homemade hydroponics – Hydroponic Economics

How to Create a Grow Room: Indoor Grow Closet

The first step to creating a grow room is a plan. Growing plants indoors can be tricky and you want to plan what you are going to use to achieve your goal. Without a plan you will build a random grow room built for just growing plants indoors. Depending on the plant you are growing, you may want different things in your grow room. You will want to plan the type of hydroponics or drip system you are going to use. Draw out every component of your planned Grow Tent.

Start with the frame. How do you plan on creating a frame for your environment. You will want an enclosed chamber. Air tight and light tight are the goal. Water proofing is MANDATORY. Water proofing your grow room set up will protect your house from taking heavy water damage and allow you to see any spills or leaks in your hydroponic system. Your frame will also need to support the weight of your grow light and the heavy hood that comes with it. You will also want to hang fans and filters from the frame so make sure you use a sturdy material.

Grow Closet Frame — The arrows point to the PVC pipes that connect to make the frame of the grow box.

Different materials will suit the needs of different growers. The grow closet in the pictures uses 1 inch or thicker PVC pipes for the frame. Wood and braces can construct a very sturdy grow box. If you are going to have a lot of weight hanging from the walls and ceiling, wood will be a good material choice for the frame. For PVC frames you will just use PVC joint connections to bring the pipes together. You can use PVC glue, epoxy, or industrial strength tape to secure the connections.

The walls are made of black and white poly. Black and white poly is similar to mylar on a roll but is usually cheaper. The black and white poly is overlapped at the connection points. Sewing the pieces of black and white poly and sealing

them with duct tape seems to produce a decent seal at a very low cost. Cheap hydroponic grow boxes are hard to find, but making your own can save you quite a bit of money for a sacrifice of time. You could also use a giant tarp to create the walls of the box, but black and white poly already reflects light.

Doors are a tricky part to building a grow room. This is where a good plan will come in handy. Building a wooden door is simple with the right tools. You can cut a square hole in a wooden board to create a door frame. Add hinges and a board that will cover the hole and you have a simple door. To make a simple door in mylar or black and white poly you can get a tarp zipper. The tarp zipper is meant to be sewn to the right and left sides of where the door is supposed to be. To open the door you simply unzip the zipper. Refer to the picture.

Grow Tent Door — The blue part is sewn to the walls and the white is the zipper door.

Once you have an enclosed grow room, you will need to ventilate it and create air circulation. Powerful inline fans can push air through ventilated grow light hoods and air filters. If your grow room is air tight, an exhaust fan should create negative pressure, drawing air from any cracks or holes in the walls. Its important to draw the air out of the room by pulling air through filters before it enters or exits the grow space. Carbon filters will remove any odors before they leave your grow room. HEPA filters will filter out dust, pests, and mold through your intake fan. Small grow tents will not require an intake fan if

the temperature is low enough. A good rule of thumb is a 4:1 exhaust/intake ratio. That means 400 CFM(cubic feet per minute) exhaust for every 100 CFM intake.

Next hang your grow lights and the necessary accessories. Hang your thermometers and preventative pest control gear. You should be nearing the completion of your grow closet. You will have to make a few minor tweaks to get exactly what you want.

Grow Room Electrical Set Up — The arrows point to the hole in the grow tent where cords enter/exit and the outer surge protector the cords plug into.

TIP: Run all of your electrical components to the outside of your grow tent. Make a small hole for plugs to get to the outer environment. If your cords do not reach from the inside of your grow room to the outside, you can run them to the top of the frame. Secure a surge protector up on the wall so that it cannot be possibly touched by water. Run the plug of the surge protector to the outside of the grow box so you have no electrical components exposed to any potential water damage. Protect yourself and your investment!

I’ll be posting more tips and guides on grow room/grow box building in the near future. Sign up for the RSS feed on the side bar or subscribe via email below because you won’t want to miss them! If you have questions about building indoor grow rooms, please spark up the conversation below!

