My Final Post!!!

This entire project has been a great experience, and I thank you for reading my posts and following along with me! Even though my plants did die at the end, I still enjoyed the project and hopefully will be able to start the project back up again after Spring Break. I've learned so much over the course of this project. While I didn't have enough time during my TED talk to share everything that I've learned with you, I know have some time for reflections. There are a few important things that I learned.

1. Even though it my not be as interesting, the details are important: This is something that I generally struggle with (If you don't believe me just ask my math teacher). This wasn't necessarily something I didn't know, but in building the system it was reinforced. I was forced to slow myself down and focus on the details so I knew the system would work.

2. The value of hobbies: Here's on that's not all that hard to believe, I spend most of my time studying and at school. While in general this is a good idea, I can forget to slow down and do things that I like. Over the course of this project, as I worked with my plants, I enjoyed myself and had time to enjoy myself.

3. I really like plants: I already knew that I liked biology, but I've always been uncertain as to what type of biology I was interested in. While learning everything about plants I had to for this project, I found myself incredibly interested and diving in beyond what I had to know for the project. I hope that in the future I will be able to continue learning about plants.

Well, that's it. That's what I learned. Of course I learned about hydroponics, and plants, but the things that I thought made this project a success were the lessons I learned above about myself. I know that this has been an important journey to me, so I hoped that you enjoyed reading.

Tour de Plants (vlog)

So it's been a while since I posted the video of me building the system, and you never got to see the working version in that video, so I've created a second (yay!) to show you the full working system and go through my plants. I was having trouble getting it to embed, so the link is just posted below.

https://vimeo.com/209822438 

Interview!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, so in my quest to learn more about plant
growth and various factors that would effect my hydroponic system, I have contacted a number of botany professors looking for answers to my questions. The other day, one of them finally responded (yay!). Prof. Donna Fernandez from the University of Wyoming was gracious enough to aid me in this project and answer my questions. The questions that I asked ranged from the importance of botany, to the way that UV light affect plant growth, all things that affect the success of hydroponic gardens both big and small. Now I'm going into the questions that I asked and explain why these are important things for me to know. I will only include some of the answers here, but will post a link to the full interview transcript at the bottom of this post.

(questions are bold and my reasoning for asking them are in italics)

What are the most vital nutrients to plant growth? How are these incorporated into the plants/how do the plants use these nutrients?

"Plants require macronutrients in large quantities and micronutrients in smaller quantities.  Macronutrients include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, nitrogen, calcium, and potassium.  Macronutrients are used to building the "molecules of life" like protein, DNA, carbohydrates, and lipids.  Micronutrients include things like iron, nickel, zinc, manganese, etc.  They are often used as co-factors for various enzymes or vitamins. "

Because instead of gaining nutrients from the ground, nutrients for plants have to be given them directly through the water, it's important to know what nutrients the plants need, and how much they need at different developmental stages. This knowledge allows for the plants to grow healthier, bigger, and (for fruit/vegetables) improve taste and texture. 

Do different plants absorb different spectrum of light? How could using lights on plants specific to these ranges effect growth?

"There are some differences, but most plants use chlorophyll as their primary light absorbing molecule.  That absorbs primarily in the blue and red wavelengths.  Grow lights  are enriched in these colors and that's why they appear purple."

Because all of the light in a hydroponic system is not natural, knowing how different grow lights affect the growth of plants as well as what type of lights to use can affect things like growth cycle. 

In your opinion, why is botany an important area of study?

"Because all life on earth depends ultimately on the capture of solar energy by plants.  They feed the world.  "

I was interviewing a botany professor for my project, who better to ask about the importance of botany?

rest of the interview 
For me, this is a solid step on my way to understanding plant growth and how a hydroponic system will affect plant growth. For any of my questions that she was unable to answer, Prof. Fernandez recommended other places (reputable sources) where I could find more information. So, again, a big thanks to her for all the help.

Pictures!!!

Day 1 of Planting:

Day 3 of growing:

Week 4: Pull the Switch!

