Brilliant system to me....any kind of misting inside is well enough.....they don't need to DROWN in water solution....as long as they are getting a misting....that is more than sufficient. Love this system. I am with ya....can't wait to see it in FULL GROWTH....and YES...you answered your own question about CAPPING off unused albows. Saving them for additional or staggered planting intervals.....atleast you have the choice of using more openings. Nice set up. THanks for sharing and good luck Ken from Orlando, Florida, USA
+JacobsOompa interesting points ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Debuncar Amazing Aquaponics Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my partner got great results with it.
Saw a nifty video on using pool noodles cut at 1" widths and then sliced and added the sprouted seedling as the noodle is spiraled into itself. Dispenses with the need for an organic or inorganic medium in to support the thriving seedling in net pots
And if you want to use the sprayers, just one pipe down the middle with multiple sprayers would cover the whole inside of the drum. Looking at the spray, it spray out pretty far so it would spray everywhere.
Heat the poly up and force the fittings into the holes this will seal and delete the need for sanding. Use square peaces of Soft foam a bit larger than the holes in place of the pipe 45s, they are cheaper and the plants will be able to grow larger around if they like. Plant hot crops on sunny side of barrel and the cold crops on shaded side don't worry about rotating the drum. Put small root plants on top with large root systems plants on bottom, Or they will steal water from each other and small root crops will not grow as large as they might. Keep the faith.........
Another option is to cut a recessed groove into the fitting. The groove will lock into the drum wall after you push it in ;) All you need is a router and a simple jig, aka, a chunk of wood with a hole in it
Did ya consider heating the edges of the holes (with a heat gun) before forcing the elbows in. It gives a tight fit & elbows position precisely as placed when the blue PVC cools.
On your spray pipes, I've watched other videos on tower gardens and the simpler way would be drill holes in the Lowest part, the valley or ledge of the lid to just let the water drip down the inner sides of the drum. And that's a low pressure pump or a solar pond pump.
Dear Mr Patchtoplate. Have you ever tried to grow a big cauliflower or cabbage this way? Im thinking they would get too heavy in the little elbow pipe and want to fall out .
I wouldn't put a cap on the open holes or at least not all the holes. I'm not a scientist or anything but I think the reason aeroponic plants go so fast is the roots' access to fresh air. While too many holes could cause more water loss or possibly dry out the roots too quickly if a pump breaks, but I would also think more holes would increase the effectiveness of the system.
+Justin Gatling Good observation mate. The rockwool cubes I use allow air in around the roots in the grow tube and there are a couple of openings in the top of the drum where hot air can vent out. Seems to work well as I have a crazy amount of root growth but you are spot on....fresh air very important in a system like this.
I have been considering growing veggies by aeroponics for this year.. I have a couple of these barrels and 100 gallon water troughs. I will give this a shot.. Thanks mate..
Good morning from the States! I enjoyed your video as I learn a good bit of information from several sources. I am also new at the aeroponics experience and we built a small hoop house 8x12x8 tall. We are doing dirt plants in recycled eave gutters mounted on the walls and aero in 2 barrels. You mentioned you felt you had too many grow ports. Ben, from Art Garden mentioned in a video that 42 is the oppitum number. Using the 12 hour positions on a clock, Mark your vertical lines on the side of the barrel, then alternate the grow port holes 3 down @ noon, 4 down @ 1:00, then 3 down @ 2:00 and so on,,,,,, This will get your 42 grow sites. Hope this helps someone!
drilled my barrel yesterday and used an adjustable 2 blade hole saw from Harbor Freight. About $8.00 U S. It has a center drill bit and a round bar with inch marks on it that carries the blade assemblies. Very accurate once set. I drilled 42 holes in about 15 or 20 min and very little clean up of holes. Hopes that helps.
Good day, TIP TIP TIP TIP 40 mm holes perfectly round and close water. Make a hole of 70% (+/- 30mm) Make sure you have a pipe large of the planned hole and a sponge with cold water. Put a paint fohne here and heat around the hole. Do not overheat, may discolour slightly but do not burn, black !! This makes the palstic smoth. Now stop the tube directly from the inside (also outside), let the tube in and cool it off with the wet sponge. Then remove the tube. You now have a perfect round hole with a collar that closes well. This goes with every flat tube where a spout must be made !! suc6 John, Netherland
I'm looking to build one too and wondered why so many others didn't think of simply using elbow joints instead of trying to cut an oval hole. I saw one guy painstakingly using bungee cords and jig devices trying to cut ovals, or even worse, a jig saw. Trying to cut an oval on a round surface is much harder and not necessary. Also, from what I've seen there's no need to go with a high pressure atomizer pump. Just spraying, dripping, or running water over the roots using a cheapo low cost water pump works just as well for the DIYers. Plus you don't have to deal with clogged sprayer heads or cleaning water filters.
st8kout1 Good luck with it! Can't comment on comparison with high-pressure vs. low-pressure but from my point of view, the low pressure system I have built is working beautifully. Lots of root growth, plants are fast growing and healthy. We are getting all of our salad and other greens for the family off one drum so 1st mission accomplished. Might be time to build another one :) Happy to answer any questions I can once you start your build. Let me know how you go.
st8kout1 Elbow joints cost more if you do not have the extra money.. I get a 2 inch PVC pipe and cut it 2 inches long make enough for each Barrel.. cost $8.00 for one pipe.. If I use Elbow it would cost a lot more
altha2008 makes a good point here. The elbows definitely cost a bit more but are easier to fit and provide an area for nutrient to pool (good when you seedlings are getting established in the tower and throwing more roots). Straight pipe will be quite a bit cheaper but a bit more fiddly to cut and fit. If you are trying to keep costs down even more and don't mind the extra time and effort, it's a good option. Another option is 90 degree elbows which cost more than the straight pipe but are cheaper than the 45 degree version. I'm thinking about changing the top row of my tower to 90 degrees for plants that get a bit bigger and like to grow more vertically.
