Beginning Hydroponics – Soilless Gardening by Richard E. Nicholls

An updated edition of the classic guide to hydroponics, providing a thorough introduction to soilless gardening.  Hydroponics, a method of gardening without soil, has developed over the past fifty years.  While it has been proven both reliable and effective, and has received much attention in some quarters, it is still an unfamiliar practice to many gardeners.  This book is designed to introduce you to the principles and methods of hydroponic gardening.

Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening – The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener by Fern Marshall Bradley and Barbara W. Ellis

Over 400 entries of the most practical, up-to-date gardening information ever, collected from garden experts and writers nationwide!

“Gardens are places to renew yourself in mind and body, to reawaken to the truth and beauty of the natural world, and to feel the life force inside and around you. And the organic way to garden is safer, cheaper, and more satisfying. Organic gardeners have shown that it’s possible to have pleasant and productive gardens in every part of this country without using toxic chemicals. They make their home grounds an island of purity.” – Robert Rodale

Secrets of High Yield Plant Growth by Graham Reinders

An advanced guide that focuses on useful, practical techniques for producing high yields in both soil and any hydroponics growing media. With comprehensive features on how nutrient, light and PH levels will affect the yield of a plant. More advanced than most of the other books we offer, but not too technical to understand.

The Rodale Book of Composting – Easy Methods for Every Gardener by Grace Gershuny and Deborah L. Martin

The essential guide to composting for all gardeners and enviromentally conscious people. Composting is fast becoming a household word. Gardeners know it is the best way to feed the soil, while others look to composting as a way to dispose of grass clippings, autumn leaves, and tree trimmings.

The Rodale Book of Composting offers easy-to-follow instructions for making and using compost, helpful tips for apartment dwellers, suburbanites, farmers and community leaders and ecologically sound solutions to growing waste disposal problems.

Gardening Indoors with CO2 by George F. Van Patten

Plants can use up to five times more CO2 than naturally occurs in the air. CO2, essential to photosynthesis, is often the most overlooked element limiting plant growth. This book demonstrates how fertilizing the air with CO2 can shorten growing time and double your harvest.

Includes technical information on how to set up a CO2 emitter system or generator system and how to grow cuttings and seedlings with CO2. Packed with the most up-to-date facts and figures on CO2, Gardening Indoors With CO2 shows you how to put CO2 to work in your garden room or greenhouse for super results!

These are just some of the many book offered in igrowhydro.com. Please check out the site for even more reading for the beginning to the most advanced grower.

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B.C Hydroponic Nutrients are a power-packed trio for nurturing generous vegetative crops and extraordinary floral growth. B.C Grow (1-3-6), B.C Boost (3-0-2) and B.C Bloom (1-4-7) are complete, professionally formulated, highly concentrated fertilizing agents. Unlike other brands, which include micro nutrients in only one part of the formula, both B.C. Grow and B.C Bloom contain a full complement of micro nutrients which are bolstered by the added calcium and iron in B.C Boost. B.C Hydroponic Nutrients bring a balance of nutrients in proper form, assuring matchless growth and maximum yield. As well, minimal pH drift is assured, eliminating the need for constant adjustments. Growers can greatly reduce cleaning time and expenditure as Technaflora’s B.C Hydroponic Nutrients allow only minimal salt build-up. This remarkable three-part fertilizer is easy to mix and control with simple to follow mixing instructions printed on every label.

With B.C Hydroponic Nutrients there are no secrets and no guesswork is required to achieve exceptional hydroponic harvests.

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Mayan MicroZyme mineralizes nutrients; produces nitrogen, natural antibiotics and plant growth hormones; regulates nitrogen; builds soil organic matter; suppresses soil and plant pathogens; and improves fertility, yields, and nutrient availability and uptake.

The micro-organisms in this concentrate are dormant with a long shelf life because of the micro-encapsulating solution. When the concentrate is diluted in water and aerated, the micro-encapsulation dissolves and the microorganism populations become active and increase in number.

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: FERMENTATION
Dilute 2 fluid ounces of Mayan MicroZyme CONCENTRATE per gallon of NON-CHLORINATED water. Add 5 Tablespoons of molasses, sugar or complex carbohydrates to mixture for every 2 ounces of concentrate. Aerate/agitate for 3 to 7 days in a bucket, compost tea brewer, or reservoir. For shorter activation time, maintain water temperature at 80 degrees.

STEP 2: DILUTION RATES for APPLICATION
SOIL: Add 1 gallon of Mayan MicroZyme fermented mixture (step 1) to every 30 gallons in nutrient reservoir OR undiluted fermented mixture can be sprayed directly on the soil surface immediately preceding irrigation with fertilizers.

HYDROPONIC: Add 1 gallon of MMZ fermented mixture (step 1) to every 30 gallons of nutrient reservoir.

HYDROPONIC EBB and FLOW SYSTEMS: Add 2 mL of straight concentrate from bottle (DO NOT DILUTE) per gallon to the reservoir in the ebb and flow system.

