How to Grow Microgreens NFT Style (Auto-Watering & No Medium)
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- Опубліковано 25 лис 2018
- #Microgreens #AutoWatering #NFTMicrogreens
In this video, I show how to grow microgreens NFT style using automatic watering. I don't grow NFT style anymore in lieu of how I grow now, but it's certainly doable as the video shows. The style I grow now is better in many ways. So much so, I wrote a book on it. All of my grows are hydroponic so there's no soil, coco coir, or medium. Tell me what you think and ask questions.
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MICROGREEN VIDEOS: • Microgreens
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I've gotten much better at growing microgreens. So consistent, pristine, and with massive harvests based on some changes I made that really set things off. I decided to write a how-to book on it: amzn.to/2ZZdkJb.
This video should explain all you need to know for setting up this NFT system: ua-cam.com/video/fZlfE28Dx0s/v-deo.html. I've moved on to water-culture which is what the book is about. It's much better than NFT.
@@C3Voyage What is water_culture?
Try to put spreader mat under seeds on top of that mesh. And dripper on that spreader mat.
@@marksanders6271 DWC ? my guess ontop of a bubbling reservoir
16:32 Plastics - they are hard to avoid, the screen being the least of it :
- the trays are plastic
- the tubing is plastic
- the pumps are plastic
- the buckets are plastic
- the watering can is plastic
- the dripping humidity dome is plastic
- the nutrients are shipped in plastic
- ...
Best system I've seen yet, thanks for sharing!
Brett, I just want to say thank you for all of these videos and for your time responding to everyone. It's incredible how generous you are. And with all your videos I don't think I've seen one advert. Your passion really comes across. Love your book too, you have me giggling. Thanks again. You're changing lives.
Aw, thank you Micha! :O)
Easily one of the coolest Microgreens videos out there. Thanks for sharing man. I have been wanting to do exactly this but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I learned from this video, loved it.
Hey Corey! Thanks for the kind words. :O) If you make it, I will come! Lol
Hydroponic Gardening & More with Brent If I do anything remotely similar to what you have done, I will be sure to credit you. You make great, educational videos. Thank you!
Oh, there is no need buddy, but I appreciate the thought. I'm not that type of person, but I do like talking to people and sharing ideas. :O)
That's so awesome Brent!
NFT style for sprouts, I love it!
I love those trays and domes much better than the old stuff.
Great job on this microgreen video sir, thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks for sharing and as always Keep Building👍
Thanks Todd! Always fiddling with stuff. :O)
Thank you for adding value to the UA-cam community.
I appreciate the comment and you for being part of it as well. :O)
Awesome auto-watering system! Looking forward to your next video.
Thank you sir.
Great content! Thank you for sharing your growing experience. It is truly appreciated.
My pleasure. Enjoy fiddling and sharing it. :O)
Microgreens are my daughter's favorite but has been my biggest headache. Thank you for sharing your processes, time to try again.
Hey Nathan! Share your pics! I enjoy the back and forth. :O)
Awesome video
I had a funny experience last year, I had some sunflower microgreens growing and half way through my wife wanted a getaway.
Well, guess what I did, the sunflower MGs got to go on a trip aswell, my wife was so embarrassed.
Keep up the great work.
Look forward to seeing what your going to do with the MGs.
Lmao. That is so funny. You know why? Because the last several RV trips and car vacations I've taken have included micros, tomato plants, and squash plants! The most recent was my trip to the coast to see my son before he goes to Germany about a month ago. :O)
Oh, that's great! Love it that your MG's went on vacation too.
Thank you Brett, I'm going to experiment real soon using just a screen mesh and hopefully share good news
I hope you do too! Share for sure.
New subscriber thank you so much for this content I’m a newbie learning and starting my micro green journey! Much love from Atlanta ❤️
Thank you. :O)
Very cool video! Thanks for sharing! I grow in a very similar way... But I use cheesecloth for my screen to keep the small seeds from falling through. It also keeps them nice and moist throughout germination. Then I let the roots dangle into a second tray of nutrient solution below, similar to the kratky method (i raise it up slightly so it sits higher in the bottom tray). Set it and forget it!
Nice! I can imagine it. Happy New Year!
just setting up a micro green, love way you did the auto water, i been searching for the larger longer bottom trays you used to handle more then 1 1020 holed tray , thank you
👍
Where do you get the larger trays 😢
Your system is AWESOME! Your "Microgreens Intense Hydroponic Grows" Book, I bought on Amazon; just arrived today! It looks like a packed Full of Great growing info. I can hardly wait to read it all! Thanks A Million for sharing Brent! May God Continue to Bless You & Your's; With Perpetual Success!❤👑
Aw, thanks so much!
You're good at what you do buddy! This will help plenty of folks who need some detailed information on how to do this. That's some pretty nutritious stuff!
Thanks Jim. I know I'm flipping it on you, but your plants at your house are all ideal. You extract the best performance and production from them. It's a gift that I hope to get to some day in hydroponics. If you want to try some of what I've done, shoot me an email with your address (again) and I'll mail you some stuff.
@@C3Voyage Thanks for the kind words Brent! I sure wish I had more room and more time to do more projects. I'm trying to work on a list of what I want to grow next year, but don't have much written in stone yet. Thanks a bunch for the offer!! I'll give it some thought over the next couple of months while I decide what I'm doing. Same to you though, let me know if you want to try any of what I've grown. I haven't saved seeds from everything but I have some things saved.
I will Jim. :O)
Wow i've been watching your videos all this time and come to find out your another Arkansawyer. Cool!!
:O)
I’ve literally been designing this very system in my head for the last few days. My version includes robotic trays!
Go for it!
Great experiment, it looks almost production ready
Definitely needs more work, but I am fiddling around with it. It's fun for sure. Thanks for stopping in. :O)
*Your the man Brent* ... you have smashed so many myths that I've been reluctant to admit - but practice myself. The biggest one is that stacking smaller seeds is a myth.. you just proved it...lol.. not always required!
