Faq

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Grown-up brown colored marmorated stink bug, BMSB, (Hemiptera). Note brown colored and white banding along the edges of the mid-region and on the radio wires. The body is about ½ inch long.

The brown colored marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) is an Asian species. In 2015 it was found in 42 countries. Its range is expanding and is anticipated to be a noteworthy irritation of vegetable and natural product crops including apples, peaches and blackberries, and additionally, an annoyance in homes where it can overwinter. In any case, it won’t imitate inside homes or cause auxiliary harm. It can be mistaken for other stink bugs, eminently the brown colored stink bug, which is little and less damaging.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB), like other stink bugs, nourish by embeddings their mouth parts into the leaves, blossoms, buds, natural products, and seeds of host plants and sucking plant sap. Vast pervasions of stink bugs may cause plants, particularly little plants and youthful delicate development, to wither, wind up hindered and distorted, or kick the bucket. Other harm incorporates yellow or white blotches on leaves; distorted or prematurely ended natural products, seeds, and buds; calluses, flaws or miseries; and brown pits on nuts. Tomatoes show a condition called shady spot (light yellow spots and a white pointed territory simply under the skin at the cut site). Peaches and different organic products may create scarring and dimpling bringing about feline confronting or a hollowed appearance. The seeds in soybean cases might be disfigured, little, stained, or wilted.

Life Cycle

Grown-up brown colored marmorated stink bugs are about ½ inch long and have the trademark “shield” state of stink bugs. They are mottled caramel brown in shading with a white or pale dim underside. The reception apparatuses and legs have light groups. The edges of the belly that stretch out past the sides of the wings have brown and white groups. The local bown colored stink bug is littler and has a light green underside. It does not have the groups on the receiving wires and legs.

Grown-ups overwinter outside and in structures and rise in late Walk through April when they mate and lay eggs on the underside of leaves May through August. The eggs (around 1/16 inch in measure) are light yellow, yellow-red or green and are laid up against each other in groups of 20 to 30 eggs. The eggs bring forth in 1-3 weeks into splendidly hued red and brown sprites with grouped legs and radio wires. They have a “tick-like” appearance. The sprites start nourishing and advance through 5 instars to adulthood. By the second instar the united stomach augmentation has unmistakably started to create. In northern zones there might be just a single era a year however in hotter, southern states there might be up to three ages per year. In Missouri, there might be two ages every year.

In late September into mid-October grown-ups look for ensured zones for overwintering. They can obtain entrance into homes through splits and opening around windows, entryways, siding, belt sheets, smokestacks, lofts or window aeration and cooling systems where they overwinter in dividers and different areas. In spring, they can be found in inside spaces as they search for approaches to come to the open air.

Coordinated Pest Management Techniques

There are no simple controls for the brown marmorated stink bug, however here are a few proposals for administration.

Outdoors

Sanitation. Control weeds in vulnerable products and in regions neighboring greenery enclosures to diminish rearing and overwintering living space. It is imperative to expel weeds ahead of schedule in the developing season before stink bug populaces increment or the loss of territory may compel vermin to move into the garden.
Gather bugs. Hand pick and wreck eggs and bugs. At the point when hand picking, utilize gloves as dermatitis at the purpose of contact can happen. A few people are additionally susceptible to the possess a scent reminiscent of stink bugs. Inside, utilize a shop vacuum to vacuum up the overwintered grown-ups.
Utilize characteristic controls. In spite of the fact that there are as of now no known characteristic predators, it is constantly shrewd to empower other common predators, for example, parasitic wasps and flies by developing little blossomed plants. The disagreeable smell created by stink bugs hinders numerous predators however a few winged animal categories do expend these irritations.
Utilize bug sprays. Control with pesticides is brief and troublesome. Likewise, protection from a few pesticides has just been watched. In the event that harm is extreme and there is a need to spare a harvest, you can attempt sabadilla, pyrethrin or permethrin (Eight). Check name headings for reasonableness with your harvest before utilizing.

Indoors

1. Prohibit section focuses. Completely seal and caulk passage focuses to keep grown-ups from entering structures to overwinter.

2. Utilize pesticides outside. For control of indoor vermin, splashing outside dividers of structures to murder grown-ups looking for indoor spaces for overwintering should be possible by experts. Appropriate planning can be troublesome, be that as it may, as the successful existence of these pesticides is short, bringing about either incapable control or the abuse of pesticides. The utilization of pesticides inside to control grown-ups in dividers and upper rooms isn’t prompted as cover insects can feast upon the dead stink bugs and after that assault textures in the home.

