Great Stuff Hydroponics

New Mobile Great Stuff Hydroponics website

2011-11-09T23:07:00.004Z

Why not visit our new mobile Great Stuff Hydroponics optimised website on your smart phone/iphone

New 600w grow lights only £65

2011-10-27T11:38:00.002+01:00

We now have our new 600w light kits in stock at Middlesbrough and Sunderland shops, this includes ballast, HPS bulb and Euro reflector.

Also see new prices for all light kits online and many other price reductions.

Great Stuff Hydroponics: Sunderland Shop

2011-07-02T11:12:00.000+01:00

Great Stuff Hydroponics: Sunderland Shop

find us online at:

www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com

Sunderland Shop

2011-06-29T13:15:00.001+01:00

Sunderland shop now open 6 days a week
monday - friday 10am - 5pm
Saturdays 10am - 2pm

Some great deals on so get yourself along

New shop now open

2011-06-03T13:08:00.004+01:00

We have now opened a new shop in Sunderland, come and visit us for some great prices

30c Ellesmere Court, Leechmere Ind. Estate, Sunderland SR2 9UA

(opposite Howdens Joinery and Plumb Centre, round corner from Asda)

tel: 0191 447 4098

at the moment we are only open in Sunderland on thursdays and fridays from 10am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm

we will be opening monday to saturdays in july

New Products now in..

2010-10-14T16:20:00.003+01:00

Bit of a move around in the shop to accommodate the new grow rooms we have in stock, come in and see them set up, many sizes available from 0.6x0.6x1.4m to the big 3m square grow tent, prices start from £65.
Many new items in also, pop in for an upto date price list, were adding the new products to our website over the next few weeks.

Getting Bigger

2010-08-18T11:18:00.003+01:00

Things are getting bigger in the grow room, more info will be posted soon on how it's being done, or why not come down the show room and see for yourself.

Grow Room chilli growing diary

2010-07-30T10:18:00.005+01:00

Diary
We started with 4 Jalapeno seeds and 4 Habanero (very hot chillis!) seeds, placed them in root riot cubes and put them in a propagator under a 250w CFL light for approx 2-2.5 weeks until they had a good root system, they were then transferred into the 8 pot wilma with canna coco medium.
While they were in the propagator they were sprayed with a weak mix of water and rhizotonic every 3 days.

The nutrients we will be using will be sensi grow (1.8ml p/ltr), Sensizym (5ml/ltr) and Voodoo Juice (7.5ml/ltr) only every 3 weeks, the timer for feeding is set to come on for 15 mins every 2 hours with the light on 18 hours a day.

If you have any questions or tips please let us know, we are open to trying ideas which will benefit you.

New IWS System in grow room

2010-07-30T10:11:00.004+01:00

New Grow Room addition!

Thanks to Ian at DWS we now have a display IWS system set up in our grow room, will get it up and running asap and have more pics and info on it soon, keep checking back or better still, come in and have a look...

If you want any info on the systems don't hesitate to email us at info@hydroponics-hydroponics.com
The systems will be available to buy from our website very soon.

2010-07-29T09:18:00.004+01:00

New Extractor Fans just in from AirteQ, from 4" to 12", very good prices and airflows.
100mm 4" (290m3/h) only £50
125mm 5" (380m3/h) only £55
150mm 6" (690 m3/h) only £60
200mm 8" (930 m3/h) only £70
250mm 10" (1200 m3/h) only £80
315mm 12" (1850 m3/h) only £105

Budget Filter Range Massively Reduced
100mm 4" Now only £39.99
125mm 5" Now Only £49.99
150mm 6" Now Only £79.99
200mm 8" Now Only £94.99
250mm 10" Now Only £129.99
315mm 12" Now Only £159.99

Which also means new Ventilation Kit prices so have a look at these (click here)

grow room up and running

2010-07-22T14:01:00.004+01:00

Seeds started for Habanero Hot Chilli's and Jalapeno's, come and visit our grow room to see them up close and get advise on your own grow rooms.
more updates to follow...

Happy New Year

2010-01-20T12:41:00.003Z

We hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year, and the weather never affected your growing over the christmas period too much.

We are happy to announce that the blog will be back up and running after a long break, apologies for this but we are now back with much more than before, we will be bringing you a hydroponic guide, which will give tips on getting best results, more product reviews and news from the hydroponics world.

So please watch this space...

Great Stuff

Plant Vitality

2008-08-20T10:23:00.004+01:00

Sizes available: 50ml, 250ml
Description: Plant Vitality can be used at any time of the plants vegetative or flowering growth cycle. Not only does Plant Vitality kill all spidermite, spidermite eggs and spider mite larvae, but it also prevents spidermite from returning as well as all mites.
Apply to plants via spray bottle, or for soil pests mix as normal and soak soil/coco with mix, reapply even when mites and pests aren't there, this will prevent them coming back.

Benefits of using it:

Gets rid of spidermite
prevents spidermite from returning
kills many other plant pests
organic

For best results use with: Pest Off Pistol

Click here to buy Plant Vitality
Please add comments: let people know your Plant Vitality success stories, do you know something we don't?

Dr Hornby's Big Bud by Advanced Nutrients

2008-08-18T09:37:00.005+01:00

Sizes available: 1ltr, 4ltr, 10ltr, 23ltr
Description: Advanced Nutrients Dr Hornby's Big Bud is the only bloom stimulator that has the right ratio of phosprous and potassium, along with the best forms of amino acids.
Big Bud allows your plants to get the right type of nutrition so you get massive flowers immediately.

