The Funky Fresh Garden Show - Fox Farm

Join The Funky Fresh Crew and Fox Farms own George for a look into their massive product line that can be seen anywhere from your small hydro shops to large garden centers.

The Funky Fresh Garden Show - General Hydroponics NOW AVAILABLE!

Thank You to Chris, from General Hydroponics for stopping by the Goat Shack to talk some product and a little gardening. 

Check it out!

Blueberry Bush

My #blueberry bush... It's been through a lot but it's comin back! It got a little snow, you can see the browning from that and also it needed a good dose of PH Down. After that it put on all that new line green growth you see. Amazing what plants can go through and still flourish with a little Love and attention ✌ 

#gardening #growyourown #hydroponics #thegrowgoddess

The Funky Fresh Garden Show - Dosatron USA

Tune in tomorrow at 6pm MST on KYGT The Goat 102.7. We will be taking a dive into the commercial injector systems that are on the market on their way to being a part of all large scale operations that wish to function at their highest potential and have the most efficient inputs. Dosatron, USA's Chris will be joining us in studio to talk a little bit about his products.

Poppies!

I Can NOT wait for these #Poppies to bloom, They are huge! I will post pics as soon as they do! 

#gardening #growyourown #plantsomething

Companions for my Corn

Companions for my #Corn.

#gourds #gremlingourds #pumpkins #snowballpumpkin #hooliganpumpkin #gardening #growyourown #thegrowgoddess #organics

Gourd

This ones cotyledons were fused together. 

#ifuckinglovescience #gardening #growyourown #gourds

Don't miss this one!

Live in 5 minutes! Join us to discuss a little medium and talk with Tim from #Smartpots!

102.7 The Goat

SnowBall Pumpkin

Juuuuust a few days old. Snowball pumpkin... I can't help but laugh at the name... #gardening #growyourown #pumpkins #smartpots

New Tomato Cages!

My pretty new tomato cages...the garden needed some color #gardening  #tomatoes #growyourown

Seedlings!

#Tomatoes and #Peppers and #Tomatillos, OH MY!  Love this time of year. #growyourown #gardening #grodan #hydroponics

The Funky Fresh Garden Show - Fox Farm

Don't miss tonights Funky Fresh Garden Show featuring George from Fox Farm Fertilizers! Available through Tunein Radio at 6 pm MST on 102.7 The Goat

The Funky Fresh Garden Show - General Hydroponics

This week on The Funky Fresh Garden Show we will be graced with the presence of General Hydroponics' very own Chris G. We will talk a little gardening and alotta GH products so if you have questions get em in now, you only have two more days! Live Thursdays at 6pm MT on KYGT The Goat 102.7 available through TuneIn Radio.

*****NEW GARDEN RADIO SHOW!!!****

I'm proud to announce the start of a brand new radio show with yours truly as your host.

The Funky Fresh Garden Show on KYGT The Goat 102.7 Located in Colorado. If you arnt able to catch us through the local radio we are available through the TuneIn App or online! No reason to miss out!

Here is the link to do so http://tunein.com/radio/The-Goat-1027-s42347/

Creating a place for gardeners and growers to connect with industry experts and their exceptional knowledge!

*Giveaways
*Industry guests
*Product knowledge
*Growers Round Table
*Good Tunes
*Good Vibes
and much more!

Please visit our facebook page @ www.facebook.com/thefunkyfreshgardenshow and Like our page to stay up to date and enter for giveaways!

Companion Planting

Companion Planting is that of which you plant different crops next to each other that may mutually benefit each other. Some will deter the bad pests or even attract the good ones. They may also provide additional nutrients for fellow plants and encourage more pollination by attracting more bee's. (and we all want that don't we?)

One example is the three sisters that was implemented by Native Americans which included squash, corn, and climbing beans. The corn supplies a climbing structure for the beans, the beans provide nitrogen for the other plants, and the squash provides a ground cover to prevent weeds.

One of the best things I think companion planting can offer is natural pest control. Most people keep their edibles away from their ornamental's and flowers but in actuality they can help each other fight off the bad pests and bring in the beneficial ones. 

Marigolds strong odor will repel aphids and other insects that attack vegetable plants. You could even use them in your indoor garden.

Nasturtium is a popular plant to put next to other low growing veggies because it attract some caterpillars. It is also used as a trap crop. Trap Cropping is a method of companion planting in which certain plants will be placed among the crops to attract the bad insects and take on the beating in order to save the others. A bit of a martyr I suppose.

Protection from harsh weather is another great benefit. Smaller and more fragile plants that prefer a more moist or shaded area will find a good home under taller, branching plants that will provide cover. This would be considered nurse cropping. 

Some plants don't always vibe with each other either. There are many graphs online of which plants tolerate and don't tolerate each other. I found a simple chart, I've noticed there are a lot of them out there and most will conflict in some way but this will do for now. If the writing is too small I placed the link below it.

https://www.earlmay.com/tips__solutions/edible_gardening/companion-plants-chart/

Before you spray a chemical on your plants or food crops for bug control, consider All the Natural options you have! Don't kill the bee's, Feed them!

