Looks like a plant in a bucket.
That's absurd!
(I am just kidding, of course)

you know truthfuly that all any of us do. Put plants in buckets and hope they survive. But really that's all this is a plant in a bucket. A bucket of plain tap water. If you look inside all you see is a bucket with an air stone in it. The insert holding the plant is interchangable. So I can jump from the Hydro-Pod to the Hydro-Pail and future to the Hydro-Bucket. Non-Nutrient Hydroponics works without the need for changes and flushes. Or even ph checks

and your plants are healthy?? That doesn't make any sense to me. I mean, even IF your PH is fine, someone else's might be too high (or even too low). How would the plants survive. I mean, I get the minimal spray of nutes thing, that I could see as plausable (keeping in mind that I am completely new lol) but the PH thing... you'll have to explain that one to me.

Let me explain, this is Non, Non-Nutrient Hydroponics. That means all problems associcated with nutrients aren't there. It's just plain tap water. The nutrients are taken in by the upper root system that can only take that much because of the Perilite. Thr Perilite absorbs the nutrient and let's the plant absorb it slowly. Not to mention the wet dry cycle it sets up which produces more of those Perilite joining roots. Ph is only a problem in a nutrient based system. Same with pumping large amounts of water. There's no water changing or flushing either. Each chamber (pod, pail or bucket) is it's own unit. seperate from the rest. The only thing linking them is the air line. Air expands to fill any space so it doesn't matter what level each pod is on. In fact this conversation has given me such and idea for my front fence.

Growing plants in plain tap water? I am so sorry if I will sound really stupid here, forgive me but as I have understood it, the nutrients that your plants will receive shall come from perlite???

Yes

Sorry further exlaination on tap water. I use hot water. That I let cool down. Water that passes thru the heating system gains micro nutrients the plant also needs.

what elements are provided by the perlite?

Hmm..This is really interesting...So, all the elements that your plants need to grow are all provided by perlite? How is that possible?

mmmmmmmmm....I can see that I'm going to be glad I went out for a bottle of HPNOTIQ. Reminds me of that stuff Kirk drank on Star Trek. Was it Romulaian Ale? No matter I just took my first sip and I'm going to get more of this. Perlite on it's own doesn't provide anything. It's inert.

"The Perilite absorbs the nutrient and let's the plant absorb it ( from it )slowly. Not to mention the wet dry cycle it sets up which produces more of those Perilite joining roots."

"Water that passes thru the heating system gains micro nutrients the plant also needs"

The only micro nute the water might pickup in a heating system is copper

You know I was just sitting in the garden watching the twilight grow. Fog is nestling in between the trees and buildings. Just enough light yet to make things out at a distance. An IÂm caught by the sound of running water. Not just one sound but a whole chorus of notes and tenors. One of the Barbados nuts sounds like bass bowl of Rice crispies. Another like a splashing fountain, Have waterfalls and rushing streams and as twilight turns to night the sound become more the imagination than just water in a pot. This is an aspect that I didnÂt consider. Musical Hydro-Pods to grow your plants in. Hmmmmm. Everyday I sit by a aquaponics tank I made from a Halloween pretzel bowl to type. In the early morning the sun comes up shining thru the front window stark blue and white. Then sets shining thru the back glowing yellow and warm. But each time it strikes the column of rising bubbles in the tank. Each morning sparkling diamonds roll to the heavens and at evening a volcano, hot rocks in miniature. Anyway the inserts to the hydro-Pods have been deployed to the outside areas as Hydro-Pails. The Barbados nuts I pruned show four new branch buds and a whole Squad is sitting outside in sunlight.

If copper is the only micro nutrient that can be picked up by water in a heating system, would that nutrient be enough to make the plants grow healthy? What about the macro nutrients that plants need in order to grow well? Isn't it that even if you grow crops in soil, you would still need to supply them with fertilizer or nutrients even though they can get several nutrients from the soil? I am sorry to ask so many questions but I just want to have a clearer idea on the "growing plants with tap water alone" method. :)

hydroponic_gardening;
georgeiii does use fertilizer. you'll see it referred to as "a squirt" every couple of days. He downplays this aspect of his system. I'm not sure why, but he does.
Of course georgeiii has yet to let anyone know what kind of fertilizer it is since we all doubt his system so much.

gerogeiii;
those barbados nuts look nice. I can't speak to there relative size or health as I know nothing of them, but they look nice.

All trees and bushes I've grown hydroponically so far (Neem trees, Figs, Avocados, Passiflora species, Pea Aubergines, Parkia speciosa, get along with very low nutrient concentrations. They also do not mind pH fluctuations and can cope with rather high pH. Unlike most vegetables, their nature is to grow in very poor nutrient conditions, cope with seasonal changes as of the grid pH, drought and all kinds of other "natural issues".