Also the arguement about microgreens dont need nutrients whether hydro or medium grown is shown here. Corey showed a comparison.. microgreens do uptake more than the seed offers for better yield - 'if its available' !
Anyway as usual.. you got me excited 😀.
Thanks for a cracking good vid mate 👍
Lmao Pepe. Such a great friend to have. I got lots more fumbling and experimenting. If I had to do it for a living, I'd be stressed! How's the back these days?
Oh, I wanted to mention that the lighting is off some since I moved the higher powered LED to another area. I need more light on them. You can tell with the cotys being smallish.
@@C3Voyage Lol.. yes it does get stressful at times. Mostly the timing when seasons seem to be so flippant 😀..
My back is okay mate.. it's the nerves stemming from it that give me the most grief. Lately I'm so busy that I forget about the grief until I stop.. then its bedtime ..lol. zzzzz's!
Once you get your desired height of stem try moving your light closer to the coty's if you want bigger leaves. I move mine down to 15-20cm once I'm happy with stem length. This height range will pend on your lights output though.. as always - that's a how I do 😉👍
Appreciate the advice mate. :O)
When the greens make their appearance, it totally looks like you’re petting an adorable rectangular animal!
Lol. How funny. In my book, I talk about how much I enjoy rubbing the microgreens. It's therapeutic!
Interesting. Looks like it takes plenty of knowledge, patience and time. Well done Brent. Best wishes Bob.
Oh Bob, that's why I do a lot of this stuff. It's like a puzzle that just has to be figured out! So much funner than the 1000 piece version sitting on the table in the house. :O) Glad you're here.
Sounds like jigsaw puzzle. I did that decades ago. No time or inclination to do that any longer. Have a great evening. Best wishes Bob.
Hello! I’m in Arkansas too! Thanks for the video!
Well hello Lady Moon! :O)
Always love your videos Brent. Can you give a resource for the large trays you used to put the 10x20's in for the bottom watering.
Should be in the description. Look for a link to my store then click on the microgreens tab.
The Amazon store only shows your 1020 trays. Where can I find the larger tray that you're using?
@@chrisonthebayou1330 Hey Chris, it's there, but under Microgreens. Here's a direct link for you: amzn.to/2Oo2iv8
This is genius! 🥰 Thank you Sir.
You are very welcome
Hello Brent, first and foremost thanks for the engagement in the microgreen community, I purchased the book to support. I am encountering a problem now, my family loves microgreens and in an attempt to satisfy that need I want to transition to an NFT setup like this, my question is how long do you run the water for each day ? Every hour for 10 minutes for example. Thanks Brent, your doing amazing.
Thanks for the kind words. It's been a while since working with NFT micros. I can't remember the exact timing, but it may be in the other video on it. Have you seen this one: ua-cam.com/video/fZlfE28Dx0s/v-deo.html
Great video mate. I grow similar to this but use coco mats.......auto watering too. Works well. Just a thought, use a small paint brush to even out the seeds when starting off.. Cheers
Perfect timing. Wife just gave me an eyebrow brush that has stiffer bristles. Thanks, they always stick to my fingers. So appreciate the kind words. Wish I could see your work. I see you don't have a channel. Cheers.
@@C3Voyage No channel for me mate.....Dont have time.
Great video! Thanks!
:O)
Love the videos, thank you! Question.. what type of foam boards are you using?
At this time, it was Lowes "Dow" foam. I've moved past that to food-grade poly which is the same material as cutting boards. My 2d edition book explains and shows how to make them. In fact, the book explains everything if you haven't invested yet. Best to you Thad.
Hi your system is really good! I'm trying to imitate it, can you tell me where you got those drains for the water? thank you!
Google 1/4" top hat grommets.
Well done very impressive
Thanks John. :O)
Really nice set up you made, how did you do the water inlets? I think they are drippers or bubblers but how did you attach them?
There's another video on setup. Look up NFT on my channel for it.
Amazing. thanx. how often do i set the water timer? or is it continuous and u depend on the two levels of drainage?
If I remember correctly, it was a couple minutes every hour. I have another video on it's setup. It would ideally be continuous with a smaller pump for only 4 trays and a little bigger drain with an overflow drain as well. Thing is, I moved into another platform of growing micros that works better for me so this went to the wayside. Still pretty awesome though.
@@C3Voyage awesome video, thank you...and will you tell us where did you move? :P
Where did you find the larger tray that the 4 smaller trays fit into? I'm searching through your provided amazon list but can't seem to find an option for a larger size like that.
Try greenhousemegastore.com. They are often out on Amazon. I wonder why? :O)
Awesome content Brent! I don't see the big flooding tray that you use to hold the running water in your amazon store. Where can I get it?
Try greenhousemegastore.com if it's not available in my affiliate store. Link in description.
Very, very cool.
Thanks!
Great video
what is the kind of screen that you put in the bottom of the tray?
I use food-grade polypropylene similar to dehydrator mesh.
I'm currently trying 1 tsp of salad mix on burlap in a 10x20 intending to let it grow to 6-8 inches. I've used those grid-bottom trays for this but it's a pain to pull the roots out. Now I rely on the grooves in the 10x20 to be the reservoirs for the solution, with enough solution in the tray to saturate the burlap. I've thought about a flood-and-drain solution that would depend on having a few holes drilled in the top of the grooves so the solution would drain back to the desired level.
Love to see some pics if you get the chance. Email in description.
On the way
I don't see the 20x40 tray you have holding the four trays on the Bootstrap Farmer. Where do you get that?
I got mine at Greenhousemegastore.
Where did you get the flood trays and what size are they?
Greenhouse megastore. Roughly 2'x4'. Search for Large Garden Tray.
Hi Brent, this auto watering system is excellent, allowing you to be days away from home . Tq for sharing. How many cycles of microgreens do you grow before you dispose of the nutrient solution in the reservoir? How often do you sanitize/ bleach the reservoir tank ?
