Quote:
Originally Posted by s.kallima
From what I read in the french forum, 2 of the major problems to keep running nicely these bio-walls are the light and the water.
Artificial light is necessary unless the wall is located in front of a very bright window or in a veranda. Otherwise, you need a light strong enough to light up the height of the wall (MH or HPS lights) and you need to organize the plants on the wall according to light preferences, considering that the light source will be above the wall.
Evaporation along the wall, depending on its surface (and if the is or not an artificial light) can be a problem (several liters per day) if the tank at the bottom of the structure is not big enough. But the walls I know about are made of hydroponic felt (capillary mats), not Ecoweb. I don't know if Ecoweb material hold moisture more the felt sheets.
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As the prototype has a growing panel that's only 24" x 40", the top-to-bottom light level is not really an issue. If you are looking for maximum air purification, believe it or not, Boston ferns and Boston ivy are really good choices, and they both do well in moderate light levels.
Since my original post, I have inoculated the system with mycorrhizal fungi to enhance the VOC removal.
EcoWeb has far more of an open structure than does the felt, and as the "EcoWall" prototype has a fan to draw air through the EcoWeb, the evaporative loss is significant. Specifically, the thing has a 20-gallon reservoir (about 75 liters), and loses about 25%-33% daily. That's actually OK though, as the intent was a device that looked nice while purifying the air and adding humidity.
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