Over time the Flex Farm, Flex Connect, and Sprout Tower will build up with calcium deposits, nutrient scaling, plant deposits, & algae. The best way to minimize the growth of these is with routine post-harvest & deep cleanings!
Post-Harvest Cleanings
Post-harvest cleanings are meant to be a quick, light cleaning right after harvesting and before transplanting your new rotation. It is important to perform this after every harvest to minimize algae growth & maintain optimal water flow throughout the system.
Turn off the water to the Flex Farm you are about to clean using the ball valve on the Vertical Irrigation Line.
Take a cloth and a spray bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide and spray down all components of the Flex Farm where plant deposits, algae, scaling, etc. are present.
It may be helpful to pop off some top caps and wipe down the drip line quickly as well to ensure nothing is obstructing the drip line holes.
The main areas where buildup can occur are planting spaces, between panels, & where the panels meet the tank lid.
Look into both tanks and discard any dead leaves, roots, and rockwool debris.
Turn the Vertical irrigation Line Ball Valve back on after you are done cleaning the Flex Farm.
After the cleaning has been completed for the rotation, you are ready to transplant your seedlings for the next rotation!
Deep Cleanings
Every 4 months or when you are shutting down the farm for a period of time, you will want to perform a deep clean to keep the units running optimally for years to come! These deep cleans will be complimentary on top of the post-harvest cleanings to remove 95% of the build-up on the Flex Farm, Flex Connect, and Sprout Stand. Just as your outdoor gardens need lots of upkeep at the start and end of the season, your system needs seasonal upkeep as well (albeit less labor-intensive).
View the deep cleaning as a more robust post-harvest cleaning. These are performed when no plants are in the system and the water to is shut off. You will be pulling out the panels and spraying them with 3% hydrogen peroxide, wiping them down, and running them through the dishwasher (Note: Root Chambers are NOT dishwasher safe). Pulling the root chambers from the Flex Farm, laying them flat, spraying them with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and wiping them down.
When cleaning, remember the goal is to remove 95% of the build-up; that extra 5% is tannins/scaling that is not worth the extra time involved to remove and will not harm the system's production.
Wiping down the light tower with a dry cloth will help to remove any salt deposits & dust for adequate plant lighting.
The 1-foot square panels are dishwasher safe. All other components are best and most quickly cleaned by hand with a brush or rag with 3% hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle.
To clean the Flex Connect follow the draining and disassembling and cleaning your Flex Connect Guides.