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  • Holiday Hours 2022

    <p style="text-align: center;"> <strong style="background-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Holiday Hours 2022</span></strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Saturday, 12/24/22, Christmas Eve: <strong>10am to 3 pm</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Sunday, 12/25/22, Christmas Day:<strong> Closed</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Saturday, 12/31/22, New Year's Eve:&nbsp;<strong>10am to 3 pm</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Sunday, 1/1/23, New Year's Day:<strong> Closed</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <strong><br> </strong></p><p><em><span style="font-size: 10px;">Happy Holidays Image by katemangostar on Freepik</span></em></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <strong><br> </strong></p><ol> </ol>

  • Family Project Garden Report: Summer’s End 2022

    <p><strong></strong><strong>Well, it’s taken me three years to figure it out but I finally dialed-in my sunflowers.</strong> The Secret: I built a big and deep raised bed with well-composted soil from indoor gardens &amp; yard/grass clippings. Then I watered them deeply every day! The largest one, which was right in the middle of my garden was 12'7", and had 8 flowers at top – and took at least 1 gallon of water per day.</p><p><strong>But, while I really do love sunflowers they overpower everything</strong>. So now that they’ve all fully flowered, I’m taking them all down so my tomatoes can get water &amp; more sun. And, given ever decreasing water resources, next year I’m going to grow just two Sunflower plants; all told they are really quite beautiful, and best of all have attracted honey bees, about which I worry as their numbers dwindle.</p><p><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/blog-tom-s-sunflowers-7.26.22.jpeg" style="width: 359px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="" title=""></p><p><strong>Now my biggest BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious) for my garden</strong>, now in its third year, is simply: do not plant so many veggies and/or flowers as I have. The fact is in my desire to maximize my garden space, I simply planted too many things; and most everything I planted did not get quite enough room to fully flourish. </p><p><strong>I also need to better learn plant thinning technique</strong>s. While it goes against my sensibilities, it's crucial to better outcomes.</p><p><strong>The one piece of good news</strong> is my plum tomato plants have produced big time. I’ve already run a couple dozen through the Folly, an Italian utensil designed to crush tomatoes into tomato sauce while removing the skins. I now have almost a gallon of tomato paste, which I’m going to turn into my famous BBQ sauce.</p><p><strong>While it’s still too early to harvest, my carrot patch is thriving too</strong>. And, my Resina Calendula flowers, known for their medicinal properties, have supplied a steady output of yellow flowers that look a lot like dandelions, which I’m drying out for use once I get smarter on the plant and its historical uses. </p><p><strong>The only real casualty was my Poppies</strong>. They started out strong, but fell victim to overcrowding. As my mother used to say: “too old we get smart.” So next year the poppies will have a space all their own.</p><p><strong>And that, my fellow gardeners, is all Mother Nature wrote for my yard’s garden this season</strong>. But there is some good news for gardening fans: <strong><em>the indoor gardening season is here</em></strong>!</p><p><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Who better to learn indoor gardening</b> techniques from than The Indoor Gardening Experts™?</p><p><strong>Come in and talk with our staff anytime</strong>, and enjoy the benefits and charm of gardening year-round. You’re always welcome!</p><p><em>With this post, Tom Lanen, principal of&nbsp;</em><a href="http://ThomaaBoston.com">ThomasBoston</a><em>&nbsp;(Thomas Marketing Services Corp), brings his 5-year tenure as Marketing Director for New England Hydroponics to a close; all marketing will now be handled in-house by its new owner, Hydrobuilder Holdings. Tom thanks you for your kind comments along the way, and wishes you all happy trails!</em></p>

  • May 21 Marlborough Expert Day featuring EPM Protection Plus

    <p>You're invited to join us at our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/marlborough-ma/">Marlborough, MA</a> store&nbsp;on Saturday, <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);">May 21, for our Expert Day from 11-3 </span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);">featuring EPM Protection Plus pest control.</span></p><p><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/epm-protection-plus-1l-ds.png" alt="" title="" style="float: left; width: 157px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"></p><p><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);">Fact is pest control is a topic nobody loves or even wants to discuss with the hope if you ignore the problem(s) it/they won't happen. BUT, and it's a big one, every single grower will face pest issues regardless of their experience and environments. It's just the nature of the beast.</span></p><p>This being the case it's better to have the knowledge and not need it, than it is to freak out when pests hit - and scramble to put in a strategy to combat and beat them. &nbsp;</p><p>Free samples while supplies last.</p><p>We hope you'll stop in a moment and say hi!</p>

