The GrowKit 3.

0
The Future Of Farming lies in an empty corner of your home.

INDOOR METAL HYDROPONIC UNIT | 6 PLANTS

SPECTRUM CONTROLLED GROWLIGHT

DEEP WATER CULTURE TECHNIQUE

If you want to have a successful harvest please read the manual.

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+91 9876519966
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 THE
GROWKIT
Index INSTRUCTION
MANUAL
1 Technical Specifications

2-3 How To Assemble

4-6 What is what?

7 Grow Light test report

8 How to start?

9 How to Fertigate

9 Lighting Schedule & Air Pump

10-11 TDS Chart

12-13 How To Use pH Paper

14 FAQ’s (Basics Of Hydroponics)

15-17 FAQ’s (Questions For Nutrients)

18-19 FAQ’s (Questions For GrowLights)

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EndCap

TDS Meter

GrowChannel

Nutrients

Led Growlight FertigationWell

AirPump

pH Strips
AirHose

LECA Balls

Germination
pot NetPot

Cocopeat Seeds

Technical Specifications :
Part Specification
• 650mm x 100mm x 65mm
Grow Channel
• Made from Horticultural Grade virgin
uPVC a pipe that has a rated usage of
10 years

LED Growlight • 2ft Batten 10W Batten light

• Spectrum range 440-760nm
• Spectrum peak 460nm

Air Pump • 1.5 watt

• 100L/hr

Cocopeat • pH buffered and sterilized Agri Grade

pulverized coconut husk.

Clayballs • Light Expanded Clay Aggregate balls

• Approx dia 10-20mm
• Interstitial gap holds air and to keep
roots oxygenated

TDS meter • 1-9999ppm range

Macro • 200 ml Liquid Concentrate

• Complete & Balanced Primary Macros ,
and Micro Nurients Secondary Macros & Micro-nutrients

Seeds • 100+ Lettuce Seeds

• 100+ Assorted Seeds

pH Paper • 40 Sheets of high precision pH paper

• 5-7.5
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How to assemble :
• Place the kit in a cool area make sure the ambient temperature is lesser
than 28°C or atleast 28°C. Make sure the area is somewhere indoors.

• Take out everything from the kit and lay it down. There should be two
plug points nearby, 1 for the air pump and 1 for the grow light.

• Place the rod through the

Clamp behind the kit.

(remove the lid before

pushing the rod through)

• Pass the rod through the light bracket.

(don’t worry if the bracket is a little tight)
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• Attach the re-circulation

manifold to the pump.

• Place the pump on the right

hand side of the Grow Kit.
The pump should be placed
close to the slot for the wire,
on the lid.

• Place the lid on top of the Grow Kit,

pass the wire through the slot.

• Place the fertigation lid on top of the

fertigation well.
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What Is What ?
●TDS METER :
Total dissolved solids ,it is the measure of all the inorganic and organic substance
dissolved in water

●PPM :
Parts per million, it can be expressed as milligrams per litre. This measurement is
the mass of a chemical or contaminate per unit volume of water.

●pH :
It stands for potential of hydrogen ,it is the indicator of acidity or
basicity of a solution. the ph of a solution has a range from 0 to 14.
Solutions with pH value varying from 0 to 7are called acidic solutions.
Solutions with pH value ranging from 7 to 14 are basic solutions.
Value equal to 7 are known as neutral solutions.
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5

Cocopeat :

● It is a non fibrous, spongy, lightweight, corky material that holds together the coir
fiber in coconut husk, it is a 100% organic, natural and biodegradable substance
which was the by-product of coconut fiber extraction process but now is a
coproduct of coconut fiber extraction process.

● It is an excellent material for seed germination, as it has high porosity and high
water holding capacity.

