Super-Charge Yor Growing with Aeroponics !!

[onegreenday]

Well 'shiver me timbers' Pirate. Growers should 'walk the plank' for info like this.
You are a real craftsman besides a fine grower.

Thank you for all your timely answers to your readers.

I've had it with mixing dirt and hauling it up to the 3rd floor.

The aeroponc method is really a "green" method in that our media (sprayed nutrients) is not shipped from India or SEast Asia or mined from Dutch/German
or Canadian peat bogs and shipped 6K miles.

Recent figures show the supertanker ships bring goods from the Orient is very harmfull to our air and the ships spew out enormous toxins. Here's a link from an e-letter the other day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/09/shipping-pollution

Health risks of shipping pollution have been 'underestimated'

One giant container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50m cars, study finds.

As far as "true aeroponics" goes when a 50 micron mist of nutrient water
hits it's target root and combines with all the other thousands of 50 micron
mists that have landed on said root, they are NO longer 50 microns but combine & make larger droplets of water & roll down the root (which would then make it NFT) and what is the size of a bubble bursting from a bubble wand and spraying your roots.; that would be aeroponic also.

Just cause you spray a 50 micron mist does not mean it stays 50 micron.

I will use what you've posted to design something good. I can't wait to see how well aero works. I'm lookin for gold, gold doubloons that is from this.

See you on treasure island...........

 

[Me2]

The droplets reduce in size rapidly on the way to the target due to evaporation :wink:

 

[t33to]

t33. what is the size of a bubble spray from a bubble stone when it breaks through the reservoir and heads for and lands on the roots?
Is that "aero"? thanks

Well I was gonna write a lengthy reply about specifics and the importance of using the right words to describe specific things, but it doesn't really matter. Im sure this system is awesome and I'm going to try it myself personally.

It could definitely be considered aeroponics as there is no growing medium and they are literally fed through the air. I was more or less just trying to state the real deal shyza that Nasa does uses very very small droplets of water that have been atomized by a high pressure pump. Just trying to add information to the thread. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

 

[Pirate]

Hey Pirate,
Great tutorial! I got a question about the mini sprinklers you say work well for LP. Have you ever had an issue with them getting caught up in roots or tearing roots while spinning? They actually spin 360 deg, right?

NEVER get caught in roots!! I have them between the plants. Yes they spin 360*

 

[Pirate]

Well I was gonna write a lengthy reply about specifics and the importance of using the right words to describe specific things, but it doesn't really matter. I'm sure this system is awesome and I'm going to try it myself personally.

It could definitely be considered aeroponics as there is no growing medium and they are literally fed through the air. I was more or less just trying to state the real deal shyza that Nasa does uses very very small droplets of water that have been atomized by a high pressure pump. Just trying to add information to the thread. Hope I didn't offend anyone.

Pirate is not offended. I appreciate the compliments and discussions.

Yes this discussion is in the thread about Low and High pressure Aero and I spoke about it at the onset because I KNEW some where gonna mention it.I wanted to beat them to the punch. Technically this is a hybrid system. Aero/NFT. But Hydroponics basically covers all systems that bath the roots in a solution and uses no medium. Aeroponics included.

I researched this out before posting and am convinced that there are at least 2 forms of Aeroponics. High and Low pressure. Droplet size isn't the only determining factor and you do not have to have a high pressure pump to have true aero. (according to the info I've read)

But for simplicity..........I'll continue call this one Aero no matter what the debate says because its really all about growing the weed............and that it does. :smile:

3x3 DIY table. Approx. 14 days left till harvest:

 

[surgexvb]

Thanks for the reply pirate. I got a few more questions if ya dont mind.

Is the aero system noisy? I wonder since the system is going to close proximity to my sleeping area. When the pump turns on does it sound like you are spraying a garden hose into your tray. Can you hear the water hitting the walls of the grow tray loudly?

On my current ebb-flow system, when the last bit of water drains to the rez through the fill fitting, it makes this loud "sucking" noise for about 3-5 seconds. It sounds like a straw sucking up the last bit of soda from a cup. Does the aero system make that noise every 5 minutes when the pump turns off?

Also, I noticed in one of the pics on the first page you have the same timers that I do. The intermatic digital with power strip. Weird thing is that my timers sometimes decide to just reset themselves. Clock back to 12:00 and program settings gone. I even changed the back-up battery, but it still does occasionally, on different timers, not just one. I was wondering if you ever had an issue with those.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Me2]

Hey Pirate,
Your system is doing a grand job regardless of the label :wink:

 

[Pirate]

Thanks for the reply pirate. I got a few more questions if ya dont mind.

Is the aero system noisy? I wonder since the system is going to close proximity to my sleeping area. When the pump turns on does it sound like you are spraying a garden hose into your tray. Can you hear the water hitting the walls of the grow tray loudly?

On my current ebb-flow system, when the last bit of water drains to the rez through the fill fitting, it makes this loud "sucking" noise for about 3-5 seconds. It sounds like a straw sucking up the last bit of soda from a cup. Does the aero system make that noise every 5 minutes when the pump turns off?

Also, I noticed in one of the pics on the first page you have the same timers that I do. The intermatic digital with power strip. Weird thing is that my timers sometimes decide to just reset themselves. Clock back to 12:00 and program settings gone. I even changed the back-up battery, but it still does occasionally, on different timers, not just one. I was wondering if you ever had an issue with those.

Thanks for all the help!

I really can't hear my system working unless i get right down on it and listen. But I am in a room with other stuff running. I suppose if you were in a completley silent house you might here it at 2am. but most likely not if it was in another room.

