There's four inserts I commonly make. This is a 32oz Deli cup. There quite common. On any recycling day you can take a walk thru your neiborhood a find a number of them. Of what I did at 55 I don't feel like doing at 70. I buy a case of 500 at a shot. Don't need the lids but some do. You can use it like a mulch. Why the solder iron than a knife. The thing that keep plastic elastic is a gas that's in between the structure of the plastics. If you cut it it leaches out. Causing it to become brittle. Especially in sunlight. Spray paint if your leaving it outside. Both the insert and the container. The design of the insert (32oz cup) shows three different The upper part before the slits in the air zone. This area is always dry. The lower area right below that is the sometime moist area. Notice the slits are of two different numbers. It's the 2nd line in the row of three that begins the always moist area and the water level.. Now what "I" mean by always moist. The water level is just a small hole in the side of the container. More on that later. Because once you plug in the insert there's no where for the water to evaporate. So it's forced to transpire out thru the leaves. As the water drops even below the cup the evaporated water in still in the container keeping the roots that extend thru the cup are kept moist. So even if the container is empty the plants still live on the moisture in the air. Oh, these thing generally go 30 days or more with out refill. See here's where the best part for me is. You never empty these. Just refill with water. There's no ph issues because this method uses soil fauna to create a symbolic relationship between plant and bacteria. The plant creates it's own ph environment. While I'm not looking to write a book it might be a novel idea for some so have to give what information I think will be relevant.

Use marking pen to trace the outside edge of the cup. Cutting hole use the little nut holding the tip as a guide. Keep it along the inside edge and it will catch the lid right on the lip.

I used knee high nylons for mesh. I can cut the hose in half for the 32oz insert. Tie a knot in the cut part and the elastic at the to will hold it in place. The lower half you can stretch to catch on the slits.

Here's what it looks like when it's done. I use Velcro tabs, one on the container for the water level and the other just stuck lightly for the over flow to run out. That's really all there is to it. Next putting it together with the plant.

Now sometime some where some one is going to need to get complicated. So yes this is a complicatedly simple method of growing plant roots. So here's something to flail against. The toxicity level of the three main root types air, water and soil are directly proportional to their reproduction rates and inversely proportion to their degree diferaction. It means you can't grow water roots in soil. If you try the roots get confused and try to grow two different roots at the same time. Root rot. But each has it's benfits that are really good for the development of roots. That's all this is, an idea for the development of the roots of plant. The other part is how to make it as simple as possible for the largest number of people by any means they have possible. Sorry we're all not going back to the land. The land round here is so polluted kids should be walking the streets. Sorry I digress. By simply using a base of Perlite you can have the best of the three worlds of roots. Oh, Perlite isn't the only base you can use. Rice hulls washed in very hot water a few minutes works well too. Even bulbs. Remember at this stage we're talking anaerobically.

So we really have to think about what were stuffing in that cup.

Thing is you don't need to know anything about plants. It's plug and play.

Something else, it's not just little plants we're talking about. Or just one season.

All these different trees have been growing for years in the same Perlite.

You know a name popped back up here and it made me laugh. But then again that’s why there’s so few on this site. So I’m not going to work to make it smaller. Ten years and that’s the best “copy & paste” master?

I was taking stock of what I was asking myself to create. How much material I will need to meet the plant demands I still want to grow. I have to be realistic I have space but a lot is covered by trees. I don’t want to cut them down because there’s not much “critter” space left around here. It’s easier for me to create it here but... It’s soon time for me to put out lettuce. The first green things showing. No, I think I’ll put out bird seed instead. The decision tho should be to setup the multi-season plants and trees up first. Then the changing seasonal plants afterwards. I could change some of the floor plan to go vertical. I have several vertical systems laying around. Running them tho would draw attention where ever I put them.

This is the city. So there just more than just me to consider. Even the furry tailed Ninja’s have to be considered. I’m going to add 20 fruit trees this year in 5gal buckets. There’s 60 trees in 30gal dirt barrels and yes I have watering tanks when the weather won’t help. Yes I grow plants in different media to see how the “light” is changing. Or haven’t you noticed how fast the snow is melting. Things are changing. Fresh water is going to become scarce so have thoughts on water with yourself soon. The other thing is I like having plants around the house. I guess stumbling over them is more appropriate. Take the number of inserts I have to make. 20 of the 2gal inserts for the fruit trees. No, I think to be realistic I should think of 40-2gal inserts. About 200-32oz inserts. Glad I’ve been making a few at a time over winter. See the rambling thoughts of a plant person and I just brought out the seed box. Forgot what’s even in it.

Then there’s the 8 Maringa I over wintered those were already in the system.

In comparison the bulb it develops is much thicker than the stem. Wondering if a 5lb insert will do.

I have four Macadamia nuts growing I’m going to switch to the system today. Those four will be anaerobic for now. I tried starting them in the system but they didn’t take. So I transferred them to media and they germinated. I gave them a few months to firm up before transferring them again. Keeping them in media makes me forget there's a difference in watering.

I should make a list of the different plants growing now just for my own record.

.Those coffee tree in the first picture are starting to flower. I look at all the school, businesses, factories and empty stores with those large windows that can be growing coffee with this method. Still part of what you can do with $500

testing

Just looking to see if I'd been sent to Disney land.

Began making more of the 2gal inserts & 5gal containers. All of those are already set aside for the trees. Haven’t even counted the three peach trees. Have to make more just because I know me. Figured out a way to make more growing space in the yard. Biggest change tho will be adding the air to the system. Breaking the yard into four sections. Each will have it’s own pump. Each pump will give me 96 air lines. That’s about 384 containers. I know that sounds like a lot of containers but I’ve been collecting them and redesigning them for a few years so there’s a few sitting around. Don’t have enough air stones tho. That’s another consideration. An yes the coffee is going to flower. Interesting thing there is, the birds will eat the flower petals off. Flocks of Starlings would show up and de-flower the bushes. Didn’t hurt the coffee production and the bird never bothered the bright red beans. I know I can’t say the same for the furry rodents. Getting a Safe trap for them.

Blackberry

Grape

Strawberry

Peach

These are the 2gal inserts with a 5gal container. Those are for the larger trees and bushes.

Pretty cool