Organic Strategies

For outdoors technique 1, 2, and 3 are strictly organic procedures and for indoor technique 1 is a strictly organic procedure.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug marks

Underside of adult brown marmorated stink bug

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Bean leaf beetle

Encouraging harm from bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera) on product of shrubbery beans(Phaseolus); grown-ups appear to be like spotted cucumber creepy beetles and are controlled in a similar ways

The bean leaf beetles, Ceratoma trifucata, is a standout amongst the most genuine nuisances of commercial soybeans. It is an infrequent nuisance of snap beans, soybeans and other comparative yields in the home vegetable garden.

Bean leaf beetle

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Grown-up bean leaf beetles lean toward delicate youthful plant tissue and they can cause critical harm by defoliating and slaughtering youthful plants. More seasoned plants will be less incredible and have diminished yields. Nourishing harm to leaves shows up as around 1/8 inch measurement round openings between significant veins. (Grasshoppers or caterpillars cause bigger sporadic gaps or rough leaf edges; insect creepy beetles cause little openings.) There may likewise be biting harm on the cases. While this harm may cause finish unit misfortune or spread sickness in business soybeans, it is by and large only restorative in home greenery enclosures. In spite of the fact that the harm caused by the hatchlings is less serious, they feast upon bean roots, particularly the root knobs, diminishing the plant’s capacity to settle nitrogen.

Life Cycle

Bean leaf beetle grown-ups are about ¼ inch long and are regularly greenish yellow to tan with 4 dark spots. In any case, they may likewise be red, orange, or dark with spots, stripes, both or none. They are recognized from different insects by the nearness of a dark triangle at the highest point of their wing covers. The insects overwinter as grown-ups in leaf litter and wind up dynamic in spring when the temperatures achieve 50 to 55 degrees F. The females lay 130 to 200 ruddy oval eggs in the upper 5 creeps of the dirt at the base of plant stems. The hatchlings, which are white with an acne, develop in 5-7 days and feast upon underground plant parts for 3 to a month and a half. After a pupal phase of around one week, the grown-ups rise and start to eat, mate and lay eggs. In Missouri, a moment age develops in September and these grown-ups will move to overwintering locales in October.

Coordinated Pest Management Techniques

Practice great garden sanitation by evacuating leaf litter and controlling weeds, particularly those in the vegetable family.
Plant beans later in spring to keep away from grown-ups as they rise up out of their overwintering locales.
Handpick grown-ups and drop them into a compartment of foamy water if the bean leaf beetle populace is little. Since the insects tend to tumble off the leaves when bothered, it might hold the container under the plants.
Shower with a bug spray. Pesticides, for example, permethrin is an alternative. Make sure to utilize a bug spray that is enlisted for bean leaf beetle on your harvest and take after the directions precisely.

Organic Techniques

Technique 1, 2, and 3 are strictly organic procedures.

More Pictures

Bean leaf beetle

Grown-up bean leaf beetle

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Blossom End Rot of Cucurbits

Bloom-end rot, which starts with a little watery wound on the bloom end of the organic product, is the aftereffect of an absence of calcium in creating natural products. This calcium insufficiency can be a consequence of moderate development, harmed roots instigated by outrageous changes in the encompassing soil dampness content, an abundance of salts, or other fluctuating conditions amid plant development. Calcium insufficiencies make currently developing cells bite the dust since they can’t hold water and supplements.

Blossom End Rot of Cucurbits

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Bloom-end rot starts as a water-drenched, indented spot on the bloom end (the end that isn’t connected to the stem) of the organic product. The spot may extend and wind up discouraged as the organic product develops. The spot may abandon dark colored to dark and wind up rotten. Bloom end decay can be recognized from different spoils by its imprisonment to the bloom end. It might likewise be mistaken for decaying organic product that outcomes from the disappointment of female blossoms to set natural product because of absence of male blooms or pollinating bugs.

Coordinated Pest Management Techniques

Plant cucurbits in an area that has all around depleted soil.
Mulch the plants and water appropriately to keep up a uniform dampness level in the dirt. Abstain from harming the root framework while hoeing or weeding.
Test the garden soil pH. Calcium may not be accessible to plants if the dirt pH is too low or high.
Point of confinement the utilization of high smelling salts composts and crisp fertilizer that may fortify lavish development and add more salts to the dirt.
Add calcium nitrate to soil or splash with 1% calcium chloride keeping in mind the end goal to help the measure of calcium accessible to creating organic product.
Cucurbits in holders. For cucurbits developed in compartments, apply a manure that contains micronutrients including calcium. Numerous manures defined for tomatoes meet these particulars.

