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www.hydroponicsonline.com Question and Answer Page 91
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Subjects
Q: Does the overflow pipe go down into the bottom?
A: The "overflow pipe" runs back to the tank and does nothing more than run extra H20 back to the holding tank; this is done so your system does not "OVERFLOW" causing waist.
What pumps the water? A: For the 11 plant system a fish tank power head which pumps H20 +/- 140-260 GPH (gallons per hour). If you us a bigger pump just divert the H20. In fact, if you search this web page you will find a pic of it.
Q: What's the 1/2 inch threaded inlet for? Is that for pumping water?
A: the "1/2 inch threaded inlet" is how the H20 solution is pumped to your system. You connect the 1/2 hose upto your pump and then to the 1/2 inlet.
Blue Skies, Free Flyer
Q: How far apart should the containers be for tomato plants? Keep up the great work Cheers, Brian
A: (From Ron) 18 inches
Q: (From FreeFlyer) 18" on center (to save space and $)
Thanks, FF
whats up ron? Im going to build a aquafarm hydroponics system to grow my super dwarf banana plant and need to know a good brand of nutrients. I cannot mix my own because i am not that intelligent haha... So do u know any good brands that will work for my plant? thank you very much, Nattycongohermit
This is the kind I use and this is the results I get. My banana tree.
I,m new at growing tomatoes, and I have no idea how much water to put in my hydro system. Any helpful tips would be great.
Depends on what medium you are using (gro-rocks, rock wool, perlite) and type of hydro system you are using (NFT, Drip, Ebb & Flow).
Hey Ron,,nice site:),,this is my first attempt at growing,,im using a 500w halogen security spotlight hung from the ceiling of my closet (well ventilated n fanned of course) and using a soil mix,all was going well it seems (they grown a nice bushy 30" tall n 20" wide),,,up until the tips of the leaves of my largest plant started browning and looking half dead,also the deep green in the larger upper leaves seems to be turning to a whitish yellow color between the veins???? i've read that it might be a manganese deficiency but i dont know where to get hold of any or how much to use? (or even if its the amount of water causing the damage) my lil babies r sufferin plz i need help!!!
For one thing you can't grow with a halogen. ( wrong light spectrum ) Fix that first.
Ron, what size of pump do you use on your 11 plant garden thanks Devin
I am fascinated with the whole topic!! I would like to build the 11 plant garden - what sort of pump do I need to buy??
Regards Candy
From 100 GPH on up.
Just got finished building the 11 plant Garden.. Thanks for the plans! Gonna start watering(flooding) every 30 min.. does it hurt to flood during the night? My thinking is that the roots would dry out if I didn't... Thanks Jay
I do with no ill results.
Hello fellow hydroponics friends. I have two questions if this board would be so kind as to answer them.
Q: Another one of those “how long should I run my pump questions”! I understand that with out light you can’t have photosynthesis. Thus, making it useless to run your pump during no light; right? However, this is where my question fits in. Can your plan roots dry out over night if you don’t run the pump at least one time? I ask this because I do run my pump at night three times (ever 2.5 hours or so) and I have not had the balls to experiment with this nagging question.
I water 24 hours because of frequent power outages so I won't have to keep resetting my timers.
Q: This question is for any person on the board who might know about herbs growing. I have research herb growing on line and can’t find any good web sight dealing with herbs and hydroponics (it’s a conspiracy, he he ha ha). I am wondering if the rule of thumb in growing herbs is much like other leafy plants. I ask this question because on one web sight this guy was growing all his herbs with “an EC (Electrical Conductivity) level of 2000 and a pH of 6.8.” Is this PH correct? Seems to me to be high. However, this guy grows for a living in California. If any one is interested in the article you can find it at http://www.aquaponics.com/articleherbs.htm. Thanks for any help y’all can provide.
Blue Skies, Free Flyer
Ron you are the best hydro site on the net. now that i softened you up i have a couple of questions. regarding the 11 plant system i read that for my "tomato" plants i should water 15 on and 15 off. only problem is that the roots are in the solution for 15 minutes as the timers shortest increment is 15 minutes. the bottle fills up in 2 or 3 minutes. all that extra time the roots are submerged. is it ok to leave 15 on 15 off? also any ideas as how to convert the 2 litre to the 1 gallon size. thanks again HAWK
Yes the
roots don't need to sit in the water
for 15 minutes. That's the reason I
use grow rocks so they can sit in
water without getting root rot.
