zondag 17 augustus 2014

Table top hydroponic planter



Going With the Flow: Stylish Designer Tabletop Hydroponic Planter

February 14, 2014 by 
hydropod-Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter
For space deprived design lovers who yearn to grow some of their own food, this contemporary designer tabletop hydroponic planter fits the bill. 
Challenged with reinterpreting an existing DIY planter project, design student Blake Burell created Hydropod, a sleek countertop  hydroponic planter which is as functionable as it is fashionable.
Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter-hydropod
To complement the green and “organic nature” of the plants, Burell settled on white for the planter.  His solution built upon a somewhat common form of indoor hydroponic gardening, a nutrient film system. In his rebuild, he tested a few designs but settled on the one above which contains three individual planters. The automated system provides a constant flow of nutrients delivered via the water flowing over the plant roots.
conceptual-hydropod-diagram-Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter

Series of PrototypesWith designs like Burell’s which feature planter cups, one can plant a variety of edibles at the same time.
concept-a-hydropod-Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter

hydropod-diagram-Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter
In the hydropod prototypes, a concealed water pump pushes water from a reservoir in the base to the top portion of the planter where it flows along the bottom of the cups containing rocks and the plants.
Designer-Tabletop-Hydroponic-Planter
Water gets recycled from one end of the base to the other, then back into the reservoir and recirculated again to repeat the process. Individual planter cups are easily lifted out of the base to to be refilled with more nutirent-infused water. And so it flows.

The Power of Moss: Biophotovoltaic

The power of moss

http://www.urbangardensweb.com/2014/07/18/power-moss-biophotovoltaic/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

The Power of Moss: Biophotovoltaic

July 18, 2014 by 
BiophotovoltaicMossTable1
A modern designed table that incorporates the bright green life of moss is as urban-garden-chic as you can get. But wait there’s more.
The moss on this table has a job to do—and that job is to generate power. That’s what that big word is all about: Biophotovoltaic, or BPV for memory’s sake.
biophotovoltaic-Moss-Table-Exploded
A BPV device generates electricity from the energy of light. This is not solar energy, but energy derived from good old photosynthesis, forever etched in our minds from elementary school science class.
Let’s have a quick review: Photosynthesis is a process by which plants and algae convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into organic compounds with the assistance of sunlight’s energy. Plants use the organic compounds generated in order to grow.
moss-table-how-it-works-blog
To take it one step further, we can look at moss specifically. When moss goes through the process of photosynthesis, some of the organic material is also released into the soil. Soil contains bacteria, which breaks down the organic compounds to keep itself alive. Byproducts are released through this process and they contain electrons, which the Moss Table captures and puts to good use. This biochemical material becomes electrochemical, thereby creating electrical energy from biological material.
Okay, we’ll shut the science book now.
testing-biophotovoltaic-table
Attractive and organically inventive, the Moss Table can produce about 520 Joules of energy per day. This would only charge a laptop for twenty seconds!
moss-table-details
But before deeming this table attractive but useless, understand that this is one step toward what scientists anticipate to be a future of devices capable of generating much more energy. Coupled with the low energy laptop and appliances that are in the works now, Moss Table and similar creations just might bring enough power to a home to make a real (and stylish) difference.
Until then, isn’t this cool?

zaterdag 19 juli 2014

zondag 29 juni 2014

More Urban Gardening in Diemen


More fotos from our streetside garden in Diemen








My own hydrophonics Strawberry Tower


Completed my strawberry tower today.
It is my second generation hydrophonics system.


