Plant Steering - UK 67

relax, we got you covered...

CANNA RHIZOTONIC

At CANNA Research, we are continuously testing our products in order to make improvements. In May 2024, RHIZOTONIC will be getting an upgrade! When using the improved product you will experience increased effectiveness and tank stability. The shelf life has doubled from one to two years and you no longer need to worry about raised pH levels in your tank when applying the product. For growers, who were using RHIZOTONIC before, rest assured you will not need to change the way you use it and you can still expect exceptional results from your plants.

Steering Microbial Plant

GARDEN CULTURE

This issue of Garden Culture focuses on one of the most widely discussed concepts in cultivation: crop steering.

Whether you work on a small indoor setup at home or you manage a full commercial facility, plant steering is all about understanding your plant’s signals and giving it the right push at the right moment. While there’s no single perfect approach, seeking expert guidance can help you avoid common mistakes.

This edition gathers some of the sharpest minds in the industry to help you master that process. Our featured author, Tyler Simmons from Front Row Ag, dives into the idea of the root zone as your primary joystick. His article breaks down irrigation and EC tools in a way that demystifies the data and brings the whole concept back to plant behaviour.

We also sit down with Chad Rigby from Grodan in this issue’s Professional POV. Chad shares practical strategies from years on the ground with commercial growers and offers a clear view of how substrate, timing, and plant observation all come together to steer a crop with intention.

If you have ever wondered how foliar feeding fits into a steering plan, Av Singh brings clarity with his piece on canopy nutrition and the future of foliar fertilisers. For growers working in organic containers, Everest Fernandez explains how to steer plants by working with the soil rather than fighting it. And for those looking toward the next frontier, Colin Bell, PhD, introduces microbial plant steering and how biology can guide growth in ways that synthetic controls never could.

Due to intense pressure to grow the best product at the lowest price, commercial cultivators have dialled in some easy-to-follow techniques that any hobbyist can do at home. I hope these articles help you achieve your gardening goals. If you do try something new from this edition, please let us know.

Enjoy the issue, learn something new, and as always, happy growing.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

A.C. Moon Cameron, Adam Clarke, Av Singh, Coleman Retzlaff, Colin Bell, Cosmic Knot, Everest Fernandez, Haley Nagasaki, Jennifer Cole, Martyna Krol, Steve Wong, Tyler Simmons, Xavi Kief, and the team at Greens Horticulture.

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

INTEGRATED SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Haley Nagasaki Haley@gardenculturemagazine.com +1 (604) 401-7209

DIGITAL & SOCIAL MARKETING social@gardenculturemagazine.com

ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com

PUBLISHER

325 Media INC

44 Hyde Rd., Mille-Isles QC, Canada J0R 1A0 GardenCultureMagazine.com

ISSN 2562-3540 (Print) · ISSN 2562-3559 (Online)

Garden Culture is published six times a year, both in print and online.

@GardenCulture @GardenCulture

@GardenCultureMagazine

@Garden_Culture

DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS

•

• Creation Wholesale

• One Love Inc

• IKON

© 325 Media

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from 325 Media Inc.

Tyler Simmons

Tyler Simmons is relatively new to Garden Culture Magazine’s lineup of writers, and we sure are happy to have him. Tyler’s articles offer a wealth of knowledge on controlling environmental conditions to boost plant performance. A Cultivation Science Communicator and Technical Advisor for Front Row Ag, Tyler’s background is in biology and nutrition. His keen interest in human physiology has helped him in his career working with plants, which he knows aren’t all that different from people; we all need a little steering in the right direction sometimes! Welcome to the team, Tyler!

What is the number one thing you would like growers to know about crop steering?

Growers are crop steering whether they know it or not. Crop steering is the net effect of a plant’s response to various inputs, such as irrigation, climate, and pruning. We’re always sending signals to the plant about how to respond. Crop steering is the practice of doing this deliberately and intentionally, rather than by accident.

How did you become interested in growing and working with plants?

I’ve always been interested in human physiology and performance, with a background in biology, nutrition, and strength and conditioning. When I got the opportunity to start working with plants, I realised that plant performance was a lot like human performance and that you could apply many of the same principles. At that time, nobody was really applying a specific experimentation and optimisation process to growing, so I got to develop a lot of interesting knowledge early on.

Was science your favourite subject in school?

Science was definitely one of my favourites - along with math, physics, history, reading, and chemistry. Ironically, writing was actually my least favourite subject, which is hilarious given that’s how I apply most of my knowledge now.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I spend a lot of time backpacking in the wilderness, often venturing off-grid for several weeks each year in remote areas. I spend a lot of time reading and learning about various topics, and I tend to become obsessed with them. My other business is customised performance and longevity consulting, and that’s where I’ve been focusing a lot of development efforts and time recently.

Is there a food, meal, or cuisine you can’t live without?

Tough choice between raspberries and Alaskan salmon.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

A perfect (week)day for me involves waking up around 6:30 am after a great night of sleep, feeling well rested. I’ll meditate for 15 minutes and then spend an hour and a half reading and sipping coffee with my cats on my lap. I’ll then spend several hours on my work projects, taking a break halfway through the day to go on a trail run, play basketball, practice jiu-jitsu, or lift weights. I’ll have lunch with a friend and then return to work for a few more hours, finishing out the day with a sauna session with friends. We’ll make dinner together, and then I’ll get to bed by 10 pm. 3

Are you interested in writing for Garden Culture Magazine?

We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email introducing yourself with a sample of your work editor@gardenculturemagazine.com

MARKET PLACE

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS

Introducing the PAR Meter Test any grow light with accurate PAR readings and data logging.

LIGHT MEASUREMENT RANGE:

0 to 3999 μmol/m²/sec

PRECISION READINGS:

Repeatability of +/-1 μmol/m²/sec

available now from

No soil, no stress Just pure growth

B’cuzz Bloom Stimulator

Looking to maximise your plant production? Independent trials conducted by INNEXO, a leading agricultural research company, have confirmed that B’cuzz Bloom Stimulator delivers outstanding results.

The Bloom phase is an exciting part of the plant life cycle during which vegetative growth declines and generative development begins.

Apply B’cuzz Bloom Stimulator just before flowers start to intensify and extend the bloom phase.This leads to explosive production of thick, compact, great-tasting, and great-smelling flowers, fruits, ornamental plants. Dose daily with water after flower formation; combine with B’cuzz Booster for optimal effect. Combine it with practically any base nutrients, as it has almost no NPK value. Plus, it is highly concentrated at a 1:1000 dilution.

Six bottles, one philosophy

Available in two versions: All·Pack Indoor (with Bio·Grow) and All·Pack Outdoor (with Fish·Mix).

What’s inside the box?

• Root·Juice for fast starts.

• Bio·Grow / Fish·Mix to stimulate vegetative growth.

• Bio·Bloom provides natural phosphorus and potassium for compact, resinous flowers.

• Top·Max amplifies volume, sweetness, and aromatic profile.

• Bio·Heaven provides continuous energy and accelerates stress recovery.

• Alg·A·Mic is a seaweed-based tonic for vigorous leaves.

Available in 250 ml (1–4 plants) or 500 ml (1–8 plants) formats.

Used together, plants react faster, resist stress better, and produce crops that are fragrant and flavourful.The All·Pack is the best way to experience the Biobizz philosophy of simplicity, sustainability, and flavour.

Visit Biobizz.com for more information.

Grow Epic Yields with BudBox PRO XL Plus

Elevate your indoor gardening with the BudBox PRO XL Plus 150x150x200cm Grow Tent, the UK’s #1 choice since 2018. Featuring industry-leading PAR reflectivity with a unique this premium tent boasts a 25mm steel frame, double-stitched seams, and 20% oversized vents for optimal airflow.With two front and two side doors, a night vision window, and it’s perfect for hydroponics and horticulture.

Supercharge your growing today. Contact your local hydro retailer or visit BudBoxGrowTents.com to explore their award-winning range.

Budplus Coco 50+30+20

Offers the ideal balance of water retention, aeration, and root support required for healthy crops. The specially developed blend of 50% RHP-certified coco, 30% Perlite, and 20% Pebbles is processed and bagged in-house by Budplus, giving them complete control over all inputs. By choosing Budplus 50+30+20 for your next grow, you’re ensuring that your plants are supported by one of the most effective, consistent, and sustainable growing mediums on the market.

Each Budplus product offers premium performance without the premium price tag.

Learn more: BudPlus.com

DAYLIGHT 60W LED

COMPACT POWER, MAXIMUM CONTROL

The DAYLIGHT 60W LED is a high-efficiency lighting solution, perfect for small to medium grow spaces. Featuring a full spectrum with enhanced red for superior plant growth, it delivers 168 μmol/s at 2.8 μmol/J efficiency. Built with premium LUMLED white (3.0 μmol/J) and Osram red (3.9 μmol/J) chips, it ensures top-tier performance.

The fixture includes a remote dimmer for precise control, and its IP65 waterproof rating ensures durability. Use it for propagation or as supplemental lighting alongside DAYLIGHT LED fixtures. Fully compatible with the DAYLIGHT Lighting Controller, the 60W LED offers versatility, reliability, and the power to boost plant growth in

Quantum PAR Meter

Take the guesswork out of lighting with the Maxibright Quantum PAR Meter. A portable, easyto-use tool for measuring light output (Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)).

With a wide range (0–3999 μmol/m²/sec) and ±1 μmol/m²/sec repeatability, it delivers accurate data to help growers optimize light placement and output. Ideal for comparing LEDs, validating manufacturer claims, or fine-tuning setups, it’s suited to both hobbyists and commercial users. Featuring a tripod-compatible sensor and data logging capabilities, it’s the reliable way to measure what truly matters - the light your plants can utilize.

Exclusively available from Highlight Horticulture

100% developed, sourced, mixed & bagged in-house

MILLS SUBSTRATES , THE ULTIMATE CHOICE

Mills Ultimate Coco with Cork is a fine blend of 75% RHP-certified coco peat and 25% fine cork. This perfect combination provides superior aeration for the ultimate root development, eliminating the need for perlite. Perfect for both indoor and outdoor cultivation. Simply add Mills Ultimate Coco with Cork to your pots, spread it evenly, and start your grow!

Mills Ultimate Soil with Cork is a premium blend of peat, coco chips, and fine cork. This substrate provides the optimal nutrients for the first 4-6 weeks of growth, ensuring the successful cultivation of all plants, fruit, and vegetables. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use, this soil with cork mix will maximise growth while enhancing the natural flavours of your plants.

For best results, use alongside Mills Nutrients. Visit GrowWithMills.co.uk for more information.

Budplus Coco 100+

A great example of a simple product that is far more complex than it first appears. Purity, stability, consistency, and price are all key considerations when choosing a Coco brand, and Budplus Coco ticks all boxes. The specially selected, RHPcertified raw material in Budplus Coco 100+ is processed, heat-treated, triple-washed, and buffered in-house for superior quality, consistency, pH stability, and a very low EC. The team at Budplus is committed to developing and producing premium products at great prices.

Visit BudPlus.com today to find out more.

VARIDRIVE 360W LED from Maxibright

Perfect for smaller grow spaces, the new Varidrive 360W LED delivers exceptional reliability and performance without the bulk. With a PPF of 1040 μmol/s and PPE of 2.89 μmol/J, this full-spectrum fixture is the ideal upgrade from a 600W HPS—offering more light with lower running costs. Designed for durability and ease of use, it’s robust, lowmaintenance, and engineered to run cool and efficient—no fuss, just consistent performance. Whether it’s a small-scale setup or part of a multi-fixture installation, the Varidrive 360W is a smart, efficient lighting solution engineered for results.

Exclusively available from Highlight Horticulture

In hydroponics, nutrients are everything.

Water alone isn’t enough; plants need a complete, balanced diet to thrive. Terra Aquatica’s TriPart® is the gold standard for hydroponic nutrition, delivering precision and flexibility for all growers. Prefer a simpler approach? Try NovaMax® or DualPart® for one- or two-part feeding. Great alternatives are their soluble powders - DryPart® or Organic DryPart® - for strong, efficient nutrition.

Looking for organic and liquid nutrition? Choose Pro Organic.

Find Terra Aquatica’s products at your local retailers. Visit TerraAquatica.com to learn more.

BY HALEY NAGASAKI

Passion and Precision: on Crop Steering and Irrigation Professional POV

Chad Rigby

Chad Rigby has spent the past six years as Grodan’s Crop Specialist for Canadian accounts, working hands-on with 50-100 cultivators across the country. Rigby has a background in Environmental Biology and Plant Science and transitioned from cultivation roles to consulting for Grodan, a subsidiary of Dutch Rock Wool. Here’s his take on crop steering and irrigation using stonewool substrate.

I always tell my customers my objective is to transfer all the information so they are comfortable making their own decisions, but they can still call me whenever they want.”

More irrigation events mean more vegetative growth. Every time you give a plant a shot of nutrient solution, you’re sending a vegetative signal.

HN: Tell me about your role at Grodan.

CR:: I take care of all the customers in Canada. What that entails is anything from quarterly visits to if they want to do any trials with different substrate configurations, or if they’re running into any problems, I can be an extra set of eyes.

I always tell my customers my objective is to transfer all the information so they are comfortable making their own decisions, but they can still call me whenever they want.

HN: What is stonewool?

CR: Grodan’s product, stonewool, is a soil-less substrate product that comes in different shapes and sizes, depending on what type of crop you’re growing.

We also have our own in-house sensor system, E-gro. So, when growers utilise our substrates, they can use our sensors to monitor water content percentage, electrical conductivity, and substrate temperature.

HN: What’s the difference between precision growing and crop steering?

CR: They go hand-in-hand, but they’re different. Precision growing is the most efficient and effective way to grow a crop, where you’re focusing on maximum outputs while using minimum inputs. Using sensors, growers can see what’s going on in the root zone and in their climate with the plants. You can apply irrigation events very precisely to where you’re not creating much drain.

Really, it’s the ability to dial in what you’re doing. To make money, you need to understand your costs.

The genetic also needs to be able to produce what you’re looking for. When you have this genetic, there are specific climate and rootzone parameters the plant’s going to like best. Once you have all three (the genetic, climate, and root zone), that’s when crop steering comes into play.

Crop steering is a method of managing plant growth by adjusting irrigation and climate settings to create a desired response in the plant. Climate and irrigation are our main focus when we’re trying to steer a crop toward either more generative or vegetative growth. As things progress, there are other ways to steer the crop, like the nutrient recipe you’re using or tuning the light spectrum.

