C
Chris1
- 168
- 0
Hey can anyone give me a quick rundown of UC? I just got back into the sport and these under current systems are very impressive. Dialed in systems appear to be growing explosively...What are the pros/cons?
M
MediMary
- 997
- 28
The history of UC.
The Simple Things
For most people, the soothing sound of falling water, and the sensation of a cool breeze conjure up thoughts of mountain streams and tall tree lined forests. But for the team at Current Culture H2O™, this means something altogether different. For them, the falling water represents the hypnotic, re-circulating sounds of the Under Current™ hydroponics system, as it constantly flows thousands of gallons of nutrient solution beneath plant roots. The cool breezes are actually just the subtle influence of oscillating fans as they caress the plant canopy, just above the perpetually moving nutrients.
Off in the distance a Neptune Series™ reverse osmosis system rapidly fills a 100 gallon Aquifer™ reservoir with ultra pure water… Just as you begin to focus your attentions back on the garden, your nose picks up the sweet scent of biologically active compost tea, vigorously brewing in the Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System just out of sight….Ahh, sounds like shear bliss, right?
Let’s Get Serious
Right about now you’re probably asking yourself, “is this some sort of euphoric day dream?” No, it’s just business as usual in the ever evolving world of Current Culture H2O™. But don’t get the crew at CCH2O™ wrong; they love the natural beauty of the forest just as much as the next guy. In fact, it was in California’s majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains that the inspiration first came for the Patent Pending Sub-Current Culture™ method.
During the summer of 2001, while hiking the familiar trails near the San Joaquin River, CCH2O™ President and co-founder, Daniel Wilson noticed something quite intriguing. He observed the roots of a large, Black Oak tree moving gently in the cool, mineral rich waters of the San Joaquin. The roots, while anchored in the mountainous native rock & soil, also had a more direct relationship with the passing waters. At that moment Daniel started to conceptualize how these same benefits could be incorporated into a modular hydroponics application. It was this brief encounter with nature that set the wheels in motion for what would eventually come to be known as the Under Current Hydroponics system.
Many long hours and sleepless nights were spent in the “hydro lab”, building and rebuilding until something special started to happen. After multiple prototypes and what seemed like an eternity a new method started to take shape. What was eventually discovered is a better way to circulate nutrients in a modular hydroponics system. Naturally, a long process of research and development was necessary to get the concept perfected, but where could an idea like this be developed?
Preparing the Seed Bed
Fortunately, Daniel with his wife & business partner, Cheryl, had already opened Tower Garden Supply in 1999. When it originally opened, T.G.S. was roughly the 20th of what would soon become over 250 indoor garden shops in California. During the early years, Cheryl was away at Humboldt State studying Plant Science, while Daniel was holding things down on the business end. But soon, the momentum of T.G.S. & CCH2O became too much for Daniel to shoulder alone.
I In mid 2002 Cheryl returned home to tend to business at the shop and finish up her Plant Science degree at California State University Fresno. Once back at T.G.S., Cheryl’s diverse background in forestry and botany immediately improved Tower’s ability to thrive. With Cheryl back in the mix and the help of a lot of very talented people, CCH2O was once again alive and kicking. Now attention was back on the development of a product line to compliment the constantly evolving Under Current™ system.
A New Hydroponics Method?
Up to this point, hydroponics “bucket” style systems worked well, but lacked the circulation necessary to ensure consistent pH & EC levels throughout the entire system.
Recognizing this as an opportunity, CCH2O set out to design a modular system that incorporates the principles of the Sub-Current Culture™ Method.
As generation after generation of the system evolved, it became apparent that the biggest limiting factor was allowing for adequate passage of solution from module to subsequent module. This challenge eventually led to the incorporation of 2” diameter plumbing as the frame work for moving the nutrients throughout the system. Ultimately, the real turning point came with the implementation of an external in-line pump. This crucial modification catapulted the system to its current design. Something authentic was starting to taking shape, could it actually be a new hydroponics method?
With so much capital and “sweat equity” invested in the project, the Wilson’s decided to begin the long and costly process of applying for a patent in the Fall of 2004. Now, just a few years later, the Under Current™ stands as one of the most innovative modular hydroponics systems currently available.