It is quite late in the year, but it was much fun making the 8-plant Strawberry Tower


it has a nice place in the sun

 should maybe get a new roof :)
 blends perfectly into garden

only takes very little floor space (1 "trottoir-tile")

But definitely could use some improvement
Generation 3 will be straight :)






zondag 15 juni 2014

8 Products for Indoor and Urban Gardening

http://www.dwell.com/green/article/8-products-indoor-and-urban-gardening?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews



8 Products for Indoor and Urban Gardening

At this point in the planting season, your friends and neighbors may already have neatly arranged rows of starter plants in their backyard, or pots on their balcony starting to sprout CSA-worthy veggies. But even if your apartment is bare thus far, that doesn’t mean there aren’t easy ways for you to get a little green in your life. Dwell found an array of products and planters perfect for urban living, small spaces, and indoor growing.
Bulbo Quadra and Cynara
Part of the movement to utilize LED lights to popularize and expand indoor farming, Bulbo adds a touch of Italian panache to your indoor soil-and-seed endeavors. The unobtrusive design and light footprint—the Cynara, pictured above, looks like a small, overturned pot—make them easy to use in a variety of situations.
Photo by Ottavio Montanari


Flowergarden Diemen 15-06-2014



Flowergarden
Diemen, Netherlands

















zondag 8 juni 2014

Hydroponics Primer (Easy Hydroponics.net)



Easy Hydroponics

Learn to make your own homemade hydroponics system to grow virtually any plant, vegetable and fruit without soil.

General Hydroponics:

Hydroponic Systems:

Hydroponics Growing:

Homemade Hydroponics:

Hydroponic Lights:

PVC Hydroponics:

zondag 27 april 2014

Dutch Pot Hydrophonic Systems




  








aquavalve



http://www.autopot.nl/productinformatie/over-het-aquavalve-systeem

HET AQUAVALVE SYSTEEM


AQUAvalve-kleine-banner


De AQUAvalve sensor is het hart van alle AutoPot systemen en wordt standaard geleverd bij al onze irrigatiesystemen. Het is een uitgekiend systeem welke zelf zorgt voor de watertoevoer. De planten in het AutoPot systeem regelen hierdoor zelf de toevoer van water en voedingsstoffen precies op het juiste moment. Door gebruik te maken van onze AQUAvalve technologie bespaart u tevens 40% water ten opzichte van alle andere automatische watergeef systemen.

Onze systemen maken alléén gebruik van de waterdruk welke ontstaat door de zwaartekracht vanuit het watervat of regenton. Hierdoor geniet u van een besparing van 100% op uw energierekening en helpt u mee aan een beter milieu.

De AUQAvalve wordt standaard meegeleverd met alle complete systemen uit onze webshop.
aquavalve

AutoPot  automatische watergeefsystemen vereisen géén stroom, timers, pompen, vaste waterleiding of dure installaties. Alle systemen maken enkel en alleen gebruik van de zwaartekracht !


Zodra uw tank, waterreservoir of regenton gevuld is met water en eventueel voedingsstoffen zal de waterdruk ervoor zorgen dat AQUAvalve automatisch geopend zal worden en het door u gekozen AutoPot systeem zal vullen tot een waterniveau van 20mm. Wanneer uw planten via de wortels het water hebben opgenomen zal de AQUAvalve dit registreren door een drukverschil en het systeem met een vertraging wederom automatisch vullen met vers voedingswater. Om een beter visueel beeld te krijgen van dit proces raden wij u aan onze presentaties te bekijken.

Doordat de planten niet constant in water staan zal het substraat iedere cyclus eerst langzaam van binnenuit opdrogen voordat de nieuwe bewatering op gang komt. Op deze manier simuleert u een natuur eigen nat droog cyclus wat resulteert in gezonde en uitbundige planten.

Geen dure en lastige installaties meer nodig !
Wanneer uw planten groter worden zullen deze ook vaker water nodig hebben. Wederom zal de AQUAvalve dit registreren en zorgen dat uw planten vaker water zullen krijgen. AutoPot automatische watergeefsystemen zijn dan ook de enige systemen wereldwijd die rekening houden met verandering in temperatuur, luchtvochtigheid en/of wind. Uw planten worden dan ook ten alle tijden op het juiste moment voorzien van vers water en voedingsstoffen.
         