I know the sucking sound your talking about. I never hear that with the Aero system. One thing I have is a filter on the REZ end or the drain pipe with does slow the drain a little. That might help. But I never really paid attention to it purposley. I am going out there in a minute and will try and get a good read on it and get back to ya.

Are you talking about the OUTDOOR type timer with 2 plugs or the inddor Strip with 8 plugs? 1/2 being timed.
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[GMax]

is that filter one of those raindrip Y filters ??

 

[surgexvb]

I am going out there in a minute and will try and get a good read on it and get back to ya.

That would be awesome, thank you!

Are you talking about the OUTDOOR type timer with 2 plugs or the inddor Strip with 8 plugs? 1/2 being timed.

yea the indoor, white strip with one side timed, other side is power tap.

I have 4 (2 for lights, 2 for pumps) of them and 2 of them trip out and reset themselves, but the funny thing is that only the 2 timers connected to the pumps reset, light timersnever do. One more often than the other. I dont understand it. Possibly just shotty timers.

 

[Pirate]

That white timer strip sucks. I quit using it as a timer a yera ago. don't rememebr exactly what it was doing but I remember it had "Issues". I use it as a regular strip now. ON all the time. Not timered.

I had to lift the lid of the Aero Tray to hear anything draining out. But it was very quite still.

Hope that helps.
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[One Love 731]

Pirate thanks for the new pics, the buds look awesome. thanks for attending the tea party, as I would have if I did not have this ankle monitor tracking my every move, as a result of the drug war. Being a causality its easy to see that Its people like you that are seeing to it that we may accomplish an end to the failing drug war among other things. Keep flying the flag upside down. Karma, One Love

 

[ResinGoat]

I know aero makes plants grow faster, but does it also make plants finish up in flower sooner compared to soil?

bump for my question

 

[Pirate]

bump for my question

Sorry Resingoat. I missed the question.

Aero will make the plant flower faster since the whole metabalism is sped up due to the ideal mixture of solution and oxygen to the root zone. I don't grow dirt so I cannot say by how much faster but I tried a coco / aero side by side and the aero finished a week sooner. Same with Flood and drain. Aero was faster.

 

[Pirate]

is that filter one of those rain drip Y filters ??

The Y filters are the same principle. The one I use is strait. But the Y will work just as well. Or possibly even better since it has more surface area and smaller screen holes to catch more particles.

 

[ResinGoat]

Thanks man!

 

[GMax]

you said that you check your filter daily if possible, if yours is a straight filter how do you remove it when the system is running ? or you just turn it off? I am not fimiliar with these filters, I havce a hang on back fish tank filter that worked great for my recirculating drip but I went ahead and got the raindrop filter as back up insurance filter as well and need as much info as possible, thanks

 

[Pirate]

you said that you check your filter daily if possible, if yours is a straight filter how do you remove it when the system is running ? or you just turn it off? I am not fimiliar with these filters, I havce a hang on back fish tank filter that worked great for my recirculating drip but I went ahead and got the raindrop filter as back up insurance filter as well and need as much info as possible, thanks

You won't have a choice but to turn it off or you'll have a flooded floor.

I check mine between pump cycles. I have 4 minutes to clean it and get it back in. Easy !!
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[flat5th]

Hey Pirate!

We chatted a little while ago when i was building my "LP Aero" system. Well it's up and running now (http://icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=2289564&postcount=28). I gotta get some new photos up, they're on day 11 now and really taking off! Take a look and let me know what you think.

I've been trying to keep up with this thread of yours and I've got a few questions.

I thought you ran your pumps 24/7...Now i hear you talking about 5 on 3 off and different pump schedules.
What's your final answer?
Does the on/off schedule help with res temps?
Do you find it necessary for oxygen exchange in the root zone?
What kind of timer do you use that offers that small of increments?
I've got timers that'll do like 10 on and 10 off...would that be sufficient?

I think that's it for now...

Your setup still makes me giddy. I hope my kayak can measure up to your fleet.

Peace,
Fifth.

 

[Pirate]

Hey Pirate!

We chatted a little while ago when i was building my "LP Aero" system. Well it's up and running now (http://icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=2289564&postcount=28). I gotta get some new photos up, they're on day 11 now and really taking off! Take a look and let me know what you think.

I've been trying to keep up with this thread of yours and I've got a few questions.

I thought you ran your pumps 24/7...Now i hear you talking about 5 on 3 off and different pump schedules.
What's your final answer?
Does the on/off schedule help with res temps?
Do you find it necessary for oxygen exchange in the root zone?
What kind of timer do you use that offers that small of increments?
I've got timers that'll do like 10 on and 10 off...would that be sufficient?

I think that's it for now...

Your setup still makes me giddy. I hope my kayak can measure up to your fleet.

Peace,
Fifth.

LOL......Thansk man. I'll swing by and take a look at the Kayak.

Pump timer: makes no difference. I run my pump on a timer for 3 reasons.
1) It lets the roots get a bit more oxygen (between waterings)
2) It lets me go longer before I need to clean my filter. 24/7 or timed......Both work well.
3) Less pump heat.

I do not exchange root-zone air. Have not experimented to see if makes a difference and probably never will unless It gets to hot in the summer time.

I use a CAP "adjustable cycle timer". about $80.00. They have one that is preset (not adjustable) for $50.00.

10 on / 10 off ? I would be afraid to not water for 10 minutes. Try it. Experiment. Let us know what ya find.

Good job on building you own!!!! "Stick it to the man" !!
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