How To Become More Self-Sufficient Without Starting a Full-Blown Farm…
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I replaced my 3 inch PVC vertical hydroponic setup with this new 1.5 inch design which is easier to maintain, uses less water and energy, and practically doubles my marketable production. This version produces 133 heads of lettuce or comparable 8.5 inch green vegetable and contains an additional 18 sites for larger plants such as herbs and kale, for a total capacity of 151 sites .
I currently harvest 22 quality plants weekly. I raised my system to 15 inches to allow for more nutrient (CNS17 Grow formula) storage, which is currently approximately 45 gallons (container volume 54 gallons). I engineered and built my own lighting system to accommodate the height of my towers. I used 6 inch vent pipe and LED light bulbs with a 20% reduced lumen output and 30% increase in energy savings per fixture over my previous 4 bulb T5 fixtures.
With the light bulb rebates my cost for each fixture was under $50, vs. $135 for the T5 fixtures with bulbs. I hung my lights vertically to access my plants easily. I am continuing to run my lighting during off peak hours via timers to save energy and money, and my this system is partially powered with renewable energy via the 9.1kw PV solar system we had installed for our home. Check it out below…
…and here is a 9 week update…
…and here is a 3 month update…
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