Weekend Fun: Pineapple start in Hugo

Just so happened to get a pineapple this weekend and I decided instead of throwing it away I would attempt to get it to root into a Grodan 6" Hugo. Plus its fun!

First is first. Either cut off or just pull off a good amount of layers until you get this little nub about an inch and a half or so long. The more you pull off the more potential space for roots to come out.


    


Next Im actually gonna let this guy sit in some rooting compound for just a few

                     

After I let it soak for a bit I will pop it right into my Hugo, It just so happens to fit nice and snug in the pre drilled hole. So no need to dig anything out of the block. The block is simply rinsed with clean water, covered with a coco cap (to prevent algae growth), and set in the tray.

Side note: You do not have to use a rockwool cube! I just thought It would be cool. You can always use soil and some people even put them in a glass of water, but this must be changed often to make sure it doesnt rot out.


                        

Its as simple as that! Now I will keep it in a low light place in my kitchen until it starts to root and most likely it will end up under a nice warm T5

Thank you for checking out my blog!

 

 

 

 

 

Don't get caught being Stale: Ventilation

Ventilation and air flow is one of the most important elements of harvesting a successful crop. Not only do you want to make sure that your grow room is receiving ample amount of fresh, cool air, but also that you get out the stale, warm air that hangs out in the upper level of your room. Everyone knows that plants need carbon dioxide and oxygen for Photosynthesis. I'm not sure how well you would do if you couldn't eat. In a not so ideal environment your plants stomata can become clogged and make it very difficult to do its job and keep itself healthy. Fresh Air is the easiest element to come by, and its free! So no excuses.

The warm, humid air hanging around can cause your plants growth to become stagnant and make a great environment for disease to arise. Ideally your intake and exhaust fans would be on opposite sides of the room so the air is pulled across your plants.So yes, my drawing in slightly off but you get the point. My exhaust fan is placed high in order to catch the hot, stale air right where it likes to gather. Both of my fans would be on a thermostat so that they will automatically kick on when the room reaches, lets say 75 Degrees which gives me a nice even balance of temperature.

Ventilation fans are measured in CFM, Cubic Feet per minute. Ideally your fan should replace the volume of your room in less then five minutes. You can figure out the cubic feet of your room by multiplying the rooms Length x Width x Height


It is also necessary to to have an oscillating fan to move around and mix up the air. Without this, you will create a stagnant area of stale air the is most likely right at plant level in between your intake and exhaust. It is important that the oxygen and Co2 around your plants is replaced and circulated regularly.  The oscillating fan also helps harden up your plants, making them move around helps your stems get nice and strong.

You can also take advantage of the flanges on your hood that allow you to cool directly from the heat source. This will eliminate a lot of hot air going into the room from the start, making it easier to cool.

If you are wanting to exhaust through a Carbon filter you can easily figure out the proper size by calculating your CFM with the formula above. Each filter supplies you with two CFM ratings. One being for ventilation purposes and the other for scrubbing.

If you are Scrubbing your room, you are simply setting the fan on the filter and letting it recirculate through out the room. If you are exhausting you are pushing it directly outside the room. Remember when you have air pushing out you will need a comparable fan putting air back in the room or you create a negative pressure. Those of you with tents or home made boxes made of poly will find this rather annoying when your walls suck in and you loose a foot of space on each side.

New Toys!

Snagged me up two of these bad boys. The GH EuroGrower. Ive used this thing for years and finally got two of my own! I loved the results I got and it is an excellent intro to hydroponics systems for a beginner. You can get all the info on it from http://generalhydroponics.com/site/index.php/products/systems/eurogrower1/
Should have these up and running in the next couple weeks, Just have to decide what I wanna put in there!

Welcome! A quick introduction about myself and my blog

I have been interested in gardening  since I can remember and stumbled across hydroponics and alternative growing techniques in 2007. I started working for a local hydro shop in Northern Illinois. I was tossed into this world of extraordinary possibilities and ways of producing large amounts of crops in a short amount of time. The next thing I knew I was hooked. I left the retail game for a year and just itched to get back in. I landed a job for one of the largest distributors of indoor gardening supplies. I am back in my element, dealing with all of those familiar products I had sold to the public for years and used myself on a daily basis. I have a lot of experience with tons of different hydroponic products such as fertilizers, pesticides, lighting, hydro systems, exhaust fans, air scrubbers, and lots more. It took years to gain the knowledge I have today and what I find myself missing is sharing this knowledge with anyone and everyone I can. Everyone should know how to garden, at least that's what I think.

 I am currently working on a new radio show. The Funky Fresh Garden Show,  A technical radio show focusing on gardening inside and out. We have weekly guests who can supply expert advice on their products. The show airs on Thursdays at 6pm MST on 102.7 The Goat, Clear Creek Radio. You can listen from anywhere through TuneIn Radio at http://tunein.com/radio/The-Goat-1027-s42347/
or you can visit my YouTube page to catch missed episodes at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0fE2FgmKwQr-SlIqDfS2gg


The point of this blog will be to share with you my own adventures in hydroponics. What I think of certain products and how they worked for me. I will have how to videos ranging from starting seeds to harvesting all of your hard work.

Please visit and like my facebook page!
 www.facebook.com/thegrowgoddess