Took this idea and built one just like it... AMAZING TURN OUT!. The output of lettuce is amazing. From seed to harvest in 5 weeks. Thank you so much for sharing this idea!
Just wanted to let you know that I adopted your design to get into hydroponics in my basement, it has worked out beautifully, pumping out butter crunch lettuce as we speak. Keep up the good work, the updates are awesome!
hey ,if anyone else trying to find out aquaponics book try Tarbetti Amazing Aquaponics Tutor (just google it ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my partner got excellent results with it.
@@passangbhote7742 I no right... Plus its free to grow out side or on a balcony.. Plus eat seasonal it's so much easier.... Oh false lights to grow food and plastic pipelines so had for the environment 😂😂😂😂😂
Anyone who is adaptive enough to design and construct a working piece of equipment that is not already available is a true engineer and shows a hint of genius. Well done indeed sir. Well done. ♥
Engineers can't design a wet paper bag sometimes. Mainly because they sit in front of a computer and rarely prove out their designs in the real world. Great job in this.
@@MrM0saic so, do you mind asking Jesus if he kept Mr. Santa Clause drunk every Christ-eve in the last 20 years or so, whenever he tried to make his trip to China٩(ˊ〇ˋ*)و~
i was watching hydroponic videos and thought why not have vertical tubes with smaller tubes coming out from an angle (exactly what you're doing with the Y junctions here) and 1 minute later I see your video!! looks great!
Wow, really enjoy your build. If possible do you have a video showing how you built, or a list of materials, length, and kind of simple directions please? Really enjoyed, and will try to build one, not as big, but to first experience, trial and error. Thanks, very excited!!!
I adopted this design for a smaller, 25-site wall. I have been using it for a couple years and it works great. I really don't know why most growers don't opt for a flat design like this one. Those 360-towers are only good for outdoors. I splurged on lights and got a couple Fluence panels that were absolutely worth it. Cons: Cleaning can be an issue with this system--especially if you choose to bond the PVC, which you have to do or you'll be dealing with constant leaks. I started using a toilet auger (an unused one!) to grab old root clumps, and it works pretty well with some elbow grease. Also, you have to have a pretty strong pump going if you want to get sprayer heads to actually spray at the top. I've never been able to get more than streams coming out of them with my pump. However, it doesn't seem to matter much if you don't get a good spray. Occasionally, a new plant dies because the stream isn't directly hitting its small roots, but because of the (very important!) tilt in the design, most plants get water most of the time.
Thanks Chad. I don't use sprayer heads - I'd imagine they'd clog pretty easily. I just run the nute down the front of the towers. 2 weeks back I did have to replace the irrigation lines but that was after 6 years of use. I put a 90 on the end of the 1/2 inch tube and ran it down the framing a foot or so, and put a ball valve on, so I have a clean-out. I do have problems with roots on plants I leave in, so usually do replace them half way through the winter (Dec/Jan) to avoid leaking. I also posted a vid last spring of my tower cleaning pipe which works magically. I only run the system Sep-May and then I'm in the greenhouse, and I find that the plants grow better early on compared with at the end of the growing season. It's not perfection but it works for our intents and purposes. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm happy that you were able to benefit from this concept. Happy growing!
Joe you totally inspired us to do this. I have all the materials and two hours into the build I have a basic frame and one light silo almost built. I went with 6 dual sockets and same bulbs. I used 3/32 ten inch spacers with nuts to hold the pipe open. I decided to go with a Colman cooler on wheels for the nutrient tank. I got the ytees at lowes and same pump you rec. I have a 200 seedling tray growing nicely in rockwool ready to get this thing finished in a day or two. This design you have is really ideal for baements! thanks and hopefully I can send updates.
Thanks for sharing Marty, sounds like you are well on your way! I'm not quite sure what you mean by using spacers with nuts to hold the pipe open, but focus on finishing your project and growing your greens. Make sure your Coleman cooler is large capacity. I love the idea of having a drain on the bottom of the cooler for your flushes. Please share your questions and progress. Best of luck!
Hi Joe. I finished a four tower wall tonight with room for 12 prolly. I tested the pump with water and bam, it all worked like a charm. Now I can clean out the pvc filings and move to finishing light and putting first crop on timers prolly Sunday. I'll keep you posted on progress. Many questions. I didn't glue towers to base so I can remove. But I did glue the ytees. Question: is the pvc cement safe for food based plants? Question: I put 180 sprayers as drippers to get more airation. Does that reduced flow hurt? what did you put at drip ends? thanks. that's all so far.
Hi Marty - great work! I can't say for certain about the glue. I haven't found any research indicating dried pipe glue is unsafe. It's used for cold water lines in millions of homes. We cook with it, we drink it. For that reason I use it. For the aeration, I'm not sure the sprayers are necessary. My roots are clean and white without sprayers, and although I don't have experience with them I always have a feeling they get clogged and can be a lot of maintenance. I've always been intrigued with aeroponics though. That being said I don't know about the flow rate. I just leave the irrigation tubing open to maximize flow. Wish I could be more help.
great that's perfect. did you give any thought to a bubbler? I guess the verticle drop is plenty of air. thanks Joe. doing 28 plugs today. same nutrient. I think it's like 15ml per gallon. thanks again
hey Marty, switching from floating raft to vertical tower was motivated largely by the lack of need of aeration, which is massive in deep water culture. I have wondered if a bubbler would be necessary as I designed this system, but turns out it's not needed, in my opinion. My roots are beautiful and growth seems more reliant on concentration of available nutrients based on my experience. And yes, 15ml per gallon should get you around 1000 ppm, which will increase as transpiration and evaporation occurs naturally. How many total sites did you say you have? I divide my number of sites by 6 (weeks), and that's how many seedlings I harvest and replace weekly. (2 weeks germinating under light outside the system, and then 6 weeks to grow out in the system) That way you get a weekly supply of lettuce. Herbs like basil, dill, parsley, etc. stay in for 3-5 months and you cut as needed. These plants have a life cycle - some shorter than others - like cilantro. Congrats on making all this happen!
I set up a tower garden based on your specifications. Once I got the right pump, the garden has been a total success. I planted it with swiss chard. I also have a Kratky set-up planted with the same swiss chard seedlings. The tower garden has outperformed the Kratky system by a wide margin. Thank you for showing us your system.
These nft systems are sweet but if you put an airstone into yoyr kranky system your rootball will expand exponentially and then you will see growth. Thats a dwc. Best producing system of all in my opinion. Please try a pump before abandoning the other system I promise you will not be dissappounted. An 8 outlet pump is like $25 bucks. Good for 8 -5gal. DWC pots. Best investment you can make!
@@denisrowlett9829 Don't worry I am a Kratky fan. Joe's system is great for lettuce as you can harvest a head of lettuce and easily replace it with a new seedling. I am pretty sure I will stick with both systems for a long time. The downside of dwc is it uses so much more nutrient solution, otherwise, I agree with you.
UA-cam recommended this to me and I'm starting to feel like it's beginning to finally understand me. This is really well done, I'm going to be subscribing now!
@@alisonnorcross951 Not really. The chemicals provide the necessary nutrients for the plants to grow healthy and plus, I can only eat zucchini, celery, lettuce and carrot so it's perfect for me. It might be boring to other people though, but that's okay. There are still many choices out there.
Your design is so neat and smart that I just had to copy it, but on a smaller scale. I finished the assembly and ran water through it today and will have something growing as soon as possible. You did an awesome job! Thank you for posting it.
Yikes, thank you so much for sharing such terrific information. Now that I am partially retired, this is going to be a great way to spend a few hours a week and learn so much more than I ever thought. Let’s hope I’m smart enough to replicate this in my basement....from your other replies to questions and the great video, it should be good......again, thank you
Thank you for part 2 experiment. I found the tube and bulb daylight LED do well in my northern Minnesota winter indoor tropic garden. growing passion fruit which I brought in from outside. I Like your Man Cave set up - timmer the plumber. -Thumbs UP!
You can double your production by angling your plant holes alternating right and left at 45 degrees and reducing the spacing to 1/2 of what you have now. Since adjacent plants are pointing then at 90 degrees from each other you have no issue with plants bunch up with each other.
Is very nice setup. I am building and a-frame version now with same principle in general. It is for outside and I have the pvc system horizontal. To cut down on the cost without compromising function and to increase grow spots I am doing the following: I am using 2x4 wood for the a-frame structure. I use 10 ft 2x4's cut and joined at the top at a 45 degree angle. Then 10 4 inch PVS-S (THIN WALL SEWER PIPE) are spaced on 1 ft centers down each leg. This gives 300 planting spots on 8 inc centers. I only will pipe water in to the top pipe on each side. I choose the water (solution) level for each successive pipe and let the upper ones overflow to each successive lower one as the upper one reaches my overflow level of the immediate pipe above. Once they are all filled the first time, whatever flow you put in will overflow in every tube equally every time the pump comes on. This method saves the big expense of all the WYES which is signifiant. To hold the horizontal pipe in place, just drill an appropriate hole horizontal to the ground and insert a dowel or rebar and tap it in place. No need for fancy connectors and it looks good. Another advantage of this is that you can make the dowel as long as you want if you choose a bigger dowel. If longer, then you can expand as much as you want by adding 2 ,3, etc alongside your primary pipes. If you have 3 at each level and staggered holes, then you have 900 planting spots in this one setup. You may have to connect your holding tanks together as your system gets bigger though or you will be having to mix up your fert solution much too often. Another advantage of this setup, especially by using a wood frame, is that there is lots of internal space to put to use by adding attachments to the frame to grow additional products of choice. The footprint of the system is roughly 6 ft x 10 ft when assembled.
