Paulwa
12-09-2007, 02:11 AM
Been wanting to set up a watermellon (Sugar Baby..8 inch dia. melon) automated growing unit. Size would be approx. 2 foot wide by 3.5 to 4 feet long and about 6 to 8 inches deep with a four pole riser to support the same size roof (just a frame). Cover three sides with small chicken wire leaving the front open. Cover those three sides with black plastic curtains and thetop also. Cover the front with clear plastic curtain so all would seal in the heat. Would only grow 2-3 plants in this unit. tie the vines off to the sides and back so as to expose the leaves to the artificial lighting. Would slide the light bar up and down on the front and back support pole. Unit would have a thermostatically controled circulating fan and timer for making the lighting replicate the summer sun as much as possible..probably use three lights front to back. Morning front and back light would come on mid morning to mid afternoon center light would come on to add heat and growth light.
Nutrients would be fed the rootball with a long tray that would be controlled possibly by a cam to raise a tank of the liquid nutrient to flow down the feed trough to soak the roots and then drop to fow the liquid back into the tank, all at appropriate timing sequences. the roots would air dry in between feedings.
Guess this is not robotic exactly but more computerized containment indoor gardening. Nobody has raise melons yet in this manner as far as I have been abe to find out. I love watermelons and it takes 73 days to harvest from seedling to melon. With only two or three plants I would probably get only 4 to 6 melons so maybe that is why no one has tried it before. But I am seriously thinking about trying it to see if it can be done. Any one ever tried anything like this before around here?
Paul
Nutrients would be fed the rootball with a long tray that would be controlled possibly by a cam to raise a tank of the liquid nutrient to flow down the feed trough to soak the roots and then drop to fow the liquid back into the tank, all at appropriate timing sequences. the roots would air dry in between feedings.
Guess this is not robotic exactly but more computerized containment indoor gardening. Nobody has raise melons yet in this manner as far as I have been abe to find out. I love watermelons and it takes 73 days to harvest from seedling to melon. With only two or three plants I would probably get only 4 to 6 melons so maybe that is why no one has tried it before. But I am seriously thinking about trying it to see if it can be done. Any one ever tried anything like this before around here?
Paul