Natural sun + hydroponics question

[SableZen]

Hi all - I'm moving to a house in a remote area that has a very secluded backyard. I'm wanting to try and build a small and simple (though high) greenhouse in the backyard for a few plants and put them on a simple hydroponic system (just have always wanted to try natural sun + hydro). I'm a complete newb when it comes to greenhouses though...

So here's a whole bunch of questions:

What is the material called that can be used for greenhouse roofing that is opaque (not so see-through), yet lets through a majority of PAR? Are any brands better than others? Anyone know a distributor in Florida for it? Cost? Also, any other suggestions out there to protect from look-down observation?

Anyone have a suggestion for the type of hydroponics system that might be best for this kind of set-up? Currently planning on DWC.

Also would like to add a small A/C and heating unit. [But no luck finding anything that is tolerant of semi-outdoor conditions. Think a window type unit would fit the bill best?]

Thanks for any input, could really use some input/suggestions/help on setting this up if anyone can help. Thanks in advance.

 

[cackpircings]

Maybe do some bubble buckets… Low power usage so you can do one big bubbler or a bunch of small ones. They are water proof so you can keep them out side without worry. Plants grow a little different outside, and the buckets will give them the space to grow really big. Good luck man.

 

[SableZen]

Maybe do some bubble buckets… Low power usage so you can do one big bubbler or a bunch of small ones. They are water proof so you can keep them out side without worry. Plants grow a little different outside, and the buckets will give them the space to grow really big. Good luck man.

Yeah that's exactly why I was thinking DWC. Bubblers are simple and sturdy enough for being semi-outside. Glad someone else agrees on that part. Think 5 gallon buckets would be adequate?

 

[cackpircings]

For sure buddy! I have grown monsters in 5 gal buckets! You will get a shit ton of marijuana if completed correctly. Good luck… Hit me up if you have any questions

 

[satch]

Yeah that's exactly why I was thinking DWC. Bubblers are simple and sturdy enough for being semi-outside. Glad someone else agrees on that part. Think 5 gallon buckets would be adequate?

Try one bigger sized just for shits and giggles!

 

[Fuzzotany]

Lots of bubble buckets are a bitch to maintain (also expensive as hell). Set up a NFT or flood table system so you can work off 1 large res. Paint the res white and keep it outside the greenhouse so the water temps don't climb in the greenhouses' stale-air environment.

 

[sabres2937]

What area are you in? Its warm where I am for winter, I've just started some plants outside in DWC. I heard a guy in the hydro shop say people should be expecting pre flowers by the 20th?!. Where are you guys? Is it too late to leave these guys outside for a fall harvest?

 

[SableZen]

Central Florida here.

I've already pulled a couple of males - haven't been out to check yet this week, but I would bet some of the females are showing plainly as well...

I wouldn't bother starting outdoors at this point unless it's just for fun, knowledge, or you like little plants with little buds. Just my opinion.

 

[SableZen]

Lots of bubble buckets are a bitch to maintain (also expensive as hell). Set up a NFT or flood table system so you can work off 1 large res. Paint the res white and keep it outside the greenhouse so the water temps don't climb in the greenhouses' stale-air environment.

Good points - I want to grow trees though.

Drip, and bucket Ebb and Flow are the only other techniques that would work with that goal that I can think of right now... think either of those would be better than a basic bubbler/DWC?

 

[Fuzzotany]

The problem with DWC and 5gal buckets is you have to lift the plant all the time to fill-up or change the rez. If you're looking to make trees, you can construct a fine large-scale NFT system with stained pressurized wood that you apply a sealant to. Or you can be like Disney and use PVC with a 5in internal diameter set into a 12inch PVC tube with caps. Drip systems are too hard to calibrate in my experience, especially if you grow a variety of strains that drink a little more or less. I've never dealt with ebb&flow so you may wanna look more into that.

 

[SableZen]

Yeah I hear you - was looking at a recirculating DWC system (so the main reservoir is easily accessible/cleanable/changeable specifically so I wouldn't have to be lifting big plants all the time). Think that is a viable compromise? Just seemed like a lower maintenance/cost system overall to my hydro-virgin-self.

But I'll take your advice and look into how to construct a large NFT system. Always down for trying something different'ish. Thanks for the ideas man.

 

[Fuzzotany]

If you put 5gal buckets on a platform and fit drainage into the bottom you could drain into something when you wanna change out and avoid the lifting I guess. One of the other problems with DWC though is that you need to top em off almost every day, which means you'd also need to make a fill hole (in addition to your air line hole) in the lid and either fill it by hand or make a refill system. Another problem is it takes like 2x the water, therefore more nutes, more PH adjusting... Just trying to save ya the madness I've discovered in my 1st grows.

 

[SableZen]

Wouldn't a recirculating system avoid most of that (plus allow the use of a chiller)? I appreciate the help by the way! Good point about nutrients - hadn't really considered that...

This is specifically the system design I'm thinking about:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26343

Introduction
Some of you may or may not be familiar with Recirculating Dwc,However it is just a multiple bucket version of Dwc "DEEP WATER CULTURE" that is all connected to a single controller,Where nutrients is pumped from a pump to the top of each bucket,And returns through the bottom of each bucket back to the controller,Basically continuously mixing the nutrient solution making it stable through-out the whole system.The controller will have a float valve installed where it is connected to a reservoir which will auto top/feed the system.Each bucket will have an airline and airstone/air difffuser.Or the controller will have a powerhead installed.This is how the water/nutrient solution will get its Do "DISSOLVED OXYGEN".

Pros
The Bennifits to this system are!You can cool the whole system using a single water chiller.The system will auto top off and mix nutrient solution 24/7 keeping ph and ppm stable from bucket to bucket.And the growth and vigor is explosive when optimized.

Cons
Well the drawbacks,#1 is that this system uses lots of water.#2 is that its recirculating,So if one plants root system gets effected it can/will spread through out the system.Though on this version i put shut off valve on each row to insure if problem accurs i can isolate it to one single row.Its also possible for the roots to clog the return line causing an overflow however in this version thats very unlikely.

[Continued at link above]

 

[pinkjackyle]

wouldn't a recirculating system avoid most of that (plus allow the use of a chiller)? I appreciate the help by the way! Good point about nutrients - hadn't really considered that...

This is specifically the system design i'm thinking about:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26343

take a piece of 4in pipe cut a couple of 3 in holes 4 ure baskets and do a hybrid flood and drain with a ultrasonic fogger feeding in tha 4 in where the roots are check out u tube

 

[dirrtyd]

Check the system out in harvest a lb every three weeks. Its a thread on here. Good Luck

 

[Fuzzotany]

Wouldn't a recirculating system avoid most of that (plus allow the use of a chiller)? I appreciate the help by the way! Good point about nutrients - hadn't really considered that...

This is specifically the system design I'm thinking about:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=26343

That looks okay if you wanna spend a bundle. I do wonder how high the water level gets in those as the pics don't really show. Plus it looks like a lot of trouble to hook up everything. Also, he listed in the cons it can flood and it uses a ton of water.
You can use a chiller in a NFT reservoir just the same, without the expense of air pumps (if you drill a small hole at the top of your 90degree PVC before it enters the system, it draws in a bit of air into the system without leaking water). It is a recirculating system, water is pushed into the "canal" and makes a stream flowing downhill into a drain where gravity brings it back to the res. As long as you keep things going downhill, you can double-back paralell to your 2st "canal" and just let gravity do all the work.