Q:

The power company has been promoting smart meters where I live, and there is talk of converting the grid here to a “smart grid.”  According to the power company, this is going to benefit me, but they are rather vague about how exactly.  Doing some research, I see these things are hugely controversial - there is reportedly even a moratorium on them in California.
I don’t want one, what can I do?

Q: How safe is most of the growing gear that is for sale at the local hydroponics shop? I haven’t had any problems, but I’ve heard of fellow growers getting inspected by local by-law enforcement for electrical codes in their rented buildings. My one friend had no problems, the other place got temporarily halted until they made some changes and got re-inspected. I want to avoid this potential production pitfall-what can I do to protect myself and my grow?

Q: I have been reading your Ask Erik columns and feature articles for over ten years now, and it’s been cool to see your solutions and thoughts regarding growing, especially hydroponics under lights, evolving and changing with the industry.  Sometimes I look at your contributions as “the chicken or the egg first” kind of thing.  We have definitely seen a few trends surface after you go ahead and tell readers about something new in our industry.

Q:

I want to use sunlight to grow this summer. A problem I want to avoid is harvesting at the same time as all of the other growers, which is usually mid-September where I live. I prefer to harvest earlier. Growing auto-flowering strains is an option, but they don’t yield as much and I would need to start all the plants from seed. Also, I would need much higher plant numbers, which is something else that I am trying to avoid. I realize I might be asking for miracles here but is there anything that you can suggest to help bring my crop to maturity earlier using natural sunlight?

Q: Hey, really liking your new RAW! column. You have always told it like it is, but my friends and I are really appreciating your help as a grower with what goes on outside of the grow room too.

This one might be right up your alley:

Q:

I have been enjoying the benefits that indoor growing offers for almost a year now. As a new but serious grower, I put a lot of time, effort and expense into my project. Happy to say the hard work is paying off. However, the problem that I am having is that I would like to be able to go on a trip once in a while, or even away for just a few nights for some R&R and to spend some of my hard earned loot.

Q:

I just built a great grow room, and my plants are starting to come up really strong, but unfortunately it seems my new neighbourhood is inhabited by some nosy neighbours and even some sketchy characters I think might be scoping my set up.

What have you found are the best ways to protect your investment in terms of both privacy and the investment itself?

Q:

My girlfriend doesn’t like my grow operation, but business is really taking off. She doesn't like the all the time it requires to run a successful hydroponics operation. What do I do now? Do I have to choose between my girlfriend and my growing?

Jeff – Bakersfield, CA

Nearly everyone has been wowed by GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. If you don’t already have one in your car, you probably have a GPS in your iPhone or BlackBerry. Remote location growers and mushroom pickers collecting morels can happily employ handheld GPS units in order to quickly find their favorite growing or harvesting spots again and again.

Realtors know that the three most important factors in a home’s value are: location, location, location. The same can be said of your indoor garden, whether you are a small-scale hobbyist or a commercial grand master grower.

Experienced growers know that the most important factor in the success of their indoor crop is the genetics, or strain, of their plants. You can have the best, state-of-the-art grow room and plant nutrient program in the world, and put lots of time and effort into your garden, yet still produce only mediocre results if you choose the wrong strain for your expectations or growing style.

Picking A Winner

When growing from seeds indorrs, most growers will pick a special plant that originated from those seeds and then maintain it as a mother, or donor, plant. This plant will provide cuttings for future crops. These “clones” from the original seed plant will be identical in every way to the original seed plant and can be propagated in large numbers by rooting the cuttings/clones from donor material.

One size rarely fits all. That’s true with pants as well as plants. Choosing the right lighting system for your indoor garden is critical, and your decision on setup will have a big influence on your harvest.

Ready to begin? Let’s first answer a few questions, to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

MH or HPS?
Have both.

Since people have been growing indoors, there has been debate over which type of lamp is the best all-arounder: HPS (high pressure sodium) or MH (metal halide). Savvy growers will use the higher blue spectrum content of MH bulbs for vegetative growth and early flowering and then switch to the red/orange rich spectrum of HPS lamps for mid to late flowering. This means growers have to buy two different lamps and switch them periodically.

I heard you were at Rosebud Magazine now. Glad to see it. I have been reading your column for a long time and have enjoyed learning more from your “Hydroponics Secrets” videos. Where I live, in Vancouver, B.C., the water seems to be of good quality for drinking; it’s around 30 PPM coming out of the tap. There is a lot of talk these days about using RO-treated water in hydroponics. I grow in soil and with hydroponic systems. Can I use tap water, or do I have to use RO-purified water to get good yields and avoid problems?