Thanksgiving Week Schedule

Our schedule for the upcoming week is:

Monday - Open Normal Hours
Tuesday - Open Normal Hours
Wednesday - Closed
Thursday - Closed
Friday - Closed
Saturday - Closed
Sunday - Closed
Monday 12/1 - Open Normal Hours

Wishing all of you and your families a happy Thanksgiving!

Very Important Tips For Double Ended Lamp Installation

Double ended lights are by far the most productive plant lighting technology on the market right now and people are having great results with them.  The double ended lamps are definitely unique, though, and not what we're accustomed to seeing or using.  The first time setting up a double ended lighting system can be a bit confusing when you've only used the conventional mogul-base bulbs in the past.  Here are a few tips to avoid having a potential problem:

This is a double ended lamp.  It doesn't have a threaded base that screws into a normal mogul socket.  It has two braided wires coming off of either side of it.  These lamps are made of quartz so you NEED TO WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING.  Unlike normal High Pressure Sodium and Metal Halide bulbs, you cannot touch the glass on these bulbs with bare hands.  If you get moisture or oil from your fingers on quartz glass, when the bulb heats up it can heat up the oil and cause the bulb to break.

This is how the double ended lamps sit in their sockets.  The "flat" ends must sit flat inside of the bracket (not straight up and down at a 90 degree angle).  The metal wires NEED TO BE STRAIGHT.  They bend very easily so if you notice they are bent or curved, bend them back into place so they are straight.  They must sit inside of the two pieces of metal (see diagram) and make full contact with the two pieces of metal.  In this diagram, the wires are bent slightly and VERY CLOSE to NOT making full contact.  If full contact is not made, arcing will occur.  When an electrical current arcs, heat is built up and you can burn or melt your fixture or, even worse, START A FIRE.  After making sure that the wires are in place, slide the socket FULLY forward until it can't slide anymore.  

This is what can happen if your lamp is improperly installed.  In this case, the wires did not make full contact with the metal and the socket was not slid 100% forward to hold the bulb in place.  The electrical current arced, burnt up the lamp and melted the socket.  This is the best case scenario, it could have been much worse.  

This is an installation diagram that comes with the AC/DE Reflectors from Sunlight Supply.  

This is the most important piece of advice: take an extra minute to make sure your lamp is properly installed.

Customer Photo: NYC Apartment Grow Room

One of our customers sent us this photo of his grow room in his Manhattan apartment.  We're impressed!  Another example of how anything is possible with indoor gardening.

NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: CANNA COCO BRICKS

Canna Coco (the best-selling premium coco coir growing medium) is now available in a brick.  Same superior quality as their bags of Coco, only more compact and easy to transport.  Each 40 Liter package comes with 2 bags that contain one brick each.  Each brick expands when wet to 20 Liters (approximately 7.5 dry gallons) and can easily be broken in half for 10 Liter portions.  This product is the perfect solution for people who want the ease of transportation of a coco brick but without sacrificing the quality of their coco medium itself, plus it is very cost-effective.  Visit Canna's website for a more in-depth look. 

In-Store: Banana Tree

If you've been to our Nyack location any time over the past fourteen years, you've probably seen our Dwarf Cavendish banana tree.  It's growing in the front of the shop in a General Hydroponics MegaFarm that we converted a few years ago to a water-force recirculating system (instead of the standard air-force drip system).  We've gotten bananas a few times in the past but it's always been very sporadic due to our fluctuating climate in the store.  Back in June it started to flower again and today we started to harvest.  We have local, New York-grown bananas!  Hydroponics and indoor gardening make ANYTHING possible.

In bloom.

2 1/2 hands left to harvest.

First four bananas harvested.

Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo - Boston 2014 - Recap

This past weekend was Maximum Yield's Indoor Gardening Expo in Boston.  This was the first year that it's been on the east coast so it was nice to be able to attend without flying across the country.  Almost all of the major companies in our industry were there and I know we didn't get a chance to document the whole show, but here are a few highlights:

Foxfarm rolled out two new products, Kelp Me Kelp You and Wholly Mackerel, which are, respectively, seaweed and fish emulsion formulas.  They smell as bad as you would expect, which means that they probably work great.  We'll be trying these out in the shop and update you on our results.

Cutting Edge Solutions is rebranding their products (same formula, just updated labels) and coming out with some new ones (to be announced later...)

Max-Fan had every size of their top-quality fans on display, including this 28" monster (over 5000 cfm)!

Secret Jardin has a tent that is lined with Orca reflective material, which is supposed to be the most reflective and thermally protective material.   

General Hydroponics has come out with 1 oz. bottles of four products for smaller gardens and applications.

Gavita had all of their lights on display, didn't see too much that was new but we had to stop by.  The results that everyone is getting with these lights are incredible, 20-50% increases in yields alone.

Autogrow is a long-standing company that makes hydroponic pH and nutrient dosers as well as complete room and greenhouse climate controllers.  Their customer service might be the best part of their company, they know that their products are in-depth so they have people who you can call who will walk you through the entire installation and set-up process, as well as troubleshoot any problems you may encounter later on.  

Gorilla Grow Tents were there to show people the difference in quality between their tents and those from other tent manufacturers.  They definitely have the strongest frames and thickest material, plus a included 12" height extenstion (making their tents available in heights of 7'11").  We are currently running a special at both locations, 10% off all sizes of Gorilla Grow Tents.

Botanicare had a few new products on display.  They've come out with Growilla, a organic powderized one-part nutrient, a new rooting gel and root stimulator (Rhizo Gel and RhizoBlast), and a Low Tide Clone Tray that can hold four 10"x20" flats (great for microgreens/wheat grass, seedlings or cuttings)

At the end of the weekend, we came away with a lot of product samples and promo material (shirts, hats, stickers, etc.) so if you see anything you want, stop in to either location and ask.

New Canna Product...

Canna has a new product coming out soon.  Stay tuned, we should have more information for you guys by the end of the month!  Also, check out this month's issue of Maximum Yield for a chance to win free Rhizotonic.

CLOSED - Saturday October 18th for Indoor Gardening Expo

We will be closed this Saturday, October 18th for the Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo in Boston.  We have free VIP tickets for Sunday for any customers who are interested, just stop in and ask!

Products We Love: Xtreme Gardening's Line of Beneficials

Beneficials are often overlooked in nutrient regimens, and the benefits FAR outweigh the costs.  Xtreme Gardening's line of beneficials is pretty complete and easy to add into any feeding/nutrient regimen you're already using.

Mykos is a pure Mycorrhizal inoculant.  Add it to any soil or growing medium to improve root growth, ease transplant shock and increase nutrient absorption.  It also comes in a wettable powder (WP) for use in water (mix it into your water with or without your other nutrients before watering your plants, or add it to your hydroponic system).

Azos is a very unique beneficial bacteria that makes nitrogen from the air processable for plants while also increasing the root zone.  This is great when starting seedlings and cuttings because the plants are getting "grow food" (nitrogen) naturally, so they're getting off to a great start before they're big enough to start getting fed actual nutrients.

Their tea brews are not only very easy to make, but they help with overall plant health and vigor while also breaking down other nutrients and making them more available to your plants.  The tea brews come in two parts: the "brew" and the activator.   If you don't have a tea brewer, you can make your own with a five gallon bucket, an air pump, air tubing and air stone.  Add tea brew to water, then add activator, then allow to "brew" for 24 hours for flowering plants or 48 hours for growing plants.

There is also CalCarb, which is a calcium based foliar spray for enhanced leaf and cell growth.

All of their products are compatible with almost all growing mediums and nutrient lines, so adding them to your schedule will only make your plants perform better.  Come in for some more info and to try some free samples.

