Build your own Grow Bed using available resources by Pritham'Death metal' Dsouza

A step by step pictorial guide to building your very own Grow Bed used in Hydroponics by Heavy Metal Maniac Pritham Dsouza

Since i live in a farm, i decided to make use of the natural resources that lie waste in our farm. so we decided to make our very own, grow bed using wood from Arecanut(Areca catechu) palm tree. The above pic shows Narayana selecting strong & healthy trunks of the areca palm tree

The above 3 pics shows how all sharp edges are removed by sickle & saw blade, to give a very smooth finish.
after measuring the required size, the trunk is cut accordingly as shown above

the wood is then placed on the ground & the outer frame is worked on as shown above

framing work completed


the bottom of the grow bed is completed above

next, the long pieces of wood are used as legs of the grow bed as shows in the figure above

it must be noted that the legs should be of equal size or it will result in tilting or uneven balance of the grow bed.
next 2 support strips are nailed across the legs of the table on both sides as shown. since the areca wood is thin, we wanted to give the legs extra strength to be able to carry the weight of the substrate and the growing plants

most important. since the wood used is thin, there are chances that the nails go right thru the wood & protrude from the other side. such nails are then bent using a hammer, or it could seriously cause injury to self

Narayana checking for protruding nails & correcting them

Arecanut body based simple grow bed done. time taken to make by single person, 54 minutes

next, a double layer of black poly sheet is used, as this acts as the base for the growing plants and substrate.
a drain hole is drilled 1 inch from the base of the bed and tank joint placed as shown. then it is trial tested for any leaks etc.

my dog 'hitler' wonders if the grow bed could also act as a private pool if made leak proof

Substrates used in Hydroponic systems

Substrates that can be used in simple Hydroponic systems

For people who generally live in rural areas, finding substrates like rice husk, or coconut peat is not a problem.


Rice Husk:

• is an excellent substrate which has one of the best drainage.
  
• since there is no compaction even after watering, it provides good aeration for the development of roots.
• The rice husk must be thoroughly washed in clean water as it might contain inert materials like sand, stones , insect eggs etc
• sun drying after washing is done for a period of 2 to 4 days.
  
• weed seeds sometime can get mixed along with the rice husk, so trials can be conducted to see if the rice husk substrate has any weed seeds in them. Soaking the husk in water & allowing to dry for a few days generally is the best method.
• In rice mills, burnt husk is also available. This is better as the chances of weed seeds, insect eggs etc are eliminated

Coconut peat
The numerous advantages of coconut peat can be seen in my early posts. Or you can view them again by clicking here

Washing the substrates:
before using either rice husk or coconut peat, they have to thoroughly rinsed in clean water


The most common problem found in coconut peat is it contains a lot of inert material, sand, soil & even insects. so it has to be washed several times , in clean water and sun dried for a couple of days before using it.

The photo below shows the residual sand/soil that i collected after washing 3 kg of coconut peat

This is mostly fine sand and soil particles, & this is detrimental to the dev. of roots. the presence of soil, results in compaction & formation of clay which will result in poor drainage, water logging & poor aeration. The coconut peat can also be filtered using fine filter net, before washing to remove the bigger particles

The heavier sand/soil particles can be found at the bottom of the container & the lighter coconut peat floats at the top.

the sun dried coconut peat can be used after 2 to 4 days.


Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza

Build your own germinating tray/tub for hydroponic cultivation

simple methods to start with your very won Hydroponic garden in your own backyard, roof top terrace or front porch

a simple plastic tray, preferably inexpensive, can be used as shown in the figure


next, a drain hole must be drilled into the plastic container. an electric drill can do the trick. even a piece of iron rod, heated to high temperature using a candle could do the trick of drilling a hole of desired size. the hole must be drilled at 1 inch from below the bottom of the tub as shown in the figure


a tank joint (15 mm dimension) must be used which acts as a drain tube, must be fixed as shown
the tub must be filled with suitable substrate. for this post, i have used rice husk. The rice husk has excellent drainage features & acts as a good substrate if one wishes to grow root vegetables.

Important Note
drainage is the key in any successful Hydroponic system. since most of the times, water which is rich in nutrients is added (fertigation) and so the water must not be allowed to go waste.
a little slope is also helpful in draining the trays of excess water, as it might start to rot the organic substrate and even the roots. fungal problems arise due to bad drainage.
the excess drained water is collected in collection containers suspended from the drain pipes as shown in the figure below.

once a week, clean water is added to the trays to 'flush out' the substrate of any harmful residues.

Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza

Some Tips For Amaranthus

Tips & Precautions while growing Amaranthus(harive soppu)

amaranthus ready for harvest

uniform germination

watering with too much force results in patches in the beds as seen above

• the seeds must be mixed in a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio with sand. since the seeds are small, mixing with filler material is done and then broadcast
• the growing beds must be of even shape & dimensions. an ideal bed will be 6 to 10 inches raised height
• the height is raised as continuous watering will result in soil compaction & rooting is affected greatly. even harvesting will be affected as the plants break off at the ground level.
• watering must be done with watering can, or hose pipe if a large area is covered & with less intensity. if watering is done with force, the seeds will be displaced from the raised beds. also a lot of water can be conserved by light irrigation
• the seeds will germinate in 3 days & the beds will see uniform growth on 7th day. if by the 4th day, there is no uniform germination, seeds must be again broadcast immediately.
• mixing the seeds with turmeric powder is also done and then broadcast to prevent seeds getting destroyed by ants
  
• it is important to maintain a chart to keep tab of the harvest cycle. seed beds should be made & seeds broadcast every 5th day to maintain a uniform harvest cycle.
  
• when conditions are favorable, harvesting can be done every 21 days & the older beds can be worked upon & seeds sowed after adding manure/compost
  

Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza

Seed Production in Amaranthus

Following are the methods adopted for seed production of Amaranthus also called harive soppu and bhaji.

Selection

• healthy plants with good inflorescence must be selected.
  
• diseased, infested by insects , weak plants are not selected as the seeds obtained from them will be of poor quality
• care should be taken to see that weed plants are not harvested along with main plants
  

Drying

• all the unwanted leaves, branches, stem etc are trimmed & only the inflorescence is sun dried for a period of 7 to 15 days
• white or transparent plastic sheet must be used and the inflorescence must be spread out evenly on the surface
• drying process is complete when there is total discoloration of the plant. it changes from green to burnt yellow/brown color.
  

Packing and storage

• once the plant is completely dried, the seeds can be separated by threshing or beating the plant on a wooden plank or rough surface. even rubbing the inflorescence against each other dislodges the seeds
  
• the seeds are very small in size & black in color & round in shape.
• the seeds thus obtained must be kept in air tight containers & stored in a dry place.
  

Precautions and tips

• since there are 2 distinct color types, one green the other maroon, seeds of the required color plants can be obtained by not mixing the 2 while threshing, separate the green plants from the maroon plants
  
• do not keep in containers that are defective or have cracks as even a little moisture in these containers will encourage the growth of fungus & will damage the seeds
• ants & other insects can also be a problem if the storage containers are not proper. to control ants, 3 or 6 pieces of cloves can be added in the containers.
• certain chemicals like Thiram can be used for longer storage to prevent attack from insects
• the area of storage must be in a dry place, well aerated to prevent any kind of fungal attack.
• after using the seeds, the container must be closed properly,
  
• always use clean hands while handling seeds. after using any chemicals, wash hands with clean water thoroughly before handling seeds
  
  Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza
  

Indian Spinach Summer cultivation

Summer cultivation of Indian spinach (Basella alba) is a lot more easier when compared to Monsoon season. However it is very labour intensive, right from making trenches to plant vines to the time of harvesting to irrigation, adding manure and all other inter culture operations.

We grow Spinach on the ground and not on a trellis during summer season. following are the methods we employ in cultivation of Indian spinach Basella alba (basale soppu, valchi bajji)

selection of land

• land selected must have good irrigation facilities
• Should get plenty of direct sunlight and no shade
• Loamy soils preferred with good drainage
• soils which were previously used for growing vegetables also can be used

Cultivation method

• long trenches around 5 feet wide & up to 3 feet in depth are made and the soil is ploughed manually well to remove weeds, break clods & remove stones and other inert materials
• in each trench, approximately 20 to 30 baskets of freshly decomposed farm yard manure is added
• the soil is then thoroughly mixed till a fine tilth is obtained.
• in the trench at every distance of 2 feet, a pair of cut vines of spinach are planted
• planting of the cut vines can be done on both sides of the trench. This is a beneficial method of planting as all the nutrients can be utilized & there is no wastage of water & nutrients.
• immediately after planting, light irrigation is provided such that it does not disturb the transplanted vines
  
• since the temperatures peak in summer, at transplanting stage, shade must be provided to the young vines. Here we have used palm leaves of coconut.
  
