Thank you for very helpful information. I was stuck with the rubber tubing to downspout connection issue. I think your idea will work for me too. Thanks again.
Its a work or experiment in progress as the float valve is working perfect as I did not even readjust them yet. Its keeping the gutters around 80% filled which is fine until I get some plants on there growing. The setup over my garden bed has worked great as I built those originally for a trellis purpose and maybe some 5 mil plastic in the winter for greenhouse. But having the vinyl rails of the ground with the 6 poles of the 1/2 conduit as the only access has done great with no animals getting up there and some ants started but I put an end to that quickly. I wanted to do my seed starting and propagation outdoor in the sunlight as I am here in California. But this year I tried in February with a little mini greenhouse and the mice or rats got into my seed trays multiple times and ate the big seeds and dug up everything. Pretty frustrating when I had like 5 Trays (72 spots in each 1020 Trays) decimated once. Then I tried to improve the rack system and put things up higher, move the mini greenhouse, but they got it again. So that was really the reason I started messing with the downspouts to start the seeds somewhere off the ground!! It has worked great for what I was trying to accomplish. The only issue was sometimes I left the plants on the rails a bit to long and they started to drink a lot more as I got lazy or distracted messing around with some other idea!! So more than a couple times I let the rails go dry but I had the the seedling in cups with 1/3 peat, 1/3 perlite, 1/3 compost, so they faired ok as I caught it once I seen them drooping as they recovered. So that is the reason for the float valve, to solve my issue of them ever going empty again. So I just tapped into my garden bed drip lines as they go on every 12 hours for 20 minutes for now. I think that will be more than enough water for them as this kind of gives a ebb and flow as water fills up to whatever level I set the float line at then the plants drink and the water goes down.. 12 Hours the cycle repeats. I can always adjust start times and length to make it work. Anyways we will see as I better stop rambling.. But the next, next, idea is some type of drip system like an IV with the nutrient concentration. I got a water bottle on the rails now with a small orbit valve and it has been slowing dripping the past 48 hours and is down about 8 oz... Just idea for now but we will see. Try to make light weight system with out a big reservoir mainly for seed starting and cutting propagation. Happy growing!
@@rufflifehydro Thanks for the detailed reply. Need is the mother of inventions! Crazy when you have to compete with bugs and rodents. I hear that birds do some damage also. I like the Kerick float valve, 1/4" line, and top hat grommets also. I've got a few builds on my channel, but nothing like what you are doing. Looking forward to seeing your ideas and creations.
@@MattGarver Subscribed as you got all whole wealth of info on Krakty method.. I just watched a couple of videos as I have some cherry tomatoes that are so good and I want to clone as I just watched your video ton the micro dwarf tomatoes. You got a lot videos so I will definitely be checking them out. Good Job!
Your system is great. I would really like to understand how it's possible to use a single float valve to fill multiple rails. What is the name of such a technique, and if you're still using this system. Thank you for sharing.
I really like this idea of going with a 2x3 Amerimax with the float as a reservoir for an RGGS. I just stretched a 2-inch net cup in Cura to make it go to the bottom of the 2x3 downspout in the configuration that you have in this video for your middle reservoir. Do you think that would wick enough water to the saucer/grow bag method you have in one of your other videos? I don't want to have an open gutter set up mainly due to mosquitos and evaporation.
These wood ones were an experiment and they work fine but I sell the vinyl ones on Etsy. Just look up RoughLifeInc to find the store I sell them in 10 packs
No I am not to concerned as I have looked into this area of question as rhe Amerimax are made from PVC as i contacted the company. Again this a debatable argument as to where you are pulling your information. For me I am using to this to start my seedlings with consist of fliwers, herbs, and vegetables then get transferred to my garden beds or farbeic pits on my RGGS, and some NO DIG where they will grow for a month or really months before they even produce. I feel there is more risk using a microwave with plastic as i do not that. Also got rid of all our plastic dishes sp my kids dont do that in the microwave or eatibf of plastic. Again I try to limit my risk as we get all the family hydro flasks and i have as RO systwm for water to fill the hydro flasks and get clean water and not use so many plastic water bottles. I have tried to eliminate my exposure to what makes sense but it will never be 100 percent. Really all this proceesed food, processed meat and sugar pose a greater ri risk to people then teying to grow your own food in some plastic. Intermittent fasting and eating more if our hone grown food has made us healthy now than ever before i feel. My point is there is a lot things you can point out that are bad but all we can do is try to eliminate the things we feel are the greatest risk and me starting my plants in my pvc downspouts is not one. To each there own and good luck with your grow!
@@rufflifehydro My concern is always the glues. And Gorilla tape has zero "food safe" badging or certifications on it as far as I know. At least PVC cement is meant to be used in potable water lines. PVC downspouts and gutters are PVC, but is it the same kind of PVC as the kind you would use in the plumbing in your house? Is it OK for it to be exposed to UV light? There are risks everywhere of course, but I'm always curious how some people are super cautious about it, and others don't seem to give it much thought. I usually end up spending the extra to get equipment that has at least some kind of "food safe" or "fish safe" badging on it. Cheers. I'll stay tuned to your channel for updates.
Thank you for very helpful information. I was stuck with the rubber tubing to downspout connection issue. I think your idea will work for me too. Thanks again.
Nice adaptation of Bernie Kratky's float valve setup. I like the manifold idea and elevation on your channels.
