I must admit, the notion of living the mad scientist lifestyle can be somewhat alluring. Not just any mad scientist, of course. Rather, a mad plant scientist. What would could be better than a life of social alienation and toiling late hours in a clandestine lab to turn the 1968 film, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, into a reality? While it would likely be an excellent conversation starter, killer tomatoes may not be that helpful when it comes time to pay the bills.

Based on a true story.

More seriously, developing tobacco that turns red in color while growing near a landmine is probably a better idea. Or perhaps studying how plants can be used to clean DDT contaminated soils. The point is that, depending on your particular interest, there are numerous possibilities where plants could help us solve or mitigate real world problems.

All the dreaming aside, I’m tentatively planning to enter graduate school this summer. Since I will be taking a course in Plant Physiology during the meantime, expect plenty of updates in the future.

Sporotrichosis is a noncontagious, long-term, fungal infection of the skin. In rare cases, the lungs, joints, bones, or brain may become infected. Those at risk for developing the disease are often farmers, landscapers and horticulturists. This is due to the microorganism existing closely with thorny plants, cut hay, sphagnum moss or even soil. When wounded by a rose thorn, for example, the punctured skin becomes a potential route that Sporothrix schenckii may use to invade the body. In a process that may take months to fully develop, open sores form on the skin. Without  proper treatment, the sores can be very slow to heal. In addition, the disease can spread through the lymphatic system. Fortunately, with identification and treatment, a full recovery can often be expected (Sporotrichosis).

Sporotrichosis may have been first identified as an occupational illness by Harry R. Forester, in the review Sporotrichosis, an occupational Dermatosis (1926). Since that time, numerous occupationally related outbreaks have been documented. From December 1975 to February 1976, an outbreak of sprotrichosis occurred in Mississippi among forestry workers that handled sphagnum moss (Powell et al., 1978). During 1988, sporotrichosis was reported in 84 cases, across 15 states, among individuals who also worked with sphagnum moss (Coles et. al. 1992).  More recently, 9 of 64 employees handling moss at a tree nursery in Florida were afflicted by Sporotrichosis during 1994 (Hajjeh et al., 1997).

Because of the frequency that sporotrichosis is associated with sphagnum moss, reducing or eliminating its use, if possible, represents the most ideal means to curtail the occurrence of this workplace disease. Since peat moss is ubiquitous to so many gardening and landscaping applications, numerous situations will exist where this is not possible. Professionals and hobbyists alike should wear protective gloves and boots. This provides a layer of protection while working with materials potentially carrying the fungus. In addition, excessive handling of sphagnum moss should be avoided. Because of the ability of the disease to spread throughout the body, and the long-term nature of infection, possible infections should be examined by a doctor as soon as possible.

References:

Coles, F. B., Scuchat, A., Hibbs, J. R., Kondracki, S. F., Salkin, I. F., Dixon, D. M., Chang, H. G., Duncan, R. A., Hurd, N. J., Morse, D. L., A Multistate Outbreak of Sporotrichosis associated with Sphagnum Moss, American Journal Epidemiology, 1992; 136 (4): 475-487.

Foerster, H., Sporotrichosis, an occupational dermatosis, Journal American Medical Assocation, 1926; 87(20):1605-1609.
doi:10.1001/jama.1926.02680200005003

Hajjeh, R., McDonnel, S., Reef, S., Licitra, C., Hankins, M., Toth, B., Padhye, A., Kaufman, L., Pasarell, L., Cooper, C., Hutwagner, L, Hopkins, R., McNeil, M., Outbreak of Sporotrichosis among Tree Nursery Workers, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1997; 176(2): 449-504

“Sporotrichosis.”eMedicineHealth.com. Accessed December 9, 2010. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sporotrichosis/article_em.htm

Let’s review a few concepts first. These definitions were taken from dictionary.com

Mass: The quantity of matter as determined from its weight or from Newtons’ second law.
Volume: The amount of space, measured in cubic units, that an object or substance occupies.
Concentration: Measure of the amount of dissolved substance contained per unit of volume.

Simply, mass is something measured with a scale or balance. Volume is determined using a container, such as a beaker or graduated cylinder. Dissolving a known mass of a substance into a known volume of water allows one to calculate the concentration of the solution. Imagine we dissolved 5.0 grams of sugar into a two liter bottle of water:

5.0 grams sugar ÷ 2 liters water = 2.5 grams sugar/liter water

Solutions relevant to horticulture will not always be described as grams per liter. Depending if you are reading a research article in the Journal of Plant Nutrition, looking at a bottle of Miracle-Gro or following directions from an agricultural extension, the units indicated could vary. You will often find percent of total mass, mg/L or ppm mentioned. Other possibilities exist, such as teaspoons per gallon. However, if you understand the principles here, you can convert to and from those units as well.