CO2 Enrichment = 20-30% Increased Yields

We're nearing the end of summer in the Northeast, which means it's time to start planning your winter indoor gardens.  The outdoor heat isn't as much of an issue during the winter, which makes it a perfect time to start considering the addition of a CO2 generator.  Plants breathe CO2 the same way we breathe oxygen and, when the CO2 levels are properly maintained (typically at 1500 PPM, or Parts Per Million), CO2 enrichment provides a 20-30% increase in yields, completely naturally.  The reason we recommend using generators in the winter (rather than in the summer) is because CO2 is generated by burning either natural gas or propane, which obviously creates heat.  However if you have adequate cooling in your space, this shouldn't be an issue and you can probably run CO2 all year long with no problem.  Plus, generators are the the most efficient means of CO2 enrichment.  If sized properly, they will bring your CO2 up to the desired levels and keep it there, much quicker and more accurately than when using a CO2 tank or natural CO2 bucket/pad.

Green Air Products, who are one of the first companies in our industry to focus on CO2 enrichment and environmental controls, has just introduced the first series of multi-fuel-source CO2 generators (they can run off of propane OR natural gas) which also use efficient infrared technology.  Plus Green Air's CO2 generators have holes to insert optional cooling tubes, which can be incorporated into your exhaust ducting to remove excess heat out of your growing space.  They also feature an electronic ignition, so when they're off, they're 100% off.  There is no pilot light so gas isn't being wasted, unnecessary heat isn't being created and they're extremely safe to use.

Maintaining the optimum CO2 levels for maximum production is easy.  Green Air also makes a Set Point Controller that allows you to set the CO2 level that you would like to be maintained in your garden (like we said, typically 1500 PPM), and will only turn the generator on if the levels dip below your set point.  Once your CO2 levels are back at the desired setting, it triggers the generator to turn off.  This way, you won't have to worry about wasting gas or your CO2 levels going too high.  Another added bonus is that it gives you a digital read-out of what the exact PPM of CO2 is in your garden at any given time.  

These are just a few products we offer in terms of CO2 enrichment.  There are still the traditional CO2 generators that run off of either Propane OR Natural Gas (not both), and have standard burners instead of infrared technology.  If you'd like to run CO2 without using a generator, we sell CO2 tanks and regulators and CO2 Boost natural CO2 buckets, as well as other options for monitoring and controlling your CO2 levels. 

Products We Love: Canna's Terra Professional Plus

Canna's Terra Professional Plus is a great growing medium that is pH stable, has excellent drainage with no perlite added (only natural tree bark for aeration) and a starter nutrient charge so manual feeding isn't necessary for at least a few weeks.  It's mild enough for seedlings but strong enough that all plants will get off to a great start.

Botanicare's Hydroguard is Back

Botanicare's Hydroguard is now back, replacing its previous replacement AquaShield.   Now being formulated with a different species of bacteria, Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens (as opposed to the previous and more commonly used Bacillus Subtilis), it is even more concentrated and effective at improving root health and root mass.  Plus the shelf-life has increased to 2 years, instead of the 1 year shelf life of AquaShield.  A great weapon against root rot.

ANNOUNCEMENT: CLOSED JUNE 30TH - JULY 6TH

We will be closed next week from Monday June 30th - Sunday July 6th.  We will reopen Monday, July 7th at 11:00AM.  Our last open days before the 1-week break is Friday the 27th in Queens (11:00AM-7:00PM) and Saturday the 28th in Nyack (11:00AM-3:00PM) so make sure to come in for any essentials before we close.  Hope you guys enjoy the July 4th weekend and see you when we reopen!

Summer Hours in Effect for Queens Location

Astoria Summer Hours (Memorial Day - Labor Day)

Monday - Friday: 11:00AM - 7:00PM

Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED

FoxFarm Nutrients and Additives: New Lower Price!

All FoxFarm brand nutrients and additives have gone down in price by about 9%.

