Tag: diy

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Comprehensive SNAP Hydroponics Grow Box Construction Guide

SNAP Hydroponics grow box

Grow boxes or growing boxes are an essential part of the SNAP Hydroponics system. The grow box acts as a reservoir for the SNAP hydroponic nutrient solution. The grow box also holds the seedling plugs in place. This post is an easy to follow step-by-step guide on how to properly construct grow boxes from used styrofoam boxes (styrobox).

Required Materials

Styrobox

Boxes made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) known commonly as “styrofoam box” or simply “styrobox” make excellent materials for grow box (or growing box). The size recommended for use with “SNAP” Hydroponics is 20⨉16⨉6. These boxes can hold 10 (ten) to twelve (12) liters of nutrient solution and has enough room to grow up to eight (8) leafy vegetables and up to five (5) fruiting vegetables. Styroboxes of this size are used to transport US-imported grapes and are typically common during the months of September to January. For details please see this styrobox guide.

Lining Material

Styrofoam boxes has ventilation holes running along the edges. In order for the bottom half of the box to hold the nutrient solution it must be lined with a sturdy waterproofing sheet. In this guide we’ll use 20⨉30 inch polyethylene (PE) plastic bags.

A typical brand of 20 by 30-inch polyethylene plastic bag.
A typical brand of 20 by 30-inch polyethylene plastic bag.

Styrofoam Puncher

A styrofoam puncher is required to make holes on the upper half of the grow box for the seedling plugs. A tin can of the appropriate diameter for the seedling plug can be made into such a tool. For details please see this guide on making DIY styrofoam puncher.

Empty tin cans with handles added on one end.
A couple of DIY styrofoam puncher.

Packaging Tape

This will be used to hold the lining material in place and optionally cover the ventilation holes.

Brown packing tape.
Packing tape

Bamboo Stick

A bamboo stick or similar implement is used to draw guidelines on the styrofoam. It is also used to safely remove the styrofoam piece from the styrofoam puncher after each cut.

Prepare the Styrobox

Although styrofoam grape boxes are of the same size, the way their upper and lower halves are designed to fit together are different depending on the manufacturer and the manufacturer’s type designation as discussed in the video below. This means the upper and lower halves of the styrobox won’t fit properly if they are not of the same type.

The styrobox has a locking tabs to keep it shut. To open the box press on the lower half at the middle of one of the shorter side to release the lock then pull the upper half away.

We recommend wiping the styrobox down with a clean rag to remove dust, grease and/or moisture. These can cause tape, which we will be using to hold the plastic liner in place, to fail.

Work on the Upper Half of the Grow Box

Turn the upperhalf of the styrobox over and place it on a flat surface. You may also put a piece of plywood or cardboard in between the surface and the styrofoam to prevent the surface from being damaged by the styrofoam puncher during the cutting step of the procedure.

Draw guide lines connecting the ventilation holes from opposite sides of the box as illustrated below. A hole should be made where the lines cross.

Flipped over upper half of styrobox with guide lines drawn.
Flipped over upper half of styrobox with guide lines drawn.

To make holes, put the sharp end of the styrofoam puncher on the styrofoam and apply pressure to score the surface. Hold the tool by the handles and apply pressure while moving the tool in a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction making tool cut deeper through the foam. Continue this process until the tool cuts through the foam.

Gently pull out the styrofoam puncher. A circular piece of foam will be left on one end of the tool. Use the stick to safely push one side of the piece into the tool. This will cause the piece to rotate and the other side be pushed out of the tool allowing you to safely grab and pull it out the styrofoam piece from the styrofoam puncher.

Repeat this process to create the rest of the holes.

Upper half of grow box with holes properly aligned.
Upper half of grow box with holes properly aligned.

It is strongly recommended that you use packing tape to cover the ventilation on this half of the styrobox if your growing area does not have protection from mosquitoes. This will deny mosquitoes access to the nutrient solution and stop them from breeding in the grow box.

Grow box with upper ventilation holes covered with packing tape.
Grow box with upper ventilation holes covered with packing tape.

