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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2020 21:59:28 GMT -5
Classmate, my age, well to do, lives in a subdivision, just the two of them now. He liked to garden but has the normal house one a small lot near Dallas.
His wife bought him a hydroponics get-up. Eight pipes on a A-frame, four on each side of the A. I understand that the rig includes some type of flow system and a pump. New for Valentine's day.
Anyone have any experience with these?
Ox
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 15, 2020 23:02:22 GMT -5
That doesn't sound familiar. Is it an aeroponics system (where the pump sprays the roots, from a shallower reservoir), or a deepwater hydroponics? The latter is what I have. They are both great for herbs and some greens, and some dwarf flowering plants. The main things to try to get for them are small varieties, like basil and parsley - regular varieties get too large. That Serrata or Saw-toothed basil is the best variety I have found for hydro.
Does the system have the lighting included?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2020 0:05:53 GMT -5
Sounds nice, have seen something like that before I think...sort of a flush and drain system?
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Post by spike on Feb 16, 2020 2:31:39 GMT -5
OMG! Why did I never think of Hydroponics? If the rains come again that could be the solution to my gardening problems >,<
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2020 10:53:18 GMT -5
Fellows: I do not know much about the system; I've seen only a picture of the piping--8 horizontal tubes with planter holes, four to each side of an A-frame rack. Surely there must be some manner of circulating tghe growing medium.
I looked up such systems on the net, and apparently they come with a pump and some kind of reservoir. Keeping the fluid stable and properly adjusted would be a key to success. I am at a loss to understand how they manage to keep fluid in pipes all at different levels.
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Post by paquebot on Feb 16, 2020 11:23:09 GMT -5
I see that one advertised on Facebook a lot. No reason why it should not work as that type of gardening has been around for some time. Being perfected more and more to make it easier.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 16, 2020 12:23:04 GMT -5
OMG! Why did I never think of Hydroponics? If the rains come again that could be the solution to my gardening problems >,< That's sort of like me, when it gets too cold! However, I don't know what I would do for things like peppers and tomatoes - all I grow in this off season is herbs and greens, which is the easy stuff. @oxankle2 Is this the type of system you are referring to? www.walmart.com/ip/Intbuying-Hydroponic-Site-Grow-Kit-54-Holes-Garden-Plant-System-141119/985938278?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222117962993&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=t&wl3=75179176422191&wl4=pla-4578778747477775:aud-807615483&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&%20wl10=Walmart&wl12=985938278_10000012994&wl14=hydroponics%20system&veh=sem&msclkid=25a034a7760618c8bec66aee0d5586d8This is the type of system I would think would be good in a greenhouse, garage, or basement. Does he have any of these? Greenhouse, doubtful, but maybe one of the others, where he could set up. This type is really best in a greenhouse, since the lighting there goes to all of the plants; a light above the system gets to the lower plants (the reason for the A frame), but not as well.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2020 14:45:11 GMT -5
Pepperhead; similar, but the one she got for him has eight pipes, 72 holes I think. I don't know anything about the liquids, spray, static, flush and drain---I am going to ask my bud.
Wonder how one prepares the growing medium, the liquid mix?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 16, 2020 15:39:58 GMT -5
The liquid is prepared according to the brand of nutrients you get. XX tb/gal of water, plus other micronutrients; though they all supposedly have everything in them, it helps to add some things, like silica, for stronger stems. Some are just one part nutrients, but others are two part. This way, a basic part is added, then you can add either the part for vegetative growth, or the one for flowering, depending on what you are growing.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2020 17:56:24 GMT -5
Pepperhead; Are you then limited to growing either all leaves (lettuce, spinach, kale) or all fruits? Can you grow tomatoes and lettuce on the same stand>?
This thing has 72 holes---Nobody needs 72 cabbages or 72 tomato vines. Is it possible to grow a row of lettuce, a row of cabbages, a row of eggplant and a row of tomato on one side, then start with peppers, etc on the other?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 17, 2020 19:49:24 GMT -5
@oxankle2 You really are limited to the types of things you are growing to just one type, in something like that, since all of the nutrients are in one reservoir. Unless you have one reservoir on one side, and the other kind on the other side, but that would be adding on to the kit.
72 plants seems way to many to be growing, unless you will be selling them! I have 17 holes in my setup, and it pruduces more than I can use, though I have to get more diligent about getting some things started, before the first ones die out. It is amazing how fast these things grow, and as a rule, only one of each herb is needed (I plant a couple of each, and pull the smallest), as they grow back incredibly fast. Succession planting needed with things like head lettuce, but I grow leaf lettuce, and things like that, which I harvest for a couple of months before it slows down, and two plants is more than I can use. The green mizuna is the stuff that grows like a weed, and I have to try the red variety, to keep it under control!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2020 22:28:06 GMT -5
Talked to my buddy tonight, got a bit more information. His is not set up yet and he will forward info as he gets it.