Thought of doing the 90 degree pipes myself. I use a 3 in PVC for my Base. I cut holes ever 4 inches for the sleeves. I have 30 on each side. If I use Elbows it would cost me another $60.00 or more for the plants I can get one 10 feet long for under $10.00. cutting them in two inches is not bad, I cut curves in one it for the plants takes time, I'm retired due to Parkinson. So this is a hobby and a second income for me. I do have time on my hand. NOTE:: I do make my own planting cups as well out of newspapers. takes work, but all I have to do is set it in my Tower when it is ready. no stress is put on the plants
altha2008 if You hadn't started and really digging for lowering prices - with some heat (not over-extensive ;) ) and template (a piece of paper with two lines at desired angle) - it's not really hard to bend the pvc -hot air gun works best but in last resort even a burner of gas cooker will work fine; also - try to keep the area of heat-treatment as small as possible or the pipe will colapse while deforming ps: check if the ink used to print these newspapers you mentioned - is not toxic
Over built, no? Looks a bit costly with so much hardware. Home Depot 5-gallon buckets stacked atop one another will do it for me. A spray nib underside top lid can wet all the plants. Wool rock in net pots (or netting of some material to keep from falling into the tube) would have eliminated the need for all that piping as I mentioned above. Anyway, thanks for your video; it is an inspiration to me and others for sure, as I notice in so many videos how we are all improving designs for quick sustainable and healthy growth of veggies. Thanks to you and so many like minded individuals we are actually becoming free in the true sense of the word. Growing your own food gives one the confidence of his "free" convictions.
I would like to see your system. How it's set up, where you have it producing things. It would be fun to see and understand your lower cost less complicated system. No, I'm not being sarcastic, I would really like to see what your system is like. What can you grow in an aeroponics system? 🌿 🥗
I look forward to building this, i stumbled upon this vid about a year ago and had never heard of areoponics prior to this. It's freezing this timevof year in Melbourne however I have time to plan ahead
Yay, another Aussie, thank you for your awesome vid :) :) Will be sharing Shout out from Melbourne, I was in Darwin for the first time a few months ago :)
+Moonchild of Orcamoon Love Melbourne! Thanks for watching and sharing. Have some new projects on the go for our next dry season that hopefully you will find interesting as well. Cheers :)
If you would have ordered your 60 PVC 45° bends all at once you would have gotten a considerable discount compared to purchasing them a few at a time from various hardware stores.
+Chad Pace The States? what states? in America they are bung holes and a bung wrench to tighten and loosen them. im 58 years old and they have always been called that. wine barrels have a bung too! as do wiskey etc...
I wonder if heat would even be a problem with a aeroponic considering the air and water flow would constantly absorb and evaporate a lot of the excess energy. Of course theres a limit to how much.
Instead of elbows, that are pretty pricey, you can also use plastic coffee cups, try to find sturdy enough. Just add some holes to teh bottom. That can be done with a drill, and to several (6-7) cups at a time.
+Granny & Pa Cheers mate. Thanks for watching and feel free to sing out if you start one as a project :) Working on a solar powered version for when the rain stops!
Where did you get the drainage outlet on the bottom of the barrel? I want to thank you for inspiring me to give this build a try. I live in Brisbane and I cannot find the drainage thingymagic
I have limited garden space.......great idea.....might try a very light soil mix.......also is that plastic barrell rated at # 2...#4 or #5?....some are not food grade
+417angrybirds G'Day....and thanks heaps for that feedback, appreciate it. Working on some new modifications that I hope you find interesting too. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year too :)
+WATER DOG Thanks for the comment mate. Have one of those as well.....love the worms :) but growth rates aren't even close to this system in my experience. There are other benefits though for sure. Cheers and thanks for watching.
May I ask what or how will he use the heat gun? Would he be using the heat gun on the hole of blue barrel after he drill out the whole OR use it on the pvc elbow ? Thanks.
I'd like to ask You, if You didn't encounter any problems with particles clogging these mist-spray nozzles, I have some expierience with hydroponic systems and for outdoor summer garden projects - it's not possible to avoid some solid particles (carried by wind or flushed from substrate), algae that tends to flock or even dead parts of plants (especially with re-used substrate);screen cut from a kitchen sieve was enough and particles less than 1mm weren't a problem for a 1cm diameter pipe supplying water - just that the mist spray You showed was probably designed for clean water (...and professional aeroponics systems are bit too expensive for my taste)
panicape1 Really good question mate. I use House & Garden Drip Clean in my nutrient mix which seems to work really well - I haven't had any blockages as yet (touch wood). The other thing I do every couple of weeks is connect a hose to the second manifold inlet and give about a 30 second run of both pump and mains water tap to blast anything out. The combination of those two things have been very effective in keeping the spray heads clear. Last part is the design allows me to easily remove the entire spray system from the drum for checking, cleaning and/or replacing heads. Again, I haven't had to do that as yet as the system has remained clear and working well. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate ty for reply I must admit it is first time not only I hear about product You mentioned - it's also 1st time I hear about such group of products .Hey! - I'm some person from the internet and if You don't feel comfortable witch chemistry - I strongly encourage You to ask someone whose judgement You could trust. I don't want to call it a hoax but only other explanation I can think of - is that the descriptions (starting from www.house-garden.ca) were written by someone who didn't participate in develop of that thing. "contains potassium and phosphors, these two compounds have had their chemical molecules changed to remove one of their structures" looks for me like a solid basis for that idea. Firstly - those are elements but even if we assume that someone was refering to compounds having these elements - it's still a nonsene - it's like saying that someone removed length of a house or a car(not some length - the length). Add some sophisticated vocabulary that most ppl don't understand and [drums]... You've just made something look fancy. Reminds me of old sci-fi movies with crew "restabilising the polarity of negative-ionic dark matter decomposer"...no-one from audience have a slightest idea what could that mean but sure it works as nice explanation on why engines of spaceship stopped. Second thing is on their US site ( www.house-garden.us -I hope that I didn' made myself silly and it is really a manufacturer's page in both case mentioned). In a calculator (table) they provide - someone recomends to test pH before adding this Drip Clean (that contains phosphoric acid). I could compare it to someone suggesting washing Your hands before you work in garden - ofc You can but what for?! If u do it both before and after work -ok, no harm but suggesting doing only once and before - is just bad. One also can find it interesting that "favoured by Dutch growers" products that some contain "Norvegian Sea Kelp" (also a quote) are nowhere to be found in Europe. Do they really purchase it from US and CA shops - perhaps they do, I don't know any Dutch growers. Perhaps it's avaiable in Europe under diffrent brand name - couldn't find it. Lastly I want to say that I think I understand reactions behind the scene and by itself - it's true. Same process u can observe by using "soft-soda drink of dark color starting with letter C" (no advertising) to get rid of limestone from water-toilet. So- it's not the process - it's stuff found around that made me wonder about that product (and a company). In my oppionion - Drip Clean could be an option for someone using water of high salt concentration but there are other options that comes cheaper. Plus - one would have to do extra job to add this product into calculations of N:P:K. ps: sry for volume of my comment but saying "heyyyy man, watch out - it looks like some swindle" without any reason seemed even worse than this
panicape1 Thanks for the reply mate, agree with you on the double-testing of pH, I only test at the end of the process to balance to my preferred level. I'll do a bit more research but the product does seem to work in my setup. The nutrient mix is the salt which was blocking the heads and since using the drip cleaner I haven't had any blockages. You might be right that there are other and cheaper ways to achieve the same thing though and I'll do some more research on that when I get a bit of time :) Again, thanks for watching.