Organic Techniques

Technique 1, 2, 3 and 6 are entirely natural methodologies.

More Pictures

Blossom end rot of zucchini squash

Blossom-end rot on pumpkin

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Bacterial Wilt of Cucumber

Cucumber bacterial wilt is caused by the bacterium, Erwinia tracheiphila, and is portrayed at first by shrinking and drying of individual leaves, particularly those showing cucumber creepy beetle damage. Cucumbers and muskmelons are more vulnerable than pumpkins or squash; this infection is not very common an issue with watermelons.

Bacterial Wilt of Cucumber

Symptoms

Tainted plants at first show shriveling and drying of individual takes off. As the leaves shrink and wilt, stems may dry out all of a sudden. Afterward, withering spreads to whole branches and vines. Withering will happen amid the center of the day amid periods with high water pressure. The vine may recoup around evening time. In the long run, in any case, the whole vine will shrink, crumple, and pass on. In somewhat safe plants, indications show up as overshadowing, inordinate blossoms, and spreading.

Diagnosis

A decent analytic test for this wither is to cut a shriveled stem close to the base. Touch a blade sharp edge to the remove and draw from the cut. White to clear strings of the bacterial overflow will be unstable from the cut made on the contaminated plant to the blade edge. This analytic test isn’t 100% dependable. Encourage examination might be essential.

Life Cycle

The microscopic organisms overwinter in the stomach related arrangement of the cucumber bug. In the spring, bacterial shrink is spread from plant to plant through both the striped and spotted cucumber creepy crawlies that eat cucumbers and different relatives of this family. The microscopic organisms are discharged through the creepy crawly fertilizer and move into have plants through the stomates and wounds, probably the ones made when the bugs bolster. Bugs ingest more microorganisms as they feast upon contaminated plants, and the cycle is rehashed.

Coordinated Pest Management Techniques

Ensure plants with mesh. Keep cucumber creepy beetles from nourishing and tainting plants by covering them with mesh or permeable texture.
Expel and annihilate plant material when side effects of withering are first taken note. There are no cures for the illness. Scarabs spread the bacterium from tainted plants to sound plants.
Develop defenseless products on pivot each third year. Since insects overwinter in the dirt and convey the bacterium, the cycle can be disturbed by just planting the host in a zone each third year.
Abstain from planting cucurbits beside corn. Spotted cucumber hatchlings likewise eat corn; keeping away from close plantings of these two harvests may help control the creepy crawlies on cucurbits.
Develop assortments that endure bacterial shrink like butternut or acorn squash and Saladin or County Fair 83 cucumbers. No muskmelon assortments are known to be tolerant to bacterial wilt.
Clean plants with bug spray in the spring before the cucumber bugs have an opportunity to lay eggs (April-June). Use pyrethrin or carbaryl (Sevin). Try an insecticide-bait combination for example Adios that has cucurbitacin, the beetle attractant, and a small amount of carbaryl (Sevin).

Organic Techniques

Technique 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are organic techniques.

More Pictures

Diagnostic test for bacterial wilt of cucumber.

Bacterial wilt of cucumber beginning on a cucumber plant

Collapsed cucumber plant due to bacterial wilt

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Water & Nutrients

Why do I have to adjust the pH of my nutrient solution?
Why do I have to adjust the pH of my nutrient solution? A: Soil has a good capacity to buffer pH. This means that when the pH level of water is not ideal, the makeup of the soil acts as a buffer and balances out the pH of the incoming water to generally an acceptable level. It is important to adjust the pH of a hydroponic nutrient solution because there is no soil to act as a buffer and correct an improper pH level. It must be done manually adding pH up or pH down to the water after the nutrient has been added to the solution. Setting pH to the correct level will allow the plants to uptake all of the nutrients required for optimum growth.

Do I need to use distilled or RO water for hydroponics?
No, it is not absolutely required to run Reverse Osmosis or Distilled water for hydroponic gardens. However, a percentage of your plants feed will consist of whatever minerals are found in your water. Most water still works well, but in some cases or when the gardener is looking for complete control of the nutrients their plants are consuming purified water may be the best option. It is often necessary to replenish the Calcium and Magnesium levels in purified water to form a complete nutrient solution. Botanicare’s Cal-Mag supplement is carried by all Homegrown locations. It is also very difficult to stabilize the pH of purified water due to its lack of minerals to buffer the pH. The addition of Cal-Mag will help solve this issue.

