It seems that everyone has an experience or two with vacuums that are etched on their mind. For my mother, it has to do with a low priced model and she is reminded of all the time because the model is mass marketed. Old people repeat things often and every time my mother sees one of those stupid adds for the Oric vacuums she goes into a ten minute tirade about what a piece of junk the vacuums is. Evidently she bought one once and was quite disappointed. Well! You get what you pay for mom!
My story is a common one having to do with the Kirby vacuums. Kirby’s were always sold by suckering you in with a deal where if you look at the vacuums they give you some free steaks or something like that and clean the carpet in your living room. They ask you to vacuums as best as you can before they arrive and then they show you what a bad job you did when they show up. Once when I was just out of college my girl friend invited them in and they spent a full two hours trying to convince me to buy a vacuum that cost more than my car. The truth it that they are a great heavy duty vacuums and many professional cleaners try to pick them up used for their cleaning crews.
I recently came across a great brand of vacuums that has models from a little less then $400 (Carina) to a little over $1200 (Silver) and some stuff in-between (mid). This price range and a quality company means that you will not be getting junk and you will also not need to re-mortgage your house to afford one. I highly recommend the brand.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sea of Green Hydroponics
Hydroponics continues to make its way into the mainstream, and with this popularity hydroponics specific retailers are finding their way into towns and cities across the country. Fortunately for those who are not lucky enough to have a hydroponics store nearby there are a wide variety of online resources for equipment, supplies and information, but for those with access to these new retail stores they offer community, support and advice as well as a variety of products to choose from.
This article presents an advice filled interview with Justin C. one of the owners of Sea of Green, a growing hydroponics retailer founded in 1992, with two stores in the Phoenix Arizona area and one in Tucson.
Question: What are some of the most commonly asked questions you get about hydroponics for the home gardener?
Answer: “How does hydroponics work” is probably the most common question. It seems like such a strange and misunderstood concept to many people. Hydroponics means growing plants without dirt, all the food for the plants is in the water instead. People think it is a really complicated process, but if you can measure out teaspoons you can probably figure out hydroponics. In Arizona there is also a buzz about wanting to know if you can do hydroponics outside. The answer is yes, however hydroponics is often about control to get optimum growth and so doing hydro outside just takes a little more consideration.
Question: What are the biggest advantages of hydroponics for the greenhouse gardener?
Answer: The biggest advantages are more plants in a much smaller space, ability for total environmental control, no need for toxic pesticides, and speed of growth.
Question: What are some of your favorite hydroponics systems at various price breaks (low, medium and high) and why do you like these systems?
Answer: Bucket systems are the lowest cost and often the most successful units for anyone interested in trying something like a single pepper plant or an assortment of herbs. This system generally consists of a five gallon bucket with a pot insert and a drip collar on top that recirculates water 24 hours a day. The system is easy to setup, requires limited maintenance and is relatively inexpensive. A middle range system would be something more automated like an ebb/flow type system on a timer. This system consists of a reservoir that usually sits underneath the tray supporting the plants. Water floods the tray several times a day, per the timer, and then drains back down to the reservoir. This system is more aggressive then a bucket system and give growers a little more flexibility to grow more then one plant. Aeroponics is the most expensive type system where the roots hang in the air with nothing around the roots except the spray of nutrient solution with a high power pump. This is the super charged system, but this system is the least forgiving. I would never recommend it for the novice, but rather for the experienced hydroponics gardener who wants to get twice the yields in about half the time.
Question: What are some of the biggest mistakes home gardeners make with hydroponics?
Answer: Hydroponics is a skill like anything else and sometimes it is necessary to tinker with a system to get it dialed in for the aggressive growth that is possible with hydroponics. Patience is very important and if anyone sticks with it even a few months they can be very successful. It is also a very experimental hobby and no one person has all the answers. Everyone has a situation that is a little different and everyone’s setup is different. Besides small errors like pH, or over nutrient levels, people often rely on simple answers from books that don’t account for a grower’s particular situation. Personal experience is the only way to get it right.
Question: Can you give us a few of your favorite tips for home hydroponics?