Bottom line: they are extremely hardy and can cope with almost any conditions in hydro and survive all other vegetables when it gets rock-hard, or when you experiment with "low or even depleted nutrient conditions". I actually grow some of them continuously with depleted and diluted nutrients.

If anyone read from the beginning the reason for me picking this particular plant for bio-fuel was it's roots. I grew them before. Not only them but their relatives too. There's pictures on Photobucket. I killed a bunch of them over the years and these are survivers. I know the extremes they can survive because I put them thru it.

Here's something for you. Not everything works in a Nanny Pod. These are senative to oxygen change. (that something you should be writing down). You can tell by fading leaf color and small brown spotting thru out the leaf. It's the other large leaf plant in the grouping. It got that way in a month.
Oh, and the question of fertilizer? I use what ever is on the shelf. I may change the concentration a little that's all.
The other (look I''m talking in paragrahs now) about what's in your water? Plumpers are laughing everwhere. What you think people are buying water filters left and right because...what they look nice on the sink. Look your not laying fair here. Your trying to break into a converstation your not ready (exerience)to have. I just took a picture of what was left after I pulled one of the peppers out a pod. I had to leave whole clumps of roots in the pods that stuck to the air stones. Just plain water that the plants been sitting in for 6 months. So either it's getting what it needs or I'm doing Magic. Well, I do do magic or I'm Magical. I'll have to ask Regina that one. Ahhh, but talk about someone magical

I wanted to post a icture of this roots after it got a chance to revive.

That picture was taken 6-9-10

Is the perlite really the "plain" type. At my local Home Depot, Walmart and Lowes, they sell only the stuff that has Miracle Grow in it.

Yes, the big chucks you see are just pieces of styrofoam packing material I chipped off to keep the Perilite from growing solid. Now I don't know what kind of stuff your getting in your area but my bags are just Perilite and sand. I wash the sand out before use.

Here's the Barbados nuts and their doing just fine. Good secondary growth going thru out.

Emerald Okra in a Hydro-Pail

Well I can say the Okra are a sucess. Their growing tall and producing good. I haven't been paying close attention and they dried up but they came back quickly. I have to check them everyday now to see if they need picking.

I got a chance to sit at the top of the Garden. Right before the Hydroponic section begins. It's a nice little hide away right in the open. I have several paths thru the Garden that shield you from view but lead you into the mist of each type of Garden. Below that is the Tropical Garden. That take up a good quater of the yard. I really don't get to mention the Tropicals. I mixed a general sitting area that rings the inside meeting area. Found some Cherry wood stumps for stools. I use Nanny Pods to seperate space. Then lower down is the Vegetable area. And across from that is The Pumpkin Patch and the the Potato buckets waiting to end up in free fall. But the reason I mention this in this way is that Nature still has mysteries in abundace, While I was sitting up there at the top I saw that the Barbados Nuts needed pruning. It's 2 weeks before I thought time due but no matter. The first first plant I pruned squirted water like a heart beat. It did that three times then palused a little. The others just palused a little. I never saw that before. It's funny how Nature can get your curisoty up up with just the snip of a ssicors.

I'm trying to get a few pictures of the Hydro-Pails up. Photobucket is just running and running. Remember the Tropical Squad back in Jan? One of those plants was a Bhot Jolokia. It likes it's Hydro-Pail. The unexected thing is how much it likes it. In fact I'm sorry I didn't make more up. The Barbados nuts are the same way. Some of the trunks are an inch ans half or more in eight. No tap root just long wavy strands of roots. Biggest problem is rain water getting into the system. Rainwater brings alge in. I find that just uping the air volume for awhile gets rid of it. The water saving is impressive too. Some of the lants and vegetables are going thirty days or more ( water level real low in the pail) and they do fine. I've been doing a finger dance on the flowers to pollenate them. getting better than 90% for my efforts. Hey finally got the picture.

