Love watching Hoocho. Your folding technique is next level. The ends are so clean. I also like your take on spikes. A simple design. I plan on using black 121 liter trash cans as nutrient storage. It will be interesting how quickly you go through your nutrients once the fruiting plants really get going.
Hi Hydro Hack. Instead of using the cotton rope for your wicks, consider using microfibre cleaning coths. The best I've found are the Morgan Microfibre Cleaning Cloth - 20 Pack from Bunnings Hardware in Australia. AUD$10 for a pack of 20. Each cloth is around 40cm x 30cm. The wicking action is a combination of the material used in the wick, the weave of that material & the surface area. Needless to say, the surface area of a single cloth is much more than 2 pieces of rope. The cloths above are a combination weave of polyester & polyamide, hence they don't rot like cotton. I've been reusing the same ones for 4 years & they are still in good nick. You can even sterilise them in the washing machine before reusing. You can test the wicking abilities of different cloths by pegging them to the rim of a bucket. Add in some water & observe how quickly each cloth wicks up the water. After your tests, why not pass this information on to Hoocho, so he can learn something from you :) Please keep up the great vids!
Hi Hydro Hack. In addition to using microfibre cloths (described in my message below) with rain gutter grow systems, you can also use them with large pots for larger plants. Drill a hole to suit a top hat grommet in the side of a plastic basin (drill it down low near the bottom). Bunnings sell 4L, 9L & 16L plastic basins. The top hat grommet you want is for 6mm internal (11mm external) plastic tubing. Note this is not the usual 4mm tubing which easily blocks up. Drill a hole low down in the side of your down-spout gutter to fit another top hat grommet. Push fit the 6mm hose into both top hat grommets (you can also get 6mm barb fittings for this poly hose if you prefer). The water/nutrient level in your basin will now be the same as your float valve level in your down-spout. Now place your pot with the microfibre wicks hanging out the bottom over the basin. If the pot is heavy, place an upside down small pot in the basin, or some concrete blocks to support the bottom of the pot with the wicks in it. You can also connect multiple down-spouts together using this same technique, meaning only 1 float valve is required (if all rain gutters are at the same ground level). Give it a try & if happy with the results, you can teach Hoocho some more techniques:)
I had the same idea (external container for float valve) but was thinking more for a larger wicking grow bed. I was thinking it would mitigate against roots impeding the float. Too fiddly for multiple rain gutters (none of which are at the same level in my garden). Also potentially creates a single point of failure if something goes wrong. But I’ll be sure to suggest it to Hoocho at the next amateur hydroponics convention 😂
You can dig the plastic basins into the ground a bit or raise them up a bit with soil or use wood/brick as chocks. Doing this will allow you to use a single float. For redundancy you can always parallel up two floats. I use some round 50L growers pots on top of the plastic basins for larger plants with 2 or 3 microfiber cloths as wicks hanging out the bottom. Remember that the maximum capillary action of good potting mixes is around 400mm tops.
Not really... Maybe a little. I have a couple of tomatoes where the roots have grown down into the channel but the roots have also spread out on top of the channel (between the bag and the channel top). I have noticed that these roots seem to transport liquid (whether from up in the bag or down in the channel) which then slowly pools and eventually drips out of the system. It's a very slow process so not impacting nutrient usage too much. Also whenever I find this I carefully trim these excess roots off. Note I always leave the hydroponic roots that hang down into the channel. I think the plants need these.
It’s all in shade at different times of the day but it mostly gets a good few hours of direct Sun at this time of year. Unfounded I have a tiny back yard 😩
I live in the desert with extreme heat and drought. Hydroponics greatly reduced the amount of water needed to grow my fruits and veggies. I’ve moved and no longer have a yard so I’ve brought my hydroponics indoors where I have better control of light, temperature and humidity. I mostly use a DWC system which allows me to customize the nutrient solution to the particular plant in the bucket. (plants that bloom/produce fruit vs greens)
I feel like I’m watching myself in an alternate reality.
I remember when you first started out you use to do soil gardening/hugelkultur damn time flies
Honcho has a brother
Haha 😂
Love watching Hoocho.
Your folding technique is next level. The ends are so clean.
I also like your take on spikes. A simple design.
I plan on using black 121 liter trash cans as nutrient storage. It will be interesting how quickly you go through your nutrients once the fruiting plants really get going.
Great video. You provide simple options for those of us who don’t have 3D printers. Your garden looks great.
