Hydroponic information.

beeman · April 19, 2015

We don't appear to have a Hydroponic thread, so I'm putting this here hoping "Gardening in the Green" is the right place.
I have just found some info which I should share as it's very clever, and will save time.
Visit here and watch the video at the bottom of the page.http://www.bigelowbrook.com/Products...p/Default.aspx
Neat eh? A much better way of starting seeds to give you clean roots.

Yentlsil · April 19, 2015

Hi there,
I am growing hydroponicly...

Just made the whole setup and in a few days/weeks, all seedlings will be transferred to my dutch buckets.
In my little greenhouse, I use solar activated watering in growbags. (10 plants)
Do you have pics?
Grts

HydroExplorer · June 17, 2015

You can reuse hydroton pellets as a grow media (boil them to kill harmful stuff and clean salts off them) and you can start seeds in hydroton if you're careful. They aren't a good fit for some systems but they are reuseable. I really like hydroton for DWC.

The most green way to grow with hydro is to do kratky method lettuce using fish wastewater (from an aquarium for example). I have done that before and it was surprisingly easy and required zero electricity. I was growing cauliflower which was ultimately eaten by the bunnies but it did work.

I think aeroponics would be considered green too even though it uses chemical nutrients because it uses 98% less water than growing in soil.

augiedog55 · June 17, 2015

Im growing hydrponically with the urban farms 10 system this yr.. So far so good. I started my seedling the old fashion way in promix heating pad, and florecenet light. I just popped them out of the cup and washed the promix off and put them in the rockwool. Seems to be working fine

Mike723 · June 17, 2015

I practice Deep Water Culture myself.. I started a few years back with passive hydroponics: hempy (dutch) buckets, and they got the job done.. I traded up to DWC about two years ago and haven't looked back.. The vigor and growth rate is truly impressive.. What's funny is that indoors I love playing chemist with all the synthetics, but outdoors I wouldn't dream of letting them touch the soil lol..

I personally cut clones rather than continuously popping seed.. I made a cloning setup out of an old tupperware container.. filled 3/4's with a very weak solution and an air-stone.. Just drill out the lid with a multibit, and drop your peat pellets in - roots in 10 days or so..

augiedog55 · June 17, 2015

Im growing outdoors on my patio. I did clone a plant last week. Ha. I cut a piece off a big cheef plant and stuck it in a pot in the system. It looked drooppy for two days but its growing now standing up and is dark green,. its been 4 days

HydroExplorer · June 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike723

I practice Deep Water Culture myself.. I started a few years back with passive hydroponics: hempy (dutch) buckets, and they got the job done.. I traded up to DWC about two years ago and haven't looked back.. The vigor and growth rate is truly impressive.. What's funny is that indoors I love playing chemist with all the synthetics, but outdoors I wouldn't dream of letting them touch the soil lol..

I personally cut clones rather than continuously popping seed.. I made a cloning setup out of an old tupperware container.. filled 3/4's with a very weak solution and an air-stone.. Just drill out the lid with a multibit, and drop your peat pellets in - roots in 10 days or so..

Build one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK0eUDoairw

Roots in 3 days. I think you want to start feeding around day 5. The idea is to starve the plant long enough to make it develop roots (looking for food) and then feed it before it dies. I'm still experimenting to come up with the optimal way to do this.

I'm also still experimenting with transferring aerocloned plants to soil but I think it is totally doable.

Cole_Robbie · June 18, 2015

Good luck going aero to soil without transplant shock; I couldn't do it. The roots all bunch up together. Something like a rockwool/cocopeat cube would work better I think. The media would go with the transplant into the ground.

HydroExplorer · June 18, 2015

I'm transplanting them right into leaf compost. It holds moisture pretty well and I watered them in really well.

I think it's likely they'll just die but I'm hoping to eventually find a good way to do it. I had to get them out of the aero system because I screwed up the pH and they weren't uptaking nutrients. So I planted them without hardening them off.

If they survive it is probably because it's a rainy day today.

Cole_Robbie · June 18, 2015

Light, fluffy soil like your compost would give them the best chance I think.

Mike723 · June 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by HydroExplorer

Build one of these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK0eUDoairw

Roots in 3 days. I think you want to start feeding around day 5. The idea is to starve the plant long enough to make it develop roots (looking for food) and then feed it before it dies. I'm still experimenting to come up with the optimal way to do this.

I'm also still experimenting with transferring aerocloned plants to soil but I think it is totally doable.

Nah I'm happy with my cloner at the moment.. Not in that much of a rush - gardening is all about patience my friend

Cloning aeroponically and then transplanting into soil creates added stress and a huge risk of transplant shock as the roots try to adapt.. It IS doable, I did it a few months back with the latest mother I have going, but she wasn't happy for a solid month, and I wouldn't plan on harvesting anything from her.. Certainly not something I'd make a habit out of, as it surely isn't productive. If you're growing out in soil then it would serve you (and the plants) better to clone in soil as well.. Tomatoes would clone in a bucket of tar just about (I'm being facetious) lol .. Super easy to root..

Also, you didn't have to rush the transplant simply due to PH issues.. Just drain the res and make a fresh batch in the future... If you still have lock outs then use a flushing solution like florakleen..

