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10-04-2010, 12:45 AM
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Hydroponic gardening
If you ever wondered what was involved in hydroponic gardening you might enjoy my blog.
 Hydroponic Workshop jackb 
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29-05-2011, 01:25 PM
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We get enough to keep us supplied without having to purchase any fresh greens from the market. And, we have enough to share with the family at times. It is like having a produce department in the basement.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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30-05-2011, 01:40 PM
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I have an inexpensive TDS meter. All of my systems are the same size, and now I know how much to add to achieve the correct strength with out testing. Also, I change nutrients every two weeks so there is little testing involved after you get the feel of it.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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31-05-2011, 12:31 PM
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The seeds were germinated in coffee filters moistened with dilute nutrient solution. When the radicle emerged the seedling was placed in an Oasis horticube, or you can use rockwool. When the seedling develops and roots are sticking out of the cubes they are transplanted to the net pots. There are posts on my blog showing how I start seeds.
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No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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01-06-2011, 05:11 PM
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Yes I believe so. Around October of 2010 I think.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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01-06-2011, 11:16 PM
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I guess that depends on how you define expensive. I built the cabinet and systems myself and purchased the lighting. We have not purchased salad greens in several years, however, saving money is not the object. I am a vegetarian, eat lots of greens, and I got very sick after eating bagged salad greens from the market. I know how the folks in Germany are feeling, and I am trying to avoid that again. I don't deal with bugs, poop, or pesticides. Just like growing in a clean room.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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01-06-2011, 11:22 PM
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yes and no, ready made hydro systems like jack has in his greenhouse aren't that cheap but they pay for themselves over time.
my experiments with hydroponics are slightly more DIY, i buy trays, pipes, pumps, tanks etc and build something that works. the biggest long term cost to indoor growing is the lighting bills, I run one small room with 4, 2ft, 18w fluorescent tubes which costs a few quid a month and i sometimes run a bigger HPS light which costs about £10 a week. the hardest part is getting the nutrients right.... Last edited by airconednightmare; 01-06-2011 at 11:31 PM.
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02-06-2011, 01:56 AM
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It is possible to build an inexpentive DIY autopot system, I have. You can purchase a valve for less than twenty dollars. I used an old plastic drawer from a plant table, some cheap pots from Wal-Mart, a five gallon bucket, some tubing, fiber board and a grommet. My design is more flexible than theirs, and works just as well. It is in the greenhouse now growing a large tomato plant, but it is in the corner and not visible in the photos. I designed it to accommodate multiple pots and different sizes. Now, I am thinking that if I can find an appropriate trough there is no reason a single valve could not handle four or six large pots. Hydroponics is not rocket science.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/ Last edited by jackb; 05-11-2011 at 12:52 PM.
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10-06-2011, 11:03 AM
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Jack, does your Grow Chamber, built in October last year, provide all of your veg, or do you have other equipment too?. I am interested to know how much equipment I would need to give me a steady supply of Veg & Salad. What do the trays in your chamber consist of? Also the total wattage required for lighting your setup. In the UK the power companies are hiking prices regularly, so thats a downside to it.
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10-06-2011, 12:54 PM
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The chamber provides all of our salad greens and an occasional batch of swiss chard or beet greens. I used restaurant bus tubs because they are inexpensive and durable. I have five units and each holds 12 to 15 plants. The bottom unit, the reservoir, has a small submersible pump. Using fill drain fittings and an overflow tube the nutrients recirculate. The pump only runs fifteen minutes every four hours. I suggest you look for a good book on the subject and do some research. Total wattage may be about 800 watts. Three of my lights are 90 watt UFO LEDs equivalent to 400 watt HPS/MH lights.
Good luck and I look forward to seeing your photos. 
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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14-06-2011, 09:59 AM
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Thanks for that Jack. The downside for me is the lighting. I have calculated that it would cost $43 per month to run 800watts and my power bill is already $240 per month and my supplier has just announced a 10% increase with further increases to come.
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15-06-2011, 01:02 PM
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That is too bad. Our charges are half that, and being vegetarians we pretty much break even, or are slightly ahead.
__________________
No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture comparable to that of the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardener. - Thomas Jeffereson http://hydroponicworkshop.blogspot.com/
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16-06-2011, 09:50 AM
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Quote:
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20-06-2011, 03:21 PM
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Nice i never such hydroponics method here we use under sun only since electricity charges are more and their are acres of land available.
the tubs are looking like bath tubs LOL
__________________
Drip irrigation
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20-06-2011, 05:28 PM
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yeah but this allows you to turn the sun on and off when you want....no more waiting for summer
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