Something important to remember:
One liter of pure water has one kilogram of mass!

PPM and mg/L
Both mg/L and ppm are concentrations. Converting between them couldn’t be simpler; they are effectively the same. Since a liter of pure water has the mass of one kilogram, where one kilogram is 1,000 grams, with each individual gram consisting of 1,000 milligrams, there are a million milligrams in a liter of water. This means that 500 mg/L is the same as 500 ppm. It would also be true that 1 g/L is equivalent to 1,000 ppm.

Percent mass and NPK
When you see the NPK numbers on a liquid fertilizer or nutrient bottle, those are given as a percent of the product’s mass, per unit volume. This should also be the case with any nutrient, macro or micro, listed on the guaranteed analysis. These numbers are not the same as concentration. Converting between a mass and a concentration is analogous to converting between distance and speed. If we want to determine concentration from these numbers, we need to know two things; the volume and mass of the solution. Both should be listed somewhere on the product labeling. If not, the density can be measured with a hygrometer. Let’s examine the label for General Hydroponic’s Flora Micro one quart bottle. The full label can be viewed at the manufacturer’s website, by clicking here.

GH Flora Micro. Net weight 1.18kg. 946 ml

This one quart bottle has a volume of 0.946 L and a net weight of 1.18 Kg. Not shown is the guaranteed analysis of 5% calcium. Recall that one liter of pure water has the mass of one kilogram. This product however, although less than a liter, has a mass greater than kilogram. Make no mistake, this additional density is due to the dissolved salts in solution. For the sake of convenience, convert 1.18 kg into 1,180 grams. Next, multiply the total mass, 1,180 grams, by the 5% calcium content.

1,180 g × 0.05 = 59.0 g Calcium

We have now determined that, according to the label, you have 59.0 grams of calcium among the 0.946 liters of water.  Since we have a mass for the calcium and a volume of the solution, finding the concentration will be easy. Just divide mass by the volume.

59.0 g ÷ 0.946 L =  62.4 g Calcium / L

There you have it! This product has a calcium concentration of 62.4 g/L. It would be equally valid to say that the calcium concentration is 62,400 mg/L or 62,400 ppm.

Converting a concentration to a percent is similar. Let’s imagine that scientists have reported a potentially new type of cloning solution. Being a gardener with initiative, you cannot wait the eight to ten years it will take for hydroponic companies to poach this research and bring an overpriced product to the market. You decide to make it yourself.

Following the directions of the researchers, you prepare one liter of this experimental cloning solution. You mix 45 g of the active ingredient and 100 g of inert ingredients into one liter of water.  We already know the concentration of the active ingredient, chemical X, is going to be 45 g/L. Helpful as that may be, how would we determine the percent mass of chemical X? Divide the mass of chemical X by the total mass of the solution, including Chemical X. This means 45 g Chemical X + 1000 g water + 100 g inert ingredients.

45 g Chemical X ÷ 1145 g Solution   =  0.087

Splendid! If chemical X was listed like other ingredients on the guaranteed analysis, it would be shown as 8.7 percent .

These examples hopefully provide readers with the information they need to begin solving their own calculations. Don’t allow yourself to become too frustrated. They definitely become easier with practice. In addition, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

References:

Nielsen, R.L., Fertilizer reckoning for the mathematically challenged.  Agronomy Department, Purdue University. Accessed December 14, 2010.
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.02/Fert_Math-0326.html

Peters, John., Fertilizer grades and calculations. Soil Department, University of Wisconsin. Accessed December 14, 2010.
http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/materials/Fert_Grade_Calc.pdf

Reid, Keith. Is that fertilizer a good deal?  Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.  Accessed December 14, 2010.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croptalk/2008/ct-1108a4.htm

Edited December 14, 2010 to include references and correct errors in NPK calculations.

The trooper then threatened that if he wasn’t allowed to search my car, he would hold me until a drug dog could arrive. The trooper was certain that the dog would find something and, at that point, I would be in serious trouble. Knowing that there was nothing in my car to find and not wanting to be coerced into waiving my Fourth Amendment rights, I restated I wasn’t going to let anyone search anything.

