Hi friends! Been having fun with indoor gardening this year, mostly microgreens and cherry tomatoes, and looking to step it up a notch.

I’ve found the Tower Garden, which looks awesome but is spendy, and also appears to be an MLM?? Lots of folks here seem to be interested making their own builds. Love that for you but not sure I’m ready for that.

Is there not an in between?? Something more reasonably priced that is a normal non pyramid scheme?

Not interested in Gardyn due to having to buy replacement “pods” from them directly. I’d prefer something more interoperable.

Thanks!

How do I know when to add nutrients? What to do when you have plants of different stages?

Hi everyone,

I have a Tower Garden Flex indoor hydroponic/aeroponic system.

When I first planted it with seedlings, I used 50% strength as indicated.

That was about 10 days ago and the seedlings are bigger. I don’t know if it’s considered cheating (!), but I got some herbs in pots from the grocery store, rinsed off the dirt, and inserted those in the tower.

So - now I have plants at a couple of different stages, but most are still young with a few cucumbers just barely more than seedlings.

When do I add more nutrients? How do I test for needing nutrients? I know how to test and adjust the pH but I don’t know when else to use the A and the B nutrients.

P.S. I was told not to bother adding nutrients to the water for the seeds in the rockwool as it is not needed. It seems like I have a lot of nutrients so I’m happy to add a few drops of nutrients to the water for the seed tray!

Thanks!

Hey all, I'm looking at setting up a basic LPA set up. You know the all in one tote with a pump in the bottom type set ups.

I've previously tried creating a grid out of PVC pipes, drilling/tapping holes and threading in nozzels but found I had problems with leaking around where I'd threaded in the nozzels and overall this approach was a bit of a faf.

This time around I'm looking at using 1/4" RO style lines with some push fittings to make everything hopefully a bit simpler / more reliable.

I wanted to see if anyone here had experince hooking up these 1/4" lines to a fountain pump and how well this worked / didn't work.

As well as any recommendation on pumps. As these fountain pumps don't usually provide a pressure rating all I really have to go off is a flow rate, so if anyone has any anecdotal experince on what might work (looking at a 2500 Litre/hour pump on amazon at the moment, in combination with some plastic 360 degree spray nozzels that screw right into the end of a 1/4" pipe)

Finally just any other advice you guys have. Thanks!

Hey guys, I don't want to come here sounding salesy or anything, but I've been working on designing an aeroponics system that can grow larger plants in a self-contained unit with little maintenance. It seems like right now the only way to experiment with aeroponics is DIY setups, which can be frustrating to set up and maintain.

The goal of this project is to make aeroponics more accessible and affordable.

First, I know there are many who believe aeroponics is entirely a waste of time, and the supposed benefits over other hydroponic systems aren't worth the headache. I can concede that many of these benefits - faster growth and healthier plants - are negligible (5% or less) when compared to an efficient hydro system. But there are still some cool aspects to aeroponics like guaranteed sufficient oxygen uptake, and one thing that can't be disputed is that it's the most water-efficient method out there.

For those who do want to give aeroponics a try, there aren't many systems out there that are designed for beginners. The roots need to be housed in a space that is dark, cool, and constantly moist but never reaching the point of saturation. The bottom of their container needs to effectively funnel out any run-off water to prevent pooling. The drain hole needs to be above the reservoir water level for recirculation or DTW container. And it needs to have air tight connections to prevent any leakage.

These constraints led us to our bucket design.

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https://preview.redd.it/l41s51qeaioc1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24a0b2176b5cae75d8ed639d88edf65b11192dd3

Now we get into LPA vs HPA. LPA systems are not as efficient or effective as HPA systems, but the risk of something going wrong is also a lot lower, given that high pressure systems are more likely to fail with more components (accumulator or auxiliary reservoir). Ultimately, we were forced to settle on an LPA system, since one of the main goals here is low maintenance.

