Tag: hydroponics

Review: Ortho Home Defense MAX


A lot of indoor gardeners have trouble getting rid of bugs and insects in the grow room and around the house.  The aroma of fresh fruit and blooming flowers attract swarms of bugs and insects.  Chemical pest control is not always the best route, but it can provide a secure block around the house.  I tried spraying Home Defense Max outside around the perimeter of my house.  I also sprayed the cracks in all the doorways and windows.  Next, I sprayed a line on the floor around the kitchen.  I used the whole bottle around my house after two separate applications about a week apart.  If you plan to use Home Defense Max around your grow room or grow box, I would remove your plants from the room before spraying the areas you want to protect.  Once the spray drys out and the room airs out you are safe to put your plants back in.

The bug spray is a chemical type of spray with a weird scent.  It was not overwhelming though in comparison to some other sprays.  I wouldn’t keep this bottle around the children, but I also wouldn’t keep salmonella carrying roaches around either.  Make sure to spray with enough time that the zone will not be bothered so it can dry and air out.   Despite the chemicals in Home Defense Max- the product seemed to work very well.  At the time of spraying I actually wiped out a bunch of bugs just hanging out in the spots I was spraying.  Those bugs could have reproduced and made many more bugs.  Catch bug infestations early and you will be glad you did.  Ortho’s Home Defense Max will help you with your current bug problem and prevent you from having another one.

Buy or read customer reviews of Ortho Home Defense Max here.

Cheap Organic Pet Food

The cheapest pet snack I can think of is salad greens.  Organic greens are a fun snack for your pets and are easy to grow.  You can even feed your pets the weaker salad leaves that you were going to cut off anyway.  Instead of throwing those extras in the compost or garbage disposal, toss them to your best pet friends!  They will certainly appreciate the snack and gain the nutrients they need.

Piggy
Fresh Greens on top of a guinea pig home.

Guinea Pig Organic FoodIf you have a lot of pets it is very easy to create a small container garden to provide fresh snacks for them.  A small container garden is also very cheap and can be automated.  An automated container garden for organic pet food is very economical and easy to set up.  A small recirculating drip system can be built for about $30.  Thirty dollars is a small price to pay for a garden system that will last years and provide many harvests of fresh greens.  Assorted seed packs of salad mixes are very cheap($2-$5).  One pack of seeds may last you a whole year depending on the rate you use them.  You can’t get fresh organic pet food that you can trust at that price!

There are many manufacturers of organic and natural pet foods and it may be necessary to buy these for daily nutrition and feeding.  Stay tuned- I’ll be posting a detailed guide on how to efficiently grow organic greens for your pets.

Check out Organic Authority for more information on the benefits of feeding your pets organic pet food.

Guinea Pig Enjoying Organic Pet food
"MMM Organic Pet Food"
Guinea Pig Finishing Organic Pet Food

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.



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.
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!!!
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.

Be careful not to punch the hole all the way through the other side.
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.

  
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.
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.

Put the connector in snug so it doesn't leak.
This is what the bridge looks like sitting in the 1/2 inch tubing before the 1/4 inch tubing is connected to it.
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.

This T connector connects the 1/4 inch tubing coming from the 1/2 inch tube to the 1/4 inch tubes that are connected to the circle of drip emitters.
Connect your Inline drippers to form a circle or straight lines depending on your garden.
Connect as many drip emitters in a series as you need but make sure your pump is strong enough to handle the load.
Circle of Inline Drip Emitters to be placed in a container with the plant in the middle.

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!

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

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.

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!

How Often Should You Change Your Water Reservoir?

QUICK ANSWER : Every Seven Days

Longer Answer: When you are trying to decide when to change your nutrient reservoir in your hydroponic recirculation system, there are a few things to consider.  The size of your reservoir, the amount of nutrients remaining in the solution, ph, and how clean the water is. If your water looks gross, it probably is gross.  Gross water = Gross plants.  Gross deserves a capital G for that equation.

The bigger your reservoir the further you can go between res changes(Res change is short for water/nutrient reservoir change ).  Big reservoirs may be more forgiving then a small reservoir.  Small reservoirs may change by hundreds of ppm in a single day.  Hydroponic systems require close monitoring of nutrient levels to avoid burning plants.  If your reservoir loses water to evaporation make sure to top it off with plain water or a very low ppm solution.  Res changes mostly apply to recirculating systems.  Non-recirculating or “run to waste” hydroponic systems only require you to change the solution every two weeks.  The nutrient solution stays clean and the PH is maintained in a non-recirculating system.  The most important part of a good hydroponic system is a clean nutrient reservoir.