This is a pretty old comment, but I looked up the MSDS and it claims to be pH neutral. It does have some potash, but it doesn't sound like he's getting a nutrient deficiency anywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem with the NPK mix you mentioned. Interesting ideas, though.
justgivemethetruth Thanks mate, yes they provide a bit of flexibility when managing the grow sites particularly when adding new seedlings to the tower and moving more established plants around. Thanks for watching :)
I have tried a 1/4 size pump inside the barrel and do not get the pressure spray from the mist sprayers . am i under size in the pump. i got different size sprayers than you show on the page.
+Clay Hewett G'Day Clay. It sounds like you could be under pressure with your pump. When sizing a pump, you need to factor in the head height or height you are lifting the water from your reservoir to the spray heads/manifold. There are a few resources online to assist with that if you Google it. For applications like this, the pressure (psi/kpa) rating of the pump is as important as the flow rate (lph/gph). The manifold in my design is there to even out the pressure to each spray head. You then need to total the pressure required for each of the spray heads (psi rating X number of sprayers) and then add additional depending on the vertical distance you are lifting the water. Hope that all makes sense but if you want to message me directly with some more details I can give you a hand with the calculations. Thanks for watching :)
Nicely done... wicked first time out.... Trust an Aussie to give it a red-hot go... nice one mate... You mentioned Brock Hughes late in the clip, Check out Brandon Matthews and MHPgardener also... these guys know their sh**!! keep on havin a crack!
seanosomething Thanks mate, really appreciate the feedback. I subscribe to MHPgardener - awesome channel! Will have a look at Brandon now as well - thanks for the tip :)
No troubs... your killing it ! Awesome job and a lot of care taken... Nothing like a bit of Aussie nouse... Yeah MHP is a star... You'll like Brandon too.. Dynamite set-ups without getting fleeced at the local hydro store (does anyone visit those anymore for anything besides nutes?) I asked in another clip of yours about your pump... what sort of pressure can that thing pump out? Im hunting for something suitable for HPA ...
seanosomething You were right about Brandon...how good are his builds!! Clever and super quality. MIgardener is another good channel if you haven't seen his stuff yet - ruclips.net/channel/UCVGVbOl6F5rGF4wSYS6Y5yQ
Will check him out now.... Just saw the device you're getting... whooooooaaaaaaaa..... WAY over my head! Tho saying that, it would come with detailed instructions re :soldering and programming.... (its not like you'd have to write code for the thing !) awesome functionality tho.. sakes... Would automate three of my systems .Im a bit stuck right now.... simple math tells me my "timed solenoid" would be fine triggering roughly 480 times a day..... the pump (only 250w.. but smashes out up to 1500psi) is a major concern.... the manufacturer assured me that if i wanted to run it for even 3 seconds on and ten minutes off it would be scrap within a month.......my "work around" is to run it for half an hour straight.. then three minutes off.... it would run straight back into my solution tank with the solenoid tripping to release solution in the required dose off the same line to the chamber....
Amazing video, THANK YOU. Could you tell me specifically which type of pump you now recommend, and what kind of watering schedule you have it set to? Also, is it critical to have a barrel with a sealed top?
I am moving to a pump with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. I am working with a 10 seconds run time each 5 minutes. Thanks for the questions and for watching.
low pressure aero is akin to nft, aka it delivers a thin film of nutrient onto the roots. True aeroponics uses mist with a droplet size range of 5-80 microns. The droplets are absorbed on contact, theres no film and no liquid dripping off the roots. This allows the roots to feed and breathe at the same time. The droplets dont block gas exchange in the way a film of liquid does. Droplets that are absorbed on contact dont leave a film of nutrient depleted water behind which serves to reduce gas exchange and deny the root further nutrient uptake. Waiting for the nutrient depleted water to be absorbed or evaporate takes time which could be better spent. Theres a lot of differences between low pressure aero and true aero :)
Atom izer Thanks for watching and for commenting, all good stuff and spot on. Would love to try true (high-pressure) at some stage but those old competing priorities are at it again :) For now I will have to make do with my budget low-pressure build which for now at least, is working better than expected.
patchtoplate Hi mate, I use low pressure aero too and its very productive. I much prefer the high pressure setup as it runs drain to waste. Its a lot less work, no checking and adjusting EC/PH or dumping the reservoir periodically. The extra bonus of drain to waste is the last drop of nutrient is identical to the first, a recirculated reservoir is constantly changing as the returning nutrients mix back in. I always found a recirculated reservoir more difficult to keep cool as the nutrients generally come back quite a bit warmer than they went out. As you`re in Oz, i`d keep a close eye on the internal temperature of the drum, if it climbs above 80F you`ll have some root problems, 70F is ideal but not easy to acheive in full sun. Looking forward to seeing the drum disappear underneath all the greenery :)
Atom izer Thanks mate, hey really appreciate the comments and tips! You are spot on (again) about the temperature and I'm looking at building some monitoring in now. Have a friend with some Aduino skills I hope to tap in to. I live in one of the hottest parts of Oz - right up the top in the tropics. It's our winter now and overnight minimum is around 68F so temp is a challenge :) If you can give me any tips or point me to some high pressure plans or products, would love to start checking that out as well. Thanks again.
