Greetings fellow growers! I'm pleased to report that as of approximately 1pm this afternoon, the Mater-Matic is up and running! Granted this makes me the last of the trio of competing mater growers to get started, but as the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, being first out of the gate doesn't always make you a winner. It's still anyone's guess who will walk away with a case of beer under each arm.
I didn't sleep in this morning, as my mind started working early on the handful of design issues left that needed solving. I needed a bigger heat lamp, as the 75 watter just didn't cut it. I also needed a better way to attach the hood to the top frame. And let's not forget of the leaky connection on the feed to the lower grow pan. Thus, a trip to Lowes to pick up a 125 watt bulb and a section of 3/4" vinyl tubing for fabbing a hood attachment.
I cut the tubing into two sections, then split it lengthwise (cutting a larger notch in one for a better fit around the fan housing). As I expected, the tubing snapped neatly over the two arches. I then Krazy-Glued the vinyl sheet serving as the hood onto the tops of the tubes. And given the front tube proved to come off the arch without much pulling, the Krazy Glue held fast.
As for the leak, my plan was to try some hot glue I already had. My patch job on the lower feed line turned out to be so-so. I didn't have much luck with my silicone sealant on an earlier attempt at a grow pan, so I figured building up enough heat glue on the joint would provide a better seal. The water test showed the leak was now a dribble. That should be fine - right now the water doesn't kick on more than once a day, and for only a minute at most - I should have barely a wet spot underneath, and nowhere near the heat lamp.
The new heat lamp worked much better; I don't think I'll be able to maintain 70+ degrees at night, but I suspect neither will my opponents. During the day when the temp was in the 50's, I was able to get it to 72 from a cold start in a little less than an hour and hold it all day. I have a small thermometer sitting just above the lower grow pan, and I'm happy to report that there's very little temperature stratification between the bottom and top (where the thermostat is). I think the water reservoirs and soil mass will help with holding in that heat for awhile. I'm curious to see what benefit I'll get when the fan is up and running. My hope is that it will provide better heat distribution.
The bottom flat is planted with 30 tomato seeds, while the top flat has 15 green onion and 15 sweet pepper seeds. My soil mix is just a combination of Black Kow composted manure (.5/.5/.5) and powdered eggshells as a calcium additive/moisture stabilizer. I spent some time Saturday talking to the greens-keeper at my favorite nursery. He recommended just using the manure. He said that he knows of some pros who, when it's time to plant the seedlings, just lay the bags out, split them open, and plant directly into the bag.
This afternoon I also shot and produced the video, so you'll finally get to see what I've been working on for the better part of a month. I hope you forgive my voiceover - at that point in the day I was in a quirky mood and just having fun, but shenanigans aside I think it shows off the system well. Please have a look by clicking on the link to the right.
Mike
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