@@VICTUS_fashion You are very welcome. I just think it is good for everyone to share their ideas to help everyone if possible. I really like what you have done also.
Hello Mad Marlin, this has been brought up before. I'd imagine it would work better outdoors facing south so the plants can benefit from sun moving east to west. Indoors the light would be frontal and static, and I'm not sure how that would impact growth. I'm thinking the plants would reach and therefore not grow right, because instead of the plants facing the lights they would be off on an angle. Also, for doubling the number of plants on the same tower I'd imagine you would may need to increase spacing between the plants, or you would be constricted as to what varieties you grow to avoid overcrowding. Additionally, how would you tilt the towers in two directions at once to irrigate both sides? Perhaps with a wick - but I would guess the roots would impede top to bottom connection, especially if you plant every other to optimize energy output from the lights. Like I've requested from others who bring up this configuration - neat idea - I would love for you to try it out and share a video of a system built with this configuration. I'd love to see how it would work in practice.
I see a lot of this on UA-cam, but the real question is never answered: Is your home growing cheaper than just buying the greens at the supermarket? Because that is yous competition here. Give us a rundown on cost for build, the cost for maintenance and upkeep (everything that keeps the system running), and compare that to the cost of buying greens wholesale. How long, if at all, will it take to get break even and into profit/less cost?
For most people who do this its about more than cost. For one people just like to grow plants its a hobby it brings joy in a gardeners life to start with a little seed and watch it grow. Secondly when you grow from seed to harvest you know exactly what was put into the plant therefore you know exactly whats going into your body. As far as the cost that really depends on the individual. I am a deep water culture grower, you can literally start with a home depot paint bucket and an aquarium air pump. You want people to be your financial advisor and accounting asking about break even, profits and loss. All of that is dependent on you no one can answer those questions for you
@@befree4052 i am a beginner trying to get into DWC, one of the biggest concern i have is the cost, i totally agree with what you said, it's about the joy comes out of it, but at the same time i am so worried i maybe way over my head because my area in vancouver Canada is cold in the winter so extra heater requirements maybe needed.
@@JLeeBlog no not needed if youre growing indoors the heat from the lights will do just fine for a small set up. Too much heat can actually be bad for the plants depending on what youre growing. In fact you may need a fan instead of a heater.
@@befree4052 that is awesome news! thank you so much for your tip! I am still in my researching phase, i should be as you mentioned start with a home depot bucket and a aquarium pump. do you mix your own mineral water or buy pre-mix?
@@JLeeBlog They actually have the dwc buckets on amazon if you dont want to make your own but really making your own is not much different from what amazon sells. Good luck
Awesome - be sure to read the comments on this thread (there are very many but they have good info) as well as watch my other videos to get all the info you need for the build project. Also, don't miss the materials list I supplied in the description of this video. :-)
You have an excellent system here and I have watched your video many times. You inspired my build and I just finished designing a flange that will seat onto a cabinet top, with a socket that will accept the 1.5" pipe at a forward 5° angle, and reduces to a .5" spigot for the return lines. The return lines and reservoir will sit inside the cabinet. It's a small system, for an apartment, and i wanted it to look like a piece of furniture as well. Thank you for all your help!
I have watched your video so many times. Thanks for sharing. Last year I built something similar, but just two rows that fit on a bucket. Had issues with that, so I am going to build one like yours. Thanks again.
Remember you can always make a system more efficient. You just have to figure out how your going to do it affordability. That's the concussion i have come to. But I'm sure you already know that. I don't mean to preach to the choir. Happy Growing!
I built my rotating version of this set up and my pipes are straight up. I noticed the water is everywhere inside the pipes and tends to spread as roots develop.
@@AEON. should work. I noticed i get the best results with shiny coated tin metal. Best part about using this is you can cut it and rivet it to any shape, size , or design. Also help you control temperature with just a fan hitting it at different speeds.
@@missouribotanicals9801 I have noticed the seeds germinate quicker and seem to at least get their start really fast so I'm still waiting to see the progress in the towers themselves.
Hi I missed on your video where to search the nutrient recipe details. I am happy to say I built my first tower using your specs and quite happy with it. Thank you.
hey great job! I use the recipe from UA-camr ChilLed Nutrient. Works great for me. Masterblend has a new-ish bend for hydro greens I'd like to try. Need to find a distributor. Masterblend is local-ish but sell in bulk and I just need 1 40 lbs bag to test. It takes me about 3 years to go through 40 lbs and if there's no difference I'll stick with the tomato blend. Don't even know at this point the price for the greens formula. Okay, maybe TMI. Best of luck to you!
Just installed 2 in my high school 66 grow sites per and an additional system in a neighboring district with 60 sites. Looks great 6 weeks in! Awesome information
Hey Michael that's great! Remember to flush every 3 weeks and keep a close eye on the pH! I developed some STEM curricula for sustainability in agriculture if you are interested.
@@maryneumayer01 Do you make house calls and do installations... I would like to have one and I would rather not do any work, seriously... I am disabled a bit but mostly lazy probably to be completely honest...
+MaryandJoe Neumayer hi everyone ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Tarbetti Amazing Aquaponics Tutor (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my colleague got amazing results with it.
We made one in our basement based off your idea. It produced so much that we had to give away to friends and family. We also learned that herbs need to be removed and roots trimmed back or they will plug up the pipe. The root trimming doesn't seem to phase the herbs.
wow, that's awesome - yes, I should make that remark about the roots with the herbs. I plant new ones about half way through - like now I have the new plugs with baby plants in the system in other sites on the lettuce side and I will be preplacing my herbs soon. The parsley is the most problematic, but my seeds are so old (2013) that they won't germinate and so I ordered new seeds with this year's order. Additionally, I have also downsized as the system produces why too much. Over the pandemic I provided for friends via pick-up service, for a donation, but with my kid's busy schedules I had to stop that. I removed 9 pipes and next year I will remove a couple more. It really is amazing how much the system produces. Thanks for your comment and best to you.
Wow I've been wanting to do something like this but haven't found the right kind of setup. Now I have something really solid to base mine off of. Thanks.
@@maryneumayer01 do you have any special fitting on the end of the 1/4 poly tubing ? It looks like you have yours running in on top of the towers. Also what pump are you using and what nutrients are you using ? And one more thing, what do you mean by a nutrient flush ? Thanks.
I'm doing the research for an indoor greens/lettuce tower, and your build really struck me as nice and simple. I like that you went with easy to get plumbing parts and simple E26 bulbs, nice. Thank you for posting to many great details and the document you shared.
Wow this is really a great system. I have been thinking about getting into setting up a Hydroponic system but just did not know how to get started. You have given me hope.
@MaryandJoe Neumayer And the teacher part shows! Including the patient responses. :) While I'm in a comment, I'm building my system now -- totally inspired by you, thanks! I've bought these grow lights (link at end of comment) and will let you know how they work. I may need to supplement with regular lights, but they're blindingly bright! I plan to put the Mylar blanket type things behind the grow area, but I'm in Florida, and frankly, the house is on AC most of the time anyway. I did have a question about the plugs: reading through all the comments, it seems that you put the growdan plugs right into the wye, right? No net cups? I was just about to order those, and will hold off, at this point. The system I plan will be about half this large, about 7x7. I had seen, in one of your other videos, you had experimented with some LEDs. In my reading, white LEDs are not full spectrum, and the plants seek red and blue spectrums. Though I've never done one before, and am just now on the adventure. I'll try to post back the feedback. Thanks!!!! Perhaps this following is worth a consideration: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QWV1THV/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1V31LM9AH9FRH&th=1
@@uscochimanufactory3781 done in life? in this comment section? in botany? That's too broad of a question. Complain about what? Where is the complaint? Why are we "quoting" words? Why even pose such an inane jibe when it's clear I'm taking the piss out of our intrepid engineer here.
@@uscochimanufactory3781 are you illiterate? I've neither whined or complained. I've remarked. Opined. Quit whinging about my quip, you're ill-equipped to wrangle with it.
Noticed a little ‘tip burn’ on the mature plants furthest from the fan.. it might be (calcium issues) usually from air circulation issues. Ceiling fans would be an awesome addition. Three would do the trick, I’d circulate two of them pushing air down and one in center pulling air up... get a nice mix going. Awesome setup & video. Keep it up
can't skimp on the foosball table! Was actually a birthday gift from my girlfriend at the time. I didn't propose until she got me the kegerator. Happy to say we're still going strong after 16 years! :-)
First of all, WOW! Best video I've seen in a long time. I learned so much. I had read daylight LED bulbs were good for grow lights. They're $2.87 each on amazon FYI. Very thoughtful design. I bought Barrina 4 ft LED lights on Amazon $100 for 6, figures out to under $17 per light. They're pretty red, perhaps mixing a few of them in would help with the red lettuce. They draw 39.1 watts each and probably cover as well or better as 3 of the leds, which would draw between 39 and 45 watts combined, or so. I think they would need to be closer than the LEDs are in this video. They are also pre-wired so you can daisy chain 6 of them together and you don't have to buy light fixtures. That said, I really like your light fixtures. Very inventive. I've read that flat white paint reflects something like 90% of the spectrum you want, and mylar, like the cheap space blankets others have mentioned in comments, is something like 98%. I got a package of 10 for $7 on Amazon. I see aluminum foil in the video which I've read only reflects about 55%. (which is still way better than nothing). I bet with mylar behind the plants, and with it behind the lights and lining the reflectors, you'll see gains. How far from the plants have you been keeping your lights? Did I mention I really like your lighting setup? Right now I'm using the barrina lights and mylar tenting for lettuce/swiss chard/tomatoes. Good results. I'll definitely be mixing in more Daylight LEDS and I really love your set up. Awesome video!