Now that my hydroponic system is working (finally) I can start growing real plants in my system (yay!). To be honest with you here for a second, my luck with growing plants thus far in my life has no been the best, so I will need a lot of luck to get this to work. To start the plants from seeds, because you can't buy plants in the middle of the winter apparently. The way that I will do this is by first planting the seeds in rock wool starter plugs. These will act a place for the seeds to be held in the clay media so they don't get swept away, as well as allowing them to have a place to grow there roots through until they are strong enough grip/wrap around the clay media and keep themselves upright on their own. Of course there are other way that someone can start seeds in a hydroponic system (dirt to the hydroponic system) for starting seeds, as far as my research goes, this was the fastest and most effective way to grow these plants. The first three days after I planted my seeds were very traumatic. Unlike in Frankenstein (although the top of my blog post might be confusing) it takes more than a couple of days for the plants to sprout. I spent these three days worrying that all of my work setting up the system was going to be for nothing because my plants weren't going to sprout. Then, three days later, the mustard seeds of all things decide to actually sprout. A couple days later all of my seeds are staring to show signs of life (except for the peppermint). Now, all that I am waiting for is the peppermint to sprout. I find the peppermint seeds very sketchy, however, because they are this small
--->   .

No joke. But this got me wondering...exactly how do seeds work? Seems like a stupid question at first, but think about it. Seeds contain plant food (in the simplest sense) surrounding the plant embryo. This plant then begins to grow inside the seed, forming leaves inside the seed coat while roots begin to extend outside of the seed and into the ground. After the roots are in the ground and the nutrients provided by the seed is no longer needs, the plant sprouts, becoming larger then the seed itself. After this the time that it takes for the plants to mature vary, for most of my plants, it is about 80 days.

So now that my plants of sprouted, its up to the hydroponic system to give them the proper amount of nutrients! This is where it's important that I set up the water at the end of last week. I'll post pictures of the system in a little bit. Wish me luck!

Trouble-shoot Week (Part II)

So it turns out that instead of one day, this entire week will be spent tweaking my system into perfection (or at least as close as I can get). Thus far the silicon problem has been fixed (yay!).

The new batch worked perfectly. The second problem that I had earlier this week was the flooding problem. The clay media was being sucked into the drain, clogging (why can nothing work?). I was able to fix this by putting a piece of tile over the hole boosted up a little, just high enough that the water can get through, but tight enough that the clay media can't get in. This made the system drain much more quickly and kept it from overflowing, but led to another problem - the system isn't draining fast enough. The plan to fix this (not yet fully executed) is to build up more silicon around the outside of the drain, causing the water to drain slower. My next issue that I had to fix with the system involved clay media - I didn't think I had enough. Luckily, after putting in rock wool starter plugs (which I will explain in the next post) the clay that I had was more than enough, meaning no more ordering supplies!
Note: Before putting the clay media in the system, I put all of it in a strainer and washed all the dust/dirt off of it that was also dumped out of the bag the media was shipped in - this will keep this from getting into the water basin and clogging up the filter on the water pump. As for the water, that has yet to be addressed, because before I can starting making the water just right for the plants, the rest of the system needs to be running properly. When I get to planting (hopefully next week) I will go more in depth in everything that needs to be done in order to set up the water correctly once it's in the system.


I've still got one or two fixes to go, but it's looking bright.


During this project I've also been working on a bit of a personal research project involved with hydroponics and have been looking into urban hydroponics and the possible benefits of those. One video that I found reporting on a test system being run in NYC does a great job of outlining how urban hydroponics systems can benefit a city

Weel 3: I am Delayed

This week I was going to try to start my plants in the hydroponic system, but my system had other ideas for what this week should be used for.

1. Silicon. Why?
The issue with the mysteriously annoying, non-drying silicon has been solved (but not really). I still have no idea why it didn't dry, but when I got some new silicon, wiped away the old, and tried that out, it worked! So now the basic construction of the structure should be all ready to go. I tried to assemble the system already. All that I had to do with this was stack the grow basin on top of the other and...BAM! It looks done! But it isn't. I've still got a little way to go.

[Note for those using silicon: you can use your hands to spread out the silicon, but be warned: it does not wash off easily, so try and keep it from getting all over your hands (which I did and sequentially ended up spending 20 minutes trying wash my hands)]

2. Draining. Help?
On the first go around with the system flooding and draining itself (because it's secretly alive) using a self-timing outlet, it flooded, and not the way it's supposed to. Before doing this I added in the clay grow media (fired clay beads that act as a media for roots to wrap around). when draining, instead of actually draining, the clay ended up being sucked into the tube that allows it to drain, clogging it and over-flowing the grow table. when I held the media away from the drainage hole is drained exactly the way it was supposed to, but how to keep the clay from getting stuck without me sticking my hand in the basin for a half hour every day is still a fix yet to be discovered - although I do have some ideas. The first thing (and hopefully the last) that I will try to fix the system will be to put some netting (mesh or metal) over the drainage hole to keep the clay from falling into the drain and getting stuck, hopefully this will be sufficient to fix the problem. (fingers crossed)