Asking what reasons he could have for detaining me, the trooper pointed out two of what he considered “red flags.” First is that I was nervous. In response to that, I asked how frequently the trooper had pulled over someone that had done nothing wrong, but was uncomfortable nonetheless. His response? Seldom, not often.

Yeah right…

Secondly, the textbook Hydroponic Food Production was on the floor of my car. I had already been stopped for about twenty minutes. During that time the trooper complained about the ACLU, that it was cold outside, illegal immigrants, how much money engineers make, Arabs, that his boss would be mad if there wasn’t anything illegal in my car and described how the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program was a good thing for the country. In spite of this, I was genuinely surprised when he said “You have a book on the floor, Hydroponic Food Production.” Not just that I had a book about hydroponics, but a 568 page university textbook about producing food commercially with hydroponics. This was after I mentioned being a plant biology student. Next to that was a biostatistics textbook. Hearing him read the full title, it was simply ridiculous. I didn’t challenge him about the book, since I expected a response to the effect that it could potentially be used for something illegal. This weak argument could be brought against virtually any science book. Soil biology? Physical chemistry? Doesn’t matter.

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Long story short, the drug dog falsely hit on my car and I stood outside while my car was searched for ten or fifteen minutes. Eventually the deputies and the troopers gave up on their search. Whether or not they genuinely believed what I had been saying from the beginning, or felt that something was hidden and they were just unable to find it, I have no idea. Shortly later I was on my way again with only a ticket for my license plate light and an interesting story to share.

The point of my sharing this story is not about police power, the Fourth Amendment or the wisdom of certain substances being classified as illegal versus legal. This is about how, in spite of a large volume of research being published regarding hydroponics, somehow the burden still remains on the shoulders’ of many scientists or commercial growers to demonstrate that the aren’t collaborating with something illegal. I say that burden of proof should remain on those who assert the converse is true. Hydroponics has been used extensively for research in fields such as plant nutrition, bioremediation, plant pathology and biochemistry. It’s regrettably common to describe my research interests and what I do at college, only to receive giggles or funny looks because I mention hydroponics. It just happens. This traffic stop was effectively the same thing, only with the addition of being illegally searched for it. Moral of the story? Keep university textbooks and scientific equipment out of plain view in a car. People are afraid of what they don’t understand.

• Harbor Freight Greenhouse review received 6,000+ views.
• Hydroponic pH article 5th result on Google search with 9.8 million results.
• Bluelab Nutrient Truncheon review 1st search result among 7.9 thousand results.

This change will be like starting over, unfortunately. Additional reviews and articles down the road will have to make up for the temporary loss of rankings on the search engines. Until then, enjoy the new site!

Everything included comes in this 84 pound box.

With a gross weight of only 84 pounds, the 8 foot by 6 foot greenhouse kit is currently the medium sized greenhouse available from Harbor Freight. Another model exists that measures a more compact 4 by 6 foot in addition to a larger kit measuring 10 by 12. In this particular case, everything comes in single cardboard box that can be carried a short distance by an average adult without too much trouble. Unpacking the box we find a warranty card, instruction booklet, aluminum framework, polycarbonate paneling and several bags of bolts, nuts and accessory pieces. When everything is put together we should have a greenhouse the measures roughly 6 feet wide by 6 feet tall and 8 feet deep.

Aluminum frame, polycarbonate panels and other parts.

Prior to assembly, the base plat of the greenhouse must be secured to the ground. This, in theory, prevents the entire greenhouse from blowing away during windy weather. Several methods for securing the greenhouse are outlined by the instruction manual. In this case, our greenhouse was secured to four 4×4 inch treated posts that had been anchored onto an old concrete slab. Anchoring the treated posts proved much more difficult than expected. The concrete was unusually difficult to drill, destroying a masonry bit in the process. After the four posts were successfully anchored to the concrete, the next step is assembling the greenhouse itself.

These 4x4" posts anchor the greenhouse.

Next is the assembly of the greenhouse’s aluminum frame. You have two choices. First option is the the easy method. This involves enlisting the help of three or four friends, picking a calm day to work and having a good metric toolkit that includes a ratchet and a cordless power drill. If you prefer the more difficult and frustrating option, try putting the greenhouse together with two people, work on a windy day and use the tools included within the greenhouse kit. Regardless which option you choose, there remains the hurdle of a poorly written instruction booklet. Two things in particular make the directions unpleasant to use. First is that many part descriptions are often unclear. Secondly, the illustrations lack the detail to be truly helpful. This is particularly a problem while assembling the sliding door. Often I found the color picture on the cardboard box more helpful than instruction manual. Another difficulty encountered during assembly comes from the frame being extremely light gauge aluminum. It’s possible to carelessly bend the frame out of shape during assembly, so be careful. Having a thickens of approximately 0.075 inches, the frame tends to bend and twist excessively until the last remaining bolts are securely tightened and a few polycarbonate panels have been locked into place.

