by Jon
A few questions before my first project.
6:09 pm in Uncategorized by Jon
Hey guys,
I’m about to start building my first system having looked at the plans for all three versions. I have a few questions about modifications that immediately spring to mind as I’m setting up.
1) Why does the bottom reservoir cap assembly in version 3 need to be the way it is? It seems like version 2 system seems a lot more simple, is there any reason why this can’t be used in a version 3 set up?
2) Why could the hydroponic cages not be placed deeper down the bottles? That way more plants (and bottles) could be accommodated in a single column. You’d need to cut down the bottles to do, which would require a bit more modification to the system, but I don’t see why this would be too difficult.
I realize how green I am to all this, so feel free to tell me if my ideas wouldn’t work and why!
Thanks.
Hi Jon,
I’m no expert, only having had my system up for less than two months, but I think I can help you.
1) The bottom reservoir cap assembly does not need to be the way it is. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and frustration if you use a simple t-joint in the airline instead of all that stuff. I used a regular (non-sport) cap on my reservoir. I cut a hole in it so the tube (the tubing that came with the pump) fit tightly and I sealed it inside and out with silicone glue. This tube is about a foot long, and I plugged the other end into the t-joint. I plugged in another tube on the opposite side of the t-joint, and that one goes to the pipe that runs up to the top of the column. The air line from the pump goes into the perpendicular part of the t-joint.
Pretty simple, right? If that wasn’t clear, let me know and I’ll draw a picture, or you can search for “t-joint” or something on this site. There are two things you need to do to be sure this setup works: first, the t-joint should hang at about the same level as the bottom of your reservoir so that there’s always water in it. Second, you should have some extra tubing from the reservoir to the t-joint hanging down below the bottom of the reservoir. This keeps the bubbles going up instead of bubbling into the reservoir.
2) The plants’ roots are going to grow down into the empty space in the bottoms of the plant bottles. The growing medium and the net cup just give the plant something to hold on to, but you’ll have a whole bottle full of roots if you’re growing anything with fruit, like tomatoes or peppers. I guess you might be able to use a cut-down bottle if you only want herbs and greens, but then you’d be limited to those things.
I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
-Bill
Ah that makes sense, especially point two. I had been planning on just using herbs at first, but it’s good to know if I want something bigger.
Hey Jon
1. The cap/needle system is not the simplest, I use the t-valve. It is simply easy.
Don’t use glue, that is whack and defeats the purpose of growing yourself if you add synthetic solvents and polymers to your already plastic bottles. We are trying to go green here, use the best materials you can.
I have devised a pressure fit concept with the reservoir bottle, peep it in my link. With it you wont have leaks and you won’t need glue.
2. Jana brand water bottles are the best. They are made of high quality plastic, they have a perfect design for cutting and mounting net pots in, and are lower down with less root area and more clear area. I have not experienced inadequacy in the root space with mine.
Cheers,
Jesse
http://our.windowfarms.org/2012/01/06/my-simple-t-valve-airlift-windowfarm/