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UK EDITION · ISSUE 71 · 2026 · FREE COPY

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INDEX

In th is is s u e o f G A R D EN CULTURE: 7 8 10 16 18 20 26 30 34 38 42 48 52 56 62 66 70 78 82 86 92 94 96

Foreword Editor's Spotlight Marketplace Confessions of a Local Hydro Store Fit for the Future: Transitioning from HPS to LEDs Invisible but Essential: The Underworld, an Invisible War Professional POV - Tanner Stewart TRENDING NOW: How a Countertop Hydroponic System Supercharged My Pepper Seedlings Eco-Optimism: Hope Takes Root Through #EarthOptimism Overwintering for Spring Success Preserving More Than Food Precision or Party: What Does a Plant's Rhizosphere Really Want? Behind the Grow Shop Subject: Re: Generation One: Considerations for first-generation land stewards Playing the Long Game: Optimistic Orchards and other Occasional Opportunities The New Gleaners: Rescuing Food, Feeding Communities The Soil Never Sleeps Cultivating the Future: Inside the World of Plant Tissue Culture Fungal Frailty and How To Fight It Notes from a Dirty Old Gardener - Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face Beyond Standard AC: Innovative Solutions for Grow Room Stability Local Growers 5 Cool Ways to Plan, Preserve, and Prepare for Next Season This Fall

ible but Essential Invis

underworld an Invisible War

Our bodies are symbiotic organisms that coexist with a variety of microorganisms; these microorganisms populate our intestines, skin, and mouths

Trending Now!

How a Counter top Hydrop onic System Sup ercha rged My Pepp er Seedlings

(a n d Prese r ved My Sanit y)

THE NEW GLEANERS

BY JENNIFER COLE

ll summer, volunteers with Boston Area Gleaners have been showing up at farms throughout eastern

Massachusetts.

Under

the

hot

summer

sun, they have crouched low to the ground, combing through rows of soil and tangled leaves. It doesn’t take long before boxes are filled with lettuce, beets, cauliflower, and

ate and maintain climate-friendly home gardens, you can find her planting and enjoying her small urban garden in Vancouver.

it’s

we to

potatoes, all left behind from the commercial harvest. It’s hot, backbreaking work, but there are no complaints; everyone is happy to help

the new

out and make sure nothing is left behind. After

gro

pro

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JENNIFER’S WORK? SCAN THE QR:

jum

all, every potato saved is another person fed.

gleaners

“It’s a great way for people who are eager to learn about agriculture and the local food system,” says Jalila Waller, Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the organization. Founded in 2004, the Boston Area Gleaners’ mission is to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those who need them while reducing systemic food waste [1].

Rescuing Food, Feeding Communities

The

How a centuries-old practice became a modern food recovery movement, keeping millions of pounds of forgotten crops from going to waste.

Soil

And they are good at it! In 2019, for the first time, the group exceeded one million pounds of produce distributed in a single year to food service organizations and food banks throughout the Boston area. In 2022, they gleaned more than 4 million pounds of food.

The firs pla var win act Som pre onc liag wo we ear clo am

Founded in 2004, the Boston Area Gleaners’ mission is to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those who need them while reducing systemic food waste

“I think gleaning has become so popular because it is a very simple way to help feed the community while also reducing food waste. It also provides a strong service to people to be able to eat fresh produce, which is a simple but very difficult task for many members of the community nowadays,” Waller says.

An red orn pep wo lon ag can new als ting ove

While it’s a great time to celebrate the hard work we’ve put in, it’s an even better opportunity to set ourselves up for success in spring by overwintering our plants

Every growing season in North America, more than 30% of the fruit grown on trees and crops in farmers’ 46 Planning Begins Before the Crop fields is left to rot. There is nothing wrong with it, othWhat is Gleaning? er than that supermarkets have rejected it for Comes being Down Gleaning means to gather what is left, in this case, too small or imperfectly shaped. Weather and pests food. It is an old practice noted in the Bible, Sumerimake growing food an imprecise science, so farmstory. It is simply another an texts, and depicted in ancient Egyptian tombs. In ers plant extra to ensure they will have enough to ancient times in the Mediterranean region, farmers sell throughout the year. But when there’s too much, would leave part of their harvest along the edges of it gets left behind. Sometimes farmers donate surand preparation. their fields so that those in need could easily access plus to food service organizations, but because they it [2]. can’t afford the labor to harvest and distribute it, they turn to gleaning organizations such as Boston Area Over the past decade, as public awareness of food Gleaners. waste, climate change, and food insecurity has deepened, gleaning has seen a revival, shifting from a There are between 280 and 412 gleaning organiniche volunteer activity into a food recovery movezations in North America, and most, like the Boston ment aimed at eliminating waste and feeding comgroup, work with farmers who want to donate food [3]. munities.

sleeps

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FOREWORD FOREWORD

any years ago, when I was just out of university, I was lucky enough to work with a very smart real estate developer who taught me so many things that I didn’t

learn in school. His business mantra was “If you don’t plan, then plan to fail.” This idea has stuck with me throughout my entire career. But why is it important for growers? Intelligent, meticulous planning of your grow room design helps optimise plant layout, lighting, and airflow. This increases plant growth (quantity) and quality while reducing the risk of pathogens and pests. It’s about having control over what comes next.

Of course, our plans don’t always work out as planned. In “Notes from a Dirty Old Gardener - Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Face,” we get the perspective of a typical home gardener who often relies on luck, even when a loose plan is in place. When we are growing with organic or living soil, there is so much more to think about. In his article, “The Soil Never Sleeps”, Gareth Hopcroft writes, “Rather than viewing each crop as a separate event, living soil encourages us to see the garden as a continuous biological system. Harvest is not the end of the story.” As it turns out, several of our writers had the same idea. Thinking through and planning how to have the best soil for your plants is very important if you grow this way, and neglecting your soil could be devastating. In “Invisible but Essential: The Underworld, an Invisible War,” William Texier breaks down all the weird and wonderful things living on and in our soil. If you want them to live symbiotically with your plants, certain care is required, and yes, you will need a plan. In “Fungal Frailty and How To Fight It,” AC Moon helps us understand what factors influence the presence of negative fungal spores in your grow area and how to prevent them. And with so many biological inoculants out there, how do you choose the best one for your growing needs? In “Precision or Party: What Does a Plant’s Rhizosphere Really Want?” Av Singh gives his two cents on how to deal with this complicated question. 71 · 2026 · FREE

SPECIAL THANKS TO: AC Moon Cameron, Adam Clarke, Anne Gibson, Av Singh, Catherine Sherriffs, Dustan McLean, Gareth Hopcroft, Haley Nagasaki, Jennifer Cole, Martyna Krol, Mexx Holweg, Oliver Hall, Regi Oneton, Steve Wong, William Texier, Xavi Kief & The Grow Shop Crew. PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe eric@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-233-1539 VICE PRESIDENT Celia Sayers celia@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-1539 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Catherine Sherriffs cat@gardenculturemagazine.com DESIGN Job Hugenholtz job@gardenculturemagazine.com D I G I TA L & S O C I A L M A R K E T I N G social@gardenculturemagazine.com ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com PUBLISHER 325 Media INC 44 Hyde Rd, Mille-Isles QC, Canada J0R 1A0 GardenCultureMagazine.com ISSN 2562-3567 (Print) · ISSN 2562-3575 (Online) Garden Culture is published six times a year, both in print and online. SOCIAL MEDIA

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EDITOR’S SPOTLIGHT

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

Human Voices in the Age of AI I

’ve been the editor at Garden Culture Magazine for about eight years, a job I came across kind of by accident.

In what feels like a former life, I was a TV and radio news reporter and anchor; an exciting gig but a demanding and time-consuming one. After starting a family, I figured I was done with journalism for good.

Then the stars aligned; I met Celia and Eric, the owners of Garden Culture Magazine. They offered me freelance writing work and, eventually, my current position. Today, I generate and write content for our blog (GCMag.co), write quite a bit of the material you’re reading on these pages, and edit the work of our incredible growers and writers. Every new edition is a blank slate, and I am always learning about plants and growing techniques from our contributors. My own gardens have certainly benefited! Through the beautiful chaos of raising kids, my brain has stayed sharp thanks to creative freedom, countless expert interviews, and the challenge of weaving that information into stories our readers will enjoy. I’m proud of the work our small team accomplishes together, and I’m also very proud to say that Garden Culture Magazine’s content is written by real people with real experiences – never AI. I’m about to sound older than my actual age, but I earned my degree in journalism and worked in the media at a time when you generated ideas and crafted a story in your own words. You talked to real people, verified information, and told a story using your brainpower. Call me old-school, but I believe there’s little room for Artificial Intelligence in journalism.

There’s a misconception that AI writes better than humans. Faster? Absolutely. Better? I don’t think so Sure, it can be an excellent tool for checking spelling and grammar, or organising ideas and helping with research. But for me, that’s where it ends. It cannot become a substitute for journalism and human creativity; using it in this field risks losing trust, the ultimate sacrifice. There’s a misconception that AI writes better than humans. Faster? Absolutely. Better? I don’t think so. I’ve seen material with repetitive, robotic patterns or articles that are factually incorrect and contradictory,

EDITOR’S SPOTLIGHT

I’m also very proud to say that Garden Culture Magazine’s content is written by real people with real experiences – never AI.

lacking the details associated with first-hand experience. AI doesn’t conduct interviews with human beings or have any personal stories to share. But our writers do. I love reading the words of our contributors in their own voices, whether offering expert knowledge or the details of a breakthrough harvest or growing gaffe. Even if writing doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s why I’m here. Together, we’ll get your message across. Garden Culture Magazine believes the best stories are still the ones about real experiences told by real people. We hope you connect with our growers and writers and learn something new along the way. 3

Visit our YouTube channel to watch our interviews with expert gardeners, hobby growers, incredible artists, and more!

Youtube: PODCAST

@gardenculturemagazine

Want to be a GC contributor? Send your pitch to: editor@gardenculturemagazine.com

Marketplace ATAMI SUBSTRATES Looking for the perfect foundation for healthy roots, vigourous growth, and consistent results? Atami Substrates offer a complete range of growing media designed to support every stage of the cultivation cycle. From Janeco Light Mix for greater feeding control and nutrient-rich Kilomix for demanding plants, to Bi Grow Mix, Cocos Substrate, and High Porosity Cocos for optimised root development, each substrate delivers the ideal balance of aeration, water retention, and nutrient availability.

For maximum performance, combine with Atami nutrient programs, including B’cuzz Soil A&B, B’cuzz Coco A&B, stimulators, and the renowned Bastic additives range. For more information, visit atami.com

DYNOMYCO Spark DYNOMYCO Spark is an innovative wettable powder that combines mycorrhizal fungi, Mycorrhiza Helper Bacteria (MHB) and biostimulants to support vigourous root development from seedling through to harvest. Unlike traditional granular inoculants, Spark dissolves easily in water, making it suitable for hand watering, irrigation systems and hydroponic applications. The advanced formula helps improve water and nutrient uptake, supporting stronger root systems, healthier plants and consistent performance throughout the entire crop cycle. Spark is an easy way to introduce the proven benefits of mycorrhizae into virtually any growing system, helping to support higher-quality, more productive harvests. Contact your local grow store for availability. Check out DYNOMYCO.com for more info.

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Lightly fertilised, ripened, washed and buffered coco fibres

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by Terra Aquatica Feed your soil for healthy plants with TrikoLogic® and StreptoLogic®, two powerful blends of beneficial microorganisms. TrikoLogic®, based on Trichoderma fungi, boosts root development, improves nutrient uptake, and helps break down organic matter, making nutrients more available. StreptoLogic® contains Streptomyces bacteria that protect roots from harmful fungi and bacteria and promote a rich, living substrate. As temperatures rise, pathogens become more active — now is the perfect time for a preventive treatment. Strengthen your plants naturally and support long-term soil health for vigourous, resilient growth. Check out TerraAquatica.com for more info.

Soil enhancer rich in micro-organisms & main nutrient

OTHERS USE A COMPRESSOR. WE USE SCIENCE. YOUR GROW DESERVES BETTER THAN REPURPOSED REFRIGERATOR TECHNOLOGY. VAPORTROL® PRECISION POST-HARVEST, BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP. Vaportrol® is the technology at the heart of every Cannatrol system. The Cool Cure manages vapor pressure, temperature, and dew point within a sealed environment, it eliminates the variability compressors were never engineered to address.

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After years of background product development and extensive trials, the team at CANNA is extremely proud to announce a new type of coir substrate to help growers succeed: COCO Coarse. For years, gardeners have been mixing coir with pebbles or perlite to reduce water retention and improve drainage/aeration. These mixes gave the properties growers wanted, but inadvertently created ‘dead space’ in the substrate too; neither water nor roots will penetrate a pebble.

Perfect foundation for every cultivation!

Through combining a larger, more coarse fraction of coir fibre, alongside a portion of rice husk and the same quality coir we have produced for years, we have created a substrate with all the watering properties of a mix substrate, but maintained the higher natural Cation Exchange Capacity of coir and allowed the roots to have access to 100% of the pot volume.

Premium substrate mixes for every growing method.

The structure growers want, naturally. Visit CANNA-UK.com for more information.

Growth Technology Industry veteran Growth Technology is releasing two brand-new stimulants to the famous Ionic range, built to take a plant from root to bloom. Start with Root Boost to promote fast, resilient root growth in a plant's early stages. Switch to Flower Boost at bloom, where bioactive compounds and energy-rich molasses feed bigger blooms, better yield, and real flavour. Both are plant-based, 100% natural, free of synthetic PGRs, and are super-concentrated: just a single litre makes 2,000 litres.

Optimized for strong roots and balanced growth. Excellent water retention, drainage & aeration. Most substrates are RHP certified.

Formulated, tested, made, and shipped by the Growth Technology team. Coming very soon!’ Visit GrowthTechnology.com for their complete range.

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SCAN ME

a f o s n o i s s e Conf e r o t S o r d y UK H

agazine e m e r u lt u #gardenc nsofaukhydrostor #confessio

Glen Petticrew shares insights offering honest advice on industry trends, common growing mistakes, and the value of community.

ehind every grow shop counter is a steady stream of stories and questions. At ‘The Grow Shop’, we’ve been part of the Irish growing community for over 25 years, working with everyone from first-time hobby growers to experienced cultivators. As a family-run business, we’ve grown up alongside the industry itself—back when

setups were simpler, lighting meant hot HPS bulbs, and advice was mostly passed from shop counter to customer. The industry has changed a lot since then—LEDs, automation, endless online advice—but what hasn’t changed is the community around it. We’ve built long-standing relationships with growers who’ve been coming to us for years, sharing successes, failures, and the occasional “I think I might have

overdone it” confession. Speaking of confessions, it’s our turn in the Garden Culture booth! We have stories to tell—from common mistakes and changing trends to memorable customer moments and the lessons we've learned along the way.

UK HYDRO STORE

The last two years have been pretty tough for the industry. What have you done to help your business survive during this difficult period? It’s definitely

been a challenging couple of years. Costs are up, customers are more price-conscious, and there’s no shortage of online competition. For us, the focus has been simple—double down on service. We make sure people can actually get through to us, get honest answers, and leave with what they actually need, not just what’s being pushed that week. The relationships we’ve built over 25 years have carried us a long way.

What is the most common mistake you see growers make? Trying to do too much at once. It usually starts with good intentions—more nutrients, more additives, more tweaking—but it quickly becomes overwhelming for the plant and the grower. In most cases, success comes from stepping back and keeping things consistent rather than constantly adjusting.

What is the best thing about working in a grow shop? The people, without a doubt. No two days are the same. One minute you’re helping someone set up their first small tent, the next you’re chatting with someone who’s been growing longer than we’ve been in business. And then there’s the moment someone comes back with photos of a healthy crop after a rough start—that never gets old.

Do you play music in the shop? If so, what are you listening to? Always. It keeps the place moving. The play-

Figure 1 list depends entirely on who’s working that day, so it can jump from reggae to classic rock to old-school hip hop without much warning. Customers often end up debating the music more than the nutrients.

celebrating 25 years in business, left to right Darcy, Shanti, Sharada, Glen

LED versus HPS/CMH: which do you think grows better plants? Modern LEDs have definitely taken the lead in terms of efficiency, control, and heat management. That said, great growers still produce great results with all types of lighting. The reality is that environment and consistency matter far more than the fixture itself. A well-run grow with older tech will beat a poorly managed setup every time.