That's why I am still waiting for
some online member to put together
an inexpensive cycle timer that I
can sell for them with my gardens.
A 1 gallon safety cap will fit into
a 2 1/2 inch tee if you use a 2 1/2 thin wall
insert which you may have a hard
time finding outside Florida.
To: Devin and Candy About pump sizes.
Q: (from Devin) what size of pump do you use on your 11 plant garden thanks Devin.
A: (from FF) Read all of the archive history at the top of the bulletin board and you will gain a wealth of knowledge. Just about every question you have is answered in the achieves. Have fun!
Candy, I’m with you; this stuff is fascinating! It’s great to watch your good eats growing so fast and healthy!
Blue skies, Free Flyer
About "cloneinator" aeroponics system: 1) Beware rubbermaid aeroponics systems sold in the NW US. They have several problems to watch out for: a) Floures. light too far from starts. b) white translucent tray promotes algae in reservoir. c) Floures. light inside cover makes too much heat. d) Floures light not grounded- dangerous and problematic with any timer use. e) Floures light not bright enough. f) Exhaust fan keeps humidity too low for clones. g) Spray jets do not aerate, mist not fine enough. h) No-name or mfr'r or directions.
2) aeroponics a very demanding method of cloning- unpredictable variations occurring daily (after rework of hardware) including ph, reservoir versus top temps, humidity.
3) Appreciate the forum with its many viewpoints and experiences. Thanks.
Clone phone home!
Does anyone know if you can force a flowering plant back into vegetation
Yes but it takes awhile under 24 / 7 MH light.
A year or so ago I bought an old phototron to grow "tomatoes + iron" and redesigned it with an ebb&flow tank, different lights, a tank heater, an O2 fan and water bubbler and it only added 2cuft to the size, it started to work well but the tomatoes started to grow up instead of out and went right throught the fan, what a mess!! I would like to know how to make a "plant" bush instead grow up, I heard if you top the plant it will change it's sex and be useless, if you top it again will it change back?????
Topping a plant does not change the sex and will make it bush the more you clip branches at the right spot..
OK!... Day 3 of my new 11 plant Garden...so far so good Plants (beans, Peas, Water Melon & Melon) seem to be doing OK.. Water Melon loving it... Bean leaves seem like they want to curl up.( PH to High?) some of the leaves are burnt on the very outside edges... pea leaves curling a bit but growing...
Question ?? We are wanting to get started in NFT. We know nothing, are learning from the net. It is suggested to use "panda gulley" as it is black inside and white outside. The black keeps the solution cleaner and fungus free. Is this correct or necessary? Where can we go to get some education on this? We need education on all aspects of this growing method, need any help we can get. Thanks
Keeping the light from hitting the water will cut down on alga and fungus. Pick a system that does that and you will have less problems.
What is one future use of hydroponics
I really appreciate all the diagrams and was wandering if my fellow hydro friends could recommend me some other good books/sources on building our own aeroponic systems?
Hello Ron, Could you or another reader tell me of a good place to find mist nozzles for an airoponics application? It is my intention to install 56 of them in 8" tubing and use a pump That puts out 158 gph....Though I am open to suggestions as to pump rates as well since i have not made a purchas yet! Tanks
To the "remote user" that wanted mist nozzles for aeroponics - just type in "mist/misting nozzles" on yahoo and a myriad/plethora of options will come up. Conical nozzles, spinlocks and fog nozzles in size 1/8th work the best. I dont think you'll have enough pressure for 56 nozzles with that small of a pump - even if they are low pressure 15-40 PSI nozzles- increase to a 350-500 GPH pump for atomization. Dont forget extra filter screens - you'll need em!
From: "Clone Phone Home"
Regarding: Aeroponics Pump and Rubbermaid "Cloneinator".
Yet another problem, surely the worst: After making appropriate adjustable spray nozzles from pump bottle sprayers, I find the pump provided in the "Cloneinator" provides ample flow (GPH) but totally inadequate pressure.
Higher pressure is Required for properly functioning aeroponics, as this is how the water is atomized, that is, turned into a very fine mist. Large droplets soak the medium with a low-oxygen spray, thus negating any postive results from an aeroponic system.
Note: Rubbermaid reservoir-basket is the only part of the entire system that functions as anticipated.
