the indoor gardener magazine september october 2012

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 1

XXXX | THE INDOOR GARDENER

2 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | XXXX

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 3


4 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | TABLE OF CONTENTS

STA

FF

INTH

ISIS

SU

E

Published by: Green Publications Vertes, Laval, Qc, Canada • Directors of publication: Roxanne Labelle-Lekakis [email protected] and Stelios [email protected] • Editor: Stelios Lekakis [email protected] • Managing Editor: Bruno Bredoux [email protected] • Director of Marketing and ProductionManager: Stelios Lekakis [email protected] • Account Manager and Sales Representative: Nick Azakie [email protected] • Contributing editors: Stelios Lekakis,Bruno Bredoux, Roxanne Lekakis, V. Green, Nick Azakie • Graphic Concept and Design: KARAKTER (Green Publications Vertes, www.tigmag.com) • Editorialcoordinator: Bruno Bredoux • Collaborators in this issue: Nick Azakie, Kerrie R. Barney, Bruno Bredoux, Blair Busenbark, Jessy Caron, Sean Cervantes, Andrei Contiu,Stéphane Corbeil, Wendy Denney, Jim Fritz, Topher Gourmet, Grinkeeper, M. James, Roxanne Labelle-Lekakis, Stelios Lekakis, Elisabeth Meek, Glenn Milbrand, LucMoreau, Observatoire géopolitique des drogues, Gordon Redman, Maya Rozen, Marina Shemesh, Rosa van Tijn, Milan Zalar. • Rewriting/Copy editing/Proof reading:V. Green • Cover Design: KARAKTER, after a photo by Andrei Contiu (Tagates patula or French Marigold) • Illustrations: DR and Green Publications Vertes. •Distribution: See the list of our current distributors on our website http://theindoorgardener.ca/Distributors.html • Administration: Claudine [email protected] • Information: [email protected]. • Articles and photos submission: [email protected].: Should you need to refer to our conversion table, go to our Website.

© 2012, Green Publications Vertes, Laval, Qc, Canada • Printed in Canada.The Indoor Gardener Magazine, P.O. Box 52046, Laval, Quebec, H7P 5S1, CANADA Phone: 1 450-628-5325, Fax: 1 450-628-7758, website : www.theindoorgardener.ca.

Articles, iconographic representations and photographs contained in this magazine cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of thePublisher. The magazine (The Indoor Gardener) and publisher (Green Publications) are not responsible for mistakes or erroneous information provided by theirauthors. The publisher further declines any and all liability related to any problem stemming from the unsuccessful application of any advice provided by an authorin an article.

Publications Mail - Agreement number PP41129557. Canada Post: Return undeliverable items to Green Publications, PO Box 52046, Laval, QuebecH7P 5S1. U.S. Delivery and Subscriptions: Periodicals Postage Rates are paid in Laval, Qc, Canada, H7P 5S1 – Post Canada AgreementPP41129557. U.S. Post Master: Return undeliverable items to Green Publications, PO Box 52046, Laval, Quebec, H7P 5S1, Canada. CanadaPost Publications Mail Agreement number: PP41129557. Legal deposit: Second Quarter 2005. National Library of Canada. Bibliothèque nationaledu Québec. ISSN: 1715-0949. Printed in Canada by Solisco, Scott (QC).

14 3220 44

6 That Was Hot!By Bruno Bredoux

8 News from the IndustryBy S. Cervantes, B. Busenbark, E. Meek,Gordon Redman, W. Denney, Milan Zalar,Stéphane Corbeil and Bruno Bredoux

14 Every Plant I Grow Has A StoryBy Jim Fritz

20 Back Indoors!By Maya Rozen

22 Thrips in Your Garden?You Can Beat That ScourgeBy Grinkeeper

28 Amazing Tundra FloraBy Rosa van Tijn

30 Luc Moreau: ApiaristBy Jessy Caron

32 The Humorous Adventures ofAn Amateur Plant PhotographerBy Kerrie R. Barney

38 A Kombucha Tea WeddingBy Jim Fritz

40 Blunts and Stunts in EuropeBy Bruno Bredoux

42 Bliss BaklawaBy Topher Gourmet

44 Fans and FiltersBy Co-contributors

44 End of Summer DestinationsBy M. James

And our usual features: Editorial 6 • Industry News 8 • People inthe Industry 30 • Cooking 42 • TheHydroponic World of North America 45(US), 47 (Canada) • Questions & Answers 48

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 • SSEEPPTTEEMMBBEERR // OOCCTTOOBBEERR 22001122 • wwwwww..tthheeiinnddoooorrggaarrddeenneerr..ccaa

6 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


Everyone around me keeps repeating it! Wehave just had the hottest summer everrecorded! Drought, unbearable temperatures,crops delayed or at risk, rivers and streams atdangerously low levels, you name it! Meanwhile,in much of Western Europe, torrential rainsturned July into one of the wettest months ofthe year. That spelled relief for farmers andhydro geologists, but bad luck for vacationerswho will at least be rewarded with anexceptional amount of green scenery even inusually dry August.

But none of that extreme weather actuallystruck me. I spent this whole summer as if Iwere in a tunnel, working feverishly on a newproject of Green Publications (yes, those whoare bringing you The Indoor Gardener Magazineevery second month!). Never did I realizephysically what was happening with these mostextreme weather events even if we’veexperienced all of them here too. In the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec, for instance,rainfall in July did not exceed 35 mm, a recordsince 1959! Water scarcity threatened thepollination of plants such as squash. RichardFavreau, a producer of organic farming at Val-aux-Vents in St. Valérien, recently explained tothe CBC French Channel: “When bumblebees areforaging on the flowers’ nectar, they needdewdrops. There is none this year and in themorning, they do not even go out for pollenany more. Bumblebees do not wanderanymore!”

The terrible drought in the United States alsoimpacts farmers in Quebec where productioncosts have risen significantly despite the factthat they were largely spared the devastationthat hit their American neighbours. “Four or fiveweeks ago [in mid-June], we used to pay $220for a ton of corn,” said David Boissonneault,president of the Fédération des producteurs deporcs du Québec, on the TV news, July 31.“Today it is $340. This hike inflated our

production costs in a pretty incredible way.” Headded: “We will certainly not be able to lastlong like that. In Quebec, we are self-sufficientwith regards to grain for all our productions.But the drought-affected regions like the US aresetting world prices. The result is that even ifwe keep on buying most of our corn in Quebecand Ontario, our prices are in line with those ofthe United States.”

Obviously, the rise in prices for animal feed willhave consequences in 2013. Economists arealready planning a 4% increase in the price ofgrain-fed pork for next year. Beef and poultrycould follow this upward trend. Basic foods likepasta and bread will likely also jump. Processedproducts will be collateral damages, especially ifthey are made from fructose or corn syrup.Margarine, salad dressings and other commonproducts on supermarket shelves are next inline to be impacted.

As a consumer, what can you do in such acontext? The simplest thing is to go back toyour kitchen and cook more yourself. Bring backto your table that small, delicious homemadedish that, for lack of time or simple laziness,you replaced by processed products. Not onlywill it be more flavourful when done at home, itwill also make a lot of economic sense in thecontext of the anticipated price hikes. Enrolyour freezer as a major keeper and supplier ofhomemade dishes. Some already rely onfreeganism and other alternative consumingstrategies. A number of savvy consumers evenskim public markets at closing time to retrievediscarded but perfectly good products!

You certainly don’t need to go to these lengthsto continue feeding yourself. But remember theold saying: “Necessity is the mother of allinvention.” And turn it to your own advantage!

Bruno [email protected]

THAT WAS HOT!

Editorial

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 7

| THE INDOOR GARDENER

INTEGRATED CONTROLLERFOR TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY AND CO2

• Manages ALL indoor garden’s climate parameters.

CO2 CONTROL WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE SHUT OFF

• Easy to install and set up;• Display with day/night selection;

• Adjustable CO2 set point from 100 to 4,900 ppm.

FLEXTIMER

• A precise control for lighting,or irrigation,

or any cycling process.

INTEGRATED CONTROLLER FOR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

• Intelligently manages 4 actions: heating, cooling (AC or fan), humidifying and dehumidifying;

• Prioritizes actions according to a logical sequence;• Allows temperature and humidity’s differential

adjustment.

www.novabiomatique.com

8 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | INDUSTRY NEWS

New from Botanicare

Botanicare Presents their Starter Kitsfor Growers of Any Skill Level

Gardeners of all skill levels can now discover Botanicare®with our new Starter Kits! Offered with either Pure BlendPro™ or CNS17® as the base nutrients, these new starterkits contain a full supplement product offering andcomplement our newly developed Feed Recipes to ensuresuccess to even the most rookie grower.

Pure Blend Pro™ Starter Kit: Grow with the Pro

Botanicare’s Pure Blend Pro™ Starter Kit allows growers todiscover Botanicare® in one versatile kit. It contains:

• Pure Blend Pro™ Grow 1 Pint;• Pure Blend Pro™ Bloom 1 Pint;• Liquid Karma® 8 oz.;• Cal-Mag Plus™ 8 oz.;• Sweet® 8 oz.;• Hydroplex® 8 oz.;• Silica Blast™ 8 oz.

To view a video about the Pure Blend Pro™ Starter Kit, goto http://youtu.be/c-_0XVJ1ITQ.

CNS17® Starter Kit: Seventeen Essential Elements

Botanicare’s CNS17® Coco and Soil Starter Kit allows cocogrowers to discover Botanicare® in one versatile kit. Itcontains:

• CNS17® Coco Grow 1 Pint;• CNS17® Coco Bloom 1 Pint;• CNS17® Ripe 8 oz.;• Liquid Karma® 8 oz.;• Sweet® 8 oz.;• Hydroplex® 8 oz.;• Silica Blast™ 8 oz.

To view a video about the CNS17® Coco and Soil StarterKit, go to http://youtu.be/7qkkPFRMVoo.

Dicover the Botanicare® line of hydroponic nutrients withBotanicare’s new Pure Blend Pro™ and CNS17® Starter Kits!Each kit contains pint size tasters of Botanicare’s one partbase nutrients and 8 oz. teasers of Botanicare’s leadingsupplements. The CNS17® Starter Kit is designed to beused with coco based mediums while our Pure Blend Pro™kit is designed for growers utilizing soilless mediums suchas peat moss and Rockwool. These new starter kits providegrowers the opportunity to sample a complete offering ofBotanicare products at a bargain price and supsupportgrowers of any skill level in achieving a bountiful harvest.

botanicare.com

Botanicare’s Black Strap MolassesStrapped™ is Packin’ Even More Heatwith New Sizes and New Packaging

Made from unsulfured black strap molasses, Strapped™provides soil growers an alternative to the hydroponicadditive Sweet™ during the final weeks of flowering. Largeamounts of flower plumping nutrients fill the stickymolasses of Strapped™ and help to increase your cropsharvest yields and essential oil production. Unsulfuredblackstrap molasses is made by extracting the juice of fullymature sugar cane and then evaporating it down to thicksyrup. The minimal refining process allows unsulfured BSM

INDUSTRY NEWS

If you would like to send us your company news item or new product releases for publication,please submit your text and pictures with any additional information at [email protected].

(The Indoor Gardener magazine reserves the right to determine which press releases areappropriate for publication, and may edit for length, content, or style.)

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 9

INDUSTRY NEWS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

to retain higher levels of potassium, sulfur, magnesium andother micronutrients than more refined grades of molassessuch as those made from beet sugars.

Strapped™ Benefits:

• A Sweet™ alternative for soil feeders;• Organic chelating additive that helps increase nutrientuptake;• Increases yields and essential oil production;• Feeds beneficial microbes in soils and potting mixesincreasing nutrient conversion;• Promotes fruiting and flowering by providing beneficialpotassium and essential trace minerals.

Uses and application rates:

• Dilute 1-2 tablespoon per gallon of water as a root drenchonce per week;• Perfect for use in compost teas and diluted as a foliarspray;• Do not use with aerated or recirculation hydroponicsystems that add oxygen to the nutrient solution. Using airstones or aerated systems will cause foaming in thereservoir and could contribute to microbial growth.

Strapped™ new packaging sizes are now available: 64 oz.,1 Gal., 2.5 Gal. and 5 Gal.

Give your plants a sticky treat with Botanicare’s newestcarbohydrate addition—Strapped™. Get sticky!

botanicare.com

Black Gold Line Takes Home The Gold

Hardware Association HonorsCompelling Packaging that Sells

Las Vegas, NV: The race for retail sales can often seem likea marathon of Olympic proportions. Having a gold medalist

on your team can make all the difference at the finish line.The National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has helpedretailers find those exceptional performers by recognizingthe industry’s finest packaging. This year, the Black Gold®brand by Sun Gro received a coveted gold medal from theAssociation. Black Gold® was recognized for its strongbrand design, bold shelf impact and clear differentiation ofproduct types.

NRHA recognizes the industry’s finest product packagingand merchandising. “We thought it was vitally important forthe industry’s association of independent retailers to beable to provide the industry’s manufacturers with feedbackabout the types of packaging and merchandising retailersneed to help sell products and inform consumers about aproduct’s features and benefits,” says Scott Wright, NRHA’svice president of member services. “What better place tobring these two channel partners together than the NationalHardware Show.”

“We strived to create a strong block and brand presence instores through crisp, iconic labeling,” says Laura Munro,Chief Marketing Officer for Sun Gro Horticulture. “Ourgraphics are now more intuitive, with bold lettering andillustrations that help customers reach for exactly what theyneed.” The Black Gold line of natural and organic soils,amendments and fertilizers is available to independentgarden centers nationally from Sun Gro Horticulture. Most ofthese are OMRI listed, proving by third party review thatthe ingredients are acceptable for organic gardening. TheOMRI logo on Black Gold products makes it easy for IGCsto promote organic gardening through high quality,verifiable products.