3. Clay Media - also an issue 
Despite having already ordered clay media (twice) to try and get enough to fill the grow basin, I still do not have enough. The clay media is only sold in terms of weight, making it very difficult to accurately judge how much is actually being ordered over the internet. Thus far I have acquired six pounds of grow media, and will probably need at least double of the amount for the table to be filled up all the way. At least now I have a more accurate frame of reference for how much I need and what a pound of grow media looks like (I'll give you a hint - it's not a lot). Thus far, buying clay media is adding up to be the most expensive single part of this project just because of the large amount that I need. So before I can put the plants in the system like I want to.  Despite this, I still think that clay media is the best to go with and seems the easiest type of media to obtain for a decent price over the internet.

4. Water (not just water)
Another issue when dealing with hydroponics is setting up the water, because you can't just throw 10 gallons of tap water in and hope that it works out for you. Plants need specific conditions to grow, and these need to be provided through the water. Before my plants can go into the system, the water needs to be adjusted for pH and the nutrients that will allow the plants to grow to be healthy will have to be added (if plants ONLY needed water to grow, hydroponics would be as easy as throwing some seeds in a cup of tap water). In order to accomplish these two things I bought pH up/down (similar to what you would use to change the pH in an aquarium) and hydroponic nutrients (which I bought pre-made from GeneralHydroponics). The pH of my tap water (which I meausred with a pH meter that I just happened to own because I'm the kind of nerd who owns their own pH meter) was around 8, but the goal it to bring it down to about 5, where most herbs like the pH to be. It took a lot more down solution than I thought it would, but I eventually got the water where I need it to be. After that adding in the nutrients was easy-all I had to do was follow the instructions on the bottle. Now it's just waiting until I can get plants into the system and hoping that they don't die.

Week 2: Build

Alright, I made it to week 2! That means that it is actually time to build my hydroponic system. I built the system over the weekend and I've created a video showing how it was built. That, along with the directions that I posted last week should have anyone well on their way to building their own system.

https://vimeo.com/205552330

This video goes through all of the steps that were taken to build the system, and the materials, as well as provides reasoning behind most of the steps. 

Minor Set-back:

Although I've finished my system, I haven't been able to start plants yet because I am still waiting for some silicon to dry. Although I didn't cover this step in the video, I used silicon to seal the area around the tubes for water movement to prevent them from leaking water into the area in between the two basins. Although it's been four days, the Silicon hasn't dried yet, which is unusual. I no longer expect it to, and will be buying some new silicon and redoing the seal (I know boring -  but important if I want the system to run properly)

In Other News: 

I have finally accumulated the rest of the materials that I need to get the plants going (as long as I can get that Silicon to work). The final materials that I needed was clay grow media, seeds, grow nutrients, pH buffer, and rock wool started plugs. I've also received a response from Joe Swartz, the vice president of American hydroponics. He has agreed to answer some of my questions about hydroponics (which have been sent) and when I get a response I will post the questions and their answers on the blog. 

Wish me luck!

Week 1 (Part 2): This. this is Hydroponics

As I said in my last post, I am spending the second half of my first week actually designing the system that I will be building and figuring out what materials and tools I will need to put it together the right way. I will be building an Ebb and Flow system, where the system automatically floods with water about 2-3 times a day. With this system, a small water pump is submerged in a basin and pumps water into a flood/grow table (where the plants actually are), and then allows the water to slowly drain out, leaving the roots moistened by not constantly submerged (which helps protect against root rot).
For the design that I plan on building, I will need:

• 2 plastic tubs (opaque)
• If these are not opaque, get plastic or spray paint to cover them with
• Clay grow media 
• Small submersible water pump
• 1/2" water hose 
• 1/2" PVC pipe
• Outlet timer 
• 2 x 4 planks
• UV grow light 
• Nails 

Tools: 

• Drill

Digital Design Model

The two plastic tubs will be positioned on top of each other, one acting as the water basin and the other the grow table (where the plants go). The top tub will have three holes drilled in the bottom, and the other one will have them drilled in the top. Through one of these holes the water pump will be able to pump water into the grow table while the others allow the table to drain. Around the outside of the tubs I will be building a wooden frame to serve two purposes: Stabilize the tubs, and hold UV lights (This system will be inside and might not always get another natural sunlight). The outside frame isn't integral to the design, but will still be helpful for the aforementioned reasons.

