tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351299832598163605.post7133132379950162559..comments2024-03-27T15:54:10.505-07:00Comments on Homesteading in Hawaii: Conserving Irrigation WaterSu Bahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09125127467859054156noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351299832598163605.post-68461568103686511622013-04-12T16:20:30.607-07:002013-04-12T16:20:30.607-07:00Thanks for the hints. I'll snuffle around the ...Thanks for the hints. I'll snuffle around the internet and see what I find. I have heard of a homemade devise that you bury into the soil that draws air into the cooler ground, thus causing the moisture in the air to condense. Drip, drip, drip... waters the plant. I think it requires a solar-run little fan. I plan to look into that since the air here is high in humidity. Since I like to tinker, it might be fun to made a few a see how well they work. I was told that other than the fan, everything can be built from junk parts. Possibly computer fans could be recycled for the job, since they are free at the dump. So if I can make them successfully, I'll just have to make a deal with some car dealers to get the little solar panels they use to keep car batteries charged during storage and shipment. <br /><br />Rather than hydroponics, I'm looking into aquaponics. The "fertilizer" comes from the pond ecosystem.... fish waste plus plant breakdown products. Once the tilapia pond gets going, I plan to toy around with sending the water through a wet gravel bed planted with lettuce and see what happens. Might also try growing taro this way. <br /><br />I know that non-circulating hydroponics works. And of course circulating systems work for all sorts of veggies. But my goal is to develop systems that do not require a lot of expense. Once I can get something to work, then I pass the knowledge along. In my area there are a lot, lot, lot of people who cannot afford to invest much into anything, even growing food. Thus the purchase of hydroponic chemicals is a problem. If I can come up with a working solution that is homemade or cobbled together from junk materials, that would be great. Su Bahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125127467859054156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351299832598163605.post-397127785897323382013-04-12T15:28:32.516-07:002013-04-12T15:28:32.516-07:00All very good ideas and practices! About 2 or 3 ye...All very good ideas and practices! About 2 or 3 years ago, a Dyson Award winner in Australia (I think) had demonstrated a solar-powered dehumidifying device that worked even in really arid climates. It seemed to hold promise for irrigating fields directly, but I haven't seen any recent updates about it. I also heard of a mixture of common fertilizer ingredients to approximate the "Magic Mix" used in the Mittleider method for hydroponic systems, but I can't find a formula that weighs out the various ingredients. Probably like figuring out the 11 secret herbs and spices for KFC seasoning<br />or da kine. You find it, let me know!Barryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15483102573957001593noreply@blogger.com