Frequently asked questions
On the automated greenhouse
What can you grow in an automated greenhouse?
- Aromates : parsley, basil, verbena, coriander, chives, thyme, rosemary, mint, fennel, …
- Leafy vegetables : Lettuce of all kinds, kohlrabi, kale, Chinese cabbage, celery, pak choi, …
- Small fruit vegetables : cherry tomatoes, peppers, chillies, beans, etc.
- Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
- Edible flowers
The large plant extensions (available in our store) enable you to grow large fruiting vegetables: tomatoes, zucchinis, eggplants, cauliflowers, etc.
Which greenhouses are suitable for the MyFarm automation kit?
The MyFarm kit is compatible with any greenhouse that meets the following conditions:
- Rectangular, minimum length 260 cm, minimum width 140 cm (please contact us for widths over 310 cm)
- Minimum gutter height 140 cm (Note: from 180 cm in height, the pond is simply placed on the ground, and between 140 and 180 cm the pond is buried to a depth of 180 cm minus the height of the greenhouse under the gutter. If you can’t dig into the ground, you’ll need a gutter greenhouse at least 180 cm high).
- Aluminium frame (compatible with hammerhead greenhouse screws)
- Vertical walls (not sloping)
Please contact MyFarm if you have any doubts about the compatibility of your greenhouse.
Why spend that amount on an automated greenhouse when I can grow a vegetable garden?
We all agree that having a vegetable garden at home is great. However, what we tend to forget is that a vegetable garden requires space, financial resources, a lot of time, certain physical abilities, solid knowledge and… luck with the weather! The MyFarm system has been designed to help you grow your fruit and vegetables while minimizing these 6 constraints. Let’s compare the conventional vegetable garden and the MyFarm system on each of these points.
1. Less space: a vegetable garden obviously requires a certain amount of space. You can grow a few herbs in a vegetable patch, but if you want to start growing different kinds of fruiting vegetables, root vegetables and leafy greens for 2 to 4 people, you’ll need a minimum of 10 to 20 m² of space. On this point, MyFarm scores much better with its vertical cultivation towers, enabling 120 plants to be grown on just 5 m². You’d need 20 m² of land to grow the equivalent in a conventional vegetable garden.
2. Cheaper: you might think that creating and maintaining a vegetable garden is free, but it’s far from it. Growing trays, gardening equipment, potting soil, greenhouse, straw, trellis, irrigation system, fertilizers or repellents if required. All these expenses are either included or avoided with the purchase of your MyFarm system. What’s more, to harvest outside the summer months, a greenhouse is recommended. However, to have a greenhouse capable of growing 120 plants simultaneously, you’ll need one of at least 20 m². For an equivalent level of quality, this will cost you more than an automated greenhouse with MyFarm!
3. Less time: you’d think that all you’d have to do is plant a seed and 3 months later all you’d have to do is harvest. Unfortunately, this is not the case with a conventional vegetable garden. Sow, water every day, transplant and water again. You need to look after your land, think about proper crop rotation, and watch out for diseases carried by foxes and other mammals wandering around. Quick action is needed in the event of plant disease, drought or excessive humidity. Keep an eye out for rodents, slugs and caterpillars. It’s very difficult to get a salad without repellents and other chemicals, because insects love them. Some years, pests are devastating. And there’s nothing more frustrating than to see your little ones eaten alive after having devoted so much time and love to them. For the faint of heart, it may be best to abstain. And when you’ve finally reached the harvesting stage, you still need to take the time to remove the soil from each vegetable and pray that there are no pest infestations. In comparison, MyFarm’s vertical crop towers reduce to almost zero the risk of attack by any type of pest: rodents, slugs, caterpillars, parasites, mammals. No need to water, the system takes care of everything. There’s no need to worry about crop rotation, or even removing soil from your crops since there isn’t any! All you’ll have to do is basically manage your seedlings, check that the water is running normally, maintain your filter, fill the feeder and add mineral salts from time to time (see “What does the schedule of a MyFarm aquaponist look like?”).