Hey Buddy! Sounds like a good suggestion, the mylar. I didn't think it was that cheap. I'll check it out. My lighting is about 22 inches out from my plants. Interestingly, I just removed the diffuser on one bulb and gained 45% increase on my Lux meter. I'm going to try this on 2 or 3 towers with removing 4 bulbs per tower to see if the plants respond/grow differently. If not, I'll actualize some welcomed wattage savings. I'll remove the double socket and just use a single bulb. I'm excited to see how that works out.
it's about 30% of our usage, but we have rooftop solar so it depends on the time of year in terms of what portion of our electricity bill is affected. it's complicated
Wow Project, to say the least. I liked it so much. Using Y joints make more sense than making those pockets with heat gun and so on. I would adopt this design and already got a bunch of Y joints for building similar tower, but a smaller version to begin with. Just three towers. ONE QUESTION, can you tell me, what is the distance between two vertical towers?
Hello, it depends on what you want to grow. For lettuce I'd recommend 8-9 inches, for kale 12 to 14, herbs around 10 - between plants. You'll have to play around with the distance between towers. My lettuce towers for reference are exactly 8 inches from center pipe to center pipe. Hope this helps.
@@howo357 My thoughts on the cost factor exactly. The problem (for those who haven't tried it yet) with the "cut a slot, heat and form-a-socket-with-a-bottle" technique is that the the upper part of the socket acts as a hood that causes most of the water to bypass the grow net. I think this can be cured by cutting another but smaller slot upstream of the main one at the highest point of the hood and then form another smaller socket but in the opposite direction. Together with the tilting of the vertical tube this should solve the "bypass" problem. I admit that I haven't tried this yet but maybe it is worth a shot..
I live in Malaysia- I have sun 365 days a year, so I plan to do this in the patio. this will work yes? Can you explain why you need to do a once a month flush?
@@aforcetobereckonedwith1084 paint your equipment Black this prevents Algae and unsightly growth....good aeration with Mixed loose ( koi plastic balls are good) media breaks down clumping of Algae etc this should keep all your nutrients good for months ....Nutrients will only need topping up if PH levels etc get low.....
hi, some of the micronutrients precipitate over time and are no longer available for absorption through the roots so flushing gets them out and you add new nutrient. Don't paint black - you will be battling the heat and you need to keep your nutrient cool. Don't use clear materials or you will get algae growth. Nute container and lines must be nontransparent but avoid heating up your nutrient or your plants will be unhappy. Good luck!
VERY NICE VID!!! I watch alot of this kind of stuff and there is so much garbage online, people calling this AEROPONICS and stuff. your video is well done and the setup you have is inspiring. from someone who has done alot of hydro in the past, very nice. only thing I would suggest is using a foil warming blanket to reflect the back. you have alot of wasted light you could be using for the back and maybe the underside of the plants.
Hello Joseph, thanks for your comment. I did indeed add foil warming blankets a couple of years back and have been happy to maximize my lighting potential. Happy growing to you!
hi! a beginner question :v How do you make the irrigation inside each tower? I mean do you have an aspersion valve ir something or it's a regular flow from the tiny hose of each tower? Thanks forma sharing guys you are amazing!
Hello, the 1/4 drip line is attached to a 1/4 inch connector which plugs into the 1/2 inch irrigation line. The line is attached to a Danner Supreme Pond Pump Model 5. I had a Model 7 hooked up but it was way overkill and I busted the impeller within the month. No valves or aeration devices. Happy Hydroponics!
Hello, the nutrient runs down the front of the pipe and hits the tip of the Grodan plug, irrigating the 3 week seeding. Soon the roots extend out and down the pipe itself. I don't use any aeration as there is plenty of aeration in the vertical design. This one of the major reasons I designed the system like this. I have a fractioning impeller on order to test to see if there is an improvement in growth rate with oxygenated nutrient delivery but I am doubtful. Thanks for your question.
Make your nursery area slideable, open ends in a gutter like return. Then you can have your babies hanging closer together and intensify your light energy over a smaller area. Great system.
Your system is awsome! You could arrange the wall sections into an octagon and put the light bars in the middle vertically with maybe mylar wrapped on the back side of the octagon. A ceiling fan overhead would work as well. The tubing system works as a fogger as well as pumped water. I'll say it again, your DIY system is awesome!
I finally started my project based on your design. I'm making a shorter design, with 7 towers in my kitchen, and modifying the nutrient tank setup to pump from a 75 Gallon fish tank to suit an aquaponics ecosystem with Flowerhorns and Plecostomus. Almost done! just need to build the frame to hold the PVC and suspend the lighting. Can't wait to show you!
I like this system a lot! Especially your home made light fixture. Very clever. I only have a few considerations. The timed fan is great in theory, but could be more beneficial by incorporating a small air duct in and out, with a damper. Better to displace indoor room air w fresh air. Also. Your plants with love it if you added an air stone to the nutrient reservoir. Nutrients simply dripping down the root mass isn’t aerating the water.
Thanks for the tips! The fan is currently running all the time. An air duct with a damper is an interesting consideration. I try to keep that room isolated from the outside to keep it as sterile as possible though. As for an aerator, I can give it a try. I'd think there's quite a bit of aeration occurring when the nutrient is running down a vertical pipe - just like a river but more surface area to pick up O2.
I used your design to create 200 spots for Strawberry's. I am in week five since the plants have been planted and they are growing fast. The one cool thing with this system as I spot the smaller plants I can move them around to a better position to get more sun and this has saved a couple of plants. I can send you pictures if you would like to see the setup. My setup is outside BTW
Hey awesome! So glad to hear it's working out for you. I'd love some picts at neumayer04@gmail.com. Thanks so much! I grew some delicious strawberries myself in this system. Very prolific.
Great system. I would love to see someone attempt this using bamboo and hemp-based plastics, even on a much smaller scale. That would just blow me away. In fact, I should just google it. I am so tired of plastic being configured into solutions for a better world.
amen to that. I now use reusable nylon bags for my lettuce delivery and my friends just return the bag when they are done. Each person has a different color so I can keep track of bags. It's really reduced my use of plastic, but there's a long road ahead. I'd love to hear more ideas.
You can get 50% more produce by changing your led bulb to warm white 2700k instead of a 5k or 5.6k. Leafy plants explode with red spectrum. 4 2700k bulbs with 1 6000k. 4:1 red to blue ratio. Good luck and it looks fantastic. God speed!
Hi Denis, thanks for the tip. I'm planning on experimenting with some Solstrips for this next basement season. The system is cleaned and shut down now until August/September. If that doesn't work I can experiment with some new 2700k bulbs.
What an amazing project! I’m totally in love with it and I’m going to build it in my backyard (just a bit smaller). I Hopefully natural light will be enough to grow something for my own use. We just need to build something like tent to protect the whole construction from rain, wind and some bugs. I’m excited to give it a try!
Hi Urszula, no need to protect from rain/wind/bugs outdoors. Just coat your PVC with a uv blocking paint to prevent degredation from sunlight. Be also careful to keep your nutrient solution cool - high temps can cause stress to plants and bolting in many veggies. I have a old video on an outdoor prototype - check it out. : -)
Thanks for advice! I’ve seen that video already :) We are going to keep box with nutrients solution in the shadow to avoid heating from sunlight. Not sure if it’s a good thing but my garden has direct sunlight only up to 1-2pm so hopefully it will not be too hot. The whole construction is almost ready, seedlings are growing, just need a pump and a few touches to start! Can’t wait 🙂
Ha ha, I do grow with my high school students in the classroom. It's always a big hit and helps break up the monotony of 'traditional' [boring] learning. It's also fun to teach them things like swiss chard doesn't come from Switzerland. (and yes, that did actually come up a couple years back!!)
Add a float valve to your supply tote and a add second tote to sit on top of the first one. It keeps the first one filled and offers more time between nutrient refills. I grow tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets in a spare bedroom and use the two tote stack system. I use 6K color led tubes and the cheap Mylar space blanket reflectors with great results.
Thanks Roger for the tip. I can go about 10 days before needing to refill but if I go out of town for a longer period that would be very helpful. I did put up mylar back in December when I removed some diffusers and lights and I am happy with the growth. An unanticipated bonus is the channeling of the air flow behind the plants which really helps with circulation and transpiration in my opinion based on simple observation.
