DD's System 2010

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:13 am

This is the last day of Christmas vacation for me, and I've reserved it as an AP-only day!

As noted in the 2009 system thread, got the in-ground sump put in then stalled out last year. I hope this year will be better!

Goals:
1. Get started earlier with something that can grow plants.
2. More growing volume and plants this year. Hopefully more than ever!
3. Experiment with non-gravel-based growing media/setups.
4. Trout!

Right now I'm thinking about planted walls and other lightweight frameworks.

For the fish the plan is to set up the sump as a raceway tank, with a continuous pump going from one end to other with a bakki shower/trickle tower for continuous aeration and biofiltering, and a solids settling gadget with a sump pump in it on a timer. The sump pump would get the accumulated solids out to the beds. Some gravel beds and a variety of other kinds of planting setups like walls and towers. I want to try cheap lightweight materials and charcoal as a lightweight cheap medium.

Today the system frozen a foot deep - you can walk on the sump ATM.

TCLynx · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:23 am

Good Luck in your search for new materials!

I've been thinking a little along those same lines. Gravel is great up to about 6 tons and I was ok with the 2nd 6 tons but I don't want to buy more gravel at this point. And I don't think my big system needs any more really (I'm close to a 2:1 ratio.) But during certain seasons, I need more plants or I need plants that suck up more nitrogen.

RupertofOZ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:26 am

Good to see you getting back on the horse DD... :cheers:

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:37 am

Here's a neat portable gardening framework that is similar in a few ways to what I am have in mind for this year's system:

http://leopoldobcn.com/en

Sminfiddle · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:52 am

Dave!
See if you can get "haydite" or "Buildex" expanded shale at a concrete supply yard. Don't mention aquaponics, or any kind of ponics, or bonsai... :roll:

It may be OK to say you are sourcing "Green Roof" material.

York Building Products Company York,PA
Lehigh Cement Company Allentown,PA
or
Binkley & Ober, Inc. East Petersburg,PA
New Holland Concrete New Holland,PA
Beavertown Block Company Middleburg,PA

DecalsbyJT · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:51 am

why not mention AP or anything else?

jT

DéjàVoodoo · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:54 am

They have bags of expanded shale at the garden center here near the house. $7 for 40lbs. For a small system, that is not a bad price.

Mark

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:01 am

Hey thanks for the tip Sminfiddle!

Sminfiddle · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:48 am

DecalsbyJT wrote:

why not mention AP or anything else?

jT

I didn't mean to imply anything negative or surreptitious, on the contrary I am a vocal booster of AP among gardeners, in home centers and heck, whenever anyone'll listen!

But it seems that when a sales rep sees his pile of nice porous aggregate as a bulk material to hydrate a concrete mix, there's a certain (low end) price in his head. If he is selling a soil amendment to a landscaper, there's an assumed smaller quantity and higher price tag involved.
If the idea is he is gonna sell relatively small bags of container-ready (albeit unwashed) media to a "Hydro" farmer or worse, by the cup to a bonsai enthusiast, it's going to only be worth his time if the rate is higher. I got a "whole yard minimum" and what I think was a high delivery price at a place here, my impression was I said the wrong words and got pegged as small-potatoes or fringe market.
I am pricing crushed granite for container soil as another example. The fertilizer store in the city limits wants $27.99 for the same size bag that costs $7.99 as chicken grit at the feed store.

Always exceptions, like yesterday at a stone/gravel yard I got into a great discussion with the owner about media/propagation/citrus/granite/local food but at first her staff wanted to sell me limestone or crushed shells as a sub for expanded shale.
YMMV but I care about APers' pocketbooks as we wander in search of good media.

Rick

DéjàVoodoo · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:04 am

Sminfiddle wrote:

DecalsbyJT wrote:

why not mention AP or anything else?

jT

I didn't mean to imply anything negative or surreptitious, on the contrary I am a vocal booster of AP among gardeners, in home centers and heck, whenever anyone'll listen!

But it seems that when a sales rep sees his pile of nice porous aggregate as a bulk material to hydrate a concrete mix, there's a certain (low end) price in his head. If he is selling a soil amendment to a landscaper, there's an assumed smaller quantity and higher price tag involved.
If the idea is he is gonna sell relatively small bags of container-ready (albeit unwashed) media to a "Hydro" farmer or worse, by the cup to a bonsai enthusiast, it's going to only be worth his time if the rate is higher. I got a "whole yard minimum" and what I think was a high delivery price at a place here, my impression was I said the wrong words and got pegged as small-potatoes or fringe market.
I am pricing crushed granite for container soil as another example. The fertilizer store in the city limits wants $27.99 for the same size bag that costs $7.99 as chicken grit at the feed store.

Always exceptions, like yesterday at a stone/gravel yard I got into a great discussion with the owner about media/propagation/citrus/granite/local food but at first her staff wanted to sell me limestone or crushed shells as a sub for expanded shale.
YMMV but I care about APers' pocketbooks as we wander in search of good media.

Rick

Over the past week or so, I just learned to say I need "IT" (fittings, shale, concrete, gaskets, a little rubber hose thing that looks like this, and etc...) for a science project. Makes life so much easier!

Mark

chillidude · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:08 am

DéjàVoodoo wrote:

Over the past week or so, I just learned to say I need "IT" (fittings, shale, concrete, gaskets, a little rubber hose thing that looks like this, and etc...) for a science project. Makes life so much easier!

Mark

I shoulda tried that on Joel when I bought my GBs last week !!

Sminfiddle · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:24 pm

DéjàVoodoo wrote:

Over the past week or so, I just learned to say I need "IT" (fittings, shale, concrete, gaskets, a little rubber hose thing that looks like this, and etc...) for a science project. Makes life so much easier!

Mark

Reed switch, eggs, ammonia, car door actuator, enough downspout for 6-7 stories...

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:50 pm

What's he building in there?!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaLjwSpZ6Cs

You're very wise Rick.

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:28 am

27"/68cm of snow from the 2010 blizzard last week looks like this:

Dave Donley · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:29 am

One of the last of my tilapia in the Fall:

DD's System 2010

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