FOLIAR SPRAY: Spray fermented mixture (step 1) onto the leaves until runoff occurs. Be sure spraying device is clean. Apply once a week in vegetative stage and first two weeks in bloom.

Content in colony-forming units per milliliter:
Plate count of aerobic bacteria and anerobic bacteria

Azotobacter vinelandii……………minimum of 300,000 cfu/ml
Clostridium pasteurianum.…..… minimum of 300,000 cfu/ml

When the concentrate is diluted in water and aerated, the micro-encapsulation dissolves and the micro-organism populations become active and increase in number.

Humboldt Nutrients Mayan MicroZyme FAQ’s

What are the benefits of using MicroZyme?

Higher yield, improved crop quality, better root growth, increased plant biological defenses, reduced fertilizer use, faster time-to-harvest, and improved soil.

How long does Mayan MicroZyme fix nitrogen?

The amount of nitrogen fixed and mineralization depends upon the plant’s demand for nitrogen. The maximum period of efficacy will be 2-3 months, with a peak occuring approximately 3-4 weeks after application due to the formula’s high enzymatic activity at that time.

Can Mayan MicroZyme fix too much nitrogen?

No, because the plant itself regulates the mechanisms by which bacteria in the formula fix and mineralize nitrogen from the atmosphere. When the demand for nitrogen is fulfilled, the bacteria will stop fixing nitrogen.

Does Mayan MicroZyme work in hydroponics?

Yes, microorganisms in the formula attach to root systems of plants and any substrate media that is used in hydroponics. Microorganisms also circulate in the nutrient reservoir, improving nutrient availability and uptake. Results are improved root and plant growth, and enhanced yields.

What sources of energy do the nitrogen fixing bacteria use?

They use several sources of energy. One is already in the MMZ formula. Other sources are nitrogen, all forms of sugars, and organic matter.

Is Mayan MicroZyme genetically engineered or does it contain genetically modified organisms?

No, there is no genetic engineering or modified organisms in MMZ.

Does Mayan MicroZyme contain any carbon?

Yes, as a temporary food source for the bacteria.

Will the bacteria continue to proliferate during drought conditions?

No, they will go into spore and proliferate when moisture conditions are present again.

Does high or low temperatures or direct sunlight affect the bacteria?

No. Since the bacteria are non-pathogenic they have hard outside shells to make them resistant to high and low temperatures as well as ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Is the product safe to handle and make direct contact with the skin?

The bacteria are non-pathogenic and non-toxic to any form of tissue. This includes plant tissue, animal tissue, and human tissue.

Will Mayan MicroZyme break down toxic materials in the soil?

Yes. Although it will not break down radioactive materials, it is used now to re mediate soils with high levels of salts and minerals.

Can herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other agri-chemicals by mixed with MMZ and be applied at the same time?

Yes, may farmers are using this easier method of applying MMZ. Exceptions are agri-chemicals that contain bactericide components such as formadehyde, heavy metals, and concentrations of sulfur. When these are present, agri-chemicals need separate application.

Can chemical nitrogen fertilization be reduced when using Mayan MicroZyme and by how much?

By up to 75. In the case of organic farming, the use of organic sources of nitrogen will become more efficient, so these can be reduced too. Adjust your nitrogen fertilization levels with assistance from our support professionals.

What effect will Mayan MicroZyme have on the pH levels of the soil?

Some bacteria in the MMZ formula are hydrogen fixers and manipulators, they can manipulate hydrogen so pH levels can be neutralized when too acid or too alkaline (base).

For best results what level of organic matter or food source should there be in the soil?

The ideal level of organic matter is 2, or any source of nitrogen can be added at 25 to 20 units of per acre.

How does Mayan MicroZyme help with plant diseases?

MMZ helps with plant diseases because it helps plants grow faster, healthier and stronger, their natural mechanisms of fighting disease are stronger.

Does Mayan MicroZyme affect earthworm activity?

Yes, it increases tilth, arability, and fertility of soil and earthworm activity wil increase and improve.

How does Mayan MicroZyme help with salty and/or clay type soils?

In salty soils, MMZ bacteria will tie up salts so they cannot be taken up by plants. In clay soils, tilth is improved when bacteria (which have polysaccharide shells) die and there are strings of polysaccharides left in the soil. This improves the tilth so clay retaining or shedding water will instead allow the water to permeate it.

Are there environmental benefits when used near waterways?

A major benefit is achieved when reducing the amount of chemical nitrogen, other fertilizers, and agri-chemicals. Mayan MicroZyme itself has no residue to leaks into waterways and aquifers.

Can Mayan MicroZyme be mixed with any type of water, for example, well or chlorinated waters?

Mayan MicroZyme can be mixed with any type of water except highly chorinated water. Water that is chlorinated for potable use is all right to use for mixtures.

FOR BEST RESULTS: Always use un-chlorinated water, maintain and adjust pH levels between 5.5 and 6.5, and check reservoir after adding all nutrients. Oxygenate water before and during application. To prevent nutrient settling, always use a pump at the bottom of the reservoir to continually agitate and mix the nutrient water during application.

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It is important to know that you should never mix the nutrients together. You should only add them one at a time into your watering solution/reservoir. Stir well between each addition to prevent nutrient lock-up.

