lie dormant until the temperature is
increased.”
147Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
enough time to fully develop and the end product will never be as sweet and delicious as fruit that is picked closer to ripeness. Those in the industry call this procedure cold flick. The fruit will continue to ripen naturally unless some crafty transport company or supermarket needs the shelf life extended, then at that point they’ll cold-store them. At 39°F, tomatoes will stop naturally ripening and lie dormant until the temperature is increased.
AromAHead down to your local supermarket or farmers’ market and find some field-grown tomatoes and a truss of hydro-ponic tomatoes. Pick them up one at a time and breathe in their aroma. The scent of the hydroponic bunch will fill your senses and be far more aromatic than the field-grown variety—that’s if you can even detect the scent of the field-grown variety. This all comes back to hydroponic tomatoes being left to ripen on their vine. It is a tomato’s vine that holds the aromas and essential oils that give off that particular scent we associate with a ripe, fresh tomato. The next time you come across a tomato plant, rub the stem between your fingers and you’ll be blown away by the smell it leaves behind.
It is a tomato’s
vine that holds the aromas and essential oils that give
off that particular scent we associate with a ripe,
fresh tomato.”
BlUShInG hydRoPonIC ToMAToES
groWers knoWChris Burges has been growing hydroponic tomatoes for 20 years and suggests how to prune them properly. Tomatoes need to be pruned two ways, he says. First you have to prune the shoots—with every leaf there is a shoot. Afterwards, you have to prune the flowers back to as many as five if you are growing on the truss. Take the first open flower off, then prune it back to five flowers, taking note of which flow-ers are open because that is the order they will ripen in, he adds. If you leave eight or nine tomatoes on the truss you will have two problems. The first tomato will go soft before the last one ripens and you will end up with a lot of medium-sized tomatoes.
148 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
WorTh knoWingTomatoes are a great source of fiber, foliate and vitamins A, B, C and E. They are high in lycopene and are both fat and cho-lesterol free. They can help control sugar levels in people suffering from diabetes. The jelly-like substance around the seeds holds the highest amount of vitamin C and is thought to alleviate people who suffer from deep vein thrombosis. So, the next time you make a salad without the seeds, don’t throw them out—eat them!
For more information on growing hydroponic tomatoes, check out the book review on page 172 of this issue of Maximum Yield.
149Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Preparingthe next
patcHSome would argue that right after the end of the harvest is when the
hardest work for a grower begins, because after harvesting the current
batch, it's time to immediately start preparing the patch once again.
by Russell Landry
AD
150 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
GettinG startedAfter the harvest ends, the hardest work for a grower begins. This includes not only harvesting the bountiful fruits of your labor of love and removing, cleaning and storing seeds from your many progeny, but also prepar-ing your garden patch for the next growing season. This is strenuous work and involves a strong back and unyielding determination to improve your garden soil. Patch preparation for the next growing season should begin as soon as the harvest begins.The most important of these chores involves soil prep-
aration. Incorporating large amounts of organic matter into the garden greatly enables the grower’s chances for larger yields. Boosting organic matter levels beyond 6% will satisfy the growth requirements of most plants. It is not uncommon that well-worked plots often achieve organic matter levels greater than 10%.Healthy, fertile soil is an organic mixture of decaying
plant materials and water, air and mineral nutrients. Organic matter consists of decomposing plant and animal material. One of the best ways to
improve soil fertility is to add reams of decaying plants. Building organic matter is a slow process. Native soils in many regions, including most of North America, are composed of only 3 to 5% organic matter, while some growers strive to maintain levels approaching 10% or more. The yearly battle to supplement and then replen-ish the soil’s organic matter is a never-ending chore. Bacteria and microbes continuously consume these materials in a cycle referred to as the soil food web. Organic matter added to the soil raises the soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC) or simply its nutrient-holding capacity. This factor, along with organic matter’s ability to hold more water and oxygen, greatly profits the soil
and can tremendously boost yields. Helping poor soils, either sandy or clay-based, by increasing organic matter improves the soil by providing a naturally enhanced supply of nutrients in an easy-to-open storage can.Tilth or bulk density is also assisted by changing the
soil’s structure. Organic matter binds or clusters the soil together making it easy to dig. This factor, along with the organic matter’s ability to hold more water and oxygen, greatly increases the soil’s fertility.
One of the best ways to improve soil
fertility is to add reams of decaying plants.”
PREPARInG ThE nExT PATCh
152 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
soil testinGBegin any preparations by taking soil samples and determining a baseline for future reference. The importance of a soil test cannot be understated. While organic matter can be added at any time, you need to know the current standing of your soil. This helps to determine if any additions are required to lend a helping hand in modifying the soil’s many nutrient components. Discerning the soil’s current levels of organic matter and its CEC helps determine what is needed. Next, the soil’s pH level is determined, then the major nutrients
nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K), then the mac-ronutrients of calcium and magnesium, and, finally, the minor nutrients such as iron and manganese.Vegetables grow best in a pH range from 6.5 to 7.2 with 6.8
thought to be optimal for most. Any discussion about soil nutrient levels is complex. Recommendations listed in your lab report will provide a good base of support. Many grow-ers tend to push soils that are high in NPK.Calcium (Ca) is considered a major nutrient when grow-
ing most fruit and vegetables. Plants use Ca in late summer as the fruit begins to expand and develop. Maximizing its uptake during this time can greatly reduce the incidence of blossom end rot, splitting and pitted or catfacing of fruit. A soil supplemented with Ca often requires additions of gypsum or calcium magnesium sulphate. It is important to note that many local conditions will leave soil deficient in Ca despite high ppm levels overall. This is often caused by insoluble calcium bicarbonate molecules tying up the vital macronutri-ents, rendering it useless to the plant’s roots.
orGanic matterWorking in a minimum of 4 in. or more of well-rotted organic matter will pay off with big dividends. Materials such as grass clippings, leaves, yard waste and compost are the most read-ily available supplements for urban and rural growers. Other manures can be added as well. Cow, chicken, horse, sheep and rabbit manures are some of the most popular choices.Fresh sources of manures should be avoided until harmful
nitrogen is consumed by bacteria or leached out. Instead use older manures as they are usually free of most weed seeds and contain less ammonium nitrate. Fresh, ripe manures cause wild top growth and poor fruit set.
The importance of a soil test cannot
be understated.”
153Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Certain grasses, grains and legumes are used in
gardening to gain an advantage on mother nature.” An application of these types of organic matter into the
top 18 to 24 in. of your soil is most advantageous for many reasons. Chiefly, the new additions are able to lift the soil’s organic matter percentage and raise its nutrient-holding capacity while increasing the oxygen content and the water holding potential of your soil. Many organic manufactured products are now available
and are of great advantage to many small plot and indoor growers. Products such as organic fertilizers and pelletized composts are great ways to encourage healthy garden and greenhouse practices. Other more common bagged supplements include kelp
meal, alfalfa meal and corn meal. Kelp and alfalfa meal add natural rooting hormones. Corn meal aids in disease fighting capabilities. All three add some nitrogen as well.
soil conditionersHumic acid is another great way to improve the soil’s CEC. In sandy soils, it can quickly and permanently raise the CEC. Humic acid is a natural by-product of thousands of years of organic matter decay. The result is a blackened, porous structure that lasts a lifetime in the soil. The porosity of the humic acid particles brings with it a great chelating or hold-ing power for nutrients, water and oxygen. Other popular products used to enhance soil are perlite,
vermiculite and peat moss. All work in similar ways to aug-ment the top soil. Jersey greensand is another supplemental product.
Considered a soil conditioner, it will raise the calcium levels of soil and it can permanently raise CEC while adding some minor amounts of potassium to the top soil. Other more common soil supplements include sulphur (S),
gypsum, lime, or dolomite limestone and magnesium (Mg) sulphate or Epsom salts.
PREPARInG ThE nExT PATCh
154 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
cover cropsAdding new biomass to the soil is a natural off-season step that is becoming more common. Certain grasses, grains and legumes are used in gardening to gain an advantage on Mother Nature. Cover crops begin to get the mixture working prior to planting. They protect the soil from wind and water erosion while conserving moisture and preventing weed germination. The organic matter contribution is an added benefit to the soil as certain types of crops can extract nutrients from the soil and leave them in readily available forms for quick uptake by the plants once they are ploughed back into the soil. Some types of cover crops pull nitrogen
from the air (fix nitrogen), while others consume nitrogen. The fixers help put atmospheric nitrogen back into the soil while the consumers conserve and prevent leaching of the elements to the surround-ing watershed. When rototilled back into the soil they give back the nitrogen.Good cover crops for a fall planting
include winter wheat, winter rye and oats. They are fast growing and relatively easy to rototill. They do not fix nitrogen
Sulphur is used to lower pH slowly as bacteria break it down, releasing acids
Aluminum sulphate dramatically and instantly lowers pH
Gypsum is used to maintain pH, adds Ca and S and improves tilth
Lime (calcium carbonate) raises pH and adds calcium
Dolomite limestone raises pH and adds Ca and Mg
Magnesium sulphate adds Mg and S while lowering pH moderately
important tips on adjusting phbut they are fast growing and add organic matter quickly. These essential crops can be sown during most times of the year. They can store large amounts of nitrogen from the soil for use in the next growing season. Broad leaf crops like buckwheat and Sudan, martin or
sorghum grasses are best planted in spring or early to mid-summer. If you have an open area during August due to lost plants or early harvest, it might be a good idea to get buck-wheat or one of the others up and growing. The benefits are rapid growth and phosphorus fixation from the soil. Frost intolerance makes this a good rotational crop when com-bined with tilled early spring legume crops that fix nitrogen. Many growers are taking advantage of phosphorus fixation by planting buckwheat after the last frost and ploughing it down before planting vine growth crops such as cucumbers and melons. Legume crops like vetch and clover fix nitrogen but generally require a spring or summer planting.
Bacteria and funGiBeneficial bacteria, fungi, earthworms and a host of other organisms thrive on the addition of organic matter and the fresh carbon it brings along for the ride. Healthy garden patches depend on good microbial activity to provide a con-stant and steady supply of nutrients to vigorous plants with burgeoning root systems.The microbes feed on the tasty morsels you add in the form
of organic matter and begin to leave behind nutrients in the soil that can be quickly absorbed by the plant’s developing root system. It is also important to feed the bacteria with sugars. High fructose products are best and include molas-ses, corn syrup and maple syrup. Bacteria will thrive when fed often with these sugary blends.Inoculation of cover crop roots at planting
with beneficial endo-fungi and bacteria like nitrogen-fixing azospirillium is consid-ered to be of major importance. Deep rooting Sudan grasses are thought
155Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
to allow for overwintering of fungal spores. Flourishing resident populations of bacteria and fungi results in time and money savings while reducing the need to re-inoculate crops. There you have it, basic soil preparation in
a nutshell. Treat the soil with kindness and a jungle-like green canopy will be the reward for your efforts. As the shoots begin to poke into the shimmering sunshine, it is important to remember the beginning of the next season starts at the end of each prior growing season.Well-balanced soil is the key component
in growing for maximum yields. Soil prepa-rations always start with hard work and determination to improve the garden’s production. Building your soil is a con-tinuing process that never ends. Organic matter is consumed at a fast pace during the growing season. Annual replenishment is required to unlock the right combina-tion of desire and skill involved in increas-ing your harvest. Consider the informa-tion above as your future guide to a great garden, and always remember that the green is keen, but it’s what’s underneath that makes a difference because bigger roots mean bigger fruits.
PREPARInG ThE nExT PATCh
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“IF yOu seethat your ammonia level is creeping
up to 8 ppm, but no nitrites have shown up yet, just stop adding ammonia for a few days and let
the bacteria catch up.”
Starting up your aquaponics system (cycling) is a straightforward process if you know what to look for and have a procedure to follow. In a nutshell, you add ammonia to your aquaponic environ-ment and over time, naturally occurring, nitrify-ing bacteria find your system, establish them-selves and proceed to convert the toxic ammonia first to nitrites and then to harmless nitrates.Fish are the obvious source of ammonia
to cycle your system since their waste is the eventual fuel that feeds any aquaponics system. Fish excrete ammonia through their gills during their respiratory process, which if left unchecked, will increase in concentration and will eventually poison the fish.The alternative is called fish-less cycling—get-
ting ammonia into your system by some means other than from fish. This technique has a few major advantages. First, there is much less stress involved (for you and the fish) because you are not trying to keep anybody alive during the process. Because of this, you need be much less concerned about pH since the pH must only be kept in a range that facilitates cycling without consideration for the safety of the fish. Second, because you can elevate the ammonia
concentration to a higher level than would be safe for fish, you can cycle your system in much less time (generally 10 days to 3 weeks versus 4 to 6 weeks when you cycle with fish) and end up with a more robust bacteria base once you are cycled. The practical result of this is that you can fully stock your tank once cycling is complete, versus gradually increasing the stocking levels as is recommended when cycling with fish. This is especially beneficial to those who are grow-ing aggressive or carnivorous fish because they are less likely to attack each other if everyone is introduced to the tank at the same time.Finally, you can more precisely control how
much ammonia is added to your system during the process. For example, if you see that your ammonia level is creeping up to 8 ppm, but no nitrites have shown up yet, just stop adding ammonia for a few days and let the bacteria catch up. You can’t do this with fish!
There are several ways to add ammonia to your system, ranging from the obvious to the slightly bizarre. I will talk about the pros and cons of each, and you can decide for yourself which makes the most sense to you.
LIquId AMMonIAThis is the old-fashioned cleaning product your grandmother used, which filled the room with the smell of ammonia. Only use it if you can find the pure form that is made strictly out of ammonia (usually 5 to 10% by weight) and water. Avoid anything with perfumes, colorants, soaps, surfactants or any other additives. Shake the bottle. If it foams or if it doesn’t list the ingredients or say clear ammonia, pure ammonia, 100% ammonia or pure ammonium hydroxide, leave it on the shelf.
159Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“The huMOnIAapproach creates a more complex biological
environment than pure, synthetic forms of ammonia and thus introduces some risk to the cycling
process and the health of your system.”
Cons–It can be hard to find if you don’t have a cleaning supply or a good hardware store nearby. I’m told it is entirely unavailable in Australia since 9/11 because of the remote association as a possible ingredient in bomb making.
AMMonIuM ChLorIdeThis is the same concept as the liquid am-
monia, but you can find ammonium chloride (crystallized ammonia) through aquapon-ics stores, aquarium supply stores, soap supply stores, photography supply stores and chemical houses. Pros–Because it is very concentrated
and in dry form, it is inexpensive to ship. If you get the kind intended for aquaponics
and aquariums, there will be little doubt that it is pure and will work in cycling.Cons–There will be some cost involved and
it is sometimes hard to find in small quantities.
huMAn urIneOtherwise known as humonia or peeponics, adding human urine to an aquaponics system may sound gross. But when you think about it, human urine is actually an excellent source of ammonia just as the waste product from any animal would be. Human urine is just easier to capture. Here is the catch: to go from urea to ammonia, you should put it into a sealed bottle for a few weeks to percolate. Can you just urinate straight into the fish tank? Sure, but the problem is that since that urine will take a while to convert into ammonia, you will have no way of telling just how much potential ammonia you have in there. The levels will read very low and then all of a sudden one day they will explode.
The hardest part of cycling with pure ammonia can sometimes be finding the
ammonia. Try your local hardware store, cleaning supply store or even well-stocked super stores. If all else fails, you can order it online.Pros–It is relatively inexpensive (approximately $20 for a gallon) and what you don’t use to cycle your aquaponics system can be used to clean your windows! Plus, you know exactly what you are adding to your system with this product—ammonia and water, noth-ing more, nothing less.
STARTInG UP An AqUAPonICS SySTEM WIThoUT FISh
160 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
A final concern around humonia is that there may be bacteria or germs in your digestive system that could be harmful to the fish or the nitrifying bacteria. In general, the conversion to ammonia in that sealed container will destroy most of this. However, the humonia approach creates a more complex biological environment than pure, synthetic forms of ammonia and thus introduces some risk to the cycling process and the health of your system.Pros–This is a free and readily available source of ammonia.Cons–There is the yuck factor—you have to store the urine until it converts to ammonia—and there is a possibility that harmful bacteria or germs from your digestive system are transmitted to your aquaponics system.
other sourCes oF AMMonIAAs animal flesh decays it lets off ammonia. I saw a sug-gestion on a forum once for cycling your system using a bit of dead fish, but dismissed this concept as too bizarre. Then I was testing one of my fully established, rock solid tilapia systems with a group of people who had just taken a class from me and were learning about maintaining their system. Imagine my embar-rassment when the ammonia reading was off the chart. Turns out a fish had died in the back corner of the tank and hadn’t floated to the surface. Pros–This is another free and readily available source of ammonia.Cons–Again, because other bacteria and chemical compounds are given off during the decay process, there is a chance that you will introduce something undesirable to your aquaponics system, not to men-tion the chance of attracting flies or other insects that want to assist in the decomposition. The other issue is that it will be difficult to control how much ammonia gets into your system with this method.
InstruCtIons ForFIshLess CyCLIngOnce you have identified your source of ammonia you are ready to start the cycling process. Just follow these simple instructions:
InItIally Add ammonia to your fish tank until you get an ammonia reading between 2 and 4 ppm.If you have a fish tank that is smaller than 100 gal-
lons, I recommend adding only ½ a teaspoon, or less, at a time, then testing. Half a teaspoon of ammonium chloride (a powder) should give you close to 3.4 ppm
of ammonia in 100 gal. of water. It will take about 5 tsp. of 10% clear ammonia to reach the same target of about 3.4 ppm. Given these two data points you can extrapolate about how much ammonia you should add for the volume of water you are cycling based on the strength of the ammonia you are using.If your tank is larger than 200 gal. you can add more than
a teaspoon of ammonium chloride at a time. To gauge how much, note that a teaspoon of ammonium chloride powder in 200 gal. of water will give about 3.4 ppm of ammonia. If you are using a 10% aqueous solution, adjust accordingly per the instructions above. If you are using powder, let the powder mix run through the system for a couple of hours just to be safe and then re-test ammonia. A liquid will inte-grate more quickly.
“Add AMMOnIA to your fish tank until you get an ammonia reading between 2 and 4 ppm.”
Maximum Yield USA | September 2013 161
If you add too much ammonia (i.e. the ammonia test shows more than 6 ppm), drain some of the water
in your tank and dilute the remaining tank water with fresh water.
NOTE: If you see zero ammonia in your test you may have added far too much and overwhelmed the test. Try re-testing with a highly dilute sample of your tank water.
“As sOOn As
ammonia and nitrites drop to close to zero and you
are seeing measurable levels of nitrates, you are
fully cycled and ready to add fish.”
EvEry day thErEaftEr untIl your systEm Is cyclEd:
• Test your water for ammonia, nitrites, and pH levels and record them.
• Adjust pH to get it back to 7.0 to 7.8 if necessary. A pH level of up to 7.8 during cycling is fine as long as you have not planted your system yet. The nitrifying bacteria actually prefer a slightly basic environment.
• Add ammonia to get the ammonia level back to 2 to 4 ppm if it has dropped (if it has, that is good news—it means that nitrifying bacteria has found your grow bed and begun eating your ammonia).
• If you are seeing measurable amounts of nitrites, then start measuring nitrates as well. Nitrates are the next step in the cycle.
As soon as ammonia and nitrites drop to close to zero and you are seeing measurable levels of nitrates, you are fully cycled and ready to add fish. Once you have added fish you can stop adding ammonia—the ammonia from the fish waste replaces the ammonia you have been adding to feed the new bacteria.At this point you
can also add plants. Once the plants are in your system you should start targeting a pH level of 6.8 to 7.0 because the plants require a lower pH than the bacteria in order to take up nutri-ents. More on how to adjust pH for aquaponics in upcoming articles.
STARTInG UP An AqUAPonICS SySTEM WIThoUT FISh
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TAKING CONTROLU S I N G
CONTROLSYSTEMS
Right now there is a newer type of technology practically becoming essential for growing. All in all, control systems are a part of the indoor gardening industry that free up time and money for the average grower while allowing them to see bigger grows. Control systems are made up of three key elements.
by Sanjay Kumar Rajpoot
WHAT’S YOURS MADE OF?
164 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
ConTRol SySTEMS
Control systems are common place in almost every industry and market. They are used in our microwaves, televisions, ovens, toasters and refrigerators, which are some of the simple uses of control systems, but of course there are neater applications, like in our beloved Star Wars characters R2-D2 and C-P3O, in aerospace navigation and airplanes, as well as in rockets and medical surgical robots. But whether it is practical, or just for fun, any control set-up involves three key elements.
CONTrOL SySTEMSSensorsSensors are the items we place all over the place to get information. For use in our surround-ings, this could be photon sensors or humidity sensors, and on our bodies this could be our eyes and ears, or our sense of touch.
ActuatorsActuators are the part of the system that get all the action (pun intended). For example, these range from ballasts and CO2 burners, or they could be motors in your car when cruise control is activated, or the muscles in your arm when you swing away from a bug bite.
ControllersControllers are quite literally the brain of the entire operation. Controllers take the input data from sensors and put it through a control
algorithm that then computes the output and sets the entire system that is being controlled into action to combat whatever disturbance was sensed. For our bodies, obviously this is our brain. For our growrooms, things are a little less complex and the controller becomes our microcomputers, or our fellow gardeners.
Control SchemesThere is a whole other science happening outside of putting together equipment and tools to create a control system, and this is the
There is a whole other science happening
outside of putting together equipment and tools to create a control system, and this is the science of algorithms. these mathematical formulas act
as the sorcery or the magic that makes our entire systems work.”
166 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
science of algorithms. These mathematical formu-las act as the sorcery or the magic that makes our entire systems work. Whenever we have a sensor that lets us know that something has changed, that signal is converted into a number or string of numbers that flows into the controller. The controller has an algorithm that takes this number and checks how the system needs to change to get rid of this sensed trouble. Once it is done it sends it back out into the system and towards the actuator. The actuator then acts on the new signal to correct the disturbance and then the sensor should read its set-point before the disturbance. This is just one cycle of what the control system goes through, and it is happening as much as 100,000,000 times a second in things like aircraft homing missiles, and in our brains. Controllers for hydroponics do it a couple of times a second (up to 10,000) because the need for nanosecond accuracy is just a bit much for our plants.
EquiPMENTIn a growroom the main variables that need to be controlled are CO2, lighting, humidity, root-zone temperature, greenhouse or grow-room temperature, nutrients and pH levels in our growing solution. To control these, we have to set up sensors for each. The standard sensors are things like pH sensors or TDS/EC sensors and these let us know how our growing solution is doing. As for lighting, we can use a standard photon flux meter or a spectrometer if we really want to get into the complexity of tailoring light so that our plants can think they’re in Africa during one part of a grow and in the South American jungle in another.
Lighting in a growroom is among the
simplest things to control because all we really need to do is turn lights on or
off to change the total light period and plan our lighting
according to what stage plants are in during their lifecycle.”
167Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Other equipment that is needed is a little bit harder to find, but for things like humidity and CO2 we use chemically reactive sensors that give us electrical signals that change with concentration to let us know how our growroom variables are doing.
LightingLighting in a growroom is among the simplest things to control because all we really need to do is turn lights on or off to change the total light period and plan our lighting according to what stage plants are in during their life-cycle. For this set-up we really just need a controller. Our actuator is a relay and the algorithm we use is a simple boom-boom control system that turns the system on or off based on the time inputs we give it.
HumidityA little more complex than light, we have to be able to control the amount of water in the air around our growroom and this is no simple task. For a large growroom there can be huge differences in the amount of water in the air from one side of the room to another. If you can imagine a wave of mist moving from one side of the room to another, you can imagine that if the system only had
one sensor on one side of the room, the humidity could be perfect on one side and absolutely dry on another. This sort of variable needs multiple sensors across the room if a large growroom is involved.
CO 2Like humidity, this variable is hard to control because of the volatility of gasses and the fact that unless vent fans or channels to direct flow are used, it is going to be difficult to get even coverage throughout a growroom or a greenhouse. For this reason we usually put our sensor far from our actuator and in many cases in a centralized or opposing area of the room so that if we are only using one sensor we know that it is giving us a really accurate reading of where the entire room is at.
Nutrients and pHThese are the most complex vari-ables in our plants’ grow cycle. This is the food that we give our plants to grow and we really need to take a visit back to Goldilocks to appreci-ate why. First off, too little nutrients will starve our plants so they won’t be able to grow. Second, too many nutrients and our plants will not be able to eat them. But, when we make sure that pH and nutrients are just right for growth and made appropri-ate for that stage in the growth cycle, then we have a happy plant that grows quick, which is just right!
a FiNaL NOTEAll in all, control systems are a part of the indoor gardening industry that make our lives easier and allow us to watch ourselves get bigger grows and do more with our time and money than allow error to ruin our plants. Control systems are an emerging tool for all growers and it is recommended that grow-ers keep up with the pace of these evolving products, which are quickly becoming essential.
ConTRol SySTEMS
All in all, control systems are a part of the indoor gardening industry that make our lives easier and allow us to watch ourselves
get bigger grows and do more with our time
and money than allow error to ruin our plants.”
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169Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Maximum Yield Maximum Results250.729.2677
“ Maximum Yield connects us directly with those that matter most: growers, retailers, manufacturers and some very strategic distribution partners.Thank-you Maximum Yield for your commitment to the industry and all those in it.”
- RUSS CUNNINGTON,FUTURE HARVEST
thinkinggreen
Designing and building an innovative hydro-ponic garden is not part of your typical high school curriculum, but that’s just what students at two different schools did this year.Online grocer FreshDirect’s inaugural
Green Angel Fund challenge pitted students at the Sustainability Workshop School in Philadelphia against the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School in the Bronx to create the best hydroponic garden based on yield and eco-friendly design. Judges couldn’t
choose one winner from the two resulting projects—a vertical garden and a ship-ping container converted into a green-house—and students from both schools went to Maximum Yield’s San Francisco Indoor Gardening Expo July 27-28, where they were featured as special guests. The students presented their gardens and had the opportunity to meet with industry lead-ers in hydroponics to discuss models for sustainable agriculture.
Students involved in online grocer FreshDirect’s inaugural Green Angel Fund challenge to design the nation’s most innovative hydroponic garden showcased their projects at the San Francisco Indoor Gardening Expo in July.
170 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
“People were really amazed to hear that we were growing veg-etables in a shipping container,” said Sustainability Workshop student Shernice Hernandez. “It was great to get our informa-tion out to so many indoor gardeners.” Matthew Williams, another Sustainability Workshop student, found out more about numerous different technologies students can apply to their Greens-in-a-Box project. “We were able to get a thermom-eter and a water test kit, which will be a big help,” he said. The Bronx students said vendors made them feel at home at
the expo. “All of the vendors really took us under their wing and gave us tons of advice,” said Berniya Dudley from John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School. “They gave us samples and offered to send us even more samples down the road. San Francisco is an amazing city and the expo was great, too.”“I could not believe how many different vendors
and products are involved in indoor farming,” said Tracey Cruz, also from John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School. “It really opened my eyes to how many career opportunities there are in this industry.”In just three months last spring, students at both schools
visited greenhouses in FreshDirect’s supply chain to see best farming practices first-hand and then designed and built their own hydroponic gardens with the help of $10,000 each from FreshDirect. The schools were chosen based on innova-tive curriculum and a focus on solving real world problems in an urban setting and students didn’t disappoint.The Sustainability Workshop students converted a shipping
container into a greenhouse, in which they grew different types of lettuce and basil. Dubbed Greens-In-A-Box, the garden is capable of offering fresh and affordable produce to local communities using hydroponics. Inside the container, plants grow on a raised platform, are heated by purple LED panels and a steady stream of nutrient-infused water flows through the platform. A second growing system is on the roof and the whole garden is powered by solar panels.Students at the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School went in
a different direction—literally. They created a vertical garden,
often called a green wall, and window gardens that incorporate a nutrient film technique—a closed-loop system that ensures nutrients stay within the system and there is no runoff. Students grew rainbow and Swiss chard, tatsoi, red veined sorrel and purple mizuna for the first time and were able to plant, grow and eat the vegetables all within a 20-ft. span. A skylight pro-vided supplementary lighting to the gardens and enabled stu-dents to go from growing table to kitchen to dinner table with no carbon footprint, no pesticides and no waste.In June, the schools met for the first time and presented
their designs and working hydroponic gardens to an expert panel of judges made up of leaders in the food, farming and environmental space sectors. Students were judged on how many varieties of fruit and vegetables they were able to grow; management of operating costs; unique attributes of the gardens, including mobility and materials used; garden yield; eco-friendliness; nutrient management; and taste. The panel declared the competition a tie. “After much deliberation, the judges decided the students’
gardens were equally innovative, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to reward all of these students for designing such incredible, practical solutions for sustainable agriculture,” said David McInerney, FreshDirect co-founder. “We can’t wait to continue this challenge year after year, and tap into our youth to help uncover how we can change the future for our farmers and anyone living in a food desert.”And to support the venture, Philadelphia Mayor Michael
Nutter and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a friendly wager on which school would win the competition. Both mayors proclaimed June 11 Urban Farm Education Day. “These hard-working students have demonstrated that young people are key not only to creating greener practices, but also to get us all thinking about how to eat and grow fresh, healthy foods,” said Nutter. “The John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School students make our city proud and they truly take our commitment to launching school agriculture pro-grams to the next level,” added Bloomberg.
" i could not believe how many different vendors
and products are involved in indoor farming.
it really opened my eyes to how many career
opportunities there are in this industry. "
171Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
Want to grow a full-flavor tomato fruit? A new book from Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr. called Instructions for Growing Tomatoes in
the Garden and Greenhouse outlines how to do just that. If you’re an avid reader
of Maximum Yield magazine, you’ll most certainly be familiar with the name Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr. He’s been an active contributor to the magazine for many years and always provides a welcome range of scientifically sound articles. His newest book is available in soft cover and for electronic readers through amazon.com and is dedicated to those who want to grow a juicy, full-flavor tomato fruit that is unblemished and cosmetically appealing. Also included in Instructions for Growing Tomatoes are the requirements for maximizing the number and weight of fruit produced, whether the tomato plant is to be grown in soil, an organic soilless mix or hydroponically. These instructions are based on proven practical experience and the latest technology by the
author himself.The book is a basic text on tomato plant physiology, its fruiting habits and those factors that relate to high fruit yield and quality. But first, the book begins with a history lesson and a few random facts about tomatoes, which botanically are a fruit classed as a small berry having first originated in
the coastal strip of South America in the 1500s. The reason they are classified as vegetables dates back to 1893, as J. Benton explains. The United States Supreme Court deemed tomatoes a vegetable so that they would fall under the Tariff Act and could be taxed as a vegetable. The court argued tomatoes could be deemed a vegetable because they were mainly consumed during dinner alongside other vegetables, and not afterward as typical of many fruits for dessert. Now, tomatoes are one of the most common garden fruits (vegetables?) grown in the United States. Commercially, the United States accounts for 35% of the world’s tomato supply with California accounting for 90% of the country’s production. Although tomatoes have several unique requirements and are not considered a hardy plant, the cycle of a tomato, from planting to market maturity, takes just 50 to 65 days, slightly longer for late varieties. In subsequent chapters, J. Benton talks about tomato
lighting requirements, major element requirements, micronutrient requirements and rooting media selection, with a whole lot of good-to-know information found in between. Separate sections of the book are dedicated to growing tomatoes outdoors vs. indoors, and at the end of it all, the author talks about his own experiences growing the fruits, which he started doing more than 60 years ago. “During the summer of 1950, I successfully grew several tomato plants in a large sandbox using a home-made nutrient solution to supply the required plant nutrient elements. This supplied the family with plenty of fresh tomato fruit during the summer, and this began my interest in hydroponics, which has continued to this day,” J. Benton writes. As a highly experienced grower, J. Benton certainly knows
what he is writing about and has penned several other books on the subject. He is willing to share full-color copies of any of the images appearing in his books to readers who write to him and request them. If you’ve been growing tomatoes for some time and have some lingering questions about the process, Instructions for Growing Tomatoes will help answer them, or, if you’re considering planting your very first seeds, this book is a great place to start and can be devoured in just a few hours.
J. Benton Jones, Jr.’s
in the garden and greenhouse
Dr. J. Benton Jones, Jr. has more than 50 years of experience growing plants hydroponically. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens,
and has authored more than eight books and written plenty of articles for magazines that deal with hydroponic issues. He currently has his own consulting company, Grosystems, Inc. Dr. Jones currently lives in Anderson, South Carolina. He’s also online at hydrogrosystems.com and growtomatoes.com
InstructIonsfor Growing
tomatoes
172 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
BOOK REVIEW
Phosphorus (atomic symbol, you guessed it—P), is a non-metallic element with atomic number 15. Like nitrogen and potassium, it is one of the three major plant nutrient elements.
One
ThreeFour
Five Six
Nine
SevenEight
Phosphorus is kind of weird. In its pure elemental state it can exist in four distinct forms having four different colors (white, red, violet and black).
Phosphorus is highly reactive, so you won’t find elemental phosphorus laying around on earth. It is always bound up with other elements to form compounds.
Speaking of phosphorus compounds, one of the biggest uses of phosphorus (if not the biggest) is in the production of plant fertilizers.
Phosphorus is a critical component in phospholipids that make up cell membranes. It is also found
in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins and the important energy molecule ATP. Neither people, nor plants, can live without it.
The phosphorus content of dried plant material ranges from about 0.1 to 1% with a critical value for many plants somewhere around 0.3%.
Young, rapidly growing plants need more phosphorus than mature ones and the need for P goes down considerably after fruit development.
The main sources of P in a nutrient solution are usually mono- and dihydrogen phosphates, or in some cases phosphoric acid. Plants that don’t get
enough phosphorus tend to grow slowly and their leaves become tinged with a purple color.
Two
Ten Although plants need quite a bit of phosphorus, and direct toxicity is not thought to occur, too much is not a good thing. Too much P in the soil or
nutrient solution can interfere with the uptake of other mineral elements such as iron, manganese and especially zinc, resulting in deficiencies of these elements.
173Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
10 FACTS ON...BY PHILIP MCINTOSH
Water is the source of life. It is the beginning of everything. However, with water being a nat-ural resource, when it’s gone, it’s gone. And, in California, most would argue farmers and gardeners get the short end of the stick when it comes to how water is distributed and how
much they are allotted in the Valley. In 2011 at the youthful ages of 27 and 25, Shawn Johnson and Bryan Basinger could no longer stand back on the sidelines. They noticed a serious lack of experienced hydroponic knowledge in the Fresno County area and decided to do something about it. Soon after that, Full Scale Soil & Hydro was born.
“i feel like a kid in willy wonka’s chocolate factory every time i shop here!”
Full Scale Soil & Hydro was created by two guys in their late 20s who wanted to improve the amount of hydroponic knowledge available in the Fresno County area in California. Here is a bit more to this story.
ComPany: FUll SCAlE SoIl & hydRoowners: ShAWn JohnSon And BRyAn BASInGERLocation: 2501 n. BUSInESS PARKFRESno, CA 92727Phone: 1-559-292-7668Web: fullscalesoilandhydro.comE-mail: [email protected] motto: “lIFE’S A GARdEn, dIG IT!”
AT A GlANCE
With so many hydroponic shops in town, Shawn and Bryan quickly found their niche in the community, as they were the only shop in town ready to go above and beyond what was to be expected. They employ knowledgeable staff and maintain a family-friendly and pet-friendly atmosphere. That's right—it is not uncommon for customers to bring in their pets on a hot Fresno day. “The first month we were open, Shawn
and myself were the only staff; it was a lot of hard work and very long days,” recalls Bryan of the early days at Full Scale. “We showed up when it was still dark
outside and we left when it was dark again,” says Shawn of trying to do it all by themselves in the beginning. “That’s when we realized we needed more help. But finding employees with gardening experience and hydroponic knowledge proved to be more dif-ficult than originally thought. So, we hired some friends we have known for
The Full Scale crew from left to right: Vince, Shawn (co-owner), Jonathan, Rob (in the back), Bryan (co-owner), Jeremy, Ryan, and T.C. (store manager).
174 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
TALKING SHOP
10-plus years; friends we were positive we could trust with helping us and our brand new fledgling company become a household name,” says Shawn. “We are a family first and foremost. The Full Scale family is a bond that we are absolutely proud to have with every-one here!” say Shawn and Bryan of the staff they crafted to meet the specific needs of the consumer. Starting out with only four employees,
Shawn and Bryan struggled to keep up with demand in the ever-growing and changing market of consumers. Two short years later, those same four employees still work for the company, along with the much-needed addition of six more experienced and knowledge-able staff members to help with all the day-to-day stuff. The company also saw a building upgrade from 5,000 sq.ft. to 10,000 sq.ft. to accom-modate the growing needs of the consumer. The family truly is Full Scale. One customer has even said “I feel like a kid in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory every time I shop here!”Marketing can be a
“we showed up when it was still dark outside and we left when it was dark again. that’s when we realized we needed more help.”
shelters, and, just this past Christmas, they donated 50 sleeping bags to the homeless population on the outskirts of Fresno. Full Scale has quickly become a
household name in the Central Valley of California. The interactive hydro-ponic garden located inside next to the entrance gives customers a chance to see a legitimate hydroponic garden in action to help decide before they buy. Full Scale also has an indoor soil yard with climate control to help ensure proper moisture and to curb insects. With the recent addition of an equip-ment check station, customers now have the ability to bring in their own pH probes, conductivity meters, HID bulbs and T-5 lamps to the trained specialist on site to ensure the equip-ment works properly. The store also offers home delivery to customers as a courtesy when they need to place large orders but do not have access to a truck or trailer. Not to mention, Full Scale gives out free veggies and compost tea from time to time!With their laid-back Californian life-
style, Shawn and Bryan have proved that the underdog can, and does, come out on top. Learn more about Full Scale Soil & Hydro's stock and services by visiting fullscalesoilandhydro.com
Full Scale’s new shop is now 10,000 sq. ft.
Full Scale is open well into the evening.
Full Scale team working hard.
tricky thing. One has to advertise to their demographic and set themselves apart from the rest. Full Scale Soil & Hydro did just that through local radio and televi-sion commercials, social media outlets, monthly customer appreciation days, sponsorship of local events like the 99th annual Clovis Rodeo and guerrilla market-ing (with such things as stickers, bumper stickers, flashlights, pens, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, etc.). Full Scale Soil & Hydro also gives back to the community that wel-comed them with open arms by donating large amounts of products and materials to the Clovis Surface Water Treatment Plant for their new aquaponic facility in hopes of helping educate people from all walks of life about the amazing world of hydroponics and aquaponics. Shawn and Bryan also help the less fortunate by regularly donating food and clothes to
175Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK Flourish Plus Check Flourish WWS site 58 days after planting
. . .
RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK Flourish Plus Check Flourish WWS site 58 days after planting
. . .
Tomato research and biostimulant testing in Chalkida, Greece.
176 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
YOU TELL US
Who are the people behind EZ-GRO? EZ-GRO is a family-run business.
What is your company’s philosophy? Our philosophy is to be both the manufacturers of EPA, CDFA, OMRI and CFIA registered products and the research-ers of new green technologies that will increase crop yields, plant health and new technologies that promote larger and faster plant growth.
Which products are you seeing the most demand for these days? We are seeing more demand for registered organic and bio stimulant products.
How do you choose the ingredients you use in your products? What standards must they meet? For organic inputs, all ingredients are certified organic before being processed into manufactured products. For our plant growth regulator products, all actives are first registered with the EPA and CFIA and deemed safe to use in formulations.
EZ-Gro is a family-run company promoting a greener planet by specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of agricultural specialty nutrients and plant stimulators for all sorts of applications ranging from turfs to greenhouses. the company’s custom bulk formulations are distributed world wide. here is nicholas Kanellos sharing a few ways they pull it off.
Tell us a little about how your company started. In what ways has it evolved? Our father started a commercial agriculture company in the early ‘90s. In the late ‘90s, my brother and I, with the help of our father’s expertise, started manufacturing high-end products for the hobby market. We noticed a niche unfilled, which led to us becoming bulk manufacturer of these prod-ucts rather than branding ourselves.
RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK Flourish Plus Check Flourish WWS site 58 days after planting
. . .
RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK RUSSET BURBANK Flourish Plus Check Flourish WWS site 58 days after planting
. . .
Aside from developing your own organic plant food, you also work with distributors to develop plant nutrition for private label. How does it work? Bulk manufacturing and private labeling is unique to each and every customer. Sometimes we propose new technologies to a customer who will brand it and sell it to their existing distribu-tion network, or companies will approach us with an idea and use our expertise in research and development while they brand and market their product.
Where are your products developed and in what applications are they used for? EZ-GRO has greenhouse spaces at two local universities where new ideas, concepts and actives are first tested for efficacy. EZ-GRO for the hydro industry has a close relation-ship with the largest hydroponic research facility in North America at Harrow Ontario. Products destined for the hydroponic sector are either tested at the Harrow facility or at university research sites. Products destined for field crop production are tested at many research stations scattered across North America.
How important is variety in this industry and how do you strive to create a variety of products? Agriculture and hydroponics are like any other industry where continued new product development is essential for company and product growth across all sectors. Average marketplace dura-tion of products is about three to five years. Products need to be continually upgraded or “freshened” to maintain market share.
Why did you decide to provide your GRO-Root rooting and propagation line of products in both gel and liquid format? Gels are primarily used in the hobby industry with no control on the dose of plant hormones applied, whereas liquids can be used as dips where dose can be controlled by dilution strength and by contact time in the liquid. Furthermore, these liquids can be applied as a foliar spray rather than
dips and used as a vegetative growth promoter in nutrient tanks. Liquids are popular in the commercial horticulture sector.
Your motto of promoting a greener planet is truly at the heart of this industry. How important do you think sustainability is to the indoor gardening industry?Sustainability is becoming predominant in all sectors of horticulture including indoor gardening. EZ-GRO is committed to helping reduce the usage of mineral synthetic fertilizers that create runoffs affecting the environment that we live in. Reduction of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a key pathway to improv-ing the environment. Part of our current research is looking at organic bio polymers that enhance uptake of synthetic fertilizers reducing the amounts of the synthetic nutrients applied to the environment.
Why do you think more individuals are taking up gardening as a hobby? More people are gardening as a hobby because they want safe, organic and healthy food. There is a growing concern that pes-ticides may be contaminating fresh produce. By starting your own garden, you can grow your own fresh produce and know exactly what was used to grow it and that it is safe to eat.
Is there anything happening at the R&D stage you’re at lib-erty to tell us about? We can’t divulge too much info, but we have several new and exciting products that use new green technology. These products have passed the research and development stage and we can’t wait to see how they will have a definite revolu-tionary impact on the industry. Stay tuned…
Meeting with distributors to finalize plans for construction of a new EZ-GRO plant to be built in Turkey in 2014.
EZ-GRO research facility at Queen’s University.
“by starting your own garden, you can grow your own fresh produce and know
exactly what was used to grow it.”
177Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
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Aquatic Life LLCArborjetCoolmart Group IncCutting Edge SolutionsCyco FlowerDome Garden SupplyDyna-GroDynamiq LightingEco OrganicsEcological LaboratoriesEmerald TriangleExcel Garden ProductsFuture Harvest
Developments General HydroponicsGeo PotGorilla Grow TentGreenbeamsGrotek CanadaGrow Stone LLCGrowliteHeavy 16High Caliper Growing Inc.Humboldt WholesaleHydro-OrganicsHydroLifeHygrozymeLambert Peat MossMaximum Yield
PublicationsMethod SevenMetropMondi ProductsMr.Nice Guys HydroponicsMyron L Company
NGW/Sunlight SupplyNickel City WholesaleNorth County BountyNovozymes BioAg Inc.NPK IndustriesNutrifi eldOasis Grower SolutionsOD’s DistributionOrca Grow FilmsOrganic BounteaOstberg Americas Inc.Ozone Environmental
TechnologiesPlant RevolutionPure Essentials Black
LabelPure SciencesQuality Wholesale Ltd.Quest EquipmentR&M SupplyRock NutrientsRoyal GoldSanctuary Soil & FeedSerenade GardenSpring PotsSunland Garden ProductsSunmasterSupreme GrowersThermofl o TechnologiesUrban AGVermicrop OrganicsVital Garden SupplyXtreme NutrientsZenport Industries
CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE
FLOORPLAN ONLINE!
EXHIBITORS TO DATE:
AT THE LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTEROCTOBER 26 & 27, 2013
INDOOR GARDENING EXPO
MAXIMUM YIELD’S
SATURDAY OCTOBER 26 10AM - NOON • VIP SEMINAR
NOON - 6PM • INDUSTRY ONLY TRADE SHOW
SUNDAY OCTOBER 27 NOON - 5PM
GENERAL PUBLIC
OUR PROUD SPONSORS
LONG BEACHCALIFORNIA
INDOORGARDENEXPO.COM|250-729-2677• Learn from the experts • See the latest grow gear! • Supercharge your garden
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182 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAX-MART
an established, profitable business
in the high growth hydroponics
industry-located in New Mexico.