Answer: Start simple, but don't overlook all fundamental parts of plant growth including light, CO2, temperatures, etc. Keeping a grow diary helps to keep track what you did right or wrong. Check pH! Especially if using chemical nutrients over organic nutrients. Organic nutrients are easier to use, but chemical nutrients can give faster growth. And be patient!
Question: What do you see in the future of hydroponics for the home gardener?
Answer: It is taking off as a popular form of gardening with more people getting into it every year. The thing I love the most about this industry is that you are constantly learning new things and the innovations never cease. For the home gardener it is a relatively new concept, maybe 50 years old, or so. But the expansion of the industry is reducing the cost and simplifying the methods so that even novice gardeners will succeed with hydroponics. The growers who come to us at the store are not in one time and that’s it. We build a relationship with our customers and see them coming in every week, year after year, learning from us as we learn from them.
Hopefully the trend towards more local hydroponics retail outlets will continue and this may even push the traditional garden centers to include more resources for indoor, greenhouse and hydroponics gardening.
This article presents an advice filled interview with Justin C. one of the owners of Sea of Green, a growing hydroponics retailer founded in 1992, with two stores in the Phoenix Arizona area and one in Tucson.
Question: What are some of the most commonly asked questions you get about hydroponics for the home gardener?
Answer: “How does hydroponics work” is probably the most common question. It seems like such a strange and misunderstood concept to many people. Hydroponics means growing plants without dirt, all the food for the plants is in the water instead. People think it is a really complicated process, but if you can measure out teaspoons you can probably figure out hydroponics. In Arizona there is also a buzz about wanting to know if you can do hydroponics outside. The answer is yes, however hydroponics is often about control to get optimum growth and so doing hydro outside just takes a little more consideration.
Question: What are the biggest advantages of hydroponics for the greenhouse gardener?
Answer: The biggest advantages are more plants in a much smaller space, ability for total environmental control, no need for toxic pesticides, and speed of growth.
Question: What are some of your favorite hydroponics systems at various price breaks (low, medium and high) and why do you like these systems?
Answer: Bucket systems are the lowest cost and often the most successful units for anyone interested in trying something like a single pepper plant or an assortment of herbs. This system generally consists of a five gallon bucket with a pot insert and a drip collar on top that recirculates water 24 hours a day. The system is easy to setup, requires limited maintenance and is relatively inexpensive. A middle range system would be something more automated like an ebb/flow type system on a timer. This system consists of a reservoir that usually sits underneath the tray supporting the plants. Water floods the tray several times a day, per the timer, and then drains back down to the reservoir. This system is more aggressive then a bucket system and give growers a little more flexibility to grow more then one plant. Aeroponics is the most expensive type system where the roots hang in the air with nothing around the roots except the spray of nutrient solution with a high power pump. This is the super charged system, but this system is the least forgiving. I would never recommend it for the novice, but rather for the experienced hydroponics gardener who wants to get twice the yields in about half the time.
Question: What are some of the biggest mistakes home gardeners make with hydroponics?
Answer: Hydroponics is a skill like anything else and sometimes it is necessary to tinker with a system to get it dialed in for the aggressive growth that is possible with hydroponics. Patience is very important and if anyone sticks with it even a few months they can be very successful. It is also a very experimental hobby and no one person has all the answers. Everyone has a situation that is a little different and everyone’s setup is different. Besides small errors like pH, or over nutrient levels, people often rely on simple answers from books that don’t account for a grower’s particular situation. Personal experience is the only way to get it right.
Question: Can you give us a few of your favorite tips for home hydroponics?
Answer: Start simple, but don't overlook all fundamental parts of plant growth including light, CO2, temperatures, etc. Keeping a grow diary helps to keep track what you did right or wrong. Check pH! Especially if using chemical nutrients over organic nutrients. Organic nutrients are easier to use, but chemical nutrients can give faster growth. And be patient!
Question: What do you see in the future of hydroponics for the home gardener?
Answer: It is taking off as a popular form of gardening with more people getting into it every year. The thing I love the most about this industry is that you are constantly learning new things and the innovations never cease. For the home gardener it is a relatively new concept, maybe 50 years old, or so. But the expansion of the industry is reducing the cost and simplifying the methods so that even novice gardeners will succeed with hydroponics. The growers who come to us at the store are not in one time and that’s it. We build a relationship with our customers and see them coming in every week, year after year, learning from us as we learn from them.