Aluminum frame assembled.

With the frame together, our structure is ready to become a greenhouse! Fortunately, installing the polycarbonate panels is fairly simple compared to the frame assembly. At this point it’s just a matter of correctly matching the polycarbonate panels with the corresponding location on the greenhouse and locking those panels into place with the included clips. Often the instruction manual suggests using fewer clips than what I feel would be required for holding the panels securely to the greenhouse during a windy day. Unfortunately there was very limited number of extra clips included among the parts for this particular greenhouse. This ultimately left me with a greenhouse that, when fully assembled, just felt like it would blow apart during the first storm. Once the last panel is in place, you just need to assemble the door and two windows. Once together they can be attached to the greenhouse.

Windows, doors and panels installed.

In the end, the greenhouse was unable to tolerate even moderate winds. Daily I found myself collecting polycarbonate panels that had blown free, littering my lawn. It became a routine to clip these panels back onto the greenhouse, knowing full well they would simply blow away again. Providing a dozen extra clips for the greenhouse panels could have reduced this problem greatly. Curious, I called Harbor Freight to ask about receiving extra parts. I firmly believe that the greenhouse ships with an insufficient number of polycarbonate clips. None the less, Harbor Freight will not send extras or replacements to a customer, free of charge. Replacement parts weren’t expensive by any means, but it’s just something that a customer deserved to have from day one. Another consideration is that since the aluminum frame is so flimsy, installing shelving from the sidewalls or a light from the ceiling would easily bend the aluminum frame. Other problems included the doors and windows, which are prone to also blowing off of the greenhouse. The door in particular was frustrating since it has a plastic tab that rides in a slot, near the bottom of the doorway. These parts fitting together is what keeps the door on track instead of blowing about in the wind. During the second day this plastic tab snapped off under the force of the wind, sending the door across the yard. Without this tab in place the door easily falls off the greenhouse and is able to swing wildly about. My advice is to stay away from Harbor Freight’s greenhouse kits! These things are just not strong enough to survive in the real world. Once you consider the time spent repairing the greenhouse and money spent ordering replacement parts, even for $350, it’s just not worth the cost. Perhaps the only people who can make use of these greenhouse kits are the do-it-yourself individuals with no reservations of modifying their greenhouse kit. Then again, is that something that should really be left to customers just so they have a product that works?

Pros: Very affordable.
Cons: Panels blow away, cheap construction, insufficient clips, poor instructions.

Nutrient Truncheon with box.

Two varieties of the truncheon nutrient meter are currently available. First is a standard meter that measures between 0.2 -3.6 EC. In addition, there is also commercial model that measures within an expanded range of electrical conductivity; 0.4 – 6.0 EC. While both instruments function in the same manner the commercial truncheon is suited for those working with nutrient solutions that are applied at higher concentrations. The standard meter will suffice for a majority of our readers and that will be the focus of this review. Both cost roughly the same. Just be aware that two options exist and because they are nearly identical in appearance and in name, it’s possible to unknowingly purchase one while intending to buy the other.

Truncheon with accessories. Even batteries were branded Bluelab.

Technical details:
The nutrient truncheon measures a length of 41 cm (16 in) and has a diameter of 2 cm (0.8 cm) and retails for approximately $130 US. As stated previously, this is the standard model and the primary difference between it and the commercial variant is that this measures within a tighter range of conductivity. Included are three alkaline AA batteries, instruction booklet and some additional product literature. Since the plastic body of the truncheon is shrink wrapped and the battery cap sealed with a rubber o-ring, the truncheon is effectively waterproof. This means there is little reason to be concerned over accidentally dropping the entire truncheon into a reservoir. However, it’s worth knowing that the five-year guarantee does not include damage incurred as the result of water leaking into the truncheon due to a missing or damaged o-ring. Because of this, I would recommend periodically inspecting the o-ring, just to ensure it remains in working order. For many, this aforementioned five-year guarantee is one of the major drawing points of the nutrient truncheon. If that’s high on your list, just remember to save your store receipt in a safe place. It wouldn’t hurt to register the truncheon with Bluelab after removing it from the box either. While the printed warranty states the truncheon must be registered with Bluelab within 14 days of purchase to redeem this guarantee, a representative of Bluelab informed me that so long as you possess the original store receipt there shouldn’t be issue with redeeming the warranty. That’s good to know.