What trends have you seen that you wish had never happened? The idea that more products automatically means better results. Every year there’s another “musthave” additive, and it often just adds complexity. Most growers would see better results by focusing on airflow, environment, and consistency rather than building a shelf full of bottles.

What do you do to create customer loyalty? We

try to be honest, even when it’s not the easy sale. If someone doesn’t need something, we’ll tell them. That might sound simple, but it builds trust over time. A lot of our customers have been with us for years because they know they’ll get straight advice, not a sales pitch.

What are some of your favourite products? We tend

If you could give every grower one piece of advice, what would it be? Slow down. Get the basics right first—

What’s the strangest customer request you’ve had? One of the more memorable requests was someone

Want to be the next Hydro Store to ‘confess’?

to favour products that make growing simpler rather than more complicated. Reliable LED lighting has been a game-changer over the years. A solid pH and EC meter is still one of the most important tools any grower can own. Basic, well-balanced nutrients usually outperform the complicated multi-bottle “systems” once you remove all the noise.

asking if there was a product that would guarantee perfect results without needing to check anything—temperature, feeding, watering… nothing. We had to gently break the news that even plants don’t work that way.

environment, watering, consistency. Once those are stable, everything else becomes easier. Most growing problems don’t need a new product; they need a bit of patience and observation. 3

Take a picture of this edition of Garden Culture Magazine in your shop, post to Instagram and tag @gardenculturemagazine OR Send your info to social@gardenculturemagazine.com

upplemental lighting is essential in greenhouses

and

indoor

growing

facilities, especially in regions with

short days and limited sunlight. How much supplemental light a crop needs depends on where the greenhouse is located, the time of

for the

future Transitioning from

HPS to LEDs

year, the crop being grown, the desired light spectrum, and the cost of electricity.

Energy Use and Seasonal Considerations

As greenhouse growers become more dependent on heating and artificial lighting, worldwide energy use is rising. In colder northern climates, heating is often required to enable year-round, consistent cultivation. Supplemental lighting becomes especially important in the autumn and winter, when days are short and radiation levels are low. Furthermore, it allows control of day length, thereby regulating developmental processes such as flowering.

The Shift from HPS to LED

In the Netherlands, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of greenhouses that use artificial lighting and in the light intensity growers use during cultivation. The amount of energy used for heating has decreased, while the energy used for lighting has increased. Historically, high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps were used as the primary light source for supplemental lighting due to their high photon output and beneficial spectrum for plant growth (amber coloured, which overlaps with the absorption peaks of the main photosynthetic pigments). Switching from these historically inefficient lamps to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) reduces energy costs by roughly 10-25%.

Global Transition Trends

The transition from HPS to LEDs is also quite rapidly occurring in the United States, where the use of LEDs increased from 16% in 2016 to 78% in 2024. This transition is especially important for crops that are grown under high lighting intensities, such as medicinal crops. In such cases, energy savings are greatest, although the overall impact largely depends on how much of the total energy costs is attributable to lighting.

SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING

BY MEXX HOLWEG

Supplemental lighting is essential in greenhouses and indoor growing facilities, especially in regions with short days and limited sunlight.

Mexx Holweg is the Technical Solution Manager and Crop Advisor at Dutch Lighting Innovations, where he combines scientific expertise with practical horticultural insight to deliver data-driven lighting solutions. He holds a Bachelor’s in Applied Biology from HAS University of Applied Sciences and both a Master’s degree and doctorate from Wageningen University & Research. His research focused on plant physiology and photobiology, with a strong emphasis on optimising light strategies for indoor-grown medicinal plants. Passionate about applied science, Mexx excels at translating complex research into real-world solutions that help growers improve yield, consistency, and crop performance.

Radiative Heat Differences

One major difference between HPS and LEDs is the radiative heat they emit. HPS lamps emit significantly more radiant heat, while LEDs emit far less near-infrared radiation. This indicates that switching from HPS to a full LED system isn’t just about swapping out lighting fixtures; growers must also rethink how they heat their greenhouse to compensate for the loss of warmth.

WANT TO READ MORE OF MEXX’S WORK? SCAN THE QR:

Geographical Considerations and Geothermal Heating

In the Netherlands, the use of HPS lights has historically covered 25-30% of the heating demand. The transition to LEDs is, for example, more efficient in Nordic countries due to the high level of geothermal energy from seismic activity within the earth. Because of this, warm water can be pumped up from the soil and used to heat the greenhouses. Using geothermal heat would allow energy cost savings of up to 35%, making commercial greenhouse growing viable in climates where it would otherwise be too expensive to operate. Especially in regions where heating is sustainable and affordable, the benefits of installing LEDs heavily outweigh the cost of extra heating.

Impact on Plant Physiology

HPS lights also affect plant temperature and transpiration due to the large amount of radiative heat they emit. Especially under high light intensities and extended photoperiods, increased temperature could impair plant growth. This added heat is preferred in the winter but could lead to excessive venting of the greenhouse in the summer, which, in turn, results in CO2 losses that further increase energy costs. To compare, growing under LEDs at the same light intensity keeps the leaf temperature roughly 1.3°C cooler, indicating that the difference in practice is smaller than expected.

Switching from these historically inefficient lamps to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) reduces energy costs by roughly 10-25% Efficiency and Light Output of LEDs

In addition to energy savings, LEDs are simply more efficient than HPS in producing photosynthetic photons per watt consumed. Highly efficient LEDs, consisting mostly of pure red, can deliver up to 3.9 micromoles per watt per second, compared to HPS at 1.6 micromoles per watt per second. LEDs can thus be used for higher light intensities and longer photoperiods, delivering a greater total amount of light to the crop without excessively raising temperatures.

Customisable Spectra and Future Directions

Finally, multispectral LED arrays allow us to customise the light spectrum required by various crops at different phases of plant development. Although this is quite a Pandora’s box, we will hit on how the spectrum can be used to optimise photosynthesis and steer plant shape for maximum light interception in another article. 3

s s E e t n u tial b e l b i s i Inv

the

underworld an Invisible War

Our bodies are symbiotic organisms that coexist with a variety of microorganisms; these microorganisms populate our intestines, skin, and mouths

MICROBIAL SOIL LIFE

ur bodies are symbiotic organisms

BY WILLIAM TEXIER

that coexist with a variety of microorganisms; these microorganisms

populate our intestines, skin, and mouths. They are indispensable allies for our survival. The same is true for plants. All plants, from the smallest to towering trees, need this col-

William Texier is the Co-founder of Terra Aquatica (formerly GHE) and author of L’Hydroponie pour tous, Mama Editions. He has been working in R&D in hydroponics and plant nutrition since 1987. For more information, visit terraaquatica.com

labouration with the inhabitants of the underground world for their survival. Even their aerial parts—leaves, stems, etc.—are inhabited by a fauna that we are only just beginning to study. I could easily argue that the composition and abundance of microbial life in soil are as important for plant growth as its physical qualities and mineral content.

hen you add a good fertiliser to your substrate or hyW droponic solution, you see rapid improvements in your plants’ growth and health. The same happens when you introduce beneficial microorganisms. This article does not aim to explore the subject in depth, but rather to give you some ideas on how you can improve your crops by introducing some of these organisms.

What are the soil inhabitants?

et’s skip the following categories, which are all L off-topic: • Macrofauna (over 2 mm): earthworms, insects, and insect larvae. • Mesofauna (0.2 to 2 mm): mites, starfruit. • Microfauna (less than 0.2 mm): nematodes (some are beneficial, others parasitise roots and can kill plants), rotifers, and tardigrades that colonise the microdroplets of water in the soil and on roots. ll these organisms play a crucial role, primarily in the A decomposition, mixing, and aeration of organic matter. Aside from encouraging earthworm populations, there is little a farmer can do to influence these three categories of fauna. The one that interests us is the fourth: •

Microorganisms (invisible to the naked eye): bacteria (which can be beneficial or harmful), fungi, algae, actinomycetes (another type of bacteria), and protozoa (filamentous, branched organisms).

It is primarily bacteria and fungi that assist our crops; they are our allies in the soil, helping us prevent dis-

All plants, from the smallest to towering trees, need this collabouration with the inhabitants of the underground world for their survival eases, nourish plants more effectively, and protect them against certain pathogens. They are easy to introduce into the growing medium and can be used not only in traditional crops to revitalise the soil but also in bare-root hydroponic systems or in neutral growing media such as coconut coir. Let’s take a closer look.

Bacteria

Less than 2 microns in size, they constitute the most numerous and diverse population in the soil (approximately 1 billion per gram of healthy soil). They play an essential role by performing several functions: • degradation of cellulose and pectin • mineralisation (making the mineral elements contained in organic matter available) • nitrogen fixation • phosphorus solubilisation, etc. Some bacteria form symbiotic relationships with plants. In exchange for their services, they feed on sugars exuded by the surrounding roots. We will limit ourselves to examining those that are useful to us and commercially available.

Nitrogen fixers: Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum

These are the three main families of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Rhizobia act only in the root nodules of legumes; they give them the well-known property of fixing atmospheric nitrogen. They are of little interest to us, as these bacteria establish themselves automatically and are only active within these nodules.

MICROBIAL SOIL LIFE

Phosphorus is one of those elements that, even though present in abundance in soil, is not readily available to plants

On the other hand, Azotobacter and Azospirillum are rhizobacteria that, as their names suggest, live freely in the rhizosphere and possess the same nitrogen-fixing capacity; not limited to legumes alone, they work with all plant species. Thanks to this property, Azotobacter and Azospirillum are valuable allies for our crops, forming symbiotic relationships with plants (rhizobacteria). Nitrogen is the most abundant element in plants, and soil rarely contains enough of it. It is often the limiting factor in growth, which is why farmers use so much nitrogen fertiliser. The use of these bacteria could greatly reduce the chemical inputs spread in fields, which often end up in groundwater. I have no experience with Azotobacter, but numerous tests with various Azospirillum species have demonstrated their effectiveness. More surprisingly, I obtained very positive results in my hydroponic crops. Hydroponic fertilisers are very rich in nitrogen in several forms, and one would expect no difference with the addition of bacteria; to my great surprise, I obtained yields around 10% higher with the introduction of Azospirillum.

Phosphorus-solubilising bacteria

Phosphorus is one of those elements that, even though present in abundance in soil, is not readily available to plants. It often forms insoluble compounds, such as calcium phosphate. Fortunately, many bacterial families help make this phosphorus available. They belong to the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, Micrococcus, and Flavobacterium. They act at different levels: lowering soil pH and producing organic acids that mineralise P. Without them, all our crops would suffer from chronic phosphorus deficiencies because external inputs from added fertilisers are quickly bound within insoluble molecules. Tests carried out with

bacteria of the genus Burkholderia have shown that even rich soil can benefit from their contribution. Phosphorus is the hardest element to keep available in a nutrient solution; I would have bet that adding solubilising bacteria could solve this problem, and I would have lost! So far, we haven’t achieved any satisfactory results in hydroponics. Work in progress! Tests are still underway.

Chemical Warfare: Protective Bacteria

Many bacterial families release secondary metabolites into their environment (any compound that doesn’t directly enter the plant’s metabolism). They have a wide variety of functions; three families—Actinobacteria, Actinomyces, and Lactobacilli—produce compounds that inhibit many pathogens. These bacteria are beneficial in soil and greatly reduce the risk of fungal attacks; an additional supply is always useful, even in healthy soil. In hydroponics, I use bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, the source of the wellknown streptomycin. These are filamentous bacteria that feed on organic matter. What interests us are the compounds they produce, which have antifungal, antiviral, and antibiotic properties. It’s a real chemical war they wage to eliminate the competition. They may not be too well-liked by their neighbours, but these properties are crucial for our nutrient solution. This method of clearing away anything that could harm the plant’s root system allowed me to keep my plants healthy at temperatures I found hard to believe were possible; I had to admit that at 42°C, my plants’ roots were still brilliant white. This is only possible, however, in a highly active hydroponic system where the oxygen in the solution is constantly replenished. If there is a risk of heatwave conditions, adding Streptomyces to your solution will greatly improve your plants’ survival.

MICROBIAL SOIL LIFE

Microscopic observation of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Azospirillum

William Texier has made a career out of teaching people how to grow. Our editor, Catherine Sherriffs, caught up with William in 2021 to discuss his journey. Read it now!

Roots colonised by Trichoderma

Fungi

A vast field exists in this department. There’s no consensus on when they first appeared, but they’ve been on this planet for about eight hundred million years. They form a symbiotic relationship with all plants, especially trees, which couldn’t live without them. Not all of them are beneficial; some are pathogenic, but others are truly valuable to our crops. They play very diverse roles, similar to and complementary to those of bacteria. The two most often coexist harmoniously for the well-being of plants.

Mycorrhizae

These are fungi that form a symbiotic association with plants. There are approximately 50,000 species. The vast network of their filaments (hyphae) allows them to bring nutrients to the plant that its roots cannot access. Mycorrhizae cover a surface area about 10,000 times greater than that of the root mass, hence their enormous importance. Like bacteria, they receive sugars in exchange for the nutrients they provide to the plant, primarily nitrogen. Each of these two organisms could live independently, but their association allows both partners’ growth to increase tenfold. Mycorrhizae are divided into two families: endomycorrhizae and ectomycorrhizae. The former are the most widespread; they form a symbiotic association by penetrating the root, while the latter do not penetrate the root but rather envelop it with a network of mycelium. Since they primarily provide nitrogen, these

fungi are of little use in hydroponics; however, they are a valuable addition to soils. Healthy soil contains a continuous network of mycorrhizae, which occupies its entire volume. They communicate with each other, and it is through them, among other means, that plants communicate. In addition to mycorrhizae, many other fungi are beneficial. The most commonly used supplement is a fungus from the Hypocreaceae family, Trichoderma, specifically the Harzianum variety. It plays a crucial role in soil; it is practically an army by itself. It is a filamentous fungus that grows on the surface of roots. By doing so, it prevents pathogenic organisms from reaching this space and accelerates plant growth, releasing compounds that help limit the risk of disease. In hydroponic systems, it plays the same roles, but it is also used to combat heat and is essential for practicing bioponics (using an organic hydroponic solution). I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to start my hydroponic adventure with an excellent fertiliser. I got great results, and for years I didn’t look any further. Then I discovered that certain supplements (fulvic acid, seaweed extract, etc.) could improve my results even more, and just when I thought I couldn’t do any better, I discovered microorganisms. I strongly encourage you to try it for yourself; whichever method you choose to grow with, I know you’ll be satisfied and surprised by the results. 3

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V O P l a n o Professi with

t r a w e t S Tanner s Powerh s e n ll e W a t il u B s m r How Stewar t Fa

ou se

hat began with aquaponics, leafy greens, and living soil evolved into a recovery-focused product line shaped by clean production values and a solutions-driven approach. Haley Nagasaki interviews Tanner Stewart.

Haley Nagasaki: How did you get started in farming? Tanner Stewart: I was a very early mover in indoor vertical farming. In 2015, I built one of the earliest and largest indoor vertical farms in North America, right here in Alberta.

It was aquaponics: we had a fish farm in the facility, paired with a ten-story-high, leafy-green vertical production system. We were doing kale and arugula, Swiss chard and basil, all the microgreens. It was really a crash course in indoor controlled environment agriculture, with food as medicine in mind. Eventually, I learned I wanted a higher-value crop, but I wanted to continue making medicine. I was growing food as medicine before, so we took the same principles from my experience with aquaponics and clean, indoor organic farming and applied them to a wellness brand focused on topicals.

PROFESSIONAL POV

BY HALEY NAGASAKI

HN: In 2018, you were working on a documentary film called The Need to Grow. Tell me about your time as Executive Producer. TS: At the same time as I was vertical farming, I had in-

vested in this film called The Need to Grow, and I am an Executive Producer on that film. Millions of people have watched this film across almost every country by now because we have the metrics. It's about the importance of living soil to the planet. The pitch from the Director Rob Herring and Ryan Weirich, out of California, they said: “Have you heard of The Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore? Have you watched it?” And of course I've watched it; everybody's watched it. He said, “That's a film about problems. We want to make a film about solutions.”

Haley is a legacy journalist and former B2B magazine editor. As an editorial and communications strategist, she drives content and business development, advocating for small-scale organic farming and global community-building initiatives. Connect with her on Instagram @haleynagasaki

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I’m a solutions-driven person. That’s so appealing to an entrepreneur.

HN: How has your company evolved since 2019?

The film explores three different solutions, and its whole point is to inspire people. And it did. For me, that film inspired everything I did afterwards, including leading up to our making bath bombs and muscle creams. Everything about regenerative farming led me to our business ethics and how we produce products in general.

