I have heard some great things (aside from the cost) about hydro peppers. I just wondered if anyone here has practical advice and experience?
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hydroponic Anyone growing Hydroponic?
- Thread starter cheezydemon
- Start date
Ah yes hydro.
My advise is too keep it simple.
Use coco coir and manually water it every day. Feed once a week or once every two weeks.
Use T5 , CFL or a cheap 250 watts HPS/MH to start. You need 30-40 watts of light per sq feet.
Use mylar to reflect the light on the plants.
Try to grow compact plants no more then 18". Under artificial light they tend to grow much bigger then outside.
Best results are with annuum. Chinense are a bit more fussy.
Herbs and tomatoes grow well. I had basil that lasted all winter without bolting.
My advise is too keep it simple.
Use coco coir and manually water it every day. Feed once a week or once every two weeks.
Use T5 , CFL or a cheap 250 watts HPS/MH to start. You need 30-40 watts of light per sq feet.
Use mylar to reflect the light on the plants.
Try to grow compact plants no more then 18". Under artificial light they tend to grow much bigger then outside.
Best results are with annuum. Chinense are a bit more fussy.
Herbs and tomatoes grow well. I had basil that lasted all winter without bolting.
I was thinking to start plants hydro during winter, and transplant them outside in spring. It may not be worth the effort as opposed to just starting in soil, but I happen to have the equipment for free, any thoughts?
Perhaps no moving parts? Less to go wrong? I have a pump and all of that stuff already. Mine is actually Aeroponic, where small jets (holes) in tubes spray the roots constantly. This system allows constant oxygen as well as constant water. Pretty Sweet! This may be a plan.
LUCKYDOG said:
Manual mostly because of $$$.
The maintenance is also a pain.
You need to clean the reservoir every too weeks.
adjust PH and calibrate the ph meter, monitor PPM, add H2O2 to prevent bacteria and algae, clean the bubbler...
If you already have the equipment go for it.
If you have the space and plan on having more then 10 plants then full hydro is better but for 4-5 plants manual is better IMHO.
Oh ok. I have the E-book on growing hydroponic and making your own which can vary from 1 to whatever. It sounds like its setup very much like Cheezy had said where the pump sort of mists the bottom of the roots thru several holes in a tube or in a smaller setup an oxygenate (?) from an aquarium. The ease in which this looked to put together and maintain had me interested in trying a few varieties of peppers thru the winter. I am looking locally for a hydroponic supply house for growing aggregate, fertilizer and lighting. By watering manually, do you water from the top and drip into a reservoir with a drain or something in the like?
I also grow in hydro/aero with great success.
The best book on hydro I have seen is here:
http://www.howtohydroponics.com/
Hydro grows more fruit quicker and better than dirt by a significant margin. It's pretty simple, easy and inexpensive if you build your own.
The best book on hydro I have seen is here:
http://www.howtohydroponics.com/
Hydro grows more fruit quicker and better than dirt by a significant margin. It's pretty simple, easy and inexpensive if you build your own.
I think who ever made their own hydro setup should post pics of it & with detailed info on how & what was used.
I'm also thinking about maybe getting into hydro for just a couple plants for all year growing.but I'd like the simple easy setup that also dont cost alot.
if you hand water the plants do you save the water that drains from the container to reuse ? & how often do you water them ? I thought on hydro setups it waters the roots every couple hours ?
I'm also thinking about maybe getting into hydro for just a couple plants for all year growing.but I'd like the simple easy setup that also dont cost alot.
if you hand water the plants do you save the water that drains from the container to reuse ? & how often do you water them ? I thought on hydro setups it waters the roots every couple hours ?
Hydroponics only mean that you are feeding a nutrient solution to a nutrient free substrate or soilless mixture, so you don't neccessarily need pumps and high tech equipment just lighting and nutrients(and time). Automation is usually more desirable and water efficient but can get complicated and expensive. Simpicity is often the key.
unfortunately
I can't do pics right now. But it is pretty simple.
A pump sits in a reservoir(a bucket, a cooler, whatever)
This pump pumps a water solution through a long piece of thin tubing, into huge (8 inch) PVC pipes laying horizontally.
The plants sit in baskets, in holes, drilled in the top side of the huge pvc pipes.
The huge pipes are capped on one end, and the other end drains out into the reservoir.
The thin tubing coming from the business end of the pump, runs into the huge pvc pipes, and has strategic holes punched in it so that it "sprays" onto the roots of the plants.
The run-off runs back into the reservoir, and back through the pump. And so on, and so forth.
I can't do pics right now. But it is pretty simple.
A pump sits in a reservoir(a bucket, a cooler, whatever)
This pump pumps a water solution through a long piece of thin tubing, into huge (8 inch) PVC pipes laying horizontally.
The plants sit in baskets, in holes, drilled in the top side of the huge pvc pipes.
The huge pipes are capped on one end, and the other end drains out into the reservoir.
The thin tubing coming from the business end of the pump, runs into the huge pvc pipes, and has strategic holes punched in it so that it "sprays" onto the roots of the plants.
The run-off runs back into the reservoir, and back through the pump. And so on, and so forth.