What is the ideal pH level?
Generally in a hydroponic application plants should be kept between pH of 5.5 and 6.2. In a peat based soilless medium 6.2 tends to be an ideal level. In soil most plants excel anywhere in the pH range of 6 to 7. If the plant you are growing is not an acid loving plant, it will do better at a pH slightly higher than 7.0.

Is my well water okay for growing plants?
Without seeing an analysis it is impossible to answer this question. Often well water is very hard and should be used in conjunction with a nutrient line which has been specially formulated for use with hard water. The other option would be to run the well water through a Reverse Osmosis system to remove the excessive minerals.

My pH keeps fluctuating, what’s going on?
So you set the pH of your hydroponic reservoir to 5.5 only to return 2 days later to find the level has risen to a pH of 6.0! You’re wondering why the pH won’t stay where you set it? The nutrients you add to your reservoir are acidic. When the plant consumes these acidic nutrients, the natural reaction is a rise in pH. This means it is normal for your reservoir to have a natural pH up-swing. It is much more desirable than your pH dropping, which would indicate you have too much nutrient in your solution. Here is a cheat sheet: pH goes up, EC goes down = Plants are feeding. Potentially raise nutrient levels. pH goes down, EC goes up = Plants are putting nutrient into the water rather than taking them out. Nutrient levels are too high. pH stays stable, EC levels stay stable = Equilibrium. Plants are taking equal parts nutrients and water. Maximum growth is occurring. It is best to error on the side of caution and slightly underfeed you plants . This will encourage the natural pH swing from 5.5-6.2. Once your solution reaches the 6.2 mark it should be brought back down to 5.5 pH and allowed to slowly drift up again. The reason this is ideal is that the plants are able to take up specific nutrients more efficiently at different pH levels. By going up and down through the proper pH range the plant has good access to all nutrients required for optimal growth. Having the ability to monitor and adjust nutrient and pH levels in this fashion are one of the main benefits to an active or recirculating hydroponic system.

What is a good fertilizer to use for growing plants?
There are many good fertilizers available on the market for aiding in plant growth. However, when a gardener is growing hydroponically it is essential that they use a complete hydroponic nutrient such as the Dutch Nutrient Formula. The key things to look for in a premium hydroponic nutrient are a 2 part solution to prevent minerals from binding and no longer being available to the plant, an affordable nutrient, an easy to use nutrient and a nutrient that is complete with both micro and macro nutrients. Everything your plant requires for optimal growth should be contained in those two bottles. A premium nutrient will also have specific nutrients from the growth and flowering stages of plant life.

How much air is required to aerate my nutrient solution?
In a Deep Water Culture hydroponic system, it is absolutely crucial to have adequate oxygen levels because roots are submerged. For optimal growth it is recommended to have 1 Litre Per Minute of air pumped into each Gallon of nutrient solution. Therefore a 100 Gallon reservoir would require a 100 LPM air pump for maximum oxygenation. In every other hydroponic application it is only required to oxygenate the solution enough to prevent it from becoming anaerobic. This means much less air is required. Generally if you have good movement in the solution and the majority of the surface of the solution is broken with bubbles you should be fine. Roughly ¼ – ½ the oxygenation rate of a DWC system should be more than adequate. It is possible to have too much aeration because the bubbles coming out of the air stone or diffuser create friction. The more friction produced, the more heat produced. So in some cases adding more aeration can be counterproductive. Water temperatures also affect the amount of oxygen that water can hold. Excessive reservoir temperatures will prevent sufficient oxygen saturation levels. For this reason it is not recommended to exceed 68 Degrees Fahrenheit in your nutrient reservoir.

What strength fertilizer do I use for different stages of plant growth?
Most established plants grow and produce very well with a max nutrient concentration of 2.2 EC. When plants are first starting out they should be fed quarter strength fertilizer once they produce their first sets of true leaves from seed, or once they show roots as cuttings. * Seedlings and Cuttings 0.5-0.7 EC * Medium plants 1.0-1.4 EC * Established plants 2.0-2.2 EC Plants grown with high light levels and supplemental CO2 can often exceed these levels.

Are organic fertilizers better than synthetic fertilizers?
In certain applications, yes. In outdoor or living soil applications it is beneficial for the gardener to use organic nutrients because they will contribute to building up a healthy and living soil environment full of beneficial microbes and fungi that will sustain plant growth for years to come. The addition of slow release or liquid organic feed will improve the health of the soil and contribute to plant growth accordingly. Alternatively, synthetic nutrients will still increase the production of crops in soil. However, the soil quality can be negatively affected by these synthetic fertilizers and the soils become dependent on repeated applications of synthetic nutrient. Scientifically speaking, when an organic nutrient breaks down with the help of enzymes produced by bacteria living in the medium, it becomes chemically identical to a synthetic nutrient. The plant is not able to tell the difference between whether its nutrients were organically or synthetically derived. The difference lies is in the effect on the symbiotic relationship between the roots and the beneficial organisms living amongst them. Some gardeners feel that growing with organic nutrients will produce a better crop due to these organisms flourishing in the root zone. In hydroponic applications gardeners have the choice of using organic or synthetic nutrients with similar results. The synthetic nutrients generally give faster and more predictable results. Organic nutrients still produce excellent crops but can lead to more frequent cleaning of hydroponic systems and reservoirs.