Its a work or experiment in progress as the float valve is working perfect as I did not even readjust them yet. Its keeping the gutters around 80% filled which is fine until I get some plants on there growing. The setup over my garden bed has worked great as I built those originally for a trellis purpose and maybe some 5 mil plastic in the winter for greenhouse. But having the vinyl rails of the ground with the 6 poles of the 1/2 conduit as the only access has done great with no animals getting up there and some ants started but I put an end to that quickly. I wanted to do my seed starting and propagation outdoor in the sunlight as I am here in California. But this year I tried in February with a little mini greenhouse and the mice or rats got into my seed trays multiple times and ate the big seeds and dug up everything. Pretty frustrating when I had like 5 Trays (72 spots in each 1020 Trays) decimated once. Then I tried to improve the rack system and put things up higher, move the mini greenhouse, but they got it again. So that was really the reason I started messing with the downspouts to start the seeds somewhere off the ground!! It has worked great for what I was trying to accomplish. The only issue was sometimes I left the plants on the rails a bit to long and they started to drink a lot more as I got lazy or distracted messing around with some other idea!! So more than a couple times I let the rails go dry but I had the the seedling in cups with 1/3 peat, 1/3 perlite, 1/3 compost, so they faired ok as I caught it once I seen them drooping as they recovered.
So that is the reason for the float valve, to solve my issue of them ever going empty again. So I just tapped into my garden bed drip lines as they go on every 12 hours for 20 minutes for now. I think that will be more than enough water for them as this kind of gives a ebb and flow as water fills up to whatever level I set the float line at then the plants drink and the water goes down.. 12 Hours the cycle repeats. I can always adjust start times and length to make it work.
Anyways we will see as I better stop rambling.. But the next, next, idea is some type of drip system like an IV with the nutrient concentration. I got a water bottle on the rails now with a small orbit valve and it has been slowing dripping the past 48 hours and is down about 8 oz... Just idea for now but we will see. Try to make light weight system with out a big reservoir mainly for seed starting and cutting propagation. Happy growing!
@@rufflifehydro Thanks for the detailed reply. Need is the mother of inventions! Crazy when you have to compete with bugs and rodents. I hear that birds do some damage also. I like the Kerick float valve, 1/4" line, and top hat grommets also. I've got a few builds on my channel, but nothing like what you are doing. Looking forward to seeing your ideas and creations.
@@MattGarver Subscribed as you got all whole wealth of info on Krakty method.. I just watched a couple of videos as I have some cherry tomatoes that are so good and I want to clone as I just watched your video ton the micro dwarf tomatoes. You got a lot videos so I will definitely be checking them out. Good Job!
@@rufflifehydro thanks 🌱
Your system is great. I would really like to understand how it's possible to use a single float valve to fill multiple rails. What is the name of such a technique, and if you're still using this system. Thank you for sharing.
I really like this idea of going with a 2x3 Amerimax with the float as a reservoir for an RGGS. I just stretched a 2-inch net cup in Cura to make it go to the bottom of the 2x3 downspout in the configuration that you have in this video for your middle reservoir. Do you think that would wick enough water to the saucer/grow bag method you have in one of your other videos? I don't want to have an open gutter set up mainly due to mosquitos and evaporation.
Yeah that would work fine. A 2-in net cup. You don't need much to wick up in the bottom of a fabric pot.
WHERE DO YOU GET THE ENDS FOR THE RAIL
These wood ones were an experiment and they work fine but I sell the vinyl ones on Etsy. Just look up RoughLifeInc to find the store I sell them in 10 packs
Are you not concerned about chemicals leaching into the plants from the tape? Gutters? grommets etc?
No I am not to concerned as I have looked into this area of question as rhe Amerimax are made from PVC as i contacted the company. Again this a debatable argument as to where you are pulling your information. For me I am using to this to start my seedlings with consist of fliwers, herbs, and vegetables then get transferred to my garden beds or farbeic pits on my RGGS, and some NO DIG where they will grow for a month or really months before they even produce. I feel there is more risk using a microwave with plastic as i do not that. Also got rid of all our plastic dishes sp my kids dont do that in the microwave or eatibf of plastic. Again I try to limit my risk as we get all the family hydro flasks and i have as RO systwm for water to fill the hydro flasks and get clean water and not use so many plastic water bottles. I have tried to eliminate my exposure to what makes sense but it will never be 100 percent. Really all this proceesed food, processed meat and sugar pose a greater ri risk to people then teying to grow your own food in some plastic. Intermittent fasting and eating more if our hone grown food has made us healthy now than ever before i feel. My point is there is a lot things you can point out that are bad but all we can do is try to eliminate the things we feel are the greatest risk and me starting my plants in my pvc downspouts is not one. To each there own and good luck with your grow!
@@rufflifehydro My concern is always the glues. And Gorilla tape has zero "food safe" badging or certifications on it as far as I know. At least PVC cement is meant to be used in potable water lines. PVC downspouts and gutters are PVC, but is it the same kind of PVC as the kind you would use in the plumbing in your house? Is it OK for it to be exposed to UV light? There are risks everywhere of course, but I'm always curious how some people are super cautious about it, and others don't seem to give it much thought. I usually end up spending the extra to get equipment that has at least some kind of "food safe" or "fish safe" badging on it.
Cheers. I'll stay tuned to your channel for updates.