Hopefully the trend towards more local hydroponics retail outlets will continue and this may even push the traditional garden centers to include more resources for indoor, greenhouse and hydroponics gardening.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Great Source for Home Furnishings!
Wow! I just was searching for some home furnishings and found a great site.
They not only offer discount prices, but they have some big name, quality brands like Wesley Allen, American Drew, Lane Furniture and Collezione Europa to name a few. The website is pleasing to look at and easy to navigate to find what you are looking for fast. The selection is huge! You can find furniture for all areas of your house except the outside. Check out their links below:
Bedroom Furniture
Lane Furniture
Wesley Allen
On a personal score, I am a big customer of the online shopping mall for all sorts of things. Fortunately, this ease of buying has not resulted in the need to seek credit counseling. Unfortunately what it has resulted in is several instances of fraud on my credit cards and one case of large scale identity theft. That was a major hassle! I started receiving credit cards in the mail with a large purchase already on them. What the thieves were doing is opening up accounts online under my name and making one large purchase and having it shipped to an alternate address. As far as credit goes, I don't think these fraud activities have impacted my personal score, but I am not sure. I had to go Equifax and the other two credit reporting agencies and place a seven year fraud block on my accounts. I would recommend that everyone do this because it makes in harder to get ripped off. By the way, you can now get a free credit report online. Just do a search on that term to find the source. Are these minor setbacks going to keep me out of the online shopping mall? No way! The bargain discount shopping and price comparison shopping are too good to pass up.
They not only offer discount prices, but they have some big name, quality brands like Wesley Allen, American Drew, Lane Furniture and Collezione Europa to name a few. The website is pleasing to look at and easy to navigate to find what you are looking for fast. The selection is huge! You can find furniture for all areas of your house except the outside. Check out their links below:
Bedroom Furniture
Lane Furniture
Wesley Allen
On a personal score, I am a big customer of the online shopping mall for all sorts of things. Fortunately, this ease of buying has not resulted in the need to seek credit counseling. Unfortunately what it has resulted in is several instances of fraud on my credit cards and one case of large scale identity theft. That was a major hassle! I started receiving credit cards in the mail with a large purchase already on them. What the thieves were doing is opening up accounts online under my name and making one large purchase and having it shipped to an alternate address. As far as credit goes, I don't think these fraud activities have impacted my personal score, but I am not sure. I had to go Equifax and the other two credit reporting agencies and place a seven year fraud block on my accounts. I would recommend that everyone do this because it makes in harder to get ripped off. By the way, you can now get a free credit report online. Just do a search on that term to find the source. Are these minor setbacks going to keep me out of the online shopping mall? No way! The bargain discount shopping and price comparison shopping are too good to pass up.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
A Quick and Easy Guide to Providing Plants with Proper Light
Most so called “house plants” have low light requirements and can generally be grown indoors without additional lighting. Where things get a little more complicated is when vegetable and fruit producing plants are added to the indoor garden, or even some outdoor areas. These plants require more light for optimal growth and production. It is important to be able to estimate the amount of light needed for growing each type of plant and the lighting options available for replacing or supplementing natural sunlight for indoor or greenhouse gardening. The use of an inexpensive light meter and a general understanding of plant lighting terminology will help lead to successful garden light management.
A quick search on the internet for “indoor plant light requirements” will provide many sources and most of them will give the same or close to the same requirements. These requirements are not for general house plants, but for their light hungry cousins that are more commonly grown outside. Most charts, like the one below, give a recommended coverage for a particular watt light used as both an exclusive lighting source and when supplemented with some natural sunlight.
Light Size Estimates for Growing Fruits and Vegetables Indoors
Watts Coverage With Sunlight
250 3' x 3' 4' x 4'
400 4' x 4' 6' x 6'
600 5' x 5' 7' x 7'
1000 7' x 7' 11' x 11'
Given these general guidelines for the area that can be covered by a particular watt light, it is important to provide the proper type of light that plants need. There are three main types of lights available for growing plants. The three types are: metal halide, high pressure sodium and MH/HPS dual spectrum lights.
