Happy Customer Just Back From Homegrown Hydroponics

I'm an old school guy. I always have been. I was raised in rustic Georgia by my grandmother after my fogeys died. I was raised outdoors in the garden. My grandmama was an enthusiastic gardener and so was her Mother before her. When it came to the yearly largest tomato contest we came close to winning, but never quite pulled it off. Third Place in 2008 wasn't bad, but we're not about to settle for second choice. Tomatoes first grew as wild, cherry-size berries in the South American Andes, but the fruit, as we know it today, was developed in Mexico where it was known as tomatil and traveled to Europe by boat with the returning conquistadors.

The issue with growing tomatoes outdoors is the weather. Drastic changes up or down can stunt or kill your crop. Plants like to be warm like humans, and avoid extremes of weather patterns. Naturally correct watering and fertilizing is super critical too. Particularly when going for the gold. I assumed we had it for sure last year until a rabbit came out of the blue and ate half of our prize winning nine pound tomato! I had it with nature, lack of rain and bushy rodents with lovable ears and unpleasant appetites!

Oddly enough a buddy of mine brought over a High Times magazine on the way back from the store with a pack of smokes and a case of beer. After a few cold ones, and some rubbish reruns on the T. V. , I started flipping through the best of High Times magazine and they had some write up on some company called local Hydroponics out in Weston Florida. Hell, these guys are practically my neighbors I thought! I called the eight hundred number and spoke to some guy named Howard. I told him I was tired of growing the way I mostly did and needed to try something new. Turns out that they pioneered the modern day grow box. Sounds like a bit of furniture to me.

What the hey is a grow box you ask? Hell, I wouldn't have been able to tell you that 6 months back. Turns out these suckers are boxes that look like ordinary cupboards, but inside they were given all of the lights on times, fans to bring in fresh air, and even a tub to hold the water and plants. Looked pretty useful on the web site, but I don't believe in purchasing anything until I lay my hands on it! So, the old woman and I hopped in our '57 Ford and took a ride down to their producing facility in Weston Florida. Boy, let me tell you these guys run an impressive show out there!

I been in manufacturing shops before, but I haven't seen anything as professional and high end as this. Turns out they got an engineer employed full time planning these machines in some program called Solid Works, and they get to design them and work out all of the issues on the computer before they even build them! Allegedly the machine I purchased from them called the Cultivator Pro was the product of 5 years of study and development into plant mechanics and from what I saw they really pushed things to the limits on this one.

Long story short I decided to make the leap on changing my out dated old fashioned and took a big gamble with Howard of local Hydroponics. I paid for my machine by assistants check and Howard told me it might be ready to pick up in 4-6 weeks. Looked a bit long, but hell - I got time to attend for something done right . Not more than 3 weeks later some guy named Shannon calls me and lets me know my unit is complete, and ready to pick up! Wow, completed in 1/2 the time! So we drove down there again and when we got there our Cultivator Pro was set up on display for us running so bright, and looking good! The store foreman Wayne was nice enough to give me a first hand demonstration of the way in which the product worked, and showed me all of the ins and outs before proceeding to pack it up for me and load it In my van. I couldn't wait to get it home and plant my tomato clones!

After talking to Howard again on the phone, he walked me through getting it all setup. It was simple and took less than an hour from unpacking it to filling it with water and turning it on. My God, when those 800 watts of light blast on your plants you need some sun shades and sun tan lotion! Talk about perfect conditions for the tomatoes and any plant really. They are living in plant heaven in this grow box built to keep them happy as a kitty on the settee.

It has been 2 months now, and I'll truthfully say I have never seen a better looking, prize winning tomatoes than the one I got going on now. It's looking good for the fare this year and I barely lifted a finger apart from filling it with water. To assert my eyes have been opened to a new way of growing plants in an understatement. Those people at Homegrown Hydroponics opened up a door to me that I can never close!

I don't miss the dirt, the cold, the furry rodents of the lack of water in nature! I got this baby purring in my spare guest room, and my plants grow like wild fire. I am in the process of starting a blog, and will post some photos soon as my plants ripen up. This year is looking good to take my rightful first place victory at the state fair! Aside from the potato, tomatoes are America's most important commercial vegetable, both in yearly weight consumed and annual yield.

To learn more about Homegrown Hydroponics you can check out their web site at:

http://www.homegrown-hydroponics.com.

To make is simple if you dont like to read: A hydroponics grow box is a device for growing any kind of plant in a self contained environment. These automated growing systems are typically totally enclosed, and contain a built in hps light, intake and exhaust fan system for ventilation, hydroponics system for growing, and odor control system for removing strong smells and odors. Some advanced grow box units even include air conditioning to keep running temperatures down, as well as CO2 to boost the plant's growth rate. Grow boxes are generally used by indoor gardeners who do not have a patch of soil to grow in, or by dwellers of high-rise condos who lack a garden. They are also popular with year round gardeners who wish to grow plants out of season, and in the dead of winter. These hydroponic grow box systems are generally very easy to use, and allow the gardener to tweak all aspects of a plant's environment to perfection for optimal growth.