This has concerned me too. That's why I tested my nutrient solution for microplastics and there were none. I tested at the end of the 3 week cycle before I flushed. I wonder if people know that microplastics come from broken down plastic material or if they that assume that PVC leaches "microplastics" with cold water use.

The prices have increased considerably since I put the system together in 2016. It's also expensive to go out to eat.

The nice thing about the 1.5 inch is that you can put the grodan 1.5 inch rockwool directly in to the tee and they fit snugly.

no, not with the removables like lettuce and bok choy. I have issues with parsley and sometimes swiss chard though, if I leave them in more than 6 months. I have trimmed the roots or replaced the plants with younger ones.

Because of the head (about 7 feet) the flow rate is not as much as one would think.

Lately I have been downscaling - it produces so much food. I've reduced the system footprint by about 1/3 and I will be taking an additional 1 towers off line for next growing season.

thanks!

I use the 15 min timer for the pump so I can run for 30 and then off for 15. Seems to grow well with that cycle.

sorry, HN is me - Herr Neumayer - that was the list for our school project that I coached my students to make and I supplied some of the materials I had on hand instead billing the taxpayers!

Thanks for the tips! The fan is currently running all the time. An air duct with a damper is an interesting consideration. I try to keep that room isolated from the outside to keep it as sterile as possible though. As for an aerator, I can give it a try. I'd think there's quite a bit of aeration occurring when the nutrient is running down a vertical pipe - just like a river but more surface area to pick up O2.

Thanks, I never measured the O2 level in the nutrient, but I think when the nute runs down the pipe it becomes oxygenated, especially with all the surface area and fast flowing nutrient.

additionally, the roots are white, which indicates good oxygenation.

yes, I have. I've purchased T5 grow bulbs, 2 times actually, but returned both (from different manufacturers) because the output was not as strong as the standard A19, strangely. According to the specs they should have been more than sufficient at the distance installed, but the growth of the plants became stringy. If I would have added more bulbs to increase lumens I would have increased my wattage requirement, which defeats the point, in my opinion. I'd love to get some feedback about lights that others use successfully.

yes, that was an upgrade I made several years back based on a comment. they work great. (I have updates with links listed in the description if you are interested.)

thanks for your comment and great idea!

I think I figured it out (RADComputers is also me). I realized that Yuma, AZ is growing lettuce perfectly fine in hot weather. They grow between Summer and Winter, when it's still 80-90 outside, and harvest when it's still high 70s outside. So it's definitely not a heat issue like I originally thought. That, combined with this video (and all your amazing other videos) has me realizing my lighting setup still isn't adequate. Time to get a par meter. Dankeschön, Joe :) EDIT: found Photone and PPFD Meter in the Android App store. Giving them a whirl. Old value of your par lighting was 300 at 12". Thank you for this reference!!! EDIT 2: Apparently My PPFD at the plug is diminished down to around 52. I talked it over with my gf and we're gonna try adding Mylar first, but it looks like a new lighting setup is in order for me as well :(

alright, I tested PAR using a phone app and was getting around 53 PAR. I then ordered a set of LED shop lights and ADDED them to my system and I'm getting ~330 PAR with both the old lighting and new lighting installed. I then added some mylar to the back which not only reflects light but prevents us from getting blinded from behind the garden (it's in my kitchen, no basement here in Arizona haha). Time to clean the pipes and re-plant! Wish me luck and THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Hi, looks like you figured it out. On my phone app lux meter I found that under 1500 lx is not enough. Also, I'm not understanding how you are getting green algae inside your pipes. The rockwool plugs fit pretty tightly and don't allow light to get through the 1.5 inch hole opening in my system. Good luck!

7-8 weeks

thanks

please provide an example of a product. thanks buddy!

I prefer sun and soil too, my friend. But in Chicago we have a short growing season, so I would be forced to buy crappy food grown thousands of miles away and sprayed with God knows what, or I can do this. For me it's a no-brainer. I do however have a productive operation during the spring/summer/fall in my raised beds and other garden areas. I maximize my space and use all of my own compost. I have mostly veggies but am branching out (pun intended). This year I planted a peach tree and I am researching currants, to compliment my and my potted lime. I also bought a small fig and am hoping to get fruit in 2 years. In my beds I grow squash, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, radish, onion, leeks, beets, cucumber, peas, beans, potatoes, eggplant, dill, mint, and smattering of other herbs. I also have a pollinator plot with lots of fun flowering plants including sunflowers, nasturtium, dahlias, zinnias, etc. I also have other flower beds and half of my lawn is a clover hybrid lawn. I'm also working on a native plant bed and have to research more about what to put in there. So, I think I'm doing okay for someone living in Chicago, even if I have to resort to eating empty vegetables when it's below zero degrees outside.