Early last month I started moving the Barbados nut trees into a spot where they would get just the morning sun. I wanted to start bringing them down to light levels you find in the house. Winter feels like it's coming early so I have to think about what to do with them. Sooooo, I have to top off each branch and trim off the root right to the cup. I'm going to turn them into little stumps. I'll move them up to the next size insert. Not the next size container, the next size insert. Since the nylon hose is still intact I can add more medium. This way I can keep in the Hydro-Pail and next year then move it to the Hydro-Bucket size. Infact I'm thinking about making the whole garden Hydroponic. I mean the whole garden. The cuttings that I take from the Barbados nuts I'll place into a squad of Hydro-Pods. By my count there will be enough for five. Now looking at the Nanny Pods I really should reconsider whether or not the whole garden should be buckets. The Nanny Pods with peppers are constantly falling over because their top heavy. Their such a sight. By feeding them a high nitrogen diet. Wait till they get very bushy, then just gave them striaght water till Tte plant finnishes fruiting then start feeding again.
It's raining this morning I put together a manifold system for rainwater. Nativetexian showed a really simple method of chaining 55 gallon drums. I have two sets of three. I got everything together and had to wait three weeks for it to rain. Well fingers crossed that the seals will hold.

Here's three of the five Barbados Nuts that I'm going to over winter continuing the Non-Nutrient method.
I took cuttings to place in the Hydro-Pods.

This is the root system. I was planning to cut those back but I just might let it go till next year

This is a picture of the different wood.

I'm working on getting the inside gardens set up. I'm really glad I have the space for some of these but we're talking the Hydro-Pails. Here's some pictures of the pruned shrubs showing regrowth.

Lucas your thinking in terms of the old hydroponics models. Part of my history is being a Master Candy Maker. For ten years I worked for a company called LudenâÂÂs. I made the York Peppermint Patty, LudenâÂÂs Cough Drops, 5th Avenue Bar, Queen Ann Cherry, LudenâÂÂs Jelly Beans and the Chocolate, the CHOCOLATE WAS LETHAL!!! We use to get that and just let our hands sink into a 60 or 90 pound slab. We use to try and lift them up that way. Hell I even carved the moulds for them. I say this to you because IâÂÂm use to thinking in terms of mass production. Using the Non-Nutrient method allows you to build multilevel structures only needing minimal structure support because thereâÂÂs little need for holding up large volumes of water. The cites waste system can be tied in for fertilizer production. The tree only needs temps above 45 and that means with plastic sheeting you can create convention heat from sum light gather during the da to heat it at night . You then grow it in places never thought of before. No lucas IâÂÂm thinking on a whole new model for food, fiber and bio-fuel production for urban environments

I've been paying so much attention to the Barbados nuts that the other plants in the Hydro-Pails were exnored. So here's a number of late season peppers I started.

Are the peppers indoor plants? They look like they are placed in front of a window. Do they get artificial lighting also?

Their plants I brought in and will over winter. Their in a south facing window. No there's no extra lighting. I began moving the plants to a place where they would only get a few hours morning sun. That was to get them use to less light. While I don't expect them to keep producing I do expect a extended harvest. I started them as seedlings late August.

Just to get it straight, they were originally outside plants that you brought inside for the winter, and are acclimating to new (winter conditions) at this point, to grow again in spring. Isn't it easier to just start new plants early for next season, or is there a benefit to using established plants? I have a friend that has a few different types of pepper plants in his backyard (in soil) that he has had for many years. so I know they can survive, but at the same time the seeds sprout easily for me also.

It's not a question of what's easiest but what you can learn. I don't keep all the plants just enough to fill a shelf. I start my seeds now, by January I'll transfer them from the trays to single 32 oz cups. By the end of March their ready to go out. So during the winter I have mature plants to learn from that might not survive. The mature plants will have all their problem mulitipled. If you can get them to live over winter. The other thing is many of the plants we commonly raise were folk medicine. We use them for what ails us. I like to dance and yes I'm good at it. Some friends stop over and after about 2 hours were complaining about their feet hurting. I showed them the medical closet of plants and fried some Bhot Jolokia with some eggs and pickle juice. Within 90 mintues we were dancing again. Everybody got a pepper to take home. It's not always about what's easy but the ahhhh of someone else's relief. It made a fun evening that much better. Not to mention enhancing my rep.

georgeiii
I did forget to ask if there was something you were trying to learn from using mature plants (over wintering them), compared to starting from seeds. My friend that has them in soil has had them in the same place for about five years (same plants). With summers up to 125F and winters as low as 30F. He has covered them with shade cloth, but not just them all the plants on that side of the garage.

I agree that it's not always about what's easiest, but mostly about what you can learn along the way. But for me there's a point where one needs to combine the two. If I had the funds, and space, I would be doing a lot of testing myself. But at this point I need to decide whats most important with the funds I do have, and more importantly space (it not being my space).

Is there something particular your hoping to learn from over-wintering the pepper plants? Or just what ever you happen to learn. Nothing wrong with that, just wondering. I often try things just to see what happens.

Here's what can happen when you don't take those few seconds to wax your stem cutting. This white fungus destroyed the stem several inches down. It looked so interesting in the beginning.