• ZipGrow
•Green Wall
•Manual
www.zipgrow.com
table of contents
• Tools Required For Assembly
• Components List
• Structural Assembly
• Irrigation Assembly
• Planting Your ZipGrow Green Wall
• Green Wall Placement
• Green Wall Mounting
• Adding Nutrients
• Tower Top-Off Tanks
• Troubleshooting
Tools required for assembly
•
•
•
•
Clear PVC Cement
Phillips Screwdriver
3/8” Open Ended Wrench
Wire Cutters or Scissors
(to trim zip ties)
Mounting Tools (optional)
• Drill
• Studfinder
components list: 4 tower green wall
Structural Components
1 – 5”x5” PVC Top Gutter
1 – 5”x5” PVC Bottom Gutter
4 – 3/4”x3/4” Aluminum Supports
2 – 5”x5” Top Gutter Pyramid Caps
2 – 5”x5” Bottom Gutter End Caps
2 – PVC Bow Tie Supports
1 – 1” Diameter PVC Tube
Structural Hardware
_8 – 5/16”x3/16”x1/16” O-Rings
16 – 1/4” Hex Nuts
16 – 1/4” Lock Washers
16 – 1¼” Phill.Truss Screw
Irrigation Components
1 – AG-400 12V Water Pump
1 – 1/2” Diameter Black Polyethylene
Tubing
1 – 1/4” Diameter Fuel Line
1 – 1/2” Diameter 90° Elbow Joint
4 – Labyrinth Flow Fittings
1 – 4” Matrix Media
(pump filter replacement)
Mounting Components
3 – Aluminum Mounting Clips
3 – Aluminum Mounting Channel
9 – Hex Tap Bolts
9 – Lock Washers
9 – Nuts
components list: 8 tower green wall
Structural Components
1 – 5”x5” PVC Top Gutter
1 – 5”x5” PVC Bottom Gutter
4 – 3/4”x3/4” Aluminum Supports
2 – 5”x5” Top Gutter Pyramid Caps
2 – 5”x5” Bottom Gutter End Caps
3 – PVC Bow Tie Supports
1 – 1” Diameter PVC Tube
Structural Hardware
_8 – 5/16”x3/16”x1/16” O-Rings
16 – 1/4” Hex Nuts
16 – 1/4” Lock Washers
16 – 1¼” Phill.Truss Screw
Irrigation Components
1 – AG-400 12V Water Pump
1 – 1/2” Diameter Black Polyethylene
Tubing
1 – 1/4” Diameter Fuel Line
1 – 1/2” Diameter 90° Elbow Joint
8 – Labyrinth Flow Fittings
1 – 4” Matrix Media
(pump filter replacement)
Mounting Components
3 – Aluminum Mounting Clips
3 – Aluminum Mounting Channel
9 – Hex Tap Bolts
9 – Lock Washers
9 – Nuts
Structural assembly
The first step in the assembly process is differentiating the top gutter from the
bottom gutter. The top gutter will be drilled with 6 (or more) pairs of small screw
holes.
Top Gutter
Bottom Gutter
To begin assembling the bottom gutter place the bow ties within the gutter. The
bow ties will rest on the inside of the aluminum supports. Placing the bow ties
inside the bottom gutter before sliding the PVC pipe through makes for easier
installation.
Make sure to align the bow ties correctly. The hole will be higher off the ground
when properly aligned.
Correct
Incorrect
Structural assembly
Insert the 4 aluminum supports into the square holes of the bottom gutter. The predrilled screw holes in the aluminum will line up with the pre-drilled screw holes in
the gutter.
Secure the aluminum support to the bottom gutter using 8 of the Phill Truss Screws
with O-rings. The O-rings should be placed on the outside of the gutter, and the
washers should be placed between the nut and the aluminum support. Be sure to
tighten the nuts securely to prevent any leaking.
Structural assembly
Now you’re ready to place the top gutter onto the four aluminum supports. Before
doing this make sure the mounting holes on the top and bottom gutter face the
same direction.
When the mounting holes are facing the same direction the irrigation holes on the
top and bottom gutter will also be on the same side *(see photo). Assemble the top
gutter to the aluminum supports in the same manner as the bottom gutter (install
the washer and nuts on the inside).
Irrigation assembly
Place the pump in the bottom gutter on
the same side as the irrigation hole. The
pump will fit on inside the bowtie. Attach
the poly tubing to the fuel line on the pump
by inserting the poly tubing through the
irrigation hole. Then thread the pump’s
power cord through the irrigation hole.
Seal the end caps onto the bottom gutter using PVC cement. To prevent leaking
fill the groove of the end caps with an adequate amount of PVC cement (approx.
1/2 full around the entire groove). Then
secure the end caps to the the bottom gutter so the edge of each gutter rests neatly inside the groove of each end cap. Let
PVC cement dry completely.
•
Note: Pump and Matrix Media come assembled, but your Green Wall comes with
a 4” piece of media for filter replacement.
Irrigation assembly
Slide the remaining piece of poly tubing (the one with the drippers attached)
through the top gutter.
The drippers should be in the center of the tower holes and the poly tubing
should extend 2 or more inches out from the end of the gutter (opposite of the
pump side).
Connect the 2 pieces of poly tubing using the 90º barbed elbow joint.
note: To aid tube fitting you can soak the ends of the poly tubing in hot water or hot
soapy water for several seconds. Do not use antibacterial soap.
Irrigation assembly
Secure poly tubing to the top of the gutter by threading the zip ties through
the pre-drilled holes as marked.
Fold the open end of poly tubing over and
zip tie it closed.
Place and push in pyramid caps to secure.
No glue or PVC cement required.
Planting zipgrow towers
Your ZipGrow Green Wall is completely assembled
It’s time to plant your ZipGrow towers and start growing!
