Maximum Yield Cannabis Canada 2017 November/December | Page 14

i
ask the experts
Q
Hi there,
I recently started a job that requires
some travel, so I need to autodose
my indoor garden. It seems quite
involved. Do you have any advice for
the set-up and dosing? It looks like it will
be pretty efficient once it’s set up and running.
Thanks,
Corinne C.
A
Hey Corinne,
At first glance, autodosing does seem complicated,
but let’s make it simple.
You probably know how it works: you set up tanks of
your pH adjustor and fertilizer concentrates (you should
store your calcium nitrate solution separate from the
other fertilizer or it will precipitate) and hook the tanks
up to peristaltic pumps. The autodoser acts like a
thermostat; define the levels you want for pH and EC,
and it will pump in solutions to keep it at those levels.
Growers can “set it and forget it,” saving several hours
per week of maintenance and freeing themselves up to
focus on growing healthy crops.
Here are a few other questions that are often forgotten:
How much maintenance is actually needed?
Growers will want to calibrate the probes about once a
week and occasionally check the water manually, just
in case. You’ll want to check the concentrate levels once
a week so that empty tanks don’t sneak up on you.
How much does it cost?
Monitoring-only units will typically cost between
$250 and $400. For instance, an all-in-one handheld
meter may run at $280. When you add dosing and
remote login capabilities, the price runs closer to
$2,000. The benefit of a monitoring unit is that you
could simplify the dosing task for someone taking
care of your farm. If you want to leave it without extra
help, however, you’ll need the complete version.
Don’t forget that although the autodoser will manage
pH and EC and sometimes temperature, you might
need a water top-off as well. If your sump doesn’t
hold enough water, you’ll either want to upgrade it
or install a tank to top off the water when it gets low.
14
tapped in
The latter can function in one of two ways. The first is
to use a sealed tank and an open valve just under the
ideal water level. As the water level decreases, the
open valve will let water into the tank. The second is
to have a secondary tank (you can use this for return
water if you’re running a recirculating system) with a
float valve that turns a pump on or off.
If you’re using aquaponics, a solids-lifting overflow
in the fish tank(s) can also safeguard against low
water levels.
Note on travelling: It’s wise to still have a trusted
friend check in on your system if possible. Autodosing
takes care of pH and EC, but problems like leaks, pest
outbreaks, or power outages could still prove cata-
strophic if left unattended for a few days.
We hope that helps, Corinne!
Happy growing and safe travels!
Amy M. Storey
Amy Storey is the content coordinator at
Bright Agrotech, a company that man-
ufactures vertical high-density farming
equipment. Amy and the Bright Agrotech
team provide modern growers with Zip-
Grow technology to build a fresher, more
distributed food system.