Metal halide and High Pressure Sodium Lights
Metal halide lights produce a strong output of blue spectrum light which will result in strong vegetative growth. These lights produce enough red spectrum light for plant production, but the amount of red spectrum light they produce is not optimal for flowering and fruiting. It is for this reason that many indoor growers switch from metal halide to high pressure sodium lights once plants enter the flowering and fruiting stage, because these lights produce high output in the red spectrum. Another option is to use both metal halide and high pressure sodium lights, but using dual spectrum lights may be more practical.
MH/HPS Dual Spectrum Lights
The third type of light available, MH/HPS dual spectrum lighting, combines the advantages of both the metal halide and high pressure sodium bulbs in one lighting system. This is an innovative system and will produce great results throughout all growth cycles. One disadvantage is that these lights can be expensive, but with prices coming down and the need to only purchase one set of bulbs rather than two, price may not be as big an issue as it once was. It could, however, be argued that using metal halide lighting and switching to high pressure sodium bulbs for the flowering and fruiting stage gives plants more of precisely the light they need during both the growth and flowering and fruiting stages. The following links may be helpful in locating high quality MH/HPS Dual Spectrum Lights:
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/items.asp?Cc=DS
http://www.specialty-lights.com/5915.html
http://www.hydroempire.com/store/index.php/cPath/3_21
A Light Meter is a Good Gardening Investment
Charts like the one above are helpful for estimating light requirements for a given indoor space where artificial light is the exclusive light source for the garden. For outdoor gardens, greenhouses and indoor spaces where some natural light is available it is beneficial to have a light meter to more precisely measure light and make adjustments accordingly. Light meters are available starting at around $20 and can be used to pick good ornamental house plants for any given location in the house, as well as to estimate additional lighting needs for high light plants including most fruits and vegetables.
Some of these meters come with lighting suggestions for many popular plants to help identify the best light level. The following links will be helpful in comparing brands and prices:
http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/LIGHT_METER.html
http://www.planetnatural.com/cgi-bin/planetnatural/grow-light-meter
http://www.growlightsource.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=725
http://wardsci.com/product.asp?pn=IG0013396&sid=mercent&mr:referralID=b235845b-ed9f-48d3-b738-5ee8a2bf9462
http://www.lusterleaf.com/Environmental%20Monitoring/pages/1870.html
The choices available for indoor plant lighting can be daunting, but the following steps can help one to zero in on the best system for a particular application:
1. Use the chart above to estimate the total wattage of light for the size of garden space. Use the links provided in this article, or find others by doing an internet search on “grow light”, and compare prices based on the watts needed. Consider three options: a) Metal halide lights with fixtures and ballasts and high pressure sodium conversion bulbs of the same size to switch to for the flowering and fruiting stage. When using standard bulbs you can only match the same type of bulb to the same type of ballast. Make sure to buy what is called a conversion bulb. This is a special bulb that will operate on the opposite type of ballast and can be purchased in all three bulb types b) Split the wattage evenly between metal halide and high pressure sodium lights. c) MH/HPS dual spectrum lights.
2. Invest in an inexpensive light meter. Use it to check the light level of all gardens that do not receive full sun, including greenhouses, patios and other shaded areas. The meter will be particularly helpful in selecting indoor plants based on available light for various areas of the house and measuring light to adjust the artificial light provided to indoor gardens.
3. Any light bulb will loose brightness over time. Metal Halide lamps will lose about 25% of their lumen output after a year of continual use. High pressure sodium bulbs last about twice as long and dual spectrum lights are between the two. Each bulb type is generally replaced at one year, 18 months and two years respectively. Alternatively, they may be used longer if more light is added to the garden to make up for the lost lumen output. A light meter is invaluable in determining how light output from a system has changed over time and making adjustments or bulb replacements accordingly.
How Many Hours Daily Light are Optimal?