Benefits of using it:

Larger, heavyweight flowers
More flower heads
Superior formed flowers

For best results use with: Overdrive, Hammerhead

Click here to buy Dr Hornby's Big Bud
Please add comments: let people know your Dr Hornby's Big Bud success stories, do you know something we don't?

Advanced Nutrients B-52 Fertilizer Booster

2008-07-28T15:31:00.005+01:00

Sizes available: 1ltr, 4ltr, 10ltr, 23ltr

Description: Advanced Nutrients B-52 is a Fertiliser booster which is designed to give the plant a massive boost of energy by raising the plants metabolism.

Benefits of using it:

Your seedlings, clones and mature plants grow faster and stronger

Exclusive combination of ingredients so you get larger flowers and fruits

For best results use with: Advanced Nutrients

Click here to buy B-52

Please add comments: let people know your B-52 success stories, do you know something we don't?

The Original HomeBox

2008-07-18T10:40:00.002+01:00

Sizes available: Clone Box, HomeBox Light, XS, L, XL, XXL

Description: The homeBox is basically a fully collapsible grow room including ventilation outlets and hanging rails. Create an enclosed environment with excellent grow room conditions, enables the grower to section off a larger room and keep your walls and ceilings intact, definatly recommended.
Benefits of using it:

Keeps walls and ceilings intact

Easily moved from grow room, fully collapsible

Only have one grow room? section it off to effectivly create 2 grow rooms.

For best results use with:
Maxibright plant light, easy rollers, Filter/ventilation kits, 1m square tray

Click here to buy HomeBox

Please add comments: let people know your HomeBox success stories, do you know something we don't?

Canna Boost Accelerator

2008-07-11T13:39:00.004+01:00

Sizes available: 250ml, 1ltr, 5ltr

Description: Canna Boost Accelerator is an additive which adds bulk to your plants and increases your yield by giving the plant more energy, it also adds to the natural flavour.

Benefits of using it:

Higher yields
Even higher yields when used with Canna PK 13/14
better ripening and strengthened immune system
Fuller, more powerful natural taste

For best results use with: Canna Coco A+B, Aqua Vega, Terra Vega Cannazym Canna Boost Accelerator Canna PK 13/14

Click here to buy Canna Boost Accelerator

Please add comments: let people know your Canna Boost Accelerator success stories, do you know something we don't

Grow room finish

2008-07-11T12:46:00.004+01:00

As we round off our grow room and clean it up we will bring you some posts will product reviews and information until we have sorted the new grow out, we will then bring you a product vs product account of the new grow, with popular systems and nutrients up against each other, lets find out first hand just how they work differently, what problems we have with them and the best way to use them.
Thanks for catching up with us, please keep checking for more useful info.

Best regards
All at Great Stuff Hydroponics

Canna Rhizotonic

2008-07-11T11:02:00.006+01:00

Sizes available: 250ml, 1ltr, 5ltr

Description: Canna Rhizotonic is a powerful vegetative stimulator for your roots, Rhizotonic stimulates the root development which gives the roots more resistant to disease and pests.

Can be used as a foliar spray on clones to develop strong roots.

Benefits of using it:

helps generate lush new roots quickly
can be used as a seed soak for faster germination
rehabilitates stressed plants

For best results use with:
Canna Coco A+B, Aqua Vega, Terra Vega
Cannazym
Canna Boost Accelerator
Canna PK 13/14

Click here to buy Rhizotonic

Please add comments:
let people know your Rhizotonic success stories,
do you know something we don't?

a good root system

2008-07-01T11:57:00.004+01:00

As you can see this tomato plant has developed a good root system, essential for strong growth, we add a few inches of clay pebbles to the bottom of the pot which helps with drainage.

yellowing peppers, nearly there...

2008-06-16T09:57:00.002+01:00

A few of the peppers are now turning yellow, with the largest of the pick at a healthy 8 inch in length.

I bet these will make you cry!

2008-05-29T10:49:00.002+01:00

Can't wait for the onion rings of these babies! Expecting a lot more growth of these mind, now adding Canna Coco A+B, will add the Canna Boost soon.

Peppers looking good!

2008-05-28T15:22:00.004+01:00

The peppers have come on a treat in the Flo gro system, no problems to report here, great stuff!

the fruit's (veg) of our labour!

2008-05-28T15:11:00.004+01:00

wey hey, we're starting to flower, some lovely peppers coming through and the onions are becoming monsters! Had some slight yellowing of the leaves at the bottom around the pot however this is due to over feeding (check if the edge of the leaves are dry and browning, speckles).

Here we Grow!

2008-05-20T10:29:00.010+01:00

So our first grow is well underway, sorry for the lack of updates so far we will give you a brief run down of what we have on the go.

Sweet Peppers (Golden Treasure):
Once germinated the seed was placed in a 1" rockwool cube and into a propagator under 18hrs of light (we used the LightWing) to root then transfered to a Flo-Gro system with clay pebbles. Starting on a half strength solution (Aqua Vega, Rhizotonic, Cannazym), each week uping the dosage until we reached the recommended strength.
As soon as the plant started producing flowers we changed the water and nutrients to Aqua Flores, reduced the amount of Rhizotonic and Cannazym and started to introduce Boost Accelerator. more to come soon...

Medium/Nutrients/Additives used: 1" Rockwool Cube, Clay Pebbles, Canna Aqua Vega A+B, Canna Aqua Flores A+B, Canna Rhizotonic, Cannazym, Canna Boost Accelerator.
Equipment Used: Propagator, LightWing Flouro Unit (On an 18 hour light cycle), Flo-Gro Syatem, 400w Maxibright Grow Light (18 hour light cycle).