  • May 14 Auburn Expert Day featuring P31 Microbes & Si28 Silica

    <p><span style="font-size: 16px;">You're invited to join us on Saturday,&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 16px;">May 14, for our Expert Day from 11-3 in our&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/auburn-massachusetts-retail-store/">Auburn&nbsp;store</a><span style="font-size: 16px;">&nbsp;featuring P31 Microbes & Si28 Silica.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Meet the brilliant inventor and chief&nbsp;scientist, Lin, who formulated these growth stimulating products. She'll explain how both products can make all the difference to overall plant health, and a plant's ability to uptake and convert food into growth that yields bigger quality harvests.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Free samples while supplies last. 20% Off all P31 and Si28 products the day of the event.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 16px;">See you there!</span></p>

  • May 13 Sanford Expert Day featuring CYCO Nutrients & Grow Mediums

    <p><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/cyco-coco-pearl-coco-perlite-50l.png" style="width: 162px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="" title=""></p><p>You're invited to join us in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/sanford-me/">Sanford, ME</a> on Friday, <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);">May 13, for our Expert Day from 11-3 </span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(52, 49, 63);">featuring CYCO nutrients, supplements and grow mediums.</span></p><p>Free samples while supplies last.&nbsp;</p><p>Free Raffle PLUS 20% Off all CYCO products the day of the event.</p><p>See you there! And yes, be scared, be very scared!</p>