NCRE GROUP, LLCRobert Newstead | Principal
408-628-4301 (D)408-608-0391 (F)
For additional information about this listing, please contact
the representative below:
OWNER IS WILLING TO TRAIN THE NEW OWNER FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE
183Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAX-MART
184 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAX-MART
MAXIMUM
• OPPORTUNITIES• VALUE• BENEFITS• RESULTS• EXPOSURE
ALABAMAAlabama Organics3348 Bethel Rd.Hammondville, AL 35989256-635-0802
Hydro-Ponics Inc. (of Birmingham)2969 Pelham Pkwy. Suite. 3Pelham, AL 35124205-358-3009
ALASKAFar North Garden Supply2834 Boniface ParkwayAnchorage, AK 99504907-333-3141
Southside Garden Supply AK12870 Old Seward Hwy., Unit 114Anchorage, AK 99515907-339-9997
Holmtown Nursery Inc.1301 - 30th Ave.Fairbanks, AK 99701907-451-8733
Sea of Green Flagstaff204 East Route 66Flagstaff, AZ 86001928-774-7643
Home Grown Hydroponics2401 East Baseline Rd.Gilbert, AZ 85234480-633-2100
Ground Control Hydroponic & Garden Supplies1392 Ocean Dr.Homer, AK 99603907-235-1521
Northern Lights Greenhouse & Garden SupplySuite 105-9737 Mud Bay Rd.Ketchikan, AK 9901907-225-GROW (4769)
Mesa Hydroponics1720 W. Southern Ave. Suite C7Mesa, AZ 85202480-969-4769
Alaska Jack’s Hydroponics and Garden Supply1150 S. Colony Way, Suite 9Palmer, AK 99645907-746-4774
Peninsula Garden Supply AK44224 Sterling Hwy., Suite 4 Soldotna, AK 99669907-420-0401
Alaska Jack’s Hydroponics and Garden Supply244 S Sylvan Way, Unit 25Wasilla, AK 99654907-373-4757
Far North Garden Supply300 Centaur StreetWasilla, AK 99654907-376-7586
ARIZONAHappy Harvesters Hydroponics1400 S. Arizona Ave. Suite 11Chandler, AZ 85286480-857-8878
Arizona Hydroponics3900 E Western Dr. #DCottonwood, AZ 86326928-649-1138
Sea of Green Flagstaff204-C E. Route 66Flagstaff, AZ 86001928-774-SOGF (7643)
Home Grown Hydroponics2401 East Baseline Rd.Gilbert, AZ 85234480-633-2100
The Hydro Closet5826 West Olive Ave. #106Glendale, AZ 85302602-361-2049
The Grow Shop LLC1733 E. McDowell Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85006602-340-7591
Home Grown Hydroponics1838 W. Bell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85023602-368-4005
Sea of Green West2340 W. Bell Rd., Suite 116Phoenix, AZ602-504-8842
Show Low Hydroponics1400 E. Deuce of Clubs #2Show Low, AZ 85901928-537-4606
ACI Hydroponics1325 South Park LaneTempe, AZ 85282800-633-2137
Home Grown Hydroponics1845 East BroadwayTempe, AZ 85282480-377-9096
Sea of Green Hydroponics1301 E. University Dr.Tempe, AZ 85281800-266-4136_________________________
Gonzo Grow10297 W Van Buren St., Suite 8
Tolleson, AZ 85353623-780-GROW (4769)
_________________________
Sea of Green Hydroponics402 North 4th Ave.Tucson, AZ 85705520-622-6344
Sea of Green Tuscon East7955 E. Broadway Blvd., #151.Tucson, AZ 85710520-751-7745_________________________
Tucson Hydroponics & Organics
4235 W. Ina Rd., Suite 131Tucson, AZ 85741
520-395-2052_________________________
ARKANSASMickey’s Mercantile1303 Hwy., 65 SouthClinton, AR 72031 501-412-0214
Old Soul Organics and More1771 Crossover Rd.Fayetteville, AR 72701479-444-6955
Growfresh Organics & More2900 Zero St., Suite 106Fort Smith, AR 72901479-648-8885
Fermentables3915 Crutcher St.N. Little Rock, AR 72118501-758-6261
Anuway Hydroponics2711 W. Walnut St.Rogers, Arkansas 72756479-631-0099
CALIFORNIAGreenleaf Hydroponics1839 W Lincoln Ave.Anaheim, CA 92801714-254-0005
Grow It Yourself Gardens401 Sunset Dr., Suite FAntioch, CA 94509925-755-GROW
High Desert Hydroponics13631 Pawnee Rd., #7Apple Valley, CA 92308760-247-2090
_________________________
A Fertile World5565 W End Rd
Arcata, CA 95521707-825-0255
_________________________
American Hydroponics286 South G St.Arcata, CA 95521800-458-6543
Let it Grow160 Westwood CenterArcata, CA 95521 707-822-8733_________________________
Northcoast Horticulture Supply
639 6th St.Arcata, CA 95521
707-826-9998_________________________
Sweet Harvest Hydroponics & Organics1041 E. Grand Ave.Arroyo Grande, CA 93420805-473-0004
Auburn Organic4035 Grass Valley Hwy.Auburn, CA 95602530-823-8900
Quail Mountain Ranch230 Palm Ave. Auburn, CA 95603530-889-2390
Tell 2 Friends Indoor Gardening62 Sutherland Dr.Auburn, CA 95603530-889-8171
Bakersfield HydroponicsBakersfield, CA 661-808-4640
Green with Envy3903 Patton Way #103Bakersfield, CA 93308661-588-8269
Kern Hydroponics2408 Brundage Lane, Suite BBakersfield, CA 93304661-323-7333
Super StartsPO Box 732Bellmont, CA 94002650-346-8009
Berkeley Indoor Garden844 University Ave.Berkeley, CA 94710510-549-2918
Berkeley’s Secret Garden921 University Ave.Berkeley, CA 94710510-486-0117
The Hydroponic Connection Berkeley2816 San Pablo Ave.Berkeley, CA 94702510-704-9376
_________________________
Brentwood Hydroponics & Organics
560 Valdry Ct Unit #B1Brentwood, CA 94513
925-634-6704_________________________
Hydro Galaxy 3314 W. Burbank Burbank CA 91505800-818-6128
Good To Grow & Global Garden Supply1350 Rollins Rd. Burlingame, CA 94010650-733-4420
Advanced Garden Supply3113 Alhambra Dr., Unit FCameron Park, CA 95682530-676-2100
Sky High Garden Supply3081 Alhambra Dr., Suite 105Cameron Park, CA 95682530-676-4009
Precision Hydroponics132 Kennedy Ave.Campbell, CA 95008408-866-8176
Advanced Hydroponics17808 Sierra Hwy.Canyon Country, CA 91351
Myron L Company2450 Impala Dr.Carlsband, CA 9210-7226760-438-2021; 661-299-1603_________________________
San Diego Hydroponics North County Coastal 6352 Corte Del Abeto #J
Carlsbad CA, 92011760-420-8934
_________________________
The Greenhouse Garden Supply
7619 Fair Oak Blvd.Carmichael, CA 95608
916-515-9130thegreenhousegardensupply.com
_________________________
NorCal CreationsPO Box 28, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924_________________________
The Hydro Shop of Cerritos15961 S. Piuma Ave.Cerritos, CA 90703
562-653-0700_________________________
Chico Garden Center3028 Esplanade Ave. Unit EChico, CA 95973 530-345-8400
Garden Connection, The 629 Entler Ave. #32Chico, CA 95928530-342-7762
Hydro King2540 South Whitman PlaceChico, CA 959282530-893-GROW (4769)
Grow4Less Garden Supply & Hydroponics320 Trousdale Dr., Suite LChula Visa, CA 91910619-425-GROW
Mothers Earth871 Harold Place. #108Chula Vista, CA 91914619-240-3235_________________________
San Diego Hydroponics North
645 Marsat Court #101Chula Vista, CA 91911
619-737-9272_________________________
Citrus Heights Hydrogarden8043 Greenback LaneCitrus Heights, CA 95610916-728-4769
Green Thumb Hydroponics6412 Tupelo Dr.Citrus Heights, CA 95621 916-721-6969
Conrad Hydroponics Inc.14915 Unit E, Olympic Dr.Clearlake, CA 95422707-994 3264
Under The Sun13361 East Highway 20Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423707-998-GROW
G & G Organics and Hydroponics901 W. Victoria Street Unit DCompton, CA 90220310-632-0122
Concord Indoor Garden2771 Clayton Rd.Concord, CA 94519925-671-2520
Hydroponics Plus2250 Commerce Ave., Suite CConcord, CA 94520925-691-7615
123 Grow2175 Sampson Ave. #123,Corona, CA 92879951-280-9232
Hydrostar Hydroponics & Organics1307 W. Sixth St., #211Corona, CA 92882951-479-8069_________________________
The Hydro Spot21785 Temescal Cyn Rd.
Corona, CA 92883_________________________
A+ Hydroponics & Organics1604 Babcock St.Costa Mesa, CA 92627949-642-7776
The Hydro Source671 E. Edna Pl.Covina, CA 91723877 HYDRO 82; 626-915-3128
Let it Grow1228 2nd St.Crescent City, CA 95531707-464-9086
Pacific Coast Hydroponics4147 Sepulveda BoulevardCulver City, CA 90230310-313-1354
Dr. Greenthumbs Hydroponic Garden Supplies566 San Ramon Valley Blvd.Danville, CA 94526 925-314-9376
Constantly Growing - Davis123 D St. Davis, CA 95616530-756-4774
Central Valley Gardening 9884 Stephens St.Delhi, CA 95315209-668-2178
Constantly Growing6200 Enterprise Dr., Suite ADiamond Springs, CA 95619530-642-9710
Appleseed Hydroponics6650 Merchandise Way, Suite BDiamond Springs, CA 95619530-622-5190
Victory Garden Supply1900 N Lincoln St., #100Dixon, CA 95620 707-678-5800
Watch it Grow Hydro9453 Firestone Blvd.Downey, CA USA562-861-1928
Grow A Lot Hydroponics, San Diego1591 N. Cuyamaca St.El Cajon, CA 93612 619-749-6777
Indoor Garden Solution Inc.12424 Exline St.El Monte, CA 91732626-453-0443
Encinitas Hydroponics463 Encinitas Blvd.Encinitas, CA 9202
Go Green Hydroponics15721 Ventura BoulevardEncino, CA 91436818-990-1198
_________________________
A Fertile World (Eureka)6th St.
Eureka, CA 95501707-444-0200
_________________________
Bayside Garden Supply4061 Highway 101 Ste 6Eureka, CA 95503 707-826-7435________________________
Humboldt Hydroponics1302 Union St.
Eureka, CA 95501707-443-4304
_________________________
Northcoast Horticulture Supply
60 West 4th St.Eureka, CA 95501
707-444-9999_________________________
Happy Green Lawn Care3890 Walnut Dr.Eureka, CA 95534707-497-6186
Constantly Growing4301 Hazel Ave.Fair Oaks, CA 95628916-962-0043
Fallbrook Hydro208 E Mission Rd., Suite BFallbrook, CA 92028760-728-4769
Tulare County Growers Supply435 W. Noble Ave., Unit A Farmersville, CA 93223559-732-8247
Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - North6241 Graham Hill Rd.Felton, CA 95018831-335-9000_________________________
Eel River Hydroponics & Soil Supply164 Dinsmore Dr.Fortuna, CA 95540
707-726-0395_________________________
The Shop8635 Mirabel Rd. Forestville, CA 95436 866-223-0198; 707-887-2280
Dirt Cheap Hydroponics17975 H Hwy. 1Fort Bragg, CA 95437 707-964-4211
Headlands Garden Supply630 North Franklin St. Fort Bragg, CA 95437707-964-4447
Hydrogarden Mendocino County1240 North Main St.Fort Bragg, CA 95437707-962-9252_________________________
A Fertile World (Fortuna)610 7th St.
Fortuna, CA 95540 707-725-0700
_________________________
185Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
_________________________
Northcoast Horticulture Supply
357 Main St.Fortuna, CA 95540
707-725-5550_________________________
Nature’s Secret Garden and Supply41451 Albrae St.Fremont, CA 94577510-623-8393_________________________
Gro more Garden supply
& HydroponicsGro More Garden Supply
& Hydroponics2686 Clovis Ave., Suite 109
Fresno, CA 93727559-348-1055
_________________________
Roots Grow Supply1330 North Hulbert, #101
Fresno, CA 93728559-840-0122
_________________________
North Side Garden Supply4529 N. Marty, Suite 102Fresno, CA 93722559-495-1140
Hand’s On Hydroponics3320 North Cedar Ave.Fresno, CA 93726559-222-7770
Full Scale Soil & Hydro2501 Business Park, Suite AFresno, CA 93727559-292-ROOT
Valley Hydroponics207 E. Sierra Ave.Fresno, CA 93710 559-449-0426
Grow Wurks Hydroponics765 S. State College Blvd., Suite J Fullerton, CA 92831714-253-Grow (4769)
SB Hydro1109 W. 190th St., Unit #FGardena, CA 90248310-538-5788
Golden Gecko Garden Center4665 Marshall Rd.Garden Valley, CA 95633530-333-2394
Probiotic Solutions20889 Geyserville Ave.Geyserville, CA 95441707-354-4342
South Valley Hydroponics320 Kishimura Dr., #3Gilroy, CA 95020866-848-GROW_________________________
Zen Hydroponics1801 Victory Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91201877 ZEN Grow; 818-806-4500
_________________________
Laid Back Gardens340 Pine AvenueGoleta, CA 93117805-845-2471
West Coast Growers Hydroponics13481 Colifax Hwy.Grass Valley, CA 95945888-924-4769
530 Hydo & Soil10021 Wolf Rd. C-16Grass Valley, CA 95949
_________________________
Grass Valley Hydrogarden12506 Loma Rica Dr.
Grass Valley, CA 95945530-477-2996
grassvalleyhydrogarden.com_________________________
AG Natural403 Idaho Maryland Rd.Grass Valley, CA 95945
530-274 0990_________________________
Joy’s Green Garden Supply 340-A Elm Ave.Greenfield, CA 93927 831-674-1416
All Seasons Hydroponics17614 Chatsworth St.Granada Hills, CA 91344818-368-4388
Dirt Cheap Hydroponic151 N 7th St. #4Grover Beach, CA 93433805-473-3478
Growers Choice Hydroponics42089 Watkins St.Hayward, CA 94544510-278-6200
M.G.S.22540 D FoothillBlvd.Hayward, CA 94541510-582-0900
American Ave Hydroponics1208 W. Winton Ave.Hayward, CA 94545510-785-4376
Thrive Hydroponics30-A Mill St.Healdsburg, CA 95448707-433-4068
Hydro Zen3518 Tanya Ave.Hemet, CA 92545951-392-5016
Bear Valley Hydroponics & Homebrewing17455 Bear Valley Rd.Hesperia, CA 92345760-949-3400
Emerald Garden13325 South Hwy. 101Hopland, CA 95482707-744-8300
Surf City Hydroponics7391 Warner Ave., Suite B Huntington Beach, CA 92647714-847-7900
Hydroluv Hydroponics16582 Gothard St.Huntington Beach, CA 92647714-916-0428
Dutch Garden SuppliesPark Circle, Suite 12 Irvine, CA 92614949-748-8777
West Coast Hydroponics, Inc.27665 Forbes Rd., Unit 10Laguna Niguel, CA 92677949-348-2424
Hydro Life Hydroponics18109 E Valley Blvd.La Puente, CA 91744626-581-8800
La Habra Hydroponics1301 S Beach Blvd., Suite O La Habra, CA 90631562-947-8383
_________________________
Grass Roots Hydroponics31875 Corydon, Suite 130Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
951-245-2390_________________________
South County Hydroponics22511 Aspan St., Suite ALake Forest, CA 92630
949-837-8252_________________________
Clover Hydroponics & Garden Supply43 Soda Bay Rd.Lakeport, CA 95453707-263-4000_________________________
San Diego Hydroponics East County
11649 Riverside Dr., Suite 141Lakeside, CA 92040
619-562-3276 _________________________
Total Hydroponics Center Inc4820 Paramount Blvd.Lakewood, CA 90712
562-984-GROW (4769)_________________________
Room to Grow43511 13th St. WLancaster, CA 43511661-940-5599_________________________
Hydro Bros.1471 B St., Suite F
Livingston, CA 95334209-394-7319
_________________________
Big Daddy Garden Supply42400 Hwy. 101Laytonville, CA 95454707-984-7181
Weather Top Nursery44901 Harmon Dr.Laytonville, CA 95454707-984-6385
Livermore Hydroponics22 Rickenbacker Crl. SLivermore, CA 94551925-454-9376
DL Wholesale6764 Preston Ave., Suite DLivermore, CA 94551510-550-0018_________________________
National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply
6485 Brisa St.Livermore, CA 94550
888-570-4678 (Southern CA)_________________________
VIP Garden Supply203 Commerce St., Suite 101Lodi, CA 95240209-339-9950
Valley Rock Landscape Supply2222 N H St.Lompoc, CA 93436805-736-0841; 805-735-5921
562 Hydro Shop717 East Artesia Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90805562-726-1101_________________________
Green Coast Hydroponics2405 Mira Mar Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90815562-627-5636
_________________________
Grow Light Express5318 East Second St., Suite 164Long Beach, CA 90803888-318-GROW_________________________
Long Beach Hydroponics & Organics
1772 Clark Ave.Long Beach, CA 90815
562-498-9525_________________________
Atwater Hydroponics3350 Glendale Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-663-8881_________________________
Green Coast Hydroponics16705 Roscoe Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 91406818-672-8880
_________________________
Green Coast Hydroponics3865 Grand View Blvd.Los Angeles, CA90066
310-398-0700_________________________
Green Door Hydro and Solar830 Traction Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90013212-625-1323
Hardman Hydroponics3511 Youree Dr., ShreveportLos Angeles, CA 71105318-865-0317
Hollywood Hydroponics & Organics5109 1/2 Hollywood Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90027-6105323-662-1908
Hydroasis2643 S. Fairfax Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90232888-355-4769
LAX Hydro10912 S. La Cienaga BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90304 310-337-6995
Nirvana Hydroponics340 South San PedroLos Angeles, CA 90013 310-795-2914_________________________
Sunland Hydroponics4136 Eagle Rock Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90065
323-254-2800_________________________
_________________________
Superior Hydroponic Supply5651 Hollywood Blvd.Los Angeles,CA 90028323-465-grow (4769)
_________________________
Green Giant Hydroponics7183 Hwy. 49 Unit BLotus, CA 95651 530-622-4465
Big Momma’s11455 Clayton Creek Rd.Lower Lake, CA 95457707-994-1788
California Green Hydroponics16491 Rd., 26, Suite 101Madera, CA 93638559-674-1400
Grow22333 Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite 101Malibu, CA 90265310-456-2910
Deep Roots Garden Center & Flower Shop207 N. Sepulveda Blvd.Manhattan Beach, CA 90266310-376-0567
B & S Gardening Supplies592 Commerce CourtManteca, CA 95336209-239-8648
Monterey Bay Horticulture Supply218 Reindollar Ave., Suite 7AMarina, CA 93933831-38-HYDRO
Two Chix Garden Supply1230 Yuba St.Marysville, CA 95901530-923-2536_________________________
Northcoast Horticulture Supply
1580 Nursery WayMcKinleyville, CA 95519
707-839-9998_________________________
Mendocino Garden Shop44720 Maint St. (at Hwy. 1) Mendocino, CA 95460707-937-3459
Hooked Up Hydroponics1004 W. 15th St. Suite B & CMerced, CA 95340 209-723-1300
Indoor/Outdoor Garden Supply1501 W. Main St.Merced, CA 95340209-580-4425
The Urban Farmer Store653 E. Blithedale Ave.Mill Valley, CA 94941415-380-3840
Hydroponics Inc.3811 Wacker Dr.Mira Loma, CA 91752951-685-4769
Mission Viejo Hydroponics 24002 Via Fabricante Suite 502 Mission Viejo, CA 92691949-380-1894
Central Valley Gardening509 Winmoore Way, Suite TModesto, CA 95358209-537-GROW
Coca’s Central Valley Hydroponics116 West Orangeburg Ave.Modesto, CA 95350209-567-0590
_________________________
Hydro Bros.521 Winmoore Way, Suite A
Modesto, CA 95358209-537-8220
_________________________
Growers Choice Hydroponics1100 Carver Rd. #20Modesto, CA 95350209-522-2727
Year Round Garden Supply11000 Carver Rd. #20Modesto, CA 95350209-522-2727_________________________
Green Light Hydroponics
2615 Honolula Ave.Montrose, CA 91020
818-640-2623_________________________
247 Garden 1101 Monterey Pass Rd., Unit BMonterey Park, CA 91754323-318-2600
South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - Mtn. View569 East Evelyn Ave.Mountain View, CA 94041650-968-4070
Murphys Hydroponics & Organics785 Murphys Creek Rd., Suite C2Murphys, CA 95247209-728-8058
Redwood Garden Supply55 Myers Ave.Myers Flat, CA 95554707-943-1515_________________________
Endless Green Hydroponics25 Enterprise Court, Suite 3
Napa, CA 94558707-254-0200
_________________________
Wyatt Supply 4407 Solano Ave.Napa, CA 94558707-251-3747_________________________
Conejo Hydroponics3481 Old Conejo Rd., #106Newbury Park, CA 91320
805-480-9596_________________________
Vital Landscaping Inc.204 Gold Flat Ct. #7
Nevada City, CA 95959530-273-3187
_________________________
Big Momma’s2581 Stokes Ave.Nice, CA 95464707-274-8369
Foothill Hydroponics10705 Burbank Blvd.N. Hollywood, CA 91601818-760-0688
186 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
One Stop Hydroponics12822 Victory BlvdNorth Hollywood, CA 91606818-980-5855
Lumatek Digital Ballasts33 Commercial Boulevard, Suite BNovato, CA 94949415-233-4273
Marin Hydroponics1219 Grant Ave.Novato, CA 94945415-897-2197
Roots Grow Supply 40091 Enterprise Dr.Oakhurst, CA 93644559-683-6622
3rd Street Hydroponics692 4th St.Oakland, CA 94607510-452-5521
Grass Valley 1920 E 12 St.Oakland, CA 94606
Medicine Man Farms1602 53rd Ave.Oakland, CA 94601707-980-0456
Plant-N-Grow1602 53rd Ave.Oakland, CA 94601707-980-0456
Hydrobrew1319 South Coast Hwy.Oceanside, CA 92054760-966-1885; 877-966-GROW
Socal Hydroponics1727-B Oceanside Blvd.Oceanside, CA 92054760-439-1084
Cultivate Ontario2000 Grove Ave. #a110Ontario, CA 91761909-781-6142
Flairform1751 S Pointe Ave.Ontario, CA 91761213-596-8820_________________________
Green Coast OntarioUnit 102-103 1920 S. Rochester Ave.
Ontario, CA909-605-5777
_________________________
National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply
1950 C South Grove Ave.Ontario, CA 91761
888-888-3319_________________________
Palm Tree Hydroponics2235 E 4th St., Suite GOntario, CA 91764909-941-9017_________________________
RH Distribution1751 S. Pointe Ave.Ontario, CA 91761
888-545-8112_________________________
Green Coast Hydroponics496 Meats Ave.
