Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand September/October 2022 | Page 16

bare ROOTS
Featured Contributors
AUS / NZ EDITION • VOL . 20 NO . 5 September / October 2022
KB
Keith Bouchard is the founder and co-inventor of Multiponics , an indoor gardening manufacturer and online boutique . He has a passion for pushing innovative ag-tech forward and is a consultant to the NASA-funded X-Hab project at the University of Colorado in Boulder .
CB
Chris Bond ’ s research interests are with sustainable agriculture , biological pest control as well as alternative growing methods . He is a certified permaculture designer and certified nursery technician in Ohio and a certified nursery professional in New York , where he got his start in growing .
Maximum Yield is published bi-monthly by Maximum Yield Inc . No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher . If undeliverable please return to the address below . The views expressed by columnists are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Maximum Yield or the editor .
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Printed in Australia
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Contributors
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Philip McIntosh
Lynette Morgan
Alan Ray
Maximum Yield is distributed direct to retailers with distribution support from our partners
Dome Garden Supplies domegarden . com . au
Growlush : growlush . com
Holland Forge : hollandforge . com . au
House & Garden : house-garden . com . au
Hydroponic Generations : hydroponicgenerations . com . au
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VERMICULITE
Nutrifield : nutrifield . com . au
Stealth Garden Supplies : stealth-garden . com
Way to Grow : way2grow . com . au
Vermiculite is a term applying to a small group of minerals capable of “ exfoliation ,” wherein they can be heated up to 2,000 ° F until the dense mineral expands into little worm-like pebbles similar to the way popcorn expands . The very low-density material produced by this process has an extremely large chemically active surface area , making it ideal for holding air , water , and nutrients .
The name vermiculite is derived from a combination of the Latin word vermiculare meaning “ to breed worms ,” and the English suffix “ ite ,” meaning mineral or rock and is clearly descriptive of its “ worm-like ” appearance .
This extremely pourous material is exceptionally well suited for use as a water holding and aerating soil amendment , or as a stand alone hydroponic growing medium . Vermiculite ranges in size from 0.1mm to 8mm and is sterile .
Check out Chris Bond ’ s article on page 40 for more information .
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