Collect Rainwater to Fill Your Reservoir

A large hydroponic system can use a lot of water. Most indoor gardeners are concerned about the environment and wan’t to reduce their carbon footprint. Growing your own food at home is a great way to be green. Gardeners don’t want to be consuming more than they have to because that would be completely counter productive. There are ways to get your water for free and recycle at the same time. You can use any sturdy food safe container that can withstand your area’s outdoor conditions as a reservoir for rainwater.

Depending on when it rains in your area you may need to plan to catch the rain water during its season. Collecting rainwater is easy and even though it may not cover all your water uses, it will certainly reduce the amount of water you pull from your city or well. You don’t have to be an indoor gardener to have uses for rain water, although you should run your water through a reverse osmosis system to make sure its clean. RO water is better gardeners anyway because you know exactly what you are putting in. If you would just like to go buy a water collection system your local hydroponics shop should have something you can use. The water barrels at the hydroponic store are usually 55 gallon barrels with a lid.

I plan to write a detailed guide in the near future on how to start your own homemade rain collection system. In the meantime, Hydroponic Economics will be accepting pictures of anyone else who has started a rainwater collection system. Send your pictures to mailbox@hydroponiceconomics.com and you may be featured on the website!

GUIDE: Homemade Recirculating Drip System

Drip systems are economical and save time. They ensure plants are fed daily with the correct amount of water and nutrients as specified by the gardener. A digital timer is a useful tool for any drip system. The timer will turn your water pump on daily at a specified time so you don’t have to be there to manually turn it on. If you are trying to plan for a new garden, sketch out your ideas before you go to the store. You may be overwhelmed by all your options. If you have a rough idea when you get to the hydroponics shop, you can show someone working there. They will help you choose the tools you need. Setting up your first drip system or building your own hydroponics set up may seem hard, but it is actually simple. Gardeners can choose to build a really simple drip system or a very elaborate system with self regulating levels of nutrients. Start with what you understand so you can experiment with more options as you learn. I suggest reading the Introduction to Drip Systems if you are new to drip hydroponics and do not understand all the parts required.

1/4 inch and 1/2 inch water tubing — The two types of water tubes used in this system are 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch Connect clear air tubing to an air stone to add oxygen to your nutrient reservoir.

Clear tubing connected to an air pump — The size of air pump you need depends on how many gallons you plan to aerate. The box will usually tell you the size range the pump is meant for. A little extra aeration doesn't hurt!!!

A tee connector with 2 compensating drippers — This is one configuation of drippers you can use depending on your needs.

Before you buy anything do some research. Find out what parts you need for your drip system. Be creative! Since you are not buying an out of the box drip system you get to choose what parts to use. I recommend a filter for your half inch tubing. The filter will catch nutrient pieces and other contaminants that could potentially clog your drippers. Also grab on/off valves for your 1/2 inch tubes and your 1/4 inch tubes. The on/off switch will allow you to use the same tubes every time without having to cut the ones you are not using. Don’t forget to turn the switches back on when you go to use the system!

TIP: Always test your drip systems! A clogged dripper or a mistake in a drip line could leave you with wilted plants. MAKE SURE TO WATER PROOF YOUR GROW SPACE! If you are growing plants inside make sure the space is water proofed and all electrical pieces are off the ground and away from water spray range. Spills happen in ways you wouldn’t think of and can cause major problems including mold or an electrical fire. Keep towels around the grow space in case a spill does happen you will be prepared. Having a “it won’t happen to me” attitude will not save your precious plants or floors.

The pictures are pretty easy to follow, but I’ll add instructions to go along with the pictures. The system that the pictures model is an open recirculating system. An open recirculating drip system is used as a nutrient reservoir and waste run off all in one. The plants are fed and the run off runs back into the reservoir which is not air tight. If you don’t have a PH or ppm meter I suggest using run to waste methods until you are comfortable with reservoir changes. The run to waste method does blow through nutrients, but it ensures a good crop and a relatively steady PH. Use the guide on Building a Simple Drain Table to use the run to waste method. The exact same system explained in the drain table guide can be used for a recirculating system. You just add the components I am about to discuss in the bottom reservoir and fill it with your nutrient solution.

Hole punch used to put 1/4 inch holes in 1/2 inch tubing. — Be careful not to punch the hole all the way through the other side.

