Hydroponic Q+A
Got a question specific to growing using hydroponics ? ask it here
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By green_machine · Posted
Hey folks, I got a new 2'x4' grow space and want to set up a living bed in this. I have wanted to grow this way for a very long time but space restrictions have always stopped me, with my new larger space I am finally going to take the plunge and try it. I want to build a SIP to manage the water within the system and have been doing a lot of research on the best way to achieve this and this is the current plan. I have found a 200-litre half-pallet plastic tote (200l hogbox) which will fit in my tent, it is waterproof and is raised on legs. the bottom layer would be the reservoir, which I would fill with lava rock. I prefer the idea of lava rock over using the 4" waste pipes used by a lot of sips as I think the lava rock would be more beneficial for bacteria (I am thinking of a fishtank bio-filter here). The aim would be to have around 4" of rock at the bottom and to drill the overflow at around 3" to give me separation between the water and the sand filter while also adding air into the bed. I am also considering drilling a separate drain and tap into the bottom of the bed to help flush the reservoir out as needed. Above the lava rock, I would do a layer of fine gravel, I was thinking about using lechuza pon (although this would be expensive) or maybe horticultural grit, or maybe sourcing some smaller pumice and zeolite. The main purpose of this layer would be to support the sand filter above it and to stop it from entering the reservoir. The sand filter would be there to stop the organics from getting into the water table below. this would be a thin layer at only 2" in-depth The clay layer and the wood chips were idea's taken from hugel culture beds, from my research any long-term organic bed would require a carbon source in addition to the organic being top dressed and the green manure. The clay layer would be the smallest layer at only roughly 1" in depth, I would mound the wood chips directly on this in the middle and then fill the rest of the tote up with my living soil. I am generally following the work of Leighton Morrison with this build but I have adapted it and used some of my own ideas as well. While I am excited to try this I would sincerely appreciate it if some of the more experienced growers could take a look at this set-up and give me their thoughts. I don't want to invest a lot of money and time into something and find I have made basic mistakes so in that vein of thought @MindSoup @lildaveham @FarmerPalmersNT @BilgePump What are your thoughts on this does this seem viable are there any improvements I could make on this? -
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