Botanists classify plants into three categories concerning their reaction to hours of light. Some plants are classified as “short day” plants and will not flower unless they receive less than 12 hours of light each day. Examples of these plants are Christmas cactus, chrysanthemums and poinsettias. Some vegetables including tomatoes, corn and cucumbers are classified as “day neutral” plants because they will flower regardless of the number of hours of light received each day. Most of these “day neutral” plants will however perform best if given a relatively long day of 18 or so hours of light. Many summer blooming flowers and garden vegetables are classified as “long day” plants. Lettuce, spinach and potatoes are in this category. These and other long day plants all bloom when the night cycles are short.
Some plants are not classified as strictly "short day", but will perform best with 12 to 14 hour days. Most lettuces, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, chard and other spring and fall crops fall into this category. For indoor gardens containing a mixture of plants it is best to use around 14 hours of light each day. This will be short enough for the above mentioned plants to do well and long enough to keep the “day neutral” and “long day” plants that prefer a longer day producing. If these light lovers can be grown separately, give them a full 18 hours of light each day for maximum results.
Understanding the Terms Full Sun, Part Shade and Full Shade
Plants labeled as requiring full sun do not actually require direct sun all day long. Full sun means that the plant need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and preferably including noon sun as part of this. Part shade plants require three to six hours of direct sun each day and preferably not direct sun during the intense mid day. Full shade plants do well on less than three hours of low intensity morning or late afternoon sun each day.
This information and an inexpensive light meter will help in making good lighting decisions to successfully manage light for both indoor and outdoor gardens.
A quick search on the internet for “indoor plant light requirements” will provide many sources and most of them will give the same or close to the same requirements. These requirements are not for general house plants, but for their light hungry cousins that are more commonly grown outside. Most charts, like the one below, give a recommended coverage for a particular watt light used as both an exclusive lighting source and when supplemented with some natural sunlight.
Light Size Estimates for Growing Fruits and Vegetables Indoors
Watts Coverage With Sunlight
250 3' x 3' 4' x 4'
400 4' x 4' 6' x 6'
600 5' x 5' 7' x 7'
1000 7' x 7' 11' x 11'
Given these general guidelines for the area that can be covered by a particular watt light, it is important to provide the proper type of light that plants need. There are three main types of lights available for growing plants. The three types are: metal halide, high pressure sodium and MH/HPS dual spectrum lights.
Metal halide and High Pressure Sodium Lights
Metal halide lights produce a strong output of blue spectrum light which will result in strong vegetative growth. These lights produce enough red spectrum light for plant production, but the amount of red spectrum light they produce is not optimal for flowering and fruiting. It is for this reason that many indoor growers switch from metal halide to high pressure sodium lights once plants enter the flowering and fruiting stage, because these lights produce high output in the red spectrum. Another option is to use both metal halide and high pressure sodium lights, but using dual spectrum lights may be more practical.
MH/HPS Dual Spectrum Lights
The third type of light available, MH/HPS dual spectrum lighting, combines the advantages of both the metal halide and high pressure sodium bulbs in one lighting system. This is an innovative system and will produce great results throughout all growth cycles. One disadvantage is that these lights can be expensive, but with prices coming down and the need to only purchase one set of bulbs rather than two, price may not be as big an issue as it once was. It could, however, be argued that using metal halide lighting and switching to high pressure sodium bulbs for the flowering and fruiting stage gives plants more of precisely the light they need during both the growth and flowering and fruiting stages. The following links may be helpful in locating high quality MH/HPS Dual Spectrum Lights:
http://www.bghydro.com/BGH/items.asp?Cc=DS
http://www.specialty-lights.com/5915.html
http://www.hydroempire.com/store/index.php/cPath/3_21
A Light Meter is a Good Gardening Investment
Charts like the one above are helpful for estimating light requirements for a given indoor space where artificial light is the exclusive light source for the garden. For outdoor gardens, greenhouses and indoor spaces where some natural light is available it is beneficial to have a light meter to more precisely measure light and make adjustments accordingly. Light meters are available starting at around $20 and can be used to pick good ornamental house plants for any given location in the house, as well as to estimate additional lighting needs for high light plants including most fruits and vegetables.
