Brilliant system to me....any kind of misting inside is well enough.....they don't need to DROWN in water solution....as long as they are getting a misting....that is more than sufficient. Love this system. I am with ya....can't wait to see it in FULL GROWTH....and YES...you answered your own question about CAPPING off unused albows. Saving them for additional or staggered planting intervals.....atleast you have the choice of using more openings. Nice set up. THanks for sharing and good luck Ken from Orlando, Florida, USA
+JacobsOompa interesting points ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Debuncar Amazing Aquaponics Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my partner got great results with it.
Saw a nifty video on using pool noodles cut at 1" widths and then sliced and added the sprouted seedling as the noodle is spiraled into itself. Dispenses with the need for an organic or inorganic medium in to support the thriving seedling in net pots
Did ya consider heating the edges of the holes (with a heat gun) before forcing the elbows in. It gives a tight fit & elbows position precisely as placed when the blue PVC cools.
And if you want to use the sprayers, just one pipe down the middle with multiple sprayers would cover the whole inside of the drum. Looking at the spray, it spray out pretty far so it would spray everywhere.
Dear Mr Patchtoplate. Have you ever tried to grow a big cauliflower or cabbage this way? Im thinking they would get too heavy in the little elbow pipe and want to fall out .
I have been considering growing veggies by aeroponics for this year.. I have a couple of these barrels and 100 gallon water troughs. I will give this a shot.. Thanks mate..
Heat the poly up and force the fittings into the holes this will seal and delete the need for sanding. Use square peaces of Soft foam a bit larger than the holes in place of the pipe 45s, they are cheaper and the plants will be able to grow larger around if they like. Plant hot crops on sunny side of barrel and the cold crops on shaded side don't worry about rotating the drum. Put small root plants on top with large root systems plants on bottom, Or they will steal water from each other and small root crops will not grow as large as they might. Keep the faith.........
Another option is to cut a recessed groove into the fitting. The groove will lock into the drum wall after you push it in ;) All you need is a router and a simple jig, aka, a chunk of wood with a hole in it
On your spray pipes, I've watched other videos on tower gardens and the simpler way would be drill holes in the Lowest part, the valley or ledge of the lid to just let the water drip down the inner sides of the drum. And that's a low pressure pump or a solar pond pump.
Good morning from the States! I enjoyed your video as I learn a good bit of information from several sources. I am also new at the aeroponics experience and we built a small hoop house 8x12x8 tall. We are doing dirt plants in recycled eave gutters mounted on the walls and aero in 2 barrels. You mentioned you felt you had too many grow ports. Ben, from Art Garden mentioned in a video that 42 is the oppitum number. Using the 12 hour positions on a clock, Mark your vertical lines on the side of the barrel, then alternate the grow port holes 3 down @ noon, 4 down @ 1:00, then 3 down @ 2:00 and so on,,,,,, This will get your 42 grow sites. Hope this helps someone!
drilled my barrel yesterday and used an adjustable 2 blade hole saw from Harbor Freight. About $8.00 U S. It has a center drill bit and a round bar with inch marks on it that carries the blade assemblies. Very accurate once set. I drilled 42 holes in about 15 or 20 min and very little clean up of holes. Hopes that helps.
I wouldn't put a cap on the open holes or at least not all the holes. I'm not a scientist or anything but I think the reason aeroponic plants go so fast is the roots' access to fresh air. While too many holes could cause more water loss or possibly dry out the roots too quickly if a pump breaks, but I would also think more holes would increase the effectiveness of the system.
+Justin Gatling Good observation mate. The rockwool cubes I use allow air in around the roots in the grow tube and there are a couple of openings in the top of the drum where hot air can vent out. Seems to work well as I have a crazy amount of root growth but you are spot on....fresh air very important in a system like this.
I look forward to building this, i stumbled upon this vid about a year ago and had never heard of areoponics prior to this. It's freezing this timevof year in Melbourne however I have time to plan ahead
Yay, another Aussie, thank you for your awesome vid :) :) Will be sharing Shout out from Melbourne, I was in Darwin for the first time a few months ago :)
+Moonchild of Orcamoon Love Melbourne! Thanks for watching and sharing. Have some new projects on the go for our next dry season that hopefully you will find interesting as well. Cheers :)
Where did you get the drainage outlet on the bottom of the barrel? I want to thank you for inspiring me to give this build a try. I live in Brisbane and I cannot find the drainage thingymagic
Good day, TIP TIP TIP TIP 40 mm holes perfectly round and close water. Make a hole of 70% (+/- 30mm) Make sure you have a pipe large of the planned hole and a sponge with cold water. Put a paint fohne here and heat around the hole. Do not overheat, may discolour slightly but do not burn, black !! This makes the palstic smoth. Now stop the tube directly from the inside (also outside), let the tube in and cool it off with the wet sponge. Then remove the tube. You now have a perfect round hole with a collar that closes well. This goes with every flat tube where a spout must be made !! suc6 John, Netherland
I'm looking to build one too and wondered why so many others didn't think of simply using elbow joints instead of trying to cut an oval hole. I saw one guy painstakingly using bungee cords and jig devices trying to cut ovals, or even worse, a jig saw. Trying to cut an oval on a round surface is much harder and not necessary. Also, from what I've seen there's no need to go with a high pressure atomizer pump. Just spraying, dripping, or running water over the roots using a cheapo low cost water pump works just as well for the DIYers. Plus you don't have to deal with clogged sprayer heads or cleaning water filters.
