Small is relative. We make a full time income for a family of 4.

True. I think of multi-acre greenhouses when thinking of bigger-than-small scale. Well done and fair play to you!

you havnt said anything about your tanks or nutrients or hydroponics infact you are only braging about your set up vidio is a waste of time

Thanks and welcome

How did it turn Out?

@@small-timegarden They are going gang busters. The tower ended up being almost or more like an ebb n flow. I used a GreenStalk Tower to do this. I have 2 of the tiers sitting on top of a 5 gallon bucket. There is a small submersible fountain pump in the bucket, bucket is filled with nutrient fluid. There is a 3/8" irrigation riser from the pump up through the center of the 2 tiers. at the top, I used one of the watering dishes that came with the tower ..and turned it into a very simple manifold. Adding little short pieces of 1/4" irrigation line from the manifold to each plant. Each tier has 6 pockets... I took 32 ounce water bottles, cut the tops off so they're about 8" tall.. I wrapped each bottle with black landscape fabric to keep out the light. A 3" net cup fits perfect in the top. Each bottle I burned about 8 small holes (for overflow/drainage) around it circumference and the holes are about 4" up from the bottom of the bottle for drainage. And this way.. there is almost a perfect amount of air gap space as per the Kratky Method.. The timer right now is set to run only 3 cycles per day 5 minutes each. Temps are below 70F. So.. this is sort of an ebb n flow.or .nft.. combo.. *The bottom line.. the Plants are loving it.* I do have many static "kratky* units sitting right next to this as well and at this time.. I would say the active "circulation", may be out pacing the static plants. Not by much, but there is some difference. I dont have a super control set up..so just eyeballing it. One of the reasons I did this.. was because after I got the GreenStalk.. and I had filled 3 of the tiers with potting soil.. I arrived at the conclusion that WOW..That's a crazy amount of potting soil, It's really, really heavy, and and at the top of my list was..there was a *lot of space wasted space* below the first tier.. cause you cant really grow anything in the center of the 4 tiers below the top one.. Super super waste of space. That is the case with almost all of the commercial vertical soil base towers! In fact.. many of the hydro vertical units..are wasting a lot material..as they DO NOT HAVE TO BE THAT LARGE IN CIRCUMFERENCE. The proof and validation of that is with those 4" round PVC vertical towers that everyone has built. I can get as much produce growing in once of them as a TowerGarden Aero garden unit.. I dont need to pay $550 to do it rofl. So I built one to prove it. I teach classes on the topic so I figured I should have live proof. Anyways.. I would encourage EVERYONE to do this, or try to do this!

5.5" Standard 2x6 lumber.

Hi, We used oasis in the past and it did not work as well for us... It's cheaper too. Funny right? Our water is from a spring located on our property and pumped with solar power as well. In fact All the power on my farm is from solar panels so we use zero grid energy but could never run a NFT system affordably.

Bialecki Farms off grid sounds great. I run about 200 dollars worth of electricity from my greenhouses every month out there. I am on well water as well but I adjust my pH in the water from the time I start seeding until I harvest. I actuality think rock wool is cheaper than the oasis. I buy it by the pallet and it’s about 100 dollars less for the same # of 1” cubes. I am hoping to get my well and some of my electrical draw supplied with solar in the next year or 2! Chuck

We do not test, we just supply the nutrient per label. We use chem gro from hydrogardens.

The tanks are 32" x 48". I have found doubles are the easiest to construct.

They are just a large bolt, washers, and nut. I drilled a whole to fit.

No styrofoam just the cover. here is a video of the lid construction. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d8yXlqhkstCxgnk.html

They are just made of plywood and 2x6 nailed together with a plastic liner.

There are sooo many video's on KZfaq on how to create "Wood" planters with the Pond Liner.

Chem gro from hydro gardens

I do not test for it. I just use the recipe as listed on the bag of fertilizer. We use Chem gro lettuce formula hydro-gardens.com/product/lettuce-formula-25lbs-bag-8-15-36/

No we do not.

Yes, several times. Arugula grows, just not well.

Chem gro from Hydrogardens hydro-gardens.com/product-category/fertilizers/

We will do one after winter ends.

You must keep the water cooler. Less than 60F or 15C. If you cannot. You must aerate to increase oxygen. Our climate is cool to cold.

They are built like a painting or window screen. Stapled and stretched tight.

It's not been an issue. I suppose because the tanks are well covered.

We are a market farm.

They would be in the tank 3 weeks and sprouted just one week prior. This video is from June 2017. The plants get 16+ hours of sun that time of year and temps are still mild. Bok choy can grow very fast.

