GreenGrowBox Janka

Features and specification:

• Size: 500 x 150 x 463mm
• Power: 45W
• Capacity: 8 pcs plants
• Automatic watering scheduling
• Automatic lighting schedule
• Automatic water aerating via water circulation
• Quiet operation
• Validated – based on personal experiences. As a hobby I have built GrowBoxes with success more than 2 years now.

Plants that can be grown from seeds (already tested):

• Basil
• Parsley
• Rucola (Rocket)
• Any kinds of salad
• Tomato - at least until it is reaching the LED lamp, after that the plant need to replanted outside
• Chili - at least until it is reaching the LED lamp, after that the plant need to replanted outside
• Chamomile
• Mint

Plants that cannot be grown from seeds (already tested):

• Strawberry - They grow many leaves, some flowers as well, but they never turn into fruit.
• Oregano
• Chive
• Radish
• Exotic fruits or vegetables (ginseng, lemon, orange, coffee etc.)

Assembly:

The assembly of the unit is straight forward. Please refer to the uploaded cross section views.

Most time consuming is the soldering of the LED strips and putting the cable work together. For the wiring please refer to the attached wiring diagram. The wires of the LED's are guided inside of the T-slot of the vertical aluminium profile and conducted through the designated opening inside of the electronics case. 

A reflective screen / Light shield on the light bar can be attached if required. See on 5th photo. Size of the plates (for example a foamed PVC sheet): 390x80x4mm. It will anchor itself into the T-slot of the aluminium profile. Extra 500 lux can be directed towards the plants if the inner side of the plates is covered with reflective foil. https://www.easy-grow.co.uk/products/reflective-sheeting/diamond-lightite/

How to prepare the GrowBox for the first plants:

1. Fill the water tank with 5 liters fresh tap water.
2. Add the right amount of nutrients (tips and hints can be read below)
3. Optionally adjust the solution pH level (tips and hints be read below)
4. Put the whole unit on the top of the water tank. Make sure, that the pump is in reaching the bottom of the tank. The pump might create whirl in the water thus air could be sucked into the system. This can be eliminated by adding a 120 mm long soft tube with inner diameter 8mm (outer 12mm) at the intake of the water pump. Several smaller holes need to be punched on the added tube. This way numerous intake holes can be created which eliminates the whirl effect.
5. Place the rockwool cubes into the openings of the rockwool tray
6. Put 3-4 pcs of seeds into each rockwool cube
7. Put one germinating cup on the seedlings.
8. Program the digital timer (instructions below)
9. Start the watering program. Don not start the lights program yet.
10. When the seeds are popping out, the cups can be removed and let the seedlings grow in free air.
11. Start the lights scheduling program. There is no need to change the watering schedule.

Timer settings:

Set Channel 1 - LED lamps; Every day:

• ON = 08:00
• OFF = 20:00

Set Channel 2 - Water Pump to water every 2 hours; Every day (this means, for each start make a new Pr. xx):

• ON: 0:00 - 02:00 - 04:00 - 06:00 …… 20:00 - 22:00
• Set pulse/cycle duration to 60 seconds

My tips to make watertight prints:

• Increase the flow rate (extrusion multiplier) to 105% (1,05)
• Ironing can be used (print settings → infill)
• Increase the nozzle temperature by 10°C
• Lower printing speeds, 30mm/s is a good choice
• use 0,6mm nozzle (with 0,6mm nozzle settings, of course)

What you can do, to improve the growing results (based on personal experiences):

• Adjust the water pH level to 6 +/-0,4: https://babylon-grow.eu/the-professional-way/bio-nova-ph-p-2423.html
• Change the water in 2 weeks period. I tested tap water and RO filtered water as well and I have experienced no difference.
• Do not place the GrowBox above a radiator, a constant warm air flow will dry out the leaves.
• Regularly adjust the LED bar height 50mm above the top of the plant
• When the plant has reached the LED bar and the height of the lamp cannot be increased further up, cut off the top 70mm of the plant. This will make the plant to concentrate the growth to the side branches and leafs.
• Do not overdose the nutrients, it will have an opposite effect.
• Use A+B component nutrient solutions: https://babylon-grow.eu/the-basic-way/bio-nova-nutri-forte-ab-p-2407.html?language=en

Your shopping list:

Water pump: https://www.banggood.com/Machifit-QR30E-Ultra-quiet-Mini-Brushless-Pump-DC-12V-4_2W-240LH-Flow-Rate-Submersible-Water-Pumps-p-1348609.html?cur_warehouse=CN&rmmds=search

Digital timer: https://www.elkoep.com/digital-time-switch-clock-sht-32

12V power supply: https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-dc-ultra-slim-din-rail-power-supply-input-range-hdr--30--12

40x40 fan: https://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-flx

23x30 - 500mm aluminium profile: https://www.minitec.de/produkte/profilsystem/profile/profilserie-30/profil-23-x-30

16x30 - 390mm aluminium profile: https://www.minitec.de/produkte/profilsystem/profile/profilserie-30/profil-16-x-30

Power lock fastener for 30mm alu profiles: https://www.minitec.de/en/products/profile-system/fastening-elements/power-lock-fastener/power-lock-fastener/minitec-power-lock-fastener-30

LED strips: 18-20W/m, 10mm width, cold white (6000K), warm white (3000K) and red. If you prefer, you can use a “full spectrum grow led strip”, but in my experience it is not giving you the expected benefit. These are just red and blue leds in a row and the naming “full spectrum” is a bit misleading.  If you measure the luminous flux 200mm beneath the led strips, you should get around 10.000 lux.

Wago 221 splicing connectors: https://www.wago.com/gb/electrical-interconnections/discover-installation-terminal-blocks-and-connectors/221

Festo pneumatic L-connector QSL-¼-12: https://www.amazon.com/Festo-164981-Threaded-L-Fitting-requirement/dp/B00RGNHUPM

220V 2way, 4 pole switch: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/zf-electronics/WRG32F2FBBNN/446050

AC power plug: https://www.beleuchtung.de/legrand-50416-stecker-seitenanleitung-230v-16a-2p-t-weiss/

2 x 0,5mm2 power cable: https://www.electron.com/flexible-power-cable-cyly-h03vv-f-2x0-5b-p71126/

1 x 0,5mm2 power cable: https://www.electron.com/stranded-wire-h05v-k-1x0-5mm-black-p51567/

Cable gland PG7: https://www.conrad.cz/p/kss-533729-kabelova-pruchodka-pg7-polyamid-sedobila-ral-7035-1-ks-533729

Diam. 8x12 mm soft PVC tube: https://www.joom.com/en/products/5d1464948b45130101bb1b54

DIN-rail 75mm: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/din-rails/0467406/

Rockwool cubes 25x25x40mm: https://babylon-grow.eu/rockwool/grodan-ao-rockwool-p-3985.html?currency=EUR

Hydroponic nutrient solution: https://babylon-grow.eu/the-basic-way/bio-nova-hydro-supermix-p-1829.html?currency=EUR&language=en

Safety hints:

If you are not experienced in electrical wiring, please ask a competent electrician for help. Electricity is hazardous.

The horizontal LED aluminium bar can heat up to 60-70°C. The LED chips can handle it, your skin cannot.

Take extra care if you are mixing the water with the nutrient solutions. Always close the bottles securely and store them in a safe place, where children cannot reach them.