• have everything ready first then take your cuttings and plant them right away
• for best results, take cuttings first thing in the morning
• use only healthy actively growing stock plants with soft green stems (woody stem cuttings do not root fast!!!)
• for green stem (softwood) cuttings use a straight clean cut; for yellow or brown stem cuttings use a slanted cut
• remove any leaves or branches that would be below the soil line (snip off leaf stem, leaving a 1/4" stub)
• dip cutting into "Roots" or other hormone products
• after planting, trickle a few drop of water down the stem to settle the soil mix around the stem

To Root in Potting Soil or Soiless Mixes:

• fill containers with potting mix
• water well with room temperature water with "Nutri-Boost" added ("Nutri-Boost" is a vitamin mix; add 7 drops per litre or quart of water)
• it is always a good idea to have "No-Damp" nearby in case you notice any signs of wilting; if this occurs, use the recommended application rate of l0m. "No-Damp" to 1 litre of water and spray generously
• now take your cuttings, dip them into a rooting hormone and plant them right away

To Root in Rockwool Cubes:

• rinse cubes in lukewarm pH balanced water
• water cubes with "Nutri-Boost" solution as described above
• plant the cutting 3/4" of the way into the cube

More Helpful Hints:

• root cuttings under moderate light (flourescent light)
  at 70 - 75°F
• if you use a clear cover, remove twice a day and wipe any condensation off the cover and replace
• use only water and "Nutri-boost" solution until cuttings show signs of new growth at tips then feed with 1/2 strength fertilizer

Hydroponic Nutrient Manipulation and Modification Techniques
or "Playing with your food"

Some gardeners are ignoring their mother's advice and modifying their fertilizer mixes. The fact is, the soil-less mixes, lava rock, rockwool, etc. hold little or no food compared to garden dirt, so any change in fertilizer strength or quality is noticed by the plant almost immediately.

This is why gardeners use different fertilizers for different stages of growth, giving the plant just what it needs for today's "Work". Here are some other tips on changing your fertilizer mix for special circumstances.

Food Strength

We match food strength to growing conditions in the garden, and to the health and activity of the plant.

Weak fertilizer for:

• newly rooted cuttings
• plants in low light conditions
• plants in hot gardens (over 90°F or 33°C)
• plants under stress - disease, bugs, etc.
• plants in transition between stages of growth
• plants in poor growing conditions - crowded, root-bound, poor air movement, etc.

Regular Strength Fertilizer for:

• healthy plants in active growth
• good light levels, temperature and air movement

Strong Fertilizers for:

• natural spurts of growth in crop plants
• plants in very good growing conditions - very high light levels; precise, consistent temperatures; major air movement through plants; excellent exhaust and intake fans; huge quantities of C02 delivered efficiently to the garden; regular growth hormone treatments (to help the plant take up stronger foods)

Note: Increase food strength gradually - watch for black leaf tips!

Food Formulas - We modify fertilizers by changing the quantity of individual nutrients for special circumstances.

Low Nitrogen Fertilizers:

• to avoid "stretching" (long thin stems) of plants between stages of growth.
• a good example would be a chrysanthemum grower who has shortened the day length to make the plants start their flower cycle; he would use a full strength fertilizer with Nitrogen only (1/2 strength or less) to keep the plants compact until the flower buds form.
• return to regular Nitrogen levels once your plants have actually begun their next growth stage.
• this trick works especially well with our "B" and "C" fertilizers.

You can see that gardeners start by examining the conditions in the garden and the "job" of their plant, then decide what strength and quality to mix their fertilizers.

So What's the Deal with Pesticides?

Well, they suck! However, sometimes they are necessary to save your valuable crop. The "new" trend is to use pesticides only as a last resort. Your object is to control your pests and you might even get lucky and wipe them out.

Start with a healthy plant! It's much less likely to develop problems than a plant under stress. Bugs seem to sense a hurting plant, much like a pack of wolves will prey on an injured or tired animal. That's where our Predators come In. Just wonderful little things. They are moderately priced and they do all the work for you. When the bad guys are all gone, (ie. no more food), they either pack their bags and leave, or eat each other down to the last one. Predators are carnivores (eat meat) not herbivores (vegetarians), therefore no worries about damage from them.

Predators have been used since before the "Dead Sea" was even sick. It's only since First World War France, where pesticides and rodenticides were first used in the trenches to relieve troops of overwhelming infestations that we have changed our thinking. We've been poisoning our land, our water, and ourselves ever since. Some treatments are much safer than others. Pokon and Safers Soap are a good organic way to go, plus we can get you Predators within a day or two. This old/new topic is called "Integrated Pest Management", or I.P.M. for short.