Company ProfileSun Gro was founded in 1929 in Vancouver, BC and hasgrown to become North America’s largest producer ofsphagnum peat, and the largest distributor of peat mossand peat and bark-based growing media to professionalplant growers in the US and Canada. Sold through IGC andHardware stores, Black Gold is Sun Gro’s primary consumerproduct line. The line includes potting soils, gardenamendments and natural & organic fertilizers. Many of theBlack Gold products are OMRI Listed. For more informationon Black Gold go to www.blackgold.bz, or for moreinformation on Sun Gro Horticulture’s entire product offeringgo to www.sungro.com.

10 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

New from Sunleaves

1. Cut Confidently with SunleavesPruners

From bonsai trees to bushes and shrubs, pruning canpresent a range of challenges. Simplify the process bychoosing a pruner designed for the task at hand. Sunleaves’new line of pruners has the pruner with the right featuresto fit your needs.

2. Increase Accuracy Using SunleavesBuffer Solutions

Prevent inaccurate pH readings by regularly calibrating pHmeters with Sunleaves pH 4 and 7 Buffer Solutions. Thisdry mix decreases risk of contamination and may be storedindefinitely. The convenient bottle with twist-on capincludes 12 packets, enough powder to make 600 mL(20 oz) of each solution.

3. Don’t Leave Your pH Meter out to Dry

Taking a break from gardening but want to make sure yourpH meter is in good condition when you return? Protectyour pH meter between uses with a few drops of SunleavespH Electrode Storage Solution. Adding the storage solutionto the electrode’s storage container when the electrode isnot in regular use will prevent the electrode’s membranefrom dehydrating.

4. Sunleaves Super Starter Cloner

Due to customer demand Sunleaves introduces the newSunleaves Super Starter Cloner 12-site cloning system. Itincludes a six-gallon reservoir, lid with access plug, 2” netpots, 2” Super Starter Inserts, submersible water pump anda misting manifold. The system is reusable for multiplepropagation cycles.

5. Sunleaves Light Stand

The Sunleaves Light Stand provides maximum growthresults with minimal effort. It has a rigid, steel framestructure with a 55” width. Two height options of 3’ or 6.5’support up to 50 lbs of lighting for propagation or matureplants.

6. Sunleaves DuraDampers

Another fine product is available from the Sunleaves familyof brands. Sunleaves DuraDampers provide reliableventilation control and a range of size options to fit almostany indoor garden. Featuring sturdy zinc-anodized steelconstruction and neoprene grommets, they’re made to last.

Visit Sunleaves.com to find a store near you.


1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 11


12 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


Clone Guard—Locks out SpiderMites and Powdery Mildew,Locks in Water!

It has been estimated that powdery mildew, mold, leaf-dwelling insects and leaf dehydration account for over 50%of clone death every year. How does the average grower getthe upper hand on this problem? Use Clone Guard! Onceapplied to the clone’s leaves and stem, Clone Guard driesto form an ultra thin high tech biodegradable shield. CloneGuard works in the same way your home window screensseparate you from invading insects and pests while allowingair to go in and out.

Clone Guard locks in water molecules from escaping fromthe leaves preventing the clone from wilting. Waterretention in the clone’s leaves and stem is critical to theforming of roots. At the same time Clone Guard is locking inwater it’s locking out spider mites, white fly, aphids, thrips,powdery mildew, black spot and many more invading pests.Clone Guard simply denies leaf-dwelling pests’ access to theclone.

For growers looking for more consistency in the cloningprocess, Clone Guard is a must have product. Growers mustensure that the cloning process will be a complete success.A strong and healthy clone ensures the grower that thegenetic potential of the plant can be achieved.

Use Clone Guard every time you take cuttings and alwaysapply Clone Guard to plants before you allow them intoyour garden. It’s fast, easy and very affordable.

Clone Guard is found at fine garden stores that care aboutyour success.

Visit flyingskull.net for complete details.

Grodan Releases New VideoComparing Potting Mixes

Grodan is pleased to announce their recent release of “TheGrow-Cube Experiment—An Independent Review”presentation video which documents one retailer’s personalexperience in conducting an experiment to see what affect,if any, adding Grodan’s Grow-Cubes to a potting mix had onpepper plants. The video is now available to watch onyoutube.com. It is also the featured video on the homepage of grodan101.com.

For more information visit grodan101.com or [email protected].

About Grodan

Grodan has been manufacturing revolutionary hydroponicproducts since 1969, and continued to lead the industry infirst-class horticultural stonewool. By consistently producingquality goods and providing professional product support,Grodan’s excellent reputation has steadily evolved. Grodan’scontinued efforts to respect the earth while maintaining thehighest quality standards will perpetuate their leadershiprole into the future of the hydroponic industry.

Eurofire Pellet Burner: JustWhat Our Customers Wanted

Because of their ingenious patented features such as“Cross-Flow” burning, Eurofire pellet burners run like clock-work even when burning lower quality pellets. Their designallows for longer periods between cleaning and servicingoperations, a feature none of our competitors can offer. Wemanufacture and commercialize thousands of pellet-firingburners each year. We owe our continued growth to the factthat we supply first–class products, at a competitive price,to satisfied customers throughout Europe.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 13

INDUSTRY NEWS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Our main competitive advantages include:

• Simplicity of design offers continuous, safe and sureoperation. • Extended, operator free, 14 day performance, saves onlabour.• Highly efficient energy production reduces fuel bills.Certified by The Swedish Quality and Safety Institute and Pstamped.• Forward flame allows fitting to almost any boiler. Can beretrofitted.• Easy-on mounting plate makes for simple, fast, troublefree installation of burner to boiler. • Laboratory tested with boilers such as Baxi, etc., andcomes out top of class.• Digital PLC test system for easy installation of settingsand calibration of fuel consumption rates before firing-upthe burner.• Fine temperature regulator controls between Start andStop. Means fewer Start and Stop, consequently longeroperation times possible when not using an accumulatortank, and less fuel use.• Designed for future electronic digital upgrading in mind.• Available Eurofire Capacity from 20 to 500 kW.

This high quality burner is manufactured in several sizes tosuit most conditions and needs.

Characteristics:

• DDeessiiggnn CCaappaacciittyy RRaannggee:: 20-500 kW; • FFuueell TTyyppee:: pellets 8-10% moisture content; • EEnndd UUsseerrss:: detached and semi-detached housing,commercial buildings, local central heating plant;• Protect the environment and cut fuel bills;• Safe, economic and REA (Renewable Energy Association)approved equipment.

Visit our Website to find some of customers’ comments(ekosystem.se).

TERIS Supply Services: New Addresses in Montreal and Quebec City

As you will note from the company’s ad in our “HydroponicWorld of North America” section, Stéphane Corbeil,President of TERIS Supply Services, informs us of their newaddresses:

• 3180, St-Aubin, Laval, Quebec H7L 3H8 (Canada);• 371, des Chutes, Quebec City, Quebec G1E 3G1 (Canada).• Phone – Montreal: 1-514-990-9325 • Quebec City: 1-418-667-7575 • Fax – 1-888-749-8677.

The company’s slogan, which until now was “Pour mieuxvous servir/To serve you better”, will become “Jamais noussans vous/Never Us without You.” Pass it on!

Teris Supply Services is one of the main distributors andmanufacturers of horticultural and gardening products inQuebec and Eastern Canada.

[email protected] • www.teris.co

Preserving Tradition, Rising Expectations

Hot Bread Kitchen in Queens

Hot Bread Kitchen is a bakery like no other. The conceptwas born in 2007 in Astoria, Queens, NY, where JessamynWaldman began to make bread with the help of immigrantwomen from theneighborhood. Over the yearsJessamyn’s success enabledher to develop a program toassist unemployed personsborn abroad who were oftenillegally staying in the country.Company’s counters havegradually spread across theGreater New York area offeringjobs and careers toapprentices passionate aboutthe creation of organic breadsand pastries. Thanks to theirworkforce and their businessassistance programs (ProjectLaunch and HBK Incubates),Hot Bread Kitchen has helpedmany immigrants and lowincome persons improve theireconomic conditions andemployment potential in thebillion dollar specialty foodindustry.

hotbreadkitchen.org

14 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


Plants are like people. The longer you have them around,the more you miss them when they’re gone. I miss Mr.Kiston, my old neighbor. I loved his stories about the pastand all the good old times he described to me. He was thehistorian of the lush cattle ranching valley, known as thePlateau Valley, where we lived, north of the Grand Mesa andeast of Grand Junction, Co. Those stories are more preciousto me now that he has passed away. How my life haschanged in the short years since his death! Now I’msuddenly 58 years old and time has gone almost full circle.Foster kids are like flowers, they need their time and spacein the sun. And I have continued to live in the cabin nextdoor. I guess Mr. Kinston would be proud now that thehippy dippy gardener has tried to run for Congress (see ourprevious issue to read that story).

When we were neighbors, Mr. Kitson would toddle downhillto my trailer knowing full well that I would visit a spell andlisten to his tales about the early days of the plateau Valley

and the war between the cattlemen and the sheep men. Hewas the black velvet man from a long time ago and he andI would set and sip a spell, as he would weave hishistorical web about revenge and death by the side of thehighway.

Mr. Kitson was some kind of a survivor. He was old inyears, but his heart was young and when he was tellingyou about his farming, he was at his finest. The yolks of hishens were never runny because they fed on insects. Justlike God meant them to do. And it’s not the tobacco, it’sthe glue on the paper that causes cancer! Well at least hischickens were always grain fed and raised organically, so hewas mostly right because it sounded like he had lived abusy and wonderful life, full of adventures.

So many stories to tell and so many plants given to meover the years! Let me tell you more about that. It was thetime when I was in the dried bouquets business, travelling

EVERY

PLANT

I GROW

HAS A STORYThe Tales of the Hippy Dippy GardenerMy Faves-12 Western Colorado Plants

By Jim Fritz

Rear

vie

w o

f a

Colu

mbi

ne flo

wer

.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 15

A PASSION FOR FLOWERS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

the roads of seven western states. Here arethe stories of my beloved plants and some ofthe people and circumstances connected tothem.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana)

Mr. Kitson was the one that gave me the seedof that beautiful Primrose Species from Texasand Arkansas. Oenothera lamarckiana, unlikeits lower growing cousin the Missouri Primrose(Oenothera missouriensis), is sweetly fragrantwith the delightful scent of lemonade. And ona warm Molina night, the air is filled withSphinx moths driven to the point of madnessby the enchanting perfume. The secret ofraising the primrose is in the control of thelarva of the sphinx moth. Indeed the mothsare essential to pollinate the flower andproduce the seed, but if uncontrolled, theyoung worms destroy the blooms! What youneed to do is leave only a few for pollinationto produce the seeds for the following year’scrop. The plant also produces an interesting seedpod thatis very decorative and may be used in dried bouquets. Youcan obtain the same effect from the dried pods of theOenothera missouriensis and the spire seedpods of theOenothera lamarckiana, which also looks also great in adried ornament.

Moth Mullein Plant (Verbascum blattaria)

With my neighbor and friend Bob Harriman, I went to SaltLake City on a sales trip—I have traveled the U.S. with myfriend Hippy Bob and we have been friends for over 27years—. At Soldier Summit, we camped by the side of theroad in a place where we were surrounded by the beautifulmoth mullein plant (Verbascum blattaria). We picked a lotof them because its seed pods were very beautiful andnon-shedding in dry arrangements. One plant at a time, westarted a plantation at home and the next year, there wouldbe patches of dense growth. The seeds usually drop closeto the plant and allow it to spread steadily. It can be easilycontrolled with a hoe in early stages. Fewer plants meannicer stems for floral design. The moth mullein plant is ahardy native from Utah that has high ornamental value inlandscape and Xeriscape (Xeriscaping and xerogardeningrefers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce oreliminate the need for supplemental water from irrigation.)

Teasel (Dipsacus)

With Bob Harriman, we would also go to Willard Bay inUtah to gather the teasel (Dipsacus) and sell our dryflowers in the nearby communities. The teasel is a thornyaromatic herb that blossoms once every second year. Thethorny leaves of teasel come in a variety of shapes. Theycan be oblong or come in the shape of a lance, whichmakes them perfect for dried bouquets and ornaments. Asolitary teasel plant can produce over 2,000 seeds a year.So it was the base of our dried flower business. How we

have struggled to makethis business work! Allwe had was a beautifulline of dry floralproducts and I justkept praying: “Lord,please just don’t letthe van break downagain” (one year, mytraveling garden left uson the road side withall our stock, unable toget to the next citymarket)!

Woolly Yarrow orDwarf Yarrow(Achillea tomentosa)

One day, again withBob, we had come togather the Utah yarrow(Achillea tomentosa or

woolly yarrow). It grows a little taller than the Coloradospecies, so over the years Bob and I got permits from theState of Utah to gather a van load to sell in seven westernstates. The business was doing better but it was still hardto make a living. The time spent on the road in Utah,surrounded by that beautiful scenery, must have been thereward! We would go each year to the Brigham City areaand to the little town of Mantua. We then would camp atJackass Flats (near the San Rafael Swell) for a week as wegathered the surrounding areas of Logan and Willard Bay.Over the years, as we kept hauling the woolly yarrow backfrom Utah to dye and process in our Molina home, the Utahplant seeds spread to form a population in our own gardenin Colorado. It became a welcome neighbor which did notspread to any massive degree and formed a white haze ofumbrellas flowers in the hot summer sun, especially onsome of the most difficult banks and driest areas.

Teasel.

Yarrow.

16 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | A PASSION FOR FLOWERS

Dyeing Woolly Yarrow for DriedBouquet

If they are gathered fresh at fullymature stage, it is easy to dye thewoolly yarrow with floral dye andpreserve them with a glycerinsolution through the stem. Thefreshly cut stems are placed neckdeep in a warm solution of 20%glycerin to 80% warm water (theabsorption floral dye is availablefrom Koch Industries, in Bennett,Colorado). If you have trouble withthe absorption dye rising throughthe stem then you should decreasethe amount of glycerin and increasethe amount of warm water. The fullydry stems may be dyed andsoftened with glycerin by dyeing indry floral dye and the same formulaof 20% glycerin to water solution by immersing the wholebunch in boiling solution. You must give the solution timeto soften. Some items dye faster than others.