st8kout1 Good luck with it! Can't comment on comparison with high-pressure vs. low-pressure but from my point of view, the low pressure system I have built is working beautifully. Lots of root growth, plants are fast growing and healthy. We are getting all of our salad and other greens for the family off one drum so 1st mission accomplished. Might be time to build another one :) Happy to answer any questions I can once you start your build. Let me know how you go.
st8kout1 Elbow joints cost more if you do not have the extra money.. I get a 2 inch PVC pipe and cut it 2 inches long make enough for each Barrel.. cost $8.00 for one pipe.. If I use Elbow it would cost a lot more
altha2008 makes a good point here. The elbows definitely cost a bit more but are easier to fit and provide an area for nutrient to pool (good when you seedlings are getting established in the tower and throwing more roots). Straight pipe will be quite a bit cheaper but a bit more fiddly to cut and fit. If you are trying to keep costs down even more and don't mind the extra time and effort, it's a good option. Another option is 90 degree elbows which cost more than the straight pipe but are cheaper than the 45 degree version. I'm thinking about changing the top row of my tower to 90 degrees for plants that get a bit bigger and like to grow more vertically.
Thought of doing the 90 degree pipes myself. I use a 3 in PVC for my Base. I cut holes ever 4 inches for the sleeves. I have 30 on each side. If I use Elbows it would cost me another $60.00 or more for the plants I can get one 10 feet long for under $10.00. cutting them in two inches is not bad, I cut curves in one it for the plants takes time, I'm retired due to Parkinson. So this is a hobby and a second income for me. I do have time on my hand. NOTE:: I do make my own planting cups as well out of newspapers. takes work, but all I have to do is set it in my Tower when it is ready. no stress is put on the plants
altha2008 if You hadn't started and really digging for lowering prices - with some heat (not over-extensive ;) ) and template (a piece of paper with two lines at desired angle) - it's not really hard to bend the pvc -hot air gun works best but in last resort even a burner of gas cooker will work fine; also - try to keep the area of heat-treatment as small as possible or the pipe will colapse while deforming ps: check if the ink used to print these newspapers you mentioned - is not toxic
I have limited garden space.......great idea.....might try a very light soil mix.......also is that plastic barrell rated at # 2...#4 or #5?....some are not food grade
+Granny & Pa Cheers mate. Thanks for watching and feel free to sing out if you start one as a project :) Working on a solar powered version for when the rain stops!
Over built, no? Looks a bit costly with so much hardware. Home Depot 5-gallon buckets stacked atop one another will do it for me. A spray nib underside top lid can wet all the plants. Wool rock in net pots (or netting of some material to keep from falling into the tube) would have eliminated the need for all that piping as I mentioned above. Anyway, thanks for your video; it is an inspiration to me and others for sure, as I notice in so many videos how we are all improving designs for quick sustainable and healthy growth of veggies. Thanks to you and so many like minded individuals we are actually becoming free in the true sense of the word. Growing your own food gives one the confidence of his "free" convictions.
I would like to see your system. How it's set up, where you have it producing things. It would be fun to see and understand your lower cost less complicated system. No, I'm not being sarcastic, I would really like to see what your system is like. What can you grow in an aeroponics system? 🌿 🥗
I wonder if heat would even be a problem with a aeroponic considering the air and water flow would constantly absorb and evaporate a lot of the excess energy. Of course theres a limit to how much.
+417angrybirds G'Day....and thanks heaps for that feedback, appreciate it. Working on some new modifications that I hope you find interesting too. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year too :)
I have tried a 1/4 size pump inside the barrel and do not get the pressure spray from the mist sprayers . am i under size in the pump. i got different size sprayers than you show on the page.
+Clay Hewett G'Day Clay. It sounds like you could be under pressure with your pump. When sizing a pump, you need to factor in the head height or height you are lifting the water from your reservoir to the spray heads/manifold. There are a few resources online to assist with that if you Google it. For applications like this, the pressure (psi/kpa) rating of the pump is as important as the flow rate (lph/gph). The manifold in my design is there to even out the pressure to each spray head. You then need to total the pressure required for each of the spray heads (psi rating X number of sprayers) and then add additional depending on the vertical distance you are lifting the water. Hope that all makes sense but if you want to message me directly with some more details I can give you a hand with the calculations. Thanks for watching :)
I love this informative video. Can you talk about how you were able to get the sprayer set up into the barrel without removing the lid or bottom please?
Amazing video, THANK YOU. Could you tell me specifically which type of pump you now recommend, and what kind of watering schedule you have it set to? Also, is it critical to have a barrel with a sealed top?
I am moving to a pump with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. I am working with a 10 seconds run time each 5 minutes. Thanks for the questions and for watching.
I built a similar barrel tower & transplanted about 25 mature cucumber plants from a Kratky bed about dark just a week or so ago. Failing to notice that the elbow inserts were leaking, next morning they were all dead as the water/nutrient mix all leaked out. Any advice on how to stop the leaks (other than silicone, etc)? Thanks in advance!
If you would have ordered your 60 PVC 45° bends all at once you would have gotten a considerable discount compared to purchasing them a few at a time from various hardware stores.
hey mate I'm planning on doing something like this myself. what model pump are you using? do you think this would be possible with a powerful aquarium pump? good video! cheers from sunny coast QLD
Thanks for the question, I did try an aquarium pump initially but it couldn't deal with the head height (height from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of the drum) so there was no pressure. I ended up going with a cheap Ozito pressure pump from Bunnings which went OK but looking to upgrade to something with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. Hope that helps and good luck with the project.
