RIVERSIDE — A recently opened store that specializes in organic and hydroponics growing needs has moved to a larger location.

Owner Jon Barker said more people have been stopping by Trinity Hydro:Organics, located in Riverside, in the last year, with questions about starting gardens, whether their goal is to save money or eat healthier foods.

The store recently moved from 435 Woodman Drive to a larger location, 465 Woodman, in the same shopping area.

“People come here for knowledge,” Barker said. “It’s a niche market and we’re a boutique type of store.”

Barker said Trinity sells lights, hydroponics equipment, organic-based nutrients and other materials for gardeners.

The store also has a biologist on staff to give people advice about growing.

Barker said those who want to grow food in their backyard and do so organically, have to take steps to return the soil, as much as possible, to the condition it was before chemicals were applied.

“It’s about prepping and then everything falls into place,” Barker said.

It takes time to undo what chemicals have done.

When an area is sprayed to kill weeds or insects, beneficial qualities, such as helpful bacteria, are wiped out as well, he said.

More residents have been calling and requesting information about how to grow their own food, said Clare Thorn.

Thorn is program assistant for horticulture and natural resources at the Ohio State University extension office in Montgomery County.

“That trend was beginning” even before the recession, according to Thorn.

However, Thorn said there has been a rise in calls, particularly in the last year, from residents who have been interested in courses on gardening and growing their own food.

“We try to educate people that you don’t need to have a big 10-by-10” garden, she said.