DIY aeroponic garden

[doubleott05]

if this needs to be in a general discussion thread please move i thought it appropriate due to it being DIY.

equipment:
20 gal rubbermaid tote from home depot $7
eco plus submersible pump (ebay) $24-ish
3'' net pots (ebay) $5
pvc 1'' $0.75 2feet from home depot
pvc 2'' $1 2feet from home depot
micro spray heads $5 for 10 on ebay
pvc end 2'' end caps $0.35 each
closed cell gasket foam from ACE hardware $6 (must be closed cell or it will leak
Grand total $49

these usually sell for like 100-400$$ at a store or on the interent. so there you go a DIY aeroponic garden

any questions feel free
using EI dosing for a guide

enjoy

oh and for those of you who you think as such....... ITS BASIL !!!!
when i go to korea i will be keeping dwarf tomato plants

[Gatekeeper]

Excellent build. You certainly have room for a few more pots.

[doubleott05]

well you have to remember that the plants need room to grow.

however if you were to only grow dwarf varities. i will probably add 2 more 3" pots to the center if the dwarf varities of tomatos dont get to big.

Thanks

[EntoCraig]

Very creative. I like it. It seems you could drill any sized hole for all kinds of plants.

[doubleott05]

yes you can....... vegetables only

[yellowsno]

this is defiantly interesting of home grown... btw ei dosing with veggies... can we eat them or do we have to worry about chemicals?... and sun light or artificial lighting?

[doubleott05]

thoes same elements are in the dirt.....

sun light from window.

perfectly safe to eat.

[yellowsno]

btw is that cotton balls? that the roots are in??

[jreich]

nice, clean build. Looks good.

[tuffgong]

Sweet DIY! I'm slowly piecing the pieces together for a similar setup. There have been several posts like this on here lately similar to this that are really inspiring. Thanks for sharing.


What is the purpose of the bag/duct tape? Splash guard?

[doubleott05]

yep splash guard for seem of tote along with memory closed cell foam

[tzen]

Pretty cool!

I've been to the local Brew and Grow stores, and I see those $400 areoponic set-ups, not to mention the halide lighting for hundreds and mylar-blanket light enclosures, and think, right, that makes sense, you can grow tomatoes and basil for $50 per tomato.
But I take you for your word. DIY is very enticing.

You will need a south faceing window to have this work without extra lighting. The more light you have the better.

[doubleott05]

got the south window too. however results have shown CF lighting work better for this application IME.

Thanks
Elliot

[Emma121]

Do it yourself (or DIY) is a term used to describe building, modifying, or repairing of something without the aid of experts or professionals. The phrase "do it yourself" came into common usage in the 1950s in reference to home improvement projects which people might choose to complete independently.

In recent years, the term DIY has taken on a broader meaning that covers a wide range of skill sets. DIY is associated with the international alternative rock, punk rock, and indie rock music scenes; indymedia networks, pirate radio stations, and the zine community. In this context, DIY is related to the Arts and Crafts movement, in that it offers an alternative to modern consumer culture's emphasis on relying on others to satisfy needs.

[DvsDev]

I used to work in one of those indoor grow shops about 10 years ago when aeroponics was still very new (here), we made some of the same kind of systems using stackable fish bins that you have made.
The key to any hydroponic setup is the air around the roots needs to be as much as possible, hydroponics uses a thin film of water flowing past the roots, then there's run to waste systems, they use very slow drip setups and the plants are grown in slabs of rockwool usually, ebb and flow use two stacked fish bins, the bottom one contains a pump in water and the plants are in a medium above, 2-4 times per day the water pumps up and floods the top bin, the rest of the day it's left dry, then there is aeroponics, where the plants sit suspended above the water and the water is sprayed or misted onto the roots, these are all very easy to make and modify.
As far as plant size goes, don't believe it when people say it's for illegal plants or small veges only, I transplanted a few small shrubs into ebb and flow setups and I had a baby Ben ficus in the large aeroponics bin I made, 1x 30 liter planter inside a 60 liter outdoor planter, I sealed the big planter and made it water tight, sat the 30ltr inside and supported it with a wooden frame, rinsed the soil off the shrubs roots and trimmed them to fit better, then I used a ring of garden irrigation spray nozzles hooked up to a small water pump.
That shrub grew in that setup for about 3 years until some looser smashed the big pot when they did a ram-raid.