Hi Hydro Hack. Instead of using the cotton rope for your wicks, consider using microfibre cleaning coths. The best I've found are the Morgan Microfibre Cleaning Cloth - 20 Pack from Bunnings Hardware in Australia. AUD$10 for a pack of 20. Each cloth is around 40cm x 30cm. The wicking action is a combination of the material used in the wick, the weave of that material & the surface area. Needless to say, the surface area of a single cloth is much more than 2 pieces of rope. The cloths above are a combination weave of polyester & polyamide, hence they don't rot like cotton. I've been reusing the same ones for 4 years & they are still in good nick. You can even sterilise them in the washing machine before reusing.
You can test the wicking abilities of different cloths by pegging them to the rim of a bucket. Add in some water & observe how quickly each cloth wicks up the water.
After your tests, why not pass this information on to Hoocho, so he can learn something from you :)
Please keep up the great vids!
Great idea and thanks! 🙏
Very interesting. I would think that the wicks would also act as a filter preventing the nutrients from reaching the soil.
Hi Hydro Hack. In addition to using microfibre cloths (described in my message below) with rain gutter grow systems, you can also use them with large pots for larger plants. Drill a hole to suit a top hat grommet in the side of a plastic basin (drill it down low near the bottom). Bunnings sell 4L, 9L & 16L plastic basins. The top hat grommet you want is for 6mm internal (11mm external) plastic tubing. Note this is not the usual 4mm tubing which easily blocks up. Drill a hole low down in the side of your down-spout gutter to fit another top hat grommet. Push fit the 6mm hose into both top hat grommets (you can also get 6mm barb fittings for this poly hose if you prefer). The water/nutrient level in your basin will now be the same as your float valve level in your down-spout. Now place your pot with the microfibre wicks hanging out the bottom over the basin. If the pot is heavy, place an upside down small pot in the basin, or some concrete blocks to support the bottom of the pot with the wicks in it. You can also connect multiple down-spouts together using this same technique, meaning only 1 float valve is required (if all rain gutters are at the same ground level).
Give it a try & if happy with the results, you can teach Hoocho some more techniques:)
I had the same idea (external container for float valve) but was thinking more for a larger wicking grow bed. I was thinking it would mitigate against roots impeding the float. Too fiddly for multiple rain gutters (none of which are at the same level in my garden). Also potentially creates a single point of failure if something goes wrong.
But I’ll be sure to suggest it to Hoocho at the next amateur hydroponics convention 😂
You can dig the plastic basins into the ground a bit or raise them up a bit with soil or use wood/brick as chocks. Doing this will allow you to use a single float. For redundancy you can always parallel up two floats. I use some round 50L growers pots on top of the plastic basins for larger plants with 2 or 3 microfiber cloths as wicks hanging out the bottom. Remember that the maximum capillary action of good potting mixes is around 400mm tops.
Caption is good
Great summary of your project. Love it!
Thanks for your video 🎉
nice video
thanks for sharing
9likes
Quick question
Does the wick leak ? As in does it leave a little water in the bottom of the grow bag ?
Cheers thanks for the inspiration 🎄
Not really... Maybe a little. I have a couple of tomatoes where the roots have grown down into the channel but the roots have also spread out on top of the channel (between the bag and the channel top). I have noticed that these roots seem to transport liquid (whether from up in the bag or down in the channel) which then slowly pools and eventually drips out of the system. It's a very slow process so not impacting nutrient usage too much. Also whenever I find this I carefully trim these excess roots off. Note I always leave the hydroponic roots that hang down into the channel. I think the plants need these.
Sweet thanks, i just made a wood RGGS from a pallet & i using nursery pots cause thats all i have. Would love to see an update on yours.
@@pallettime perfect timing… just posted update czcams.com/video/3xcW9VICqhE/video.htmlsi=U85UH8-RnL7qOiS5
Looks like half your rain gutter garden is in shade. I can see why you chose that location as it was close to the deck but it's reducing your return
It’s all in shade at different times of the day but it mostly gets a good few hours of direct Sun at this time of year.
Unfounded I have a tiny back yard 😩
Vegetables require full sun about 7-8 hours. Can you add lights outside or mirrors to increase the photoperiod?
Whats the advantage of hydroponic?
Optimal nutrient and water delivery.
I live in the desert with extreme heat and drought. Hydroponics greatly reduced the amount of water needed to grow my fruits and veggies. I’ve moved and no longer have a yard so I’ve brought my hydroponics indoors where I have better control of light, temperature and humidity. I mostly use a DWC system which allows me to customize the nutrient solution to the particular plant in the bucket. (plants that bloom/produce fruit vs greens)