  • ​Part 2. Family Project 2022: Purposeful Gardening

    <p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Hello and welcome to the second installment of Family Project 2022: Purposeful Gardening.</strong> In the<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/learn/part-1-family-project-2022-purposeful-gardening-building-fertile-soil-for-a-better-world-23c24c-aed6ab-4ea3d5-95099a-d2fab2-031e47-7c82ae-dcb86b-23600c-3e0701-ae77fe-c28b1a-6ace1d-724b20-2d85f7/"> first part of this series</a> the discussion was largely around the urgent need to replenish some of the over 245 billion tons of fertile soil and the 10’s of thousands of microbes lost each year to drought largely attributed to climate change. The challenge: to take on this cause as a primary purpose in your gardening strategy, a do-able single step to a more sustainable world.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Here’s the thing.</strong> Despite what might be considered a meaningful altruistic purpose, there is a far greater calling at hand: feeding those facing food insecurity. It’s easy to forget this is still a thing in this country of so much bounty. It's not a little problem. So along with rebuilding the soil, growing staple foods is now part of the purpose of this year's Family Project series. Our local food pantry is the planned beneficiary.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Because the thought of so many hungry children is unbearable</strong>. And while I can’t fix it with a single garden, every positive action we take to help break the cycle of poverty matters. So this is my purpose, and I’d encourage you to define yours. It can really add dimension and a sense of satisfaction to your gardening.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/search.php?search_query=clover&amp;section=product" target="_blank"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/compost-crop-cover.jpg" alt="" title="" style="float: left; width: 393px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"></a></p><p><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(49, 133, 155);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Preparing The Soil &amp; Bed</span></span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>All year long I’ve been building a compost pile</strong> of leaves, grass clippings, and spent soil&nbsp;from my indoor garden</span><span style="font-size: 18px;">&nbsp;(in which I’d used a clover-based cover crop), so the first task is to give it all a good turn over using the rototiller attachment that's part of my brush cutter trimmer system - I’m very glad to have this back-saving tool.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>It’s easy to overlook the benefits of creating good compost, but it can easily be done</strong> – with a minimum of effort. I have 3 spots going in different parts of my yard, so my wife can easily access it for her beloved eclectic ‘weed garden’ (her name, not mine!) in front of our home. Like I’ve said, gardening is about what makes you happy!</span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/organic-seeds/" target="_blank"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/830582a5-5621-4170-8ea5-32799bb75cef-1-201-a.jpeg" style="width: 539px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="" title=""></a></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(49, 133, 155);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Implementing The Plan</span></span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>My first plan was to plant just flowers, but enlarging the mission, I’ll be growing tomatoes and carrots too</strong>. I’m not going to overextend myself; I know my limitations both as regards keeping the garden up and harvesting in a timely manner. I'm also glad I gave half of my garden to my son John, which makes it more manageable.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>My plot plan is simple</strong>: tomatoes on the inside where they’ll be safer from marauding deer, and carrots flowers sowed in the middle rows! I also picked plants that don't spread out like beans - though I'll have to train my tomatoes so they don't take over as they have in past gardens. I also couldn't resist buying a couple purple Viola starts which I put in the two corners.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/brands/coast-of-maine"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/b7657f56-f472-4351-b30d-87d2b5569089.jpeg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; width: 238px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="" title=""></a><strong>I’d left a lot of the old garden plants from last season to cover my soil over the winter so the organic matter would enrich it</strong>, which I tilled back into the soil before adding composted soil from my pile, which I tilled thoroughly to mix it through.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Then, I added a bag of Coast of &nbsp;Maine&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-lobster-compost-quoddy-1cf/" target="_blank">Lobster Compost</a><strong>,&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/com-earthworm-castings-8qt/" target="_blank">Worm Casings</a><strong>&nbsp;and the package-directed amount of&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-stonington-plant-food-5-2-4/" target="_blank">Stonington Plant Food</a><strong>, all organic,&nbsp;</strong>and mixed them into the top few inches of the soil to add further richness. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Building soil fertility is&nbsp;</strong><strong>about diligence</strong> in building composted soil. 15 minutes a week is all it takes. And you don't need fancy inputs: leaves, lawn clippings, spoiled foods/fruits, whatever organics you have - even your pet's poops gets it done just fine.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(49, 133, 155);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Planting Cold Tolerant Varieties &amp; Creating Starts</span></span></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/propagation-cloning" target="_blank"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/starts-warming-pad-plugs-dome.jpg" alt="" title="" style="float: right; width: 315px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"></a></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>I’ve become a big fan of raised bed gardening.</strong> The simple benefit of warming the soil so that seeds germinate more rapidly and moisture is readily available make raised beds your best option. You can use almost anything for soil, though there are a number of good ones, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-castine-raised-bed-mix-2cf-bag-in-store-only/">Coast of Maine Castine blend</a>, which we used our first year gardening.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Planting beds is a simple matter of&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/organic-seeds/">reading the package and planting according to directions</a><strong>.</strong> Typically you are going to plant more seeds than you will end up with plants; and indeed, the thinning process is a critical component of a successful harvest - more on that once we get to that stage. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>For now I planted my hearty plant seeds at the recommended half inch depth and covered with soil.</strong> than watered in to make sure the seeds have the consistent moisture they need to germinate.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>My sunflowers and sauce tomatoes, however, have been started indoors</strong> so that I have a better control of their early growth stages and also keep them away from any potential frost, which can happen through the middle of May in New England.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Starting plants indoors is actually a pretty easy task.</strong> All you need is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/propagation-cloning">an insert tray, some plug inserts</a> ideally a bed warmer, and a grow light. I started far more sunflowers than tomatoes given the room I have, especially for tomatoes which grow bushy rather than vertically.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>I use a starts&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/propagation-cloning/hydrofarm-seedling-heat-mat-for-4-flats-48-x-20/">bed-warmer mat</a><strong>&nbsp;and also like to&nbsp;initially&nbsp;cover the planted tray of plugs with a sheet of wrap</strong></span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> which helps the plugs retain the heat needed for them to germinate. You can also use a little dome to retain heat and moisture.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/floragear-flora-s2l-long-led-grow-light-2-x-3-up-to-2-x-4-200w-new/"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/floragear-flora-s2l-long-led-grow-light-ds.jpg" style="width: 205px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="" title=""></a></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Do yourself a favor: buy yourself a good&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/led-grow-lights/">LED grow light with dimmer</a><strong>.</strong> Today they come in many sizes at sensible prices, particularly given the extraordinary lifespan of these tools - and that's exactly what is is: a real tool. You can find one to fit your space, be it a window ledge that doesn't get good strong daylight to a spot in your living room to getting a jump on your garden plants. You'll have and use it your entire life.</span></p><p><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; color: rgb(49, 133, 155);"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>One Last Word: Fences. </strong><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;">And Ticks.&nbsp;</strong></span></span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: rgb(49, 133, 155);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Also Garden.org</span></span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>This year I kicked up the security of my garden against marauding chipmunks and bunnies</strong> using a small hole (1/2”) metal fence which I stapled to the inside of my garden picket fence. This will be especially important while plants are small and tender, and prime food for wildlife.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>I also bought a deer and rabbit repellent spray</strong> at the local hardware store which I sprayed around the perimeter of the garden, and will continue to use throughout the growing season – deer just love tomato flowers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Given I’m an older adult, I also fashioned a simple step</strong> from a couple cinder blocks, and ran a line of masking tape on top of the sharp-edged fence (see main image at top). Little things like this make your garden more welcoming.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>For now, I am done except for daily waterings</strong> to make sure the seeds have the moisture they need. As I look at my work to date there's some satisfaction; the soil is rich and ready to produce good outcomes. And for the first time in three years of outdoor gardens I feel I can keep up with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>I'd encourage you to get started on your garden today.</strong> And, if you need in-depth understanding and knowledge about specific plants vegetables and flowers you'd like to grow in your area we'd<strong>&nbsp;encourage you to visit&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.garden.org">garden.org</a><strong>, the website for the National Gardening Association</strong>, which is a tremendous resource and covers virtually every aspect of the gardening process, veggies to flowers and even trees.</span></p><p><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/b6547be1-ec6e-47ee-b1c1-2c36b7c2e3ff-1-201-a.jpeg" alt="" title="" style="float: left; width: 154px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>And prepare for ticks.</strong> I've already been hit this year and went to the doctor's to get an antibiotic prophylactic, which will cover you if take it within 48 hours of being bitten. I wear my socks over my pants to afford some protection ... and you know I just don't care how goofy it looks!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Just keep it manageable</strong>, and you'll have a summer of satisfying fun ahead of you!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><em>Tom Lanen is the Marketing Director for New England Hydroponics' five New England stores and its online store, and the principal of the brand marketing firm Thomas Marketing Services Corporation (ThomasBoston.com). A family man and erstwhile sailor, he’s as surprised as anybody about how much fun he's having gardening.&nbsp;</em></span></p>