Rgds
Hi Karen, I wish I could say, but I've gone back to using the reservoir just for the rest of the greenhouse and I need the tray for other non-micro stuff. Not one to cycle a bunch of micros, but I am trialing a thing or two, even as Spring prep is in full swing, so we'll see how that goes. I would suggest, though, to do it as much as what feels comfortable for you. The micro-juice is really cheap and it's easy to change.
Hi Brent, I enjoy your videos and have a comment about the seed weight : yield weight calculation... I notice that you measure your seeds in grams, and the yield weight was in Pounds and ounces. Is there a reason for this or did you forget to set your scale to metric when weighing the final yield. Just curious.
Please let me cut and paste an answer recently given to "Troll Forge" here in this video if you don't mind:
It's in the video title picture, grams to grams just as you mention 40g to 753g.
It's in the "star" caption at the beginning of the video. I converted the lbs to grams there just for that effect of before/after. Honestly, I used grams because the scale weighs grams and I use lbs because that one is in lbs. What will blow your mind more is that I bought the gram scale for micros because most videos I see measure seed in grams (usual convention) AND I bought a weight scale in pounds because most videos I see measure total weight in pounds (usual convention) like with potatoes which is what I bought it for modeling after the UK folks. To further mess with your head, not on purpose, I've just kind of always thought that ounces was a liquid measure like milliliters. Shows you just how adept I am in using both systems. So, the bottom like is I need to do better to prevent some confusion and I will certainly try. I will see if the scales can align with one system and then add the conversion for the other on screen. That's my answer and I'm sticking to it. :O)
Hi Brett, thanks for the great content and sharing your knowledge. Im new to nft and wanted to ask you, do you have any tilt to the main tray in order to get the water going to the drain? I see diagrams online that involve a tilt and wanted to get your take. Thanks!
I don't think so. It's been a while with NFT. I kept it level I think. Roots will draw the water and the air will dry the thin layer the roots don't touch.
Hydroponic Gardening & More with Brent Thanks Brent!
Hi there! Awesome video.. what are those screens you had inside the trays at the begining of the video? what are they called? where can i buy them
I use food-grade screen material to grow on. I sell them now. Email me if interested. It's in the description.
Thanks Brent. I watch all your videos with intense interest. I think your system for both microgreens and for hydroponics(fawn 2.0) is taking on a wonderful symbiotic relationship as many of the foundational building blocks are the same. Would love to see more videos along these lines. I do have a question. The self watering system in the video is a little hard to understand. The way I understand it is the 3/4 inch pipe is the inflow which then runs through the pump to the 1/4" outflow line that is then split to the 9 drippers with 1 return line that is flush or a little off the bottom. The part I could not understand (if I understand correctly) is where the other side of the 3/4" tee goes? Best, Paul
First, thanks for the wonderful comment. :O) I'll try and explain a bit more. The pump has 3/4" PVC outlet that goes to all of the winter greenhouse FAWN containers. I'm growing all sorts of "regular" stuff that way. It also has a "T" at the beginning. The "T" bottom has a garden hose valve with a small piece of 3/4" pipe that is capped off. When the garden hose valve is open, that allows the pump flow to go down the "T" into that small pipe which then pumps nutrient to the MG drippers. Attached to the small pipe is the 1/4" vinyl tubing which feeds the drippers. It's attached with a rubber "top hat" grommet which seals the 1/4" tubing to the 3/4" short PVC capped pipe below the "T". If that's not clean, I'll take a picture or do a short video just for you. Just let me know and I'll email it to you.
@@C3Voyage No that makes total sense. I wasn't aware that this was the main mixed solution tank. I had a notion but wasn't sure. In the winter greenhouse are you doing it the same way as the big greenhouse? A super concentrate tank on a timer and the gravity water tanks on the float valve? Is there a separate return tank for the FAWN or does the Fawn return to this reservoir just like the MG return?
The reservoir tank you see in the video is about 25 gallons in a 40 gallon tote. I call it a distribution tank. It has a float valve that is fed from a 55-gallon refill storage tank that tops off the distribution tank at each timed watering. The 55-gallon drum is not super-concentrated. It's the correct ppms. I don't see a need to super-concentrate because it doesn't empty fast. In the big greenhouse, the 250 gallon storage tanks empty pretty fast and that's why I do it in that greenhouse. I have a video from about a year ago on how it works in the "winter greenhouse": ua-cam.com/video/Ty-p1TryKMk/v-deo.html
All of FAWN and the micro NFT pump from and flow back to the same distribution tank.
Any thoughts on growing to fullest growth to generate your own seeds? Will be a must in the coming years of the agenda when supplies dry up
In a retracted economy, I'm not sure I'd set a goal to produce seed for micros. I believe I'd select a small variety of the best inbred cultivars (OPs) for my area. Cultivars that bring the best seed-to-harvest ratios such as squash, okra, pole beans, and tomatoes, for example, and grow to maturity like most of history shows us. This way, one can eat the fruits as well as easily save the seed that will be true. Keep in mind that if we get to a place where people are hungry in mass, everything changes 'cause hungry people steal and kill. Then you'd be best in small, like-minded communities with armed guards 24/7. We won't see it that bad. We've had retracting economies world-wide for a very long time. It's always been temporary and the seed shortages we saw was a new lesson I hope we learned from shutting the world down when it wasn't necessary.
How often and for what duration are they being watered?
Hello, Thanks for your reply on the last video. I have one more question :) When spraying your seedlings with anti fungal spray does the left over residue of the anti fungal spray end up washing back into the nutrient tank from the flood table? or do you plug the flood table and then clean up the left over anti fungal stray. Whats your method for this?
Hi James! I used to use this NFT. I don't anymore after a short period. But, I sprayed and didn't worry about it, but I don't recall drenching the micros where they'd go below onto the tray, but could have. If your reservoir has an air stone or two, and lots of antifungal returned to it, it would remain agitated and mixed distributing back across the roots I suppose. That brings up another question: Could that actually be a good thing? Something to consider.
