. . . . . HYDROPONIC GARDEN I N G
This germination station rests snugly on a heating pad.
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WINTER 2015
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outlet nearby. “Most people have a place in their home that grows plants well,” says Tracey Grand’Maison, the co-owner of Herb-Man Hydroponics. Together with her husband Marc, she opened the Saskatoon hydroponics retail store this fall. “If you don’t have that, there are lights you can buy with timers.” She adds, “If you’re a newbie, start with the basics. Everyone can grow tomatoes. Everyone can grow peppers.” Despite the controlled environment, not all fruits and vegetables are everbearing, and our limited winter sunlight makes a good case for grow lights if you hope to harvest year-round. Costs If you are planning to grow your plants from seed, as many people do, you will need a
Clay pellets are used instead of soil to better assist the fertilizer that aids the plant roots.
germination station to get you started. The tray used to start seed germination sits on a heating pad to aid the sprouting stage. If you have a sunny spot in your home and you don’t need grow lights, you can start growing hydroponically for less than $175, Tracey says. She points out a tomato pot system would be a good starting point for a novice. “This is your typical tomato pot. When it’s set up, you’ll have your clay pellets on top, and the water keeps circulating. There’s no soil. The root system stays within the clay pellets, which hold in the nutrients in the water as it cycles,” she explains. It might be referred to as a tomato pot, but it can be used to grow other foods. “You could do peppers, chilies, peas—anything that grows onward and upward,” says Tracey. There are other