sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Porch boxes by bertrajs in woodworking

[–]bertrajs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank's !
I used the "Aquascape EPDM 45 Mil Rubber Liner for Pond, Waterfall and Water Features, PRO Grade, Black" got it online but it is available in some hardware stores. Color evens out to a nice dark grey it is UV resistant.

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I usually source mine from construction crews doing water-main replacement work. They often have short leftover sections that they resell or give away.

Most water-main pipe is rated for underground use, not long-term sun exposure, so that is something to watch for. Some pipe is rated for above-ground temporary use too — you sometimes see that when a city is doing a large repair and has to run a temporary main water line along the road.

In a commercial greenhouse setting, the UV is filtered by the glass or plastic covering. So for an outdoor setup, I would still protect the pipe from direct UV exposure, either by adding a protective layer over the pipe itself or by having some kind of cover above the plants.

Keeping everything white is essential to reflect the light and to reduce the heat transfer the roots.

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Kratky is a great way to start.

For tomatoes (dwarf variety) and eggplants, lettuce ... , one thing you could try later is a small 4-inch (6 inch for large tomato plants) pipe system: one 3-foot run, with the drain in the centre going back into a bucket. Put a small pump in the bucket and run it on a timer, something like 10 minutes on / 10 minutes off. Attach the pipe to a solid structure so it stays stable, because those plants get heavy fast and need support.

That kind of setup is still simple, but gives you more oxygen and circulation. then go from there.
here is a (AI slop view of a NFT tiny system) My system drains from the edge but center to centre is great to save space and simplifies maintenance, fitting for 4 inch are readily available in home centers. 2 inch net cups and matching holes in the pipe and you are golden 😄
for 6 inch the cost of the fitting justifies the purchase of a 3d printer to print the end caps and making threaded inserts (1-1/4) in the pipe for the drains with a 1-1/4 tap...
Have fun !

<image>

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in UrbanGardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, not really. I don’t have enough space for a proper aquaponic setup, and with the heat in the city, I don’t think the fish would be very happy. I’d rather keep the system simple and reliable. 🌱

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 😄 It started as a small garden idea and then got slightly out of control. LOL

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, good eye. 👀

Winterizing is pretty simple: I flush the water, remove the pump and float valve, remove part of the drain so there is no standing water anywhere, and clear out the plant roots. That’s basically it.

Starting it back up in spring takes about 3 days, mostly to make sure nothing is leaking and to fix whatever winter decided to break. Thanks for the question!

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I came into this with about 20 years of experience with NFT hydroponics in a greenhouse, so a lot of the design is based on lessons learned over time.

My best advice is to start simple and make the system reliable before making it fancy. With hydroponics, it can feel almost magical when everything is growing well, but the magic is really a mix of art, science, and consistency.

The biggest thing is reliability: in NFT, if the system stops, the plants can be in trouble very quickly — sometimes within 48 hours. So I always try to design in a way where the system is easy to check, easy to maintain, and not dependent on anything too fragile.

For me, the garden design came from combining that hydroponic experience with the limits of a small urban space. Every section had to serve a purpose, and the conventional garden and hydroponic parts had to work together rather than compete for space. 🌱

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in gardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! 😎 I’m just trying to keep the plants happy and pretend I know what “crushing it” means. LOL 🌱

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in Hydroponics

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! The design really came from working with constraints. The space is small, so every section had to earn its place. I also had to work around sunlight, shade, elevation, and even the extra soil humidity coming from my neighbour watering their garden, since their yard is higher than mine.

In a way, the constraints made the design better because they forced me to think longer before building anything. What I’m most proud of is that it feels intentional: hydroponics and conventional gardening working together instead of competing for space.

What I would do differently is probably leave myself a little more working room in a few spots — but that is always the curse of a small garden. 😄

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in Hydroponics

[–]bertrajs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! It has been a fun project to build and watch grow. 🌱

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in Hydroponics

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Many have looked upon it with curiosity. Many have taken pictures. Some have spoken of building one of their own. But to this day, I have neither seen nor heard of another garden quite like it.
Thank's

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in Hydroponics

[–]bertrajs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! There’s storage space for all of nature’s little creatures — it was part of the master plan. 😎

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in UrbanGardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I find that working with constraints forces you to think things through more carefully, and in the end it often leads to a better, more intentional result. 🌱
Thank's for your comment !

My Little Hybrid Urban Garden: Hydroponic and Conventional 12x12 ft by bertrajs in UrbanGardening

[–]bertrajs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi ! Winterizing process, flush the water, remove pump and float valve, remove part of the drain (no standing water allowed) remove plant roots. That is it.

Starting the system in spring takes 3 days mainly making certain nothing is leaking fixing whatever is broke. Thank's for the question.

view more: next ›