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Beneficial Insects: Why We Need Them In Our Gardens

Anne Gibson

Most gardeners are well aware that insect populations are in trouble in many countries around the world. However, the extent and impacts of such losses could be much worse than many of us imagined. Based on recent research studies, it appears the decline in numbers and diversity is accelerating, so it’s worth examining why this is happening and what we as individual gardeners can do about it. 

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Turning To Regenerative Agriculture To Improve Food, Farming, And Human Health

Evan Folds

In my work as an agriculture consultant, I make the argument all the time that the way we are growing and eating food is the central problem that we face in the world today.  It is no small statement. Indeed, issues ranging from hunger and environmental toxicity to health care and climate change can be positively impacted by finding points of collaboration within and between our diet, the way we grow food, and the way we approach public health.  

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Latest Posts

What To Plant In A Square Foot Garden

In my last post about square foot gardening, I gave you a quick guide to this 40-year-old technique. We talked about what it is, the basics of getting started, and the value/efficiency of choosing square foot gardening over classic row gardens. But what about planting in your square foot garden? Here’s a quick guide to…
August 7, 2020

How To Deal With Blossom-End Rot On Fruit And Veggie Crops

There’s nothing more frustrating as a gardener than to watch the fruits of your labor emerge with a bad case of blossom-end rot. Unfortunately, that has been the case with a couple of my tomato and squash plants this year. Why is it happening, and how do you fix it? What Is Blossom-End Rot? Blossom-end…
August 5, 2020

Suspicious Seed Packets Turning Up In North American Mailboxes

Suspicious seeds are turning up in mailboxes across North America, and officials in Canada and U.S. are begging people not to plant them. Like most people, I get plenty of random things in the mail. Holiday greeting cards from politicians, requests for donations from local religious groups, and offers to evaluate my home from realtors.…
July 31, 2020

A Quick Guide To Square Foot Gardening

You may have heard of square foot gardening but haven’t had the time to dig into it and see what it’s all about. It can also be a little intimidating, as there is a lot of information out there about the practice.  Mel Bartholomew – a retired engineer and efficiency expert – invented the concept…
July 29, 2020

How To Get Rid Of Aphids On Your Plants Naturally

They say observation is critical to any successful garden. Watching your plants grow will help you learn how they respond to various techniques and environmental conditions. It’ll also help you get ahead of pests and diseases. Critters like aphids, for example. The other morning as I enjoyed my coffee in the greenhouse, I noticed tiny…
July 24, 2020

A 101 Guide To Repotting Houseplants

Houseplants require occasional repotting to keep them healthy. Here’s a quick crash course on how to do it efficiently so that your plant goes on to flourish.  When To Repot Can you see exposed roots at the top or bottom of the pot? That’s a good sign it’s time to upgrade the plant’s home. Wilting…
July 22, 2020

How To Grow Vintage Veggies At Home

Do you dream about your grandmother’s vegetable garden? If you are a lover of all things vintage, then consider growing ancient fruits and vegetables! These old cultivars will add pops of color to the unique, farm-fresh meals you cook.
July 20, 2020

How To Prune And Stake Zucchini Plants

A zucchini plant is a lazy gardener’s crop. For very little work, the payout (AKA the yield) is enormous, and nothing beats the taste of one fresh out of the garden. But it turns out I may have been a little too lazy growing this crop in past years and that zucchini plants can benefit…
July 17, 2020

Plants You Can Grow In Just Water

Do you have a container and some water? Great. You now have pretty much all you need to start growing some plants in your home. What about the dirt, you ask? Well, for the plants I am going to tell you about, the soil isn’t needed! It may take a little longer than using old…
July 15, 2020

An Expert Guide To Growing Food In Small Spaces

With more people concerned about their health and food security, many are now prioritizing growing a food garden in urban spaces. There’s increased interest in small space gardening for many reasons: to be more self-reliant and sustainable, have greater control over the source and quality of food, and reliable access to fresh ingredients. 
July 13, 2020

