No matter what time of year, there is always some kind of amazing flower blooming here at General Hydroponics. And some flowers, like these dahlias seem to be perpetually producing massive flowers. These beauties are growing in CocoTek planters, and are fed the latest bloom formulas.

Check out the General Organics T-Shirt in this video review of the new Quantum Infinite Breeze Fan. Oh, and the fan looks pretty good too! I found the link on Growshop.com!

I can’t decide if I love or hate the design of this grow light. But I do love the fact that growing plants indoors is becoming trendy and mainstream!

Created in 2004 to raise funds for charity and recognize talented, local, up-and-coming musical acts, The 2010 Muddy River Jam Festival was a 2-day festival where over 80 bands and electronic acts performed. Beyond just music, the event creates a family-like community by encouraging overnight camping onsite at the Salem County Fairgrounds outside of Philadelphia.

The lineup for 2010 was incredible. Multiple stages went off all weekend and featured great performances by The Join, Perpetual Groove, and many others. General Hydroponics was proud to sponsor the event alongside Vitamin Water. GH gave out tons of the General Organics Sample Boxes, and Chill and Randall were on hand to talk with everyone about music and growing. We are also especially proud to say that much of the entire Muddy River festy was coordinated by GH’s own Andy Troutman. Andy and his team pulled off a wonderful weekend!

Everyone on the east coast, be on the lookout for next summer’s 7th year of the MRJF, bigger and better than ever! Head to muddyriverjamfestival.com for all the details, press information and sponsorship opportunities. Be sure to check out their videos too! See you next year!

The SF TradeShow Shirt is insane. Super. Fresh. View it larger here.

Hydrogen peroxide is my favorite tool for sterilizing my ebb and flow trays. I’ve also heard that it can be used to add oxygen to over watered roots. But I didn’t know that I was using the wrong kind of peroxide! This article from Jason’s Indoor Guide to Organic and Hydroponics Gardening is filled with information on H2O2 and it’s applications in hydroponics.

General Hydroponics is proud to congratulate Natural Heroes on their 2010 Emmy Award wins! Five seasons ago GH was the founding sponsor and executive producer of a little PBS show about regular people becoming heroes to the environment. We now can say that that little show is a very big deal, with a total of five trophies from the Emmys!

This years awards include Outstanding Achievement for a Historic/Cultural Program for the episode Voyage of the Vezo, and Outstanding Achievement for a Public/Current/Community Affairs Program for the episode Brower Youth Awards.

Superior Growers Supply in Livonia, MI, had their 27th Anniversary Event on Saturday, July 31st. Jeff Gibson and his team hosted an incredible day, were customers where invited to help celebrate and enjoy a 27% discount on all products. It was an amazing day of education and celebration. GH has a table at the event, along with Grodan, Hortilux, BluLab, Sunlight Supply, and more!

Randall was hanging at the GH booth educating GH fans on the new GO Sample Box Sets, the AzaMax RTU, and all the wonderful GH products their customers have enjoyed since SGS opened in 1983.

We congratulate the SGS Team and look forward to 27 more years of success and beyond!

ABC News produced a nice video about a new restaurant in NYC that grows all the produce hydroponically on it’s own roof. The systems are weird, but I love the idea! The more stories like this on the national news, the better!

You might have already heard that Pepsi is giving away tons of money to help people across the US turn their ideas for social change into reality. I tend to be skeptical when large corporations say they are helping the world, but this contest is a little different, because YOU can choose who gets the money! That means that you can go vote right now to give $250,000 to create a program to build hydroponic and aquaculture farms in the Gulf. Farming fish and growing hydroponic produce is a major part of the future of food in America. I think that it could also be part of a permanent solution to the food issues and economic disaster that is facing the Gulf as it copes with the oil spill.

Right now this particular project is ranked 44 out of 276. To increase their chances of winning, all you need to do is visit this link, take 20 seconds to register, and then vote with a click of your mouse.

We would like to build a hydroponics and aquaculture farm to employ some that have been affected by the Gulf oil spill. While employed, they’ll also learn the new trade of growing with hydroponics and aquaculture, as well as receiving the fresh produce for their families and others. We are located in a small, rural area close to the Apalachicola Bay oyster beds. The people in this area have struggled and worked hard for years. Making their living from the Gulf is all they’ve ever known as it has been passed down for generations. Now that it may be gone for decades, it’s essential that they learn a new trade to pass down to their children. This opportunity will have a great impact on many for years to come. Our plans are to grow seafood for consumption until they can be safely released back into the Gulf.

How will the 250K be Used?