4. Less physical strain: another thing we often forget. Moving quantities of soil or potting soil, working the ground, pruning plants, harvesting from the ground… it can all be very tiring and mission impossible for people who are elderly, pregnant, have reduced mobility or back pain. The soil-less, vertical cultivation of the MyFarm system greatly reduces these problems. You plant and harvest to your heart’s content.
5. Less knowledge required: see “Can I get started as a novice?”.
6. Less dependent on weather conditions: some years can be desperate for us grass farmers. Rain, diseases such as mildew, slugs and caterpillars can ravage vegetable gardens. And we must unfortunately expect this trend to continue with climate change. As for MyFarm’s automated greenhouses, they continue to produce as normal thanks to their closed system, which is much more resistant to external threats!
In conclusion, your MyFarm greenhouse will make your life a whole lot easier for a price which, given its quality, longevity, productivity, accessibility and above all the time and space it saves you, is not as high as it seems. In fact, you can think of it as an investment that can earn you more than 25% a year. It’s better than solar panels or any stock market index!
If you already have a vegetable garden, even better. Your MyFarm greenhouse will take care of the most difficult plants to grow (according to permaculture principles), such as lettuce, basil or parsley. Your vegetable garden can continue to host various vegetables such as root vegetables.
Does acquiring a MyFarm system involve any costs other than the greenhouse?
- Mandatory fixed costs: minimum of 30 fish of at least 10 cm (for red comets, this represents approximately €75).
- Obligatory recurring costs: fish food (€30 per year), seedlings, mineral salts to boost your harvests and treat any deficiencies (soon available on myfarm.be for €35 per year), electricity (49 watts), water (500 to 1000 liters per year).
- Optional fixed costs: gravel to cover greenhouse floor, shade sail, rainwater collector
Is there a better season than another for automating a greenhouse with MyFarm?
No. The best time to buy an automated greenhouse or MyFarm system is as soon as possible. In fact, it takes a good 6 months for the biological filter made up of bacteria to be in top form, and its performance only increases with time. On the other hand, rising raw material prices and inflation are rapidly driving up MyFarm’s prices. For these reasons, we advise you not to wait for a particular season to order, but to order as soon as you feel ready.
Can we be self-sufficient in vegetables?
Our aim at MyFarm is to guarantee an optimum (productivity)/(investment+maintenance) ratio. So, with the MyFarm system, you maximize your vegetable yield while minimizing the initial investment and maintenance time required. As a result, your greenhouse will play a significant role in your vegetable intake.
However, increasing productivity to the point of autonomy would require an initial investment 8 times higher and a maintenance time 6 times longer, making the project considerably less accessible.
Can sub-zero temperatures freeze the system?
Not for most winters. The system continues to run in winter, and several elements keep the temperature above 0°C: the system is in a greenhouse, the water is constantly in motion, and oxygenation prevents freezing.
However, extreme temperatures can persist for more than a week. In this case, the water in the circuit will freeze and the pump will stop running, but the water in the tank will remain at a positive temperature and the fish will still be healthy thanks to the oxygenator. The pump will restart when the water in the circuit has thawed.
Fish metabolism slows down in winter. This means less feeding, and that’s just as well, because the system will also be less greedy.
Do fruits and vegetables taste like fish?
Not at all. For the same reason that produce grown in soil doesn’t taste like soil or manure, fruit and vegetables grown in aquaponics don’t taste like fish. It’s a well-known fact that bioponics products have less flavor, but that’s not the case with aquaponics products, which are particularly tasty!
Are fish happy?
Guillaume Eveillard, curator of the Paris Aquarium, is categorical: fish raised in an aquaponics system are happy fish.
In fact, 3 factors play a role in fish well-being: clean water, a density that’s neither too low nor too high, and regular feeding.
Clean water is ensured by a system of bacteria and plants. Bacteria break down fish excrement into plant-available nutrients, and the plants consume the nutrients. Together, they form a biofilter that keeps the water perfectly clean.
