• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

hydroponic Hydroponics growers - help setting up

W

wordwiz

Willard, Potawie and others who have walked this path - do you guys have any advice or links as to how to set up a hydro system?

My goal is to grow two tomato and one pepper plant, though if I can double this I won't be disappointed.


I would obviously prefer doing this as cheaply as possible, if this helps.

Mike
 
Are you handy? If you are, read something short on fluid mechanics.
DIY systems will always fit your needs best.
Hydro system components are simple and inexpensive.
 
Pablo...seems you are asking Wiz a pretty personal question.... :lol: is he handy?....well, hell yeah he is.... roflmao
 
Pablo,

Even coming from you, I was expecting a little more info. You've been there and done that. I was hoping you would share your expertise just a bit. But that's okay.

Mike
 
I avoid verbose responses..........

Here's what I use, but it's very tailored to a particular space:

hydro.jpg
 
i know it isn't like a book handed down from god, but i REALLY enjoyed reading the "How to hydroponics" online book you can get from.. yea well www.howtohydroponics.com/

it teaches you a Few things about plants, how they function what the water does ( i just got up descriptions are out the window ) and it shows you some basic and cheap designs for hydro systems. from DEAD simple to a aero-sprayer like willard. although i think the plans he posted here are WAY better than the plans they give in the book a few reads over and zooms in on the pics will get you knowing what to do. and it's only 20 bucks for a downloaded copy from their site. +5 dollars for it being on paper. It can give some good ideas to start from. your idea for 3 plants is very well outlined in a few expandable designs. once you realize how simple it is to design the hydro system you'll start to figure out how to maintain it which i think is where experience shines, not making it and running it. my experience has not shined that well as i did not use the right ferts in my hydro left for a couple days came back to a completely clogged system. so take heed of warnings about organic ferts that have lots of deposits. well... that's all i can tink of. i hope i didn't say anything stupid i donno if i can take a 3 word correction by willard ; ). ( glad to be corrected any time tho ; ) )
 
Hey wordwiz, there are many kinds of Hydroponics.

1. DWC (Deep Water Culture)
This is a method that was used by the Aztecs in their famous floating water gardens. The modern setup is simple. It's a Rubbermaid container with holes in the lid that you put net pots into with gravel or hydroton that your seedling fits into. The roots hang down into the water in the tub that is agitated by large "bubblers" that put oxygen into the water. You can do a search on Hydroponic DWC and look at a bunch of them. If you decide on this one, let me know and I can walk you through a build.

2. Drip Hydro
This one is also simple. Basically, you have a tube or trough that you put your plants into and angle so that the drip you give them drains back into the reservoir. It also uses net pots like the DWC. It looks like willard has this one down pat and could prolly help you build one. If not, I'd be glad to.

3. NFT (Nutrient Flow Technique)
This one was originally developed by the US Army to feed it's troops in the Aleutian Islands. Nothing grew there, so all food had to be shipped at an outrageous cost of money and lives. It's similar to the drip system and in fact some people use it with a drip to make a Hybrid system combining the two. The water is pumped to the top of the troughs or tubes and drains back to the reservoir, past the plant roots. I can help you set this one up as well. It's not a good inside method. It has a bad habit of leaking water all over the place. I've seen a few of them ruin a lot of carpet.

4. Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain)
This is what I use in my hydro room inside. It's a system of tubs full of gravel or hydroton with the plants buried in it. The nutrient water pumps to fill the containers and cycles back into the reservoir. It's considered the most efficient of the hydro methods, but is also the most costly and difficult to set up. If you look at my Blog, you'll see one that is almost 20 years old. They work forever with only a pump replacement once in awhile. Let me know if you want to set up one of these.

5. Last, but not least, there is Aeroponics
This method isn't considered a very cost effective method because of a bad habit of clogging the spray heads, but it is recognized as the absolute best of the best in hydro growing. The roots are suspended in air and sprayed with a very fine mist of nutrient water. It maximizes the oxygen/nutrient absorption and plants love it.


These are very basic descriptions of the various types of Hydroponic systems, and 99% if what you need to know isn't described here. I'm intimately familiar with each of the systems and can help you build whatever system you decide on.

If you want to really learn about Hydroponic Food Production, then I would strongly suggest that you buy the book:
Hydroponic Food Production by Dr. Howard Resh. This book is called "The bible of Hydroponics" by many people and will describe and show you many, many ways to build systems that I've described above. The photos and diagrams in the book are worth a million.

Good luck to you. Let me know if I can be of help.
 
Nat,

From my research, I think the ebb and flow method seems to be the best, but I'm still trying to learn more about this. My criteria:
Grow a tomato, pepper and cucumber plant, as well as lettuce in a 10 foot wide or 4'x5' space. I'm willing to sacrifice the pepper plant for basil. Use the least amount of electricty possible. Cost is a factor (obviously, or I would simply buy one of those expensive systems Google turns up!)

Any info you can provide on how to set such a system up will be gratefully received!

Mike
 
I'd be more than glad to help you set up an ebb and flow system like mine. It'll live for a long time and enable you to use it for many crops.

Several factors come to mind that I have to tell you first.