Orange, CA 92865714-974-4769
_________________________
Greenback Garden Supply9341 Greenback Ln., Suite COrangevale, CA 95662530-391-4329
Igro Hydro2280 Veatch St.Oroville, CA 95965530-534-4476 _________________________
Advanced Soil & Garden Supply
350 Oro Dam Blvd.Oroville, CA 95965
530-533-2747_________________________
Orville Organic Gardens5250 Olive Hwy., Suite 1Oroville, CA 95966530-589-9950
Amazon Garden Supply29 Ridge View LaneOroville, CA 95966530-589-5054
Amazon Greenlight521 Cal Oak Rd.Oroville, CA 95966530-534-4769
Amazon Growing Needs5369 Old Olive Hwy.Oroville, CA 95966530-589-9850
US Orchid & Hydroponic Supplies1621 South Rose Ave.Oxnard, CA 93033805-247-0086_________________________
America’s Best Hydroponics &
Gardening Center641 W. Palmdale Blvd., Unit D
Palmdale, CA 93551661-266-3906
_________________________
Hydroponics Unlimited641 W. Palmdale Blvd., D
Palmdale, CA 93550661-266-3906
_________________________
DNA Hydroponics Inc19345 North Indian Canyon Dr.,
Suite 2-FNorth Palm Springs, CA 92258
760-671-5872_________________________
Green Bros Hydroponics14072 Osborne St.
Panorama City, CA 91402818-891-0200
_________________________
Mission Hydroponics1236 East MissionPomona, CA 91766909-620-7099
New Leaf Hydro34150 123rd St.Parablossom, CA 93553 661-944-2226
Alternative Hydro3870 East, Colorado Blvd.Pasadena, CA 91107888-50-HYDRO
365 Hydroponics2062 Lincoln Ave.Pasadena, CA 91103626-345-9015
Garden All Year Inc.3850 Ramada Dr., Unit D2Paso Robles, CA 93446805-434-2333
Supersonic Hydroponic & Organic Garden Supply3850 Ramada Dr., Unit D2Paso Robles, CA 93446805-434-2333
Foothills Hydrogarden3133 Penryn Rd.Penryn, CA 95663916-270-2413_________________________
Four Seasons Landscape Materials
17115 Penn Valley Dr.Penn Valley, CA 95946
530-432-9906_________________________
Funny Farms Hydroponics963 Transport Way, #12
Petaluma, CA 94954707-775-3111
_________________________
House of Hydro224 Weller St., #BPetaluma, CA 94952707-762-4769
Wyatt Supply1016 Lakeville StPetaluma, CA 94952707-762-3747
Deep Roots Hydroponics830 Perry LanePetaluma CA 94954-5320707-776-2800
JNJ Hydroponics 4774 Phelan Rd., Suite 2Phelan, CA 92371760-868-0002
Turbo Grow1889 San Pablo Ave.Pinole, CA 94564510-724-1291
Hillside Hydro & Garden4570 Pleasant Valley Rd.Placerville CA 95662530-644-1401
All Elements Hydroponics & Gardening Supply5623 Motherlode Dr.Placerville, CA 95667530-642-4215
IGS Hydroponics & Organics57 California Ave., Suite 1Pleasonton CA 94566925-426-GROW
Best Yield Garden Supply3503 West Temple Ave., Unit APomona, CA 91768909-839-0505
Mission Hydroponics1236 East MissionPomona, CA 91766909-620-7099
Emerald Garden8249 Archibald Ave.Ranch Cucamanga, CA 91730909-466-3796
Radiant Roots Gardening & Hydroponics1394 S Pacific Coast Hwy.Redondo Beach, CA 90277 310-540-2005_________________________
The Hydro Shop of Redondo Beach
1304 S. Pacific Coast HwyRedondo Beach, CA 90277
310-540-2005_________________________
Dazey’s Supply3082 Redwood Dr.Redway, CA 95560
707-923-3002_________________________
Shadow Valley Aquatics75 Kimick WayRed Bluff, CA 96080530-526-0479
Bare Roots Hydroponics1615 East Cypress, #5Redding, CA 96002530-244-2215
Humboldt Hydroponics2010 Tunnel Rd.Redway, CA 95560707-923-1402
Redway Feed Garden & Pet Supply290 Briceland Rd.Redway, CA 95560707-923-2765
Sylvandale Gardens1151 Evergreen Rd.Redway, CA 95560707-923-3606
Hydro King105 Hartnell Ave., Suite C and DRedding, CA 96002888-822-8941
Orsa Organix111 Willow St.Redwood City, CA 94063650-369-1269_________________________
Mendocino Greenhouse & Garden Supply960 East School Way
Redwood Valley, CA 95470707-485-0668
_________________________
Hydro Hills Hydroponics19320 Vanowen St.Reseda, CA 91335
Hi-Tech Gardening5327 Jacuzzi St., #282Richmond, CA 94804510-524-4710
The Urban Farmer Store2121 San Joaquin St.Richmond, CA 94804510-524-1604
_________________________
Discount Hydroponics4745 Hiers Ave.
Riverside, CA 92505877-476-9487
_________________________
All Ways Hydro2220 Eastridge Ave., Suite CRiverside, CA 92507888-HYDRO98
Green Forest Hydro570 E La Cadena Dr., Suite #1DRiverside, CA 92507951-784-5733, Fax 951-704-4633
Calwest Hydroponics11620 Sterling Ave., Suite A Riverside, CA 92503 800-301-9009
Hydro Depot5665 Redwood Dr., #BRohnert Park, CA 94928707-584-2384
Murphy’s Hydropincs & Organics799 W. Stocktan St. Sanora, CA 95370209-532-2022
Constantly Growing 1918 16th St. Sacramento, CA 95811916-448-1882
Green Acres Hydroponics1215 Striker Ave., Suite 180Sacramento, CA 95834916-419-4394
Greenfire Sacramento3230 Auburn Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95821916-485-8023
Green Thumb Hydroponics1537 Fulton Ave.Sacramento, CA 95825916-934-2476
Green Thumb Hydroponics35 Quinta Court, Suite BSacramento, CA 95823916-689-6464_________________________
KY Wholesale8671 Elder Creek Rd. #600
Sacramento, CA 95828916-383-3366
_________________________
Hydro City 8510 Morrison Creek Dr. Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95828916-388-8333
J Street HydroGarden2321 J St.Sacramento, CA 95816916-444-4473
Mystic Gardens8484 Florin Rd., #110Sacramento, CA 95828916-381-2464
Sac Hydroponics9529 Folson Blvd., Suite CSacramento, CA 95827916-369-7968
Skywide Import & Export Ltd.5900 Lemon Hill Ave.Sacramento, CA 95824916-383-2369
Tradewinds Wholesale Garden Supplies1235 Striker Ave. #180Sacramento, CA 95834888-557-8896
Green Joint Ventures61 Tarp CircleSalinas, CA 93901831-998-8628
_________________________
Reforestation Technologies International
1341 Daton St., Unit GSalinas, CA 93901
800-784-4769_________________________
Xtreme Gardening1341 Dayton St., Annex B
Salinas, CA 93901800-784-4769
_________________________
National Garden Wholesale / Sunlight Supply
1900 Bendixsen St., Bldg. 1Samoa, CA 95564
800-683-1114 (Northern CA) _________________________
Sanger Garden Supply725 Academy Ave.Sanger, CA 93657559-259-7597
Greenmile Hydroponic Garden Supply1480 South E. St., Suite DSan Bernardino, CA 92408909-885-5919
Pure Food Gardening/Microclone830 H Bransten Rd. San Carlos, CA94070-3338
Green Gopher Garden Supply679 Redwood Ave., Suite ASand City, CA 93955831-899-0203
Modern Gardens26620 Valley Center Dr., Unit #104Santa Clarita, CA 91351661-513-4733
Best Coast Growers4417 Glacier Ave., Suite CSan Diego, CA 92120800-827-1876
Mighty Hydro4780 Mission Gorge Rd. Suite #A1San Diego, CA 92120619-287-3238
City Farmer’s Nursery4832 Home AveSan Diego, CA 92105619-284-6358
Home Brews & Gardens3176 Thorn St.San Diego, CA 92104619-630-2739
Indoor Garden Depot1848 Commercial St.San Diego, CA 92113619-255-3552
Innovative Growing Solutions (IGS)5060 Santa Fe St., Suite DSan Diego, CA 92109858-578-4477_________________________
Mighty Garden Supply4780 Mission
Gorge Pl. #A-1San Diego, CA 92120
619-287-3238_________________________
Oracle Garden Supply5755 Oberlin Dr., Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92121858-558-6006
_________________________
187Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Miramar Hydroponics & Organics8952 Empire St.San Diego, CA 92126858-549-8649
_________________________
San Diego Hydroponics Beach Cities4122 Napier St.
San Diego, CA 92110619-276-0657
_________________________
Direct Hydroponics Wholesale1034 W. Arrow Hwy. #DSan Dimas, CA 91773888-924-9376
_________________________
House of Hydroponics732 W. Arrow Hwy.
San Dimas, CA 91773877-592-5111; 909-592-5111
_________________________
Liquid Gardens1034 West Arrow Hwy. #DSan Dimas, CA 91773888-924-9376
Hydro Depot2090 Cesar Chavez St.San Francisco, CA 94124415-282-5200
Plant It Earth Warehouse1 Dorman Ave.San Francisco, CA 94124415-970-2465
_________________________
Grow Your Own Hydroponics & Organics - West
3401 Taraval St.
san Francisco, CA 94116415-731-2115
_________________________
The Hydroponic Connection Warehouse,1995 Evans Ave.San Francisco, CA 94124415-824-9376
The Hydroponic Connection San Francisco1549 Custer Ave.San Francisco, CA 94124415-864-9376
Nor Cal Hydroponics4837 Geary Blvd.San Francisco, CA 94118 415-933-8262
_________________________
Urban Gardens. 704 Filbert St.
San Francisco, CA 94133415-421-4769
_________________________
San Francisco Hydro123 Tenth St.San Francisco, CA 94103
Urban Gardens1394 Lowrie St.San Francisco, CA 94080650-588-5792
The Urban Farmer Store2833 Vicente St.San Francisco, CA 94116415-661-2204
US Garden417 Agostinio Rd.San Gabriel, CA 91776626-285-5009
Inland Empire Hydrogarden1301-C South State St.San Jancinto, CA 92853
Hahn’s Lighting260 E. VA Suite 1San Jose, CA 95112408-295-1755
_________________________
Rasa Hydroponics 5725 Winfield Blvd., Suite 8
San Jose, CA 95123408-227-7272
_________________________
Sunny Tool580 Parrott St.San Jose, CA 95112408-278-1800
Urban Gardens1999 Monterey Rd.San Jose, CA 95125408-298-8081
Plant Life32 Race St., San Jose, CA 95126408-283-9191
Hydrofarm, Inc. 2249 South McDowell Ext.Petaluma, CA 94954800-634-9990
Hydrofarm Southwest12991 Leffingwell Rd.Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670800-634-9990
South Bay Hydroponics and Organics - San Jose1185 South Bascom Ave.San Jose, CA 95128408-292-4040
Beach Cities Hydroponics33155 Camino Capistrano Unit F. San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675949-493-4200
D&S Garden Supplies17-130 Doolittle Dr.San Leandro, CA 94577510-430-8589
Hydrogarden Delight13762 Doolittle Dr.San Leandro, CA 94577510-903-1808Central Coast Hydrogarden1951 Santa Barbara St.San Luis Obispo, CA 93401805-544-GROW
Healthy Harvest Hydroponics and Organics2958 S. Higuera St.San Luis Obispo, CA 93401805-596-0430
_________________________
San Diego Hydroponics North County Inland
802 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road #108
San Marcos, CA 92069760-510-1444
_________________________
Marin Hydroponics721 Francisco Blvd. EastSan Rafael, CA 94901415-482-8802
San Rafael Hydroponics1417 Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901415-455-9655
55 Hydroponics1727 Boyd St.Santa Ana, CA 92705714-259-7755
_________________________
Green Coast Hydroponics135 Nogal Dr.
Santa Barbara, CA 93110805-898-9922
_________________________
Nutes Int’l204 N Quarantina St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-687-6699
Planet Earth Hydroponics102 East Haley St.Santa Barbara, CA 93101805-899-0033_________________________
Urban Grow Systems204 N Quarantina St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103805-637-6699
_________________________
Santa Clarita Valley Hydroponics25835 Railroad Ave. #26Santa Clarita, CA 91350
661-255-3700; 661-255-3701_________________________
California Hydroponics310 Coral St., Suite CSanta Cruz, CA 95060831-423-4769
Hydro-Logic Purification Systems370 Encinal St., Suite 150 Santa Cruz, CA 95060 888-H2O-LOGIC
Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - West Side815 Almar Ave., Unit KSanta Cruz, CA 95060831-466-9000
_________________________
Glow Hydroponics 124-H Blossom Hill Rd.
San Jose, CA 95123408-455-7720
_________________________
Big Daddy Garden Supply3236 Dutton Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95407707-535-0996
Deep Roots Hydroponics3715 Santa Rosa Ave. Suite A2Santa Rosa, CA 95407707-540-0773
Gottagrow Garden Supply769 Wilson St.Santa Rosa, CA 95404707-544-7782
_________________________
Green Logic Garden Supply860 Piner Rd, #38
Santa Rosa, CA 95403707-843-3156
_________________________
Hydro Depot13 West 3rd St. Santa Rosa, CA 95401707-542-3866
Organic Bountea1919 Dennis LaneSanta Rosa, CA 95403800-798-0765
Sonoma Hydro LLC3535 Industrial Dr., Suite B2-3Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-544-3383
Wyatt Supply 747 Yolanda Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404 707-578-3747
Next Generation Hydroponics10658 Prospect Ave., Suite ASantee, CA 92071619-438 2415
_________________________
Santa Rosa Hydroponics4880 Sonoma Hwy.
Santa Rosa, CA 707-595-1340
Santa Rosa Hydroponics4130 S Moorland Ave.
Santa Rosa, CA 707-584-9370
_________________________
Santee Hydroponics7949 Mission Gorge Rd.Santee, CA 92071619-270-8649
Gardening Unlimited60 Old El Pueblo Rd.Scotts Valley, CA 95066831-457-1236
Deep Roots Hydroponics2661 Gravenstein Hwy. S #ESebastopol, CA 95472-8200707-829-7668
Hydro Depot6731 Sebastopol Ave.Sebastopol, CA 95472707-829-1510
Beyond Hydro Inc. 12639 San Fernando Rd.Sylmar, CA 91342818-362-5373
loom Brothers Garden Supply, Inc.3293 Industry Dr.Signal Hill, CA 90755562-494-0060
________________________
We Grow Hydroponics3350 East Los Angeles Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93063805-624-4566
________________________
Advanced Garden Supply2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
Building C, Unit 9S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
530-541-4769________________________
Farm Hydroponics, The1950 Lake Tahoe Boulevard #3S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150530-541-3276
Valley Hydro and Organics19230 Sonoma Hwy. Sonoma, CA 95476707-396-8734
Green Universe Inc.19618 8th St. ESonoma, CA 95476707-320-0554
Motherlode Hydroponics and Organics799 W Stockton St.Sonora, CA 95370209-532-2022
Santa Cruz Hydroponics & Organics - East Side4000 Cordelia LaneSoquel, CA 95073831-475-9900
East County Hydroponics9903 Campo Rd. Spring Valley, CA 91977 619-825-5097
________________________
Orange County Hydroponics12797 Beach Blvd.Stanton, CA 90680
714-893-9493________________________
HomeGrown Indoor Garden Supply681 A Grider Way
Stockton, CA 95210209-477-4447
________________________
Golden Harvest Hydroponics & Garden Supply8626 Lower Sacramento Road #48Stockton, CA 95210209-951-3550
M&M Garden Supply2509 West Lane, Suite BStockton, CA 95205209-939-0664
Pacific Ave Indoor Garden Supply4633 Pacific AveStockton, CA 95207209-955-0945
Hydroponics Depot8712 Sunland Blvd.Sun Valley, CA 91352818-771-0600
________________________
Sunland Hydroponics8300 Foothill Blvd.Sunland, CA 91040
818-352-5300________________________
South Bay Hydroponics & Organics - Sunnyvale1205 W. El Camino RealSunnyvale, CA 94087650-968-4070
Tahoe Garden Supply645 Westlake Blvd., Suite 2 Tahoe City, CA 96145530-581-3200
The Otherside Hydroponics19425 Ventura Blvd.Tarzana, CA 91356818-881-HYDRO (4937)
________________________
Grass Roots Hydroponics27250 Madison Ave. Suite C
Temecula, CA 92590951-296-1090
________________________
Hydroponics 4 Less41669 Winchester Ave.Temecula, CA 92590800-A1-HYDRO
Inland Empire Hydrogarden28822 Old Town Front St. #206Temecula, CA 92590886-74-HYDRO
805 Hydroponics & Organics1785 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.Thousand Oaks, CA 91362805-494-1785
188 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Green Thumb Lighting & Garden1647 W. Sepulveda Blvd., Unit 5Torrance, CA 90501888-326-GROW
Los Angeles Hydroponics & Organics3007-3009 W. Artesia Blvd.Torrance, CA 90504310-323-4937
Tracy Hydroponics543 W. Grant LineTracy, CA 95376209-207-9065
Growers Choice Hydroponics470 W. Larch Rd. #1Tracy, CA 95304209-833-1212
Anything Grows10607 W. River St., Bldg. 3 Suite CTruckee, CA 96161530-582-0479
Garden Depot Hydroponics1460 Freitas ParkTurlock, CA 95380209-250-0101
Aloha Hydroponics225 Lander Ave.Turlock, CA 95380209-667-6653
Hooked Up Hydroponics339 S. Golden State Blvd.Turlock, CA 95380209-668-1300
Big Daddy Garden Supply310 Mason St.Ukiah, CA 95482707-467-9234
Emerald Garden307 East Perkins St.Ukiah, CA 95482707-463-2510
HydroPacific - Hydroponics & Garden Supplies351 C Hastings Ave.Ukiah, CA 95482707-467-0400
Northcoast Hydrogardens3450 North State St.Ukiah, CA 95482707-462-7214
Wyatt Supply 2200 N. State St.Ukiah, CA 95482707-462-7473
TNC Supply9490 Main St., P.O. Box 763Upper Lake, CA 95485707-275-9565
________________________
North Bay Hydroponics1650 Lewis Brown Dr.
Vallejo, CA 94589707-647-0774
________________________
Green Coast16705 Roscoe Blvd.Van Nuys, CA 91406
818-672-8880________________________
Hydroponics Market15816 Arminta St.Van Nuys, CA 91406818-305-6261; 886-72-HYDRO
Kinney Nursery4115 Rowles Rd. Vina, CA 96092530-839-2196
Blazzin Hydroponics6650 Cresent St.Ventura, CA 93003805-644-9376
The Green Shop66420 Mooney Blvd., Suite 1Visalia, CA 93277559-688-4200
________________________
BWGS-CA7530 W. Sunnyview Ave.
Visalia, CA 93291888-316-1306
________________________
Kaweah Grower Supply1106 1/2 N. Ben Maddox WayVisalia, CA 93293559-625-4937
Greentrees Hydroponics Inc.2581 Pioneer Ave., Unit DVista, CA 92081760-598-7551
Home Life Hydroponics and Organics1745 East Vista WayVista, CA 92084760-643-2150
Specialty Garden Supply7 Hangar Way, Suite BWatsonville, CA 95075831-768-0420
Evergreen Farm Feed and Garden1131 Main St.Weaverville, CA 96093530-623-2884
Art of Hydro5740 Corsa Ave. #102Westlake Village, CA 91362818-865-2227
California Hydro Garden1043 S. Glendora Ave., Suite AWest Covina, CA 91790626-813-0868
No Stress Hydroponics7543 Santa Monica Blvd.West Hollywood, CA 90046323-845-9874
Hydronation2491 Boatman Dr., Suite BWest Sacramento, CA 95691916-372-4444
Flower Hut Nursery603 4th St.Wheatland, CA 95692 530-633-4526
GreenWay Hydroponics11510 Whittier Blvd.Whittier, CA 90601
Lazy Gardeners Hydroponics ‘N’ More14626 East Whittier Blvd.Whittier, CA 90605562-945-0909
Garden Spout, The260 Margie Dr.Willits, CA 95490707-456-0196
Jolly Rancher399 Business Park Ctr., Suite 205Windsor, CA 95492707-838-0842
Green Acres20946 Victory Blvd.Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Sparetime Supply208 E. San Francisco Ave.Willits, CA 95490-4006
Farmer Browns Garden Supply80 Country Club Rd. Willow Creek, CA 95573 530-629-3100
Urban Gardens22516 Ventura Blvd.Woodland Hills, CA 91364818-876-0222
________________________
Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com
937-252-8224_________________________
Garden Highway Garden Supply598 Garden Highway #22Yuba City, CA 95991530-755-2877
Golden Valley Hydroponics870 W. Onsott Rd. Suite FYuba City, CA 95993 530-763-2151
Southern Humbolt Garden Supplies31653 Outer Highway 10Yacaipa, CA 92373 909-794-6888
Yucca Valley Hydroponics56825 Twentynine Palms Hwy. Yucca Valley, CA 92284760-369-0300
COLORADOSouth Park Hydroponics42 E Buckskin Rd.Alma, CO 80420719-836-1533
Green Spot Garden Center & Antiques711 State Ave.Alamosa, CO 81101719-589-6362
The Grofax25797 Conifer Rd. #A-8Aspen Park, CO 80433303-838-5520
________________________
National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply3550 B Odessa Way Aurora, CO 80011
866-877-4188 (Northeast)_________________________
Nick’s Garden Center2001 S. ChambersAurora, CO 80014
303-696-6657________________________
The Big Tomato Indoor Garden Supply
14440 E. 6th Ave.Aurora, CO 80011
303-364-4769________________________
Aurora Hydroponic LLC4250 S Chambers Rd. Aurora, CO 80014303-400-6941
The Hydro Store6695 Wadsworth Blvd. #CArvada, CO 80004720-328-3746
Rooted Hydroponics & Organics – Vail910 Nottingham Road Unit N-11 & N-12Avon, CO 81620970-748-1222
________________________
Black Dog LED2885 Aurora Ave. #38
Boulder, CO 80303720-420-1209
[email protected] ________________________
Boulder Hydroponics1630 N 63rd St. Unit #5Boulder, CO 80301313-415-0045
Candy Shop Hydroponics LLC2740 Canyon Blvd.Boulder, CO 80302 303-444-3355
One Love Garden Supply3620 Walnut St.Boulder, CO 80301303-586-1715
Polar Ray5171 Eldorado Springs Dr.Boulder, CO 80303303-494-5773
Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics2125 32 St.Boulder, CO 80301 303-996-6100
Way To Grow6395 Gunpark Dr.Boulder, CO 80301303-473-4769
Deep Roots Garden Supply1790 Airport Rd., Unit 1Breckenridge, CO 80424970-453-1440
Mile High Hydroponics37 Strong St. Brighton, CO 80601303-637-0069
________________________
ACME Hydroponics300 Nickel St., Suite 3 Broomfield, CO 80020
720-524-7306________________________
Hydrofarm Mountain400 Burbank St.Broomfield, CO 80020800-634-9990
Hydro Galaxy3314 W Burbank Blvd.Burbank, CA 91505800-818-6128
J&D Organic Growing Solutions217 1/2 Clayton St. Brush, CO 80723970-310-5408
CT. Home Grown45 South Canterbury Rd.Canterbury, CT 06331
BIG BloomZ1011 Caprice Dr.Castle Rock, CO 80109303-688-0599
Indoor Gardener, The3225 I-70 Business Loop, Unit A10Clifton, Colorado 81520970-434-9999
Indoor Garden Warehouse8100 S Akron St., Suite 322Centennial, CO 80112720-496-2110
Garden Tech737 Garden of the Gods Rd.Colorado Springs, CO 80907719-278-9777
Grotools2408 East Platte Ave.Colorado Springs, CO 80909719-475-7699
Greenhouse Tech917 East FillmoreColorado Springs, CO 80907719-634-0637
Hydro Grow Supply644 Peterson Rd.Colorado Springs, CO 80915719-596-2600
Purple Mountain Hydroponics LLC1530 S Nevada Ave.Colorado Springs, CO 80906719-635-5859
Room To Grow LLC422 South 8th St.Colorado Springs, CO 80905719-633-8682
Roots and Rocks Hydroponic and Organic Garden Supply1014 S. 21st St.Colorado Springs, CO 80904719-634-1024
________________________
High Tech Garden Supply5275 Quebec St.
