scrub

Here is the Grow System I am working on for my next grow. I expect to do the following:

1. Germinate seeds directly. No paper towel or other medium.
2. Nuture 10 seedlings/cuttings/sprouts.
3. Grow up to six adult plants. Room and light constrained.
4. Grow without gro-rocks. Cheaper, no clean-up.
5. Grow without netpots. Cheaper, no clean-up.

Additional information will follow. Actual construction will take place after my current grow.

Suggestions solicited.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer

Canabian

Looking good, I totally love the NO-clean up idea, thats great. And spending less money on stuff is good to. I hope you follow thru with this thread. I like that system.

__________________
Canabian
I AM CANABIAN, and proud of it

scrub

Prepare

1. Gather tools pictured.
2. Get about 36" of 1/2" PVC THICK WALL.
3. Get other pictured PVC elbows, connectors, ball joint, and garden hose adaptor. Note there is a 1/2 black rubber bushing where the drain passes through the tote side wall.
4. Get 10 each 2 to 1 1/2" PVC bushings.
5. Get 3 of your preferred sprinkler head. These need a 10-32 drill and tap.
6. Get a 32 gallon Rubbermaid tote.
7. Get a pump. This is a Dolphin 360 gph.

Measure, cut and drill things

1. On the tote top, lay out your plant sites. The arrangement chosen includes two maintenance holes big enough to get my arm in. I had to make a couple 3 1/2" to 2 1/2" reducers from spare plastic lids. You may notice that the four end sites are toed slightly inward. This is to put them into the same sprinkler radius of the other plants.

2. Drill holes in lid and clean.

3. Cut PVC pieces.

4. Mark the horizontal PVC pipe from right to left at 5 1/8", 12", and 18 3/4". Drill and tap using a 10-32 drill and tap.

Make the sprayer manifold

1. Preassemble interior sprinkler manifold--without sprkinklers--and attach to pump.

2. Level the horizontal manifold bar and mark where the PVC pipe will pass through the tote wall. Recheck level then drill a 7/8" hole on the tote wall. Recheck level. If not level enough, cut more PVC pipe--don't throw away the tote.

3. Screw in sprinklers. Sprinklers should be spaced equally within the tote. If not, turn the horizontal bar around!

4. Assemble the drain. REMEMBER to include the black rubber bushing or the manifold will drip.

Post assembly

1. Use PVC glue to glue EXTERIOR parts; that is, glue the drain pieces together. Let dry.

2. I did not glue the interior parts, although you could do so. Don't glue to the pump.

3. Go outside. Put water in the tote, enough to cover the pump intake. Leave the top off. Plug into power. Water should spray within the chamber with only droplets passing above the top. Check that there is no leaking around the drain.

You're ready to grow. I'll be using it next grow.

Attached Thumbnails

     

 

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer

Them

scrub, this is your friend werstilsmokin. I had to abort my grow, but have a new one started. Also had to change my user name.

I saw this prototype somewhere befor. My question is; do you need to drill holes in the sides of the pvc to allow water to the rockwool? Will the rockwool "give" enough to allow the stem to grow bigger...

I wish I knew how you make those cool diagrams.

scrub

Hey, Them we've missed you. I did an experiment with my current grow. I found that the rockwool did get wet. If left long enough, the rockwool soaked from bottom to top. I thought about the hole in the side idea but I don't think it is necessary.

You asked if the rockwool would give enough to allow the stem to grow. I think it will. There is a lip on the bottom of the bushing. That lip, the side pressure, and the fact that I am training should keep the plant from sliding down as well.

PowerPoint.

Finally, I have another idea I'm working on. That is a tipper. What? A tipper. To reduce training stress I added a small hole and a tooth pick to tip the bushing 20 degrees. The plan is to start the seedling to first real leaves then 'tip' the bushing 20 degrees to allow the plant to grow at that angle until it reaches the trellis--about 10 inches. At that point, I remove the 'tipper' and, viola, the plant is trained sidewise.

Photo shows Tipper

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer

scrub

I just did a water distribution experiment and discovered that, after 2 hours, the rockwool in two of the ten bushings was soaked bottom to top. The other eight were just slightly damp at the base. So, I lowered the sprayer manifold and will try again.

To do this I did the following:

1. The height of the sprayer manifold is determined by the sum of the two vertical pvc sections. These add up to 7 1/4".

2. To lower the manifold just cut a new 7 1/4" piece of pipe then cut it such that the riser out of the pump is shorter.

Lowering the sprayer manifold is only one of several variables that I can adjust to improve distribution. Others include, sprayer type, location, and number and pump pressure.

I have about eight weeks to get it down. I'll let you know and I'm up for suggestions. Thanks ahead of time.

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer

Them

Ha scrub, I forgot to ask, what is you take on the root barrior (did I spell that right) from your last grow.

If need be,im planing on some floating styrofoam for roots to rest on.

Thanks for the welcome, its good to be back.

SomeOldUser

A ¾” X 1” PVC male adaptor works great. My last few grows have done this way. I love not having to deal with rocks and net pots. It’s like it was meant to be. A round rockwool cube fits perfectly. As the root grows thicker the more stable the plant becomes. If you looking for a way to make life a little easier, you found it.

I took pictures I’ll look for later.

scrub

them the first root barrier worked well. More roots than I wanted worked their way around the side of the barrier into the reservior. I corrected this with the second barrier. I don't know if the barrier helps. Certainly, if the barrier does not help plant growth it should go but, I still have hope and will keep it for at least the next grow. Then, perhaps, I eliminate it for comparison.

Round rockwool. Nice idea. Smaller PVC is probably cheaper too. Thanks.

I'm still working on getting the rockwool wet via the sprayers alone.

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer

scrub

If I have to go to four sparyers, what will the spray pattern look like? Maybe something like this . . .

Photo shows comparison I used to help 'decide' whether to use 3 or 4 spayers.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________

Thank you GardensCure community!
Journal Building the Cabinet Training Details Building a Dryer