Features, usage and perspective:
Using the nutrient truncheon could hardly be easier. It comes factory calibrated and loaded with batteries, meaning it can be put immediately to work after removing from the box. In addition, the truncheon turns on and off automatically. This allows for one handed operation, simplifying tasks like opening containers or taking notes. The nutrient truncheon’s unconventional appearance may give the impression that it’s confusing to read. Thankfully, reading a measurement from the truncheon is quick and simple. Just identify the LED that’s illuminated and read the measured value. Units are displayed in electrical conductivity, conductivity factor, total dissolved solids of sodium chloride or total dissolved solids of potassium chloride. Don’t let these terms intimidate you.  They are just various units of measure, similar to how a kilometer and mile are different. To Bluelab’s credit, the included instruction booklet provides a clear explanation to what all these terms mean. Something that wasn’t intuitive to me however was how the index scale on the truncheon appears to be upside down while in use (see picture below).This is a rather minor issue since it’s not difficult to read an inverted number, especially after some repeated use. I can’t help but think it would have been better to have the index appear upright from this perspective. Grizzman from the hydroponic forums on Gardenweb was quick to point out the following:

“Also, one note about your comment that the numbers are upside down. This is only true if you’re checking a solution at waist height. my reservoirs are placed on the ground. I have to (well not have to, but generally do) bend over to dip the stick into the liquid. Of course, this causes my head to invert which, in turn, makes the numbers appear upright.”

Using the truncheon. I don't drink from this bottle.

Several additional features that I appreciated; the truncheon’s wand shape allows it to double as a stirring rod for small and medium sized containers while mixing nutrients, the cloth loop on the battery cap allows for hanging on a wall hook and no routine calibration is necessary for the  truncheon. Furthermore, the general shape and size of the nutrient truncheon make checking multiple reservoirs much easier and ergonomic than lowering a wired probe into a container. Maintaining the probe is also straight forward. Just remove the probe shroud and wipe down the probe head with some soap that is free of dye and perfume using your fingertip. While the LED indicators don’t allow for the more precise readings provided by traditional conductivity meters, something necessary for work done in a laboratory setting, most gardeners will likely agree that the several convenience factors mentioned previously outweigh this limitation.

Final Conclusion:
In summary, Bluelab’s nutrient truncheon is a unique conductivity meter that is both quick and simple to use. Not practical for work in a lab, the truncheon really shines when testing several reservoirs in quick succession. In addition, it works straight out of the box, requires no calibration and the five-year guarantee is superior to what you will find from competing manufacturers. If you are looking for a conductivity meter, definitely give Bluelab’s nutrient truncheon a closer look.

Pros: Simple, fast, fully waterproof, convenient to use and a five year guarantee.
Cons: Not practical for a laboratory. Reading the index

If you have been shopping for an affordable hand held refractometer, you may be considering the Milwaukee MR32ATC. Measuring between 0 and 32 °Bx and being priced at approximately $80 US, Milwaukee’s MR32ATC appeals to budget conscious gardeners and shoppers interested in measuring the brix content of fruits and vegetables. After trying the Milwaukee MR32ATC, it was time to share the experience.  With this information, readers interested in the MR32ATC can hopefully make the most informed decision possible.
Overview:
Refractometers are analytical devices used for measuring the refractive index of a sample substance. In other words, they provide a quick and easy way for gardeners to measure the amount of dissolved solids, primarily sugars, in the juice of fruits, vegetables and leafy tissue. Specialized refractometers can also be used by bee keepers, wine growers, beer brewers, geologists and machinists.

Milwuakee’s MR32ATC refractometer comes in protective carrying case and includes a screwdriver, pipette, instructions and table of brix values. The 2 ml disposable plastic pipette is used for applying liquid samples onto the refractometer prism, while the jeweler’s flat head screwdriver is used to calibrate the refractometer. Although calibration is seldom necessary, it’s good to see the screwdriver included. Another positive feature is how the protective case snugly accommodates all the aforementioned accessories. This contributes to an overall solid package. However, the included pamphlet instructions were far from satisfactory. Milwaukee sells several different models of refractometers and it appears that a single instruction pamphlet was written to include every model. The documentation feels incomplete, lacking many of the details that first time users will be looking for. Knowing that many of the Milwaukee’s customers will be buying their first refractometer, it would have made sense to provide more thorough and detailed instructions. Fortunately, Milwaukee has slightly improved instructions at their website if you need them. The last accessory is a paper with approximately fifty fruits and vegetables, along with corresponding poor, average, good and excellent brix ranges.

