by naomi
watering by hand?
2:53 pm in Getting Started, questions, Seeking Advice by naomi
just stumbled across this site and i’m completely fascinated by the idea of a windowfarm! unfortunately, my funds are pretty limited, so i’m looking for ways to simplify the design. i don’t know much about hydroponics – but would it be possible to just set up the basic hanging structure and water the plants by hand? what sort of modifications to would need to be made to the design? and how often would they need to be watered? any advice would be appreciated!
The quick answer is constantly. You are basically in a lot of trouble if a pump dies and you don’t notice for a few hours. Plants will start to show signs of wilting and roots can dry out quickly.
You could try something with a large reservoir at the top that you fill by hand. I know a few people on the site are doing that and avoiding pumps (some for money reasons, others to stay off the grid).
Or you could look into other hydroponics solutions like DWP (Deep Water Culture). The basic idea is that the roots of the plants are sitting in water. All you have to do is change out the water regularly so it doesn’t become stagnant.
I have had a lot of success simply drilling a small hole in a wine cork and running a piece of wicking through, with only a wine bottle as the reservoir, I refill it daily or a couple times daily, and it is necessary to re-open the hole every once in a while or else it clogs up.
And as for the DWC, you need an air pump still, without an airstone in the water the plants will suffocate/drown relatively quickly a common misconception is that plants only use CO2, in fact the root systems need an abundant source of oxygen.
Much luck, I am sure you can find something that will work, I have made a system completely using scrap and recycled materials from around my house (aside from specific hydroponic needs). Just look around, a lot of crap and a little ingenuity go a long way.
Additional note, the first reservoir for my system was a gallon bottle once used for orange juice, flipped upside down with a pin-hole in the cap.
And if you want to see what my farm looks like to see what I mean by the cork:
http://anuttahwindowfarm.blogspot.com/