With both indoor and outdoor gardening comes pests. These insects can cause significant damage to your crop in a short amount of time. It is important to stay on top of these pests before they have a chance to cause any problems. This generally involves spraying pesticides on the crop in an attempt to kill them. Many of these pesticides are made from toxic chemicals, while others are made by synthesizing natural chemicals in a lab. Neem oil, on the other hand, is special, it needs very little modification in order for it to be used as a highly effective pesticide for your plants. And it even h ..read more

With a clean, and well maintained grow room with adequate air circulation odour is not generally an issue. Some plants however, especially those with volatile oil such as some herbs, can have a strong odour that can build up in the grow room. This is usually the greatest during the flowering stage. The Scent of Plants The smell of a plant may not be such a bad thing, and in fact, is often the part of the plant that is desired such as with roses, lilies, or peppermint. Although you may thoroughly enjoy the scent, it can be a bane to those wishing to grow their crops discreetly. Lavender, rose ..read more

Life below the soil is rich and diverse. Millions of different organisms call home in the root zone of a regular plant, from bacteria to nematodes, to fungi. Many of these organisms aim to hurt the plant, while many others are neutral or aim to help it. Without a doubt, the most beneficial organism present, however, is the mycorrhizae fungi. What Are they? They are made up of tiny string like growths that are thin enough to grow inside the roots of plants. They connect together and form massive networks that can span entire forests. Pictured is the iconic Amanita muscarina which forms a power ..read more

Aphids are one of the most common and destructive pests for growers worldwide. They can develop resistance to insecticides, and are not very picky when it comes to food sources which can make them tough to eliminate from the grow room completely.   What are aphids? Aphids are small, soft-bodied, sap-sucking insects that feed on a wide variety of plants all over the world. They come in a variety of colors ranging from green to red, to black. There are even some that have a fuzzy white layer that makes them resemble cotton or mealybugs. All aphids are contained in the Aphidoidea family but ..read more

We’ve all seen it on our nutrient bottles or on the ads for different nutrient additives. Most of these companies claim that their ratio is the best for maximizing yields and speeding plant growth. There are even different ones depending on the stage of life your plants are in. This can sure make choosing the right nutrient formula confusing. NPK stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. These are a plant's macronutrients, which means they are the nutrients a plant uses in the largest amounts. This is aside from carbon of course which is extracted from the carbon dioxide in the air dur ..read more

Identifying The Common Signs Of Plant Disease There are a few key markers that indicate the success of the pathogenic bacteria over the beneficial ones.   Your roots will begin to smell “off” or “swampy” The roots will begin to look black and slimy The overall growth will be slowed. The leaves will begin to turn yellow, eventually leading to the death of your plants Fuzzy white powder or web-like strands will be found on your leaves or in the soil/substrate of your plants Black spots will be found on the leaves alongside discolorations and curling Discolored rings will form ..read more

Predatory insects are one of the best natural methods of pest control for the garden. They are the only things meticulous enough to seek out and destroy the pests that are living in your garden individually. The goal of using predatory insects is not to wipe out a pest invasion, rather they reach a balance between the pest and the predator. This keeps the damage to a minimum and avoids the use of nasty chemicals or pesticides.   Bug Balance in Nature In nature, there is a balance between predator and prey which ensures the survival of both species. If the predator species outgrew the prey ..read more

RDWC Has Its Roots In Traditional Deep Water Culture In traditional deep water culture systems (DWC), each system involves its own self contained local system. This means that each system has to be individually checked for pH, nutrient levels, and topped up with lost water. If you have 20 plants this can be very tedious and time consuming. For smaller systems this is perfectly suitable, but in larger grows, it can be a huge waste of time to maintain. The solution lies in the innovative design of the recirculation system.   Building On Innovation Deep water culture isn’t without its challe ..read more

There Are Many Different Kinds Of Microbes: Before we can get in to using beneficial microbes in your hydroponic garden, we need to go over some of the basic characteristics of the organisms living in your root zone. The root zone of your plants (called the rhizosphere), is incredibly complex. Inside the dense, tangled layers of roots there exists a microclimate perfectly suited to bacteria, single celled fungi, and more complex fungi alike. High humidity, warm temperature, little or no airflow, and darkness. All of these qualities are perfect for tiny, relatively unprotected microorganisms ..read more

Hydroponics can be a rewarding and educational experience. The crop yields are generally much higher than conventional methods and require less space. One of the problems with gardening in general however is dealing with pests and disease.   Hydroponic gardens are prone to disease and insect or pest invasion just like conventional farming, only with a few slight differences…  Since hydroponic gardens are normally self contained, and cut off from the outside world, they’re actually far less prone to contracting an insect, fungal, or bacterial pest or disease.   The problem howeve ..read more