What’s So Great About I.t?
The Under Current™ sets itself apart from other systems thanks to its ability to conserve both water, and nutrients so effectively. This is accomplished by keeping the nutrient solution hyper oxygenated throughout the planting cycle. Because the solution is constantly moving and aerating it stays viable for much longer. By increasing dissolved oxygen levels nutrient solutions can be used for several weeks, as opposed to only one week. This method makes nutrients much more available at lower concentrations, allowing growers to reduce their dependency on petroleum based nutrients in the garden.
By using lower concentrations of nutrients the Under Current makes dealing with potentially toxic tail water (spent nutrient solution) less of an environmental concern. This hydroponics byproduct is typically drained into the sewer, or expelled on to the outdoor garden. In either case these solutions end up fouling municipal and rural water supplies with dangerously high levels of nitrates, phosphates, and even heavy metals. Ultimately, the best way to deal with these toxic compounds is to avoid using them in excessively high amounts to begin with. Using nutrients so efficiently makes the Under Current™ a natural choice for concerned growers.
In a day and age when everyone is going ‘green’ it’s only natural that the year round gardening industry leads the way. “It seems evident that until hydroponics becomes more eco-friendly, it will likely be over looked by mainstream gardeners as a hobby of excess, as opposed to a remedy for future sustainability. We are confident that the Under Current™ is a step in right direction”, explains Daniel Wilson.
From Hydroponics to Compost Tea?
The team at CCH2O has been on the frontlines of bioactive tea brewing for the past 6 years. Currently, brewing occurs twice a week at Tower Garden Supply as part of the plant health program. The teas are sold to customers and are also used to care for Tower’s organically grown plant stock. T.G.S. specializes in locally grown herbs, California native plants and veggie starts for home and market gardener. “It was a class we attended taught by Dr. Elaine Ingham that originally turned us on to the idea of microbes being cultured in an aerated solution. Up until then we really hadn’t thought of our tea brewers as incubators for plant symbiotic organisms”, says Cheryl Wilson.
Fortunately for all, Dr. Elaine Ingham and the folks at the Soil Food Web are providing field and lab data that’s proving extremely useful to any ‘would be’ simplified soil ecologist. With resources like the Compost Tea Brewing Manual and the Soil Biology Primer, anyone interested in brewing teas now has a solid foundation to start from. Now there exists a vast network of both students and teachers sharing information about what may prove to be one of the most significant advancements in modern agriculture. With such a strong connection to biological gardening, it was only natural that CCH2O would end up developing its own tea brewing system.
In early 2006 the first Neptune’s Cauldron™ tea brewer hit the market. This small, but effective system worked well but couldn’t brew the larger batches necessary for use at the nursery. This led to the development of a more ‘commercial grade’ brewer. “After operating the Growing Solutions, Soil Soup, and K.I.S. brewers for so many years, we started to design and build what we believe to be the most user friendly mid size brewer on the market”, says Brian Fowler of CCH2O.
The Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System offers professional quality brews, with minimal clean up time between brewing cycles, allowing for more brews per week. This compact 30 gallon brewer has been specifically developed for small scale nurseries and retail stores. Freshly brewed teas can be used on site or sold directly to garden enthusiasts. Starting fall 2008, CCH2O will begin offering retailers a Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System that includes (25) empty one gallon bottles and their exclusive Plant Probiotics™ Tea Catalyst. This kit will give retailers the opportunity to offer affordable, high quality extractions with excellent margins.
Current Culture H2O™ is presently developing a full line of compost tea food inputs designed specifically for creating custom tea blends. These unique inputs will allow for more experienced brew masters to combine microbial food sources that best suit their particular application. This flexibility is useful for those with multiple plant varieties, and can even be used to brew grow or bloom specific bioactive teas.
Did You Mention Water Purification?
After many years of using the various high quality water filters on the market, the crew at Current Culture began to develop a desire for something better suited to their needs. In the spring of 2007, CCH2O™ began work on what would prove to be their new line of water filtration systems. They started out by addressing the most obvious improvements:
1. Early in product development it was clear that the first issue to deal with was switching from translucent filter canisters to opaque UV resistant housings. With the need to run the system outside at the nursery, there was definitely a problem with algae growth in the filter housings. The new CCH2O™ blue canisters quickly solved that problem.
