Commercial Hydroponic Growing: Extremely simple DIY ebb and flow system
This is a work in progress and I will add follow-ups to this video as the basil plants grow larger!
As winter will soon be upon us, I am experimenting with the wonderful world of hydroponics so I can have some fresh veggies during the off season, ON THE CHEAP!
Hydroponics is a lot simpler than it first seems. Liquid nutrients deliver regular and consistent food to the plants on a timed schedule and therefore producing an ideal growing situation for bigger and faster fruit production than soil! Also because there is no soil, the system runs cleaner and much smaller pots can be used as we are only need to accommodate space for the roots and some media (rock wool and hydro pellets) for support.
This ebb and flow system is inspired by a few instructables from instructables.com, but modified so that the root cup is removable.
All that is needed is:
-Hydroponic cup
-A rock wool plug
-Clay pellets for added substrate
-Aquarium air pump
-Air tubing
-Air tubing relief valve
-Inverted water bottle, with bottom cut off, sized for the Hydro pot
-Plastic cup to hold water bottle
-Power drill to drill holes in the bottle caps
During winter, this set up will need an artificial light source, but this was a trial filmed in July 2009, so there is sufficient sun intensity and duration in the window sill for now!
Duration : 0:4:25
WEEK 02 MY AEROPONIC DEEP WATER CULTURE AIR BUBBLER SYSTEM IN A 5LTR POT ( BUCKET ) WITH CLAY PEBBLES TO GROW LETTUCE AND TOMATOES
As with soil-based gardens, hydroponic plants require good pest and disease maintenance controls. Failure to do so creates the same results as with ‘ordinary’ gardens i.e. spindly or dead plants. Since the majority of hydroponic plants are fruits and vegetables, that means the plants are not worth eating.
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