It’s taken close to 6 months but my next setup is finally up and just about running. Building this system has been a case of one step forward and two steps back. I’ve had problems at every stage of the build but they definitely don’t justify taking 6 months to finish. So without delving further into banal excuses, I now have a three-level ebb and flow hydroponic system. I could’ve made an NFT system but I hadn’t seen too many vertical systems that were based on the ebb and flow technique so I gave it a shot.
The system is built entirely using PVC pipes and an embarrassing amount of M-Seal ( A water-resistant seal that turns hard once you’ve left it to rest). I couldn’t find a 4 way PVC connector so I had to improvise. I used ropes to give the structure some strength and rigidity. It’s managed to stay steady even with close to 30 litres of water in the pipes which is pumped from the storage tank up to the topmost pipe that fills up to the overflow pipe. The excess then flows down to the middle pipe and as the water in the middle pipe exceeds the overflow pipe, the excess drips down to the lowest pipe.
The solenoid valves are used to drain the water from the middle and lowest pipes once the flood cycle is over as these two pipes have no other outlet to drain apart from the overflow pipes. The valves are hence turned on once the motor is off.
The whole system is automated, so the flooding, draining and switching of the solenoid valves are all controlled by an Arduino Mega with a relay module. It floods the system for half an hour, three times a day.
As of now, I’ve planted Basil in the lowest pipe and turmeric in the middle pipe. I’ve wanted to try and experiment on a root vegetable so I’m excited to see how that goes. I’m still waiting on the coriander seeds to plant in the top tier of the setup. The basil seeds have germinated and they all look pretty healthy. This time I’m definitely going to have to thin my seedlings. There are way too many of them in each piece of rockwool.
For the turmeric, I used rhizomes and not seeds to start. I realised that net cups would obstruct the growth of the root so I cut off the “net” of the netcups and kept only the rim. I made 3-inch holes in the pipes for the net cups but the rockwool was a lot smaller so I cut out squares in 3-inch circular pieces of thermocole to fill in the empty space.
It’s taken a while but here’s hoping that things work out and I can sit at my table and enjoy a meal with pesto before I leave the country. The turmeric is for my parents because that should take close to 6 months by which time I will be off exploring a new geography but I can come back home on holiday just in time for harvest. There are new beginnings and exciting times ahead !
Fledgling Urban Farmer 