Hey guys, its been a cold winter, and it looks like spring has come a little early. It feels so good too! It also feels great to let everyone know that our end of year inventory is over and we are again fully stocked with all the essentials you need for your grow room. We are also gearing up for what is anticipated as the biggest grow season ever. Viva 2010, with outdoor and indoor projects being taken on in extremely aggressive levels, its super exciting for us to be able to provide for all the Sonoma County growers and beyond who are getting involved. We have -

• Traditional soils, organic blends, soilless blends, rockwool, and coco pots ready to go.
• Grow lights, electronic ballasts, magnetic ballasts, reflectors, high output fluorescent systems, LED Grow lights, replacement bulbs.
• Hydro trays, containers, smart pots, complete hydro setups.
• Complete organic and hydroponic nutrient lines – General Hydroponics, General Organics, House and Garden, Cutting Edge, Technaflora and tons of grow and bloom enhancers and accelerators.
• Carbon filters of every size and shape
• Wall, pedestal and exhaust fans and blowers of every shape and size
• Ducting, clamps, foil tape, flanges, reducers, extenders, splitters, splicers
• Co2 generators, controllers and parts
• Organic and chemical pest control products
• Master light controllers, Environmental controllers, High temp. shut off devices
• Water purification systems, accessories and replacement filters
• Ready to grow, self contained Darkrooms
• Valves, elbows, tees, custom hydro fittings, replacement sprayers and misters
• Full service repair dept. complete with loaner ballasts
• Full time accredited botanist

We love to serve and provide the best advice and products available in the indoor/hydroponic/organic gardening industry, give our friendly grow experts a call today and let us know how we can help you. 1-866-PGS-GROW

Poor yields can be caused by many different things, determining why a crop went bad is crucial!

The Top 10 Mistakes That Drag Your Yields Down

1.) Reduce Your Concentration!

Hydroponic growers adjust the pH of their nutrient solution to around 5.8 to 6.2 – this provides the best accessibility to the widest range of nutritional elements.  pH adjuster products are sold in grow stores in concentrated liquid (sometimes powder) form.  However, some growers get lazy and add this stuff neat (undiluted) to their nutrient solution.  This causes nutritional elements to precipitate out of the solution and therefore become unavailable to your plants.  To avoid this, make up a dilute solution of your pH adjusters – 1 part pH adjuster to 100 parts water – and use this instead.  The weakened concentration of your pH up or down will enable you to safely adjust the pH of your nutrient solution without damaging your nutrients!

2.) So Near, So Far …

More light = more yield … but only to a point!  In fact, grow lights can represent a mixed blessing for the indoor gardener.  Sure, they provide the all-important light photons essential for photosynthesis – your plants ain’t growing without them!  But these same lamps also generate a lot of radiant heat!    If your plants grow too close to your lamps they will become too hot and shut down (stop photosynthesizing).  In extreme cases they will scorch and burn and the growth tips will die.  This causes untold stress to your plants and drastically reduces your yields.

On the other hand some growers are overly cautious and raise their grow lights too high, causing their plants to stretch in search of more lumens.  The ongoing aim of every indoor gardener is to get as many growth tips in the “sweet spot” as possible.  This is the area where your plants are just at a safe distance away from your bulbs and receiving maximum light intensity.

Different growers combat this problem in different ways.  All growers should try to move the air in between the tops of their plants and the lamp using an oscillating fan.  Some growers also air-cool or water-cool their grow lights while some put their lights on a mover or spinner.

As well as a light meter, use a thermometer with a remote temperature probe to measure the heat at the tops of your plants.  For many popular indoor crops, the magic number is 82°F (28°C).  What’s the temperature reading at the top of your plants?

3.) Brrrrr!  Using Cold Tap Water!

First off, tap water can contain chlorine and chloramines plus high levels of other minerals (often not in a form that is useful to your plants) and other impurities.  You should always feed your plants with the best quality water you can.  Many professional growers and keen hobbyists take control over their water quality by investing in a water softener and reverse-osmosis water purifier.  Also, you should always make sure that the temperature of your nutrient solution is around 65 – 68°F (18 – 20°C) before feeding it to your plants.  Cold water shocks your plants’ roots and warm water contains drastically lower levels of dissolved oxygen.  If your indoor garden is suffering from high temperatures, using a slightly cooler nutrient solution can help your plants get through until you manage to correct your environment.