How do I improve the performance of my outdoor soil gardens?
The best way to improve the performance of an outdoor garden is by amending your soil to improve its drainage, water retention and fertility. The addition of peat moss or coco coir will aid in fluffing up your mix which will increase the oxygen available to the root zone. Water retention should also be improved. The addition of premium organic slow release fertilizers will build up your soil quality for the long term, or faster acting liquid organic fertilizers can be used to increase soil fertility. Some of the most common additives to outdoor gardens are as follows: * Coco or Peat to improve aeration and water retention * Worm castings to provide growth hormones and nutrition * Kelp meal to provide micro nutrients * Volcanic and Glacial rock minerals to provide micronutrients and increase drainage * Premium organic additives such as Blood and Bone meal, Gypsum, Bat Guanos, Rock Phosphate, Alfalfa meal, Greensand, composted organic matter to add macro nutrients. * Dolomite Lime to buffer pH Some gardeners will produce compost teas out of these organic additives rather than working them into the soil. This allows the release of their nutrient much more rapidly for more immediate results.

What is Compost Tea and how do I make one?
Organic Teas or Compost Teas are teas made by combining organic additives with water and adding aeration to kick-start the decomposition process. The simplest way to produce a tea at home is to take a 5 gal pail (large pail) and fill it ¾ with de-chlorinated water. Next you add compost, worm castings or some other sort of organic fertilizer and some un-sulphured blackstrap molasses to the mix. You then connect an air pump to an air line with an air stone on the end and place the air stone in the pail as to oxygenate the solution. The result is rapid reproduction of the beneficial bacteria living in the organic matter due to the increased oxygen and carbohydrate food source. The organic matter gets broken down quickly which releases its nutritional content into the water. This process turns slow release organics into rapid acting organic fertilizer. A good recipe is as follows: * 5 Gal de-chlorinated water * 2 Cups Worm Castings * 2 Tbsp Bat Guano (veg or bloom depending on growth stage) * 1 Tbsp Humic Acid * 5 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses (or other carbohydrate additive) * 1 Tbsp Kelp Meal * Bubble this for 24-48 hours until a frothy foam develops on the top of the pail * Dilute to 50% with a second pail of un-chlorinated water and pour or spray over plants

Why is a two part nutrient better than a one part nutrient?
Two part nutrients are superior to one part nutrients because they separate minerals which would otherwise bind together forming sediment in the bottle. These minerals can become permanently bound up and unavailable to plants. Keeping these nutrients separate when in concentrated form ensures a virtually unlimited shelf life and that 100% of the nutrient you are paying for is available to your plants.

How do I test my nutrient concentration?
The best way to test your nutrient concentration is with an EC meter. EC meters test the electrical conductivity of water, and give you an indication of of the strenghth of your nutrient solution. They work best with conventional mineral nutrients. EC meters are not as accurate for organic nutrients because not all the nutrients are in a form the meter can read. For more info, see our page about EC and Nutrients here.

What is the difference between EC, TDS and PPM. Which one should I use?
There are several tools available to test the Total Dissolved Solids present in a nutrient solution. Where it gets confusing is which units to display your values in. The most common are Electro Conductivity (EC) and Parts Per Million (PPM). EC is the best way to display the TDS of a nutrient solution because it is a universal unit. Unlike PPM which is EC x 0.5 or EC x 0.7. Since there are two different conversions of EC to PPM, PPM becomes an unreliable way to describe nutrient concentrations because you never know whether someone is using the same scale as you are. To break it down: * Electro Conductivity is displayed in EC or EC x 1000. * Parts Per Million is either EC x 0.5 or EC x 0.7 * Therefore 2.0 EC or 2000 EC = 1000 PPM or 1400 PPM depending on which conversion factor is used. 2000 EC x 0.5 = 1000 PPM or 2000 EC x 0.7 = 1400 PPM Seeing as how there are two different PPM values for the same EC value depending on conversion factor used, EC is a much better way to describe nutrient concentrations.

