Channel Title: Growing Answers Channel Description: This channel started out like the your junk drawer in your kitchen did. Random things collected with uselessness, taking up space and eventually you realized it has/had no purpose. Thanks to many comments and support of my subscribers, I have found my center in continuing to create meaningful and useful educational content. This channel has shifted towards mainly horticulture related content including scientific/experimental tests and possibly an occasional "random" video. Welcome to "Growing Answers!" <video> Bamboo in Sun vs Shade | The 10 Year Unintended Experiment Description: Every spring I look forward to seeing the grove send up it's new growth and watch it expand. I also hope to see larger and larger canes as long as the winter wasn't too harsh. Maybe one day ill have enough to use the canes to build something. It's been a long road and I am finally at the point with this grove where it won't need much attention or protection going forward. If you want to grow bamboo in cold climates, pick a type that can withstand the cold. Cold hardy does not always mean in will tolerate your climate. If you want to grow bamboo specifically so that it grows tall, the "above ground" growth needs to survive over winter. Stay away from clumping types in zone 6 or further north. They don't do well in cold climates with hot dry summers. Clumping types are tropical and running types are temperate. Running types are suited for non-tropical zones. Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5zstXfEtyh0iu-2QsSjC_cq Bissetii - Max Height 40', Tolerant to -10F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-18ft, Does well in drought. Spreads Fast (Phyllostachys Bissetii) Red Margin - Max 60', Tolerant to -5F, Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, One of the fastest spreading types and does well in shady or wet areas. (Phyllostachys Rubromarginata) Vivax - Max Height 70ft, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, Gets large fast, but produces less canes. Breaks easy under snow/Ice load. Even if top growth dies or is damaged over winter, the new canes that emerge in the spring will still be large unlike other types of bamboo. (Phyllostachys Vivax) Moso - Max Height 75ft or Taller*, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Establishes Slowly, Average Height Zone 5B 10-30ft, New shoots that emerge are not tolerant of frost. Bad choice for Zone 5. (Phyllostachys Edulis) Largest on earth. Incense - Max Height 25ft or Taller*, Tolerant to -5 or Colder (Depending*), Average height zone 5B 8-18ft, Does well in wet areas, slow spreading. Takes a longer time to reach mature heights. (Phyllostachys Atrovaginata) used to be called "Congesta." *Max height of bamboo is only stated as best case scenario growing in the proper zones. Just because its capable of being that tall doesn't mean it ever will be if grown in more northern zones. Cold tolerance depends on the duration of a certain temperature and how resistant certain types of bamboo are to cold dry winds. The roots of the bamboo will always be more cold tolerant than the stated tolerance and thus will send up new shoots in spring if a winter kills the bamboo. Usually if the bamboo dies over winter the new shoots that emerge in spring will be shorter. This sets back the maturity of the grove. The average height for the zone its being grown in is based off the maturity of the grove. Certain bamboo spreads and matures slower than others. The mature height for your zone is referred to as the average height stated above. If you have a bad winter it will extend the time it takes for the bamboo to reach mature heights. In some cases a few shoots can be taller than the expected average height for your zone if you have mild winter. Fertilize with high nitrogen to help reduce the time it takes to reach maturity. Expect 3-10 years for bamboo to reach mature heights after transplanting (depending of how big it is when purchased). Use 2-4 inches of wood chips on top of the soil to insulate the ground over winter. It will also help retain moisture in summer. Newly transplanted bamboo will have less cold tolerance than specified. You may want to protect it for the first winter. Barrier that I use - (Amazon affiliate links) 25ft - https://amzn.to/3fxjtEa 50ft - https://amzn.to/3fIng1M 75ft - https://amzn.to/2AdCVpf 100ft - https://amzn.to/35NYqsJ 200ft - https://amzn.to/2WPPazY Affiliate Links: PH Pen - https://amzn.to/324pEcv General Hydroponics Maxigro - https://amzn.to/3xqAetR General Hydroponics Maxigro and Maxibloom- https://amzn.to/3xosdpi General Hydroponics Liquid Nutes - https://amzn.to/2HuzIlD VEG+BLOOM Nutes - https://amzn.to/39EUhaP PH up PH Down - https://amzn.to/2SLmdDo 2" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/2uRuhdJ 3" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/37qGnYI Rock wool cubes - https://amzn.to/2SVwa1k Air pump - https://amzn.to/3cttYXr XL Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/3cfA3q4 Small Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/2zqkqxK Grow Tent - https://amzn.to/3fxK6c7 FoodSaver lids for mason jars - https://amzn.to/34M8P9L </video> <video> 4K Night Sky Time-Lapse | ZWO ASI676MC | Raspberry Pi 5 8gig | All sky Camera | Bortle 7 Description: This is using a typical 4" acrylic CCTV dome on a 6" waterproof work box. The pi, USB ssd, and camera are all in the box along with a mini fan blowing on the camera at all times. It uses a 12-24v converter to step down the power to 5.1v 5A for the pi5. 