HN: What makes Rockwool so steerable compared to peat, coco, or soil?

CR: It’s a few things. By virtue of being a manufactured product, it’s very uniform. You can get a uniform crop because the product is very uniform. Also, the low CEC (cation exchange coefficient): our product doesn’t really hold onto nutrients.

In the event you need to refresh the EC, so refresh the nutrient solution in the block, you’re able to modulate it much faster than other products because other products tend to have a higher CEC; they tend to bond to certain elements in the fertiliser, so it becomes more challenging to flush or refresh. Usually, it takes a bit more nutrient solution and water to bring those values down if you’re seeing your EC spike.

And then last but not least, our product has a very robust dry-back. And I think for some people it’s a little bit nerve-racking at first, but as long as your system is capable of applying numerous precise irrigation events, you’re really able to push that plant to its maximum.

chad rigby

Precision growing is the most efficient and effective way to grow a crop, where you’re focusing on maximum outputs while using minimum inputs

More irrigation events mean more vegetative growth. Every time you give a plant a shot of nutrient solution, you’re sending a vegetative signal. By doing so, the plant will want to grow leaves, stems, and roots. So, how that nutrient solution is applied will affect how it grows morphologically.

For a vegetative shot, it’s a smaller shot – 3% of the substrate volume, which is 96 mLs in a Grodan Hugo block – versus a generative shot, which is 6%, or 192 mLs. By virtue of having smaller shots, you’re going to be applying more. Bigger shots, you’re applying less, and that’s going to push the plant more to focus all of its energy on producing flower or fruit. 3

Hydro Store

Confessions of a UK Hydro ConfessionsStore of a

#gardenculturemagazine

#gardenculturemagazine

N#confessionsofaukhydrostore

#confessionsofaukhydrostore

ame any potential problem in a grow room, and the team at Greens Horticulture in Bristol has likely seen and solved it. Established in 2003, Greens is one of the longest-serving and most trusted grow shops in the UK hydro industry, building a reputation for selling quality products that deliver results and having one of the best money-back guarantees in the biz. It’s Gabriel’s turn in the hot seat; his confession includes his observations of how the industry is changing, details on products Greens can’t live without, and the strangest question ever asked in the shop.

How did you first get into the hydroponics industry? By accident, really. I’d moved back to the UK after living in Germany for several years and needed to find work. My sister’s boyfriend got me through the door at Greens, where I picked and packed orders in the warehouse.

What was the local grow scene like when you first started working at the shop? Bristol was thumping back then; we were non-stop from start to finish, with barely any time to have lunch! Customers and staff had genuine enthusiasm for what they were doing.

How has your customer base changed over the years? We’ve seen a big drop in hobbyists; the people buying single-light setups seem to have vaporised. Back when I first started, we’d be selling multiple small setups a day. It’s a real shame, as they were always fun customers to talk to. I guess they’re still out there, but buying their kit online.

What’s the one product you’d never run a store without? Crop Support Trellis Netting. No, not the infuriating packs that you can never unravel; the one that comes on a one-kilometre roll. We sell this stuff every day.

Figure 1

What’s the strangest question a customer ever asked you at the counter? Wow, where to begin? I think the strangest has to be the person who came in asking which carbon filter was the best for removing chemtrails from his house. He came equipped with a high-powered torch to “show us” the chemtrails in the air, and we had to ask him to leave when he hung around to aggressively talk with other (actual) customers about the dangers of chemtrails.

What’s your go-to piece of advice for someone setting up their first indoor grow? To focus less on which bottles they have on the shelf and more on the environment of their grow space. Less is often more, and most problems are solved by looking at the basics: temperature, humidity, light levels, etc. Or even simply the water source being used.

How do you stay current with new tech and trends in the hydro world? We rely on chatting with the various reps that pass through, word of mouth, etc. They usually have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the wider world. And of course, Garden Culture.

Which brands or innovations have genuinely impressed you recently? The Growlink ecosystem of controllers and sensors has really stood out. Their platform enables growers to seriously fine-tune setups to the nth degree.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the UK hydro industry over the past decade?

The shift away from HID lighting stands out, and the pace at which LEDs now dominate the industry. We’re still a couple of years away from a total ban of HPS lighting in the UK, but sales have tanked already. LEDs have taken over, and that’s maybe not a bad thing.

What’s your take on social media influencers and “grow gurus”? Everyone has to make a living, I guess? I’m not personally a fan of social media these days; I find it too toxic and don’t spend any time on it. However, if people can manipulate the algorithms to their advantage, more power to them.

What part of running a hydro store do people never see or understand? The amount of work that goes into running a website and keeping it up to date is staggering. There’s a constant flow of new products that all need descriptions, photos, and so on. Planning and implementing sales, and all the other bits of administrative work, add up real fast.

What do you think makes your shop stand out from the rest? Greens has been in the game for an awfully long time, nearly a quarter of a century. We’ve probably encountered every problem that could plague a growroom, so our ability to troubleshoot issues is finely tuned.

If you could change one thing about the hydro industry, what would it be? In an industry that’s being squeezed from all angles, it would be nice if big players weren’t driving down the margins. When wholesalers are selling on Amazon and buying up retail chains to push their own brands at knockdown prices, you know the industry is not in a good place. 3

Basis A & B

No need for a separate growth and bloom base feed.

Basis A&B will give your plants access to all the necessary micro and macro nutrients in their perfect ratios.

Use throughout the grow cycle.

Start-R

Contains two types of nitrogen compounds for rapid root growth.

Provide s plants with a healthy root system in vegetative and early flowering stages, leading to larger yields during harvest.

Use in growth /early-f lower phase.

C4

Flowering booster and activator.

When used with Mills Basis A and B, C4 alters the NPK introducing carbohydrates and higher phosphorus and potassium levels to maximise flowering sites.

Use mid- f lower phase.

Ultimate PK

Ripening promoter and PK booster. Provides the plant with all the nutrients needed during ripening for harder, denser fruit sets. Promotes oil and terpene production.

Use late-flower phase.

Vitalize

More than just silica. Formulated to make your plants healthier, heartier and more resistant to stress factors. It can be used as a root soak or foliar spray.

Use throughout the entire grow cycle.

Clay, Copper,

AIrrigation Plastic-free and Contours

t the end of the growing season, I find myself storing away a seemingly endless supply of plastic containers. From propagation trays and domes to garden centre flats and plant starter pots, they pile up in the greenhouse in a big plastic tote, next to one, two, and three-gallon plastic containers. I tell myself I’ll reuse them, and I do, but the stack keeps growing.

A familiar story for most gardeners; plastic is ubiquitous in its cheap and convenient form, but it’s also relentless (How cute, the irony that we as consumers in the West each have a credit card-sized mass of microplastics in the brain. Remember that this holiday season, y’all!).

In the garden, we have plastic watering cans and hoses, nutrient bottles, and media bags. Tools, labels, row covers, tunnels, greenhouses, and finally, irrigation pipes. Is there another way to water without plastic? Could it be cost-effective? And could it be used in commercial ag as well as at home?

Top of mind, we have clay tiles and pipes, which the farmers of old used. Galvanised piping is available and pricy; copper might be ideal, but costs an arm and a leg at scale. What about bamboo?

Contour Farming

Some permaculture systems thrive on pond-based ecosystems. The Water Wizard of Oregon – Don Tipping, for example, has nine interconnected ponds on his property in southern Oregon.

Watch this informative report about Tipping and his methods by Andrew Millison: youtube.com/watch?v=BuYGS5pLRZg

He uses a “multi-pond system with swales and keyline canals to fan the water out over the landscape. Whether we’re doing this actively to irrigate crops, or passively when it’s raining, we’re following the principle that we should slow it, spread it, and soak it,” he says.

Tipping opens the valve of a holding pond, which induces the snaking of “rapid flood flow irrigation” down the sloping of his fields to the terraces of his crops.

This is called ‘contour farming’ and has been used for millennia as a method that works with the natural contour of the land when planting or ploughing. Following elevation lines reduces runoff and soil erosion. Flooding fields in this way removes the need for plastic irrigation pipes entirely.

In the commercial greenhouse, flood tables, which allow plants to absorb water through the bottom of their pots, mimic this permaculture principle on a smaller, more controlled scale.

Olla Irrigation

Last year, I met a new company selling an automated olla watering system, though these systems are anything but new. Olla, meaning pot in Spanish, uses unglazed terracotta pots buried beneath the earth, with the tops above ground filled with water. A process similar to osmosis, the water leaches out through the porous clay pots and into the surrounding soil. Depending on their size, they only need to be filled twice a week.

An automated system might connect these pots with plastic irrigation lines, though they could be hand-filled or connected with pipes made of other materials. Olla subsurface irrigation safeguards against water waste, surpassing drip irrigation, sprinklers, and hand watering in efficiency.

Clay drainage tiles work to remove excess water from fields, mitigating anaerobic conditions and the buildup of salts and sediment. These tiles might be simple perforated clay pipes or shaped like tiles.

Perforated plastic polymer pipes (say that five times fast) are used mainly today, but the clay pipes are still around! Tiles reduce surface water and runoff, increasing precipitation absorption, while padding the reservoir tank or holding pond.

Reclaiming water with time-tested irrigation methods for regenerative growers

Is there another way to water without plastic? Could it be cost-effective? And could it be used in commercial ag as well as at home?

Metal Irrigation Pipes

The global irrigation company, Rain Bird, did have a subsurface copper dripline. Copper irrigation systems are also being used for plumbing and HVAC; however, the cost is the main deterrent.

The Copper Development Association cites the use of subsurface copper lines installed by plumbers to service crops, lawns, and golf courses.

A small copper system for the home grower could be more cost-effective and involves drilling holes in copper piping, fitting emitters and installing them above. More of an experiment than a tested method, it’s doable but could cause problems.

Copper is reactive and will corrode with salts or acids. Leaching copper ions in excess can lead to plant toxicity. Galvanised steel is also susceptible to acid corrosion, so this method may be best for growers who cultivate living soil!

Rainwater and Gravity-fed Systems

Before poly tubing took over, gravity was Old MacDonald’s best bud. Rainwater collection stored in metal cisterns or wooden barrels enabled growers to irrigate without pumps or polymers. Elevated tanks provide natural pressure, sending water through metal or bamboo piping, or directly into clay ollas.

Returning to contour systems, large-scale cisterns can integrate into plots without ponds or into greenhouse gutters. Backyard growers can start with a modest barrel and tap.

Viktor Schauberger

Austrian forester, inventor, and researcher Viktor Schauberger’s life’s work revolved around the idea that water is a living entity that naturally flows in a vortex-like motion, a key to its vitality. His theories have influenced permaculturists, biohackers, and engineers, though some dismiss them as pseudoscience.

Regardless, Scauberger helped design and optimise log driving in Eastern Europe. His systems were used to guide felled logs downstream, drawing on his knowledge of natural water flow. His innovations upheld his belief that working with nature’s forces led to superior solutions.

Aside from logging booms, during his research, Schauberger not only freed water from rigid right-angled infrastructure but also sent it through copper vortex fountains, creating beautiful displays he claimed energised the water. He believed that water, when forced through straight lines, is stripped of life force, and healthy water should spiral and oxygenate, remaining cool as it moves through streams and rivers.

In a world of harsh edges and plastic piping, Schauberger’s legacy reminds us to look to the wisdom of flow: whirling, cool, and alive! How could this play into your garden? 3

Viktor Schauberger’s life’s work revolved around the idea that water is a living entity that naturally flows in a vortex-like motion, a key to its vitality

Rainwater and Gravity-fed Systems

Steering Microbial Plant Harnessing

for Sustainable Agriculture

Now more than ever, we are turning to soil microbes to steer plant-soil feedback to maximise plant success throughout the growing season

Picture a garden where invisible partners help plants fight disease, deepen aroma and flavour, and thrive during droughts. Your tomatoes shrug off powdery mildew while the neighbour’s wilt—same sun, same soil.

The difference? A hidden root crew of soil microbes. For millennia, humans have shaped farming—from taming wild wheat to today’s laser-guided sprayers. Now gardeners are inviting microbes to the party. They steer the secret conversation between plants and soil to keep crops thriving all season.

Tracing Agricultural Biotechnology

For millennia, humans have shaped farming—from the domestication of wild wheat to today’s precision crop systems. Now more than ever, we are turning to soil microbes to steer plant-soil feedback and maximise plant success.

Farming began with ancient seed selection, transforming wild grasses into wheat and maize. Mendel’s 1860s pea experiments launched modern genetics; Pasteur revealed microbial roles in agriculture. The 20 th-century Green Revolution, led by Norman Borlaug, introduced high-yield crops and synthetic fertilisers, feeding billions. GMOs emerged in the 1980s amid innovation and debate.

Today, the $1.8 billion (USD) biostimulants market1 signals a global shift toward microbial solutions. Microbial plant steering—the practice of using beneficial bacteria and fungi—is one of the fastest-growing market segments in Agriculture, widely utilised as the next Green Revolution to unlock plants’ genetic and metabolic potential and maximise desirable traits. 1Grand View Research (2024). Biostimulants Market Size, Share & Trends Report, 2030.

Understanding Microbial Plant Steering

Plants and microbes have co-evolved intimate partnerships in roots and leaves. Microbial inoculants—beneficial bacteria or fungi brushed onto seeds, mixed into soil, or misted on foliage—enhance nutrient uptake, stress resistance, pathogen defence, and growth without genetic modification.

Your tomatoes shrug off powdery mildew while the neighbour’s wilt— same sun, same soil. The difference?

A

hidden root crew of soil microbes.

These allies shield plants from biotic threats, such as disease and insects, by outcompeting invaders or triggering the plant’s immune response. They also buffer abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, or salty soil by improving water retention and stabilising cell chemistry.

Backyard gardens and commercial growers alike report healthier plants and bigger harvests when adding microbes to their routine.

credit: frontiersin.org

Table 1. Key Microbial Mechanisms (strain- and condition-specific; field translation varies)

10–30 % yield boost

Bacillus licheniformis, Mycorrhizae

Bacillus, Pseudomonas

Trichoderma

30–40 % better drought survival

Up to 60 % less mildew

Up to 50 % less blight

Fukami et al., 2023

Nie et al., 2023

Nie et al., 2023

Liu et al., 2023

Less fertiliser

Thrives in dry summers

Fewer sprays

Healthier leaves & fruit

Real-World Uses

Microbial plant steering supports every growth stage with practical, scalable benefits. Here’s how:

• Biofertilisers (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, mycorrhizae) fix nitrogen and unlock phosphorus—cutting fertiliser use 10–30 % while boosting yields.