Chilli's (Apache Hot):
Germination and rooting same as the peppers. Then into 4" rockwool cubes to be placed in a GT205 grow tank. We cut holes in the top plate to place the cubes and covered with a cube cap to protect from any mould growing.
Again the same as the peppers we started on a half strength solution of Aqua Vega, Rhizotonic and Cannazym working our way up to full strength. Once they showed signs of flowering we changed over to Aqua Flores and added Boost Accelerator, with less Rhizotonic and Cannazym. more to come soon...

Medium/Nutrients/Additives used: 1" Rockwool Cubes, 4" Rockwool Cubes, Canna Aqua Vega A+B, Canna Aqua Flores A+B, Canna Rhizotonic, Cannazym, Canna Boost Accelerator.
Equipment Used: Propagator, LightWing Flouro Unit (On an 18 hour light cycle), GT205 Grow Tank, Cube Caps, 400w Maxibright Grow Light (18 hour light cycle).

Tomatoes (Sun Gold):
Germination and rooting same as the peppers. Then into 4" rockwool cubes and placed into the Wilma system with Plagron Royalty Mix, this medium already has nutrients in the soil so for the next 6 weeks we used only water. For a week after the nutrients in the soil had gone we introduced G.E.T. Grow nutrient. In week 7 the plants showed signs of flowering so we changed over to the bloom nutrient and added Power Thrive. Again with the solutions we started off with half solutions and kept uping the solution until we reached the recommended but remember to keep an eye on your plants as you don't want to over fertilse them. more to come soon...

Medium/Nutrients/Additives used: 1" Rockwool Cubes, 4" Rockwool Cubes, Plagron Royalty Mix, G.E.T. Lets Grow A+B, G.E.T. Lets Bloom A+B, G.E.T. Power Thrive.
Equipment Used: Propagator, LightWing Flouro Unit (On an 18 hour light cycle), Wilma 8 Pot System, 400w Maxibright Grow Light (18 hour light cycle).

Onions:
Germination and rooting same as the peppers. Then into 4" rockwool cubes and placed into the 11ltr pots with 2"'s of clay pebbles at the bottom for better drainage then filled with Canna Coco peat. Kept under a 600w light for 18 hours a day and watered with half strength Coco A+B, Rhizotonic and Cannazym (1 litre per day), each week building up the nutrient solution. After 6 weeks started giving them Boost Accelerator. more to come soon...

Medium/Nutrients/Additives used: 1" Rockwool Cubes, 4" Rockwool Cubes, Clay Pebbles, Canna Coco Peat, Canna Coco A+B, Canna Rhizotonic, Cannazym, Canna Boost Accelerator.
Equipment Used: Propagator, LightWing Flouro Unit (On an 18 hour light cycle), 4x 11ltr Pots on a bed of Clay Pebbles in a Square tray, 600w Maxibright Grow Light (18 hour light cycle).

Problems:
We encountered a bad case of fungus fly which seemed to live in the coco peat. We first tried Just Fungus Fly Killer (a natural predator) which had no effect, then used Fungus Gnat Off and Pest Off by spraying all over the grow room, this made a slight improvement but did not get rid of the fungus fly. We then made a 10 litre mix of Plant Vitality + and water (25ml per litre) and gave each plant roughly a litre a day for aprox 2-3 days as well as spraying the grow room with the same mix. This seemed to get rid of all traces of the fly and got us back on track.

New Grow Room now open!

2008-04-25T11:52:00.006+01:00

Our new grow room is up and running, over time we'll be bringing you up to date pictures, information and advice aswell as a jornal of how our plants are getting along, we'll bring you product reports, problem solving and hopefully answer any questions you have on here so get emailing us, if you think you have any good tips we can share with other growers please don't hesitate to email them over, we'll give you the credit (if you want it?).
So take it away Adam, we want to see some champion onions!...

WARNING: Please don't by any means send us photos, information or anything that is of an illegal nature as we cannot and will not entertain this on here.

Leading the Way in Hydroponic Research

2007-09-12T15:45:00.000+01:00

18th August 07

Dating back to the times of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, hydroponics uses mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil to grow plants. Having grown in popularity since the 1930s, the method is now employed by amateur horticulturists and large commercial crop growing organizations alike. Already widely used in research studies on plant nutrition, hydroponic culture has obvious value in the field of education, hence the reason for Great Stuff Hydroponics’ search for a suitable educational or research body to work in partnership with. Steve Parker of Great Stuff Hydroponics says, “Our aim is to find an agricultural college or research institution to work with us to test our systems and nutrients with the view of developing new systems from their findings. We would look at employing onsite students, and maybe developing an educational feature with working hydroponic models on show.”Appreciating that research and education are the best ways to drive product advancement, Great Stuff Hydroponics is keen to fulfill its ambition to recreate a demonstration, research and production facility similar to the Land Pavilion at Walt Disney World’s Epcot in Florida. The Land Pavilion features 0.4 hectares dedicated to experimental horticultural techniques, including hydroponics. A project on a similar scale in the UK would encourage major steps forward in the industry and awareness of the technique, resulting in more advanced products and, importantly, improved consumer experiences. Steve Parker appeals, “We would love to hear from any educational, governmental or commercial institutions interested in working with us on this project. We are excited by the potential of this project, and look forward to finding an equally enthused partner.”

The Future Is Hydroponic!

2007-08-16T15:06:00.000+01:00

July 31st 07

Have you ever wondered what we would all eat if mankind ever colonized Mars? Great Stuff Hydroponics aims to shed some light on how we would grow food without soil or even a breathable atmosphere.

Hydroponics is the name given to techniques used for growing vegetation here on Earth without planting it in soil. These techniques are not new, dating back to the hanging gardens of Babylon, however the nutrient solutions which are fed to the roots in place of soil are becoming more and more scientifically sophisticated all the time.