Usage:
Overall the MR32ATC was both a comfortable and convenient refractometer to work with. Automatic temperature compensation ensures that the user can spend more time taking measurements and less time recalibrating the instrument for different conditions. Calibrating the refractometer was quick and straight forward. Apply room temperature distilled water onto the prism, close the cover, look through the eye piece and turn the calibration screw until the light-dark boundary lines up across the 0 mark on the reticle. If anything appears out of focus through the eye piece the user rotates the eyepiece to adjust focus. Measuring brix from works just like calibration, minus adjusting the calibration screw. Apply juice from something like a tomato onto the prism with a pipette, close the cover, view through the eye piece to find the light-dark boundary on the reticle and read. Cleaning requires some care as you definitely want to avoid scratching the prism. Extracting juices from different fruits and vegetables can range from easy to extremely frustrating. Anyone can squeeze a few drops of tomato juice from a fresh tomato. Squeezing  juice from raisins on the other hand… that would be much more difficult. Suggestions for overcoming this challenge are not addressed at all in the instructions.

Difficulties:
Beyond inadequate instructions, my only complaint is that the Milwaukee MR32ATC refractometer tips over easily when placed on a desk or bench, due to the narrow base of the instrument. This is often a problem when the refractometer is placed on a table and the user is preoccupied with squeezing juice from something like a carrot and transferring the juice onto the refractometer prism. An inadvertent bump of the table and the refractometer can tip over, potentially causing fluids on the prism to run over onto the table and making a mess. Having to pause whatever you are doing to upright and clean the MR32ATC before resuming work can quickly become a nuisance. The quickest solution is placing the refractometer between something like books or coffee mugs. This solution seems silly when you consider that a slight change in the design of the refractometer would have eliminated this problem.

Juice from blueberries, roughly 9-10 °Bx.

Conclusions:
In conclusion, the Milwaukee MR32ATC is a viable entry level refractometer that offers automatic temperature compensation and comfortable design at an affordable cost. If you have been looking at refractometers in the $100 price range and don’t mind some weak instructions you should consider the Milwaukee MR32ATC.

Pros: Comfortable, easy to use, automatic temperature correction, economical.
Cons: Tips over, poor documentation.

]]> http://bilberrybrian.com/2010/11/milwaukee-mr32atc-refractometer-review/feed/ 0 http://bilberrybrian.com/2010/11/lamotte-5074-ph-hydroponic-test-kit-review/ http://bilberrybrian.com/2010/11/lamotte-5074-ph-hydroponic-test-kit-review/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 06:06:21 +0000 Bilberrybrian http://bilberrybrian.com/wordpress/?p=97 Continue reading →]]> While digital pH meters have never been more affordable, products for chemically testing the pH of a hydroponic nutrient solution nonetheless remain available. LaMotte’s 5074 Hydroculture Test Kit is a prime example. With the importance of reliable and accurate pH measurements in mind, we took a closer look at LaMotte’s 5074 pH Hydroponic Test Kit.

Overview:
LaMotte produces a wide variety of products used by both industry and education for testing water quality. The 5074 Hydroculture Test Kit is something unique among LaMotte’s product line, designed specifically to the needs of hydroponic gardeners. Similar to swimming pool pH test kits that typically measures within a range of 6.8-8.0, LaMotte’s 5074 is capable of reading within a more practical and relevant range of 4.8-7.6.

LaMotte 5074 Hydroculture Test Kit.

The 5074 kit includes a protective plastic case, black plastic comparator, two glass tubes with caps and 30ml of pH indicator in a dropper bottle. Keeping everything safe and organized is the job of the protective case. It’s made of a slightly flexible blue plastic that’s strong enough to reasonably protect the contents from being crushed. Inside the bottom half of the case is a foam block that accommodates all the contents, providing further protection from falls onto hard surfaces. In addition, this secures the vials and other contents from rattling loosely about when not in use. While the included glass sampling vials are fairly resistant they can and will break if dropped onto ceramic or concrete floors. However, one advantage glass has compared to plastic is that glass will not discolor given long term use like plastic. Replacement vials are available if required, although given careful use replacements shouldn’t be necessary.

