I’ve always been into electronics, and when I got into growing microgreens indoors, I started thinking that why spend a fortune on commercial systems when I could just build my own? and that’s basically how this project started and ended up becoming a bit of an obsession for a while.

So here’s what I ended up building:

It’s a fully automated indoor microgreens setup that monitors and controls pH, EC, temperature, humidity, and watering. Everything is accessible through a custom web dashboard over WiFi, so I can check in and adjust things remotely whenever I want.

Hardware-wise, it’s built around an ESP32 with a handful of low-cost but reliable sensors. The whole point was to keep it affordable, and I managed to bring the cost way down compared to anything similar commercially available.

Why PVC for the frame?
I went with PVC piping because it just made sense to me and my budget as it’s lightweight, super easy to move around, and you can assemble or reconfigure the whole rack without any tools. No welding, no heavy metal frames, no permanent setup. If I want to shift things or redesign the layout, it takes minutes.

Lighting setup:
If you’ve ever tried growing microgreens indoors, you know lighting is everything. A lot of people have decent outdoor light, but the temperature swings make it unusable. Indoors solves that, but then you have to replace the sun. The LED grow lights on the rack made a huge difference and basically made the whole system viable.

Where I’m at now:
First stage was basically just empty trays getting everything wired and running. Second stage is where it actually came to life, multiple varieties growing at different stages, everything stable and running automatically. i use AI ro improvisethe second picture so dont make me feel bad for it.

I’m happy to answer questions about the build, sensors, or the dashboard side of things. If there’s interest, I might put together a proper parts list or full breakdown.

For anyone who’s built something similar thing by themselves, what would you improve or change in a setup like this? Always looking to push it further.

I’ve always been into electronics, and when I got into growing microgreens indoors, I started thinking that why spend a fortune on commercial systems when I could just build my own? and that’s basically how this project started and ended up becoming a bit of an obsession for a while.

So here’s what I ended up building:

It’s a fully automated indoor microgreens setup that monitors and controls pH, EC, temperature, humidity, and watering. Everything is accessible through a custom web dashboard over WiFi, so I can check in and adjust things remotely whenever I want.

Hardware-wise, it’s built around an ESP32 with a handful of low-cost but reliable sensors. The whole point was to keep it affordable, and I managed to bring the cost way down compared to anything similar commercially available.

Why PVC for the frame?
I went with PVC piping because it just made sense to me and my budget as it’s lightweight, super easy to move around, and you can assemble or reconfigure the whole rack without any tools. No welding, no heavy metal frames, no permanent setup. If I want to shift things or redesign the layout, it takes minutes.

Lighting setup:
If you’ve ever tried growing microgreens indoors, you know lighting is everything. A lot of people have decent outdoor light, but the temperature swings make it unusable. Indoors solves that, but then you have to replace the sun. The LED grow lights on the rack made a huge difference and basically made the whole system viable.

Where I’m at now:
First stage was basically just empty trays getting everything wired and running. Second stage is where it actually came to life, multiple varieties growing at different stages, everything stable and running automatically. i use AI ro improvisethe second picture so dont make me feel bad for it.

I’m happy to answer questions about the build, sensors, or the dashboard side of things. If there’s interest, I might put together a proper parts list or full breakdown.

For anyone who’s built something similar thing by themselves, what would you improve or change in a setup like this? Always looking to push it further.

As a grower, most of you won’t look at a PCB or care about its design details, so I’m sharing this in terms of what it actually enables in a hydroponic setup rather than the electronics behind it.

I’m sharing a custom all-in-one automation controller PCB I’ve been working on specifically for hydroponic systems, and I’d really like input from growers, builders, and anyone working with controlled environment agriculture.

Most hydroponic setups end up relying on multiple separate modules, timers, relay boards, sensor kits, controllers, power supplies, all wired together. Over time, that adds wiring complexity, more failure points, and makes scaling or troubleshooting harder than it should be.

This project is an attempt to consolidate the core automation stack into a single integrated platform.

What the system is designed to handle:

• Central control for hydroponic automation (sensors + actuators)
• Monitoring of key environmental and system parameters
• Control of pumps, valves, lighting, and other loads
• Remote access for monitoring and control
• Time-based automation (irrigation cycles, lighting schedules, etc.)
• Mixed load operation (low-voltage signals + higher-power switching)
• Expandable architecture for future upgrades and interfaces
• Designed for stable operation in humid, real-world grow environments

Target use cases:

• Hydroponic grow systems (small to medium scale)
• Indoor farming setups
• Automated irrigation systems
• Experimental or modular grow environments

Feedback I’m looking for:

• What would you improve in a system like this for real hydroponic use?
• What failures or pain points have you faced in your own setups that aren’t addressed well by existing controllers?
• What features are actually essential vs. unnecessary complexity?
• Any concerns around reliability, scaling, or real-world deployment that I might be missing?

If anyone here is looking to automate their hydroponic garden or is already working on similar systems, I can also help with design, PCB, or automation setup ideas.