The Plant Project is kitchen herb garden for apartments, a hydroponic system with an LED light that goes in a closet and lets you grow stuff to eat, like basil, parsley, sage, chives, marjoram, and so on. Especially useful in Seattle winters when it's way too dark to keep kitchen herbs alive just by the light of a windowsill.
This project is a collaboration with Jared Kofron and Adam Greenhall.
This is the main project page - I'll keep it updated as I add tutorials and report back on what I've learned over time.
What I'm growing
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Chives
- Garlic Chives
- Marjoram
- Parsley
- Shiso
Design
The plant project is a simple ebb and flow hydroponic system, with two nested tubs and a grow light above. An aquarium pump in the lower tub pumps the water with nutrients in it up into the upper tub twice a day, wetting the roots of the plants and their growing medium before slowly draining back down. A raspberry pi mini-computer controls when the pump turns on and off, and also turns the light on for 16 hours a day.
- Why I'm building it
- My thoughts on Design Objectives
Build Your Own Hydroponic Kitchen Herb Garden
Our goal is that anyone can build their own hydro garden! Here's what to buy, how to wire up the electronics, and the code for the raspberry pi.
Supply list
| Part | Approx Price | What does it do? | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 3B+ | $40 | Mini-computer | n/a |
| 4GB Micro SD | $4 | For Rasp-Pi | link |
| XYG Study Power Relay Model BB+ for Raspberry Pi | $25.00 | Cell | link |
| IBERLS 12V 3A power adapter supply | $9.00 | Power supply for pump | link |
| IoT 4 outlet relay | $19.95 | Switch pump and light on and off | link |
| Some sort of box for electronics | ? | Contain electronics | n/a |
| VIPARSPECTRA Dimmable Reflector Series DS300 300W LED Grow Light 12-Band Full Spectrum | $84.00 | Light | link |
| bayite BYT-7A006 | $20.00 | Aquarium pump - low noise, DC 12V, 2GPM. | link |
| 3" mesh pots, 12 pack | $7.00 | Plant container | Local plant store |
| 2" mesh pots, 12 pack | $6.00 | Plant container | Local plant store |
| Expanded clay pebbles (Hydroton 4L) | $11.00 | Plant Container | Local plant store |
| Top Tub | ? | Cell | Local restaurant supply store |
| Bottom Tub | ? | Cell | Local restaurant supply store |
| 1' 1" OD PVC | ? | Tube to bring water from pump up to plant box | Local hardware store |
| 1' 1.5" OD PVC | ? | Part of tube cover | Local hardware store |
| 1 1.5" OD PVC cap | ? | Part of tube cover | Local hardware store |
| 1" x 0.5" FNPT PVC bushing adapter | ? | Connect pipe to pump | Local hardware store |
| Rockwool cubes | $15.00 | for starting seeds | link |
| Seeds | ? | Plants | Locally or online |
| Starter plants | ? | Shake the dirt off and transplant into hydro | Locally or online |
| Nutrient Solution | ~$20 | Put in the water | Locally or online |
Notes: Some of these product links are to Amazon; obviously it's better to purchase locally or elsewhere online when possible. In Seattle I have gotten the hydroponic-specific supplies from Indoor Sun Shoppe in Fremont.
Wiring Diagram
Wiring diagram created in LucidChart.
The Firmware
The raspberry pi has firmware that controls the light and aquarium pump. Here is code for that, and instructions for installing: https://bitbucket.org/waterthemplants/hegemone/.
To Write:
- Budget thoughts. (Eg, the build out costs ~$225, with 40% of that being the grow light cost. So how long do you need to grow kitchen herbs before you break even. It's a commitment to actually grow things for years if you build it, otherwise the electronics/shipping/packaging/$ spent is not being well used. Cooperative sharing/bartering with friends and neighbors. Plant project as a way of showing up in your community.)
- Guide to ongoing maint.
- How to start seeds
- How to transfer existing plants from soil to hydroponic