| In This Issue Thank You Indoor Growing Helpers Counter Garden Featured Distributor LEDGrowLightsOnline.com Lake Country, BC 1-866-548-5077 www.ledgrowlightsonline.com sales@ledgrowlightsonline.com Featured Product The LGM3 LED grow light is appropriate for all stages of plant growth- the output is enhanced with extra blues and deeper reds to encourage robust, compact growth, and actively promote blooming. The sleek, low profile package is easily mounted anywhere you would like to grow. Simply let us know that you are a reader of the LED Gardener in the special requests portion of the shopping cart to receive 10% off your purchase of this featured LED grow lighting. Buy the LGM3 Now The LED Gardener appreciates all the input we receive from our readers. If you would like to submit an article or pictures; or you would like to comment on a current article please send submissions and comments or questions to: press@led-grow-master.com You are receiving this email because you subscribed at www.led-grow-master.com If you do not wish to receive the newsletter, please request your name removed by emailing angela@led-grow-master.com |
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| November 2011 Volume 6, Issue 11 |
Thank You
In the spirit of the holiday season and in celebration of another successful year , we are extending the “Fall Sale” into
the “Holiday Sale” through the New Year. Thank you to all of our dealers, distributors, and affiliates for the time, work,
and effort that have made LED Grow Master lighting available in more countries than ever before. Thank you to all of
our clients and a special thanks for all of you who have shared your experiences. Here's to another year of saving
energy and growing food! --AL
Indoor Growing Helpers
In terms of efficiency, it’s hard to beat an organism that gets by with a single cell. The word “Bacteria” could use some
good press. It’s usually seen in the media following a suggestion to kill 99% of it. After being exposed to a decade of this
fear based advertising I could likely yell “bacteria” in a crowded theater to cause a panic. In reality, a very small
percentage of bacteria pose any threat to a healthy person. Not only is most bacteria harmless, some bacteria is
downright helpful. Compost tea is a method of turning these mini helpers into a self perpetuating source of goodness for
your plants.
Compost tea can be applied directly to
the soil as a soak, used as a foliar spray, or
both. The organism rich mixture helps plants
process nutrients, suppress disease, speed
up the breakdown of toxins, and results in
vegetables with an increased nutritional value.
As a foliar spray compost tea has been shown
to inhibit black spot and powdery mildew while
repelling aphids, spider mites, and plant
parasitic nematodes. A little something for
everything that ales the indoor Winter garden.
Before I go too much further down the
road of how great bacteria is, I should note
that a generation of hand sanitizing citizens
was not born out of a completely unfounded
fear. There are some really bad apples in
this bunch. Always wear gloves when working
with soil, compost, or compost tea. Wash your hands when you’re done. Never use the tea on edible seedlings. I
prefer not to use composted manure of any sort. This is especially true for edible plants as the manure increases the
chance of dangerous pathogens. Putting a stop to spraying edible plants 90 to 120 days before harvest is a good extra
precaution.
The process is simple and ranges from inexpensive to free depending on what you have on hand. First, you need
an empty container that will hold water and isn’t metal. A five gallon bucket or a jug (ideally opaque) works. Then, you’ll
need worm castings or other finished compost. If you don’t have your own or you aren‘t certain it’s mature, you can find
compost (worm castings are best) in most places that carry garden supplies. Next, you’ll need water. Rainwater or
distilled water is best but most tap water is fine if you let it sit out over night before you use it. Finally, you need
aeration. The more oxygen and agitation of the water, the better. A highly oxygenated solution will encourage the good
bacteria to reproduce quickly and eliminate most of the pathogenic (bad) bacteria. Recirculation or a couple small
aquarium pumps will likely do the trick. The aeration should be enough to cause a slight churning of the water.
Add 1 part compost to every 10-50 parts water. To avoid the filtering step you can add the compost to a porous bag to
seep like tea. This can be anything from a pillow case to an old sock. It helps to hang the compost filled bag so that
there is room for the aeration below it in the water. Check that the container is well aerated and just let it brew. Twelve to
24 hours at room temperature is about right. Cold temperatures can slow down the process. There should be no foul
smell in finished tea. Turn off the aerator or recirculation system, pull out your compost, and let the particles settle for
about 20 minutes. The process will result in a liquid rich not only in beneficial bacteria, but helpful fungi, protozoa,
nematodes, and nutrients. You are ready to fill your sprayer or water can. Compost tea is past its prime after about 4
hours. The good bacteria and other organisms start running out of air very quickly so it’s best to apply immediately.
