Ideas for outdoor hydroponic grows

[DL-Toker]

This thread is for ideas for systems for growing hydroponic Cannabis outdoors. I've grown legal vegetables - toms and cukes, primarily - in outdoor RDWC rigs for a few seasons, now. Sadly, I'm not in an area (suburbia) where I can get away with an outdoor grow of...more interesting plants Nevertheless, it IS possible to get the benefits of hydro in an outdoor setting. With that in mind, what's the best way to do it?

This discussion inspired by Hydrologist. Here's my current outdoor (sadly non-cannabis) rig: https://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/Gen_029.jpg

What do you do outdoors in terms of hydro? Have ideas? Post 'em!

This is the first time I've tried posting a pic...hope it works!

 

[DL-Toker]

Functionality run-down on the rig pictured above

Hi all! I know I'm a bit off-topic here, but I've gotten interest from other members in what I do, so I'm posting a bit more detail about it its own thread. Full disclosure up front: NO cannabis is being grown in the rig pictured above and referenced here <sigh>. Could it be? The only reason bud isn't growing there now is political, not functional.

Grow type: Hydroponic - Recirculating Deep Water Culture (RDWC)
Grow tubs: 3
Reservoirs: 2
Total system capacity (est.): 70-80gal
Pumps: 1x air - 20watt / 1x nutrient solution - 600gpm

The yellow-topped tubs on top are the grow tubs. These are supplied with nutrient solution from the larger of the two bottom reservoirs via a pond pump and DIY distribution manifold on top. The pump runs 24/7 - NO timers. Grow tubs constantly overflow into the smaller of the bottom reservoirs. The two reservoirs are connected so the solution circulates endlessly.

In each tub I have a heavy-duty hydroponics shop airstone (one of the few components of my system that came from a hydro shop - mostly it's big-box home improvement material) connected to a ~20 watt air pump (mounted in the inverted black bucket). The large reservoir has two stones, for a total of 6 in the system. These keep DO (dissolved Oxygen) levels in the nutrient solution high. This is a MUST as the plants' roots will be constantly and totally immersed in the solution. Without heavy aeration, they will drown and die. With it, they grow at amazing rates. 8)

This is my 4th-generation DIY outdoor system. This version is band-new for this year and, as such, untested. It is directly based on last season's design, which performed increasingly well over the 2 seasons it was used.

As I have said before, I am NOT growing Cannabis in this rig. I live in Suburbia with close neighbors and a tiny back yard...'nuff said. I AM growing plants that are very similar in their nutritional requirements: toms and cukes. They love the rig and I have every reason to believe some lovely ladies will, too, when circumstances are different

How the F- will I reach the plants when they're starting out so bloody high already? That's he best part! I haven't put it up yet, but the plants will all get trained out onto a DIY wooden trellis. Tie down the stems and adjust things during growing and you end up with HUGE surface area that doesn't take up space on the ground. Also, because the plants are up high, (I think) I've had FAR fewer problems with bugs and pests than the more traditional gardeners I talk to. No weeding, either...ever

Does anyone else grow outdoors with hydro? I'd love to hear how it works for you!

 

[Hydrologist]

Whats up DL! Dude I read this and im so bummed you didn't get the picture up the correct way because I tottttallly wanna see it after reading this! So yo heres how its done:
1.first go to gallery top left and click on that.
2.After gallery page loads click "upload pictures" somewhere in the mid top right hand corner....ish.
3.upload your pictures.
Now that they're uploaded to 420magazine.com heres the tricky part-posting them in a thread.
You have two option for doing this heres the long way:
1.in your browser navigate to the post you want to reply to.
2.open a second browser window and go to 420magazine.com and go to the gallery page
3.click my gallery and find your pictures
4.click on one of your pictures which will direct you to a page with your image enlarged and underneath it you should find the link to your picture. Copy this link
5.select the window with the thread your posting the pic in and weather your doing a quick replay or click the "post reply" button you'll get to the dialog box that your suppose to type in. at the top of the typing box theres a couple different buttons. theres the smily face button theres the Bold button italics button an earth with a chain at the bottom a picture of some mountains an and the sun ect.
6.what you need to click is the button with the yellow sky moutains and the sun. CLick that and another little dialog box pups up. This is where you paste the link you copied from your gallery after you paste it, click okay.
7.in your dialog box you will now see that link with the correct image tags in front and behind. hen you click preview or post your reply the image will show up.