4.) Lights++ Environment–

So, you’ve managed to dial in your indoor growing environment with two, three or four lights and you’re growing healthy, happy plants and enjoying regular crops of your favorite veggies all year round.  Great, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you can expand by simply adding more lights!   You need to also consider how this will effect your growing environment.  Firstly, more plants will mean more transpiration, and a need for more CO2.  More lights equals more heat to get rid of.  So if you are thinking of adding more grow lights, make sure you budget for increased air transfer too – you’ll definitely need it!

5.) Unruly Plants

A crucial skill that every indoor gardener needs to learn is how to shape and train their plants so that they make the most of any artificial light source.  You need to let your plants know who’s boss.  Do not grow your plants too large.  Small to medium sized specimens are the way forward for most indoor growers.  Remember, your plants receive exponentially less light the further they are from the lamp.  As most gardeners light their plants from above, a common goal for many indoor growers is for shorter, squatter plants with wide canopies.  Think of a candelabra.  Pruning out the leading growth tip will encourage many types of plants to adopt this formation.

TIP:  If you are growing plants that are sensitive to photoperiod bear in mind that they will not respond immediately when you change your light cycle to induce flowering.  Growers of many plant varieties are often stunned by the amount their plants bolt (or stretch) after changing the day length simulated by their grow lights.  Err on the side of ‘small’ when deciding when to switch your plants from vegetative to flowering mode!

6.) Grow Like A Gardener, Not a Robot

So you think you’ve got your nutrient recipe down and now it’s just a question of making it happen.  But the best growers are always in a state of flux.  They are observing their plants on a daily basis, getting in among them, looking for signs of under / over fertilizing and adjusting their nutrient regimen accordingly.

This is especially important if you are making any chance, whatsoever, to your growing environment.  Improved air exchange or CO2 levels in your indoor garden will cause your plants to grow more vigorously.  The saavy grower observes and recognizes this and increases the strength of his nutrient solution accordingly.

Conversely, if the ambient temperature inside your indoor garden rises above optimum levels (e.g. during the summer months) your plants will inevitably use more water.  You should therefore decrease the strength of your nutrient solution.

7.) Stale Food

Re-circulating your nutrient solution?  Great – you’ll save on precious water resources, not to mention expensive nutrients and additives!  But ask yourself – how often do you really drain your reservoir, then rinse, and replenish with a fresh batch?  Once every week?  Once every two weeks?  Or once every … when you can be bothered?  Younger plants will tolerate less frequent nutrient solution changes than more mature plants.  But if you’re really going to turn on the charm, the time for super frequent nutrient solution changes is during flowering and fruiting.  This is when your plants’ nutrient requirements are at their highest and will benefit most from regular nutrient solution changes.

8.) Poor Propagation

Care early on pays massive dividends later.  Be especially patient and watchful during the propagation stage.  Give your plants time to establish healthy root systems before rushing them into a hydroponics system and flowering them off.  Ensure humidity levels are kept fairly high at 60-80%, especially early on.  This reduces stress on the young plant which, in turn, allows it to focus on that all-important root system.

A plant that has been “hardened off” for five or six days under a fluorescent veg lamp, for instance, still needs to be introduced to a 1000W metal halide with care.  Raise the metal halide 3-4 foot above the plants until you see the first signs of growth.  Break those babies in slowly.  What is often diagnosed as “transplant shock” is often more due to the shock of an increase in light intensity.

9.) Lack of Oxygen

Dissolved oxygen in your nutrient solution is so important we can’t harp on about it enough.  Oxygen in your nutrients promotes root health and speeds up your plants’ metabolism meaning it can grow faster and bloom copiously!  Lack of oxygen in your nutrients, on the other hand, invites all sorts of problems, the leader of the pack being pythium which can destroy your crop in a matter of days.  You can increase levels of dissolved oxygen in your nutrient solution by bubbling air into it – the smaller the bubbles, the better!

10.) Don’t Be a Dirty Sanchez

What’s that carpet still doing in your indoor garden?  Is that decomposing plant matter in the corner over there?  Still not got rid of that bag of old root balls from last crop?  Get a grip on your garden!  Clean as you go.  Keep it as spotless as possible.  Filter all air vents.  Think of your indoor garden as a laboratory and you won’t go far wrong.  The cleaner your growing environment, the fewer viruses your plants have to fight; the more energy your plants can put into their primary mission – growing and blooming!  Cleaning sounds boring, and it is.  But how boring is 10% more yield?  Nuff said.

Thanks to Urban Garden Magazine for the really great article ( Everest, you rock man! ) Original Page Here

Galaxy Electronic HID Ballast

Lets start with the foundation of any indoor garden, lighting…First thing is first, electronic ballast, or magnetic ballast. We have both types stocked in 600 and 1000 watt varieties.