De werking van  AQUAvalve stap voor stap

aquavalve-1-uitleg 

 aquavalve-3-uitleg

aquavalve-4-uitleg

AQUAvalve - How It Works


http://letspatch.com/?404;http://www.letspatch.com:80/index.php?sid=ac86c0b4376a8f5d084ab349856b0a1d&reqp=1&reqr=nzcdYaOvLay1nTSaqzS0YaOvrt==


amazon.co.uk : UKP 14


Completely Redesigned And Improved Model

The AQUAvalve is the very same valve used in the AutoPots and Smartgardens. The AQUAvalve is capable of sub irrigating a suitable tray with up to four large plants in 10" containers, or six smaller plants in 5" containers. Each AQUAvalve is fed by a 1/4" connection to a low pressure (up to 8 psi) water or nutrient solution source. Since they can operate at extremely low pressure, a simple gravity feed reservoir can be used as a supply by making sure it is raised just slightly above the AQUAvalve(s). The higher the reservoir is situated above the AQUAvalve(s), the longer the 1/4" feed lines can be and the more AQUAvalve you can supply.
The AquaValve's method of operation resembles that of an ebb & flow system by employing a simple flood and drain principle but without the need to return depleted solution back to the reservoir. This simplifies nutrient solution management and opens up hundreds of new uses for this proven technique. By first flooding the tray to a depth of 1" with water or nutrient solution. It then "waits" for your plants to consume the solution before re-flooding the tray with a fresh charge. In this fashion, the AQUAvalve automatically cycles plants through a complete wet/dry cycle that simulates the cycle of natural rainfall without the problems of pumps, timers and nutrient solution management. Refer to the diagrams below for a detailed illustration of its operation.
FILL MODE 1: When the AQUAvalve is first installed and connected to a reservoir or low pressure water supply, the inner float rests on the bottom of the tray allowing the inner valve (inside orange circle) to begin filling.
FILL MODE 2: As the water level in the tray rises, the inner float continues to rise on bouyancy caused by trapped air. Note how its movement begins to close the gap between the rubber stopper and the inner valve. As the tray floods, the growing medium in your containers begins to saturate which displaces the Oxygen depleted air thats normally trapped in the root zone.
FILL MODE 3: As the level continues to rise, the outer float also begins to rise which opens the outer valve, (inside orange circle) to release air trapped inside the inner float chamber.
FILL COMPLETE: Once the level reaches one inch deep inside the tray, the inner valve is now completely closed (inside orange circle) which stops the flow of solution into the tray.
DRAIN MODE 1: As plants continue to feed, the level drops and so does the outer float thus sealing the outer valve and trapping the solution inside the inner float chamber which keeps its valve closed and sealed.
DRAIN MODE 2: As the level in the tray continues to fall, both valves remain sealed as plants continue to consume the solution.
DRAIN MODE 3: At this point the moisture level in the growing medium is reduced which draws fresh Oxygen back into the growing medium to recharge roots. When the solution in the tray is consumed and before the moisture level in the medium falls any further, solution trapped inside the inner float chamber is released from the bottom which causes the inner float to drop and the inner valve to reopen which begins the fill cycle all over again.


AQUAvalve

Authentic replacement AQUAvalve fits all Autpot self watering producs or use with your own garden design to automatically provide plants with water and food on demand.

Easy2Grow 2 Pot Kit showing Aquavalve
Each kit comes complete with:
Water Reservoir Tank - This holds up to 47 litres of water, sufficient to guarantee your plants will be watered for at least two weeks.
In Line Water Filter - Helps prevent impurities in the water stopping the system from operating.
Irrigation Tube - 5’ (1.5m) of 6mm tubing is supplied to connect the tank to the two pot module.
Two 8½ litre Pots - Each complete with root control discs.
Base Tray - Designed to hold the two pots securely and includes the unique "AQUAvalve" which makes the system work efficiently.

http://www.twowests.co.uk/product/easy2grow-2-pot-kit