Tina Marie Gonzales Hi and thanks for the question - it is exactly why I started trying aeroponics :) I have had mine running very successfully outdoors in a tropical climate. It is our "winter" or dry season at the moment so temperatures are generally 20-33C (68-92F). I have a double-reservoir design to help regulate the temperature of the water/nutrient mix. I also have 2 small vents in the top of the tower to keep the air circulating and to allow the hotter air to escape (hope that makes sense). So far, so good! At the hottest time of the year I'll 3/4 bury my main reservoir to help keep it cooler. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
The best way if the fitting is thick enough is to cut or route a groove about as wide as the barrel wall thickness. Drill the holes in the barrel to match with the groove depth. After a firm shove, the groove in the fitting will lock into the barrel wall so it cant fall in or drop out ;)
The idea is that the elbow is tapered so it friction locks into the hole. Works well and is watertight but can be removed if needed (like when rescuing frogs :) )
@@patchtoplate-australia Whoa, how the heck a "frog" get inside the barrel. I am afraid of frog...that's one of the reason why I don't grow garden on soil so I don't have to deal with frog, bugs, crippy crawling things...urgh!
Thanks for the question. Needs a decent amount of pressure to lift from the reservoir to the top of the drum and then push enough pressure to spray through the jets. Tried low pressure initially but it didn't work for me.
+Edward Spencer depending on what you are growing, weight isn't an issue. I'm usually spot harvesting most of the time as well which keeps the weight down. I did have some basil get pretty big and heavy. For those I just rotated the elbow to point the other way and the side of the barrel supported the weight. I wouldn't normally let things get that big though, was more for a test. Thanks for the comment and for watching the videos...appreciate it :)
I'd like to ask You, if You didn't encounter any problems with particles clogging these mist-spray nozzles, I have some expierience with hydroponic systems and for outdoor summer garden projects - it's not possible to avoid some solid particles (carried by wind or flushed from substrate), algae that tends to flock or even dead parts of plants (especially with re-used substrate);screen cut from a kitchen sieve was enough and particles less than 1mm weren't a problem for a 1cm diameter pipe supplying water - just that the mist spray You showed was probably designed for clean water (...and professional aeroponics systems are bit too expensive for my taste)
panicape1 Really good question mate. I use House & Garden Drip Clean in my nutrient mix which seems to work really well - I haven't had any blockages as yet (touch wood). The other thing I do every couple of weeks is connect a hose to the second manifold inlet and give about a 30 second run of both pump and mains water tap to blast anything out. The combination of those two things have been very effective in keeping the spray heads clear. Last part is the design allows me to easily remove the entire spray system from the drum for checking, cleaning and/or replacing heads. Again, I haven't had to do that as yet as the system has remained clear and working well. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate ty for reply I must admit it is first time not only I hear about product You mentioned - it's also 1st time I hear about such group of products .Hey! - I'm some person from the internet and if You don't feel comfortable witch chemistry - I strongly encourage You to ask someone whose judgement You could trust. I don't want to call it a hoax but only other explanation I can think of - is that the descriptions (starting from www.house-garden.ca) were written by someone who didn't participate in develop of that thing. "contains potassium and phosphors, these two compounds have had their chemical molecules changed to remove one of their structures" looks for me like a solid basis for that idea. Firstly - those are elements but even if we assume that someone was refering to compounds having these elements - it's still a nonsene - it's like saying that someone removed length of a house or a car(not some length - the length). Add some sophisticated vocabulary that most ppl don't understand and [drums]... You've just made something look fancy. Reminds me of old sci-fi movies with crew "restabilising the polarity of negative-ionic dark matter decomposer"...no-one from audience have a slightest idea what could that mean but sure it works as nice explanation on why engines of spaceship stopped. Second thing is on their US site ( www.house-garden.us -I hope that I didn' made myself silly and it is really a manufacturer's page in both case mentioned). In a calculator (table) they provide - someone recomends to test pH before adding this Drip Clean (that contains phosphoric acid). I could compare it to someone suggesting washing Your hands before you work in garden - ofc You can but what for?! If u do it both before and after work -ok, no harm but suggesting doing only once and before - is just bad. One also can find it interesting that "favoured by Dutch growers" products that some contain "Norvegian Sea Kelp" (also a quote) are nowhere to be found in Europe. Do they really purchase it from US and CA shops - perhaps they do, I don't know any Dutch growers. Perhaps it's avaiable in Europe under diffrent brand name - couldn't find it. Lastly I want to say that I think I understand reactions behind the scene and by itself - it's true. Same process u can observe by using "soft-soda drink of dark color starting with letter C" (no advertising) to get rid of limestone from water-toilet. So- it's not the process - it's stuff found around that made me wonder about that product (and a company). In my oppionion - Drip Clean could be an option for someone using water of high salt concentration but there are other options that comes cheaper. Plus - one would have to do extra job to add this product into calculations of N:P:K. ps: sry for volume of my comment but saying "heyyyy man, watch out - it looks like some swindle" without any reason seemed even worse than this
panicape1 Thanks for the reply mate, agree with you on the double-testing of pH, I only test at the end of the process to balance to my preferred level. I'll do a bit more research but the product does seem to work in my setup. The nutrient mix is the salt which was blocking the heads and since using the drip cleaner I haven't had any blockages. You might be right that there are other and cheaper ways to achieve the same thing though and I'll do some more research on that when I get a bit of time :) Again, thanks for watching.
This is a pretty old comment, but I looked up the MSDS and it claims to be pH neutral. It does have some potash, but it doesn't sound like he's getting a nutrient deficiency anywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem with the NPK mix you mentioned. Interesting ideas, though.
Instead of elbows, that are pretty pricey, you can also use plastic coffee cups, try to find sturdy enough. Just add some holes to teh bottom. That can be done with a drill, and to several (6-7) cups at a time.