@@C3Voyage Thanks for your reply. So how do you know grow micro greens? If not NFT?
@@travelandtech2185 I wrote a book on it! :O) My videos all of this year are the new way.
Love ur videos! So helpful!! Getting everything together to start my grow this month(April), I also cked out ur Amazon store & have my order almost complete. I found quite a few items there :)) But did have a question about the screen. I like this idea & want to try a couple of trays with it! The screen U have on ur store site is ADFORS Premium, but I can't find what it's made of? Is this what U use? It seems to work so well!! Thanks again! Givin U a "High 5' from SW Louisiana!! : ))
Hey GBee! It's made of PVC coated polyester. I do use PVC coated polyester screening. I bought mine from a place in Florida before Amazon had one available. The shipping where I bought was $34 and more than the purchase price. This one is also greenguard certified too like mine. Soak in a mind bleach solution and wash thoroughly before using any part of stuff to grow in...everytime by the way.
Thanks Brent!! Appreciate ur response!! : ))
Hello, the video was very good. I just started experimenting on growing microgreens with no medium but my seeds got rotten. And it smelled really bad. Do you now why this might have happened?
Could be several reasons. Your fix requires an analysis of the seed, your environment, and other aspects of how your growing. Way too detailed to give a simple answer. I wrote two books on it covering lots of information on how to grow hydro. Link to my latest edition is in the description.
Hi there did you turn middle tray round as they were not growing which seemed strange.
If you could give me a point in the video what you're speaking to, I could answer most effectively. I don't remember turning something around. However, in this grow, I did turn the trays around, and even moved one from right to middle IIRC, as my light source was inadequate. I had a 300w light on it and thought a 45w light would be good enough. I don't think it was. I'm going to increase light again. I could tell the cotyledon's weren't as big in this grow. I somehow didn't get your comment in my email so I apologize for just answering. I hope that this addresses your comment sufficiently. If not, please ask again! :O)
Sorry if I missed this point in your presentation but do your no medium system enable you to cut the plantules flush to the bottom of the tray? Or even harvest the whole vegetable?
IHG allows one to pull each and every plant out with much of the root system if you like. Or, you can cut as close as you can get...certainly closer than soil-based.
Thanks! This is really nice, not only because it will add some extra weight to the harvest but also cause the root system may have some specific nutritional value that otherwise is discarded. Congrats!
Good work.
Thank you.
Hi! Wonderfull video! May I know where have you bought those big trays with watering system?
Yes, of course. In the description is a link to my Amazon Storefront. It's a place where I put stuff I use in the videos. Under the tab "Microgreens", you'll see all of what you're asking for. The big tray is there, but currently unavailable. That's usually because lots of folks are ordering it. I think it's called the Garland extra large garden tray. A Google will give you other locations and pricing. The watering system is a Ecoplus pump, 1/4" vinyl hosing, top hats, and drippers. I think it's all in the storefront. Even if you don't buy there, you have detailed Amazon descriptions and pricing. Can't beat that. Good luck.
Thank you so much! I found them in my country. Now I am witing for delivery. Thanks again!
what's this anti-fungal spray that you are using? Does it come premixed or a concentrate?
This video explains it: ua-cam.com/video/1QfbfngUFYw/v-deo.html
when you say your res is filled with full strength hydro nutrients what do you mean? What ec and pH do you use and what NPK ratio?
Thanks
I use Masterblend nutrients mixed per bag directions. That equates to a pH right at 6 and ppms around 1000 with source house water starting at 43 ppms.
Great Videos. How often do you water, continuous or delayed cycled?
I don't grow this way any longer, but I remember it cycling on/off regularly.
Hi, I am a new subbie and also just starting a microgreens business. I wonder if you could tell me what kind and how much lighting you use in your grow room and also how far away the lights are from the surface of the trays. Thank you everso much for providing all the great info at no cost. There are other places to get training for a biz newbie like myself, but the cost of the courses is prohibitive for me at the moment. Also, when and where can I get your new book?? Apologies for the amount of questions in one comment.....
The book release should be before 1 May. It's basically done, but I have some grows to incorporate into it...and editing. I do talk about lighting in the book as well. I have a video that shows what I use. It's not as difficult as some may make you think. And, it's fairly inexpensive as well. Here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/hNj82Lk3-3I/v-deo.html
Basically, 5000 - 65000K. Brighter is better and grows a bit faster, but decent lighting like in my video is quite fine too. If you can bring in outside lighting, but still control the environment temps, that's the best. You get the best colors with natural lighting.
Those microgeens look nice to eat there 👍👍
Hey Michael! Thanks.
Perhaps I missed it, where did you get the big bottom tray?
Greenhouse Megastore.
I've been growing microgreens for market for over a year now. This is definitely the next step I need to take. I have the pump but I need some help with the parts that you use for your automatic watering system. Is there any way to make a diagram of the parts you use and how you link them together to the tray and such? I would find that extremely helpful. FYI I've been using an automatic watering system already for The Barley fodder for the animals but each tray drips into the other and is not sophisticated enough for the microgreens like yours. So I'm thinking about using that pump to do something like what you've got going. Please please please I would love some information on the how you set that up.
Yes, I will make a video on the whole system for you and others who are asking. Give me a few days.
I'm editing the video that shows all the parts and pieces. Should be up tomorrow or next day. Each part will be listed in the description of that video with a link to it. The only pieces that won't be there is the standard 3/4" PVC pipe and the the PVC end cap. If you need more, please let me know. :O)
I cant wait
what is the mesh that you use? I couldnt fine it anywhere.
The mesh around the pump is a paint strainer.
Where did you get the larger tray from to fit the 4 smaller trays into?
In the description of every video is a link to my affiliate store. Go to the micros and it's there.
Do you reuse the mesh? How do you "untangle" the roots?