  • ​Part 1. Family Project 2022: Purposeful Gardening - Building Fertile Soil For A Better World

    <p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>Hello and welcome to the 2022 edition of the New England Hydroponics Family Project Gardening Blog!&nbsp;</strong>This is the third year we've been writing about outdoor gardening as both a hobby and as a means to certain ends such as feeding the honeybees, the birds, and ourselves with nourishing vegetables and spirit-lifting flowers.<br> </span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>One of the beauties of gardeni</strong><strong>ng is while there is a process</strong> to properly grow a specific plant and/or vegetable, the opportunities to grow any and all types of vegetables and flowers, in any configuration or for any purpose, are wide open. It's truly is do-at-your-own-pace fun, pure and simple. And if you let it, it can be very relaxing too.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-sprout-island-seed-starter-16-qt-bag/"><span style="font-size: 18px;"></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;">Our&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/learn/part-1-family-project-how-to-start-an-outdoor-garden-april-2020/">first year gardening outdoors in 2020</a><strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;">, the year of the pandemic, brought us all kinds of interesting insights and outcomes.</strong> We took what we learned from that season and applied it in 2021 with a very simple purpose; and it was indeed a far more relaxing and fulfilling experience, even if it did not fully achieve our goals and expectations.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-sprout-island-seed-starter-16-qt-bag/"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/crop-coast-of-maine-sprout-island-organic-seed-starter.png" alt="Coast of Maine Seed Starter" title="Coast of Maine Seed Starter" style="float: right; width: 435px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"></a></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/coast-of-maine-sprout-island-seed-starter-16-qt-bag/"></a><strong>Over this past winter, and with an eye on what might be a meaningful topic and purpose for this season's Family Project Blog at New England Hydroponics, </strong>I happened upon an international organization called&nbsp;<a href="http://https;//www.savesoil.org"><strong>Save Soil</strong></a> (savesoil.org). Founded by an Indian Mystic, Yogi, and visionary named Sadhguru, its mission to rebuild fertile soils throughout the world, might be considered implausible if not impossible</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>However as I considered how the lack of organic content in soils turn it to sand</strong>, which in turn leads to:</span></span></p><li><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> Food Crisis</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> Water Scarcity</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> Lack of biodiversity</span></span></strong></li><li><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> Climate Change</span></span></strong></li><li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Loss of Livelihood</span></strong><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;</b></span></li><li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Conflict&nbsp;</b></span></li><li><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Population Migration</span></b></li><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br></span><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"> ... it started to resonate deeply.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;">Building fertile soils is a chance to do our part to help ensure the continuance of nature and its life-giving goodness</strong> even if it is just a very little part. But to do nothing is not an option.</span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>Consider this: to get the same nutrition from eating an orange in 1930, today you would have to eat 8 oranges.</strong> So not are we only <strong>losing 245 billion tons of fertile soil</strong> and thousands upon <strong>thousands of microbe strains each year</strong>, the nutritional value of our fruits and vegetables has declined at an alarming rate. </span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>I've decided to try to do my part and no, it will not save the world or the fertile soil in of itself.</strong> But what if we all did it? It could become a movement, something we can hand down to our kids, and they to theirs. </span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">I invite you to join me in this mission to pay it forward.</span></span></p><p> <strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Family Project 2022: Building Fertile Soil For A Better World</span></span></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/buildasoil-bas-12-seed-cover-1-2-lbs/" target="_blank"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/buildasoil-12-seed-cover-crop-nehydro.jpeg" style="width: 299px; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" alt="BuildASoil Cover Crop" title="BuildASoil Cover Crop"></a></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>As an indoor medical herb gardener, now for over 10 years, I've always taken great pains to ensure the plants I grow get the full nutrition they need</strong>. There are many ways to achieve this, from so called 'natural' fertilizers (that are actually man-made) to organic feeding practices. Of course, there are also hydroponic gardening practices that are gaining momentum and scale.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Each approach has its place.</strong>&nbsp;In fact, I've tried them all and each has its real benefits. For example, we now have many customers who are growing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/search.php?search_query=microgreens&amp;section=product" target="_blank">microgreens</a> and lettuces hydroponically, which is providing farm-fresh to table veggies high in taste and nutrition year round. However, as wonderful as this might be, it does require an infrastructure and a certain level of investment likely out of reach of most of the farmers in the world.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Of course, a majority of the foods grown in the United States and throughout the world are grown by Big Agriculture</strong> whose practice is to use fertilizers and growth hormones to control and hasten the many core foodstuffs it brings to the mass market. The phenomenon of Big Agriculture’s dominance is bigger than this blog can ever address, and in fact I'm indeed grateful for its efficiency and ability to feed the country. But I find myself fearful for the well-being of peoples in parts of the world where such bounty does not exist. And I truly find myself fearful for the next generations in our country, and the nutritional value of the food they’ll eat. It's time to be part of the answer.