"In the good old days" we had a plot of "soil" around our house .. probably acres of it! .. not like where I find myself now (in a rented townhouse where the owners have covered nearly every square inch of "soil" with pavers to cut down on the yard maintenance and mowing!!!) So for me, this is an exciting opportunity to try to grow my own .. on the pavers!
I still love growing in the ground as well but house blocks are getting smaller and not everyone has the luxury of space. This is about providing a compact option where people want to grow their own food but space is at a premium.
thanks for this video that's very interesting. just have a question: there's not risk, in this case, that the humidity become too higher? bc the box seem locked. thanks 4 answer me
Great question, The openings at the top of the drum where the spray tubes go in also act as vents to allow both heat and humidity to escape. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching.
+Chad Pace The States? what states? in America they are bung holes and a bung wrench to tighten and loosen them. im 58 years old and they have always been called that. wine barrels have a bung too! as do wiskey etc...
Do you have any experience with (or can you make an educated guess to the functionality of) a sonic vapourizer in regard to this type of grow tower design ? Thanks, Sander.
sandertel G'Day Sander :) I haven't tried it with something this big before, usually use that method in something smaller like a cloning box (th-cam.com/video/-Wd2wHgo_SY/w-d-xo.html). It would depend on your setup but one issue I could see (in my case I have this in full sun for half the day) would be temperature of the nutrient solution. With a vapouriser, there isn't any real circulation going on and there wouldn't be as much nutrient solution as I run here. The continual circulation of the double reservoir I have helps stops the nutrient solution from getting too hot which helps cool the inside of the tower as it sprays. I think if I tried a vapouriser in this setup, the nutrient would keep heating up and the inside of the tower would get hotter and hotter, only getting a chance to cool overnight. If it were inside and under LED lights though it could work but would require a number of large vapourisers to make sufficient fog. Hope that helps mate and happy gardening!
Just a tip if you're interested. If you run your drill in reverse, it leaves a lot cleaner hole in the plastic drum. A lot less sanding. Great video.
+Paraguns Mate that is a great tip, many thanks! Will be sure to give it a try :)
+Paraguns I have spent months studying aquaponics and found an awesome resource at Keiths Ponics Site (google it if you're interested)
Scrublandz
Scrubla
Awesome tip, I will do this from now on. Thanx
Brilliant system to me....any kind of misting inside is well enough.....they don't need to DROWN in water solution....as long as they are getting a misting....that is more than sufficient. Love this system. I am with ya....can't wait to see it in FULL GROWTH....and YES...you answered your own question about CAPPING off unused albows. Saving them for additional or staggered planting intervals.....atleast you have the choice of using more openings. Nice set up.
THanks for sharing and good luck
Ken from Orlando, Florida, USA
+JacobsOompa Thanks mate - appreciate the feedback and thanks for watching :)
+JacobsOompa interesting points ,if anyone else needs to find out about aquaponic gardening system try Debuncar Amazing Aquaponics Aid (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my partner got great results with it.
I've been working on aquaponics, but will try to incorporate this into my system as well. Thank you for sharing.
Saw a nifty video on using pool noodles cut at 1" widths and then sliced and added the sprouted seedling as the noodle is spiraled into itself. Dispenses with the need for an organic or inorganic medium in to support the thriving seedling in net pots
Did ya consider heating the edges of the holes (with a heat gun) before forcing the elbows in. It gives a tight fit & elbows position precisely as placed when the blue PVC cools.
And if you want to use the sprayers, just one pipe down the middle with multiple sprayers would cover the whole inside of the drum. Looking at the spray, it spray out pretty far so it would spray everywhere.
WOW...I love the looks of this barrel garden....UNIQUE to see....great job
+JacobsOompa Thanks mate, appreciate you taking the time to watch and glad you found the videos useful. Have a great day :)
Dear Mr Patchtoplate.
Have you ever tried to grow a big cauliflower or cabbage this way?
Im thinking they would get too heavy in the little elbow pipe and want to fall out .
I have been considering growing veggies by aeroponics for this year.. I have a couple of these barrels and 100 gallon water troughs. I will give this a shot.. Thanks mate..
Heat the poly up and force the fittings into the holes this will seal and delete the need for sanding. Use square peaces of Soft foam a bit larger than the holes in place of the pipe 45s, they are cheaper and the plants will be able to grow larger around if they like. Plant hot crops on sunny side of barrel and the cold crops on shaded side don't worry about rotating the drum. Put small root plants on top with large root systems plants on bottom, Or they will steal water from each other and small root crops will not grow as large as they might. Keep the faith.........
Another option is to cut a recessed groove into the fitting. The groove will lock into the drum wall after you push it in ;) All you need is a router and a simple jig, aka, a chunk of wood with a hole in it
You sound experienced with this. I'll learn from you.
please elaborate on how a plant is placed with that square piece of foam that's in the hole cut out. thanks
On your spray pipes, I've watched other videos on tower gardens and the simpler way would be drill holes in the Lowest part, the valley or ledge of the lid to just let the water drip down the inner sides of the drum. And that's a low pressure pump or a solar pond pump.
Genuine aeroponic towers that run mist will leave a mislabeled hydroponic system like the Tower Garden in the dust.
About to do mine! Amazing informations thanks 🙏
Good morning from the States! I enjoyed your video as I learn a good bit of information from several sources. I am also new at the aeroponics experience and we built a small hoop house 8x12x8 tall. We are doing dirt plants in recycled eave gutters mounted on the walls and aero in 2 barrels. You mentioned you felt you had too many grow ports. Ben, from Art Garden mentioned in a video that 42 is the oppitum number. Using the 12 hour positions on a clock, Mark your vertical lines on the side of the barrel, then alternate the grow port holes 3 down @ noon, 4 down @ 1:00, then 3 down @ 2:00 and so on,,,,,,
This will get your 42 grow sites.