patchtoplate Still chilly here in the uk, hope things improve soon or we`ll be running out of time as usual. Building a hpa setup isnt too difficult, sourcing the bits and pieces can be tricky depending which route you take and how good you are at finding bargains :). I have 3 outdoor hpa chambers mainly geared for tomatoes and peppers, they`re all pretty big (2x 1500L and 1x 300L) so none are vertical. I use 12v dc throughout to make everything immune to power cuts. The chambers are supplied by a large 100L (10bar) accumulator which is filled once every 2 days ysing a 12v diaphragm pump which takes about 8 minutes. The tank supplies a constant 80-psi to 32 netafim coolnet nozzles via 12v solenoids and cycle timers. The solenoids/timers are powered by a 12v 7ah SLA battery and a 20w solar charging panel. As hpa only uses a minimal amount of water/nutes i run everything drain to waste (runoff collected and used on the garden). The bonus of running DTW is its less work, no PH/EC adjustments, topups or reservoir dumping. More importantly, no warm, unbalanced nutes, nasties or debris ever comes back from the chambers to mess with the tank.
Atom izer Sounds like you have things set up really well! Any chance of some pics to point me in the right direction? Interested in the chambers themselves.
What i really dont understand i why some make a tutorial video online, and all they do is talk talk talk. Its way better if you SHOW us how you do it while explaining. Dont talk about how you dit it when camera is turned on, then afterwards you show us the finished result with no video to explain how you actually made the system.
I built a similar barrel tower & transplanted about 25 mature cucumber plants from a Kratky bed about dark just a week or so ago. Failing to notice that the elbow inserts were leaking, next morning they were all dead as the water/nutrient mix all leaked out. Any advice on how to stop the leaks (other than silicone, etc)? Thanks in advance!
Tina Marie Gonzales Hi and thanks for the question - it is exactly why I started trying aeroponics :) I have had mine running very successfully outdoors in a tropical climate. It is our "winter" or dry season at the moment so temperatures are generally 20-33C (68-92F). I have a double-reservoir design to help regulate the temperature of the water/nutrient mix. I also have 2 small vents in the top of the tower to keep the air circulating and to allow the hotter air to escape (hope that makes sense). So far, so good! At the hottest time of the year I'll 3/4 bury my main reservoir to help keep it cooler. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
![DIY Hydroponics | Aeroponics Garden Tower Build | Part 2 - [4 Tower Build]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mimElkAepYY/mqdefault.jpg)
Just a tip if you're interested. If you run your drill in reverse, it leaves a lot cleaner hole in the plastic drum. A lot less sanding. Great video.
+Paraguns Mate that is a great tip, many thanks! Will be sure to give it a try :)
+Paraguns I have spent months studying aquaponics and found an awesome resource at Keiths Ponics Site (google it if you're interested)
Scrublandz
Scrubla
Awesome tip, I will do this from now on. Thanx
Brilliant system to me....any kind of misting inside is well enough.....they don't need to DROWN in water solution....as long as they are getting a misting....that is more than sufficient. Love this system. I am with ya....can't wait to see it in FULL GROWTH....and YES...you answered your own question about CAPPING off unused albows. Saving them for additional or staggered planting intervals.....atleast you have the choice of using more openings. Nice set up.
THanks for sharing and good luck
Ken from Orlando, Florida, USA
+JacobsOompa Thanks mate - appreciate the feedback and thanks for watching :)
+JacobsOompa interesting points ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Debuncar Amazing Aquaponics Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my partner got great results with it.
Saw a nifty video on using pool noodles cut at 1" widths and then sliced and added the sprouted seedling as the noodle is spiraled into itself. Dispenses with the need for an organic or inorganic medium in to support the thriving seedling in net pots
And if you want to use the sprayers, just one pipe down the middle with multiple sprayers would cover the whole inside of the drum. Looking at the spray, it spray out pretty far so it would spray everywhere.
I've been working on aquaponics, but will try to incorporate this into my system as well. Thank you for sharing.
Heat the poly up and force the fittings into the holes this will seal and delete the need for sanding. Use square peaces of Soft foam a bit larger than the holes in place of the pipe 45s, they are cheaper and the plants will be able to grow larger around if they like. Plant hot crops on sunny side of barrel and the cold crops on shaded side don't worry about rotating the drum. Put small root plants on top with large root systems plants on bottom, Or they will steal water from each other and small root crops will not grow as large as they might. Keep the faith.........
Another option is to cut a recessed groove into the fitting. The groove will lock into the drum wall after you push it in ;) All you need is a router and a simple jig, aka, a chunk of wood with a hole in it
You sound experienced with this. I'll learn from you.
please elaborate on how a plant is placed with that square piece of foam that's in the hole cut out. thanks
Did ya consider heating the edges of the holes (with a heat gun) before forcing the elbows in. It gives a tight fit & elbows position precisely as placed when the blue PVC cools.
On your spray pipes, I've watched other videos on tower gardens and the simpler way would be drill holes in the Lowest part, the valley or ledge of the lid to just let the water drip down the inner sides of the drum. And that's a low pressure pump or a solar pond pump.
Genuine aeroponic towers that run mist will leave a mislabeled hydroponic system like the Tower Garden in the dust.
WOW...I love the looks of this barrel garden....UNIQUE to see....great job
+JacobsOompa Thanks mate, appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad you found the videos useful. Have a great day :)
Dear Mr Patchtoplate.
Have you ever tried to grow a big cauliflower or cabbage this way?
Im thinking they would get too heavy in the little elbow pipe and want to fall out .
I'm gonna make one of these! Thank you! Way cheaper than 4in pvc towers!
I wouldn't put a cap on the open holes or at least not all the holes. I'm not a scientist or anything but I think the reason aeroponic plants go so fast is the roots' access to fresh air. While too many holes could cause more water loss or possibly dry out the roots too quickly if a pump breaks, but I would also think more holes would increase the effectiveness of the system.
