Cool Cultivation Tech Gadgets

Source: Marijuana Venture Magazine

Method Seven Glasses

Method Seven is the industry leader in cannabis eyewear. Having started out with just HPS color correction four years ago, they now have a full line of options for all different kinds of indoor lighting, including HPS, LED, and MH. What many people don’t know about Method Seven Glasses is that they save your eyes from harmful UVA, UVB, and UVC rays that are emitted by HID lights. Yes, you can actually harm your eyes over time in an indoor grow room, and regular sunglasses aren’t effective at correcting or color balancing for this environment. Even under fluorescents, Method Seven Glasses feel good to wear because they reduce the eye stress caused by compensating for the continuous flickering of ballast-based lighting of all kinds. Just released is their unique “photochromic” lens that transitions to a regular sunglass shade when outdoors, then back to HPS correction indoors. Price range is between $59-$169 based on the features. Visit MethodSeven.com to purchase a pair and for information that’s specific to your particular circumstances. 

ProScope Micro Mobile Smart Phone and Tablet Magnifier

ProScope has its own special niche as a producer of high quality portable and mobile microscopic gear. Their smart phone and tablet attachments let the digital device do all the heavy lifting when it comes to focusing so you can concentrate on getting a good close-up photo of the exact insect trying to ruin your life. The Micro Mobile comes with a bi-directional blue-spectrum LED backlight that can be added to the image whether you need some color correction or just more light. Now, when you find microscopic evidence of an insect, mold, or nutrient problem in your garden, you can take a beautifully magnified snapshot of it for later reference. The higher the megapixel rating of your camera, the better the quality of your final picture. Zoom levels range from 20x-80x. Coming in at a retail price of $149, this gadget is a must have for serious plant technicians. Visit Bodelin.com for more information. 

Milwaukee Handheld Dissolved Oxygen Meter

For those of you who don’t already have pH and TDS meters mastered, start there first, but then graduate to a dissolved oxygen (DO) meter. If you thought calibrating a pH meter was annoying, DO meters are worse. They need almost daily calibration, and it must be carefully done. Even a single tiny water bubble in the electrolyte solution will give a false reading. Several scientific instrument companies sell DO meters, but Milwaukee is tried and true, and has great customer support and videos to help you get a feel for the device. Once you start measuring DO, you’ll learn the patterns of oxygenation in your reservoirs and nutrient mixes and can test to ensure that your aeration and oxygenation methods are doing what you expect. You’ll find that the best air stones top out between 8-9 mg/l (ppm), and you’ll start getting a feel for how long it takes to saturate the water with oxygen, and then how long it takes to dissipate once the aerator is removed. For all the plant geeks among us, this is a whole new and exciting world of empirical data we can use to take our growing skills to the next level. These meters are priced around $165 and can be bought on Amazon.com and through various other retailers. Make sure to order an extra bottle of electrolyte solution so you’ll be set for a while.

O2Grow Water Oxygenator

O2Grow is a new kid on the block in the cannabis industry. Having come from the fishing industry, this device was created to keep fish healthier while in captivity. More oxygen is almost always a good thing, and this is especially true with plant nutrient solutions and reservoirs. This iridium-based electrolysis device can bring your dissolved oxygen (DO) levels 50% higher than the best of all traditional aerators and air stones. It takes a little practice to get the most out of it- you’ll need a DO meter (see below), a non-bubbling water circulator, and you’ll find it necessary to always add nutrients first. Don’t use overly thick organic mixes, and apply the newly oxygenated blend immediately after the unit completes a 3-hour cycle. In the case of a reservoir, run the unit 3 out of every 24 hours to avoid overtaxing it. It has an operating life of 1600 hours before the emitters need to be replaced. O2Grow is developing larger and larger units all the time to accommodate commercial-scale use and is also developing units with their own cycle timers and water circulators. Starting at $299 for the 10-20 gallon size, these units make possible a plant performance improvement factor that has been previously unavailable to marijuana growers. Visit O2Grow.com for more information.