</span></span></p><p> <strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Gardening Like A Cook</span></span></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/organic-seeds/"></a><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/organic-seeds//"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/high-mowing-organic-seeds-ds.png" alt="High Mowing Organic Seeds neHydro" title="High Mowing Organic Seeds neHydro" style="float: right; width: 213px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"></a></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>I garden much like I cook; I pay attention to macro rules and process but generally ignore rigid dictates such as those to which bakers must adhere.</strong> It was Mother Nature herself who disabused me of the notion that it's about symmetry of a garden; and that it’s rather about out how it all works together to create a satisfying whole harvest.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>In gardening, much like the design disciplines, form follows function</strong>. So for any gardener it's a matter of deciding on priorities.&nbsp;</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>And it's</strong> <strong>not just what you do, but why</strong> you're doing it that gives it meaning above and beyond the physical harvest. <em>Because working without a purpose makes me feel like a machine. </em></span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/learn/part-1-family-project-how-to-start-an-outdoor-garden-april-2020/">The first year of our outdoor garden in 2020</a><strong>&nbsp;my purpose was clear: to help customers discover the joys of gardening, especially through the trying first year of the Pandemic</strong>. I planted the requisite string beans, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, snow peas, onions, and green peppers, doing as much of it as I could as a labor of love and exploration. </span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>But what really made me satisfied during that first garden were my flowers</strong>: my Morning Glories and my Zinnias. Maybe it was I didn't have to harvest them that appealed mostly to my senses. I do know there were times when after a long day of my marketing tasks I just didn't love harvesting the mass quantities of snow peas, lettuces and string beans that came in droves at peak harvest times, even if that was the original goal.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Which of course is a waste and counter-productive.<strong> So as home gardeners the first step is to decide what is going to be meaningful to us to grow. </strong></span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>To this end we'd invite you to come into any of our five New England stores to the review the selection of&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/high-mowing-organic-seeds/">2022 High Mowing Organic seeds, veggies to flowers</a></span><strong><span style="font-size: 20px;">.&nbsp;</span></strong></span></p><p> <strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Get A Jump on The Season</span></span></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/floragear-flora-s2l-long-led-grow-light-2-x-3-up-to-2-x-4-200w-new/"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/floragear-flora-s2l-long-led-grow-light-ds.jpg" alt="FloraGear FLORA S2L LED Grow Light w/Built-In Dimmer" title="FloraGear FLORA S2L LED Grow Light w/Built-In Dimmer" style="float: left; width: 248px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"></a></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>One of my more lucid decisions approaching the 2021 gardening season was to get started indoors with my flowers, </strong>particularly my sunflowers, knowing they need long growing season to bear seeds to feed my birds, which was the purpose of last summer's garden.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>It's easy to do.</strong> All you really need are planting trays, starter soil or plugs, and ideally a grow light designed for indoor growing. I say 'ideally' because if you don't have the southern exposure to the sun or good strong sunlight during a majority of the day, your plants will struggle to get the sunlight they need to energize the photosynthesis process. The good news is once you have a good LED grow light, you'll have the ability to grow what you want year round.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Remember too that this garden is about you; about lifting your spirits and about connecting you to a better understanding of the world around you</strong>. That's what we're here for: to provide you the support and expertise you need to succeed with your garden regardless of what you're growing and what makes you happy.&nbsp;</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>So while you're in&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/retail-stores/">our stores</a><strong>&nbsp;we encourage you to&nbsp;</strong><a href="mailto:experts@neHydro.com">ask</a><strong>&nbsp;every question you have</strong>. Because the fact is there are no dumb questions when it comes to gardening, just enlightened practices.</span></span></p><p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 20px;">And that, very simply, is our purpose.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 20px;"><em>Tom Lanen is a family man and principal of Thomas Marketing Services (</em><a href="https://thomasboston.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">ThomasBoston.com</a><em>), and ‘marketing guy’ for New England Hydroponics 5 New England stores, and its </em><a href="https://nehydro.com/" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">online store</a><em>. When not in his gardens contemplating Nature’s Grand Design, he’s gratefully enjoying the passing of time with his wife and adult sons, one of whom got the gardening bug last summer and already has his 2022&nbsp;</em><em>garden plan in hand</em></span><em><span style="font-size: 20px;">.</span></em></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></p><p><a href="https://www.nehydro.com/search.php?search_query=bio365&amp;section=product"><img src="/product_images/uploaded_images/bio365-line-nehydro.jpg" alt="bio365 organic soils" title="bio365 organic soils" style="width: 780px;"></a></p><p>The new line of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/search.php?search_query=bio365&amp;section=product">organic soils from bio365</a></p>