Gaillardia (Gaillardia grandiflora)

Gaillardia is another of the many American species that Ihave collected on trips with my friend Bob. One day, on asales tour to Stillwater, Oklahoma, we returned throughDallas, Texas, and then Amarillo. I had found thesewildflowers of Texas to be wonderful when used in dryfloral bouquets; however, the seed pods often fell apart.The Gaillardia pods were wonderful when soaked in aglycerin solution for three days and then hung to dry. Thesebeautiful flowers still continue to grow with little care,transplanted to their new Colorado home.

Arkansas Rose (Rosa arkansana) and Mexican EveningPrimrose (Oenothera speciosa ‘Rosea’’)

At the hippy dippy gardener’s place, the evening visitor cananticipate the delicious fragrance of the Arkansas Rose. Thehot tubs in affiliation with the beautiful garden settingprovide the perfect tranquil stage for the murmurs ofdomestic livestock in the background. Beds of Arkansasrose are mixed with evening primroses. The flower bed hasa 4-inch, pale yellow, lemonade scented blossoms that arean extra incentive to visit the evening garden. You will alsofind that the evening primrose’s relative (Mexican primroseor Oenothera speciosa ‘Rosea’) performs well as a lowergrowing ground cover for sunny areas. Its pink flowers addcharm and fragrance to the daylight hours. The Mexicanprimrose is a fine subject for a large hanging basket, orbarrel planter, and it will often survive through the winter ifgiven a little extra watering. These two species are trulyspecial and their fragrant flowers often add charm andheady scents when floated on the water surface of ourwooden hot-tubs.

Mint (Greek míntha or mentha)

Many of the other plants that you will find at the hippydippy gardener’s place are frequently used to scent our hot-tubs as well as provide fresh beverage and flavoring forsauces and cakes. The Mint species are some of myfavorites. Mint comes in many different species and scentsfrom chocolate, pineapple, spearmint, peppermint to applemint (Mentha suaveolens), etc. A sachet of dried leavesadded to the evening hot-tub or bath can truly calm thenerves and boost the spirit. I also find that their flavor canreally add to the kitchen menu, especially in recipes like myfresh garden peas in mint sauce, which I have called “Peasin Molina Mint Sauce”. Here’s my recipe. Make a light gravysyrup of sugar (a few teaspoons, according to your taste)and hot water. Bring water to a boil and stir in corn starch,dissolved in cool water until a light sweet gravy is formed.Add a sachet of tied fresh mint leaves and the warmed freshgreen peas. Stir and remove the sachet of mint. Serve hot.

Greek Minthaand Lavender.

Gaillardia.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 17


18 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | A PASSION FOR FLOWERS

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, also Lavandula spicaor Lavandula vera)

The fragrance of some plants can place them in a veryspecial category. Lavender is indeed one of these. As theQueen of the Colorado Garden, it stands apart. It has somuch to offer from it beautiful flowers in shades of variouslavender blue. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, alsoLavandula spica or Lavandula vera) and its lower growingcousins—among them the Munstead Strain growing withdark blue flowers—are perfect for dried material sachet,closets or bath. They add their fragrance to house andhome in that special Mother Earth way! How sick can ageneration be when it replaces by an aerosol the intensepleasure emanating from the original scent of a plant! Youwill find lavender at the hippy dippy gardener’s place andwe are always happy to tell you a few of the secrets forgrowing it in Colorado. For example, lavender, as well asour Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia), likes beingplanted in the shelter of a large rock. The rock will providewarmth and shelter and help the tender roots survive ourColorado winters. A little extra water in dry periods isalways beneficial. In fact, dry conditions in the root zoneare the true reason for most winter plant fatalities.

Fireweed or Blooming Sally (Epilobium angustifolium)

Colorado indeed breeds an enduring happy crowd. You cantell it in our culture. As it is with our people, so it is alsowith our plant life. Here in Colorado, only the healthiestand happiest survive, a hardy crew indeed! Among themyou’ll find some spectacular Colorado roadside favorites,like Fireweed or Blooming Sally, a spectacular sight typicalof our State. Many visitors to the Grand Mesa area firstnotice it at the Mesa lakes area. With its spectacularmauve-rose spikes, it seems to stay in bloom forever. Allowroom for it in your garden where it can form large patches.In the wild, it tends to grow in areas thathave suffered recent damage from a forestfire. Thus the name given to it “Fire” weed(Epilobium angustifolium). Give it full sunand lots of water. But remember it canspread, so give it any area that canaccommodate its full potential. More folksshould really pay attention to our mostbeautiful Colorado natives in theirhousehold landscape designs. Sospectacular and easy to grow too.

Now many other species of flowers arealways in full bloom in my garden.

Some of my Other Favorites are:

Common Thrift (Armeria maritima)basically comes in two frequent species(Armeria maritima splendens or Beach thriftand the common species, A. maritima.). Theplant is a low ground cover that should beplanted tight to create a carpet-like effect. Itsurely is beautiful with its rosy blooms

peakingbetweenthe flagstoneand pavers. Rosypink globe shapedflowers, low darkgreen, grassy foliage,make it a rock gardenessential.

Plantain Thrift or Pinkball Thrift(Armeria latifolia) is a little taller, much betteradapted plant for use as a cut or dry flowerbecause of its longer stem. It comes in a festiveassortment of colors from white, pink, rose, red and darkred shades. It is a very effective pretty ground cover onceestablished in your garden.

Yarrow (Achillea) offers three beautiful species for ourColorado community. Achillea filipendula ‘Gold Plate’ withits majestic height can be placed at the back of the floralborder, where it has room to grow wild. Its large gold diskblossoms are excellent in dry or fresh arrangements. It isindeed an excellent dry flower. Achillea millefolium ‘SummerPastels’ is a real attraction here, at the hippy dippygardener’s place. In the five years that I have had itplanted, it has spread everywhere. Fortunately, its brightbutterfly blossoms sell as cut flowers as well as in driedbouquets. Their more subdued height of 24 inches is moreadapted to the garden path. Achillea ptarmica, ‘The Pearl’,is a species that might go unnoticed with its “innocent”charm. Growing to two feet, it is a white composite of daisy

Lavender.

Pinkball Thrift.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 19

A PASSION FOR FLOWERS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

flowers, with some double inflorescences. They are lovelymixed into fresh bouquets, as well as a beautiful additionto any dry floral display. (See also ‘My Passion for Achillea’in the previous issue).

Columbine (Aquilegia) is our own native species (RockyMountain blue and white columbine) and belongs to abeautiful diverse group of species that is also nice to mix ina border. I have never met a columbine that I didn’t like.Last spring the columbine grew three feet tall with racemesof dozens of blossoms. The weather has been wild. Thegarden tent has withstood winds of over 100 miles an hour,and it’s still there and the columbine has escaped theravages of the wind by being conveniently below the crestof the hillside. The Fourth of July arrived in columbinecolors of red, white and blue. There are lots of varieties ofAquilegia (I have listed eight of them below).

• Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) is alsoknown as the Rocky Mountain Columbine. In our area thisspecies is not difficult to grow if given a little extra water,especially while flower stalks are forming. The colors aremore intense when the plant is grown in light shade. Thewhite ‘Alba’ species is also native from Colorado.

• Ballerina Columbine (Aquilegia ‘Ballerina’) features fullydouble pink pom-pom flowers with a ruff of reflexed greenpetals from dark stems. Crimson-pink and fuchsia floweredtypes are also available. They look like dancing petticoats.These are the charmers for any newbie gardener and theylast well as a cut flower.

• Crimson Columbine, Western Columbine(Aquilegia formosa) is the wonderful SitkaIsland Columbine. This columbine of thenorthwest harbors a unique, flattened shortspurred red and yellow crown type neatflower.

• Fan Columbine (Aquilegia flabellate) is abeautiful stocky species, 12 to 14 inches tallwith glaucous blue-green leaves. Thenodding cream and lilac blue bells willcertainly add excitement to any amateurgarden.

• Nora Barlow Columbine (Aquilegia ‘NoraBarlow’) is a unique horticulturist developedspecies named for the granddaughter ofCharles Darwin. These are the beautifullydoubled flowered English species, the mostcommon of which is red and white, with anupside down rose form. This one can grow alittle taller, so allow some room at the backof the border. It can grow quite large, andthe seed pods may be used in dry bouquets.

• Golden Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)is a yellow columbine that adds brightnessand contrast when mixed in the spring menuof floral delights.

• Clematis-flowered Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris var.stellata) and William Guiness Columbine (Aquilegia vulgariscultivars ‘Magpie’) both include tall English varieties as wellas shorter species. The black and white flowers remind oneof a monk’s or jester’s cap. For maximum effect, they shouldbe planted in larger groups so that their uniqueness standsout.

• Green-flowered Columbine (Aquilegia viridiflora) is a veryunusual eagle’s claw columbine that produces chocolatebrown to yellow green flowers. They add distinction toanyone’s perennial flower garden.

These are but a few of the species you will find at thehippy dippy gardener’s modest garden. Flowers have alwaysbeen my life. I can’t imagine a world without them.

Colorado BlueColumbine.

20 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


BACK

INDOORS!Getting Away

or Coming Back to Hydroponic Gardening?The Amateur Gardener’s Corner or

Why Turn to Hydroponic Cultivation? – Part 3By Maya R. (with Loup-Claude Leblanc’s collaboration)

Photo by Glenn Milbrand

Our team met two people with opposite experiences. Maya left the great outdoors after a long experience of outdoor cultivation, to set up a successful indoor

hydroponic garden that makes her happy, without one look back. On the other hand,

Michel long gardened indoors with sophisticated hydroponic systems, but has rediscovered the joys

of outdoor gardening. He found his happiness in the open. His story was featured in our previous issue

(Maya’s experience is your second must-read of the season, just here).

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 21

GROWING EXPERIMENT | THE INDOOR GARDENER

After years in the country, I recently came back to live inthe city. My partner and I live and work in a vast space, anartist studio that used to be a textile warehouse and whichwe share with another couple. We had another roommate,but he moved, freeing some space. That triggered the onsetof an indoor gardening project we had long been planning.

I practiced outdoor gardening over many years, but thework was hard and the yields often anemic—it was notworth the trouble. Living in the country, I was pining for thecity. Wrapping all the equipment to carry it to the fields wasalso very hard work, and in the end I was oftendisappointed by harvests that did not always yield much.Compared to the issues surrounding outdoor gardening,installing a hydroponic system is so easy and convenientthat I can grow an abundance of products, with ease andpeace of mind, without leaving my home (except topurchase necessities!). The yields are higher and I like toplay the role of the omnipotent goddess for my indoorplants.

Instead of sharing our home with a new roommate, weagreed to set up a space that would provide for anotherform of life. It seemed to us that an indoor garden wouldbe a good idea. We spread the word among our friendswho already had similar gardens, and we received veryfresh cuttings. We read a few books and several indoorgardeners shared their experience with us. After muchresearch, we opted for a system made up of rock woolsubstrate and an ebb-and-flow irrigation tray. Rock wool canbe purchased at the nearest hydroponic store, just like theflood table (even though we bought it used from a well-known web site). The system is easy to assemble, keepgoing and clean between harvests.

We bought the following equipment—mostly from our localhydroponic shop, but also on the used-equipment market:•• Three used flood tables complete with their 1,000-wattHPS light systems (bulbs and reflectors);•• Three small fans/air extractors;•• Two oscillating fans;•• A dehumidifier (on sale);•• An electrostatic condensation controller;•• A pH-metre;•• A dissolved solids or PPM-metre;•• Three submersible aquarium pumps;•• Two reservoirs, one 30-gallon and one 75-gallon;•• A carbon dioxide control unit that analyses the air andregulates the quantity of CO2 diffused in the garden;•• 180 10-centimetre rockwool cubes;•• Three exit ducts for the small fans/air extractors;•• Three electric timers;•• An excess water evacuation drain;•• Nutrients from General Hydroponics, Botanicare® andDynaGro;•• Mineral supplements (Cal-Mag Plus and Pro-TeKt);•• Used hydroponic cultivation books;•• And finally... cuttings, gifts from our friends!

Here is what our set-up looks like: Two tables on trestlessupport the three 1.2 m2 horticultural trays, to which the

irrigation system’s timers are connected and control the ebband the flow. The smallest reservoir (30 gallons) feeds asingle tray. The larger one (284 litres) feeds the other two.The water is pumped from the reservoirs every ten minutes.A safety drain controls the excess pumped water andevacuates it from the garden by slowly allowing it to dripinto the smallest reservoir. The tray on the left hosts avariety of Aglaonema-type exotic plants. The middle trayholds the shortest plants (basil) and, further, some longerplants (cherry tomatoes) in the back. The right-hand sidetray contains a mixture of chosen hybrids (exotics).

A friend who had construction experience helped us build adivision wall and trestle tables that support the growingtrays. He also installed the CO2 unit and undertook to wirethe electricity. The cuttings we were given were the best I’dever seen. They had solid roots and they were ready togrow with strength.

When we started, they immediately showed a magnesiumdeficiency. We decided to add Botanicare®’s Cal-Mag after afriend informed us that our city’s water was too pure to beused with no supplement. These fertilizing formulas aredesigned to stabilize the elements found in water, includingtons of dissolved salts, including calcium and magnesium.Our friend also recommended the Herb Science Acme Series(HydroTimes Canada) product Mag-I-Cal, which has the sameeffect as Cal-Mag but is sold for less. We also usedDynaGro’s Pro-TeKt 0-0-3, a potassium and siliconsupplement that helps strengthen plants. Researchersbelieve it gives plants an added resistance to stress. Ourplants were back to health in one week. We had alreadypurchased a pH-metre to maintain the solution’s pH at6.3—we constantly have to adjust the water’s pH. Bothsupplements increased the quantity of dissolved salts, butwe tried to understand what was happening.