+Justin Gatling Good observation mate. The rockwool cubes I use allow air in around the roots in the grow tube and there are a couple of openings in the top of the drum where hot air can vent out. Seems to work well as I have a crazy amount of root growth but you are spot on....fresh air very important in a system like this.
I have been considering growing veggies by aeroponics for this year.. I have a couple of these barrels and 100 gallon water troughs. I will give this a shot.. Thanks mate..
I'd really enjoy seeing a more detailed video of your misting system.
this is the kind of solution i've been looking for. Thank you!
I have had success with this method. I switched to 5 gallon buckets. I still have 1 of these running.
Hi Douglas...how are your 5 gallon buckets doing? Thanks!
Good morning from the States! I enjoyed your video as I learn a good bit of information from several sources. I am also new at the aeroponics experience and we built a small hoop house 8x12x8 tall. We are doing dirt plants in recycled eave gutters mounted on the walls and aero in 2 barrels. You mentioned you felt you had too many grow ports. Ben, from Art Garden mentioned in a video that 42 is the oppitum number. Using the 12 hour positions on a clock, Mark your vertical lines on the side of the barrel, then alternate the grow port holes 3 down @ noon, 4 down @ 1:00, then 3 down @ 2:00 and so on,,,,,,
This will get your 42 grow sites.
Hope this helps someone!
drilled my barrel yesterday and used an adjustable 2 blade hole saw from Harbor Freight. About $8.00 U S. It has a center drill bit and a round bar with inch marks on it that carries the blade assemblies. Very accurate once set. I drilled 42 holes in about 15 or 20 min and very little clean up of holes.
Hopes that helps.
@@joebray2437 Thanks Jeo, this was actually the info i had been searching for the last 25 min. Awesome Tip good man!
Good day,
TIP TIP TIP TIP
40 mm holes perfectly round and close water.
Make a hole of 70% (+/- 30mm)
Make sure you have a pipe large of the planned hole and a sponge with cold water.
Put a paint fohne here and heat around the hole. Do not overheat, may discolour slightly but do not burn, black !!
This makes the palstic smoth.
Now stop the tube directly from the inside (also outside), let the tube in and cool it off with the wet sponge.
Then remove the tube.
You now have a perfect round hole with a collar that closes well.
This goes with every flat tube where a spout must be made !!
suc6
John, Netherland
I'm looking to build one too and wondered why so many others didn't think of simply using elbow joints instead of trying to cut an oval hole. I saw one guy painstakingly using bungee cords and jig devices trying to cut ovals, or even worse, a jig saw. Trying to cut an oval on a round surface is much harder and not necessary.
Also, from what I've seen there's no need to go with a high pressure atomizer pump. Just spraying, dripping, or running water over the roots using a cheapo low cost water pump works just as well for the DIYers. Plus you don't have to deal with clogged sprayer heads or cleaning water filters.
st8kout1 Good luck with it! Can't comment on comparison with high-pressure vs. low-pressure but from my point of view, the low pressure system I have built is working beautifully. Lots of root growth, plants are fast growing and healthy. We are getting all of our salad and other greens for the family off one drum so 1st mission accomplished. Might be time to build another one :) Happy to answer any questions I can once you start your build. Let me know how you go.
st8kout1 Elbow joints cost more if you do not have the extra money.. I get a 2 inch PVC pipe and cut it 2 inches long make enough for each Barrel.. cost $8.00 for one pipe.. If I use Elbow it would cost a lot more
altha2008 makes a good point here. The elbows definitely cost a bit more but are easier to fit and provide an area for nutrient to pool (good when you seedlings are getting established in the tower and throwing more roots). Straight pipe will be quite a bit cheaper but a bit more fiddly to cut and fit. If you are trying to keep costs down even more and don't mind the extra time and effort, it's a good option. Another option is 90 degree elbows which cost more than the straight pipe but are cheaper than the 45 degree version. I'm thinking about changing the top row of my tower to 90 degrees for plants that get a bit bigger and like to grow more vertically.
Thought of doing the 90 degree pipes myself. I use a 3 in PVC for my Base. I cut holes ever 4 inches for the sleeves. I have 30 on each side. If I use Elbows it would cost me another $60.00 or more for the plants I can get one 10 feet long for under $10.00. cutting them in two inches is not bad, I cut curves in one it for the plants takes time, I'm retired due to Parkinson. So this is a hobby and a second income for me. I do have time on my hand.
NOTE:: I do make my own planting cups as well out of newspapers. takes work, but all I have to do is set it in my Tower when it is ready. no stress is put on the plants
altha2008 if You hadn't started and really digging for lowering prices - with some heat (not over-extensive ;) ) and template (a piece of paper with two lines at desired angle) - it's not really hard to bend the pvc -hot air gun works best but in last resort even a burner of gas cooker will work fine; also - try to keep the area of heat-treatment as small as possible or the pipe will colapse while deforming
ps: check if the ink used to print these newspapers you mentioned - is not toxic
About to do mine! Amazing informations thanks 🙏
+Brock Hughes - He does an amazing job with his presentation of his gardens and is a terrific guy.
Over built, no? Looks a bit costly with so much hardware. Home Depot 5-gallon buckets stacked atop one another will do it for me. A spray nib underside top lid can wet all the plants. Wool rock in net pots (or netting of some material to keep from falling into the tube) would have eliminated the need for all that piping as I mentioned above.
Anyway, thanks for your video; it is an inspiration to me and others for sure, as I notice in so many videos how we are all improving designs for quick sustainable and healthy growth of veggies. Thanks to you and so many like minded individuals we are actually becoming free in the true sense of the word. Growing your own food gives one the confidence of his "free" convictions.
I would like to see your system. How it's set up, where you have it producing things. It would be fun to see and understand your lower cost less complicated system.
No, I'm not being sarcastic, I would really like to see what your system is like. What can you grow in an aeroponics system? 🌿 🥗
Cut oversized and use a ring gasket insert to ensure a snug fit for the elbow.
I look forward to building this, i stumbled upon this vid about a year ago and had never heard of areoponics prior to this. It's freezing this timevof year in Melbourne however I have time to plan ahead
Great to hear, good luck with the project :)
Try a vertical sprayer down the middle also will hit everything
Good job bro! I like your system
Thank you for your RUclips, it was excellent video for anyone who wants to start.
