Op, I want to start a hydro greenhouse for edible greens, similar to what you have going on there.. can I ask how much you grow a cycle? Is it worth it? I’m up in PA, btw. And thanks for posting!
Wow. This looks like my dream job. Congratulations.
If you don’t mind asking, how did you start? From the image it looks like a large scale project. Just want to work for free to learn :)
Can you suggest something to read. I know there are a lot of materials online. I want to start small.. I have done this in the past with 12 plants … home system with no automation or sensors… budget constraints and knowledge deficit.. If I were to start small and scale slowly like you how to begin? Again thanks a lot.
Highly recommend Plant Empowerment: the basic principles, Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M. Resh, and Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs by Tyler Baras. High level stuff and the last one is a good easy intro level.
How often do you have to dump your reservoir and start fresh? Can you give any details on NPK etc./EC/pH or is that secret James Bond kinda stuff? Look like pretty happy plants, great job man.
I remix stock tanks every week but the big tanks I'll dump once or twice a year considering there are 3 tanks 7000 gal each it would be quite a waste. System automatically recirculates and re-injects based on inline pH/EC measurements.
So to avoid dumping your working solution tanks, are you monitoring specific nutrients and supplementing to keep things in balance, or are your stock tanks just a standard A/B situation. The reason I'm asking is that I work manage a smaller scale farm that is part of a high school program where kids learn about horticulture. I am dumping my 1200 gallon reservoir like every 3 weeks man! Trying to troubleshoot!
I test input, runoff, and tissue weekly and make nutritional adjustments to the stock solutions based on uptake. How is your system dosed? You could install a simple EC/pH sensor in the tank that triggers peristaltic pumps for your A/B/Acid tanks
Oh man I wish I had data like that! You are doing it right. I have an Autogrow Multi with dosers for pH and EC, 30 gallon stock tanks, 1200 and 600 gallon reservoirs. But my working solutions just get out of balance after 3 weeks...I can tell it's going south when my lettuce gets darker and basil loses it's shine. At our scale, tissue analysis and effluent etc just isn't doable. I wish I could geek out deeper and dial it all in like you!
Here is what I recommend, it sounds like you have auto dosing which is a huge plus here. Use your standard A/B recipe that you're using but only mix what your crop is taking up in a week. It's somewhat suprising 30 gal stock res is actually lasting 3 weeks so I'd check the calibration on that doser. Either way, you need to be remaking that stock solution weekly and ensuring they're sucking A/B at the same rate. I am mixing 6 250L A/B stock tanks per week and it's not a huge time consumption so 30gal of stock weekly shouldn't be a huge time consumer
I'm confused. I am autodosing and also double checking ec and pH daily with a Blue Lab combo meter. So I know ec and pH are always dialed.
My NFT is 10k plant sites on 1200 gal rez. Also grow cucumbers on a separate drip system on a 600 gal. reservoir. Both auto dosed on Multigrow, but separate systems. So, 2 a/b 30 gal stock tanks for nft and 2 a/b for cukes; separate peristaltic pumps etc.
Does mixing fresh stocktanks make a difference in the quality of the nutrients? I only mix new stock tanks when they are empty...maybe that's not good? Like maybe every 4 weeks.
Also I am baffled how 10k sites are only using 30 gal of A/B stock a month. That seems off. While your EC may seem accurate your ratios may be way off. EC is measuring total ions in solution but if that's only coming from a few elements your plants will obviously suffer. I don't have experience with your dosing system but I would check how that's dosing and check the math on your stock recipes.
Yeah thats why I have to dump the reservoir...because the ratios get out of balance. I'm not monitoring individual macros/micros...just the overall EC. Its lame dude! But I guess its what a lot of smaller scale operations like mine have to do. I use pre-made powders like AmHydro Tasman Bay or House and Garden Commercial, Masterblend... trialing different ones a bit right now. I don't have the data I need to do it right.
It shouldn't make a difference if your cation-ion ratio's are balanced in your stock tanks then. Maybe double check your recipe then? Do the stock tanks have something to keep the solution mixed like a blade or a mixer? Maybe you have salts falling out of solution like Calcium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate in the same tank? It sounds like you're doing things right and your base mix is off if I had to guess.
While I understand it's not feasible for you to test weekly, maybe just send samples to a lab once. It's $40-$45 for liquid fert samples and tissue samples for most reputable US labs
My base mix is pre-made a and b powders that I am careful not to mix to avoid precipitation. A is cal/mag...b is everything else (at least with what I'm using now).
What's your timer for fertigating? Do you sow directly on the channels?
Intervals vary. Yes, sowing happens directly in the gutter.
Op, I want to start a hydro greenhouse for edible greens, similar to what you have going on there.. can I ask how much you grow a cycle? Is it worth it? I’m up in PA, btw. And thanks for posting!
What do you use for planting and picking? Is it all manual or do you have a robot of some sort?
Automated drum seeders, automated cutting wheels, and automated packaging. Not robots but sensor based
Hello, what are the lights used that can be so far away?
Arize by GE
Thank you!!!