Work on the Lower Half of the Grow Box

Start by preparing pieces of packing tape roughly 3 inches long. Position the 20⨉30 plastic liner as shown below. Since the box is 20⨉16 in size, the plastic liner should exceed the length of the box by 5 inches on both ends and exceed the width of the box by 4 inches on both sides. These measurements makes it easy to center the plastic liner on the lower half of the grow box.

Plastic liner laid over the lower half of the grow box.
Plastic liner laid over the lower half of the grow box.

Fold both ends of the plastic liner as shown below.

Plastic liner over lower half of grow box with both ends folded.
Plastic liner over lower half of grow box with both ends folded.

Fold both sides of the plastic liner allowing the plastic liner to fit and “fall through.”

Plastic liner with ends and sides folded fitting into the lower half of the grow box.
Plastic liner with ends and sides folded fitting into the lower half of the grow box.

At this point the edge of the plastic liner should be flush along the length of the grow box. Tape them in place at the center of the length of the grow box as shown below.

Plastic liner taped at the center of the length of the grow box.
Plastic liner taped at the center of the length of the grow box.

Add tape on the same sides of the grow box but towards the corner as shown below. Note how the tape only holds the side flush edge of the plastic liner and not the folded part of the adjacent side.

Tape towards the corner.
Tape towards the corner.

Repeat for the rest of the corners.

All corners taped.
All corners taped.

With the plastic liner fixed into position by tape you should now be able to grab the folded ends of the plastic liner and pull it towards the side of the grow box. The plastic liner will make a triangular shaped fold at the corners.

Folded ends of plastic liner positioned on the side of the grow box.
Folded ends of plastic liner positioned on the side of the grow box.

With a helping hand or with the use of clip to hold the plastic in place for you, tape the ends of the plastic liner to the side of the grow box. Tape the corners first then tape the center. Note that the plastic exceeds the height of the grow box’s wall along its width and the plastic will go over the styrofoam as you tape it in place. Repeat this process on the opposite side.

Completed lower half of the grow box.
Completed lower half of the grow box.

Your grow box is now complete.

Remove the Locking Tabs (Optional)

The upper half of the styrobox has tabs that locks it in place on top of the lower half. When the grow boxes are packed close together this locking mechanism can make it difficult for you to open the grow box to examine what’s inside. You may opt to remove them by cutting them off with a box cutter.

Styrobox locking tab found along the with of the styrobox.
Styrobox locking tab that can be optionally removed.

That’s all there is to it! If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below. As always good luck and happy growing!

SNAP Hydroponics grow box
SNAP Hydroponics grow box
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Low-Cost Indoor Hydroponic Gardening Using Space Buckets and SNAP Hydroponics

Inside the classic space bucket

For gardening enthusiast in urban areas, finding a gardening space that receives sufficient sunlight to support plant growth can be a challenge. In addition, pests and other environmental factors can ruin plants with ease. Growing plants indoors is an excellent solution but the space requirements and cost of an indoor gardening rig can be a problem. Worry not because a cheap and space saving do-it-yourself indoor gardening solution is available.

Space bucket is a simple DIY indoor gardening rig. It has enough room to grow one plant, provides enough light to support plant growth, provides sufficient ventilation to keep temperature and humidity under control, has a small footprint and can be made from materials you can find locally. In this post I’ll discuss the materials needed, where to get them and how to assemble your very own space bucket.

A space bucket with three spacers and an optional LED strip lighting.
A space bucket with three spacers and an optional LED strip lighting.

Materials for the Classic Space Bucket

There are a number of ways to put together a space bucket. In this post I’ll discuss how to assemble the most ubiquitous configuration the classic space bucket.

Five Gallon Buckets

You’ll need  five-gallon buckets similar to the one pictured below. You can find these types of buckets in depots and hardware stores. Price varies. The color doesn’t matter. Although white is recommended as it makes the space bucket look clean and sanitary and also helps keep the temperature down. At least one lid is required. Some buckets have spouts similar to the one pictured but that is not required. A spoutless lid is easier to work with.

a white round plastic 5-gallon bucket.
A white round plastic 5-gallon bucket.

