Peterphrastus

Well it is time to shut down the indoor garden and attend to the outdoor gardens here in Ottawa, Canada. This has been a busy and very productive year for HydroHomeSoft (HHS).

• a new configuration for Phidgets provides a more economical starter solution
• pH and EC management can be automated for each channel
• EC can be progressively changed from growth stage to growth stage
• Bruce Bugbee’s refill solution strategy was tested

Each of these facilities was extensively tested on a live system. For reference, the system consisted of the following three independent channels:

• a HydroHomeSoft growing tray with two Basil pots and one Parsley pot
• two hydraulically connected Rainforest 66’s with common pH and EC control
• two DWC tubs

The HHS growing tray contained 6 liters when topped up. It required approximately 1.75 liters per day of refill solution. This was mixed by HHS on demand. The EC for the refill solution was 1.9 mS. The ml/l of Grow/Micro/Bloom was 2.0/1.5/1.25. The pH ranged from 5.1 to 6.7 and the EC ranged from 1.4 to 1.7. An abundance of very healthy basil and parsley was continuously harvested for several families. Over the course of 214 days, the tray received 372 liters of refill solution. No additional maintenance was required for the trays after planting.

The Rainforest 66’s were started later in the year. They contained a type of romaine lettuce and Tat Soi. Three harvests of romaine lettuce were achieved. Seedlings were started in the HHS seedling system prior to transplanting to the RF units. Continuous harvesting of Tat Soi was undertaken. The RF units were filled to the lowest practical level allowing for a maximum of air root formation. They contained a total of 74 liters. Over 88 days, 194 liters of refill solution was provided by HHS. The refill formula for G/M/B was 3.8/1.3/1.5. Depending on the current EC at the time when a refill was required, this formula was scaled up or down by HHS. The EC was maintained between 1.44 and 1.52 mS with an average of 1.47. The pH was maintained between 5.75 and 5.85 with an average of 5.79. The productivity of the units was impressive. Noisy vortex sprayers was the only drawback to the RF units. This could be solved by tighter manufacturing specifications. Only one of five sprayers tried was very quiet.

The DWC tubs were used for a variety of leafy plants. No automated pH or EC control was used for these units. Depending on the plant material at the time, the pH varied over a range of 5.5 to 6.5 and the EC from 1.1 to 1.7. The refill formula for G/M/B was 3.0/1.0/0.75. The tubs contained a total of 50 liters and received 327 liters of refill over 198 days.

All in all a very successful year of hydroponic growing. The DWC tubs are being replaced with a 6” PVC pipe aeroponics system next year. This system will be integrated with the RF units for pH and EC control. The HHS tray will be maintained for our favorite crop of basil and parsley.