Commerce City, CO 80022720-222-0772
_________________________
Grow Your Own27051 Barkley Rd.Conifer, CO 80433 303-816-GROW (4769)
Happy Grow Lucky11873 Springs Rd.Conifer, CO 804331-303-838-8700
Whetstone Garden Supply300 Belleview Ave.Crested Butte, CO 81224970-349-9666
Global Organics & Hydroponics11 N BroadwayCortez, CO 81321970-564-8100
Joy of Growing1410 Valley View Dr.Delta, CO 81416970-874-2550
_________________________
BWGS-CO 11685 E. 55th Ave. Denver, CO 80239
888-316-1306_________________________
Chlorophyll3801 Mariposa St. Denver, CO 80211
303-433-1155_________________________
Cultivate Hydroponics & Organics666 S. Buchtel Blvd.Denver, CO 80210303-954-9919
Greenlight Garden Supply7741 E Colfax Ave.Denver, CO 80220720-389-8320
_________________________
Grow Your Own2118 S Bellaire St.Denver, CO 80222
303-990-1929_________________________
HyGrow Indoor Gardening Supplies6271 Beach St., Unit FDenver, CO 80221303-396-1420
Indoor Paradise Denver7100 N Broadway, Suite 3D & EDenver, CO 80221303-428-5020
NoDo Urban Garden Supply1330 27th St.Denver, CO 80205303-296-3424
Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics1717 39th Ave.Denver, CO 80205800-58-HYDRO
The Grofax7540 East Colfax Ave.Denver, CO 80220720-328-2127
The Grofax755 South Federal Blvd.Denver, CO 80219720-328-5164
The Grow Outlet4272 Lowell Blvd.Denver, CO 80211 303-586-5543
Hydro Terra Corp3893 Steele St.Denver, CO 80205954-260-3377
Ultimate Hydroponics & Organics2380 S. BroadwayDenver, CO 80210303-282-0034
189Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Way To Grow301 East 57th Ave.Denver, CO 80216303-296-7900_________________________
All Seasons Gardening434 Turner Dr., Suite 2B
Durango, CO 81303 970-385-4769
_________________________
Blue Sky Hydroponics1301 Florida Road Unit CDurango, CO 81301970-375-1238
DHL Garden Supply178 Bodo Dr.Unit BDurango, Co 81303970-247-1090
_________________________
The Grow Store South5050 S. Federal Boulevard, #37,
Englewood, CO 80110303-738-0202
_________________________
Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics439 Edwards Access Rd Unit B101Edwards, CO 81632970-926-2100
Bath Nursery & Garden Center2000 E. Prospect,Fort Collins, CO 80525970-484-5022
Gold Coast Hydroponics West8101 S.W. Frontage Road Suite 300Fort Collins, Colorado 80528970-232-3220
The Grow Shop LLC1711 S. College AvenueFort Collins CO 80525970-484-1042
Indoor Paradise Hydroponics309 S. Summit View, Unit 17,Fort Collins, CO 80524-1462970-221-3751
Way To Grow3201 E. Mulberry Street,Fort Collins, CO 80524970-484-4769
_________________________
Hydro Shack, The753 10 Mile DriveFrisco, CO 80443
970-668-0359_________________________
Rocky Mountain Hydroponics and Organics7800 Colorado 82 #203Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601970-947-9551
_________________________
Desert Bloom Hydroponics445 Pitkin Avenue,
Grand Junction, CO 81501970-245-6427
_________________________
Green Head Hydroponics809 E. Jasper CourtGranby, CO 80446970-557-3031
Greeley Nutrients700 11th Street Unit 101Greeley CO 80631970-673-8302
The Grow Shop LLC1701 Greeley Mall Rd.Greeley CO 80631970-352-5447
Green Thumb Garden Supply Co.2830 W 27th StGreeley CO 80634970-506-1711_________________________
Your Grow Bud6801 South Emporia St., Suite 106
Greenwood Village, CO 80112303-790-2211
_________________________
Green Gardens133 E. Tomichi Ave.Gunnison, CO 81230970-641-1161
Grow in Peace1241 Mine Rd.Idaho Springs, CO 80452303-567-GROW
GroWize3225 S. Wadsworth Blvd.Lakewood, CO 80227303-986-2706
Way to Grow11989 West Colfax Ave.Lakewood, CO 80215303-546-3600
_________________________
MileHydro355 S. Harlan St.
Lakewood, CO 80226303-935-4769
_________________________
The Grow Store 8644 W. Colfax Ave,
Lakewood, CO 80215888-510-0350
_________________________
The Flower Bin1805 Nelson Rd. Longmont, CO 80501 303-772-3454
_________________________
Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com
937-252-8224_________________________
Victory Hydro Gardening1387 E. South Boulder Rd.
Louisville, CO, 80027303-664-9376
_________________________
WarHammer Supply1112 Munroe Ave.Loveland, CO 80537970-635-2602
Colorado Hydroponics & Organics2740 Commercial Way, Unit 1Montrose CO, 81401970-252-7450
Greener Mountain Indoor Gardening20 Lakeview Dr., Unit 210Nederland, CO 80466303-258-7573
Grow in Peace176 Hwy. 119 SouthNederland, CO 80466303-258-3520
Grow Depot1434 W. 104th Ave.Northglenn, CO 80234303-459-7878
Four Corners Organics & Hydroponics LLC68 Bastille Unit #3, PO Box 627Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 970-731-1685
_________________________
Majestic Hydro-Gardening860 Hwy. 105
Palmer Lake CO 80133719-481-0777
_________________________
Pueblo Hydroponicss and Organics - Downtown113 W 4th St. Pueblo, CO 81003719-542-6798
Pueblo Hydroponics and Organics- South2704 S Prarie Ave., Suite CPueblo, CO 81005719-564-2660
Pueblo Hydroponics and Organics609 E Enterprise Dr.Pueblo West, CO 81007709-647-0907
Salida Hydroponic Supply1242 C St., Salida, CO 81201719-539-4000
Little Shop of Growers2560 Copper Ridge Dr.Steamboat Springs, CO 80487970-879-8577
Cultivate Hydroponics & Organics7615 W.38th Ave., Suite B111Wheat Ridge, CO 80033303-954-9897
Hydro Planet5022 Kippling St.Wheat Ridge, CO 80033303-279-6090
CONNECTICUT_________________________
CT Home Grown45 South Canterbury Rd.
Canterbury, CT 06331860-546-6161
_________________________
Grow Crazy11 Berlin Rd., Unit 2, Cromwell, CT 06416203-660-8486
Harvest Moon Hydroponics775 Silver LaneEast Hartford, CT 06118860-568-4067
LiquidSun® CT10C South Main St.East Windsor, CT 06088860-254-5757
_________________________
Rogue Hydroponics160 Broadway
Hamden, CT 06518866-277-4432
_________________________
Organix Hydroponics749 Saybrook Rd., (Tradewinds Plaza)Middletown, CT 06457860-343-1923
_________________________
Good To Grow335 Westport Ave.Norwalk, CT 06851
203-956-5600www.goodtogrowct.com
_________________________
Grow with Us10 Middle River Dr.Stafford Springs, CT 06076860-684-1595
DELAwARE1st State Seed And Garden SupplyPeople’s Plaza Suite 950Newark, DE 19702302-834-0440
Sunny Day Organics1867 Coastal Hwy. Rehoboth Beach, DE MD 19917302-703-2538
FLORIDAUrban Sunshine1420 E. Altamonte Dr.Altamonte Springs, FL 32701407-830-4769
Full Bloom Hydroponics1489 W. PalmettoBoca Raton, FL 33486888-725-4769
Best Hydro4920 Lena Rd.Bradenton, FL 34211941-756-1928
Palm Coast Hydroponics4490 N Hwy US1, Suite 108Bunnell, FL 32110386-246-4119
East Coast Hydroponics & Organics461 Forrest Ave., Suite 105Coca, FL 32922321-243-6800
GreenTouch Hydroponics Inc.5011 S State Rd. 7, Suite 104Davie, FL 33314954-316-8815
Absolute Hydroponic Garden Center Inc336 North Boundary Ave.Deland, FL 32720386-734-0696
Organic Grow Hut 2780 Deltona Blvd. #107Deltona, Florida 327251-888-574-GROW; 386-259-5777
Gold Coast Hydroponics1539 SW 21st Ave.Ft. Lauderdale, FL 333121-800-780-7371
_________________________
Biofloral6250 NW 27th Way
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309877-735-6725
_________________________
Green Thumb Hydroponics Supplies13482 North Cleveland Ave.Fort Meyers, FL 33903239-997-4769
Gator Hydroponics4460 SW 35th Terrace, Suite 310Gainesville, FL 32608352-301-5383
_________________________
Florida Garden Supplies2692 W 79 St.
Hialeah, FL 330161-800-931-5215
_________________________
Simply Hydroponics & Organics (North)3642 South Suncoast Blvd.Homosassa, FL 34448352-628-2655
Hydroponics International Inc.7029-10 Commonwealth Ave.Jacksonville, FL 32220904-693-6554
_________________________
Grower’s Choice & Hydroponics11855 North Main St.Jacksonville, FL 32218
904-683-4517_________________________
Growers Choice South8535 Baymeadows Rd., Suite 13
Jacksonville, FL 32256904-647-7156
_________________________
Urban Organics & Hydroponics5325 Fairmont St.Jacksonville, FL 32207904-398-8012
Simply Hydroponics & Organics7949 Ulmerton Rd.Largo, FL 33773727-531-5355
GrowSmart Indoor Garden Centers14587 Southern Blvd.Loxahatchee, FL 33470561-429-3527
Palm Beach Discount Hydroponics – West14703 Southern Blvd. Loxahatchee, FL 33470561-296-8555
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply2975 West New Haven Ave.
Melbourne, FL 32901321-821-0853
________________________
Advanced Hydro Gardens4960 NW 165 St., Suite B-4Miami, FL 33014305-474-4376
All Star Hydroponics Inc8901 SW 129th St.Miami FL, 33176800-842-8582
Blossoms Experience, The7207 NW 54th St.Miami, FL 33166866-452-4769
_________________________
Florida Garden Supplies9545 Sunset Dr. Miami, FL 33173
800-931-5215_________________________
Future Farms Inc., The14291 SW 120th St., Suite 105Miami, FL 33186305-382-2757
Gold Coast Hydroponics4241 SW 71st Ave.Miami, FL 331551-800-780-6805
Growing Garden Inc., The12811 SW 42nd St.Miami, FL 33175305-559-0309
190 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
VitaOrganix7921 NW 67th St.Miami, FL 33166786-845-8633
3D Hydroponics and Organics7139 US Highway #19New Port Richey, FL 34652727-847-3491
_________________________
Florida Garden Supplies8442 Tradeport Dr., Unit 200
Orlando, FL 32827_________________________
Urban Sunshine6100 Hanging Moss Rd., Suite 50Orlando, FL 32807407-647-4769
Urban Sunshine6142 S. Orange Ave.Orlando, FL 32809407-859-7728
Vertical Food Growers10964 Dearden Circle Orlando, FL 32817407-671-4241
Green Winters Inc.147 Tomoka Ave.Ormond Beach, FL 32174386-235-8730; 800-931-5215
The Healthy HarvestSuite 126, 21113 Johnson St.Pembroke Pines, FL 33029954-538-1511
_________________________
Eden Garden Supply3111 N. Davis Hwy.
Pensacola, FL 32503850-439-1299
_________________________
Healthy Gardens and Supply of Florida, Inc.196 East Nine Mile Rd., Suite FPensacola, FL 32534850-912-4545
Avid Brew Company1745 1st Ave. S. St.Petersberg, Florida 33712727-388-6756
_________________________
National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply455 S. Andrews Ave.
Pompano Beach, FL 33069877-649-3567 (Southeast)
_________________________
Hydroponic Depot II2395 S Tamiami Trail #19Port Charlotte FL 33952941-255-3999
EZ Grow Green604 S.W. Bayshore Blvd.Port St. Lucie, Fl 34983772-807-7755
_________________________
Atlantis Hydroponics8042 N. Palafox St., Suite C
Pensacola, FL 32534 850-912-8796
_________________________
Urban Sunshine Organic & Hydroponic Gardening2841 South Nove Rd., Suite 5South Daytona, FL 32119386-236-9989; 386-492-6978
Avid Brew Company1745 1st Ave South St. Petersburg, FL 33712727-388-6756
Mr. Nice Guy Hydroponics1800 NW. Federal Hwy.Stuart, FL 34994772-934-6785
Esposito Garden Center2743 Capital Circle NETallahassee, FL 32308850-386-2114
Evershine Hydroponics1519 Capital Circle NE Unit #35Tallahassee, FL 32308850-765-0040
Grace’s Hydro-Organic Garden Center8877 North 56th St.Tampa, FL 33617813-514-9376
Grace’s Hydro-Organic Garden Center8707 Temple Terrace Hwy.Tampa, FL 33637813-514-9376
Hydroponics of Tampa120 W. Bougain VilleaTampa, FL 33612813-333-6828
Schiro’s Barn-N-Garden Supplies Inc.7812 Causeway Blvd.Tampa, FL 33619813-626-0902
Stoney Hydro @ Schiro’s Barn n Garden Supplies7812 Causeway Blvd.Tampa, FL 33619813-626-0902_________________________
Worm’s Way Florida4412 North 56th St.
Tampa, FL 33610800-283-9676; 813-621-1792
_________________________
Monkey Hydroponics940 West Oakland Ave., Unit A1407-574-8495
Happy Planet Hydroponics1179 E. Alfred St.Tavares, FL 32778352-253-1001
365 Hydroponics13054 W Colonial Dr.Winter Garden, FL 34787407-656-GROW(4769)
Cultivating Eden Hydroponic Supplies946 18th Ave. SWVero Beach, FL 32962772-564-8880
_________________________
Florida Garden Supplies8020 Belvedere Rd.,Unit 4
West Palm Beach, FL 33411800-931-5215
_________________________
Palm Beach Discount Hydroponics – East968 North Congress Ave.West Palm Beach, FL 33409561-296-6161
GEORGIA_________________________
Atlantis Hydroponics1422 Woodmont Lane, #4
Atlanta, GA 30318404-367-0052
_________________________
Flora Hydroponics, Inc.1239 Fowler St.NW Atlanta, GA 30318404-532-0001
Flora Hydroponics Inc.2475 Jefferson Rd., Suite 600Athens, GA 30607866-404-0551
Flora Hydroponics, Inc.195 Paradise Blvd.Athens, GA 30607800-470-6881
Atlantis Hydroponics2561 West Point Ave.College Park, GA 30337678-510-0032
Alpha Hydroponics and Garden Supply Inc. 3904 N Druid Hills Rd., Suite 247Decatur, GA 30033404-590-4769
_________________________
Savannah Hydroponics & Organics4107 Eighth St., Suite CGarden City, GA 31408
912-349-4030_________________________
Atlantis Hydroponics5182-B Brook Hollow ParkwayNorcross, GA 30071770-558-1346
HAwAIIEco-Island Supply810 Haiku Rd., #394Haiku, HI 96708808-575-9171
Aqua Plant Hawaii / Kahala Hydroponics4224 Wailae, Suite 1AHonolulu, HI 96816808-735-8665
Green Hands of Aloha1713 Mary St.Honolulu, HI 96819808-847-4263
Ohana Greenhouse & Garden Supply300 Hukilike St. #2M,Kahalui, HI 96732808-871-6393
Aiyah’s Garden4558 Kukui St.Kapa’a, HI 96746
Aiyah’s Garden3-3122 Kuhio Hwy. Unit B-2Lihue, HI 96766808-245-2627
Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer15-2754 Old Government Rd.Pahoa, HI 96778808-965-9955
IDAHOBoise Hydroponics614 North Orchard St.Boise, ID 83706208-344-3053
Greenthumb Greenhouses5895 Ensign Ave.Boise, ID 83714
ILLINOISAerostar Global824 South Kay Ave.Addison, IL 60101
Aerogro502 N Prospect, Suite 18Bloomington, IL, 61704
Brew and Grow181 Crossroads Parkway Bolingbrook, IL 60194847-885-8282
Let it Grow - CarbondaleWest Main St.Carbondale, IL 62908573-450-5401
Versaponics.COMBox 166 West Main St.Carbondale, IL62901573-450-5401
Alternative Garden Supply615 Industrial Dr., Unit ACary, IL 60013800-444-2837
Brew and Grow3625 N. Kedzi Ave.Chicago, IL 60618773-463-7430
Chicago Roots Hydroponics & Organics4020 W. Irving Park Rd.Chicago, IL 60641773-545-4020
Fertile Ground463 West MacArthur Dr.Cottage Hills, IL 62018618-259-5500
Brew and Grow- Crystal Lake176 W. Terra Cotta Ave.Crystal Lake, IL 60014815-301-4950
_________________________
Midwest Hydroganics20647 Renwick Rd.Crest Hill, IL 60403
815-838-0100_________________________
Goldman’s Grow Shop910 Greenwood Rd.Glenview, IL 60025
847-657-7250_________________________
Grow Masters4641 Old Grand Ave.Gurnee, IL 60031224-399-9877
Big Grow Hydroponics9225 Trinity Dr.Lake In The Hills, IL 60156847-854-4450
Grow Big Hydroponics7817 B North 2nd St.Manchesney Park, IL 61115815-637-4769
Green Fields8137 N. MilwaukeeNiles, IL 60714847-965-5056
_________________________
Autumn Bloom Alternative Indoor Gardening
1020 Derby St.Pekin, IL 61554309-642-6943
_________________________
GroUp Gardening221 N. 5th St.
Pekin, IL 61554 309-349-4407
_________________________
Grow Shop of Peoria2621 N UniversityPeoria, IL 61604309-299-0953
Prairie House Garden Center15151 South Harlem Ave.Orland, IL 60462708-687-3131
_________________________
Heartland Hydrogardens7403 Broadway St. Quincy, IL 62305
217-214-GROW(4769)_________________________
Brew and Grow3224 South Alpine Rd.Rockford, IL 61109815-874-5700
Rock Valley Garden Center785 N.Bell School Rd. Rockford, IL 61107815-398-9419
Brew and Grow359 W. Irving Park Rd. Unit ERoselle, IL 60172630-894-4885
Organic Garden Center 9223 Skokie Blvd.Skokie, IL 60077847-675-2722_________________________
Kreation’s Indoor Gardening Center3427 Old Chatman Rd.Springfield, IL 62704
217-341-0821
Kreation’s Indoor Gardening Center2110 North Grand Ave.Springfield , IL, 62702
217-341-0821_________________________
Joe Dirt’s Organics & Hydroponics760 Heartland Dr.Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-8346
Water Works Indoor Gardening1900 South Dirksen ParkwaySpringfield, IL 62703217-553-6929
INDIANASunleaves Garden Products7854 North State Rd. 37Bloomington, IN 47404888-464-9676
_________________________
Worm’s Way Indiana7850 North State Rd. 37Bloomington, IN 47404
800-598-8158_________________________
Worm’s Way Mail Order7850 North State Rd. 37Bloomington, IN 47404
800-274-9676_________________________
Frogs Lilly Pad, The706 Citation Rd.Carmel, IN 46032317-846-4610
Hops & Harvest4616 E. DuPont Rd., Suite QFort Wayne, IN 46825260-918-3035
Harvest Moon Hydroponics1336 East Washington St.Indianapolis, IN 46202317-780-8020
Magic Bulb Garden Center6221 Allisonville Rd.Indianapolis, IN 46220317-202-2852
191Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
_________________________
Maximum Grow Gardening6117 E Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46219317-359-GROW (4769)
_________________________
Next Generation Gardening & Hydroponics6805 Madison Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46227317-786-0066
One Stop Grow Shop2326 E.44th St.Indianapolis, IN 46205317-546-GROW
The Wine-N-Vine Inc.1524 East McGalliard Rd.Muncie IN 47303765-282-3300
_________________________
BWGS-IN1400 Hancel Pkwy.,
Mooresville, IN 46158800-316-1306
_________________________
Five Point Gardens56555 Oak Rd.South Bend, IN 46619574-287-9232
KANSASKan-Grow Hydro Farm LLC5555 S. Meridian Ave.Wichita, KS 67217316-214-3022
KENTUCKYGarden Grove Organics29 East 7th St.Covington (Cincinnati Metro), KY 41011859-360-1843
_________________________
Worm’s Way Kentucky1360 Donaldson Hwy. Suite A
Erlanger, KY 41018800-669-2088
_________________________
Maxmimum Grow Gardening140 Frontage Rd Ste D
Lafayette, IN 47905765-464-6689
_________________________
Grow Shop, The of Lexington2320 Palumbo Dr., Suite 130Lexington, KY 40509859-268-0779
Success HydroponicsLexington, KY 4505859-294-4769
Louisville Hydroponics3471 Taylor Blvd.Louisville, KY 40215502-366-4000
New Earth Garden Center9810 Taylorsville Rd.Louisville, KY 40299 800-462-5953
Bluegrass Organic Grow Shop125 Quinn Dr.Nicholasville, KY 40356859-887-0677
Bluegrass Hydro Garden13529 S. Dixie Hwy. Upton, KY 42784270-369-9000
LOUISIANALaughing Buddha Nursery4516 Clearview ParkwayMetairie, LA 70006504-887-4336
Urban Organics285 St. Claude Ave.New Orleans, LA 70117504-352-4709
Ourcrazydeals Hydroponics201 Angus Dr.Yungsville, LA 70592337-303-6146
MAINEThe Urban Garden Center600 Wilson St.Brewer, ME 04412207-989-2020
LiquidSun of Maine51West Gray Rd.Gray, ME 04039 207-657-8033
Natures Palate Indoor Garden Store1321 Mercer Rd. (route 2) Mercer, ME 04957877-587-4150; 207-587-4150
Newfield Farms122 Water St.Newfield, ME 04095207-956-3334
_________________________
Evergreen Garden Center301 Forest Ave.