You'll need about $200 for parts and nutrients and also at least a couple 250 watt HPS lights 4 if you can afford them. Hydroponic growing indoors isn't inexpencive. I wish it were. The nutrients I suggest are the General Hydroponics "Flora Series 3 part" nutrients. I've used these for some time now on both dirt and hydroponic crops inside and outside. They are the best I've ever used. There may be others that are as good, but I'm familiar with that one.

It's only 4:45am here, and I'm getting ready to go to work, so I can't make this a very good post, but I'll type out a more instructive post to you when I get home this evening.

How much time do you have before this has to happen? The reason I ask is that you'll need to order and have delivered the nutrients and bulkhead fittings necessary to build and operate this system.

Unless you're lucky enough to have them available locally.

Until this evening,

Nat
 
Nat,

I have until August or so. Everything I'm growing now is going outside except for a tomato (already growing in a 5-gallon pot) and a potato in a cage. The goal is to have ripe tomatoes and cucumbers by Turkey Day.

Mike
 
Waterfarms from General Hydroponics are working great for me so far. They are only around $60 shipped. It is a drip type system and I have heard they are the best for pepper and tomato plants. Alot of the commercial growers use drip systems to waste (no collection method). The waterfarm can grow a full size tomato or pepper plant. After a little experience I realize I should have put a (coir) coco fiber mat on top of the hydroton. The nutrient tends to splash out onto the leaves and burns if you don't cover the drip ring. I am growing a White Hab and Mucho Nacho Jalapeno and both are growing amazingly fast. Also it is a good idea to add airstones to the bottom of the nutrient reservoir for added O2 to the roots.
 
Traves...good stuff.
Welcome to the Hot Pepper. Do you have some picture to share of your system?

Nat - It sounds like, you have a very good true and tried hydroponic system/concept in place. When I have time, I like to expand my hobby to hydro as well. Two of the Dr. Resh's book is already on hold in my local library. I can't wait to read it. When I google hydro, most of the sites are dedicated to growing "better cash crops" than tomatoes and peppers. I want no part of that.
 
Hey Sanjay,

Every time I go into a store to buy ferts, lights, trays, etc., I get the "yeah, peppers, right" response!

Mike
 
I'll post some pics later on. I have been lurking for awhile and soaking up knowledge everywhere I can find it, including "cash crop" websites. The only real differences are peppers aren't photosensitive and don't need as much nutrient. I am still in the seedling stage and running around 400 ppm. I really like this community.
 
V_TRAVES said:
Alot of the commercial growers use drip systems to waste (no collection method).
Click to expand...

I'm thinking you might left out a word - "avoid" before waste? The price is right but do I need one system for each plant? I would like to raise two tomatoes (start one 90 days after the first one), a pepper and a cucumber. I've also seem some small (very inexpensive) systems that are supposed to be great for growing lettuce. I can easily dream of going upstairs to literaly pick up a salad in December or January!

The sudden interest in hydro flows from an experiment using a somewhat strong LED light panel. I find I need to keep water in a pan the container sits in. It is soaking up about 3/4 of a gallon every 2-3 days. Further reading suggests I may be able to grow tomatoes from sprouts to slicers in three months instead of close to five.

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
Nat,

I have until August or so. Everything I'm growing now is going outside except for a tomato (already growing in a 5-gallon pot) and a potato in a cage. The goal is to have ripe tomatoes and cucumbers by Turkey Day.

Mike
Click to expand...
Have you looked at the photo in my blog? It's the system that you'll be building if you want to go with this type system from scratch. The distance between the tubs is up to you. Mine are spaced due to the amount of room, as you can see.

If you're ready, I'll start with the parts you'll need to order.

Have you ever worked with PVC? Cutting and gluing it? That's the only part that has any degree of difficulty to it.
 
Nat,

I'm trying to get my head wrapped around this idea of how close plants grown via hydro can be. I see systems that support six large plants in a 4x4 foot area.

As for PVC, I've plumbed a couple of three houses using it. Got high doing it once - had to glue together three sections of waste line at a time, under a house that had no circulation. My wife sat outside and talked to me to make sure I didn't pass out.

Mike
 
No, I was right to leave out "avoid". With some drip systems they don't collect what has already been used back to a reservoir. It is just gone and essentially "waste" water. Depending on how you want to grow you can put a couple of plants per unit. If you want long term plants you would only put in one plant per unit, but for short bursts of one growing season put 2 per unit. You would have to run a higher ppm, but the "cash crop" growers run 3 per unit for one harvest and start over with clones. And if you know anything from reading "cash crop" sites they are still producing 7 ounces per plant (alot) apparently. Keep in mind these guys are growing under multiple 1000w hps and hps though.
 
V,

Darn the bad luck. I really don't want to waste anything. My dad would kick my butt for leaving a light on after I left a room.

When (if) I open my store I will have a big sign: If you are interested in growing pot, don't ask me what is best! I don't have a clue! Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to pot, I liked it nearly 30 years ago. Then again, 30 years ago, I didn't see anything wrong with consuming mass quatitites of alcholic beverages and driving from one side of Kentucky to the other to see if someone was home!

These days, all I want to accomplish is serving my wife a fried green tomato in January as well as having "local" produce to make a salad.

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top