Water is used to carry nutrient solutions to the roots of the plants, so that they can take in as many or as few of the nutrients as they need. Plants grown hydroponically are almost always grown indoors, in greenhouses, so that their environment can be strictly controlled. The amounts of water, nutrients and light they receive can be measured, and plants grown using hydroponic techniques only use 1/20th of the amount of water which would be necessary to grow and irrigate the same crop outdoors.

Because there is no soil involved, there are very few potential contaminants to the crop; pest problems are reduced and so are all soil borne diseases. Plants are therefore healthier and, because their roots are visible and their environment is easy to control, they can always be studied so that these growing methods can be improved.

Hydroponic techniques have already been used to produce food in some of the most inhospitable parts of the planet, notably giving the US military the means to station its personnel on Wake Island in the Pacific during the second world war. A barren place, the island could produce nothing edible without the use of hydroponics. A more modern example is that of Antarctica. Hundreds of scientists and researchers at the McMurdo station in Antarctica would quickly go hungry were it not for the food produced hydroponically in the enormous greenhouse situated there.

In order to increase productivity in hydroponic growth, plants can also have high levels of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere around them, which they can then use to sustain themselves in a chemical process known as photosynthesis. This process takes place inside the plant, leading to plant growth. The use of bright, specialist hydroponic lighting can also increase productivity by speeding up the photosynthesis reaction, or lengthening the daylight hours available to the plant. This is particularly important in Antarctica, where the winter months are characterized by uninterrupted darkness, which would normally kill off any living vegetation.

Commercial use of hydroponics is booming and Nasa has already experimented extensively with hydroponic growth methods. It is predicted that these techniques which have allowed humans to survive in some of the harshest climates known on Earth, will be adapted for growing food in controlled environments on space missions and perhaps even for human colonization of other planets.

For now though, hydroponics is used mainly by interested individuals as a hobby or experiment and as a way of growing their favourite flowers or fresh fruits and vegetables out of season at home. To find out more about Hydroponics, and to purchase hydroponic kits for use in your own home, visit http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/.

Hobby Hydroponics On The Rise

2007-08-15T16:35:00.000+01:00

27th July 07

As people become increasingly interested in where their food comes from, growing food hydroponically at home is now a booming industry which is turning into a mainstream hobby, says the UK’s leading hydroponics supplier, Great Stuff Hydroponics.

Eating healthily has become something of a buzz word over recent years, and it is now impossible to escape the aisles of organic and healthy ranges in supermarkets up and down the country. Indeed, allotment gardening has become more popular as the population begins to take more notice of where and how its food is grown. Great Stuff Hydroponics says that hydroponic growing is now the next step for retailers and consumers.

Growing food hydroponically means growing plants indoors, or in a greenhouse, using only water in a controlled environment. The amount of water, nutrients and light available to the plant can be precisely monitored. The plant roots are exposed directly to the water so there is no soil involved in hydroponic growth, and this cuts down the number of soil borne diseases and pests which may affect the plants considerably. Also, no fertilizer or pesticide is necessary when growing plants hydroponically. Yields are also much higher than traditionally grown crops as plants do not have to concentrate their energy on developing large root systems in order to gain nutrients.

Steve Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics says, “There are already isolated cases of hydroponic farms dotted around the UK, and these are still something of a novelty. Hydroponically grown strawberries are a particular favourite! However, we have noticed a rise in the number of people enquiring about growing hydroponically at home.”

There are environmental benefits of growing plants using the hydroponic method too. Traditional (soil grown) crops on land use enormous amounts of water, much of which evaporates off, or carries chemicals and pesticides into the water table. Hydroponic growth uses much less water (around one twentieth) to hydrate the same number of plants, and there is no agricultural or chemical run off.

The main attraction of growing plants hydroponically at home for the majority of people, however, is peace of mind; they can be absolutely sure of where their food has come from. Not only that, but as hydroponic growth takes place indoors, under specialised lights and using a specific nutrient solution, the range of plants which people can grow this way at home is endless. Regardless of the outdoor climate, season, or soil quality, all your fresh fruit and vegetables can be grown at home hydroponically throughout the year.

Steven added, “Hydroponics kits are now beginning to be seen in garden centres and I am certain that it will not be long before hydroponically grown food is going to be seen in our supermarkets too.”

The most popular beginners hydroponics kit is the AutoPot Easy2Grow Kit. It is the only kit in the world which will water and feed plants without the need for pumps or electricity, making it extremely cost effective, and is available from Great Stuff Hydroponics’ website http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/

Vertical Agriculture On The Up

2007-07-25T15:28:00.000+01:00

13 July 2007

Over the next 40 years the UN predicts a global population boom, leading to agricultural land shortages. Great Stuff Hydroponics thinks we can overcome this problem and help to reduce the environmental impact of our cities by building vertical hydroponic agricultural buildings in urban centres.

Supplying food in the West is not an issue, where agricultural land is available and complex distribution systems are already set up. However, the UN predicts that by the year 2050, there will be an additional 3 billion people on this planet, approximately 80% of whom will live in urban centres. This poses a problem, particularly in developed societies where farmers are a dying breed and food often has to be transported over vast distances before it ends up on peoples’ dinner tables.

Currently, some cities are greener than others; Singapore, Hanoi and Havana have all been cited as food producing cities. Whilst they are not yet self sufficient, other cities still have very far to go. New York, for example, has to import nearly every morsel of food which is consumed there, and trucking all that food into the city every day takes its toll on the environment and is an incredibly inefficient use of resources in a sophisticated society.

