first volksgarden grow

maximusbudicus said:

i have read many similar comments about this type of system in the past, though to my knowledge no one has ever done it, or got it to the point that they were happy enough about it to post pics in a forum.

i would like to see it done though by anyone, or maybe a contest with many trying to pull off an omega. it looks like an easy things to do, however i think it would cost quite a bit and you would still have something that was home made, not that there is anything wrong with home made.

$200 though seems like a total miss on the estimate. how much time are you accounting for? and i guess you are not counting paying yourself for that time.

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I have no doubt that i have the skill and no how to build this. Ive welded wakeboard towers, car frames, motercycles, and built countless contraptions and other shit. No, i wont be paying myself for the time. I think making a machine that boost my yeild way up would be rewarding enough. $200 is not a miss on the estimate. I dont need a giant rolling stand for mine, and i already have the lights, nutes ect. As for time, i could build it in 1 or 2 days if i wanted to.

i think building that foodle thing would be harder. It has an akward part, the plastic back thing, that would be hard to replicate. Unless like a trashcan top was used, but thats real small.

macdadyabc said:

I have no doubt that i have the skill and no how to build this. Ive welded wakeboard towers, car frames, motercycles, and built countless contraptions and other shit. No, i wont be paying myself for the time. I think making a machine that boost my yeild way up would be rewarding enough. $200 is not a miss on the estimate. I dont need a giant rolling stand for mine, and i already have the lights, nutes ect. As for time, i could build it in 1 or 2 days if i wanted to.

i think building that foodle thing would be harder. It has an akward part, the plastic back thing, that would be hard to replicate. Unless like a trashcan top was used, but thats real small.

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i certainly am not questioning anyones ability as a craftsman.

your statement about building one for $200 was missing the idea that you will be donating your time and using discarded parts etc to create your devise.

buying new means that all the labor and packaging etc is included in the price you pay so its apples and oranges.

seeing as it is a machine and that if it breaks down in the middle of a grow......

i hope you do build it and i would love to see it.

i however am in an apartment and have no access to the things needed to fabricate such a device whether or not i have the personal ability.

after running mine just this one time i need no convincing that this is the way forward and i will not be going back to the old ways, so coming up with a 'do it yourself' model is a worth while cause

even doing it with used parts and free labor i still think the estimate is low, and these are details you left out of your $200 comment.

its not easy to part with 2k for me and i had my concerns up till about 1/2 way through (not even) and now i think it may be the best $ i have spent.

i am so looking forward to round 2

i know that these machines are extremely efficient, and im glad you are happy with yours. I was un clear when i said what i was gunna build. i will hopefully put up a giude on how to make just the rotating planter wheel soon, once i work out all the details. Obviously your machine was well worth the money, i just dont have any money myself right now.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with mac. A cheaper route would be nice but I do believe that this is well worth the money already. So how many sites are available to put plants? I would think SOG would be most efficient here if you could really pack in the plants. Does this machine come with lights? IF so what wattage and is it switchable to more wattage? Could you post some pics of how your grow is doin now?

Unfortunatly it doesn't come with the light. But maximus you said that you got 1/2 lb right, then right there he payed for the investment in the first grow. I've heard of people getting up to 3.5 lb form a volksgarden, and 7-10 lb from the big omega. I wanna say the volks holds 80 plants, but I've read that about 50 is ideal to maximize the use of space.

i only ran 30 and it can max out at 80 but depending on how you genetics react to the rotation you might run anywhere from 40 to 80.

the systems comes with a cool-tube and a mogul mounting saddle so you can use whatever bulbs will fit into the 6 inch glass tube. i am using a 600 watt lamp and it seems ideal for the distance to the plants.

i will do much better nest time round not that i have some experience with how the plants react to the system. i can easily see doing over 3 lbs next round and i wont be surprised if i get over 3 lbs.

to bad they dont have a payment plan.....well they do but its 'cash and carry' lolol

maximusbudicus said:

i only ran 30 and it can max out at 80 but depending on how you genetics react to the rotation you might run anywhere from 40 to 80.

the systems comes with a cool-tube and a mogul mounting saddle so you can use whatever bulbs will fit into the 6 inch glass tube. i am using a 600 watt lamp and it seems ideal for the distance to the plants.

i will do much better nest time round not that i have some experience with how the plants react to the system. i can easily see doing over 3 lbs next round and i wont be surprised if i get over 3 lbs.

to bad they dont have a payment plan.....well they do but its 'cash and carry' lolol

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So your planning on getting 3 lbs from a 600 watter? I thought you had to use a 1k watt bulb to pull 3+lbs.

