Very cool, I like the design on the grow tables and can't wait to see how the hydroponics does. If you are like me you will be down there several times a day watching things grow. Merry Christmas Luke!
I have a small Kratky setup with a 13 gal roughneck tub, with 6 x 3" net cups, and it works like a charm. I also grew Kale in mine and the leaves were so dense and crinkly, you'll be very happy if you get the same results. I do raise water level just a tiny little bit more though since there is no air stone, but you should be OK with where you're at there as long as it touches the net cup and the root is at the bottom. I'm going to try Kale and Cilantro next and see how it goes. You made an interesting point about varying root growth speed, so hopefully they get along together in there well. Can't wait to see what it looks like in 60 days.
i built three of these last year they work amazing !. Cant wait to see what you do with yours I might have to bring mine inside and try to grow stuff in winter.
If I might make a suggestion, Luke I would brace the legs about 1 foot off the floor, and linking them together, even if its just 1x4's. That thing will weigh around 400 pounds, and if one leg gets kicked out from under it, the whole thing is going down. Just an observation ; )
Yeah, I know it would stand there with no problem, as long as an impromptu accident doesn't occur, God forbid ; ) You don't even have to use 2x4's, just something to brace the bottom of the legs, so they can't get kicked out from under it! Grow room is coming along nicely, by the way!
Loved this so much. I definitely learned something new! I would love to do this. Now I need to work on convincing the family to give me some indoor real estate. :)
That is a very interesting way to do hydroponics. This is similar to a salad greens grower I have. I will have to have a go with keeping the water level even with the net cup. I thought it had failed due to not being aerated. Looking forward to seeing how your setup does.
Gardening Tips With Phil Yes Phil, the water level is so crucial. If it is off by even a 1/2 an inch the rock wool or plant roots won't get down to the grow solution and they will be stunted and pathetic looking.
Eeeek... great video... I hope they survive... I'm a little concerned you haven't got any wicking happening and the roots obviously aren't hitting the water yet... My suggestion in future is to dangle a piece of string from the net pot. This would mean only a small amount of wicking so the roots wouldn't rot, but also a little bit of wicking so they actually get some water. Good luck, I hope they survive!
I've pulled a number of pepper plants in from my garden this fall and am setting up my own grow shelf indoors. I was looking specifically for your "part 5" heat & humidity ... Any advice you can offer on dealing with the extra heat would be appreciated. I have 2 400w lights at the moment. I am only just setting it up this week so I haven't experienced the heat yet, but am concerned that after their 18hr light period I will have a sauna.
Did you paint or otherwise smooth the inside of the box to prevent any splinters punching through the liner? These videos have helped me so much. Thank you
as mentioned in the video, i could go on for 5 minutes about the people who have tried it. Before seeing any videos on it, I actually read about the kratky method from one of my hydroponic mentors.
Is that the 1" thick siding? I went to Lowe's and they only carry up to 3/4". I'm worried about it flexing under the wait of a bunch of kale plants or breaking in half.
Nice video. One question: what about nutrients? Hope you cover that off in a future video. I am only growing in soil but have given this method some thought...
Yanglike you want the lights no further than 14 inches from the plants. The perfect height is the closest you can get to the plants without burning the leaves from the lights.
The water will not need to be filtered because there is nothing that goes bad. The water only becomes stagnant when organic matter breaks down in still water.
Derty McQwerty 42°N I run lettuce in the same water (although I do use air pumps) for 6-8 weeks before I do a full exchange on the DWC reservoir. I dont measure PPMs or PH at all. Im sure some plants require a more strict adherence to that rule, but 2 years of lettuce and greens this way has been fine for me.
'Air roots' are not a thing. The roots are exposed to air and the root tips die, causing the plant to expand its roots more. This is called air pruning, not air roots. It's the same principle that fabric pots use. Also, the white side is more reflective. Better for lighting.
Nomosowicz The cubes are not re-usable, but they are very dirt cheap. The walls are very reflective already, and I would not use mirrors, the mirrors actually absorb light believe it or not.
These rock wool cubes are reusable in many ways. You can cut them into little pieces and use them as the potting soil in house plants, add them to the garden within the raised beds, etc.. They are very recyclable as well. Grodan list all the great uses for them on their site and pamplets.