The answer, according to environmentalists, scientists and hydroponics enthusiasts is to stop all these wasteful practices by building hydroponic farms, vertically, in the heart of our cities. This would let the land around our cities return to an unspoilt ecosystem of forests or grasslands, aiding the fight against global warming and climate change. After all, we have developed into an urban species with all of the methods to produce reliable crops every year hydroponically at our fingertips. We do not need to rely on taking up large tracts of land with agriculture, polluting our atmosphere with delivery truck exhaust fumes, and leaving our crops to the mercy of the elements the way our ancestors did. Farming to excess is a contributing factor to desertification, reduced soil quality and it is unnecessarily damaging to indigenous flora and fauna.

There is already considerable popular support for town planners and city councils which take environmentally friendly decisions, dedicating themselves to keeping our countryside green and focusing on making our cities cleaner and more pleasant places to inhabit instead.

Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor of microbiology at Columbia University, originally came up with the idea of the Vertical Farm Project, as a solution to the future pressure on land and resources and as a way of reducing the carbon footprint of our cities. Since the beginning of the project, a number of environmentally friendly ‘vertical farms’ have been designed for New York, Toronto and Paris.

Toronto scientist, Gordon Graff designed a concept building known as the SkyFarm which would sit in the centre of the city’s theatre district. His 58 floor tower design could provide enough food at the centre of the city for an estimated 35,000 people, every day. It would comprise of different crops, vegetables and fruits, all being grown hydroponically, using water in place of soil. During hydroponic growth, plants are fed nutrients dissolved in water in a strictly controlled environment.

The benefits to the environment of producing food in vertical greenhouse-like farms in the centre of town would be multiple. Not only are distribution vehicle emissions cut by growing food in the place where it will be eaten, but there is also no need for ploughing, no digging, and no seasonal droughts. Crops are protected from the elements and run off or ‘dirty water’ is eliminated as water can be recycled within the hydroponic system of the building.

Also, because plants grown hydroponically are in a controlled environment, with no soil, there are also no soil borne diseases or pests to worry about; the city’s food could be produced without the need for chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Hydroponic growth requires only one twentieth of the water used to irrigate a farm growing the same number of plants, yet yields are higher. Because there is a continuous flow of nutrients to the plant, the plant can concentrate its energy on producing fruit rather than roots. Hydroponic lights and a CO2 rich atmosphere within the building could also increase food production by stimulating photosynthesis and lengthening the daylight hours available to the plants.

Gordon’s SkyFarm idea would be a totally self sustainable building, powered by solar panels. He also says that non edible parts of plants could be composted, producing methane; this biofuel is a source of renewable energy which could be contributed to the local power grid. The SkyFarm could even develop into a scientific research facility or an eco-tourism attraction, creating jobs and drawing attention to the city as a whole.

The spirit and aims of the Vertical Farm Project have been enthusiastically received all over the world. An environmentally friendly Science Barge is run by New York Sun Works to prove the point to city inhabitants that food can be successfully grown hydroponically within the city. School groups and apartment communities have been particularly taken with the project, which illustrates how using the citys’ 14,000 acres of sunny rooftop space to grow plants hydroponically, could feed 20 million people across the city of New York and the surrounding area.

The most exciting aspect of these concept buildings is that they are feasible with the technology already available to us. Not only that, but city inhabitants who are tired of paying a premium to buy food which has been brought into the city from afar need not even have a rooftop or garden. Great Stuff Hydroponics can supply beginners hydroponic kits along with all of the materials and equipment required by established growers, for use inside peoples’ homes. Given the correct lighting and nutrients, any variety of plant can be grown in water, hydroponically, absolutely anywhere, regardless of the season or climate.

For more information about the vertical farm project, visit http://www.verticalfarm.com/. To start growing your own hydroponic fruits and vegetables at home, purchase hydroponic kits or equipment and benefit from special offers online, see Great Stuff Hydroponics’ website, http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/.

The Future Is Hydroponic!

2007-07-20T12:29:00.000+01:00

11 July 2007

Have you ever wondered what we would all eat if mankind ever colonized Mars? Great Stuff Hydroponics aims to shed some light on how we would grow food without soil or even a breathable atmosphere.

Hydroponics is the name given to techniques used for growing vegetation here on Earth without planting it in soil. These techniques are not new, dating back to the hanging gardens of Babylon, however the nutrient solutions which are fed to the roots in place of soil are becoming more and more scientifically sophisticated all the time.

Water is used to carry nutrient solutions to the roots of the plants, so that they can take in as many or as few of the nutrients as they need. Plants grown hydroponically are almost always grown indoors, in greenhouses, so that their environment can be strictly controlled. The amounts of water, nutrients and light they receive can be measured, and plants grown using hydroponic techniques only use 1/20th of the amount of water which would be necessary to grow and irrigate the same crop outdoors.

Because there is no soil involved, there are very few potential contaminants to the crop; pest problems are reduced and so are all soil borne diseases. Plants are therefore healthier and, because their roots are visible and their environment is easy to control, they can always be studied so that these growing methods can be improved.

Hydroponic techniques have already been used to produce food in some of the most inhospitable parts of the planet, notably giving the US military the means to station its personnel on Wake Island in the Pacific during the second world war. A barren place, the island could produce nothing edible without the use of hydroponics. A more modern example is that of Antarctica. Hundreds of scientists and researchers at the McMurdo station in Antarctica would quickly go hungry were it not for the food produced hydroponically in the enormous greenhouse situated there.

In order to increase productivity in hydroponic growth, plants can also have high levels of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere around them, which they can then use to sustain themselves in a chemical process known as photosynthesis. This process takes place inside the plant, leading to plant growth. The use of bright, specialist hydroponic lighting can also increase productivity by speeding up the photosynthesis reaction, or lengthening the daylight hours available to the plant. This is particularly important in Antarctica, where the winter months are characterized by uninterrupted darkness, which would normally kill off any living vegetation.