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Lighting Faq

Can I use natural sunlight to grow plants indoors?
Yes, some gardeners take advantage of natural sunlight either in the greenhouse, beside a window or even by using skylights and solar tubes to light their gardens. Just be careful not to interrupt your plants dark cycle if it requires uninterrupted darkness.

What is High Pressure Sodium lighting and what is it good for?
A High Pressure Sodium light is a gas-discharge lamp that uses sodium in an excited state to produce light. HPS lamps have been the standard in indoor gardening for many years due to their ability to produce high intensity light in the red and orange color spectrums. This light is ideal to trigger a flowering response in flowing plants. This type of light has been shown to create large yields of high quality fruit and flowers. The downside to these lamps is the inefficiency of the lamps which can be noticed by the amount of heat that they produce. They also produce most of their light directly beneath the lamp making them more ideal for fewer large plants compared to many smaller plants as dispersing the light in an even pattern can be very difficult. With today’s technology growers are starting to employ the use of more efficient Induction Lamps and well as LED grow lights to more evenly disperse their light and lower the need for large ventilation or air cooling systems.

What is the difference between Digital and Magnetic HID ballasts?
Magnetic ballasts are the older type of HID ballast. They are constructed with a core and copper coil. They typically run very hot and emit a hum or buzzing sound during operation. They are typically only able to fire one type of lamp, either MH or HPS. There are however conversion lamps for magnetic ballasts that allow the opposite lamp type to be used (HPS in MH ballast or vise versa). Newer magnetic ballasts are switchable between lamp types. Digital ballasts run much cooler than magnetic ballasts. They also are more efficient; meaning more of the power consumed is used to produce light rather than heat. They have several other benefits such as soft starting lamps, a convenient dimming feature and most importantly the ability to run either MH or HPS lamps on both 120v and 240v power supplies. They are also much lighter than their magnetic counterpart so shipping can be much cheaper.

What types of lighting are suitable for indoor gardening?
There are several types of lighting all suitable for use in an indoor garden. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. The main types of garden lighting are:

Fluorescent
Induction
L.E.D
Metal Halide
High Pressure Sodium
Sulphur Plasma

What is a conversion lamp?
Conversion lamps are less popular these days due to switchable ballasts and digital ballasts which auto detect and fire both types of HID lamps. However, in a situation where you are running a magnetic HID ballast and want to run the opposite lamp than when your ballast is rated for, you are able to use a conversion lamp to accomplish this. Conversion lamps are typically more expensive than a standard MH or HPS lamp.

What is Fluorescent lighting and what is it good for?
A fluorescent lamp, fluorescent tube or compact fluorescent lamp is a very low pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses a fluorescence to produce visible light. The electric current (in the gas) excites mercury vapor which produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful light much more efficiently than incandescent lamps. The most popular fluorescent lamps used for plant growth are T5 Fluorescents and Compact Fluorescents. When comparing the two of equal wattage, the T5’s are better for spreading out the light and covering a larger area more evenly. This is ideal for many small plants such as seedlings or cuttings. The CFL is better for covering a smaller area more intensely, which would be better for growing fewer, larger plants. When comparing Fluorescent lighting to other types of pant lighting, Fluorescents tend to excel at growing seedlings and cuttings as well as any plant with a low light requirement. Although possible, flowing fruits and vegetables is generally more successful with a higher intensity lamp.

Do I need a reflector?
Generally speaking a reflector is a must to ensure that all of your light is director towards your plants. Since lamps often produce light in a 360 degree pattern from the center of the lamp, it is especially important in horizontal applications to direct the light sent upward back down towards the canopy. A different style of growing employs the use of HID lamps hung vertically between taller plants. Since the lamp is hanging at approximately half way up the height of the plant and is surrounded by plants on all sides the reflector is not required. This is the only style of growing that will not benefit from the use of a high quality reflector.

