-Luis Guerra- Fluorescent lighting is a great choice for growing plants indoors because it has a low startup cost and can be used pretty much anywhere. Fluorescents can be used in many different applications, from keeping orchids healthy and beautiful, to germinating vegetable starts for market. Please note that not all fluorescent lighting is the same. That flickering fluorescent light at work is not the same as the T5 fixture used for horticultural lighting. T5s utilize and deliver … [Read more...] about Fluorescent Grow Lights: Versatile, Effective, and Priced Right!
Blog
Falling Back on the Basics
-Chris Amaya- Growing a productive fall vegetable garden takes thoughtful planning and good cultural practices. Although August is the main planting time for fall gardens, season extension practices can give you the flexibility of starting late. Garden cloches made from bottles or hoop house structures can greatly increase productivity for the avid gardener. Seeding of shorter-season vegetables, such as turnips and leafy greens, can be delayed until September 1 in the NC piedmont. Keep in … [Read more...] about Falling Back on the Basics
Festive Fall Homebrewing (Without Pumpkin!)
-Kristin Weeks- When it comes to seasonal beers, there’s no time quite like fall. The light, easy-drinking beers typically associated with warm weather, sunshine, and yardwork give way to heavier-bodied, maltier, and more complex styles that pair perfectly with cool nights and campfires. Historically, beer has always been seasonal. Before the days of refrigeration, the brewing season lasted from the onset of fall through early spring (March), where lower temperatures kept beer fermenting with … [Read more...] about Festive Fall Homebrewing (Without Pumpkin!)
How to Preserve a Plethora of Shallots
-Pam Scott- We are in full fall mode here at Fifth Season Gardening. We just received the mother lode of garlic, onions and shallots for fall planting. While unpacking these little gems I am reminded of the few pounds of shallots left in my fridge from the summer harvest. Since nothing in my house or garden gets done with any sense of moderation, each year I plant pounds of shallots and end up harvesting pounds and pounds and pounds of shallots. Shallots are one of the more heavenly … [Read more...] about How to Preserve a Plethora of Shallots
AgroLED Dio-Watt Review
-Mike Weeks- Lighting is one of the most important components of an indoor gardening set-up, and in today’s competitive and somewhat flooded market, making the right choice for your garden can be quite overwhelming. Fortunately, we know the right questions to ask to help you make an informed decision. We often recommend LED to growers that want a low profile set-up. LED’s generate less heat and draw less power so they are easy to fit into smaller spaces with very little ventilation … [Read more...] about AgroLED Dio-Watt Review
Growing Bountiful Brassicas
-Pam Scott- The shorter, cooler days of September are upon us. You may have thought all of your gardening fun was over for the year, but.... not so fast! You could have two more months of outdoor dirt digging delight ahead of you. Our average fall frost date here in zone 7 is October 31. With the use of frost covers, hoop houses or cold frames we can extend our growing season for cool weather loving crops well into the colder months. For some crops such as spinach, kale, cilantro and parsley … [Read more...] about Growing Bountiful Brassicas
Reinheitsgebot
Last weekend we had a brew demo in which we brewed a German Hefeweizen. I followed the Reinheitsgebot, which is the German Purity Law. What this consists of is a set of regulations limiting you to certain ingredients when brewing a beer in Germany. The only ingredients a brewer is allowed to use are grain, hops, water, and yeast. This law was instated in 1516 to prevent price competition with bakers for wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to barley was meant to ensure the availability of … [Read more...] about Reinheitsgebot
The Flavor of Fall Kombucha
-Gabrial House- With fall right around the corner, I like to think about all the amazing flavors it will be bringing with it. I think of fresh apples, brown sugar, pumpkin pie, and savory herbs. The best way to get the most of these wonderful flavors is to incorporate them into your day-to-day life by making some fall flavored kombucha. Not only will this be a refreshing flavorful trip down memory lane, but it will be packed full of probiotics keeping you feeling great! We will go over … [Read more...] about The Flavor of Fall Kombucha
More About Marvelous Microbes
-Chris Amaya- Beneficial bacteria is the heart and soul in all living soil that lays beneath our feet, but when it comes to observing beneficials in hydroponics we learn that microbes are not only for organics. The constant interaction between bacteria and plants play a large role in factoring soil fertility and plant health. Although there are hundreds and hundreds types of microorganisms on this earth, plants especially thrive when they have a good mix of mycorrhizae, bacteria, and … [Read more...] about More About Marvelous Microbes
Smarten Up Your Fall Garden
-Jenn Hawthorne- When you think of fall gardening, you think of changing seasons, cooler temperatures, rain, and even snow on occasion. If you are considering a fall garden, maybe you have thought about where you might want to put it. One option for at least some of your fall planting could be growing vegetables in Smart Pots. I, personally, believe that Smart Pots are the best thing that has happened to the container garden industry since the trowel!!! Smart Pots invented the first … [Read more...] about Smarten Up Your Fall Garden
