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Old 12-28-14, 07:15 PM   #8
jeff5may
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ecomodded View Post
Commercial greenhouses use drip feed / hydroponics to reduce the work load and increase production , the systems used are cheap and easily available to a home gardener.

timers pumps and drip line / drippers and your system is up and running.
In a sterile, feed-tank or ratio-injector type setup, yes. These setups typically drain to waste. The dripper emitter / spaghetti tube / micro mister / aquarium air hose type water delivery devices are neat. Kind of like playing with Lego's. These units are for raising seedlings and clones. The mass planting field and fish tanks are a whole nother world.

My two favorite units of this type are the rainforest and the waterfarm. These are the two big winners of the General Hydroponics lineup. Rainforest for propagating clones and seed starting, waterfarm for the hardening off area shortly after they have grown roots and begin to stretch. Both are incredibly easy to operate, hard to kill plants in, and easy to break down for rotation or cleaning. Plus, they don't hold enough stuff to ruin your day if something fails.

The rainforest design can be hacked together out of an old school, disc slinger type vaporizer head, a rubbermaid container (I like the underbed garment containers with casters), a 2 inch hole saw, and some dixie cups from the bathroom. Or you can spend 300 more dollars and buy one from the growstore. Throw in some compost tea and water, plugger in and watch your cuttings not die!


RainForest with 2" pots


WaterFarm 8-pack Kit

The waterfarm unit patent has expired, so its main parts can be had at the growstore for next to nothing. I believe they sell a kit for like 9.95 now that includes the water column bubbler, drip ring, and rubber bucket fitting with air hose. Naturally, if you buy more, the price drops or you get freebies (buckets and/or lids). Pick out a couple of sizes of lids (for different crops), a bag of grow rocks (hydroton is my fave), black buckets, and an air pump. Voila! Or, just buy some FarmKits for however much they are now. Hit the dollar store for some extension cords and a power strip on the way home.



BTW, these kits make an awesome Cub Scout or summer school project! Kids' parents will come begging for more once the plants take off. For a starter setup like this, buy a 3-part florakit for nutrients. The stuff mixes like kool-aid and has enough buffers and conditioners in it to make acid rain good to grow with. Best thing is, it has coloring in it, so you can take a water sample in a week and immediately tell how strong your solution is. Just add water until it looks the right color again, top up with fresh nutewater, and you're good til next time. The stuff can get strong like root beer and not burn your roots.

Last edited by jeff5may; 12-28-14 at 09:33 PM..
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