Instructions

Thanks for your order. I appreciate it. Here's a list of everything that you get for your money - the kit inventory;

   I'd like to sell these all assembled and tested by me but at some point these will have to be sold as kits with "Some Assembly Required."

Setup

Lets start assembling it.

   The Tube part comes with the net pots, Grow Rocks, nutrient and side boards and package of sixteen 2.5" deck screws inserted into the tube. Get a flat bladed screwdriver - take on end off - shake out the parts. Set them nicely in a row to admire. Put the end back on - Tighten the stainless steel end cap band.

   Put the legs and sides together with the 16 deck screws. Get a Phillips screwdriver and start all eight screws in all the pre-drilled side boards. The holes in the side boards SHOULD match up with the holes drilled to receive them in the leg boards. I'd start with the third one down - screw it until the screw point protrudes  about a half inch them poke it into the corresponding hole in the side board. Then screw it almost in - except for a little - maybe a quarter inch - then screw in all of  them above and below. Tighten them all to where the head bites into the wood satisfyingly.

   Set it up and admire your work. Now put the Tube Garden onto the stand. The little semicircles need to be positioned just above the wooden leg stand. They keep the TubeGarden from rotating and dumping everything out. The plants above make the Tube naturally top heavy.  Put the eight net pots in the PVC Tube.

   Now might be a fine time to put it out into the chosen position - it's sunny site - on some bricks or boards to give it a solid base. Same for the TubeGarden - I like to put a brick under each leg so that the wood isn't actually sitting on the moist earth.

   If you have a couple more bricks or boards to put on the earth so that the nutrient bucket can sit on them that'll make the presentation nicer. Take the things out of the nutrient tank - rinse it and wipe it clean with a paper towel - fill it to the five gallons level with water.  Put the pump - garden hose attachment onto the pump. Put it in the nutrient tank. Attach it to the squirter tube. At this point I would normally measure the pH and  adjust it to 6.5 if adjustment is needed.  Usually tap water is very close to pH 7. Add a packet of 1/8 cup powdered blue nutrient and stir it into solution. Plug it in and check each net pot grow station to verify that the squirters are flowing freely and positioned to squirt onto the net pots. The squirter tube can move fore and aft a bit so it MAY be out of alignment. If any hole is plugged up now is the time to unbend a paper clip and use one end to poke the hole clear. Don't throw that paper clip out. Keep it AT the TubeGarden. I loop it through the squirter tube zip tie.

Operation

   Keep the circulation going at all times. Check that the squirters are functioning at each station somewhat regularly. Every day when you do a 'walk around' examination of the garden take a look at the nutrient tank. Rain raises the liquid level; otherwise the level tends to decrease a bit daily from the exhaled plant respiration (and system leakage). Change out the nutrient with fresh nutrient weekly. Actually, you CAN add nutrient powder to the existing water - but no more than three times before you COMPLETELY replace it. I'm told that sodium builds up in the (spent and replenished) nutrient  - and if left unchecked - will eventually be toxic to the plants. Do what you will. You have been warned.

Things to look out for

   A 'noisey' pump should alert you to immediately look at the water level in the nutrient tank. It should NEVER be left to run empty. The pump WILL break if left running while dry. (How do I know this?) If the bucket / tank is empty - it SHOULDN'T be. Where's the water going? Find and fix the leak. Top-up the tank. Sometimes the squirter tube is angled so that water is overshooting the net pot somewhere and running over the side. The fix is usually to twist the angle to squirt lower. Maybe the drain connection is dripping over the edge of the tank. Find it and fix it.

   Wilted plants - Check the squirter holes - poke them with the bent paper clip tool. Get them operational. The plant is DRY is it's wilted - pour some water over it to hasten the recovery process. If ALL the plants are wilted and ALL the squirters are working a nutrient solution that is TOO STRONG will prevent osmosis from getting liquid into the plants. See Osmotic Pressure in Wikipedia. Immediately switch out to some plain water to flush over the roots to hydrate them. Then re-make the nutrient solution. This is where a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter would help diagnose the actual cause. They are pricey.

Storage

   This is usually the end of the growing season and the sun is low in the sky. Days are short; nights are long and chilly. The threat of frost prevents any additional vegetables from forming. - or - maybe its just time to move. Take the plants and their 'net pots' out - cut off the roots that have grown to fill the large tube. Save the 'grow rocks' for next seasons use. I'd dry them, rub off any remaining clinging roots then follow that with a trip through the dishwasher for the net pots. Maybe rinsing and drying the grow rocks in a salad colander would do before putting them into a big (10" x 12") zip lock baggie and adding them down the bore of the big tube along with the net pots.

   Take off both end caps from the big tube and drag out all the roots. Clean it right out. I use a terrycloth rag to wipe out the inside before putting them back on. Putting the net-pots into the sealed tube is a FINE place to keep the various parts for next year. This would be the time to run / pump some fresh water through the uncorked squirter tube to flush out any 'stuff' there. Keep the cork - or you'll be whittling another one next spring.

   Well, there you go. If you break, loose (grow rocks) or use up something (dry nutrient) - I have replacements for you. Like they say in hockey (and the Canadian "Red Green" TV show) - "Keep your stick on the ice" I'm rooting for you.

Rix                      Back to the top