The PPM metre or conductimetre (PPM meaning “parts permillion”) is an instrument used to measure the quantity ofdissolved solids in water. The metre indicated that thesupplements had increased the initial rate of parts permillion only from 100 to 300 PPM. We decided to add aGeneral Hydroponics formula supplement as half thestrength initially used, and that increased the initial rate byabout 1,250 PPM.

We chose to cultivate our plants in 10-centimetre rock-woolcubes because they can handle a 24-hours period with nowatering. We water three times a day; when the lights comeon, at half cycle and once again just before the lights gooff. Each tray is lit with a 1,000-watt HPS bulb encased inan air-cooled horizontal reflector. For this we use fanswhose interior and exterior ducting make the air circulateand thus ensure that the lighting system is well-ventilated.

I usually check the indoor garden twice a day to make surethe pumps and timers are working and the plants lacknothing. I check the temperature, the humidity rate, CO2

and the reservoirs’ levels. I think it worthwhile to spendsome time contemplating these magnificent plants. It’s liketaking a breather in the garden—only indoors!

22 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THRIPS? SOLVED!

THE INDOOR GARDENER | PEST CONTROL

Thrips in Your Garden? You Can Beat That Scourge!By Grinkeeper

My garden was recently invaded by thrips. Not only did these beasts kill nearlyevery plant in it, but I had to do a full room cleanup and lost my main reproductive

plants, which really devastated my cultivation program. This is the reason I wrotethis tutorial as a way to help others identify this devastating scourge and treat

their garden before the pests get out of control, as they did at my place. I have noidea why I got thrips but it seems that in the fall they can hijack a ride on your

close very easily or come in via crack or vents in your room.

When I first noticed and identified them, I thought I had the situation undercontrol. That was unfortunately not the case. Within two weeks, the new seedlings

I had planted were affected again. My new plants as well as all my exotic plantletswere all eaten up with no hope of survival. That’s when I realized the situation wasvery serious. I did a full sweep and room cleanup, bleaching and tossing all soil and

making sure I had touched everything with bleach and scrub brush.

Here are a few thoughts on what happened to me and how I dealt with the situation.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 23

PEST CONTROL | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Thrips: How to Identify Them

Thrips are very, very small and go easily unnoticed. They aresap suckers. One clue of their presence is the spots of shinyresidue they deposit on the leaves of your plants afterfeeding on their sap. This looks like the yellow striplingsmade on leaves by a snail. Unlike mites, which are basicallyround, thrips have a long, narrow oval shape, similar to avery tiny grain of rice and they do not tend to gather inlarge numbers which also makes them harder to find.

In their outdoor environment, thrips are a problem only forabout six weeks, usually in August and September. This isthe time you are most likely to get them as they can easilyhitch a ride on your close or get in through vents. A 30xmagnifying scope is very handy for taking a good look atthem. Their appearance changes a little as they develop.They are usually a very light tan, or white, or yellowishcolor. They spend part of their life in the soil. If you noticesome kind of movement or activity at the soil level, thismay indicate that you have these indoor garden pests.

When they reach maturity, they can fly. However, theirflights are usually rare and limited to getting from one plantto another. Instead, they prefer to walk or run and they arefast and furtive as well. They’re not like fungus gnats, whichlove to fly around.

Thrips’ Damage

Thrips feed by piercing the plant surface with theirmouthparts and sucking the contents of plant cells. Thisproduces white or yellow spots on the leaves where cellshave been destroyed. The feeding also causes necrosis ofthe leaves and the plants start to look like they’re dying.These spots can also be speckled with dark fecal droppingswhich look like little black dots. However, those can also beproduced by fans and should not be interpreted as a suresign of thrips’ presence.

At first I thought the damage I was seeing was produced bya virus. Then I suspected spidermites, since it seemed thatthe green was being sucked from the leaves and quicklyreplaced by yellowing and then necrosis. I could see theleaves die within four to seven days on an adult plant. Asfor clones and seedlings, thrips destroyed them extremelyfast. At one point, I literally though I had poisoned myplants with bad nutrients (or too much of them) as theleaves looked like suffering from extreme nitrogen burns.But it was thrips, no doubt!

The first actual sighting of the insect is rather difficult sinceit is very stealthy. They like to stay under the leaves buthave been seen on top as well. Since they’re long andnarrow, they can easily hide along the veins of the leaves.In this position, they can run nearly unnoticeable thanks totheir yellowish color which makes them nearlyundistinguishable. I have never found lots of thrips in onespot; in fact the most I have even found on one large leafis four. They are not like spider mites, which can be foundin large colonies. But thrips seem to be a wanderer of sortsand they spread out fast.

So the yellowing is easy to identify. But there is anotherclear indication that you have thrips: the silver tracks theyleave on the surface of the leaf. I clearly saw these shinylines on the leaves, just like snail tracks but much smaller,with a sheen of some kind.

Thrips’ Egg and Reproduction

Thrips have a unique method of reproduction that reallymakes them tough to fight. They actually lay their eggs onthe leaves, which seems simple enough. However, thingsget much more complicated. Indeed, once they are laid onthe leaves, the eggs drop off the leaf into the soil, wherethey grow into larvae and feed on the plant’s roots just likefungus gnats do. I have actually done a flush once andwhen the water level was higher than the soil, I sawhundreds of thrips’ larvae floating on the water. Then as thewater drained they were all over the top of the soil. Thismeant that my plants were attacked simultaneously fromabove and below the ground and had no chance ofsurviving the onslaught. This was quite shocking.

24 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | PEST CONTROL

Thrips: Treatment

I have tried many natural productsagainst thrips and it seems none ofthem work. Here are the ones youshould not even bother to use sincethey do not appear to affect them.Pyrethrum based sprays, horticulturaloils, garlic, Capsium (Cayenne pepper),Neem oil, canola, and some of themost respected brands all yielded poorresults and in most cases caused waymore damage than good. Thrips stilllived after “treatment”.

But there is hope. It is calledSpinosad, quite an interestingsubstance originally made frombacteria thriving on crushed sugarcane found in rum barrels in theCaribbean. Spinosad (spinosyn A andspinosyn D) has now become a classof insecticides registered by the UnitedStates Environmental ProtectionAgency? (EPA) to control a variety ofinsects. The active ingredient isderived from a naturally occurring soildwelling bacterium calledSaccharopolyspora spinosa, a rareactinomycete (a filamentous or rod-shaped, often pathogenic,microorganism or more generally ananaerobic bacterium) reportedlycollected from soil in an abandonedrum distillery on a Caribbean Island in1982 by a scientist on vacation. It hasnot been found in nature since thattime and was subsequently describedas a new species. The bacteriaproduce compounds (metabolites)while in a fermentation broth. The firstfermentation-derived compound wasformulated in 1988. Spinosad hassince been formulated into insecticidesthat combine the efficiency of asynthetic insecticide with the benefitsof a biological pest control organism.The safety of the product is quiteinteresting and Spinosad is listed asOMRI-certified. It is, in fact, fullyorganic.

Its use is fairly safe but still warrants aword of caution for applicators andworkers. Even though there are nospecific worker protectionrequirements, applicators and handlersshould wear a long-sleeved shirt, longpants, shoes and socks. Spinosadshows low toxicity when ingested bymammals and no additional adverse

effects from chronic exposure. Studieson Spinosad show slight toxicity tobirds, moderate toxicity to fish, andslight to moderate toxicity to aquaticinvertebrates. However, it is highlytoxic to bees, to oysters and to othermarine molluscs. Applications to areaswhere bees are actively foragingshould be avoided. After the residueshave dried, it is much less toxic tobees.

It is important to note that toxicity isbased on the active ingredient tested.Formulations of Spinosad in commonuse today have a very small amount ofspinosyn active ingredients. Inaddition, non-target sensitivity ismitigated by the environmentalcharacteristics of Spinosad, includingrapid dissipation in the water column,absorption and binding of residueswith sediment and lack ofbioaccumulation in living tissues.Beneficial Trichogramma and Braconidwasps are harmed by the chemical,but it has much less effect on suchinsects as lacewings and beetles and itspares predatory bugs such as damselbugs and the big-eyed bug. Spinosaddoes not have any phytotoxicity onornamentals and is non-phytotoxic formost crops. It has a four-hour workerprotection standard re-entry interval.

It is recommended not to applySpinosad more than ten times in atwelve month period inside agreenhouse to prevent possible insectpesticide resistance. Spinosad can befound in three products that I know of.It’s still rather rare but you can findthese products if you search theInternet.

1. Conserve Naturalyte Insecticide with0.5% SpinosadThis is the less concentrated version ofSpinosad. I have a bottle of it and whenthey say it’s not as concentrated as theusual products, it doesn’t mean muchsince you still need only about 15 mlper litre. A one litre bottle will thereforelast a long time for the average grower.

2. Conserve SC 11.6% Spinosad DowAgro T&O Insecticide QTThis is the commercial agriculturalsolutions product that is made forlarge croppers. It is identical toConserve Naturalyte, but moreconcentrated. If you need the superconcentrated version, this is what youshould use.

3. Spinosad-Monterey Garden InsectSprayThe third product I have found iscalled Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Itis identical to the first product, with a0.5% Spinosad concentration. Theproduct is widely available in the USand can be found at some nurseries.

I know there are other products butthey’re hard to find. For example, Ihave heard of a similar product fromGreen Light Products which alsocontains Spinosad, but I have nevertried it.

Spinosad is used in pet flea and tickproducts such as Frontline and others.It also exists in pill form for animals totake as a systemic for 30 days (madeby Eli Lilly).

Quite an amazing story for a substancediscovered in a rum barrel by ascientist vacationing in the Caribbean!

This, I hope, will help you identify thelife cycle and the damages associatedto thrips as well as the way toeradicate them.

A last important note for cocosubstrate users: I have found out frommany people in and out of mygardening circle that thrips actually arelurking in some cheap brands of cocosubstrates. I never had thrips until Istarted using coco coir and I heardthat others had the same experience.My conclusion is that there are somebrands that come pre-packaged withthrips and fungus gnats’ eggs in thecoco. The brands of coco coir I usedwere coming from a big chain of retailstores in Canada. So you should stickwith your local hydroponic store.

Now that you know how to save yourplants from thrips’ invasion naturally,all I can add in conclusion is: “Happygrowing!”

Typical ThripsLife Cycle

1. eggs

2. larva age I

3. larva age II

4. immobilepre

pupa5. immobile

pupa

6. adult

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 25


26 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER |

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 27


HydroponicEquipment

WE SERVICE WHOLESALE

AND RETAIL CUSTOMERS

ACROSS CANADA

450-688-48481-800-327-4367

Fax: 1 450 688-52611533, Cure-Labelle, Laval, Qc, H7V 2W4, CANADA

28 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


Welcome to the tundra! It is the coldest, harshest biome on ourplanet. The word "tundra" translates to "treeless heights" and

means ecosystems that have no trees and extremely coldtemperatures. In the winter, it's usually about -28 °C (-3 °F). Itwould be best to go in the summer when it's about 1 to 12 °C

(34 to 54 °F). The annual average temperature is less than -10 °C,(14 °F) and precipitation less than 100 mm per year.

By Rosa van TijnPhoto: public-domain-image.com

Tundra is known for its frost-moulded landscapes, extremely lowtemperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.

Up there, dead organic material functions as a nutrient pool. There are nodeep root systems in the vegetation of the arctic tundra, however, there are

still a wide variety of plants that are able to resist the cold semi-arctic climate.

There are about 1,700 kinds of plants in the arctic and subarctic, and theseinclude: low shrubs, sedges, reindeer mosses, liverworts, and grasses, 400

varieties of flowering plants, crustose and foliose lichen. Some of these arethe Labrador Tea, Arctic Willow and the amazing Pasque Flower.

AMAZING

TUNDRA FLORA

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 29

GROWING EXPERIMENT | THE INDOOR GARDENER

In the Alaskan tundra, in the Mat-Su Valley, grows a uniqueplant, locally known as the Thunder plant because of itsresilience. It originates in this area located in South-centralAlaska—south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles north ofAnchorage—where it grows outdoors, and therefore it hassome specific light requirements and a slightly differentgrowth pattern than plants that are used to warmerclimates.

The Mat-Su Borough is also known for the world recordsized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually inPalmer at the Alaska State Fair. It includes the valleys of theMatanuska, Knik, and Susitna Rivers. Strangely enough, theMat-Su Thunder plant is also very well fitted to indoorgrowing.

The leaves of this Mat-Su Valley’s unique plant are verydistinctive. The first three or four sets of leaves can bevariegated. This means that they will have white stripesthrough the leaves. They will grow out of this phase; it’snothing to worry about. Sometimes it will come back later,but also that is normal. The leaves are very big. Sometimesthe inner part of the leaf seems too big, causing the leaf tobe a bit bubbly. This is also natural characteristic of theplant. It resembles the symptoms of overwatering, but itlooks a bit different.

One possible way of growing the Mat-Su Valley’s plant ismimicking the light cycle that it is used to. If you feeladventurous and have an electronic timer, this is what you

can do to speed up the growing cycle. When you sprout theseeds, leave the light on 24 hours a day. The day that youtransplant the seedlings into bigger pots is normally theday that you would switch to 18/6 (18 hours of light, 6hours of darkness). For this specific plant, switch instead to23/1 (23 hours of light, 1 hour of darkness). On the thirdday after 23/1, increase the night-time with one hour, so itis 23/2. On the third day after that, make it 23/3, etc. In 1.5months you’ll arrive at 12/12.

The plant is ready for flowering when it has five pairs ofleaves. If you follow the above regime and your plants havefive pairs of leaves sooner, switch to 12/12 at your earliestconvenience. Keep this light cycle on 12/12 for six weeks.

At the beginning of the seventh week, switch to 11/13. Atthe beginning of the eighth week, switch to 10/14. At thestart of the ninth week, switch to 9/15. Sometime duringthis week the plants are ripe.

