I’m almost ready to change the solution in my window farm for the first time. What do you guys do with your old nutes? I have some other plants growing in soil and I was considering watering them with the old solution. I am not sure if this is a good idea or not, I would assume its fine, but I wanted to see what everyone else was doing with theirs.

Thanks!!
Melissa

I have set up the 4 bottles, and now I’m working on my airlift. I’m trying to do the T version instead of the air needles. But I’m having trouble getting the air to lift the water and not escape through what should be the water intake tube.

Any advice for this system? I’m going to go and cut a longer piece of tube and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks,

Melissa

-EDIT- (20 minutes later)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5378581924/

So the longer tube completely helped! There is no air escaping from the system at all. Now my poor tomato plant that was without water all night is getting some.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5377983157/

I purchased the white frame from ikea and it was around 20$. I plan on having 3 or 4 columns with a string of lights in between the columns. This frame will allow me to move the window farm around and close my blinds at night. I’m going to raise it up to window height once it’s all installed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5378580404/

Here is a short video of my airlift in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qER-HLCHcE

-EDIT- (Later that day…)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5378590143/

So my tomato is definately looking good! http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5379181542/in/photostream/
I have also transplanted a broccoli plant to the top of the column. http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5379182328/in/photostream/
My seedlings are starting to sprout! http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5378589329

I made another change to my system… I zip tied the coil of tube in the water so it is easier to remove and install. http://www.flickr.com/photos/58467192@N06/5379179122

Also, nutrients were added to the solution. I added part 1 and part 2 of the general nutrients, and I also added some “maximum plantroids” because it says:

“Plantroids Super-Vitamin Thrive Enhancer stimulates plant branching, increases photosynthesis and cell division. Plantroids also helps reduce stress as well as stimulates root growth”.

Just a warning about CFLs… I dropped one and it smashed into a million tiny shards. Took a while to make sure I got all the little pieces.

Can anyone give me advice on how to put pictures in my post, rather than just links? Thanks.

Here’s an update on how my buttercrunch lettuce is doing.  I bought a small light for cloudy winter days and I have dialed in the watering schedule.  I have a timer for the light that turns it on at 7:00 a.m. and off at 9:00 p.m.   I also have a timer for the air pump that turns on for 30 minutes every two hours during the day, and for 15 minutes every 4 hours at night.  The lettuce seems to be doing very well.

Hello!

I am very excited to set up my window farm!

I managed to play around with my air lift with a airflow valve, and I have quite a range of drips.

My question is how much water should I be cycling through my window farm in a given period of time?

Also, is it better to have a steady slow drip or to have the pump on a timer and just run the water at certain intervals?

Thanks for your help.

Melissa

Hi everyone!

I’m new to this group but I have been growing plants indoors for a couple of years myself. I live in a house though, so that makes it much easier for me to use soil instead of nutrients.

What I’ve discovered is that the water temperature plays a big role in the speed at which your plant grows. The water should be a little hotter than warm (but not burning!). The warmer the container stays, the better for the plant. To do this, I use black pots in order to attract the sun. I occasionally turn the pots around as well to get al the roots warmed up.

Another thing plants LOVE is humidity, so if it’s possible to have a small humidifier in the room it would get your crops ready in no time!

I hope that helps with  your indoor planting process!

DIYers: plumb in a household reverse osmosis (RO) water filter system in hours.

How to choose, size, connect and maintain a filter adequate for your needs.

Reverse osmosis home filtration systems provide large volumes of pure, clean, color- and odor-free water for people, pets and plants. A “hard wired” RO hyperfiltration unit is a convenience easily within reach of the average DIYer.

A domestic DIY-ready RO system typically consists of several components, often sold as a kit along with an installation instruction manual:

1. Filter Array—four to six filters mounted on a hangable metal housing. Units with more filters deliver slightly cleaner water. All the filters in the array are pre-connected by the manufacturer, so hookup is a snap. An automatic shutoff valve is usually part of the array.
2. Holding tank—a 3 to 6 gallon capacity pressurized vessel that stores filtered water ready to flow to a sink- or counter-mounted faucet. Until direct flow systems hit the market recently, the RO process has been too slow to instantly provide a gallon or two of filtered water, hence the need for a tank. Tankless direct flow units are pricier.
3. Faucet mounted in a convenient location, usually on the kitchen sink.
4. 1/4″ plastic hoses to connect the filter array to feed water and to the faucet, and for waste water discharge
5. Feed water valve: either self-piercing saddle type, identical to an ice maker supply setup that taps into a water pipe; or a ball valve installed in-line in the riser tube of a sink’s cold water supply.