Note: I found that most any soil fertilizer- bloom or veg, does not contain necessary micronutrients REQUIRED for aeroponic (or hydroponic) success.
call me Aero-head
Q:HOW DO YOU GET RID OF NUTRIENT SOLUTION?
A: Think recycle at all times. Use it on all your yard plants, house plants ect. They realy love that stuff as it is rich in all the goodies they need and want!
Free Flyer
Hey! 9 Days with the new 11 plant Garden...so far so good...thanks for the plans!... :) One question...If a plant develops "lock out" is there any way to undo this? Two question...Will Ph minus used for a pool work in the Garden? very very diluted of course.. Thanks! Jay in nevada
Change your solution immediately and adjust pH to fix lock out. Yes you can use very diluted pool pH down.
First, I would like to comment you on such an excellent site. Hydroponics is gaining popularity here in Australia but there is still little information for the commercial grower.
My question might be "too scientific" for you to answer, and at the end of the day we might need to consult a hydroponic consultant but here goes: we are growing parsley on a commercial basis and I have a major problem being that after harvesting, the parsley droops or wilts. This is a major problem for a commercial setup as it brings in much less money per bunch. Our system is nft with 1250 plants, with the hope of doubling this, when I can solve this problem.
I have an E.C meter which I use daily to check the e.c on the water and also do a ph test daily with both - drops and litmus paper.
I have a "gut feeling" that I should change the nutrient. I currently use a local "brand name" for hydroponics. I try and keep the EC at 1.2 to 1.3 and PH at 7.
Have you any idea why the stalks would droop after harvesting? Thank you in advance and again, I commend you on such a useful and informative site. After all the websites I have pursued, yours in definitely no.1 for useful information.
AUSSIE PARSLEY
You might check into the Ph needed for your plants. 7.0 seems high to me, I'd try to keep it at around 5.5-6.0.
You must remember that plants won't catch nutrients or respond well to other things if the Ph is incorrect.
TO THOSE HAVING TROUBLE STRIKING SEEDS.
Ron, I hope you don't mind me giving tips here, I dont want to interfere with your professional and experience knowledge, which, I might add, is much more than I have myself. However, after reading the messages, so many have asked how to strike seeds and when to transfer them to the hydroponics so I thought, with the little, but successful knowledge I have striking seeds, here is a tip or 2.
I have 1250 commercial parsley plants. Parsley, is one of the most challenging seeds to strike due to its slowness and less vigorous characteristics compared to other plants.
I have successfully sown about 2000 parsley seeds using the following technique (these plants then go into a NFT commercial set up)
I use vermiculite only I fill the tubes with vermiculite (the tubes I use, are the ones that then go straight into the system later, so there is no transplanting shock to the plant and much less labor for me).
I then water the tubes to add as much moisture as I can to each tube
I then plant about 6 parsley seeds to each tube. I add about 6 as parsley seed is very small and difficult to handle individually and it gives me more success with striking as if 5 do not strike, I still have 1 which will strike.
I cover the seeds with about a cm of vermiculite and water in with a very fine spray
For the first 2 days, wait till late afternoon to water as then, the sun here is Australia has warmed up the water in the hose and water the seeds with the warm water.
After day 2, water once a day, at any time but prefer afternoon, when the water is not as cold.
After 10 days, my seeds sprout and I continue watering daily, and also foliar spray with a very weak nutrient, after 3 leaves are evident.
Prick out all but the 2 strongest seedlings.
When the roots appear from the bottom of the tube, transer it to the hydroponic system and watch them grow before your eyes, so to speak.
Prick out the weakest of the 2 seedlings but note here with parsley as a particular plant:
we have found that parsley is happier with competition from other plants. With competion from other plants it produces longer stems which is what we want to achieve to harvest it commercially. So, sometimes, I will leave 2 or 3 seedlings in the one pot, however this is speaking from a commmercially viable unit only.
Note that I use a commercial seedling table - the table is simply a table with a drainage point to allow all excess water to flow through.
Parsley has a reputation of taking about 30 days to germinate but I germinate mine in about 10 days, 15 days in the middle of winter which is still an excellent result.
How big of a "pot" do you need for tomatoes.....I have an 11 plant 2 liter setup...Is this big enough or do I need to convert to a 1 gallon or 5 gallon setup?
2 liter is ok for patio bush type tomatoes but for large tomato plants use the one gallon size.
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