Hello Joseph, thanks for your comment. I did indeed add foil warming blankets a couple of years back and have been happy to maximize my lighting potential. Happy growing to you!

Hello Andy, here is my last update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mn_KhnqOq9KZbLs

thanks!

you're welcome

thanks!

Hello, please remove your spray nozzles. You don't need them. Just keep the 1/4 irrigation lines to the pipes open. I am running a 550gph pump with a 7 foot head and I have plenty of flow. I have a 3/4 inch flex hose connected to the pump and a 1/2 inch reducer to the main irrigation hose with 1/4 inch tubing running to the pipes from that line. Let me know how it works.

Hi Lane, That would be fine to have 2 reservoirs - just know that it would be double the flushes, etc. Interestingly I did experiment with strawberries in my greenhouse using a nute TDS of around 1200 ppm and I had beautiful berries. I also grow cucumbers with that concentration for years without any troubles. But that is in an outdoor greenhouse and everything grows better in there compared to in my basement with artificial lighting.

thanks :-)

Hi Thom, thanks so much for spending the time to provide some input. I'd love to learn more about the specifics of your setup because I like the T8s. Is there any way we can connect via email and you can send some of your picts? You can reach me at [email protected] Thanks so much in advance. Joe

May I ask which ones you used, @Thomwigle2240?

Thanks Rohan for your feedback. T8 LEDs in the 6500k spectrum seem to be hard to find. Do you have a recommended brand? Thanks for your help. Respectfully, Joe

- it can be if you run 140+ degree F water through it and/or degrade it using concentrated UV lighting. I have done water testing multiple times on my system and the nutrient solution remains clean and safe. I would not choose to poison my family. But if you are not comfortable with this setup then please do not construct this system.

yes, but lighting is complicated

Hi Brett - I did a lighting test and I posted the video the other week. Did you get a chance to see that? I went back to my 6500K 15 watt bulbs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pabXapeBi9SKhaM

Hi, I use a 550gph pump with a head of 7 feet. I recommend Pondmaster pumps and I am using the model 5. The impeller needs to be cleaned and changed over time but I've never had a pump fail. Good luck!

Thanks!

Glad you like it!

amen to that!

Great to hear!

Hello Stephen - not sure what you are meaning with your question. In Chicago it can be -20 F in the winter so growing in a general outdoor greenhouse is not possible - so it's either purchase all my greens from the store or grow indoors. So I am stuck with artificial lighting. It's not ideal but it works amazingly well in my opinion, after growing with this system for 6 years. I grow outdoors generally from Feb/March - November. The overlap period is about 8 weeks and I try to manage it so that when I am done in the greenhouse I have immediate availability in the basement and vice - versa. Lately I have been taking plants from the basement to the greenhouse in the spring to save on energy but bring in plants from the greenhouse to the basement introduces all sorts of nasties so my rule is keep the basement in isolation as best as possible. Hope this helps.

no netpots - the 1.5 rockwool fit into the tee openings very snugly.

Lol yeah we do im in canada just built one works good

Hi Thom, just working backwards with my replies so just seeing this now. Congrats on your system build! Best of luck to you! When you say "LED shop lights" I'm imaging you are not using special LED grow lights - but nor am I with my DIY setup. Good idea removing the diffusers. If you suspend them from the ceiling I'd think it might be hard to access the plants as you can't move them to the side like if they were on a stand. I'd love to see some pics - I provided my email address in my other comment. I run my lights 16 hours on daily and I cycle them to avoid the high energy demand periods (so they are off from 5:30-8:30 am and 4-7 pm). My pump runs 30 min on and 15 min off, and my fan runs constantly. This setup has seemed to work well for me. Make sure you flush once every 3 weeks and keep your pH between 5.5 and 6.3, with a TDS nutrient concentration around 1000-1200. Here is my doc for making my own nute since it's so much cheaper then purchasing it: docs.google.com/document/d/1KJDG35OAIYX-GMNUT9cUFwTKDk1iwPctGVYtYAoI5bc/edit?usp=sharing Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Glad you like it!

Thanks for your concern. I'd be up for that. I will search up where I could get the samples tested in the Chicagoland area.

I"ve sent an email query to a local testing company.

Thanks for your helpful comment. Next time I will spend more time and write a script to make sure I choose the correct words.

great - that's why I posted it for fellas like yourself

that's easy - I don't grow down there in the summer when it's humid. :-) In the winter I don't even need to run the humidifier in the house - especially when using the heat pump!

Yes, that would work but I'm looking not to increase project cost.