Half Inch tubing with Drip Hole Punch — This is a hole put in the 1/2 inch tube by the tool in the picture. You use a connector to connect the hole to a 1/4 inch drip line.

Once you have your home made drip system planned out you are ready to get into the action. Punch holes into your half inch tubing where you want 1/4 inch tubes to come out. If you mess up there should be plugs with the hole punch you bought. You can get extra plugs at the hydroponics shop. Try not to mess up because the plugs are some what of a duct tape fix and they may leak if the hole is too big.

Example of Final Product — Having a picture to look at will give you an idea of what you want to do. This picture has 2 types of feeding delivery systems. There are rings of drip emitters and open ended 1/4 inch tubing.

Inline dripper with 1/4 connector — The connector at the end can go to another 1/4 inch line or be place in the holes created by the hole punch to bridge 1/4 inch tubes to 1/2 inch tubes.

I use the straight connectors to go into the 1/2 inch tubing instead of T connectors. Every time I have tried to use a T connector directly from 1/2 inch tubing, it leaks. Other indoor gardeners sometimes have better luck, but I don’t like to take chances. Be sure to push the tubing as close to that inner circle as you can to avoid leaking. I cut my tubing straight at the ends so there is no open space for leaks at the connections. Home made drip systems require basically the same work as an out of box drip system. Systems don’t usually come pre-cut because you don’t know what lengths you want or the amount of drippers per plant. Drip kits usually just come with the parts you need to build a starter drip system.

Connector to bridge 1/2 inch tubing to 1/4 inch tubing. — Put the connector in snug so it doesn't leak.

Bridge connector sticking out of 1/2 inch tubing — This is what the bridge looks like sitting in the 1/2 inch tubing before the 1/4 inch tubing is connected to it.

1/4 inch T connector — The T connector can turn one 1/4 inch tube into 2 drip lines or be used to complete a circle drip delivery system so the whole root zone is watered

Connect 1/4 tubing to your bridge and run it the length you need plus some extra. I used a T connector to start the circle for the drip system. This type of system will ensure the whole root zone gets water/nutrients. It is hard to remove once the plants get big but they should need a transplant by the time they reach that size. Be careful on the type of drip emitters you choose. There are many to choose from. The main difference you need to know about is the difference between inline and compensating drip emitters. Inline drip emitters are meant to be in a straight line on a flat surface. I used inline drippers for this system. If you are watering different types of plants in different types of containers you may need compensating drippers. Compensating drip emitters can go up hills and drip at the correct rate. Inline drip emitters may not work properly on a hill. Compensating drip emitters also go at the end of the 1/4 inch tube and are usually not run in a series.

Inline Drip Emitters — Connect your Inline drippers to form a circle or straight lines depending on your garden.

Circle of Inline Drip Emitters to be placed in a container with the plant in the middle.

Multiple Circle Drip Delivery Systems — Repeat the process as many times as you need for the amount of containers you want to water or feed. They don't have to be the same size!

1/2 Tube in End Clamp — Bend the 1/2 inch tubing so there is a good kink. Wrap it a few times so it is triple kinked.

1/2 inch Tubing closed at the end with a hose clamp — After a triple kink the 1/2 inch tube should be closed off so it wont leak. The clamp will pressurize the tubing so the whole system is filled with water.

Water pump to 1/2 inch tube connection. — Put the other end of the 1/2 inch tubing snugly onto the 1/2 inch connector.

The water pump is submerged in the nutrient solution which is aerated by your air stones connected to your air pump. For this open system I use a grate that was once a shelf to hold the containers for the plants. The containers in this system only have holes on the bottom. The nutrient solution rinses through the growing medium then back into the reservoir.

Homemade drip system — This picture shows the end of the 1/4 inch tube that is cut off and pumps out your nutrient solution at the fastest rate.

These are some shots of what your system may look like. This guide is to serve as a sketch for you. It should spark ideas on exactly what you want to do with your system. Experiment with different things to find what works best for you and ultimately your plants. You will have to play with your timer settings to find the right amount of time for the drip emitters to run to obtain maximum absorption. If anything is unclear please mention it in the comments and I’ll clear it up for you! Hydroponic Economics is here to help you set up the most efficient hydroponics garden possible! Good luck Green Thumbs!