Yes. Cleaning the screen is really easy. Look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/1BosSXsgUAk/v-deo.html
I'm new to this so forgive my ignorance.
where can I find that big tray you are using that you put the auto water system in?
And thank you, great video.
This link www.amazon.com/shop/hydroponicgardeningmorewithbrent is also in the description of this video and all of my videos. It's my Amazon store. If you click on microgreens, and scroll down, you'll see it. Greenhouse megastore also carries them, but they're out of stock most of the time I check.
Oh yeah, at Amazon, the shipping is free so when you compare, consider shipping costs.
Thank you. I will definitely go to your Amazon store.
Hi what is the hardest micro greens you ever tried to grow please
I tried Amaranth and Cress once. They didn't do well, but I think I can fix them and am going to work on it with auto-watering. I've given up on spinach in any growing system. It's too hard to get even germination. Others, I just haven't tried. I see there is quite a bit of interest in micros on my page so I'll keep going and see what happens. I'm working on style right now vs production so what drives me may be frustrating for some. Sorry for the long time to reply. I'm not getting comment notifications from YT so I saw your comment answering another one and now I'm just running through all comments to look for missed ones.
Hey Brent excellent videos. I think I just have watched each 10 times over. I’m experimenting with different methods between soil, coco, and now the screen. I’m trying it out with arugula and not a single seed has popped in 24 hrs. Spraying twice so far and covered. Heat is around 78. Is this to be expected?
I haven't grown Arugula other than in a mix once, but if it hasn't popped in any of your 3 types of grows after 2 days, sounds like a seed issue.
They’ve done well in my soil test and coco test. Now trying the same seed on the screen only method but now not popping. I’ll give it another day, I’m hoping it works like yours does.
@@cinci520 If it's not popping the same as it does in coco or soil, you're missing part of how I grow and it reads as though your seed hasn't started the germination process to pop or you're letting it dry out. You can describe what you're doing a bit more or share pics and I can comment more on it for you. Almost all seed I grow, especially brassicas, pop in a day or two. Are you using a cover? Dome? Are you keeping seed moist? Is there nutrient in the bottom 1020? I grow a little differently now using what I call "The Assembly" which is basically set it and forget it...nearly.
Thanks for the help Brent. My usual methods for soil and coco were;
Hydrate soil with 6.0ph water
Spread seed and spray with mister.
Cover and next day all were popped.
For screen I laid out screen at bottom of tray
Spread the seed and misted vigorously with ph balanced water. Then set on top of another 1020 with nutrient water but the seeds aren’t sitting in the water. Maybe 1/8” off the water. Checked this morning and zero seeds started germinating so I misted again and then will revisit it later today. They are covered for darkness but not weighted down. Where can I send pictures to or would you like a video link?
@@cinci520 My email is in every video description. You can send pics there. My "cover" is foam that sits directly on seed. This basically seals the seed from drying out keeping moisture in. I put a dome, actual dome not another tray, on top of the 1020/screen/cover. The dome keeps the moisture in. I do other things now, but that's a book thing.
Where did you get your trays and what sizes are they?
Greenhouse megastore. I think it's called large garden tray or something similar. It'll be easy to find.
I use 3oz for sunflower/pea
0.5oz for smaller seeds
Nice John!
Do you have the pump running all the time or do you time it?
It's on a timer. I just changed the timing to 1 minute every hour. Before micros, for the rest of the greenhouse, it was 3 minutes once every 4 hours.
What's what's the big tray called I don't find it on your Amazon store?
amzn.to/2TMeOpB
Thank you..
How much usually grows on one tray (weight of crops) ?
Sunflowers and peas, 4-5lbs. Brassicas, typically 1.502llbs.
Love this set up. At what point during the grow did you stop the anti-fungal spray? Sorry if this has been asked before. I looked through the comments and didn't see it mentioned. Thanks!
I use antifungal once a day now until uncovered and put in the light.
@@C3Voyage thanks, buddy!
@@C3Voyage out of curiosity, why do you not just use food grade hydrogen peroxide? I've read it kills/prevents mold. Is there any truth to that in your experience?
@@Fatwormsfarm I do use food-grade HP. It does work and it's my Basic antifungal. The older version is my Super antifungal. It's all outlined in the book I'm writing. The Super is more effective and it has insecticidal properties that helps with the disease spreading gnats/flies that can spread damping off for example.
@@C3Voyage got it! Thanks!
vinyl should be fine though. silicone and food grade plastics are ok too. BPA and corrosive plastics are an issue, but most others, especially those deemed safe for food should be fine. try a combination of several layers with various mesh sizes mixed together and a top layer with a grid that matches seed size. this allows for ideal distribution of seeds and gives the roots better hold, which i think is paramount.
Thanks for that OB. :O)
What is that fine mesh you use?
Food-grade poly mesh which is made of same material as dehydrator mesh.
what was the temperature in this place, do you remember
I'm sorry, I don't remember.
Great system. I have a flood system I'm using with cocoa but am experiencing some bug/mold issues. I love your screen idea. Do you know if there are chemicals that leach from the screen?
Latest ones are FDA approved food-grade.
Brent & Gina's RV Traveling Adventures that’s amazing! I’m having a hard time finding them. Any chance you have a link? Thank you so much, love your channel.
@@TheCameraWall Look at McMaster-Carr. You'll have to search. They have various sizes and styles.
@@C3Voyage looked and still can't find anything that I'm comfortable growing food in. I purchased some silicon screening made specifically for dehydrators. Hopefully I will get similar results. Thanks!
@@TheCameraWall So, you can't find the FDA approved for food plastic screening?? Either way, best to you.
Cool bottom tray to include 3 in 1. Where did you get that? Might there be 1 that fits 4 trays? Love your auto-watering. I had to look up what a top hat grommet is, not really handy of a person. lol Can't wait for the next video with the new screen you're trying out.