Concerning the density of fish in your pond, if it’s too low there’s a chance that dominators will form and stress the dominated, and if it’s too high the fish won’t have enough space to evolve freely. The general rule is about 1 liter of water per 1 cm of fish, which is easy to achieve with the MyFarm greenhouse configuration.
Last but not least, your fish will enjoy a stable diet as they are regularly fed by your feeder.
In conclusion, you can pride yourself on raising happy fish. This is not the case for many farmed fish, which live in densities beyond comprehension, constantly swimming against each other and eating each other’s excrement.
Is the MyFarm system noisy?
No. The only appliance you might be able to hear from inside the greenhouse is the oxygenator, but it’s one of the quietest on the market. You really have to put your ear to the ground to hear it. What you’ll hear most is the gentle sound of trickling water.
What kind of fish can I put in the tank?
For beginners, we recommend red comets (the famous goldfish), particularly robust and beautiful when they reach their full 30 cm. These can be subject to wide variations in temperature (up to 30°C) and pH (6 to 8). Lovers of koi and other ornamental fish will also find what they’re looking for.
Then, if you want to take your home farm experience a step further, you can replace your ornamental fish with edible fish. Carp are back in fashion in gourmet restaurants and are very easy to raise, as they can withstand temperature variations from 2 to 32°C. Lastly, more sensitive to water parameters but with lightning-fast growth and particularly tasty flesh, trout is the queen of aquaponics in Belgium. It survives temperatures from 1 to 26°C, which means you’ll need to catch your trout before the summer heat, and combine them with carp.
Are MyFarm products under warranty?
Our products are guaranteed 2 years.
In the event of dissatisfaction or change of mind, and if the product has not been altered in any way, the customer may return the MyFarm kit within 60 days of delivery. We offer free return shipping.
On payment, delivery and installation
What payment methods are available?
By bank transfer
You can pay us by bank transfer.
The advantage of this method is that it is free of charge.
By PayPal (+40 euros)
You can also pay us by PayPal via the link PayPal.Me/MyFarmbe.
The advantage of this method is that your payment is protected by PayPal’s Purchase Protection. If you don’t already have a PayPal account, you can open one in just a few seconds.
If you opt for this method of payment, please note a surcharge of 40 euros to cover commission costs.
How does delivery work?
All products in our store are delivered free of charge to your home in Belgium and France.
For all other countries, please contact us for a delivery price.
For delivery times, please refer to the product description.
What should I do while I'm waiting for my order?
There are 3 things you need to do while waiting for your order to arrive.
First, you need to think about what plants you’ll be planting in your towers once your greenhouse is installed. If you’ve chosen to buy your plants from a nursery, then you don’t need to prepare anything. But if you’ve chosen to start from your own seeds, then it’s best to prepare your seedlings during the delivery period of your order.
Secondly, if applicable, you need to prepare the site where your greenhouse will be installed:
- Make sure that the ground on which your greenhouse will be installed is perfectly level. It is possible to install a greenhouse on sloping ground, but you will need to level the soil. A good shovel and a little elbow grease, and that’s it!
- Make sure nothing obstructs the greenhouse.
- Make sure you get at least 4 hours of sun exposure a day.
Thirdly, you need to make sure that an electrical plug reaches the inside of the greenhouse, such as an outdoor extension cord. If in doubt, ask a certified electrician for advice.
How does the installation work?
To install your greenhouse, you can obtain an optional assembly service, or assemble the greenhouse yourself. You’ll need the following tools: tape measure, screwdriver, drill, 3 mm metal bit, suction cup for holding glass, cutter, screwdriver, 10 mm wrench, pliers, cutting pliers, mallet, water level, shovel.
You can install the MyFarm kit yourself with the help of our instructional videos.. To do this, you’ll need a screwdriver with 3 mm wood and 3 and 6.5 mm metal bits, a cutter, a 10 mm wrench, screwdrivers, a hot air gun or hair dryer, pliers and a basin.
What happens once everything is installed?
Once your greenhouse and system are installed, there are 5 more steps to complete before you can start your adventure. You’ll receive a guide with detailed explanations for each one.