Hope this helps someone!
drilled my barrel yesterday and used an adjustable 2 blade hole saw from Harbor Freight. About $8.00 U S. It has a center drill bit and a round bar with inch marks on it that carries the blade assemblies. Very accurate once set. I drilled 42 holes in about 15 or 20 min and very little clean up of holes.
Hopes that helps.
@@joebray2437 Thanks Jeo, this was actually the info i had been searching for the last 25 min. Awesome Tip good man!
I'm gonna make one of these! Thank you! Way cheaper than 4in pvc towers!
this is the kind of solution i've been looking for. Thank you!
Good job bro! I like your system
Excellent video and great work. Heading to part 2.
Thank you for your share
No worries at all, thanks for watching.
I wouldn't put a cap on the open holes or at least not all the holes. I'm not a scientist or anything but I think the reason aeroponic plants go so fast is the roots' access to fresh air. While too many holes could cause more water loss or possibly dry out the roots too quickly if a pump breaks, but I would also think more holes would increase the effectiveness of the system.
+Justin Gatling Good observation mate. The rockwool cubes I use allow air in around the roots in the grow tube and there are a couple of openings in the top of the drum where hot air can vent out. Seems to work well as I have a crazy amount of root growth but you are spot on....fresh air very important in a system like this.
I'd really enjoy seeing a more detailed video of your misting system.
Thank you for your TH-cam, it was excellent video for anyone who wants to start.
I look forward to building this, i stumbled upon this vid about a year ago and had never heard of areoponics prior to this. It's freezing this timevof year in Melbourne however I have time to plan ahead
Great to hear, good luck with the project :)
Interesting concept. Would it be possible to save on the 45 deg couplers by maybe just cutting straight pipe and hot gluing them in?
WOW!!! awesome job! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
No worries at all Max, thanks for watching.
Yay, another Aussie, thank you for your awesome vid :) :) Will be sharing
Shout out from Melbourne, I was in Darwin for the first time a few months ago :)
+Moonchild of Orcamoon Love Melbourne! Thanks for watching and sharing. Have some new projects on the go for our next dry season that hopefully you will find interesting as well. Cheers :)
what kind of pump did you use?
Where did you get the drainage outlet on the bottom of the barrel? I want to thank you for inspiring me to give this build a try. I live in Brisbane and I cannot find the drainage thingymagic
Good day,
TIP TIP TIP TIP
40 mm holes perfectly round and close water.
Make a hole of 70% (+/- 30mm)
Make sure you have a pipe large of the planned hole and a sponge with cold water.
Put a paint fohne here and heat around the hole. Do not overheat, may discolour slightly but do not burn, black !!
This makes the palstic smoth.
Now stop the tube directly from the inside (also outside), let the tube in and cool it off with the wet sponge.
Then remove the tube.
You now have a perfect round hole with a collar that closes well.
This goes with every flat tube where a spout must be made !!
suc6
John, Netherland
+Brock Hughes - He does an amazing job with his presentation of his gardens and is a terrific guy.
I'm looking to build one too and wondered why so many others didn't think of simply using elbow joints instead of trying to cut an oval hole. I saw one guy painstakingly using bungee cords and jig devices trying to cut ovals, or even worse, a jig saw. Trying to cut an oval on a round surface is much harder and not necessary.
Also, from what I've seen there's no need to go with a high pressure atomizer pump. Just spraying, dripping, or running water over the roots using a cheapo low cost water pump works just as well for the DIYers. Plus you don't have to deal with clogged sprayer heads or cleaning water filters.
st8kout1 Good luck with it! Can't comment on comparison with high-pressure vs. low-pressure but from my point of view, the low pressure system I have built is working beautifully. Lots of root growth, plants are fast growing and healthy. We are getting all of our salad and other greens for the family off one drum so 1st mission accomplished. Might be time to build another one :) Happy to answer any questions I can once you start your build. Let me know how you go.
st8kout1 Elbow joints cost more if you do not have the extra money.. I get a 2 inch PVC pipe and cut it 2 inches long make enough for each Barrel.. cost $8.00 for one pipe.. If I use Elbow it would cost a lot more
altha2008 makes a good point here. The elbows definitely cost a bit more but are easier to fit and provide an area for nutrient to pool (good when you seedlings are getting established in the tower and throwing more roots). Straight pipe will be quite a bit cheaper but a bit more fiddly to cut and fit. If you are trying to keep costs down even more and don't mind the extra time and effort, it's a good option. Another option is 90 degree elbows which cost more than the straight pipe but are cheaper than the 45 degree version. I'm thinking about changing the top row of my tower to 90 degrees for plants that get a bit bigger and like to grow more vertically.
Thought of doing the 90 degree pipes myself. I use a 3 in PVC for my Base. I cut holes ever 4 inches for the sleeves. I have 30 on each side. If I use Elbows it would cost me another $60.00 or more for the plants I can get one 10 feet long for under $10.00. cutting them in two inches is not bad, I cut curves in one it for the plants takes time, I'm retired due to Parkinson. So this is a hobby and a second income for me. I do have time on my hand.
NOTE:: I do make my own planting cups as well out of newspapers. takes work, but all I have to do is set it in my Tower when it is ready. no stress is put on the plants
altha2008 if You hadn't started and really digging for lowering prices - with some heat (not over-extensive ;) ) and template (a piece of paper with two lines at desired angle) - it's not really hard to bend the pvc -hot air gun works best but in last resort even a burner of gas cooker will work fine; also - try to keep the area of heat-treatment as small as possible or the pipe will colapse while deforming
ps: check if the ink used to print these newspapers you mentioned - is not toxic
Awesome video mate
Thanks Valentino
Cut oversized and use a ring gasket insert to ensure a snug fit for the elbow.