2. It’s fairly common knowledge that a carbon filter is an integral component of an RO system. So it would seem obvious that carbon filtered water should be accessible from your RO unit, right? As a result of this thinking all Neptune Series™ Reverse Osmosis systems include a convenient diverter valve. This valve bypasses the membrane and provides sediment and carbon filtered water as needed.
3. Like many gardeners, the crew at CCH2O™ loves RO water, but they always felt guilty when it came to dealing with the high ratio of waste water produced by even the most efficient systems. This led to the concept of customizing your own waste to pure water ratio. CCH2O™ has made a simple yet ingenious adaptation that allows for improving waste to pure water ratios. With this simple application it’s possible to dial in the ideal 3:1 ratio.
4. Last but not least, what premium Reverse Osmosis system would be complete without a built in pressure gauge and a system mounted in-line T.D.S. meter? These tools make monitoring your system a snap, just a quick glance and you’re on your way.
With these innovative design requirements in mind, CCH2O™ teamed with one of the nations oldest and most trusted names in water filtration to create some of the best filters on the market. In the winter of 2007, after many long hours, and countless modifications, Current Culture H2O™ launched their full line of Neptune Series™ professional grade water filters.
What’s next?
“As the years roll on, the crew at CCH2O will continue to habitually innovate, coming up with solutions to problems that don’t yet exist for most gardeners. Current Culture H2O plans on being a part of the industry for many years to come. Our goals are simple really, to provide high quality gardening supplies while continually innovating new products to meet grower’s ever evolving needs.
Current Culture H2O started as an experiment and as the years have gone by, and more experimentation has taken place, one thing has become very clear. The experiment is never ending, and the journey is the true reward. Current Culture is made up of a very special group of people, constantly looking for answers in a world of questions.
We’ve been a part of this industry long enough to recognize what our role should be and we have a great deal of respect for the pioneers of our trade. Companies like American Hydroponics have led by example for decades now. Am Hydro president, Michael Christian has focused on promoting hydroponics as a tool for conservation. We see this model as being the most sustainable path for our rapidly expanding company,” explains Wilson.
The Simple Things
For most people, the soothing sound of falling water, and the sensation of a cool breeze conjure up thoughts of mountain streams and tall tree lined forests. But for the team at Current Culture H2O™, this means something altogether different. For them, the falling water represents the hypnotic, re-circulating sounds of the Under Current™ hydroponics system, as it constantly flows thousands of gallons of nutrient solution beneath plant roots. The cool breezes are actually just the subtle influence of oscillating fans as they caress the plant canopy, just above the perpetually moving nutrients.
Off in the distance a Neptune Series™ reverse osmosis system rapidly fills a 100 gallon Aquifer™ reservoir with ultra pure water… Just as you begin to focus your attentions back on the garden, your nose picks up the sweet scent of biologically active compost tea, vigorously brewing in the Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System just out of sight….Ahh, sounds like shear bliss, right?
Let’s Get Serious
Right about now you’re probably asking yourself, “is this some sort of euphoric day dream?” No, it’s just business as usual in the ever evolving world of Current Culture H2O™. But don’t get the crew at CCH2O™ wrong; they love the natural beauty of the forest just as much as the next guy. In fact, it was in California’s majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains that the inspiration first came for the Patent Pending Sub-Current Culture™ method.
During the summer of 2001, while hiking the familiar trails near the San Joaquin River, CCH2O™ President and co-founder, Daniel Wilson noticed something quite intriguing. He observed the roots of a large, Black Oak tree moving gently in the cool, mineral rich waters of the San Joaquin. The roots, while anchored in the mountainous native rock & soil, also had a more direct relationship with the passing waters. At that moment Daniel started to conceptualize how these same benefits could be incorporated into a modular hydroponics application. It was this brief encounter with nature that set the wheels in motion for what would eventually come to be known as the Under Current Hydroponics system.
Many long hours and sleepless nights were spent in the “hydro lab”, building and rebuilding until something special started to happen. After multiple prototypes and what seemed like an eternity a new method started to take shape. What was eventually discovered is a better way to circulate nutrients in a modular hydroponics system. Naturally, a long process of research and development was necessary to get the concept perfected, but where could an idea like this be developed?