- Filling the pond: Ideally, fill your pond with 2/3 rainwater. It’s easy to install a rainwater collector on your gutters. If this option is not available, fill your pond with tap water.
- Cycling the water: before you can introduce your fish, it’s essential to cycle your water. Cycling involves installing in the system the bacteria responsible for transforming fish excrement into plant-available nutrients. This process takes several weeks.
- Planting in towers: you can choose between preparing your own seedlings or picking up mature plants from a nursery.
- Ordering fish: you choose which fish to introduce into your pond, and where to buy them. If you’re a beginner, we recommend red comets. You can have them delivered to your home free of charge by our partner.
- Introducing fish into the pond: fish should be introduced gently. If you have the fish delivered in a bag, simply place it in your pond and drill a few holes, so that the transition is smooth.
On the maintenance of an automated greenhouse
Can I start out as a novice?
Looking after an automated greenhouse is accessible to anyone capable of looking after a goldfish. The only slightly technical moment will be the first few days after installing the greenhouse, when you’ll need to cycle your water. But all you have to do is follow the steps indicated. If you have any questions, you can always contact us.
Note that it’s much easier to maintain a MyFarm aquaponic greenhouse than a conventional vegetable garden. Indeed, since a vegetable garden operates in an open system, the number of mistakes you can make and problems you can encounter is infinite (slugs, rodents, caterpillars, aphids, disease-carrying wild animal droppings, too little or too much watering, abundant rain and wind, poor soil quality, poor crop rotation, plant diseases, deficiencies, etc.). Simply identifying the nature of the problems you’re facing can be very complex. When your turnip doesn’t grow, for example, the problem may lie in the soil, the temperature, the nuisance of other plants, insects, animals, your watering, … By the time we find the source of the problem, an entire season can pass. In an aquaponics system, since we’re in a closed system, the number of potential obstacles is limited, and every problem has a precise solution. With our documentation and support, your chances of success are guaranteed!
What does the schedule of a MyFarm aquaponist look like?
To view the video, click here.
To give you a clear idea of what to expect, we’ve compiled a list of the regular tasks involved in acquiring a MyFarm system.
Every day
- Harvesting.
Every 2 weeks
- Check that plants are in good health.
- Check that the water flows normally.
- Fill the vending machine with food.
- Check that there are no solid residues in the pond (uneaten food, plant waste).
- Check water level and adjust if necessary.
- Prepare seedlings and plant in towers to ensure the next cycle.
- In high season, keep an eye on the temperature (leave the door open when it’s hot, put up a shade cloth if necessary).
Monthly
- Empty purge valves and clean filter.
-
Test water with a test strip.
- Add mineral salts according to the season.
Every year
- Clean towers and remove dead roots.
What problems might I encounter on a daily basis with my automated greenhouse?
We have listed all the problems you may encounter during normal use of your automated greenhouse:
- pH too high or too low
- Water leak or low water level
- Water temperature too high
- Plants with deficiencies
- Plants that drip on each other
- Splashy hoses
- Overfed fish
- Sick fish
- Clogged system
- Defective appliances
- Power failure
Each of these problems has an easy-to-implement solution, which we share with you in our guide.
Can I go on vacation if I have an automated greenhouse?
Of course you can. The automatic feeder has a 2-week capacity. In the event of a problem, fish can even go up to 2 weeks without eating.
If you regularly go away for longer periods, you can always buy a larger feeder.
Before leaving for several weeks, simply empty the drain valves, clean the filter and refill the feeder. When you return, you’ll find your greenhouse bursting with greenery!
Can I pause the system?
Of course you can. If you don’t want to run a season, or if you’re going away for a long time, you can pause your system in two ways: the short pause and the long pause.
For short breaks, you empty your growing towers, but keep your fish. You just need to keep filling the automatic fish feeder and set it to a low opening, clean the filter regularly and change the water when nitrates rise above 150 mg/l. You can maintain this situation for as long as you like.
For the long-term break, you sell or donate your fish so that you no longer have to feed them or clean the filter, and can shut down the entire system. You can restart your system at any time, ensuring that it is always well cycled and acquiring new fish.