• Biocontrol agents crowd out pathogens and trigger plant immunity, thereby reducing the need for pesticides.

• Soil health microbes recycle nutrients, improve structure, and suppress diseases.

• Climate-tough strains store carbon and boost tolerance to drought or salinity.

Tailor microbes to the plant phase (see table below):

Bacillus, Glomeromycetes

B. megaterium, Azospirillum

Trichoderma, B. velezensis

Bacillus licheniformis, Enterobacter

Integrate microbes into your gardens, and watch your plants thrive with their invisible allies

“Beat

TRY THIS AT HOME

the Heat” Tomato Boost

1. Buy: Bacillus subtilis or B. licheniformis in powder (or liquid) form.

2. Mix: 1 tsp (or 5 ml) per gallon of water.

3. Apply: Soak seeds for 15 minutes or drench soil at transplant.

4. Result: Treated tomatoes needed 30 % less water and still set fruit (Nie et al., 2023).

From ancient seed savers to today’s microbe managers, agriculture continues to evolve. Microbial plant steering raises yields, suppresses disease, and cuts chemical inputs. In dry-summer trials, treated tomatoes needed 30 % less water and still set fruit. Integrate microbes into your gardens, and watch your plants thrive with their invisible allies. 3

References

1. Grand View Research. (2024). Biostimulants Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Active Ingredient (Acid-based, Seaweed Extracts), By Application, By Crop, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024–2030. ➜ grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/biostimulants-market

2. Fukami, J., et al. (2023). Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria: Biological tools for the management of abiotic stress in plants. Microbiome, 11, 109. ➜ doi.org/10.1186/s40168-023-01587-6 (Table 1: Nutrient Acquisition)

3. Nie, P., et al. (2023). The mycorrhizal symbiosis as a central hub for plant–microbe interactions under drought stress. New Phytologist, 240(1), 45–61. ➜ doi.org/10.1111/nph.19423 (Table 1: Stress Tolerance & Pathogen Defence)

4. Liu, H., et al. (2023). Trichoderma-induced systemic resistance in plants: Mechanisms and applications. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 198, 107678. ➜ doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107678 (Table 1: Disease Suppression)

BIO Colin Bell is VP of US Business Development at MIIM Horticulture. He has worked as a PhD Research Scientist in Federal and Academic institutions for years. He builds businesses, develops products, and grows brands for indoor cultivation. Reach out: colin@miimhort.com

Finding the exact moment between enough water and too little is challenging without the correct sensors

crop steering How Growing Equipment Impacts

Crop steering is about guiding your plants toward the direction you want to achieve better results, including higher-quality products and bigger yields. For almost all aspects of crop steering, you must measure and decide when it’s the right time to change temperature, irrigate, push dry back and transpiration, etc. There are so many variables, I suggest you focus on one at a time and build your grow from there.

Temperature and RH

The simplest variable in crop steering is changing the room’s RH and temperature. If you have recently transplanted and are in a very saturated bag, say, coco, you want to try to get those plants to take up the water or have the bag evaporate it off as quickly as possible. Increasing the room temperature allows the air to hold more moisture at the same RH, helping it evaporate and transpire, so running your room at, say, 82/83 rather than 80/81 works. Monitor room conditions with a simple temperature and RH sensor. I go a step further and love using the Aranet Wet 150, which is a temperature, EC, and soil moisture meter.

Irrigation and Nutrition

Crop steering with irrigation promotes better root growth, so it’s essential to drive the roots to reach and drink all the water available in the media. Do not leave the media saturated overnight or let it dry out too much; the plants will start to wilt. Finding the exact moment between enough water and too little is challenging without the correct sensors. With my soil moisture sensor, I can monitor the soil moisture throughout the day and predict when I need to water next. I still go through my grow and pick-up bags to check water levels; however, with the moisture sensor, I generally know how long it takes for them to dry back and at what level the plants will wilt. I make sure to water just before the plants are thirsty. The goal is to water just enough in the morning so we don’t need to water again that day. The next morning, the plants will be ready for a drink about 30 minutes after sunrise. Without my soil moisture sensors, I would need to be in my grow multiple times a day to track water usage. The sensor lets me check soil moisture content on my phone! I also use my sensors to manage nutrient delivery. I can read the EC in the media, so I only flush when I’m concerned about buildup. Typically, I try to do three to four short feeds before I do a long one to run off.

Watch your plants and stress them just enough to produce more of the good stuff

The Right Gadgets

If I had an unlimited budget, I would use slab weight sensors, as their higher percentage accuracy provides better feedback for dry back. You can add 500ml in a day and know precisely how many ml are leaving the plant in a given unit of time. These sensors cost about five times as much as a soil moisture sensor, so they are not available to the average grower.

As with so many sensors, don’t cheap out—get ones with higher accuracy. The Wet 150 is within 1.5% of the water content in the bag, whereas my previous sensors were off by ±15%, which is useless for proper dry-back in crop steering.

If you want to dive into other aspects of crop steering, I suggest using infrared leaf-temperature sensors to measure VPD. If you drive the VPD, you can control fertiliser uptake and improve your plants’ steering. Remember to make only one change at a time and make them slowly. Watch your plants and stress them just enough to produce more of the good stuff. Walking the line is a very conscious decision, and you should be vigilant if you choose to steer this hard! 3

BIO 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.

Combining Tech and Nature

A Living Experiment at Science World

At Ken Spencer Park, science graciously steps aside to let Mother Nature perfect the algorithm.

In the forecourt of Vancouver’s iconic geodesic dome, also known as Science World, is Ken Spencer Park. Visitors and school groups visiting the 35,000-square-foot ecosystem are invited to learn about sustainable growing practices and innovative foods that can be grown in any home garden. Each year, a different theme sets the tone, and in 2025, “What’s in Your Lunchbox” explored garden-to-table foods. Shaped in the form of a triangle to represent a pizza slice, the signature garden cultivated tomatoes, oregano, basil, and wheat. Sarah Tulga, a climate education specialist and my park guide, says the scientific inquiry is, “What does it actually look like to grow the things that I see on my plate?”

For me, the surprise was the wheat growing in the raised garden bed alongside the tomatoes and herbs. But then again, grains are big at Science World. Rice, millet, oats, wheat and quinoa (recognisable by its red cone-shaped flowers) are everywhere. The quinoa, according to Tulga, has a mind of its own, having self-seeded from last year’s original crop.

That is the essence of the garden – nature, not science, gets to lead the way. The garden beds aren’t perfect – some are a mesh mash of edimentals, mixed with herbs such as basil, cucumbers, and sunflowers growing alongside the wayward quinoa. It’s a scene reminiscent of a mad scientist’s laboratory, where various substances are tested until the right formula is achieved. That is precisely how Tulga wants it. A self-taught gardener, Tulga happily admits that experimentation is the essence of all great science, and this garden is a living experiment.

“I think sometimes gardening can be really intimidating,” she says. “It’s complicated and scientific. There’s a lot that goes into it: soil chemistry, science, and weather patterns. We work with many educators, and they are so happy to hear that they can just plant some experiments and try things out.”

As you walk from one part of the park to another, the experiment begins to make sense, and out of the randomness, a sense of connectiveness emerges. The reflection walk leading to the newly created wetland is lined with native plants that once grew in the area, including salal bushes, Oregon Grape, and wild roses. Here, interpretative signage lists the Indigenous plant names in Squamish and Hul’qum’inum (the language of the Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations). Each sign describes the reciprocal relationship Indigenous peoples had with these plants and how they were used for medicine, shelter, or food.

In the wetland area, marsh grass and sedges surround the edges of the pond, their roots acting as a natural filtration system to keep pollutants out of the crystal-clear water that has become a pollinator’s watering hole. Tulga tells me that the hummingbirds love the wetland and often a dragonfly or two will visit. Once their thirst is quenched, they happily meander over the sunflowers or tomatoes, ensuring they do their job of pollinating the plant so that the fruit is produced. Standing out from the crowd of wetland foliage is a clump of sunflowers.

“If nature wants you to be there, I’m not going to say no,” Tulga says, laughing.

Although clearly not a wetland plant, the presence of sunflowers further emphasises the connections between ecosystems and how one can support another. A small wetland environment, in this instance, supports a food garden. On a larger scale, it’s a marsh next to a wheat field that also supports a diverse array of pollinators, plants, and birds, all working together to help each part of the whole thrive. Then there is the pièce de résistance.

“I call him MIKE,” Tulga says, “He’s my incredible CNC robot.”

“When I think of sustainable communities, I think of food,” Tulga says. “Of people coming together over meals, of regenerative food systems, and a deep connection to nature.”

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, a type of robotics that operates incredibly quickly and precisely. Mike is remote-controlled and can be scheduled and programmed to perform tasks. He runs along tracks attached to a raised bed. By attaching 3D laser-printed tools to his frame, he can perform things such as seeding. He grabs seeds using a vacuum suction, holds them on the tip of a needle, and plants them as he moves along the track. He can measure soil moisture by judging the electric current in the soil. The wetter the soil is, the more current flows through it. If dry, there is less, and it’s time to water.

MIKE can’t harvest, but despite this drawback, his most impressive feature is affordability. He costs about the same as a laptop. His purpose at Science World is to show how the use of technology can augment sustainable growing.

“Often, gardening is people’s first entry point to having a more reciprocal relationship with nature,” Tulga explains.

Science is about vision, and Science World believes that within a generation, Canada will be a country of thriving, sustainable communities rooted in science, innovation and a deep connection to nature.

“When I think of sustainable communities, I think of food,” Tulga says. “Of people coming together over meals, of regenerative food systems, and a deep connection to nature.”

Tulga hopes that anyone visiting the park is inspired by the selection of creative foods growing in the garden beds and the organic and natural methods used to cultivate them. I have to admit, I left inspired, eager to try growing rice or quinoa. 3

To learn more about Science World and Ken Spencer Park, check out: scienceworld.ca/exhibition/sciencepark

Grow BehindShop the Grow Shop

day in the life of a hydro store owner

Behind the A

Your favourite local hydro shop might seem a glossy, well-oiled machine, but what really goes on behind the counters? With years of experience in the UK grow scene, Steve from Hydro Bros knows it’s not all glamorous. He brings a new, unfiltered series to Garden Culture’s pages to tell the tales of running a store. Steve brings sharp insight, grit, a little bit of chaos, and a healthy sense of humour to every story. Stay tuned for the next installment where Steve dives into the subject of ... LEDs.

Welcome to my little corner of Garden Culture Magazine. This article is called ‘Behind the Grow Shop’; a glimpse of what actually happens behind the Instagram memes, pictures of flashy new stuff, and questionable story shares. Are we a well-oiled, slick machine, or quivering shambles lucky to have made it so far? I think we’re pretty efficient; however, until I’m on a yacht with [fill in your own blank], my work is not done.

To frame the answer and context, a large proportion of our business is online; however, while our in-store footfall may be only a fraction of our orders, the AOV in-store is higher.

Our business model has three core pillars:

1. Customer Service: Great before the sale, even better after.

2. Rapid Dispatch: If an order hits at 5:30 pm and we can send it, we will.

3. Staying Ahead of the Curve: Being that beacon of what’s hot (or not); yes, showing my age there (Google ‘hot or not’, circa 1999).

Post-sales issues are the most challenging and least fun part of running a shop, but they are so rewarding when we can resolve them. Let me paint a picture for you: a post-sale email/ticket comes in from a customer (or a phone call), and I see my colleague Ellie with her head in her hands, which means we have a grenade to deal with—an unexpected shit bomb that has landed and needs to be defused. These come in the form of us packing the wrong items (rare these days, but an easy fix, albeit a cost hit), the order not being delivered, or the items being damaged in transit. Online retail is not for the faint of heart. This is a time, cost, and stress hit.

Recently, we shipped a pallet to Manchester containing a few bits, including LEDs and an extraction kit (Omega LEDs and Isomax with a Carboair, if you’re wondering). Still, somehow it didn’t arrive on the pallet, and the bloody filter is missing! Our only official channel is to raise this with our depot, who we know are ‘the computer says no’ humanbot desk jockeys. These are the absolute worst type of employees. I’ve always had a hatred for lazy people, but running my own business heightened these toxic feelings. When you have zero empathy and zero shits, then customer service roles are not for you. Seriously, GTFO of here.

Figure 1

What I suspect happened is that the delivery driver didn’t have a forklift, so they handballed it off the pallet and onto the van (we discreetly wrap everything), but then didn’t deliver all the parcels. Great fun.

BIO: 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.

Here’s another recent one: a customer said they didn’t receive their 50m roll of C3. Cool—we’ll send you a claim form, and in the meantime, we’ll send you another. The replacement gets delivered, and the form comes back a few days later, but for whatever reason, the customer stated they DID get the first parcel… so we take the L and the claim is closed. Lovely. What did I tell you about online retail? That’s right; it’s not for the faint of heart. I’ve learned that there aren’t enough resources or hours in the day, so choose your battles. Every hit we take is a learning, and we’ve taken a lot of hits. Don’t ever ask me about the crypto debacle, the haemorrhaging wage bill of inefficiency we were blind to, or the Gavita 1700 we sold on eBay – they’re painful memories. Extreme emotional damage. When these grenades are diffused successfully, I’m thankful that the problem has been resolved and proud as hell knowing the customer is satisfied.

No two days are ever the same. Here’s what my melting pot of a schedule looks like:

• Sales, stock, pricing or technical queries;

• Supplier calls (they all love it when Ellie calls up, but fail to hide their groan when I call);

• Packing orders;

• Working with in-store customers;

• Attending prearranged meetings with customers;

• Following up on deliveries;

• Navigating hydro politics;

• Updating the website and staying on top of socials;

• Man-marking orders as they come in;

• Keeping up with the latest products;

• The odd emergency courier run.

All this, combined with a grenade or two (e.g., suppliers sending us the wrong stuff can be a kick in the ballsack, as this impacts the second pillar). Oh, I almost forgot the minor task of financial juggling, trying to turn a profit in a down market against a bleak economic backdrop in an industry that is racing to the bottom, and where supply is outstripping demand on both sides of the fence.

So yeah, behind the memes, LEDs, and courier carnage, it’s equal parts madness and teamwork. We’re not a slick corporate giant; we’re a handful of people trying to keep the lights on (literally), fuelled by caffeine, chaos, and a genuine love for this industry. Until I’m on that yacht, the mission continues. 3

Give @TheHydroBros a follow. If you are curious who Ellie is, she’s on Instagram too: @thehydrobros.ellie

Leave the logs! Leave the logs!