Calcium Deficiency: Signs, Causes and Cures

The most common nutrient deficiency that our customers face is a calcium deficiency.  When you encounter it for the first time, it can be scary.  You might freak out and think your plants are dying.  They're not, they're just showing you that they need something.  It is very easy to diagnose and fix, hopefully this helps.

Signs:

The first sign of a calcium deficiency is yellow spotting on the leaves.  If left untreated, the yellow spots will start to become brown in the center and will eventually spread over the entire affected leaves.  They will then start to dry out, shrivel up and die.

From issue 24 of CannaTalk Magazine

Causes:

- Unbalanced pH.

pH is one of the most important factors in gardening.  If the pH level of your growing medium or nutrient solution isn't in the proper range, typically from 5.5 to 6.5, certain nutrients can't be absorbed by the plant.  So even though you may be feeding your plants everything they need to grow well and perform, they might not actually be taking it in.  You can check your pH with a variety of tools.  For testing water: paper pH test strips, pH indicator solution (General Hydroponics makes an inexpensive test kit, and a complete control kit that comes with pH Up and pH Down to adjust your pH) or a digital pH pen.  For testing soil: A soil tester that is cone-shaped with a dial or a Bluelab digital soil pH meter (the inexpensive pH testers with the long metal probes are unfortunately not very accurate).  With container gardening, you can always test the water you're feeding your plants and then the run-off from the bottom of the containers and "ballpark" the difference (for example, if your water is reading 6.0 and your run-off is reading 7.0, you can safely assume your medium has a pH of around 8.0).

Cure:  In hydroponics, you can simply adjust the pH of your nutrient solution with pH Up (which is alkaline) or pH Down (which is acidic).  In soil it will take a little longer to stabilize the pH (it takes longer to fix any problem in soil than it does in hydroponics), but you would do it using the same principle as reading the run-off.  For example, if your soil has a pH reading of 4.0, you would want to water with a solution that measures 8.0 for a few waterings to bring it up to 6.0.

- Using nutrients that don't have a high enough dose of Calcium.

New York, especially the five boroughs, has some of the cleanest water in the country (minus the chlorine) which means that it doesn't have a very high nutrient/mineral content.  This is typically a good thing because when your water starts out with a low PPM/EC/TDS/CF (all of the units of measure that are used to measure the amount of "stuff" in your water), you have more room to feed your plants the nutrients that they actually want and need.  When your water starts out with more "stuff" in it, you are limited in how much you can add to it to feed your plants.  When starting with water with a very low PPM (Parts Per Million, which is the most common unit of measure in the US in our industry), you have to make sure that you're adding all of the essential micro and macro nutrients for plant growth, in the proper ratios for the specific stage of growth that your plants are in.  That sounds complicated, but most of the base nutrients you see have a pretty well-balanced blend of these elements.  That said, sometimes plants need more.

Cure:  Use a calcium supplement (usually a blend of calcium and magnesium) such as General Hydroponics' CALiMAGic, which contains 5% calcium, 1.5% magnesium, 1% nitrogen and .1% iron (all of the most commonly deficient nutrients in the vegetative stage), or Aptus' Massboost which contains 7% calcium, 5% nitrogen and 1% magnesium.  Within a week or 2 this should fix your calcium deficiency.  New growth should start looking green and healthy.  (If you'd like to speed up the recovery process, when your plants are in their vegetative stage you can foliar-feed the Massboost.  Just be sure to follow their recommendations for foliar-feeding and always spray when the lights are off, or at sundown if growing outdoors.)

- Under-feeding

Sometimes plants just want more food.  If your pH is on point and you're using a good nutrient that contains a higher percentage of calcium, look for signs of other deficiencies.  For a chart of what all of the major nutrient deficiencies look like, come in for a free copy of CannaTalk issue 24.  If you see signs of a calcium deficiency, but maybe it looks like a nitrogen deficiency too, and also kind of iron (or some other mix..) you might not be feeding them enough.

