HYDROPONIC SYSTEM FOR GROWING MULTIPLE TYPES OF PLANTS
The disclosure relates to technology for hydroponics. One aspect includes a computing system comprising a network interface, and a processor coupled to the network interface. The processor is configured to receive plant observations over the network interface from a plurality of electronic devices. The plant observations are for a type of crop being grown in respective hydroponic systems. The processor is configured is modify a technique for determining a water profile based on the plant observations, the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system. The processor is configured to determine a target water profile for growing crops in a target hydroponic system based on the modified technique, the crops in the target hydroponic system include the type of crop. The processor is configured to provide the target water profile over the network interface to a requesting electronic device.
1 . A computing system comprising:
a network interface; and
a processor coupled to the network interface, the processor configured to:
receive plant observations over the network interface from a plurality of electronic devices, the plant observations for a type of crop being grown in respective hydroponic systems;
modify a technique for determining a water profile based on the plant observations, the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system;
determine a target water profile for growing crops in a target hydroponic system based on the modified technique, the crops in the target hydroponic system include the type of crop; and
provide the target water profile over the network interface to a requesting electronic device.
2 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plant observations include an amount of time it took the type of crop to reach a stage in growth;
the processor is further configured to:
modify a parameter that defines the amount of time it takes for the type of crop to reach the stage in growth based on the plant observations; and
determine the target water profile based on the modified parameter, the target water profile depends on the stage in growth of the type of crop.
3 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system comprises a hydroponic nutrient solution ratio.
4 . The computing system of claim 3 , wherein the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system further comprises a target pH.
5 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system comprises a first ratio of two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions prior to modifying the technique; and
the water profile for growing the type of crop in a hydroponic system comprises a second ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions after modifying the technique.
6 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a list of different crops having different target water profiles from a first of the electronic devices, the different crops include the type of crop;
determine a target water profile for the different crops using the modified technique; and
provide the target water profile for the different crops to the first electronic device over the network interface.
7 . A method for controlling hydroponic plant growth, the method comprising:
receiving plant observations at a computer system from a plurality of remote electronic devices over a network interface, each plant observation for a type of plant being grown in a different hydroponic system;
modifying how a ratio of two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions for the type of plant are determined based on the plant observations;
determining a ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions for plants in a target hydroponic system based on the modification of how the ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions for the type of plant is determined, the plants in the target hydroponic system including the type of plant; and
providing the ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions to a remote electronic device that is associated with the target hydroponic system.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the plant observations include an amount of time it took the type of plant to reach a stage in growth;
modifying how the ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions are determined based on the plant observations comprises modifying a parameter that defines the amount of time it takes for the type of plant to reach the stage in growth based on the plant observations; and
determining the ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions is further based on the stage in growth of the type of plant.
9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a list of different plants having different target ratios of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions from a first of the remote electronic devices, the different plants include the type of plant;
determining a single ratio of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions for the different plants based on the hydroponic nutrients for the type of plant; and
providing a single ratio to the first remote electronic device over the network interface.
10 . A hydroponic system comprising:
one or more trays each having a drain opening;
a water re-circulation system configured to re-circulate an aqueous hydroponic nutrient through the hydroponic system, the water re-circulation system configured to provide the aqueous hydroponic nutrient to the tray, the tray configured to convey the aqueous hydroponic nutrient along a bottom the tray to the drain opening, the drain opening configured to drain the aqueous hydroponic nutrient from the tray; and
a control circuit configured to:
access a list of plants in the one or more trays, at least two of the plants having different target water profiles;
determine a single water profile for the list of plants; and
determine an adjustment to the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system based on the single water profile.
11 . The hydroponic system of claim 10 , wherein:
the list of plants comprises at least two different types of plants that have different target nutrient needs in their respective target water profiles; and
the control circuit is configured to determine a weighted average of the target nutrient needs for the list of plants.
12 . The hydroponic system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine the weighted average of the nutrient needs for the plants in the hydroponic system based on stages of growth of the plants in the hydroponic system.
13 . The hydroponic system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
automatically adjust the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system based on the single water profile.
14 . The hydroponic system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
provide instructions for a user to adjust the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system based on the single water profile.
15 . The hydroponic system of claim 10 , wherein the single water profile for the list of plants comprises a ratio of two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions.
16 . The hydroponic system of claim 15 , wherein:
the single water profile comprises a target electrical conductively (EC); and
the control circuit is further configured to only adjust the aqueous hydroponic nutrient in response to the target EC being below a present EC of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system.
17 . The hydroponic system of claim 10 , wherein the single water profile for the list of plants comprises a target pH for list of plants.
18 . The hydroponic system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a pH sensor configured to determine the pH of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system, wherein the control circuit is further configured to modify the pH of the aqueous hydroponic nutrient that is re-circulated through the hydroponic system to achieve the target pH.
19 . A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to:
access a list of plants in a hydroponic system, the plants being exposed to the same running water containing plant nutrients, the list of plants comprises at least two different types of plants that have different target ratios of two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions;
access a growth stage for each of the plants in the hydroponic system, the list of plants comprises at least two different plants at different growth stages having different target ratios of the two or more hydroponic nutrient solutions;
determine a single ratio of the two or more nutrient solutions for the plants in the hydroponic system; and
either instruct a user to adjust to plant nutrients in the running water based on the single ratio or automatically adjust the plant nutrients in the running water based on the single ratio.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
instruct the user to adjust the plant nutrients in the running water based on the single ratio.
21 . The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
automatically adjust the plant nutrients in the running water based on the single ratio.