Excellent video and great work. Heading to part 2.
Thank you for your share
No worries at all, thanks for watching.
Looks amazing but the root system is my concern with more dominate plants mate.
nice sharing
Try D.W.V. drain waste and vent. It's thinner walled. On the 45 degrees look for street 45's
WOW!!! awesome job! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
No worries at all Max, thanks for watching.
About time an Aussie got up on this!
Subbed and seated - eager for more!
Great work mate.
Rohan James Thanks mate - I better get cracking on those other parts and updates :) Thanks for watching!
Yay, another Aussie, thank you for your awesome vid :) :) Will be sharing
Shout out from Melbourne, I was in Darwin for the first time a few months ago :)
+Moonchild of Orcamoon Love Melbourne! Thanks for watching and sharing. Have some new projects on the go for our next dry season that hopefully you will find interesting as well. Cheers :)
Also, I think if you use schedule 20 instead of 34 it is thinner, cheaper and will go in easier
Awesome video mate
Thanks Valentino
If you would have ordered your 60 PVC 45° bends all at once you would have gotten a considerable discount compared to purchasing them a few at a time from various hardware stores.
Use a street 45... It's a fitting term describing one end is A male end.
Interesting concept. Would it be possible to save on the 45 deg couplers by maybe just cutting straight pipe and hot gluing them in?
lol bung-hole in The States has a completely different meaning! Great video.
+Chad Pace The States? what states? in America they are bung holes and a bung wrench to tighten and loosen them. im 58 years old and they have always been called that. wine barrels have a bung too! as do wiskey etc...
I'm with Chad and I'm 59. When he said, bung hole, I laughed too
COWAAABUNG HOLEEEEE
That is also a double meaning here in Australia. Common phrase heard in many verbal fights is " go stick it up your bung hole".
Americar
can you please put a list of supplies used for this build, in the description.
I wonder if heat would even be a problem with a aeroponic considering the air and water flow would constantly absorb and evaporate a lot of the excess energy. Of course theres a limit to how much.
Instead of elbows, that are pretty pricey, you can also use plastic coffee cups, try to find sturdy enough. Just add some holes to teh bottom. That can be done with a drill, and to several (6-7) cups at a time.
Jaakko Laurila but that would be at a different angle?
Or piece of pvc pipe
I just stumbled upon your channel. Are you the original creator of hydroponic grow towers that are all the rage now? Great idea.
Mate, this is great, thank you. So pleased its an Aussie as well, cheers
+Granny & Pa Cheers mate. Thanks for watching and feel free to sing out if you start one as a project :) Working on a solar powered version for when the rain stops!
+patchtoplate I would love to see that one
Excellent Idea f vert type Hponics
THANKS very interesting well presented
ta from NZ
Thanks for watching. North or south island?
Great video!
Appreciate the feedback, many thanks.
Thank you for sharing, Great Video with good details
+Orlando DaSilva Thanks very much for the feedback and for watching :)
Where did you get the drainage outlet on the bottom of the barrel? I want to thank you for inspiring me to give this build a try. I live in Brisbane and I cannot find the drainage thingymagic
I have limited garden space.......great idea.....might try a very light soil mix.......also is that plastic barrell rated at # 2...#4 or #5?....some are not food grade
WOW!!! great job.. very inspiring..
Thanks for sharing
Great job dude, awesome.
C. Scott Thanks mate, appreciate the feedback. Have a great day :)
Thanks for the information
No worries at all, thanks for watching.
Oooh, "Bungholes" I thought you said something else 😂
Very nice
Many thanks
keep up the good work and thanks for the video
COOL!!!!
informative video.
Thanks
No worries and thanks for the feedback :)
Thank you! Out-friggin' STANDING!!! GREAT JOB, really! You are a very good youtube instructor. This helped me, a lot... BTW,
Happy New Year!
+417angrybirds G'Day....and thanks heaps for that feedback, appreciate it. Working on some new modifications that I hope you find interesting too. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year too :)
+patchtoplate -- Been looking for new posts with the aforementioned new modifications... look forward to seeing it!
BARREL GARDEN WITH WORM TUBE.. saves you on pvc part's, and doesn't need a misting system. way better over all. luck..
+WATER DOG Thanks for the comment mate. Have one of those as well.....love the worms :) but growth rates aren't even close to this system in my experience. There are other benefits though for sure. Cheers and thanks for watching.
I believe you could have used a heat gun instead of sanding. If need to remove one use heat gun again.
May I ask what or how will he use the heat gun? Would he be using the heat gun on the hole of blue barrel after he drill out the whole OR use it on the pvc elbow ? Thanks.
I'd like to ask You, if You didn't encounter any problems with particles clogging these mist-spray nozzles,
I have some expierience with hydroponic systems and for outdoor summer garden projects - it's not possible to avoid some solid particles (carried by wind or flushed from substrate), algae that tends to flock or even dead parts of plants (especially with re-used substrate);screen cut from a kitchen sieve was enough and particles less than 1mm weren't a problem for a 1cm diameter pipe supplying water - just that the mist spray You showed was probably designed for clean water (...and professional aeroponics systems are bit too expensive for my taste)
panicape1 Really good question mate. I use House & Garden Drip Clean in my nutrient mix which seems to work really well - I haven't had any blockages as yet (touch wood). The other thing I do every couple of weeks is connect a hose to the second manifold inlet and give about a 30 second run of both pump and mains water tap to blast anything out. The combination of those two things have been very effective in keeping the spray heads clear. Last part is the design allows me to easily remove the entire spray system from the drum for checking, cleaning and/or replacing heads. Again, I haven't had to do that as yet as the system has remained clear and working well. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate ty for reply
I must admit it is first time not only I hear about product You mentioned - it's also 1st time I hear about such group of products .Hey! - I'm some person from the internet and if You don't feel comfortable witch chemistry - I strongly encourage You to ask someone whose judgement You could trust. I don't want to call it a hoax but only other explanation I can think of - is that the descriptions (starting from www.house-garden.ca) were written by someone who didn't participate in develop of that thing. "contains potassium and phosphors, these two compounds have had their chemical molecules changed to remove one of their structures" looks for me like a solid basis for that idea.
