Garden Culture Magazine

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Featured

Can Mushrooms Save the Bees?

Rich Hamilton

The bees are dying and in massive numbers, a tragedy, given their importance to the ecosystem. It is estimated that one-third of the food that we consume daily relies on the pollination of honeybees. Globally, there are more of them than any other type of pollinating insect, making them the most important pollinator on Earth.Pollinators strongly influence ecological relationships, ecosystem conservation and stability, genetic variation in the plant community, floral diversity, specialization, and evolution. In tropical forests, woodlands, mangroves, and deciduous forests, many species of plants and animals will not survive if bees disappear. The production of many food sources such as seeds, nuts, berries, and fruits are all highly dependent on insect pollination.

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Cannabis and Chronic Pain: The Endorphin Connection

Guest Author

Humans have used cannabis for pain relief for a thousand years, but only recently have we garnered evidence from controlled, experimental studies regarding its efficacy for treating and helping those with chronic pain.

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Dandelions: Medicinal Weeds of Gold

Caroline Rivard

This article was originally published in Garden Culture Magazine UK30, & US28 In our modern western culture, where perfect green lawns have been worshipped for so long, the dandelion is generally seen as one of the most disgraceful weeds. We have been taught that it is an invasive plant that we must eradicate, usually targeted…

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Detox with Fruit And Fasting

Evan Folds

We might live longer, but do we live better? The developed world eats more than ever, and yet, we grow sicker. We grow plenty of food, yet people go hungry. The U.S. spends more money on health care than any other country, yet we rank towards the bottom in results. We are more connected through the computers in our pocket, yet lonelier than ever. Something big is wrong.

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Easy Ways To Create A Bee-Friendly Garden

Anne Gibson

Bees help fertilize up to 90% of the earth’s major food crops, including what you likely put on your plate every day. These hard-working insects are suffering from many pressures globally including chemical herbicides, viruses, mites, genetically modified crops, and harsh weather conditions. Many urban gardeners are noticing a decline in bee populations in their backyards and balconies, producing lower yields and reduced quality, size, and flavor of the food grown.

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Fungi – The Key To A Successful Food Forest

Guest Author

This article originally appeared in Garden Culture Magazine UK29 & US27 It’s not something we think of that often unless, perhaps, you are Paul Stamets, but the mycelium superhighways under our feet are a critical part of our environment. There is growing evidence that fungi drive their environment, influencing what type of ecosystem builds and…

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Latest Posts

#StoptheWaste Campaign Tackles Food Waste And Hunger

Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern has created a recipe for a Thai Coconut Salmon Soup that uses salmon heads and other pieces of fish you would usually throw away. It’s his way of helping to fight the problem of food waste and world hunger. Zimmern takes parts of the fish that typically never make it onto…
October 10, 2019

Top Signs Your Plants Are Starving For Nutrients

Sometimes it’s challenging to understand what’s going on in the garden, even when we think we’re doing everything right. But are all of your plants’ needs being met?  Some symptoms will be more apparent than others, but all of them are signs that your garden is being deprived of essential nutrients. When that happens, you…
October 9, 2019

Vermicompost: Mushrooms In The Worm Bin

I’ve experienced a roller coaster of emotions when it comes to my worm compost bin. First, there was the fear of failure. When castings appeared, there was excitement. But complete and utter panic set in when I found mushrooms growing in the bin. That’s right. Mushrooms. Not just a few of them, either. Large clusters…
October 4, 2019

Featured Flower: Dahlia

As the summer comes to an end, many blooms wilt and call it another year. But one flower that can generally withstand cooler nights and provides beautiful pops of color even throughout the fall is the dahlia.  A Rainbow of Color True showstoppers, dahlias are sure to impress in the garden. Over the years, I’ve…
October 2, 2019

All-Natural Allergy Relief

Put your hand up if you suffer from seasonal allergies. Tired of popping pills to control the gamut of symptoms, including the sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, and itchy eyes? There might be an all-natural remedy for that!  According to Statistics Canada, 27% of Canadians have allergies, and of that group, 40% are allergic to…
September 27, 2019

Millions Take Part In Global Climate Strikes

What are you doing on Friday? Millions of young people around the world are begging for their futures, and they’re asking us all to help them. It’s a historic call for action as the terrifying realities of global warming set it. Disrupt Business As Usual We are all being urged to disrupt business as usual…
September 25, 2019

Storing Seeds Over the Winter for Next Year’s Garden

We have long taken for granted that seeds will always be available in little packets at our local greenhouses, but will they?  The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership estimates that between one and five plant species are at risk of extinction. Their eventual disappearance will have a tremendous impact on food security, climate change, disease, and…
September 20, 2019

The Spice Rack and Herb Garden Offer Many Health Benefits

Herbs and spices do more than add a punch of flavor to your favorite dishes. They pack some significant health benefits too! From super detoxifying and antioxidant properties to inflammation fighters and digestive aids, spicing up your meals can fire up your tastebuds and do your body a world of good. You can even try…
September 18, 2019

Farmer Offers Chance to Pick Your Own Hemp to Make CBD Medicine

A farm in Maine is offering people a unique opportunity; a chance to pick their own hemp from the fields to make their own CBD medicine. It’s a slight diversion from the more typical establishments that allow customers to pick their own strawberries, for example. And while Sheepscot General Store and Farm does that too,…
September 13, 2019

Kitchen Gardens: The Best Fruits and Vegetables to Grow Indoors

You might be short on space, but that’s no excuse for not growing your own food! Here’s a list of the easiest fruits and vegetables to plant indoors. Herbs Herbs are the easiest and safest edible plant to grow indoors and are generally used to season foods with fresh kicks of flavor.  As long as…
September 11, 2019