Try a vertical sprayer down the middle also will hit everything
can you please put a list of supplies used for this build, in the description.
I have had success with this method. I switched to 5 gallon buckets. I still have 1 of these running.
Hi Douglas...how are your 5 gallon buckets doing? Thanks!
About time an Aussie got up on this!
Subbed and seated - eager for more!
Great work mate.
Rohan James Thanks mate - I better get cracking on those other parts and updates :) Thanks for watching!
I have limited garden space.......great idea.....might try a very light soil mix.......also is that plastic barrell rated at # 2...#4 or #5?....some are not food grade
Mate, this is great, thank you. So pleased its an Aussie as well, cheers
+Granny & Pa Cheers mate. Thanks for watching and feel free to sing out if you start one as a project :) Working on a solar powered version for when the rain stops!
+patchtoplate I would love to see that one
Excellent Idea f vert type Hponics
nice sharing
Looks amazing but the root system is my concern with more dominate plants mate.
Thank you for sharing, Great Video with good details
+Orlando DaSilva Thanks very much for the feedback and for watching :)
Great video!
Appreciate the feedback, many thanks.
Over built, no? Looks a bit costly with so much hardware. Home Depot 5-gallon buckets stacked atop one another will do it for me. A spray nib underside top lid can wet all the plants. Wool rock in net pots (or netting of some material to keep from falling into the tube) would have eliminated the need for all that piping as I mentioned above.
Anyway, thanks for your video; it is an inspiration to me and others for sure, as I notice in so many videos how we are all improving designs for quick sustainable and healthy growth of veggies. Thanks to you and so many like minded individuals we are actually becoming free in the true sense of the word. Growing your own food gives one the confidence of his "free" convictions.
I would like to see your system. How it's set up, where you have it producing things. It would be fun to see and understand your lower cost less complicated system.
No, I'm not being sarcastic, I would really like to see what your system is like. What can you grow in an aeroponics system? 🌿 🥗
WOW!!! great job.. very inspiring..
Thanks for sharing
Did you run the hole saw backwards when making the bigger holes?
What kind of plants do you grow in these
Try D.W.V. drain waste and vent. It's thinner walled. On the 45 degrees look for street 45's
Great job dude, awesome.
C. Scott Thanks mate, appreciate the feedback. Have a great day :)
I wonder if heat would even be a problem with a aeroponic considering the air and water flow would constantly absorb and evaporate a lot of the excess energy. Of course theres a limit to how much.
THANKS very interesting well presented
ta from NZ
Thanks for watching. North or south island?
Very innovative
Many thanks and thanks for watching.
I just stumbled upon your channel. Are you the original creator of hydroponic grow towers that are all the rage now? Great idea.
Thank you! Out-friggin' STANDING!!! GREAT JOB, really! You are a very good youtube instructor. This helped me, a lot... BTW,
Happy New Year!
+417angrybirds G'Day....and thanks heaps for that feedback, appreciate it. Working on some new modifications that I hope you find interesting too. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year too :)
+patchtoplate -- Been looking for new posts with the aforementioned new modifications... look forward to seeing it!
I have tried a 1/4 size pump inside the barrel and do not get the pressure spray from the mist sprayers . am i under size in the pump. i got different size sprayers than you show on the page.
+Clay Hewett G'Day Clay. It sounds like you could be under pressure with your pump. When sizing a pump, you need to factor in the head height or height you are lifting the water from your reservoir to the spray heads/manifold. There are a few resources online to assist with that if you Google it. For applications like this, the pressure (psi/kpa) rating of the pump is as important as the flow rate (lph/gph). The manifold in my design is there to even out the pressure to each spray head. You then need to total the pressure required for each of the spray heads (psi rating X number of sprayers) and then add additional depending on the vertical distance you are lifting the water. Hope that all makes sense but if you want to message me directly with some more details I can give you a hand with the calculations. Thanks for watching :)
keep up the good work and thanks for the video
thanx so much for your trouble but i'm sure u had fun making vid. Question: Is there a reason U didn't make holes closer to top and bottom of barrel?
Hi. Which one is more productive vertical hydroponics or vertical airpaunics
is your water pump on a timer? if so what frequency does it spay water and for how long ? thank you
I love this informative video. Can you talk about how you were able to get the sprayer set up into the barrel without removing the lid or bottom please?
Do you think you could just use the bottom of drum for the sump tank
Amazing video, THANK YOU. Could you tell me specifically which type of pump you now recommend, and what kind of watering schedule you have it set to? Also, is it critical to have a barrel with a sealed top?
I am moving to a pump with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. I am working with a 10 seconds run time each 5 minutes. Thanks for the questions and for watching.
COOL!!!!
Very nice
Many thanks
Also, I think if you use schedule 20 instead of 34 it is thinner, cheaper and will go in easier
I built a similar barrel tower & transplanted about 25 mature cucumber plants from a Kratky bed about dark just a week or so ago. Failing to notice that the elbow inserts were leaking, next morning they were all dead as the water/nutrient mix all leaked out. Any advice on how to stop the leaks (other than silicone, etc)? Thanks in advance!
Would a shotgun with door breaching rounds work to drill the holes?
line several barrels up. A heavily layered backstop of newspaper could be used for compost later.
Yes
@6:46 "BUNGHOLES"😂
😂😂😂 Bungholio
What are the sizes of holes and the 45-degree elbows?
