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Growing veggies in Grow Tower systems

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rustycase

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I was investigating grow towers, spurred by a vid presented by BrightAgroTech who sells them, ready to rock.
Pricey, for what they are... I searched for DIY.
Here's a buncha vid links if you are interested in this sort of thing.

home-design.jpg

G-Tower is the 2nd generation by Larry Athey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQW4Ott01dE

G-Tower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYNX23SYkEQ

V-tower, roots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMMtCFZtVv4

This is the Gunnar Shaffer system Larry Athey talks about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xf8zpRgPzs

Gunnar building the towers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LmydJnqMBI

Donald Porta, a better build method, but not staggered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCwjrnjdzDs

Smart GrowTechnology channel, foam media from hibco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuADXs-9RLM

LED vs T-5 floodlights, Larry Athey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QNOgTqZ3Y8

LA has also determined Jiffy peat plugs are superior to using rockwool.
They are all kinda fun if you get some vid watching time.
rc
 

ChinaVoodoo

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The wife has relatives who supply all of the greens for their gluten free vegetarian restaurant with those towers. Pretty prolific growth.
 

rustycase

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Yes, for me it's entertainment, yet they have claims of quite high returns per sq ft, with multiple crops.
And these guys will sell you a complete system in a shipping container... $75k !
The pic was Huge, so here's a link...
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bM1Ff-ECO58/maxresdefault.jpg

Here's inside of one...

Produce-Towers-225x300.jpeg

It's not like dropping a seed in the dirt, sprinkling water on it, then hoping for rain.
These systems require a small pump, plumbing, and a sump, at a minimum.
Some of them use a reservoir with fish living in it to provide plant quality nutrients.
And lights. LED or HID grow lights, if growing indoors.

Seems to me, it's kinda like bass fishing. ...Lotta doodads to play with and you get some food out of it.
They really do have some impressive claims for it, though.

I'll need to have a look and see how close I can come to a system with what I got out behind the barn...
rc
 

deluxestogie

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It's a shame there isn't fertile soil on this planet, then you could just plant in the ground. No carbon footprint of artificial soil manufacture, plastics manufacture, pump motor manufacture, fish tank manufacture, packaging, shipping, maybe light manufacture and electricity generation. But alas, there's no other way.

Bob
 

SmokesAhoy

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I could see where that would be nice with the elderly or disabled people, with things like strawberries or the like, once the mechanicals are set up they would work great for that demographic, allowing them to plant and harvest on solid safe pavement where the conveyances can easily maneuver.
 

Traci Kent

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My question is how does the food taste? Seems like there would be no flavor because the plants are not getting everything they need that they would get from the soil. From my understanding plants can only get so much from fish poo. What about minerals and other such things plants need? Only things that mother nature can provide.
 
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