HydroExplorer · June 23, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Good luck going aero to soil without transplant shock; I couldn't do it. The roots all bunch up together. Something like a rockwool/cocopeat cube would work better I think. The media would go with the transplant into the ground.

Quick update. My clones transitioned from aero cloner to soil successfully (2 tomatoes 2 mint). I planted them directly into leaf compost, watered them in and then it rained for like 2 or 3 days.

From this I gather that watering is a lot probably important. Also, reduced light might be a factor (was heavy cloud cover and rainy). I also fanned the roots out as best as I could because of your warning about root bunching. I wanted to share that in case it helps you in your endeavors. I was transplanting them from under an LED grow light without hardening them off.

I know they're going to make it because they were very deficient when I planted them and they aren't anymore.

That said, this was my first stab at this and I definitely should have fed the plants before transplanting them. Looking back over my video log I think I should have fed them on day 5.

Mike723 · June 23, 2015

Good for you, glad it was a success for ya!

Zenbaas · September 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Good luck going aero to soil without transplant shock; I couldn't do it. The roots all bunch up together. Something like a rockwool/cocopeat cube would work better I think. The media would go with the transplant into the ground.

Sticking them into a peat pellet is the way to go. I have transplanted quite a few into soil and they don't skip a beat at all. The coco peat pellet works wonder and much better than rockwool in my opinion.

zeroma · October 8, 2016

Can one grow tomatoes totally organic in a hydroponic set up? Indoors with lights. I've done a lot of tomato seed starting with a rack and shop lights, no other equipment, so I know that can be done.

Lettuce and some greens, easy to grow is what I'd like to start with but then on to tomatoes. Maybe the Dwarf variety tomatoes if they would be productive enough. I've never done any hydroponics. Just getting into the thinking stage.

Deep Water Culture - is that the same as Dutch buckets?

How noisy is it to have a set up in your house? Just as part of a room, not in a 'grow closet' or inside a zipper tent. A free standing piece of furniture? Actually there is a nice corner in my kitchen that could be converted into a grow station without much carpentry. Yes, I want to grow my own salad bar!!!

Zeroma

April 19, 2015	#1
beeman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 692	Hydroponic information. We don't appear to have a Hydroponic thread, so I'm putting this here hoping "Gardening in the Green" is the right place. I have just found some info which I should share as it's very clever, and will save time. Visit here and watch the video at the bottom of the page.http://www.bigelowbrook.com/Products...p/Default.aspx Neat eh? A much better way of starting seeds to give you clean roots.

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April 19, 2015	#2
Yentlsil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: 8 Posts: 54	Hi there, I am growing hydroponicly... Just made the whole setup and in a few days/weeks, all seedlings will be transferred to my dutch buckets. In my little greenhouse, I use solar activated watering in growbags. (10 plants) Do you have pics? Grts

June 17, 2015	#3
HydroExplorer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 132	You can reuse hydroton pellets as a grow media (boil them to kill harmful stuff and clean salts off them) and you can start seeds in hydroton if you're careful. They aren't a good fit for some systems but they are reuseable. I really like hydroton for DWC. The most green way to grow with hydro is to do kratky method lettuce using fish wastewater (from an aquarium for example). I have done that before and it was surprisingly easy and required zero electricity. I was growing cauliflower which was ultimately eaten by the bunnies but it did work. I think aeroponics would be considered green too even though it uses chemical nutrients because it uses 98% less water than growing in soil.

June 17, 2015	#4
augiedog55 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: oak grove mo Posts: 406	Im growing hydrponically with the urban farms 10 system this yr.. So far so good. I started my seedling the old fashion way in promix heating pad, and florecenet light. I just popped them out of the cup and washed the promix off and put them in the rockwool. Seems to be working fine

June 17, 2015	#5
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	I practice Deep Water Culture myself.. I started a few years back with passive hydroponics: hempy (dutch) buckets, and they got the job done.. I traded up to DWC about two years ago and haven't looked back.. The vigor and growth rate is truly impressive.. What's funny is that indoors I love playing chemist with all the synthetics, but outdoors I wouldn't dream of letting them touch the soil lol.. I personally cut clones rather than continuously popping seed.. I made a cloning setup out of an old tupperware container.. filled 3/4's with a very weak solution and an air-stone.. Just drill out the lid with a multibit, and drop your peat pellets in - roots in 10 days or so..

June 18, 2015	#8
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Good luck going aero to soil without transplant shock; I couldn't do it. The roots all bunch up together. Something like a rockwool/cocopeat cube would work better I think. The media would go with the transplant into the ground.

June 23, 2015	#13
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	Good for you, glad it was a success for ya!

October 8, 2016	#15
zeroma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 637	Can one grow tomatoes totally organic in a hydroponic set up? Indoors with lights. I've done a lot of tomato seed starting with a rack and shop lights, no other equipment, so I know that can be done. Lettuce and some greens, easy to grow is what I'd like to start with but then on to tomatoes. Maybe the Dwarf variety tomatoes if they would be productive enough. I've never done any hydroponics. Just getting into the thinking stage. Deep Water Culture - is that the same as Dutch buckets? How noisy is it to have a set up in your house? Just as part of a room, not in a 'grow closet' or inside a zipper tent. A free standing piece of furniture? Actually there is a nice corner in my kitchen that could be converted into a grow station without much carpentry. Yes, I want to grow my own salad bar!!! Zeroma