Kit includes plastic case, indicator, comparator and two glass vials with caps

The good:
The standout feature of LaMotte’s 5074 pH test kit is definitely the high-quality black plastic comparator. When three drops of indicator are are mixed with a water sample inside one of the test vials, noticeable color changes will occur and the test vial is loaded into the comparator where the resulting color is checked against standard colors reflecting the pH values of 4.8, 5.2, 5.6, 6.0, 6.4, 6.8 and 7.2. Being that hydroponic nutrients solutions are ideally kept at a slightly acidic pH, this range is more desirablethan what is found in typical pool test kits. Although it may take some time to develop an eye for identifying the exact color you are looking at, it’s really a straight forward process that can be quickly repeated.

Two samples with pH ~7.0

The bad:
Being priced at $70 US the 5074 is considerably more expensive than almost every competing pH test kits on the market.  Another consideration is this pH test kit is also within the price range of many digital pH meters. Given the significant upfront cost, it’s important to consider the long term costs of using the 5074 Hydroculture Test kit. With regular use the pH test kit will, sooner or later, run out of pH indicator. Replacing this indicator solution costs money and you have the option of purchasing a 30ml dropper bottle identical to what came with the test kit for $15 or a considerably larger 500ml refill bottle for $60. The $15 bottle will perform roughly 50 tests at a cost of $0.30 per test or with the 500ml bottle 800 tests at an approximate cost of $0.075 per test.  Whether you pick the large or small bottle, the indicator comes with a two year shelf life. Determining whether or not the 5074 is cheaper than using a digital meter will ultimately depend on your own testing routine. With cheap aquarium test kits available that can perform 250 tests in a pH range of 6.0-7.6 for around $5, it’s difficult to justify the 5074 on price alone when placed side by side with these aquarium kits or even other “hydroponic” test kits. In addition, if you have a reservoir with a dark colored nutrient solution, possibly due to the addition of humic acids, determining the final color after adding the indicator can be difficult.

Conclusions:
Overall the LaMotte 5074 Hydroculture Test Kit is a fun and rewarding product to use. Given proper care the kit can last for many, many years while providing accurate and reliable pH measurements.  Although it costs much more than other pH test kits, especially low-end kits intended for aquariums, the 5074 definitely feels great to use. If you want to invest in a quality testing equipment the 5074 is a good choice. Total cost over the long term compared to digital pH meters will largely depend on the number of reservoirs being tested. Users who stand to get the most from the 5074 are those that only need to perform a few tests per week. With the exception of the glass test vials, LaMotte’s 5074 is a rugged and durable testing option that can be subjected to a variety of unwarranted abuses that would readily destroy most digital pH meters. Individuals with color blindness will want to avoid the 5074, in addition to all color changing pH test kits, as identifying subtle changes in color is a requirement for use.  If you have been considering a pH testing method and feel that a test kit is appropriate, in addition to having money to spare, LaMotte’s 5074 Hydroculture Test Kit is a good choice for a hydroponic gardener.  If you would rather spend the money elsewhere however, there are cheaper options available that will, at the end of the day, provide equal results.

Pros: High-quality. Accurate, reliable, rugged, convenient and simple. Stores well.
Cons: Likely the most expensive pH test kit available. Not for the color blind.

Hydroponic Hot Sauce?

I’ve been trying a new brand of hot sauce recently, known as Pete’s Hydrohot. Normally this wouldn’t merit a review on Bilberrybrian.com. Being made from hydroponically grown Scotch Bonnet and Hobanero peppers however, Pete’s Hydrohot proved to be something worth mentioning. In fact, Pete’s Hydrohot turned out to taste great and raised my expectations of what hot sauce should taste like.

Any reasonably sized grocery store will stock a multitude of different hot sauce brands. For as much variety as there may appear to be on the shelves, trial and experience will show that most taste similar to biting down on cayenne pepper and chasing that with a shot of vinegar. Overlooking the flashy bottles, we want to find the  hot sauce that is most capable of making good food taste great. With that goal in mind, let’s take a closer look at what Pete’s Hydrohot has to offer.

Since everyone possesses a unique palate and sensitivity to the “heat” of a hot sauce, it’s important to keep in mind that my opinion is just that. What is unbearably hot to one person could be virtually unnoticeable to the next. With that said, it’s fortunate that Pete’s Hydrohot has available several hot sauces each varying in flavor and intensity. All together you have Hydrohot original, Mild, Northern Guy, 200% extra-strength, Hydrohot Sweet and 200% extra-strength with Agave Tequila. Whatever your preference, there is a good chance Pete’s Hydrohot has something to offer.

Original, Agave, Sweet, Mild and 200% Extra-Strength.