Out In The Greenhouse: These Warm-Season Crops Will Thrive

The list of food crops and flowers that do well in a greenhouse is endless. Seriously, it goes on forever. Being a first-time greenhouse grower, I’m just getting my feet wet, but so far, I’m amazed by how much my ‘she-shed’ has transformed my short growing season. If you have a heated greenhouse, the world…
July 10, 2020

5 Reasons Why Your Flowers Might Not Be Blooming

So, you’ve done some planting. They are all getting sun, and you water them regularly. You even picked up a good fertilizer! But the flowers you expected to see haven’t bloomed! Here are five reasons why your flowers might not be there – all of which you can fix by making some small changes. And…
July 8, 2020

Medicinal Weeds: The Many Virtues Of Mullein

You almost can’t miss it; mullein, or Verbascum Thapsus, is a lovely plant with yellow spikes as flowers that can grow up to seven feet tall! The bi-annual weed begins its life cycle as a low-growing rosette with fuzzy, felt-like leaves. Quite the transformation! 
July 6, 2020

Product Spotlight

Anden A77 Dehumidifier Control

Getting accurate readings of relative humidity for your indoor grow room is critical for maximizing growth. The Anden A77 Dehumidifier Control, which comes included with every Anden Dehumidifier, provides cultivators with a wall-mounted, bold digital display hardwired to the dehumidifier for perfect accuracy.

This control helps growers optimize their dehumidifier’s performance, yielding better results. Equipped with an easy interface, on/off buttons and up/down arrows, the A77 makes humidity control simple.

To see how this and other Anden products serve the next generation of cultivation, visit Anden.com

Baby Rootz Seed Starting Mix

A formula tested for two years indoors, outdoors, and in greenhouses to prove performance, Baby Rootz is the perfect start for your seeds. Half the nutrition pack of its big brother, Big Rootz, while still maintaining Soil King’s stringent testing standards. Each batch is tested to ensure no product has pesticides or heavy metals, and no GMO ingredients are used. Baby Rootz utilizes fine perlite to ensure oxygen levels are maintained throughout the initial rooting process. Baby Rootz also has multiple varieties of mycorrhizal spores for added root inoculation. These ingredients allow for a large amount of microbiology to activate the living soil, while an organic wetting agent keeps water levels consistent. 

For more details, go to Hydrofarm.com

POWERSUN DE BALLAST 1000W 120 / 240V HPS BULB INCLUDED

HIGH QUALITY – HIGH PERFORMANCE – HIGH RESULTS

Each ballast uses a high temperature, resin-sealed component board for entirely silent operation without a fan. The units are burned-in at the factory for approximately twelve hours to ensure maximum reliability.

Ballasts use a micro-processor similar to your home computer. This microprocessor allows the ballast to run halide or sodium lamps. It is programmed for a «soft-start» and does not require an initial surge of power to light the lamp. This increases the lamp life and allows the end-user to start multiple ballasts at the same time without tripping breakers.

Product Advantages

  • High-efficiency electronic ballast
  • No acoustic resonance
  • Lower harmonic distortion
  • High output and improved spectrum
  • Driver efficiency at full power: 95-96%
  • Dimmable and Multi-Wattage with boost
  • Completely sealed against dust and moisture
  • Completely silent, light-weight and high energy-efficient

Visit Biofloral.com for more info.

Green Cleaner

New sizes!

Green Cleaner is a highly effective spray used to control and kill a wide range of damaging pests and diseases (as listed on the label). Approved for all food/feed crops and use in the production of cannabis, from start to harvest. Green Cleaner fits in well with all IPM programs and effectively controls pests by killing bugs and their eggs on contact, eliminating reproductive activity. Green Cleaner can be one of the most critical tools in your arsenal of pest control solutions because it delivers an immediate response of many harder-to-kill insects.

Visit CentralCoastGarden.com for full details.