Here follows a handy chart of the growing cycle of the Mat-Su Valley’s plant. This is just an example, your growingcycle may go quicker or slower. Please do not force theplants to adhere to this chart, but pay close attention tothe needs of the plants.

For convenience’ sake, the weeks in this chart start onMonday. Again, this is just one of the many possible waysof growing this beautiful plant, your mileage may vary.Enjoy your garden!

aa)) VVeeggeettaattiivvee PPeerriioodd::

Week 11 oof tthe vvegetative pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Plant the seeds, the seeds are sprouting.

Light ccycle: 24 hrs light/0 hrs dark.

Week 22 oof tthe vvegetative pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Seeds continue to sprout, seedlings grow fast.

Light ccycle: 24/0.

Week 33 oof tthe vvegetative pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Roots grow through the sprouting medium.

Transplant into bigger pots.Light ccycle: Monday 23/1; Thursday 22/2; Sunday 21/3.

Week 44 oof tthe vvegetative pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Plants grow fast. In the following weeks they will

grow healthy roots and big leaves so they can utilize thenutrients most efficiently.

Light ccycle: Wednesday 20/4; Saturday 19/5.

Week 55 oof tthe vvegetative pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Same as above.

Light ccycle: Tuesday 18/6; Friday 17/7.


Light ccycle: Monday 16/8; Thursday 15/9; Sunday 14/10.


Light ccycle: Wednesday 13/11; Saturday 12/12.

bb)) FFlloowweerriinngg PPeerriioodd::

Week 11 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: First week of flowering.

Light ccycle: 12/12.

Week 22 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Flowers will appear in two to four days.


Weeks 33-6 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Plants are fully flowering.


Week 77 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Observe the beginning of ripening.


Week 88 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: Some of the flowers are turning amber.


Week 99 oof tthe fflowering pperiod:Plant ggrowth: The plants are almost ready for harvest!

Light ccycle: 9/15.

Grow Chart — Indoor Gardening

30 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


LUC MOREAU:APIARIST

LUC MOREAU:APIARIST

Profile of an Apiarist: a Dream Made RealityBy Jessy Caron

Starting in our previous issue, this column aims atkeeping you abreast of what is happening in the

hydroponic industry and agri-food industry throughpresentations, anecdotes and visits to companies, as well

as with profiles of the main movers and shakers in theNorth American hydroponic gardening and agri-food

industry network. With this series of professionals’profiles and interviews, we hope to open a window on

career opportunities in the many fields related togardening and agriculture. Apiarist Luc Moreau,

of “Les Élevages de Reines Moreau reg.” in St. Liboire(Quebec), is our second feature.

Luc Moreau and his business partner.(Photo: D.R.)

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 31

PROFILE | THE INDOOR GARDENER

A Long Way from Civil Service toBeekeeping

It all began in 1964. While sleeping,Luc Moreau had more than a simpledream: he had a dream that wasboth revealing and premonitory, adream that was to become realityand transform his life.

It seemed to him he was only a tinyfigure, and he got into a beehive.He watched them as an observerwhile they were rapidly goingthrough their busy tasks. It was anextraordinary and memorablemoment.

Luc was only 15 when the dreamcame. With his small savings, hedecided to buy his first four beehives and live out his new passion.He was guided by a friend of hisfather’s, a beekeeper. In 1973, Luc found a job at theMinistry of Agriculture as an apiculture technician. Heworked at the experimental hives of the Deschambaultagricultural research station. In 1982, the apiculture divisionhe worked for transferred him to St. Hyacinthe, where heworked until the closing of the apiculture centre in 1990.

After the final centre was shut down, Luc had to switchcareers. The job he held at the Ministry of Agriculture gavehim options. After much thought, he chose a horticulturaltraining. It was quite a challenge to switch careers at 42,but he was determined. He thus attended classes at theInstitut de technologie agricole in St. Hyacinthe (Quebec)from 1991 to 1995 and learned a new disciplin, horticulture.

As a horticultural technician, Luc could not create a conflictof interest by raising bees on his own. He thus restarted hisdream, a beekeeping company. He purchased 25 nucs (ahive with its population reduced to one queen andapproximately 7,000 bees). [Nucs, or nucleus colonies, aresmall honey bee colonies created from larger colonies.]

From then on, passion took over. Luc cared about notharming other apiarists in starting his business—he actuallywas wondering how to help them out. With the queen-breeding knowledge acquired in the apiculture centres atDeschambault and at St. Hyacinthe, he started his ownsmall business, called “Les Élevages de Reines Moreaureg.”, in St. Liboire. His motto is “A young queen of qualitysets a hive full of future”.

In May 2010, Luc’s company was awarded the bronze medalat the annual Small and Medium Business competitionsponsored by the National Bank of Canada in theMontérégie (south of Montreal). It distinguished itselfbrilliantly in the Agricultural section, along with Willy Haecket fils, Inc. (Gold), a Saint-Remi (Qc) company, and EndivesJ.M.S., Inc. (Silver), a company of St. Clet (Qc).

In the field of beekeeping, Luc Moreauis also a renowned author. In 2007,with Emile Houle, he updated thesecond revised and enlarged editionof the book Apiculture – L’élevage desreines abeilles pour les besoins durucher (Beekeeping—Queen BeesBreeding for the Purpose of Apiary),originally written by Jean-PierreChapleau and first published in 1988.

With two other breeders, he also co-authored, in 2009, the study Sélectiongénétique et qualités reproductivesdes reines abeilles (Apis mellifera)disponibles au Québec (GeneticSelection and Reproductive Qualitiesof Honeybee Queens—Apis mellifera—Available in Quebec).

A Good Dose of Passion

“Producing quality queens requiresmore than dexterity and specific knowledge of beekeeping;it requires a good dose of passion”, Luc Moreau told me.When he started out as a breeder in 1990, Luc producedapproximately 200 queens in one summer. Year after year,the demand grew, and his work was being recognized. Thisled, for the summer of 2005, to a daily production of 50queens, for a total of about 4,000 queens throughout thesummer.

To reach such results, the herd’s genetics must first beimproved and superior bee strains must be chosen. Fromthe selected bee strains, young larvae must be chosen andtheir development is improved by placing them in aspecialised queen nursery. The royal larvae receive qualitycare and food to be able to develop to their full potential.During the entire larval stage, they are fed with royal jelly,which is produced in the pharyngeal glands of the nurse-bees who have fed on pollen and nectar harvested by theforaging bees on field flowers. This allows their geneticpotential to express itself fully.

A few days after her birth, the young queen goes out toorient herself, locate her colony in its environment and tomate in flight, sometimes with up to 15 males, toaccumulate enough sperm to fill her spermatheca. Shestarts to lay eggs 36 to 48 hours after mating, and keepsat it until her death. At first she lays only 50 to 100 eggsper day, but the rhythm accelerates, up to 1,500 to 2,000per day, night and day. The ten or twelve bees which arethe queen’s court provide her with all the attention sheneeds to ensure the colony’s reproduction.

Luc says bee keeping is the best job in the world. It is thejoy of his life. He performs his duties with minimalprotection, in close contact with the bees. If reality hasovertaken his dream, the burning passion remains intact.

facebook.com/pages/les-Elevages-de-reines-Moreau

32 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


THE HUMOROUS ADVENTURES OF AN

AMATEUR PLANTPHOTOGRAPHER

By Kerrie R. Barney

September 15th, 2011. I am standing along a busy highway in Pullman,Washington, desperately clutching my houseplant Brian in my hands.

Cars are whizzing by me with dizzying speed, each one filling the air withnoise and exhaust. I feel the eyes of several of the drivers on me,

clearly wondering what on earth I’m doing there.

I’m beginning to wonder the same thing myself.

When I first came up with this little adventure—taking a picture of myself and Brian under the official highway “Welcome to Pullman” sign

as I drove into my new hometown for the first time—it seemed like a goodidea. Not only did I want to commemorate the moment, but I knew that

sooner or later I’d be writing an article about my houseplants’ move, and thisseemed like an ideal way to illustrate it. But the traffic (quite awe inspiring to a

former country girl), the hostile glares of the drivers, and the soft, muddy,garbage strewn ground sucking at my feet is making me wonder just

how it is that I get myself into these situations.

Welcome to the amazing true-life adventures of an amateur plant photographer!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 33

TIPS & TRICKS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

There are people who take to photography naturally. I, alas,am not one of them. I pretty much spent my entirechildhood and adolescence cutting the heads off myrelatives (photographically speaking) or else taking blurrypictures of the inside of the lens cap. But then I grew up,and began trying to sell stories to the fine publication younow hold in your hands. The Indoor Gardener is known farand wide for the quality of its pictorial content. I knew thatif I wanted my work to appear regularly alongside that ofmy gifted fellow contributors, I needed to get a camera inmy hands and learn how to use it.

And so my adventures began!

I quickly discovered that I had much to learn. My firstphotos were all taken using the time honored point-the-camera-click-the-button-and-pray technique, and the resultswere… uneven, to say the least. It’s a good thing thathouseplants don’t have much ego, or mine would haverefused to ever let me photograph them again. Butsomehow, through sheer stubbornness and repetition, I didtake a few pictures that worked. And those few successestaught me what I should try to do again. Slowly, I startedgetting a feel for lighting and framing and backgrounds,and I began getting better pictures more of the time. (Youcan find my favorite tips for beginning photographers inthis article’s sidebar.)

With my increased confidence, I began ‘branching out’ fromjust taking pictures of my own plants to photographing

plants in the world at large. This got me into a few stickysituations. Once, I needed a picture of a miniature roseplant to illustrate an article about Valentine’s Day. I didn’thave any in my home collection, but there were severallovely plants at my local grocery store. Since my wallet wasextremely slim, I decided not to purchase one, but to justto take a few pictures in the store instead. After all, Iwasn’t going to hurt the plants in any way. Who couldpossibly object?

Well, the lady who ran the plant department caught me.And she DID object! In her mind, taking pictures of plants Ididn’t intend to buy was just like stealing. She gave mesuch an earful about the shameful immorality ofphotographic plant rustling that I slunk away, terriblyembarrassed. And I never tried to photograph a plant forsale in a store again!

Actually, from that day on I made it a rule never tophotograph anything that didn’t belong to me, unless I hadthe explicit permission of the owner. Usually, this is easy toobtain. Most people are very eager to have their plantsphotographed. But not everyone.

Once I stopped by a small houseplant sale that wassponsored by a local garden club. Every plant offered hadbeen grown from cuttings of the member’s own personalhouseplants, which I thought was such an inspired way tomake money that I really wanted to interview the club’smembers and take some pictures for an article. But when I

too far closed eyes

good

34 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | TIPS & TRICKS

brought out my camera, the lady running the cashbox gotan extreme case of stage fright! Not only did she refuse totell me her name or answer any of my questions, sheactually crouched down behind her folding table andcovered her face with her arms in order to evade my lens.Once again, I was left profusely apologizing until I couldmake a graceful escape.

Luckily, I soon found a model who never objected to beingphotographed. My border collie MacAiogdh made his debutin The Indoor Gardener when he was only four months old,in an article about the need to keep poisonous houseplantsaway from your dogs and cats. To show just how attractivea dangerous houseplant can be to an inquisitive youngpup, I wanted to take a picture of MacAiogdh jumping upon my kitchen counter to investigate a poisonous Aloe Vera.But young as he was, MacAiogdh had already learned thathe wasn’t supposed to jump up on kitchen counters at all.When I tried to lift his paws onto the tile, he gave me thishorrified “You want me to do WHAT?” expression that mademe despair of ever getting the shot.

Fortunately, I remembered a hint about pet photography I’dread in a magazine years before. I got MacAiogdh’s favoritetreat out of the refrigerator—organic peanut butter—andrubbed a little on the counter. It worked like a charm.MacAiogdh instantly jumped up and started licking away.After several tries I was able to get exactly the photo Iwanted, a picture that made it look like he was interestedin the plant, not the peanut butter. However, lest there beany pet-parents out there who are contemplating using the

same technique, I want to warn you that there wereconsequences. For months afterward, whenever MacAiogdhsaw me take the peanut butter jar out of the fridge, he’drun over to that section of the counter and put his paws upon it. Be careful what you teach your pets to do!

I often wished I could have trained MacAiogdh to be asgood a photographer as he was a model. From time to timeI’ve wanted to appear in one of my pictures myself. Now, Icould do this with a tripod and my camera’s time delaysetting.But after taking several unflattering pictures of mybackside when I failed to get into frame in time, I startedrecruiting human helpers to man the camera instead. Sadly,this approach is fraught with its own difficulties, as all thehelpers I’ve ever been able to recruit have been asinexperienced as I am.

Take that moving day photo I mentioned earlier. My mother,bless her, agreed to brave the cars and the mud to take thepicture for me, as true a display of maternal affection asyou are going to get. But my mom hasn’t had a camera ofher own since the color Polaroid she owned when I wasthree. Not only was she mystified by the sheer number ofbuttons my camera had, the sunshine was so bright shecouldn’t see the camera’s LCD screen. After much shoutingto be heard over the traffic, I succeeded in explaining the“point-click-pray” method of photography that had servedme so well. She managed to take about 20 shots—most ofwhich were funny rather than useable, as you can see. Butamazingly, one of them turned out to be good enough tosubmit!

licki ng away s till no t ready

good

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 35

TIPS & TRICKS | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Sometimes I honestly believe I have a photographicguardian angel watching over me.

This story has a humorous footnote. A few weeks later, Itold my new hairdresser, Stacey, all about my adventuresgetting that photo while I was getting my hair cut. Staceylaughed and told me that I was probably imaging the oddlooks. Pullman is a college town, after all. So many artstudents go around taking pictures of so many strangethings that the local population has ceased to besurprised by anything. Then she told me that if I’d driveninto Pullman from the other side of town, I would havefound another “Welcome to Pullman” sign, one with asmall parking area and a place to take picturessurrounded by well-tended flowers. Apparently so manyWashington State University students wanted to take theirpictures with the sign to send home, the city put one upespecially for them.

