Having read this, I was wondering whether one couldn’t build a compact WF-AWTS using a (large) bottle.

I think it’ll be quite easy to do one in my farm setup, but may be more difficult in the normal configuration.

I was thinking of a bottle with the bottom cut off, turned around, with some lid that lets air through, wrapped in insulating material, preferably placed the shade.

After the bottle is placed upside down, a coarse sponge filter is not too tightly showed into the bottom end,  and it is placed so that the end of the sponge (hanging out) is in contact with the reservoir (or a part that is regularly flushed).

Worms, substrate and starter food are added. The coarse filter will ensure the worm farm doesn’t get too wet, and it’ll let the worm tea produced pass through little by little, eliminating odour.

Thoughts ?

Edit – here it is in all its GIMPish glory:

From bottom to top we have:

Wick, sponge, worms in soil, kitchen scraps – and the bottle, obviously.

Michael

Windowfarms Community Developer

I’ve really enjoyed reading all of the posts and getting an idea of what people are doing.  I’ve finally just completed building my first column, following the excellent directions provided by WindowFarms…Version 3.o…they were quite clear and the photos were very helpful.  I do plan on building three more for my apartment, but since this is the first one I just wanted to test it out for a bit.  My apartment has a large south-facing window, and so I did not build an additional light column because I don’t think I’ll need it.  I did, however, follow the example set by others and cut two holes in the plant bottles instead of just one, so I can grow two plants per bottle.

I will be out of town for a large remainder of August, and so I’m reluctant to start growing anything yet, since I don’t know if I’ll be able to replenish the water reservoir on a timely basis.  However, that means I have some time to plan what I want to grow, and I’d like to experiment with companion plants.  Does anyone have any suggestions for good pairings?

My goal is to have a 4-column window farm in my classroom this year (I teach 9th grade Biology, among other things).  I’m hoping to help my students build it themselves, as well as guide them in designing their own controlled experimental set up for the window farm.   If there are other teachers out there who have done this sort of thing, I’d love to hear from you and find out what worked, what didn’t, etc.

Haven’t tried these windowfarms yet but I’ve been reading about hydroponics for years.  I’d like to give this a shot, except I have very little light in my apt.  My windows face East and there’s a giant building 6 feet outside my door, so I get about 2.5 hours of direct sunlight in the morning.  In the afternoon ambient light comes in reflected off that monstrosity next door.

I’d like to grow some more expensive crops – peppers, tomatoes, or such – but I’m pretty sure I just don’t have the light for it.  What crops could I grow in these conditions?

Thanks!

I would like to encourage everyone who is capable, to host a windowfarms kit building class on October 10th 2010 in your area.

It is a special day for http://www.350.org Please register your event there. Or search for an event in your area and collaborate!

350 is the parts per million that scientists suggest is the maximum safe limit of carbon dioxide in the air, before irreversable damage begins to occur in our environment. Currently, the world average (as measured from an isolated island in Hawaii) is 370!

10/10 is an international day to celebrate positive climate change, green technologies, and to take action to encourage our representatives in government to get to work!

I would like to encourage everyone in the windowfarm community to consider hosting an action party on 10/10/2010 for 350.org!

350.org is an international community effort to encourage positive climate change initiatives in governments all around the world.

10/10 is the chosen date to celebrate success thus far, and to educate others on the importance of taking action.

10/10 is also a perfect opportunity to host a Window Farm class!!!

Share your knowledge, help others get their farm started, re-use all those PET bottles!

I just purchased a kit for our classroom and was wondering if anyone has done this project with 2- 3 yr. olds of course with parents helping?

It worked… but my plants(2 strawberry and a chili plant) didn’t survive my vacation.

So, if I hadto start the plants over, why notthe farm, too?

This new design is based on the same airlift as I know it works well. The bottles and mounting of them has been completely redesigned, though. I’m still using 1.5L soda bottles, but I cut them in two about midway down, wrap tape around the threaded end and a half-inch width along the cut to mask it for spraypainting.
As I don’t feel that 3 layers of white blocks enough light, I’m using gray primer first, then white paint on top of it.
To mark where to cut the bottles I made a simple rig of a couple of dowels mounted on a workbench with a whiteboard marker fastened to them with a rubber band. It works… sort of… (Not very accurate) For the next set of bottles I’ll have to find a tube that the bottles will fit snugly into, and use that as a template.

For suspension I’m using three lengths of thin chain and ’S’ hooks. On the edge of the bottles I’ve used a set of eyelet pliers to make holes and crimp into place eyelets for the hooks to hook onto.

In the neck of the bottles I’ve placed an ice-cream cup that I have perforated. Then it’s just a question of filling up with clay pellets and adding a plant. (for Norwegians; I’m using Henning Olsen Sjoko Kirsj, as sold in quad-packs. The ‘diet’ ice sold in the same sizes can also be used, but tastes awful in my opinion… )
The way the cups have been prepared is that I’ve cut off the rim, then holed the bottom with a small philips-head screwdriver that I heated with a ‘jet lighter’. You want the holes at least 2.5mm(0.1″) or more and probably  bit jagged around the edges or the surface tension in the water will keep it from draining through until a significant amount has gathered.

On the bottom bottle I’ve used a modified drinking cap from a water bottle(Imsdal if anyone in  Norway wonders)  where I removed the sliding plastic piece and ‘cored’ it with the biggest drill-bit I had(10mm). Then I glued in a piece of tubing using hot-glue.

Pros of this design:
It’s flexible as the bottles can be unhooked and moved up and down the chains.
This means I can have any number up to 5 on a single column, or dedicate one column to sprouts, and have a separate tank and nutrients more suited for young plants, and just move plants around as they mature.

Cons:
I may need to add tubes to more than just the bottom bottles, depending on the distance between the bottles and type of plant in them.

To do:
A better and more permanent fastening at the top. A single hook works… somewhat, but a hook for each chain will avoid the top bottle being disformed by the chains. Also, adding a second column.
This I plan to do by fastening a board at the top and screwing in hooks. 3 for the first chain, and 2 for the next, so that they form a somewhat elongated 5(as on a dice) so that the two columns share one chain.
A possibility is also to mount 6 hooks in a triangular pattern, with one in each corner, and one in the middle of each side, and hang 3 columns from those 6 chains. (all columns will be sharing two chains with the other columns) Then the airlift tubes can be ‘hidden’ in the middle of the design, too. A quad column with 8 chains is a possibility, but at least one column will get significantly less light than the others.

Also, while I have pictures, I find no way to post them here.

It took me 3 times to get a password that works.

I am now in the system and cannot find an instruction and diagram so I can build my own.

HELP