|
Ridgway, IL | I would suggest building your own system, assuming youre on a budget.
I built a mock "aeroponics" system out of a rubbermade tote. The tote was the resevoir, used a holesaw to cut 8 locations in the lid where baskets with expanded clay could be suspended. A small submersible pump "lowes garden section" was plumbed into a 3/4" pvc pipe with holes drilled into it so that it would shower the bottom of the suspended baskets. The continuous water movement really pushes the oxygen into the roots. You dont want standing water on roots as it will be a source of mold and the plants will die. You could go even more complex by putting a 5min on/10min off timer or somthing like that, but i let mine run all the time.
I got my baskets, expanded clay, rockwool, nutrient solution, testing equip from general hydroponics.
Maybe i had 200$ wrapped up in it, and could grow 8 tomatoe plants at a time... You would just need to do different holesaw/baskets depending on what you wanted to grow... Like lettuce vs. A taller tomatoe plant would need to be set up a little different.
You could also do an ebb and flow system, with a rubbermade tote resevoir, submersible pump plumbed into 6" pvc with holesaw holes and hanging baskets in the pvc. The water is pumped into the pvc where the roots are hanging, and gravity brings it back to the resevoir.
I would suggest saving money from buying a manufactured system, and spend that on a nice light system, and also some testing equipment for the solution in your resevoir.
The things i learned from the project were the effect oxygen has on the roots and plant health. The effect carbon dioxide has on the above ground portion of a plant (used yeast/ warm water/ suger mixture to increase co2 in plant canopy) and how light cycles impact growth/reproductive cycles. I was using florecent aquarium bulbs, i was in highschool and didnt have the money for a high pressure sodium... It worked, but it would be great to get a really nice light system. As long as you have good nutrients, and dont let your plants sit in standing water, you will be fine. Lots of designs could work.
Where are you located? You can have the one i built, if interested im in ridgway il. It would easily fit in the trunk of a car. | |
|
Hydroponics