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)

Plants require light in order to grow. Indoors, where the sun doesn’t shine, we can meet a plant’s light requirement using artificial lighting. A cheap and effective option are compact fluorescent lights (CFL).

Cool daylight and warm white CFL bulbs.
Cool daylight and warm white CFL bulbs.

At least 100 true watts is recommended. For best results use a mix of cool day light and warm white. This will be explain in a future post about indoor plant lighting.

Philips 24w compact fluorescent lights.
Philips 24w compact fluorescent lights.

You’ll also need light sockets for your CFL bulbs. Weatherproof rubber sockets works well.

Fans for Ventilation

Your space bucket requires ventilation. Proper air circulation keeps the temperature and humidity inside your space bucket under control. Without it heat can build up inside your bucket and kill your plant. Lack of air circulation also weakens the plant’s stems and makes them susceptible to fungal and bacterial growth.

80mm computer case fans for space buckets

Find quiet and efficient fans. Twelve-volt computer case fans 80mm in size works well. Get four of them. You can power them with 12V cellphone charger with sufficient amperage. Most spare cellphone chargers you have at home should be able to power all 4 of them. Be sure to check the current (amperage) requirements of your fan and compare that to the current that your cellphone charger supplies.

Twelve volt cellphone charger.
Twelve volt cellphone charger.

Power Strip

The space bucket has a number of electrical components that must be plugged in and supplied with electricity. A quality power strip will make maintaining your space bucket and managing your plant easier.

Electro-Mechanical Timer

To simulate night and day cycles you must regularly turn the lights on and off. Although this can be done manually it is impractical to do so. You can use an electro mechanical timer to automatically turn the lights on and off on a preset time of day.

Electro-mechanical timer switches is a low-cost yet effective way to automate your plant’s light schedule. Please see this guide on how to use electro-mechanical timer switch for more information on how to use them.

You may also opt to use a digital timer. Although it is more expensive than an electro-mechanical timer.

digital timer switches
Digital timer switches

Screw on Wire Connector

Also known as wire nuts. They make splicing wires together easier and safer.

pack of screw on wire connector
A pack of screw on wire connector.

Tools and Other Supplies

As with most DIY project, the tools you have at your disposal will make be a huge factor on how your space bucket will turn out. You will be working with plastic and electrical components. I suggest you go through this guide to learn how the space bucket is assembled to give you a general idea on what tools you need to complete the project. Use your creativity and DIY prowess. The entire build involves cutting and boring holes through plastic. A regular hand saw cuts through plastic with ease. To make holes a soldering iron or a heated cutting implement can be used. I use a Dremel for DIY projects and it works well for building space buckets too.

Dremel tools with useful attachments for space bucket construction.
Dremel tools with useful attachments for space bucket construction.

Some essential DIY supply and equipment such as the following may come in handy:

  • Zip ties
  • Duct tape
  • Electrical tape
  • Mounting tape
  • Super glue
  • Wire stripper
  • Sand paper

Space Bucket Assembly

With tools and materials ready, we can now proceed to assembling the space bucket. But first…

Safety First

Please make sure to take all necessary precautions to ensure your personal safety when assembling your space bucket. Wear eye protection when cutting or boring through plastic because small bits of plastic can easily make their way to your eyes.

Work in a well lit and well ventilated area specially if you are using heated implements to burn through plastic. Avoid breathing in the fumes. Use face a mask.

You will be working with electrical components. If you never worked with these before I suggest you find someone to help you. Extra precautions must be taken because you will be working with water in close proximity with electrical components. Always unplug your space bucket when watering your plant or tinkering with your hydroponic system.

With that in mind let’s get started.

Build the Main Container

The main container will hold your plant and this is where most of the remaining components attach to. Pick the the best bucket among your collection. Make holes at the bottom of this bucket for drainage. A heated metal rod works well for this purpose.

Drainage holes at the bottom of the main container of a space bucket
Drainage holes at the bottom of the main container of a space bucket

Intake fans needs to be attached to the sides of the main container opposite to each other. Please refer to the picture below. Make a hole large enough for the fan.  You can use a marker to make an outline where you will be making the hole.

