Hydroponic Gardening News

AROUND 500 plants, believed to be cannabis, have been seized from the loft of a home in Wellington.

A team of ten police officers searched a six-bedroom family home on Bagley Road at about 9.30am last Thursday after a tip-off from a member of the public and discovered a professional hydroponics set-up in the loft.

A man in his late 30s has been arrested and bailed pending forensic investigations.

Sgt Richard Caburn said: "In the loft there was a professional hydroponics cannabis-growing set-up containing approximately 500 plants.

"The plants had yet to be harvested so the warrant was done at an optimum time so none of it has gone on to the streets."

Forensic tests are now being carried out to establish a yield quantity and the street value should the crop prove to be cannabis.

The property where the plants were found belongs to Brian Rowe, of Langford Budville, who was renting the house out to a family of five.

He said: "I was very shocked when the police told me. It's my mother's house.

"It was where I was brought up and lived all my life. That's what hurts a bit. I've got a bit of an emotional tie to it and when you let it to somebody it's more than bricks and mortar."

Police are keen to speak to anyone who may be able to help with their inquiries.

Sgt Caburn said: "We aim to seek out drug misuse in and around Wellington and we urge people to phone us on the Crimestoppers number with any information."

If you have any information, please call Crime- stoppers on 0800 555111 or Wellington Police Sta- tion on 01823 363262.

By Vicky Brook

At two locations in South Jersey, bountiful plants grow without soil



LORI A. GALLO/Courier-Post
Bruce Cobb, owner of ARC Greenhouses in Shiloh, Cumberland County, shows young butterhead lettuce. Cobb grows plants using hydroponics.

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Anyone who has been to Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park in Orlando, Fla., surely is familiar with the Land, the agriculture pavilion that offers a slow boat ride past plants sucking up nutrients from water rather than soil.

After the fifth or sixth time, the ride can lose its "wow factor." Still, the concept of hydroponics is no longer a thing of Disney dreams, at least not in a couple corners of South Jersey.

All you need to do is take a walk through Bruce Cobb's greenhouses in Cumberland County or saunter through Deptford's Tasty Harvest, South Jersey's only hydroponics retail store, to see the potential.

Cobb, 44, got his start in hydroponics shortly after graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in plant sciences. His inspiration was growing lettuce under lights in the basement with his father.

Today, he owns ARC Greenhouses in Shiloh. Although somewhat larger than most, Cobb's plastic-sheathed greenhouses, encompassing more than three acres, don't stand out amid the many greenhouses on the rich farmland west of Bridgeton. The standouts are inside, thousands of butterhead lettuce plants, virtually identical and unblemished, growing in a trickling solution of fertilizers; colorful carpets of tiny arugula, cilantro and rainbow chard. Generators hum as they pump their own waste heat back into the toasty greenhouses.

"The environment is essentially perfect so we grow varieties that are bred for taste and flavor as opposed to shipping," says Cobb, inside his lettuce greenhouse. A "magic' mix

After years of trial and error, he has found the magic mix of technology that allows him to avoid chemical pesticides, recycle water and generate artificial sunlight in the dismal days of winter.

The one-acre lettuce greenhouse alone produces the equivalent of a staggering 80 acres of outside production. Rigorously controlled growing conditions allow plants to be grown more tightly and in less than half the time of field plants.

Hydroponics is not new. Historians have found evidence of ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians and Aztecs, growing plants in water instead of soil.

A new wave of development took hold during the 1600s and 1700s, the age of many new botanical discoveries. But it wasn't until the 1930s that hydroponics was brought into the modern era. That's when William F. Gericke of the University of California developed nutrient formulas to apply hydroponics to commercial farming. He coined the term "hydroponics," deriving it from the Greek words hydro for water and ponos for labor. Commercial potential

Hydroponics has a lot of commercial potential in New Jersey, especially as farmland dwindles, says A.J. Both, a Rutgers Cooperative Extension greenhouse specialist. But it's also a difficult leap for farmers to make, requiring new knowledge and significant capital investment. And lots of things can go wrong, from malfunctioning equipment to improper mixing of fertilizer solutions, he adds.

Some farmers dabble in lettuce and other greens as well as tomatoes that can grow quickly. But it's difficult for them to compete with inexpensive produce from California and the South, so they're unwilling to take the next step, according to Both.

"It's always in the back of people's minds . . . but nobody is really doing it like him," he says of Cobb's operation.

Cobb has carved out a niche, particularly with his "micro-greens," herbs and greens grown in minimal soil and harvested very young for their subtle, distinct flavors.

Bill Fischer, executive chef at Caffe Aldo Lamberti in Cherry Hill, uses a mix of these micro-greens in salads, as garnishes, even to make flavored oils and pesto sauces.

"The stuff I get from him is great," Fisher enthuses. "He cuts it in the morning and brings it to me that day. It's impeccable. It's pristine."

But it took years for Cobb to turn a profit.

"It takes a long time to learn everything you need to be successful," he acknowledges. Work already done

A lot of the hard work already has been done for the home gardener by companies that publish growing guides with their equipment and fertilizers, says Charlotte Trace. She and her husband, Chip, own Tasty Harvest Hydroponics in Deptford.

The commercial hydroponics industry generates $2.4 billion in sales annually and is expanding at 10 percent per year, according to the Hydroponic Merchants Association in Manassas, Va. For Trace, hydroponics is akin to a spiritual experience, a way to help others save the Earth.

Many of her customers have had their only previous exposure to hydroponics at Disney World. Some do it for the hobby. Some want only the freshest produce. Others are worried about the pace at which farmland is being consumed for housing developments.

Setting up a home garden can be simple or it can be elaborate, she explains.

"You can start off with as little as $100, or you can go insane and spend $2,000. It's your garden."