12v is easier to send amperage over longer wire runs vs a long USB extension so the converter is also inside to work box. I have the box wrapped in aluminum tape to reflect sunlight and black felt inside to dome to reduce internal reflections. The pi is hardwired via LAN as I had too many issues with WiFi which may be the result of using a non-PD rpi ps (which I do have). I chose to run the whole system on 12v to utilize a DC to DC ups that supplies 36 watts (more than enough to power the pi5 completely). I placed an AL heat-sink on the bottom of the housing that the 1.25" flange base attaches to. Then used an old intel CPU heat-sink inside the box that joins to the exterior AL heat-sink via a hole and some thermal paste. It is sealed which keeps the housing airtight. This acts passively by wind blowing through the fins of the exterior heat-sink which is underneath out of the sun. The fan that blows from the pi heat-sink as well as the camera fan, provides enough airflow inside the box for the internal heat-sink. With 85 degrees F ambient in full sun, the CPU stays in the low 50's C and the camera sensor rarely sees much above 40C. The heat build-up is mitigated well enough that it does not provide enough heat to stave off dew at night. I don't see water droplets form on the dome but a thin haze still forms. Which can be seen happen in this video before I took care of it with some temporary exterior dew heater straps. Although the housing is airtight, I still placed desiccant inside and purged it with dry nitrogen gas before sealing it. In very cold temps, even a small amount of humidity can condense and I did not want that to happen inside the box/dome. Here are the affiliate links for some of the things I used: LAN Bulkhead - https://amzn.to/3VmCikA Pi5 Case - https://amzn.to/4bCdw5r 12v-5.1v/5A USB- C Converter - https://amzn.to/4bXskeT Exterior Heatsink - https://amzn.to/3UVDHgs Female 12v mounted plugs - https://amzn.to/4c0sH8A 4" CCTV dome (This brand is good) - https://amzn.to/3yHjzHu Project Box - https://amzn.to/4e41djU Choose one or the other: USB 3.0 to SSD Adapter - https://amzn.to/3yRDjIg USB 3.0 to SSD Housing - https://amzn.to/4bBOh3l LifPo4 Battery for SLA replacement of UPS - https://amzn.to/3R6AtWr You can get the Pi products from here. (non-affiliate) https://www.pishop.us/ Allsky Software - https://github.com/AllskyTeam/allsky If you don't know how to use command prompts well, I recommend installing the desktop environment on Pi. I personally use the lite version of bookworm to reduce overhead and RAM. But if you get the Pi5 8gig like I did then it should have no issues. It seems to have no issue creating full res time lapses. </video> <video> DIY Garden Pond Update | The FREEZE | Part 7 Description: In this video I monitor the effectiveness of using an aerator to prevent the surface from completely icing over. I also check on the fish and sample the water temperatures. At the end I measure the ice thickness and it was surprisingly thinner than expected. This was all during what is usually the coldest time of the year for this region. In this region we typically never have temperatures that stay below freezing consistently for the whole of the winter. There is always freezes and thaws through the season. The cost of this build was around $3k because I did all the work alone. This would cost between $15-$25k to be done by pros. That's not including the well dig either. Well digs are also very costly. It only cost me the tools and time. UPDATE ON THE WELL...I no longer use it to top off the pond. There is too much mineral content in the well water for top-offs. Playlist for this series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5xbA80vxKSNqpUB2MXW6lG- Here are some affiliate links for the thing I used: Water Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3L2syXw In-line 12v Photocell - https://amzn.to/3mEnTS5 in-line 12v Dimmer - https://amzn.to/3A1lHaz Utility Pump - https://amzn.to/3MNNAug 1.25" Flex PVC - https://amzn.to/408gmc5 Pond Pump - https://amzn.to/3L47tM6 Liners/Underlayments - https://justpondliners.com/ 12v Lights - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Watt-Bronze-Low-Voltage-Hardwired-Integrated-LED-Path-Light/1001114118 