Hydroponics

[glenn kangiser]

Came across this site in my old links.

http://zrubeks.com/hydro/

[Sassy]

Our hydroponics garden did fantastic in the valley.  We had celery growing out of our ears, pepper plants that lasted for at least 3 yrs that were constantly full of peppers, lots of tomatoes, swiss chard, okra, onions, can't remember what else - but it all grew like crazy.  The celery & a few other veggies (can't remember which ones) were strictly in water with nutrients added, the rest of the veggies were planted in peat & vermiculite.  Had a pump submersed in a big plastic garbage can filled with water, nutrients, timers regulated the watering times - the strictly water bathed celery had water running through it 15 min every hr.  This helps the roots grow faster, they get air & search for the water in between watering. 

Glenn cut holes in the 4 in PVC troughs for the water bathed plants but 4" was too small - 10" would be better covered in black plastic for a liner (probably 20 mil)  You don't want light getting to the roots. 

Wish we had some pix - we probably have them from a regular camera somewhere.  One of these days, we'll get started with the other hydroponics.   

[Daddymem]

One negative thing thing I see is the pvc use in his system...
If you like that, check out the DIY earthbox instructions here:
DIY Earthbox  I've seen a bunch of modifications using a cistern, and float system in the reservoir to provide automatic watering too. Not really hydroponics but close to the Aerogarden concept.  (Note the new instructions mention substituting for the pvc)
Btw the garden web forums are by far the best gardening forums I have ever run into.
Gardenweb
Forums on almost anything gardening you can think of.  I am Daddymem on there too, got some of my lasagna garden stuff on there and figured out what to plant this year too.

[Daddymem]

PS there are more detailed instructions out there too.  I've got some using plastic buckets that I plan on using for tomatoes.

[Sassy]

Thanks for the link to Gardenweb, Daddymem - looks like some good stuff there - just browsed around for a bit... 

[benevolance]

sassy

you said the other hydroponics... you mean hemp right?

[Daddymem]

For paper and clothing, right?

[Sassy]

sassy

you said the other hydroponics... you mean hemp right?

that's right, Peter & Daddymem!     No, actually I agree with you - the reason they outlawed hemp crops was due to the invention of the cotton gin - don't remember all the details, but JP Morgan or someone along his line was investing heavily in it & didn't want the competition of the easily & cheaply grown, gives back to the land, better textiles products etc hemp crops.  Everyone could grow it... even the protein content in is much higher than probably any other plant (don't know that for sure, but have read it's really high)  There isn't any "hallucinogenic" or thc in there to hardly measure so people can't get "high" on hemp.  Canada grows it now & I'm sure other countries are growing it.  Now, we have GM corn growing all over, mostly going towards making fuel, we have GM soy instead of hemp, which, from all my reading on it, is so much better.   

Cannabis sativa is extremely unusual in the diversity of products for which it is or can be cultivated. Popular Mechanics magazine (1938) touted hemp as "the new billion dollar crop," stating that it "can be used to produce more than 25,000 products, ranging from dynamite to Cellophane." Table 1 presents the principal products for which the species is cultivated in Europe, all of which happen to be based on fiber. This presentation stresses the products that hold the most promise for North America, which also include a considerable range of oilseed applications

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html

[benevolance]

my wife and I someday to grow hemp legally... it is so useful... rope carbon fiber panels.. there is wonderful food to be gotten from it... you can make clothing from it that is superior to cotton clothing in every way... paper...there is more energy from an acre of hemp to make biodiesel than corn...

One of the best things about hemp is that it is pest resistant so no herbicides or pesticides needed to grow it and it is hearty and fairly drought resistant

Natures perfect crop

[glenn kangiser]

Sassy said,

We had celery growing out of our ears.

It was hard keeping the drip lines hooked up to her as she worked around the house.

[benevolance]

how did the celery taste with the hair on it?

[glenn kangiser]

Great,  Hassenpeffer with celery -- good combo.

That would be hare, Peter.

[benevolance]

no glenn hair

if it is growing out your ears and you are an old man it is hair

[StinkerBell]

I did the aerogarden thingy myself. I found the taste to be rather bland.

[glenn kangiser]

Our vegetables were pretty good flavored.  Could depend on the nutrients you use.  While there are special ones for specific crops, I used a general purpose one that worked fair on a lot of things but could have been better.

Growing time was about 2/3 of soil garden time as the plants don't have to search for their needs.

[benevolance]

I wonder if a mixture of water and slurry from a anaerobic composting system would be effective in a hydroponic greenhouse... Seems to be the best of everything...You say Plants grow faster...and they need  a nutrient rich solution to feed on....

[Daddymem]

There's this place in Lexington Mass that uses "liquid gold" (urine) and greywater in a hydroponics-like system.  I can't find the bookmark, but the pictures were pretty impressive.  Hope I find the link again.

[Sassy]

We've also thought about building a waterfall/pond with edible fish & circulating the water from the pond through the hydroponics - that would give extra nutrients - fish fertilizer...   

[glenn kangiser]

It does need to be properly balanced for the plants you are growing.  Some things grow better with different mixes but some will do OK on a general vegetable formula.

[Daddymem]

Here's the self watering earthbox system using a cistern:
https://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa59/emgardener/

And a larger earthbox operation:
https://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x280/bingster_bucket/

[benevolance]

That is amazing...How does it work exactly?

you have the plastic garbage can like containers...And PVC framing over top of them where the water comes from correct?

Do you just fill all the plastic containers with water and nutrients and have the tomato plants grow completely in water?

I see you used black garbage bags... was that to generate more heat for the plants?
It was a impressive display healthy looking tomatoes!

[glenn kangiser]

The roots need air so they must either grow down to water below or alternately be bathed and drained.

Some of the earth boxes use water or nutrient on the bottom to a controlled level, and a row of fertilizer on the top.  Maybe a plastic mulch over that, and wicks up to the soil.

[Daddymem]

I can't lay claim to those beauties.  Those are some buy on the garden web forum.  The pvc in those are for support only.  The bins are earthboxes.  There is another 1/2 bin turned upside down inside with holes and a wick to form a reservoir for water in the bottom.  Soil is on top of that and the cover and bag to heat it all up.  You keep the reservoir full and the plants take up all the water they want/need.  Fertilizer is placed in a band up at the surface between the plants.  You can buy prefab earthboxes for ~$40 plus shipping or follow the link I posted earlier to make your own for ~$10 each.  I'd like to find red plastic to use for some tomato ones and I think I can manage with either tomato cages or string between stakes or trees in lieu of the pvc system since mine won't be on a deck.

The cistern design uses gravity and floats to keep the reservoirs filled with rain water or well water in a dry condition.