-Gabrial House- Today on the blog I wanted to talk about HID (High Intensity Discharge) lighting, and more specifically the differences between magnetic and digital ballasts. We are going to take a look at the pros and cons of both and why you would choose one piece of technology over the other. First we will want to look at what a ballast does for your lighting system. If we were to plug an HPS (High Pressure Sodium) bulb right into a wall socket (AC current) you would pop your bulb … [Read more...] about Digital vs. Magnetic Ballasts
Top 5 Easiest Low-Light Houseplants
-Naomi Austin- Often times people come to us wanting to green their homes, but don’t think they have enough light or discipline to care for plants properly. How happy they are when we point them to our top 5 (virtually) indestructible houseplants! Not all plants want your love and attention. Some are best when almost ignored and thrown in a corner. Sounds harsh, I know, but it’s the truth. The following houseplants are our most recommended for both low light and low … [Read more...] about Top 5 Easiest Low-Light Houseplants
Brewing in the Summer
-Ryan Blankenship- Summertime is usually a slow time for the traditional home brewer. Mainly because it gets so hot outside, most of us don’t want to spend 6-8 hours over a boiling hot kettle. It can also become difficult to regulate your fermentation temperatures. If you’re a diehard brewer like we are, however, you might be deciding on what beers do best during the summer. A few of my favorite summer style beers include: Belgian pale ales, Kolsch, and Saisons. Today I want to give a little … [Read more...] about Brewing in the Summer
DIY Bird Bath
-Luis Guerra- Attracting birds to our yards is enjoyable and educational, and has practical benefits as well. In addition to the pure pleasure we receive by watching birds in our environment, birds also aid in our struggles against some common garden pests. Many birds munch on slugs, grasshoppers and caterpillars, which we all know are unwanted pesky critters that destroy our fruits and veggies. We often think about birdfeeders when we want to create a hospitable environment for our … [Read more...] about DIY Bird Bath
Product Review: Mammoth P – Get The Most From Your Grow
-Gabrial House- This week on the blog I wanted to talk about one of my favorite products on the market today, Mammoth P - the beneficial bacteria that packs a punch! Mammoth P is the only microbial inoculant that will help your plant uptake phosphorus, giving you a significant increase on your end harvest results. Mammoth P is a microbial inoculant that does exactly what it says it will do, and that’s organically increase your yields. It breaks down the phosphorus within your growing media, … [Read more...] about Product Review: Mammoth P – Get The Most From Your Grow
Nectar-Producing Plants and Host Plants: Superheroes of the Garden
-Pam Scott- The importance of pollinating and beneficial insects in our world cannot be over stressed. The production of 3⁄4 of our major food crops depends on insect pollinators. Most of the crops we grow and eat (tomatoes, cucumbers, almonds, eggplants, fruits and berries, to name just a few) need pollinators to produce fruit. Unfortunately, the population of both native and managed pollinators is in decline due to destruction of habitat and the use of broad-spectrum pesticides. Perversely, … [Read more...] about Nectar-Producing Plants and Host Plants: Superheroes of the Garden
Kokedama: Lazy-Person’s Bonsai
-Kristin Weeks- It wasn’t long after first learning about kokedama that I decided to try my hand at it, and that meant reading as much as I possibly could about its history and all the best practices that the internet had to offer about how to make these adorable, container-less string gardens. A lovely woman then came into the store looking for a new plant for her bathroom and we went on a hunt for the perfect pot to go with it. After exhausting our options (since surface space was a … [Read more...] about Kokedama: Lazy-Person’s Bonsai
Kveik: A Hot New Yeast Trend in Homebrewing
-Peter McMindes- Norway has been using kveik for centuries, passing it down through generations of brewing families, providing unique characteristics to farmhouse ales. Kveik (pronounced “kwike”), means “yeast” in Norwegian, and the strain has remained relatively unchanged in areas that engage in traditional farmhouse brewing. The name kveik refers to the yeast itself, not the style of beer, and it is extremely genetically diverse while exhibiting characteristics not typical in other brewing … [Read more...] about Kveik: A Hot New Yeast Trend in Homebrewing
Build Your Own Super Soil
-Ryan Blankenship- What exactly is super soil? Super soil is a blend of many different amendments that will feed your plants from seed to harvest. This blend will give your plants all of the essential nutrients they need to lead happy lives and keep them from having any deficiencies. In this blog I will give you a great recipe and explain what each amendment does for your soil. 8 x 1.5 cu.ft. bags of organic soil (Roots Organic or Ocean forest works the best) 30 lb bag of … [Read more...] about Build Your Own Super Soil
P-K Boost
-Gabrial House- During a plant’s life cycle it goes through several different phases of growth. At the beginning of its life, it wants a lot of nitrogen and a good amount of phosphorus. These nutrients allow the plant to grow in biomass, meaning the plant is creating a large root system and lots of leafy green material. As growers, we refer to this phase in a plant’s life as its vegetative stage. As the plant enters its reproductive stage, however, it shifts focus away from green, … [Read more...] about P-K Boost