Time Lapse Camera - https://amzn.to/40crxAy Electric Auger (to dig the well) - https://amzn.to/44VmCGZ Pitcher Pump - https://amzn.to/3QlukGn Post Hole Digger (A regular spiral auger won't work) - https://a.co/d/h39Arxu Pump (not the same brand but same thing) - https://amzn.to/3K3VBsG -You can get the Drummond brand pump from Harbor Freight </video> <video> DIY Garden Pond Update | Auto Top-Off System - Plants/Livestock | Part 5 Description: I dug a well by hand that taps into a sand/gravel aquifer between 21-23ft underground. The videos related to the well dig are only on my FB page. I used a clam-shell style manual post hole digger and made quick connect extension rod set along with an electric auger motor to dig the well. It took 10 hours straight to dig to 24ft. It is cased and capped. It refills itself from the bottom up in a few hours and levels out at around 16 gallons at the ready. This is what adds water to my pond daily to replaced evaporated water which is highly needed during summer. I also added a few native plants, nutes and tadpoles. None of the tadpoles survived. The nutes and fish ate them and the rest likely died off. The birds ate the nutes too. That's nature....no sense in fighting it. The cost of this was around $3k because I did all the work alone. This would cost between $15-$25k to be done by pros. That's not including the well dig either. Well digs are also very costly. It only cost me the tools. Playlist for this series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5xbA80vxKSNqpUB2MXW6lG- Here are some affiliate links for the thing I used: Water Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3L2syXw In-line 12v Photocell - https://amzn.to/3mEnTS5 in-line 12v Dimmer - https://amzn.to/3A1lHaz Utility Pump - https://amzn.to/3MNNAug 1.25" Flex PVC - https://amzn.to/408gmc5 Pond Pump - https://amzn.to/3L47tM6 Liners/Underlayments - https://justpondliners.com/ 12v Lights - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Watt-Bronze-Low-Voltage-Hardwired-Integrated-LED-Path-Light/1001114118 Time Lapse Camera - https://amzn.to/40crxAy Electric Auger (to dig the well) - https://amzn.to/44VmCGZ Pitcher Pump - https://amzn.to/3QlukGn Post Hole Digger (A regular spiral auger won't work) - https://a.co/d/h39Arxu Pump (not the same brand but same thing) - https://amzn.to/3K3VBsG -You can get the Drummond brand pump from Harbor Freight </video> <video> A Daytime Fireball Meteor over Cleveland Ohio 10/21/24 7:00pm Description: I captured this event with my Allsky7 automated meteor detection camera system. I have captured several "fireball" meteors this year and over the years since I have installed it. This is a 2-way tie for the brightest and longest to date. I did capture a longer one (about 11 seconds) a few years ago but not as bright. </video> <video> Peroxide as an Algaecide for Small Ponds Description: In this video I compare my experience with a typical algaecide and the use of hydrogen peroxide to reduce/suppress algae in my custom DIY pond. The cost of this build was around $3k because I did all the work alone. This would cost between $15-$25k to be done by pros. UPDATE ON THE WELL...I no longer use it to top off the pond. There is too much mineral content in the well water for top-offs. Playlist for this series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5xbA80vxKSNqpUB2MXW6lG- Here are some affiliate links for the thing I used: 12% Peroxide - https://amzn.to/4cv9DPU Water Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3L2syXw In-line 12v Photocell - https://amzn.to/3mEnTS5 in-line 12v Dimmer - https://amzn.to/3A1lHaz Utility Pump - https://amzn.to/3MNNAug 1.25" Flex PVC - https://amzn.to/408gmc5 Pond Pump - https://amzn.to/3L47tM6 Liners/Underlayments - https://justpondliners.com/ 12v Lights - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Watt-Bronze-Low-Voltage-Hardwired-Integrated-LED-Path-Light/1001114118 Time Lapse Camera - https://amzn.to/40crxAy Electric Auger (to dig the well) - https://amzn.to/44VmCGZ Pitcher Pump - https://amzn.to/3QlukGn Post Hole Digger (A regular spiral auger won't work) - https://a.co/d/h39Arxu Pump (not the same brand but same thing) - https://amzn.to/3K3VBsG -You can get the Drummond brand pump from Harbor Freight </video> <video> Leaving the Water Pump Running over Winter in my Garden Pond - Part 1 Description: In this video I start observations to see if I can leave my water pump and waterfall running all winter. In this region we typically never have temperatures that stay below freezing consistently for the whole of the winter. There is always freezes and thaws through the season. The cost of this build was around $3k because I did all the work alone. This would cost between $15-$25k to be done by pros. That's not including the well dig either. Well digs are also very