TJGrow
New Member
I'm getting really close to harvest. Should have my flower room clear in the few two weeks. I have some blue dream and sweet tooth plants vegging up that should be ready. I've got a plan and am testing my components right now but could use some comments and feedback.
I've decided to go vertical for the next 2 batches. The HPS lights just support more inventory in the primary light field if they shine in 360 degrees instead of 45-60 degrees I get with them above. I've been looking over the vertical grows on line and have found a few good ones to use as models for mine.
I am looking for some features I don't see in other vertical grows:
I've come up with a design to use my first available light. I'll be making actual light and heat readings to finalize the size and light level but I think its going to be 6' by 6' and run at 600w.
I'm going to use milk creates which are free as the frame. It looks like my biggest cost is going to be the pluming as I already have the light and pumps. The milk creates are modular by nature. They will be on their side forming 11" by 10" shelves to hold the plants. I can set the plant height from 15" to 30" by placing something below the plant or putting in a spacer create. The create towers can each slide in and out to adjust the distance to the light and I'll slide one out to get into the center to work on the plants.
Each create will have a Mylar curtain on the face so the inside of the tower is completely covered in Mylar. I'll hang more Mylar behind the top plants. I think I'll start with room for 24" plants. I could also double them up but I'll need my own clones for that.
I'll have wire loops on the front of the creates to hold the plants back from the light as they grow. I can loosen or tighten these to adjust the plant width and use them to control the height.
I'll use one of my 3' by 18" shelves to anchor the towers. The creates will be bound to each other in each tower. In phase two I'll add another light and 2 more tiers.
I've been testing the watering and have a design to water the tower in 2 groups of four. (8 or 16) plants. I do "just in time" remote watering. That is I mix up the water for each watering next to the sink in a bathroom separate from the grow room. I pump the water in and drain the water out of the grow room so its dry after the water has drained. I don't water every plant every day, just the ones that need it. My trays hold more water then the res to prevent a grow room flood.
This design will flood all the containers 2 inches and over flow the rest down to the next plant. The res will be just big enough to supply one watering. If I go to an automated system, I'll fill the primary res's from a bigger res between watering. I'm no longer watering each day so I could set up timing that might last for a week or more with 10-20 gallons of water. I'll use small tubs one per plant. Plants will veg in rockwool. The plants I have for this are in 3' or 6' cubes. I'll line the tray with coco mat then fill hydro balls. I'll leave the plants in the 3' cubes.
Any feedback from folks that have gone vertical would be nice.
I've decided to go vertical for the next 2 batches. The HPS lights just support more inventory in the primary light field if they shine in 360 degrees instead of 45-60 degrees I get with them above. I've been looking over the vertical grows on line and have found a few good ones to use as models for mine.
I am looking for some features I don't see in other vertical grows:
- no gaps in the circle - the inventory has to move to get inside to work on it
- Adjustable plant height
- Adjustable distance to the light
- Backside of the plants right up against Mylar
- Ebb and Flow watering
- Cheap to build
I've come up with a design to use my first available light. I'll be making actual light and heat readings to finalize the size and light level but I think its going to be 6' by 6' and run at 600w.
I'm going to use milk creates which are free as the frame. It looks like my biggest cost is going to be the pluming as I already have the light and pumps. The milk creates are modular by nature. They will be on their side forming 11" by 10" shelves to hold the plants. I can set the plant height from 15" to 30" by placing something below the plant or putting in a spacer create. The create towers can each slide in and out to adjust the distance to the light and I'll slide one out to get into the center to work on the plants.
Each create will have a Mylar curtain on the face so the inside of the tower is completely covered in Mylar. I'll hang more Mylar behind the top plants. I think I'll start with room for 24" plants. I could also double them up but I'll need my own clones for that.
I'll have wire loops on the front of the creates to hold the plants back from the light as they grow. I can loosen or tighten these to adjust the plant width and use them to control the height.
I'll use one of my 3' by 18" shelves to anchor the towers. The creates will be bound to each other in each tower. In phase two I'll add another light and 2 more tiers.
I've been testing the watering and have a design to water the tower in 2 groups of four. (8 or 16) plants. I do "just in time" remote watering. That is I mix up the water for each watering next to the sink in a bathroom separate from the grow room. I pump the water in and drain the water out of the grow room so its dry after the water has drained. I don't water every plant every day, just the ones that need it. My trays hold more water then the res to prevent a grow room flood.
This design will flood all the containers 2 inches and over flow the rest down to the next plant. The res will be just big enough to supply one watering. If I go to an automated system, I'll fill the primary res's from a bigger res between watering. I'm no longer watering each day so I could set up timing that might last for a week or more with 10-20 gallons of water. I'll use small tubs one per plant. Plants will veg in rockwool. The plants I have for this are in 3' or 6' cubes. I'll line the tray with coco mat then fill hydro balls. I'll leave the plants in the 3' cubes.
Any feedback from folks that have gone vertical would be nice.
