-James Gordon- Welcome back to another edition of “Intro to Hydroponics” in our FSG blog series. The last few months our blogs have featured some information to get you started on your hydroponic journey. In this blog we will discuss flushing and hydroponic system maintenance. Any hydroponic system is going to need maintenance. To help improve the longevity of your chosen system you must, and no way around it at all, clean your system. PERIOD! You need to think of the pipes, lines, … [Read more...] about Intro to Hydroponics Part IV: Maintaining Your System
How to build a Johnson-Su Bioreactor
-Mike Weeks- It’s that time of year again when activities in the garden have come to a near standstill and the holiday hustle and bustle is over. Any gardener knows there’s always something to do with the garden whether that’s taking inventory on your seed stock, planning and designing new beds, or even sharpening your tools. But, those unusually warm winter days in between the cold ones like we recently had are perfect for tackling projects that will give you a leg up on spring gardening. … [Read more...] about How to build a Johnson-Su Bioreactor
2020 in Plant Care Tips & Mistakes
-Ginny Schafer- I think my favorite thing about 2020 is the fact that it’s almost over. My second favorite thing is that this is the year that I finally learned enough about houseplants to keep them happy and thriving! Before this year, I was… alright with plants. I had a few aloes that managed to stay alive, but other than that, the average life expectancy of a plant in my house was about 5 months. Then along came 2020, and diving headfirst into houseplants and plant care was a great … [Read more...] about 2020 in Plant Care Tips & Mistakes
Aging Beers
-Ryan Blankenship- Aging large gravity beers can really help bring out some greater characteristics in several different styles. Larger stouts, porters, Scottish ales, and barrel-aged ales work the best for aging or cellaring. IPA and Double IPAs are net recommended for aging because the hops will start to break down over time and give an off flavor to your ales. Be sure the ABV is at least 8% or higher for the optimal aging process. Lambics, saisons, gueuzes, and any other type of beer … [Read more...] about Aging Beers
Fermenting for the Holidays: Basic Tools of the Trade & Easy DIY Holiday Gift Ideas
-Kylie Holloway- It’s the beginning of December, and the holiday season is fully upon us; however, with the warmth and joy of the season often comes stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed when it comes to holiday shopping and gift giving. Well, we’re here to help, with some great gift ideas for the foodies in your life! A great DIY holiday gift idea that is simple, fun, and unique is making fermented gifts for friends, family, and loved ones (and is a great gift to send in the mail!). … [Read more...] about Fermenting for the Holidays: Basic Tools of the Trade & Easy DIY Holiday Gift Ideas
Intro to Hydroponics: Know Your Own (Nutrient) Strength!
-James Gordon- Greetings again all! It's time for another installment in the Intro to Hydroponics blog series. So far in our last two blogs we have had an introduction to growing hydroponically, water quality, pH manipulation, pH meter calibration, and nutrient amalgamation. We have covered a lot! We’ll take it a bit easier this blog, with our focus on measuring dissolved salts to find out what strength our nutrient solution is after we mix the nutrients into water. From there we will talk … [Read more...] about Intro to Hydroponics: Know Your Own (Nutrient) Strength!
Organics: A Better Way to Grow
-Tim Leisman- Organic growing can be intimidating to the newcomer. When I came to Fifth Season, I wasn’t exactly new to organic gardening - I’d helped my mom in the garden many summers, complained about the smell of the manure she would buy to till into the soil every so often, then watched as plants thrived under her care. However, I never took the time to learn exactly how and why she put bone meal into the garden. Have you ever wondered why organic products cost much more in the stores and … [Read more...] about Organics: A Better Way to Grow
Helping your African Violets to Bloom
-Pam Scott- When I was a small child, my grandmother's kitchen window was always full of beautifully blooming African Violets. Their ruffled flowers of deep blues, periwinkle, pinks, purples and lavenders made me think of fluffy party dresses. Their velvety leaves always tempted a forbidden touch. These plants were always in glorious full bloom. People marveled at what a “green thumb” my grandmother had, as she seemed to have natural gifts with these fussy little exotic plants. It wasn't … [Read more...] about Helping your African Violets to Bloom
Home(brewing) for the Holidays
-Dan Toot- Let’s talk about Hygge. Translated from Danish it roughly means: a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. Folks, I think we’ll need quite a bit of Hygge as we enter this fast-approaching, still-weird Holiday season. Hard to believe we’re already talking about it, but for a homebrewer, thinking about the process of making a beer, it’s practically here! So I’m here to help the homebrewer plan their gift-giving options … [Read more...] about Home(brewing) for the Holidays
The Many Ways of Using Hemp Flower
-Kylie Holloway- As the popularity of CBD continues to rise, many people are turning toward using hemp products for healing anxiety, stress, chronic pain, etc. The flower of the hemp plant can be used in many ways - by smoking, or by being made into oils, salves, and even food. At Fifth Season, we often get questions about other ways to use our CBD hemp flower, rather than smoking it. One of the easiest, cheapest, and fun ways that you can utilize the magical healing properties of this … [Read more...] about The Many Ways of Using Hemp Flower