You can use zip ties to tie the fan in place. Make sure the fan is blowing air inside the bucket. The frame of the intake fan has arrows indicating the direction of the airflow.

Next, add reflective materials to the walls of the main container. This prevents light from leaking. The walls of five gallon buckets are thin enough to let light shine through which can be an issue and makes lightning less efficient. You can buy silver plastic sheets from stationary stores and stick them to the walls of the main container using two-sided adhesive strips. Another option aluminium foil tape which you can buy from hardware stores.

Inside the classic space bucket
Inside the classic space bucket. The walls are made reflective with aluminium foil tape.

Build Spacers

Spacers are stacked on top of the main container to add height to your indoor garden.

To make them simply cut off the tops of your extra 5-gallon buckets. Make sure to leave enough of the bucket so that you can still stack them on top of each other well. Pick the best one and set it aside for now. This will be constructed into a light-top for your space bucket. Add reflective material on the inside walls of the rest of the spacers.

As for the rest of the bucket you can fashion them into plant pots enough to hold 3 gallons by adding drainage holes and optional handles.

Three gallon plant pots
Three gallon plant pots.

Build the Light-Top

This is one of the most complicated part of the build. Take the spacer you set a side for the light top and add holes on the side here the light sockets will fit.  You will also need holes for the fans. Be sure to double check you measurements before you start cutting holes through your the spacer.

With proper spacing and appropriately sized CFL bulbs you should be able to arrange the lights and fans similar to the picture below.

Light-top assembly with one of the spacer attached.
Light-top assembly with one of the spacer attached.

Add the lid and add reflective materials. Make sure the fans are blowing air towards the outside of the bucket. With this fan configuration, your space bucket will be able to suck in cold and fresh air from the outside and blow cold and fresh air through your plant while at the same time pull out hot air from the lights keeping the interior of your bucket cool and well ventilated.

Wiring the Lights and Fans

If you are not familiar with wiring (voltages, amps, series/parallel configuration)  I strongly suggest you recruit the help of some who is. Improper wiring can cause electrocution. You can even burn your house down.

The lights and fans should be wired in parallel. Use solder or wire nuts to splice the wires together. Use zip ties to tuck wire neatly.

For convenience and additional safety precaution, attach the power strip to the side of your space bucket. As a rule of thumb all electrical components should be off the ground.

Optional LED Lighting

Additional lights can be added using LED strips. This can be constructed on one of the spacers.

Final Checks and Finishing Touches

Almost done! Double check your wiring. Screw on the CFL bulbs. Plug in the lights and fans to the power strip. Plug in the power strip and turn it on. You are now ready to grow indoors!

Space bucket in operation.
Space bucket in operation.

Space Buckets and SNAP Hydroponics

You can use space buckets with SNAP Hydroponics to conveniently grow plants indoors. Find a fitting container to hold the nutrient solution and let it grow.

Growing Tips

To lessen the heat inside your space bucket specially during summer you may opt to turn on the lights during the night and turn them off during the day. Twelve hours of continuous lighting should be enough for most tropical plants. You may opt to remove some of the lights when your plant is small and doesn’t need that much light.

Be sure to unplug the space bucket before working with your plant or the nutrient solution reservoir. Water and electricity is a dangerous combination. Be extra careful.

Use topping, pruning and plant training to keep your plant short and bushy. It’s very easy for your plant to outgrow your bucket if you don’t manage the foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Neat! Did you come up with this?

No, I did not. This is the brainchild of u/Ekrof. He built a community of DIY indoor gardeners at r/spacebuckets.

Is it worth the electricity consumption?

That depends on who you ask and how they use it. For a hobbyist who just want to start growing indoors the cost maybe worth it.

Gallery

More space bucket pictures.

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How to Make a DIY Styrofoam Puncher Used in SNAP Grow Box Construction

Empty tin cans with handles added on one end.