ShowDown Weed Killer

A Natural Alternative

Removes the plant’s waxy layer and penetrates deep into the roots! ShowDown completely prevents the plant from uptaking essential amino acids and nutrients, getting rid of unwanted weeds naturally. Showdown is exempt from registration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under FIFRA section 25(b) as a minimum risk herbicide, safe for use around schools and playgrounds. 

Contact the team at CentralCoastGarden.com for more information.

pH Up & Down -The Strongest pH Adjusters on the Market

Central Coast Garden Products’ pH Up & Down are the most concentrated pH adjusters available. The maximum strength pH Down consists of a 75% concentrated Phosphoric Acid solution that quickly lowers pH levels. The pH Up consists of a 75% potassium Hydroxide.  

pH levels outside recommended ranges can lead to nutrient lockout and nutrient deficiencies, resulting in stunted growth and poor appearance. Control pH levels to minimize problems and maximize your plants’ full potential with Central Coast Garden Products’ pH Adjusters.

Check out CentralCoastGarden.com to learn more.

EYE HORTILUX® CMH 315 Grow Light System

The components in the EYE HORTILUX CMH 315 Grow Light System are optimized to work more efficiently together than any other fixture on the market. The reflector shape and metal composition are designed to work collectively with the ballast and lamp to provide a more even distribution of light over the plant canopy. This optimization offers 30% more uniform light and 8% more overall light to the plant canopy than most competitors. The CMH 315 system comes standard with the EYE HORTILUX 315W CMH grow lamp, which provides 50% more UV than typical CMH lamps on the market.

Go to EyeHortilux.com for the latest products.

EYE HORTILUX® DE 1000-VS Grow Light System 

Growers will see no compatibility issues with the DE 1000-VS Grow Light System because the ballast was tuned to match the voltage, frequency, and starting pulse of EYE HORTILUX DE grow lamps. Use it with our standard DE HPS or our new DE Ceramic HPS. The DE 1000-VS is available as a 120/240 volt or 277-volt system and is tested to UL8800 standards. It comes with a selectable-wattage ballast grow lamp, and an Ethernet port ready for external controls. The DE 1000-VS provides better system reliability while maximizing the quality of EYE HORTILUX grow lamps.

Visit EyeHortilux.com for other great lighting products.

The Optimus

INNOVATION IN OSCILLATION

The Optimus has a 120 degree left to the right range of motion and a vertical range of 23 degrees to deliver a laminar airflow precisely where it is needed. The unit is ETL-certified, with an integrated 3-speed switch and a 710 CFM output.

Visit KootenayFilter.com for more details, and be sure to check them out on Facebook.

BudBox PRO White XL- HL

120x120x220cm / 4’x4’x7’4’’

BudBox strives for best results with industry-leading PAR reflectivity. BudBox Pro is built to last, with 25mm powder-coated frames, tempered steel poles, and metal push/click connectors. All PRO models are available in either PRO White or Mylar (silver), have 20% over-sized vents for acoustic ducting, access doors, an uplift irrigation bar, and double-stitched seams. There’s also a night vision window, a waterproof tray, hanging bars, acoustic deadening silicon end pads, double cuff vents, screened passive vents, roof hanging straps, main door clips, clear floor space, and the canvas fully unzips. 

A huge range of sizes available. Highest reflectivity! Contact your local hydro store TODAY, and be sure to give @budboxgrowtents a follow to see the latest.

Rare Dankness Nutrients

Common plant feeding issues have been eliminated with their premium commercial dry fertilizer program. After years of testing, the team at Rare Dankness Nutrients has developed a practical, versatile, and easy program that requires only a base and as few as three nutrient tanks. All varieties are compatible with soilless media, are pH balanced, heavy metal-free, and easily allow for custom mixing to meet all types of growing situations. Contact Hydrofarm to experience nutrition simplified and terpenes amplified for yourself. 

More at Hydrofarm.com