Cure:  Try and increase the amount of food you're giving them, but be very careful.  Adding too much, too soon, can cause over-fertilization and burn your plants.  This is when a PPM meter comes in handy.  You can know exactly how much you're feeding your plants and make notes of what they want, and when they want it.  We usually recommend increasing your nutrients by only 100-150 PPM at a time.

- Nutrient Antagonism

Sometimes when it looks like you a have a deficiency of one nutrient, it's really because you have an excess of another.  This is known as "nutrient antagonism."  An over-abundance of potassium and/or salt is a very common cause of calcium deficiency when using coco coir as a growing medium.  Coco has a lot of naturally occurring potassium and sodium (sodium due to the sea water that is present where the coco is originally grown) which is an antagonist of calcium.

Cure:  When growing in a coco coir medium, be sure to use a high quality brand!  Canna Coco has already been treated and buffered to correct any nutrient/salt excesses beforehand so it isn't an issue, but a lot of other brands have not been treated the same way.  This is why many people have negative results when using sub-par brands of coco coir.  Just add a good quality calcium supplement to your nutrient regimen and the problem should correct itself.  If you're growing in a soil or soilless medium, such as Pro-Mix or Rockwool, just give the plants a good flush (see our article on Flushing) and the next time few times you feed, add in a dose of a calcium supplement.

From Aptus' Education Manual

It's Getting to be That Time of the Year Again...

Indoor growers, it's getting hot outside.  Read this article we wrote last year for some helpful tips to have a successful indoor summer season:

http://thegrowroom.blogspot.com/2013/06/indoor-gardening-in-summer.html

Video: Cleaning Your Cloning Machine

As an update to our previous post on the importance of properly cleaning your cloning machine, EZ-Clone has posted this video to walk you through it, step by step.  The same rules apply to all aeroponic and deep water hydroponic systems to avoid fungal/bacterial growth that can severely impact your plants.  Suggestion: Watch it on mute (sorry EZ-Clone)! 

Happy Earth Day!

It's Earth Day!  To celebrate, we're giving away free organic, non-GMO seed packets with every purchase of soil/soilless growing media.  Grow more food!  We're also offering a 10% discount on all organic products: Roots Organics soil, Canna's Bio line of nutrients, High Mowing Seeds, all bat guanos, organic pesticides and fungicides from Safer, Azamax organic pesticide and more.

Quick Tip: Amend Your Soil With Perlite or Vermiculite to Adjust Water Retention

Changing the water-holding properties of your soil is easy: Mix in some perlite for better drainage, or vermiculite for better water retention.

Tis the Season of Seed-Starting

If you're an outdoor gardener, you've been patiently (or not-so-patiently) waiting for this awful winter to be over.  If you haven't already started your seeds for the season, now is the time!  We have all of the essentials for you to get things growing:

High Mowing Organic Seeds - 100% organic, independent seed company, with some excellent, rare, heirloom varieties

10"x20" Trays/Flats

Vented Humidity Domes

72-Count Square Tray Inserts

General Hydroponics' Rapid Rooter natural plant starters (made from composted tree bark - get your seedlings off to a great start with a very high success rate!)

Heat Mats - Seeds germinate much faster with a little bit of bottom heat

Foxfarm Light Warrior natural seed starter growing medium (one of the many soilless/soil mixes we have that are perfect for starting seeds)

Hydrofarm Jumpstart 2 ft. and 4 ft. T5 Fluorescent lighting fixtures with (or without) stands.

Sunlight Supply Sun Blaze T5 Fluorescent lighting fixtures (2 ft. and 4 ft. fixtures with single or multiple bulbs) 

Azos by Xtreme Gardening - A natural beneficial bacteria that promotes root growth and helps plants take in and process nitrogen that is naturally occuring in the air.  A must-use for young seedlings, as it gets plants off to a quick, healthy start without running the risk of over-fertilizing.