TS: The evolution of Stewart Farms, from farming into

HN: When did you found Stewart Farms? TS: It was 2019 when we started constructing the facility.

I had a fully functional tilapia farm in the facility, and we were using the organic nutrients from the tilapia as a bacterial inoculant – an additive to the organic soil we were using to grow our plants. We would grow with zero ailments, zero pests, zero disease. We used beneficial insects as an additional pest control measure. Everything that was ever produced by Stewart Farms was pesticide-free, herbicide-free, and non-irradiated. It’s completely clean, as clean as you can get, and those are the ethics of regenerative farming. For me, my anchor is anything on that product, whether it be food, or in a bath bomb or topicals, anything in there that is synthetic that could be potentially harmful to the user is removed. That has driven our production of everything since day one.

the topicals category, is exactly that.

We’re actually in the middle of abandoning the cultivation we were doing at our facility because 65% of it was occupied by only 15% of our revenue-producing products. So, I had to make this decision to regain that floor space so we could double down and produce 2-3 times as much. Our long-term direction will be driven by where I see the biggest opportunity to put something really clean, truly clean, where there is not. Maybe that’s makeup, or soaps. What I love about the ongoing story of Stewart Farms is that these products are the way they are because of regenerative farming. And they were designed to get people off opioids and topical steroidal creams.

HN: Who is your biggest customer? TS: Veterans are our biggest customers through the med-

ical market in Canada. We’re doing over 10,000 units of Arctic Heat to veterans alone every month, and 20-30,000 bath bombs to the veteran medical community. The parent brand is called Rebound by Stewart Farms. Our messaging is all about recovery. MMA fighters, bodybuilders- we’re focusing on getting the word out to Pilates studios, and the people who are hard on their bodies. Our products are recovery-oriented for people who are inflamed and are in constant pain. Anyone can be unstoppable. They just have to decide that they are.

PROFESSIONAL POV

Getting basic irrigation, lighting, environmental control, and plant care right is the foundation that any grower needs to deliver a successful crop

The Stewart Farms Team!

What began with aquaponics, leafy greens, and living soil evolved into a recovery-focused product line shaped by clean production values and a solutions-driven approach

Tanner and Rosario Dawson

HN: How often are you back in St. Stephen? TS: So, the facility is in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

We have 30 people there manufacturing all these products, and they're a wonderful team. Not a single person who works for Stewart Farms had ever done the job they do now before. Everything was trained on the job; they learned on the job, and now they run a super clean, pharmaceutical-grade cosmetics and topical manufacturing facility. That’s a big deal in a small town of 5,000 people. I'm also functionally leading the sales and marketing endeavours within the company on a daily basis. And I love the creative side of things. I like the branding. I like talking to people. I go back every month and a half on average. I like to be there as much as I can, but I’m more valuable elsewhere in Canada.

The Need to Grow premiere

“Anyone can be unstoppable. They just have to decide that they are.” In August, we’ll be at CanFit Pro in Toronto. It’s the largest fitness and wellness trade show in Canada. We will raise awareness among the exact demographic we need to reach, who are looking for safe, clean recovery products. I’ll also be in the United Kingdom later this year because international expansion is important to us. We want to get this made-in-Canada, clean topical solution into as many countries as we can. People need to feel the Arctic Heat! 3

Trending Now!

How a C ou nte r top Hyd rop o n i c Sys te m Sup e rcharge d My Pepp e r S e e d l i n g s (a nd Prese rved My S a n it y )

atherine Sherriffs writes about finding a way to remove one of the most frustrating bottlenecks in her gardening routine, preserving her sanity and making seed starting more enjoyable. Find this hack and many more on our blog at GCMag.co.

COUNTERTOP HYDROPONICS

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

nyone else get super impatient waiting for pepper seeds to germinate? I like to start all my fruits and veggies from

seed indoors and usually get going around six to eight weeks before my region’s last frost date. But that’s a little too late for peppers; they seem to take forever to sprout and grow to a respectable size. For a few different reasons, my seed-starting regimen was later than usual

Catherine is a Canadian award-winning journalist who worked as a reporter and news anchor in Montreal’s radio and television scene for 10 years. A graduate of Concordia University, she left the hustle and bustle of the business after starting a family. Now, she’s the editor and a writer for Garden Culture Magazine while also enjoying being a mom to her three young kids. Her interests include great food, gardening, fitness, animals, and anything outdoors.

this year, and I thought about skipping peppers altogether. On a whim, I decided to throw my pepper seeds into my simple kitchen countertop

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hydroponic setup; the results were amazing, and it helped keep me sane, so this is a hack I’ll use every growing season!

tarting Pepper Seeds and Watching S Time Stand Still

Typical pepper seeds need anywhere between 7 and 21 days to germinate, longer if you’re me, and the conditions have to be just right: warm and humid. But not too humid and not too warm. What can I say? Peppers are temperamental! When I start them in a seed-starting mix and transplant them into soil, I find the process long and frustrating, which usually sucks the enjoyment out of growing.

Average Pepper Germination Times • • •

Sweet and mild peppers (Bell, Jalapenos, Banana, Lunchbox varieties): 7-14 days Medium and hot peppers (Cayenne, Tabasco): 1421 days Spicy peppers (Ghost, Carolina Reaper, Habanero): 21-30+ days

Pepper Starting Hack: Hydroponic Countertop Growing System

I decided to see if I could speed up the process using a countertop hydroponic setup. I have a few different brands and models, but my favourite one by far is the LetPot Indoor Garden. This hydroponic growing system

The results were amazing, and it helped keep me sane, so this is a hack I’ll use every growing season! has space for 12 pods, an adjustable, 24W full-spectrum LED panel that rotates 180°, and an app remote control. It is incredibly easy to use, and after adding seeds to the setup, all you have to do is sit back and watch the magic happen. No constant checking of seed trays, watering, or worrying! I filled the reservoir with water, added the model’s recommended nutrient ratios, and threw some bell and jalapeno pepper seeds into the grow sponges, not really expecting anything to happen in a timely manner. But in under a week, the seeds had sprouted! Even more impressive was the rapid growth rate that followed. Within about four weeks, I had beautiful, healthy pepper plants thriving in the LetPot. I have to admit that the added bonus for me was how much less I thought about my pepper seedlings. Rather than constantly checking on them and wondering if they’d take, I could watch their progress daily, and that was such a relief. Next, I had to see if they would survive transplant.

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COUNTERTOP HYDROPONICS

I love how fast my peppers grow in my LetPot Indoor Garden, but what I appreciate most is the predictability

reparing Hydroponic Peppers P for Transplant

My vegetable gardens are outdoors, so I needed some time for the plants to adjust to soil and outdoor conditions. Two weeks before my region’s last frost date, I carefully lifted the pepper plants out of the reservoir, leaving them in the peat sponges. Their roots were long and tangled, so I unravelled and trimmed them. Next, I planted them into 4” pots, added some organic potting mix and worm castings for good measure, and watered them well before placing them below my LED grow lights. Peppers don’t like to be disturbed, so I was worried they would go into shock, but they settled quickly, and I only lost one plant over the next few days. Slowly, I started hardening them off outdoors, and I finally got them out into the garden in mid-June. That’s later than I would have liked, but the peppers had such a strong start that it didn’t really matter. I have a total of 11 pepper plants, and they are all growing strong and have begun to flower. Looks like there will be an abundance of peppers this year, friends!

ther Seeds to Try in a Countertop O Hydroponic System

I’ve also successfully grown plenty of fresh herbs and some tomato seedlings in my LetPot Indoor Garden, including one of my favourites, the tiny Orange Hat! This plant is perfect for a countertop hydroponic setup because it’s a micro plant and highly productive, perfect for indoor wintertime growing in small spaces. Feel free to try any seeds you’d like to get them on the fast track to success!

Preserving Seed Sanity

I love how fast my peppers grow in my LetPot Indoor Garden, but what I appreciate most is the predictability. Instead of wondering whether my seeds will sprout, I can see progress almost immediately. That keeps me excited about gardening rather than frustrated by slow germination, especially when I’m starting seeds later than planned. 3

No constant checking of seed trays, watering, or worrying!

Through

ECO-OPTIMISM

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

here’s a saying in the field of journalism that goes, “If it bleeds, it leads”, meaning the most sensational stories get homepage prominence, make it to the front page, or top of the hour. In an age of doomscrolling and more frequent climate disasters, it’s easy to fall into

a state of eco-anxiety. Many of us feel the urge to remain informed, but it can leave us feeling angry, worried, and exhausted. We’re all for knowing what’s going on in the world, but taking a break from the average news site isn’t a bad thing either. Enter #EarthOptimism, a global movement that drives home a simple message: there is hope, and people around the world are taking action every day to preserve, protect, and restore nature! For example, mangrove restoration projects are reversing decades of habitat loss, and the world’s Albatross species is making a comeback thanks to targeted environmental fishing efforts that prevent birds from being caught or killed by fishing gear. In Quebec, Canada, the town of Terrasse-Vaudreuil is officially recognising trees as living beings with rights. These conservation success stories prove what we can achieve when communities, scientists, and governments work together.

Enough Doom and Gloom

#EarthOptimism is changing the environmental narrative, moving away from doom and gloom and toward potential solutions and success. We often only hear about the negative, but Earth Optimism says there are many conservation efforts the general public doesn’t know about. Launched as a collabourative partnership between the Smithsonian and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the movement shares evidence-based environmental success stories from around the world. There’s no doubt that climate change is happening; Earth Optimism wants to highlight and celebrate the good so these positive solutions can spread around the globe, inspiring people along the way and helping relieve some of our fears associated with environmental stress. Experts say one of the best ways to cope with eco-anxiety is to get involved, whether through green activism or by protecting nature in your own backyard. The #EarthOptimism website offers concrete ideas for how we can help our planet, whether through eating more sustainably, creating wildlife gardens, or investing in socially and environmentally responsible funds. Nothing has to be complicated; Earth Optimism can help you make a difference across many aspects of your life.

Launched as a collabourative partnership between the Smithsonian and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the movement shares evidence-based environmental success stories from around the world Let’s start celebrating conservation successes; the next time you reach for your phone, balance the algorithm by scrolling through positive, constructive online content. There are many environmental efforts happening that can help uplift, inspire, and build a new path forward. The #EarthOptimism movement strives to bring us together to protect our planet’s future. We can all be part of the solution! Find motivating, science-based stories and eco-friendly life hacks at earthoptimism.cambridgeconservation.org 3

Garden Culture Magazine prides itself on exploring eco-friendly growing and gardening techniques. We want you to walk away feeling inspired and happy! Find more positive vibes on our blog at GCMag.co

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OV E RW INT E R I NG for

Spring Success

While it’s a great time to celebrate the hard work we’ve put in, it’s an even better opportunity to set ourselves up for success in spring by overwintering our plants 38

OVERWINTERING

BY DUSTAN MCLEAN

utumn. For many growers, this is the season when we harvest our crops and enjoy the fruits,

vegetables, and flowers of our labour. While it’s a great time to celebrate the hard work we’ve put in, it’s an even better opportunity to set ourselves up for success in spring by overwintering our plants. For my new grower friends, overwintering is basically a process of protecting your plants from winter

With 30 years of cultivation experience, Dustan has dedicated a good portion of his life to medicinal plants. He was a founding partner and Head of Cultivation/Master Grower for Parkland Flower Inc. He provides incredible genetics to Canadian producers and selected flower and concentrates for the international market. He is also a cultivation consultant with Chief Grow Officer Consulting. He is currently working on several projects, including developing drought-resistant plant varieties.

conditions. In this article, I’ll discuss the benefits of overwintering and how it gives a jumpstart to your garden come spring.

Benefits of Overwintering

he benefits of overwintering are numerous! The T first would be preservation of a specific plant or plants. When plants are grown from seeds, genetic variations (phenotypes) can and will occur. Overwintering specific plants ensures you keep the exact plant(s) you fell in love with and enjoy growing. Some might ask why not take clones? You can, but a preserved plant has an established root system, and once the plant breaks its dormancy, it will grow foliage and fruit sites much faster than a young clone would. These plants tend to have a higher yield as well because overwintered plants don’t spend the early spring months growing from a seedling or clone. This gets you a more mature, bushier plant in a much shorter period. nother reason to overwinter is cost savings and A reduced resource use. Let’s say you have that one ornamental all your neighbours talk about or the best pepper-producing plant this side of Salsa Town – wouldn’t you want to hang on to those gems for as long as possible? I know I would. Overwintering is a great way to preserve unique traits. These plants can be kept alive for years, saving you from buying new seeds, starter plants, and starting supplies. It also saves time tending to little seedlings or cuttings. Time and money – you’re saving both when overwintering.

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How to Overwinter Your Plants

So how do you overwinter your plants? Well, there’s a plethora of information on YouTube and the internet on how to set up your space, prepare the plants, and how to tend to them throughout the winter months depending on what you’re overwintering. ere are some of the basics that will work for most H vegetable plants. Fun Fact… you can make almost any annual become a perennial by tricking it into dormancy after you harvest. Crazy, I know. But I do it every year with my peppers, eggplants and tomatoes. he most important thing to know is the hardiness of T the plants you want to keep. The less hardy they are, the sooner they need to be brought in and prepared for their winter ‘hibernation’. I check the weather reports daily to make sure I get my tomatoes, peppers, and less hardy plants harvested and in before the first frost, as it will kill them if they’re not properly covered. I start checking the weather when the evenings dip below 10°C.

OVERWINTERING

Fun Fact… you can make almost any annual become a perennial by tricking it into dormancy after you harvest. Crazy, I know. But I do it every year with my peppers, eggplants and tomatoes

Always research what’s best for the plant(s) you want to overwinter and enjoy learning about how you can keep a plant producing for years – even if it’s an annual. I tend to bring in the more hardy plants after the first frost. The plants are inspected and treated for bugs (if necessary), stripped of any dead or dying leaves, and cut back by 75%, leaving several shoots for future spring growth. ut the plants in a cool room (a basement, garage, P or crawlspace works well) where the temperature is around 5°C - 15°C and the humidity is set to around 50- 55%. Make sure to keep the pots off the floor while overwintering. You don’t want to let the root zone get too cold. Pallets work great for elevating them off the cold surface. A 100W bulb will suffice for every four plants, with the light cycle set to 14 hours on and 10 hours off. This will put the plants into a dormant state. Because the plants are going dormant, they won’t be drinking nearly as much water as they were. A weekly check will do; the goal is to avoid letting the soil or medium completely dry out while also avoiding being too moist. The best method is to not water until the top inch or two is

dry. This prevents root rot. There is no need to add any fertiliser at this time, as it won’t be needed until spring. Again, remember to check the plants weekly to see if any changes to the environment are needed, look for pests, and check whether watering is needed. That’s all there is to it. o, if you want a head start in the spring, saving time S and money while getting better yields with selected, established plants, overwintering is your best bet. Always research what’s best for the plant(s) you want to overwinter and enjoy learning about how you can keep a plant producing for years – even if it’s an annual. I hope you all have a bountiful harvest and enjoy the beauty that is autumn. Happy growing, everyone! 3

Creative Ways to Save Your Fall Harvest, Seeds, Soil, and Future Crops

PRESERVING MORE THAN

food 42

PRESERVING MORE THAN FOOD

BY ANNE GIBSON

raditionally,

when

think

about

preserving the harvest, we focus on the edible portion. However, history tells us

that resourceful gardeners valued and preserved almost every useful part of the crop.

y goal is to preserve more than just food. The ‘harM vest’ is fully extended when we preserve nutrients, genetics, planting material, biodiversity, and our garden’s fertility. I look at the bigger picture – with an opportunity to reduce waste, save money, and improve resilience. Let’s explore a few of the ways we can transform this broader paradigm into reality.

Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener, is an author, speaker and urban garden community educator on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia. Anne is passionate about inspiring people to improve health and wellbeing, by growing nutrient-dense food gardens in creative containers and small spaces. Anne regularly presents workshops, speaks at sustainable living events, coaches private clients and teaches community education classes about organic gardening and ways to live sustainably. She has authored several eBooks and gardening guides. Anne shares organic gardening tips and tutorials to save time, money and energy on her popular website - TheMicroGardener.com.

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reserve living plants instead of P harvests

One of the most overlooked preservation strategies is simply keeping the plant alive. I consider the lifelong value of a plant and view it like an ‘asset’ or ‘investment.’ This perspective may help other gardeners who treat some perennials as throwaway annuals, only to start with new plants the following year. ometimes the best way to preserve a crop is not to S harvest it at all. A living plant is essentially a self-preserving harvest. With a little preparation before the onset of winter in cold climates, a plant can produce again when warmer temperatures arrive. Peppers are a prime example.