Harvest Pro Magnetic HID Ballast

Next thing to consider….Light Reflector. We carry a HUGE line of options, priced competitively. We can help you determine the optimal reflector for your situation based on 20+ years of experience.

HID Reflectors Stocked and Ready

Moving on to…. grow method. If your a die hard organic soil or soil-less fanatic, or a hydroponic scientist, we have a complete stock of containers, hydroponic mediums, and complete systems to meet anyone’s needs.

Next Step… Ventilation.
Anyone serious about growing indoors knows that ventilation is one of the most important things to take seriously. PGS has got you covered. Dampers, Filters, Extenders, Fans, Clamps, Reducers, Controllers and more….

Lets continue on to CO2 Enrichment… Tired of small yields and airy product? Increase your yields and overall structure with CO2 enrichment. We carry a large line generators, tanks, regulators, and controllers.

Little things that make the difference between bumper crops and bogus results.

Keep your plants happy and healthy through the entire bloom cycle!

Now lets address Environmental Control….
Now that you have a great room in the making, don’t let the environment go to shit with neglect! Dial in the perfect temperatures, humidity levels and your electricity to run flawlessly at all times. PGS has any kind of controller for your environment you can imagine.

Get Notified While Your Gone If You Have a Fire or a Breakin

Onto… Propagation What good is all of this without clones and cuttings to get your future crops ensured? PGS carries popular aero clone machines, as well as tradition Oasis, and Rockwool cubes, clone solutions, gels, and powders, modern T5 fluorescent systems and more…..

The key to success over a long period of time, is an intelligent, planned out nursery program, that includes all the things you would address in your bloom or vegetative environment. Temperature, co2 levels, relative humidity etc… Your future crops are only as good as the plants your nursery produces! Take the extra time to really create a perfect nursery and you will enjoy years of massive crops and prosperity!

T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights - Perfect For Vegetative Growth and Propagation

Let’s not forget the staple of ALL gardens.. Nutrients

Ah… what to say about nutrients? Take the time to learn what works best for your particular situation. We can help, we have just about every major plant nutrient product that is available today, AND we know how to use them.

Perhaps you want a ready to go Growroom? There are some really great ready to go grow rooms that are easy to assemble, and easy to break down. They make alot of sense for even the most experience growers in some situations. They come in every size for any project… Including massive Mammoth size ones for epic projects.

Don’t let garden pest ruin all your have built!… Pest Management.

After all your doing to build this dream room, don’t let bugs ruin this scenario! PGS has a full arsenal of organic and non-organic forms of pest management.

PGS Pest Managment Station

Did we almost forget Water Quality? Hell NO!

Without healthy, clean water as a basis, you will NEVER have a bumper crop. PGS has simple pacific sands filters, to full on huge RO systems.

Ok, I could go on and on about all the rest of the odds and ends, but the point is WE HAVE IT, from white plastic, Mylar, timers and fittings. Above all we offer a smile, and countless years of combined experience. Call us for prices and tell them Pete from the blog said to give you a deal!!! 1-866-PGS-GROW

]]> http://pgsgrow.com/blog/2009/11/19/custom-build-your-dream-indoor-garden-with-pgs/feed/ 0 http://pgsgrow.com/blog/2009/10/29/the-best-clone-machine-in-the-world-is-old-school/ http://pgsgrow.com/blog/2009/10/29/the-best-clone-machine-in-the-world-is-old-school/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:44:36 +0000 admin http://pgsgrow.com/blog/?p=1164

The RainForest 36 is ideal for small projects in limited space. A submerged pump circulates and aerates the nutrient solution. This System's size is 12" circular. This system includes: 4 Gallon Reservoir with Lid Rio 600 pump assembly 3" Plastic Cups CocoTek Liners and Caps 3-Part Flora Kit

