The Nano Garden Lets You Grow Veggies Right in Your Kitchen Whether we're scouring the web for funky flower pots or turning old floppy disks into whimsical homes for herbs and succulents, we love all forms of creative gardening. Cities far and wide have started embracing rooftop gardens for bringing fresh local veggies in the spring, summer and fall to city folks. Fire escapes have become perfect spots for tomato plants, and windows have become increasingly jam-packed with basil, rosemary, mint, and sage. But, what about city dwellers and suburbanites who don't have access to a rooftop garden or plant-friendly fire escape? Or perhaps the right dose of rainwater and sunshine just doesn't make it to your particular locale? The Kitchen Nano Garden by Hyundai is a super cool concept for growing a vegetable garden right in your kitchen, without help from sun or rain. We anxiously await the next phase of this awesome concept, and would love to try harvesting an indoor vegetable garden at Brit HQ!
BonsaiSite.com - Bonsai as an art and horticultural practice. Adventures in Field Botany / Illustrated-Glossary Leaf Morphology: Phyllode/ Cladode: modifyed stems that act as leaves. Ensiform: leaves sharp edges, taper into a slender point (fern) Stellate: hairs come up like fingers. Looks like cluster of hair. Peltate: "petiole joins to the center" in leaves. Glossary of Terms: WHORLED - more than two (2) opposite leaves. OPPOSITE - leaf nodes are on opposite sides of twig. ALTERNATE - leaf nodes alternate in pattern along branch. DECUSSATE - Arranged on a stem in opposite pairs at right angles to those above or below, resulting in vertical rows of leaves. PALMATE - consisting of leaflets or lobes radiating from the base of the leaf. CAPSULE - a hollow dry fruit with 3+ locules (chambers) Dehiscent = splits open to release the seed. Indehiscent: remaining closed, do not split open at maturity. Capsule Types- Dehiscent: Capsule breaks to release fruit Indehiscent: This is a drupe, no hard capsule that is made to split open A walnut is a drupe fruit. OVATE (ovoid) OBOVATE (obovoid) ELLIPTICAL Root Index
Desert Blooming Department: Back Yard Garden Pools! Graphic shows the Garden Pool’s model. / Courtesy Garden Pool Instead of water wings and inner tubes, Dennis and Danielle McClung’s backyard pool in Mesa, Arizona, is filled with tomato plants, grape vines and wheat. There’s a chicken coop and a fish pond, and the food that comes out of the pool, from tilapia to tomatoes, feeds the McClung family of five. It’s a system that took a few frustrating failures to perfect, but now the McClungs hope to take swimming-pool farming international. When the McClungs bought the foreclosed home in 2009, the backyard was a suburban wasteland with a cracked, concrete, in-ground pool. The McClungs has some farming and building experience — Dennis worked on a dairy farm and at Home Depot, and Danielle grew up on small farm in Ohio — and they’d been trying to become as self-sufficient as possible. The McClungs get most of their food out of the pool (they’ll take their kids out for pizza occasionally) and they’re trying to share the wealth.
The Art of Bonsai Project - Home Synsepalum dulcificum The berry itself has a low sugar content[7] and a mildly sweet tang. It contains a glycoprotein molecule, with some trailing carbohydrate chains, called miraculin.[8][9] When the fleshy part of the fruit is eaten, this molecule binds to the tongue's taste buds, causing sour foods to taste sweet. At neutral pH, miraculin binds and blocks the receptors, but at low pH (resulting from ingestion of sour foods) miraculin binds protons and becomes able to activate the sweet receptors, resulting in the perception of sweet taste.[10] This effect lasts until the protein is washed away by saliva (up to about 60 minutes).[11] The names miracle fruit and miracle berry are shared by Gymnema sylvestre and Thaumatococcus daniellii,[2] which are two other species of plant used to alter the perceived sweetness of foods. History[edit] For a time in the 1970s, US dieters could purchase a pill form of miraculin.[15] The idea of the "miraculin party"[15] was conceived then. Characteristics[edit] Uses[edit]
Sheet Matala Blue High Density Blue Matala The Blue Matala® filter media will filter out a much smaller particle and yet still maintain good flow distribution. In larger systems all four types can be used in sequence to essentially remove all solids. Matala filter media is a progressive filter Material that is self supporting and multifunctional. Used for prefiltering, mechanical filter media, biological filtration, spawning mat, plant protection, and as a support for other filter medias. Blue Matala is available in full sheets, 48" x 39" x 1.5" or half sheets, 24" x 39" x 1.5". ALL FILTER MEDIA SALES ARE FINAL.
Everyone (Re)invents Aquaponics What follows is likely one of the most useful posts I've written. It's something I wish I'd known before I started down this road. However, I confess some conflict about posting it because it's potentially self-serving, given that a lot of people recently downloaded my plans. Brilliant and interesting early-adopters, aquapons love nothing more than to innovate new paradigms and tear down sacred cows. Also, it’s kind-of a problem. The trouble comes when people like us try and do things by the book, someone-else’s way. You Won’t Believe What I Found in my Barn! I get a lot of emails and read a lot of forum posts. I’m so excited–I just learned about aquaponics and found your blog. When I see this kind of thing, I get both jazzed and sad at the same time, because–while I relate to the excitement of stumbling across this awesome hobby–I know all too well the road this person is starting down. It was pure hubris. I should have built it exactly the way that Travis intended. Some Plans But not yet.
