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This is a step by step pictorial walkthrough of how to build and set up your own cheap, easy, and effective Deep Water Culture hydroponic system. It w...
Here are three Ruby Red Swiss Chard seedlings that are about 3 weeks old. They were germinated in a paper towel, and then placed in Jiffy-7 peat pelle...
This is a 1 gallon Rubbermaid tub from Walmart that I have covered in a double layer of black duct tape to make it light-proof. The rest of the materi...
Two aquarium air stones, some elbow and T fittings, 1/4" irrigation/air hose, and a small aquarium air pump, rigged in place with a braided wire to ke...
Here you can see the bubbles that will provide the oxygen needed for healthy plant growth (more on this later). These bubbles will keep going 24/7, as...
Even after thoroughly rinsing the lava rocks, I've ran the system with plain water for the last 24 hours to rinse out any remaining dust from the rock...
BioThrive Grow is a vegan organic nutrient solution that provides all of the major nutrients needed for vegetative plant growth. BioThrive also has a ...
Full strength is 3 teaspoons per gallon, but I use just 1t for the first feeding to be gentle on the plant and give it time to acclimate to the nutrie...
FloraBlend is a vegan plant booster that supplies the micronutrients, enzymes, and organic acids needed for strong, vigorous growth. It isn't necessar...
Regular dosing is 1.5t per gallon, but for the first feeding I only use .5t.
CaMg+ is a calcium and magnesium supplement. These minerals are necessary for building a strong cellular structure, increasing nutrient uptake, and he...
Regular feeding is 1-2t, but I use .5t for the first feeding.
Hygrozyme is an organic enzyme solution designed to maximize the health of the roots. The enzymes are formulated to decompose dead organic matter. Thi...
It can be used as much as 3t per gallon, but I start with just .5t for the first feeding.
*shake shake shake shake*
It is time to check the pH of the nutrient solution. Plants need the nutrient solution to be within a certain range to properly absorb nutrients; betw...
I fill a test tube half way with nutrient solution.
I use a chemical pH testing kit made by General Hydroponics to test my pH. You can buy an electronic tester, but it costs quite a bit more.
If the reagent turns the solution red, it is acidic. Green is basic. Yellow is right in the middle, where I want to be.
It seems that the solution is quite acidic, as it has a very low pH at
General Hydroponics makes two chemicals, pH Up and Down, which are food-safe base and acid solutions that are designed for adjusting the pH of hydropo...
*shake shake shake shake*
I wanted yellow, not yellow green!
This is the counterpart to pH Up. They are very conveniently color coded to prevent confusion.
My arm is getting tired.
The pH test sample is yellow, which is 6.0, right where I want it.
Vermiculite acts a lot like sand, but it is nearly weightless. By submerging the vermiculite in water, it washes away from the roots into the water.
I swish the seedling in the water to rinse off the vermiculite. I want to get rid of as much as possible, since I don't want it floating around in the...
Spraying the roots helps to clean the vermiculite particles off of the fine delicate feeder roots.
After rinsing the seedlings as clean as possible, it is time to set up the system!
I like to pour the nutrients from a height of a few feet. It is an old trick I picked up from home brewing. The bubbles and splashes help to fully oxy...
I'm sure you've heard of someone killing a plant by over watering, but that term is actually a misnomer. The plant actually dies from suffocation once...
Hydroponic plants grow much more vigorously than their soil-grown counterparts. This is because hydroponic environments are simply more ideal for plan...
Be sure that you don't let the roots dry out for even a second. They are very delicate, and can die if they dry out.
I begin by putting a layer of lava rocks into the first net pot, skaing it down to make sure that it is even and compact, filling in as much space as ...
Ready to go into their new home.
These are the fine, delicate feeder roots. Some of the roots have turned a pretty red color; a characteristic of the Ruby Red Chard.
I place the peat pellet onto a layer of lava rocks that is deep enough so that the top of the pellet is just below the level of the top of the pot.
I pour in lava rocks, making sure to fill the gaps as well as possible. I have to be gentle with the roots though, as they are extremely fragile.
And now we grow! Updates to come.
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