costly. It only cost me the tools and time. UPDATE ON THE WELL...I no longer use it to top off the pond. There is too much mineral content in the well water for top-offs. Playlist for this series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5xbA80vxKSNqpUB2MXW6lG- Here are some affiliate links for the thing I used: Water Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3L2syXw In-line 12v Photocell - https://amzn.to/3mEnTS5 in-line 12v Dimmer - https://amzn.to/3A1lHaz Utility Pump - https://amzn.to/3MNNAug 1.25" Flex PVC - https://amzn.to/408gmc5 Pond Pump - https://amzn.to/3L47tM6 Liners/Underlayments - https://justpondliners.com/ 12v Lights - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Watt-Bronze-Low-Voltage-Hardwired-Integrated-LED-Path-Light/1001114118 Time Lapse Camera - https://amzn.to/40crxAy Electric Auger (to dig the well) - https://amzn.to/44VmCGZ Pitcher Pump - https://amzn.to/3QlukGn Post Hole Digger (A regular spiral auger won't work) - https://a.co/d/h39Arxu Pump (not the same brand but same thing) - https://amzn.to/3K3VBsG -You can get the Drummond brand pump from Harbor Freight </video> <video> My Bamboo Grove After 8 Years | 2023 Annual Update Description: This was planned to be a regular annual update but turned into a documentary about cold tolerance and how weather effects future growth. Every spring I look forward to seeing the grove send up it's new growth and watch it expand. I also hope to see larger and larger canes as long as the winter wasn't too harsh. Maybe one day ill have enough to use the canes to build something. It's been a long road and I am finally at the point with this grove where it won't need much attention or protection going forward. If you want to grow bamboo in cold climates, pick a type that can withstand the cold. Cold hardy does not always mean in will tolerate your climate. If you want to grow bamboo specifically so that it grows tall, the top growth needs to survive over winter. Stay away from clumping types in zone 6 or further north. They don't do well in cold climates with hot dry summers. Clumping types are tropical and running types are temperate. Running types are suited for non-tropical zones. Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5zstXfEtyh0iu-2QsSjC_cq Bissetii - Max Height 40', Tolerant to -10F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-18ft, Does well in drought. Spreads Fast (Phyllostachys Bissetii) Red Margin - Max 60', Tolerant to -5F, Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, One of the fastest spreading types and does well in shady or wet areas. (Phyllostachys Rubromarginata) Vivax - Max Height 70ft, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, Gets large fast, but produces less canes. Breaks easy under snow/Ice load. Even if top growth dies or is damaged over winter, the new canes that emerge in the spring will still be large unlike other types of bamboo. (Phyllostachys Vivax) Moso - Max Height 75ft or Taller*, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Establishes Slowly, Average Height Zone 5B 10-30ft, New shoots that emerge are not tolerant of frost. Bad choice for Zone 5. (Phyllostachys Edulis) Largest on earth. Incense - Max Height 25ft or Taller*, Tolerant to -5 or Colder (Depending*), Average height zone 5B 8-18ft, Does well in wet areas, slow spreading. Takes a longer time to reach mature heights. (Phyllostachys Atrovaginata) used to be called "Congesta." *Max height of bamboo is only stated as best case scenario growing in the proper zones. Just because its capable of being that tall doesn't mean it ever will be if grown in more northern zones. Cold tolerance depends on the duration of a certain temperature and how resistant certain types of bamboo are to cold dry winds. The roots of the bamboo will always be more cold tolerant than the stated tolerance and thus will send up new shoots in spring if a winter kills the bamboo. Usually if the bamboo dies over winter the new shoots that emerge in spring will be shorter. This sets back the maturity of the grove. The average height for the zone its being grown in is based off the maturity of the grove. Certain bamboo spreads and matures slower than others. The mature height for your zone is referred to as the average height stated above. If you have a bad winter it will extend the time it takes for the bamboo to reach mature heights. In some cases a few shoots can be taller than the expected average height for your zone if you have mild winter. Fertilize with high nitrogen to help reduce the time it takes to reach maturity. Expect 3-10 years for bamboo to reach mature heights after transplanting (depending of how big it is when purchased). Use 2-4 inches of wood chips on top of the soil to insulate the ground over winter. It will also help retain moisture in summer. Newly transplanted bamboo will have less cold