Bring plants indoors

Despite being true perennials in frost-free regions (US zones 10-13), Capsicum annuum (Peppers) and Capsicum chinense (Chillies) are often treated as annuals. However, they can be overwintered in US zones 1-9 and still reach their full growing potential. Depending on where your plant is located: 1. 2.

3. 4.

Trim back a container-grown plant heavily before frost. Dig up a ground-grown plant, prune it, and pot it in a dark-coloured container with fresh potting mix, then water it with seaweed to prevent transplant shock. Keep the pot near a sunny window in a warm room or under grow lights. Water sparingly through winter semi-dormancy and feed before spring to support new growth.

My goal is to preserve more than just food. The ‘harvest’ is fully extended when we preserve nutrients, genetics, planting material, biodiversity, and our garden’s fertility A mature pepper brought indoors has a head start on the following season and may produce fruit weeks earlier than newly started seedlings. It hits the ground ‘running’ in terms of timing and maturity. verwinter basil cuttings: In addition to collecting O seed, propagating preserves the exact genetics of a favourite cold-sensitive plant like Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Stem cuttings taken before winter are easily rooted in water or liquid seaweed for nutrients and growth hormones. Once roots develop, the newly propagated plants can be potted up, kept warm indoors or in a sunny greenhouse, and ready to plant in spring. This preserves the local microclimate-adapted traits in the parent plant for the next season. eep sweet potato vines alive: Sweet Potato (IpoK moea batatas) vines root easily in a container indoors, and a single vine cutting can produce dozens of slips next spring.

ave taro, canna, and dahlia storage organs: S Crops grown from underground structures, such as taro (Colocasia esculenta) corms, edible canna (Canna edulis syn. Canna indica) rhizomes, and dahlia (Dahlia) tubers, can be stored in sawdust, wood shavings, or coarse vermiculite. This is an easy way to preserve planting material while also maintaining desirable genetics.

on’t leave potential in the garden D convert leaves into food

Some edibles produce two harvests: the one you intended to grow and another you may have been composting! Many harvested crops with edible leaves are rarely preserved. Why waste a resource that’s a bounty of nutritional goodness? These are a few of the most nutritious leafy greens I salvage rather than compost. weet potato leaves: Many gardeners cure and store S sweet potato tubers, but the leaves are also easy to preserve by:

Basil cuttings overwintering beside sunny warm window

1. 2. 3.

Dehydrating into powder. Freezing after blanching. Fermenting like sauerkraut.

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PRESERVING MORE THAN FOOD

I add the dried leaf powder to soups, savory breads, curries, and smoothies. Sweet potato leaves contain significant amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fibre, and beneficial polyphenols. It’s a pantry powerhouse in my kitchen. quash/Pumpkin/Zucchini leaves: I’ve also discovS ered the Cucurbit family offers far more than just their vegetable harvests. I select young, tender, undamaged leaves that haven’t yet developed a hard spine and are free from insects or powdery mildew. I remove any stringy fibres, then dehydrate the leaves and blitz them into a fine green powder. I add this to soups, casseroles, or smoothies. I also chop and wilt them in stir-fries, sautés, and curries. The tiny hairs disappear with heat. The leaves can also be blanched, frozen, or fermented.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of food preservation is not about the current season’s harvest but rather future resilience

rassica leaves: In recent years, I have been using B broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage leaves, as well as the harvested heads. They produce prolific, large leaves that can be dried and used as a nutritious green powder, and I’ve also found they are excellent fermented in sauerkraut or kimchi. elery leaves: I dry the tops and crush them into a C fine, flavour-packed powder. Celery leaves form the basis of herb seasonings, celery salt, and soup stock flavouring.

Preserve skins, peels and rinds

These are some of my favourite plant parts to save and store, as they often contain the highest concentrations of beneficial phytonutrients. The outer layers we throw away are often the parts the plant invested most heavily in for self-protection. Many plant skins contain concentrated fibre, antioxidants, and protective compounds in their outer layers as part of their own defense system. umpkin skins: Washed, dehydrated, and ground P into powder, they add colour and flavour to savory breads and soups. I also chop the skins into squares and dry them to use as ‘chips’ for dips. rganic apple skins: The skin is the apple’s first line O of defense and contains waxes, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and pigments. The skin is like a suit of armor, which helps protect against pathogens. The skin also contains compounds (triterpenoids) with significant anti-cancer capabilities. I wash, dehydrate the skins, add them to fruit bread, freeze them for extra fibre in muffins and cakes, and use them in tea. Apple skins can also be infused in vinegar or made into fruit leather.

Leeks overwintered under thick mulch

itrus peels: These have so many uses. I chop, dry, C and use them in zingy teas, or zest the peels and freeze for later use in baking. I grind dried peels into citrus powder for flavouring or candying. The peels can also be fermented to use in cleaning products. The citrus oil in dried peels makes them eco-friendly, fragrant fire starters. atermelon rinds: A gardening friend gave me sevW eral of her preserved creations to try – pickled watermelon rinds, chutney and jam. It motivated me to be more adventurous. I’ve since successfully added the chopped white part of the rind to curries and cooked it in a syrup with berries.

Overwinter crops in the soil

Sometimes the best preservation method isn’t preserving at all. In cold climates, the garden can serve as a storage space for cold-tolerant vegetables. It allows cold temperatures and light frosts to convert their starches into sugars, making them noticeably sweeter. Jerusalem artichokes can be left in the soil and harvested gradually. Likewise, leeks can stay outdoors for months, especially when heavily mulched. For kale, exposure to cold weather often improves the sweetness and flavour.

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PRESERVING MORE THAN FOOD

A ‘Nothing Wasted’ Fall Harvest Example From a single pumpkin crop, there’s an immense opportunity: • •

Toasted roasted pumpkin seeds

• • • • •

Preserve genetics through seed banks

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of food preservation is not about the current season’s harvest but rather future resilience. I’ve been selecting, breeding, and saving seeds from crops with valuable characteristics for the past fifteen years, and it’s arguably the most valuable time investment a gardener can make.

•

One fully used crop can simultaneously yield food, seed, soil amendments, planting stock, and preserved nutrients.

ocally selecting and saving seed from plants that L have survived drought, resisted pests, tolerated local diseases, and been heavy producers gradually creates crops better adapted to our unique growing conditions. We’re saving the past to preserve the future genetics for generations to come.

Convert crop residues into future fertility

Thinking outside the box about traditional preservation, I convert harvest “waste” into compost and humus. Spent leaves, stalks, and other plant material help preserve and improve the soil’s biodiverse nutrient bank. few recycled crop leftovers I’ve repurposed to optiA mise the harvest include: orn stalks and leaves: Shred into mulch or as carC bon-rich ingredients in compost. Sunflower stalks or bamboo stems: Dry into temporary trellising material and ‘stakes.’ Bean and pea roots: Leave in the soil. Nitrogen-fixing nodules contribute nutrients as the roots decompose, improving fertility. Stems and leaves are wonderful mulch.

Flesh → cooked, frozen, or pressure canned. Seeds → roasted, ground as seed flour, or sprouted as microgreens. Seed pulp → compost or frozen for soups or stock. Skin → dehydrated powder or dried as chips. Vines → compost, soluble plant fertiliser, or mulch. Flowers → eaten fresh or cooked. Seed saved → next year’s planting and future genetics. Mature fruits stored whole → winter food on the pantry shelf.

Each season, I set a personal challenge to preserve one crop in a new way – pickle a rind, save a seed variety, or dry a handful of green leaves. Small steps towards greater sustainability.

Preserving more than food

The harvest isn’t just what fills the pantry. I see it as the seeds that will sprout next season, the soil that will nourish future crops, the plants propagated from our best stock, and the knowledge gained from another year of growing and expanding our skills. When we preserve these too, the harvest continues long after the last vegetable has been eaten. Preserving from this perspective isn’t the end of the growing season - it’s the beginning of the next one, for generations to come. 3

References: • • •

“Sweetening of Parsnip Roots During Short-Term Cold Storage” https://www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0315546389704326 Food Chemistry (2014): “Sweet potato leaves as nutritional and functional foods” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814614001113 “Antiproliferative effects of apple peel extract against cancer cells” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20432173/

Precision or

Party What Does a Plant’s Rhizosphere Really Want?

MICROBIAL INOCULANTS

“P

BY AV SINGH

recision or Party” (allitreation intended) is the perfect title for

Preservation,

the

theme

Planning,

and

Preparation

when

making decisions about the use of microbial inoculants. Gardeners and farmers have

Av Singh, PhD, PAg is an advocate of regenerative organic agriculture serving various organisations, including Regeneration Canada, Navdanya, and the Canadian Organic Growers.

been turning to microbial biostimulants for decades, particularly for legumes, to increase

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the likelihood of a symbiotic relationship

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forming with Rhizobium spp. More recently, as we better isolate microorganisms from the soil, the pantry of available inoculants is filling up. The products on offer range from individual species with a very specific task to accomplish to a vast consortium of species, with players with myriad functions to deliver to the plant. As a frequent proponent of the notion that “less is more,” this article will attempt to answer the question: is this the one instance when “more is better”?

Gardeners and farmers have been turning to microbial biostimulants for decades, particularly for legumes, to increase the likelihood of a symbiotic relationship forming with Rhizobium spp.

The Role of Microbial Inoculants in Agriculture

look for and whether the treatment worked. Farmers using microbial inoculants as bioprotectants will simply assess efficacy by the plant’s ability to resist potential infections. In contrast, when using highly biologically diverse inoculants, it will be difficult to isolate the factors that actually affected yield, plant vigour, or plant quality because many of these traits are interconnected.

As a grower, it is much easier to see a cause-andeffect result using an inoculant with limited species (e.g., Microbial Mass) because you know what to

As mentioned earlier, the widespread increase in designer microbial inoculants directly correlates with recent scientific advancements that enable the consistent identification, isolation, and reproduction of microbes at scale. “At scale” is a key factor when reproducing these individual species, considering they will need to be in significantly higher numbers than those found in nature. The high counts, usually expressed as colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g), are necessary because these microbes may enter an unnatural environment under unfavourable conditions and be outcompeted by the existing rhizosphere microbiota. Advocates for broad-spectrum microbial inoculants (e.g., Rhizol; EM-1) argue that the true benefit of a biodiverse species mix is that a few species are more likely to adapt to heterogeneous environments and survive. Furthermore, nature builds redundancy so that multiple species can perform multiple functions (e.g., solubilise nutrients, provide pathogen protection, etc.); therefore, in complex mixtures, other species can step in and fill the void even when certain species are outcompeted.

Whether a microbial inoculant should comprise a few species or several species will largely come down to the “why” you are choosing to introduce microbes into your cultivation system. To a lesser extent, crop species and environmental conditions will also influence your decision-making. For growers considering the “why” behind microbial inoculants, the reasons could be broad, ranging from increased plant health to nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilisation, or pathogen protection. In general, the more specific the defined task, the more likely the choice will lean toward an inoculant with fewer species. For example, if a grower seeks to enhance phosphorus uptake, they may look toward a mycorrhizal inoculant containing Rhizophagus irregularis (aka Glomus intraradices, e.g., Dynomoco, Mykos, Myke), or if they are looking for root protection from potential pathogens, they may employ the services of Trichoderma harzianum (e.g., RootShield).

As a frequent proponent of the notion that ‘less is more,’ this article will attempt to answer the question: is this the one instance when ‘more is better’? It should be noted that a significant sector of the soil biology community rejects any benefit of microbial inoculants, with the possible exception of certain biopesticides and perhaps Rhizobium spp. for legumes. Their argument is based on the fact that science can currently isolate only a small fraction of the biodiversity present in the soil. Moreover, the ones we have identified are only commercially available if we can successfully cultivate them in bio-fermentation vats, which is no easy task. The added limitations of heterogeneous environments, native microbial populations, and the notion that a single species (or even a subspecies or strain) can colonise the diversity of soils fuel skepticism among advocates of soil health as the best approach to creating a beneficial microbial community.

Preservation: Challenges in Maintaining Microbial Products

When it comes to the topic of “Preservation” in terms of microbial inoculants, two main themes come to mind. First, when we discuss “bugs in a jug,” many focus on the label and base their decision on species diversity and the number of active microbes. Unfortunately, many commercially available products can only assure species composition and live counts at the time of packaging. Much like the rhizosphere around roots, biology in a bottle can be very dynamic. As they say about the soil food web, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and often the microbe that has the best competitive advantage (i.e., pH, temperature, available food source) at the time of packaging may tilt the numbers in its favour and become the dominant species in the inoculant. Interestingly, the broad-spectrum microbial inoculant, Rhizol (or Zenra-Pill), which boasts 35+ species, ensures that its patented technology maintains both species diversity and microbial counts over a long shelf life, regardless of environmental conditions (e.g., freezing or moderate heat). Another challenge microbial inoculants face in preservation is their purity. Most bacterial inoculants can be engineered for cultivation in bio-fer-

menters, which help maintain purity; however, some consortia are produced under conditions that allow unwanted microbes to enter the mix. Similarly, with fungal inoculants, which are cultivated using living hosts and spores collected from the fruiting bodies, other fungi may be present in the root or rhizosphere. The bottom line is that you may not be getting what you expected, and therefore some desired outcomes may not be observed because the microbes responsible for delivering those benefits are no longer viable. Preservation takes on a different meaning when we look at what is happening in the rhizosphere. Despite seemingly being constantly dynamic, the rhizosphere seeks homeostasis (balance). Microbial populations, in terms of both diversity and numbers, will change throughout the day and season, with the plant signalling which exudates need to be produced to attract the desired population and perform the desired function. The exogenous use of microbes, whether through commercial inoculants or your home-brew compost tea, means that adding billions of new microbes is not always welcome. Not often discussed, the invitation of new populations of microbes is likely a cost to the plant. A plant may have to expend energy (allocate resources) to fight off unwanted microbes, which may even be beneficial if they arrive when the plant does not require their presence.

Timing: When to Apply Microbial Inoculants

Knowing the “why” behind your choice led you to your choice of “what” inoculant is best to use; you now need to plan on “when” to introduce these microbes. Remember that the plant rhizosphere is a highly competitive environment, and the microbes participating in that ecosystem have undergone rigorous selection; therefore, the “when” you introduce these new microbes becomes incredibly important.

MICROBIAL INOCULANTS

It should be noted that a significant sector of the soil biology community rejects any benefit of microbial inoculants, with the possible exception of certain biopesticides and perhaps Rhizobium spp. for legumes

In general, early root colonisation is essential. For some crops, when cultivated in a controlled environment, the lifecycle can be relatively short when compared to being grown outdoors. As a result, some microbial inoculants, such as mycorrhizal fungi, must be introduced during the early vegetative phase. Some would argue that if you plan on inducing flowering after one or two weeks of vegetative growth, a mycorrhizal inoculant may have limited benefit. For other inoculants, such as Bacillus or Pseudomonas species, early inoculation can yield significant benefits, as these multifunctional microbes can help shape root architecture, protect against pathogens, and aid nutrient cycling. In summary, more targeted species with specific functions are best introduced early in the plant’s lifecycle. As the plant matures, so does the ecosystem around the rhizosphere. The highly selective environment has selected for the desired species, and disturbance by exogenous species may affect yield and quality. If microbial inoculants are introduced during the flowering or fruiting phase, it is likely more beneficial to adopt a more complex mixture that allows the existing microbial infrastructure to help select new additions to the community. Once again, products like Effective Microorganisms (EM1) or Rhizol show promise during the reproductive phase because they offer greater resilience and redundancy in these later stages. The frequency of inoculant application will vary depending on the commercial product you are using and, perhaps more importantly, the environment in which you are growing. Many farmers growing in native soil and outdoors or those growing in living soil (LSO) will employ strategies of more frequent applications because they know these new additions to the rhizosphere will only cause a temporary shift in microbial populations and that native microbes will re-establish their dominance. In contrast, growers in more controlled environments using so-called inert or sterile media such as coco coir or stonewool may see greater benefit from less frequent applications. The likelihood of infection or

establishment is significantly higher in these media; therefore, the grower receives more predictable, and hopefully repeatable, outcomes, which is especially desirable when growing medicine.

Simple vs. Complex Inoculants: Making the Choice

Commercial inoculants can be reduced to a simple-versus-complex decision, but that might not be a fair assessment. Inoculants with a few but highly selected microbes offer precision for targeted functions. Complex mixtures offer a diversity of highly competitive microbes that can provide resilience and redundancy across a myriad of environments.