The SNAP Hydroponics system utilizes used styroboxes (EPS foam boxes) to contain the nutrient solution and hold the seedling plugs in place. One of the steps in making grow boxes is to add the holes on the upper half of the styrobox where the seedling plugs would fit. One of the ways to accomplish this is with the use of a do-it-yourself (DIY) tool made of empty tin cans—styrofoam puncher a.k.a. pambutas ng styro.

Materials

Below are the materials required to make this tool:

Empty Tin Can

An empty tin can with a 3-inch diameter. These are pretty common since tin cans follows standard sizes. To verify if the holes made with a tin can will fit your styro cup, fit them to the can itself as demonstrated in the picture below.

I recommend using cans with ribbing along the side. The ribbing adds lateral stiffness of the can and allows it to hold its circular structure even when the lip of the cut has been cut off to sharpen the cutting edge.

An empty Alaska tin can with an 8oz cups fitted well
Alaska tin cans fits 8 oz cups well.

Bamboo Sticks

A pair of bamboo sticks or other materials strong enough to serve as handles for the tool. For bamboo sticks I recommend making a pair of them by dividing a single half inch thick bamboo stick into a quarter inch pair by splitting the stick along the grain. It should be long enough to run along the diameter of the tin can and have around 3 inches protruding from the sides of the can. Make sure to smooth out the edges as well as the cut ends of the bamboo sticks to remove splinters and sharp edges.

A pair of bamboo sticks
A pair of bamboo sticks that will serve as handles for the pambutas.

Rubber Band

Rubber band or other materials that can lash the pair of sticks together. A sturdy length of string or fishing line works too.

Equipment

You’ll need a pair of tin snips to cut away the lip of the can and make a sharper cutting edge.

A pair of tin snips
A pair of tin snips can be used to cut away the dull lip of a tin can to create a sharp cutting edge.

You’ll also need a piece of bamboo stick with a pointed end that you’ll use to add a hole on the can for the handles to go through. It should be around 3-5 inches long with the same cross section as the bamboo sticks you’ll be using as a handle.

A piece of bamboo stick with a pointed end.
A piece of bamboo stick with a pointed end.

You’ll also need a knife of a bolo to work with the bamboo and the tin can. You’ll also need a can opener to remove fully open one end of the can.

Procedure

Start by using a can opener to fully remove one end of the can.

Then using a knife or bolo add “T” shaped cut on one side of the can near the closed end. This “T” shaped cut will make sure that the hole will be centered and even when you enlarge it using your pointed bamboo implement.

A ?T? shaped cut near the the closed end of the can.
A “T” shaped cut near the the closed end of the can.

Using our bamboo tool, enlarge the “T” shaped cut to make a larger hole. You can use any appropriate tool to hammer it through the can.

Bamboo tool going through the can.
Enlarge the hole by hammering the bamboo tool through the cut.

The “T” shaped cut makes sure that the hole enlarges evenly and stays centered as shown in the picture below. Repeat this process on the opposite side of the can.

Bamboo implement goes through the can.
Bamboo tool centered well.

Push one of the bamboo sticks through the holes you made. Make sure it is centered so that the length of the handles are even. Put the other half on top and so that the lid of the can is sandwiched between the pieces of bamboo. Then lash them together tightly with a rubber band or string.

Lastly, if preferred, the cutting edge of the tool can be sharpened by cutting off the lip of the open end of the can. Although this step can be performed before any other steps, we recommend doing this last because the cut edge is indeed sharp. It is sharp enough to cut through skin. The other activities will have a risk of giving you a cut if they are performed with the lip of the can removed exposing a sharp edge.

Questions

Can I use a single piece of bamboo going through one of the hole, inside the cut, though the hole on the other side?

Using a single piece of bamboo saves time and effort. However, the rocking motion this tool will experience as you use it to make holes on your styrobox will ruin it pretty fast. The handles will exert pressure on the holes. The sides of the can is very thin and soft. The pressure exerted by the bamboo stick will be enough to enlarge it and pretty soon it will be too large for the tool be useful. Sandwiching the lid with two pieces of bamboo lashed together will transfer the force to the lid which will be able to handle the forces.

Can you show me how to cut the lip of the can with a tin snip?

I’ll upload of video soon.

That’s it. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.