Post-Hurricane Sandy Update

UPDATE: As of 11:00am on Thursday, November 1st, both stores are open and back to their normal hours.

We hope this post-Hurricane Sandy update finds all of you and your families safe with minimal impact from the storm.  Luckily our homes and both stores were left undamaged.  The Queens store has power and as of Wednesday, Oct. 31st, we are back to our normal business hours.  Nyack, unfortunately, does not have power and O&R has said it may take 10-15 days to restore it to the town (we are HOPING that this is a gross over-estimation).  For now, all calls to Nyack will be forwarded to my cell phone so I am still available to answer any questions and for the drop-shipment of orders.  If you are a Nyack customer and need things in a hurry, the Queens store IS open and we will work with you to compensate for extra money spent on gas and tolls.  In case of an emergency situation, please call the store line (845) 348-8811.  We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you and will update you if the situation changes.

Hot Pepper Update

Just a quick update on the progress of our hot peppers in Nyack.  We started these from seed back in August and they're coming along nicely (we forgot how slow peppers grow, definitely not the best crop choice for impatient growers...but, like with all gardening, patience is key).  They're currently under a Sun Blaze 48 T5 fluorescent fixture in a 3'x3' Ebb and Flow tray and we're feeding them with Canna's Aqua Vega, Cannazym and some of Strata's SOS.  The ones in the front row (and some are scattered around the back rows) are Chinese 5 Color, the one with broad leaves behind them on the left is a Chocolate Habanero and the skinny, bushy plants are the Black Knight Chili peppers.  Notice the tight internodal spacing on the chilis?  That's because we're using a T5 light for the vegetative stage...tight internodes means more flowering sights, which means more peppers!  We just saw the first signs of budding on some of the Chinese 5 Color's last week so we'll be switching over to a High Pressure Sodium light and the Aqua Flores base nutrient soon.  We'll keep you posted!

Canna Aqua Pebbles - Replacement for Hydroton

Hydroton, the popular expanded clay growing medium, has been discontinued.  The company that manufactured it has closed their clay mine in Germany due to issues with the quality of the medium.  Many companies are quickly trying to fill the void with subpar products.  After trying out a few different brands in order to find the best substitute, we've decided that our replacement for Hydroton is Canna's AQUA PEBBLES.  This medium comes pre-washed with far less dust than the previous product and the current competitor's products, so the first step of rinsing is virtually eliminated.  The shape and size of the clay allows for the same great aeration that we're used to.  We've already done our own series of tests and we are very happy that the quality of Aqua Pebbles stands up to the same excellent quality of all Canna products and work great with their Aqua line of nutrients.

New product: Flo-N-Gro "Gro Momma" Bubble Bucket

Titan Controls has come out with an all-inclusive Bubble Bucket system.  This method of growing is not a new one, people have been making their own DIY deep water culture (DWC) buckets for years.  However, this is a nice, affordable, all-in-one kit that takes the time and effort out of piecemeal'ing it.  For $35.00, the same price as all of the individual components (dual air pump, air stone, tubing, grommets, fittings, net pot lid, expanded clay pellets, etc.), you can buy one single kit that comes conveniently inside the 5-gallon bucket, with all of the connections in place to add more buckets if you want to.

DWC is one of the easiest hydroponic systems for those who are just getting started with hydroponic gardening.  All of the water and nutrients for the plant are kept in the 5 gallon bucket reservoir, an air stone attached to an air pump is oxygenating the solution so you never have standing water (standing water breeds fungus and bacteria that can be very detrimental to your plants, especially their root systems).  Your plant is in the net pod lid, with its roots being held in place by expanded clay pellets.  Expanded clay holds a very minimal amount of water and your solution will be very aerated, so your plant's roots will have a lot of contact with oxygen.  The rate of growth in a system like this is VERY fast, which is the main reason why it is considered a favorite over growing in soil.