tolerance than specified. You may want to protect it for the first winter. Barrier that I use - (Amazon affiliate links) 25ft - https://amzn.to/3fxjtEa 50ft - https://amzn.to/3fIng1M 75ft - https://amzn.to/2AdCVpf 100ft - https://amzn.to/35NYqsJ 200ft - https://amzn.to/2WPPazY Affiliate Links: PH Pen - https://amzn.to/324pEcv General Hydroponics Maxigro - https://amzn.to/3xqAetR General Hydroponics Maxigro and Maxibloom- https://amzn.to/3xosdpi General Hydroponics Liquid Nutes - https://amzn.to/2HuzIlD VEG+BLOOM Nutes - https://amzn.to/39EUhaP PH up PH Down - https://amzn.to/2SLmdDo 2" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/2uRuhdJ 3" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/37qGnYI Rock wool cubes - https://amzn.to/2SVwa1k Air pump - https://amzn.to/3cttYXr XL Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/3cfA3q4 Small Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/2zqkqxK Grow Tent - https://amzn.to/3fxK6c7 FoodSaver lids for mason jars - https://amzn.to/34M8P9L </video> <video> My Bamboo vs Heavy Snowfall - What I Do During Winter Description: Every spring I look forward to seeing the grove send up it's new growth and watch it expand. I also hope to see larger and larger canes as long as the winter wasn't too harsh. Maybe one day ill have enough to use the canes to build something. It's been a long road and I am finally at the point with this grove where it won't need much attention or protection going forward. If you want to grow bamboo in cold climates, pick a type that can withstand the cold. Cold hardy does not always mean in will tolerate your climate. If you want to grow bamboo specifically so that it grows tall, the top growth needs to survive over winter. Stay away from clumping types in zone 6 or further north. They don't do well in cold climates with hot dry summers. Clumping types are tropical and running types are temperate. Running types are suited for non-tropical zones. Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5zstXfEtyh0iu-2QsSjC_cq Bissetii - Max Height 40', Tolerant to -10F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-18ft, Does well in drought. Spreads Fast (Phyllostachys Bissetii) Red Margin - Max 60', Tolerant to -5F, Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, One of the fastest spreading types and does well in shady or wet areas. (Phyllostachys Rubromarginata) Vivax - Max Height 70ft, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, Gets large fast, but produces less canes. Breaks easy under snow/Ice load. Even if top growth dies or is damaged over winter, the new canes that emerge in the spring will still be large unlike other types of bamboo. (Phyllostachys Vivax) Moso - Max Height 75ft or Taller*, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Establishes Slowly, Average Height Zone 5B 10-30ft, New shoots that emerge are not tolerant of frost. Bad choice for Zone 5. (Phyllostachys Edulis) Largest on earth. Incense - Max Height 25ft or Taller*, Tolerant to -5 or Colder (Depending*), Average height zone 5B 8-18ft, Does well in wet areas, slow spreading. Takes a longer time to reach mature heights. (Phyllostachys Atrovaginata) used to be called "Congesta." *Max height of bamboo is only stated as best case scenario growing in the proper zones. Just because its capable of being that tall doesn't mean it ever will be if grown in more northern zones. Cold tolerance depends on the duration of a certain temperature and how resistant certain types of bamboo are to cold dry winds. The roots of the bamboo will always be more cold tolerant than the stated tolerance and thus will send up new shoots in spring if a winter kills the bamboo. Usually if the bamboo dies over winter the new shoots that emerge in spring will be shorter. This sets back the maturity of the grove. The average height for the zone its being grown in is based off the maturity of the grove. Certain bamboo spreads and matures slower than others. The mature height for your zone is referred to as the average height stated above. If you have a bad winter it will extend the time it takes for the bamboo to reach mature heights. In some cases a few shoots can be taller than the expected average height for your zone if you have mild winter. Fertilize with high nitrogen to help reduce the time it takes to reach maturity. Expect 3-10 years for bamboo to reach mature heights after transplanting (depending of how big it is when purchased). Use 2-4 inches of wood chips on top of the soil to insulate the ground over winter. It will also help retain moisture in summer. Newly transplanted bamboo will have less cold tolerance than specified. You may want to protect it for the first winter. Barrier that I use - (Amazon affiliate links) 25ft - https://amzn.to/3fxjtEa 50ft - https://amzn.to/3fIng1M 75ft - https://amzn.to/2AdCVpf 100ft - https://amzn.to/35NYqsJ 200ft - https://amzn.to/2WPPazY Affiliate Links: PH Pen - https://amzn.to/324pEcv General Hydroponics Maxigro - https://amzn.to/3xqAetR General Hydroponics Maxigro and Maxibloom- https://amzn.to/3xosdpi General Hydroponics Liquid Nutes - https://amzn.to/2HuzIlD VEG+BLOOM Nutes - https://amzn.to/39EUhaP PH up PH Down - https://amzn.to/2SLmdDo 2" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/2uRuhdJ 3" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/37qGnYI Rock wool cubes - https://amzn.to/2SVwa1k Air pump - https://amzn.to/3cttYXr XL Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/3cfA3q4 Small Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/2zqkqxK Grow Tent - https://amzn.to/3fxK6c7 FoodSaver lids for mason jars - https://amzn.to/34M8P9L </video> <video> Night Sky Time-Lapse Bortle 7 | ZWO ASI676MC | Raspberry Pi 5 8gig | All sky Camera Test Description: This is using a typical 4" acrylic CCTV dome on a 6" waterproof work box. The pi, USB ssd, and camera are all in the box along with a mini fan blowing on the camera at all times. It uses a 12-24v converter to step down the power to 5.1v 5A for the pi5. 12v is easier to send amperage over longer wire runs vs a long USB extension so the converter is also inside to work box. I have the box wrapped in aluminum tape to reflect sunlight and black felt inside to dome to reduce internal reflections. The pi is hardwired via LAN as I had too many issues with WiFi which may be the result of using a non-PD rpi ps (which I do have). I chose to run the whole system on 12v to utilize a DC to DC ups that supplies 36 watts (more than enough to power the pi5 completely). I placed an AL heat-sink on the bottom of the housing that the 1.25" flange base attaches to. Then used an old intel CPU heat-sink inside the box that joins to the exterior AL heat-sink via a hole and some thermal paste. It is sealed which keeps the housing airtight. This acts passively by wind blowing through the fins of the exterior heat-sink which is underneath out of the sun. The fan that blows from the pi heat-sink as well as the camera fan, provides enough airflow inside the box for the internal heat-sink. With 85 degrees F ambient in full sun, the CPU stays in the low 50's C and the camera sensor rarely sees much above 40C. The heat build-up is mitigated well enough that it does not provide enough heat to stave off dew at night. I don't see water droplets form on the dome but a thin haze still forms. Which can be seen happen in this video before I took care of it with some temporary exterior dew heater straps. Although the housing is airtight, I still placed desiccant inside and purged it with dry nitrogen gas before sealing it. In very cold temps, even a small amount of humidity can condense and I did not want that to happen inside the box/dome. Here are the affiliate links for some of the things I used: LAN Bulkhead - https://amzn.to/3VmCikA Pi5 Case - https://amzn.to/4bCdw5r 12v-5.1v/5A USB- C Converter - https://amzn.to/4bXskeT Exterior Heatsink - https://amzn.to/3UVDHgs Female 12v mounted plugs - https://amzn.to/4c0sH8A 4" CCTV dome (This brand is good) - https://amzn.to/3yHjzHu Project Box - https://amzn.to/4e41djU Choose one or the other: USB 3.0 to SSD Adapter - https://amzn.to/3yRDjIg USB 3.0 to SSD Housing - https://amzn.to/4bBOh3l LifPo4 Battery for SLA replacement of UPS - https://amzn.to/3R6AtWr You can get the Pi products from here. (non-affiliate) https://www.pishop.us/ Allsky Software - https://github.com/AllskyTeam/allsky If you don't know how to use command prompts well, I recommend installing the desktop environment on Pi. I personally use the lite version of bookworm to reduce overhead and RAM. But if you get the Pi5 8gig like I did then it should have no issues. It seems to have no issue creating full res time lapses. </video> <video> Fireball Meteor over Cleveland Ohio 10/5/24 11:45pm Description: I captured this event with my Allsky7 automated meteor detection camera system and my own custom allsky fisheye imaging system. I have captured several "fireball" meteors this year and over the years since I have installed it. This so far is the brightest and longest to date. I did capture a longer one (about 11 seconds) a few years ago but not as bright. </video> <video> My Bamboo Grove After 9 Years | 2024 Annual Update Description: Every spring I look forward to seeing the grove send up it's new growth and watch it expand. I also hope to see larger and larger canes as long as the winter wasn't too harsh. Maybe one day ill have enough to use the canes to build something. It's been a long road and I am finally at the point with this grove where it won't need much attention or protection going forward. If you want to grow bamboo in cold climates, pick a type that can withstand the cold. Cold hardy does not always mean in will tolerate your climate. If you want to grow bamboo