Brush and log piles aren’t a sight for sore eyes; they’re low-cost barriers and fencing options bursting with biodiversity! Read our guide on how to build a dead hedge and other ways to boost biodiversity at GCMag.co

We’ve already told you to stop raking leaves in the fall. Neglecting this traditional chore helps pollinators, native insects, frogs, and more to find winter shelter. Now, we’re levelling up and suggesting that the pile of brush you’ve got going in the yard stays put! No need to cart it away or burn it; we’re scratching one job off the list at a time, and everyone and everything – you, your gardens, and the local ecosystem – is happy.

How to Make a Habitat for the Local Ecosystem

You don’t need acres of forest to create a habitat for small creatures, invertebrates, and native insects. If you have a property with some trees, then you already have what it takes. If you live in a space with just a small patio, you can still help by building an insect hotel!

Leave the Logs!

My house is surrounded by forest, so we’ve taken down any dead trees that have fallen along with branches and leaves, and simply piled them neatly in various corners of our property. It doesn’t require much work or planning, but it offers a major boost to the local ecosystem.

These brush piles attract a wide range of critters, providing them with food and shelter for the winter. Insects and other

small critters will make a home in the piles, and the local bird population will also pop by for the occasional snack. When the snow melts in spring, beneficial bugs and other creatures emerge, ready to help native plants in the garden and contribute to your local biodiversity, a cornerstone of regenerative gardening and permaculture practices.

Building a Dead Hedge

If random log piles aren’t your jam, consider making a dead hedge instead. A dead hedge is made with woody materials like logs, branches, garden prunings, and more. Set up sturdy vertical stakes in a rectangular or square shape. Then, weave all the debris together to form a tight-knit barrier. The final result should look like a neat, woody hedge. Make no mistake that although the hedge is ‘dead’, it’s bursting with life!

Building a ‘Dead Hedge’Boosts Biodiversity

A dead hedge is an excellent way to reuse garden waste and is a low-cost fencing option for providing privacy or marking property lines

trending now!

If random log piles aren’t your jam, consider making a dead hedge instead

A dead hedge is an excellent way to reuse garden waste and is a low-cost fencing option for providing privacy or marking property lines. It provides shelter and foraging sites for local wildlife and serves as a nesting site for birds. Continue adding to the hedge whenever you have garden debris or fallen branches and leaves.

If you don’t love the look, you can always plant climbing vines at the base to add a pop of colour to the area.

Biodiversity and Soil Improvement

Besides offering a helping hand to the local ecosystem, as logs, branches, and prunings decompose, the soil underneath is improved, helping regenerate the land and bringing new life to our spaces.

When the snow melts in spring, beneficial bugs and other creatures emerge, ready to help native plants in the garden and contribute to your local biodiversity, a cornerstone of regenerative gardening and permaculture practices

By taking the ‘lazy’ route and simply piling forest brush and garden debris, you’re creating a healthier habitat and ecosystem for your garden. 3

OPTIMISED FOR LED SPECTRUM MAXIMISE UPTAKE ENHANCE POTENCY

VBX, a nutrient developed to compliment the LED spectrum. Combining the power of multiple bottles in one complete powder for optimum results.

Good Growing Tunes How Plants Respond to Music

Next time you listen to music, ask yourself whether your plants would enjoy that tune. Could this be a new form of plant steering? Jennifer Cole explores how to curate the perfect plant playlist; find this groovy guide and more at GCMag.co

Plants enjoy music just as much as humans!

Music has a profound effect on our well-being. But did you know that tunes also impact plants? Experiments conducted in the open field and under greenhouse growing conditions with different levels of audible sound frequencies found that plants love to get their groove on!

Growing to Different Beats

Plants don’t have ears and don’t hear the music like humans do, but they do pick up vibrations in their environment. It’s believed that specific sound frequencies, particularly those around 432Hz, can impact cellular function in plants. This frequency has long been associated with the earth’s natural vibrations and is thought to resonate well with all living organisms. For plants, it means an optimised environment for photosynthesis and nutrient absorption. Low-frequency sounds, such as those produced by bass-heavy music, mimic thunderstorms, which have been found to promote root growth and overall plant health.

What Kind of Music to Play for Plants?

Different types of music influence plants differently. Classical music, for example, has been shown to enhance plant growth and development. In Italy, the owners of Il Paradiso di Frassina vineyards have been experimenting with music for ten years. Listening to Mozart made the vines grow larger and point toward the source of the sound. Other studies have found that classical music improves plant nutrient and water absorption.

While gentle music may benefit plants, the opposite is true for heavy metal or rock music. Loud, aggressive sounds can impede plant growth and damage plant cell walls. Sound waves strong enough to impact plant structure can cause stress, slow growth, or even lead to plant death.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that certain plants can respond defensively to loud noises. For instance, the herb cress produces defensive chemicals when it interprets sounds resembling munching caterpillars.

How to Incorporate Sound in the Garden

By incorporating the right sounds into your garden and plant care routine, you can enhance their physical health and contribute to their overall well-being. Healthier plants with better growth patterns are more apt to produce tastier fruit and stronger immune systems.

Experiments conducted in the open field and under greenhouse growing conditions with different levels of audible sound frequencies found that plants love to get their groove on!

One way to do this is to establish a 12-hour music routine for your plants. Position an audio source in the same room as your plants, keeping the volume low. Play the music at the same time each day to develop a rhythm that your plants can respond to.

Find playlists specially curated for plants on YouTube and Spotify, or have fun and make one yourself!

How to Patent Your Plant Ideas garden Innovations

How are garden inventions created? As a single mom farming off-grid in deep California, I decided to take the leap and try to figure it out.

Iwas raised by a doomsday prepper mom who believed homesteading could save humanity. I learned how to be resourceful, to live off the land and make the land work with us to ensure our survival. What we needed was sewn, grown, hunted, or stored during long, snowy winters, when months would go by with no human contact. In this selfsustaining environment, I learned to invent. I crafted anything you can think of at an early age. Christmas was made up entirely of handmade goods, which was our tradition.

Never be afraid to reinvent yourself

So, it made sense that, after years of battling the elements growing medical plants, my frustrated brain invented a greenhouse umbrella and skirt. This innovation creates a perfect environment for cultivation and protects plants from various issues, including mud bud, breaks, lost flowers, cold damage, cross-pollination, bud rot, and more.

I trademarked it as Croptops Greenhouses, and my innovations company was born. After many years of perfecting, designing, and manufacturing the basic design, I was granted a full federal patent in 2016 with 21 microclaims appended to it.

I accomplished this using technology from 2012: basic phones, no laptop and dial-up internet access. It can be an exhausting journey, one that takes you out of the peace and harmony of being just a gardener or farmer and thrusts you into a vast world of commerce and trade. But, for some, the adventure of inventing in the garden makes the mind bloom bigger.

Notes for Idea Assessment

• “Necessity is the mother of invention”. When you find a need for or a way to do something easier or better, write it down. Think of ways to solve the puzzle, from a new latch style to a bearing on a wheelbarrow. The world is ripe with innovation space, and there is no limit to what can be created. Say you think of a new tool, such as a heart-shaped shovel for burying bad vibes or something. First, try to sketch your concept on a napkin and refine your thoughts into a solid product.

• Google your ideas. Research and investigate any version that may be out in commerce. Be specific, such as shovel designs, in your search engine queries.

• Run a Patent search. You can visit the United States Patent Office, the UK Patent Office, or the patent office in any other country and research existing patents. It’s wise to look at least one foreign patent body, as patents are country-specific. Lawyers and businesses will attempt to charge you to do patent searches, but with a little time commitment, you can accomplish this yourself.

Stay away from the “Let me Help You Invent” platforms. They are built to capitalise, not help inventors.

Create an Overview to Self-Assess Your Ideas

• What are the product’s uses?

• What is the target market? Gardeners or farmers?

• What is the potential profit?

• How many people would purchase this product? Is it novelty or applicable?

Profit Margins are Crucial

Ultimately, becoming an inventor is all about profit margins. The person who invents a new irrigation valve may earn more money than someone who creates an entirely new tractor tool, which illustrates the concept of volume versus gains.

Perception is Everything

Consider the other tools available or objects that achieve the same goal. For example, my heart-shaped shovel idea (conceived while writing this) may be good for root crops or root removals. I would research root pullers, tuber harvesters, etc. It can also be made for satire or novelty gifts. It all depends on how you look at the idea. Perception is everything.

Crop Tops pop-ups create a perfect environment for cultivation

I was raised by a doomsday prepper mom who believed homesteading could save humanity

File Your Own Patents

Once you find your perfected product concept, it’s possible to file your own patents for just a few hundred dollars. I’ve personally been preyed on for tens of thousands of dollars, eventually learning that the hard way.

Find Cost-Effective Manufacturing

Research manufacturing companies or figure out how to make it locally or at home. It may be cheaper for me to buy already-made shovels and use a torch to cut them into a heart shape, rather than creating an entirely new product line. Look into the cost-effectiveness of its creation. 3D printers offer easy opportunities for creating prototypes and basic models.

Getting Your Product to Market

Go through the process, break down and patent your own idea, and make it with earth-conscious materials. You can sell your patent to larger, established companies. However, that adventure in itself is an arduous goal. I chose not to sell out to larger, well-known companies that may be known for toxic practices. I have completely self-funded and self-distributed.

You’ve Got This

Inventing in your garden is a passion with a purpose. I hope to see many new, eco-friendly and well-made resourceful tools being creat ed by you in the future. Never be afraid to reinvent yourself.

BIO A.C. Moon Cameron is a 26year 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.

Are Foliar Fertilisers in Your Future?

Full disclosure: I am loyal to the soil. The world of foliar fertility can feel like uncharted waters. The buffering capacity of soil is remarkably forgiving, allowing for less precise nutrient application, which is far more conducive to my gardening style. My application of foliar treatments has been limited to the use of biodynamic preps (i.e., BD 501 and horsetail), perhaps a biopesticide, and the occasional spritz of my tomatoes with Epsom salts or a kelp extract. However, having the opportunity to visit countless farms and gardens, the popularity among growers of addressing acute nutrient deficiencies by feeding their leaves left me wondering if I’m missing out

For many growers, the root zone has been viewed as the primary portal for nutrition, utilising fertigation to deliver a finely tuned recipe of micro- and macronutrients. Such simplicity seems counterintuitive to the complexity of Nature, with its built-in redundancies and problem-solving capabilities. As such, foliar feeding —the practice of applying nutrients directly to the leaves —offers growers another tool in plant nutrition, plant health, and overall plant productivity. Research in other horticultural crops has shown that foliar feeding can enhance not only yield but also quality attributes, such as antioxidant levels in berries, essential oil content in herbs, or aroma volatiles in fruit. Like any tool, foliar feeding is not a panacea, but when used judiciously, it can be just what the doctor ordered, helping a crop recover or even thrive.

The Why behind Foliar FeedingThe Leaf as a Nutrient Gateway

When we think of the function of leaves, we immediately focus on light capture for photosynthesis, and perhaps recognise leaves as sites for gas exchange and transpiration. However, they also present an interface that allows nutrients to pass into the plant, often with great ease and in a short period. It isn’t self-evident because when you look at the cuticle of the leaf - the outer waxy layer - it is hydrophobic, repelling water. When you look closely at leaf structure, you will see that it contains stomata and has pores and aqueous channels designed for the diffusion of ions and small molecules.

For high-value crops, where nutrient deficiencies at the wrong time can be disastrous for yield or have a devastating impact on potency, foliar applications offer growers a rapid-response tool. For example, with the rapid transition from vegetative to reproductive stages, a deficiency in manganese (Mn) can delay the transition by days or even weeks. Similarly, plants deficient in phosphorus (P) at the time of flipping may exhibit stunted growth during the stretch period. During this transition phase, a grower cannot afford to wait weeks for soil amendments to correct a deficiency.

Indoor and greenhouse cultivation often subjects plants to high-intensity light, elevated CO2, and dense planting arrangements—all of which amplify metabolic rates and nutrient demand. These demands are arguably more easily met with fine-tuned hydroponic systems rather than a Living Soil Organic (LSO) system. As an advocate of LSO beds, foliar fertility can help address acute deficiencies and mitigate the potential for creating imbalanced soils. In efforts to ensure

the plant has access to all potential nutrients, some growers using LSO beds will stack their soils with incredibly high volumes of amendments as a guarantee. Unfortunately, such systems invariably lead to deleterious soluble salt levels, high Na and S, and nutrient interactions resulting in reduced uptake. And of course, as a bed system, these imbalances not only affect the current crop but also subsequent crops until balance is restored. The short-term solution is foliar fertilisation.

The What behind Foliar FeedingFrom Micronutrients to Biostimulants

Micronutrients like zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), Mn, and boron (B) are particularly well-suited for foliar uptake due to their small ionic size and high mobility in liquid solutions. Macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S) can also be absorbed, but with varying degrees of efficiency. For instance:

• Nitrogen (as urea): Rapidly absorbed and translocated will help “green” up leaves to enhance photosynthetic capacity during high-demand periods. The inclusion of humic acid with urea-based foliar sprays will significantly increase nitrogen-use efficiency.

• Micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, B, Cu): Often highly effective when applied foliarly, especially when in a chelated form. Chelation increases solubility and reduces phytotoxic potential, improving leaf penetration and mobility.

• Potassium, Magnesium, Sulfur: Moderately mobile and can be effective when applied foliarly in acute correction scenarios or for stress mitigation.

• Calcium and Phosphorus: Generally poor systemic mobility when applied foliarly; calcium is immobile in the phloem, and foliar applications typically address only local symptoms.

• Biostimulants: Seaweed/kelp extracts, fish/squid hydrolysates, amino acids, humic/fulvic acids and microbial metabolites are gaining traction as foliar biostimulants that may activate plant defence pathways and secondary metabolite production. Certain biostimulants provide signalling molecules, plant hormones or hormone-like compounds (cytokinins, betaines), attributed to stress mitigation and potential increases in secondary metabolites.

• Silica and Structural Strengthening Products: Silicon (especially monosilicic acid) can enhance cell-wall strength and reduce susceptibility to abiotic stress, with some suggestions that it may also trigger increased production of secondary metabolites.

