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- How to Build Your Own Nomadic, Hydroponic Garden -
On a Limited Budget -
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written, Maintained and posted occasionally to rec.gardens and alt.hemp by
Jeff Burchell ([email protected]) Introduction:
These are plans to make a fairly portable, and very inexpensive water culture (advanced
hydroponic) system. These plans only explain how to make the garden itself, and do _not_
explain how to use/maintain it. If you plan on using this garden, you should get yourself
a good book on hydroponics, and look it over (especially the parts about what nutrient
solutions to use, your garden vareity Miracle-Gro won't do the trick).
Disclaimer:
I am intentionally leaving out those parts about plant nutrition, light cycles, etc. so as
not to appear to be writing a guidebook for growing marijuana. It is also to make you seek
out _another_ source of information so your knowlege of hydroponics comes from more than
just this file. I do not grow marijuana, and never have. I'm just a high-tech home
gardener with information to share. If you are caught growing marijuana while using the
system described herein, don't even think of running to me, I didn't tell you to grow
marijuana. In fact, I'd suggest planting a crop of cherry tomatoes, which can be fooled
into producing fruit indoors year round, and is a very easy plant to start hydroponics
with.
Materials:
1 5-10 gallon bucket
2 Pieces of PVC or ABS pipe, 8-10" long, 5" or greater diameter.
4 Caps for PVC/APS pipe ends.
1 waterpump capable of about 50 Gallons Per Hour (you will need a bigger pump if you
choose to make this a larger system)
4' of hose that will fit the waterpump (often 3/8")
1 TEE joint (or Y-splitter) that fits the water hose
4 clamps for the water hose (one for pump to hose, and 3 for
hoses to TEE fitting.)
1 Airpump, airstone, and some airline from a fish tank.
1 Can White epoxy based spray paint
1 Can Black Epoxy based spray paint
1. Everything must be made light tight. Paint all hoses, the bucket, the PVC/ABS (which
will be called PVC from now on) and the lid of the bucket with a layer of black paint. Let
it dry overnight, and then cover it with a layer of white paint (to make it reflective,
and reduce the temperature of the nutrient solution).
2. Take each of PVC pieces and drill a 1" hole in the side, about one inch from the
end. Then epoxy the caps onto the ends of the PVC.
3. Drill the inlet/outlet holes (these should be located on the caps of the PVC), See
diagram
+------
1" hole
V
here
------------------------------
----
Outlet ---> |
|
hole |
|
|
|
|
|
<-- inlet
------------------------------------
hole
The inlet hole should be as low as possible (as close to the wall of the PVC), and the
outlet hole should be as high as possible)
4. Now cut two 5" holes in the sides of the bucket (close to the top), and epoxy
the PVC in place, so about 2" of pipe (and the outlet hole) are inside the bucket,
and the 1" hole is facing straight up.
_ _____|_
_|_____ _
(_________ _________) <- inlet
hole
|
|
|
|
|
| <-Bucket
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5. Place the airstone in the bottom of the bucket, and find a place for the airpump. If
you are planning an indoor garden, with enriched CO2 in the air, then the pump should be
OUTSIDE of your enclosure. The idea of the pump is to dissolve oxygen into the nutrient
solution, and not to dissolve CO2. CO2 can kill rootsystems. If you are growing outside,
or not enriching CO2, then the pump can sit anywhere.
6. Place the waterpump in the bottom of the bucket (assuming it is a submersible one)
and attach a hose to it. long enough to reach the top of the bucket. Cut a hole in the lid
of the bucket for this hose to go through. Then attach the TEE fitting to the hose. Now
attach hoses to the free ends of the TEE, and run them to the inlet holes on the end of
the PVC pipes. Use clamps on the TEE fitting and on the pump itself, but use epoxy to
attach the hoses to the PVC. This seal must be completely water tight. Let them dry for 24
hours.
7. Put some water in the bucket and turn on the pump. What should happen is the PVC
pieces will fill with water, and then when they are full, they should begin to
continuously drain out the outlet holes, and back into the bucket. If you are getting
leaks anywhere, fix them immedately. If water is coming out of the 1" hole on the top
of the pipe, then either your pump is too strong, or your outlet hole is too small. Fix
one or the other.
8. Empty the system (hint, remove the hose from the pump to drain the arms), and
replace the water with some form of hydroponic nutrient solution (look in a hydroponics
book for details on what exactly to use, or visit a gardening store, and ask)
9. Place your plants into the system. The best way I have found to do this is to take a
1 1/8" garden hose and cut a 1"tube off of one end. Then slit the tube down one
side. Wrap the stem of your plant (just above the roots) with polyester fluff (available
at aquarium stores, for stuffing into external water filters) and then wrap the garden
hose around the fluff. Then force the hose into the hole at the top of the PVC arm. People
also have used rubber stoppers.
10. Turn on the air/water pumps, and let your garden grow.
Comments:
This is obviously just a small setup, but these plans can easily be modified for much
larger systems, using longer pieces of PVC, or more than one pair of arms, and a larger
bucket to hold the nutrients (I've seen one made with a 55 gallon drum, and 8
seperate arms, each holding 4 plants) I personally use this setup indoors (under a
skylight in my apartment) to grow 2 cherry tomato plants. What you do with your own garden
is your own business, and Obviously I can't be held responsible if you choose to grow
anything illegal.
Starting Seeds
This system is not for seeds. Either purchase small plants, or start your seeds in a pan
of vermiculite, flooded with 1/2 strength hydroponic nutrient fluid. When they are about
4-6 inches tall, they are ready to be moved to the system.Remove them gently from the
vermiculite, using clean water to get every last chunk off of the roots. Then wrap the
stems in polyester fluff and garden hose (see above)
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Jeff Burchell [email protected] [email protected]
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