Good schematic, mine seems much simpler just because the delivery tube runs inside of the other tubes, and they all just drain into the reservoir. But regardless, they are much simpler than people would think to build!
cheezy & willard - the pic that willard posted is the kind of setup you use ? & aeroponics means spraying the water onto the roots & hydroponics means filling up the container full where the roots are & then drains the water.
how often does the water spray onto the roots in aeroponics ? is that water good to keep/use for several months ? often do you need to clean a setup like that.
is the setup in the pic one of the easiest & cheapest methods to use ? other than watering it yourself.
couple more questions
about in that pic.
- whats with the system bypass valve, whats the point of it.
- whats air stone ?
- the sprayer part, what kind of nozzle sprayer do you use & do you place it towards the top so it sprays straight down to get all the roots wet vs having it on one side & not fully getting one side really wet, or it dont matter ?
- what kind of pump is used, a fish tank pump ? I thought those are for just air not for pumping water.
- do you use cocair (sp?) in those baskets.
by the looks of it if you only want to grow 5 or less plants for year round use, you could build something for well under $100. then the lighting would cost the most.
how often does the water spray onto the roots in aeroponics ? is that water good to keep/use for several months ? often do you need to clean a setup like that.
is the setup in the pic one of the easiest & cheapest methods to use ? other than watering it yourself.
couple more questions
about in that pic. - whats with the system bypass valve, whats the point of it.
- whats air stone ?
- the sprayer part, what kind of nozzle sprayer do you use & do you place it towards the top so it sprays straight down to get all the roots wet vs having it on one side & not fully getting one side really wet, or it dont matter ?
- what kind of pump is used, a fish tank pump ? I thought those are for just air not for pumping water.
- do you use cocair (sp?) in those baskets.
by the looks of it if you only want to grow 5 or less plants for year round use, you could build something for well under $100. then the lighting would cost the most.
In my set-up, pumps run 16 hrs/day spraying plant roots that are suspended in the air.
I change nutrient everry 1-3 wks depending upon how many palnts I have, how fast they are consuming nutrient, whether they are frutitng and etc.
I don't have an opinion on the easiest/cheapest hydro method.
System bypass valve lets me control volume to the plants no matter the pump size; it also oxygenates the nutrient as it returns to the reservoir.
An airstone also oxygenates nutrient and is common in aquariums and hydro.
This is the sprayer I use and it is aimed at the top of the basket: http://www.futuregarden.com/cgi-bin/shop/70-1046.html
I use small pond pumps that vary from 3.5-10 gpm....depends upoin what's available, hence the pump bypass.
I use expanded clay pellets and rock wool for growing medium.
I change nutrient everry 1-3 wks depending upon how many palnts I have, how fast they are consuming nutrient, whether they are frutitng and etc.
I don't have an opinion on the easiest/cheapest hydro method.
System bypass valve lets me control volume to the plants no matter the pump size; it also oxygenates the nutrient as it returns to the reservoir.
An airstone also oxygenates nutrient and is common in aquariums and hydro.
This is the sprayer I use and it is aimed at the top of the basket: http://www.futuregarden.com/cgi-bin/shop/70-1046.html
I use small pond pumps that vary from 3.5-10 gpm....depends upoin what's available, hence the pump bypass.
I use expanded clay pellets and rock wool for growing medium.
I haven't got the patience to %@^% with the multi-quote thing right now. So sue me!
"is the setup in the pic one of the easiest & cheapest methods to use ? other than watering it yourself"
My set-up is simpler and a little cheaper than the one pictured, although the upgrades he has are probably worth it!
"by the looks of it if you only want to grow 5 or less plants for year round use, you could build something for well under $100. then the lighting would cost the most"
The lights would definitely cost the most. Lights aside, you could make a set-up for 10 plants for under $100. But if that extra acreage means another light or two, the cost goes way up.
I have seen super powered lights that travel along a track, back and forth.
Like anything the sky is the limit.
"is the setup in the pic one of the easiest & cheapest methods to use ? other than watering it yourself"
My set-up is simpler and a little cheaper than the one pictured, although the upgrades he has are probably worth it!
"by the looks of it if you only want to grow 5 or less plants for year round use, you could build something for well under $100. then the lighting would cost the most"
The lights would definitely cost the most. Lights aside, you could make a set-up for 10 plants for under $100. But if that extra acreage means another light or two, the cost goes way up.
I have seen super powered lights that travel along a track, back and forth.
Like anything the sky is the limit.
rabbit said:Can you do this with just good potting soil and lighting?? If so what kind of lighting do you need. I would be all up for doing something like that. When you live where you can drive a truck on the lake in the winter it's hard to grow plants year round.
Of course! But I have found that overwintered plants in soil do not do so well. Also it is dirty, and can develop bugs. Most of all. though, it doesn't water itself! I hate to say it, but I lost a ton of seedlings this spring when I was out of town for a week. I watered the hell out of them as I walked out the door, but only a few were alive when I got back.
The light is the kicker. From what I remember, you really need a good "metal halide" fixture and ballast. Replacement bulbs are like $50 and initial set-up is $250-the sky's the limit. My info is old, anyone checked the latest and greatest?