Solar Powered Hydroponic Water Garden Project

Discussion in 'Survival and Sustainability' started by jackdog, Jan 17, 2016.

  1. jackdog

    jackdog Well-Known Member

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  2. Hermit

    Hermit Active Member

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    Interesting... but for living off grid, a small plot that is maintained with ample amounts of natural nutrients would have the same yield and be far less expensive to start. Canning and jarring for the winter is what I do to make it through with my garden vegetables. Trying to keep the plants warm during the winter would be a bit of a struggle for someone with this system living off grid in hard winter areas... besides scavenging the solar panels to keep my TV and laptop going in the darker months, the rest would sit dormant until the planting season. I just don't see the cost factor viable.
     
  3. Il Ðoge

    Il Ðoge Active Member

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    I love projects like this but it looks sort of like he's shading the plants with a solar panel, then shining an LED light on them?
     
  4. DennisTate

    DennisTate Well-Known Member Past Donor

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  5. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The more innovative designs I have seen work food fish into the system so that the waste from the fish fertilizes the plants and the water cycles between the plants and the fish continuously. The system here would likely never recover its cost over the savings from the food you grew with it instead of purchasing it.
     
  6. jackdog

    jackdog Well-Known Member

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    I think this is supposed to be more of a patio project that for someone that lives in a apartment or townhouse could manage as a hobby gardener, not something large scale
     
  7. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    i have been looking at different systems for a while now and have even been on forums discussing the topic. Hydroponic systems are difficult to tune in and difficult to keep operating. I am going to build my next greenhouse and use a terroponic system. This uses fish and water for solar heating (if you are going to use water, you may as well have fish). This will use soil to house the plants, and fish water to fertilize. This makes it more of a garden and less of a chemistry set, and will be more forgiving of mistakes.


    Even using water to store heat I still have a problem with cloudy, and short days. As the days get shorter and cloudier, the water does not gain heat faster than it loses it. So eventually the water cools too much to heat at night. It could be that I don't have enough water and not enough insulation. My next house will address that.

    Fish in a greenhouse would help offset the cost of heating the water. it will also supply nutrient rich water for the plants.

    I am thinking that filling a house with dirt and plants, and using a water heat sink will bring heating cost to a minimum.


    I am also using the system to grow ornamental plants and bedding plants. I have two houses just about full now...but they are small houses.
     
  8. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Not sure where you live, but don't forget to add a cold sink to your greenhouse if you are in a cold climate and plan to use it year round (Basically it is a pit the cold air falls down into but there is a some science to their design to work right).

    I am thinking of building a subterranean- type greenhouse (basically just the top is above ground). I just need to find me a good used tractor with a bucket and backhoe on sale.
     
  9. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Those kind of greenhouses have been around for many years and they do work. I live in Alabama and I only have to heat part time. Today it was 74 degrees Fahrenheit. I am working on a house that uses no outside heat. I am retired now and have time to plan and dream.

    We get cold days and nights but not that often. Any ice on ponds will usually be gone the same day. I can heat my small house with two kerosene lanterns and keep it above freezing. I built a small propane heater for my big house and a tank of propane will run four days continuously. But I usually only have to run it way after dark. (20lb tank)

    You could probably rent a tractor...or better yet.. find someone that has one and pay him to dig the pit for you. Where I have my house the ground is solid rock and I would probably have to blast. I can get just enough grass on it to feed the goats.
     
  10. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I have lots of plans beyond the sunken greenhouse so renting is not as desirable as owning long term. I have pipe dreams of some major dirt movage to completely re-scape about an acre ;)
     
  11. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    That's cool. I am also planning some raised beds in front of my property to show off some of the plants I'll be selling and also a place to have a continuous supply of cuttings for plant propagation.
     
  12. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Just make sure they are not patented plants (or at least that you don't get caught propagating patented plants for resell)
     
  13. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Not to worry. A lot of the patented plants I don't like anyway. I prefer the old fashioned kind.
     
  14. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I used to be that way, but then I became fascinated with a few plants like coleus and most of the varieties you can buy are patented. Those things amaze me as you can take 50 cuttings from the same plant and plant them in 50 different places in your yard and have 50 different looking plants and them put them all back in the same place and they will all change back to looking the same--they are very reactive to lighting conditions.
     
  15. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    Sorry it took so long to respond but I have been busy and I just got this cell phone and I am still learning. I have a bunch of coleus started but they are not yet showing color. I would like to post some pictures but I can't make it work yet.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I also got a bunch of caladium bulbs.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I also got a bunch of caladium bulbs.
     
  16. Jim Rockford

    Jim Rockford Banned

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    This has been a proven system.

    A small DIY system with some good info. Potassium vitamin tip was nice.
    [video=youtube;IVSEmwY2u0I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVSEmwY2u0I[/video]

    This takes it to the productive level, for a homestead, on solar power only.
    [video=youtube;F3W03YlClmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3W03YlClmQ[/video]
     
  17. politicalcenter

    politicalcenter Well-Known Member

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    I have fish ponds and just dip my water can in it and water. I have four ...all over a thousand gallons. I also have punps and hoses. But no solar yet.
     

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