specifically so that it grows tall, the "above ground" growth needs to survive over winter. Stay away from clumping types in zone 6 or further north. They don't do well in cold climates with hot dry summers. Clumping types are tropical and running types are temperate. Running types are suited for non-tropical zones. Playlist - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5zstXfEtyh0iu-2QsSjC_cq Bissetii - Max Height 40', Tolerant to -10F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-18ft, Does well in drought. Spreads Fast (Phyllostachys Bissetii) Red Margin - Max 60', Tolerant to -5F, Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, One of the fastest spreading types and does well in shady or wet areas. (Phyllostachys Rubromarginata) Vivax - Max Height 70ft, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Average Height Zone 5B 12-30ft, Gets large fast, but produces less canes. Breaks easy under snow/Ice load. Even if top growth dies or is damaged over winter, the new canes that emerge in the spring will still be large unlike other types of bamboo. (Phyllostachys Vivax) Moso - Max Height 75ft or Taller*, Tolerant to 5F or Colder (Depending*), Establishes Slowly, Average Height Zone 5B 10-30ft, New shoots that emerge are not tolerant of frost. Bad choice for Zone 5. (Phyllostachys Edulis) Largest on earth. Incense - Max Height 25ft or Taller*, Tolerant to -5 or Colder (Depending*), Average height zone 5B 8-18ft, Does well in wet areas, slow spreading. Takes a longer time to reach mature heights. (Phyllostachys Atrovaginata) used to be called "Congesta." *Max height of bamboo is only stated as best case scenario growing in the proper zones. Just because its capable of being that tall doesn't mean it ever will be if grown in more northern zones. Cold tolerance depends on the duration of a certain temperature and how resistant certain types of bamboo are to cold dry winds. The roots of the bamboo will always be more cold tolerant than the stated tolerance and thus will send up new shoots in spring if a winter kills the bamboo. Usually if the bamboo dies over winter the new shoots that emerge in spring will be shorter. This sets back the maturity of the grove. The average height for the zone its being grown in is based off the maturity of the grove. Certain bamboo spreads and matures slower than others. The mature height for your zone is referred to as the average height stated above. If you have a bad winter it will extend the time it takes for the bamboo to reach mature heights. In some cases a few shoots can be taller than the expected average height for your zone if you have mild winter. Fertilize with high nitrogen to help reduce the time it takes to reach maturity. Expect 3-10 years for bamboo to reach mature heights after transplanting (depending of how big it is when purchased). Use 2-4 inches of wood chips on top of the soil to insulate the ground over winter. It will also help retain moisture in summer. Newly transplanted bamboo will have less cold tolerance than specified. You may want to protect it for the first winter. Barrier that I use - (Amazon affiliate links) 25ft - https://amzn.to/3fxjtEa 50ft - https://amzn.to/3fIng1M 75ft - https://amzn.to/2AdCVpf 100ft - https://amzn.to/35NYqsJ 200ft - https://amzn.to/2WPPazY Affiliate Links: PH Pen - https://amzn.to/324pEcv General Hydroponics Maxigro - https://amzn.to/3xqAetR General Hydroponics Maxigro and Maxibloom- https://amzn.to/3xosdpi General Hydroponics Liquid Nutes - https://amzn.to/2HuzIlD VEG+BLOOM Nutes - https://amzn.to/39EUhaP PH up PH Down - https://amzn.to/2SLmdDo 2" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/2uRuhdJ 3" Net Cups - https://amzn.to/37qGnYI Rock wool cubes - https://amzn.to/2SVwa1k Air pump - https://amzn.to/3cttYXr XL Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/3cfA3q4 Small Clay Pebbles - https://amzn.to/2zqkqxK Grow Tent - https://amzn.to/3fxK6c7 FoodSaver lids for mason jars - https://amzn.to/34M8P9L </video> <video> DIY Garden Pond Update | Water Temps and Winterizing | Part 6 Description: In this video I prep for the first winter. A simple process. The bulk of this is measuring water temps at depth/s and comparing the variations in temperature under different weather conditions. This was mainly to get an idea of how ground temperature effects water temperature. The cost of this build was around $3k because I did all the work alone. This would cost between $15-$25k to be done by pros. That's not including the well dig either. Well digs are also very costly. It only cost me the tools. Playlist for this series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLogUxCOrWb5xbA80vxKSNqpUB2MXW6lG- Here are some affiliate links for the thing I used: Water Conditioner - https://amzn.to/3L2syXw In-line 12v Photocell - https://amzn.to/3mEnTS5 in-line 12v Dimmer - https://amzn.to/3A1lHaz