When "I Already Have the Parts" Is the Wrong Reason
It was supposed to build capacity and streamline workflows. It only added complexity.
Andrew Aasen
7/10/20262 min read
When "I Already Have the Parts" Is the Wrong Reason
In my last post, I mentioned that the current basil tank was supposed to be a temporary stop on the way to a larger NFT system.
The theory seemed straightforward enough.
There is a shower in our house that is not particularly useful as a shower. Therefore, it should become growing space.
I already had several Barina grow lights left over from a previous project. The plan was to suspend them from a tension rod and the shelving unit itself using clothes hangers. The top shelf would receive direct light while the bottom shelf would receive filtered light suitable for strawberries.
To support the system, I built a large tote reservoir and assembled everything inside the bathtub.
That's when reality entered the conversation.
I had completely forgotten about the slope built into the tub. A bathtub is designed to drain water, not support a hydroponic system. I looked at various ways to level everything and started thinking through modifications, workarounds, and improvised fixes.
The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea.
Many of the solutions required spending additional money so that I could continue using plugs that I already knew I didn't like. The whole project was starting to feel like a series of compromises made to justify previous decisions.
Eventually I asked myself a simple question.
If I had a greenhouse or lath house where every other variable was already solved, would I choose this NFT system?
The answer was no.
That realization was surprisingly freeing.
I had allowed old investments to steer decisions they had no business steering. Just because I owned the parts did not mean I needed to build the machine.
So instead of forcing the project forward, I changed direction.
For now, I am simply increasing my DWC capacity. The basil will get more room to breathe. I can start growing kale and bok choy indoors using equipment I already trust. The system is simpler, easier to maintain, and better suited to what I actually want to grow.
I even saved a few lengths of U-PVC pipe from the original project. If I eventually want more circulation than two airstones can provide, they can become airlift siphons in a future system.
Nothing was wasted.
The parts are still useful. The lesson is that useful parts are not the same thing as a good plan.
Sometimes progress comes from building something new. Sometimes it comes from recognizing that an old idea is no longer the best one and moving on before investing more time and money into it.
It was a good idea that did not work. On a level surface, it would have been excellent for lettuces.
