How often do you change your reservoir? I only change mine every couple of weeks, because my system is really stable. I don’t see much fluctuation in pH, and my res is filled with beneficial bacteria that I keep happy with a biofilter. For me, it’s a matter of effort vs. reward and my garden generally rewards my minimal efforts! But over on the GHE blog, the question was addressed by their head of R&D, William Textier-

Question: “How often should you change the nutrient solution?”

Answer: “It depends on the quality/price ratio between nutrient costs and crop yield and return. If this is an important ratio for you, it is best to replace your nutritive solution every 10 days. If it is not, you can keep it up to 3 weeks without problem, providing you regularly verify your pH and EC levels, and adjust your solution accordingly. Do not discard your old solution. If you have home potted plants, or a garden, use the old solution, with added tap water, on your soil plants.”

I am very proud to announce the new General Hydroponics Europe Blog. Frederic and Noucetta have put together their own blog, that will cover information unique to the European market. It is a great place to gain insight on their products, and learn about their distinct identity in the international hydroponics industry. They also provide beautiful glimpses inside their spectacular greenhouse, packed with amazing and exotic hydroponic plants. Please visit them, and I hope you can take a moment to leave them a comment of congratulations!

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

L. Brooke & Dr. Cal Herrmann

I also flew down to the University of California at Davis with my dear friend Lawrence Brooke, and met Dr. Heiner, who conducts some of our research as well as his own, using GH products. It was very interesting to hear about his work, and some of his projects. I was also able to show him a slide show of the plants we grow in our greenhouse at GHE, in the South West of France. He was impressed with the huge variety of plants we grow in hydroponics, and the amount of research and work we are doing on our side of the ocean.

This visit was a real pleasure. Planning to go back as soon as possible. Noucetta Kehdi at GH Europe

GHE is pleased to introduce you to a bioponic (organic hydroponic) tomato production on Saint Barthélémie. Saint Bart is a little island in the Antilles which is famous for its stars and well-heeled tourists from all over the world. I am sharing these photos so you can dream about beautiful plants and sunshine.

Only a small quantity of vegetables is grown there and even less of tomatoes which were always imported. The problems are the lack of arable ground and the cost of water which is only available after desalination. This is why Mr Hervé Meunier, who is concerned about quality and ecology, has chosen to work with GHE technology (drip system using recycled water) and GHE certified organic nutrients “BioSevia”. Since then he has also been creating living décors with our system and also green walls. It’s a beautiful example of “bringing nature and technology together”.

I am beyond thrilled to introduce General Hydroponics Europe our readers. The GrowGH blog will be expanding our coverage to include posts from the team there, to keep you updated on our international brethren. Our blog will spotlight their dynamic team, including, Noucetta, William and Frederic, and their efforts in hydro.

GHE has long been working to bring the quality and results of GH to their unique market. GHE not only distributes our formulas, but has created some of their own products, available only through them, that serve the specific needs and trends of growers there. Beyond that, they maintain an exotic greenhouse, and support numerous events and causes that are uniquely GHE.

In 1995, we created GHE in the South of France to better serve the European, African and Middle Eastern markets. At that time General Hydroponics was not well known outside of the English speaking countries. In only a few years GHE built a dominant position in European and global markets, primarily thanks to the quality of our products and to our commitment to common goals: sustainability, quality, innovation, simplicity and value. We printed out labels in numerous languages, built a website in numerous languages (www.eurohydro.com) and registered our products according to the regulations in each market.

With time due to the difference in markets and suppliers on both continents, the two lines, GH and GHE, diverged slightly due to specific needs in regional markets; except for Flora Series, the original nutrient that built our reputation and remains the global leader in sales and product recognition. In Europe as in California, we continue our research to show the diversity of plants you can grow with our technologies. We have developed a line of ‘organic’ nutrients and supplements that work well for hydroponic growers. You can visit our greenhouse online at youtube (enter ‘eurohydro’), or if you are traveling in our area, contact us to arrange a visit us here.

Noucetta Kehdi, William Texier, and Lawrence Brooke