Comments on: Gardening Gets Underway http://www.kellbot.com/2009/06/gardening-gets-underway/ Tinysaurs and Hacking and Nonsense Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:59:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: RUKind http://www.kellbot.com/2009/06/gardening-gets-underway/comment-page-1/#comment-5079 RUKind Sun, 23 Aug 2009 04:23:27 +0000 http://www.kellbot.com/?p=327#comment-5079 Looks like a good approach. I'm trying to find the basics for a system that can be put together as cheaply as possible AND be reliable. The 5 micron drop size sounds right. The humidity has to be 100% or close at all times and you don't want to get it too wet or you lose the root hairs. Can your pump handle on/off at 5 - 15 min intervals and not burn out? Some news you can use - look into mycorrhizal fungi. They're symbiotics that get nutrients across the root cell wall with much great efficiency. I use them in my outdoor garden. They're awesome. Try Espoma Starter mix. In ground, they're an order of magnitude amplifier. If your purpose is for transplanting then be sure to use this when you add soil. Looks like a good approach. I’m trying to find the basics for a system that can be put together as cheaply as possible AND be reliable. The 5 micron drop size sounds right. The humidity has to be 100% or close at all times and you don’t want to get it too wet or you lose the root hairs.

Can your pump handle on/off at 5 – 15 min intervals and not burn out?

Some news you can use – look into mycorrhizal fungi. They’re symbiotics that get nutrients across the root cell wall with much great efficiency. I use them in my outdoor garden. They’re awesome. Try Espoma Starter mix. In ground, they’re an order of magnitude amplifier. If your purpose is for transplanting then be sure to use this when you add soil.

]]> By: Kellbot http://www.kellbot.com/2009/06/gardening-gets-underway/comment-page-1/#comment-3346 Kellbot Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:29:44 +0000 http://www.kellbot.com/?p=327#comment-3346 Yeah, I think you're right about the water droplets being too big in this model to be "true" aeroponics. Technically I guess it's more of a drip system? The airstone version produces a much much finer mist - I actually can't really see it - but at a much lower rate, so both systems will probably have to be running all the time. But our living room already has an aquarium and 4 computers, so I don't think one more motor will disturb our "tranquility." :D Once I get the systems to a point where I feel like they're working I'll set up some tests vs a commercial tabletop system like the AeroGarden. Yeah, I think you’re right about the water droplets being too big in this model to be “true” aeroponics. Technically I guess it’s more of a drip system?

The airstone version produces a much much finer mist – I actually can’t really see it – but at a much lower rate, so both systems will probably have to be running all the time. But our living room already has an aquarium and 4 computers, so I don’t think one more motor will disturb our “tranquility.” :D

Once I get the systems to a point where I feel like they’re working I’ll set up some tests vs a commercial tabletop system like the AeroGarden.

]]> By: Demented Chihuahua http://www.kellbot.com/2009/06/gardening-gets-underway/comment-page-1/#comment-3325 Demented Chihuahua Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:21:16 +0000 http://www.kellbot.com/?p=327#comment-3325 I'm no expert...working on it but not yet...but I think your mist needs to be between 5 and 50 micron droplet size. We've gotten most of our information on this from Wikipedia and branched off from there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics I've seen large growing operations using what you are putting together here but the system has to run full time in order to get the plants the nutrients they need. With smaller droplet sizes you begin to get the benefit of capillary action and osmosis to immediately pull the droplets through the cell walls of the roots causing more moisture uptake in a shorter amount of time. Anyway, keep bloging your progress. We are really interested to see how things turn out and learn from your experience. Demented I’m no expert…working on it but not yet…but I think your mist needs to be between 5 and 50 micron droplet size. We’ve gotten most of our information on this from Wikipedia and branched off from there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroponics
I’ve seen large growing operations using what you are putting together here but the system has to run full time in order to get the plants the nutrients they need. With smaller droplet sizes you begin to get the benefit of capillary action and osmosis to immediately pull the droplets through the cell walls of the roots causing more moisture uptake in a shorter amount of time.

Anyway, keep bloging your progress. We are really interested to see how things turn out and learn from your experience.

Demented

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