by mtcboom
Making progress in Brooklyn.
10:13 pm in posts with pitcures!, Projects in Process, questions by mtcboom
I’ve got my windowfarm working manually, i.e. the main delay at this point is lack of a timer, so I’m close. Since I originally posted I’ve made a few changes. I cut the resevoir tubes down to 48″ to reduce weight, and have suspended them from separate pairs of hooks screwed into the drywall ceiling. Two columns of four bottles each are suspended with alligator clips and 1/8″ dowels from the baling wire supporting the bottom resevoir. This setup makes it possible to remove the resevoirs separately and seems to be working pretty well. Pump is inside the bottom resevoir and once realized which was the input and which the output is worked pretty well. In initial test I had 5′ of head and that was a bit too much but lowering the top resevoir by six inches made a difference and now pumping works well.
Biggest issue I had was how to attach the drip line. Inserting the adjustable valve directly into the top resevoir seemed like it would leak so I put a 1/4″ transfer barb into the resevoir and put a blob of silicone sealant around it. Then a few inches of 1/4″ tube to the adjustable valve, then another piece of 1/4″ tube down to the top of the first bottle. Seems to work great without leaks.
My seedling are a couple inches high and I can’t wait to transplant them. Need to get a great timer and wondering if arduino is too much for a non-programmer to try. But I really want maximum flexibility with the timer.
Questions:
Is anyone using organic fertilizer in their windowfarm? What kind? How big should seedlings be before “planting them out” in the windowfarm?
Looks like you are doing great!!
Is that silver paint or did you try the balloons?
Where’s your pump? Is it the littlest one so that it fits inside the tube? Have you tested it yet to make sure it pumps high enough? If not, give it a try because folks have had to return pumps that did not operate according to spec.
You can also make your own rubber washer to fit the size of the end of the adjustable valve. Once you’ve got your valve in place in the tube, slip the washer over the end on the inside of the tube, Then just thread a nut over it. The model of air valve we got had somewhat tapered ends on them so we would just jam them up in place and never had a leaking problem there.
We’ve used Pure Blend Pro formula organic nutrients by a company called Botanicare.
Your seedlings should have roots definitely sticking out of their grow plugs. But you want to get them out of the grow tray before they have a chance to rot.
Can’t wait to see what plants you choose.
That’s a great tip about making a rubber washer. I used spraypaint on my bottles. Does that Pure Blend Pro formula nutrients have an odor? I hadn’t thought about it until I was talking to a guy at the hydroponic store, but now I’m concerned that using typical organic fertilizers will reek of fish or seaweed. The same guy in the store mentioned that some of the products labeled “organic” in the store are not as strictly formulated as I might prefer. Anyway, I’m going to try using an organic fertilizer that I already have on hand and if it smells too bad I’ll drain the resevoir and start over.