$ 100,000 Hydroponic greenhouse & Aquaculture farm
$ 75,000 Hydroponic & Aquaculture system
$ 75,000 Employee wages

Red has a great post up about his composting setup. His Bokashi can even compost meat!

I am stoked to share this video from the MAKE YouTube Channel! Becky Stern set up a RainForest 318 on her rooftop in Brooklyn, NY. The video explains step-by-step how she set up her GH system, potted up her plants, and maintains a thriving garden. Plus there’s a post with more details over on her blog. She’s killing it with a great looking hydroponic herb garden.

The biggest event is growing is happening this weekend in San Francisco. The Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo will be returning to the Fort Mason Center in SF. It really is the best show in the world. The expo space is packed with manufactures, distributors, stores, inventors and more. The giveaways are out of control, and the parties go all night! As usual, GH will be on hand with samples, t-shirts, and our experts. We really hope you can make it over to our booth to say hello!

From the MaxYield publisher, Linda Jepson:

Join us at the 7th Annual San Francisco Indoor Gardening Expo July 24-25, 2010 at the Fort Mason Center on the bay for the Industry’s Biggest Trade Show of the Year!

Exhibitors from around the world will be displaying their latest distinctive indoor gardening products and technologies. This expo unites the industry on a global platform to network, educate and do business on Saturday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. General Public is welcome Sunday, July 25 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. to discover water-wise and organic techniques for growing healthier plants and produce.

Whether you’ve just started gardening or are an aficionado, there will be something for everyone at this year’s expo.

Randall was in NYC recently and visted Bronx Hydro and Garden. They offer free classes for growers on Saturdays for their customers who are interested in learning more about everything from systems and feeding to cloning and lighting. Randall had the opportunity to meet some amazing people during his talk on the Basics of Hydroponics.

Randall met with a class of about 15 students. He spoke about the basics: pH, PPM, different styles (flood and drain, aeroponics, drip, NFT, aquaponics, DWC, passive), different medias, and nutrition. Everyone was engaged and interested and the group went off on several tangents about cloning and hydroton versus coco.

At the end, Randall hooked everyone up with samples of FloraSeries, Floralicious Plus, and Kool Bloom. Bronx Hydro just opened a new store in Brooklyn (Bklyn Hydro), so people in NYC have two great options for learning about growing. I’m going to be in NYC in 2 weeks and I have their spots down on my list to check out. And when Randall heads back for a new class, I’ll be sure to let you know!

Martin in Graphics did it again! I love the Montreal Trade Show Limited Edition T-shirt!

I am so inspired by this!

For many summers, General Hydroponics has been a major sponsor of the world’s largest reggae festival, in Humboldt, California. In the beginning, it was known as Reggae on the River, and in recent years was called Reggae Rising. The festival was the highlight of our events calendar. “Reggae” was the perfect party. Endless music and 20,000 of the nicest people you could ever meet. We stoked the crowd with free samples, gave away limited edition t-shirts, and partied non-stop all weekend. But, structural shifts have once again rocked the foundations of the festival.

In 2010, for the first time in 5 years, GH is not going to be up on the Eel River for a summer Reggae festival. Instead, we are going to branch out in new venues. We are still going to support all the festival fans as Reggae reworks it’s programming, by continuing with our sponorships. We will be making a return to Earthdance, heading to the East Coast for the Muddy River Jam Festival and we are very excited to announce a new event to our lineup, Power to the Peaceful. It is a unique, lively event unlike any other, held September 11 and 12th in Golden Gate Park. Like Reggae, it’s got great, consciousness raising music acts, but it has something Reggae never had, a skate ramp!!! We can’t wait to get the vans loaded and get out on the road! See you there!

Power to the Peaceful 2009 photo by Paul Devoto

Our sales rep Randall sent these awesome shots of the General Hydroponics SnapStands in action. He found them in Charleston, South Carolina at GreenSpirit Hydrogardens. They look so great all loaded up with big lush plants!

Sebastopol Hardware is currently selling predatory nemotodes AND fishing licenses.

Yesterday, M. Bedes, from the Fleurance Bonsaï Club, came to show us one of his best successes this year: “Rhododendron obtusum”, also called “Kuruma azalea”.

This plant is 10 years old. Grown with BioSevia Terra, this is his most beautiful and bountiful flowering in years.

rhododendron obtusum, also called Kuruma azalea

We are very proud of our work with M. Bedes. He is a longtime supporter and gave us an excellent opening with the bonsaï collectors in France.

rhododendron obtusum, also called "Kurume azalea" : flower closeup

rhododendron obtusum or kuruma azalea in bonsaÏ