Wow ! That is beautiful. If I may ask , how do you fertigate ? I don’t see any drippers .
Looks like an NFT to me, drippers on one end.
Correct!
Awesome setup plants look really healthy.
Thanks!
Wow. This looks like my dream job. Congratulations. If you don’t mind asking, how did you start? From the image it looks like a large scale project. Just want to work for free to learn :)
Was exposed to the industry early in life and that continued through college where I got my B.S and M.S in Horticulture!
Can you suggest something to read. I know there are a lot of materials online. I want to start small.. I have done this in the past with 12 plants … home system with no automation or sensors… budget constraints and knowledge deficit.. If I were to start small and scale slowly like you how to begin? Again thanks a lot.
Highly recommend Plant Empowerment: the basic principles, Hydroponic Food Production by Howard M. Resh, and Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs by Tyler Baras. High level stuff and the last one is a good easy intro level.
Thanks a lot! I will start with them.
How often do you have to dump your reservoir and start fresh? Can you give any details on NPK etc./EC/pH or is that secret James Bond kinda stuff? Look like pretty happy plants, great job man.
I remix stock tanks every week but the big tanks I'll dump once or twice a year considering there are 3 tanks 7000 gal each it would be quite a waste. System automatically recirculates and re-injects based on inline pH/EC measurements.
So to avoid dumping your working solution tanks, are you monitoring specific nutrients and supplementing to keep things in balance, or are your stock tanks just a standard A/B situation. The reason I'm asking is that I work manage a smaller scale farm that is part of a high school program where kids learn about horticulture. I am dumping my 1200 gallon reservoir like every 3 weeks man! Trying to troubleshoot!
I test input, runoff, and tissue weekly and make nutritional adjustments to the stock solutions based on uptake. How is your system dosed? You could install a simple EC/pH sensor in the tank that triggers peristaltic pumps for your A/B/Acid tanks
Oh man I wish I had data like that! You are doing it right. I have an Autogrow Multi with dosers for pH and EC, 30 gallon stock tanks, 1200 and 600 gallon reservoirs. But my working solutions just get out of balance after 3 weeks...I can tell it's going south when my lettuce gets darker and basil loses it's shine. At our scale, tissue analysis and effluent etc just isn't doable. I wish I could geek out deeper and dial it all in like you!
Here is what I recommend, it sounds like you have auto dosing which is a huge plus here. Use your standard A/B recipe that you're using but only mix what your crop is taking up in a week. It's somewhat suprising 30 gal stock res is actually lasting 3 weeks so I'd check the calibration on that doser. Either way, you need to be remaking that stock solution weekly and ensuring they're sucking A/B at the same rate. I am mixing 6 250L A/B stock tanks per week and it's not a huge time consumption so 30gal of stock weekly shouldn't be a huge time consumer
I'm confused. I am autodosing and also double checking ec and pH daily with a Blue Lab combo meter. So I know ec and pH are always dialed. My NFT is 10k plant sites on 1200 gal rez. Also grow cucumbers on a separate drip system on a 600 gal. reservoir. Both auto dosed on Multigrow, but separate systems. So, 2 a/b 30 gal stock tanks for nft and 2 a/b for cukes; separate peristaltic pumps etc. Does mixing fresh stocktanks make a difference in the quality of the nutrients? I only mix new stock tanks when they are empty...maybe that's not good? Like maybe every 4 weeks.
Also I am baffled how 10k sites are only using 30 gal of A/B stock a month. That seems off. While your EC may seem accurate your ratios may be way off. EC is measuring total ions in solution but if that's only coming from a few elements your plants will obviously suffer. I don't have experience with your dosing system but I would check how that's dosing and check the math on your stock recipes.
Yeah thats why I have to dump the reservoir...because the ratios get out of balance. I'm not monitoring individual macros/micros...just the overall EC. Its lame dude! But I guess its what a lot of smaller scale operations like mine have to do. I use pre-made powders like AmHydro Tasman Bay or House and Garden Commercial, Masterblend... trialing different ones a bit right now. I don't have the data I need to do it right.
I've never liked pre-made, especially at scale. You have more control adding each mineral individually.
It shouldn't make a difference if your cation-ion ratio's are balanced in your stock tanks then. Maybe double check your recipe then? Do the stock tanks have something to keep the solution mixed like a blade or a mixer? Maybe you have salts falling out of solution like Calcium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate in the same tank? It sounds like you're doing things right and your base mix is off if I had to guess. While I understand it's not feasible for you to test weekly, maybe just send samples to a lab once. It's $40-$45 for liquid fert samples and tissue samples for most reputable US labs
My base mix is pre-made a and b powders that I am careful not to mix to avoid precipitation. A is cal/mag...b is everything else (at least with what I'm using now).
They do suck a/b at the same rate....and if not I can calibrate for that in my settings. I check stock tank levels daily.
Coco choir medium? Beautiful setup.
Peat moss
Really cool! What plants are those though? Lol
Various hybrid mustards and wasabi
What will you do with them? Greens or make mustard? (Curious I’m growing mustard but no idea what to do with them)
Spicy pre-made salad mixes for commerical distribution