Easy & Cheap Auto-grow System

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UPDATE: https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Grow-Light-4/

UPDATE 1: https://www.instructables.com/id/Computer-aided-pla... 10/19/2014

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I would like to share with you my simplest horticulture system yet. it can be made custom size - and as cheap as $7.60

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if you read a little bit about plant training, you can actually grow very interesting trees in this system enabling them to get older with root trimming as well. in the picture we have a young citrus tree, looking very happy in it's new shelf

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the system is 6Watts performing better than a 23W CFL (4x less wattage). it can easily be adjusted as the plant grows taller.

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let's build..!

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remember to vote ! ( top right corner of screen ) - thank you

attached .pdf drawing (illustrator editable) can be used to cut the bottom part of the shelf from cardboard or any other equally strong material. -

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adjust the dimensions accordingly to the size of the plant pot that will be used.

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1W leds + led driver ($2.88 for 6W - $0.48/led + $2.80/driver for 6W)

dc fan + adapter (both from the thrift store $2 - $1ea)

automatic timer outlet (optional) - ebay $5.99

cardboard, sheet of metal, 4x chopsticks, metal epoxy -

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drawing (building) on paper what you will be doing is a huge plus. I am just getting into the habit of this. when you actually start building, you realize that you've already built one before - maybe not physically, but nonetheless you will eliminate many mistakes/frustrations this way - keep everything simple & reuse "trash".

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read my previous post on how to choose and match LEDs and drivers to get a better idea

frame:

I basically built a custom cardboard box to house the plant pot I chose. custom cut for the correct size..

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if you do a good job cutting the cardboard, it will sit flat and be very sturdy with just a tiny amount of ducktape. you can also cut thin MDF board using a laser cutter.

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use the 4 chopsticks as the pillars to hold the light up. since everything is extremely light, the carboard can easily support the weight. make sure the holes aren't too large, so the light can't slide down.

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raise the fan up a little bit with cardboard pieces to enable good air-flow to the metal sheet.

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lights:

all leds are connected in series and secured to the metal sheet with metal epoxy

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here you can read an in-depth post about this exact setup

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fan:

fans is connected straight to a DC adapter - make sure to read and match the power requirements of each component before connecting. voltage of adapter should always be lower than the voltage of the fan.!

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both plugs go in to the timer outlet. to save more money, you can just set a daily reoccurring alarm on your phone, put the plant where you wake up, turn it on when you wake up - off before bed etc...

don't be afraid to make the hole system smart so that it can e-mail you when the plant is thirsty or cold..

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much more advanced than a bulb system. more efficient, and it's really obvious how plants like the difference.

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I have and am making many similar systems each day. feel free to look around my profile - you will find many other similar projects.

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thank you for your time and interest...

love & peace

akin,

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