Foliar fertilisation is neither a silver bullet nor a gimmick. It is a nuanced practice, rooted in plant physiology, that offers growers agility and precision in crop managemen

Research in other horticultural crops has shown that foliar feeding can enhance not only yield but also quality attributes

Leaf uptake of these various foliar elements is governed by a variety of physical and chemical factors (e.g., molecular size, ionic charge, solubility), adjuvant use (surfactants, wetting agents), and environmental context (i.e., contact time, light and temperature, and stomatal condition). The use of yucca extract as a wetting agent can help increase coverage, while the use of fulvic acid enhances the absorption of most of the aforementioned elements and molecules.

The When behind Foliar FeedingTiming is Everything

Vegetative Phase: Foliar applications of N, Mg, and micronutrients, such as Zn and Fe, can rapidly correct deficiencies and support robust canopy development. Biostimulants such as kelp extracts or humic/fulvic acids enhance leaf expansion and chlorophyll density.

Pre-Flower Transition: Foliar P and K can prime the plant for reproductive development. Si sprays strengthen cell walls, preparing plants for the stress of flowering.

Early Flower: Gentle micronutrient applications may continue, but caution is advised to prevent residue on flowers. Stress-alleviating sprays (e.g., calcium-magnesium with amino acids) can help address the metabolic demands during this, the most rapid growth phase.

Mid-to-Late Flower: Foliar feeding is typically avoided due to the risk of residue, mould, or contamination.

The How behind Foliar Feeding - Application Tips

Foliar sprays should not be “shots in the dark.” Tissue testing, visual diagnosis, and understanding the crop’s developmental stage are prerequisites. Too often, growers apply nutrient cocktails without knowing which deficiencies actually exist. The bulk of nutrition should still flow through the roots, with foliar sprays providing precision adjustments. Furthermore, if you are constantly using foliar fertility to address nutrient deficiencies in every crop cycle, you may want to revisit your fertigation plan.

Do’s

• Droplet Size: Fine misting (100–200 microns) ensures good leaf coverage without excessive runoff.

• pH and Temperature: Slightly acidic solutions (pH 5.5–6.0) improve penetration. Sprays should be applied during cooler parts of the day, early morning (immediately after lights-on) or evening (immediately before lights-off, ensuring good airflow to prevent leaf wetness for an extended time) to maximise stomatal opening and reduce evaporation.

• Frequency: Light, frequent applications are more effective than heavy, infrequent ones. A “little and often” philosophy prevents leaf burn and optimises uptake.

Don’ts

• High-Light Intensity: Spraying under high-light intensity or full-sun can cause phototoxicity. Similarly, spraying during high temperatures may cause phytotoxicity by causing rapid uptake.

• Late-Flower Application: Spraying too close to harvest may cause moulds and mildews in the inflorescences.

Foliar fertilisation is neither a silver bullet nor a gimmick. It is a nuanced practice, rooted in plant physiology, that offers growers agility and precision in crop management. When integrated thoughtfully, it can prevent deficiencies, enhance resilience, and potentially elevate plant quality. As with so much in agronomy, the art lies in balance. 3

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

Drains on the Brain

Simplified Approaches to Harmonious Infiltration

When soil is in good health, water flow is not necessarily this unidirectional; infiltration pathways allow reserves of water to be drawn against gravity when needed, from wetter to drier areas

Whatever the weather, season, or system, getting water to plants is only half of the job. A well-managed irrigation system also ensures reliable drainage, drawing excess water away from roots and back to soil reserves.

A well-managed irrigation system also ensures reliable drainage, drawing excess water away from roots and back to soil reserves

When considering how much water my garden actually needs, I find it helpful to picture each finished veggie or flower as an accumulation of water over time; what comes out must first go in. If I want a lot of fresh cucumbers in the summer, I hold a cucumber and think, “How much of this is water?” Realistically, how much water needs to be available as the plant is ‘building’ cucumbers so that it can be stored in each one?

Some years, nature handles this more than adequately. Bloated zucchini and split tomatoes, as well as soggy, limp, and stressed plants, are signs that there’s just too much for the garden to convert into food and medicine. Instead of feeling well-hydrated, it’s now like they’re on a road trip with a full bladder and the driver is refusing to pull over. Something’s got to give!

Designing a garden with natural buffers against extremes of wet and dry allows the assemblage of life to negotiate its own water use. As system stewards, we can handle the large-scale jobs and trust the fine details of this work to our soil-dwelling partners.

Infiltration Capacity: How Free is Water to Move?

Adequate drainage ensures that fresh water entering the system remains available when needed and is not wasted, while preventing clogs and backlogs that can create a toxic root environment and slow plant growth.

Infiltration refers to the ability of water to move through the soil, and thanks to gravity, we generally think of this as a one-way street. Water enters the surface, travels down and through the growing substrate, and then continues further underground to flow through wetlands, fill basins, recharge streams, run in rivers, and eventually return to the sea.

When soil is in good health, water flow is not necessarily this unidirectional; infiltration pathways allow reserves of water to be drawn against gravity when needed, from wetter to drier areas through capillarity*, until balance is achieved. Sub-surface irrigation relies on these fine channels to harmonise the effects of evaporation and above-ground storage of water in plant (and fungal) tissues.

Plant roots and mycelial networks explore these natural soil drains and grow within them, causing soil particles to push closer together. There has to be some amount of room for air exchange, so the ratios of mineral soil types, how they are mixed, and the amount and type of organic matter available to cushion these particles and prevent blockage are all factors contributing to infiltration capacity.

Key Concept: Capillarity

“Capillary” originates from latin for “small hairs”, and capillarity describes the way fluids move through narrow, hairlike pathways. In simple terms, water molecules are attracted to other water molecules and to surfaces they come into contact with. In small spaces, this force can beat gravity’s pull.

Capillary action is how the structures within plants evolved to deliver water where it’s needed, through the trunk of a tree to the very tips of its branches, or along the length of a vine, all the way to each budding flower. If you picture how a candle wick acts as the pathway for melted wax to run up against gravity and provide a constant source of liquid fuel to a flame, you’ll understand why capillary action is sometimes called “wicking.”

What happens when infiltration capacity is exceeded?

Washout (erosion), compaction, and pooling are all signs that the amount of water present exceeds the infiltration channels’ capacity to drain. To retain or improve the infiltration capacity of soil, consider the biological and physical characteristics of the subsurface environment.

As a grower, you can learn to recognise the signs of suffering and act quickly to provide relief

Drains on the Brain

In a precision agricultural setting, sensors and meters observe and act on our behalf. If the data is logged, we can use it to understand our plants’ needs better and make operational or structural adjustments

How can infiltration be improved?

Plants, Living and Dead

Healthy plants are a bit like an open tap: less moisture returns to the soil than what is absorbed. Water and dissolved molecules are constantly being drawn in through the roots and used to build new cells, and enough new water has to come in to keep enabling these processes. This includes extra water to allow the flushing out of broken-down food ‘waste’ so these molecules don’t accumulate to toxic levels.

When merely a single plant is living in a volume of soil, it can only sacrifice its own needs when water is in short supply. As a grower, you can learn to recognise the signs of suffering and act quickly to provide relief.

While the first and fastest way is to activate a macro-scale irrigation system, which is triggered by biology (the gardener who observes, decides, and turns on the tap), it’s clearly better not to let the plant get stressed in the first place. In a precision agricultural setting, sensors and meters observe and act on our behalf. If the data is logged, we can use it to understand our plants’ needs better and make operational or structural adjustments.

Plants in shared spaces negotiate their water needs, with fungi often acting as mediators. The specific lifeform(s) receiving priority access changes based on what processes are happening and how the whole network is thriving (or not).

A plant at the end of its life withers and dies, and its stored water is sent back to the greater system. When you chop and drop living mulches, the stems and leaves release their water into the topsoil, and the roots are digested and recycled. This process occurs rapidly with the assistance of soil microbes, arthropods, and insects, and all this vital activity promotes the maintenance and construction of new infiltration pathways.

Water held in the roots is also released when above-ground plant parts are removed, and it too becomes available for reclamation. In the case of veggies cut down in their prime, we’re the benefactors of that local ecology’s good water management. Where species with different water needs and rooting depths grow together, and on different timetables, fast-growing grasses and leafy plants can suck up extra water when needed, and be sacrificed in times of need.

It’s much more efficient to conserve the ingredients of a meal and let the longer-season plants use soil-stored moisture, rather than continually adding water while a barren top layer of soil allows it to evaporate and deplete deeper reserves.

Rocks, Buried Wood, and Old Roots

Rather than paving high-traffic areas, gravel pathways resist compaction while still allowing water to penetrate. It is a myth, however, that gravel in the bottom of containers assists drainage. Instead, these stones merely occupy usable space and actively discourage water from leaving the pot through the holes at the bottom, thereby increasing the risk of root rot.

Letting natural forces guide water movement in the garden is much less mentally strenuous than attempting to control every drip and drop

Perlite and vermiculite are much better “rocks” (both are chunks of minerals that have been treated with heat) to incorporate in potting soil.

Chipped-wood pathways, buried logs, and the roots of dead-standing or chopped-down trees are also adequate, longer-term buffers against rapid soil drying. Unlike rocks, they add both food and structure to the immediate area.

Fungal Bodies, Bioslimes, and Glues

If you’ve ever noticed that a used hanky gets really hard when it dries, you’ll appreciate the power of bioslimes. Bacteria, slugs, and snails glue particles together to form pores of different sizes, creating aggregate chunks of mineral soil that don’t collapse when organic matter is digested and removed, leaving room for much-needed air in the rhizosphere.

A constant, slow diffusion of moisture between the tiniest spaces in soil is better for the system’s stability than a rapid blast of pressure. Mushrooms emerging after a heavy rain are a good example of how fungi act quickly to make use of water in sudden excess. They channel this pressure and, with their harder-than-dirt, chitin-based cell walls, burst above the surface, removing about 90% of their weight in water that could have otherwise flooded and destroyed infiltration channels.

Thoughtful Choices, Intentional Inaction

Letting natural forces guide water movement in the garden is much less mentally strenuous than attempting to control every drip and drop. By designing a system that requires minimal intervention on our part, and maintaining it with care for the health of the living inhabitants, reliably good infiltration is an achievable result. 3

References and Resources:

nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/Soil%20Infiltration.pdf Nimmo, J., & Shillito, R. (2023). Infiltration of Water Into Soil. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. doi.org/10.1093/ acrefore/9780199389414.013.768

As we wrap up another year in our grow rooms and gardens, it’s time to reflect on our achievements and failures and fine-tune how we approach the next growing season. It’s impossible to predict the successes we’ll have or the problems we might face, but we can look ahead to what’s trending in the world of plants, and 2026 is already shaping up to be an optimistic year where we grow and live with intention! Garden Media Group (GMG) has released its 25th annual Garden Trends Report, which pegs an overall theme for where gardeners and growers are and where they want to be. As we continue to face the climate crisis, it’s no surprise that we’re looking at the positive, something GMG refers to as ‘Lemonading’. To be clear, lemonading isn’t about pretending that everything is okay. According to GMG, it’s about recognising the problem, feeling it, and then finding ways to be part of the solution. When life gives you lemons…

Are more of us ready to put our smartphones away and focus on genuine connection with each other and the natural world?

The History of GMG’s Garden Trends Report

Garden Media Group compiles its Garden Trends Report by scouting global consumer trends and consulting with media and experts worldwide. It’s had a pretty good run, successfully predicting several gardening trends over the years:

• 2003: Predicted the container gardening craze

• 2004: Saw the surge in vegetable growing

• 2007: Recognised the renewed interest in native plants

• 2009: Anticipated a keen interest in vertical gardens

• 2018: Projected turning to plants for well-being

• 2021: Forecasted the rise of tech and AI in the garden

• 2025: Witnessed as living fences offered pretty forms of privacy

Making Lemonade

Based on its research, GMG finds that we’re burnt out and want to shift to what really matters: leading simpler, more authentic, and slower lives, where success is defined by emotional well-being and not wealth or tangible things. Are more of us ready to put our smartphones away and focus on genuine connection with each other and the natural world? We can only hope the 2026 prediction is spot on! If it is, we can look forward to more intentional living, and it’s never too late for that.

Core Principles of Lemonading

• Connection over consumption

• Simplicity over hustle

• Joyspan instead of lifespan

• Celebrating Minorstones over milestones

How to

‘Lemonade’

in the Garden or Grow Room

Gardeners and growers are perfect candidates for reaping the benefits of ‘lemonading.’ The GMG report suggests we experiment with something new — whether a growing method or a crop type — and enjoy the process even if we fail. We can also practise the art of connection by transforming our spaces into living experiments that bring us joy, from growing herbs on a kitchen windowsill or setting up a grow tent to vibrant houseplant corners that ooze positivity and happiness. GMG’s report points to several ways gardeners can make lemonade. On the next page you will find some of their bold predictions for 2026.

lemons...

Purpose-Driven Gardening

Why we grow plants is changing…

Personal Museum

The forecasted trend of purpose-driven gardening excites us because we’re all about planting with a purpose here at Garden Culture Magazine. Planting patches of milkweed and vibrant, native flowers helps make a difference for our struggling pollinator friends. Edible and edimental growing spaces are not only beautiful to look at but offer fresh food to our families and neighbours. How about creating a preserver’s garden, explicitly grown for fermenting, canning, pickling and more? As we struggle to cope with the effects of climate change and uncertain supply chains, we can view gardening as a way to take visible action right outside our front doors. Gardening with a purpose can be an excellent coping mechanism for anyone suffering from climate anxiety.

Precision Gardening

How we garden is changing…

Sustainability is the name of the game in 2026 because it leads to healthier plants and less waste in the garden. Growers will be zeroing in on precisely what their crops need using various tools and technology. Precision gardening uses site-specific, data-driven information to achieve optimal results and higher yields. No more guessing games, wasted time and resources; it’s all about gardening with intention to avoid mistakes like overwatering and overfertilising. Careful consideration of growing sites can help gardeners take advantage of microclimates, various soil conditions, and an area’s resilience to climate-related catastrophes like drought, fires, or flooding. Growers will increasingly turn to gadgets such as soil sensors, weather-tracking tools, and other plant-monitoring tools to make informed decisions about their crops. Instead of doing more, GMG predicts we’ll be doing things

Setting ourselves apart from the rest with our personal collections…

Collecting is making a comeback, and GMG predicts that Gen Z and Millennials will be leading the way. Rather than falling into consumer traps and buying things we don’t need, we’ll focus on curating our individual collections that express who we are without breaking the bank. The fastest growing category for collectors is, you guessed it, plants! People are looking for rare cultivars, interesting foliage colours, or simply collecting plant groups that serve a purpose, such as supporting the local ecosystem, pollinators, or building an edible landscape. Foraging in the wild is a significant part of creating a personal museum; for instance, collecting branches, berries, moss, and seed pods to make homemade bouquets or wreaths. These items are not only free but incredibly unique, telling a personal story of time and season. Foraging is collecting with purpose, helping us connect with nature on a deeper level and become more seasonally aware. It emphasises the need to slow down and observe to transform the mundane into something meaningful.