Clay Balls (Fly Ash Pebbles) :

● They are a highly economical substitute for LECA balls, instead of clay they are
formed using fly ash. This fly ash comes from the chimneys of coal fired power
plants. They are much lighter than clay pebbles and serve as an excellent
growing medium in hydroponics and soil-less gardening
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6

Growlight :

● 10 W light
● Well distributed spectrum including IR
● High PPFD value
● Diffuser to avoid light burn
Test report on page no 14

Air Pump :

● The Air pump helps to increase the

dissolved oxygen content in water &
helps to cool the water a little we are
using a high quality aquarium air pump
as these are designed to run continuously
24x7.
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Grow Light Test Report :

Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) is the measure of the amount of light (of the total light source) that
a plant will utilise from a source for photosynthesis. Simply put, it is the amount of light that is usable to
plants.

Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) is the way to measure PAR, it calculates the intensity of light being
emitted from the light source that is used by plants to photosynthesize. It basically calculates the number
of photons of light that hit the sensor per second.

Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is the measure of light density in a given area.
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How to Start ?
● Open the germination kit, remove the seeds. Fill the kit with water till the top & close the
lid. Let the cocopeat soak for 30 mins.
● Mix the cocopeat by hand, sprinkle the seeds on it and cover the seeds with a thin
layer of cocopeat about 1 cm and make sure no seed is exposed to light.
watch the video here
● Close the lid and place the germination kit onto the Grow Channel, water sparingly the
cocopeat should be moist but not wet.
● Open the lid after 2 days, and switch the GrowLight on, sprinkle little water.
● Wait for seeds to germinate, It could take upto 10 days so be patient. Keep watering sparingly.

“
● Once the plant has grown True leaves. Transplant the plants into the Netpots watch the video

When seeds germinate the

first leaves that come out
are seed leaves. These do
not perform photosynthesis
but are capable of
photo-tropism. They signal
to the plant to either grow
True leaves which have the
capability of photosynthesis
Or grow the root zone until
lighting is optimal.
“
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How to Fertigate ? Why R.O Water ?

We recommend adding R.O water to your
● Add R.O water into the Grow Channel. Use the water level hydroponic setup as the water in every
place has a different mineral profile which
stick to measure the level of water in the Grow Kit. could affect the pH hence the rate of
nutrient absorption.
● Using the TDS meter, add both Macro and Micro nutrients
Commercial growers that use fresh water
in equal quantities drop-wise, until the TDS reaches 300 ppm. in their reservoir. Get their water tested
periodically so they can add pH down and
(DONT EVER MIX THEM TOGETHER IN CONCENTRATED FORM) nutrients accordingly.

(make sure the re-circulation pump is ON whenever adding nutrients)

● Increase the TDS by 100 ppm every week. Refer to the TDS Chart

on page 10-11 for the range of Maximum values.

Lighting Schedule & Air Pump

● Turn the grow light on and adjust the height as the plant grows.

● As the plant increases in size it will require more light hence you need to place

the grow light nearer to it with its increasing size.

● Keep light on for the day when you wake up to when you go to sleep , younger plants
may need less light so 08 hrs for the first week and increase 1-2 hours

every week up-to 18 hours.

● Water Pump should be kept on until lights are ON.

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TDS Chart
Refer this chart for all plants, Wait for 05 mins before taking a reading. Keep the water pump on when
adding the nutrients. Let the nutrients disperse evenly throughout the water. Use TDS meter to check
the ppm levels, stir the TDS meter while checking the ppm levels this will remove any air bubbles from
the electrodes and will give you an accurate reading.

