Indoor veggie garden made with two liter bottles
MikeDYur
Posts: 2,176
Not a microcontroller project yet, but there is room for one. After a disasterous growing season here, I'm ready for this. Salad Now!
http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Food/How_To-Reservoir_System_Window_Farm.pdf
http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Food/How_To-Reservoir_System_Window_Farm.pdf
Comments
This year, I've eliminated about 80% of my dirt gardens.
I've been growing Hydroponic gardens in my small way for 15 years now.
I've been trying to figure out how to grow Hydroponic flower garden in a small space that I have in my back yard.
I like the system photo you attached to your post.
I may be trying that in the spring, only outside.
Your disasterous growing season may very well have had to do with weather conditions or quality of the seed stock you use.
I've found that growing things both indoors and outdoors using hydroponics is very satisfying.
In dirt, I think my soil micronutrients became depleted and I had no clue how to get the soil back.
In my hydroponic gardens, results are very consistent.
No worry about soil born diseases.
No worry about weeds.
No worry about pests like rabbits or deer.
Plants receive exactly the same neutrients year in year out.
BUT
Hydroponic gardening is not mindless.
You need to keep track of water Ph and water conductivity or neutrient thickness if you will.
I like Hydroponic gardening.
My main garden uses a Propeller based timer with Parallax relays to control the pumps in my 20 plant garden.
My new system is pretty simple and uses a $20.00 US timer I purchased at a local big box store.
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Please try Hydroponics.
With the effort it takes to set up a system, you will really benefit in your endevour.
I'll attempt to attach a couple of my garden photos. I'm not sure how that will go.
Just thought I'd chime in here because this is a Very interesting subject to myself
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My picture files are too large to upload.
I'll attach the photos to another post, if I can reduce their size.
I'm growing 4 tomato plants.
The photo was taken earlier this season, but it shows my trellis system and
string net system that the deer don't like much.
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I like your green thumb garyg,
It was indeed weather related, the new growth on trees and shrubs barely has time to get hardened off, and the rain just stops. We were in drought conditions most of the summer.
It has been raining on a regular basis now, but it's too late for the farmers. Yet fifty to a hundred miles to the south it could be a normal season. If you happen to be under one those spotty storms, your going to get an inch or two pretty kwick, but that didn't happen here.
We didn't plant a garden this year because of late chances of frost and wet conditions. We didn't miss the work involved in having a vegetable garden, but will gladly do it when mother nature cooperates. Stressing the well, watering the garden isn't an option. And getting nursery stock is reasonably priced, but twenty miles away. The cost of a garden may get too expensive.
While hydroponic gardening is consistent and rewarding. The price of chemicals, and where I have to get them would have to be considered. We wouldn't have had vegetables any sooner than the markets and stands around here, but we can't afford to put any up either.
BTW: I like your tomato cage though it wouldn't last here. We had high wind warnings this summer without storms being a factor. And also happy gardening to you, and thanks for sharing your garden, do you have an extra onion I can borrow?
Mike
Thanks for your kind words about my test garden.
Where I live, Water from God in the form of rain does not happen often in the summer.
My 20 place hydroponic garden, at maximum plant growth during the month of August here consumes pretty much Exactly 6 Gallons
per day of water.
My lawn appreciates rain, the 20 place garden does not need it.
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I think my dirt stuff always required about 100 gallons per day.
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Generally, I use approx. $100 per year in neutrients.
These are floraSystem from General Hydroponics company.
This will grow my 20 plant system til maturity and also start 100 starter plants or more from seed in another couple of small systems I built.
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As for the onion:
I've tried over and over for years and have not yet been able to grow an onion.
I really don't know why.
Maybe I should try hydroponic onions!
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Anyway, I'll attempt to attach a photo of my 20 place garden.
It was from very early season 2015, but it shows the general structure.
It consisted of 16 different pepper plants, 2 egg plants and 2 Tomatoe plants.
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Just thought you'd like to know.
Gary
As far as the onion goes, it takes a well amended soil, lot's of composted organic matter to break up the clay. Sweetened with lime, so as not to be acidic. The bulb needs to be able to expand freely, just as the roots need to go deeper.
MikeY
BTW: I have been amending the garden soil for years, but in a drought, it stiil turns into concrete. Poor soil to begin with.
Interesting project. My youngest son is working on a similar window garden using glass bottles. Built a heated wire bottle cutter for him a week ago.
You know I thought of one serious drawback to this design, the clear bottles at soil level are going to grow on their own.
EDIT: also does your canvas bags stop mold growth?
Propeller timer is outside mounted to a post next to the garden.
A 5 place AA battery holder provides backup power to keep the propeller running
during power outages.
It is installed in 2 electrical boxes.
The lower electrical box houses two outlets.
Power comes from an extension cord plugged into my GFI outlet of the house.
I have a rain cover made of ABS plastic that sits on top.
I'll attach a photo if it is small enough size.
And
The canvas bags stop Algae growth and insulate my 2 liter growing bottles.
I have never had mold. I think that has to do with no soil used, everything starts out very clean.
In hydroponics, in the root zone, Light is not your friend.
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You have a nice system there, and I like your interface to the Propeller. You have got me interested in doing this outside, if I can find a protected place with full sun to put it.
You mentioned you go through 6 gallons of water per day, so how often do you mix nutrients? How much time per day is dedicated to the garden? This isn't something you could leave unattended while on vacation.
Tank 1 is the main feed tank - That one needs to be kept full so that the neutrient solution is maintained consistently.
Tank 2 is my makeup tank - Its purpose it to fill the main tank every day from 11:00pm til midnight.
This system is flood drain using Hydroton rocks as my growing medium.
I feed from tank 1 for 15 minutes per hour from 7:00am until 9:00pm.
I check neutrient and pH levels one time per week and fill the makeup tank.
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When going on vacation, I have another 50 gallon plastic garbage can that I fill completely.
It's purpose is to keep the Tank 2 makeup full.
The 50 gallon one has its own separate timer that pumps for 1hr on Tues, Thurs, Saturday until it is empty.
The pump in the 50 Gallon tank has a float switch that stops the pump when the 50 gallon tank is empty.
With the 50 gallon tank in use, the system will operate on autopilot for 2 weeks.
I'm going out of town this week Wed and I'll be running the garden on autopilot for 10 days this time.
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I spend about 45 minutes per week tending to the garden.
and
I do not empty or flush the system until growing season is complete.
You will see that flushing and changing solution is promoted on the internet.
I don't see the need to do that as the plants take the neutrient minerals they need.
If Kwinn is following this thread, I'm wondering
What did you use for the heating wire on your son's heated wire bottle cutter?
Thanks
Gary
He is using the same AWG26 nichrome (80-20) wire that is used in his vape.
When I made my 20 place garden, I used a 3" hole saw to cut holes in the bottom of my 2 liter bottles.
This was to place a slotted 8 1/2 ounce foam cup containing my starter plants into the bottles.
It's very exciting attempting to drill 2 liter plastic bottles with a hole saw!
I may very well attempt to build a hot wire cutter.
Thanks for the info.
Is that colored glass? sounds like quite a project. My wife collects glass, paper weights, Fenton, ect. Maybe you can share a photo when it's finished.
He plans on using some of the larger empty wine and liquor bottles he can get so I expect some will be colored glass.