It's been a long time since we've had a dome update but we've finally started digging for the foundation hole. More info in the near future!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Aquaponic greenhouse summer update
It's been a really long time since I've done an update on the greenhouse so I put together a video show the various plants that are growing the summer.
Hello Everyone,
I’m a bit overdue with an update on the aquaponic setup in the Harbor Freight greenhouse.
Cucumbers love the heat. These older leaves have some brown spots from aphids but the rest of the vines have grown up into the cross braces and make a really nice canopy area. This year I’m only growing the smaller pickling cukes. They grow fast, produce a lot of fruit, and are resistant to powdery mildew. Last year we had 264 cukes from 2 plants and are on target to have a higher yield this year!
The cherry tomatoes are also doing very well. This one plant has huge clusters that contain about 50 tomatoes each. There are about 250 pieces on this one plant with more areas starting to flower. The clusters have gotten so heavy that I had to tie each one up to the main support line so that they don’t tear themselves off of the stalk.
Last year I grew an heirloom tomato called Brandy Wine. They were huge and delicious, but were prone to cracking and getting mold in the cracks. This year I’m trying Amish Paste tomatoes. I like them much better since they are far smaller and haven’t been cracking.
The vines probably produce the same amount of weight, but there is a higher quantity spread out over time. There are 2 plants in the greenhouse and they are on target to produce 50 tomatoes each.
Each year I grow a couple of bell peppers. They grow well, but don’t produce any more than a few peppers each, which is on par with our regular garden.
This is the second year I’ve tried growing eggplant. They grow well and produce flowers. Then the leaves start turning white and the plants eventually die off. I’m not sure what is cause of it is.
It’s too hot during the summer to grow lettuce so I let this one plant go to seed. It will produce more than enough seeds to use for the fall planting and also for next spring.
The strawberries were also done producing in the spring. They are now sending out runners which I will let them take root, producing more plants for next year. Once I get enough runners, I will start cutting any others back so that the energy will stay in the main plant.
In the original 8-inch tube grow beds, I planted carrots again. This time I’m trying a Danver’s half-long variety instead of the standard length. Hopefully they won’t hit the bottom again!
The automation system is still working well including the 6-way sequencing valve. The automatic fish feeder is also working well with just a few signs of rust. The fish are fed just the right amount based on the water temperature.
Thanks for watching. I’ll leave you with some underwater footage of the fish. Please subscribe to receive updates about future videos!
Hello Everyone,
I’m a bit overdue with an update on the aquaponic setup in the Harbor Freight greenhouse.
Cucumbers love the heat. These older leaves have some brown spots from aphids but the rest of the vines have grown up into the cross braces and make a really nice canopy area. This year I’m only growing the smaller pickling cukes. They grow fast, produce a lot of fruit, and are resistant to powdery mildew. Last year we had 264 cukes from 2 plants and are on target to have a higher yield this year!
The cherry tomatoes are also doing very well. This one plant has huge clusters that contain about 50 tomatoes each. There are about 250 pieces on this one plant with more areas starting to flower. The clusters have gotten so heavy that I had to tie each one up to the main support line so that they don’t tear themselves off of the stalk.
Last year I grew an heirloom tomato called Brandy Wine. They were huge and delicious, but were prone to cracking and getting mold in the cracks. This year I’m trying Amish Paste tomatoes. I like them much better since they are far smaller and haven’t been cracking.
The vines probably produce the same amount of weight, but there is a higher quantity spread out over time. There are 2 plants in the greenhouse and they are on target to produce 50 tomatoes each.
Each year I grow a couple of bell peppers. They grow well, but don’t produce any more than a few peppers each, which is on par with our regular garden.
This is the second year I’ve tried growing eggplant. They grow well and produce flowers. Then the leaves start turning white and the plants eventually die off. I’m not sure what is cause of it is.
It’s too hot during the summer to grow lettuce so I let this one plant go to seed. It will produce more than enough seeds to use for the fall planting and also for next spring.
The strawberries were also done producing in the spring. They are now sending out runners which I will let them take root, producing more plants for next year. Once I get enough runners, I will start cutting any others back so that the energy will stay in the main plant.
In the original 8-inch tube grow beds, I planted carrots again. This time I’m trying a Danver’s half-long variety instead of the standard length. Hopefully they won’t hit the bottom again!
The automation system is still working well including the 6-way sequencing valve. The automatic fish feeder is also working well with just a few signs of rust. The fish are fed just the right amount based on the water temperature.
Thanks for watching. I’ll leave you with some underwater footage of the fish. Please subscribe to receive updates about future videos!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Get to the point
Sometimes we see a few critters wandering around the farm and they usually keep their distance. This guy didn't care that I walked right up to him to take this video.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Playing with Fire
It's been quite awhile since posting any info about the geodesic dome greenhouse. This spring had more rain then usual and the site was too wet to run heavy equipment through. We're hoping to start digging for the footings in next week or so.
I've started to experiment with rocket mass heaters and have had very good luck with running a good clean burn. It will be quite impressive to be able to heat the entire greenhouse without needing electricity to store heat in a thermal mass or run a blower for the burner. More to come!
I've started to experiment with rocket mass heaters and have had very good luck with running a good clean burn. It will be quite impressive to be able to heat the entire greenhouse without needing electricity to store heat in a thermal mass or run a blower for the burner. More to come!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Invest In The Future!
We have a new product that were preparing to launch! To help offset some of the expense of the molds and dies, we decided to seek outside funding and chose to use KickStarter.com. There are many pledging tiers that offer generous rewards once the project is complete!
Click here for project details
Click here for project details
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Whitefly control
Here's a little video on how to make cheap flypaper traps. White flies are a big nuisance in greenhouses!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sequencing / Indexing Valve
This is a sequencing / indexing valve that I designed a couple of years ago. This uses a pinching mechanism to stop the flow of water. It is able to pass solids and keep operating if there is a clog elsewhere in the plumbing. I decided that it would be too expensive to develop and would show everyone how it works.
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