PLANT PPM / TDS PLANT PPM / TDS

HERBS LEAFY GREENS

BASIL- 700 - 1120 CELERY- 1260 - 1400

CORIANDER- 600 - 800 KALE- 900 - 1500

DILL- 800 - 1200 LETTUCE- 560 - 840

FENNEL- 700 - 980 PAK CHOI- 1050 - 1400

MINT- 1400 - 1680 SPINACH- 1260 - 1610

OREGANO- 750 - 1000 BRUSSEL SPROUT- 1750 - 2100

PARSLEY- 560 - 1260 CABBAGE- 1750 - 2100

ROSEMARY- 700 - 1120 MUSTARD GREENS-- 600 - 1000

THYME- 560 - 1120

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PLANT PPM / TDS PLANT PPM / TDS

FLOWERING PLANTS FRUITS

ARTICHOKE- 560 - 1260 BANANA- 1260 - 1540

ASPARAGUS- 980 - 1260 BLUEBERRY- 1260 - 1400
BELL PEPPER- 1400 - 1750 MELON- 1400 - 1750
BROCCOLI- 1960 - 2450 STRAWBERRY- 1260 - 1580
CAPSICUM- 1260 - 1540 WATERMELON-- 1050 - 1680
CAULIFLOWER- 1280 - 1400
EGGPLANT- 1750 - 2400
OKRA- 1400 - 1680
SWEET CORN-- 840 - 1680

PLANT PPM / TDS PLANT PPM / TDS

VINES ROOT VEGETABLES

BEANS- 1400 - 2800 GARLIC- 980 - 1260

CUCUMBER- 1190 - 1760 ONIONS- 980 - 1260
PEPPER- 1400 - 3500 BEETS- 1260 - 3500
PEAS- 980 - 1260 CARROTS- 1120 - 1400
PUMPKIN- 1260 - 1680 POTATOES- 1400 - 1750
ZUCCHINI- 1260 - 1680 RADISH- 840 - 1680
TOMATO- 1400 - 3500 SWEET POTATO- 1400 - 1750
CHERRY TOMATO-- 1400 - 3500 TURNIP- 1260 - 1680
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How to use pH paper ?

● You have been given a high resolution pH paper specifically for
horticultural use. The range in this 5- 7.5
● Plants generally need pH range from 5.5-6.5. Measure the pH once a day.
● Your pH mostly gets alkaline in hydroponics as the nutrients get absorbed.
● Always let the pH of the whole solution go up and down the whole range
as certain nutrients get absorbed at certain pH levels.(refer chart on pg 11)
● If the pH goes above 6.5 let it be there for a day
● Add pH down solution only one drop at a time to decrease the pH
They are available in most general stores.
● Best way to keep your pH from fluctuating is to keep the setup sanitised to avoid
Microbial Growth. Keep the water cool so as to have high levels of D.O.
(dissolved oxygen), you can also add ice cubes if the area around the kit
exceeds 30°C. Do not let any light seep into the tank so as to avoid
algae growth.
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11

Certain micronutrients have high bio availability at

more acidic pH levels, but because of their lower
requirement by the plant we don’t need to take the pH
below 5-5.5 that too only in rare specialised
situtations.

Very Very
Medium Slightly Slightly Medium
Strongly Acidic Slightly Slightly Strongly Alkaline
Acidic Acidic Alkaline Alkaline
Acidic Alkaline
MACRO
MICRO

Primary pH Range
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14

FAQ’s
Basics Of Hydroponics
Q1. Plants that grows in hydroponics are healthier ?

Healthier food can be obtained through closed loop water recirculation system of hydroponics as these
systems can be monitored to provide effective nutrition to the plants directly. It has been proven that
plants grown hydroponically have up to 50% higher vitamin content than conventional farm produce.

Q2. Does Hyrdroponics system conserve water ?

Saving water through agriculture is an important method to conserve water and replenish the water
table- hydroponics can save 20 times more water than organic farming methods.

Q3. Do we use pesticides in hydroponic system ?

No pesticides are used in Hydroponics. We use Hydrogen Peroxide to get rid of fungus and keep the
setup clean to avoid pests.

Q4. Is hydroponics a form of organic farming ?

No, if we go by the traditional definition of organic farming, it entails the use of healthy soil and biological
fertilizers and pesticides. Hydroponics on the other hand is a soil- less technique that relies on nutrient
solutions to provide all of the plant nutrition and these nutrients may come from organic sources but
they are usually refined mineral fertilizers (which is not a bad thing!).