We do not provide aeration. We utilize the Kratky Method, invented by Dr Kratky. here is a link to his channel. kzfaq.info/love/jwBvl5MXuQMziQL2_pQCPA

The tops are made with heavy duty row cover stretched over a wood frame. (Like a painting). We burn the holes with a tourch.

Thank you! It is a wonderful set up!

We just add the same each time.

We use solar power to pump water. The farm has 6 100 watt panels. We use Hydro gro from Hydrogardens. hydro-gardens.com/

It is heavy duty row cover. We made a video.. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d8yXlqhkstCxgnk.html

One side rolls up and we have 3 large windows in the end walls. So we get lots of natural ventilation.

We don't. The plants about empty the tanks and use up the water. To replant we just top them up with water and add new nutrient.

@@bialeckifarms3254 One of the great things about the Kratky method! You are doing a fantastic job on your farm with this setup. Congratulations!

@@debcobern312 Thanks!

We do not have aeration in the tanks.

@@bialeckifarms3254 Thank you, God bless

You can use screen under the tray's but it looks like they have the water tank fully covered ie the "rafts" don't float they seem to be "Suspended" this "Blocks" the water under the raft. They have the rafts covered with the crop covers. She also stated in a previous comment that they are in a cool to cold climate so I also assume they just have less mosquito's in general.

If mosquitoes do pose an issue, mosquito dunks (BT) are a safe and harmless way to keep them from multiplying.

You can use screens, It hasn't been an issue for us however.

What are the rafts made of? Styrofoam?

We use chem-gro from hydrogardens. Google it.

They are 8 x 8

Here is a video we made of the lids. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d8yXlqhkstCxgnk.html

It could be that the wood was so thick? On ours wood is 1 1/2" x 1/2" I get the best 2x4 lumber I can find in the pile and rip it into these strips then nail them together.

They beds do not float. The lids are held in place by the tank sides. The spacing is 8x8

@@bialeckifarms3254 Thank for the reply ! What do you think is the ideal thickness should be of the non- float lids lol?

@@patto61 Thin as practical. Mine are just 1/2" think. Well the fabric is very thin. The wood support is only 1/2"

@@bialeckifarms3254 Thanks very much for that , your farm looks fantastic , I'm hoping to build up something similar myself .

@@patto61 Wish you the best of luck!

We use Chem-gro from Hydrogardens. hydro-gardens.com/product-category/fertilizers/chemgro/

We use ORMI listed pesticides if needed. Tho we don't have a huge issue. No we do not aerate.

We use the organic certified pesticides, Pyganic and Azagaurd. No aeration is needed in a Kratky system.

5" or 127MM

They appear to be White foam insulation board with reflective back (1" thick), covered with Black landscape cloth. The first row had the plain insul board, and they may have covered for algae prevention and a cleaner look ( because that's what I do:)

Can you give table dimensions? Depth of the nutrient solution also

Man maid fertilizers

No pump needed. We use the Dr. Kratky method.

I use solar panels to pump all the water on the farm, we do not have air pumps.

Add the fertilizer per the directions on the bag.

Same as lettuce. Use the same nutrient. Good luck. :)

8" x 8"

Thanks!!

I never worry about it. Tho, my water is close to neutral.

We do not need an air pump, but our high temps are low. Never above 24c

It is knit row cover stretched over a wood frame.

It also seems these are Suspended rafts not "Floating" rafts.

I use the Kratky system as invented by Dr Kratky. So Yes, the pots are suspended.

A fantastic offer, we however do not have accommodations for such requests.

Hydro-Gardens Chem gro

Bialecki Farms thanks for info .

What are the correct NPK levels used?

Chem-gro from hydrogardens

I use it per label instructions.

depends on the crop.

You need to understand the Kratky Method. for example "1" head of lettuce uses about 1 gallon of solution if you have "12" heads or "16" heads of lettuce per bed you would need "12-16" Gallon's of water so the "Depth" would be w/e is required for you to hold 12-16 Gallon's of water. As the solution get's absorbed the root's grow downwards and they also produce a "Finer" root near the base of the plant to grow in the Humid Air space under the raft above to water to absorb the oxygen.

No it is not.

that mean the water is stagnant for a month maam??

@@keemzero4151 If you mean the water is in the tank for a month to 6 weeks then yes,

@@keemzero4151 I'm thinking your unfamiliar with the suspended pot method. You should google the university studies from B A Kratky.

i mean do you have pipes connected to your platform to deliver water and nutrients? or did you put the water on day upto cropping period?

Pumps are not needed for the Kratky system. The plants do very well.

Well I am just saying compare the two ,the air pump y are getting fast growth and a big plant

@@joelack2976 I grow tens of thousands of plants this way each year. It works very well.