You’ve all heard the old adage, “Your enemy’s enemy is your friend.” Well, it’s never truer than in the world of indoor gardening! Savvy growers have been using “predators” for years. A predator is just another name for a beneficial insect – an insect that feeds on the pests you hate! Usually Mother [...]
Have you ever been given this odd-sounding advice? Even when we are encouraged to try and understand how plants work, our inherent tendency to personify the natural world is inescapable. Growers often like to draw parallels between humans and plants, after all, there’s no doubt that plants are marvelous, highly specialized and well-adapted organisms. You might even go as far to say they are “intelligent.” But let’s be honest here. Plants are totally different from us, especially in the way they react and respond to their environment. However, if we can get our heads around the world from a plant’s perspective, we become what is commonly referred to as “green-fingered.” We become … better growers.
As we’ve learned in parts 1 and 2 of this series, in order to grow successfully in a hydroponic system, there are certain basics that always need to be kept in check, otherwise plant performance inevitably suffers. After covering source water, nutrient and pH, world-renowned hydroponics expert Michael Christan breaks down the final ingredients of a healthy indoor growing environment: oxygen, light, temperature, humidity, air circulation and CO2.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) systems are used widely by both commercial growers and hobbyists worldwide. They are renowned for being low maintenance and producing fast growth. By following some basic principles, anyone can achieve superlative results using NFT systems. Following on our introduction to NFT Gro-Tanks in Issue 9, Gareth Hopcroft takes us through how to set up and maintain this popular hobby system. After all, a picture of a cucumber-laden vine is worth a thousand words!
Urban Garden reader, product tester and blogger Eliab Lozada relays his recent battle with aphids after they infiltrated his indoor garden.
Major crops genetically modified for just two traits – herbicide tolerance and insect resistance – are ravaged by super weeds and secondary pests in the USA as farmers fight a losing battle with more of the same; a fundamental shift to organic farming practices may be the only salvation.
Urban Garden Magazine asks and answers all the questions on using mycorrhizal fungi in a hydroponic growing environment.
The Top 10 Mistakes That Drag Your Yields Down: Everest shares some time-honored heuristics to help beginner growers increase the productivity of their indoor gardens.
Oxygen. This odorless, colorless gas plays a critical role in plant growth and bloom. In fact, despite being all around us, it could be the crucial component that is holding your plants back…
Pests in your indoor garden are bad enough – but what if you discovered that your prized vegetables, flowers and herbs were infested with pesticide-resistant “superbugs”? This sphincter-loosening prospect is an increasing possibility as a direct result of unscrupulous indoor gardeners using certain, controlled pesticides incorrectly and breeding “The Superbug.”
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