‘Bark’itecture

Making our gardens pet and animal-friendly…

Any pet owner will tell you their furry friends are like family, so it makes sense to create spaces that accommodate them. GMG forecasts a boom in people seeking non-toxic plants for their indoor and outdoor areas, clover lawns to better handle dog waste, and trees and shrubs to add shade to the yard. Beyond cats and dogs, backyard chickens are booming, and so are geese, runner ducks, and quail. Gardeners are including bat boxes, bird houses, and insect hotels in their designs to help the local ecosystem thrive. People, pets, livestock, and wild critters coexisting harmoniously is a homesteader’s dream, and we love it.

For the full 2026 Garden Trends Report by Garden Media Group, check out gardenmediagroup.com 3

Plant Steering

Plant Steering

For years I grew in coco and Rockwool because they made sense to me. Everything was measurable, predictable. I could nudge the EC up a fraction or tweak irrigation timing and watch the plants respond the same day. The causeand-effect loop was tight and satisfying — I knew exactly what was happening and when.

That sense of control becomes addictive. Sensors, timers, data — it all feeds this idea that you’re in constant dialogue with your crop. Every dripper pulse feels like a message, and the plant always replies. And yeah, it scratched my ego a little bit!

Then I made the move to soil. I still remember how that first run stripped the illusion of control away from me almost immediately. What had once been a neat conversation turned into silence. I’d water, wait, feed, and wait some more. The plants didn’t “reply” the way they used to.

Learning to read soil was like learning a new instrument. The signals were there all along; they just came slower and softer.

What Steering Means When the Soil Is Alive

In hydroponics, steering is mechanical. You alter feed strength or play with irrigation intervals to push the plant toward a desired phase. You move, the plant reacts. And it works!

Organic soil, especially in large containers, just doesn’t play that way. Here, your adjustments take a more how shall I put it “scenic” route — through microbial life, moisture gradients and

That extra layer — the living biology — brings depth and unpredictability. It adds a kind of intelligence to the system that’s both liberating and, in my case, more than a little humbling. You might ease off irrigation to hint that it’s time for the plant to move from vegetative growth toward flowering. Or you might try to alter nighttime humidity to encourage a hormonal shift. But you’re no longer flipping switches—it’s more a case of suggesting, hinting and waiting for the ecosystem to agree.

Steering in soil is a mindset shift: and you definitely need patience.

The Quiet Power of Soil

When growing in organic soil, your overarching goal is to create a living habitat of microorganisms, rather than just a physical buffer to hold moisture and nutrients for your plants’ roots. It’s the “soil food web” in a container—a living microcosm: bacteria breaking down organic matter, fungi forming symbiotic networks, nema todes cycling nutrients and microarthropods helping structure the soil. If you’re cultivating fast-growing, short-cycle annual plants, you need to use every trick in the book to create this ecosystem, so your plants can benefit in time from a bunch of unseen rations.

But don’t infer that you need to be in a rush. These things don’t run according to your timeline. Sure, you top-dress organic inputs mixed with a little high quality compost, but you need to wait for the soil life to work when conditions are right. That used to frustrate me. Now, I see it for what it is: a natural buffer that keeps extremes in check.

Rather than riding a rollercoaster of highs and crashes, the plant coasts along a steady slope. The soil softens your errors, mutes your overcorrections and prioritises long-term balance over im mediate payoff.

And in doing so, it reins you in. It simply won’t let you microman age. It asks you to step back, trust the process and only intervene when you really need to.

Organic in Organic Container Systems

That sense of control becomes addictive. Sensors, timers, data — it all feeds this idea that you’re in constant dialogue with your crop

Steering by Feel

Don’t fret, fellow grower! You’re still involved. You just steer with your hands on the wheel a little more gently.

Take water, for instance. It’s not just about keeping things wet. In this context, watering patterns can shift plant priorities. A carefully timed dry-down can send the signal that it’s time to start moving into flowering. But go too far, and you’re harming your microbial life. Nutrients lock up. Growth stutters.

It’s a fine line. You’re balancing biological activity with plant signalling. To be honest, some days it feels like threading a needle. Environmental controls can help reinforce your intentions. I like to keep VPD in the neighbourhood of 1.0 kPa through veg — keeps the leaves breathing. When flower kicks in, I’ll let it rise a little, closer to 1.4, to guide plant architecture in a more compact direction.

Same with light. As I approach the flowering peak, I gradually up the daily light load — not a dramatic change, just enough to fuel the metabolic shift. These tweaks aren’t commands; they’re cues. And

A Middle Path: Hybrid Media

If you’re looking to harness the benefits of growing organically but the prospect of spending a month’s rent filling large beds with living soil isn’t appealing, you still have some tried and tested options. Pre-charged mixes like Biobizz All-Mix or its lighter sibling, LightMix, offer the benefits of organics (improved tastes and aromas) while striking a balance between biology and control.

All-Mix is slow and buffered, loaded with organic matter and inoculants that keep the biology humming with minimal input—at least for the first three or four weeks of growth. Light-Mix, on the other hand, gives you a bit more agility. It’s not as heavy with nutrients, so you can guide the plant more actively with teas or organic liquid feeds, almost from the get-go.

Instead of 50-litre gargantuan pots, you can use 10–20 litre containers, where changes show up faster and course-corrections are more immediate. It’s practical and accessible — organic, but responsive.

Environmental controls can help reinforce your intentions.

Bio can walk through a room and know, almost instantly, what’s off and what’s working.

Everest Fernandez is a well-respected industry educator, veteran hydroponic grower and grow light enthusiast, based in France. He works primarily as a marketing and cultivation consultant and was the founding editor of Urban Garden Magazine in the UK, US and Canada. He also writes and researches for the popular hobby horticulturalist YouTube channel, Just4Growers.

COMPACT POWER BIG RESULTS

FULL SPECTRUM LED GROW LIGHT

A compact, high-efficiency fixture built for reliable performance. As part of our next-generation Varidrive range, it delivers powerful full-spectrum output in a lightweight and space-saving design.

Punching well above its weight, this unit is an ideal replacement for a traditional 600W HPS system, offering comparable light output with greater efficiency and reduced heat. The integrated driver removes the need for an external ballast, while onboard dimming and RJ port connectivity provide precise control and compatibility with external controllers.

Its versatile design makes it a strong choice for small to mid-sized grow spaces, or as a high-performance supplemental light in larger set-ups.

Just hang, plug in, and grow.

FEATURES

360W full-spectrum LED lighting fixture 1040 µmol/s PPF / 2.89 µmol/J PPE

Ideal for 0.8 x 0.8m to 1.2 x 1.2m areas

Integrated driver no external ballast required

Ideal replacement for 600W HPS

Compact 6-bar design 570 x 590 x 43mm

Plug-and-play easy installation

Onboard dimmer (25-100%) and RJ port

Passive cooling no fans, no noise

Lightweight 2.9kg

Belong in Every Grow Operation Portable Dehumidifiers Why

Even the best-engineered grow rooms need to be able to handle surprises. Here’s how portable dehumidifiers give growers room to breathe.

Experienced growers know that no grow room stays static for long. Late-flower spikes, frozen coils, high outdoor dew points, or seasonal construction— every facility faces its share of unpredictability. And when those moments hit, it’s not your AI dashboard or airflow model that saves the crop. It’s your portable dehumidifier.

Fixed HVAC can’t do it all. Portable dehumidifiers fill the gaps, manage the unexpected, and keep your harvest on track.

I’ve spent the better part of a decade walking cultivation sites, from tightly managed urban micro-grows to sprawling commercial canopies. One thing I’ve learned: the growers who sleep best at night have contingency gear ready to roll. And a portable dehumidifier is one of the smartest tools in that kit.

Built for the Gaps

Let’s get one thing straight: portable dehumidifiers are not a replacement for properly engineered systems. Your baseline dehumidification should be dialled in, spec’d for the facility, and rock-solid. But in this industry, even the best setups face variables that can overwhelm your fixed units.

A good portable dehumidifier gives you the ability to respond immediately when:

• A unit needs repair in the middle of flower

• An RH spike creeps in during drying

• Your latent load jumps unexpectedly with seasonal swings

• You’re waiting on a part or a tech, and the plants aren’t going to hit pause

when those moments hit, it’s not your AI dashboard or airflow model that saves the crop. It’s your portable dehumidifier.

What to Look for in a Portable Dehumidifier

Not all portables are created equal. Here’s what experienced growers should prioritise:

• Mobility: Big stair-rated wheels, lightweight, and a compact frame. If it can’t get to the problem fast, it’s not worth it.

• Plug-and-play readiness: Look for integrated pumps, hose storage, and low amp draws (ideally sub-7 amps @ 115V) so you can drop it in without tripping shared circuits.

• Ductability: Some portables allow targeted airflow using lay-flat ducting—great for directing relief where it’s needed most.

• Stackability: You don’t want these units eating up space when not in use. A flat-top, stackable design is key for storage.

Where Portable Dehumidifiers Earn Their Keep

Let’s talk real-world applications. These are the top five places I see veteran cultivators deploying portables:

1. Emergency Maintenance

Things break. Portables are your buffer. Instead of scrambling or risking plant loss, you roll one in and keep the RH stable while service gets handled. Minutes matter in this game.

2. Latent Load Support

Retrofit building? Dense canopy? High transpiration cycle? A fixed system that was spec’d two years ago might not keep up. Portables let you bridge that load without redesigning your infrastructure mid-cycle.

3. Dry Room Reinforcement

We all know dry rooms are finicky. Wet biomass, limited airflow, and tight timelines mean RH can jump fast. A portable unit helps you to stabilise and reduce microbial risk post-harvest.

4. Spill and Sanitation Response

Routine cleaning or an unexpected leak can saturate floors fast. Combined with air movers, portables reduce dry-out time and help mitigate microbial and slip hazards in shared spaces.

5. Contingency SOPs

If you don’t have a written SOP for what happens when your dehumidification fails (or any piece of facility equipment for that matter), now’s the time. Who grabs the portable? Where does it go? Is it clean, tested, and ready to go?

Preparedness here separates pros from panickers.

Renting vs. Owning: Know What’s Been in Your Grow

Yes, rental units exist, but you don’t know where they’ve been. I’ve seen portables come out of sewage backups and flood zones. Even cleaned, they’re a microbial nightmare waiting to happen.

maintenance, and performance. For most facilities, the ROI on even a single unit is evident after the first near-miss.

How Many Portable Dehumidifiers Should You Have?

It depends on your risk profile. Some growers keep one per wing or per dry room. Others start with a single unit and build from there. I recommend two approaches:

• Engineer-led sizing: Have someone calculate the shortfall in latent removal and match it to unit capacity.

• Anecdotal trial: Start with one, watch where RH consistently drifts, and deploy accordingly.

Either way, the key is to have the gear on-site and ready.

Assign a Champion

These units aren’t hardwired into your BMS, which means someone needs to own them. Designate a team member to check filters, test pumps, and make sure the portable is always deployment-ready. Don’t wait until you need it to find out it’s buried under in your supply closet.

Final Word: It’s Not Overkill, It’s Insurance

Portable dehumidifiers may not be glamorous, but they’re pure utility. They go where they’re needed, they work when you need them most, and they turn chaos into control.

In an industry where an unexpected humidity spike can wipe out a crop, preparedness isn’t optional. It’s professional. 3

BIO Coleman Retzlaff works directly with cultivators across the globe to optimise environmental control strategies. With over a decade of experience in grow room design, equipment deployment, and climate risk mitigation, Coleman helps growers bridge the gap between precision engineering and real-world resilience.

How to Grow an

Apothecary garden

Herbs have long been a staple in the garden, serving not only culinary purposes but also as a valuable source of medicine.

Emily Springer of Meeting House Farm in Scarborough, Maine, is on a mission to connect people with locally grown herbs [1]

“I was lucky to grow up in a family that used food as medicine,” she says.

career in financial services, but she continued to grow her own food and herbs. It was when she ran out of a plant called elder, which grows locally throughout the Northeastern United States, that things began to change.

anywhere, and I ended up ordering it from a company in Washington State,” she says. However, when it arrived, she saw it had been imported from Bulgaria. “I was so shocked by the whole thing that I said something has to change here.”

So she quit her job and, together with her husband, bought a farm, where they started growing herbs as a business. Meeting House Farm has 2.5 acres on which more than 80 different medicinal herbs grow. Still, Springer was unable to keep up with demand. In 2019, she formed the Meeting House Farm Herb Collective. Today, over 20 farm partners are part of the collective.

“Most of our customers are looking for apothecary or medicinal herbs,” Springer says.

The History of Apothecary Gardens

traditionally defined as a collection of plants, flowers, that can be used for both medicinal and . The plants are without woody stems and have leaves or other green parts appreciated for their fragrance or arwhich are used to flavour food or as natural medicines. Springer states that there is no difference between an apothecary herb used for healing and a culinary herb used for cooking. It’s a matter of how they are being used.

“Our ancestors often used what we would consider today a culinary herb in their apothecary,” Springer explains. “Basil, thyme, and cilantro, all of which are considered culinary herbs. Lavender and even oregano would also historically have been used in the apothecary.”

The oldest written evidence of the use of medicinal plants in the preparation of drugs has been found on a Sumerian clay slab, approx[3]. Even the father of medicine, Hippocrates, who wrote “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food,” essential qualities of hot and cold, moist and dry, and developed a system of diagnosis and prognosis using herbs [4] .

The oldest written evidence of the use of medicinal plants in the preparation of drugs has been found on a Sumerian clay slab, approximately 5,000 years old

In the Middle Ages, the cultivation of medicinal herbal plants moved to monasteries. Therapy was based on 16 medicinal plants, including sage, anise, mint, Greek seed, savoury, and tansy. Charles the Great (742 AD–814), the founder of the reputed medical school in Salerno, Italy, ordered which medicinal plants were to be grown on the stateowned lands, including sage, sea onion, iris, mint, common centaury, poppy, and marsh mallow. In fact, the Latin name of sage originates from the old Latin, salvation plant (salvare meaning “save, cure”).

