We just added to our inventory the Green Pad CO2 Generator.  This is an awesome product for so many reasons, but the greatest benefit we have experienced is giving our customers the ability to try and test CO2 without the costs — and best of all see the amazing benefits CO2 has to offer their plants.

What we posted on The Green Pad site:

We are from Palmdale Hydroponics and we have been selling the pads now for about 6 months now and according to our customers they see tremendous differences in growth when adding the Green Pad to their grow area.

They have told us that their plants look healthier and are larger than ever.
We always say that CO2 is a must have, but it is a big expense and sometimes it is nice to try it out first. Before the Green Pad we could only sell CO2 tanks or even seltzer water as the alternative. Now, with the Green Pad we can have customers trial CO2 with small plants so they can see the difference before taking a big step with a CO2 tank. We have customers who have trialed with the Green Pad and now have upgraded to the tanks, but with out the Pad we do not know if they would have done it.

Check out more and give it a try at hydroponicsunlimited.com .

We just added Emerald Triangle’s Snow Storm Ultra, check it out at http://www.hydroponicsunlimited.com/product/719942.html.

If you like Purple Maxx/Snow Storm, but color is not your primary goal, then Snow Storm Ultra is for you. We isolated the “snow storm” effect and optimized it for maximum results. Absolutely nothing else like it on the market. Does not contain carbohydrates or molasses. Three years of development went into this Humboldt County original. Best of all, this additive works with all your favorite nutrient lines. When used with Gravity, Snow Storm will take your plants beyond anything achievable with fertilizer alone.

We have it in 3 different sizes; 1 Qt – $28.50, 1 Gallon – $85.50, and 2.5 Gallon – $170.95

We’ve just added Organocide to our site.  A great product and definitely work a look. It comes in both a spray and a concentrate.  See below…

Organocide Organic Insecticide – Concentrate 1 Quart

A nature-safe, organic spray oil effective on a wide variety of insects, mites, armored and soft scales and certain fungal diseases. It is insecticidal to the eggs, larvae, and nymphs of insects and adults of soft bodied insects. Controls a wide range of mite and insect pests, and certain fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, black spot on roses, helminthesporium and greasy spot on citrus. Use on vegetables, fruits, nuts, vine crops, herbs, ornamentals, greenhouse crops, landscape plants, bulbs, flowers and field crops. Active Ingredient: sesame oil 5.0% / Inert Ingredients: edible fish oil 92.0% and Lecithin 3.0%. Dilution Rate: Mix 2 oz. with 1 gallon of water. Exempt from EPA registration.

Yes this big…

Phresh Filters and Phresh Pre Filters just added to Hydroponics Unlimited.  All sizes, and as always discounted from the msrp price.  Presh Filters are the best around and there are sizes to fit all needs and keep you growing:

1) Aluminum tops and bases for reduced weight. Half the weight of competitive filters.
2) 6mm (1.8″) RC-48 activated, certified virgin carbon bed.
3) Machine packed carbon means more carbon and less movement.
4) Cone shaped internal base for optimum air flow.
5) Sealed, bagged, boxed and labeled directly after being manufactured for optimum life span, handling and presentation.
6) 51% open air custom mesh.
7) Unique Anti Air Bypass System.
Large selection of sizes available to fit any application.
9) Flange & prefilter included.
Get ‘em now at hydroponicsunlimited.com

One of the major benefits of hydroponics is that you can grow anywhere and anytime of the year. I recently stumbled across a project called Window Farms from www.windowfarms.org.  Basically the concept behind them is that you can grow indoors in any space, but specifically in spaces without a lot of room.  See below:

“Researchers have argued that to grow some of his own food is the most effective action an individual can take for environment, not only because of the food industry’s heavy carbon footprint but also because participating in agricultural production cultivates a valuable skill set around sustainability issues.

Many neighborhoods (particularly low income ones) in cities aroun the world are considered food deserts, meaning little fresh food is easily accessible. Residents tend to consume processed, packaged, and canned food having depleated nutrients.

Few other projects provide opportunities for such direct personal involvement, make this productive use of existing construction, or so directly target urban dwellers estranged from agricultural issues.

Inner city dwellers can grow their own food in their apartment or office windows throughout the year by means of these elegant, inexpensive, vertical, hydroponic vegetable gardens made from recycled materials or items available at the local hardware store. The first system produced 25 plants and a salad a week in mid winter in a dimly lit 4’ x 6’ NYC window.”