I listened to her, remembering again the mud and thetraffic—and then I started to laugh. It was such a momentof beautiful irony, of “Doh! If only I had known!” that Icouldn’t help myself.

And that’s the main thing being an amateur plantphotographer has taught me. Life is funny. It is also wild,unpredictable, and impossible to control—even for thefraction of a second it takes to press a camera button. Andsince it is…

We might as laugh and enjoy it!

very good

KERRIE’S FAVORITE TIPS

FOR BUDDING PLANT PHOTOGRAPHERS

Take lots of pictures. And then take more. For everypicture that I’ve ever succeeded in having published, Ihave at least fifty—and often more—versions of the samephoto still on my hard drive. Why? Because every photo isdifferent. Even pictures that I took two seconds apartstanding in exactly the same place have appreciabledifferences. And sometimes it is those differences—thesubtlest change in lighting or camera angle—that canmake the difference between a photo that sings and onethat merely hums. Fill up your entire memory card!

1.

2.Make sure every picture hasonly one focal point.Human eyes are lazy. Theylike it when you make itreally obvious what it isthat they are supposed tobe looking at.

too busy

For instance, in thispicture, the columbine inits blue vase is lovely, butwith all the other flowersit’s just too busy acomposition.

The canning jar vasemakes a much strongerphoto all on its own.

good

36 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | TIPS & TRICKS

Mind your backgrounds. I once took an absolutely wonderful photo ofmy dog performing his “sit pretty” trick, one I would have loved to

preserve for future generations… only to discover that he’d gotten intothe laundry basket just before the shot and left a pair of bright pink

undies on the floor, which you could see in the picture behind him. Takea few moments to clear away background clutter before you shoot!

3.

4.

5.

6.

undies aler t!

before

s tiff and frozenPlan to take extra photos ofhuman subjects. Perhaps it’sdifferent if you are working with aprofessional model, but all thepeople I’ve ever photographedhave been ‘just ordinary folks’,and thus a little nervous abouthaving their pictures taken. Thiscan lead to some awfully stiff andfrozen expressions. I’ve foundthat if I take twenty to thirtyphotos I don’t intend to keep, allthe while chatting away aboutsomething friendly and non-threatening, people tend to relaxand forget the camera is eventhere. It’s better still if you canget them involved in some simple,comforting task (as I did here withmy mother, having her arrangethe peonies in the second photo.)Then you can get a much morenatural, less-posed result.

Plants may not get stage fright. Butthey still need some preparation to looktheir best. I’ve found that watering myplants twenty-four hours before theirbig shoot can give the foliage a lovelyextra “boost”. Dusting the plant,trimming off dead flowers, andremoving any mold or dropped leavesfrom the potting soil will also reallyimprove the final picture.

Leave room for the unexpected. One ofmy favorite pictures was taken when Ijust picked up my camera and pointed itat my office window. I wasn’t thinkingabout focal points, and I certainly didn’ttake the time to dust or water first. But Iended up with a lovely photo of mystruggling money plant, one that tells adifferent story to everyone who sees it.So feel free to ignore these tips and anyother photography “rules” you may havestudied, too. Just take pictures! You maybe surprised by what you end up with.

good

good

after

very good

Now you’re ready to send us your own (good) pictures at:

[email protected]!

Note

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 37


38 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


I love weddings. I was therefore delighted to host my goodfriends Bill and Darian’s wedding on the 4th of July. Bill hadagreed with me to build a bridge over my small stream, inexchange for the use of the whole half acre for that specialday. The garden was in full bloom. Bill had even raked theflower-beds so the leaves wouldn’t suffocate the smallperennials I had planted for following year’s crop. Offering amix of wild and exotic plants, this new setting is asubstantial improvement over the trash and car bodies thatused to mar the landscape. The new perspective is indeeda welcome change in our small country town.

It seems like every 4th of July we end up having acelebration in Molina. Over the past 10 years it’s almostbecame expected. We truly live in celebration of anothernew day of freedom. That’s what the fourth of July is allabout, the rite to congregate and meet as a free Americanpeople. America truly needs more old-fashioned picnics andthat’s what it has become. It was the perfect day forcelebrating a wedding. Some say it gathered as many as350 folks for the entire week-end, everyone bringingsomething, listened to music and enjoyed the beautiful freemoment courtesy of the hippy dippy gardener.

The Day of the Kombucha Tea

The days were fast approaching for the wedding partyevent. My foster son Jeremy and I decided that there wouldbe a good prank to play on the newlyweds with thepreparation of a bucket of kombucha tea. So, 28 daysbefore the crucial date, we decided to make a whole jar ofthis special tea to present to our guests on the evening ofthe wedding. Jeremy and I could hardly wait to watch theguests and newlyweds’ face as that 30 pound “mushroomjelly” would be floating by!

By now, the kombucha tea has indeed almost become ahippy dippy national drink and every 4th of July we serve itone ice. With an alcohol content well below hard applecider, it is the perfect light alcoholic drink, refreshing butnever tiring. In fact, the yeast based drink is beneficialsince it helps digestion by replenishing the intestinesnatural flora. But it can be a little off-putting to look at andJeremy kidded me about what the guests to the weddingwould think of our special preparation.

Kombucha tea is made up of a Japanese microbial culturemaceration of powdered kombu. The tea itself is the resultof a large number of macerated bacteria and special yeastcultures entering in a symbiotic relationship. I learned howto make this very special tea from my neighbor PaulineBrooks. One day, after helping her with small chores, I wassitting in her house enjoying a break and innocentlymunching on my cookies. She suddenly entered the roomwith a one-gallon jar containing a red liquid with a largefungal-like growth floating on top. I honestly couldn’tbelieve my ears when she asked me if I would like to joinher for a glass of kombucha tea! Without waiting for myanswer, she promptly proceeded to pour herself a glass andadd a spoonful of sugar while repeating her invitation forme to just try a sip.

I guess I just figured that if it hadn’t killed Pauline yet, itwouldn’t kill me either. I tried some. After adding ice, itindeed did remind me of a delicious carbonated apple cider.She then explained to me that the powdered kombu wasgiven to her by a friend and that the beverage was madeby diluting the powder in a strong tea solution and then,by adding sugar to make it ferment, producing this jelly-like“mushroom” on top of the bucket. When I heard herexplanation, my mind began racing a mile a minute and I

A KOMBUCHA

TEA WEDDINGThe Tales of the Hippy Dippy Gardener

The Kombucha Tea Wedding Party under the Tiki HutBy Jim Fritz

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 39

GARDEN PARTY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

put the equation together: macerated tea + mushroompowder + sugar = alcohol! But normally, the kombucha soldin natural food markets contains less than 0.5% alcohol,which classifies it as a nonalcoholic beverage. Older, moreacidic, kombucha tea might contain 1.0% or 1.5% alcohol,depending on the brewing time and the proportion of sugarand yeast. And you could get a delicious drink that tastedlike carbonated apple cider, God’s most perfect drink!

A few days before the wedding, Pauline had told me thatshe just happened to have some extra powdered kombuthat I could have. Soon I was floating the fungal-like jelly ina 10 gallon water cooler filled with 150 tea bags and 3pounds of sugar. We then let it sit at room temperature andlet nature take its course, i.e. fermentation. Twenty-eightdays later the “mushroom” has grown till it completelycovered the tea bags and the top of the water cooler. Allthrough that summer we would enjoy the delicious, slightlyalcoholic summer beverage by drafting out a glass throughthe bottom spigot, adding plenty of ice and little sugar totaste. That’s how we get by out here in the country.

So we prepared our jar of kombucha tea with the enormousmushroom-like form that floated at the top of the large jarthat contained it. Bill and Darian had decided to launch thewedding party at my place and then exchange their vowsunder the tiki hut prepared for the occasion like an altar.When they walked by our kombucha tea bucket, I trulybelieved they would collapse, but they kept theircomposure and went on with the ceremony as if nothingwere there in the garden!

The Tiki Hut Story

Of course, our tiki hut has a story of its own. Much of thehippy dippy gardener’s place has a story and would nothave been possible without the help of dozens of closefriends and neighbors.

If I remember correctly, the tiki hut was the result of an idlewish that I had made at my birthday party. I had mentionedto my foster sons Stephen and Jason that I wished that wecould have a tiki hut, with a Hawaiian-like palm andbamboo thatched umbrella roof. Without further ado, Jasonand I started gathering old lumber and making all themeasurements. Within an hour, we had enough lumber forthe project and for the next two weeks, it lay in a pilewaiting for loving hands to materialize the dream.

That’s when my neighbor Lori showed up and asked mewhat I was doing with that pile of lumber over by the treestump. I explained her our project and Lori thought thatwould be an excellent idea. She added that it would be

wonderful if we could finish the project before our 4th ofJuly celebration of Bill and Darian’s wedding.

Next thing you know, Lori is in her truck, heading toCollbran to recruit more help. Soon she returns with Brianand Carpenter John, ready and willing to work. We had onlybeen working 10 minutes when I found out that my twoGoddaughters, Amy Joan and Judith Alana, were on their

way to help with carloads of friends.We were all just about to get backto work when two more cars pulledinto my driveway. Russ, Betty, Joshand Yanna had brought up theguitar. In five minutes or so, twomore carloads of people hadshowed up in my driveway. Now wecould have entertainment while weworked. And I was to have over 30people for the weekend.

What had started as an idle wish wasnow well on the way to reality! Thingsalways seem to happen like this atthe hippy dippy gardener’s place.Indeed it has become the meetingplace of the community. Many cometo view the gorgeous array of flowers,128 species in every color of therainbow. My nursery is small, but mylist of species is quite large. You canrest assured that you will always findthe best in my garden!

Every new project seems like something fun to do but it’staking forever. That tiki hut was no exception. After workingone hard hour, we got to having so much fun that the nextcouple of hours we got half as much done. By the end of athree day weekend, we were finally able to at least secure abright blue plastic tarp over the framework, to make atemporary roof. My foster son Stephen secured the brightblue tarp in place. But something was in the air…

The weather turned bad with high winds and showers. Weall gathered back at the house to cook up casseroles andapricot cobbler. And all of those 30 people enjoyed anotherday in paradise, waiting for the sun to reappear and let usfinish our Hawaiian tent. God has truly blessed Molina. Therainy days never seem to last too long. In short order,thanks to everybody’s help, the stage was finished andcarpeted just in time for the wedding day.

That Tiki hut has now really been an asset to two weddingparties and has served as altar in holy matrimony. For ourFourth of July wedding celebration, every flower, all 7,000 ofthem, were in full spectacular bloom! The garden was a realnatural scene for a wedding crowd, with its wood-fired hottubs, flowers, and tiki hut settings.

It was the first summer we had parties outdoors under thatnew blue tarp. Today, after having survived some of themost devastating Colorado storms, it is tattered and torn tobits and the remaining few pieces of tarp almost add aseashore effect as if the green willow branches were heftedto the rafters by a merry jubilant crowd. But the saga goeson. And year after year, what remains of the tiki hut andthat kombucha tea still delight our evenings under thestars.

Visit: kombuchaamerica.com and cajunernie.com.

40 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


BLUNTS &STUNTS

IN EUROPERomania-based PKK Networks: Kurds at the Core

of Narcotrafficking on Romanian TerritoryBy Bruno Bredoux (according to the Observatoire géopolitique des drogues)

Independence, at what cost? Whether they be on Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian

or Turkish soil, Kurds attempt to finance their independence through various traffics,

mainly that of narcotics.

PKK Narcotrafficking Networks

In Romania, most of the activities the government and the police attribute to “Turkish” individuals or networks are actuallycontrolled by Kurds who are most often in close contact with the PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan / Kurdistan Workers’Party ). Kurdish residents in Romania mainly come from Turkey, but many of them also come from Irak, Iran, Syria, andeven from the ex-Soviet Union. The PKK’s legal front in Romania is the National Liberation Front of Kurdistan (ERNK), a

group of legal organizations including women, student, youth and businessmen associations. These are the most active,and are regrouped under the Association of Oriental Businessmen. Under this cloak, they ensure the relay for the PKK’s

occult activities. The PKK’s head of propaganda is none other than the ERNK’s direct fund-raising manager and the editorof the Romanian Kurdish newspaper, Vocea Mesopotamiei.

It is estimated that 90% of Kurds living in Romania fund, in some way, the PKK’s activities and belong to ERNKassociations. This is significant: 75% of small investors and small to medium-size business owners in Romania are Turkishcitizens. These businesses, for which the ERNK often fronts the start-up capital, operate mainly in import-export trade with

Turkey, merchandise transport, tour organisers, etc. Every time the Romanian police performs a drug seizure against aTurkish transport business, Kurds are involved. Has the fight for independence lost its romanticism?

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 41

SOCIETY | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Numbers gathered by the police show that 65% of drugseizures at the Turkish-Romanian border are performed onpassenger transport companies. This is ironic, becausespokespersons for both the PKK and the ERNK claim thattheir organization collaborate with the police and deny anyinvolvement in trafficking. According to the police, however,there have only been four anti-drug operations byRomanian police on the basis of revelations by Kurdishinformers since... 1990! And in those four cases, no Kurdishperson was involved! A simple way to eliminate thecompetition? The police say it is a usual practice in theBalkans to denounce others to ensure one’s network’sstability. And even on that point, the Romanian police’sstand is ambiguous. The spokesperson for the Romaniansecret services has even declared that even though theservices had information implicating Kurds in the local drugtrafficking, the government considered Romanian Kurdishorganisations not to be “aggressive”, and that theirobjective was rather “commercial”. In the end, it’s money,dirty money but still money entering the country!

The Romanian police’s general inspection even went so faras to issue a press release saying that “the drugs comingfrom ex-Soviet Union countries are controlled by theRussian, Caucasian and Ukrainian mafias”. Are they takingthe attention away from the PKK’s role? In fact, the latestseizures in the Republic of Moldova, a neighbor ofRomania, have revealed the implication of Russian mafianetwork, but the name of one notorious Kurd trafficker(Burhan Amal) kept coming back. There is now a war on theRomanian border as to who controls the drug traffic. One ofthe PKK’s denunciations in 1993 allowed the seizure of 9tons of hashish on this eastern border, and implicated onlyRussians, ex-members of the Afghanistan expeditionaryforces. A good way for Kurds to do away with theircompetition!