Preparing the Seed Bed
Fortunately, Daniel with his wife & business partner, Cheryl, had already opened Tower Garden Supply in 1999. When it originally opened, T.G.S. was roughly the 20th of what would soon become over 250 indoor garden shops in California. During the early years, Cheryl was away at Humboldt State studying Plant Science, while Daniel was holding things down on the business end. But soon, the momentum of T.G.S. & CCH2O became too much for Daniel to shoulder alone.
I In mid 2002 Cheryl returned home to tend to business at the shop and finish up her Plant Science degree at California State University Fresno. Once back at T.G.S., Cheryl’s diverse background in forestry and botany immediately improved Tower’s ability to thrive. With Cheryl back in the mix and the help of a lot of very talented people, CCH2O was once again alive and kicking. Now attention was back on the development of a product line to compliment the constantly evolving Under Current™ system.
A New Hydroponics Method?
Up to this point, hydroponics “bucket” style systems worked well, but lacked the circulation necessary to ensure consistent pH & EC levels throughout the entire system.
Recognizing this as an opportunity, CCH2O set out to design a modular system that incorporates the principles of the Sub-Current Culture™ Method.
As generation after generation of the system evolved, it became apparent that the biggest limiting factor was allowing for adequate passage of solution from module to subsequent module. This challenge eventually led to the incorporation of 2” diameter plumbing as the frame work for moving the nutrients throughout the system. Ultimately, the real turning point came with the implementation of an external in-line pump. This crucial modification catapulted the system to its current design. Something authentic was starting to taking shape, could it actually be a new hydroponics method?
With so much capital and “sweat equity” invested in the project, the Wilson’s decided to begin the long and costly process of applying for a patent in the Fall of 2004. Now, just a few years later, the Under Current™ stands as one of the most innovative modular hydroponics systems currently available.
What’s So Great About I.t?
The Under Current™ sets itself apart from other systems thanks to its ability to conserve both water, and nutrients so effectively. This is accomplished by keeping the nutrient solution hyper oxygenated throughout the planting cycle. Because the solution is constantly moving and aerating it stays viable for much longer. By increasing dissolved oxygen levels nutrient solutions can be used for several weeks, as opposed to only one week. This method makes nutrients much more available at lower concentrations, allowing growers to reduce their dependency on petroleum based nutrients in the garden.
By using lower concentrations of nutrients the Under Current makes dealing with potentially toxic tail water (spent nutrient solution) less of an environmental concern. This hydroponics byproduct is typically drained into the sewer, or expelled on to the outdoor garden. In either case these solutions end up fouling municipal and rural water supplies with dangerously high levels of nitrates, phosphates, and even heavy metals. Ultimately, the best way to deal with these toxic compounds is to avoid using them in excessively high amounts to begin with. Using nutrients so efficiently makes the Under Current™ a natural choice for concerned growers.
In a day and age when everyone is going ‘green’ it’s only natural that the year round gardening industry leads the way. “It seems evident that until hydroponics becomes more eco-friendly, it will likely be over looked by mainstream gardeners as a hobby of excess, as opposed to a remedy for future sustainability. We are confident that the Under Current™ is a step in right direction”, explains Daniel Wilson.
From Hydroponics to Compost Tea?
The team at CCH2O has been on the frontlines of bioactive tea brewing for the past 6 years. Currently, brewing occurs twice a week at Tower Garden Supply as part of the plant health program. The teas are sold to customers and are also used to care for Tower’s organically grown plant stock. T.G.S. specializes in locally grown herbs, California native plants and veggie starts for home and market gardener. “It was a class we attended taught by Dr. Elaine Ingham that originally turned us on to the idea of microbes being cultured in an aerated solution. Up until then we really hadn’t thought of our tea brewers as incubators for plant symbiotic organisms”, says Cheryl Wilson.
Fortunately for all, Dr. Elaine Ingham and the folks at the Soil Food Web are providing field and lab data that’s proving extremely useful to any ‘would be’ simplified soil ecologist. With resources like the Compost Tea Brewing Manual and the Soil Biology Primer, anyone interested in brewing teas now has a solid foundation to start from. Now there exists a vast network of both students and teachers sharing information about what may prove to be one of the most significant advancements in modern agriculture. With such a strong connection to biological gardening, it was only natural that CCH2O would end up developing its own tea brewing system.