Green Wall Placement
When placing your ZipGrow Green Wall there are three major considerations:
Lighting
Place your green wall in a location that receives adequate light for the crops that
you are culturing. If you are growing in the northern hemisphere, a south-facing
wall is ideal to access the maximum amount of sunlight.
Accessibility to water
We recommend placing your green wall near a spigot or sink. This will make it easy
to add water to your green wall as your crops mature.
Structural support
When mounting the ZipGrow Green Wall onto a wall, be sure to anchor the mounting channel into a structurally sound surface. Only attach the mounting channel to
studs, brick, or cement.
*Drywall alone will not support a ZipGrow Green Wall kit*
Green Wall mounting
There are 2 sets of 3 screw holes on the back of the top gutter, and one set of 3
screw holes on the back of the bottom gutter.
Fasten the included 3-hole clips using the included nuts and bolts, so that the
portion of the clip with the holes is flush against surface of the bottom gutter and
top gutter (see photo beloew).
These clips will allow the mounting channel to slide between the clip and the gutter.
Tighten these clips down with the nuts and washers on the inside of the gutters.
Green Wall mounting
The mounting channel is shaped asymmetrically with a profile of a question mark. It will provide a ¾” gap between the wall and the green wall. Measure your green
wall and the positioning of your clips and mount the channel pieces to the wall
at the appropriate height and spacing making sure that they are well anchored.
The green wall can weigh up to several hundred pounds when fully grown out
and loaded with top off tanks, so make sure that the mounting rail pieces are
firmly fastened to brick, masonry, or studs within the wall.
For masonry, this may require strike anchors or other bolt type anchors. For
wooden walls, use a stud finder to locate and mount your wall into the stud. If
you have not mounted similar equipment before, please consult a professional.
Mount the channel so they correspond with the 3-hole clips mounted on the
back of the Green Wall - both on the top and bottom gutters. Once the mounting
channels are anchored into place, lift the empty Green Wall and place it on the
mounting channel with the 3-hole clips sliding over the mounting channel at all
3 points.
adding nutrients
You can add either liquid or dry nutrients to your system. If you are running a small
system, liquid nutrients will be more convenient.
Your ZipGrow Green Wall will come with a small bottle of Dyna-Grow liquid fertilizer. More information on Dyna-Gro product content, associated hazards and personal protection requirements (MSDS) is available online at www.Dyna-gro.com,
or by calling 800-396-2476.
Be sure to read and follow the directions on the back of the liquid fertilizer. For additional information on choosing a nutrient mix, read our blog post on the topic.
Should you run out of solution, you can
order more at shop.brightagrotech.com
Fill your bottom gutter with water and nutrient solution to the top of the PVC bar.
You can completely fill the bottom gutter
to the top if you wish.
Depending on crop size, lighting and
temperature, you may need to refill several times a week.
adding nutrients Using a top off tank
Tower Top-off Tank
We recommend keeping a tower top-off tank or a stock of mixed solution on hand
to make refilling a quick and easy process.
If you ordered a tower top-off tank(s) as an add-on for your green wall, you will
need to refill your green wall less often.
Tower Top-Off Tank Instructions
• Fill tower with water
• Add appropriate amount of liquid fertilizer
• Replace rubber stopper (be sure it seals or the tower will not operate correctly)
(Fig. A)
• Place Tower Top-Off Tank into ZipGrow Green Wall
• Turn valve to open (parallel to the tower) to turn on. (Fig. B)
Figure A
Figure B
Troubleshooting
– Leaks
If you cannot determine the source of a leak, contact us at info@brightagrotech.
com or call us at 307-766-6538.
Most leaks will occur at the end caps or at a kink in the irrigation tubing.
– Deficiencies
If your plants begin to show signs of deficiency (yellowing or browning on the
leaves are the two most common symptoms), it is likely that your plants are not
receiving the proper nutrient dosage. Re-read the liquid fertilizer instructions and
refill your ZipGrow Green Wall with the proper concentration.
If a deficiency persists more than three weeks, use the Nutrient Deficiency Key
to identify the deficiency and treat it as recommended on the Vertical Food Blog.
If you have trouble finding any information,
email us at [email protected].
– Pests
The pests that you deal with will vary depending on where you have placed your
ZipGrow Green Wall, your climate, other
plants in the area, and many additional
factors.
You can read about the top insect pests in
this blog post.
About Bright Agrotech
Unlike a lot of gloom and doomers, we’re very optimistic about the direction world agriculture is headed.
Multi-national news focuses on huge monoculture farming operations and the drought and despair they are experiencing as of late. While they focus on the negative, we look positively towards the future.
We focus on the small, Upstart Farmers. The ones creating a real impact, no matter how small
it may seem. These are the folks figuring out the new food model and learning better ways to
feed those around them.
While the media likes to pander to the fearful and freaked out, we try to share stories of innovation, hope, and small-scale successes.
It’s important to remember that change usually doesn’t take place (i.e. almost never) on a large scale. Change
and innovation come from the bottom. From the guy tinkering in his garage. From the chef growing greens in her
kitchen. From the unconventional farmer growing incredibly fresh herbs on his apartment building’s roof.
These relatively non traditional farmers and innovators may be small today, but they’ll be the ones feeding us
tomorrow. At Bright, we’re committed to educating, equipping and empowering these farmers of the future.
the bright team
Bright Agrotech is composed of a rapidly growing group of
incredibly hard working, passionate individuals committed to
empowering the farmers of tomorrow.
Our ZipGrowTM vertical farming/gardening towers help small
hobbyist growers and commercial producers everywhere see
maximum yields and economic profit.
We want to help farmers live better, increase their margins,
and give their consumer the most quality produce possible.
Listen to our story here.