@@maryneumayer01 For better air flow, I added a small fan connected to a timer (along with an air pump) which come on briefly 4 times an hour or so. I have been successful with a hybrid of DWC, Dutch buckets and aeroponics. I have a timed pump in the supply tank which just about fills the 5 gallon buckets 4 times an hour thru inverted lawn sprinkler heads in the top of the buckets and then they slowly drain half back into the supply, thus each bucket "breaths" fresh air and also get a bit of compressed air into the solution remaining in each bucket. Great hobby! Best wishes.
You've got the perfect setup to go aquaponic with it. Ditch the hydroponic solution, and replace it with fish in the reservoir. All you need to do is run a filter in the pump line to filter out any large particles, and the system operates without the need for artificial solutions. Plus you can grow fish too.
been there done that my friend. After 2 years of aqua I switched over to hydro. Don't get me wrong - I loved my fishies, but it was not optimal for shutting down over the summer and restarting in the fall. I grow outdoors in my small greenhouse spring/summer/fall. It also got cold in my basement for my tilapia, and the solid waste really required a lot of maintaining to keep my grow beds clean. Plus I had my tilapia in about 400 gallons - I couldn't keep them in my tiny 50 gallon container in this system - and if I tried, I'd have to add water every other day - and feed them twice, adjust the pH every 3 days, manage solid waste, engineer a large biofilter, etc. I just don't have the time. And what to do when I need to leave for a week or 3? Again, I love aquaponics, but this is not the setup for it unfortunately.
@@maryneumayer01 valid point. Automating systems isn't too difficult with the right investment up front. But that's something you have to figure out if the cost is worth it for you in the long run. I stared out by automating my aquariums when I was in the army so they could run while I was gone, and then decided to add onto it for an aquaponics system. Automated feeders took care of the food, and an auto top off system pumped water kept in a reservoir into the system, as it is cooler and sealed, it doesn't evaporate. All told, it cost me about $1000 on a smaller scale.
It really produces a lot so be ready - I have downsized the system (removed about 9 towers) and I will probably take a couple more out for next grow season. I used to have product available for community members for a donation (great product - everyone was so happy to partake) but I just don't have the time anymore. :-(
What - no Parsley? Parsley in smoothies is better than any other veggie as it is not overwhelming up to almost a handful; also Parsley makes a Pesto sauce equal to Basil pesto sauce. Parsley is considered a super food - check out its specs. Love your setup. I await Spring next month and will create a Tower made from stacking 5-gallon buckets (I inherited about 30 buckets) and making holes in the sides for plants like yours, but I will use quality soil; and if it works well I will bring it indoors in the Fall and make aeroponic/hydroponic operation from it. Thanks for sharing a great project you've accomplished. ciao.
cool idea, best of luck to you. Parsley grows wonderfully in the system - too well actually as the roots can clog the pipe at about the 6 month mark, especially if there are more than 1 plant. Trim the roots or start new sets - that's what I do. And I love a parsley and cilantro smoothie with lemon. I can feel it cleanse my entire gastrointestinal system!! ;-)
Joe, this is phenomenal. I am hoping to base a whole small grow business off of this concept and you've answered some key questions I had. Did not think I could get away with 1.5s and knowing that I can is gonna save me a bundle. Thank you so much. Might I make a suggestion? If yield is important to you(which it may not be) construct a simple germination chamber for your seedlings. It'll save you two weeks in the pipes allowing for more grows. Thank you for what you do and doing your part to save the world. Edit: Just floating through some of your older vids and saw your germination chamber. DOH! I will say that you can wait a bit longer before piping. :)
Hi, not so sure I'd recommend you keep the seedlings in the tray for any longer without modification to be honest. But yes, the system works well enough as is.
Hi, great video, very nicely explained. You can try alternating the direction of the Y-tees. That would enable a reduction in the distance between two Y-tees, yet allow sufficient space between plants. The total number of plants per tower would be near double.
Thanks for the info! I'd love to see that in the works. My concern would be multi-directional lighting to keep the plants from leaning/growing into each other. I have the system against the wall so I illuminate from the front. That gives us room for foosball and darts!
good idea. they where crazy expensive when I built the system so I made my own instead. Purchasing them now would translate to on additional cost. But do you have recommendations for those starting out now? Thanks for sharing!
Love it. Maybe if you used a trough at the base and allowed the verticals to slide you could have closer spacing for young plants/ herbs and wider spacing for mature plants, should be able to fit more in that way.
that's a neat idea. I like the closed system concept and now I grow alternating sites so the plants don't get as crowded. It works better all around, especially since some lettuce types grow faster than others, so I just pull whatever is more ready and give the others more time.
Took this idea and built one just like it... AMAZING TURN OUT!. The output of lettuce is amazing. From seed to harvest in 5 weeks. Thank you so much for sharing this idea!
Fantastic! So glad to hear! Congrats!
Just wanted to let you know that I adopted your design to get into hydroponics in my basement, it has worked out beautifully, pumping out butter crunch lettuce as we speak. Keep up the good work, the updates are awesome!
That's so awesome thanks for sharing!
Danke Joseph!
hey ,if anyone else trying to find out aquaponics book try Tarbetti Amazing Aquaponics Tutor (just google it ) ? Ive heard some interesting things about it and my partner got excellent results with it.
How much power it consume??
@@passangbhote7742 I no right... Plus its free to grow out side or on a balcony.. Plus eat seasonal it's so much easier.... Oh false lights to grow food and plastic pipelines so had for the environment 😂😂😂😂😂
Anyone who is adaptive enough to design and construct a working piece of equipment that is not already available is a true engineer and shows a hint of genius. Well done indeed sir. Well done. ♥
tanks, I've taken a lot of heat for that "engineering' bit I said without even thinking about it!! ;-)
Engineers can't design a wet paper bag sometimes. Mainly because they sit in front of a computer and rarely prove out their designs in the real world. Great job in this.
I would pay someone to set this up in my house for sure.
I'm sure you're not alone.
Hi, I’m Jesus. I give you these gifts for free. Look outside!
@@MrM0saic so, do you mind asking Jesus if he kept Mr. Santa Clause drunk every Christ-eve in the last 20 years or so, whenever he tried to make his trip to China٩(ˊ〇ˋ*)و~
@@MrM0saic the bugs ate it. The same ones you supplied to bring pestilence to the world.
Good job
Dam ur really pretty
You made me decide to go this route for my vertical wall. It's now growing like hell on my 4x2 meters. Thank you so much!
So glad I could help! Thanks for giving it a try!!
i was watching hydroponic videos and thought why not have vertical tubes with smaller tubes coming out from an angle (exactly what you're doing with the Y junctions here) and 1 minute later I see your video!! looks great!
Wow, really enjoy your build. If possible do you have a video showing how you built, or a list of materials, length, and kind of simple directions please?
Really enjoyed, and will try to build one, not as big, but to first experience, trial and error.
Thanks, very excited!!!
Yes, there's a parts list in the description. Good luck!
Very nice useful information, could you share how to build up the system, how to insert the plant saplings inside y connector
I adopted this design for a smaller, 25-site wall. I have been using it for a couple years and it works great. I really don't know why most growers don't opt for a flat design like this one. Those 360-towers are only good for outdoors. I splurged on lights and got a couple Fluence panels that were absolutely worth it. Cons: Cleaning can be an issue with this system--especially if you choose to bond the PVC, which you have to do or you'll be dealing with constant leaks. I started using a toilet auger (an unused one!) to grab old root clumps, and it works pretty well with some elbow grease. Also, you have to have a pretty strong pump going if you want to get sprayer heads to actually spray at the top. I've never been able to get more than streams coming out of them with my pump. However, it doesn't seem to matter much if you don't get a good spray. Occasionally, a new plant dies because the stream isn't directly hitting its small roots, but because of the (very important!) tilt in the design, most plants get water most of the time.
Thanks Chad. I don't use sprayer heads - I'd imagine they'd clog pretty easily. I just run the nute down the front of the towers. 2 weeks back I did have to replace the irrigation lines but that was after 6 years of use. I put a 90 on the end of the 1/2 inch tube and ran it down the framing a foot or so, and put a ball valve on, so I have a clean-out. I do have problems with roots on plants I leave in, so usually do replace them half way through the winter (Dec/Jan) to avoid leaking. I also posted a vid last spring of my tower cleaning pipe which works magically. I only run the system Sep-May and then I'm in the greenhouse, and I find that the plants grow better early on compared with at the end of the growing season. It's not perfection but it works for our intents and purposes. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm happy that you were able to benefit from this concept. Happy growing!
@@maryneumayer01 Nice! I'll check out the cleaning pipe video.
Can you share a photo of your grow lights?
Joe you totally inspired us to do this. I have all the materials and two hours into the build I have a basic frame and one light silo almost built. I went with 6 dual sockets and same bulbs. I used 3/32 ten inch spacers with nuts to hold the pipe open. I decided to go with a Colman cooler on wheels for the nutrient tank. I got the ytees at lowes and same pump you rec. I have a 200 seedling tray growing nicely in rockwool ready to get this thing finished in a day or two. This design you have is really ideal for baements! thanks and hopefully I can send updates.
Thanks for sharing Marty, sounds like you are well on your way! I'm not quite sure what you mean by using spacers with nuts to hold the pipe open, but focus on finishing your project and growing your greens. Make sure your Coleman cooler is large capacity. I love the idea of having a drain on the bottom of the cooler for your flushes. Please share your questions and progress. Best of luck!