Reach Lawrence Hajna at (856) 486-2466 or lhajna@courierpostonline.com

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LORI A. GALLO/Courier-Post
Basil grows hydroponically at ARC Greenhouses in Shiloh.

26-Year-Old Charged With Drug Trafficking

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- A 26-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after police found a hydroponics lab inside the home he rented.ImagesRolando Abreu is charged with drug trafficking.NBC 6's Hank Tester reported that Coral Gables police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched the home, acting on a tip.They found 30 plants of high-quality marijuana inside the home located on Tangier Street near Red Road."The entire right-hand side of this house is a complete hydroponics system set up," said Mike Frevola, of Coral Gables Police Department. "We have 30 plants, approximately 90 to 100 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of $200,000."Frevola said the investigation is ongoing.

Tempe is investigating its police chief for writing a letter intended to help a councilwoman’s son defend himself for growing marijuana.

Chief Ralph Tranter’s letter contained information a defense attorney could use and it recommended a sentence in the conviction of Colby Carter, City Manager Will Manley said Monday.

Carter, 31, is the son of Councilwoman Barb Carter. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to possessing marijuana for sale, production of marijuana and three counts of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Manley opened the investigation late last year when a city employee gave him a photocopy of Tranter’s letter. It wasn’t on city stationery, but its contents — and the people involved — caused Manley to commission an outside investigation. A private law firm is looking into the matter so no city employees are involved.

“We wanted it to be completely independent,” Manley said.

The letter, which Manley would not release, was written in October and addressed “To whom it may concern,” Manley said.

“It was intended for the use of the defendant and his attorney,” Manley said.

Tranter did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The city would not disclose other information about the letter Monday. Manley said he expects to release it as part of the investigation, which should be complete this week.

The city is exploring why Tranter wrote the letter and how another city employee obtained it. The investigation has led to the questioning of five to 10 city employees, said Manley, who characterized it as “no more than a personnel investigation.”

Barb Carter is not a focus of the inquiry, Marlene Pontrelli, city attorney, said.

“There is no additional need to do any investigation into any other persons beyond this investigation,” Pontrelli said.

Barb Carter said Tranter didn’t try to influence the investigation, noting his letter came six months after the report was filed.

“I didn’t ask Ralph to write a letter. He volunteered after he had heard that my son had turned his life around,” Barb Carter wrote in a statement. “Ralph wanted to support us as a family.”

Tempe police searched Colby Carter’s home March 18, 2005. They found 18 indoor marijuana plants and an extensive hydroponics system, according to court records. Along with the 18-inch plants, police found seeds in plastic bags, price sheets with costs for different varieties and a ledger with four names and dollar amounts.

Police questioned Colby Carter about some marijuana found in a plastic bag, according to court records.

“The defendant said it was just leaves, and it was for ‘cooking,’ ” court documents stated.

Colby Carter told police this was the first time he’d grown marijuana, but police noted he was arrested in 1996 for attempted production of marijuana in Flagstaff.

Police determined Colby Carter had 2.68 pounds of marijuana, but his attorney argued the weight should be less because police weighed it before it had dried.

Colby Carter is professional skateboarder who has been involved with the development of more than 60 municipal skate parks around the world, according to the Web site of his employer.

By Garin Groff, Tribune

CARRBORO -- With a new business open this week and several more on the way, the corner of South Greensboro and Main streets is rapidly becoming the town's hottest spot for economic growth.

The Trading Post and Open Eye Café long have been mainstays of the intersection, but now a garden store, a restaurant and a furniture designer are joining those businesses as anchors of the corner.

Richard Quinn, a part owner of Fifth Season Gardening, said he recently moved his garden shop from Durham because of Carrboro's rich sense of community.

But the reason he chose his exact spot, behind the Trading Post and across from Open Eye, was the unique character of the building and the proximity to other downtown amenities such as Weaver Street Market.

Walking through the 5,200-square-foot store, it's easy to see why Quinn thought his business could find a home in Carrboro.

Between bags of bat guano and organic fertilizer lie rows of cultivated orchids and handcrafted flowerpots. The atmosphere is mellow and sunlight filters through windows dotted from floor to ceiling. In the back is a mini-greenhouse with house plans lined up for purchase.

Half of the shop is dedicated to the practice of hydroponics -- growing plants in nutrient-rich solutions rather than soil -- and grow lights and thriving plans can be found at any turn.

Quinn, who teaches English part-time, said he offers his customers a holistic approach to gardening, and sells everything you need to create a successful garden in your back yard or back acre.

The store originally was the back rooms of The Trading Post and one of the features that drew Quinn to the space was a fur vault. When remodeling, he split the space into two stories and now uses the top for an office and the ground level for a warehouse.

Bags of peat and fertilizer are now stacked where pelts once could be found.

Quinn said he expects the Carrboro community to welcome him and his wares with open arms. "The people here are looking for quality, well-made products," he explained. "The community fosters attention to good choices."

Town Economic Development Director James Harris said he thinks the community will support almost any enterprise that understands local residents.

"All of Carrboro is hot for development right now," he said, and added he's been excited about the amount of growth near the Greensboro and Main Street intersection.

Harris said he thinks the Trading Post building is a particularly lucrative site for business owners because of the amount of parking outside. In a town where parking can be hard to find, 64 easily accessible parking spaces are nothing to sniff at.

While most of the space in the Trading Post building has been spoken for -- with the restaurant and furniture designer moving in -- other spots along this stretch are still available.

Harris said he recently saw an application for the old hardware store site, about a block down from Open Eye Café.

Quinn said he is excited to be part of Carrboro's growth and hopes he can watch as more businesses sprout up near him.

"I just love this area," he said.

BY JENNIFER FERRIS : The Herald-Sun