In any case, there are strong links between the Russianmafias and the Kurds. Most Kurdish associations are legalin Russia and even elect local representatives. The Turkish-Romanian connection going through Bulgaria is under theshared control of Kurds and Russians, who fight mercilesslyfor its control. Ten years ago, the famous Romanian

trafficker Calu (“The Horse”) was arrested in the company ofsix “Turks” (read: “Kurds”). The police found on them 2 kgof heroin, 5 handguns and one automatic rifle. “The Horse”was crossing the border for the eighth time, going one waywith heroin and coming back with weapons. He admittedhis links with the PKK, the exchange of weapons againstdrugs and revealed that he was a double agent, working forthe Romanian secret services to obtain information ofseparatist groups in Moldova, where most residents are...Russian!

Finally, in the Republic of Moldova, a Russian army officerposted in the region acknowledged that “Russian troops inMoldova have stimulated drug trafficking from the MiddleEast.” The traffic is apparently managed by a Russian Jew ofSwiss nationality, a person close to the Moldova presidentand sought after by the Russian police for weapon anddiamond smuggling. The situation is thus extremelycomplex, and each nationalist, separatist or military partytried to benefit from the extremely lucrative drug trade inthe area, a necessary route between production in theMiddle East and consumption in the West.

Italy also Involved

To add to the picture, the Italian criminal organizationUnited Sacred Crown, also known as Sacra Corona Unita,seems to be organizing the traffic of Turkish heroin,ensuring its transport from Romania to Italy. The passagebetween Turkey and Romania is allegedly done with thecollaboration of “Turkish” organizations and within theRomanian state. Senior civil servants and police officersseem to be deeply involved, going so far as supervisingcocaine traffic with Brazil. In Romania, a few voices havebeen heard, denouncing the use of this “dirty” money tofinance the electoral campaigns of “some” political parties.An ex-General inspector for the Romanian police has evenwritten a best seller, linking the police to the country’smafia and to the PKK in drug trafficking. The story has justbegun to unfold in “democratic” Romania.

Note: Before it closed last year, the Observatoire géopolitique des drogues published threebooks in the form of annual reports on the global implications of narcotrafficking in the world,focusing especially on the economic, political and military dimensions of the question. One of the organization’s conclusions was that there were significant gaps in the knowledgeon the subject.

42 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


BLISS

BAKLAWABoard our Baklawa Express Train of Bliss!

With this speciality of the Middle East,a flaky, fresh and crispy dessert,

let’s delight your loved ones.By Topher Gourmet

Photos by Marina Shemesh (publicdomainpictures.net)

Baklawa is a tasty dessert found in Greece, Lebanon and Turkey.This sweet pastry has many layers of nuts, honey, and phyllo (or

Filo) dough drenched in butter. Phyllo dough is basically manypaper thin sheets of pastry and is Greek for the word “leaf”. Youcan find this in most frozen food sections in your local market.

Because this treat holds so much butter, I thought it’d really putsomeone on their ass if they only use to cook with margarine or

dairy-free butter substitutes!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 43

COOKING | THE INDOOR GARDENER

To prepare for this recipe, I went out and tasted all thedifferent kinds of Baklawa that were available in myneighbourhood. I checked out different shapes, sizes andtextures. And I found that there are a lot of different typesof Baklawa available. Some use different types of nuts, anda lot come rolled up nice and fancy. Try your local Greekspecialty shop. It’ll be there for sure, and you can usuallyfind a large variety of phyllo.

I have spent most of my time in the kitchen cookingsavoury dishes: mashed ‘Abeille’ potatoes, Russian redcabbage borscht, French salad dressings, Italian pastasauces, etc., because baking European specialties tends tobe a little complicated. Your measurements must be exactand your steps when mixing are crucial. Oh, and don’tforget about it or it’ll burn!

Well, baklawa is a little simpler. This Greek delight is myanswer to Vienna’s Apfelstrudel cake, plus there’s no egg,baking soda, or flour involved, and your dough is all readyto go. Finding the right sized pan might be the toughestpart, but any brownie tray should work fine. You just wantsomething with a lip to catch an excess butter.

When working with phyllo dough, it’s best to keep a dampcloth covering the dough, so it doesn’t become dry andbrittle. You will have to work quickly when putting thistogether. Let’s get started.

Pecan and Nut Baklawa

•• 1 baking tray (22 cm x 40 cm);•• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo (or Filo) dough; •• 400 g. sugar;•• 250 gr. pecans;•• 250 g. walnuts;•• 250 g. pine nuts;•• 500 g. butter;•• 1/2 cup honey;•• 1 cup water;•• 1 tablespoon lemon juice;•• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; •• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon;•• 1/8 tablespoon ground cloves.

Hawaiian Nut Baklawa

Substitute brown sugar, ground coconut, and macadamianuts instead of sugar, pecans, walnuts, and pine nuts forthis Hawaiian treat.

Preparation (36 servings):

1. First start off by pre-setting your oven to 150 oC (300 oF).Defrost phyllo dough without compromising it. Thawing it inmicrowave is then recommended. Remove phyllo roll frombox and cut both ends of wrapper to vent. Defrost inmicrowave (power level 3) for 30 seconds. Turn phyllo 180degrees, defrost an additional 30 seconds (power level 3).Remove from microwave, cover cut ends of wrapper and set

on counter 30 minutes to finish thawing. Next chop yourpecans and walnuts and mix them in a bowl with ? of yoursugar (100 g.), vanilla extract, ground cloves and cinnamon.The texture of your baklawa will depend how long you chopyour nuts for.

2. Brush your pan with an even coating of melted butter, soyour preparation does not stick to the pan. Remove thedefrosted phyllo dough from its wrapper and cut it to fityour pan.

3. Now start layering one sheet at a time, drenching eachsheet with melted butter, then placing them one on top ofthe other until you have four layers.

4. Once you reach the fourth sheet, generously drizzle thehoney syrup on top of it (after brushing with meltedbutter). To obtain a generous syrup: in a saucepan,combine remaining 3/4 of your sugar (300 g.), honey, onecup water, and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Boil baklawasyrup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, untilsyrupy. Next spread your pine nuts (save some pine nutsfor step 7) and sugar-spice-nut mixture evenly over thehoney syrup. Finally finish this layer with more honey syrup.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4.

6. Before finishing with the pine nuts you saved, poke afew holes in the baklawa with a fork or small knife. Thisallows the hot air to escape from the layers of dough.

7. Finish it off with the remaining pine nuts and morehoney syrup.

8. Bake for 30 min. or until golden brown. This will dependon how hot your oven gets. Mine is always hotter thanwhat the dial reads!

You can get 36 good size squares (about 4 cm x 4 cm).One square should do the trick for dessert. You can alsosplit one with a friend who is a lightweight… andsurprisingly uncomfortable for a boost with so much butter!

These baklawas can be stored in a cooler for about a weekor in the freezer for a few months.

Photos: Deamstime.com

44 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

THE INDOOR GARDENER | GEAR

Why Invest in Fans?Dynamic cooling ventilation is done byextracting and/or injecting air into a grow roomto control its climate. Unfortunately, thisoperation is often neglected by gardeners intheir home indoor gardens. Controlling theclimate is, as you know, a major factor inhorticulture, and has a great impact on theproper growth of indoor plants.

With all these high-grade growing lampsindoor gardeners are using nowadays, thetemperature in the indoor garden can increasequite rapidly, which can quickly burn or killyour plants. Without adequate ventilation, it ispractically impossible to even think ofgardening indoors during the summer. If onewants to attempt serious indoor gardening, itis imperative to manage the temperature andthus, to invest in a good air extraction system.This will allow you to manage the temperatureand will considerably improve your chances ofgetting abundant and fruitful harvests!

Historical BackgroundWhen it was created in 1998, Atmospheremanufactured and distributed lighting systemsadapted to warehouses and largegreenhouses. Indoor gardeners rapidlyexpressed their needs for adequate ventilationsystems, and Atmosphere’s team respondedwith the distribution of sophisticated ventilationsystems designed specifically for thehorticultural market. After years of intenseresearch and extremely advanced precisiontesting, the company opted to design andmanufacture its own ventilation equipment.

The structure, materials and finish ofAtmosphere products make it the most

revolutionary company with the highest qualityproducts on the market today. Atmosphere’sVortex Powerfans inline duct blowers are allabout performance and reliability. Powered bymotorized centrifugal backward-curveimpellers, the VTX-Series sizes range from10.15 to 30.5 cm (4 to 12 inches) in North-American standard duct diameter.Comparatively, the V-Series uses motorizedmixed-flow impellers and are offered in elevensizes, from 30.5 to 61 cm (12 to 24 inches),and ranging from 2,000 to over 7,000 CFMs.

Their specific design and technology translateto a much quieter, more efficient and morepowerful line of blowers. The mixed-flowimpeller allows more air volume than anyother comparable impeller design.Furthermore, the V-Series fans operate atlower RPM (1,500 to 1,700), making themeven quieter.

Fans SeriesThe Vortex Powerfans VTX Series includes aVTX400 at 175 CFM, VTX500 at 204 CFM,VTX600 L at 235 CFM, VTX600 at 452 CFM,VTX800 L at 591 CFM, VTX800 at 747 CFM,VTX1000 at 790 CFM, VTX1200 L at 820CFM, and VTX1200 at 1,140 CFM. The VSeries presently includes a V12 XL at 2,050CFM and V16 XL at 4,550 CFM. All othermodels are on development and research orshould be available shortly.

All Vortex Powerfans combine highperformance and quiet operation. The fans’high performance features an impressiveaerodynamic design. These high-performanceinline duct blowers are constructed fromquality steel and feature a resilient and

attractive hammertone power-coat finish. Thespecially designed extended collar allows foreasy duct installation and taping. Its superiorquality and smart design ensure vibration-freeoperation, featuring balanced motorizedimpellers with permanently lubricated ballbearings. Additional features are alsoincluded: a 6-foot factory installed 120-Vpower cord (ready to plug in, no wiringrequired), and galvanized mounting brackets,allowing both horizontal and verticalinstallations.

Other advantages offered by an Atmospherefan are really up to the quality of its industrialfinish. The baked hammertone epoxy finish isnot only aesthetic—it’s also sound absorbing,durable and entirely rustproof. The fan’saerodynamic design results in more airflowdelivered at higher CFM ratings.

High Quality Finish andIncomparable Ventilation GearThe fan’s industrial high quality, heavy gaugesteel construction is impact-resistant and willdrastically reduce sound levels inside yourgarden. All the fans are made according toNorth-American sizes (in inches) andstandards, and no duct adapters arenecessary. Furthermore, the duct connectorshave an extended lip, which means hassle-free installation and easy duct hook-up.

The motors are made of high qualitymaintenance-free permanently lubricatedcomponents, making the Vortex Powerfanslong lasting and extremely reliable. They areengineering to be 100% speed controllableand can be fitted with speed controllers thatcan ease the adjustment of air pressure.

FANS

& FILTERSFans & Filters: Air Solutions with Atmosphere

By Co-contributors

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 45

GEAR | THE INDOOR GARDENER

Atmosphere’s technicians thoroughlystudied how to provide gardeners witha fan whose finish will ensure thelongest lifespan possible. Thehammertone power-coat finish usedon Vortex Powerfans casings issimilar to that used in the aeronauticsindustry to protect metalliccomponents against harsh outdoorweather conditions.

A device applies the specific powder blendon the external surface of the casing, thenheats the particles to high temperatures, melting

them onto the surface, allowingeverything to bind together,which creates a hard, denseand uniform protective coatingand provides superiorprotection.

Atmosphere’s VortexPowerfans offer superior air and

sound performances and come toyour garden or greenhouse with a

warranty of up to 10 years.

atmosphere.com

““OOuurr bbuussiinneessss iiss ggrroowwiinnggggrreeeenneerr oonnee sseeeedd aatt aa ttiimmee””..

YYoouurr iinnddoooorr oouuttddoooorr ggaarrddeenniinngg ssppeecciiaalliisstt

93779 Troy Lane - Coos Bay, OR 97420(541) 266-8822 - Fax: (541) 266-9754

5561 South OrangeBlossom Trail

Orlando FL. 32802 Toll Free (888) 833-4769

Store Locations:

6100 Hanging Moss Rd. Suite 500, Orlando FL. 32807phone # 407-647-4769 - Fax: 407-647-1037

1420 E. Altamonte Dr., Altamonte Springs FL. 32701phone # 407-830-4769 - Fax: 407-830-5006

w w w . u r b a n s u n s h i n e . c o m

3839 6th AveTacoma, WA

(253) 761-7478

23303 Highway 99,Suite A

Edmonds, WA(425) 673-2755

714 South CentralKent, WA(253) 373-9060

8606 PrestonFall City Rd. S.E.Preston, WA 98050(425) 222-9661

www.indoorgarden.com

FFoorr ssaalleess aanndd aaddvveerrttiissiinngg,,

ccoonnttaacctt:

BERKELEYINDOOR GARDEN

844 University AveBerkeley, CA 94710

(510) 549-1234Fax: (510) 549-2582

MMRR NNIICCKK AAZZAAKKIIEE aattssaalleess@@ttiiggmmaagg..ccoomm

THE HYDROPONIC WORLD OF NORTH-AMERICAUNITED STATES

46 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


With all that’s going on in the world, lesstravelers are venturing very far from homeduring their holiday break. That means thatyour favourite and usual lower 48° parallelwilderness is going to be a little less wild andmuch more crowed! It’s enough to crampanyone’s style. If line-ups at the scenicoverlook and campsite no-vacancy signs arenot your idea of a good-time vacation, takeheart. I’m going to let you in on a little secret:the Wrangell—St. Elias Ranges. Spreadingacross the southern end of the Alaska-Yukonborder, this gem of adjoining national parks ishome to an adrenaline rush of NorthAmerica’s highest mountains surrounded byvast, human-less expanses of true wilderness.Ahh!

