At the moment, the items below are the top five constraints I can think of for my desk garden.
- The garden must be able to plug into the wall for power.
- It must be leak-proof so it won’t ruin my desk.
- All electronics must be concealed (and kept dry) within the 1′ by 1′ by 1′ volume, with exception of the power cord.
- It must be easy to move, so it should stay together in 1 piece, and mot be too heavy. This means the water level can’t be too high within the reservoir.
- The LEDs must be lit for 10 hours a day, and the water may only flow when the switch is pressed.
4 Comments. Leave new
I’m guessing waterproofing is going to be the hardest thing- this isn’t something you’d want to mess up! I agree with Yusen- silicone is probably the way to go. Silicon sealing, but maybe even some sort of silicone sheets?
Maybe even research aquarium waterproofing- those guys have it figured out!
Leak-proof can be achieved by attaching silicon rubber surrounding the edges. I don’t think lit up led lights for 10 hrs a day is a big issue, since most leds can do this nowadays. Really want to see your final product! Good luck!
I think this project will be a really cool addition to your desk when it’s all finished! Have you thought much about what type of plants you’re going to have? Depending on the plant it could help you make design choices for the watering canopy.
I admit I don’t know much about taking care of plants – I only have an ivy and it’s only alive because it’s practically invincible. I’m wondering if you’ve looked into different LED lights and how they affect plant growth? I know some plants really need certain frequencies of light for photosynthesis. I am not particularly familiar with how LEDs differ from regular fluorescent lights, but I know they are generally much better at producing certain frequencies of light (rather than a bunch of different ones, or none at all and emitting heat waste). That might be something to look into while picking out the LEDs for the lamp portion!