It IS a 72-holer, so I have no idea what he will grow.
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Post by september on Feb 18, 2020 10:43:46 GMT -5
How about a row of strawberry plants? Would radishes work, or do you need plants with skinny more downward root systems? Could you grow 2-3 radishes per cup?
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Post by paquebot on Feb 19, 2020 23:14:22 GMT -5
On ads, all that I've seen are greens rather than fruiting plants. In one, I could recognize beets, chard, and spinach along with other salad ingredients. I just wonder if the cost of lighting may cost more than if the same stuff was bought in a store.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by spacecase0 on Feb 20, 2020 0:10:08 GMT -5
hydroponics works well at first for everyone, the issues happen later when the water changes if you have an onsite lab and can mange the water then you can likely keep it going other way to do it is to change the water and nutrients often enough
eventually most people figure out that unless you have a huge instillation and a lab, gardening with dirt just works better. but if what I have seen is proved wrong somewhere in the 2 to 3 year range, I would love to know how it was done.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Feb 20, 2020 13:00:11 GMT -5
I never change the water, but then, I don't keep it running 365 days a year. Still, I have it running longer than my garden outside (this year was an exception, with those greens under cover in incredibly warm weather), getting it going in the late September/early October. When I first started a small one, I changed the water, as per instructions, but I realized, this was just something put out by the companies selling the stuff, so you'd buy more nutients! Keeping a biological filter running, with an aquarium power head and sponge filter, helps a lot - that kind of filter in a fish tank makes it necessary to change water, due to the nitrogen, and other waste nutrients increasing, but in this, the plants consume it! I keep an eye on the pH, and the nutrient level, but except in the initial setup, there isn't that much work, except re-filling them, which is easy, with a hose I have run from my deep sink. As soon as all of my outside herbs start producing, usually in late May, I take the system apart, and use what I can - putting the nutrient rich water in container plants, or wetting the compost, as well as adding all those roots and leftover plants to the compost.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 1, 2020 18:44:22 GMT -5
Eight days ago I transplanted those greens into that cleaned out DW system, and the lettuces and mizuna have grown considerably. The bok choy in the upper left died, but it looked bad, which is why I tried it in this, to see if it would come back. 3 lettuces, a bok choy, and 3 red streaked mizuna in the middle, 2-22-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr Hydroponics 3-1, just 8 days after planting the transplants. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2020 20:51:00 GMT -5
Pepperhead, what is the growing medium you are using?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 1, 2020 21:38:41 GMT -5
@imp I have some coarse coir, that I have about an inch of in those baskets, on top of hydroton. I'm not sure the nutrients are still for sale - Triflex, by Botanicare , though maybe it's just got another name now! I got 4 gallons of it several years ago, when Wormway went out of business, and I got a bunch of deals. I also got a gallon of Liquid Karma, which I also add in small quantities. I also add a little bit of the silica nutrient, though it's not as essential with the greens, since it is for stronger stems.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 14, 2020 17:23:02 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2020 13:42:08 GMT -5
I'm, a bit closer; I have lettuce up that can go in the hydro unit, and today I go Masterblend fertilizer that will make about 600 gallons of fluid. I have the containers but am waiting on the growing cups and a hole-cutter so that I can make the holes fit the containers.
As I get set up I will add different plants. A learning curve.
Coir; I need coir.
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Post by domination2580th on Aug 21, 2020 11:51:23 GMT -5
From what I understand is, there pipes are connected on the end kind of in a S shape with the pump going to the top pipe and the water flowing through each back down to the reservoir. Continues flow, just have to add. Nutrients. Also to note, roots do need oxygen as well so don't need a huge amount of water going through... just enough to touch the bottom roots. With it being continued flow, it would prevent any algae as long as the reservoir is covered and barely any light penetrates the water. Ive always wanted to try this and use ceramic ball media for the planting
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Post by pepperhead212 on Aug 21, 2020 12:47:34 GMT -5
I'm, a bit closer; I have lettuce up that can go in the hydro unit, and today I go Masterblend fertilizer that will make about 600 gallons of fluid. I have the containers but am waiting on the growing cups and a hole-cutter so that I can make the holes fit the containers. As I get set up I will add different plants. A learning curve. Coir; I need coir. Get the coarse coir - this doesn't get into the water as much as the fine coir, like that usually used in potting mixes. Sounds like you're getting there! As you noted, it's a learning curve, as with anything.
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