What is an Induction Lamp and what is it good for?
An electrode less lamp or induction light is a light source in which the power required to generate light is transferred from outside the lamp envelope to inside via electromagnetic fields, in contrast with a typical electrical lamp that uses electrical connections through the lamp envelope to transfer power. There are three advantages of eliminating electrodes: • Extended lamp life, because the electrodes are usually the limiting factor in lamp life. • The ability to use light-generating substances of higher efficiency that would react with metal electrodes in normal lamps. • Improved collection efficiency because the source can be made very small without shortening life, a problem in electroded lamps Induction lamps are ideal for applications where low heat output and highly efficient lighting are required. Induction lamps provide similar light output to a standard fluorescent, except with a more optimized spectrum for plant growth and come in much higher wattages. Although initially a 400w Induction Lamp may appear to have similar performance to 400w of T5 Fluorescents (both producing approx 40 000 Lumens) the differences become evident very quickly. Induction lamps are rated for 10 x the bulb life than a T5 Fluorescent. This means the difference between 10 000 hours and 100 000 hours of bulb life. The induction lamp also maintains 90% of its light output over 70 000 hours. Like other fluorescent technologies, the induction lamp is not a High Intensity Discharge lamp, which means it produces its light over a larger surface area instead of being very intense in one hot spot. This means these lights evenly light a large area much more effectively than an HID lamp would. Huge savings can be realized when comparing to HID lighting by producing similar or higher light levels over a larger area while consuming less than ½ the wattage. (400w induction vs. 1000w HID.) The ideal distance between an induction lamp and plants is 6” vs. 18” for a 1000 HID. This means these lights excel at growing many short plants vs. few taller plants. Modern greenhouses are starting to employ the use of Induction lighting due to their excellent efficiency and length of operation.

Is it safe to run a 1000w Lamp on my homes current wiring?
Without knowing your particular electrical situation we cannot provide you with a definite answer. A qualified electrician should always be consulted when you are unsure of your wiring. Assuming your home is up to current electrical codes, assuming you have nothing else running on the circut, a 1000w HID would run safely on a standard 15 amp circut. A 1000Watt Light will use around 10 amps of electricity. Generally speaking, a standard household circuit in North America consists of 14 gauge wire rated for 15amps and 120v. Assuming that your 1000w light is the only thing plugged into that circuit, you will be drawing roughly 9.7 amps on the 15 amp circuit. This is below the 80% maximum load one should place on any electrical circuit and you would be safe to run your lamp. Exceeding the 80% capacity of any electrical circuit is not recommended and may be a fire hazard.

What is Metal Halide lighting and what is it good for?
A metal-halide lamp is an electric light that produces light by an electric arc through a gaseous mixture of vaporized mercury and metal halides[1][2] (compounds of metals with bromine or iodine). It is a type of high-intensity discharge (HID) gas discharge lamp. Developed in the 1960s, they are similar to Mercury vapor lamps, but contain additional metal halide compounds in the arc tube, which improve the efficiency and color rendition of the light. Metal halides are extremely efficient at producing light in the white and blue color range. These types of light have an ideal effect on vegetative plants. Using a metal halide for vegetative growth will produce short and bushy plants with extremely tight internodal spacing. The downsides to Metal Halide lights would be high operating temperature making exhaust fans or air cooled light fixtures a requirement, short bulb life (5-15 000 hours) and a rapid decrease in light output over the life of the lamp.

What is a relay or a flip box?
Relays or Flip boxes allow gardeners to divert the power from one ballast to a second reflector/lamp when the primary reflector/lamp is not in use. This means you can run your lamp and reflector for 12 hours and then use the relay to switch to a second garden for 12 hours. The benefit of these systems is doubling your garden space without purchasing a second set of ballasts. All that is required is a second lamp cord, reflector and lamp. Your ballast will run for 24 hours a day between both gardens. This does not work for 18/6 light schedules.

What is L.E.D. Lighting and what is it good for?
An LED lamp (or LED light bulb) is a solid-state lamp that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light. LED lamps offer long service life and high energy efficiency, but initial costs are higher than those of fluorescent and incandescent lamps. Chemical decomposition of LED chips reduces luminous flux over life cycle as with conventional lamps. In regards to plant growth, LED grow lights employ the use of diodes producing only the specific wavelengths of light required for plant growth. This results in an extremely efficient grow light which can produce tremendous growth with minimal wattage. This makes LED grow lights ideal for situations where low temperatures and high efficiency are a must. In small scale gardens where it is difficult to run a HID lamp due to excessive heat, LED grow lights are a viable alternative. Modern greenhouses are starting to employ the use of LED lighting due to their excellent efficiency and length of operation.

Are there controllers available to run multiple HID lamps from one power source?
Yes, gardeners can purchase pre-made lighting controllers that require a dedicated wire to an electrical panel or other high power outlet (dryer or stove outlets). This allows you to plug your multiple hid lamps into one controller and use one timer to control the light schedule of all of your lights. This is the simplest way for a gardener to run multiple HID lamps. These Power Boxes can be purchased at any Homegrown Hydroponics location.