You don’t have to be an extreme mountaineeror the reincarnation of Daniel Boone to enjoythe delights of this earthly playground. Withsome basic equipment, a bit of preparationand good guidance, you can easily enjoy thestunning vistas of one of this land’s mostspectacular landscapes sans plaid-clad dadswith their clan of amusement-park seekingprogeny.

Kluane National Park

The views and the wilderness in this corner ofheaven are protected by the Wrangell—St.Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaskaand adjoining Kluane National Park (that’s inCanada, eh!). Both parks have the requisiteaccoutrements of 16,000 ft peaks, wind-whipped passes, raging torrents, hangingglaciers and wildflower meadows populated byDall’s sheep, mountain goats, caribou, moose,grizzly and black bears, but Kluane is slightlymore accessible to the do-it-yourself traveler.

You can get to Kluane by car but it will takesome doing. Once you’ve reachedWhitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory,drive west along the Alaska Highway bound

for Haines Junction. Along the way you will beteased by peaks looming on the horizon.These are the Kluane Ranges, gatekeepers tothe secret treasure trove hidden away in theheart of the park, the Icefield Ranges. In orderto get up close and personal with thesebeauties, which include such stunners as19,545 ft (5,959 m) Mount Logan presidingover a 12-mile plateau of eight subpeaks over18,000 ft, you will have to leave your vehicleand get moving.

Haines Junction, in the Shakwak Valley—thename alone is enough reason to go—is theperfect base camp for your adventures. FromHaines, hike, bike or ride a horse into thewilds. To maximize your deep wilderness time,charter a helicopter and get dropped deep inthe heart of park territory. After several dayscamping in this backcountry, your local KOAwill be about as exciting as watching moldgrow. The Kluane experience blows the top offthe Richter scale of primordial mind-blowingoutdoor solitude. It’s just you, the wind andthe bears, baby! Talking to God is easy here.

The Wrangell—St. Elias Ranges

If you like adventure and revel in boldly goingwhere few have ventured before, thenWrangell—St. Elias National Park andPreserve is for you. Anchorage is the logicalstarting point. From there fly or drive, if youdare, to the small town of McCarthy. It’squaint, it’s rugged and it’s damn remote butit’s the gateway to 13.2 million acres ofuninhibited outdoor adventure. Once inMcCarthy, a veritable smorgasbord of heartpumping outings awaits you.

Nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the USlive in the park including 18,008 ft (5,488 m)Mt. St. Elias. Mountaineering and backpackingare obvious choices. With so much snow andice, the rivers run wild and free. A raftingexpedition along one of the park’s many rivers

may just be one of the best ways toexperience this park at its most sublime.Winding your way through the canyons andvalleys sculpted by water and ice, a mysticaltransformation ensues. It’s as if the action ofthe elements smooth and round the sharpedges of your soul, leaving cleansed andhumbled.

Go with the Flow

A good trip is built on a solid foundation ofpreparation. Read books, study maps, surf theweb and talk to experts. Make sure you havea plan and then be open to improvisation.There are innumerable enticements along theway that will joyfully wreak havoc with yourwell-laid itinerary. Some views demand anextra pot of campfire coffee in the morning justto drink in the shear magnificence of it all andstore it away in the data banks for futureoffice-bound days. Streams may beg to be fly-fished. Crags may consume whole afternoonsin bouldering bliss. Be flexible, the beauty of aschedule on vacation lies in the willingness tothrow it out the window.

Things You Need to Bring

• Tent: make sure it’s bombproof, watertight androomy enough to spend a day playing pinochlewith your partner when you get rained out.• Route finding gear: compass (with declinationadjustment), GPS and the appropriatetopographical maps (it’s helpful if you know howto use them).• Clothing: quick-dry base layers, full raingear(jacket, pants, gaiters and pack cover, if you’rebackpacking) and good sturdy boots (makesure to break them in before your adventure orelse pack the moleskin).• Bear protection: bear-proof bag or canister tostash your food at night and bear spray with abelt or pack harness for quick-draw accessibility.Don’t try to take this stuff on a plane; it’s best tobuy it there.

END OF SUMMER

DESTINATIONSInto The Great Wide Open:

Kluane and The Wrangell—St. Elias Ranges National ParksBy M. James

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 47

EXTREME TOURISM | THE INDOOR GARDENER

What to Do: Kluane

• Hiking/Backpacking: For some serious awaytime, try the one-month—96 km Donjek Riverloop, it’s only for the seasoned backpacker,stout of leg and lung. Kruda Che WildernessGuiding and Outfitting: 1 867 634 2378.• Mountain Biking: Try the Mush Lake Road orAlsek Trail. Maps and guides are available atthe park’s Visitor Center or contact PaddleWheel Adventures(paddlewheeladventures.com) in HainesJunction for bike rental with or without aguide: 1 867 634-2683.• Mountaineering: Guided climbing and skiingon Mount Logan. Contact InternationalMountains Guides (mountainguides.com): 1 360 569-2609.

• River Rafting: The Alsek River offers amellow float through the heart of Kluane.Contact Canadian River Expeditions(nahanni.com): 1 867 668-3180.Helicopter Charters: Trans North Helicopters(tntaheli.com) will take you where you want togo: 1 867 668-2177.

What to Do: The Wrangell—St. Elias

• Hiking/Backpacking: A mouth-wateringselection of multi-day backpacking excursions,including glacier hikes, is offered by the St.Elias Alpine Guides (steliasguides.com): 1 888 933-5427.• Mountain Biking: Given the lack of roads andpeople, it’s not surprising that mountain biking

opportunities in The Wrangell—St. Elias arelimited. From McCarthy pedal to the ghosttown of Kennecott, the Nizina River or try yourluck on the Nugget Creek Trail. You’re on yourown with this one—no one wants to guideyou!• Mountaineering: From introductory mountainskills seminars to a guided climb up Mt. St.Elias, one of Alaska’s most difficult mountains,contact St. Elias Alpine Guides.• River Rafting: Raft the Copper River orexperience the sublime beauty of the NizinaRiver Canyon. Copper Oar (copperoar.com)offers multi-day rafting adventures on theparks many rivers: 1 800 523-4453.• Horse Packing: Contact Wrangell Outfitters(wrangelloutfitters.com): 1 907 810-7007.

3 Ontario locations: Gloucester (Ottawa) ,Kitchener, North York

1-800-489-2215www.hydroponix.com

Hydroponics, fertilizers, lightingHome of Optimum Hydroponix®

3132, Isleville St.Halifax, N.S.

902-454-6646B3K 3Y5

MMRR NNIICCKK AAZZAAKKIIEE aatt ssaalleess@@ttiiggmmaagg..ccoommFFoorr ssaalleess aanndd aaddvveerrttiissiinngg,, ccoonnttaacctt:

AQUA GRO HYDROPONICSUPPLIES

101-2689 Kyle RdKelowna, BC V1Z 2M9(250) 769-7745Fax: (250) 769-7748

107 Falcon Drive (Hwy. 97 S)Williams Lake, BC V2G 5G7

Phone: (250) 398-2899Fax: (250) 398-2896

Toll Free: 1-877-588-5855

www.hallsorganics.com

bma404 Maitland Drive #2Belleville, ON K8N 4Z5(613) 967-9888wwwwww..bbmmaahhyyddrrooppoonniiccss..ccoommE-mail:[email protected]

Store hours:OpenMon.-Fri: 10am-6pmSat.:10am-3pmClosed: Sundays

Joinuson:

12300 rue de l'Avenir, Mirabel, QC,Canada, J7J 2K4

1-877-777-0767w w w . h y d r o t e k . c a 1-866-969-7711

(toll free) or join us on

360 Maloney W, Gatineau, QC J8P 7R5

THE HYDROPONIC WORLD OF NORTH-AMERICACANADA

48 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


QuestionHi! I’m an amateur gardener and I have a decision to make thisyear. My supplier has recommended Heavy Harvest Spring,Summer, Fall & Sensi Grow and Sensi Bloom. Which one doyou recommend and which one is the best? Also, I amlooking for a product which will increase the root mass(Power Thrive or 10-52-10 but more potent)? I only use Pro-Mix, without adding anything... I know I should, but what?I’m looking for a fabulous harvest. Will you guys have moreup on your Website theindoorgardener.ca? You guys aredoing great work. Don’t stop, I’ll read you in the next issue.Until then, happy growing to all! Thank you!– Éric

AnswerHi Éric,It sounds like your supplier is pushing Advanced Nutrientsand doesn’t know what he is selling. The Heavy Harvestline is a slow release that you use outside once every fourweeks. Sensi Grow and Sensi Bloom are to be used as aconstant feed, in every watering. If you are growing whereyou can have a 100L reservoir, I say go with the Sensi Growand Bloom 2+ program! I know it’s a bit expensive but takea look at the Sensi Pro kits; it’s the easiest way to use allof Advanced Nutrients technology.

When you are growing where there’s no room for an on-sitereservoir, slow release is the only way to go! On everypackage of Advanced Nutrients there is a 1-800 number. Youshould give them a call. The tech guy is really good!

A very long time ago I came across an article on the world’slargest living organism. It turned out to be a fungus livingon the roots of oak trees. This particular oak grove was 4 kilometers in diameter. These trees were bigger, healthierand grew much faster than trees in other oak groves in thearea. It was because the microorganism had colonized theentire root mass of the grove. The symbiotic relationshipbetween the fungus and the oak roots is that the funguscan metabolize more of the available nutrients than theroots can, delivering the nutrients in a form that is availableto the plant. These are nutrients that were never availableto the plant before the fungus transformed them. I thought,“shit, where can I buy some”? But it was only about tenyears ago that I found my first beneficial fungus product. Itwas “Myke” from Premier Tech. I use it on every plant: allof my house plants, all of my crop plants, anything I evertransplant. I won’t plant without it. Advanced Nutrients hastwo very powerful beneficial fungus and bacteria products,“Piranha” and “Tarantula”, along with “Voodoo Juice”. Thefirst time you use any or all of these products you shouldsee a 50-200% increase in root mass.

There are so many different Pro-Mix products that if youchoose the right product you will not need to add anything.There is a specific Pro-Mix for every application that you canimagine. For growing plant indoors use Pro-Mix VP (VeryPorous). For growing outdoors or in dry areas, use Pro-MixH2O or the hanging basket mix, which has water retentioncrystals. There is even a brand new formula, Pro-Mix SOG.But your supplier may be limited to the general purpose Pro-Mix BX. For growing in soil, add about 10% perlite.

Q & A

We return to the question and answer formula which was metwith enthusiasm in our previous issues. Continue sending usyour questions (at [email protected]), our green thumbsare awaiting them impatiently! To keep on getting the bestservice available, our gardening specialists will answer your

questions and comment your remarks in every issue.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 49

Q & A | THE INDOOR GARDENER

P.S.: Mycorrhizal fungi have occurred naturally in the soil for400 million years. They form a close symbiotic relationshipwith plant roots. They are called mycorrhizae (from theGreek “mukés”, meaning fungus, and “rhiza”, meaningroots). However, in most soils that have been disturbed byresidential construction or intensive cropping practices withapplications of fertilizers containing pesticides and otherchemical products, the mycorrhizae content hasconsiderably diminished, and has become insufficient tosignificantly enhance plant growth. When mycorrhizal fungicolonize the plant’s root system, they create a network thatincreases the plant’s capacity to absorb more water andnutrients such as phosphorus, copper and zinc. Thisprocess in turn enhances growth and favors rapiddevelopment of roots and plants. –

QuestionHello,Following your article on the Guérande “fleur de sel” [Vol. 4, # 5], I’m wondering how to conserve salt? In fact,we have an RV on a camping lot in the country and we’llbe going there regularly beginning this spring. I would liketo leave a few cooking substances there so that we do nothave to carry all that stuff every time we’ll travel there. Myquestions are: •• do you have tips to keep salt free of humidity? •• same advice for sugar? In advance thank you, – Françoise

AnswerHello Françoise,To keep your salt (or sugar) dry, just put a few grains ofrice in the container... and it will remain free of moisture! –

QuestionHello,I’m looking for a story your magazine wrote about aEuropean Daisy that grows in the mountains. It is on theendangered species list. I just need the name of this daisy.I could use your help. Thanks for your time.P.S.: Great magazine, very helpful! You have given years ofhelp too, many thanks!– Douglas Cannan

AnswerHello Douglas,I think the article you’re referring to was about theEdelweiss (or Leontopodium alpinum), an endangeredspecies from the European Alps that was part of our serieson “Biodiversity in Peril”. You might also have in mind thearticle on the Mountain Arnica (Arnica montana), aninteresting Alpine plant that seems to be well suited forhydroponics.

In our November/December 2011 issue of The IndoorGardener magazine, we also featured an extensive articleabout Alpine and Mountain Plants. Make sure to check outyour copy or ask for it at your usual gardening store! Allthe best, –

QuestionGood Afternoon,We are a fairly new store in Deland, Florida(absolutehydrogardencenter.com). Recently a new customerof mine brought me several past issues of your magazine.Wow, what a great magazine. Do you provide these to retailhydroponic stores? I have found such great information inthese past issues. Please let me know if you provideretailers your wonderful magazine.Thank you,– Michelle and JeffAbsolute Hydroponic Garden Center

AnswerHello,To obtain copies of our magazine for distribution in yourstore, please call BGWS (1 800 316-1306) in the United-States, or Hydrotek Western Canada/USA (1 888 507-8002),in Canada. Thanks for your interest in The Indoor Gardenermagazine, –

Uncolonized root Root colonized bymycorrhizal fungi

50 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


VOL. 8 ISSUE 2 | 51


52 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 2


the indoor gardener magazine september october 2012

Documents

publisher green publications

canada post

stelios lekakis

canada phone

roxanne lekakis

indoor gardener magazine

roxanne labellelekakis

green cover design