What do you think is the average yield your average grower will get using a 1kwatt bulb? over 2lbs?

Im thinking about buying one, but only if it will produce at least 2lbs per 1k bulb.

judging from the first go round i expect to do over 2 and i can see the possibility of more then 3 from the 600 watt lamp i am using. no need for 1000 watt lamp with this unit.

there is a bit of a learning curve to using it but its just to have some experience with it. if i had more plants to begin with a would have pulled 3 maybe 4 times what i did the first time. the only other thing is to get the size right. my plants went from not very good producers to top grade but i have heard that there are genetics that do better then others in this type of system.

no problem saying more then 2 lbs from a 600 watt never mind a 1000 watt

proheto8008 said:

So your planning on getting 3 lbs from a 600 watter? I thought you had to use a 1k watt bulb to pull 3+lbs.

What do you think is the average yield your average grower will get using a 1kwatt bulb? over 2lbs?

Im thinking about buying one, but only if it will produce at least 2lbs per 1k bulb.

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Its hard to say what the average grower will get from any given light, it depends on alot of things. The grow system is a big one, and environment all together. This system is designed to put a large number of plants in a small space, and to maximize the light distribution over the canopy. The whole time the plants are in the machine they have the perfect amount of light. 2 lbs from a 600 would be like 1.3g/watt which is attainable with the right strain, but things have to be right!

How long did you veg your plants for? How much root space is available?

well that is whats cool about the omega/volks rotary system, every plant is in the sweet spot. its the Goldilocks syndrome for the whole garden.

as for the roots the unit used 3 inch rooting medium cubes, so rockwool or other with the 3 x 3 x 2.5 in tall dims and you can go with that. i thought there would be roots hanging out all over but it doesn't happen, and when i pull the cubes apart there isn't a tonne a root mass, but the topside sure doesnt seem to suffer for it, as i said my plants are a third of the size now with teice the yield per plant i was getting before

45 minutes per turn, 4' wheel

does water drip down onto the light from above?

of course not

just go look them over:

OregonMeds said:

of course not

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of course not how? there is no gravity in the omega garden?tube

i understand you are trying to sell the thing, but it seems like water would be dripping onto the tube which would require you to clean it often

Chris602 said:

Mac Build this,,,, i Believe in you Man im Hearing 3.5 pounds Is Possibly Damn Imagine That... And For Those Who Dont Know Whta A Volksgarden Is, Here Is A Youtube Video With a Dude Setting One Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGipi9FyUxE

Edit: Better Video IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCTOR6m3k9w

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where's the pot? these things have been around for 10 years now. i've seen pics of 2 with pot in them. that's it. i would think if this was soooo good, like 3 pounds off a 600 watter good , then EVERYONE would do this. why don't we see more of these grows?

4 or however many it requires 36" or larger hula hoops (I think they have up to 48")

however many 3" pvc pipes or 3" pvc fencepost pieces you want as trays

Cut trays 3' long or whatever fits in your resevoir.

Screw and glue trays and hula hoops together so that the trays are on the inside of 4 hoops.

Whole assembly sits on two rotating guide bars that spin which are mounted in your plastic resevoir tray with rasied rubber parts on the bars to hold wheel in the proper place and spin it, geared to a bbq rotisery motor.

Dunks in resevoir tray once per 45 min.

Cost? Pretty darn cheap, but should do the trick.

fdd2blk said:

where's the pot? these things have been around for 10 years now. i've seen pics of 2 with pot in them. that's it. i would think if this was soooo good, like 3 pounds off a 600 watter good , then EVERYONE would do this. why don't we see more of these grows?

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I think we are about to see a lot more...
It'll be cheap enough to fart around with.

Trays could hold cubes or hold pearlite if you capped the ends and used those stopper things cloning setups use to hold the cuts in place, so it's cheaper to run than using cubes if you like.