Growing Herbs

One of the easiest herbs to start growing in an herb garden, according to Springer, is calendula. With bright yellow or orange flower heads, calendula is a non-invasive plant, which is one of Springer’s growing prerequisites for an herb garden. It is self-seeding, can be grown in a pot, and is also very easy to harvest. Many herbalists recommend harvesting calendula in mid-morning, after the new blooms have opened. Pick or cut off the flower head where it meets the stem [5]. Historically, calendula has been cultivated in apothecary gardens for the treatment of upset stomachs and skin irritations [6]

Holy basil, also known as Tulsi, is easy to grow. In a 2017 systematic review of 24 clinical studies, researchers identified several positive benefits of Tulsi in humans, including metabolic benefits. However, the long-term effects of using the herb daily are unknown, and to date, there isn’t a scientifically proven recommended dosage or daily limit [7][8]

Whether it’s Tulsi, calendula, or other herbs, organic growing is paramount to Springer.

“We focus on soil health always, constantly building [it] and making it better year after year,” she says.

Springer never uses plastic materials; wood chips and leaf mulch are the stars at Meeting House Farm.

Just as the moon’s gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, it also influences moisture levels in the soil

It is self-seeding, can be grown in a pot, and is also very easy to harvest

Planting and harvesting at this operation follow the moon’s cycle. Just as the moon’s gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, it also influences moisture levels in the soil. Seeds absorb more water between the new moon and the full moon because moisture is increasingly drawn to the soil’s surface during this period. This extra moisture causes seeds to swell, promoting germination and the establishment of better plants [9]

For the home gardener looking to start an herb garden, whether in a raised garden bed, pots on the patio, or a large garden plot, Springer’s best advice is to spend time with the plants.

“If you only know these plants without growing them, you can’t really have a relationship with them,” she says.

She also urges anyone eager to grow apothecary herbs to find a mentor either locally or online.

“I think having some guidance on what to do and what not to do sets you up for success.” 3

Disclaimer: Before consuming any herb for medicinal purposes, check with a medical professional to learn about the plant’s makeup, any potential side effects and to make sure it is not toxic or interacts with current medications, underlying health issues or concerns.

Footnotes:

1. Meeting House Farm (meetinghouse.farm)

2. What is in an apothecary garden? - Green Packs (greenpacks.org)

3. Historical review of medicinal plants’ usage - PMC (pmc. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3358962)

4. Medicinal Botany. What Are Herbs? (www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/medicinal)

5. All About Calendula: How to Grow, Harvest, Dry, & Use Calendula Flowers ~ Homestead and Chill (homesteadandchill.com)

6. Premier Online Herbalism Courses: Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine (chestnutherbs.com)

7. 5 Health Benefits of Holy Basil (health.clevelandclinic.org/ benefits-of-holy-basil)

The following five herbs have a long history in the apothecary garden:

Anise

Tall with white flowers resembling Queen Anne’s Lace, Anise needs full sun and well-drained soil. During Biblical times, the seeds, leaves and stems of the herb were used to bring down a fever.

Peppermint

Peppermint is a perennial plant that can survive on just three hours of sun per day and happily grows in a pot. It has been used to help soothe upset stomachs, diarrhoea, and headaches for thousands of years.

Valerian

A tall perennial, valerian is easy to grow in a sunny or partially shaded location, but is challenging to eliminate. A mainstay in the apothecary garden for over two thousand years, valerian’s name stems from the Latin valere, “to be well.” Its roots were historically used to relax aching and tired muscles.

Yarrow

A plant that prefers a sunny spot, which historically was used by ancient Romans and the Indigenous peoples of North America to disinfect wounds. At Meeting House Farm, Springer cuts yarrow plants into tiny pieces and makes a cold tea to spray onto plants infected with fungal conditions, such as powdery mildew.

Lemon balm

Grow in full sun and well-draining soil. Throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, this herb was considered sacred by both priestesses and beekeepers and was regarded as especially beneficial for nervous or anxious states.

8. The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature - PMC (pmc.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5376420)

9. Planning A Garden By The Light Of The Moon | Garden Culture Magazine (gardenculturemagazine.com)

Sidebar References:

1. Gardening Know How - Gardening Is Easy! Let us Show You How (gardeningknowhow.com)

2. Top 14 Herbs of the Bible that Heal & Nourish - Dr. Axe (draxe.com/nutrition/the-top-14-herbs-of-thebible)

3. Premier Online Herbalism Courses: Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine (chestnutherbs.com)

BIO A writer and garden enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree focused on history from Simon Fraser University, and a freelance writing career spanning two and half decades, Jennifer lives in Vancouver British Columbia. Her by-lines have regularly appeared in the opinion section of the Toronto Star and her portfolio includes articles in various newspapers, magazines, and websites across Canada. When not writing her own blog or visiting local garden centres, you can find her puttering, planting, and nourishing her own urban garden oasis.

The UK’s favourite pair!

B’cuzz Bloom Stimulator & B’cuzz Root StimulatorHIGHLY CONCENTRATED MINERAL STIMULATORS FOR

GROWTH & YIELD

The North Star Metric: Revenue Per Square Foot Per Day

In Part 1, we explored water potential, the science explaining why plants respond to environmental manipulation. Now let’s connect that theory to what matters in commercial cultivation: profitability.

The only metric that truly matters is revenue dollars per square foot of canopy per day ($/ft²/day). Not yield alone. Not grams per watt. This metric captures the complete picture: how much money your facility generates from each square foot over time.

This metric comprises three components: yield in grams per square foot, cycle time in days, and quality, reflected in the price per gram. Crop steering lets you optimise all three. Shaving a week off cycle time increases annual capacity by 10-15%. Improving structure to pack more flower sites per square foot directly increases yield. Enhancing secondary metabolite production can improve quality grades by 20-40% in price per gram. Each improvement compounds to drive $/ft²/day upward.

Learn more about the $/ft 2 /day metric at frontrowag.com/kpi

The Intermediate Goals: What Crop Steering Actually Achieves

For the purposes of increasing $/ft2/day, crop steering pursues specific, measurable outcomes at each growth phase:

Vegetative phase: Rapid structure establishment with optimal nodal spacing and vigorous roots. Timeline target: Reach flip-ready size within the minimum number of days. Every week saved is 5-7% more annual capacity.

Early flower: Earlier initiation (save 3-7 days), maximum flower sites per ft², dense node spacing, minimal stretch. These outcomes set the stage for everything that follows.

The only metric that truly matters is revenue dollars per square foot of canopy per day ($/ft²/day)

Mid-flower: Rapid cellular expansion and maintained turgor. Build bulk fast. Time saved here compounds capacity gains.

Late flower: Secondary metabolite production, controlled finish, no late vegetative reversion.

Every goal is achieved by manipulating water potential through root-zone controls. That’s your joystick.

The Control System: Three Phases, Five Example Dials

Think of each 24-hour cycle as three distinct phases with five practical irrigation controls you adjust to create specific water stress patterns.

The Three Daily Phases

Phase 1 (P1): Replenishment begins with the first irrigation and ends at the first runoff, typically 1-3 hours after lights-on. Climb from overnight minimum water content (WCmin) to maximum (WCmax) while pushing substrate EC from peak (ECmax) to target minimum (ECmin). Reach runoff within roughly three hours.

Phase 2 (P2): Maintenance runs from the first runoff to the last irrigation. Hold water content in the target range, maintain steady inter-shot dry-backs matching your steering intent, and manage EC through shot frequency and runoff percentage.

Phase 3 (P3): Overnight Dry-back spans from the last irrigation to the next morning’s first irrigation. Achieve target overnight dry-back and arrive at morning’s WCmin and ECmax targets by lights-on. Controlled water stress builds overnight.

Crop steering is precision tuning, not rescue protocol.

Five Practical Control Dials

These irrigation parameters are among your most direct tools for manipulating root-zone water stress. Specific numbers vary by facility, substrate, and cultivar.

Start-of-Day Delay (SOD) controls P1 dry-back magnitude: how thirsty plants are when irrigation begins. A longer SOD (60120 min) creates a deeper morning deficit and a more generative signal. Shorter SOD (15-45 min) provides quick recovery and vegetative support.

Shot Size controls WC climb rate and inter-shot dry-back intensity. Larger shots spaced further apart (6-10% of substrate volume) create bigger inter-shot dry-backs (4-6%) for sustained generative pressure. Smaller shots (2-4%) provide tight control and vegetative stability.

Shot Frequency controls how often WC is replenished, working in both P1 and P2. In P1, a higher frequency accelerates the climb to runoff. In P2, frequency determines the magnitude of intershot dry-back and daily runoff accumulation. A higher frequency (every 45-90 minutes) helps maintain WC levels, with smaller intershot dry-backs, promoting vegetative stability. Lower frequency (every 2-3 hours) allows for larger inter-shot dry-backs, facilitating a generative rhythm.

Cut-off Time controls P3 duration and overnight dry-back. An earlier cut-off (4-6 hours pre-lights-off) creates a long P3 with a large dry-back (20-25%) for strong generative pressure. A later cutoff (1-2 hours) creates a shorter P3 and a vegetative lean.

Feed EC Strategy controls osmotic potential, the energy cost of water uptake. Higher feed EC (targeting a substrate of 6-12 mS/cm) establishes a generative baseline stress. Lower feed EC (substrate 4-7 mS/cm) supports vegetative growth. Always ramp substrate EC gradually.

Think of each 24-hour cycle as three distinct phases with five practical irrigation controls you adjust to create specific water stress pattern

Dial Settings by Growth Phase

Here’s how to apply these controls across major growth phases. These are starting points; tune to your cultivar’s response.

Early Vegetative: Rapid Structure

Goal: Fast structure with minimal timeline.

Moderate vegetative bias: SOD 15-45 min, shot size 3-5%, frequency every 45-90 min, cut-off 2-3h prelights-off, feed EC 2.5-3.0 mS/cm (substrate 4-6 mS/cm).

Effect: Moderate P1 dry-back, tight inter-shot control, moderate P3. Plants stay hydrated without saturation.

Early Flower (Week 1-3): Stacking

Goals: Earlier flower site initiation (save 3-5 days), max flower sites/ft², dense nodes, minimal stretch.

Strong generative pressure: SOD 90-120 min, shot size 6-10%, frequency every 30-90min, cut-off 4-6h prelights-off, feed EC 3.0-3.5 mS/cm (substrate 6-12 mS/ cm).

Effect: Deep P1 dry-back, large inter-shot dry-backs (5-6%), extended P3 (20-25% overnight), elevated osmotic pressure. Early flip signal, tight internodes, minimal stretch.

Revenue impact: 3-7 days faster to flower = 5-10% more cycles/year. Compact structure = higher flower sites/ft². 1 3 2 4 5

These five dials work together. Pushing all five toward generative settings creates strong generative pressure. Pulling toward vegetative settings supports growth and expansion.

The root zone is your joystick. Steer with intention.

Irrigation uniformity: Make sure all of your emitters a consistent and uniform rate across the room. Distribution uniformity (DU) ≥ 0.85 minimum, target ≥ 0.90. Test 16 emitters × 1 minute. Fix pressure issues, clogs immediately.

Environmental stability: VPD, temperature, PPFD controlled to targets. Adequate air movement. Managed disease/

Without these, steering inputs won’t produce predictable outputs and can have net-negative effects on $/ft2/day.

From Theory to Profit

Part 1 explained water potential, the science behind plant This article provided practical implementation: five irrigation controls that manipulate water potential across three achieve specific agronomic outcomes.

connection to revenue is direct. Earlier flower initiation = cycles/year. Dense flower sites = higher yields/ft². Faster optimal conditions = higher total yield. Quality premium pricing. Each improvement compounds to drive $/ft²/day upward.

Master these controls, understand what each affects in the root zone, and you’re steering toward measurable goals that drive

The root zone is your joystick. Steer with intention. 3

Tyler Simmons is a cultivation consultant specialising in controlled environment agriculture and crop steering optimisation. Cultivation science communicator and Technical Advisor for Front Row Ag, Tyler has been a pioneer of data-driven cultivation methodologies. He is known for co-founding the California flower brand Northern Emeralds and his contributions to AROYA decision-making.

A Historic First in Detroit Is Taking

Michigan students just planted the first-ever Old Growth Urban Reforestation Project in Downtown Detroit for Earth Day 2025. Guided by the notion that we need to make a change and help Mother Nature, Dave Milarch of the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and Arboretum Detroit initiated a new project focused on reforesting vacant sections of inner cities with trees sourced from ancient sequoia genetics. They’re calling it “Tree School.”

Tree School in Session

The plantings took place in areas that were in desperate need of regeneration, including the former sites of homes that had been bulldozed into their basements and covered with dirt due to safety concerns. It’s incredible to think that these barren sites might generate 300-foot trees in a couple of hundred years!

As the students worked, they were able to hear the newly planted trees make music with the help of Cosmic Knot ’s Florganoleptic Music of the Trees. One by one, the students interacted with the musical tree. The trees make music with their internal fluctuations, and they respond to human touch, demonstrating the interconnectedness of nature. What an incredible lesson!

It’s incredible to think that these barren sites might generate 300-foot trees in a couple of hundred years!

By the end of the planting, the students were clapping along as a coastal redwood played music on a guitar while we all sang a tune. Many expected the Detroit land to remain vacant for decades to come; however, a strong community effort helped make this happen, and plans are in place for additional urban plantings in the months and years to come.

A Need for Trees

In a world driven by technology, many are losing touch with Mother Nature. There are many ways to connect, but many don’t know how. There’s nothing like going to a forest and basking in its glory. The tranquillity and serenity found in a working forest have been shown to have dramatic health benefits that go far beyond the physical. Forest bathing, which involves immersing oneself in the forest environment, has been shown to enhance one’s ability to focus and overall mental well-being.

Plant some trees. We still have time. Let’s make the best of it!

Find a lack of natural green vegetation in an outdoor urban environment, and you’ll find humanity struggling. This correlation is not a coincidence. It is a direct indication that we need to honour and maintain our connection with the natural world.

There is an urgent need to refocus on nature, much like the projects happening at the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and Arboretum in Detroit. In a rapidly warming climate, we need to reassemble the pieces of the ecosystem that have been torn apart. We must act before people lose sight of how nature even worked in the first place, and it’s easier than you might think. It takes organisation and ambition. Plant some trees. We still have time. Let’s make the best of it!