Thinking Ahead: 5 Tips For Helping The Garden Survive The Heat

There are many indications that climate change is upon us, and the crippling heat waves taking place across the globe is one of them. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says our days will only be getting hotter; if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t significantly reduced by midcentury, scientists expect 20 record highs for every…
September 6, 2019

Farm To Table: Super-Detoxifying Beets

What’s not to love about beets? Easy to grow in the garden and nutritious to boot, these earthy beauties taste amazing cooked or roasted, pickled or raw. Better yet, they can be eaten from root to stem, making them incredibly versatile! Why they are good for you Beets are high in antioxidants and are natural…
September 4, 2019

How to Choose the Best Flower Pot

Many different materials are used to build our common flowerpots. The choice is plenty, and some of us doubt that we’ve chosen the type most suitable for our plants. Here’s a rundown of some of the containers out there to help you with your choice! Clay (Terracotta & Ceramic) Clay is one of the most…
August 29, 2019

Product Spotlight

The NEW SANlight Q6W

An LED that combines all the features desired by growers; for the cultivation of ornamental and crop plants, the Q6W is an adequate and eco-friendly replacement for HPS lamps. Designed for large cultivation areas for top-lighting applications as well as in the vegetative and generative phases of the crop.

Passive cooling, best efficacy, and sophisticated secondary optics, the Q6W is also adaptable. For larger grow spaces, daisy-chain up to 7 units with the optional y-connector.

The Q6W can boost the quality, quantity, and homogeneity of your crop. It also increases the usable cultivation area while reducing the temperature inside the cultivation room, water consumption of the plants, the use of chemical, and overall running costs.

Visit SANlight.com to learn more about the complete line.

Royal Gold

Capturing the hearts of plant enthusiasts far and wide.

A coco fiber-based soils and medium company based in Northern California, Royal Gold continue to bring Humboldt County ‘s decades of cultivation leadership to the world. With quality and consistency as the building blocks and experience and insight the tools of the trade, Royal Gold products give gardeners a foundation for success.

With a product line that ranges from pure coco and inert soilless mediums (Tupur) to traditional style potting (Basement Mix) and planting (Mendo Mix) mixes amended with high-quality dry amendments, they offer solutions for all garden types. With their most recent offering, Kings Mix, Royal Gold combines innovation and tradition with a peat-coco blend that has taken the cultivation community by storm. Solution-oriented, plant-in bags in convenient .75 cubic foot (about 5 gallons) and 3 cubic foot (about 20 gallons) sizes give cost and labor-saving convenience that make scaling up your garden a breeze.

From home growers to commercial facilities, Royal Gold brings professional-quality mediums to every garden! Visit RoyalGoldCoco.com to learn more.

NextLight Veg8 Switch – New & Improved

Now comes with a wattage toggle that offers reduced wattage for cloning and acclimation purposes. This new fixture combines the Veg8 and lesser-known, NextLight Clone into one – now known as the NextLight Veg8 Switch. Located on the bottom of the fixture to allow for easy access when the unit is racked, you can toggle from HI (190w) to LO (60w) at the flick of a switch.

NextLight manufactures a range of full-spectrum LED grow lights designed to meet the needs of commercial and home growers alike. NextLight’s Full Spectrum provides the sun-like qualities plants love without the negatives of high energy requirements and high heat.

Visit NextLight.com for more information.

RIOCOCO

Non-toxic, renewable, and biodegradable.

Propagate faster and produce healthy plants organically. RIOCOCO’s 100% organic coconut fiber grow medium is super-washed five times and blended without fine particles. This super-clean coco medium promotes bigger, faster, and stronger roots and delivers optimum water holding capacity without the dust.

RIOCOCO PCM is available in Open Top Bags (4 sizes), Closed Top Bags (1 gallon), and Starter Blocks. They’re even packed in biodegradable bags!

Learn more: Hydrofarm.com

Growth Science

Growth Science Nutrients offers an easy-to-use, complete 5-part liquid fertilizer line designed for commercial cultivation. Growth Science Organics was explicitly crafted for organic production, using organically certified, sustainable materials. These nutrients adhere to NOP standards, feeding the plant, and stimulating soil microbial communities. This helps to establish a regenerative soil life cycle that allows growers to reuse their soil time and time again.

Visit Hydrofarm.com to learn more about all the Growth Science products.

Active Air Humidifiers

Maintain optimum humidity levels for your indoor grow.

Cold, dry conditions slow photosynthesis and inhibit respiration, leading to stress, slow growth, and compromised yield. Active Air humidifiers feature a multi-directional fogging head and an easy-to-install direct water connection. These premium humidifiers are built to last, with an industrial-grade motor for many years of use. Active Air humidifiers are available in two sizes, with coverage of 320 square feet (75 PPD – AAHC75P) to 1614 square feet (200 PPD – AAHC200P).

Visit Hydrofarm.com for more details.

Black Dog LED PhytoMAX-2 series

Designed and manufactured in Colorado, the PhytoMAX-2 series provides growers with the flexibility to have the right light for their space, whether a small tent or a large commercial cultivation facility.

Available in five different sizes ranging from 210 watts to the industry-leading PhytoMAX-2 1000 at 1050 watts, which can yield 2.5-4.5 pounds per light. Driven by proven science and groundbreaking research, the innovative PhytoMAX-2 series leads the industry photobiology and artificial light spectrum technology. A full-spectrum solution that also incorporates UV light, the PhytoMAX-2 series increases trichome production, as well as levels of THC, CBD, and terpenes, vastly improving quality and marketability. The lights are backed by a team of passionate industry veterans, growers, and scientists that work with clients to help them make the most of their passion, whether professional or hobbyist.

Go to BlackDogLed.com for more info.