hydroponics

[tessa]

do we not have an hydroponics section really?
i just scored a major bargain where i work...and managed to buy 4 two-pot hydroponic systems, complete with pots, tank, submersible pumps, hosing, grow medium and nutrients...for the INSANE price of $16 (AU) per kit.
ridiculous, right?
obviously thinking of using them to grow tomatoes...but i have HUNDREDS of questions...and nowhere specific here to go.

[mdvpc]

Tessa-I grow some of my cutting lettuces inside in a hydro system, and have started my tomatoes in the same system. There have been some threads on hydro, but unfortunately, no sub-forum. Lets keep this thread active, and if we can show M that its a topic that deserves its own sub-forum, I am sure he will do it.

Photo of my hydrosystem.

[afrance30]

I also use hydroponics, and would love a section dedicated to that. I tend to not discuss it simply because I don't know if anyone else is interested in the topic.

After years of difficulty starting pepper seeds using every tip or trick I have heard, I decided to try it in my DWC cloner last year... 100% germination. I added an aquarium heater this year but it doesn't seem to impact the water temp very much, if at all

[janezee]

I know absolutely nothing about hydroponics, but would love to hear from our members who do. I'd especially like to know how people get started, and why.

[mdvpc]

I started with hydro because I cant grow cutting lettuces in the summer here-its way too hot. So I grow Jericho and others inside.

[jemerman]

I got antsy this winter not being able to grow anything, so I built a very basic DWC hydroponic unit and grew some lettuces inside. I will be experimenting with it outdoors this summer.

[tessa]

well...i'll just plod away asking questions then.
thanks everyone for jumping on this thread...and thanks in advance for any assistance you can render.

the kits say they can be indoors or outdoors.
this interests me...because, obviously, temperatures are going to be different.
we're heading into winter here, and i only have room for these outside.
typical winter temps range, on average, between 45F - 70F with occasional near freezes (but NEVER a freeze) and a few glorious summerish days.
the containers are all black. so i imagine ambient temperature of the water will almost always be higher than those lows.
so how would those temperatures affect my crop choices?
specifically...what about kimberleys???? ;-)

my next question would be about nutrients.
the instructions in the pack only tell me how to set it up the first time...and give ZERO info on when and how water should be changed (does it get changed????) or how and when to add nutrient.

i'll start with those two doozies.
thanks folks.

[amideutch]

I have had a long interest in Hydroponics and over the years have aquired several books on the subject. Here are a few good reads for the beginner to intermediste grower.

Hydroponic Home Food Gardens by Resh.

Hydroponic Tomatoes for The Home Gardener by Resh.

Hydroponics for Everyone by Sutherland.

Another method developed by Jacob Mittleider is his grow box method which is a Hydro/Earth combination. If his book "More Food From Your Garden" if still available is an excellent read and especially if you have soil that has PH issues, is to sandy or to much clay or otherwise not conducive to growing crops. Ami

[mcsee]

Tessa, if you can find a Hydroponics Supply/Shop anywhere near where you live, they will be a wealth of information on Ready Mixed formulas and recipes you can make up yourself. We grow hydroponically where I work, but the recipe we use is for feeding over 1000 plants and not something you could duplicate at home.
There is a Hydroponics/Aquaponics forum that some friends use, I'll try and post the link for you when I can get it.

[afrance30]

Originally Posted by tessa

my next question would be about nutrients.
the instructions in the pack only tell me how to set it up the first time...and give ZERO info on when and how water should be changed (does it get changed????) or how and when to add nutrient.
.

Most sources say to change the water every one to two weeks. I admit I usually go longer than that

As for the nutrient levels, the website for the brand of nutrients you have should give a feeding schedule. If you can't find it, post name of the nutrients on here and we all should be able to figure it out somehow

[tessa]

thanks for all the suggestions folks.
i'm going to set up the kits in the next few days...and we'll see what happens.
i'll def check out the nutrient makers website too.

[mdvpc]

I change about every 3-4 weeks, but I use hydrogen peroxide every week. After my initial change and fert, I add 20% of the original fert in every week or so.

Tessa-can you let us know what type of hydro system you have?

General Hydroponics is the brand I use of fert.

[tessa]

hi michael...
i'm struggling with what sort of system i have.
i haven't set it up completely yet...but basically...
each kit has 3 containers. two of them for growing, one as a reservoir.
i have two collanders to set in the grow pots, expanded clay medium, a submersible pump, and hosing.
here's where i'm starting to get confused:
the instructions are extremely thin. at no point in the instuctions, does it tell you to so much as plug in the pump! just to attach it one end of the hose...and while the pump itself does say "do not operate out of water"...i am nervous about sinking the electrical chord into the water. should i be?

so then the pump will pump water up a 19mm hose...where it goes topside of the reservoir. then 4mm hosing is attached and these extend to the grow pots...but merely have a small T fitting on the end. not a spray, not a mist, just a T fitting. er. okay. again...no help from the instructions. do i bury this? do i prop it up? (i think so) and will it splash ALL the roots? dunno.

also missing from the instructions...do i run the pump 24/7?

so then the 3 containers are picutured all set out at the same level, horizontally. this is to say that the reservoir is not BELOW the two grow pots. the return hosing is all set at the same height in each of the three containers, at the bottom. i'm having a hard time visualizing how there could ever be more water and nutrient in the reservoir than there will be in the pots. i suppose they'll all just remain at the same level. no help from the instructions what that level should be.

research research research...but not getting much joy.
i went to see a hydroponic geek in the store...and i am just so lost...i'm going to have to go back to him with the picture from the instructions.
hmm.

i'm sure i'm just being a tad on the thick side.

[vermiit]

Ooh, waves hand, I'm interested! More specifically, window farming. It gets really hot here, and I'd love to have fresh lettuce year round. I have a south facing window, and would like to make a DYI 3 bottle system.

But until all of yesterday, when I followed a link from my knitting forum, I really have no idea or experience with hydroponics.

WOW tessa, that's IS an incredible deal. If I wanted to buy my 4 bottle window farm commercially, it would be about $200.

Let us know how it goes, and share pics when you can!

[motownlucas]

Here is another great book on Hydro: http://www.howtohydroponics.com.
I built the Aerospring system from the book to grow tomatoes... Unfortunately I've never really done ANY gardening before and I'm not sure if I'm on track or not.
I planted the seeds 71 days ago and transplanted the seedlings to the hydro system about 55 days ago. They grew like weeds, but I have seen very few buds and no fruit yet.
Should I be worried?