Firstly - those are elements but even if we assume that someone was refering to compounds having these elements - it's still a nonsene - it's like saying that someone removed length of a house or a car(not some length - the length). Add some sophisticated vocabulary that most ppl don't understand and [drums]... You've just made something look fancy. Reminds me of old sci-fi movies with crew "restabilising the polarity of negative-ionic dark matter decomposer"...no-one from audience have a slightest idea what could that mean but sure it works as nice explanation on why engines of spaceship stopped.
Second thing is on their US site ( www.house-garden.us -I hope that I didn' made myself silly and it is really a manufacturer's page in both case mentioned). In a calculator (table) they provide - someone recomends to test pH before adding this Drip Clean (that contains phosphoric acid). I could compare it to someone suggesting washing Your hands before you work in garden - ofc You can but what for?! If u do it both before and after work -ok, no harm but suggesting doing only once and before - is just bad.
One also can find it interesting that "favoured by Dutch growers" products that some contain "Norvegian Sea Kelp" (also a quote) are nowhere to be found in Europe. Do they really purchase it from US and CA shops - perhaps they do, I don't know any Dutch growers. Perhaps it's avaiable in Europe under diffrent brand name - couldn't find it.
Lastly I want to say that I think I understand reactions behind the scene and by itself - it's true. Same process u can observe by using "soft-soda drink of dark color starting with letter C" (no advertising) to get rid of limestone from water-toilet. So- it's not the process - it's stuff found around that made me wonder about that product (and a company). In my oppionion - Drip Clean could be an option for someone using water of high salt concentration but there are other options that comes cheaper. Plus - one would have to do extra job to add this product into calculations of N:P:K.
ps: sry for volume of my comment but saying "heyyyy man, watch out - it looks like some swindle" without any reason seemed even worse than this
panicape1 Thanks for the reply mate, agree with you on the double-testing of pH, I only test at the end of the process to balance to my preferred level. I'll do a bit more research but the product does seem to work in my setup. The nutrient mix is the salt which was blocking the heads and since using the drip cleaner I haven't had any blockages. You might be right that there are other and cheaper ways to achieve the same thing though and I'll do some more research on that when I get a bit of time :) Again, thanks for watching.
patchtoplate thanks for sharing
This is a pretty old comment, but I looked up the MSDS and it claims to be pH neutral. It does have some potash, but it doesn't sound like he's getting a nutrient deficiency anywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem with the NPK mix you mentioned. Interesting ideas, though.
Very innovative
Many thanks and thanks for watching.
what kind of pump did you use?
Very interesting
this project is so awesome! :) I just want to know how much is the overall cost for a single project? :) Thanks! :)
brilliance
Very kind and thanks for watching!
thanx so much for your trouble but i'm sure u had fun making vid. Question: Is there a reason U didn't make holes closer to top and bottom of barrel?
Thank you for posting
Very informative
What kind of plants do you grow in these
Thanks for sharing your project :-)
Use rockwool, not soil. And the weight of the plant, will not make it fall out?
Simon Ci the roots will develop and counterbalance them
Did you run the hole saw backwards when making the bigger holes?
Cap's a good idea.
justgivemethetruth Thanks mate, yes they provide a bit of flexibility when managing the grow sites particularly when adding new seedlings to the tower and moving more established plants around. Thanks for watching :)
I have tried a 1/4 size pump inside the barrel and do not get the pressure spray from the mist sprayers . am i under size in the pump. i got different size sprayers than you show on the page.
+Clay Hewett G'Day Clay. It sounds like you could be under pressure with your pump. When sizing a pump, you need to factor in the head height or height you are lifting the water from your reservoir to the spray heads/manifold. There are a few resources online to assist with that if you Google it. For applications like this, the pressure (psi/kpa) rating of the pump is as important as the flow rate (lph/gph). The manifold in my design is there to even out the pressure to each spray head. You then need to total the pressure required for each of the spray heads (psi rating X number of sprayers) and then add additional depending on the vertical distance you are lifting the water. Hope that all makes sense but if you want to message me directly with some more details I can give you a hand with the calculations. Thanks for watching :)
this is a great video
+ANDRES ROMERO Thanks for watching mate and for the feedback, really appreciate it. Have a great day :)
Nicely done... wicked first time out....
Trust an Aussie to give it a red-hot go... nice one mate...
You mentioned Brock Hughes late in the clip,
Check out Brandon Matthews and MHPgardener also... these guys know their sh**!!
keep on havin a crack!
seanosomething Thanks mate, really appreciate the feedback. I subscribe to MHPgardener - awesome channel! Will have a look at Brandon now as well - thanks for the tip :)
No troubs... your killing it !
Awesome job and a lot of care taken...
Nothing like a bit of Aussie nouse...
Yeah MHP is a star... You'll like Brandon too.. Dynamite set-ups without getting fleeced at the local hydro store (does anyone visit those anymore for anything besides nutes?)
I asked in another clip of yours about your pump... what sort of pressure can that thing pump out? Im hunting for something suitable for HPA ...
Bit slow on the replies but have replied back on the other video now :) Hope that answers it but let me know if not.
seanosomething You were right about Brandon...how good are his builds!! Clever and super quality. MIgardener is another good channel if you haven't seen his stuff yet - ruclips.net/channel/UCVGVbOl6F5rGF4wSYS6Y5yQ
Will check him out now....
Just saw the device you're getting... whooooooaaaaaaaa..... WAY over my head!
Tho saying that, it would come with detailed instructions re :soldering and programming.... (its not like you'd have to write code for the thing !) awesome functionality tho.. sakes...
Would automate three of my systems .Im a bit stuck right now.... simple math tells me my "timed solenoid" would be fine triggering roughly 480 times a day..... the pump (only 250w.. but smashes out up to 1500psi) is a major concern.... the manufacturer assured me that if i wanted to run it for even 3 seconds on and ten minutes off it would be scrap within a month.......my "work around" is to run it for half an hour straight.. then three minutes off.... it would run straight back into my solution tank with the solenoid tripping to release solution in the required dose off the same line to the chamber....
