System for the cucumbers.

Posted by ProZachJ on Jan 10, 2010 in Zach's Garden | 0 comments

After waiting metformin hydrochloride tablets weeks to receive the smart valves to build a system for the cucumbers, the reality of the way smart valves irrigate forced a change in plans. I didn’t want to have to deal with purchasing a new capillary mat for every grow. The valves only flood the chamber with 1″ of nutrient solution and the bottom of the net cups is 3″ above the bottom of the rail. That meant I would have to build a 3″ riser out of some sort of wicking material. All of a sudden this was starting to feel much more experimental than I wanted. At the suggestion of the guys at the hydro store I decided to build a system that would flood and drain the rails. Since the cucumbers are currently looking very happy in the flood drain tray, I feel comfortable transplanting them into a system that can start with the exact same irrigation schedule and thereby minimize the transplant shock. The glue should be dry tomorrow or monday and i’ll be able to begin running the trellis strings and clipping the plants to them. I used the same reservoir as my tray and just put the rails on top. I cut a strip out of the top for an access hatch, which I plan on covering with mylar to prevent light from entering the reservoir.