If you would have ordered your 60 PVC 45° bends all at once you would have gotten a considerable discount compared to purchasing them a few at a time from various hardware stores.
hey mate I'm planning on doing something like this myself. what model pump are you using? do you think this would be possible with a powerful aquarium pump? good video! cheers from sunny coast QLD
Thanks for the question, I did try an aquarium pump initially but it couldn't deal with the head height (height from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of the drum) so there was no pressure. I ended up going with a cheap Ozito pressure pump from Bunnings which went OK but looking to upgrade to something with a pressure tank and diaphragm so the pump doesn't have to run as often. Hope that helps and good luck with the project.
Is it a hobby or anything workable for commercialisation pl ?
Use rockwool, not soil. And the weight of the plant, will not make it fall out?
Simon Ci the roots will develop and counterbalance them
Awesome video. I want to know if we can use your technic to produce tomatoes?
You can but i wouldnt advise putting a plant in every site ;)
Hello :) great video. Do you know if an aeroponics set up would sustain in a very hot environment?
Tina Marie Gonzales Hi and thanks for the question - it is exactly why I started trying aeroponics :) I have had mine running very successfully outdoors in a tropical climate. It is our "winter" or dry season at the moment so temperatures are generally 20-33C (68-92F). I have a double-reservoir design to help regulate the temperature of the water/nutrient mix. I also have 2 small vents in the top of the tower to keep the air circulating and to allow the hotter air to escape (hope that makes sense). So far, so good! At the hottest time of the year I'll 3/4 bury my main reservoir to help keep it cooler. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate Thank you so much. :)
Very interesting
brilliance
Very kind and thanks for watching!
Super Video.Danke!
hi can u tell me what do u use to fix the elbow with ur barrel？because it seems to me, the elbows could be easily falling out if it is not fixed
The best way if the fitting is thick enough is to cut or route a groove about as wide as the barrel wall thickness. Drill the holes in the barrel to match with the groove depth. After a firm shove, the groove in the fitting will lock into the barrel wall so it cant fall in or drop out ;)
The idea is that the elbow is tapered so it friction locks into the hole. Works well and is watertight but can be removed if needed (like when rescuing frogs :) )
@@patchtoplate-australia Whoa, how the heck a "frog" get inside the barrel. I am afraid of frog...that's one of the reason why I don't grow garden on soil so I don't have to deal with frog, bugs, crippy crawling things...urgh!
Is it import to use a high pressure pump or it works fine with the low pressure?
Thanks for the question. Needs a decent amount of pressure to lift from the reservoir to the top of the drum and then push enough pressure to spray through the jets. Tried low pressure initially but it didn't work for me.
informative video.
Thanks
No worries and thanks for the feedback :)
Thanks for the information
No worries at all, thanks for watching.
Won't the plants weigh down the elbows pretty bad as they grow?
+Edward Spencer Not those elbows they are strong. Depends on how they are connected seated into the barrel and thickness of the barrel.
+Edward Spencer depending on what you are growing, weight isn't an issue. I'm usually spot harvesting most of the time as well which keeps the weight down. I did have some basil get pretty big and heavy. For those I just rotated the elbow to point the other way and the side of the barrel supported the weight. I wouldn't normally let things get that big though, was more for a test. Thanks for the comment and for watching the videos...appreciate it :)
I'd like to ask You, if You didn't encounter any problems with particles clogging these mist-spray nozzles,
I have some expierience with hydroponic systems and for outdoor summer garden projects - it's not possible to avoid some solid particles (carried by wind or flushed from substrate), algae that tends to flock or even dead parts of plants (especially with re-used substrate);screen cut from a kitchen sieve was enough and particles less than 1mm weren't a problem for a 1cm diameter pipe supplying water - just that the mist spray You showed was probably designed for clean water (...and professional aeroponics systems are bit too expensive for my taste)
panicape1 Really good question mate. I use House & Garden Drip Clean in my nutrient mix which seems to work really well - I haven't had any blockages as yet (touch wood). The other thing I do every couple of weeks is connect a hose to the second manifold inlet and give about a 30 second run of both pump and mains water tap to blast anything out. The combination of those two things have been very effective in keeping the spray heads clear. Last part is the design allows me to easily remove the entire spray system from the drum for checking, cleaning and/or replacing heads. Again, I haven't had to do that as yet as the system has remained clear and working well. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching :)
patchtoplate ty for reply
I must admit it is first time not only I hear about product You mentioned - it's also 1st time I hear about such group of products .Hey! - I'm some person from the internet and if You don't feel comfortable witch chemistry - I strongly encourage You to ask someone whose judgement You could trust. I don't want to call it a hoax but only other explanation I can think of - is that the descriptions (starting from www.house-garden.ca) were written by someone who didn't participate in develop of that thing. "contains potassium and phosphors, these two compounds have had their chemical molecules changed to remove one of their structures" looks for me like a solid basis for that idea.
Firstly - those are elements but even if we assume that someone was refering to compounds having these elements - it's still a nonsene - it's like saying that someone removed length of a house or a car(not some length - the length). Add some sophisticated vocabulary that most ppl don't understand and [drums]... You've just made something look fancy. Reminds me of old sci-fi movies with crew "restabilising the polarity of negative-ionic dark matter decomposer"...no-one from audience have a slightest idea what could that mean but sure it works as nice explanation on why engines of spaceship stopped.
Second thing is on their US site ( www.house-garden.us -I hope that I didn' made myself silly and it is really a manufacturer's page in both case mentioned). In a calculator (table) they provide - someone recomends to test pH before adding this Drip Clean (that contains phosphoric acid). I could compare it to someone suggesting washing Your hands before you work in garden - ofc You can but what for?! If u do it both before and after work -ok, no harm but suggesting doing only once and before - is just bad.
