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Medicinal Weeds: The Many Virtues Of Mullein

Caroline Rivard

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! 

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Music: A Universal Language That Even Plants Love

Tom Wall

Plants are fascinating, to say the least. They are living, breathing columns of water, elements, and gasses, and they are responsible for converting the sun’s energy into a usable form. Their function is one of the most primary known to the existence of life. We regard them as vital to our survival, but do you…

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To Prune Or Not To Prune? A Raging Debate In The Garden

Matt Mountain

As with most topics in the horticultural world, if you ask the internet or a selection of growers for advice on pruning flowering plants, you’ll get different opinions. Even plant scientists will find unexpected results in this area, although, not necessarily surprising.

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Latest Posts

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

Drink Up: Making Nutrient-Rich Compost Tea For The Garden

Enjoying some tea in the garden sounds like a zen way to spend a morning or afternoon; why not offer your plants the same treat? Making compost tea for your plants is an excellent way to boost the growing season!  Compost tea is what it sounds like: compost in liquid form. Make this plant feed…
July 3, 2020

Common Decorative Plants That Are Also Edible

Ever wonder why you see so many old homesteads with plants like daylilies, hostas, and lilacs? While these flowers certainly have a natural beauty, they are also valuable in ways modern society tends to ignore. Believe it or not, many ‘decorative’ plants are also edible! Important Disclaimer  As with any wild foraging, always research the…
July 1, 2020

Drink To Your Health By Growing A Green Smoothie Garden

Green smoothies are a delicious way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies. Super versatile, you can put whatever you want into them and drink them as a meal replacement or healthy snack. So why not find some space on your balcony or in the yard for a green smoothie garden? The concept…
June 26, 2020

Spread Some Cheer By Growing These Mood-Boosting Plants

In a recent study, researchers determined that the gift of flowers made women happier than other gifts of equal cost. And while this is a study that all men should take note of, I wanted to get more specific with this post (and gender-neutral). So, here are a few plants and flowers to have around…
June 24, 2020

Easy DIY: How To Test Your Soil pH

Playing the role of a mad scientist is always fun, and there are plenty of experiments you can do that will help you learn a little bit more about how your garden grows! Here’s an easy DIY test that will tell you what your soil’s pH levels are.  Soil pH is important because it promotes…
June 19, 2020

Build Your Own Rainwater Collecting System

When it comes to gardening, you’ve probably thought about the garden, the soil, and the type of plants you want to grow, but what about the water? Gardening and lawn care use a lot of water, and that can end up being wasteful, which brings us to the awesomeness that is a rainwater harnessing system.…
June 17, 2020

How Mushrooms And The Mycelium Network Are Healing The World

Plants have been around for a long time; 700 million years to be exact. But fungi have been on Earth longer, making the first appearance on land 1,300 million years ago. Interestingly enough, the largest living organism in the world today is a honey fungus that measures 2.4 miles (3.8 km) in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. 
June 15, 2020

Out In The Greenhouse: What To Expect When Building Your Sanctuary

If you’ve been thinking about building a greenhouse in your backyard but still haven’t pulled the trigger, I have one piece of advice for you: do it. If you’ve already decided to go ahead with the project, this should give you a general idea of what to expect as you build your sanctuary.  We purchased…
June 12, 2020

Gardeners And Artists Have Much In Common

Sometimes, I feel like being a gardener is much like being an artist. The more I think about it, the more similarities I see between the two.  Like an artist, a gardener must try to mentally visualize their work in completion long before the work has even begun.  Like an artist, the gardener must draw…
June 10, 2020

Veteran Grows Medicine As Alternative To Prescription Drugs

To any person walking by, Steve walks and talks normally. But those people cannot see the scars that he carries – both emotionally and physically – beginning with a 5-inch wound on his back where an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blew through him while he was serving as a 12B Combat Engineer in 2008. The blast almost ended his life.
June 8, 2020

Giving Your Plants An Edge With Mycorrhizae

Home growing and gardening is one industry that is booming during “lockdown” as people look to fill their time, relax, and supplement their food supplies.  Seed sales are up, and gardening forums and websites have all seen an increase in queries for tips and best practices in the garden.  If you’re looking for a product…
June 5, 2020

Product Spotlight

Powerhouse 4,6 and 8-Way Control Unit With Heater Socket

Heavy loads require safe and careful handling. Nowhere is that truer than in your grow room. Powerhouse timers safely control and operate your HID lights AND heating equipment to make sure night-time temperatures don’t plummet too far and stunt your beloved plants. An easy and safe option, the additional socket for the heater can comfortably power up to a 9AMP heating capacity, keeping temperatures adequate when your lights turn off. The new 4-way and 6-way models now accompany the hugely successful 8-way version, offering a range of options to cater for almost every hobby grower. An affordable way to safely control your high electrical loads, Powerhouse relays ensure peace of mind for every grower.

