Special: Premium 3'x3' Grow Tent Set-Up

A month and a half ago we set up a 3'x3' Gorilla Grow Tent in our Nyack store to show that you can create any growing environment you want at any time of the year when gardening indoors.  Here we are in January, with full tomato development.  Here is our display:

3'x3'x7'11" Gorilla Grow Tent (with 12" height extension) fully outfitted.

Nano San Marzano tomatoes (Grown from seed - imported from Italy from Arthur Ave. in the Bronx)

Cluster of tomatoes, in January in NY!

Reflector and ventilation set-up: Super Sun 2 Air-Cooled Reflector, 6" Pro Series Max Fan w/ 3 speed settings (420, 378 & 291 CFM) , 6"x16" Mini Can-Lite carbon filter, premium 6" PVC-coated Max Duct).  All being held by Hydrofarm's Light Riser Rope Ratchets.

New 600W Dimmable Phantom II electronic ballast.

The tomatoes are growing in Air-Pot #3's.  We usually wouldn't recommend growing tomatoes in anything smaller than a 5 gallon container because they could outgrow their containers and get root bound, however Air-Pots allow the roots to breathe and be air-pruned which gives you a larger, denser root system without the root spiraling.  Paired with Canna Coco (the growing medium we're using), plants can thrive in smaller containers.

Special: This entire premium set-up (brand new, not the items we used for our display) including all of the top-of-the-line, name-brand hardware you see here except for the Air-Pots: $1099.00 (20% savings)
Entire set-up, including Air-Pots, Saucers, 1 Bag of Canna Coco, Full line of 1 Liter Canna Coco Nutrients & Additives (Coco A+B, Cannazym, Rhizotonic, PK13/14, Cannaboost) : $1370.00
All Gorilla Grow Tents: 10% Off

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.

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: 8" Max Fan HO - Variable Speed

The majority of companies that make in-line fans have a serious void in their product line-up.  Most 8" in-line fans push somewhere between 700-750 CFM (cubic feet per minute) and most 10" in-line fans push 750-795 CFM.  12" in-line fans typically start at 1100 CFM.  So what do you do if your airflow needs fall into the 800-950 CFM range?  You can always use a 12" in-line fan with a fan speed adjuster (an inexpensive add-on that can really help you dial in your airflow), but sometimes space is limited and doesn't allow for the use of multiple reducers (12"-10", 10"-8", etc.).  

To solve that problem, Max Fan has made an 8" in-line fan with a built-in variable speed feature:  Speed 1 - 750 CFM, Speed 2 - 850 CFM, Speed 3 - 932 CFM.  It is a powerful fan that surprisingly runs very quietly and has a 5 year warranty.  

Another great product from the same manufacturer is Max Duct, a high quality ducting featuring triple foil laminate, covered in white UV resistant PVC.  Since this ducting is so heavy-duty, it 100% reusable.  It comes in a variety of sizes (4"-20" diameters), in 25' rolls with two hose clamps.  If you're setting up a new ventilation system, it is a must-have.

Mention this blog entry and get 10% off on these products until June 1st.