Even though hydroponics is a more efficient option for growing food (vertical hydroponic systems can
produce up to 240 times more food in a given area than traditional farming methods!) lure for organic
farming derives from the “ecofriendly” hotbed, where the focus is on interconnecting vital living ecosystems.

Q5. What is the difference between organic farming and hydroponics ?

The process of organic farming and hydroponics mainly differs on the basis of medium of growth and
type of nutrients used. Hydroponics is described as the process of growing plants in water without the
use of soil, while organic farming involves eliminating the use of inorganic/ chemical fertilizers in a
conventional farming set- up.

The yield from a hydroponic setup can be 240 times greater than organic farming with vertical integration
and can be attained 30- 50% faster than open field farming methods where weather and soil conditions
play a major role in crop growth cycles.
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FAQ’s
( Frequently Asked Questions )

Questions for nutrients

Q1. Are these nutrients made from chemicals ?

Yes, all high quality plant nutrition has been synthetic since the green revolution, the harmful
chemicals that one generally associates with agriculture are pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and
other hundreds of hostile chemicals that may be harmful to some form of organic life. High quality
fertilizers are safe to grow with and eat through the plant, they also don’t pollute the agricultural
land as other hostile chemicals do. Because, we are practicing fully controlled Hydroponic farming
there will be no need for hostile chemicals as mentioned.

Q2. Wouldn’t mixing the Nutrients together be dangerous ?

No, mixing the nutrients together in their diluted form as instructed will not cause any unwanted
reactions. Although, mixing them in a concentrated form might cause chelation which may destroy
the bio availability of the nutrient.

Q3. What if I give the plants more nutrients will it grow faster ?

Giving your plant more than the desired amount of nutrients will literally cause it to burn. This
phenomenon is known as nutrient burn and generally can be noticed by the drying leaf tips at the
edges of your plant.

Q4. What all applications can the nutrients be used for ?

These nutrients work best with all soilless growing techniques, you can also use them in conventional
soil based agriculture as a soil booster.

Q5. What plants can be grown with these nutrients ?

All kinds of plants can be grown with provided balanced formulation. You might need to change the
dosage of certain parts depending on the kind of plant being grown and the desired output.
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FAQ’s
( Frequently Asked Questions )

Q6. Do these nutrients require pH calibration ?

It is always recommended to calibrate your reservoir’s pH accordingly, but the nutrients themselves
have been designed to maintain pH around 6.5 most times.

Q7. What all hydroponic systems can you use them for ?

These nutrients work with all hydroponic and other soilless systems due to their 100 percent water
solubility rate.

Q8. Why are the nutrients provided in such small quantities ?

The nutrients provided to you have been researched on by experienced growers and are our houseblend
of the most potent and bio available form of plant nutrients due to such high levels of bio availability your
plants will make more with less.

Q9. After how many days are you supposed to add more nutrient ?

You can add nutrients by correlating the reading on your TDS meter to the desired nutrient required by
the plant during the particular growth stage. This information is available on our blogs and in the growing
section of this manual. Generally the dosing time for a hydroponic system will be between 5-10 days.

Q10. How long will these nutrients last ?

The nutrients have been formulated to have a dose 1ml/l so 100ml of concentrate solution will make a
very potent 100 litre nutrient solution.

Q11. How long will these nutrients last in their concentrate form ?

These nutrients will last over two years in their concentrate form. So please don’t procrastinate and leave
these in your cupboard for more than two years.
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FAQ’s
( Frequently Asked Questions )

Q12. Will these nutrients produce organic food ?