Tea can be diluted if there isn’t enough to go around or you can have a whole new batch within 24 hours. Chalk one up
on the side of good, for our little bacterial helpers. --AL
In the spirit of the holiday season and in celebration of another successful year , we are extending the “Fall Sale” into
the “Holiday Sale” through the New Year. Thank you to all of our dealers, distributors, and affiliates for the time, work,
and effort that have made LED Grow Master lighting available in more countries than ever before. Thank you to all of
our clients and a special thanks for all of you who have shared your experiences. Here's to another year of saving
energy and growing food! --AL
Indoor Growing Helpers
In terms of efficiency, it’s hard to beat an organism that gets by with a single cell. The word “Bacteria” could use some
good press. It’s usually seen in the media following a suggestion to kill 99% of it. After being exposed to a decade of this
fear based advertising I could likely yell “bacteria” in a crowded theater to cause a panic. In reality, a very small
percentage of bacteria pose any threat to a healthy person. Not only is most bacteria harmless, some bacteria is
downright helpful. Compost tea is a method of turning these mini helpers into a self perpetuating source of goodness for
your plants.
Compost tea can be applied directly to
the soil as a soak, used as a foliar spray, or
both. The organism rich mixture helps plants
process nutrients, suppress disease, speed
up the breakdown of toxins, and results in
vegetables with an increased nutritional value.
As a foliar spray compost tea has been shown
to inhibit black spot and powdery mildew while
repelling aphids, spider mites, and plant
parasitic nematodes. A little something for
everything that ales the indoor Winter garden.
Before I go too much further down the
road of how great bacteria is, I should note
that a generation of hand sanitizing citizens
was not born out of a completely unfounded
fear. There are some really bad apples in
this bunch. Always wear gloves when working
with soil, compost, or compost tea. Wash your hands when you’re done. Never use the tea on edible seedlings. I
prefer not to use composted manure of any sort. This is especially true for edible plants as the manure increases the
chance of dangerous pathogens. Putting a stop to spraying edible plants 90 to 120 days before harvest is a good extra
precaution.
The process is simple and ranges from inexpensive to free depending on what you have on hand. First, you need
an empty container that will hold water and isn’t metal. A five gallon bucket or a jug (ideally opaque) works. Then, you’ll
need worm castings or other finished compost. If you don’t have your own or you aren‘t certain it’s mature, you can find
compost (worm castings are best) in most places that carry garden supplies. Next, you’ll need water. Rainwater or
distilled water is best but most tap water is fine if you let it sit out over night before you use it. Finally, you need
aeration. The more oxygen and agitation of the water, the better. A highly oxygenated solution will encourage the good
bacteria to reproduce quickly and eliminate most of the pathogenic (bad) bacteria. Recirculation or a couple small
aquarium pumps will likely do the trick. The aeration should be enough to cause a slight churning of the water.
Add 1 part compost to every 10-50 parts water. To avoid the filtering step you can add the compost to a porous bag to
seep like tea. This can be anything from a pillow case to an old sock. It helps to hang the compost filled bag so that
there is room for the aeration below it in the water. Check that the container is well aerated and just let it brew. Twelve to
24 hours at room temperature is about right. Cold temperatures can slow down the process. There should be no foul
smell in finished tea. Turn off the aerator or recirculation system, pull out your compost, and let the particles settle for
about 20 minutes. The process will result in a liquid rich not only in beneficial bacteria, but helpful fungi, protozoa,
nematodes, and nutrients. You are ready to fill your sprayer or water can. Compost tea is past its prime after about 4
hours. The good bacteria and other organisms start running out of air very quickly so it’s best to apply immediately.
Tea can be diluted if there isn’t enough to go around or you can have a whole new batch within 24 hours. Chalk one up
on the side of good, for our little bacterial helpers. --AL
LED Gardener
| Indoor Growing |