If you go to www.windowfarms.org you can download instructions for creating a kit.  It’s just a great thing to see hydroponics growing to all areas and new ideas for growing spreading.

At Hydroponics Unlimited we have some very cool promotions going on right now;

15% Off Gravity

15% Off Purple Maxx

15% Off Botanicare Power Clone

15% Off Floraliscious Grow

Beyond that we have great prices for all your hydroponics needs and an extensive range of products to help you grow successfully.

Advanced Nutrients Monkey Juice Bloom and Grow is no longer available and no longer produced by Advanced Nutrients, but we here at Hydroponics Unlimited have extra inventory and at killer prices.  4 Litre – $26.95 and 1 Litre – $15.50.  You can’t beat those prices and there’s only a few left.  Click below for available juice.

Monkey Juice Grow Part B 4L

Monkey Juice Grow Part A 4L

Monkey Juice Bloom Part B 1L

Monkey Juice Bloom Part A 1L

Monkey Juice Bloom Part B 4L

Monkey Juice Bloom Part A 4L

There are variety of hydroponics systems and choosing which is best comes down to personal choice, well at least to a certain regard. The four main systems are the drip/sprinkler system, the flood and drain or ebb and flow system, the nutrient film technique, and aeroponics. But there is yet another that is little discussed or promoted, but from our experience has the best results while saving money and being more conscious of the environment—Top Feed Systems.

First let me explain each of the other techniques and then I’ll tell you about Top Feed Systems—how they differ and why they are the best bang for your buck.

1. The Drip or Sprinkler System: This system “involves dripping or spraying nutrient water around plant roots that are held in place by clay pellets, gravel, rockwool, sawdust, or peat mixes. One of the advantages is that the dripping or spraying nutrient carries a constant supply of air between droplets. In addition, the drips or sprays are timed to allow air-breathing cycles” (How to Supercharge Your Garden, 114)

The overall key to this system is that the roots must remain moist and if any of the drip systems get blocked or malfunction the roots can dry out very fast and the plant can die out very quickly.

2. The Ebb and Flow System: This system involves flooding the roots at regular intervals. There is a floodable area, a tray, that raises and lowers the nutrient rich water around the plant roots. The plants are usually held with some sort of soilless medium. The question that arises with Ebb and Flow is how often to submerse the plant’s roots within the nutrient rich water. “The reason for the flooding is only to keep the nutrient and air constantly moving over the roots.”(How to Supercharge Your Garden, 115) A good rule of thumb is to not submerse the plant’s roots for more than 30 minutes at a time and depending on the medium the plant is held in, this should be done hourly or daily. Problems with this system include, water pooling, standing water, pest problems, algae and mold. You must keep a close eye on this system.

3. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT): “is basically running a constant thin film of nutrient water across the roots on a sloped gutter or pipe. The film of water must be thin enough to be able to carry a film of air along with it. The roots are not held but each plant is supported in a collar with roots hanging into the gutter or pipe.” (How to Supercharge Your Garden, 116)

NFT systems are inconsistent in providing the right amount of water and nutrients vs. oxygen and can vary from plant to plant within the system. You must keep a close eye on the roots to make sure they are receiving enough oxygen. “The browner the roots are, the more they need oxygen.” (How to Supercharge Your Garden, 116)

4. Aeroponic systems use no growing medium. Roots are suspended in a dark growth chamber where they are misted with oxygen-rich nutrient solution at regular intervals. Only air and nutrient solution fill the growth chamber. Aeroponic systems require greater attention to detail but offer extremely high performance.

So we’ve gone through the most common systems used when growing hydroponically, but as I mentioned before there is one more that we at Hydroponics Unlimited have found to out do the others—the Top Feed System. Very similar to a drip system, but with Top Feed Systems, water and nutrients are fed from the top producing 10% more yield using 30-40% less water and nutrients — the greenest way to grow and the way Hydroponics Unlimited recommends. There are no major distributors of top feed systems , but at Hydroponics Unlimited we have begun building customized systems using state of the art materials that can turn any set up into a Top Feed System.

Hydroponics Unlimited is now stocking .25L size in Rhizotonic, Cannazym and PK 13/14, so you can give each a try without diving in. Canna offers great nutrients and has a awesome reputation. With these new sizes it is worth checking out!