Conclusion: A Flexible Approach for Growers

Ultimately, the grower does not have to choose one over the other; rather, they have to understand what is best when and where and apply both accordingly. 3

e h t d n i h e B

p o h S w Gro

Inside Berlin’s Trade Fair Adventure

BEHIND THE GROW SHOP

BY STEVE WONG FROM HYDRO BROS

his edition, I thought I’d share a little insight into our recent trip to the Mary Jane event in Berlin. The plan was simple:

go and see what all the fuss was about, catch up with people, make some new connections, and find some cool new products. Plus, not going meant there was zero chance of new opportunities. The FOMO was real.

The Journey to Berlin

I met Frankie and Ellie, the better-looking side of The Hydro Bros, at Gatwick early on Friday morning. We had the obligatory two beers before the flight, then nearly missed the flight. A strong start. Once we landed, we were immediately hit with the reality of Brexit. We joined the queue to have our faces scanned, then joined another queue for immigration, where a single window appeared to be checking and stamping everyone through. Nearly two hours later, we were finally allowed into Germany. Once through, it was into an Uber to the hotel, a quick spruce-up, and a recharge for our phones. We had enough foresight from our experience at another exposition to not rush straight into the opening queue-fest.

Final Destination: MJ Berlin

For anyone who hasn’t seen the event before, the Mary Jane Trade Fair is held at Messe Berlin, a massive exhibition and convention centre. From the outside, it looks like a medieval fortress from The Hunger Games. Huge stone buildings, massive archways, and thousands of people pouring through the gates. I half expected someone to release us into the arena and wish us luck. Inside, there was entertainment on a huge stage, loads of food options, and a vast array of exhibitors and vendors. It was a proper festival outside and a trade show inside. Once settled, we exchanged industry news and gossip with suppliers (far too spicy for this article) before ending up at the AutoPot booth with Dan Dozzini, probably one of the last OG UK reps standing. He’s been in the game for years and has seen it all. We also bumped into Eric, some bloke who apparently works for a fairly well-known magazine called Garden Culture. We spent some time discussing the world and the industry downturn. Medical cultivation, imports, regulations, fierce competition between retailers and wholesalers, and some of the decisions made by manufacturers are all piling more pressure on an already difficult market. It isn’t easy for anyone in the UK right now, regardless of what industry you’re in. Despite

Steve Wong is the co-founder of The Hydro Bros, one of the UK’s most recognised hydroponics retailers. What began as a small Croydon grow shop has grown into a global brand built on expertise, humour, and a genuine drive to help growers succeed. Known for understanding what customers actually need, Steve juggles buying, marketing, and day-to-day operations while keeping the customer experience at the heart of it all. He also co-owns Southside Kings Fight Academy, a BJJ and MMA gym where he somehow finds time to train - proving that balance, discipline, and adaptability matter just as much in business as they do on the mats.

The plan was simple: go and see what all the fuss was about, catch up with people, make some new connections, and find some cool new products the glitz and glamour we might occasionally portray at The Hydro Bros, it is far from yachts and Wagyu steak. It is more like bus rides and Pot Noodles. Support your local grow shop. Fuck Amazon. Every order placed with an independent shop is basically a 1-Up that helps keep the whole ship alive.

An Informative Exhibit

Next stop was AC Infinity and VIVOSUN. They are direct competitors, and their stands were directly opposite each other. For anyone unfamiliar with them, both brands make equipment aimed heavily at the hobby indoor grow-room market, including extraction fans, circulation fans, lights, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, heaters, and sensors. The crown jewel is the environmental controller. It lets you monitor and manage the room remotely from almost anywhere in the world! We got our first look at the AC Infinity Terraform 9, a highly anticipated air conditioning unit expected to land in September. Over at VIVOSUN, we saw the first glimpse of the VCure and VSeed. One is a post-harvest curing unit, while the other is an all-inone seed-to-seedling system with built-in lighting and flood-and-drain irrigation. By the time we wrapped up day one, we, or possibly just me, actually, had grand plans of going out and getting absolutely trashed. Then age, tiredness, and the sensible foresight of wanting to remain conscious for day two kicked in, so we ended up having a quiet meal instead.

BEHIND THE GROW SHOP

The rest of the day became a blur of meeting people, trying to find others, losing the people we had just found, and locating various pockets of alcohol around the event. Ellie, Steve and Frankie

Day Two at MJ

Day two started with a visit to the TrolMaster team, where we filmed content on their new WCS-9 irrigation sensor. The WCS-9 measures the water content in growing media and feeds that information back into the TrolMaster system, allowing for much more accurate monitoring and irrigation control. Growlink has dominated this area at both hobby and commercial levels, so it will be interesting to see how TrolMaster does. From there, we headed over to the Global Air Supplies (GAS) booth and spoke to the main man, Ian Collins, about GAS taking on wider UK distribution of AC Infinity. AC Infinity was already available here, but this move should make it much more widely available across the UK. At first, it sounded slightly contradictory. GAS already has its own range of fans, filters and controllers, so why take on another brand that is famous for the same equipment? Once we spoke to Ian, it made more sense. The hobby market is rapidly moving towards digital automation, and AC Infinity and VIVOSUN have captured a significant share of it because their controllers are convenient, intelligent, and easy to set up. It’s a bit like Apple; it just works. One important point, though, is that both systems are largely designed around their own ecosystems of connected products, with greater flexibility in lighting. Right now, for example, there is no native way to run Global Air fans through the AC Infinity controller.

Insider Hot Tips

When you get an AC Infinity controller, don’t spend too much time trying to manage everything directly from the controller itself. Use the much more intuitive app instead. Think of the controller as the bridge between your grow room and your phone. For smaller hobby rooms, around 2.4 m and maybe even pushing towards 3 m, AC Infinity and VIVOSUN make loads of sense. Once you start moving into larger rooms, you probably need to look at something like TrolMaster paired with fans and filters from Global Air.

The rest of the day became a blur of meeting people, trying to find others, losing the people we had just found, and locating various pockets of alcohol around the event.

That’s a Wrap

Overall, MJ was a great event. It was busy without feeling completely unbearable; there was a good mix of trade exhibitors and entertainment, and the huge outside space made a difference. More importantly, it gave us the chance to catch up with people, turn online faces into actual human beings, see where the industry is heading and hear what everyone else is currently experiencing. Next year, we’ll go earlier because two days was definitely not enough. There was plenty of equipment and data gathering, and did I mention we also saw Mike Tyson? He marched past us through the crowd, surrounded by his entourage, causing chaos everywhere he went. I didn’t get the chance to ask him for an autograph or a picture. I briefly considered bundling into him for the prestige of receiving a celebratory punch in the face, but being hospitalised for eternity would probably have folded The Hydro Bros. Maybe next time. Preferably just the photo. 3

Subject: Re:

Generation One:

Considerations for first-generation

land stewards

LAND STEWARDSHIP

BY XAVI KIEF

t’s exciting to flip the script on a plan that’s not working and start writing a new one. In what can feel like a dire moment for the en-

vironment, some things that seem obviously necessary have been deprioritised. Factors like downward economic pressures on farming families, cuts to funding for institutional partnerships and research, and land-use redesignations are putting increasing stress on intergenerational knowledge transfer, long-term data collection, and the living planet. It’s key that creative succession plans be in place for established agricultural resources, that people can afford to train in

Xavi Kief is a writer, (re)searcher, and lifelong learner with their hands in the dirt and imagination traversing the universe. Seeking always to deepen and integrate their connection with the living planet and its diverse inhabitants, Xavi finds joy by infusing their practical and playful approach to cultivation with a healthy dose of science. They grow food and medicine for their family and community on the northeast coast of Turtle Island. Instagram: @xavi_kief

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the practical skills of land stewardship, and that these practices are future-oriented and supported in updating and adapting.

o, in response, right now there are vibrant new coS horts of folks learning to live more closely to the land than we were raised with, potentially facing many knowledge gaps to fill or leap over quickly. Whatever the personal reason for each, having this in common, growers are uncovering many ways to meet our needs and desires by adapting, innovating, and experimenting together. Perhaps most of all, where there are scarcities of positive mentors, people are reaching out globally to combine skills and experience to support one another in understanding how to age with power, while practicing new takes on old ways of life.

Practice for Eventual Inevitabilities

Adapting existing agriculturally developed and/or conserved lands to improve accessibility and reduce demands on the human body, while retaining a connection and direct relationship with their ecosystems, are viable goals. In our networks, we can also rise to confront the certainly present, though sometimes invisibilised, challenges relating to mental health in areas where human populations are small and spread out. Feeling free to move about and be physically present in public and private spaces, including participating in community projects with others, is a significant contributor to wellness and safety. Folks need to know they can, and are invited to, be accounted for by their neighbours – in good times and bad.

It’s exciting to flip the script on a plan that’s not working and start writing a new one If you are the legal owner/manager of the land where you live, or if evaluating available sites with that as the goal, turn attention to ways the physical organisation of the place might be a hindrance to someone who is differently mobile than you. Getting others’ perspectives is a deliberate move – invite individuals who will share honestly with you about how well they would navigate and what they would consider barriers to inclusion. ven if your golden years seem a long way off, after E spending some time in your new situation, it’s a good idea to reflect on whether you would want to continue living there at different stages of your future life. Consider how feasible this would be if you did not have other people, particularly of varying ages and abilities, there to help out. ake a running list of potential site improvements as M you think of them. You may not be able to address each noted or ideal condition immediately, but having them defined before any sitework is undertaken, equipment or contractors are hired, or opportunities for grants arise makes swift, effective action possible.

LAND STEWARDSHIP

Accessibility improvements are an investment. The reality is at some point, someone else will come along to bear some or all of the responsibilities for what you’ve established Physical Considerations

o practice a regenerative approach across any asT pect of your operations, explore available funding and allocate budget lines to make these kinds of positive changes to your infrastructure and operational capacities. Investigate opportunities such as serving as a demonstration farm for learners of all ages/abilities, providing meaningful employment in agritourism, or participating in research, which could create new ways to diversify both income streams and the kinds of participants with personal ties to the place. roadening social appreciation for caretakers of and B first responders in forests, for primary food, medicine, and energy producers, and for ecological knowledge transfer also expands the network of advocates who with, should it become necessary, support you in mutual aid to retain and rebuild essential natural resources for all species. hether or not you end up personally needing these W accommodations, or having a public dimension to the operations on the land, accessibility improvements are an investment. The reality is at some point, someone else will come along to bear some or all of the responsibilities for what you’ve established. Why not make things easier on both the potential future you, and the certain future them?

Planning for an Excellent Elder Existence

At the close of the season, evaluate what, if anything, you wish was easier this year – something perhaps you noticed was more challenging for reasons that aren’t likely to be a one-time thing. Is there an upstream decision/change you can make now to improve that for next year? What would it take to make that improvement not just incremental, but a meaningful intervention that shifts the foreseeable future in a positive direction?

Both in selecting varieties for planting and designing the supportive architecture of the cultivation space, being intentional about how the garden structures, including the expected mature plant heights, will help or hinder your success as you see yourself in future years. Will you have to bend, reach, or climb ladders? What if this kind of movement isn’t available to you, or the people doing the labour? You can design your plant selection to include a mix of locally adapted/indigenous species that tend to grow in ways that align with your needs. Short-growing hedges, bushes, and climbing varieties of berries or fruits trained over short trellises, for example, meet harvesters in the middle. It’s also worth selecting tools that are adjustable for people of different heights and arm spans, installing systems to automate heavy tasks like watering, and building and landscaping with well-marked slopes or ramps instead of steps where possible. ven choosing annual varietals suited to less physiE cally demanding maintenance and harvest, and developing your personal growing techniques with that in mind, makes a difference. Determine an ideal canopy height that works for your individual stature, select genetics that mature in that range, and use supports and shape the plants as needed to encourage them to grow in a manageable way. By no means does this practice mean to replace all the ambitious and exciting gigantic grows that anyone’s capable of now, nor to suggest that it’s inevitable this style of cultivation will become unavailable in one’s lifetime. Think of it more as a challenge to explore the yield potential achievable in a more accessible, inclusive garden. It empowers you to share any innovations or expertise you develop with confidence, so more folks may be encouraged to try cultivating them. It could mean you might continue to model independent (or interdependent) food and medicine production if you are ever more physically restricted, and offer an alternative example to those who have narrow views of what is possible for themselves or people in their lives. At the very least, it could show you ways to reduce the physical wear and tear of your personal medicine or food production, offering a chance to do more or simply enjoy less strain!

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LAND STEWARDSHIP

Legacy Lessons

Creative applications of guerrilla and urban gardening tactics and techniques can be scaled up to intensify and diversify production methods in more traditional agricultural spaces. This could look like using a combination of creative low-maintenance watering and nutrient delivery systems (the “nothing to see here” or “hands off” approach) farther from regularly travelled areas and high-intensity, mixed-use, and precision production facilities located close to the structures.

Mental Considerations

What are you currently growing, and what would you like to cultivate, that supports health in changing brains? Research supporting long-established practices in global medicine that incorporate plants and fungi into treatment plans for mental and neural injuries, as well as species with neuroprotective potential, is widely available. Considering how swiftly many areas are adopting new attitudes toward and rules surrounding the use of certain plants and fungi, it is worth expanding our imagination to what the next generations might discover and normalise. Take the lead and develop relationships with plants and fungi with properties you personally consider mental health priorities. It makes sense to cultivate ones that are harder to come by, more expensive, or have qualities you find uniquely well-matched to you for any other reason! Make sure you define the boundaries of your own entitlement to engage with species that have sacred connections to their places of origin, and if in doubt, seek advice and/or alternatives.

Once the regenerative cycles start rolling, momentum builds. Being the thriving, successful, ‘oldtimer’ with your own garden wisdom to share and stories to tell about the plants, the land, and how you shaped one another, could be a season of life you step into at a seemingly young age by comparison to generations gone before.

Taking it Into the Community

Developing our expertise in cultivating plants and fungi of all types to responsibly increase our communities’ access to those foods and medicines includes clearly communicating their uses and availability. You don’t have to do it all yourself - think about partnering up with herbalists, food and nutrition experts, nurses, doulas, community kitchens, or other local organisations that regularly engage with the public on these topics.

RE: Generation 2, And So On

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Playing the Long Game:

Optimistic Orchards and Other Occasional Opportunities

OPTIMISTIC ORCHARDS

BY XAVI KIEF

friend of mine has been planting an orchard on the land in their mind: “When I’ve got grandkids, I want them to run around and pick apples, blueberries, and whatever else from right there.” This past year, after the births of two babies, small fruit trees were planted, and

the plan began to come together.

A friend of mine has been planting an orchard on the land in their mind: ‘When I’ve got grandkids, I want them to run around and pick apples, blueberries, and whatever else from right there I love the optimism in this gaze toward a future that organically preserves the best of today. It’s an opportunity to connect with a tangible world that naturally ages; saplings maturing into trees alongside family members growing into new roles and developmental phases, experiencing all the variance and unpredictability life will bring.

Think Long-term, Act Short-term

Turning “someday” into “today” can feel like a big ask for folks already managing a lot in the here and now. Strategising new additions to a land stewardship plan can benefit from a “treat yo’self” attitude infused with a bit of delayed gratification. The dream is the gift you afford yourself in the present. Stagger the gifts to keep showing up, in the day-to-day parts of bringing a version of your vision to bear – after all, we can only control so much.

roves and Mental Grooves: G Practical Ideas for Preserving the Future’s Harvest of Memories

emories help shape our identities, and shared stoM ries from our pasts help us communicate our inner worlds to others. Holding onto memories and fear of losing our mental capacities are genuine concerns for all of us, showing up in one way or another throughout our lives. We may witness changes in memory formation and recall in others and ourselves. lanting for occasions is one way I find joy in planning P and executing plots of plants and fungi. On dates or in moments of personal significance, making new additions to gardens or other living landscapes marks a moment of ceremony, connection, and wires a memory with a real-world, visitable site.

ver time, the ways it transforms remind us to change O as well and to allow more than one thing to be true. We can know ourselves, but still find surprise, delight, and expansion by what we have yet to discover is available to us, different ways of being that remain authentic to our experiences. tarting small might mean putting in an intentionally S located single tree or handful of perennial plants that overwinter easily, ideally because they are indigenous to the area, that bring you pleasure. This could be for their food value, their particular aesthetic, the species of visitors they are known to encourage, or some other personal reason. ark and meet the moment in multiple ways, using M a combination of senses and making statements out loud, to build robust memories with emotional connection and plenty of potential paths to access and revisit them. To take it deeper, statements like “I declare” or “I dedicate” are considered to actually do the thing you say you’re doing, which can make a choice feel more defined and stable.

reate Art to Externalize the C Experience

One way to enjoy and materialize the passage of time is to make a portrait of a loved one in the same spot on the land to commemorate a significant date each year. Include a particularly cherished tree, flowering bush, or other sign of the season in the image. Select a site that’s optimistically expected to remain accessible to you on this occasion each time you mark it – if not where you currently reside, seek out a special plant of a long-living species in a local public park or collectively/cooperatively managed forest that encourages mixed-use by its members and/or guests.