Commercial use of hydroponics is booming and Nasa has already experimented extensively with hydroponic growth methods. It is predicted that these techniques which have allowed humans to survive in some of the harshest climates known on Earth, will be adapted for growing food in controlled environments on space missions and perhaps even for human colonization of other planets.

For now though, hydroponics is used mainly by interested individuals as a hobby or experiment and as a way of growing their favourite flowers or fresh fruits and vegetables out of season at home. To find out more about Hydroponics, and to purchase hydroponic kits for use in your own home, visit http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/.

Protect Plants From Pests The Natural Way

2007-07-20T10:02:00.000+01:00

04 July 2007

For anybody growing plants indoors, hydroponically or in a greenhouse, insect pest infestations can still take hold. Until now, toxic chemical pesticides were the only option. Great Stuff Hydroponics can now supply indoor growers with an all natural, equally effective alternative; Pest Off.

Pest Off uses a combination of natural plant extracts suspended in a mixture of vegetable oil, polymer and water to target and control a wide variety of insect pests in a safe, non-toxic way. When Pest Off is sprayed onto the insect, it blocks the insect’s airways which leads to suffocation. The fast acting formula is specifically designed with hydroponic and indoor growers in mind and the formula is safe to use in the home, conservatories and green houses.

Great Stuff Hydroponics’ director, Steven Parker says, “By growing plants hydroponically in water, without using soil, hydroponic growers can actually avoid most types of pest and soil borne diseases which may threaten a plant or crop. However, quick action is required when an indoor crop or plant is threatened by an insect pest as these can spread rapidly. Insects are a real concern for any person growing plants indoors, regardless of the growth method they use.”

Pest Off is an excellent solution for growers as it has a very long shelf life and is sold in concentrate form. One 250ml bottle provides 10-litres of usable product. It is also incredibly versatile and can be used to control a wide variety of pests. White fly, mites, thrips, aphids, mealybug, scale, adult miners and leaf hoppers can all be wiped out effectively using this natural formula.

Great Stuff Hydroponics has a few tips for anyone trying to deal with a pest infestation; “Pests can affect an entire plant or particular ‘hot spots’. The main trick to controlling them effectively is to get the application right. Remember to spray onto the undersides of the leaves as well as the tops and ensure the plant is thoroughly covered.”

Insects or their larvae may be hiding in flowers so a repeated application a couple of days later should target any which the grower has previously missed, along with any insects which are going through different stages of development.
Optimum results are achieved when Pest Off is used in conjunction with the Pest Off Pistol, both of which can be supplied at low cost online through Great Stuff Hydroponics.

Who Invented Hydroponics?

2007-07-20T09:34:00.000+01:00

03 July 2007

Many people mistakenly believe that the art of growing plants successfully without using soil, known as hydroponics, is a new technology. Leading Hydroponics experts and suppliers, Great Stuff Hydroponics, aim to throw some light on the origins of this ancient technique.

It is commonly thought, amongst gardening experts that the famous hanging gardens of Babylon could be the earliest example of a complex use of hydroponic techniques. Fresh water containing plenty of oxygen and nutrients were used to keep plants alive without having any soil surrounding their root structures. Other possible uses of hydroponics in the ancient world have also been suggested within Aztec culture.

However, it was not until the middle ages when scientific knowledge about the workings of plant life began to develop. In 1600, Jan Van Helmont deduced that plants take their nutrients only from the rainwater, rather than from the soil itself. He realized this because plant mass rises according to plant growth over time however soil mass stays much the same. This paved the way amongst scientists and chemists to find out more about exactly which nutrients need to be present in water to promote healthy plant growth.

Then the English scientist, Joseph Priestly, discovered that plants photosynthesize, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, and that this process is speeded up when the plant is exposed to bright sunlight. This was also an important development regarding the lighting techniques which are now used for commercial hydroponic growth.

By the mid 1800’s as a result of much interest in the subject and many experiments, a definitive list of minerals and nutrients needed by plants in order to thrive had been developed, with nutrient solutions created by the German botanist Wilhelm Knop.

The techniques of hydroponic growth, such as controlling the amount of light, water and nutrients available to the plant, are ideally suited to growing plants indoors. For this reason, in the early half of the twentieth century, commercial greenhouse growers began to realize the potential of hydroponics. Hydroponic plant growth uses only 1/20th of the water which traditional (soil based) agriculture demands. Also, soil borne diseases and virtually all pests are eliminated. These growth techniques are not only environmentally friendly, using less water and reducing agricultural ‘run off’ which would normally find its way into the water table, but it is also ideally suited to arid climates. This was proven brilliantly during the war, when American troops stationed on barren Wake Island in the Pacific, were able to survive by growing fresh food hydroponically.

Dr. William Gericke perfected hydroponic techniques during the 1940’s, and even decided upon the name for them, amalgamating the Greek ‘hydros’ (meaning ‘water’) and ‘ponos’ (which means ‘working’) into one word.

Since then, hydroponic growth techniques have diversified into a variety of ways to grow plants in ‘soil-less cultures’, although they use other media instead of soil which means that not all soil-less cultures can strictly be defined as hydroponic any more. Not only that, but there is now also a plethora of different growth promoters, nutrient solutions and hydroponic lighting designed for different aspects of plant growth on the market.

No single person or culture developed hydroponics, however the broad depth of modern scientific knowledge on the subject, drawn from many developments and experiments over time, mean that it is a viable commercial agricultural method and is also well suited to researchers, hobbyists and enthusiasts alike. Amazingly, this ancient technique can be practiced at home, using one of the hydroponic kits available online from Great Stuff Hydroponics. Kits can be supplied to beginners and advanced growers in addition to all other hydroponic equipment and specialist supplies.