The pumps on these units are from an online manufacturer, you can find them on amazon. However, the ones you find are programmed to spray in 5 second increments and 1 hour rest intervals, which is way too long in an aeroponic system - the roots will dry out. So we changed the interface with the manufacturer to spray in 1 second increments and 1 minute rest intervals. I know it's not the greatest as HPA is the ultimate desire, but the pumps are at least reliably tested for long term use, and run at about 50 PSI.

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https://preview.redd.it/s5rwrkdaaioc1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=75ad79823239e06efdb9a13201ad7983c4f4d04a

We are, however, currently working on the prototype for a micro hydraulic pump that won't need additional bulky parts to create the desired pressure. We have yet to reach proof of concept on this design, but I think it's physically possible and therefore should be achievable. (I'll post more on this separately)

We are launching a Kickstarter campaign soon, hoping to receive enough funds to get the injection molds for the bucket, reservoir, and lids. Our goal is long term, and this is just the first unit we intend to produce and distribute, settling on this specific design because of the feasibility and affordability. We intend to start preorders at $77.

I'll post the links to our website and upcoming Kickstarter project for anyone interested. But mainly, I'm here for the brutally honest feedback this crowd is famously known for!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/-aerocronics/aerocronics-the-future-of-indoor-gardening

https://aerocronics.com

I may build one in the future, but first I wanna just buy a really good high quality one and practice with it for a season or two, fully understand how they work…and then maybe later I’d try building one.

That being said - which of the vertical Aeroponic/hydroponic grow towers are the best/easiest/simplest to use etc

I’ve looked at the Agrotonomy ones, the Juice+ Tower, and Gardyn (Instagram ad lol) - and then the SJCX ones on Amazon.

Anyone have any experience with any of these? Money isn’t really a concern, main concern is getting something that works well and will last a long time. Any insights or advice is highly appreciated 🙌 🍻

Brand spanking new to hydroponics/ aeroponics

3d printed a tower and bought a pump and all the stuff except the food and vegetables. (Mostly growing peppers, spices, and lettuce.

I was trying to buy food to treat the water and the person at the local garden store and they said they didn't have anything specific, but suggested I use "fish shit" and that that's all I really need.

That just doesn't sound right at all and I can't find anything online about it.

Do I need to hit a different store or amazon Amazon?

Just started my new 3D printed tower - transferred my seedlings , mixed the container to the recommended seedling spec.

Just under a week has gone by - but my Thyme leaves has started to turn yellow? and most of my lettuce looks likely to die as well.

Do I need to mix some epsom salts in?

Will try and get a lux meter on an app tomorrow for some more data, Will also look at getting some PH readings and EC , but that stuff seems a bit of a mountain to climb for me - Light says its a 100w led and looks quite hefty.

Picture is the day of transferring my seedlings -

Now they just look really sad..

I will be wrapping in mylar this weekend - but the sad plants have me a tad discouraged

I want to wrap my Juice+ Garden Tower with a reflective covering. This would be to both reflect the light to be more effective to the growing plants. It would also be done to cut down on the glare.

I’ve seen a lot of pictures with people who wrap their tower with bubble-wrap insulation. I went to the local big box hardware store (Home Depot) and was surprised to see how expensive that would be.

As an alternative, I could get one of those emergency Mylar blankets for less than $10.

I’m happy to do either of the above options, I would just appreciate some guidance from those with lived experiences.

I’m also happy to hear about other options as well!

TIA

I noticed a number of questions about nozzle selection.

We spent some time testing the various nozzles that we have in our collection.

Here is the post

Questions and feedback are welcome.

TL;DR At the very least, Ikeuchi are no worse than Tefen and far superior to common Aliexpress brass nozzles.

P.S: We are not affiliated with Tefen or Ikeuchi, but Ikeuchi gave us some test samples that we intend to use in our next setup.

PPS: For some reason I was unable to do just simple cross-post here.

New here!

3D printed setup, lights on for 12 hours, pump running 30 mins every two hours—

new timer on the way.. going for 5 mins on 30 mins off

Weekend: it will all be wrapped with bubble wrapped Mylar.