A clean nutrient reservoir loaded with Earth Juice Bloom and Azamax

Hydroponic Economics is on Twitter!

Hydroponic Economics is now open for tweeting!  Head on over to twitter @hydrohelp to become a follower.  The twitter account will be used to keep in touch with readers and keep readers in touch with me.  There is a lot of good information on this site, but there are many other resources for all your indoor gardening needs.  Twitter will feature articles I’ve been reading myself, links to other hydroponics blogs, and links to all sorts of industry news.  Stay focused with Hydroponic Economics and keep up the green work!

Choose Forgiving Nutrients in a New Hydroponic System

When you buy a new hydroponic system or build your own, you have to be careful and observant the first time you use it.  Since you are not familiar with how your plants will grow in your new system you have to be extra careful to make sure you do not push them too hard.  Many things come into play when trying to figure out how much to feed your plants.  The first season you have with your system will most likely be the worst one.  Once you get a feel for your system you realize where you can make adjustments.  The next season will be much better because you already know what to expect.  Nutrient burns and salt lock ups are very common mistakes made by new indoor gardeners trying to push their plants too hard before finding out what they are actually using.  In my opinion, it is safer to diminish your overall harvest weight for the sake of quality.  If you cut back on the feeding regimen before there is salt lock up or over fertilization, you will end up with a better quality food product.

You should always stay on the light side of a nutrient solution when using a hydroponic system for the first time.  To dilute your solution you just add plain water.  Use hydroponic fertilizers that are water soluble so the nutrients will soak into the water in your reservoir.  When oxygen is being delivered to the reservoir you will get much better results with your nutrients.  The aerated nutrient delivery is a much more efficient way to feed plants over traditional watering practices.  Usually OMRI listed nutrients are safer and more forgiving.  If you have questions about a specific bottle just ask the person working at the hydroponics shop.  They will be more than happy to show you which nutrients are more forgiving.  I suggest using only half what the bottle recommends for the first run.  When you start to see signs of over fertilization you know your solution is too strong.  If your plants are showing signs of nutrient deficiencies you may need to strengthen your nutrient solution. PH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) meters can help keep you in the safe range, but they are not always necessary if you can’t afford them.  Of course there is much much more to nutrient solutions, but it cannot be covered in one post.  These guidelines will help you stay out of trouble and keep your plants healthy until you fully understand YOUR hydroponic system.

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.

Reaching Top Level Gardening

The only way to be the best gardener possible, is to try to be the best possible.  If you only put forth a little effort, you will only get a little return.  In this case, your return is your harvest.  Even when you give it 100% and make your garden your first priority, you won’t be 100% successful all the time.  Do not be discouraged!  There is hope for gardeners of all skill levels.  Gardeners can start to grow in the direction of perfection by aiming for perfection.  Aim for maximum yields and healthy plants and you will be rewarded.

Moral of the Story:  It’s easy to keep a plant alive, but nearly impossible to grow one perfectly.

The idea for this post was inspired by Darren Rowse at ProBlogger.

Using Hydroponics for Self-Sustaining Food Production

Today I was watching TV and saw a special on the damage a high magnitude earthquake would do to a city like San Francisco, California.  The damage was unbelievable!  Traffic in and out of the city would be at a stand still, if it was even operational.  Communication lines would be down.  A whole mess of things I don’t want to be in.  A specialist said the people who were the most independent and self-sustaining, would be the most likely to survive in a crisis like that.

Hydroponics is a clean and green way to grow food practically anywhere.  Not only can you grow anywhere, you can MAXIMIZE anywhere.  Hydroponic systems are very efficient and practically run themselves with the right equipment and knowledge.  The point is the people of San Francisco and all other urbanized areas, can be just as green as anyone else.  Just because you are a renter in a small apartment with zero yard space does not mean you can’t have a small wheat grass box, a flood and drain tomato table, and a simple deep water culture herb tote for all your cooking spices.  35-40 cubic feet of space(a 3×3 box about 4 or 5 feet high) is more than enough to take up a serious hydroponic hobby and home food production center.  There is nothing better than the satisfaction of eating your own harvest.

Hydroponics are by no means limited to vegetables.  If you are like me and really like fresh strawberries all year round, you have a reason to start an indoor garden!  Not only will you have your favorite fresh fruit to eat whenever you want, but you will also learn A LOT about the plant you choose to grow.  You may find that you can grow a better berry than the local farmers depending on your area.

Pass this knowledge on to a friend whom you think is wasteful or unaware of the many benefits of having a home hydroponics garden.