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Celebrate what some might consider small wins, and enjoy how they are successes unto themselves. As you grow, they grow with you – this can look like meeting milestones like first germinations, the first time succeeding at propagation, a first harvest, a first batch of seeds – that germinate!

on-visual ways to do this include making audio reN cordings, where seasonal sounds like certain birdsongs or the wind’s rattle through the leaves might be captured along with a statement, reading, or song. Pressed flowers and seed art are good examples of ways to keep a tactile texture archive; it’s a personal choice whether to treat these as inherently impermanent or use sealants to slow their decay.

Making Commitment Irresistible

epending on your relationship with such places, D especially in rural areas, you might choose to write a personal narrative on lands designated for burials/ memorials, as sites of historic importance, or ‘belonging’ to institutions with deep roots in the community like schools or spiritual gathering places. They are likely to be maintained and cared for out of tradition or obligation, and if it suits you, you might find an opportunity to volunteer or become involved. It doesn’t mean you have to share the reasons why others historically selected or preserved the place, only that you attach significance to it for your own purposes.

When building to a long-term cultivation goal, it helps to look for the “get to”s, rather than only the “must do”s. Along with “having to do” a particular job each season or year, line up these expectations with times when you’ll “get to” pick out a new variety, see a certain plant bloom for the first time, or share an experience you didn’t even know to expect.

Enjoying the experience of engaging with the world around us naturally changes as we change. In our own gardens, forming healthy, chosen attachments with plants and fungi gives us opportunities to demonstrate our accountability and to build trust in our skills and experience from a position of self-assured stability. It affirms us as active participants in a web of life.

Marking Milestones

Celebrate what some might consider small wins, and enjoy how they are successes unto themselves. As you

OPTIMISTIC ORCHARDS

These memories form chains of potential, and allow you to envision future iterations that might resemble, but will almost certainly not be exactly, the way you picture them now.

grow, they grow with you – this can look like meeting milestones like first germinations, the first time succeeding at propagation, a first harvest, and a first batch of seeds – that germinate!

hese memories form chains of potential, and allow T you to envision future iterations that might resemble, but will almost certainly not be exactly, the way you picture them now.

It can also be the first time you had to deal with mould, or the first time you lost an entire plant (or crop) to a pest or disease, and you got through it. Maybe that doesn’t feel like a gift to you, but if you’re able to recover, to become more resilient, and share with others how you did it, that’s a gift you can give away.

e play with notions of permanence in regeneraW tion, enjoying a kind of slip-sliding splash in a riverbed of ever-moving, dynamic life happening around us. It helps to let go of holding on too tightly to ideas about how things will work out, while still guiding and shaping the potential for them to work out the way we’d like.

ringing in a crop at the height of maturity, particuB larly in an outdoor autumn setting after all the challenges of life in the open environment, deserves to be celebrated. As you observe and attend to the place’s regenerative nature and care, be mindful of how you remember the last time you did those same tasks, how you felt, how the experience has changed, and how you have, too.

Fill in the blanks for yourself: “How nice is it, now that I’m (insert dream future age here), to stand right here and enjoy…” With each regenerative cycle, like a tree putting on a new growth ring, can you feel yourself emerging as the past version of your future self? 3

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the new

gleaners Rescuing Food, Feeding Communities

How a centuries-old practice became a modern food recovery movement, keeping millions of pounds of forgotten crops from going to waste.

THE NEW GLEANERS

BY JENNIFER COLE

ll summer, volunteers with Boston Area Gleaners have been showing up at farms throughout eastern

Massachusetts. Under the hot summer sun, they have crouched low to the ground, combing through rows of soil and tangled leaves. It doesn’t take long before boxes are filled with lettuce, beets, cauliflower,

Jennifer is an avid gardener and journalist whose bylines have appeared in publications such as Reasons to be Cheerful, Sierra Digital, Canadian Geographic, and Rewilding. When not writing about how to create and maintain climate-friendly home gardens, you can find her planting and enjoying her small urban garden in Vancouver.

and potatoes, all left behind from the commercial harvest. It’s hot, backbreaking work, but there are no complaints; everyone is happy to help out and make sure nothing

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is left behind. After all, every potato saved is another person fed.

“It’s a great way for people who are eager to learn about agriculture and the local food system,” says Jalila Waller, Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the organisation. ounded in 2004, the Boston Area Gleaners’ mission F is to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those who need them while reducing systemic food waste [1]. And they are good at it! In 2019, for the first time, the group exceeded one million pounds of produce distributed in a single year to food service organisations and food banks throughout the Boston area. In 2022, they gleaned more than 4 million pounds of food.

What is Gleaning?

Gleaning means to gather what is left, in this case, food. It is an old practice noted in the Bible, Sumerian texts, and depicted in ancient Egyptian tombs. In ancient times in the Mediterranean region, farmers would leave part of their harvest along the edges of their fields so that those in need could easily access it [2]. Over the past decade, as public awareness of food waste, climate change, and food insecurity has deepened, gleaning has seen a revival, shifting from a niche volunteer activity into a food recovery movement aimed at eliminating waste and feeding communities.

Founded in 2004, the Boston Area Gleaners’ mission is to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those who need them while reducing systemic food waste “I think gleaning has become so popular because it is a very simple way to help feed the community while also reducing food waste. It also provides a strong service to people to be able to eat fresh produce, which is a simple but very difficult task for many members of the community nowadays,” Waller says. Every growing season in North America, more than 30% of the fruit grown on trees and crops in farmers’ fields is left to rot. There is nothing wrong with it, other than that supermarkets have rejected it for being too small or imperfectly shaped. Weather and pests make growing food an imprecise science, so farmers plant extra to ensure they will have enough to sell throughout the year. But when there’s too much, it gets left behind. Sometimes farmers donate surplus to food service organisations, but because they can’t afford the labour to harvest and distribute it, they turn to gleaning organisations such as Boston Area Gleaners. There are between 280 and 412 gleaning organisations in North America, and most, like the Boston group, work with farmers who want to donate food [3].

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photo: Boston Area Gleaners

We’re bridging the gap between surplus farm produce and food insecurity by getting farm-fresh, highquality food onto the plates of those in our community who need it most

How Does Gleaning Work?

There are many different ways to glean, i.e., individually, as a neighbourhood group, a cohort of friends, or as part of a service organisation. According to Laurie Beyranevand, director of the Centre for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School, gleaning with an organisation is preferable, especially from a farmer’s perspective. Acting as a resource for both farmers and gleaners, the law school founded the National Gleaning Project [4]. According to Beyranevand, there aren’t many public resources for gleaning, and this site fills the gap by providing information on national and state laws and regulations governing gleaning, food recovery, and food donation, along with an interactive map of gleaning and food recovery organisations across the U.S.

UK residents can check out The Gleaning Network handbook here: gleaning.foodrise.org.uk

photo: Boston Area Gleaners

THE NEW GLEANERS

“After all, every potato saved is another person fed”

The first concern for groups or individuals who would like to glean is to obtain the farmer’s permission to scavenge through fields. In the U.S., the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan law protects people who donate food from liability associated with foodborne illness [5] . However, Beyranevand says some farmers have questions about their liability if someone gets injured while gleaning on their property. Farms can be dangerous places with heavy equipment, wire fences, and animals. Many gleaning organisations have volunteers sign waivers to help mitigate this risk and give peace of mind to the farmer. But all that pales in comparison to the food being harvested. Once gathered, a common practice is to divide the harvest into thirds: one third is donated to charity, another is retained by the farmer, and the final third is shared amongst the gleaners. “Gleaned food is some of the best food you can provide to food and nutrition-insecure populations because it’s fresh produce, which is some of the most expensive and inaccessible food in many parts of the country,” says Beyranevand. The best part about gleaning is that it doesn’t require special skills. Anyone with time, garden gloves, a sun hat, and a willingness to make a difference can be a gleaner.

While gleaning is grounded in history, in the 21st century apps such as OLIO and Food Rescue US create virtual marketplaces where farmers can list unharvested crops and volunteers or organisations can step in to glean and distribute them [7].

“We have over 700 volunteers in our network,” Waller says.

Whether you live in the US, Canada, the UK or South Africa, a quick online search will help you connect with nearby gleaning groups!

How to Be a Gleaner

A quick online search will help you find opportunities in your area. You can even start a group yourself. Post some signs or let your social network, friends, and family know what you’re up to. Once a group is gathered, reach out to local farmers or orchardists to see if they have surplus crops they’d be willing to donate for harvest. It’s a win for them as they don’t have to do the work. Many are happy to support gleaning efforts, especially if it helps reduce waste. In Waller’s experience, farmers are always excited to have gleaners come to their farms and harvest the excess. For farmers, preparing for a gleaning event is as easy as posting signs about any hazards to watch out for and listing what to glean. Salvation Farms in Vermont has prepared a how-to guide useful for gleaners, farmers, and other community members who want to participate in this food recovery activity [6]. The National Gleaning Project webpage also includes a directory of laws in your state that may affect how you need to set up for a gleaning project.

“We’re bridging the gap between surplus farm produce and food insecurity by getting farm-fresh, high-quality food onto the plates of those in our community who need it most,” Waller says. 3

Footnotes: 1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

bostonareagleaners.org What is Gleaning? — PostHarvest Technologies (postharvest.com/blog/blog/what-is-gleaning) Gleaning Census - Association of Gleaning Organisations (gleaningorgs.com/gleaning-census) About the National Gleaning Project (nationalgleaningproject.org/about-the-ngp) FAQs-GoodSamaritanAct.pdf (usda.gov/sites/default/files/ documents/FAQs-GoodSamaritanAct.pdf) CommunityBasedGleaning_HowToGuide_salvationfarms. pdf (nationalgleaningproject.org) Food Rescue US (foodrescue.us)

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The

Soil

never sleeps

Harvest is not the end of the story. It is simply another stage in an ongoing cycle of observation, preservation, and preparation.

GROWING LIVING SOIL

As a crop approaches harvest, it’s natural for growers to focus on the finish line.

s a crop approaches harvest, it’s

BY GARETH HOPCROFT

natural for growers to focus on the finish line. Attention shifts towards

assessing quality, estimating yields, and deciding the ideal time to bring the crop down. For many hobby growers, the hardest work feels complete. Experienced living soil growers often see things differently.

Gareth Hopcroft is a certified plant geek and all round organic gardening devotee. Gareth has been involved in the UK hydro industry for 15 years and is currently the owner of Ecothrive; known mostly for bringing frass to the UK scene through his product ‘Charge’. When he’s not talking about indoor growing or microbes, you’ll find Gareth getting his hands dirty on his allotment or falling off his skateboard. Follow Gareth @ecothrive

While one crop is finishing, the next is already beginning. New plants are being propagated, soil samples are being analysed, amendments are being planned, and notes from the current cycle are being reviewed. The final weeks before harvest often contain some of the most important decisions of the entire growing cycle. This shift in thinking highlights one of the biggest differences between conventional growing and living soil cultivation. Rather than viewing each crop as a separate event, living soil encourages us to see the garden as a continuous biological system. Harvest is not the end of the story. It is simply another stage in an ongoing cycle of observation, preservation, and preparation.

Planning Begins Before the Crop Comes Down

One of the most valuable habits any grower can develop is taking notes. Many of the questions we ask ourselves at the end of a cycle can only be answered if we’ve recorded what happened during it. How often did irrigation occur? Which inputs were applied and when? How did the plants respond? Were there any signs of deficiency or excess? Did certain cultivars perform differently from others? It is surprisingly easy to forget important details once a crop has been harvested. A simple notebook, spreadsheet, or the notes app on your phone can become one of the most useful tools in the garden. Living soil growing is often described as working with nature, but it is also a process of learning. Every crop

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leaves clues. The challenge is recognising them and using them to improve future results. The final stages of a crop can be particularly revealing. As plants mature, they begin redistributing internal resources and transitioning towards senescence. Observing how this process unfolds can tell us a great deal about the fertility program used throughout the cycle. Plants that fade naturally and predictably often indicate that nutrient availability was reasonably well balanced. Crops that remain lush and green right through to harvest may suggest that fertility levels could be reduced in future runs. These observations are often more valuable than many growers realise to achieve a high-quality finished product. For those working with larger beds or long-term living soil systems, this is also the ideal time to collect soil samples for analysis. A sample taken shortly before harvest can provide a snapshot of what remains in the soil after a full growing cycle. When the results arrive a few weeks later, they can help guide re-amendment decisions and identify any developing imbalances before the next crop begins. Rather than reacting to problems after they appear, soil analysis allows growers to make informed decisions during the downtime between cycles.

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GROWING LIVING SOIL

Yield records also have a place in this process. While harvest weights and final quality assessments may not be available until drying and curing are complete, they provide important context when reviewed alongside observations made throughout the cycle. Over time, these records help build a clearer picture of how different cultivars perform and how management decisions influence the final outcome.

Preserving Biological Capital

When growers think about preserving resources, they often focus on nutrients. Living soil introduces another consideration: biology. A healthy soil is more than a collection of minerals and organic matter. It is a living ecosystem containing bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms, and countless other organisms that contribute to nutrient cycling and plant health. Building these biological communities takes time. Preserving them is often easier than rebuilding them from scratch. Moisture management is one of the most important factors during the period between crops. While many soil organisms can tolerate temporary changes in conditions, prolonged drying can significantly reduce biological activity. Maintaining adequate moisture after harvest helps ensure that decomposition and nutrient cycling continue uninterrupted. This is particularly important when crops are dried in the same room as the growing area, a common practice among indoor gardeners. Covering the soil surface with mulch, cardboard, or other suitable materials can help reduce moisture loss while preserving conditions within the root zone. Re-amending the soil also plays an important role. Beyond replacing nutrients removed by the previous crop, fresh organic inputs provide food for the microbial community. During the weeks between harvest and transplant, soil organisms begin breaking down these materials, releasing nutrients and preparing them for future plant uptake.

The goal is not perfection. It preserves as much biological continuity as is practical from one crop to the next

Cover crops can also be useful in certain situations, particularly when soil will remain fallow for an extended period. They help maintain biological activity and can even be used to absorb excess nutrients before the next crop begins. However, they are not always necessary. In systems with rapid turnaround times, the benefits may be limited compared to simpler approaches focused on maintaining moisture and supplying fresh organic matter.

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GROWING LIVING SOIL

A healthy soil is more than a collection of minerals and organic matter. It is a living ecosystem containing bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms, and countless other organisms that contribute to nutrient cycling and plant health. The subject of root removal often generates debate among living soil growers. Leaving roots in place can minimise disturbance and preserve established biological networks within the rhizosphere, allowing much of the soil ecosystem to carry forward into the next cycle.

This approach creates options. Plants that root poorly, lack vigour, or show uneven structure can be removed from the process before they occupy valuable space in the main growing area. The final container is reserved for the strongest candidates.

However, there are situations where removing some or all of the root mass may be beneficial. In long-term systems, roots can act as sinks for certain contaminants, including heavy metals that are taken up by the plant and concentrated within the root zone. Some growers may also choose to remove roots where they are concerned about carrying root-associated pathogens or virus and viroid material from one cycle to the next. In heavily rooted containers, removal may simply be necessary to relieve compaction and create space for fresh root development.

That matters because living soil systems are often prepared with relatively high fertility at the start of the cycle. The aim is to build enough nutrition into the soil to support strong growth without constant intervention. For that to work, the plant entering the system needs to be ready.

As with many aspects of living soil cultivation, context matters more than rigid rules. The goal is not to follow a particular method, but to understand the trade-offs and make decisions that suit the system being managed. The same principle applies to soil disturbance. Small containers often require thorough mixing when amendments are added, making some level of disturbance unavoidable. Larger pots and raised beds offer greater flexibility. In many cases, amendments can be incorporated into the upper layers while leaving much of the soil profile undisturbed. The goal is not perfection; it is to preserve as much biological continuity as is practical from one crop to the next.

