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oakleaf33

Hydroponics made easy

oakleaf33
15 years ago

Alot of people say gardening is hard and back breaking. Hydroponics takes alot of hardship of convential gardening away. NOW it's not without work but it is easier. I work at lowes and let me tell you just about everything u would ever need to make anykind of hydro system, u can find there or most any hardware. That's what's so great about it you can make a system cheaper than you can buy one. There are limitless ways and applications. Yeah You can make one for really cheap if the budget doesn't allow. BUT..if u had the time and a little extra cash u could by a pond pump and some good hose and make an awesome setup that could nearly be self sustaining to say the least. I have seen sites where some guys have entire nurseries setup on hydroponics. It cost them more to set it up that way but it saves u a lot more headache and hardship in the long run. I guess you could say less day to day work. Hydroponics is so easy a ten year old can do it. Don't let anyone discourage you from it or tell u otherwise. Most people don't even know what it is. You mention Hydroponics an most people assume your talkin about growing "illegal" plants if you know whatti mean.

Comments (11)

  • grizzman
    15 years ago

    I agree the initial cost is greater than sticking a plant in the dirt, but if you plan an efficient system,utilize the sun, and take efforts to minimize electrical components, I believe the extra upfront cost will be minimal and within 2 or 3 'seasons' you can recoup the cost.

  • garysgarden
    15 years ago

    I agree. Hydroponics can be pretty expensive to start off with but if you build with a mind for simplicity and efficiency and - most importantly - use solar power wherever possible (ie lighting) you should be able to come out far ahead.

  • Dan Klinge
    15 years ago

    I made one for about $100 to start.

    1 Tupperware tub - $15
    1 4x4 PVC fence post $15
    2 Post end caps $8
    11 ft of 1/4" tubing $6
    10 Drip nozzles $2
    Hole Punch tool w/plugs $6
    10 3.75" Net pots $10
    1 Pump ? type $40

    = $102

    Throw in Hydroton medium and plants.... another $30

    = $132

    Built PVC stand $15

    = $147

    There are always other gadgets and gear you can buy but if you want to go cheap...you can...less than $150 for a full garden. check mine out.

    http://oflifeandliberty.blogspot.com/search?q=Hydro

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Hydro system....

  • hinzy
    15 years ago

    I've found everything except the net pots at HD & Lowes. Where did you get your 2-3" net pots?

  • mhargraves
    15 years ago

    I started out buying a bag of rock wool plugs ($6.50), and 6 ea of the rock wool cubes ($7.50), several baskets ($10), and several 5 gallon buckets ($6.00 ea), and them some grow solution ($8.00), a air pump ($10), and hoses and bubble stones ($5.00). I ended up with three "systems", that grew plants very well.

    However, some of the more hard to grow plants had issues, so I found myself buying a PH/PPM/EC meter ($140) and that is the best tool so far. I use it twice a day to check all my plants PH. After doing this, my success rate on growing plants, getting fruit, and even seeds that I could re-plant were very high.

    After using a high quality air fan ($25.00) on my plants I found myself hand pollinating only plants like my cucumbers.

    I live in Seattle WA, where the sun comes out once in a while, so I then bought a 400W Metal Halide light kit from a hydro supply store in Bellevue WA for $200.

    I checked my power bill month after month, and my bill went up about $30.00.

    I agree that hydroponics is more expensive than good old dirt, but I can grow year around. My plants do not have any bugs on them. Plants grow faster, and food taste way better than from the store. My plants grow on a table, which means I can putter around in my grow room all day and my back does not hurt.

    Since I love to build stuff, and love to grow plants, it is the perfect hobby for me. Now that I have made my initial investment, I can continue growing hydroponically with very little money out of pocket.

  • Dan Klinge
    15 years ago

    I got my net pots at a hydroponic supply store in Laguna Niguel, CA. They are 3.75"

    I put some new pics up today on my blog...check em out. My plants are kicking butt....

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Blog

  • hydroponica
    15 years ago

    I bought my net pots from www.ecogrow.com (iirc)

    You can use yogurt cups with holes punched in them if you want to save some money (not counting the cost of the yogurt, obviously). I mean if you're gonna eat some yogurt anyway, it's not a bad idea.

    I just wish I'd thought of it before I bought the net cups I have. I was eating a cup of yogurt the next day to fight the damage caused by the antibiotics I was taking and thought "hey, that's the same size as the net cups I just used".

    Net cups are sturdier, but it's not like you can't find more yogurt cups to replace them if the roots tear them up.

  • grizzman
    15 years ago

    yogurt cups are great so long as you don't intend for the roots to extend out of them. Otherwise you'll need to cut a lot of holes.
    at $.25 -$.35 a piece, net pots are the way to go.

  • garysgarden
    15 years ago

    I agree, net pots aren't expensive enough to bother making your own, but Hydroponica did say to cut holes in the yogurt cups.

    I suppose if you had yogurt cups laying around anyway it wouldn't be a bad idea to put them to use, though. I mean they're made of plastic and take a billion years or whatever to break down at the landfill.

    Certainly not a bad idea to recycle them and grow a plant than just throw them away, right?

  • Dan Klinge
    15 years ago

    We're about 40 days in and the garden's kicking butt!

    http://oflifeandliberty.blogspot.com/2008/07/hydroponic-garde-progress-update.html

    There are (from left to right) strawberries, bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, Thai chilies, watermelons, "Mr. Stripey" tomatoes,habañeros, basil, and cherry tomatoes. All in six feet and no soil. Not bad.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Update

  • garysgarden
    15 years ago

    Looks fantastic! I like your system. Looks like a drip/NFT hybrid am I right?

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