Ask in your local hydro store or visit Maxigrow.com for more details.

600W DAYLIGHT Kits

Full-spectrum, professional-quality growing equipment at your fingertips. Since the launch of DAYLIGHT Lighting Systems, growers have witnessed the yields and quality of flowers possible with full-spectrum lighting. With the introduction of the DAYLIGHT 600W iPac kits, it couldn’t be any more affordable to switch from your traditional lighting and witness the advantages of full-spectrum light first-hand. The DAYLIGHT 600W iPac kit comes with the low-frequency DAYLIGHT iPac power pack, designed specially to power the DAYLIGHT 600W CMH lamp housed in a range of reflectors that growers know and love.

Give your plants what they deserve and make the switch to full spectrum DAYLIGHT lighting today! Contact your local hydroponic retailer or visit Maxigrow.com for more details.

Biobizz All·Mix

When it comes to organic potting soils, Biobizz All-Mix arguably wears the crown, proving with exceptional results for countless growers, time after time. Being a certified organic substrate, it helps contribute to maximising the genetic expressions in your plants, bringing out appearances and aromas almost impossible to achieve from your flowers in a more typical hydroponic substrate. With enough nutrients to sustain plant growth for a good couple of weeks, make sure to use Biobizz All-Mix in combination with the full Biobizz range to get the best results possible from your plants. Do not allow your plants to settle for second best.

Available in hydroponic stores nationwide, check out Maxigrow.com for more details.

Biobizz Bio·Grow

The undisputed cornerstone of the Biobizz range of liquids, Biobizz Bio-Grow offers organic gardeners an exceptionally high performing, complete organic fertiliser that is to be used throughout the entirety of a plant’s life cycle. Bio-Grow is a certified organic extract, starting life as Dutch sugar beet. From its vinasse base, a potent, naturally fermented extract is produced that is an ideal supply of vital nutrients and compounds that contribute to exceptional plant growth. On top of this, it provides a rich food source for microbial life in the soil, boosting their populations and effectiveness. As a result, any nasty pathogens are kept at bay swiftly, and you are rewarded with unparalleled quality and quantity of your final harvest.

Certified 100% organic, get down your local store, and demand a bottle today.

Moonshine

An all-round tonic that boosts your crop in multiple areas by harnessing the raw power of natural plant extracts. Add it to your routine, and you can expect to see faster, healthier growth from the root zone up. Use along with Moonshine Foliar Spray for an even greater effect.

Moonshine is used in both the grow and bloom phases, but the effects are most apparent during late flower. Moonshine can shave time off the flowering cycle for a quicker turnaround and a more productive garden overall. It will enhance aromas by boosting terpene production and will also increase the size and density of fruits – thanks to the inclusion of an array of sugars and amino acids.

Check out MoonshineGlobal.com for more details.

Plagron Hydro Cocos 60/40

substrate | non-fertilised

Hydrological growing with an ideal mix 

Plagron Hydro Cocos 60/40 is a combination of two high-quality substrates: Euro Pebbles and Cocos Premium. The mix contains 60% clay pebbles and 40% coconut fibre. It’s well suited for growing in pots and recirculation systems.

The clay pebbles have high water and oxygen capacity. The fully buffered Cocos has a stable pH value. 

It’s an ideal mix for the growth and flowering of your plant!  

  • Clay pebbles lead to perfect drainage.   
  • Fully buffered coco fibre retains water and nutrients.   
  • Low initial EC-value (0.34 – 0.51 mS/cm) guaranteed. 

Plagron Hydro Cocos 60/40 is read-to-use for planting and transplanting flowering plants. Start adding fertiliser from day one. Plagron Hydro Cocos 60/40 can be reused.