Preparing for the Next Cycle

The next cycle is not only about soil preparation. It is also about the plants that will be asked to grow in it. One thing I have noticed when visiting commercial living-soil growers is how much attention is paid to plant selection before anything reaches the final container. Rather than taking the exact number of cuttings required and hoping every plant performs, experienced growers often prepare far more plants than they need. These are established in small pots, often 3-4 litres each, before the best examples are selected for transplant.

A small cutting that has only just rooted through a plug may not be prepared for a large volume of highly amended soil. Instead of accelerating growth, the final container can be used to check the plant. The root system remains limited; the plant has not yet developed sufficient structure, and valuable time is lost as it adjusts. By contrast, a well-established young plant with a healthy root system, multiple branches, and enough size to make immediate use of the soil can move quickly. For many indoor growers, a plant around 20-30 cm tall, grown on in an appropriate light-fertility propagation mix, is a much better candidate than a small, freshly rooted cutting.

This also has an efficiency benefit. If the plant enters the final container already well developed, the vegetative period can be shorter. In indoor gardens, that matters. Vegetative growth usually runs under longer light cycles, making it one of the more energy-intensive stages of production. Good preparation before transplant can therefore reduce wasted time, improve crop uniformity, and make better use of the final living soil system. The key is to grow roots first. Young plants grown in overly rich potting mixes can look impressive above ground, but that does not always mean they have developed the root system needed for a strong transition. A lighter propagation medium often promotes better root development, producing plants better prepared for the higher-fertility environment of the final container.

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GROWING LIVING SOIL

Alongside plant preparation comes soil preparation. Where available, soil analysis can help guide amendment decisions. Nutrients removed during the previous crop can be replaced, mineral balances adjusted, and any emerging deficiencies corrected before planting begins. This proactive approach is one of the defining characteristics of successful living soil cultivation. Unlike highly reactive systems where nutrient levels can be adjusted rapidly throughout the crop cycle, living soil rewards anticipation. The most effective corrections often happen before problems become visible. Planning ahead, whether through propagation schedules, soil testing, or thoughtful re-amendment, creates the conditions for success long before the next crop begins growing.

There is No Downtime

Most growers think in crop cycles. Living soil encourages us to think in terms of continuity. The period between harvest and transplant is often viewed as downtime, but beneath the soil surface, the opposite is true. Fresh amendments are being colonised and broken down. Microbial communities remain active, organic matter continues to decompose, and nutrients are being transformed into plant-available forms and redistributed throughout the soil profile. At the same time, growers are reviewing notes, assessing results, preparing plants, and making decisions that will influence the next cycle. In many ways, the weeks between crops are among the most important of the entire growing process.

The soil never truly sleeps. While one crop may have reached the end of its journey, beneath the mulch and within the soil food web, the next one has already begun

The best living-soil growers understand that a successful harvest is not simply the result of what happened over the previous few months. It is the product of decisions made before planting, observations recorded throughout the cycle, and preparation carried out after the crop was finished. The fertility that drives the next crop is already being built. The biology that supports nutrient cycling is already at work. The next generation of plants is already being selected and prepared. The soil never truly sleeps. While one crop may have reached the end of its journey, beneath the mulch and within the soil food web, the next one has already begun. 3

Cultivating the Future Inside the World of Plant Tissue Culture

For the curious: tissue culture (TC) is a biological technique that allows the growth of plant tissue from carefully selected sections on a prepared gel growth medium in a sterile lab environment

TISSUE CULTURE

BY OLIVER HALL

ver the years I’ve been practicing tissue culture, it has evolved from a

strange,

mythical

beast

into

a realistic, practical application in many commercial grow spaces. A combination of word-of-mouth and global access to clear, digestible content (thank you, Plants in Jars on YouTube!) has given many adventurous

Oliver William Henry Hall is a biologist specializing in plant tissue culture, with a primary focus on biotechnology. He develops advanced in vitro propagation, pathogen-free genetics, and packaging systems, supporting global cultivation and research initiatives through precise, scalable protocols and innovative labouratory design.

individuals confidence.

For the curious: tissue culture (TC) is a biological technique that allows the growth of plant tissue from carefully selected sections on a prepared gel growth medium in a sterile lab environment. Components of this specialised gel are highly varied and can dramatically alter the size, quality, and vigour, depending on their quantities and ratios. What you want to grow and your end goals determine both the recipe and the method. Reasons to use TC include restoring your mother stock to earlier vitality, remediating systemic plant diseases, and providing a space-saving alternative to genetic preservation.

Overview of Tissue Culture Methods Nodal Tissue Culture

Nodal tissue culture uses larger initial cuts of plant material, namely the plant’s node, for introduction. This comprises the meristematic material (essentially plant stem cells) as well as its neighbouring branches, stem, and vascular systems. It is a faster process from introduction to transplant, and it is my preferred technique. Because the genetic material within the node is already programmed by the mother plant (as differentiated cells), a genetically identical shoot is produced, resulting in a superior final product compared to conventional cloning. But it does require more time, equipment, and a higher skill ceiling to pull it off. Harvesting the right material from the mother plant is crucial and varies by species, though auxiliary shoots are often best. Skill with a scalpel matters just as much. You need to be delicate yet intentional, using the whole length of the blade to slice. And for the love of all things holy, DO NOT CHOP. Without a nice, clean 45-degree cut, your plants will absolutely suffer. The angle exists for a reason: it increases surface area for efficient absorption whilst in the gel.

Generally speaking, even if you have sloppy technique and subpar media, you could produce some viable material. This can often lead to inflated confidence. And unfortunately for most, nodal TC is very much a trickle-down process. The better the cuts you produce, the easier they grow inside and outside the lab, and the easier it is to maintain quality. Higher-quality starting material is also less prone to contamination in subsequent generations in the lab, as it is genetically stronger and less susceptible to mutations. Conversely, if you consistently produce stressed, subpar cuts, that’s all you’ll get on the back end, and you will find yourself continually chasing your tail. After experiencing diminishing returns, many people get caught in this doom spiral and throw in the towel. But stick with it. It gets easier, I promise. Meristem Tissue Culture Then there is meristem culture. The “boss level” of TC. Rather than harvesting the larger area of material surrounding the meristemic cells, you dissect the plant matter and extract the cells directly. This is performed under powerful magnification or a dissecting microscope and god-tier steadiness and precision. Without the surrounding differentiated cells to guide their development, this cell mixture is classified as undifferentiated. Meaning it falls to you to program these cells using precise hormone ratios to direct their growth. Coaxing the cells to behave exactly as they did in the mother plant is a time-consuming process of trial and error, attempted by people far smarter than I. More often than not, you end up with a noticeably different version of the plant you started with. Despite this shortcoming, meristem culture holds one major advantage over nodal culture: because the extracted cells lack the mother plant’s vascular system, it is by far the most reliable method for eliminating pathogenic contamination and is the primary approach used by labs offering remediation services. It is also the go-to method for producing synthetic seeds due to their reduced size.

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TISSUE CULTURE

Key Factors for Successful Tissue Culture

Regardless of which method you choose, certain factors remain constant and must be carefully managed to maintain viable cultures. Temperature, humidity, pH, light intensity, and sanitisation procedures all play a crucial role in plant development and need to be controlled and thoroughly recorded to reduce variability and stand any chance of success.

Contamination Risks and Cleanliness

Of these variables, contamination is the hardest to stay on top of. You are introducing living material to a gel specifically designed to grow anything it touches, which means all transfers must take place inside a laminar flow hood. These range from modest desktop setups to large industrial units found in commercial settings. It entirely depends on your budget and scope. An ingenious piece of equipment, the flow hood blows sterilised air over everything inside it, creating a positive-pressure curtain that prevents outside contaminants from entering. It will not, however, remove contaminants that are introduced via equipment. Including, but not limited to, forceps and scalpels, sample containers, the plant material itself, and of course the most important tools of all: your hands! Cleanliness is paramount and will make or break your success. You will require enough hypochlorous acid (thanks Safegrow Solutions!), nitrile gloves, and face masks to stock a small hospital.

The Role of Endophytes

Surface and environmental contaminants aren’t the only threat, either. Internal organisms, referred to as endophytes, can also destroy your growth media and cultivars. Most, if not all, endophytes (depending on the plant species and variety) are beneficial, symbiotic organisms. They function much like gut bacteria in humans. Outside their host, however, they become a serious problem and remain present in both TC methods. It is necessary to keep the growth medium hormoneand nutrient-rich to support a healthy plant, but tip the balance too far and the endophytes will favour the media over the host, and all hell breaks loose. Plant stress compounds this further. If the plant isn’t in its optimal state, endophytes will abandon ship faster than rats on the Titanic.

The Value of Tissue Culture

Disregarding how daunting I make this all sound, the benefits of TC are well worth the challenge. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, our climate is changing. Human intervention, through species preservation, genetic strengthening, and pathogenic management, is becoming increasingly necessary. As more companies recognise the potential of tissue culture, I find myself genuinely excited and optimistic about what the future holds. For those diligent enough to try, honing your scalpel skills, tinkering with recipes, and staying on top of every variable, the litreal fruits of your labour will speak for themselves. It’s a satisfying high that keeps us lab rats gloving up time and time again, chasing the next breakthrough. An adventure well worth pursuing. 3

Disregarding how daunting I make this all sound, the benefits of TC are well worth the challenge

Fungal Frailty

and How To Fight It

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

BY A.C. MOON CAMERON

ungal

infections

can

crop

apocalypse if not understood. These

A.C. Moon Cameron is a 26-year veteran of the horticultural industry and the patented inventor of Croptops Greenhouses. From Northern California, she owns a 40-acre off-grid farm in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.

bodies of super intelligent beings are

often not seen until it’s too late. What we see with the naked eye is most commonly the fruiting body, or “flower,” of the botanical entity, hidden discreetly below, one of which is controlled by a complex network of mycelia

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and dispersed into the atmosphere via tiny

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spores rather than seeds, as in plants.

Fungal infections can be a crop apocalypse if not understood

This can create many challenges for controlling the cleanliness of your crops in any form. From tomatoes, to potatoes, and lentils, almost all plant species have a type of fungus that can break them down. It is part of the necessary mechanism of decomposition and life cycles of all things. Many forms are at work in your compost in a positive way, but when you want mouldfree flowers or edible foods, there are many factors to consider when choosing and managing your gardens and farms.

What factors influence the presence of negative fungal spores in your garden? 1.

5. 6.

Relative Humidity/Moisture: Atmospheric moisture content and the density in which it is found. Fog can be considered both dense moisture and heat-induced humidity. High moisture is the perfect breeding area for fungal bodies. Temperatures: Higher temperatures, partnered with high humidity, are destructive to the fungal host, while high heat without moisture can kill fungal bodies. These entities exist and proliferate fastest between 55°F and 89°F. Soil Composition: Higher beneficial microbes translate to fewer negative fungal bodies able to take over areas. Many beneficials, such as Trichoderma, are the source of formulations used in fungicides sold. Air Pressure/Flow: Higher air pressure contains more moisture, thereby increasing the risk of contracting a fungal infection. Areas with stagnant air will contract at a higher rate, while healthy airflow helps reduce the spread of infections. Light Levels and UV exposure: UV can kill most fungal bodies, as well as higher light intensity. Stage of plant growth: Different fungal spores

attack plants at different growth stages; for example, bud rot occurs during the flowering stage, while powdery mildew affects plants at all stages. pH of soil, water, and surroundings: Fungal bodies thrive in slightly more acidic conditions. Monitoring pH and adjusting it to keep it slightly alkaline will help prevent infections from getting out of hand. This includes water as well as soil base.

There are many types of fungal issues that will attack edible and medicinal gardens. They are found in nature and are most often concentrated near water bodies and stagnant air with higher humidity. Again, many of these same fungi break down organic matter in your compost, so keep all compost areas well away from your farming areas. They can overwinter in plant materials and soil, reinfecting the area the following year. The most common of the many fungi that can cause harm are species such as Septoria, Botrytis, and Erysiphales. Each of these families of fungi has thousands of types that can mutate and attack different plant forms. Since the beginning of time, fungi have been the first colonisers of the planet and are one of the most intelligent entities in the cosmos, if not the most intelligent.

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

The most common of the many fungi that can cause harm are species such as Septoria, Botrytis, and Erysiphales Septoria

Septoria can be identified by small, darkened leaf spots up to ¼ inch in diameter that may have a greyish hue with brown edges and a yellowing necrotic halo. During its late life cycle, you can see small black spots, which are the sporulating bodies that will spread the infection through all forms of vectoring.

Botrytis

Botrytis (AKA “Bud rot”) can be identified by premature wilting, leaf loss, flower deformation, and discolouration. The fungal body finishes as a grey mould that forms dense clusters to decompose plant matter. Botrytis can affect any part of the plant, but it is more likely to cause damage in plants with higher Brix or sugar content, such as Indica cultivars. This is the same infection that you may see in a fruit bowl, when a rotten apple causes other fruits to spoil. Moulds feed off plant sugars.

Erysiphales

Erysiphales (AKA “Powdery Mildew”) can be identified through the powdery sugar dusting erupting from the leaf and stem surface. First signs of it can look like dust. Easily spread through wind and barometric pressure exchanges.

High moisture is the perfect breeding area for fungal bodies. 84

FUNGAL INFECTIONS

How can we minimise damage to our plants? 1.

3. 4.

Remove all infected debris immediately. This is not a time to chop and drop, but to control any and all waste. Burn if possible or completely remove from the area. When dried, the spores will become airborne again and reinfect the space. Remove weeds a minimum of five feet around your growing areas, with ten feet being safer. Remember, this exists in nature everywhere. It’s about controlling its destructive potential. Make sure there is plenty of airflow. Leaf and thin out any plant growth, making sure you can see through it from all angles. Greenhouses with stagnant areas can be a breeding ground for infections. Add additional airflow if needed. Allow for UV exposure. UV can kill it on surface areas. Sterilise all tools and yourself. Clothing, animals, pests, and lawn mowers can all be vectors for the spread of disease. Pest Management is essential! Insects and pests can be major vectors of spores. Controlling pest infection thresholds can better put you in control of any fungal fragility. Raise pH. Fungi thrive in slightly acidic conditions. Raising the pH can dissolve and kill moulds and mildews immediately. Use organic sprays. Copper, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, potassium bicarbonate, beneficial microbes such as Trichoderma and Bacillus subtilis, and vinegar can be used topically to eliminate spores, thereby reducing their ability to infect. Water the soil, not the plants! Making sure water splashing is kept to a minimum can help reduce issues. Overhead watering can be destructive. Mulching. Layering hay and other neutral organic materials can minimise the spread of infection and disease, as well as splashing.

Many fungal bodies can overwinter and hide in soils and tucked-away spaces, reinfecting gardens and growing areas for years. Making sure you have a clean, buffered cultivation site is the general key factor to maintaining control over these potential problems. There is never a cure-all; just conditioning your environment and how you maintain it. 3

Remove all infected debris immediately. This is not a time to chop and drop, but to control any and all waste

n a l P a s a H e n o y Ev e r

t e G y e h T l i U nt

d e h c n u P e c a f e h t n i

DIRTY OLD GARDENER

Planning and Predators: Gardening on the Defensive

itting

atop

little

BY REGI ONETON

mountain

overlooking my humble acre, planning. The nights have been cold, and it’s

enough to make a man want to knit little sweaters for all the struggling babies in the garden. The grubs established some sort of metropolis over the winter in my yard, and that created a giant buffet for the skunks. Their burrowing and insatiable hunger have my lawn now looking like it hosted a Rugby match. I keep catching the deer eyeballing my garden beds early in the morning. I suppose they are

Regi Oneton is a multi-disciplinary artist and daytime executive. He’s been a member of Socan since his first album release at the age of 20 and is a selftaught audio engineer and self-proclaimed studio rat. Regi is a late-blooming street artist and painter whose works can be found hanging in the offices of Burton and Vans Canada. Long-time contributor to the Under Pressure Graffiti Festival and lover of the Arts. As the years plow forward, he has added botanical enthusiast/plant father to his litany of passions. His interests include writing and spending too much time looking at his phone.

checking what’s ready and planning a heist. I don’t know if I should protect the crop out of some misplaced sense of masculinity or let

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them have at it for wholesome entertainment. I planted a cacophony of spicy offerings this year; it’s going to blow their freaking antlers off. No need for me to do it.