Any other suggestions?

Hello friends! New to the world of aeroponics, but not new to growing in general. I have decent hydro knowledge as i ran DWCs for awhile. Im looking to build an aero seed starting setup. Not trying to break the bank but trying to build something to start seeds(10-15 seeds at a time ideally) and get them to 4-6 sets of true leaves before transferring outdoors to soil or Kratky buckets. Been searching the webs for a decent guide but seems everything im finding is cloning setups and not seed starting setups. Not necessarily looking for a high pressure setup but just something kinda basic but solid in its capabilities. If anyone has a guide or can help direct me it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a great day!

Hello everyone! I'm seeking advice from those familiar with plant sap analysis. I recently received results for my potato crop from Nova Crop Control. I'm trying to figure out whether I should prioritize the analysis based on the differential percentage, Young Leaf (YL), or Old Leaf (OL). Additionally, I'm curious about the proper procedure for starting the analysis. Are there specific nutrients that should be addressed before others? If so, which ones? Lastly, if anyone knows of free resources to learn more about this subject, I would greatly appreciate the recommendations. Thanks!

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Hey guys! Im new to aeroponics and Ive made up a pvc pipe setup which is functional but make a loud sound when the pump is on.

Ive put the pump in a spundproof box and that has quietened the actual pump but now the loud part is from the vibrations reverberating through the pvc pipes.

Does anyone have a solution to this problem???

I think what I need is something to take the vibration out of the lines before it gets to the pipes.

I am loving aeroponics but the mrs is super tilted by the sound it makes. Help me not get a divorce ppllllzzzz!

(Preferably outdoor)

So... i saw the aeroponic towers and its very impressive... but just plain water will not be enough to grow the crops. So what do i do? Do they sell nutrients and minerals tablets or something to dissolve into the water i will use and use that to grow the crops? How does it works.

Flowers already and I pollinated them this evening!

Help with vertical aeroponic/hydroponic

I’m looking for some guidance with my concept for a vertical tower. I really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have tried it at home.

I have seen people make vertical towers from either 6” PVC pipe or 5”x5” PVC fence post covers. With the pipe, I have seen people cut anywhere from a 2” to 3” slit and melt the pipe. While the plastic is soft, they insert either a glass bottle or 2” or 3” pvc pipe (cut at a 45 degree angle) to make the opening. With the fence post, it seems that people make a template, cut out a bit of a semicircle shape, and insert a short piece of 2” or 3” piece of PVC pipe for the net pot.

1. has anyone tried the above two methods? How well does it work? It seems like I’ve seen more people use the 6” PVC pipe. I have priced it out and it a bit cheaper to use 6” pipe, and if it really works, that seems a bit easier to me so I don’t have to cut a bunch of odd-shaped holes as I would with the fence post cover.

2. how big of a net pot should I use? I’ve seen people use 2” or 3” without really an explanation as to why they chose that size. I plan of putting in some strawberries and lettuce and basil at first. For the next crop, I might add some tomatoes.

3. some net pots use a sponge-like material and I have also seen people use a clay pebbles. Finally, I’ve also seen people use a bit of fabric to act as a wick. I plan on starting with seedlings, not seeds.

4. I need to make the tower a bit mobile to move around in my garage as needed. My plan is to cut a 24” circle out of plywood and secure it to a furniture dolly. I would then secure a five-gallon bucket in the middle of the circle with the PVC tower secured in the bucket. I would then mount the lights to 1”x1” pickets, secured to the plywood circle, that would hold the 4’ lights out from the tower. Does that seem to make sense?

5. how far should the lights be from the plants? I’ve read 12” - 24” inches? Should I make the lights be able to move closer/farther from the tower as the plants grow?

6. I’ve seen grow lights on Amazon described as “full spectrum” but only project what appears to be white light. I’ve seen other

light fixtures, more expensive, that actually have different colored lights. Do either work? What should I look for when making the purchase? Is it colors? Is it watts?

Thanks for all of the help!!