There are a lot of other parameters one needs to take care of to grow organic foods, firstly all your
produce should be seasonal and local so that they are more resistant to the environment. You will
also need to grow in soil totally free from pesticides which is not possible because of ground water
leeching. The produce you grow will be more dependent on your growing method than the nutrients
used. Ironically, as plants DO NOT uptake organic nutrients directly, in hydroponics we provide them
the most bioavailable form of the nutrients which are provided in their purest elemental form. As there
are no good or bad Calcium Nitrate molecules you do not need to worry if the nutrients will harm you or
the plants.

Q13. What type of nutrients are used in hydroponics ?

Only the essential nutrients required by the plant are used in hydroponics and given directly via a
closed loop water recirculation system, these are categorised into 2 main types :

Primary Macro :

Nitrogen(N), Phosporus(P), Potassium(K).

Secondary Macro :

Calcium(Ca), Magnesium(Mg), Sulphur(S)

Micro :

Carbon(C), Hydrogen(H), Oxygen(O), Iron(Fe), Manganese(Mn), Zinc(Zn), Boron(B), Molybdenum(Mo),

Chlorine(Cl), Copper(Cu) and Nickel(Ni)
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FAQ’s
( Frequently Asked Questions )

Questions For GrowLights

Q1. Do we use the same colour of light for both vegetative and flowering growth ?

As both the processes are part of separate growth events in a plant’s life cycle, it is best to use lights with
specific wavelength and colours- as suited to that particular phase, to get the best results at harvest.

Blue light stimulates vegetative growth of the plant whereas Red light stimulates flowering and fruiting.

Q2. Can we use incandescent bulbs in hydroponics ?

Regular incandescent bulbs are no longer used for indoor growing setups as they don’t produce an ideal
light spectrum required for plant growth and instead give off too much heat that can burn tender foliage.

Q3. Which type of light is most economical for hydroponics?

Given that the duration of keeping the lights on in a hydroponic setup can be anywhere between 18 to 24
hours, LED bulbs are the most economical option. Power efficient bulbs like LEDs play a very important
role in cutting down the running cost of a hydroponic system. They use half the electricity and last 5 times
longer even though they cost a bit more up front than fluorescent bulbs.

Fluorescent lights are relatively affordable and may be a good choice if you grow fewer plants. These
comprise of a very low pressure mercury gas discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible
light- creating a risk of mercury poisoning and difficult to dispose. These are better suited to grow seedlings
and cuttings or plants with low light requirements, but do not help with flowering stages as they do not emit
much red light.
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FAQ’s
( Frequently Asked Questions )

Q9. Why do we prefer grow lights to normal sunlight ?

Grow lights are preferred over sunlight in a few scenarios such as: places with lack of extended periods of
sunlight, people who do not have outdoor spaces such as gardens, lawns, etc. and for proper commercial
hydroponic/ aeroponic set-ups, to name a few.

Grow lights, as the name suggests, help with the efficient growth of a plant under a controlled environment.
Seedlings require lots of bright light devoid of which, they become weak and leggy, in most cases even the
sunniest windows won't provide the intensity or duration of light they need- especially in winters.

Q10. What is the difference in growth rate between high output LED and sunlight ?

If done properly, there should be no difference in the growth rate of a plant. It has been seen that in case of
LEDs, the optimal wavelength should be changed according to the type of plant- a combination of blue
and red light works better for increase in plant height and leaf area.

Q11. What should be the duration of keeping the lights switched on ?

Commercial farmers prefer to keep the lights on for a full 24 hours for maximum output. In case this is
not feasible, the most popular duration used is 18 hours on and 6 hours off- this mimics a natural day
light cycle with an induced dark period which can actually trigger certain plants to flower. Turning the
lights off can also help with lowering the electricity cost.

Q12. Which type of light is most environment friendly ?

LED lights are most environment friendly as they offer a long service life and high energy efficiency as
compared to other lighting options currently available. These are also mercury- free and the tubes don't
shatter like the fluorescent glass tubes, creating lesser toxic landfill waste.
Congratulations
On being a part of the hydroponics family !!

Best of luck with your grow !!!

Lettuce know whenever you have any concerns