How RO System Filters Purify Water

Water flows through the filters in the array and is successively cleaned in “stages” as follows:

* Stage 1 Prefilter, 1 – 5 micron—removes sediment, suspended rust and sand.
* Stage 2 Prefilter, granular activated carbon (GAC) 1 to 5 micron—removes most chlorine, organic chemicals, taste, color and odor.
* Stage 3 Prefilter, either a second GAC or an activated carbon block, 1 to 5 micron—further removes chemical entities Stage 2 filter missed.
* Stage 4 Filter, osmotic membrane—the workhorse filter that gives the system its name. Removes 92% to 98% of all remaining chemicals and dissolved solids in tap water.
* Stage 5 Postfilter, deionization (DI)—removes remaining dissolved solids. Premium systems have 2 of these when ultra pure water is needed for aquariums, hydroponics and laboratories.

Selecting a Reverse Osmosis System: How Large?

The EPA estimates that the average adult consumes 2.0 L (about 1/2 gallon) of drinking water per day. Choose an RO system with a filtration capacity sufficient to meet typical family needs and “surges” like parties that require extra water for coffee, drink mixes and the like. A unit that generates 3 GPH (gallons per hour) has about the same capacity as one rated at 75 GPD (gallons per day), and is large enough for most households.
RO System Pre-Installation Considerations

1. Many RO systems require a minimum water pressure of 40 psi. Booster pumps are available if pressure is a problem.
2. Consider a whole-house filter, ahead of the RO unit, if incoming municipal or well water is unusually turbid or rusty.
3. Choose a spot for the filter array (approximately 18” H x 18” W x 8” D) that’s easy to access, since the unit needs to be serviced twice a year. If the undersink area is too small to stand or hang the array, consider a basement, utility room, etc.
4. Select a location for the holding tank (approximately 18” H x 12” W x 12” D). It can be spotted anywhere up to 30 feet away from the filter unit.
5. If there’s no available kitchen sink-top hole to install the added separate purified water faucet, replace the kitchen faucet with a pullout spray head model to free up the sprayer hole. Alternatively, drill a new dedicated hole in the countertop or sink. Careful: porcelain, marble, granite and some composites may shatter or crack unless a specialty drill bit and proper technique are used.
6. Supplies needed: common hand tools and perhaps an electric drill; Teflon thread paste or tape; extra 1/4″ plastic tubing for longer runs and cable ties to dress up the job; a basin wrench to reach up to faucet nuts under the sink; flashlight; wall or cabinet anchor screw hardware.

Step-by-Step: How to Install the RO System

1. First install the faucet (often the most difficult part of the project) on or near the sink. A basin wrench often comes in handy here.
2. Run 1/4″ tubing from the faucet to where the filter array will be spotted.
3. Mount the filter array where desired. Place a drip pan under it to catch inevitable small leaks.
4. Place the storage tank in desired location.
5. Connect the feed water valve to a cold (not hot!) water line and run tubing to the filter array.
6. Run a water discharge line from the filter array to a floor drain or utility sink; or into a sink drainpipe above the trap via a saddle usually supplied in RO “kits.”
7. Connect the storage tank to the filter array.
8. Check all hoses and fittings per the instruction manual. With the faucet open and the valve on the storage tank closed, open the feed water valve. Recheck fittings and eliminate leaks.
9. When water flows from the faucet, close it, open the storage tank valve, and let the system “charge” for several hours. When clean water has filled the tank the system usually shuts off automatically. Charging is complete when water stops flowing from the discharge tube.
10. Purge the system: open the faucet and let the water run down the drain until only a dribble emerges. This step rids the system of any residual debris.
11. Close the faucet and let the system recharge. Enjoy clean water!

How To Maintain the Reverse Osmosis System

Except for the osmotic membrane, which lasts two to three years, change out filters approximately every 6 months or 6,000 gallons. The stage 1 paper prefilter usually fouls faster than the others. To save money, obtain an extra filter and clean the dirty one instead of replacing it with a new one.

