Research for vertical garden

[tip302327]

Hello everyone.

I have spent the last few weeks researching and gathering info on vertical gardens. I thought I would throw out an idea I have been pondering. An experiment if you will and would like any feedback you others growers might have.

My plan is to construct a system that places x amount of pots
in a circle approx. six feet I.D. of pots. Each pot will slowly rotate.
The hole system will be located in a plastic kids swim pool or
constructed water tight tank. This will act as the reservoir. A small pump and timer will supply nutes to a stand pipes at each pot which will water each plant and drain back to the reservoir. I think a benefit is that since each plant is rotating around the stationary vertical bulbs, growth should be 360 degrees of each plant while still having the benefits of a vertical garden but without the time being spent with LST. Of course this is just an idea and things like how to drive the pots to rotate and what not will need to be worked out.

Any thoughts?

 

[Power13]

Once in flowering, you will want to tye your plants up. Tomatoe cages may work, but you would really have to control the growth, to make sure nothing bumps each other while spinning.

I've read that simply trimming the growth on the back side of the plant is enough for vertical gardens. There is no need for rotating the plant itself.

 

[magiccannabus]

I am growing with vertical T8 lamps, see my grow diary for pictures(first page is mostly my old veg setup). Anyway, I was going to add turn tables to my setup, but the only suitable ones I could find were for museums and are NOT cheap. Seriously consider putting a circle of vertical shop lights around the outside of the plants. Try to find the strip lights that don't have a reflector though, and get ones with electronic ballasts that run T8. It would make the coverage more thorough, and then you wouldn't need to rotate them as much, if at all.

 

[Me2]

For truely even coverage, fit lights inside and out and then rotate the entire unit :wink:
I have a similar project in progress for the greenhouse, it uses an 8ft circle and natural light.

 

[hoosierdaddy]

There is really no need to rotate the plants. They will train to the light just like a scrog does.
Simply prune out the back of the plant as you would the bottom of a scrog. This also will allow you to put the buds where you want them for maximum light.
I can tell you that even the buds in the back will often times blow up and fatten even with minimal light directly on them. They get energy form the plant as a whole, and would grow somewhat even if no light were reaching them. The buds that receive direct light for the duration of flower get mucho fat, and probably fatter than if they were turned.

 

[fredflintstoned]

It seems to me that rotating the platform is wasted energy. Vertically hung lights radiate 360 degrees. Plants around these lights wouldn't benefit from different light angles ( the purpose of moving lights or platforms) because all light would be equal inside the cylinder.
If you could slowly rotate each plant, then you could achieve the benefit you're after. In theory, with the correct rpm, all sides of the plant would receive the same amount of light over the course of the day.
Revolving platforms for each plant should be available in the retail display trade. There are even companies that deal in used store fixtures, should be easy to find if you live in or near a large metropolitan area. I have bought stuff at a store like this in my area for pennies on the dollar.
Fred

 

[tip302327]

Yes, my idea is to rotate each pot around the light to give 360 degree light coverage. I suppose the question would be then, if there is only x amount of energy available, is there an advantage to growth rotating vrs just letting the inside of the plants receive all the light?

 

[Me2]

A vertical light mover may be a better option than rotation with a central light if you have several rows of plants.
I have little choice but to rotate the entire unit as the big halide in the sky tracks an arc.
The plants on the outside, apart from getting scorched, will shade the plants on the inside if its static.

 

[SuperConductor]

Turning the plants in a vertical set-up is counter productive. Stationary plants and lights will give bigger more solid buds. The only thing it would be handy for is access then when you've had your access you put everything back where it was

Have a look through my thread http://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=117026 a few experienced people have chimed in and none of them rotate plants.

 

[purpledomgoddes]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=114197

this may help.