Some of these meters come with lighting suggestions for many popular plants to help identify the best light level. The following links will be helpful in comparing brands and prices:
http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/LIGHT_METER.html
http://www.planetnatural.com/cgi-bin/planetnatural/grow-light-meter
http://www.growlightsource.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=725
http://wardsci.com/product.asp?pn=IG0013396&sid=mercent&mr:referralID=b235845b-ed9f-48d3-b738-5ee8a2bf9462
http://www.lusterleaf.com/Environmental%20Monitoring/pages/1870.html
The choices available for indoor plant lighting can be daunting, but the following steps can help one to zero in on the best system for a particular application:
1. Use the chart above to estimate the total wattage of light for the size of garden space. Use the links provided in this article, or find others by doing an internet search on “grow light”, and compare prices based on the watts needed. Consider three options: a) Metal halide lights with fixtures and ballasts and high pressure sodium conversion bulbs of the same size to switch to for the flowering and fruiting stage. When using standard bulbs you can only match the same type of bulb to the same type of ballast. Make sure to buy what is called a conversion bulb. This is a special bulb that will operate on the opposite type of ballast and can be purchased in all three bulb types b) Split the wattage evenly between metal halide and high pressure sodium lights. c) MH/HPS dual spectrum lights.
2. Invest in an inexpensive light meter. Use it to check the light level of all gardens that do not receive full sun, including greenhouses, patios and other shaded areas. The meter will be particularly helpful in selecting indoor plants based on available light for various areas of the house and measuring light to adjust the artificial light provided to indoor gardens.
3. Any light bulb will loose brightness over time. Metal Halide lamps will lose about 25% of their lumen output after a year of continual use. High pressure sodium bulbs last about twice as long and dual spectrum lights are between the two. Each bulb type is generally replaced at one year, 18 months and two years respectively. Alternatively, they may be used longer if more light is added to the garden to make up for the lost lumen output. A light meter is invaluable in determining how light output from a system has changed over time and making adjustments or bulb replacements accordingly.
How Many Hours Daily Light are Optimal?
Botanists classify plants into three categories concerning their reaction to hours of light. Some plants are classified as “short day” plants and will not flower unless they receive less than 12 hours of light each day. Examples of these plants are Christmas cactus, chrysanthemums and poinsettias. Some vegetables including tomatoes, corn and cucumbers are classified as “day neutral” plants because they will flower regardless of the number of hours of light received each day. Most of these “day neutral” plants will however perform best if given a relatively long day of 18 or so hours of light. Many summer blooming flowers and garden vegetables are classified as “long day” plants. Lettuce, spinach and potatoes are in this category. These and other long day plants all bloom when the night cycles are short.
Some plants are not classified as strictly "short day", but will perform best with 12 to 14 hour days. Most lettuces, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, chard and other spring and fall crops fall into this category. For indoor gardens containing a mixture of plants it is best to use around 14 hours of light each day. This will be short enough for the above mentioned plants to do well and long enough to keep the “day neutral” and “long day” plants that prefer a longer day producing. If these light lovers can be grown separately, give them a full 18 hours of light each day for maximum results.
Understanding the Terms Full Sun, Part Shade and Full Shade
Plants labeled as requiring full sun do not actually require direct sun all day long. Full sun means that the plant need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and preferably including noon sun as part of this. Part shade plants require three to six hours of direct sun each day and preferably not direct sun during the intense mid day. Full shade plants do well on less than three hours of low intensity morning or late afternoon sun each day.
This information and an inexpensive light meter will help in making good lighting decisions to successfully manage light for both indoor and outdoor gardens.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Juicing!
I have tried many full price and discount vitamins and supplements, but recently I bought a vegetable and fruit juicer and I found that it far outshines even the best discount vitamins and minerals. Each morning I take two apples, two carrots, two celery sticks and a one inch chunk of ginger root and run them through the machine and drink up. No wired feeling like with some discount vitamins and supplements. No bad gas or after taste like with some discount vitamins. No worry of health risks like I sometimes have taking discount vitamins. The juice helps me to get my daily servings of both fruit and vegetable, helps me not to get sick and curbs my apatite. It is packed with natural discount vitamins and minerals. If I rinse the juicer parts right after juicing it is easy and fast. I don't do anything else with my diet and eat what I want for lunch and dinner, but 40 minutes before dinner I repeat this juicing process. I have been losing fat at a healthy rate and have great energy.
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