Hey Mark! It actually holds 4 trays and the link to it is in the description. I call it "Large tray" or something like that.
@@C3Voyage Thanks for the reply. It lets me know that my comment isn't shadow banned. Not sure what's up with my system, sometimes comments appear, sometimes they don't, but yeah, I found the bottom tray that holds 4 grow trays. Awesome idea doing the auto-watering.
Hope whatever it is clears up. I answer every single comment. Well, those that I see. I get an email that a comment was left. Many times, however, I've noticed that some comments won't throw me an email and it sucks if I don't check every single video. What makes it worst is that YT took away the "unanswered comments" filter in the Comments area of creator studio. Makes no sense to me and I want to answer them all.
Hi, is it possible your microgreens falls out of the organic category as they probably suck chemicals from the plastic trays?
Yes, possibly Achie. The trays are hpde so there's that. But it's possible they were never organic as I grow with hydroponic nutrient. That's up for debate these days too it seems. I do know that plants have great filters. In a normal garden, for example, they filter out fungus, manures, metals, and much more. There's so much out there to consider. Tonight, for example, I had a glass of milk out of a plastic jug. Earlier today, I had a couple cans of diet pepsi canned in aluminum. We're surrounded by so much, we have to decide for ourselves what we do to fit our own comfort levels. This is a common question and I understand it.
hey man, what kind of antifungal liquid do you use? doesnt it stay in the circulated water? or in the shoots themselves?
Here's the video that tells you how to make it: ua-cam.com/video/tatd7_dyVNs/v-deo.html
To your questions: Yes, a little, and No. :O)
How much nutrient do you use..and since when? Thank you.
Bayu.
Used nutrient since the very beginning in every grow. Here's a video on how I use it: ua-cam.com/video/2dmy5Nlu0Zo/v-deo.html
Great video as usual. I was planning to do self watering with my trays sitting on a Ebb and flow system I made. Your video has given me encouragement to follow thru with it. By the way I am still using your original FAWN with greens and doing fantastic. Love your work and ideas
Thanks so much Jim for the kind words as usual. You're a good man and friend. I gotta see if I stay with FAWN 2. I might revert back to a version of the original. I know I want to try something else as well and will trial it during the winter. to see how it goes.
@@C3Voyage Hi Brent, Paul again. Definitely would be interesting to know where you are going with this. I have been assembling all the different aspects of the Fawn 2 system which I hope to install this winter. A video that you might consider doing is Fawn 2 vs Fawn 1 video and the changes that you anticipate. For us that are watching this with intense interest we might have some suggestions that could help or at least open our eyes to some of the issues that we may want to consider. Little things seem to add up like someones suggestion of using a paint brush to spread microgreen seed. Seemed elegant and simply brilliant to me.
Here's the vid comparing FAWN to FAWN 2.0: ua-cam.com/video/Lsig-8xqaMU/v-deo.html
I'm always open to suggestion and often use them so hit me at any time in any vid Paul. Using brush for first time tonight. Seed is soaking, but shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone I'm doing more microgreen stuff.
@@C3Voyage Hahaha, you can be so self deprecating at times. Or how do you say it when you laugh at your own jokes? Keep up the search for knowledge. Truth only comes in splinters.
It is a conundrum when something pops out your mouth and you realize that you're being silly. I just wishing something serious would pop out once in a while. :O)
Do you find that they grow slower with the screen vs using something like coco coir? What are the disadvantages of using the screen?
Good questions Ash. I haven't grown much in media so I can only reference the number of days it takes me (in my vids) and what I've seen from others who do grow in media. Seems to be about the same. Disadvantages? Hummm. Let me go a bit broader. The disadvantage of the way I grow is initial setup, some initial costs, and not being able to stack a tray literally on another tray. After that, I think the advantages quickly make up for it in so many ways. I actually have an advantages and disadvantages section in the book.
@@C3Voyage thanks so much for your response. what book? sounds like it could be helpful! why can't you stack trays? does the bottom of one tray just not quite touch the seeds/screen of the other? thanks again.
@@82wtughlaf I hope to have the book finished in a couple weeks and then I'll put up a video on more details. I've been mentioning it some here and there. I use what I call an Assembly. It can't be stacked due to using domes.
Thanks for insight...Just one question. About watering cycle? How many cycles in day and for how much time?
I believe it was 2 minutes on every hour. Since my timer only held 20 events, there were 3 hours skipped for every two hours early in the morning when lights were off.
@@C3Voyage so u kept on in night as well?
@@nikhilgajjar2558 Yes, by timer.
@@C3Voyage thank you. Wish you happy festive season...
How often times/day or times/hour do you flood ?
What I did, I believe , was 1 minute every hour. No flooding though, only nft.
hey! what a fascinating video! this is awesome! what type of light are you using?
LEDs. Red/Blue basic for the majority of the room. White LED lights for the micros.
@@C3Voyage like for microgreens 6500k color?
How many watts per led?
The 4' tubes are 5000K, but I just got in my daylight bay light and it's 6500K. Not installed yet, but today likely. I'll continue to use the 5000K on the lower shelf. They work really well.
I have a video on the microgreen lighting. It's fairly recent.
Thanks for sharing, would rinsing microgreen clean up hydroponics nutrients? Is microgreen safe to eat if hydroponics nutrients are not washed properly? Thanks a lot
Please allow me to elaborate some on my response. Hydroponic growing is world-wide. The nutrients are simply water-soluble plant-required nutrients. If you cut the roots off of plants, you're not taking in direct nutrients. Rinsing helps with everything so it's a great addition to preparing vegetables to eat. Think of it this way. Organic forms of fertilizer are composted cow manure, worm processing, fungi, rotting vegetation, and other creatures in the soil and we've eaten foods from these forms of fertilizer for centuries. I'm only mentioning for some perspective. So, to answer simply, rinse and you're more than ok. :O)
@@C3Voyage thanks for quick response... we eat roots when we sprout some seeds so I was thinking if roots are also edible since you don't use any soil or grow medium as long as they are rinsed therally (cutting roots will add more steps to the process since microgreens are so tiny and not sure if there is easier workaround).. thanks
@@vijaybabaria3253 Sprouts are very immature so the roots are tender. With micros, every root I've tried to use in some fashion, is more fibrous than the stem and leaves. They don't cook well and take some time to chew. I've eaten almost every root of every micro I've grown. There's nothing wrong with any part of any microgreen and rinsing helps remove any nutrient on them. FYI, some micros, especially shoots, can get pretty tall. Look at the peas, radish, sunnies, and mung I've grown. Hope that helps Vijay.