Hydroponic Grow Lights Explained

2007-07-19T12:20:00.000+01:00

22 June 2007

So, you have decided to try your hand at growing plants hydroponically (without soil) which can be a great experiment or hobby, but did you know that your choice of light will affect how well your plants grow? Leading online hydroponics experts, Great Stuff Hydroponics, explain…

Plants thrive in sunlight, and the more sunlight they receive the better they grow. Because hydroponic plants are cultivated indoors, in a controlled environment, it is important that you give your plants the right kind of lighting in order for them to reach their full potential.

The light which we can see coming from the sun is known as the visible spectrum, which can be refracted into many different colours. However, plants are very sensitive to infrared and UV light which is just outside the visible spectrum for humans. Plants use this light to make food in a process known as ‘photosynthesis’.

Infrared and UV light fall into the red and blue spectrums which are the colours of light used by plants; blue for vegetative growth and red for flowering. Your successful hydroponic plant growth will depend on the type of lighting you choose.

Metal Halide lights (MH) give off blue light and are therefore suitable for vegetative growth. High Pressure Sodium lights (HPS) do the opposite, emitting red light to encourage flowering. Alternatively, you can buy full spectrum lights, such as the Grolux or Osram grow light available on Great Stuff Hydroponics’ website in a variety of wattages. These emit all the wavelengths of light which your plant will need. Great Stuff Hydroponics' grow lights all come with a reflector and the ballast needed to ignite them.

For growers who are just starting out, however, Great Stuff Hydroponics can also recommend Envirolites. These are fluorescent lights which give off considerably less heat than the sodium or metal halide lights mentioned above. Beginners often do not have adequate ventilation and could be disappointed if their plants suffer due to the high levels of heat given off by MH and HPS lighting.

Steven Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics has a few words of advice to new hydroponic growers; “Remember to give your plants plenty of space. They should receive more light if you are growing them hydroponically, but crowding them into a small space will just result in more upward growth – this can be a problem if you are growing indoors!”
If your lights are running for 12 hours per day, they are likely to need replacing relatively frequently. Industry advice is to replace them every 6 to 9 months.

Forget Organic - Go Hydroponic!

2007-07-19T10:20:00.000+01:00

22 June 2007

People pay a premium for organic produce but did you know that there is an even cleaner way to grow all your own fruit and vegetables at home, without paying a penny to the supermarkets? Market leader, Great Stuff Hydroponics, aims to explain how this is possible.

Known as hydroponics, the science of growing plants without using soil is set to become the next big thing amongst green-fingered, environmentally aware consumers. Instead of obtaining nutrients from the soil, plant roots are exposed directly to nutrient solutions, giving them balanced nutrition in an indoor, controlled environment. This method can be used to grow plants anywhere on earth, during any season.

Soil cannot contaminate the edible parts of the plant, and as a consequence, plants grown hydroponically are not at risk of soil borne diseases and are much less susceptible to pests. This leaves the plants naturally healthier than their soil-grown (geoponic) counterparts. Many commercially grown hydroponic plants have no need for pesticides.

There are many environmental advantages of growing plants hydroponically too. The hydroponic method only uses around 1/20th of the water used for irrigation on farms to grow the same quantity of food. Normally, the ‘run off’ from farms finds its way into the water table. Hydroponic growth therefore greatly reduces the effects of large scale agriculture on the water table, with the added advantage that the water used and its effects on the surrounding land can be accurately measured.

Hydroponic plants are already extensively grown commercially in Israel, Nicaragua and the US where people are able to cultivate fresh produce with limited water supplies in arid landscapes.

Switching to buying or growing hydroponic fruit and vegetables also has some benefits to the consumer; there is a reduced time delay between picking the plant and packaging it, meaning that it will stay fresher for longer. Additionally, because hydroponic plants have greater access to sunlight and better nutrition, produce can be healthier and tastier.

Steven Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics says, “Hydroponic plant growth is something everyone can do at home using one of Great Stuff Hydroponic’s kits, for beginners or advanced growers (shown above). Due to the methods used, you can grow all your favourite fruits and vegetables out of season at home.”

Hydroponic Plants Triumph in Unlikely Places

2007-07-18T13:57:00.000+01:00

16 June 07

The art of growing plants without soil (hydroponic growth) is now so advanced that it can help humans to survive for long periods in previously inhospitable environments such as Antarctica.

Traditional plant growth relies on plants absorbing minerals and nutrients from the soil. Plants do not actually need to be placed in soil to obtain the nutrients they need. In fact the soil is simply there to support them. There are many areas on Earth which do not have the necessary soils to support plant growth, preventing humans from living there.

Over recent years, this restriction has been combated by growing plants hydroponically. Hydroponics uses nutrient solutions applied directly to the roots instead of soil, in order to allow the plants to grow in unlikely places.

One of the earliest hydroponic success stories happened on Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean. The island was first discovered in 1568 by Álvaro de Mendaña de Nevra, who noted that it was a “low, barren island.” Later, when the island was surveyed in 1840 by the US Commodore Charles Wilkes, it was officially recorded as having no fresh water.

In the 1930s, Pan American Airlines began using the island as a refuelling stop between America and China. The airline constructed a village for its workers; the first time the island had been inhabited by humans. Because of the distances involved, it would have been expensive and impractical to import fresh food to the island, so the islanders relied on hydroponic methods for growing food instead for many years.

Hydroponic techniques are not as new or miraculous as some people may think; they have been developed over many centuries. However, perfecting the nutrient solutions which are used will really affect the success of hydroponic crops in remote or harsh conditions.