If you’d like to help or donate, please reach out to the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive at Arctrees.org. Working together in harmony within our communities for the greater good of the earth is the key to our salvation. 3

BIO TOM WALL

Professional Musician, Writer and Gardening Consultant

Cosmic Knot/Therapeutic Horticulture Consultations

Growing up on a deer farm located on 79 acres of land along the banks of one of Lake Michigan’s tributaries, Tom grew a love for nature and all the beauties it could hold. Through that passion Tom has channeled his influences into educating the community on sustainable agriculture, becoming an activist, writing for magazines and creating music tuned to nature in his band Cosmic Knot.

Follow Tom and all of his passions: facebook.com/tom.wall.946 instagram.com/cosmicknotmusic artistecard.com/cosmicknot

BY JENNIFER COLE

The Case of the Garden Mysteries:

Foxglove Foxglove

An odd foxglove and Mother Nature’s adaptive powers create confusion and excitement in the garden.

Deciphering all of nature’s twists and turns isn’t easy. When a friend discovered a strange-looking foxglove blooming in their garden, we had a mystery to solve. The issue? The top blossom of the plant, which typically droops down on a foxglove, was wide open with its head up, resembling a hibiscus bloom more than anything else.

As the neighbourhood plant expert, I was called to the scene to diagnose the problem and offer a remedy. I had no idea what to expect based on my friend’s description. Would I find a monster plant ready to pounce? A garden cordoned off with yellow caution tape? Or, perhaps a foxglove just fallen to its side? Taking on the role of the intrepid garden detective, off I went with my plant identification app, decades of gardening knowledge, and, just in case it wasn’t a mystery I could solve, a couple of very heavy horticultural books. It didn’t take long to figure out. The foxglove was not in any danger, nor a danger to anyone else. It was a healthy, happy plant – just doing its thing. That strange top blossom causing all the stir was simply a peloric flower, which was the natural result of a recessive gene in the plant that had come to the forefront. It’s not uncommon and is Mother Nature’s way of coping with changes in the local ecosystem [1] . According to researchers at the University of Oxford, these kinds of mutations are increasing because of climate change.

Natural Mutations in Garden Plants: The Causes

Most plant mutations are a result of a change within the plant cells, often triggered by cold weather, rainfall fluctuations, or insect damage [2] . For some plants growing in the wild, environmentally triggered mutations can result in species extinctions, while others offer clues to increased global food security. In a recent paper published in the journal Nature, for example, researchers found that genetic changes in wild and regional crops, including the ability to duplicate genes and give them new functions, could provide significant breakthroughs in improving global food production [3]

Learning the different kinds of natural plant mutations that might show up in your garden is a great way to experience firsthand the adaptive powers of Mother Nature [4]

Peloria

This floral mutation transforms a normally irregular (bilaterally symmetrical) flower into one with radial symmetry. It’s common in snapdragons, orchids, petunias, penstemon, and, of course, foxglove. The condition can occur spontaneously but may also be triggered by stressors such as cold, heat, chemical exposure, or viral infection. My friend’s garden has not been exposed to chemical fertilisers or pesticides, and all other plants are healthy, eliminating the possibility of a widespread garden infection or insect infestation. Therefore, the foxglove’s peloric blossom was likely a result of a cool spring that suddenly became warm, and a dry, mild winter.

Fasciation

Called the flattening phenonium, instead of producing a normal round stem or flower stalk, the plant’s growth is elongated, flattened, or crested. This can cause bizarre ribbon-like stems, fused flower heads, or thick, fan-shaped rosettes that are a crinkled version of the plant. One of the many ways it’s caused is by hormone irregularity and nutrient imbalance. It’s an excellent reminder to always add organic compost and mulch to keep the soil healthy. This mutation is most common in rudbeckia, echinacea, succulents, delphinium, dandelions and tomatoes.

Chimera

In botany, a chimera is a single plant composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues growing side by side. Unlike a hybrid, where two sets of DNA are blended, chimeras carry separate sets of DNA in different layers or cell lines within the same plant. This mosaic can result in eye-catching patterns and structures. Chimera flowers often appear asymmetric, rather than symmetrical or patterned. It’s common in houseplants such as the snake plant, philodendron, pathos, or even camellia flowers.

As the neighbourhood plant expert, I was called to the scene to diagnose the problem and offer a remedy

For some plants growing in the wild, environmentally triggered mutations can result in species extinctions, while others offer clues to increased global food security

Sport

A sport mutation is often called nature’s happy accident. It is a spontaneous mutation that occurs in a single part of a plant often a branch, leaf, flower, or shoot causing it to genetically from the rest of the plant. This can result in a colour change or a new leaf shape.

Growers often propagate the new part of the plant to create an entirely new cultivar. Many of the plants you see in nurseries today began this way. It’s easy to recognise: look for a branch or flower that looks different from the other parts of the plant. A green-leafed shrub, for example, may suddenly produce a white-edged shoot or a hydrangea blooms with double petals, on a bush with all sin gle-petalled flowers. This type of mutation is generally most common in hostas, camellias, and azaleas.

Albinism

These plants are devoid of chlorophyll, the green pigment in foliage essential for photosynthesis. Plants appear pale yellow, white, or even translucent. Because they cannot convert sun light into energy, albino plants are extremely short-lived. This type of gene modification is common in tomatoes and pers, edimentals such as hostas and in roses and coleus. Most albino seedlings should be culled early, as they cannot grow independently.

When these odd-looking plants show up in your garden, and they will, let Mother Nature do her thing and leave them be. A foxglove with a peloric blossom may look strange compared to the rest of the uniform clump of flowers around it, but also an important bellwether of our ever-changing and warming world. It is showing you that it and all other plants in the gar den are evolving and adapting in the best ways they know how, which is something they have done for a long time. 3

Footnotes

1. Mutations: plant / RHS Gardening

2. Global warming may increase plant mutation rates | Depart ment of Biology

3. Plant mutations could be key to global food resilience | Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

4. Plant Mutations Every Gardener Should Know

Additional Resources

• Plant Mutations Every Gardener Should Know

• What Does Plant Mutation Look Like: What Causes Plant Mutations | Gardening Know How

• Exploring Plant Mutations: A Comprehensive Guide - Green Packs

• Mutations in Your Garden - Laidback Gardener

• Mutation examples and how they happen - Agriculture

• Exploring Plant Mutations: A Comprehensive Guide - Green Packs

• Solanum pan-genetics reveals paralogues as contingencies in crop engineering | Nature

sport mutation is often called nature’s happy accident.

Local Growers

WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE

Projeto Origens

(Humberto and Susana)

Viseu, Portugal

While ‘Local Growers’ usually showcases UK-based gardeners, last year, I had the pleasure to visit a unique project in the beautiful mountains of the Viseu region in northern Portugal and witness how other growers are working with the land.

Projeto Origens began as a socio-environmental project to reflect the current state of the world and respond in an organic, collaborative and multidimensional manner. The focus is equally on land stewardship and building long-term relations with the existing community in the Viseu region. For Humberto and Susana, the topic of climate emergency and deepening societal problems is tangible, with hot Portuguese summers and the risk of wildfires that decimate not only crops but also whole communities. The couple aims to reflect on life forms, the interaction between human beings and their environment, the interconnectedness of species, and to put into practice more sustainable ways of living, focusing on respectful coexistence.

On a local scale, Projecto Origens focuses on agroecology and land regeneration to preserve and support the delicate ecosystems of this mountainous region. Change takes time, as it’s led first by observation of the territory. During one of those observations, Humberto discovered a rare stag horn beetle’s remains, which, while not useful at the time, gave a glimpse of the possibility of the beetles being common in this habitat. And indeed, months later, live beetles were observed and for the first time put on the map in this area.

In addition to cooperating with local groups and Viseu Polytechnic Institute, Projeto Origens is a host to many international events. This cooperation among various communities worldwide focuses on regeneration and degrowth, refusing business and overconsumption and instead embracing slow living. During events, participants get to ponder, nurture, act and celebrate the co-creation and plans for the projects ahead. They are currently exploring community initiatives, nature conservation, biodiversity, self-sufficiency, education and

training, integral health, and a circular economy. Nearby, the old and disused railway line has been turned into a scenic bicycle route, and the vision is that the villages and the local farms are populated with old and new farmers, all working together. The group moves calmly and sustainably in their collective path, creating a road to the new adventures for a better today and tomorrow. The best way to start is to grab what’s within reach and do it with gratitude.

projeto_origens_viseu

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

Georgette Sunderland Yorkshire

Sometimes, a love for plants and nature manifests through various careers throughout our lives. Georgette, a Yorkshire artist behind Beautiful by George wallcoverings, once worked as a gardener for private clients. She initially volunteered at a National Trust garden where she gained her formal training. Preferring a more natural gardening style, she followed permaculture principles and worked in community gardens in Bedfordshire and Burnley. Today, she works in her own garden, laying woodland paths and preparing the ground for native trees and shrubs.

George passionately believes in the power of nature. This is reflected in her biophilic-inspired wallcoverings, painted to bring the outside in and increase feelings of wellness within the home. She’s installed murals in community projects, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, and refugee advice centres, creating a restorative environment. The wallcoverings are hand-painted by George and printed sustainably in Lancashire on PET plastic-free paper or paper incorporating recycled plastic bottles. She is a proud signatory of interiordesigndeclares.co.uk, a pledge by designers to be held accountable for their sustainability practices.

George’s 2026 collection, ‘Ponderlings’, features fractal patterns through the flora and fauna of a wildlife pond. Studies show that viewing fractal patterns can reduce stress by up to 60%! Her other collections are ‘Spring Tonic’ and ‘Japanese Quince’. George’s incredible designs have been displayed at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show. The mesmerising paintings were so popular that she was invited back to cover the walls of two of their restaurants last year. There are plans to style two more restaurants with a biophilic theme in 2026, but as big hanging pictures so they can be donated to a good cause afterwards.

One thing that jumped out at me when I was following her profile was the artistic activism around... boobs. Yes, you read that right— George is a huge supporter of women checking their racks regularly to avoid nasty surprises. Her own experience with breast cancer in 2023 motivated her to run a monthly campaign, ‘Feel it - for Art’s Sake’, where she encourages and guides ladies to do a simple check and have a chance to win a beautiful art piece. 3

beautifulbygeorge.com beautifulbygeorge

WAYS

to Master Crop Steering

The term crop steering might seem intimidating, but it’s really all about understanding a plant’s fundamental needs and delivering the goods. Pretty basic, right? Luckily, there are several gadgets, tools, and methods to help growers better understand what’s going on below the surface or above the leaf canopy. Not everything can be solved with a bottle; honing in on various growth factors will help you achieve optimal results in the garden. We’ve got a few ideas in our list of 5 Cool Ways to Master Crop Steering.

1 Vapour Pressure Deficit Monitors

Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD) is a hot topic for indoor growers, because monitoring and regulating it can help mitigate or even prevent many problems during the vegetative and flowering stages. VPD is the amount of water the air in a room can hold when saturated. A high VPD means the room is hot and dry, and your plants are thirsty. A low VPD indicates a cool and muggy environment, leaving crops susceptible to rot and disease. Investing in a qualityVPD monitor will help keep your room in check and lead to healthy, flavourful harvests. Many of these compact gadgets can measure room temperature, humidity, and VPD, sending the information directly to your smartphone. Infrared leaf-temperature sensors are excellent tools for measuring VPD at the source. Plugging the information into a VPD chart can help keep you and your plants in the green zone. Growers who understand VPD have better success because they start using other controls properly, including humidifiers, dehumidifiers, thermostats, lighting, and fans; all the pieces of the puzzle come together.

Irrigation Tools

Crop steering and irrigation go hand in hand, and that’s because getting moisture levels right promotes better root growth. Saturating a growing medium for extended periods will discourage plant roots from growing deeper and reaching for moisture. If the medium is too dry, plants will wilt. It’s a delicate balance, but a good-quality moisture sensor will make it attainable. Many options on the market let growers monitor moisture levels on their smartphones so they can plan irrigation before their crops get thirsty. A tensiometer is another option for gauging how hard the plants are working to take up moisture. Of course, there’s the good old-fashioned grow room walk-through to pick up grow bags and check water levels.We always recommend spending time observing the garden rather than exclusively depending on technology! Once you’ve determined your plants need water, how you deliver it is up to you. Doing it by hand with a watering can is perfectly fine, but setting a digital irrigation timer and connecting it to hoses or drip lines ensures your plants get what they need, even when you’re not there.

Grow Lights and PAR Meters 3

If only a successful indoor grow was as easy as turning on some lights! We know plants need the rays to photosynthesise, but how much is too much? Enter the trusty PAR meter, a tool that measures the amount of light crops receive from artificial lighting. This gadget helps prevent under- or over-lighting, leading to healthier plants and better energy efficiency. Speaking of efficiency, many growers have switched from HID to LEDs because LEDs last significantly longer and reduce irrigation needs. Studies also show that yields and quality under LEDs exceed those under HID. If you’re in the market for new grow lights, use a PAR meter to take readings from all parts of the garden so you know the intensities your plants need in various growth stages; this will help you choose the right LED fixture for the space. Remember, the grow light industry is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to stay up to date on current technology and determine what’s best for your grow.

Crop Steering Basics 5

Not everything has to be fancy when it comes to crop steering; whether you realise it or not, even the most basic of tools can help plants reach their full potential. For example, a good pair of pruning shears or scissors can be used to shape, trim, and stress plants (in a good way!). Stakes and trellis are perfect supports for vining and tall-growing plants, or other crops you want to train upwards. It’s good to have a plant mister or fog machine on hand for plants that need a little extra humidity. Finally, we won’t blame you if you’ve got a few copies of Garden Culture Magazine in the grow room; we’re always game to steer you in the right direction! 3

Measuring pH 4

When it comes to pH levels, every plant has a sweet spot for optimal growth. pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of soil; when levels are too high or too low for a specific plant, the absorption of essential nutrients becomes more challenging. Most plants prefer a pH range of 6 to 7, but it’s best to know precisely what your crop needs and adjust accordingly. Testing pH levels can be done in many ways; the least expensive options are litmus paper or a basic soil pH test kit. However, the results will likely be less accurate. A wide variety of pH probes exist at different price points; spend the extra money to get one that performs well. Professional growers tend to read pH levels with either the dilution paste method or the pour-through method, both of which require a top-quality pH probe but deliver highly accurate results. Understanding and correcting pH is one of the best ways to steer plants towards success.