@@C3Voyage yes spot on, I did try growing mung beans ... Thanks for all the valuable information 👍
What do you find more effect, the autowatering or the individual assembly?
The Assembly, as I outlined in the book, is nearly foolproof for almost all micros.
@@C3Voyage Thanks, I meant more for overall production though? I'd like to automate my system but the assembly seems to be working pretty well so far. If the autowatering is comparable though I could switch over.
@@dagwoodfarms3764 For production comparison only, it's not nearly as good in my trials, but doable. If you want to develop a flood/drain, you might get close with the rest of the Assembly in tact (unproven).
I love your videos. Thanks so much. I suspect there would be a way of plumbing this that is far less expensive or complex. What do you think?
Thanks so much for the kind words Peter. Yes, tons of ways to skin the cat and tailor to a specific application. Imagination is your limit. The concept is nutrient-water flowing across the roots and that's all that matters. I built mine re-using 1/4" tubing, drip emitters, and pvc I had lying around. Used the timer from the greenhouse and the reservoir from my drip system too. It was a good fit for me.
Hi! What is the size of the bottom tray and the tray with mesh bottom?
10" x 20" or standard here in the US.
@@C3Voyage Thank you! Great system! I'll try to do the same.
Hi, I just got your book and am excited to try to automate my system. I have a couple of newbie questions though - do you germinate using the automated system (nft and water culture)? If yes, do you auto bottom water or manually top water during germination? And do you weigh down your seeds with this system?
I no longer use NFT RmG. Only lasted for a few grows. The book shows how I grow in great detail now--IHG. There are lots of videos over the last two years the allude to the water culture style I use now. There's also two editions of the book. Amazon shows the two editions available right in the text capitalized. 2nd Edition is obviously the latest. Once you get the book, review the last chapter on how to talk about it all. There's lots of avenues, but I don't go into detail in UA-cam comments.
This is probably a dumb question. I don’t know much about this stuff, but why is there no soil?
No, it's not dumb at all! And how funny, I always asked why are people wasting money on soil. Literally, I never grew in soil, peat, or any kind of mix. This is NFT, but the aerated water culture I've been growing in for years rocks compared to soil styles. My style is "IHG" or "Intense Hydroponic Grows" and I have books on it.
Did you stop doing it this way? the auto feed hydroponic solution looks like a great idea.
It is and it works, but I found a much better production and much less mold with how I grow now. I think this is certainly viable though.
Another question for you. I know you want to prove the no-medium concept and from my perspective you have already proved it. In this video, you are trying to reduce the amount of time / frequency of touches you have to go through on with the whole microgreen grow. The question from this perspective that I have is whether the use of a medium such as cocoa coir would eliminate all the early stage touches that you go through until the roots have reached down into the solution. If that is the case then it is possible that the whole watering part of the grow could be automated so you only have to visit the plants once every 2-3 days. Is this a possibility from your perspective? As always I love your work. You are the best that I have found on UA-cam!!!
Hey Paul! No-medium is my thang. :O) Let me tell you why I went to auto-watering and then, if you have another question, please do ask. I initially tried flood and drain and got tired of trying to make it work. Then, I knew NFT would likely accomplish want I want instead and actually be better. There are several reasons and you touched on one as mentioned in the vid. 1. Less fiddling with it! That equates to consistency. 2. The micros would get oxygenated nutrient that will remain constant. If I sit the micros in nutrient, there is opportunity for loss of oxygen and ppm changes as plants use it. 3. This is the biggest reason. I got tired of guessing the right level of water to fit each type of micro. Too much and the seeds could drown. Too little and the micros dry up or parts dry up. I had lots of trials where this happened to some degree when doing smaller, delicate seed in high densities. With NFT, you get a fresh flow over the roots every hour. I'm sorry, but for me any medium is a non-starter and seems counter productive to me. This is just my opinion of course!
@@C3Voyage ok! Then here is the elephant in the room question. Do you have any ideas about how to automate those first 3 days where you are pulling them out 3 times a day and misting them. Knowing you you probably already thought about it and are 52 steps ahead of me.
@@ptcruiser2012 Lol. I just started to soak all seed to fully impregnate the seed to start the germination process. I'm also about to attempt a boil-seed grow to sanitize/increase germination. More on that later...maybe. With a soak, it might not even be necessary to spray but once a day. My latest grow sits directly in the nft from the very start. Spraying can also be done directly in the NFT now with a 1-gallon sprayer. I'm getting roots below in 2 days now. I had an over-dense brassica mix grow I'm not going to show. It grew well, but had way too many immature cabbage and broccoli seed overpowered by kale. I decided not to publish that one.
So, you're going to pull a potential surprise out of me with your question. I feel that the first 2-3 days require attention right now, but I'm considering a small humidifier I'd like to modify and attach to the black-out dome. They have timers on them now. The fog would have disinfectant in it. Shhhhh, don't tell anyone. ;O) Ultimately, though I see that micros need attention in some way or another, but I'm working on getting it less and less which really equates to more consistent and maybe better product. Thing is that I really feel that weighting the micros is important and that would block the sprouts from the fog. We'll see. Thoughts...