Hi Joe. I finished a four tower wall tonight with room for 12 prolly. I tested the pump with water and bam, it all worked like a charm. Now I can clean out the pvc filings and move to finishing light and putting first crop on timers prolly Sunday. I'll keep you posted on progress. Many questions. I didn't glue towers to base so I can remove. But I did glue the ytees. Question: is the pvc cement safe for food based plants? Question: I put 180 sprayers as drippers to get more airation. Does that reduced flow hurt? what did you put at drip ends? thanks. that's all so far.
Hi Marty - great work! I can't say for certain about the glue. I haven't found any research indicating dried pipe glue is unsafe. It's used for cold water lines in millions of homes. We cook with it, we drink it. For that reason I use it. For the aeration, I'm not sure the sprayers are necessary. My roots are clean and white without sprayers, and although I don't have experience with them I always have a feeling they get clogged and can be a lot of maintenance. I've always been intrigued with aeroponics though. That being said I don't know about the flow rate. I just leave the irrigation tubing open to maximize flow. Wish I could be more help.
great that's perfect. did you give any thought to a bubbler? I guess the verticle drop is plenty of air. thanks Joe. doing 28 plugs today. same nutrient. I think it's like 15ml per gallon. thanks again
hey Marty, switching from floating raft to vertical tower was motivated largely by the lack of need of aeration, which is massive in deep water culture. I have wondered if a bubbler would be necessary as I designed this system, but turns out it's not needed, in my opinion. My roots are beautiful and growth seems more reliant on concentration of available nutrients based on my experience. And yes, 15ml per gallon should get you around 1000 ppm, which will increase as transpiration and evaporation occurs naturally. How many total sites did you say you have? I divide my number of sites by 6 (weeks), and that's how many seedlings I harvest and replace weekly. (2 weeks germinating under light outside the system, and then 6 weeks to grow out in the system) That way you get a weekly supply of lettuce. Herbs like basil, dill, parsley, etc. stay in for 3-5 months and you cut as needed. These plants have a life cycle - some shorter than others - like cilantro. Congrats on making all this happen!
I set up a tower garden based on your specifications. Once I got the right pump, the garden has been a total success. I planted it with swiss chard. I also have a Kratky set-up planted with the same swiss chard seedlings. The tower garden has outperformed the Kratky system by a wide margin. Thank you for showing us your system.
great to hear, thanks for sharing!
These nft systems are sweet but if you put an airstone into yoyr kranky system your rootball will expand exponentially and then you will see growth. Thats a dwc. Best producing system of all in my opinion. Please try a pump before abandoning the other system
I promise you will not be dissappounted. An 8 outlet pump is like $25 bucks. Good for 8 -5gal. DWC pots. Best investment you can make!
@@denisrowlett9829 Don't worry I am a Kratky fan. Joe's system is great for lettuce as you can harvest a head of lettuce and easily replace it with a new seedling. I am pretty sure I will stick with both systems for a long time. The downside of dwc is it uses so much more nutrient solution, otherwise, I agree with you.
Thank you again for showing another new system set up. I have watched this many time to get an idea.
awesome
UA-cam recommended this to me and I'm starting to feel like it's beginning to finally understand me. This is really well done, I'm going to be subscribing now!
:-)
Now that we're all in quarantine and grocery shopping becomes increasingly difficult, guess it's time to start making one of these, aye?
But still need the nutrient and won't you be sick of lettuce
@@alisonnorcross951 Not really. The chemicals provide the necessary nutrients for the plants to grow healthy and plus, I can only eat zucchini, celery, lettuce and carrot so it's perfect for me. It might be boring to other people though, but that's okay. There are still many choices out there.
First gotta figure out how to be the first one to have a basement in Florida...
Wire your setup from the top down, not on the floor. It helps if you have an accidental flood from electrocuting yourself.
yes, thanks, I did that shorty after making the video.
I KNEW something like this was possible but couldn't place the concept into a practical function until I saw this. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
You're very welcome!
Your design is so neat and smart that I just had to copy it, but on a smaller scale. I finished the assembly and ran water through it today and will have something growing as soon as possible. You did an awesome job! Thank you for posting it.
Hello - that makes me happy. Great job and thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tour Joe and Mary. You have a well-crafted system and a good rate of growth. Very informative video, thanks for sharing!.
sure thing buddy!
Duuuuude. Sick Job. Thanks for sharing ! its looks glorious
It is pretty bangin', thanks! ;-)
Yikes, thank you so much for sharing such terrific information. Now that I am partially retired, this is going to be a great way to spend a few hours a week and learn so much more than I ever thought. Let’s hope I’m smart enough to replicate this in my basement....from your other replies to questions and the great video, it should be good......again, thank you
how did it went sir?
You have inspired me to create a small tower system to try and grow a medicinal herb that helps with pain. Looks like a total space saver.
awesome, great to hear!
Thank you for part 2 experiment. I found the tube and bulb daylight LED do well in my northern Minnesota winter indoor tropic garden. growing passion fruit which I brought in from outside. I Like your Man Cave set up - timmer the plumber. -Thumbs UP!
thanks!
You can double your production by angling your plant holes alternating right and left at 45 degrees and reducing the spacing to 1/2 of what you have now. Since adjacent plants are pointing then at 90 degrees from each other you have no issue with plants bunch up with each other.
Is very nice setup. I am building and a-frame version now with same principle in general. It is for outside and I have the pvc system horizontal. To cut down on the cost without compromising function and to increase grow spots I am doing the following: I am using 2x4 wood for the a-frame structure. I use 10 ft 2x4's cut and joined at the top at a 45 degree angle. Then 10 4 inch PVS-S (THIN WALL SEWER PIPE) are spaced on 1 ft centers down each leg. This gives 300 planting spots on 8 inc centers. I only will pipe water in to the top pipe on each side. I choose the water (solution) level for each successive pipe and let the upper ones overflow to each successive lower one as the upper one reaches my overflow level of the immediate pipe above. Once they are all filled the first time, whatever flow you put in will overflow in every tube equally every time the pump comes on.
This method saves the big expense of all the WYES which is signifiant. To hold the horizontal pipe in place, just drill an appropriate hole horizontal to the ground and insert a dowel or rebar and tap it in place. No need for fancy connectors and it looks good. Another advantage of this is that you can make the dowel as long as you want if you choose a bigger dowel. If longer, then you can expand as much as you want by adding 2 ,3, etc alongside your primary pipes. If you have 3 at each level and staggered holes, then you have 900 planting spots in this one setup. You may have to connect your holding tanks together as your system gets bigger though or you will be having to mix up your fert solution much too often.
Another advantage of this setup, especially by using a wood frame, is that there is lots of internal space to put to use by adding attachments to the frame to grow additional products of choice. The footprint of the system is roughly 6 ft x 10 ft when assembled.
@@Madmarlinlodge thank you very much for your detailed explanations about your system
@@VICTUS_fashion You are very welcome. I just think it is good for everyone to share their ideas to help everyone if possible. I really like what you have done also.
Hello Mad Marlin, this has been brought up before. I'd imagine it would work better outdoors facing south so the plants can benefit from sun moving east to west. Indoors the light would be frontal and static, and I'm not sure how that would impact growth. I'm thinking the plants would reach and therefore not grow right, because instead of the plants facing the lights they would be off on an angle. Also, for doubling the number of plants on the same tower I'd imagine you would may need to increase spacing between the plants, or you would be constricted as to what varieties you grow to avoid overcrowding. Additionally, how would you tilt the towers in two directions at once to irrigate both sides? Perhaps with a wick - but I would guess the roots would impede top to bottom connection, especially if you plant every other to optimize energy output from the lights. Like I've requested from others who bring up this configuration - neat idea - I would love for you to try it out and share a video of a system built with this configuration. I'd love to see how it would work in practice.
Sure, please share a link with your finished product - I'm excited to see it and how it works in practice. Thanks so much for sharing!
I see a lot of this on UA-cam, but the real question is never answered: Is your home growing cheaper than just buying the greens at the supermarket? Because that is yous competition here. Give us a rundown on cost for build, the cost for maintenance and upkeep (everything that keeps the system running), and compare that to the cost of buying greens wholesale. How long, if at all, will it take to get break even and into profit/less cost?
For most people who do this its about more than cost. For one people just like to grow plants its a hobby it brings joy in a gardeners life to start with a little seed and watch it grow. Secondly when you grow from seed to harvest you know exactly what was put into the plant therefore you know exactly whats going into your body. As far as the cost that really depends on the individual. I am a deep water culture grower, you can literally start with a home depot paint bucket and an aquarium air pump. You want people to be your financial advisor and accounting asking about break even, profits and loss. All of that is dependent on you no one can answer those questions for you
@@befree4052 i am a beginner trying to get into DWC, one of the biggest concern i have is the cost, i totally agree with what you said, it's about the joy comes out of it, but at the same time i am so worried i maybe way over my head because my area in vancouver Canada is cold in the winter so extra heater requirements maybe needed.
@@JLeeBlog no not needed if youre growing indoors the heat from the lights will do just fine for a small set up. Too much heat can actually be bad for the plants depending on what youre growing. In fact you may need a fan instead of a heater.
@@befree4052 that is awesome news! thank you so much for your tip! I am still in my researching phase, i should be as you mentioned start with a home depot bucket and a aquarium pump. do you mix your own mineral water or buy pre-mix?