  • It's Here. The Year-End Blowout Sale at New England Hydroponics.

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>You've waited all year. And now it's here!</strong></span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Announcing the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/end-of-year-blowout-sale/?sort=bestselling&page=1">New England Hydroponics' End-Of-The-Year Blowout Sale</a>!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Prices have been slashed on nearly 50 products - the gear and supplies grower's need at near- or below-cost Sale Prices.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>The Sale starts today, Monday, December 20, 2021 and goes thru December 31, 2021</strong> only. Limited availability on some items, so&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com/end-of-year-blowout-sale/?sort=bestselling&page=1">take a look</a> and act today!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 18px;">With our Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday Season and a Bountiful New Year!!</span></span></p>

  • Holiday Hours at New England Hydroponics

    <p>Happy Holidays!</p><p>This holiday season, our hours will be 10AM - 4PM on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.</p><p>We'll be closed Christmas and New Years Day. (We are also closed both Sundays, December 26, and January 2.)</p><p>And of course,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nehydro.com">neHydro.com</a> remains open for your shopping 24/7.</p><p>Thank you for your continued patronage - we appreciate you!</p>

  • Black Friday is on Nov 25-28

    <p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Great Deals&nbsp;Online Now &amp; In-Store Friday &amp; Saturday<span style="font-size: 28px;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 24px;">(Stores Closed Thanksgiving &amp; Sunday) Through Sunday November 28!</span></span></p>