Utility Pump - https://amzn.to/3MNNAug 1.25" Flex PVC - https://amzn.to/408gmc5 Pond Pump - https://amzn.to/3L47tM6 Liners/Underlayments - https://justpondliners.com/ 12v Lights - https://www.lowes.com/pd/Portfolio-3-Watt-Bronze-Low-Voltage-Hardwired-Integrated-LED-Path-Light/1001114118 Time Lapse Camera - https://amzn.to/40crxAy Electric Auger (to dig the well) - https://amzn.to/44VmCGZ Pitcher Pump - https://amzn.to/3QlukGn Post Hole Digger (A regular spiral auger won't work) - https://a.co/d/h39Arxu Pump (not the same brand but same thing) - https://amzn.to/3K3VBsG -You can get the Drummond brand pump from Harbor Freight </video> <video> Fireball/Meteor Compilation from My AllSky7 Meteor Detection System Description: This is my personal station. I receive no commission of sales. This is just to provide some clips of what it captures. Whether this is for science and data or just for fun, I enjoy checking it every morning to see what I captured. https://www.allskycams.com/ </video> <video> Chest Freezer Mini Split Air Conditioner | Random Video Thursday's Description: This is not a build montage video or story of trial and error. But I show in the video that this final concept design works and explain it. It's a very simple setup and is easy to understand. I avoided explaining my reasoning for doing this to save video time. But I will explain it here...I already had much of this set up from a previous project involving a geothermal test well in my basement. (PS - I only uploaded that video project to Facebook.) So I only needed to add a chest freezer and experiment with different build/design methods. The reason I am not just using a window AC is because I prefer not to have intermittent loud noise at night. I prefer not to have any extra sunlight entering my room in very early morning hours. I also prefer to not hear the loud birds in the early morning either. I have sleeping issues and have had to overcome the triggers. I also have casement windows which makes it a little more difficult for using a window unit. On top of that, I already have a whole house AC and 3 vents in the bedroom with one booster. All of that is still not enough to keep my bedroom cool enough through the night during a hot summer. I usually leave my windows open during other times of the year at night when pollen, daylight and bird noises is not an issue but it really needs to be at least 20 degrees colder outside to have any effect on cooling the room. Also if the humidity is high outside then its not worth it either. And don't get me started on internal/floor A/C units. This system is quiet and only uses around 140 watts to run the freezer. The cooling part of the system is small so it fits on a night stand. So not only does it take up little space, it can blow right on you if you want. It's a nice quiet gentle cool breeze. So even if it didn't cool the whole room, it will cool you which is more efficient in my book. Also my original intention was to only use it at night. So during the day the freezer cools the water and then at night the freezer is off while only the pump/fan run to blow cool air all night. I actually had no idea at first that it could just run continuously until I optimized the setup. So it can be used either way. Which is excellent for power outages. If the power went out you can use this for around 12 hours on a very small battery or if you wanted to have the chest freezer on too it would only need a very small generator or something like a 50Ah battery/inverter. It's a lot more efficient when power is an issue because of its conservative power needs. Here are the affiliate links for the parts: 12v 2x Noctua Fans - https://amzn.to/3NVot7z Heat Exchanger - https://amzn.to/3rCKGQe Check Valve - https://amzn.to/3K5gyU2 12v Pump - https://amzn.to/44tQr1v Tubing - https://amzn.to/3XYMIGB In-line Temperature Control Switch - https://amzn.to/3pMYsj0 For the tubing, you will need to heat up the end to slip it over the heat exchanger in/out ports. You can use boiling water, gentle flame or a heat gun. Use a little silicone grease or wd40 on the port then heat the tube and then use something like needle-nose pliers to widen the tube-end while its warm and then slip it over the heat exchanger nipple asap. </video>

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This channel started out like the your junk drawer in your kitchen did. Random things collected with uselessness, taking up space and eventually you realized it has/had no purpose. Thanks to many comments and support of my subscribers, I have found my center in continuing to create meaningful and useful educational content. This channel has shifted towards mainly horticulture related content including scientific/experimental tests and possibly an occasional "random" video. Welcome to "Growing Answers!"

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