• the developing vines also must not come in contact with soil in early stages of its growth & hence, the same coconut palms which were used as shade can be used as a 'carpet' on which the vines grow
• harvest can be done in 30 to 45 days after transplanting

providing shade to transplanted cut vines of spinach

2 weeks after transplanting, the shade palms used as carpet for vines to grow on

Irrigation , Inter culture operations

• water plays an important role in the development of healthy vines. water should be provided on daily basis till the vines branch out & more shoots are formed
• after 4 weeks of transplanting, irrigation can be reduced to thrice weekly
• plant residues, greens, leaves, etc must be incorporated into the soil to act as mulch, thereby reducing soil temperature & evaporation
• manure has to be added whenever depletion is visible to the naked eye. the trench made must be of good size as to incorporate addition of large quantities of manure.
• manure must be added at intervals of 20 to 25 days

Pruning & harvesting

• 3 to 4 weeks after transplanting, the vines which have grown long & thin will have to be trimmed at the base of the stem to facilitate the growth of new shoots
• at this stage, soil must be provided another dose of manure
  
• at all stages of growth, the weakest vines must be discarded and replaced with new vines
• regular trimming of the vines is advantageous as it allows more lateral shoots to emerge
• 8 weeks after transplanting lush growth can be observed
  

after 25 days the vines grow long and slender which have to be trimmed at the base level to allow more shoots and manure also provided

10 days after trimming

20 days after trimming

45 days after transplanting lush growth, ready for harvest

Note: this method we adopt ensures that that the harvested spinach is fresh & tender as only the young developing vines are repeatedly harvested. Unlike the traditional method, where old and aged spinach wreaths are sold, we sell the spinach as bundles (see below)



Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza

Indian Spinach (basale soppu, valchi bhajji)

Indian Spinach (Basella alba) also popularly called malabar Spinach, is a distant relative of the Spinach family. It grows as a vine and can attain length of up to 10 meters. it is a fantastic source of iron, vitamin A, vitamin C & calcium. other names are In Kannada Basale soppu, in Konkani Valchi bajji, In bengali pui shak.

The main characteristic feature is the presence of thick mucilage in the leaves & stem, which apart from high nutritive value, also is used in variety of dishes to get thicker gravy, or in soups.

MONSOON TECHNIQUE

Following are the methods used in the cultivation of Indian Spinach Basella Alba under monsoon conditions.

1. Selection of vines
this is the most important criteria for getting a long and steady harvest. The vines can be obtained in the local market , which are sold as wreath bundle. only the best and healthy vines should be used to transplant in the main field while the diseased, old, weak ones are left out. then they are thoroughly washed & kept in a moist place, or water is sprayed on them everyday till the day it is planted.


2. Cutting the vines
Here the selected vines are cut to a length of up to 2 feet, and all the lower leaves removed, keeping only the leaves at the tip/apex of the vine. This is done for polarity to identify which part of the vine is planted in soil & which part is to be trained over a supporting structure.


3. Providing support
since this is a monsoon technique, support must be provided to the growing vines as they should not come in contact with the wet soil, as the growing tips will be succeptable to rot and other fungal diseases.
Making the trellis

• the land selected to make the trellis to train the vines must have little slope to prevent water from stagnation.
  
• rows are dug with width of about 2 feet & pits are made in these rows to a depth of about 2 feet
• at every 2 meter distance bamboo poles must be placed along the length of the row
• a concave cut must be made on top of each bamboo pole so that it can support the weight of additional poles and sticks which will be placed on it (see fig 1)
  

fig 1

• 

fig 2

• the poles are then tied with the help of GI wire, or rope (see fig 2)
  
• between the 2 poles , sticks of certain thickness are placed diagonally as shown and tied with wire or rope.
• the already cut vines are then planted on the south side of the poles & it is tied with thin rope to make it erect (see fig 3)
  
• the growing vines will climb over the trellis , not coming in direct contact with the soil
• vines will be ready for harvest after a period of over 2 months.

fig 3 erect vines tied with thin rope

fig 4 one view of trellis

fig 5 after 21 days,

fig 6 after 30 days, weak vines must be pruned to allow more shoot development

irrigation
since this is a monsoon technique of growing spinach, no irrigation is needed, however care must be taken to note that at this critical stage of its growth, there must be no water stagnation at the base of the vine. this will result in rotting of the stem & death of the entire vine

Fertilizer application & inter culture

• at the time of planting the cut vines in the soil, the land must contain good amounts of decomposed farm yard manure and compost.
  
• application of certain strains of bacteria also help in quick root formation and absorption of soil nutrients
• each vine must have a minimum of 2 to 3 buckets of manure. & application is repeated at an interval of 21 days.
• care must be followed to see that the growing stem does not come in direct contact with the manure. so the manure must be added at a little distance. This is when the vine is just transplanted. since its tender , it might not be able to handle the manure load.
• At every interval of manure application, weeding must be done & soil is loosened at allow good aeration or it will result is hardening of the soil.

fig 7 75 days after transplanting

fig 8

Harvesting

since temperature and light are 2 main limiting factors, the growth of the vines is slow & harvesting can be done on commercial scale only after gap of more than 50 days. but regular pruning of long , weak vines is done at weekly intervals to facilitate growth of new shoots.

when the monsoons subside harvesting can be done after 90 days from date of transplanting.

fig 9 90 days after transplanting

Photos and content by Pritham 'Heavy metal farmer' denzil dsouza