How are your propagation skills? I have a tremendous tip for all you hardcore PGS blog readers! ( All four hundred and twenty of you ) Taking cuttings and propagating your plants asexually is the most efficient and prosperous way to keep your garden going indefinitely. There are so many ways to take cuttings successfully. I have tried, rockwool cubes, Rapid Rooter Plugs, Oasis Cubes, soil, coco, perlite blends, Light Warrior, Rainforest Aeroponics (all models), Homemade Aeroponic/Hydroponic hydrids, in a cup of water,  a bucket of water with an air stone, capsulized mycelium, compost, bocashy, Ezcloner, Turbo Clone. You name it and I have probably tried it. I know what your thinking, have I ever tried to nestle a cutting into a piece of rock next to a waterfall, right? Actually I have, I used to live in Maui for ten years, and happen to have a waterfall handy I watched the mineralized water splash onto the cuttings and root them right into the rock under the waterfall. Well all of this is leading into today’s blog post. Basically folks, all of these techniques do the job. You can get bright white centipede looking healthy roots from any of the above mentioned techniques. The question to ask yourself, is how long does it take to get your cuttings to root. Aeroponic cloners will clone cuttings faster then cubes in general. The only issue is, if your machine stops spraying oxygenated water onto the plants, they can die right on the spot. The upside is, you can have rooted plants in a very quick time. In all my years, the fastest I have ever seen a plant root is three days, and it was in a Rainforest 36. I was truly astounded to see burly white roots pouring out of some cuttings I placed into the unit only THREE DAYS earlier under a 600 watt HPS. I had never tried to root under an HPS before and I don’t necessarily recommend it to everyone but these plants were extremely healthy and I have never seen that again. Anyway, glancing through Hydrofarms catalog today, I saw this incredibly old school machine dieing for a comeback. Make no mistake, this little aeroponic machine and its bigger cousin the Rainforest 66 will outperform ANY other clone machine.

Ok, lets face it, cloning plants can be a chore, but is such an important part of our success. The EZ Clone Machines make this essential part of gardening a snap. Using an aeroponic application, the clones you put in the neoprene inserts get beautifully misted 24/7 and i have heard reports of VERY fast rooting clones in these machines (3-5 days?) I highly recommend the EZ Clone to anyone who wants to try and reduce root time and have cleaner cuttings in the end.

Clonex is a high performance rooting compound. It is a tenacious gel which will remain in contact around the stem, sealing the cut tissue and supplying the hormones needed to promote root cell development, and vitamins to protect the delicate new root tissue.

The ultimate rooting compound – used by professionals and amateurs the world over. CLONEX is a bright, translucent gel. It is a high performance formulation of hormones, vitamins and mineral nutrients.

CLONEX is better because:

• It seals cut tissue instantly, eliminating the risk of infection or embolism.
• It contains rooting hormone at 3000 parts per million, the full strength required for explosive root development.
• It contains a full profile of nutrients and trace elements to nourish and empower the new plants.
• It is a gel – far safer than liquids or powders because it cannot splash or blow about. Unlike liquids and powders, CLONEX will remain in contact with the stem right through the rooting period.

If you have ever wondered what kind of plant science you would be doing if you were in a university program for Horticulture, BAM, this is it. I recently discovered this technique because we had a plant tissue kit that was begging for someone to use it. My curiosity got the best of me and later that night I found myself deep in the throws of a full on academic endeavor. All I can say is, after 20 years of taking cuttings, our community now needs this level of precision, technology, and science. I am so excited about this knowledge and I look forward to sharing it with you guys now.

What is Micropropagation?
Micropropagation is a way to clone plants axenically (sterile). Terminal buds collected from branches of mature plants are surface sterilized and placed in test tubes containing a specific nutrient medium. The different media we are experimenting with usually contain a carbon source, vitamins, plant hormones and antibiotics. Plantlets grown from buds of the same plant, barring mutation, will be clones (i.e., genetic replicates) of the plant from which they were cut. Once we are able to maintain rapidly multiplying plant stocks in the lab, we can use them as a source for additional micropropagation or subculturing. Subculturing involves dividing sterile plantlets into smaller segments and growing plants from these pieces. This is how we grow Widgeon-grass (Ruppia maritima) in the lab, and we are in the process of developing this technique for Shoal-grass (Halodule wrightii). Widgeon-grass is the easiest seagrass to micropropagate; other species, such as Shoal-grass (Halodule), Manatee-grass (Syringodium filiforme) and Turtle-grass (Thalassia testudinum), are increasingly difficult. We are focusing on one species at a time.

Why Use Micropropagation?
Compared to standard nursery techniques, micropropagation has the potential to produce more plants in less time. Fewer stock plants are needed because an explant can supply a great amount of material from which clonal material can be subcultured. Also, not having to rely on seeds and other propagation methods ensures greater uniformity in plants produced. Clones can be screened for different attributes and used for specific applications, or genetic variability can be assured by mixing different clonal strains in restoration projects. Another advantage to micropropagation is the contamination-free condition of the plants produced and the ability to produce microbially fit stocks that resist pathogens.

We have plant tissue kits available, give us a call 1-866-PGS-GROW