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.

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.