Setting Up your Flex Acre
- Flex Acre Site Requirements & SpecsBefore your Flex Acre arrives, check for a level floor rated to 2,000 lbs, a 12 ft ceiling, 2 grounded 15 amp outlets, a spigot and a 68 to 75°F room.
- Flex Acre Parts List & Shipment CheckCheck your Flex Acre shipment against all 27 parts list lines, from 128 Panels to 40 Light Bars, and report anything short or damaged before you build.
- Unpacking & Preparing your Assembly Area (Part 1 of 7)Before you build your Flex Acre, clear a 10 by 10 ft area, mark what you cannot move, empty the parts packed in the Tank, and sort every part into piles.
- Building your Rolling Frame (Part 2 of 7)Build your Flex Acre Rolling Frame: fit 4 Skid Plates, tip the Base Frame on its side, bolt on Casters, Posts and Cradle, then stand it up with 2 people.
- Installing Magnets & Hanging your Doors (Part 3 of 7)Fit the magnet assemblies through the Corner Post fins, build each Flex Acre door from 1 Door Hinge Post and 4 Light Arms, then hang it top pin first.
- Installing your Tank, Root Chambers & Panels (Part 4 of 7)Seat the Tank and Tank Lid on 3 supports, load 8 Panels into each of 16 Root Chambers, plug unused spaces, then set each chamber into your Flex Acre.
- Installing & Wiring your Light Bars (Part 5 of 7)Mount 10 Light Bars on each Flex Acre door, 5 switch-side up and 5 down, jumper them in an S pattern, cap the last plug, and run each side to a timer.
- Assembling your Irrigation Line (Part 6 of 7)Assemble your Flex Acre irrigation: set the Primary Pump in its filter bag, build pipes A to D with the Disc Filter, then snap both Drip Lines into place.
- Testing your Water & Lights (Part 7 of 7)Finish your Flex Acre build: fill the Tank between MIN and MAX, run the pump 10 minutes with no leaks, confirm all 40 Light Bars light, then place decals.
Start Here
- Flex Acre Maintenance SchedulePlan your Flex Acre care: pump, filter, nutrient and Light Bar tasks twice a week, Drip Line holes every other week, and a deep clean every 6 months.
- Keeping your Flex Acre CleanClean first, then sanitize. Before any Flex Acre task, cover your hair, wash your hands and put on clean gloves. Here is how to treat every surface.
- Logging your Flex Acre Tasks & ReadingsLog each Flex Acre task as you finish it: the date, pH and PPM readings, pump and timer pass or fail, cleaning photos, seed lots and net harvest weights.
Twice a Week
- Checking your Pump & Timer (Part 1 of 4)Start every Flex Acre visit here: listen for the pump's steady hum, feel pipe A for vibration, check your timer, then record a pass or fail.
- Cleaning your Disc Filter (Part 2 of 4)Rinse your Flex Acre Disc Filter twice a week: unplug the pump, clear the O-ring, rinse the discs under hot water, reinstall it, then check for leaks.
- Checking & Adjusting your Nutrients & pH (Part 3 of 4)Check your Flex Acre twice a week: top off, read PPM, add Nutrient A and B in equal parts, then check pH and add pH Down if needed. Target pH 5.5 to 6.0.
- Wiping Light Bars & Pruning your Plants (Part 4 of 4)Finish each Flex Acre visit: wipe the doors with 3% hydrogen peroxide, wipe all 40 Light Bars with a sprayed towel, never spraying the bars, then prune.
Every Grow Cycle
- Preparing & Sanitizing your Rockwool (Part 1 of 6)Rockwool starts near pH 8.0. Sanitize your sheets, then soak them in cold water for at least 15 minutes to reach pH 6.0 before you seed for your Flex Acre.
- Seeding & Labeling your Trays (Part 2 of 6)Sow 1 to 2 lettuce or 3 to 5 herb seeds per rockwool cube for your Flex Acre, then cut, label, mist and dome each tray before it goes to the Flex Micro.
- Germinating Seedlings in the Flex Micro (Part 3 of 6)Hold Flex Acre seedlings in the Flex Micro typically 2 weeks for greens and 3 to 4 for herbs. Remove the humidity dome at 90 percent germination.
- Preparing your Flex Acre for Transplant Day (Part 4 of 6)Get your Flex Acre ready for transplant day: hold back water from your seedlings, unplug the pump, open one side's doors and stage 1 tray on a clean cart.
- Transplanting Seedlings into your Flex Acre (Part 5 of 6)Plant your Flex Acre one cube at a time: squeeze out excess water over the tray, seat the cube flush in the Panel, and trim no more than 1/4 of the roots.
- Harvesting Lettuce & Herbs from your Flex Acre (Part 6 of 6)Harvest your Flex Acre: cut lettuce whole with 1/2 inch of stem, take no more than 1/3 of an herb plant's height, weigh each container, keep basil cool.
Every Six Months
- Draining your Flex Acre (Part 1 of 7)Start your Flex Acre deep clean: unplug the pump, close the Main Send Valve, open the Drain Valve, pump the water out, then lift out the pump and Tank Lid.
- Cleaning & Sanitizing your Tank (Part 2 of 7)Clean your Flex Acre Tank during the deep clean: tilt it to pool the water, shop vac it, rinse, scrub off the biofilm, dry it, then sanitize it.
- Deep Cleaning your Drip Lines & Disc Filter (Part 3 of 7)Deep clean your Flex Acre Drip Lines and Disc Filter at the sink: scrub and brush both Drip Lines, wash the 16 Top Caps, and scrub every disc until red.
- Taking Apart & Cleaning your Irrigation Pipes (Part 4 of 7)Take your Flex Acre irrigation apart from the top down: remove pipes C, B and A at their quick-disconnect fittings, then scrub each pipe and fitting.
- Washing your Panels, Root Chambers & Frame (Part 5 of 7)Wash all 128 Flex Acre Panels by hand, run them through the dishwasher to sanitize them, then scrub the 16 Root Chambers and wipe down the Frame.
- Refilling your Tank & Rebuilding the Irrigation (Part 6 of 7)Flush the pump, refill your Tank between the MIN and MAX lines, then rebuild your Flex Acre irrigation from the pump up and put the Tank Lid back on.
- Reinstalling your Drip Lines & Checking for Leaks (Part 7 of 7)End your Flex Acre deep clean: flush the Drip Line assembly into a bucket, seat both Drip Lines, replace the 16 Top Caps, and walk the unit for leaks.