Portland, ME 04101207-761-2800
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply Maine178 Rand Rd.Portland, ME 04102
207-899-4387_________________________
The Urban Garden Center659 Warren Ave.Portland, ME 04103207-347-2350
Here We Grow30 Parsons St.Presque Isle, ME 04769207-SOY-BEAN (769-2326)
Green Thumb Indoor Gardening19 Stage Rd.St. Albans, ME 04971207-938-5909
New England Horticulture Supply125 John Roberts Rd., Suite 1South Portland, ME 04106207-899-0510
Urban Garden Center235 Lewiston Rd.Topsham, ME 04086207-373-0990
Greenlife Garden Supply611 US Route 1York, ME 03909207-363-0844 MARYLANDEast Coast Organics2800 Sisson St.Baltimore, MD 21211
Healthy Gardens and Supply5001-F Harford Rd.Baltimore, MD 21214443-708-5144
Eco Greenworks7814 Parston Dr.Forestville, MD 20747301-278-7541
Maryland Hydroponics Inc.10051 North 2nd St. Laurel, MD 20723301-490-9236
Meadowview Feed & Garden Center1202 Meadowview Rd.Pasadena, MD 21122443-817-0018
_________________________
Montgomery Hydroponics8950 Brookville Rd.
Silver Springs, MD 20910301-588-1935
_________________________
Purple Mountain Organics100-7010 Westmoreland Ave.Takoma Park, MD 20912877-538-9901
MASSACHUSETTSGrow it Green122 Pulaski Blvd.Bellingham, MA 02019508-883-GROW
Greenlife Garden Supply481 Boston Rd., Unit 4Billerica, MA 01821978-262-9966
Mass Hydro1753 Main St.Brockton, MA 02301
GYOstuff – Grow Your Own2400 Massachusetts Ave.Cambridge, MA 02140617-945-1654
Mass Hydro390 Rhode Island Ave.Fall River MA 02721704-GO-HYDRO
Harvest Moon Hydroponics29 Washington St., Route 1Foxboro, MA 02035800-660-6977
Here We Grow123 Russell St. (Route 9)Hadley, MA 01035413-584-FARM (3276)
LiquidSun® MA8 Lynwood Ave.Holyoke, MA 01040413-539-6875
Cape Cod Hydroponics195 Ridgewood Ave.Hyannis, MA 02601508-737-2555
_________________________
Rootdown Hydroponics Indoor Garden Center
236 Mystic Ave.Medford, MA 01255
781-874-1693_________________________
Green Path Garden Supply276 West Main St.Northborough, MA 01532508-393-4181
LiquidSun® RI1179 Central Ave.Pawtucket, MA 02861401-722-2724
_________________________
Evergreen Garden Center216 Newbury St.
Peabody, MA 01960978-854-5541
_________________________
Hydroponics N More Garden Center331 Centre Ave.Rockland, MA 02370781-421-3356
Mass Hydro679 Washington St.S. Attlevoro, MA 02703508-761-4937
_________________________
Tru Bloomz Hydroponics1201 Fall River Ave.Seekonk, MA 02771
508-336-4443_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply560 Boston Turnpike (Route 9)
Shrewsbury, MA 01545508-845-4477
_________________________
Nor’easter Organic Life515 College Highway Unit J Southwick, MA 01077 413-998-3951_________________________
New England Hydroponics15 D College Hwy. (Route 10)
Southampton, MA 01073888-529-9025
_________________________
Nor'easter Organic Life515 College Highway Unit J Southwick, MA 01077 413-998-3951
_________________________
Worm’s Way Massachusetts121 Worc-Providence Turnpike
Sutton, MA 01590800-284-9676
_________________________
LiquidSun East12 Bay St. Unit 105 Wilmington, MA 01887978-447-5442
MICHIGANGet Growing Urban Garden Centre142 S. Main St.Adrian, MI 49221
All Things Good and Green501 E. Michigan Ave.Augusta, MI 49012269-978-8550
Allegan Hydroponic Supply1177 Lincoln Rd.Allegan, MI 49010269-355-1595
_________________________
Cultivation Station2734 Jackson Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103 734-213-7740
_________________________
U Can Grow Hydro2247 W. LibertyAnn Arbor, MI 4810734-369-3387
_________________________
Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The
6540 Allen Rd. Allen Park, MI 48101
313-383-1766_________________________
Discount Hydro & Indoor Garden Supplies
Gro Blue Discount Hydro and Indoor Garden Supplies
4072 Packard Rd.Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-913-2750_________________________
Grow Show, The4095 Stone School Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48108734-677-0009; 734-677-0509
HotHydro®5245 Jackson Rd., Suite FAnn Arbor, MI 48103734-761-5040; 877-893-0716
All things Good and Green501 E. Michigan Ave. Augusta, MI 49012269-978-8550
Battle Creek Indoor Gardening1125 E.Michigan Ave.Battle Creek MI 49014269-282-0554
BIG Green Tomato1775 E. Columbia Ave.Battle Creek, MI 49014269-282-1593
Homelight Gardens3471 S. Huron Rd.Bay City, MI 48706989-922-0088
Grow Supply Center3131 Benzie Hwy. Benzonia, MI 49616231-882-9270
J&L Growco206 S. Michigan Ave.Big Rapids, MI 49307231-796-1528
Hydro Vision11820 BellevilleBelleville, MI 48111734-325-6210
One Stop Grow Shop Inc., The397 Main St., Suite A. Belleville, MI 48111734-325-7242
Growers Outlet7720 Clyde Park SWByron Center, MI 49513616-878-4444
Happy Harvesters Hydroponics4410 South Saginaw St.Burton, MI 48529810-496-3005
Hydroponic Gardening4204 Davison Rd. Burton, MI 48505810-406-3355
Two Guys and a Grow Shop3374 Atherton Rd. Burton, MI 48509810-820-4275
_________________________
Hydro Giant #46199 Haggerty Rd.
West Bloomfield, MI 48322248-668-6100
_________________________
192 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Caledonia Gardens9750 Cherry Valley Ave. SECaledonia Gardens, MI 49316616-891-0706
Greenway Gardens 916 W 13th St.Cadillac, MI 49601231-775-7075
Indoor Grower’s Edge8998 E. 34 Rd., Suite BCadillac, MI 49601231-468-3343
Easy Growing5748 N. Canton Centre Rd.Canton, MI 48187734-451-4500
Hydro Helper6445 Canton Center Rd. Canton, MI 48187734-354-3900
Hydro Pro’s Indoor Garden30504 23 Mile Rd.Chesterfield, MI 48047586-741-8805
________________________
Cultivation Station 3 Inc.46912 Gratiot
Chesterfield, MI 48051586-949-7453
________________________
The Great Lakes Hydroponics Co.5998 US.31 South
Charlevoix MI 49720231-237-9153
_________________________
Horti-Toad Hydroponic Supply21323 Harper St. Clair Shores, MI 48080586-944-0650
Hydro 411411 West 5th St.Clare, MI 48617989-941-4157
Michigan Hydro Depot571 E. Chicago St., Suite BColdwater, MI 49036517-278-9600
All American Indoor Gardening Warehouse11504 N. Saginaw Rd.Clio, MI 48420810-640-1156
Clio Cultivation11394 N.Saginaw Rd. Clio, MI 48420 810-686-4769
HydroMaster36345 Grosebeck Hwy. Clinton Twp, MI 48035586-792-0277
Hydro Pro’s Indoor Garden20560 Hall Rd.Clinton Township, MI 48038586-263-5793
H2O Grow Supply3364 Arent Ct. Coloma, MI 49038 269-468-3890
Lets Grow Hydroponics1141 W RandallCoopersville, MI 49404616-997-0420
Van Hydro7480 N StateDavison, MI 48423810-653-8267
_________________________
The Grow Station5670 Telegraph Rd.
Dearborn, MI 48127313-406-5147; 800-797-4769 (GROW)
_________________________
_________________________
Hydro Giant #114455 Ford Rd.
Dearborn, MI 48126313-216-8888
________________________
Cultivation Station – Eastern Market, The
2518 Market St.Detroit, MI 48207
313-394-0441________________________
Growers R Us19317 West Warren Detroit, MI 48228313-633-1617
_________________________
Hydro Giant #321651 W. 8 Mile Rd.(8 Mile & Lahser)
Detroit, MI 48219313-387-7700
_________________________
Hydro Heaven73647 W 8th Mile Rd.Detroit, MI 48235313-861-0333; 877-823-2076
_________________________
Ultra Lo Hydroultralohydro.com
937-252-8224_________________________
Urban Gardening Center, The2520 22nd St.
Detroit, MI 48216313-898-0200
_________________________
Superior Growers Supply4870 Dawn Ave.
East Lansing, MI 48823517-332-2663
_________________________
Sunnyside Hydroponics24930 Gratiot Ave.Eastpoint, MI 48021586-777-2528
GroMart Indoor Gardening Solutions68991 M-62 Suite QEdwardsburg, MI 49112269-414-4385
Bay de Noc Hydroponic & Garden Supply1501 Sheridan Rd.Escanaba, MI 49829906-553-7006
Hydro Vision495 Fenway Dr.Fenton, MI810-714-1719
Green Thumb Garden Center22963 Woodward Ave.Ferndale, MI 48220248-439-1851
Urban Garden Supply4516 Pasadena Ave.Flint, MI 48504810-733-0420
Urban Garden Supply3410 S. Dort Hwy.Flint, MI 48507810-875-9580
Granny Green Thumbs103 W. Grand RiverFlowerville, MI 48836517-223-1302
Indoor/Outdoor Garden Shop105 N. Seymour Rd. Flushing, MI 48433810-867-4351
_________________________
The Grow Shop of Garden City28505 Ford Rd.
Garden City, MI 48135734-956-5400
_________________________
Synthetic Sun Hydroponics, LLC799 S. Wisconsin Ave.
Gaylord, MI 49735989-731-8800
_________________________
Growco Garden Supply1042 Michigan St. NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503877-939-6900
NEW 2nd LOCATION!4640 West River Dr.
Comstock Park, MI 49321 _________________________
Home Grown Hydroponix5333 Plainfield, Suite CGrand Rapids, MI 49525
616-361-2924_________________________
Horizen Hydroponics1614 Leonard St., NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504866-791-1664
_________________________
Grand Rapids Hydroponics Inc.524 Leonard St.Grand Rapids, MI 49504616-454-2500
_________________________
Garden Doctor 2974 28th St. SW
Grandville, MI 49418616-530-2500
_________________________
Holland Hydroponic Outlet 604 N. Beacon Blvd.Grand Haven, MI 49423 616-847-1277
BSS Garden Supplies8899 Peck Rd. Unit #2 Greenville, MI 48838616-225-7000
It is Green Ville Gardens11500 Morgan Mills Rd., NEGreenville, MI 48838616-745-0500
_________________________
Hydroharrys- HP24047 Dequindre Rd.Hazel Park, MI 48030
248-541-0099_________________________
Garden Doctor2974 28th St. SW Grandville, MI 49418 616-530-2500
Absolute Wholesale Garden Supply3255 Highland Rd.Highland, MI 48357248-714-6558
Holland Hydroponic Outlet 587-40 East 8th St. Holland, MI 49423616-298-7395
_________________________
Flower Factory, The2223 East Highland Rd.
Highland, MI 48356248-714-9292
_________________________
Mr. Grow it All6660 Blair Lane Holland, MI 49424616-392-3028
Hydro Grow Room15201 N. Holly Rd., Unit BHolly MI, 48430248-369-8333
Holland Hydroponic Outlet 1220 Phoenix Rd.South Haven, MI 49090269-637-5941
________________________
HGR Garden Supply15231 N. Holly Rd.
Holly, MI 48442248-369-8333
_________________________
J&W Farm & Garden Center10906 Main St. Honor, MI 49640231-325-3433
_________________________
Synthetic Sun Hydroponics, LLC705 S. Loxley
Houghton Lake, MI 48629989-422-2800
_________________________
Hydro Vision1247 E. Grand RiverHowell, MI 48843517-552-4965
Grow Fast Gardens5015 South Straits Hwy.Indian River, MI 49749231-238-4113
Grow Maxx1220 S. Stephenson Ave.Iron Mountain, MI 49801920-447-2211
Hydro Magic595 South Cedar St. Imlay City, MI 48444810-721-7232
Ionia Hydroponics & Indoor Garden Supply2555 N. State(M-66) Rd.Ionia, MI 48846616-523-6111
Hydrocapitol258 Cooper St.Jackson, MI 49201517-795-2633
Mighty Grow2418 West Michigan Ave.Jackson MI 49202517-962-4822
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply1745 West Main St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006269-978-8697
_________________________
Horizen Hydroponics4646 W. Main St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006269-567-3333
_________________________
Kalamazoo Indoor Garden450 W. Maple
Kalamazoo, MI 49001269-344-2550
_________________________
Plainwell Indoor/Outdoor Garden Center8201 Douglas Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49009269-532-1167
Zoo City Grower Supply3514 S. Westnedge Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-903-2450
Halms Hydro2368 S. Huron Rd. Kawkawklin, MI 48631989-402-1296
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply2815 East Grand River Ave.
Lansing, MI 48912 517-580-0555
_________________________
Howz It Growing1290 S. Lapeer Rd.Lake Orion, MI 48360248-693-5747
Capital City Growers2208 E. Michigan Ave.Lansing, MI 48912517-853-9988
_________________________
Horizen Hydroponics5425 W. Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917517-323-ROOT
_________________________
Superior Growers Supply Inc.3928 West Saginaw Hwy.
Lansing, MI 48917517-327-1900
_________________________
H2O Hydroponics5210 W. Saginaw HwyLansing, MI 48917517-703-8120
Edenz Hydro560 Oak St.Lapeer, MI 48446248-291-6691
Howz It Growing700 Main St. Suite 101BLapeer, MI 48446810-245-8687
193Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Two Guys and a Grow Shop11917 E. Lennon Rd. Lennon, MI 48449810-621-3790
_________________________
Superior Growers Supply Inc.292200 Seven Mile West
Livonia, MI 48152248-473-0450
_________________________
The Barefoot Gardener11635 Fulton St. Suite 300B Lowell, MI 49331616-987-3457
Plant Paradise4593 W. US 10 Ludington, MI 49431231-843-3000
Northern Lights Hydroponic & Garden Supply29090 Campbell Rd.Madison Heights, MI 48071248-439-6269
Edenz Hydro1411 West 14 MileMadison Heights, MI 48071248-291-6691
Hypnotic Hydroponics321 Deer St.Manistique, MI 49854906- 341-GROW
BIg Creek Hydroponics555 Old Little Lake Rd.Marquette, MI 49855906-249-5297
Indoor Garden Center236 Mystic Ave.Medford, MA 02155781-874-1693
Sweet Greens Hydroponics113 Fifth St. Michigan Center, MI 49254517-764-9232
Stealth Hydro14630 King Dr.Milan, MI 48160734-961-4333
_________________________
The Grow Shop2609 Telegraph Rd.Monroe, MI 48162
734-384-4769_________________________
Cedar Garden Wholesale132 North Bound GratiotMt. Clements, MI 48043586-738-0030
Green Grow LLC9046 N. Dort Mt. Morris, MI 48458810-687-9500
Indoor Grower’s Edge2410 S. Leaton Suite 5Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858989-317-0944
Sunshine Supply Co. 5800 East Pickard St.Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858989-775-3700
Cedar Garden Wholesale132 North Bound GratiotMt. Clements, MI 48043
586-738-0030 Big Blue Hydroponics590 Ottawa St.Muskegon, MI 49441231-571-9400
Growing Consultant Hydroponics & Things2260 Apple Ave.Muskegon, MI 49442231-773-5600
_________________________
Green Lantern H2O1383 E. Laketon Ave.Muskegon, MI 49442
231-722-0420_________________________
Third Coast Horticulture Supply1965 Holton Rd
Muskegon, MI 49445231-288-1762
_________________________
Harbor Country Hydro17648 US Highway 12 New Buffalo, MI 49117269-469-2242
_________________________
Flo-N-Grow Hydroponics Co.214 North 2nd St.Niles, MI 49120269-683-1877
www.FNGhydro.com_________________________
Aric’s Indoor Garden SupplyW. 8065 US Highway 2
Iron Mountain, MI 49801 906-828-2000
_________________________
HGR Garden Supply200 E. Main St.
Owosso MI 48867989-472-4999
_________________________
Owlyn Solutions for Growers2398 Jolly Rd., Suite 300Okemos, MI 48864517-203-5070
Watch it Grow Hydroponics407 W. Center St. Omer, MI 48749989-653-2141
Happy Harvesters Hydroponics1772 S. Ortonville Dr.Ortonville, MI 48462248-793-3357
Healthy Harvest Garden Supply233 South State St. Oscoda, MI 48750989-569-3006
Hydro Grow Source10609 East LovejoyPerry, MI 48872517-376-8583
Super Grow288 W. MontcalmPontiac, MI 48342248-24SUPER (78737)
Green Earth Hydroponics8127 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002269-342-419
_________________________
Hydro Giant #5290 S. Telegraph
Pontiac, MI 48341248-706-7600
_________________________
Hydroponics Highway Inc.2708 14th Ave.
Port Huron MI, 48060810-982-4769
_________________________
Ultra Green Hydroponics9300 Telegraph Rd.Redford, MI 48239313-534-9377
Hydro Vision66783 Gratiot Ave.Richmond, MI 48062 586-430-1956
Happy Gardening20840 Telegraph Rd. Romulus, MI 48174734-486-4115
_________________________
Growers Edge175 Marcell Dr.
Rockford, MI 49341_________________________
Green Thumb Hydroponics & Organic Indoor Supply
8460 Algoma, Suite GRockford, MI 49341
616-884-5500_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply28000 Groesbeck Hwy.
Roseville, MI 48066586-435-2335
_________________________
Plant Paradise7657 Michigan Ave. Rothbury, MI 49452231-843-3000
GrowMart2137 Warwick St. Saginaw, MI 48603989-799-6330
Home Grown Hydroponics4880 Gratiot Rd., Suite # 2Saginaw, MI 48638989-781-1930
Third Coast Garden Supply LLC2327 Auburn Rd.Shelby Township, MI 48195586-997-2700
_________________________
Superior Growers Supply, Inc. 5716 South Pennsylvania Ave.
South Lansing, MI 48911517-393-1600
________________________
_________________________
Hydro Giant #219363 Eureka Rd.
Southgate, MI 48195734-281-8888
_______________________
Cultivation Station of Michigan Inc., The
23529 Little Mack Ave.St. Clair, MI 48080
586-775-9485_______________________
Horti-Toad Hydroponic Supply21323 HarperSt. Clair Shores, MI 48080586-944-0650
Advanced Hydroponic Growers705 N. US 27 St.Johns, MI 48879989-227-0408
Hydro City LLC34863 Schoenherr Sterling Heights, MI 48312586-883-9075
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply7889 Telegraph Rd.
Taylor, MI 48180313-908-7554
_________________________
Hydro Grow, The8210 Telegraph Rd.Taylor, MI 48180313-633-0641
Cultivation Innovations6652 Lewis Ave. Suite 7Temperance, MI 48182419-725-4769
Great Lakes Green Horticultural Supply757 S. U.S. Highway 131Three Rivers, MI 49093 269-278-130
Grow Depot9 North Main St. Three Rivers, MI 49093269-273-4769
Grow Store, The90 N U.S. Highway 31 SouthTraverse City, MI 49685-7923231-421-5191
_________________________
Cultivation Station1990 US-31 N. Suite C
Traverse City, MI 49686231-421-8118
_________________________
High Tech Garden Supply720 South Garfield Ave.Traverse City, MI 49686
231-668-6913_________________________
Woodland Shore Garden Center956 W. South Airport Rd. Traverse City, MI 49686231-421-5901
Hydro Vision1910 West Rd. Trenton, MI 48183734-301-3745
Hydro Pro’s Indoor Garden45410 Van Dyke Ave. Utica, MI 48317586-803-0966
Forever Green340 S. Main St. Vassar, MI 48768989-882-9177
H2 Hydro702 N. Pontiac Trail Walled Lake, MI 48390248-669-6063
_________________________
Hydroharrys – WL1138 E. West Maple Rd.Walled Lake, MI 48390
248-896-0099_________________________
Beste’s Hydroponics21410 Schoenherr Rd.
Warren, MI 48089586-776-1794
_________________________
Hydro King Indoor Garden Supply32000 Van Dyke Ave.Warren, MI 48093586-939-0518
Greco’s Nursery & Garden Supplies12219 E. 11 Mile Rd.Warren, MI 48093586-759-1335
Indoor Garden Superstore2570 Dixie Hwy.Waterford Twp., MI 48328248-673-2200; 877-22-HYDRO
Happy Harvesters Hydroponics5720 Highland Rd.Waterford, MI 48327248-599-9761
Light Green Water3661 Highland Rd.Waterford, MI 48329248-681-0001
Bubonic Hydroponics38540 Michigan Ave.Wayne MI, 48184734-331-2316
_________________________
Hydrospot34236 Michigan Ave.
Wayne, MI 48184734-722-1285
_________________________
B&B Hydro Supply28974 Warren Rd.Westland, MI 48185734-469-280
Ultra Green Hydroponics8067 N. Wayne Rd.Westland, MI 48185734-425-1000
G.C. II1006 E. Colby St., Suite AWhitehall, MI 49417231-893-2400
_________________________
Indoor Eden9281 East-M 36
Whitmore, MI 48189810-355-1465
_________________________
194 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
AAA Hydroponics LLC22 50th St.Wyoming, MI 49504616-249-8338
_________________________
Cultivation Station – Grand Rapids, The
4907 S. Division Ave. Wyoming, MI 49548
616-855-4440_________________________
Stealth Hydro15 E. Cross St.
Ypsilanti, MI 48198866-998-1916
_________________________
The Grow Stop7380 Highland Rd.
Waterford, MI 48327248-599-9231
_________________________
MINNESOTADuluth Hydroponics26 W 1st St.Duluth, MN 55802218-341-7253
The Interior Tomato, LLC519 N. Central Ave.Duluth, MN 55087218-260-5167
_________________________
Indoor Gardening10 NE 3rd St.
Faribault, MN 55021507-209-1546
_________________________
Brew and Grow8302 Highway 65 NE.Minneapolis, MN 55432763-780-8191
Interior Gardens115 -1620 Central Ave. NEMinneapolis, MN 55413800-498-4178; 612-870-9077
_________________________
Midwest Hydroponics5825 Excelsior Blvd.