If you are interested in seeing our entire line of General Hydroponics nutrients on one page for easy ordering click the button below. Check out this General Hydroponics video I made of their line of products.

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I have some plants out side and wanted to know what was the best thing I could give them to produce the largest fruits possible? I currently use a 10-10-10 for vegetative growth. When should I switch to a bloom fertilizer and what do you recommend? I would like an nutrient enhancer like bud blood or bloom booster and anything that might help me. All plants are in ground so I need something that will go a long way

Your listed vegetative nutrient is an all purpose hydroponic nutrient. You can use this from vegetative to bloom with no real problems, but it is not a performance nutrient.

You should switch to a bloom fertilizer when you begin to see the formations of flower sites. We carry quite a few, some decent ones are Bio Bloom and Botanicare Pro Bloom for Soil.

As far as bloom enhancers go, we would recommend KoolBloom, Monster, Bud Blaster, or Big Bud combined with Overdrive. Bud Blood is usually used prior to the bloom stage to produce more flower sites.

What do you think of our answer? Are we spot on?  Do you have your own amazing formula?  Share it here. Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

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Beneficial microbes come in all sizes shapes and configurations: fungi, bacteria, protozoa, ciliates, nematodes, etc. Each of these microbes has a different food source and conditions that allow them to thrive. Some eat simple sugars such as glucose and maltose while others feed on more complex carbs or polysaccharides. Some types of microbes feed on an assortment of humic substances as well as sugars and stranger still to conceptualize; many microbes feed on other microbes – producing chelated minerals as a byproduct. In general a sugar source such as molasses will suffice. Since we are trying to grow aerobic (oxygen loving microbes) we will want to provide great aeration as well as cooler water temps (below 68 degrees).

2) Can you actually help them multiply somehow or when you inoculate is the population pre-determined and it only goes down from there with time?

You can help them multiply by providing aeration, cool water temps (below 68 deg.) and a food source of humic acid, simple sugars and more complex carbs.

3) What are definite no no’s for the health of your beneficials?

Aside from adding oxidizing agents such as h2o2, chlorine and chloramines, or more caustic ones such as bleach, warm water temps, or lack of o2 will be catastrophic to most aerobic microbes and will most likely allow the pathogenic (anaerobic ones) to out compete the “good” aerobic ones.

4) How often to inoculate? Are using beneficial microbes with rockwool useless?

This depends on the media used. Coco and soil are both great for colonizing and growing microbes. With these mediums you do not have to inoculate as consistently. You can use them every other week in vegetative growth and into early bloom (week 2) and then let them grow on their own.

For rockwool – colonization is a little more difficult. You will need to be more consistent with inoculation and it is recommended every week in vegetative growth up until week 4 of bloom. This is because humic material exists in soil already, binds well to coco but flushes out very easily in rockwool.

Hydroton is the most difficult for many organisms to colonize in. Most bacteria and some fungi will still colonize in hydroton without any problems, but mychorizzae will have problems taking hold to the root zone and living in this medium. More constant inoculation will be needed in hydroton.

Lastly, it should be noted that if you are trying to maintain a balance of microbes within a medium and you do not want certain microbes to greatly out-compete others a more consistent inoculation schedule may be necessary. Products such as Vermi-t that contain 30,000+ microbes will loose their diversity unless weekly or at the very least bi-weekly inoculations are introduced.

5) What are some specific differences when inoculating an aqueous environment like hydro (ebb/flow, drip, drain to waste, nft) or container (soil, soiless, peat, coco)?

Some environments are much better than others. A drip system or hand watering is going to produce better results than an organic medium such as coco or soil because it will have the greatest amount of aeration available to the root zone. Drip systems pull air down with the water into the medium. They trickle water and air to the root zone. This is in sharp contrast to ebb / flow systems that completely submerge the root system in water for extended periods of time. Even if the water is “aerated” it is still at best approximately 2% which is extremely poor compared to a soft trickling of air and water slowly saturating the medium within.

The grow medium should be well aerated as well using perlite, coco, pumice, rocks, etc. Nft and aero systems have tons of aeration but again will have trouble growing a variety of microbes because the medium (if there is any at all) is inert. A medium that is inert will not hold organic food sources such as sugars or humic acids. Bacillus subtilis, a champion in the bacterial kingdom for example will do just fine in an aero or nft environment, but others will not!

6) What are Biofilters and are they important?

The aquarium/fish industry has known about biofilters for a long time. They come in many shapes and sizes each touting its own specific benefits. Most will use “bioballs” or other such mediums which are held within the biofilter itself to allow for the growth of bacteria as well as some protozoa, and ciliates. As water tumbles down through the biofilter, it is aerated across the media within and allows for the rapid growth and spread of the beneficial microbes within. This will not work for many of the beneficials that “plants” want but works great for nitrifying bacteria that aquarium owners love.

That being said, the combined use of a biofilter and an actively aerated reservoir filled with ro water, complete with carbs, and humics that is sufficiently cooled to 66-68 deg. F. Cannot be beat!!

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