@@C3Voyage You are starting to overlap into mushroom territory so I can speak to some of this. Part of the process of producing spawn or substrate for mushrooms is to sterilize the spawn or the substrate. This is accomplished in a few ways. The way I started with was a pressure cooker. In the case of spawn, I use a mix of milo, millets and oats and soak the seeds overnight. They then go into mushroom bags which are designed to withstand the 240-250 degree temperatures that the pressure cooker can produce. This is done to eliminate as much as possible all competing bacteria and microbes and give the mycelium in the inoculated substrate the best chance to completely colonize the spawn during the incubation period which can be anywhere from 2-8 weeks. Usually the spawn substrate (mainly oats) will stay in the pressure cooker for around 2 hours but that is because it takes at least the first hour if not more to bring everything up to temperature. In your case I would think 30 minutes in the pressure cooker in a mason jar would do the trick.
I always wondered if the oats would germinate after they came out of the pressure cooker. I am gathering all the equipment now and I don't think I would be ready to test this until after Christmas. With regards to the sterilized seed, my thought is that it may turn out like your hulled sunflower seed experiment. But you never know right?!
Hopefully soon I will be reasonably up to pace with you and perhaps, if you would like, we could share ideas and test different things together. At some point you have to finally shoot all the other youtube producers and settle on a means and methods that you like. The more I watch other people the more I keep coming back to what you are doing. So I guess that means that I have pretty much settled on yours. Hope you don't mind. We are both sort of at the same point in life and doing this for the same reasons and hey I got a pond just like you!
With regards to the humidifier, I use with great success a simple yet inexpensive system that other you tubers have done. You put one of this in a 17 gallon bin. www.ebay.com/itm/10-head-Ultrasonic-mist-maker-fogger-humidifier-transformer-110V-220V-new-/192130411802?hash=item2cbbdd6d1a. Hook up a float valve to it and connect it to a drum of your solution. On the top mount an axial fan blowing into the bin. Also drill a hole for an 1.5 pipe coming out and the pipe can then be run directly to your nft tray and blowing as much humidity as you want on the tray. Just use a timer or a humidity control like this. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FQKXRXA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1. This is sort of the idea only without the float. ua-cam.com/video/K_kHONDINRs/v-deo.html. I have found that the float is necessary since you need to have a constant supply of water or it will be a headache. I never think about mine. Comes on when it needs to to keep the fruiting chamber at a constant 80% humidity.
This went to spam due to links which is common for YT to do. Super flattered you're following along and have an interest in my work. I've got lots of irons in the pot including my breeding work which is my real passion. Breeding is also an art in ways. I'm happy to be busy over the winter months!
You don’t really have to answer this because I probably won’t see the answer, but thank you for the video and also had a possible idea why don’t you just float the plastic trays on the water and then have like a wicking system like a paper towel sticking down into the water?. Period. I’m new to all this and it seems like a good idea to me and then I thought let me check on UA-cam for what other people are doing...
I’m just gonna go find my answer but if you on the off chance didn’t think of that maybe that will help you or maybe it’s a terrible idea because the seeds will be too wet I don’t know🤔
Anyway thank you for this idea...It helped and obviously works I was just thinking of something a little simpler
In hydro, it's called floating rafts. There could be challenges due to weight, but it's possible.
Hi, I just did an experiment and tried to germinate some seeds like this but it was a mess. I even got maggots. I'm guessing it was too much humitidy for the germination process and some seeds rotted.
Where do you get your trays and screens?
Everything I use is in my store. Link in description. I am converting to FDA approved screens.
@@C3Voyage I don't see the 2x4 tray in your store. Am I missing it?
@@noneyabidness7226 It tends to always be sold out on Amazon. Try greenhousemegastore.com. Search it and the internet for "large garden tray" with dimensions that are 21" x 41" or thereabouts.
Hey Brent....Can you tell us what trays your using, how many 10x20''s fit in it and where your getting them? Thanks! OH YEAH! I know you've said before but what screen are you using and where do you get that???
I am so glad you asked! I have a Word document with links to this stuff that I copy into each video. The links are separated by the type of video and I copied the wrong links. Take a look at the description now. It should have everything I use when doing microgreens. The actual big tray I used is no longer at Greenhouse Megastore, but it is now on Amazon too which is great. The screen is in the links as well. So you know, I get a referral stipend if you use the links. It DOES NOT change your price, but Amazon "thanks me", and of course, it's good advertisement for them.
@@C3Voyage Awesome! Are these flimsy like the 10x20's or thicker? How many trays fit inside it? Where did you get the watering parts that you put in the side of the trays?
They are not that flimsy at all. Four 1020s will fit in it. By the way, the 1020s I use are stout. Their link is also in the description for Bootstrap Farmer. I got away from the junk 1020s last year.
The watering is accomplished with 1/4" vinyl tubing attached to the trays and held in place with top hat grommets. Both are in the description. The drippers inserted in the tubing are regular drippers you can find anywhere. Even though I don't use drippers much anymore, I found them useful for this application. If I'm being unclear, ask again. I don't mind!
@@C3Voyage Maybe an email address? might be easier. I used to have it but dont think I do anymore.
c3voyage@gmail.com
hello again Brent from the rock of Gibraltar
i have a video i would like to share with you, do you have an email i can send the link to?
Sure, c3voyage@gmail.com.
Which drain do you typically use?
Mark, not sure what you mean. Sorry.
@@C3Voyage in your video you showed a bottom and a side drain and indicated you could plug the bottom drain if you wanted a slightly higher water level. Do you ever plug the bottom drain?
@@marksanders6271 No, other than a test I think. I can't quite remember, but I believe the higher level was a backup in case the lower one clogged. I haven't grown NFT in a very long time though.
@@C3Voyage Thanks. Isn't NFT the basis of your microgreens book?
@@marksanders6271 No, it's aerated water culture.
So you dont soak your seeds?
Yes, I soak many of them. Some I don't. If you want to know which ones, please ask specifically. Here's the kicker to that question: The ones I soak, I soak differently and with differing solutions based on my research and trials.