Perhaps the harshest environment of all is Antarctica. At the McMurdo station on Ross Island, a community of nearly 1000 people survive by relying on hydroponic techniques to grow food.

These techniques allow people at this icy station to enjoy fresh lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fruit and herbs for use in cooking, throughout the year.

The Antarctic environment is unusual because it enjoys four months of continuous sunlight, followed by four months of darkness, not to mention high winds and extremes of temperature.

To survive this harsh climate, seeds are planted in a hydroponic mix of perlite and vermiculite and placed in a totally enclosed, insulated greenhouse at the station. Nutrient solutions are fed to the plants to ensure healthy growth and other environmental factors are dealt with by using hydroponic techniques. For example, artificial lighting is used to simulate a more normal day to night pattern in which the plants will grow best. The air is kept warm and humid by fans and hydroponic a ventilation equipment, and at night an electric furnace is used to generate more heat. This gives the fresh fruit and vegetables ideal growing conditions to allow them to flourish.

Hydroponic techniques are now so advanced that we really are able to grow food anywhere on Earth, regardless of the external environment or the availability of light.

Growing food hydroponically is a fascinating process, making commercial sense for many growers who are now able to produce on a large scale without an enormous land investment.

In fact, the same techniques which keep people alive in Antarctica can be practiced in your own home using a hydroponic kit available online from Great Stuff Hydroponics. Kits and equipment for commercial growers are also available online, along with information downloads and expert advice.

Get More From Your Hydroponic Plants!

2007-07-18T12:38:00.000+01:00

12 June 2007

Growth promoters tailored to the needs of hydroponic plants are becoming more and more sophisticated according to Great Stuff Hydroponics, the leading online suppliers of hydroponic equipment.

Hydroponics is the name given to the cultivation of plants without using soil. Instead of drawing its minerals and nutrients from the soil, a mineral solution is applied to the roots of the plant with the advantage that the root system is always visible. Hydroponic plant growth also uses less water than traditional outdoor growth. This has led to increased interest in hydroponic methods from commercial growers, as nutrient solutions and growth promoters, continue to improve yields.

The secret to successful hydroponic plant growth is knowing exactly what you wish to achieve. Maximum growth can be gained by using specialized growth promoters, although it pays to choose the correct type as there are a wide range of products aimed specifically at improving either the roots, the plant’s overall growth or boosting the plant’s blooms.

All growth promoters work slightly differently although most are simply added to the plant’s nutrient solution. Sophisticated scientific methods are now used to maximize plant productivity. For example. Dr. Hornby’s Voodoo Juice works by introducing microbes into the root zone which are able to break down nutrients so that they can be more easily absorbed by the plant. This can produce increases in root mass of up to 90%, which makes the plant more stable, strong and improves nutrient uptake.

An alternative way to boost root growth is to use Cannazym which breaks down the old roots of the plant and contains vital vitamins and minerals which stimulate new root growth. By removing the old roots, this allows younger, more efficient root systems to form.

If it is general plant growth which is needed, liquid silicon could be the answer. This is added to the plant’s nutrient solution and produces improved growth and darker green leaves.

In addition to these, there is a plethora of products on the market aimed at improving the hydroponic plant’s blooms. Again, each one works slightly differently, from the interestingly named Bud Blood, which gives buds a large dose of potassium and phosphorous during the first week of flowering, producing fuller blooms; to ‘flower forcing’ solutions such as Ripen, which enable the plant to flower early. This is especially useful if part of the crop has developed some sort of pest and the rest needs to be harvested or picked quickly in order to avoid the same fate.

These growth promoters and many more are all available online from Great Stuff Hydroponics. Find out how to successfully grow hydroponic plants online at http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/.

If you are having trouble finding the products you are looking for or you need some expert advice, look out for the special ‘Ask Adam’ space.

Try Growing Plants Without Soil This Summer - It Really Works!

2007-07-18T11:03:00.000+01:00

05 June 2007

Imagine being able to enjoy fresh strawberries in winter! Growing plants without relying on soil, at any time of the year really is possible and is known as the science of ‘hydroponics’. Anyone can grow plants hydroponically using Great Stuff Hydroponics’ fantastic kits, making it an ideal hobby for the whole family to enjoy.

Hydroponics remove the need for soil when growing plants. Hydroponic mineral solutions were developed scientifically during the 1800s by the German botanists Julius von Sachs and Wilhelm Knop. Since then, the process has been adapted for large scale use in the agricultural industry. “Hydroponics is often used by teachers as a particularly good way of studying plant growth because the roots can be seen easily in most hydroponic systems,” explained Steven Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics. “For this reason, growing plants using hydroponic methods can be fascinating for the hobbyist, with the added advantage that it is possible to grow your favourite plants, flowers or vegetables out of season.”

Great Stuff Hydroponics provides both beginner and advanced hydroponic kits. Both options include all necessary equipment to get growing immediately.

Although hydroponics is a great remedy for problematic growing conditions, other factors also play their part.

Steven Parker, director of Great Stuff Hydroponics, said: “It seems like very basic advice but making sure that plants are grown at the correct temperature and that they have good access to sunlight is vital for healthy growth. It’s surprising how often we hear from clients who have failed to follow these guidelines and are feeling frustrated by their efforts as a result!”

In areas where sunlight is poor, or if you are trying to grow a plant out of season, it may be best to invest in high wattage hydroponic lighting as a substitute for bright sunlight. Steven adds, “It is a common misconception that plants grown hydroponically can be placed closer together than plants grown in soil. In fact, they need to be permitted to grow in a well-spaced environment. This allows the plant to gain maximum access to the light it requires.”