What is Sulphur Plasma lighting and what is it good for?
The sulphur-plasma lamp is a relative newcomer, but it shows some promise where very high intensity lighting is needed. The primary light source is a small quartz bulb with a few milligrams of sulphur inside (along with an inert gas – typically argon or xenon), and this is subjected to intense bombardment with microwave energy. After a few seconds, the sulphur starts to convert to the fourth state of matter – plasma. Full intensity is reached in less than 5 minutes. The plasma principle is used for most HID lamps, except that the others (metal halide, mercury vapour, high pressure sodium, etc.) use electrodes inside the tube, rather than bombarding the active material with microwave energy. Ultimately, it is largely the erosion of the electrodes (along with possibly broken high pressure seals between the envelope and the electrode lead-in wires) that signals the end of life of a typical plasma light source. • Sulphur bulbs are twice as efficient as other sources of high quality white light. • They produce almost no ultraviolet light and very little infrared; this makes them easier to use with plastic fixtures or fibres. • The full-spectrum light that is produced is extremely good for visual acuity and feels much like sunlight. • The bulb is very simple, a hollow quartz sphere with sulphur and argon gas, and so it is environmentally benign and does not degrade in use. • The light source is very bright so the light can be efficiently distributed over large spaces. • The light output and colour does not degrade over time, and it is fully dimmable down to 30%. The downside to Sulphur Plasma lighting is that it is cost prohibitive. With many companies failing to successfully launch this new technology, the high cost (approximately $3500 per 1000w unit) is surely a huge factor.

Is it safe for my eyes to look at grow lights?
No, one should never look directly into a grow light. This can cause serious injury to your retina. It is however acceptable to work in areas lit by HID lighting. Some gardeners feel their eyes become strained after prolonged exposure to HID light environments. All gardeners would benefit from eye protection when working around indoor grow lights. The benefits are protecting your eyes from damaging UV rays as well as correcting the color emitted by HID lights to a more natural appearance for easier disease pest identification. The sooner the gardener can spot problems, the more effectively they can be dealt with. One ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Method Seven protective eye wear is available at all Homegrown Hydroponics locations.

How much light do I require?
Plants with the highest light requirements will grow best with HID light levels between the ranges of 40w-75w per square foot of garden area. This means that when using a Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium grow lamp the gardener would use: 1000w to cover a 4’x4’ area. 1000w/16 sqft = 62.5 w/sqft 600w to cover a 3’x3’ area. 600w/9 sqft = 66.7 w/sqft 400w to cover a 2.5’x2.5’ area. 400w/6.25 sqft = 64 w/sqft. In confined spaces such as grow tents; gardeners will often go one size down in order to more easily keep temperatures in the desired range for optimal plant growth. I.e. 2 x 600w in a 4’ x 8’ tent rather than 2x 1000w. Some plants (especially the non flowering varieties) can grow fine with 20-45 watts per square foot. When calculating the required amounts of fluorescent lighting for seedling, cutting or any vegetative growth of small plants, roughly half of the recommended HID wattage is required to promote this early growth. I.e. 400w t5 fluorescents over a 4’x4’ area.

How do I dispose of old grow lamps?
Due to the contents of hazardous metals found in grow lamps, they should be recycled properly by taking them to your local recycling depot. Some hydroponic stores will recycle them for you as well. Grow lamps should not be placed in the garbage as they are likely to break and leak their contents into the ground at the landfill.

How long should I leave my grow lights on for?
Some gardeners like to leave their lights on for 24 hours to get maximum growth. However, by far the most popular light duration for vegetative plants is 18 hours on and 6 hours off. This schedule will mimic a day of full sunshine followed by a natural dark period. Using this method will save the gardener electricity while still providing exceptional growth. Some plants are triggered to flower by a reduced duration of daylight. These plants can be tricked indoors into producing their flowers with a reduction of light duration. To achieve this, most gardeners will reduce their light to 12 hours on and 12 hours off. Other plants simply flower then they are mature and can benefit from the 18 hours of light throughout their life.

How far should my light be from my plants?
Low heat grow lights such as fluorescent and induction lamps should be kept approximately 6” from the tops of plants for optimal growth. LED grow lights can usually be kept at a distance of 9”-12” from the tops of plants for optimal growth. 400w HID should be kept at a minimum of 12”-16” inches from the tops of plants for optimal growth. 600w HID should be kept at a distance of 16”-20” inches from the tops of plants for optimal growth. 1000w HID should be kept at a distance of 18”-24” inches from the tops of plants for optimal growth. Often lamps used in conjunction with an Air Cooled Reflector can lead to a decrease in distance required distance between lamp and plants. Using ones hand at plant height to determine the amount of heat between the lamp and the plant is an effective tool at gauging light heights. If the temperatures are comfortable for your hand then they are comfortable for the plants.

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