Growing Hydroponically and BiOWiSH™

Growing interest in hydroponics led me to review a study that had been done by BiOWiSH™ Technologies and a lettuce farm that had shown dramatic results. The farm in question had seven greenhouses with a variety of lettuces, all grown on Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) tables.

The lettuce farm used BiOWiSH™ Crop to treat the water that was flowing through the dripper lines, micro-tubes and NFT gulley floors. BiOWiSH™ Crop was a no-brainer for these purposes, since it increases the nutrient availability in water flowing to the plants' root systems. More nutrients mean better absorption, and more nutrients absorbed means bigger, healthier plants. That is, in fact, what happened. In the six week growth cycle, the farmer had lettuces that were double the usual size, all other factors being equal. And don't we all love bigger, healthier plants?! Especially when growing space is limited...you want to as large a crop as possible in the space available.

BiOWiSH™ Crop is 100% natural, biodegradable and safe for use in a wide range of consumer, commercial and industrial situations. With over 18 years of research and development, BiOWiSH™ products accelerate enzymatic reactions over a thousand times faster than normal speed. These enzymes breakdown all non-living organic matter, so in addition to increasing the hydroponic grows water nutrient availability, it also prevents sludge build-up and scaling in the water lines!

BiOWiSH™ Crop is now available at www.BestComposters.com. It should definitely be part of your hydroponic grow!

Ponds & Fountains in Your Yards

Water is such an important part of our lives, and I can't think of anyone who doesn't enjoy the relaxing sound of a gurgling brook or splashing waterfall. Ponds and fountains in your yard adds value to your property...as long as they look and smell inviting! But let algae begin to take over and the attraction of your water feature will dwindle and turn to revulsion.

The best plan, of course, is to start out with a clean pond or fountain and maintain it with an environmentally friendly, 100% organic product, BiOWiSH™ Pond & Fountain Conditioner For you lucky folks who haven't yet filled or even built your pond, you can start off right by keeping it clean with monthly doses of BiOWiSH™ Pond & Fountain Conditioner.

If you find yourself having to fix a growing algae problem, you've probably dealt with chemical mixes to kill the algae, then something else to remove it and/or the odor. One of the benefits of BiOWiSH™ Pond & Fountain Conditioner is that, without chemicals, it consumes the algae instead of killing it. This process reduces accumulated bottom sludge and improve water clarity and odor.

When you first apply BiOWiSH™ Pond & Tank Conditioner, the biology of the water will be bought back to life. This can cause short-term darkening of water as bottom sludge gains buoyancy. This is all part of the accelerated decomposition process. Over the course of 1-2 weeks you will see the water becoming progressively clearer, blue green algal growth will be removed and sludge or waste accumulation will be eliminated. And there is no need to worry about adverse effects on aquatic plants or animals, pets or people. It's completely safe to use; a natural cleaner from the earth, for the earth. Visit us at www.BestComposters.com for all your organic cleaning needs - we are authorized distributors of BiOWiSH Technologies full line of products. Happy Composting!

Now that we have been composting like gangbustas since last spring, we have a pile of compost that stands approximately 4 x 4 x 3 feet. We also have compost in our tumbler that will overflow a wheelbarrow. Next step, plan the garden! I know what I like to look at in the way of flowers (I always plant a profusion of different color impatients in the front of my house where it’s shady all the time by the porch. What a lovely way to enter a house, past all that color!). I like a lot of color, and something that I can cut and bring into the house in a cut flower arrangement. My first year with a garden in this house, we got rid of the top two feet of soil (aka CLAY) and replaced it with store bought compost, peat and top soil. Then I threw down some zinnia seeds, watered, and BLAM! I had the most magnificent array of color ever! I keep trying to recreate that, but a lot has changed in my yard since I threw those zinnia seeds out. The biggest difference is the amount of shade in my back yard. It’s on the south side of the house, so it gets pounded by summer sun. So to protect the paint on my house, keep cooling energy costs down, and give us some privacy from neighbors, we planted trees. Oh yeah, the kids needed something to climb and the birds and squirrels needed homes. We lived on the prairie! No trees.

Anyway, so now I have tons of shade in my yard, which is great, but it definitely impacts what plants I can grow, right? Then there’s the soil. I don’t know where it goes, but what I put into that 2 foot trench that we excavated along the back fence is no longer an airy mixture of peat, top soil and compost! The sun has baked it and the plants have sucked the nutrients right out of it.

So I figure I'll first address the soil composition question. Stay tuned to see what I do to answer the question: "What kind of soil to I really have and what will grow in it?"