Introduction to Drip Systems

Drip systems are an extremely important component to any top level gardener using soil or top feed systems. Drip systems can be used outdoors to irrigate small or large gardens and lawns. They are a great investment for indoor gardeners because it takes the manual labor out of watering and feeding. It also benefits your plants by ensuring they receive water every day in proper amounts. The extra time will allow you to create a bigger garden or simply spend less time with your garden for the same benefits. Indoor gardens must consider the gardener and the plants needs because the relationship is dependent on each other. If someone feels they are spending too much time in the garden for little reward they may be discouraged and give up the greener lifestyle.

Submersible pumps like this one have rubber suction feet to stick to the bottom of your water or nutrient reservoir I’ll start by explaining the heart of the drip system. The most expensive part of your drip system is the water pump. There are submersible and non-submersible water pumps. Small gardens and reservoirs will usually use a submersible pump. If you are setting up your first drip system a small submersible pump should be enough. Water pumps in the US are rated by Gallons Per Hour(GPH). The GPH rating of your water pump will come into play when you are deciding what size water pump you will need. I’ll explain how to calculate the necessary GPH for your drip system in a later article. The thick blue storage tote is the container or reservoir for the water. Creativity might be handy when deciding what to use for a water reservoir. If you are at all concerned about your health, and you most likely are if you have decided to grow your own food, you should try to stick to food grade plastics for all the parts in your garden setup. You can buy reservoirs at hydroponic shops, but they can have a high ticket. It is easy to find something around the house or at local department stores to use as a reservoir. You can also go to US Plastics to order food grade plastic. A bigger reservoir can mean a longer span in between reservoir changes and topping off with water to compensate for evaporation. I always get reservoirs with lids or make my own. Lids will help to prevent algae from growing in your water. It can also keep pests and other contaminates out of your solution. The next important piece of the drip system is the air pump. The air pump brings fresh oxygen from the room through an air tube and out of a submerged air stone. The air stone will help to keep the reservoir full of oxygen. The water will bubble and agitate the water so it does not become stagnant. Drill a hole through the reservoir wall towards the top so you can put tubes and cords through it. If you are making a home made drip system, you will need 1/2″ tubing for the water to transfer from your submersible pump through the drip lines. Use a hole puncher made for drip lines to poke perfect holes in the 1/2″ tubing. The holes are for connectors to be put in to make bridges between 1/2″ tubing and 1/4″ tubing. Most drippers connect to 1/4″ tubing. The great thing about homemade drip systems is you can customize them to your hydroponic setup. No matter what type of garden you have, a drip system should be your next upgrade. If you already have a drip system than be sure to watch for the upcoming articles about building bigger and more advanced drip and top feed systems. The air pump delivers fresh oxygen via air tubing to the water or nutrient reservoir You can get all sorts of connectors to for the tubing so anything is possible. When the 1/4″ tubing is secured to the connectors attached to your 1/2″ tubing you are ready to add drip emitters, drip lines, or sprayers. Whatever you choose as your water delivery method, make sure there is somewhere for it to drain off. In recirculating systems the run off goes back into the water reservoir to be used again. It’s more economical this way for water and nutrients if you are using them. The other option is a run to waste option. I have also put a guide up for building a simple run off table. Its a very simple design that anyone can build. Homemade hydroponics can be easy with the right knowledge and the right set of tools. Refer to the pictures below for more details and if you would like to know more about drip hydroponics check back in the next few weeks to get some in depth knowledge. Sign up for the RSS to get the articles sent to your favorite feed reader or email address! Inline drippers have 1/4" tubing on both ends so the drip line can continue running to the final destination. The Red dripper will drop 1/2 gallon of water per hour into the medium while the pump is on. The open ended 1/4″ tubing will deliver the most water per hour, but small pumps have a hard time holding a steady stream for multiple 1/4″ tubes. Distance also slows down the performance of the pump
: Stakes are used to hold the drip lines in place. Make sure the medium is secure around the stakes. Try not to damage roots when placing stakes in growing medium.