@@JLeeBlog They actually have the dwc buckets on amazon if you dont want to make your own but really making your own is not much different from what amazon sells. Good luck
I love it! Nice design and video. Even my husband is excited for this addition to his honey-do list!
Awesome - be sure to read the comments on this thread (there are very many but they have good info) as well as watch my other videos to get all the info you need for the build project. Also, don't miss the materials list I supplied in the description of this video. :-)
You have an excellent system here and I have watched your video many times. You inspired my build and I just finished designing a flange that will seat onto a cabinet top, with a socket that will accept the 1.5" pipe at a forward 5° angle, and reduces to a .5" spigot for the return lines. The return lines and reservoir will sit inside the cabinet. It's a small system, for an apartment, and i wanted it to look like a piece of furniture as well. Thank you for all your help!
Holy Cow Andrew that sounds awesome. If you feel like it send me a photo or a short vid. Great job!
I have watched your video so many times. Thanks for sharing. Last year I built something similar, but just two rows that fit on a bucket. Had issues with that, so I am going to build one like yours. Thanks again.
Cool - good luck to you!
Hanging gardens,the future of gardening for those with little space! : )
well, hydroponics actually has an ancient history!
Seems like a fun project.
never had an idea why vertical garden until this one, though not excellent from my knowledge. I am totally impressed with the structure in THIS SETUP
Remember you can always make a system more efficient. You just have to figure out how your going to do it affordability. That's the concussion i have come to. But I'm sure you already know that. I don't mean to preach to the choir. Happy Growing!
I built my rotating version of this set up and my pipes are straight up. I noticed the water is everywhere inside the pipes and tends to spread as roots develop.
@@AEON. should work. I noticed i get the best results with shiny coated tin metal. Best part about using this is you can cut it and rivet it to any shape, size , or design. Also help you control temperature with just a fan hitting it at different speeds.
@@beast91509 Sounds like a good set up! Nice! Have you noticed the roots growing any fast with that set up?
@@missouribotanicals9801 I have noticed the seeds germinate quicker and seem to at least get their start really fast so I'm still waiting to see the progress in the towers themselves.
@@AEON. No Problem. Keep the good ideas flowin!
Great idea with the Y and T. And also the single pump distribution with hoses.
Great job executing.
Thanks! 👍
Hi I missed on your video where to search the nutrient recipe details. I am happy to say I built my first tower using your specs and quite happy with it. Thank you.
hey great job! I use the recipe from UA-camr ChilLed Nutrient. Works great for me. Masterblend has a new-ish bend for hydro greens I'd like to try. Need to find a distributor. Masterblend is local-ish but sell in bulk and I just need 1 40 lbs bag to test. It takes me about 3 years to go through 40 lbs and if there's no difference I'll stick with the tomato blend. Don't even know at this point the price for the greens formula. Okay, maybe TMI. Best of luck to you!
That set-up is just..... Wow.
That's 900w of power just for the light, good thing you have solar to cover it ;) Energy generated not wasted.
actually it's 1050 plus pump and fan
@@maryneumayer01 How many hours a day are you using 1050 watts an hour?
Could you please show exactly how you put a plant in the system from the nursery? Thanks.
I use my fingertips to place the grodan plug in the hole in the wye tee. It's a snug fit.
MaryandJoe Neumayer what size wye fitting are those? 2”?
Just installed 2 in my high school 66 grow sites per and an additional system in a neighboring district with 60 sites. Looks great 6 weeks in! Awesome information
Hey Michael that's great! Remember to flush every 3 weeks and keep a close eye on the pH! I developed some STEM curricula for sustainability in agriculture if you are interested.
@@maryneumayer01 we check daily PH and particulate concentration. Just flushed today. Would love to see the material! My email is davies@gufsd.org.
Very cool set-up man . Not sure why anyone would give this a thumbs down? Great work and thanks for taking the extra time to share.
My pleasure
@@maryneumayer01 Do you make house calls and do installations... I would like to have one and I would rather not do any work, seriously... I am disabled a bit but mostly lazy probably to be completely honest...
Wow dude, fantastic German engineering
Hi my name is Carlos planning to do a system like yours what do you use as nutrient
Can they be use outside and what are the pipe sizes
+MaryandJoe Neumayer hi everyone ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Tarbetti Amazing Aquaponics Tutor (do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my colleague got amazing results with it.
Very good systems. But this water nois and waterpump so bed.
Man this is brilliant! Tysm for the vid but even more so the specs list!
this is so inspirational and informative. great work!
We made one in our basement based off your idea. It produced so much that we had to give away to friends and family. We also learned that herbs need to be removed and roots trimmed back or they will plug up the pipe. The root trimming doesn't seem to phase the herbs.
wow, that's awesome - yes, I should make that remark about the roots with the herbs. I plant new ones about half way through - like now I have the new plugs with baby plants in the system in other sites on the lettuce side and I will be preplacing my herbs soon. The parsley is the most problematic, but my seeds are so old (2013) that they won't germinate and so I ordered new seeds with this year's order. Additionally, I have also downsized as the system produces why too much. Over the pandemic I provided for friends via pick-up service, for a donation, but with my kid's busy schedules I had to stop that. I removed 9 pipes and next year I will remove a couple more. It really is amazing how much the system produces. Thanks for your comment and best to you.
Wow I've been wanting to do something like this but haven't found the right kind of setup. Now I have something really solid to base mine off of. Thanks.
Go for it!
swat breaks in, what u doing in the basement sir, growing lettuce xD
that would be a funny story to share at a party! ;-)
LOL
Who are you on the phone with? State Farm. I bet it's State Farm lol.
Can you show how the feed line on top attaches to the vertical tower? Thanks
drill a hole into the back of the pvc tower just larger than your 1/4 inch irrigation line and stick it in from the back forward.
can u make video how to do it,still not understand
@@maryneumayer01 do you have any special fitting on the end of the 1/4 poly tubing ? It looks like you have yours running in on top of the towers. Also what pump are you using and what nutrients are you using ? And one more thing, what do you mean by a nutrient flush ? Thanks.
Thank. Amazing details, usually never given by youtubers. Please tell us something about the nutreant. Is there any home recipe?
Yes, ChillLED on UA-cam has the recipe.
I'm doing the research for an indoor greens/lettuce tower, and your build really struck me as nice and simple. I like that you went with easy to get plumbing parts and simple E26 bulbs, nice. Thank you for posting to many great details and the document you shared.
my pleasure - if you're building be sure to read all the comments below - there's a ton of info I've shared which will be helpful to you.
Wow this is really a great system. I have been thinking about getting into setting up a Hydroponic system but just did not know how to get started. You have given me hope.
Go for it!
nice! ive been wanting to do this for a few years now. new subscriber here!
You need to cover the water. Protect from light. So algi is not growing in water.
You must have skipped through the video. It *was* covered until he removed the lid to explain the nutrient tank & functions.
See @ 3:43
So many stupid ass people comment on something that they are ignorant of. Watch the whole video and stop being a mindless drone.
I feel your pain! But as a teacher I have learned to exercise patience. ;-)
@MaryandJoe Neumayer And the teacher part shows! Including the patient responses. :) While I'm in a comment, I'm building my system now -- totally inspired by you, thanks! I've bought these grow lights (link at end of comment) and will let you know how they work. I may need to supplement with regular lights, but they're blindingly bright! I plan to put the Mylar blanket type things behind the grow area, but I'm in Florida, and frankly, the house is on AC most of the time anyway. I did have a question about the plugs: reading through all the comments, it seems that you put the growdan plugs right into the wye, right? No net cups? I was just about to order those, and will hold off, at this point. The system I plan will be about half this large, about 7x7. I had seen, in one of your other videos, you had experimented with some LEDs. In my reading, white LEDs are not full spectrum, and the plants seek red and blue spectrums. Though I've never done one before, and am just now on the adventure. I'll try to post back the feedback. Thanks!!!! Perhaps this following is worth a consideration: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QWV1THV/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1V31LM9AH9FRH&th=1
@@donzoc how'd those lights end up working for you? Just curious as I was looking at them too for a similar setup. Thanks
artful braggart I see... You've 'engineered' so much, I can practically feel the patents.
sorry, should have had Websters proof my script. Will do better for you next time.
What have you done? Other than “complain”?
@@uscochimanufactory3781 done in life? in this comment section? in botany? That's too broad of a question. Complain about what? Where is the complaint? Why are we "quoting" words? Why even pose such an inane jibe when it's clear I'm taking the piss out of our intrepid engineer here.
Sean he’s doing something. You’re not. Keep whining, keep complaining... it looks bad on you.
@@uscochimanufactory3781 are you illiterate? I've neither whined or complained. I've remarked. Opined. Quit whinging about my quip, you're ill-equipped to wrangle with it.
Noticed a little ‘tip burn’ on the mature plants furthest from the fan.. it might be (calcium issues) usually from air circulation issues. Ceiling fans would be an awesome addition. Three would do the trick, I’d circulate two of them pushing air down and one in center pulling air up... get a nice mix going.
Awesome setup & video. Keep it up
yup, that additional circulation would certainly help! thanks for the advice!