Now the easy way that i've been doing recently
1.repeat steps 1,2,3 if you havn't already uploaded the picture you want to use
2. hit the post reply button or scroll to the bottom to post a quick reply
(note most of the time like right now i just scroll to the bottom and write in the quick reply area....just a habbit u don't have to do this)
3.When your ready to post your picture click on the button second from the right. (one to the left of the smily face with the upsidedown triangle to the right of it) it's the button of the camera with the green arrow pointing to the right that we're going to click on.
4. click on this camera with the green arrow button. You should have a second window in your browser open with all your pictures you've uploaded to 420magazine.com pretty cool hu? now all you have to do after selecting this window is click on the image you want in your response
5.make sure before you click over to this new window that your cursor is in the typing box (that little line that blinks letting you know you can type in the box)
6.you'll know it worked when you click on an image and you get the link with the image tags before and after the link and of coarse just click preview or post to confirm it worked.
and thats it!

now im ganna post the system idea i origionally wanted to share here! HOPE THIS HELPED!
((((HYDROLOGIST))))

 

[Hydrologist]

Hydroponics = expensive? Think again! Last year two Brooklyn-based urban gardeners, Britta Riley and Maya Nayak, created a blueprint for a vertical hydroponics system that costs just $30. The plants grow in recycled plastic bottles and the system uses just a few extra components.

windowfarm1Riley and Nayak were so happy with the results that they decided to share their idea with thousands via the Internet. The pair initially raised $27,000 for their project, called “Window Farms” through an online micro-donation website. Now a “window farming” sensation is sweeping across the United States and further afield.

The simple hydro systems are little more than a column of upside-down water bottles, with plants growing out of holes cut into the sides. An air pump is used to pump the nutrient solution to the top and gravity feeds it, via piping, to each plant in the column. Window farmers grow not only herbs but vegetables too—some gardeners use T5 fluorescents to supplement light levels during the winter to secure a year-round harvest.

Strawberries, cherry tomatoes and peppers work really well in window farms, but Riley’s favorite is bok choi.

“Buttercrunch lettuce grows great and lots of herbs,” Nayak says. “Anything leafy and green, essentially. You can’t grow carrots. I mean, you can’t grow root vegetables. Potatoes, garlic. Those things don’t work.”

“It’s just fun to have food growing in your own apartment,” Riley says. “Especially during the winter months when you’ve got this lush bunch of green lettuce that’s growing in the window and kind of freshening the air in your apartment and it actually just looks pretty.”

Riley and Nayak have set up a website with a downloadable instruction manual for all would-be window farmers. In addition to the water bottles, the only extra equipment required to set up a window farm is an aquarium air pump, air valve needles, and a hook to hang the system.

idea's like this have the potential to revolutionize the way we get our food. In the world we live in today there is much uncertainty especially when it comes to the topic of future generations and just how much this planet can sustain when it comes to dealing with ever increasing populations.
As we face more difficult problems than humanity has ever dealt with before we as AMERICANS must jump become the leaders in innovation when it comes to tackling these difficulties IF WE WISH TO CONTINUE TO BE THE WORLDS #1 AUTHORITY AND CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SECURITY!
OIL CONTROLS NATIONS.
FOOD CONTROLS THE PEOPLE.
hydroponics requires 1/4 the amount of water it requires to grow the same amount of produce as it does in the California dessert.

Eliminate the need for the mega farms that natural should not exist and you also eliminate the fuel guzzling freeway congesting trucks on the road and you eliminate the major employment of illigal workers in this country.
I love killing 3 birds with 1 stone. I just hope we can get the initiative to do so.

((((HYDROLOGIST))))

 

[DL-Toker]

Brilliant! Great find, Hydrologist!

 

[DL-Toker]

GRRR! I thought I tested this successfully with the 'preview' button and an unrelated browser, but I guess I still managed to get it wrong. My apologies. Let's try this:

Someone please post and let me know if you can see this or not. I can in 'preview', but I could last time I tried, too. Hopefully better this time...

 

[Hydrologist]

ya its up now

 

[lbezphil2005]

great thread, bro!

 

[Trunk5]

here is a good one..

YouTube - ‪barrelponics‬&rlm;

 

[Franknstrain]

Very cool post Trunk.. Very interesting

 

[Lusi]

Those heavy duty bins are the same price as the crappy rubber maids at Home Depot. Good to know these hold up better!

 

[Hydrologist]

Hell yeah that video was rad! Loved seeing the ingenuity in that design! Especially how he was able to trigger it just like a toilet is trigger pretty damn bad ass! Aquaponics is definitely a revolutionary process in my mind. Its one of humanity's first true attempts at mimicking mother nature's circle of life! Will definitely have to experiment with this in the future!

 

[Lusi]

OMG, I have to try one of those, way cool! What little interest I had in regular hydroponics is now evaporating... Here's is another easy way to connect fish ponds to plants!!

Is there a set up where my dream garden can feed my pocketbook instead of fish? LOL

 

[Hydrologist]

need to roll this out across the country. ONE ON TOP OF EVERY GROCERY STORE!!! Will illiminate illegal imigrants in the field, wasted water on dessert farms in california desserts, will get stupid trucks off the air and as a result save gas, lives conjestion and the planet.....Just think of what we could do if a nation wide non-profit enitiative was created...no more food desserts in big citys....Fresh produce instead of Genetically Engineered Tomatos from Asia.....
HYDROLOGIST FOR PRESIDENT 2012!!! (Independant)