St. Louis Park, MN 55416888-449-2739
_________________________
Eden Indoor Organic Gardens831 Highway 75 N.Moorhead, MN 56560218-477-EDEN (3336)
_________________________
American Garden Supply601-6th Ave. N.
Princeton, MN 55371763-631-0543
_________________________
Still-H2O Inc.14375 North 60th St.Stillwater, MN 55082651-351-2822
Eco Garden Supply800 Transfer Door 25 in rearSt. Paul, MN 55114651-647-1896
MISSISSIPPIUrban Organics2217 E Canal St.Picayune, MS 39466504-352-4709
MISSOURIVersaponics LTD879 South Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63703573-450-5401_________________________
Heartland Hydrogardens705 Vandiver Dr., Suite G
Columbia, MO 65202573-474-4769
_________________________
Grow Your Own Hydroponics3617 Saint John Ave.Kansas City, MO 64123816-241-2122
_________________________
Grower’s Edge175 Marcell Dr.
Rockford, MI 49341_________________________
U-Grow1724 North, 13th St.St. Louis, MO 63106314-452-6368
_________________________
Worm’s Way Missouri1225 North Warson Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63132800-285-9676
_________________________
Green Thumb Organics249 Mid Rivers Mall Dr.St. Peters, MO 63376
636-397-4769 (GROW)_________________________
MONTANAHeightened Harvests3103 Harrison Ave.Butte, MT 59701406-494-4222
One World – Life Products906 BroadwaterBillings, MT 59101406-839-9969
Heightened Harvest1415 S 32nd St. WestBillings, MT 59102406-656-1156
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Butteopia127 Main St.
Butte, Montana 597011-406-782-8476
_________________________
Alpengrow Nursery Supplies238 Highway 93 S.Eureka, MT 59917406-882-4496
Montana Grow Hydro2501B Vaughn Rd.Great Falls, MT 59400406-788-1549
Big Sky Garden Supply528 West Idaho Kallispell, MT 59901 406-755-1465
Box of Rain INC860 North Meridian Rd., Suite B #19&20 Kalispell, MT 59901406-755-RAIN (7246)
Cornucopia Grow Your Own127 Stoner Creek Rd.Lakeside, MT 59922406-709-1076
Dr. Green Thumbs1106 West ParkLivingston, MO 59047406-222-7440
Bizzy Beez LLP5785 Highway 93 SouthWhitefish, MT 59937406-863-9937
NEBRASKABodhi Organic Garden Supply1438 S1 St., Suite 6Lincoln, NE 68502 402-438-6785
Patio-Ponics3255 Cornhusker Hwy., Suite 4Lincoln, NE 68504402-466-9218
________________________
Paradigm Gardens8949 J St., Suite 5Omaha, NE 68127
402-339-4949_________________________
NEVADACarson Valley Hydroponics2520 Empire Ranch Rd.Carson City, NV 89701775-884-4769
Lorraine Indoor Gardens290 Spear CourtFernley, NV 89408775-575-7757
Hydro Store, The1014 W. Sunset Rd.Henderson, NV 89014702-434-7365
AAA Indoor Organic Garden SuperCenter2101 S. Decatur Blvd. #21Las Vegas, NV 89102702-450-4769
Advanced Gardens Hydroponics7850 Dean Martin Dr., Suite 506Las Vegas, NV 89139702-247-4769
All American Hydroponics2675 East Patrick Lane, Unit 8Las Vegas, NV 89120702-894-9888
Best Hydroponic Supply6818 W CheyenneLas Vegas, NV 89108702-750-9300
Grow Hydro Gardens5870 S. Decatur, Suite 11Las Vegas, NV 89148702-997-7053; Toll Free 866-568-4769
Hydro Store, The7145 W. Ann Rd.Las Vegas, NV 89130702-434-9376
Nevada Hydroponics4700B Maryland, Suite 1Las Vegas, NV 89119702-798-2852
Anything Grows190 West Moana LaneReno, NV 89509775-828-1460
Everything Green HydroponicsBox 34869Reno, Nevada 89533
The Hydro Store 121 Woodland Ave #160Reno, NV 89523775-787-2760
NEw HAMPSHIREThe Beez Kneez Garden Supply180 Emerald St.Keene, NH 03431603-903-1488
Greenlife Garden Supply 885 Second St.Manchester, NH 03102603-782-8259
_________________________
Hydro101545 Hooksett Rd. #24Manchester, NH 03104
603-782-8894_________________________
Natural Roots Hydroponics24 Crown St. Nashua, NH 03060 603-204-5528
Four Seasons Horticulture Supply2076 White Mountain Hwy.North Conway, NH 03860603-733-5444
NEw JERSEYGarden State Hydroponics511 Avenel St.Avenel, NJ 07001888-300-8711
Boyer Indoor Gardening57 Crescent Blvd.Gloucester City, NJ 08030856-456-5000
Bergen County Hydroponics70 Essex St.Hackensack, NJ 07601201-342-2001
Garden Indoors of New Jersey600 Meadowlands Pkwy., Suite 25Secaucus, NJ 07094201-865-1616
East Coast Horticultural Supply1652 Hurffville Rd.Sewell, NJ 08080856-228-5290
77HYDRO37 Fairfield Pl.West Caldwell, NJ 07006877-774-9376
Claraqua4 Redwood CourtWest Windsor, NJ 08550
NEw MEXICO_________________________
AHL Year Round Garden Supply1051 San Mateo Blvd. S.Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-255-3677_________________________
_________________________
All Seasons Gardening3600 Osuna Rd., Suite 406 Alburquerque, NM 87109
505-508-4292_________________________
Common Shaman1319 San Mateo N.E.Albuquerque, NM 87110505-255-6463
Heavy’s Grow Supply1325 San Mateo Blvd. NE.Albuquerque, NM 87110505-315-4573
Dr. Green Hydroponics129 E. Idaho Ave.Las Cruces, NM 88005575-524-6751
_________________________
All Seasons Gardening1228 Parkway, Suite E.
Sante Fe, NM 87507 505-438-GROW
_________________________
Santa Fe Hydroponics851 W. San Mateo Rd., Suite 4Santa Fe, NM 87505505-467-8454
New Mexico Hydroponics923 W. AlmeadaSanta Fe, NM 87501505-316-5855
Taos Gardening Supply120 BerthaTaos, NM 87571575-758-9131
NEw YORKOrganica: Garden Supply & Hydroponics296 Delaware Ave.Albany, NY 12209518-618-7666
The Grow Room32-32 49th St.Astoria, NY 11103718-218-GROW (4769)
Saratoga Organics & Hydroponic Supply19 Front St.Ballston Spa, NY 12020518-885-2005; 800-850-4769
The Grape Vine4020 Hempstead TurnpikeBethpage, NY 11714516-731-1100
Bronx Hydro & Garden39 Bruckner Blvd.Bronx, NY 10454718-993-3787
Bklyn Hydro & Garden316 McGuiness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222718-383-0095
Brooklyn Farms51 Hicks St.Brooklyn, NY 11231347-725-3491
Indoor Outdoor Gardener8223 5th Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11209718-836-2402
Buffalo Roots Hydroponics and Organics3231 Main St.Buffalo, NY 14214716-240-9075
Hydroponics of Buffalo1497 Hertel Ave.Buffalo, NY 14216716-838-3545
Harvest Moon Hydroponics340 West at 59Central Nyack, NY 10960
195Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
California Hydroponics27 Corporate CircleEast Syracuse, NY 13057315-432-9387
Upstate Hydroponics2026 Lake Rd., Unit BElmira, NY 14903607-483-9199
_________________________
FutureGarden Inc.59 Central Ave.
Farmingdale, NY 11735516-420-0884
_________________________
Sunflower Supplies, LLC176-18 Central Ave.Farmingdale, NY 11735631-651-8281
East Coast Hydroponics14649 Horace Harding Exp.Flushing, NY 11367718-762-8880
Healthy Harvest Organics & Hydro163 BroadwayFort Edwart, NY 12828518-480-4698
Saratoga Organics & Hydroponic Supply10 Saratoga Ave.S. Glen Falls, NY 12803518-798-820
Hydroponic Shops of America2568 Western Ave.Guilderland, NY 12009518-355-1503
Hydroponic Shops of America720 Willow Ave.Ithaca, NY 14850607-697-0199
Greentree Garden Supply606 Elmira Rd.Ithaca, NY 14850607-272-3666
Mike’s Nursery & Grower Supplies199 E. Fairmount Ave.Lakewood, NY 14750716-763-1612
Harvest Moon Hydroponics217 Route 32 N.New Paltz, NY 12561845-255-3633
_________________________
The Green Box495 9th Ave.NY, NY 10018212-967-4777
thegreenboxhydro.com_________________________
Sunlight Solutions Hydroponics2045 Niagara Falls Blvd., Suite 13Niagara Falls, NY 14304888-GROWBOX
Crossroads Hydroponics and Organics181 South Plank Rd. (Route 52)Newburgh, NY 12550845-561-4769
KG Garden Supply4575 Commercial Dr.New Hartford, NY 13413877-KG-HYDRO
The Grow Room 8 Bridge St.Nyack, NY 10960800-449-9630
Revolution Hydroponics309 West State St.Olean, NY 14760716-373-GROW (4769)
Mor Gro Hydroponics5680 State Route 104 EOswego, NY 13126315-877-8725
Environmental Gardens8 John Walsh Blvd., Suite 310Peekskills, NY 10566800-254-0507; 914-736-6676
Harvest Moon HydroponicsHenrietta Townline Plaza 3047 West Henrietta Rd.Rochester, NY 14623716-865-7353
________________________
Hydro Garden Center1069B Lyell Ave.
Rochester, NY 146061-800-277-1322
________________________
Sunset Hydroponics & Home Brewing1590 West Ridge Rd.Rochester, NY 14615866-395-9204
Hydroponic Garden Centers Inc146 49 Horace Harding Exp.Rushing, NY 11367718-762-8880
LiquidSun of New York1702 Fiero Ave.Rotterdam, NY 12150518-952-4654
Hydroponics Shops of America2606 Erie Blvd.Syracuse, NY 13224315-251-2516
_________________________
Green Zone Hydroponics2148 Niagara Falls Blvd.Tonawanda, NY. 14150
716-693-9663_________________________
Green Zone Hydroponics2928 Southwestern Blvd.Orchard Park, NY 14127716-677-9663_________________________
Harvest Moon Hydroponics147 Fourth St.Troy, NY 10960
Follow The Sun1185 B Yonkers Ave.Yonkers, NY 10704914-237-2760
NORTH CAROLINAAdvanced Hydroponic Garden55 Shiloh Rd. #6Asheville, NC 288031-828-277-3488
Fifth Season Gardening Company21 B Westside Dr. Asheville, NC 28806828-225-5007
Fifth Season Gardening Company45 Banks Ave.Asheville, NC 28801828-253-4112
Fifth Season Gardening Company106 South Greensboro St.Carrboro, NC 27510919-932-7600
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BWGS-NC4045 Perimeter West Dr., Suite 400
Charlotte, NC 28214800-316-1306
________________________
________________________
High Tech Garden Supply2712 B Freedom Dr.Charlotte, NC 28208
704-697-0911________________________
Flow & Grow Hydroponics & Organic Garden Center4521 Cumberland Rd.Fayetteville, NC 28306910-423-FLOW (3569)
Hydro Garden Zone2222 Patterson St. Suite #1Green Grove NC 27407336-854-0788
Fifth Season Gardening Company1616 D-3 Battleground Ave.Greensboro, NC 27408336-271-3373
Good Harvest Garden Center 629 Oakridge Farm Hwy.Mooresville, NC 28115704-658-9136
Fifth Season Gardening Company5619-A Hillsborough St.Raleigh, NC 27606919-852-4747
New Age Gardens2236A US Highway 70Swannanoa, NC 28778828-299-9989
Progressive Gardens6005 Oleander Dr.Wilmington, NC 28403910-395-1156
LiquidSun East12 Bay St., Unit 105Wilmington, MA 01887978-447-5442
OHIOAkron Garden Center434 W Wilbeth Rd.Akron, OH 44314330-724-2700
Summit Hydroponics1030 Kenmore Blvd. Akron, OH 44314-2114330-753-5222
Hydro House of Ohio2234 South Union Ave.Alliance, OH 44601330-680-4014
_________________________
Purely Hydroponic, LLC1507 Lear Industrial Pkwy.
Avon, OH 44011866-787-5060
_________________________
Campbells Indoor Gardening Supplies1721 Greenville Rd.Bristolville, OH 44402330-889-0049
Magic Home Gardens209 Cemetery Rd.Canal Winchester, OH 43110614-837-2440
Dumont Seed Co. 619 30th St. N.W.Canton, OH 44709330-492-0204
_________________________
Dayton Hydroponics4920 Provident Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45246513-942-7111
_________________________
Eastside Hydroponics834 Ohio Pike #318Cincinnati, OH 45245513-528-4769
_________________________
The Bubbling Bucket11156 Kenwood Rd.Cincinnati, OH 45242
513-469-2825
_________________________
Kissed by the Sun Hydroponic10740 Reading Rd.Cincinnati, OH 45241513-769-0159
Cleveland Garden Center Inc.727 East 185th St.Cleveland, OH 44119216-481-7868
Grow Wizard, The5700 Denison Avenue,Cleveland, OH 44102216-961-2500
Herb-N-Garden Center14901 Puritas Ave.Cleveland, OH 44135216-252-2001
Garden Indoors of Ohio4720 Indianola Ave.Columbus, OH 43214800-833-6868
Magic Home Garden4538 Indianola Ave.Columbus, OH 43214614-263-2440
Miami Valley Hydro8220 N. Dixie Dr.Dayton, OH 45414937-280-4468
_________________________
Dayton Hydroponics3856 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.
Dayton, OH 45449937-859-3999
_________________________
USA Hydrogarden542 Griswold Rd.Elyria, OH 44035
440-324-4769_________________________
Garden Connections3341 Centerpoint Dr.Grove City, OH 43123614-871-0707
Advanced Hydrorganics Indoor Garden Center5204 Darrow Rd.Hudson, OH 44236234-380-1287
Sweet Greens5540 Brecksville Rd.Independence, OH 44131800-421-7084
_________________________
Hydro Gardens Wholesale1144 N Memorial Dr. Lancaster, OH 43130
855-210-5599_________________________
Carefree Garden Center134 West Dr.Lodi, OH 44254330-302-4203
CropKing134 West Dr.Lodi, OH 44254330-302-4203
USA Hydrogarden7450 Industrial Pkwy., Suite ALorain, OH 44053440-282-4880
The Grow Shop165 Davids St. Marion, OH 43302740-223-7467
_________________________
Urban Gardens671 E. Center St.
Marion, OH 43302740-375-2800
_________________________
Top Garden Products8600 East Ave., Suite CMentor, OH 44060440-290-8773
Green Garden Indoor Garden Center1664 North Main St.N. Canton, OH 44720330-494-1234
_________________________
Gardening-Indoor5851 Youngstown-Warren Rd.
Niles, OH 44446 USA330-932-1023
_________________________
Pet Finatics LLC3150 Navarre Ave., Suite AOregon, OH 43616
USA Hydrogarden542 Griswold Rd.Elyria, OH 44035440-324-4769
Indoor Gardens1222 Hill Rd., N.Pickerington, OH 43147614-866-6065
_________________________
USA Hydrogarden - West11001 Route 250 Suite B9
Milin, OH 44846419-499-0480
________________________
Trinity Hydro Organics465 Woodman Dr.
Riverside, OH 45431937-252-GROW
_________________________
USA Hydrogarden - West11001 Route 250 Suite B9Milin, OH 44846419-499-0480
Hot Hydro ®855 S. Holland-Sylvania Rd. #2Toledo, OH 43615419-866-1266
Organic Garden Center5215 Monroe St.Toledo, OH 43623419-517-8110
Toledo Hydroponics Ltd.855 S. Holland-Sylvania Rd., Suite 2Toledo, OH 43615877-893-0716
_________________________
Plant Lighting Hydroponics2201-A Pinnacle Parkway
Twinsburg, OH 44087888-258-0670
_________________________
Greenleaf Hydroponics1805 Elm Rd.Warren, OH 44483330-372-1039
196 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Dayton Hydroponics3856 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. West Carrolton, OH 45449937-859-3999
_________________________
Gardening-Indoor9215 Market St.
Youngstown (North Lima), OH 44452330-758-0272
_________________________
Indoor Garden Worx304 West Monroe St.Zanesville, OH 43701866-900-9679
OKLAHOMATulsa County Hydro-Organics1928 W. AlbanyBroken Arrow, OK 74012918-259-HYDRO
AAAAHA! Hydroponics UnlimitedP.O. Box 74Oakhurst, OK 74050
Organics OKC Garden Supply2800 N Pennsylvania Ave.Oklahoma City, OK 73107405-528-GROW
The OKC Urban Gardener3711 N. Western Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118405-521-9300
Urban Garden3141 E. 15th St.Tulsa, OK 74104918-289-0018
The Mad Farmer Tulsa LLC11630 E. 51stTulsa, OK 74146918-615-3735
OREGONIndoor Hydroponic Garden & Lights5990 SW 185th Ave. Aloha, OR 97006503-848-3335
Astoria Indoor Garden Supply1343 Duane St., Unit CAstoria OR 97103503-468-0606
_________________________
Aqua Serene465 Applegate Way,Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-7600_________________________
Rogue Silicates Inc. POB 21Azalea, OR 97410541-837-8590
American Agriculture9966 SW. Arctic Dr.Beaverton, OR 97005503-641-3500
_________________________
B.I.G.S.35 NW Bond
Bend, OR 97701541-385-5222
_________________________
Northern Light & Garden9290 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. Beaverton, OR 97005503-297-7331
Westcoast Organic & Hydroponic Supply12410 SE 282nd Ave., Unit CBoring, OR 97009503-512-7710
The Good Earth Organics30088 Redwood Hwy.Cave Junction, OR 97523541-592-4496
Anthony’s Garden & Light Supply93779 B Troy LaneCoos Bay, OR 97420541-266-8822
Corvallis Hydroponics & Organics5490 SW Philomath Blvd.Corvallis, OR 97333541-738-2820
Emerald Valley Gardens Inc.88680 McVay Hwy. Corvallis, OR 97405541-636-3763
_________________________
Aqua Serene2836 W. 11th Ave.Eugene, OR 97402
541-302-9073_________________________
Aurora InnovationsPO Box 22041
Eugene, OR 97402866-376-8578
_________________________
Vital Organics Northwest457 River Ave.Eugene, OR 97404541-688-0028
Oregon’s Constant Gardener2385 West 11thEugene, OR 97402541-636-4220
Advanced Indoor Gardens17831 S.E. 82nd Dr. Gladstone, OR 97027503-305-6341
Northern Light & Garden1203 Rogue River Hwy.Grants Pass, OR 97527541-474-1700
Paradise Supply LLC560 N.E. “F” St., Unit CGrand Pass, OR 97526541-955-7293
Redwood Nursery1303 Redwood Ave.Grants Pass, OR 97527541-474-2642
Vital Organix932-B S.E. “M” St.Grants Pass, OR 97526541-226-9283
_________________________
Healthy Harvest Indoor GardenSuite #1, 1635 S.E. Tualatin Valley Hwy.
Hillsboro, OR 97123 503-640-0995
_________________________
Gorge Garden Center1203 12th St., Suite HHood River, OR 97031541-386-4769
_________________________
In & Out Gardens 93484 Hwy 99 South
Junctin City, OR 97448 541-234-2342
_________________________
Basin Indoor Gardening417 N. Spring St.Klamath Falls, OR 97601541-273-2023
Just the Tip Gardening631 Main St.Lebanon, OR 97355541-258-3234
Green Zone Garden Center & Hydroponic Supplies1845 S.W. Hwy. 101 Suite 3Lincoln, OR 97367 541-994-7070
Green Thumb Hydrogarden & Organic Supply2021 West Main St.Medford, OR 97501541-779-8600
Growing Crazy (Hooked On Hydroponics)817 W. 2nd St.Medford, OR 97501
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In & Out Gardens1574 Skypark Dr.
Medford, OR 97501541-858-3333
_________________________
Ladybug Indoor Gardens3960 W. Main St.Medford, OR 97501541-618-4459
Advanced Organics & Garden Supply290- B Merlin Ave.Merlin, OR 97532541-659-1466
_________________________
Wizard’s Garden, LLC621 Spruce St., Unit C
Myrtle Point, OR 97458541-572-2333
_________________________
Green Zone Garden Center & Hydroponic Supplies454 S.W. Coast Hwy. Newport, OR 97365 541-265-8252
_________________________
Gorilla Garden Supply2011 Union Ave
North Bend, OR 97459541-756-5005
_________________________
Green Garden Indoor Garden Center1664 North Main St.N. Canton, OH 44720330-494-1234
Indoor Garden Depot3260 SE Oak Grove Blvd.Oak Grove, OR 97267-1421503-786-2445
All About Hydroponics633 Claude Rd.Ontario, OR 98914 208-731-9823
Phoenix Organics4543 S. Pacific HighwayPhoenix, OR 97535541-535-1134
American Agriculture9220 SE Stark St.Portland, OR 97216800-433-6805
Evergreen Garden Supply8830 N.E. Sandy Blvd. Unit CPortland, OR 97220503-408-6635
Bloom Garden Supply518 N.E. 20th Ave.Portland, OR 97232971-255-1336
Everybody’s Garden Center2701 S.E. 14th Ave.Portland, OR 97202800-669-5483
Evergreen Garden Supply3393 SE 21st Ave.Portland, OR 97055503-206-5670
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BWGS-OR18201 N.E. Portal Way, Suite 104
Portland, OR 97230888-316-1306
_________________________
Cascade Horticulture19959 E. BurnsidePortland, OR 97233503-661-1700
Garden Spout, The4532 South East 63rd Ave.Portland, OR 97206503-788-4769
Indoor Hydroponic Garden & Lights1409 S.E. 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97216503-445-2250
Jantzen Beach Hydroponics909 N. Tomahawk Island Dr., Suite 103 Portland, OR 97217503-546-3185
Lights Distributing9843 S.W. 55th Ave.Portland, OR 97219
Rain or Shine13126 N.E. Airport WayPortland, OR 97230503-255-1981
Roots Garden Supply5426 North Gay Ave.Portland, OR 97217503-285-4768
Urban Flora2865 South EastPortland, OR 97214503-236-3344
BIGS Warehouse2606 S.W. 4th St., Unit BRedmond, OR 97756541-504-8886
Indoor Garden Supply536 S.W. 6th St. (rear alley) Redmond, OR 97756 541-504-7750
DC Hydroponics & Organics7275 Green Siding Rd. Roseburg, OR 97471 541-679-3700
Roseburg Hydroponics853 SE Stephens St. Roseburg, OR 97470 541-229-1420
Indoor Garden Center1697 SE 25th St. Salem, OR 97302 503-566-7888
Northern Light & Garden Salem1915 Lancester Dr.Salem, OR 97305503-364-4769
Moonshine Park Farm135 South East 62nd, Unit FSouth Beach, OR 97366541-444-2298
Oregon’s Constant Gardener2053 Laura St.Springfield, OR 97477541-747-8170
Rogue Farmers1007 S. Pacific Hwy. Talent, OR 97540 541-512-4600
Samurai Greenhouse Supply32067 Old Hwy. 34Tanget, OR 97389541-928-3431
Grow America Garden Supply LLC11511 S.W. Pacific HighwayTigard, OR 97223503-841-6868
Portland Hydroponics & Organics11564 S.W. Pacific HighwayTigard, OR 97223503-746-4303
Pharmer Hydroponics11135 S.W. Industrial Way, Bldg 10-4Tualatin, OR 97062503-486-5751
Grow Big Inc.16572 SE 362nd Dr.Sandy, OR 97055503-826-8277
Greener Side of Life623 West Centennial Blvd.Springfield, OR 97477541-636-3552
Splatt Hydroponics23842 NE Halsey St., Suite B Wood Village, OR 97060-1002503-912-0231
PENNSYLVANIAPocono Hydroponic Solutions25 Route 611Bartonsville, PA 18321570-730-4544
Green Solutions Hydroponics1700 Orange St.Berwick, PA 18603570-752-1530
Garden Indoors of Pennsylvania208 Route 13Bristol, PA 19007800-227-4567
422 GROW1775 North Main St. Ext.Butler, PA 16001-1327724-561-3777
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High Tech Garden Supply20232 Route 19, Unit 6
Cranberry Twp., PA 16066724-473-1113
________________________
Hydrofarm East270 Canal Rd.Fairless Hills, PA 19030888-780-4567
Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh830 Route 119Greensburg, PA 15601724-836-1118
Buds to Blooms Garden and Supply Co., LLC509 Orchard Ave.Kennett Square, PA 19348610-388-0100
_________________________
The Companion Plant 363 E. Main St.