Great setup. I like the way it is modular with parts anyone can pickup from a hardware store
thanks!
you talked about nutrients, what do you add to water to provide nutrients? - thanks
This is what I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024NDVRA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use this formula: ua-cam.com/video/Jx0uNp2dzAU/v-deo.html
Holy shit, that's cool
This build is amazing! Definitely am going to be designing mine after yours! What nutrients are you using?
nute recipe from ChillLED on youtube. works great! ua-cam.com/video/Jx0uNp2dzAU/v-deo.html
Nice Tornado foosball table!
can't skimp on the foosball table! Was actually a birthday gift from my girlfriend at the time. I didn't propose until she got me the kegerator. Happy to say we're still going strong after 16 years! :-)
First of all, WOW! Best video I've seen in a long time. I learned so much. I had read daylight LED bulbs were good for grow lights. They're $2.87 each on amazon FYI. Very thoughtful design. I bought Barrina 4 ft LED lights on Amazon $100 for 6, figures out to under $17 per light. They're pretty red, perhaps mixing a few of them in would help with the red lettuce. They draw 39.1 watts each and probably cover as well or better as 3 of the leds, which would draw between 39 and 45 watts combined, or so. I think they would need to be closer than the LEDs are in this video. They are also pre-wired so you can daisy chain 6 of them together and you don't have to buy light fixtures. That said, I really like your light fixtures. Very inventive. I've read that flat white paint reflects something like 90% of the spectrum you want, and mylar, like the cheap space blankets others have mentioned in comments, is something like 98%. I got a package of 10 for $7 on Amazon. I see aluminum foil in the video which I've read only reflects about 55%. (which is still way better than nothing). I bet with mylar behind the plants, and with it behind the lights and lining the reflectors, you'll see gains. How far from the plants have you been keeping your lights? Did I mention I really like your lighting setup? Right now I'm using the barrina lights and mylar tenting for lettuce/swiss chard/tomatoes. Good results. I'll definitely be mixing in more Daylight LEDS and I really love your set up. Awesome video!
Hey Buddy! Sounds like a good suggestion, the mylar. I didn't think it was that cheap. I'll check it out. My lighting is about 22 inches out from my plants. Interestingly, I just removed the diffuser on one bulb and gained 45% increase on my Lux meter. I'm going to try this on 2 or 3 towers with removing 4 bulbs per tower to see if the plants respond/grow differently. If not, I'll actualize some welcomed wattage savings. I'll remove the double socket and just use a single bulb. I'm excited to see how that works out.
How has this setup affected your electricity bill
it's about 30% of our usage, but we have rooftop solar so it depends on the time of year in terms of what portion of our electricity bill is affected. it's complicated
Wow Project, to say the least. I liked it so much. Using Y joints make more sense than making those pockets with heat gun and so on. I would adopt this design and already got a bunch of Y joints for building similar tower, but a smaller version to begin with. Just three towers. ONE QUESTION, can you tell me, what is the distance between two vertical towers?
Hello, it depends on what you want to grow. For lettuce I'd recommend 8-9 inches, for kale 12 to 14, herbs around 10 - between plants. You'll have to play around with the distance between towers. My lettuce towers for reference are exactly 8 inches from center pipe to center pipe. Hope this helps.
I've thought about y joint but they will be expensive as fuck
@@howo357
My thoughts on the cost factor exactly.
The problem (for those who haven't tried it yet) with the "cut a slot, heat and form-a-socket-with-a-bottle" technique is that the the upper part of the socket acts as a hood that causes most of the water to bypass the grow net.
I think this can be cured by cutting another but smaller slot upstream of the main one at the highest point of the hood and then form another smaller socket but in the opposite direction. Together with the tilting of the vertical tube this should solve the "bypass" problem.
I admit that I haven't tried this yet but maybe it is worth a shot..
I live in Malaysia- I have sun 365 days a year, so I plan to do this in the patio. this will work yes? Can you explain why you need to do a once a month flush?
Avoid algae and prevent clogging i guess
@@aforcetobereckonedwith1084 paint your equipment Black this prevents Algae and unsightly growth....good aeration with Mixed loose ( koi plastic balls are good) media breaks down clumping of Algae etc this should keep all your nutrients good for months ....Nutrients will only need topping up if PH levels etc get low.....
hi, some of the micronutrients precipitate over time and are no longer available for absorption through the roots so flushing gets them out and you add new nutrient. Don't paint black - you will be battling the heat and you need to keep your nutrient cool. Don't use clear materials or you will get algae growth. Nute container and lines must be nontransparent but avoid heating up your nutrient or your plants will be unhappy. Good luck!
VERY NICE VID!!! I watch alot of this kind of stuff and there is so much garbage online, people calling this AEROPONICS and stuff. your video is well done and the setup you have is inspiring. from someone who has done alot of hydro in the past, very nice. only thing I would suggest is using a foil warming blanket to reflect the back. you have alot of wasted light you could be using for the back and maybe the underside of the plants.
Hello Joseph, thanks for your comment. I did indeed add foil warming blankets a couple of years back and have been happy to maximize my lighting potential. Happy growing to you!
I'm getting supplies ready this weekend. Thanks for sharing brother.
You bet, let me know how it went!
hi! a beginner question :v How do you make the irrigation inside each tower? I mean do you have an aspersion valve ir something or it's a regular flow from the tiny hose of each tower? Thanks forma sharing guys you are amazing!
Hello, the 1/4 drip line is attached to a 1/4 inch connector which plugs into the 1/2 inch irrigation line. The line is attached to a Danner Supreme Pond Pump Model 5. I had a Model 7 hooked up but it was way overkill and I busted the impeller within the month. No valves or aeration devices. Happy Hydroponics!
Hi, if you do not use mini sprinklers inside the pvc, how do you make sure the water gets to the roots?
Hello, the nutrient runs down the front of the pipe and hits the tip of the Grodan plug, irrigating the 3 week seeding. Soon the roots extend out and down the pipe itself. I don't use any aeration as there is plenty of aeration in the vertical design. This one of the major reasons I designed the system like this. I have a fractioning impeller on order to test to see if there is an improvement in growth rate with oxygenated nutrient delivery but I am doubtful. Thanks for your question.
hi how do u get the pipes to remain stable?
Hey, I zip tied them to a 1X2 which I run in the front of the system at the top.
What are the adapters called that you are using to feed the 1/4" feed lines from your main pump line? :)
They are just called connectors. You can get them from DripDepot or Farmtek. Let me know if you have trouble finding them.
Engineered a fan? lol Don't you mean you plugged it in?
yes, I wish I could go back and time and change my verbage. my appologies.
Until I saw this set-up, I was inclined to purchase a ready made. Inspired.
great. I was horrified by the price of what is available online so I decided to build something myself that would fit my needs better.
@@maryneumayer01 Really. I'm handy so it can be fun. Looking forward to the build.
Make your nursery area slideable, open ends in a gutter like return. Then you can have your babies hanging closer together and intensify your light energy over a smaller area. Great system.
thanks, working on a new nursery setup with some left over 5w diodes.
Your system is awsome! You could arrange the wall sections into an octagon and put the light bars in the middle vertically with maybe mylar wrapped on the back side of the octagon. A ceiling fan overhead would work as well. The tubing system works as a fogger as well as pumped water.
I'll say it again, your DIY system is awesome!
Hi Michael - that's interesting. Others have made comments similar in nature. Give it a try and let us all know how it worked!
At 7:40, the way you concluded the topic was extremely persuasive.
I finally started my project based on your design. I'm making a shorter design, with 7 towers in my kitchen, and modifying the nutrient tank setup to pump from a 75 Gallon fish tank to suit an aquaponics ecosystem with Flowerhorns and Plecostomus. Almost done! just need to build the frame to hold the PVC and suspend the lighting. Can't wait to show you!
That is awesome!
Cool idea didn't think you could use those daylight bulbs always thought you needed special light bulbs for plant growing.
so did I! they are fine for greens but if you want fruiting you need more reds.
I like this system a lot!
Especially your home made light fixture. Very clever.
I only have a few considerations.
The timed fan is great in theory, but could be more beneficial by incorporating a small air duct in and out, with a damper.
Better to displace indoor room air w fresh air.
Also.
Your plants with love it if you added an air stone to the nutrient reservoir. Nutrients simply dripping down the root mass isn’t aerating the water.
Thanks for the tips! The fan is currently running all the time. An air duct with a damper is an interesting consideration. I try to keep that room isolated from the outside to keep it as sterile as possible though. As for an aerator, I can give it a try. I'd think there's quite a bit of aeration occurring when the nutrient is running down a vertical pipe - just like a river but more surface area to pick up O2.
I have watched quite a few hydo vids recently and this one takes teh cake! Simply brilliant!
Great to hear!
I used your design to create 200 spots for Strawberry's. I am in week five since the plants have been planted and they are growing fast. The one cool thing with this system as I spot the smaller plants I can move them around to a better position to get more sun and this has saved a couple of plants. I can send you pictures if you would like to see the setup. My setup is outside BTW
Hey awesome! So glad to hear it's working out for you. I'd love some picts at neumayer04@gmail.com. Thanks so much! I grew some delicious strawberries myself in this system. Very prolific.
I would suggest you to add another Y pipe on the other side of current plant to scale up the result. You did a great job Joe!