Super Video.Danke!
nice vid thanks for making it.
+Jennifer Johnstone No worries at all Jennifer, thanks for watching :)
Amazing video, THANK YOU. Could you tell me specifically which type of pump you now recommend, and what kind of watering schedule you have it set to? Also, is it critical to have a barrel with a sealed top?
I am moving to a pump with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. I am working with a 10 seconds run time each 5 minutes. Thanks for the questions and for watching.
Hi. Which one is more productive vertical hydroponics or vertical airpaunics
low pressure aero is akin to nft, aka it delivers a thin film of nutrient onto the roots. True aeroponics uses mist with a droplet size range of 5-80 microns. The droplets are absorbed on contact, theres no film and no liquid dripping off the roots. This allows the roots to feed and breathe at the same time. The droplets dont block gas exchange in the way a film of liquid does. Droplets that are absorbed on contact dont leave a film of nutrient depleted water behind which serves to reduce gas exchange and deny the root further nutrient uptake. Waiting for the nutrient depleted water to be absorbed or evaporate takes time which could be better spent. Theres a lot of differences between low pressure aero and true aero :)
Atom izer Thanks for watching and for commenting, all good stuff and spot on. Would love to try true (high-pressure) at some stage but those old competing priorities are at it again :) For now I will have to make do with my budget low-pressure build which for now at least, is working better than expected.
patchtoplate
Hi mate,
I use low pressure aero too and its very productive. I much prefer the high pressure setup as it runs drain to waste. Its a lot less work, no checking and adjusting EC/PH or dumping the reservoir periodically. The extra bonus of drain to waste is the last drop of nutrient is identical to the first, a recirculated reservoir is constantly changing as the returning nutrients mix back in. I always found a recirculated reservoir more difficult to keep cool as the nutrients generally come back quite a bit warmer than they went out. As you`re in Oz, i`d keep a close eye on the internal temperature of the drum, if it climbs above 80F you`ll have some root problems, 70F is ideal but not easy to acheive in full sun.
Looking forward to seeing the drum disappear underneath all the greenery :)
Atom izer Thanks mate, hey really appreciate the comments and tips! You are spot on (again) about the temperature and I'm looking at building some monitoring in now. Have a friend with some Aduino skills I hope to tap in to. I live in one of the hottest parts of Oz - right up the top in the tropics. It's our winter now and overnight minimum is around 68F so temp is a challenge :) If you can give me any tips or point me to some high pressure plans or products, would love to start checking that out as well. Thanks again.
patchtoplate
Still chilly here in the uk, hope things improve soon or we`ll be running out of time as usual.
Building a hpa setup isnt too difficult, sourcing the bits and pieces can be tricky depending which route you take and how good you are at finding bargains :).
I have 3 outdoor hpa chambers mainly geared for tomatoes and peppers, they`re all pretty big (2x 1500L and 1x 300L) so none are vertical. I use 12v dc throughout to make everything immune to power cuts. The chambers are supplied by a large 100L (10bar) accumulator which is filled once every 2 days ysing a 12v diaphragm pump which takes about 8 minutes. The tank supplies a constant 80-psi to 32 netafim coolnet nozzles via 12v solenoids and cycle timers. The solenoids/timers are powered by a 12v 7ah SLA battery and a 20w solar charging panel.
As hpa only uses a minimal amount of water/nutes i run everything drain to waste (runoff collected and used on the garden). The bonus of running DTW is its less work, no PH/EC adjustments, topups or reservoir dumping. More importantly, no warm, unbalanced nutes, nasties or debris ever comes back from the chambers to mess with the tank.
Atom izer Sounds like you have things set up really well! Any chance of some pics to point me in the right direction? Interested in the chambers themselves.
I'm a subscriber to the channel, they have very useful shares. I am here to apply and benefit from it.
this barrel would need to rotated if outside... (North side wont show as much growth)
If u cut the drum in 3 parts u can fix any root issue
Awesome video. I want to know if we can use your technic to produce tomatoes?
You can but i wouldnt advise putting a plant in every site ;)
What i really dont understand i why some make a tutorial video online, and all they do is talk talk talk.
Its way better if you SHOW us how you do it while explaining. Dont talk about how you dit it when camera is turned on, then afterwards you show us the finished result with no video to explain how you actually made the system.
Kjempe- Jøde! Corona got ya thinking about alternatives?
Exactly what I was thinking🙂 tho I’m thinking 20mm 45s
escellent info keep it going wish you happy 2019
I built a similar barrel tower & transplanted about 25 mature cucumber plants from a Kratky bed about dark just a week or so ago. Failing to notice that the elbow inserts were leaking, next morning they were all dead as the water/nutrient mix all leaked out. Any advice on how to stop the leaks (other than silicone, etc)? Thanks in advance!
Can someone send me a list of what I need? that includes EVERYTHING I need, including tools and nutrients and stuff like that. Thanks in advanced.
First of all you need brain. Everything else is mentioned in video above. Without the first one you're screwed! :-)
is it a problem that it is PVC. just thinking about the toxic of plastic?
For most people it's the same plastic that the water comes from. Pvc should work ok as long as it's not heated.
Do you think you could just use the bottom of drum for the sump tank
thank you my friend
brilliant, ty
FYI: 54mm = 2.125" (2 1/8").
Hello :) great video. Do you know if an aeroponics set up would sustain in a very hot environment?
Tina Marie Gonzales Hi and thanks for the question - it is exactly why I started trying aeroponics :) I have had mine running very successfully outdoors in a tropical climate. It is our "winter" or dry season at the moment so temperatures are generally 20-33C (68-92F). I have a double-reservoir design to help regulate the temperature of the water/nutrient mix. I also have 2 small vents in the top of the tower to keep the air circulating and to allow the hotter air to escape (hope that makes sense). So far, so good! At the hottest time of the year I'll 3/4 bury my main reservoir to help keep it cooler. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate Thank you so much. :)
is your water pump on a timer? if so what frequency does it spay water and for how long ? thank you
Would a shotgun with door breaching rounds work to drill the holes?
line several barrels up. A heavily layered backstop of newspaper could be used for compost later.
Yes
What are the sizes of holes and the 45-degree elbows?