One also can find it interesting that "favoured by Dutch growers" products that some contain "Norvegian Sea Kelp" (also a quote) are nowhere to be found in Europe. Do they really purchase it from US and CA shops - perhaps they do, I don't know any Dutch growers. Perhaps it's avaiable in Europe under diffrent brand name - couldn't find it.
Lastly I want to say that I think I understand reactions behind the scene and by itself - it's true. Same process u can observe by using "soft-soda drink of dark color starting with letter C" (no advertising) to get rid of limestone from water-toilet. So- it's not the process - it's stuff found around that made me wonder about that product (and a company). In my oppionion - Drip Clean could be an option for someone using water of high salt concentration but there are other options that comes cheaper. Plus - one would have to do extra job to add this product into calculations of N:P:K.
ps: sry for volume of my comment but saying "heyyyy man, watch out - it looks like some swindle" without any reason seemed even worse than this
panicape1 Thanks for the reply mate, agree with you on the double-testing of pH, I only test at the end of the process to balance to my preferred level. I'll do a bit more research but the product does seem to work in my setup. The nutrient mix is the salt which was blocking the heads and since using the drip cleaner I haven't had any blockages. You might be right that there are other and cheaper ways to achieve the same thing though and I'll do some more research on that when I get a bit of time :) Again, thanks for watching.
patchtoplate thanks for sharing
This is a pretty old comment, but I looked up the MSDS and it claims to be pH neutral. It does have some potash, but it doesn't sound like he's getting a nutrient deficiency anywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem with the NPK mix you mentioned. Interesting ideas, though.
Instead of elbows, that are pretty pricey, you can also use plastic coffee cups, try to find sturdy enough. Just add some holes to teh bottom. That can be done with a drill, and to several (6-7) cups at a time.
Jaakko Laurila but that would be at a different angle?
Or piece of pvc pipe
Whats the model of the pump you used friend? Thanks in advance.
I just use a cheap Ozito pump at the moment but any pressure pump would do the job.
Use a street 45... It's a fitting term describing one end is A male end.
Thanks for sharing your project :-)
this project is so awesome! :) I just want to know how much is the overall cost for a single project? :) Thanks! :)
is it a problem that it is PVC. just thinking about the toxic of plastic?
For most people it's the same plastic that the water comes from. Pvc should work ok as long as it's not heated.
what's the difference in materials between a high pressure and low pressure system
a stronger pump, finer misters, and a few other technical things, like a backflow preventer
Alot more cost for high pressure, Easier to clog up with high but better results.
Thank you for posting
Very informative
nice vid thanks for making it.
+Jennifer Johnstone No worries at all Jennifer, thanks for watching :)
why need sanding if you can heat/torch/melt the edges
Tried a heat gun initially but when it cooled the drum split. Sanding was more effort but gave a better fit.
what happened to the good old days where you put a seed in the soil and it grew? Does everything have to be high tech
technology mate technology
"In the good old days" we had a plot of "soil" around our house .. probably acres of it! .. not like where I find myself now (in a rented townhouse where the owners have covered nearly every square inch of "soil" with pavers to cut down on the yard maintenance and mowing!!!) So for me, this is an exciting opportunity to try to grow my own .. on the pavers!
I still love growing in the ground as well but house blocks are getting smaller and not everyone has the luxury of space. This is about providing a compact option where people want to grow their own food but space is at a premium.
Can i use 90 degree elbow instead of 45 degree
Abu Abdullah for sure the plants will find the light and make their own space
this is a great video
+ANDRES ROMERO Thanks for watching mate and for the feedback, really appreciate it. Have a great day :)
escellent info keep it going wish you happy 2019
Can someone send me a list of what I need? that includes EVERYTHING I need, including tools and nutrients and stuff like that. Thanks in advanced.
First of all you need brain. Everything else is mentioned in video above. Without the first one you're screwed! :-)
thanks for this video that's very interesting. just have a question: there's not risk, in this case, that the humidity become too higher? bc the box seem locked. thanks 4 answer me
Great question, The openings at the top of the drum where the spray tubes go in also act as vents to allow both heat and humidity to escape. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching.
lol bung-hole in The States has a completely different meaning! Great video.
+Chad Pace The States? what states? in America they are bung holes and a bung wrench to tighten and loosen them. im 58 years old and they have always been called that. wine barrels have a bung too! as do wiskey etc...
I'm with Chad and I'm 59. When he said, bung hole, I laughed too
COWAAABUNG HOLEEEEE
That is also a double meaning here in Australia. Common phrase heard in many verbal fights is " go stick it up your bung hole".
Americar
Do you have any experience with (or can you make an educated guess to the functionality of) a sonic vapourizer in regard to this type of grow tower design ?
Thanks, Sander.
sandertel G'Day Sander :) I haven't tried it with something this big before, usually use that method in something smaller like a cloning box (th-cam.com/video/-Wd2wHgo_SY/w-d-xo.html). It would depend on your setup but one issue I could see (in my case I have this in full sun for half the day) would be temperature of the nutrient solution. With a vapouriser, there isn't any real circulation going on and there wouldn't be as much nutrient solution as I run here. The continual circulation of the double reservoir I have helps stops the nutrient solution from getting too hot which helps cool the inside of the tower as it sprays. I think if I tried a vapouriser in this setup, the nutrient would keep heating up and the inside of the tower would get hotter and hotter, only getting a chance to cool overnight. If it were inside and under LED lights though it could work but would require a number of large vapourisers to make sufficient fog. Hope that helps mate and happy gardening!