Below is a list of the essential elements to provide your plants with Plants need a variety of nutrients just the way people and animals do and certain nutrients will help them to thrive in your grow room. If you know which elements they need then nutrition is quite straightforward.... Big Bloom Macronutrients Plants get some of the most essential nutrients from air, water and the sunshine (or alternative lighting!) and there are some that must be provided or else they will crave for them.... They are known as "growing elements" or "macronutrients" and are required in large quantities. Th ..read more

Energy costs have skyrocketed so here are a few simple tips.... Proximity Keep your lights close to the plants Don't place them too close otherwise there is the risk of burning them but ideally the lighting should be between 18 and 24 inches from the canopy. This will reduce the potential wastage of energy. Direction Aim them at the canopy By aiming them directly at the canopy it will ensure that no power is wasted and as much of it as possible is absorbed by the plants Reflection Use reflective surfaces Surfaces such as aluminium or mylar will reflect any light that does not reach th ..read more

Keep an eye on the temperature and help them to recover when needed Temperatures and Growth Plants prefer a temperature above 18 degrees centigrade and the growth will slow down if the temperatures begin to fall. If it falls below 15 degrees they can go into shock and stop growing altogether. When the temperatures improve it can take a couple of weeks for the growth to return to normal. In a worst case scenario they might not recover at all. Plant Shock In the cold the plants will effectively shut down. This is what happens when they feel their roots are being attacks and is the feelin ..read more

LED lighting in action in the grow room LED lighting is definitely becoming the way forward for a number of reasons. One amazing thing is the length of time that they last. Although they may cost more initially this is a great investment as they will last at least 10 years. As well as saving money this also reduces the dilemma of them running out unexpectedly. Also, they don't emit as much heat as traditional bulbs so your fans are not working hard to balance the temperature. And also, importantly, the power usage is a lot lower which is more environmentally friendly and reduces the runni ..read more

The most commonly asked questions about the pH of your grow system What is pH? It is based on a scale of 1 to 14, where anything under 7 is acidic and anything over 7 is alkaline. 7 is neutral and is the pH of pure water. The scale is logarithmic, meaning that a pH of 9 is ten times more alkaline that a pH of 8. The same applies to acidity, for example a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic that a pH of 5. What is the best pH level for Hydroponics? The ideal range for almost all hydroponic growths is between 5.5 and 6.5. How do I adjust the pH? The pH is adjusted by adding an acid to lowe ..read more

Check out the many different types of lighting to choose from.... There are many different types of lighting to choose from, which come in different shapes, sizes and power ratings. A grow light emits artificial light at a high intensity and effectively simulates sunlight for the growth of the plants. The beauty of artificial lighting is that it is always available and you can control how much of it your plants receive each day (and night!) The result of this is that your plants can achieve the maximum amount of photosynthesis, helping them to flourish with a consistent growth rate and good ..read more

The immunity system of your plants PART ONE ..read more

Find the right mix.... Plants need nutrients just like people do so finding the right balance is of complete importance. For consistency, take the following actions into account.... The ratio of nutrients: Too much or too little can affect the performance of the nutrients so be careful not to overfeed or underfeed. We have plenty of feed charts that can help to create the correct balance. Replenish your reservoir: If you leave it for longer than a week then the levels of bacteria, CO2, oxygen and general evaporation will affect the quality. Check the pH, PPM and water temperature: Keep a go ..read more

There are more methods as well as a good old heater! Winter is upon us! As the days grow ever shorter and temperatures steadily drop, indoor growers may experience tent temperatures too low for optimal growth. Consider ventilating your grow tent from a lung room: a crawlspace, attic or other room in your home that does not get as cold as the outside environment. Dim your intake/exhaust fans with a fan speed controller. Some fine tuning may be necessary here. Remember if you’re air cooling your lights, attaching a fan speed controller to the duct fan(s) that cool your lights is also an opt ..read more

The importance of the correct ratio Plants need a good supply of  nutrition and two elements that assist with the absorption are calcium and potassium. To get the best absorption the ratio between them is important. However, depending on the conditions, these two elements compete with each other. The Different Properties A significant different between the two stems from the ion charge. Calcium ions have two positive charges and when reacting with other elements will form molecules that are insoluble. However, the salts that potassium ions, which have one positive charge, are soluble ..read more