Indoor Hydroponics

January 12, 2022

Hydroponic Garden Automation and Monitoring

Normally my hobbies get mixed up. I had been playing around with Home Assistant to automate my house. Yes my projects are always on the shoulders of others, and the Home assistant folks make a great open source tool that is mostly easy to use, and runs on a RaspberryPi with a pre-built image. My Hydroponic Garden got two great advances from this, Automation and Monitoring.

Background for independent automation

Reddit is surprisingly great community for hobbyist you can find lots of useful hints there. I found this one about Topgreener Wifi Smart Plugs that were available on Amazon for a great deal. They stopped selling the 4 packs and sell the 2 packs for the same price as 4, so no link. It mentions you can use the tuya convert to update them to ESPHome without having to crack them open and “upgrade” the firmware manually. Another user also provides information on how to get the Energy Monitoring working. The best part is once you upgrade them they no longer require talking to the “mother ship.” Home automation without the cloud or proprietary apps that call home.

Automation upgrades

The Hydroponic Garden got its own dashboard to control the automation of the lights and pumps. This is a much better solution than the old plug timers that would not keep time after a power outage. My neighborhood suffers from poor power reliability, but since all the devices run network time. It gets reset after outage so my lights run consistently.

Monitoring Upgrades

The upgrade of the firmware on the Top Greener TGWF115PQM plugs was super simple after reviewing the Reddit post linked above. This allows me to monitor the power used by my HydroGarden and ensure the Mars-Hydro lights are not getting too old. I’m still running my original burple reflector lights from 2018, so if it ain’t broke no need to fix it. They are still very good lights that use under 250 W and Home Assistant provides great graphs to track the overall Total Daily Energy consumption.

I also get to monitor the Temperature which is why Hydroponics is a winter only hobby for me. I cannot pay to heat up my house with LED lights and then use Air Conditioning to cool it down and remove the excess Humidity. This is provided by a ESP01/8266 and a DHT11 temperature sensor that I got from Amazon of course as the shipping times direct from China are still broken. I would love to not pay the amazon tax and get directly from AliExpress since they have the same vendors.

HydroGardenAutomation_esp8266_DHT11 — HydroGardenAutomation_esp01_DHT11

Well yet another reason I’m a of all trades and master of none. Hobbies require too many disciplines to be the best at any one.

December 28, 2019

Spring 2020 first planting DWC/NFT

It is not really 2020 yet or spring, but I have moved the seedlings from 2020 into the Hybrid Deep Water Culture/Nutrient Film Technique (DWC/NFT) system.

I also switched over to MasterBlend Tomato Fertilizer, Calcium Nitrate, and Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt). I had been using it in my outdoor Hydroponics, but made the shift inside as well. I sourced it from Morgan County Seeds as recommended by mhpgardener on YouTube. I believe there a lots of re-sellers on amazon now. Morgan County was very friendly when I first ordered from them, so I’ll likely continue to do business with them. I use the recommended “The recipe for use in a hydroponic system is 12 grams Masterblend 12 grams calcium nitrate 6 grams magnesium per 5 Gallons” I mixed it a bit weak as the seedlings were still a bit young. I also adjust the PH into a good range between 5.5 and 6.5. This has been optimum for me in the past with the hard water here.

I also use this in the Kratky systems although dakineapproaches recommends another name brand with the same/similar formulation. My understanding is it depends on the region in which you live which brand is cheaper.

Spring_2020_early_NFT_master_blend_calcium_nitrate — Spring_2020_early_NFT_master_blend

Once I got the PPM and PH set I moved over the Pak Choi and Komatsuna seedlings. They were a bit young still, and got a bit droopy. However most recovered by the next day, and I expected the stragglers to have a hard time as I removed them from the rock wool cubes so some root damage will require longer transplant recovery.

Spring_2020_early_NFT_slightly_droopy2 — Spring_2020_early_NFT_slightly_droopy

A little Kratky method on the side.

I had a few leftover seedlings, so I mixed up a quick pure Kratky method tub to keep the overflow seedlings in.

Spring_2020_early_Kratky_overflow — Spring_2020_early_NFT_master_blend_PH2

Prepping for the Outdoors

Once I got the Indoor plants squared away in the tent. I started the seeds for the Outdoor hydroponics (Tomatoes and Jalapenos) and a big block of Lettuce plugs for the downspout system.

December 20, 2019

Early Spring Hydroponics Vinyl downspout system.

Lets Get ready for Spring before Christmas! I already started some seedlings and ordered my spring seeds!

I do not deny that I watch a bunch of YouTube videos to find out how to do things. My Hydroponics endeavors are no different. My original hybrid DWC/NFT system was based on a video I saw. However, the cost of the vinyl fence post always troubled me. It is also special order at any big box store.

I recently saw the videos on “Keep on Growin’ with Mike VanDuzee” He is my kind of guy, always looking to reduce the cost of Hydroponic gardening. He has a series on using vinyl downspouts from the big box store to save cost. It easier to source and a bit cheaper that the fence post. I had to give it a go. I believe you can order pre-made units directly from him.

I also saw the “DakineApproaches” YouTube auto watering Kratky method reservoir indicators and had to add that as well. I could never thank BA Kratky enough for sharing his knowledge, and pushing me to learn more about not only design ideas but chemistry and nutrient utilization.

Let the making begin!

Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_10ft_Honda

One quick trip the the Orange big box store. It always is amazing what you can stuff in a Honda Accord, like 10 ft vinyl downspouts and PVC pipes.