Plagron Cocos Perlite 70/30

substrate | non-fertilised

Hydroponic growing with an airy mix

Plagron Cocos Perlite 70/30 is a combination of two high-quality substrates: Cocos Premium and Perlite. The mix contains 70% coconut fibre and 30% perlite. It’s well-suited for growing in pots and recirculation systems. The fully buffered Cocos has a stable pH value. Perlite provides an airy substrate and improved drainage. It’s an ideal mix for the growth and flowering of your plant!

  • Completely buffered and flushed. 
  • RHP approved, stable pH and low EC.
  • Fast drainage.

Usage
Plagron Cocos Perlite 70/30 is ready-to-use for planting and transplanting of flowering plants. Start adding fertiliser from day one. Plagron Cocos Perlite 70/30 can be reused.

Packaging
50 L bag.

pH 6.3 – 7.7

EC 0.058 – 0.086 mS/cm

‘The new Dutch lightweight champion’

Gold Label proudly introduces CocoPerlite 70/30 mix Supercharged. This lightweight hydroponic substrate combines tremendous air volume with great water retention and strong capillary action! The substrate has growth characteristics that surpass the expectations of hydroponic growers. The water and nitrogen balance are easy to maintain, thus reducing the chance of overwatering. A supercharge formula with time-release fertilisation in a nitrogen and Cal/Mag composition that provide rapid development in the early stages. 

In short, this premium substrate is like a fixed match; you’ll always be the champion!

Visit GoldLabel.nl for more details.

OCD DEO-MAX…

Three letter words and getting rid of bad smells!

The team at OCD are a little obsessive about odours. From the original blue DEO-MAX to the citrus-infused orange and lemon, they deliver a stellar range of aroma’s for you. There is also sweet bubblegum aroma and the Sunday essential, fresh linen.

Want to find out more?  Visit OCDonline.co.uk

Street Light XT LED

The new Street Light LED XT uses high-quality Samsung LED chips to fuel plants from the vegetative stage through to flowering.

Available in 3 sizes, the Street Light LED is a top-quality full spectrum grow light.
Each has a massive heat sink to keep the LEDs running cool, so temperature management in your grow room becomes easier, especially in warmer months.

Use this high-quality, cost-effective LED light to fuel a better tasting crop! Check out Nutriculture.co.uk for more information.

Plant Magic Organic Try-Pack

If you’re a flavour hunter, then make sure you pick up a Plant Magic Organic Try Pack.

Perfect for growers looking to go organic, the Oldtimer Tri-Pack contains everything you need to grow an organic crop packed with flavour.
Each pack contains a 1L Oldtimer Organic Grow, 1L Oldtimer Organic Bloom and 1L Oldtimer Organic PK4-8, so you have everything you need for a more natural tasting crop.

Plus, there’s enough nutrient for you to complete a full grow for up to 4 plants.

Make sure to ask your retailer for one on your next visit. Visit Plant-Magic.co.uk for details.

Gavita Pro 1700e LED

With the same performance that makes Gavita the world’s leading horticultural lighting brand, an LED light fixture designed to deliver more usable energy to your plants while consuming less power. The Gavita Pro 1700e LED is a full-term light fixture that provides consistent, energy-efficient results. 

  • High efficiency (2.6 μmol s-1 per watt) 
  • High output for high intensity 
  • CE and CB compliant 
  • IP56 wet rated 
  • Top bin LED’s 
  • Reduced HVAC requirement (30-40% less) 
  • Balanced, full-spectrum light output 

Available now. Visit Gavita.com for more information.

FishSh!t – Probiotics for your Plants

FishSh!t is exactly what it says on the tin. A biologically active, full ecosystem in a bottle designed to help populate your rhizosphere (roots) with beneficial bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, lichens, and protozoa. Why settle for anything less than a full ecosystem in a bottle?

FishSh!t has been proven in side-by-side testing to increase terpene production, essential oil production, increase yield, and enhance flavours. Fully OMRI-certified and available in sizes from 1litre down to 120ml. 

Ask your local store to get you some FishSh!t and take your grow to the next level. Available now from all good hydroponic stores.

The Hydro Chronicle

A new podcast brought to you by UK author and industry veteran, Rich Hamilton. This exciting new podcast features a wide array of guests from all corners of the indoor growing community, talking about a broad range of topics in a laid back conversation. If you have any interest in indoor gardening, then you will love this! Listen now! 

The entire first season is available for free download on Apple iTunes. If you are not an Apple person, visit TheHydroChronicle.com to download direct and/or stream for FREE.