Thanks for the tip! It's up against the wall so that wouldn't work. Plus then there would be no space for Kicker/Foosball or darts. :-)
Many many thanks for sharing this detailed document, people like you will save the world :)
It's my pleasure
Great system. I would love to see someone attempt this using bamboo and hemp-based plastics, even on a much smaller scale. That would just blow me away. In fact, I should just google it. I am so tired of plastic being configured into solutions for a better world.
amen to that. I now use reusable nylon bags for my lettuce delivery and my friends just return the bag when they are done. Each person has a different color so I can keep track of bags. It's really reduced my use of plastic, but there's a long road ahead. I'd love to hear more ideas.
I really hope to have at least a double tower installed in my basement for the upcoming Minnesota winter. You efforts are truly appreciated!
This is honestly the best build I've seen, thank you
Glad you like it!
That's a badass rig you have there, Sir. 🙏🏼👊🏼
Thanks! 👍
You can get 50% more produce by changing your led bulb to warm white 2700k instead of a 5k or 5.6k. Leafy plants explode with red spectrum. 4 2700k bulbs with 1 6000k. 4:1 red to blue ratio. Good luck and it looks fantastic. God speed!
Hi Denis, thanks for the tip. I'm planning on experimenting with some Solstrips for this next basement season. The system is cleaned and shut down now until August/September. If that doesn't work I can experiment with some new 2700k bulbs.
What an amazing project! I’m totally in love with it and I’m going to build it in my backyard (just a bit smaller). I Hopefully natural light will be enough to grow something for my own use. We just need to build something like tent to protect the whole construction from rain, wind and some bugs. I’m excited to give it a try!
Whaited till 2020 to see that for gardening you need to protect your crops from rain....that's it I've seen it all.....just jocking ;) good luck👍
Hi Urszula, no need to protect from rain/wind/bugs outdoors. Just coat your PVC with a uv blocking paint to prevent degredation from sunlight. Be also careful to keep your nutrient solution cool - high temps can cause stress to plants and bolting in many veggies. I have a old video on an outdoor prototype - check it out. : -)
Thanks for advice! I’ve seen that video already :) We are going to keep box with nutrients solution in the shadow to avoid heating from sunlight. Not sure if it’s a good thing but my garden has direct sunlight only up to 1-2pm so hopefully it will not be too hot.
The whole construction is almost ready, seedlings are growing, just need a pump and a few touches to start! Can’t wait 🙂
Such an awesome job! Man if you had a Nextgro led you would feed the world with that system.
Hey John, I'm working on a new LED strategy. The commercial products are just way too expensive.
What I also liked was the educational value it gives the students of your school. I wonder what there impression was on your project.
Disregard my comment. I found your other videos Hydroponics: Edison School STEM Hydroponics Intro
Ha ha, I do grow with my high school students in the classroom. It's always a big hit and helps break up the monotony of 'traditional' [boring] learning. It's also fun to teach them things like swiss chard doesn't come from Switzerland. (and yes, that did actually come up a couple years back!!)
Add a float valve to your supply tote and a add second tote to sit on top of the first one. It keeps the first one filled and offers more time between nutrient refills. I grow tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets in a spare bedroom and use the two tote stack system. I use 6K color led tubes and the cheap Mylar space blanket reflectors with great results.
Thanks Roger for the tip. I can go about 10 days before needing to refill but if I go out of town for a longer period that would be very helpful. I did put up mylar back in December when I removed some diffusers and lights and I am happy with the growth. An unanticipated bonus is the channeling of the air flow behind the plants which really helps with circulation and transpiration in my opinion based on simple observation.
@@maryneumayer01 For better air flow, I added a small fan connected to a timer (along with an air pump) which come on briefly 4 times an hour or so. I have been successful with a hybrid of DWC, Dutch buckets and aeroponics. I have a timed pump in the supply tank which just about fills the 5 gallon buckets 4 times an hour thru inverted lawn sprinkler heads in the top of the buckets and then they slowly drain half back into the supply, thus each bucket "breaths" fresh air and also get a bit of compressed air into the solution remaining in each bucket. Great hobby! Best wishes.
Brilliant and easy set up buddy. Thanks for sharing
You bet
This is the video I have been looking for all year! Thank you so much for explaining everything so well!
great!
wow your amazing thanks for sharing all your hard work ..
sure thing Yo!
Brilliant. Nice work. Might want to cover or move those open outlets from under the pipes that carry water ;)
yes, a couple of years back I elevated them off the floor and have them sitting back behind the system. thanks!
This strikes me as being the cheapest way to do what the 'bought' systems offer. Thank you.
That was my plan. Looking at what was on the market prompted to customize a system which would work for me in my space and not break the bank!
You've got the perfect setup to go aquaponic with it. Ditch the hydroponic solution, and replace it with fish in the reservoir. All you need to do is run a filter in the pump line to filter out any large particles, and the system operates without the need for artificial solutions. Plus you can grow fish too.
been there done that my friend. After 2 years of aqua I switched over to hydro. Don't get me wrong - I loved my fishies, but it was not optimal for shutting down over the summer and restarting in the fall. I grow outdoors in my small greenhouse spring/summer/fall. It also got cold in my basement for my tilapia, and the solid waste really required a lot of maintaining to keep my grow beds clean. Plus I had my tilapia in about 400 gallons - I couldn't keep them in my tiny 50 gallon container in this system - and if I tried, I'd have to add water every other day - and feed them twice, adjust the pH every 3 days, manage solid waste, engineer a large biofilter, etc. I just don't have the time. And what to do when I need to leave for a week or 3? Again, I love aquaponics, but this is not the setup for it unfortunately.
@@maryneumayer01 valid point.
Automating systems isn't too difficult with the right investment up front. But that's something you have to figure out if the cost is worth it for you in the long run.
I stared out by automating my aquariums when I was in the army so they could run while I was gone, and then decided to add onto it for an aquaponics system. Automated feeders took care of the food, and an auto top off system pumped water kept in a reservoir into the system, as it is cooler and sealed, it doesn't evaporate. All told, it cost me about $1000 on a smaller scale.
such a nice set up with the pipe and pipe joints.
Someone should sell these systems to everyone. I’d buy one.
You can do it by yourself! ua-cam.com/video/Xw3WJGh09p4/v-deo.html
This is super cool. I can't wait to build something as big as this. Love it
It really produces a lot so be ready - I have downsized the system (removed about 9 towers) and I will probably take a couple more out for next grow season. I used to have product available for community members for a donation (great product - everyone was so happy to partake) but I just don't have the time anymore. :-(
great system! love it! for safety, the plug for the lights should be away from possible water leaks. ⚡
Yes, since the video I have it elevated of the floor. :-)
What - no Parsley? Parsley in smoothies is better than any other veggie as it is not overwhelming up to almost a handful; also Parsley makes a Pesto sauce equal to Basil pesto sauce. Parsley is considered a super food - check out its specs. Love your setup. I await Spring next month and will create a Tower made from stacking 5-gallon buckets (I inherited about 30 buckets) and making holes in the sides for plants like yours, but I will use quality soil; and if it works well I will bring it indoors in the Fall and make aeroponic/hydroponic operation from it. Thanks for sharing a great project you've accomplished. ciao.
cool idea, best of luck to you. Parsley grows wonderfully in the system - too well actually as the roots can clog the pipe at about the 6 month mark, especially if there are more than 1 plant. Trim the roots or start new sets - that's what I do. And I love a parsley and cilantro smoothie with lemon. I can feel it cleanse my entire gastrointestinal system!! ;-)
Joe, this is phenomenal. I am hoping to base a whole small grow business off of this concept and you've answered some key questions I had. Did not think I could get away with 1.5s and knowing that I can is gonna save me a bundle. Thank you so much. Might I make a suggestion? If yield is important to you(which it may not be) construct a simple germination chamber for your seedlings. It'll save you two weeks in the pipes allowing for more grows.
Thank you for what you do and doing your part to save the world.
Edit: Just floating through some of your older vids and saw your germination chamber. DOH! I will say that you can wait a bit longer before piping. :)
Hi, not so sure I'd recommend you keep the seedlings in the tray for any longer without modification to be honest. But yes, the system works well enough as is.
Hi, great video, very nicely explained. You can try alternating the direction of the Y-tees. That would enable a reduction in the distance between two Y-tees, yet allow sufficient space between plants. The total number of plants per tower would be near double.
Thanks for the info! I'd love to see that in the works. My concern would be multi-directional lighting to keep the plants from leaning/growing into each other. I have the system against the wall so I illuminate from the front. That gives us room for foosball and darts!
Very interesting setup with Y fittings! Thank you for posting the video!
:-)
I like this setup! It seems pretty configurable.
thanks, it works great!
Love the setup. Consider using led strip growth lights. Itll be cheaper to run and you could setup a strip infront of each row.
good idea. they where crazy expensive when I built the system so I made my own instead. Purchasing them now would translate to on additional cost. But do you have recommendations for those starting out now? Thanks for sharing!
Love it. Maybe if you used a trough at the base and allowed the verticals to slide you could have closer spacing for young plants/ herbs and wider spacing for mature plants, should be able to fit more in that way.
that's a neat idea. I like the closed system concept and now I grow alternating sites so the plants don't get as crowded. It works better all around, especially since some lettuce types grow faster than others, so I just pull whatever is more ready and give the others more time.