Please note: this review was written during 2008. Since that time, Pete has developed three additional varieties of hot sauce; Little Panchos Green Sauce, 300% extra-strength and Island Girl. For more information concerning them, visit Pete’s website.

Mild & Northern guy:
An identical hot sauce given two distinct labels, Mild and Northern Guy possess a rich and tangy pepper flavor with a reasonably mild heat. These two bottles represent the “mild” end of the hot sauce intensity spectrum in Pete’s Hydrohot lineup. My estimation is that most would find the heat slightly milder than something like Frank’s Red Hot. However, unlike other Louisiana styled hot sauces that I have tried,  Pete’s Hydrohot doesn’t leave you with a dry, salty or vinegary aftertaste. This, in my opinion, is what really what separates Pete’s Hydrohot from the competition.

These two bottles will effectively compromise between being “too hot” and “just hot enough” for most individuals. This makes Mild and Northern Guy a great choice for entertaining friends with something like buffalo wings. If you plan to add butter with the Mild or Northern Guy during cooking remember that it only takes a small amount of butter to negate the hot sensation found in this particular sauce. This is due to the casein in the milk solubilizing the capsaicinoids (substance responsible for the ‘burning’ sensation in hot peppers) which, for better or worse, effectively eliminates the hot taste from the sauce. That said, I went through two bottles of mild hydrohot within just a few weeks and I recommend it to friends who are apprehensive about a new bottle of hot sauce being too hot for their liking.

Original:
When you are ready for something with a little more kick than what mild and northern guy offers, Pete’s Hydrohot Original is the next step. Original is definitely a healthy increase over Mild in terms of intensity. One friend who I had try Original described it as “Kind of like Tobasco, but it actually tastes good.” It has the same qualities as mild, just a little hotter. So if you feel experienced enough or brave enough with hot sauces, consider trying Original next time a recipe calls for some hot sauce.

Sweet:
This is simply the best tasting hot sauce I have ever tried. It’s not technically a Louisiana style hot sauce since it’s made with ingredients like Lemon Juice, Peaches, Caraway Seeds and Cranberry Sauce. This makes it a West Indies hot sauce I believe, but I could be wrong. Overall the flavor takes on an entirely different quality that’s richer and more dynamic due to the aforementioned ingredients. In terms of the heat I would say it’s about the same as Original, perhaps somewhat hotter. The only fault I can find here is that Sweet isn’t available in a gallon sized container. Those five-ounce bottles just don’t seem to last very long at the rate I’m using it. For myself, Sweet really shines on foods like corn chips and breaded chicken. If you get a bottle of Sweet, just remember to keep a cold beverage handy! I’ve found it difficult to put the bottle down while snacking on corn chips and I’ve always appreciated having a drink nearby.

200% Extra-Strength and Agave:
This is the point where you begin to separate the people who are crazy from the remainder of the general population. Some may disagree, although I would still argue that 200% Extra-Strength is really hot stuff! Extra-Strength follows in the same vein as Original and has an intense heat that can go a very long ways. Personally, it’s just too hot for me to put on something like corn chips or tacos. However, it works great for adding a dose of heat to a heavy dish like pasta, chili or pizza. It also mixes well with barbecue sauce. Just be careful you don’t add too much! There is also a 200% with added agave tequila available that can add an tequila quality to your cooking as well. Something I’m eager to try with southwestern dishes.

Summary:
Pete has a prepared solid lineup of hot sauces that all taste great. My personal favorite is Sweet, although I’ve found each hot sauce can hold a specific purpose. Pete also receives a big thumbs up for doing this with a hydroponically driven growing system and making a family run business out of his interests. If you enjoy a quality hot sauce I would highly recommend you give Pete’s Hydrohot a try. The only recommendation for improving Pete’s Hydrohot doesn’t have anything to do with the sauce itself but the packaging. I love the down to Earth packaging that comes with the bottles but some look so similar it wouldn’t be difficult to grab the wrong bottle by mistake. If you grabbed a bottle of 200% Extra-Strength and dumped it on some buffalo wings thinking it was Mild, you would be in for quiet the surprise! Pete is growing his Peppers in the beautiful state of Florida at a place known as Hydro-Mountain. If you would like to learn more about Hydro-Mountain, view photographs of Pete’s growing operation or order some hot sauce you can visit his website at: http://www.peteshydrohot.com

Young peppers at Hydro Mountain in Florida.

Pros: Delicious flavors, several intensities, family run company, hydroponic peppers.
Cons: Similar packaging between some bottles.