Kutztown, PA 19530610-683-9676
_________________________
The Companion Plant 363 E. Main St.Kutztown, PA 19530610-683-9676
FlairformPO 1417Lansdale, PA 19446215-395-6353
________________________
RH DistributionPO 1417, Lansdale, PA 19446
888-545-8112_________________________
Esbenshades Greenhouses546A E. 28th Div HwyLititz, PA 17543717-626-7007
197Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Esbenshades Greenhouses546A E. 28th Div HwyLititz, PA 17543717-626-7007
Hydro Ponics of Harrisburg310 S. 10th St. Lemoyne, PA 17043877-684-3808
Always Green Garden Supply4400 Old William Penn Hwy., Suite 106Monroeville, PA 15146412-646-1243
New Stanton Hydro150 Post Ave.New Stanton, PA 15672724-635-0297
Full Bloom Hydroponics84 South 24th St.Pittsburgh, PA 15203888-872-3602
_________________________
Gardening-Indoor20550 Rt. #19 Cranberry Twp.
Pitsburgh, PA 16066724-591-8086
_________________________
Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh2008 Smallman St.Pittsburgh, PA 15222412-232-7030
Healthy Gardens and Supply1008 Lincoln Avenue,Prospect Park, PA 19076866-32-HYDRO
Northeast Hydroponics & Homebrewing221 Scranton Carbondale Hwy.Scranton, PA 18508570-209-7924
Full Time Garden Supply1011 Ritner Hwy.Shippensburg, PA 17257717-477-0350
Home Hydroponics of Pittsburgh9 N. Main St.Washington, PA 15301724-222-0200
Western Pennsylvania Innovative Gardening1177 Pittsburgh Rd., Suite 103Valencia, PA 16059724-903-0800
Organic Garden Center1307 Park Ave.Williamsport, PA 17701570-322-3120_________________________
National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply
450 Grim Lane York, PA 17406
877-779-7111(Northeast)_________________________
PA Hydroponics & Home Gardening Supply20 Quaker Church Rd.York Springs, PA 17372717-528-4175
RHODE ISLANDOakworld Garden Center39 West St.Barrington, RI 02806401-245-5705
Solar Seed Hydroponics, Inc.2406 Putman PikeChepachet, RI 02814 401-710-9010
Organically Grown768 Atwood Ave.Cranston, RI 02920401-944-0549
GrowRI184 Admiral Kalbfus Rd.Newport, RI 02840401-619-0776
Hydro-Earth1243 Mineral Springs Ave.North Providence, RI 02904401-305-5520
The Organic Grow Hut375 Putnam Pike, Suite 13 Smithfield, RI 02828401-349-4141
_________________________
Good To Grow51 Old Tower Hill Rd.Wakefield, RI 02879
401-783-1733_________________________
Grow With Us709 Warwick Ave.Warwick, RI 02888401-270-6998
Mother Nature Hydroponics1268 Post Rd.Warwick, RI 02888401-780-0600
Live to Grow719 Bald Hill Rd.Warwick, Rl 02886401-615-5122
GrowRI105 Franklin St., Unit # 38Westerly, RI 02891401-596-0904
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Good To Grow34 Nooseneck Hill Rd.
West Greenwich, RI 02817401-392-3100
_________________________
Growin’ Crazy93 Kingston Rd.Wyoming, RI 02898401-284-0810
SOUTH CAROLINAGreenSpirit Hydrogarden1864 Meeting St.Charleston, SC 29405843-225-1GRO
Skyes the Limit455 B Fleming Rd.Charleston, SC 29412843-566-2121
247 Garden Supply535 D Clemson Rd.Columbia, SC 29229803-788-4445
The Urban Garden Hydroponics9557 Two Notch Rd., Suite EColumbia, SC 29223803-788-9313_________________________
All Seasons Indoor & Outdoor Supplies
1350 Hwy. 501 Business, Store 3&4Conway, SC 29526
843-347-9266_________________________
Green Thumb Unique Gardening & More1230 Rutherford Rd.Greenville, SC 29609864-271-8830
SOUTH DAKOTA_________________________
Green Earth Products Inc.5700 Highway 79 S., Unit 1
Rapid City, SD 57702605-342-1307
_________________________
TENNESSEEInnovative Hydroponic Supply Inc.3286 North Park Blvd., Unit G Alcoa, TN 37701865-984-0280
_________________________
Atlantis Hydroponics1800 Rossville Avenue, #3
Chattanooga, TN 37408423-752-5400
_________________________
Advanced Hydroponic Garden783 French Mill Rd.Dandridge, TN 37725800-521-1643
Perpetual Harvest75 Riverport Dr.Jackson, TN 38301877-422-3391
Advanced Hydroponic Garden6912 Clinton Hiwy.Knoxville, TN 37921866-938-3318
Grow Green Garden Shop3625 Fairmont Blvd.Knoxville, TN 37917865-249-8259
Sun City Hydroponics2235 Whitten Rd., Suite 104Memphis, TN 38133901-372-8100
_________________________
National Garden Wholesale/Sunlight Supply
126 Belinda ParkwayMt. Juliet, TN 37122
888-265-9005_______________________
All Seasons Gardening and Brewing Supply Co.924 8th Ave. S.Nashville, TN 37203800-790-2188
_________________________
Worm’s Way Tennessee901 Main St.
Nashville, TN 37072 800-397-4153
_________________________
TEXASAbundant Harvest Hydroponics & Organics3101 Ave. E.Arlington, TX 76011817-649-0100
Brite Ideas Hydroponics & Organics4201 South Congress Ave., Suite 310Austin, TX 78745512-444-2100
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Central Austin)5605 Burnet Rd.Austin, TX 78756512-459-4769
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (South Austin)2125-A Goodrich Ave.Austin, TX 78704512-440-4769
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Deep Ellum)2715 Main St. Dallas, TX 75226 214-745-4769
Third Coast Horticulture Supplies 2715 Main St.Dallas, TX 75226512-459-4353
Jolly Green Hydroponics (Greenhouse Horticultural Supplies)13628 Neutron Rd.Dallas, TX 75244866-WE-JOLLY; 469-341-5555
Lone Star Hydroponics & Organics1302 Motor CircleDallas, TX 75207 214-634-9376
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Dallas)2606 Manana Dr.Dallas, TX 75220214-744-4769
Earth Organics1360 Lee Trevino Dr., Suite 105El Paso, TX 79936915-591-9500
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Ft. Worth)2501 Airport Frwy. Ft. Worth, TX 76111817-834-4769
Hydrofarm Central950 Ave. S.Grand Prairie, TX 75050-1133800-634-9999
Botani Garden15120 Bellaire Blvd.Houston, TX 77083281-575-1999
Houston Discount Hydroponics9380 Richmond Ave.Houston, TX 77063713-464-9406
Hydroponic Nation9001 Frey Rd.Houston, TX 77034713-943-1115
Progressive Garden3582 W T.C. Jester Blvd.Houston, TX 77018713-681-7764
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (Houston)2420 Rusk St,.Houston, TX 77003713-641-4769
Ultimate Hydroponic Garden Supply6125 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. N. #206Houston, TX 77041713-856-8425
Texas Growers Supply5990 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. E. #602Humble, TX 77396281-441-3739
Brite Ideas Hydroponics & Organics5121 Crest Way Dr., Suite 203San Antonio, TX 78239210-248-9309
HydroShack 1138 W. 20th St.Houston, TX 77008713-292-1921
Hydro Mart3841 Main St.Rowlett, TX 75088972-475-6114
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (San Antonio)3412 Copeland San Antonio, TX 78219210-226-4769
Texas Hydroponics & Organics (San Antonio West)6729 Bandera Rd. San Antonio, TX 78238210-684-4769
Innergrow Hydroponics24451 Interstate Hwy. 20Wills Point, TX 75169866-475-4769
UTAHWasatch Hydroponics4050 South Howick, Suite 11ESalt Lake City, UT 84107801-716-4133
VERMONTGreenthumb - Vermont394 Route 15Jericho, VT 05465 802-899-4323
Peak Hydroponic Garden Supplies20 School St.Plainfield, VT 05667802-454-8000
LiquidSun® VT1 Bellows Falls Rd. (Route 5 North)Putney, VT 05158802-387-1100
Green Thumb GardeningP.O. Box 235, Route 15Underhill, VT 5489800-564-9376
VIRGINIAFifth Season Gardening Co.900 Preston Ave. Charlottesville, VA 22903434-293-2332
Clean & Green Technologies196 Corning Dr.Christiansburg, VA 24073866-694-1628
Maryland Hydroponics1061 West Broad St.Falls Church, VA866-324-9376
Lucky Roots612 North Sheppard St.Richmond, VA 23221804-377-3020
Blue Ridge Hydroponics & Home Brewing Company5327 D Williamson Rd.Roanoke, VA 24012540-265-2483
Inside-Out Garden Supply6517 Backlick Rd.Springfield, VA 22150703-451-3259
I Love Hydroponics368 Newtown Rd. #105Virginia Beach, VA 23462757-490-5425
Hydroponics & Growlights13400 Occoquan Rd.Woodbridge, VA 22191703-490-0700
wEST VIRGINIAPanhandle Hydroculture800 East Moler Ave.Martinsburg, WV 25401304-240-7587
Mountaineer Gardening and Hydroponics258 Kingwood St.Morgantown, WV 26505304-290-2460
Almost Heaven Hydroponics3476 University Ave.Morgantown, WV 26505304-598-5911
wASHINGTONAJ’s Indoor Gardening1317 Summit St.Aberdeen, WA 98520360-533-1170
198 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
_________________________
Island Horticulture Supply 8608 S March Point Rd.Anacortes, WA 98221
360-293-0000_________________________
Mike’s Indoor Garden Supply6121 172nd St. N.E. #AArlington, WA 98223360-474-1900
_________________________
Pro Grow Horticulture Supplies3411 169th Pl. N.E. Suite C
Arlington, WA 98223360-925-6358
_________________________
Belfair Garden & Lighting24090 N.E. State Route 3 #FBelfair, WA 98528360-275-2130
Green Gardens Distributing12738 Bel-Red Rd.Bellevue, WA 98005425-454-5731
In Bloom2119 Lincoln St.Bellingham, WA 98225360-778-1668
Northern Lights Gardening4159 Hannegan Rd.Bellingham, WA 98225360-715-8585
_________________________
North West Hydro Supply5659 Guide Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98226
360-778-3254_________________________
Liquid Sunshine Hydroponics5087 Lincoln Rd.Blaine, WA 98230
Kitsap Garden & Lighting2130 6th St.Bremerton, WA 98312360-377-1277
M & R LightingUnit C 22914 Hwy 410Buckley, WA 98390360-707-5999
________________________
Island Horticulture Supply 1500 Port Dr.
Burlington, WA 98233360-707-5999
_________________________
Indoor Tropics5930 Sunburst Lane #B
Cashmere, WA 98815 509-470-7782
_________________________
Indoor Gardening111 W. Main
Centralia, WA 98531360-807-4259
_________________________
Grow Center, The615 South FirDeerPark, WA 99006509-276-GROWCascadia Garden Supply188 A St.Eastsound, WA 98245360-376-6040
_________________________
Indoor Tropics801 N. Prospect
Ellensburg, WA 98926509-933-4441
_________________________
Healthy Grow Indoor Garden Supplies10 S.E. Everett Mall Way, Suite BEverett, WA 98208425-374-2227
Indoor Garden Depot8630 Evergreen Way, Suite BEverett, WA 98208425-347-0700
Indoor Garden Depot1401 S. 324th Street,Federal Way, WA 98003253-874-1112
Fife Indoor Garden Center1422 54th Ave. E.Fife, WA 98424253-922-5352
Good 2 Gro3507 W. Clearwater Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336509-737-1313
_________________________
Indoor Garden & Lighting714 South Central Ave.
Kent, WA 98032253-373-9060
_________________________
Kent Garden Supplies Ltd.18817 East Valley Hwy.Kent, WA 98032425-251-9299
Grogro Hydro12403 N.E. 124th St.Kirkland, WA 98034888-7-GROGRO; 425-820-6200
Hefty Harvest Garden & Hydroponic Supply2825 Marvin Rd. N.E., Suite MLacey, WA 98516360-628-8964
_________________________
KP Indoor Garden Store8912 Key Peninsula Hwy. N.
Lakebay, WA 98349253-884-SURE (7873)
________________________
Indoor Gardening1158 Commerce
Longview, WA 98632360-353-3851
________________________
Indoor Garden & Lighting20505 Highway 99
Lynnwood, WA 98036425-673-2755
_________________________
Go-N-Green Hydroponics1241 State Ave., Suite #102Marysville, WA 98270360-386-8230
Green Acres Indoor Garden & Lighting514 State Ave, Suite #102Marysville, WA 98270360-658-GROW (4769)
Island Hydroponic & Supplies1515 5th St. #BMarysville, WA 98271425-299-5855
Mike’s Indoor Garden Supply1204 East Wheeler Rd.Moses Lake, WA 98837509-766-5856
M & R Lighting17238 Memorial Dr.Mt. Vernon, WA 98273360-848-1080
Northern Lights Gardening 1524 Riverside Dr, #2Mt. Vernon, WA 98273360-982-2217
________________________
Indoor Garden & Lighting8606 Preston Fall City Rd. S.E.
Preston, WA 98050425-222-9661
________________________
Linda’s Gardening & Hydroponics11522 Canyon Rd. E.Puyallup, WA 98373253-531-9641
Purple Spring Horticulture Supply711 Nesses Corner Rd.Pt.Hadlock, WA 98339-9411360-344-2500
Renton Indoor Garden Center329 Wells Ave. S. Renton, WA 98057425-917-9000
Eco Enterprises1240 N.E. 175th St. #BShoreline, WA 98155800-426-6937
________________________
Aqua Serene3839 Stone Way N.Seattle, WA 98103
206-547-GROW (4769)________________________
Grogro Hydro12316 32nd AVE N.E. #103Seattle, WA 98125
Hydro-Tech2121 Aurora Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103 206-547-2202
________________________
Seattle’s Hydro Spot917 N.W. 49th St.Seattle, WA 98107
206-784-2161_________________________
Sodo Hydro1727 1st Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98134206-682-9377; 888-90-HYDRO (904-760)
_____________________
Northwest Horticulture Supply161 Hooker Rd. #1Sequim, WA 98057360-582-0702SnoGro Indoor Gardening Supply502 Maple Ave. Snohomish, WA 98290 360-863-6935
509 Grow2718 N. DivisionSpokane, WA 99207509-327-GROW(4769)
Grow Center, The2808 W. Sprague Spokane, WA 99202509-456-GROW
River City Hydroponics1514 East Francis Ave.Spokane, WA 99208509-464-0246
Rootz Indoor Garden Supply923 E. HoffmanSpokane, WA 99207509-443-5999
_______________________
Spokane Organic & Hydroponic Supply
4823 East Sprague Avenue E.Spokane Valley, WA 99212
509-534-4055________________________
Spokane Organic & Hydroponic Supply8701 North Division, Suite DSpokane Valley, WA 509-468-4800
________________________
Waterworks Hydroponics5039 S. Washington
Tacoma, WA 98409 • [email protected]________________________
Garden City Hydroponics14103 Pacific Ave.S. Tacoma, WA 98444253-301-3985
_______________________
Indoor Garden & Lighting3839 6th Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98406253-761-7478
________________________
Solar Shop306 West 4th St.Tonasket, WA 98855509-486-4508
Indoor Garden Depot6400 N.E. Highway 99, Suite HVancouver, WA 98665360-993-7779
________________________
National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply
4525 N.W. Fruit Valley Rd.Vancouver, WA 98660
888-478-6544 (Northwest)_ ________________________
National Garden Wholesale/ Sunlight Supply
5408 N.E. 88th St. Building AVancouver, WA 98665
888-478-6544_________________________
Indoor Garden Supply LLC1250 Atlantic Ave.Woodland, WA 98674360-841-8055
Artificial Sun Hydroponics3506 Summitview Ave.Yakima, WA 98902509-823-4026
wISCONSIN_________________________
Aric’s Indoor Garden Supply1104 West Wisconsin Ave.
Appleton, WI 54914920-574-3258
_________________________
Grow BIG Hydroponics954 S. WestlandAppleton, WI 54914920-749-4769
H2oGrow1150 Madison Rd. Beloit, WI 53511 608-289-1852
Brew and Grow285 N. Janacek Rd.Brookfield, WI 53045262-789-0555
Sustainable Growth LLC218 N. Dewey St.Eau Claire, WI 54703715-901-0511
Spread Eagle Garden Center4413 N. Lake Rd. South Florence, WI 54121715-696-3910
Garden Supply Guys752 Memorial Dr., Suite AGreen Bay, WI 54303920-857-9493
Hydro Your Own8501-75th St. Unit CKenosha, WI 53142262 697 6112
Brew and Grow3317 Agriculture Dr.Madison, WI 53716608-226-8910
_________________________
Paradigm Gardens4501 Helgesen Dr.Madison, WI 53718
608-241-3800_________________________
Brew and Grow2246 Bluemound Rd., Suite BWaukesha, WI 53186262-717-0666
PUERTO RICO_________________________
Tecno-HydroAve Campo Rico GJ17, PO Box 1450
Carolina, PR 00982787-752-8252
_________________
199Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
MAxIMUM YIElDdistributors Retail Stores listed alphabetically by city in each state.
Tell us why YOU are a fan of Maximum Yield
You could WIN... Monthly prizes of $100 gift card to your favorite indoor gardening shop Grand prize of $1,000 gift card to your favorite indoor garden shop
No purchase necessary. Prizes must be accepted as awarded.For marketing purposes, entries and winneragrees to have the testimonials printed.
Contest Ends December 14, 2013.
I am a fan of Maximum Yield because...
NameAddressPhoneEmail
I’M A FAN!
ENTRY FORM
201Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
8.
2.
6.3.
9.
10.
4 .
5.
Water and solutes (nutrients) travel in one direction up a plant’s xylem via the transpirational stream. In other words, evaporation of water from the leaves creates a force not unlike a person sucking on a straw that draws these solutes up. This is in stark contrast to the phloem, which carries sugar and other photosynthates from the leaf source to the root sink.
1.
7.
Light intensity and duration, combined with air temperature and the moisture and nutritional status of the plant, are correlated factors that will determine the extent of the benefits of adding CO2 to a growroom. Therefore, simply increasing the CO2 concentration of the air surrounding the plant does not automatically result in a significant increase in plant growth.
Seedlings that are too tall will have problems when they are moved outdoors because they can’t stand up as well to natural occurrences like wind and hard rain.
Avoid drying seeds in the sun or in the oven. Instead, place them on a baking sheet and dry with a fan gently blowing on them.
The more expensive gardening additives, for example a bloom fortifier, often contain more than 20 additional ingredients not listed on the label, such as amino acids, citric acid and ascorbic acid.
When starting up an aquaponics system before adding fish, add enough ammonia to the fish tank until you get an ammonia reading between 2 and 4 ppm. Half a teaspoon of ammonium chloride (a powder), should give close to 3.4 ppm of ammonia in 100 gal. of water.
For an automated nutrient reservoir system that needs the least maintenance, a grower should use the following connected to the source of water: a water chiller/heater, a nutrient auto-doser, a pH auto adjuster and an auto shut-off valve.
Native soils of many regions—and all over North America—are composed of only 3 to 5% organic matter. Growers often strive for numbers more like 6 to 10%.
Pyrethrin is an active component in chrysanthemum flowers. On its own it is not very effective in killing insects, but it does do a good job of stunning them, making them vulnerable to being killed by other toxins.
Hydroponic tomatoes are never picked green and stored in a cool room to ripen because ripening on the vine produces superior sweetness, juiciness and a richer and more invigorating color.
DO YOU KNOW?
Tell us why YOU are a fan of Maximum Yield
You could WIN... Monthly prizes of $100 gift card to your favorite indoor gardening shop Grand prize of $1,000 gift card to your favorite indoor garden shop
No purchase necessary. Prizes must be accepted as awarded.For marketing purposes, entries and winneragrees to have the testimonials printed.
Contest Ends December 14, 2013.
I am a fan of Maximum Yield because...
NameAddressPhoneEmail
I’M A FAN!
ENTRY FORM
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202 Maximum Yield USA | September 2013
COMING UPNEXT ISSUE
WondErinG about Wasabi?There are few places in the world suitable for large-scale wasabi cultivation. The process is perhaps best left to the controlled environment of an indoor garden.
LiGHtinG LabELsThere are a lot of grow lights on the market these days, and a lot of different ways to determine what one will work best for you. Labels help a lot, but only if growers know what to look for.
soLar GrEEnHousEsCreating a solar greenhouse has been no easy feat, but for Charles Winslow it has certainly been rewarding. He is ready to introduce his project to a larger audience.
CHELatEd CrEationsChelation can happen both naturally and synthetically. To decide which way is the best, first one must understand what a chelate does.
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