Organic Solutions: Brewing Up Dookie Tea

A healthy amount of preparation can help you get through any number of botanical boxing matches. It’s not how hard you get hit; it’s how hard you get hit and still get back up. After a few strolls through the garden, it becomes clear there is much to check off on the To-Do list in order to ensure I don’t get slapped around too hard in the field this season. Store-bought nitrogen supplements are a bit out of the price range again, so I am perfecting my organic Dandy Dog Dookie Tea. Trademark is in the works, so don’t even think about it. All jokes aside, spring clean-up has been fruitful. If the fruit was dog shit. The fertiliser tea consists of one large bucket of rainwater with one handful of doggie plop plops; add two fistfuls of dandelion plant, and let sit for a few days. Preferably in the sun to accelerate the process. If you are feeling fancy, toss in a couple of tablespoons of wood ash. What you are left with is a slurry that any plant would chug like a frat-house alcoholic. Your garden beds get sucked dry housing plants; it’s important to rejuvenate parched soil. Preparation through poop and degrading plant matter. Delightful.

The grubs established some sort of metropolis over the winter in my yard, and that created a giant buffet for the skunks Rebuilding Year: Strategic Plant Placement

It’s a rebuilding year here at Casa Oneton. Like a sports team in the rebuilding process, we are taking time to look around, shift some positions, and realign our priorities. Planning out where your plant life will flourish is almost more important than the dog turds. Knowing where the sun will be and knowing which plants even want to be there will make you more successful. Research your plants’ needs properly and shift them into new positions. Pull the goalie if necessary and add that extra skater to score. A simple move from one corner of the garden to the other can offer exponentially better results. I’m tracking the sun like I am trying to tell time the old-school way. I’m not out there with charts in my hand, but the neighbours wouldn’t be surprised, as I have been seen walking around the garden with crazier things in my hands. They’ve seen me making the Dookie Tea.

87 87

DIRTY OLD GARDENER

Store-bought nitrogen supplements are a bit out of the price range again, so I am perfecting my organic Dandy Dog Dookie Tea.

Preserving the Harvest—and Sanity

It could be fun and rewarding preserving your harvest in the fall. Mason jars clinking and the smell of vinegar in the air is soothing. However, preserving your sanity all season long can be a bloody nightmare. Between my Golden Retriever, Aka “Poop Machine,” helping himself to a salad whenever he pleases, and the deer walking their sassy asses through my yard, dropping ticks like they own the place, it’s fair to say it’s all a bit stressful. To preserve my sanity, I close my eyes and pretend I am a child at Disneyland getting scolded for being a brat; my mother says, “Are you going to be a good boy and have fun like everyone else?” I open my eyes and look at the soil and ask myself the same thing: am I going to dig the fucking hole or not, and am I going to be happy doing it? Is a couple of puppy pruned plants worth crying over? Am I really angry at the majesty of a couple deer blessing my acre? A bottle of Brandy and a half pack of cigarettes and I will be right as rain. I’ve been a real downer lately. The early spring flowers are bending over for me, and that’s helping morale; sanity may be gone for good, as I have been dissolving dog crap in rainwater rather than buying a 4-dollar bag of compost. The bluebird in my heart remains singing, I assure you.

The Perks of Perennials: Nature’s Reliable Friends

Something that facilitates my garden preparation for the season is the healthy number of perennials scattered all over the property. If there was some freak accident that took my arms and legs and I couldn’t

somehow chin my way to the garden, they would still look pretty damn good with all the annual comeback stories sprouting. A lazy gardener’s best friend. Some of my best specimens come in annually without any effort whatsoever; I have a Rhubarb with stalks like baseball bats. My chives always come in early and are the first item cooked; they help wash the taste of winter from one’s palate. My parsley is not far behind, but who eats that shit anyway, right? Although not a perennial, the garlic I planted the previous fall is always the star of the show. The 20-squarefoot garden bed that houses the garlic patch has one of the best returns on investment I have. You want to see me get excited? Come around during garlic scape harvest. It’s enough to make a man want to step in the ring and garden another day. Some of these plants offer memories; there are flowers and climbing vines planted by exes and plants I put in the ground my first year owning this money pit. I can look around and get flashes of memories both good and bad, like walking through a field of old polaroids.

Round After Round: The Gardener’s Ongoing Fight

Well, my little bean sprouts, hopefully your respective boxing matches with your gardens are going your way, and you don’t get knocked out cold. Remember to rest between rounds and stay hydrated, both you and the plants. The brandy and nicotine have worked their magic, and I am off to work the shovel a bit with a big smile on my face. Just an old garden geezer putzing around making Dookie Tea. If you need me, I will be chasing my own dog off my crop, his lust for salad unabated by my screams. He’s fast, and I’m old; I won’t be winning this fight. 3

Beyond C A d r a d Stan for Innovative Solutions

y it il b a t S m o o R w o Gr

TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONTROL

The Challenge of Temperature and Humidity Control

or many growers, the idea of maintaining a

stable

temperature

and

relative

humidity is merely a dream they have

pursued throughout their careers, yet it seems

BY ADAM CLARKE

Adam has provided planning and design services for cultivation and processing facilities over the last seven years with Stratus. His projects involve outdoor cultivation, indoor cultivation, drying, processing, extraction, storage, bottling and packaging, and more. Living on a hobby farm, Adam loves all plants, including flowers, vegetables, and microgreens, but is most passionate about hemp and is in awe of the fast-growing plant and all of the benefits it offers to humans and the environment alike.

increasingly elusive. Most old-school grows are equipped with standard off-the-shelf commercial 5-ton air conditioners, and they have very poor control for a grow facility. When a 5-ton unit turns

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on, they typically go to full speed right away, as the compressor is simply controlled by an on/off state. If you need to control temperature, these units are an excellent option because they are designed for that purpose. The average 5-ton AC unit is meant for cooling an office space where humidity can be variable and not bother the people inside. In a growing environment, this type of control tends to cause relative humidity to crash, which negatively affects the plants.

The Relationship Between Temperature and Humidity

Temperature and humidity are directly related. As the 5-ton unit cools the air, the air on the cooling coil drops below the dew point, causing water to condense. This is great as long as you don’t remove too much water from the grow room. Unfortunately, often the space gets too dry too quickly. This problem is compounded with the dehumidifiers in the space simultaneously removing water. Many people have found workarounds that offset the setpoints on all the ACs/dehumidifiers so they don’t react at the same time. This cost-effective approach helps the problem, but it doesn’t do enough, and the swings persist.

Innovative Solutions: The Refrigeration Valve Approach

After watching this scenario play out over and over again in many grows, I went searching for a solution and happened to come across a refrigeration valve that effectively works like a 3-way valve for refrig-

erant. This gadget allows us to bypass refrigerant around the evaporator, so we don’t do as much cooling, or more importantly, we don’t lower the air to a super cold temperature. A normal 5-ton unit is typically designed to deliver 55°F air the entire time it’s running, which in many cases is too low a dew point for a grow room, and water removal will occur as well. We have accomplished varying the cooling coil temperature so that water does not drop out while still providing the required cooling.

Results and Improved Environmental Stability

With these changes, we can run the same grow room at 82°F/75 % RH in veg, or at lower RH conditions without major swings. We see a change from rooms swinging 3-10°F and 5-10%+ RH to rooms that are within 1°F and 1-2% RH. The key to this is the ability to vary the evaporator coil temperature, thereby preventing excessive moisture removal. This will also decrease runtime and improve your system’s efficiency.

Implementation and Retrofitting with Modern Controls

To implement this solution, however, you will need a refrigeration mechanic to install the valve and a control system. I am biased as part of Stratus Designs; however, with reliable controls, we have been able to seamlessly implement this change across many grows, and, in fact, it has become a significant new source of interest within the growing community. Rather than replacing equipment at high cost, we are retrofitting old gear and making it work better than ever. 3

BY MARTYNA KROL

in the

Some Funguys Chris Valentine-Allan Edinburgh, Scotland

d n a l & Ire

here are mushroom farmers, and then there is Christopher Valentine-Allan — growing lion's mane and oyster mushrooms in a decommissioned nuclear bunker beneath Edinburgh. Chris has always struggled to sit still. His background is eclectic in the best possible way: a degree in horticulture, training in brewing and distilling, years working as a private chef, and a long stint managing events venues. The throughline, he'll tell you, is simple: forage, farm, feed. When the pandemic shut down the events industry overnight in 2020, Chris found himself exactly where he hates to be — idle. So in August of that year, he converted his first space and started growing. The next chapter came when Makars Mash Bar approached him for a supply of mushrooms to anchor their vegan menu. Chris needed a suitable space quickly. Summerhall — Edinburgh's arts and tech hub — showed him an old workshop with dark, cool, thick walls. From there he was soon producing around 150 kilos a week, all of it going straight to the restaurant. The story kept repeating itself: find the right space, fill it with mycelium, supply someone who genuinely cares about good food. Then a friend invited him to an event at Barnton Bunker — a Cold War nuclear shelter that had been largely unused since the end of the Cold War. Midway through the evening, the thought arrived fully formed. He asked the question, sealed the deal, and spent months stripping lead paint off the walls and sorting ventilation through thick steel. Between October 2024 and March 2025, across just 40 square metres and at 50% capacity, he harvested 2.5 tonnes of mushrooms. The energy footprint is a fraction of what a greenhouse or vertical farm would require — the bunker's consistent underground temperature does most of the work for free. What makes Some Funguys quietly radical isn't just the location. The growing substrate is made from agricultural by-products — sawdust from local sawmills and coffee

grounds collected from Edinburgh businesses — and, once spent, it goes to an organic farm for composting. Low-tech, low-waste, and producing genuinely premium mushrooms for some of Edinburgh's best kitchens — Green Michelin star restaurants, most of the vegetarian restaurants in the area. Chris has also contributed to Scottish food policy, which feels right for someone who has spent years demonstrating that derelict spaces don't have to stay derelict. Oh, and there's a hot tub in the bunker, heated by compost. Of course there is. Instagram: some.funguys somefunguys.co.uk

LOCAL GROWERS

Would you like to be featured as one of our local growers? If you’ve got a garden, grow room, or farm and have a story to share, contact us at growers@gardenculturemagazine.com.

Brogdale Collections

Kent

ent has long earned its title as the Garden of England, and it's no accident. The county's warm climate and relatively low rainfall have made it a natural home for orchards for centuries. But tucked near the market town of Faversham sits something far more extraordinary than your average fruit farm: Brogdale Collections. This charity is set within over 150 acres of beautiful Kent farmland, home to the National Fruit Collection, one of the largest collections of fruit trees in the world, holding over 3,000 varieties of apples, pears, quinces, plums, cherries, grapes and nuts. The collection has been curated at Brogdale Farm since 1952 and is owned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The University of Reading is responsible for its curation and maintenance, working in collabouration with the Fruit Advisory Services Team based on site. Think of it as a gene bank with blossoms. The orchards serve as a living history of remarkable fruit — conserving biodiversity while providing a unique source of plant material for propagation, research and breeding. Varieties that would otherwise have vanished entirely from Britain's landscape are preserved here, tended season after season. The charity is as much about public engagement as it is preservation. Guided orchard tours run from April to October with knowledgeable guides who bring the history and science of fruit to life — and let you taste as you go. An annual Orchard Pass allows visitors to wander at their own pace all year round, following the full cycle from first blossom through to harvest. For schools, an educational weather station, World Music Garden, and Garden for Wildlife offer interactive learning about climate, wildlife, and the role insects play in fruit production. Then there's the seasonal highlight that draws families back year after year: pick-your-own. Running on weekends from June to 1st November, 10 am to 4 pm, visitors can fill their punnets with fruit that simply isn't available anywhere else. The season unfolds in waves — cherries first, then plums and gages, before the great apple and pear harvest takes over from September onwards. Brogdale also supplies wholesale quantities of its heritage varieties to local producers, who use the fruit in their own jams, chutneys and artisan produce — a quiet

but meaningful thread connecting the national collection to the wider food economy of Kent. It's a place where conservation, education and simple pleasure sit side by side comfortably. Whether you're a local producer scouting heritage varieties, a teacher planning a field trip, or just someone who wants to spend a September afternoon among apple trees — Brogdale Collections offers something most places can't: living history you can eat. Instagram: brogdale_collections brogdalecollections.org

WAYS

to Plan, Preserve, and Prepare for Next Season This Fall

arvest is one of our favourite times in the garden! After many months of work and TLC, it’s finally time to enjoy the homegrown food, medicine, and flowers you’ve nurtured all season. But autumn isn’t just about reaping the rewards. As the days grow shorter and the

temperatures cool, it’s an excellent time to reflect and celebrate what worked, preserve the bounty of the current harvest, and prepare the garden for next year’s success. And you thought you were done? Far from it! Here are 5 Cool Ways to Plan, Preserve, and Prepare for Next Season This Fall.

1 Conduct a ‘Garden Review’ Before Winter As the garden winds down for another season, grab a notebook and write things down while your thoughts and produce are still fresh! Consider it a wish list for future gardens. Did you grow multiple varieties of a certain crop? Which tasted best? Invite friends and family over for a harvest tasting to help you determine which plants were worth the space and time as you plan your next garden. Compare yields between varieties, especially if you have a short growing season or rely on your harvest for longterm storage. Jot down whether the garden was overcome with pests and diseases or if there were specific crops that were more resistant; you’ll want to grow the latter again next year. Finally, take note of which plants preserved well and how you did it. You say you won’t forget, but trust us, you will.

2 Save Seeds and Organise Stock Some plant varieties do better than others; when you fall in love with one, preserve those genetics and save the seeds for future grows. This is an essential homesteading skill that not only helps you preserve specific traits from your best plants but also allows you to become more independent in case of another seed shortage (remember 2021?). You won’t have to buy new seed packets in future growing seasons either! Research how to save the seeds of your chosen crops so they’re viable in the spring. Properly label them; it’s no fun looking forward to a bumper crop of spaghetti squash and getting Pattypan instead. Finally, setting up a seed library in the right conditions is an absolute must. Although many seeds have an expiry date, they can last for years when properly stored.

GROWING ADVICE

3 Prepare Garden Beds

for a Long Winter’s Nap

You nurtured your food, medicine, and flowers all the way to harvest, but the real work doesn’t end now. In fact, some might say it’s only just beginning (yikes!). What you do in the fall significantly impacts your success in the spring and summer. After harvest, testing soil fertility is a good idea; apply slow-release mineral amendments based on the results. A thriving soil biology will help future crops produce and protect them from pest and disease pressure. Regenerative growing practices build resilience, so plant cover crops in the fall to provide extra nutrients and prevent erosion. Add a thick layer of compost, and perhaps some fermented plant extracts to feed the microbiology. Cover garden beds with shredded leaves, which make for a great mulch and also help feed the soil. Don’t forget to plant garlic in the fall for some scapes in the spring and a timely harvest!

4 Preserve Future Meals Blanching, peeling, and simmering tomatoes for hours before canning dozens of jars may not seem like the most perfect way to spend a weekend (or maybe it does?), but you sure will appreciate it while enjoying homemade sauce throughout the winter! There is something satisfying about preserving a harvest and becoming a little more self-sufficient. Why not learn a new preservation technique this fall? Try freezing fresh herbs in oil cubes or turning all that basil into several meals’ worth of pesto. Ferment surplus vegetables for gut-friendly snacks and make dried soup mixes. Blanch and freeze greens, corn, and other surplus vegetables. If preserving food becomes a regular part of your harvest routine, consider investing in equipment such as a pressure canner or, for larger harvests, a freeze-dryer. The world of food preservation is exciting, and many options for long-term storage exist; make sure your chosen method is well researched for your safety.

5 Plan and Prepare Now, Preserve Your Sanity Later As the cool weather approaches, sometimes it’s nice to put the beds to sleep and hunker down inside. But putting some effort into planning and preparing your next garden now will lead to a less chaotic start in the spring. Map out the future garden space; do you want to expand your composting system or build new beds? Getting the grunt work done now means you’ll be ready to get growing sooner. Empty and store rain barrels and irrigation hoses; any leftover water will freeze and likely damage the equipment. Wash pots, seed-starting trays, and garden tools (sharpen if needed), and store them where they’ll be easy to find when warmer temperatures arrive. Finally, plant, divide, and label perennials now for a lovely pollinator haven next year. A little planning and preparation now means less scrambling in the spring—and more time to enjoy the season when the garden wakes up again. 3

OARSE. NO PEBBLES, NO PERLITE, NO PROBLEM. CANNA COCO COARSE. NO PEBBLES, NO

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PERLITE, NO PROBLEM. CANNA COCO COARSE. NO PEBBLES, NO PERLITE, NO PROBLEM.

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