Written by: the Mad Farmers at SAN DIEGO HYDROPONICS AND ORGANICS

http://www.facebook.com/emilykristajohnson?ref=hpbday&pub=2386512837#!/notes/san-diego-hydroponics-organics/how-to-install-a-reverse-osmosis-system/121065994576138

Okay, as requested by Britta, here’s the introduction to a piece of equipment that may provide a cheap solution to a problem that those of us who chose to use a setup featuring a comparatively powerful aquarium pump have:

How to reduce the interval to a minimum when it’s not about a steady drip, but quick flushes.

The Lucky Reptile Easy Timer doesn’t need specified switch-on times to be set – it’s enough to program an interval and the duration of the power-on time.  The shortest interval is 15mins, the shortest power-on times are a mere 15/30s.

As I haven’t got an aquaponics setup, that should be enough time for the pump to push the entire content of my reservoir through the system once.

Lucky Reptile is, as you will have guessed, a German company, but the timer is apparently also readily available in the UK. I was unable to find comparable entry-level products, quite surprising, given the number of foggers operated by lizard and orchid lovers around the world.

Mabye someone else knows of one, and can add it here!

With any medium for your Windowfarm, rather it be hydroponics or aquaponics, you start with the first element: WATER. Many new gardeners tend to overlook this basic step, and just pour it in. If you are using water from your tap, one thing to put into consideration before adding any additional nutrients is to simply check your parts per million (ppm) and your waters acids and bases (pH).

The only “pure” water in nature is rain water. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals called total dissolved solids (tds) and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. (*1). Water contains a variety of  trace minerals such as:  fluoride,  boron (Bo), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn),  copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se).

Now you may ask, “how small is a part per million?” The simplest way to put it in perspective is picture a filled bathtub. One drop of water is 2 ppm of a bathtub full of water (*2).

One great tool to have for your window farm is a Hanna Digital meter. I chose the HI-98129 (below *3),  so that I can have the most accurate reading of my ppm and pH levels of my water before I add the water to my window farm.  Do a reading and collaboration, let your water sit out for 24 hours (natural dechlorination) before adding nutrients to you system and you will lessen your chance of giving your plants too much nutrients which will kill them.

If you pay attention to your water, you will have happier and healthier plants!

By: Holly Johnson

*Sources:
1= http://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us/pdf/2008_WaterCCR.pdf

2= http://www.swep.com.au/pdf/drinking water.pdf

3= http://hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=002003&ProdCode=HI%2098129

Derek Stobbard wrote me an email with this idea for nutrients:

“Here’s an idea for natural nutrients: Keep fresh water fish – goldfish, for instance. Once a week empty one fifth, to one third of the water from your fish tank and replace it with new water (preferably water that has sat in a bucket for a day – to get rid of the chlorine). Empty the water you took out of the fish tank into your watering reservoir. This water will be rich in nitrates from your fish’s “waste” which plants love, and if you feed your fish sustainable and organic food, so much the better. As long as you are doing this regularly, your fish water should not smell. Beware of algae, keep your fish tank out of direct sunlight, as algae will consume the nutrients and the oxygen from the water.

If you grow anything other than green leafy plants you may need to add very small amounts of calcium, iron and potassium from time to time (once a month). However, you may get away without it since you use clay pellets as a solid medium in your pots, and this has trace amounts of these necessary elements. Also, depending on the food you give your fish, some of these may already be present in the uneaten food, and will make their way into the water. ”

I love the idea and generally love the idea of aquaponics (fish + plant system). I continue to remain skeptical about incorporating fish into the windowfarm because forcing symbiosis between two different ecosystems is pretty complicated stuff and the balances can get out of wack really quickly meaning you could end up with a bunch of dead plants and fish really fast.

I like that he proposes simply using the fish water as a nutrient source and moving that water to the windowfarm after a simple filtration process. Anyone want to try it out? We would need a control group as well. Build two airlift systems- one using fish waste and the other using the recommended (Sugar Peak Organic Hydroponic Vegetative Nutrients) commercial nutrients? That would be rad, guys.

Remember everyone, creating nutrients is a pretty sophisticated biochemistry application so you gotta be ready to be super experimental. You probably will lose a lot of plants along the way. If you just want beautiful veggies you can eat asap, start by experimenting with existing hydroponic nutrients and only make slight modifications to start with.