I decided to mix 2 and 3 inch net cups to provide the most versatility. One 10 ft downspout made into three 40 inch runs with net cups on 8 inch centers starting 4 inches from the end. I plan to use this for lettuce indoors as you can expect lettuce to bolt in the Texas heat. The larger cups can support Pak Choi as well. Lettuce will be a perfect Kratky Method crop. I just monkey see monkey do some rails to plant them in. Since I don’t have a yard at my house outdoor space is limited. The form factor is perfect for inside under the LED lights.

Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_plug_epoxy — Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_Net_cups

Using the closed cell foam board in a pvc pipe to indicate fluid levels is as genius as the Kratky Method itself, and testing shows how simple it is. If you see the foam the reservoir has fluid.

All the skills and hobbies are tied together.

I did a quick mock up of an end cap in Lightburn and laser cut a test fit piece in plywood. I then cut out some acrylic end caps which are much cheaper that store bought fittings. I did not follow the example Keep on Growin’Mike VanDuzee where I first saw the downspout idea. He used a heat gun to fold up the downspout ends, but it leaves it open. I may convert this to hybrid DWC/NFT like the fence post model. I also am clumsy and don’t want any spilling inside. I also hate mosquito which TX has in spades. Of course I did not have any glue so 2 part Epoxy it is. It ran a bit and I will do a full leak down test as I am uncertain about the vinyl bond with the epoxy.

Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_plug_testing

Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_plug_acrylic — Vinyl_Downspout_Kratky_method_plug_testing

Now the wait on the seedlings begins, but he pak choi is sprouting.

January 14, 2019January 28, 2019

Indoor hydroponic systems revisited

I started with a simple aerogarden and then went crazy. Like all of my making and learning “All in” is the way. I did a small outdoor 5 dutch bucket hydroponic garden and it was gangbusters, so inside for the cooler months I went. Now almost three years in, I finally update the documentation.

First, I did a quick storage tote system based on B. A. Kratky’s work. His simple system can be in anyone’s budget, for lettuce. My first try was a Miller light Styrofoam cooler I found in my garage, which may have been from the 70’s. It worked, but needed a liner as the handles leaked where they pierced the walls, so I moved into a storage tote.

I suspect this is what the aerogarden is based off of, and the pump in the prefab unit is unnecessary for certain crops. The storage tote based system worked well. It led me to more research and it was on after that. I tried more types of systems. I ended up with three tents total. one 2’x2′ I use for sprouting and my small tote Kratky method plants, and a pair of 2’x4′ tents I use for the NFT and Ebb-N-Flow systems.

I use “grow tents” as the systems started in the living room and the grow lights attract the wrong kind of curiosity. They are also very bright and annoying while watching TV. Grow vegetables inside and everyone assumes you are growing medicinal herbs. I got serious enough that the spare bedroom upstairs was converted to house the tents, which led to shelving.

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponics.

I started with a thin film hybrid Deep water culture (DWC) system based on the vinyl fence post systems instead of pipe. I’m a few seasons behind on updating the documentation, so this system recently got an update to improve the distance between the lights and the plants, so that taller vegetables could be grown. I did a hybrid as it allows for a bit longer growing season, so I can get more that lettuce and Pak Choi.

The original layout had the reservoir inside the tent which reduced the complexity and allowed the tent to sit on the floor. However since I put the tents on shelves it was wasted space. It also limited the plants I could choose. Often the growing plants were not the optimal distance from the lights and got “sunburned”.

The new setup puts the reservoir under the tent on the bottom shelf and I gained a whole 15 inches of clearance to grow taller plants. I have some leeks and Wan Shen in the sprouting tent as I write this update. The past Wan Shen was too close to the lights and did not grow optimally, but was tasty even if a bit tough. I had to prune it short however to reduce this toughening and premature bolting.

Ebb-N-Flow Hydroponics.

Before I updated the NFT system I also built an Ebb-N-Flow system to try and find a way to support larger plants inside. The advantage of having two tents.

Using Smart Pots with a soil-less mix in a flood table made a system that worked well for Calypso Hybrid cucumbers. The tomatoes grew well, but I am a terrible pollinator. The Curry tree did well too, but had issues with the humidity. I plan to update this design with a table cover to reduce the algae growth in the table.

While the yields did not match the outdoor dutch buckets I did get some nice cucumbers which I left of the vine a bit too long. I think I will have to revisit my pollination plan. Maybe I’ll have to try the electric toothbrush method.

White stem Pak Choi is very tasty grow in the NFT/DWC hybrid. It is always great to be able to go upstairs and grab some for dinner.

I hope to get more documentation done on system specifics and design challenges. I have some notes and costing data, so it is planned. I also have a rebuild of the outdoor dutch bucket for the spring planned to improve efficiency.

February 24, 2018

Spring renewal gardening.

Spring time is as always a time for renewal, and so my AeroGarden is showing its age, but I will start a new Asian Herb garden. This thing has always amazed me as it is super easy to use and consistent results. I have the LED light version and it is still growing strong after several years and multiple “seasons” in each.

It is true that the seed kits are a bit expensive, and if you have rapid rooter plugs handy they work too. If you save the cages. This time I went the easy way and got their kit as it had all the herbs I wanted.

I guess I should get the other hydroponic gardens in order. I plan to rebuild the outdoor one to get better yield. The buckets were too close last time and the plants fought each other. Why do projects? to learn new lessons. Redesign and rebuild… carry on.