I have ordered the supplies that I need, and now all I need to do before I start building is carve out some time and get the rest of the supplies. To show how I build it and to further explain the design and how a Ebb and Flow hydroponic system work, I'll post a video blog of the construction along with an explanation on how everything works. Wish me luck!

Week 1: What in the world is Hydroponics?

Before I may begin the actual construction of hydroponic system or being growing plants, I need to dig into (hah - dirt pun) the topic and figure out the best course of action. Going into this all I have is basic build experience, and general knowledge about how to keep plants from dying. After doing some research, there are a few things that you need to know: what system to use, what plants to grow, what nutrients they need, and how to get your plants started. 

When It comes to systems there are four distinct systems that are widely used (there are others, but those are less common)...

Wick System: A wick brings water up to the roots of the plant from basin of water 

Pros: Low cost, easy to maintain, no electricity required 
Cons: Slower than dirt 

Deep Water System: Roots are suspended in water and contently aerated

Pros: low maintenance, compact 

Cons: small margin of error, root rot 

NFT System: Water is continuously run over the roots 

Pros: cheap, little maintenance, efficient 

Cons: very, very small margin of error, takes up a lot of space, root rot

Ebb and Flow System: Plants are in a grow basin which is flooded and drained periodically 

Pros: low maintenance, large margin of error, efficient 

Cons: malfunctions 

Things which are similar between all of the systems are that they require no dirt. That's it, also that someone how they deliver water and nutrients to the roots of the plants. For this project I have decided to go with an Ebb and Flow system. After all of my research, Ebb and Flow appears to have the largest margin of error while also being easy to put together and maintain. Because, unlike in the other systems, the roots are not continuously submerged, the chances of root rot accruing are lower. 

Buying an Ebb and Flow system pre-made is pretty pricey ($300 pricey), so to meet my meager (an in my opinion much more reasonable budget) I will be building the system myself. Exactly what the best way to build the system is, I have yet to discover, but that’s what the second half of this week is for.

The Proposal

This Gif is a link!!!!

As part of my project I had to create a quick presentation to use as a proposal for my project. It goes through my motivation, timeline, resources, and goals similarly to my first post. Check it out if you want. Enjoy!

Gardening for Molysmophobes (those who fear dirt)

For the next six weeks I endeavor to learn a skill, and not just any skill, but one which is not common knowledge, which is scorned by my sister for being unnatural, which allow me fresh produce all year round: Hydroponics. For those of you who don't know what hydroponics is, the dictionary definition is...

(noun) the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquids with added nutrients but without soil.

In my case, this will be done inside. There are a couple reasons why I, and possibly you, would have the motivation to start a hydroponic garden.

1. You like gardening

2. you like building and designing interesting contraptions that have the illusion of being impressive 

3. You enjoy produce 

4. You love biology 

5. you hate dirt

My family has always been really big into gardening. On the side of my house there is a large vegetable garden, five fruit trees, a strawberry patch, and blueberries. Gardening is a good time, but when you're outside digging through dry dirt in the middle of summer, some of the glamour is stripped away, and, as soon as the first frost comes, so are your living plants. Urban hydroponics offers a way for pretty much anyone to grow their own fresh produce year round with minimal contact with the elements. Because who doesn't love strawberries? I don't know about you, but the allure of building a simple structure based off of internet how-tos the looks impressive, but really only took supplies that can be obtained from Walmart is always a plus, especially when trying to impress someone, say for a school project? Just a thought. Another motivation is my love of biology and learning about living systems, and hydroponics offers and interesting new perspective on biology, answering the question: what do plants actually need to grow? 

For this particular project I have put aside 1 week for research and design, 1 for actually building the hydroponic system, and they rest for growing and maintain the system with plants actually in it. The tools and resources which I have determined to be vital are space (for my basement), a drill, some plants, about $50, and parents who are willing to donate their basement to a (hopefully) permanent new project. Lucky for me, most of these things are readily available in my own house. 

(Disclaimer: I don't have this much space - I do have to live in my house)

I have what I think are simple goals for this project, to grow healthy, thriving plants (which will most likely be strawberries, and learn about the following: how to construct a working structure/system for hydroponics, what nutrients plants need to grow, the positive effects of urban hydroponics (as a little side research project, and how to care for plants. I will figure out how exactly to reach all these goals in my first week of the project which, as previously mentioned, has been put aside for research and design. And, as required by this project, I will also post about my goals as I finish them. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey to my own urban garden, and that, possibly, this will help you build and maintain your own as well.