In early 2006 the first Neptune’s Cauldron™ tea brewer hit the market. This small, but effective system worked well but couldn’t brew the larger batches necessary for use at the nursery. This led to the development of a more ‘commercial grade’ brewer. “After operating the Growing Solutions, Soil Soup, and K.I.S. brewers for so many years, we started to design and build what we believe to be the most user friendly mid size brewer on the market”, says Brian Fowler of CCH2O.
The Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System offers professional quality brews, with minimal clean up time between brewing cycles, allowing for more brews per week. This compact 30 gallon brewer has been specifically developed for small scale nurseries and retail stores. Freshly brewed teas can be used on site or sold directly to garden enthusiasts. Starting fall 2008, CCH2O will begin offering retailers a Plant Probiotics™ Tea Brewing System that includes (25) empty one gallon bottles and their exclusive Plant Probiotics™ Tea Catalyst. This kit will give retailers the opportunity to offer affordable, high quality extractions with excellent margins.
Current Culture H2O™ is presently developing a full line of compost tea food inputs designed specifically for creating custom tea blends. These unique inputs will allow for more experienced brew masters to combine microbial food sources that best suit their particular application. This flexibility is useful for those with multiple plant varieties, and can even be used to brew grow or bloom specific bioactive teas.
Did You Mention Water Purification?
After many years of using the various high quality water filters on the market, the crew at Current Culture began to develop a desire for something better suited to their needs. In the spring of 2007, CCH2O™ began work on what would prove to be their new line of water filtration systems. They started out by addressing the most obvious improvements:
1. Early in product development it was clear that the first issue to deal with was switching from translucent filter canisters to opaque UV resistant housings. With the need to run the system outside at the nursery, there was definitely a problem with algae growth in the filter housings. The new CCH2O™ blue canisters quickly solved that problem.
2. It’s fairly common knowledge that a carbon filter is an integral component of an RO system. So it would seem obvious that carbon filtered water should be accessible from your RO unit, right? As a result of this thinking all Neptune Series™ Reverse Osmosis systems include a convenient diverter valve. This valve bypasses the membrane and provides sediment and carbon filtered water as needed.
3. Like many gardeners, the crew at CCH2O™ loves RO water, but they always felt guilty when it came to dealing with the high ratio of waste water produced by even the most efficient systems. This led to the concept of customizing your own waste to pure water ratio. CCH2O™ has made a simple yet ingenious adaptation that allows for improving waste to pure water ratios. With this simple application it’s possible to dial in the ideal 3:1 ratio.
4. Last but not least, what premium Reverse Osmosis system would be complete without a built in pressure gauge and a system mounted in-line T.D.S. meter? These tools make monitoring your system a snap, just a quick glance and you’re on your way.
With these innovative design requirements in mind, CCH2O™ teamed with one of the nations oldest and most trusted names in water filtration to create some of the best filters on the market. In the winter of 2007, after many long hours, and countless modifications, Current Culture H2O™ launched their full line of Neptune Series™ professional grade water filters.
What’s next?
“As the years roll on, the crew at CCH2O will continue to habitually innovate, coming up with solutions to problems that don’t yet exist for most gardeners. Current Culture H2O plans on being a part of the industry for many years to come. Our goals are simple really, to provide high quality gardening supplies while continually innovating new products to meet grower’s ever evolving needs.
Current Culture H2O started as an experiment and as the years have gone by, and more experimentation has taken place, one thing has become very clear. The experiment is never ending, and the journey is the true reward. Current Culture is made up of a very special group of people, constantly looking for answers in a world of questions.
We’ve been a part of this industry long enough to recognize what our role should be and we have a great deal of respect for the pioneers of our trade. Companies like American Hydroponics have led by example for decades now. Am Hydro president, Michael Christian has focused on promoting hydroponics as a tool for conservation. We see this model as being the most sustainable path for our rapidly expanding company,” explains Wilson.
jimmyhoffa59
- 341
- 28
Informative
M
MediMary
- 997
- 28
thats from Dan,(obviously):)
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