Phosphorus in Aquaponics - Bright Agrotech Phosphorus in Aquaponics Phosphorus is one of the primary plant nutrients- the “P” in NPK ratings. It is often overlooked in aquaponic systems simply because it is seldom truly deficient. Phosphorus is very soluble, but also very sought after in the world of plants and algae. The cause of many algae blooms (see: eutrophication), is phosphorus from industrial agriculture that has washed from cropland into rivers and streams, and eventually the ocean. While there is a lot of phosphorus in circulation in nature, natural sources for agriculture are limited. oil” at length, most people are unaware that phosphorus in the form of rock phosphate (the primary source of phosphorus for industrial agriculture) is rapidly being consumed. Because phosphorus is very soluble, and rapidly consumed by algae, it is often present in systems as soluble phosphate PO4-3 ions as well as in organic forms. So, I recommend that fruiting and vegetative crops are kept separate and growing in different systems.
Aquaculture Applications Tighter government restrictions, higher quality standards and production costs, and scarce water supplies are evident now and will continue. YSI is committed to providing cost-effective monitoring and sampling solutions to help you meet these challenges. Our technologies offer real advantages that result in real savings. Our focus is to help you solve these challenges by giving you the innovative, cost-effective products and services that make your job easier and improve the efficiency of your facilities. For those new to YSI, you may find that direct access to our employees - knowledgeable customer-focused technical advisers who are here to help you find new and better ways to do your job - is a serious advantage. YSI offers monitoring and control instrumentation (5200A, 5500D, 5400) with several notable advantages: We would also be happy to talk to you about our full Xylem aquaculture offering of pumps, disinfection (ozone and UV), and heating/cooling exchangers.
Water Quality Datasonde for CTD, Dissolved Oxygen, Chlorophyll, and More - YSI 6600 V2 Sonde The 6600 V2-4 also measures these parameters: dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll, and blue-green algae; the V2-2 measures two of the four parameters simultaneously. Additional calculated parameters include total dissolved solids, resistivity, and specific conductance. Utilize YSI’s new optical sensor design and anti-fouling wiper control for improved reliability during extended deployments. Self-cleaning optical sensors with integrated wipers remove biofouling and maintain high data accuracyField-replaceable sensors make trips to the field quickOptimal power management and built-in battery compartment extends in situ monitoring periods for real-time turbidity monitoring, dissolved oxygen monitoring, algae monitoring, and more. Find helpful information about water quality monitoring and long-term deployments at YSI's True Cost of Data web site and forum. Take Advantage of YSI’s New Optical SensorsIn addition to turbidity, chlorophyll, and rhodamine, YSI offers these optical sensors:
6920 V2 - Water Quality Sonde for Unattended Monitoring of Dissolved Oxygen and More The sonde comes in two versions: 6920 V2-1 has 1 optical port, 1 conductivity/temperature port, 1 Rapid Pulse Dissolved Oxygen port, 1 pH/ORP port, and 3 ISE ports6920 V2-2 has 2 optical ports, 1 conductivity/temperature port, 1 pH port, and 1 ISE port Available optical sensors: ROX optical dissolved oxygenBlue-green algaeChlorophyllTurbidityRhodamine A pressure sensor is an option on both versions. Additional parameters include: SalinitySpecific ConductanceDepth or Shallow Vented LevelTDSOpen-channel FlowNitrate-nitrogen, Ammonia/Ammonium-nitrogen, or Chloride (ISEs) Extend deployment intervals by 3 times or more with NEW Anti-Fouling Kits. This product features: Field-replaceable sensorsChoice between one or two optical sensor portsSelf-cleaning optical sensors and anti-fouling components for extended deploymentRS-232 and SDI-12 communicationsBattery power for long-term deployments Two versions are available: Manuals 6-Series Sonde Quick Start Guide Tips, FAQs & Guides ROX Optical DO Sensor FAQs
Commercial hydroponics: Writing a Business Plan (Part 1) Business planning for a hydroponic farm is challenging. Our farmers have been asking us for a sample business plan and we’re happy to tell them we’ve gone above and beyond. We’ve created a Building a Business Plan email course available on the Bright Agrotech Online Store. A business plan is a necessary part of your hydroponic greenhouse and farm business. To commercial aquaponic growers: Hydroponics means growing plants without soil. Not only does a written plan aid owners and managers, but it is essential when obtaining outside investments. It’s important to think of this plan as a living, breathing and constantly evolving plan for your commercial farm. All business plans will start with a general overview of the company.The Business Overview section is exactly that. The information in your overview will be very specific to your company. Business History * In this section, be sure to start with a brief history of your company. When was your company founded? Mission and Vision Statement *