Windowsill Hydroponic Herb Garden

In this Instructable I will share my window Hydroponic herb garden. You can easily do at home

Step 1: Get Materials

I used a Bread container as a Water reservoire

-1x Breadcontainer with a wooden cover. (12€)

-3x Netpots in the size of 80mm diameter. (The diameter of the Netpots depent on the Drills you have to make the holes. The largest one I had was 80mm) (0,80€)

-1x Bag of Hydroponic grow rocks (You need less, but the least amount I got was 5kg) (6€)

-3x Rockwool cubes (0,50€)

-1m Wick or optional shoelaces (1,29€)

-1 Drillsaw with the same diameter of your Netpots

- Some hydroponic nutrient solution (I use hesi hydro grow with NPK 3-2-4) (7€)

Step 2: Get the Holes in the Wood

1. Measure the middle of your wood lid and mark it.
Use a compass to mark the Netpot that sits in the middle of your lid. Now it depends on the space you have on your lid, if there is space for more than one Netpot like in my case, add the diameter of your netpots plus 1cm (9cm) and mark a point 9cm next to the middle.

2. Drill holes with your Drillsaw at the marked points in your wood.

easy!

Step 3: Get Your Netpots Ready for Some Planting

1. Rinse the hydroponic rocks with clear water, to get the dust off them.

2. Place the wick through the holes in the bottom of the netpot, so that it reachs the bottom of the container up to the top of your netpot.

3. Carefully fill 2/3rd of the netpot with hydroponic rocks. make sure the wick sits straight in the middle of your netpot to secure an even water supply

4. On top of the rocks put two half's of the rockwool cubes and water them.

5. Plant! I planted two pots with basil (basil germinates under light, make sure they get it) and one with cilantro (cilantro germinates in darkness, so i covered the seeds with hydro rocks)

Step 4: Get the Container Ready

Fill the container with clear water till it reaches the bottom of your netpots. I used a container with 9l volume so there are about 6l of water left. As roots also need air to grow, there are additional 3l air in the container.

Place the netpots!

Don't use the nutrients before the fourth week of growth because to much nutrients would harm the tiny plants.

Step 5: Place Your Hydroponic Herb Garden Next to the Window

Enjoy!

As a different water reservoire I used a half cut wine bottle, it holds one netpot, wich also looks nice. Unfortunately I don't have pictures with ready herbs in it.

Comments

[fanjennifer643]

do we need an air pump?

[kjetinho]

Does the wick go all the way to the rockwool cubes?

[ku5h]

it is not necessary. I made it go to the top of the hydro balls, so that it touches the rockwool.

[Geeks with lasers]

amazing, I've wanted an aquaponics windowsill system for ages, this will be perfect. Thankyou

[ymasullo]

If you have experience already with hydroponic gardening then you will be familiar with the rockwool cubes,the netpots, and the rocks which have been referred to. I think this instructable is just fine, I simply don't think it novel. In addition, there really should be some sort of pump, as someone else said, to bubble and oxygenate the system.

It is nice that someone took time to try to share their creation.

[ku5h]

I got inspired by the Kratky method https://m.instructables.com/id/Kratkys-non-circulating-hydroponics/
It is designed to be non electric. The roots will get It's air supply through the gap between the plant pod and the surface of the Water. Untill now this works great with cilantro and Basil. As an additional water supply especially during the first period when the roots are not long enough to reach the Water, I added the Wick.

[Exocetid]

You need to translate your Instructable to US english, you'd hit a bigger market.

[kiwigold77]

Exocetid, I think you are being a bit picky.

Ku5h has taken the time to share his idea and his proper English, not American slang is easy to understand.

Perhaps you might like to share an idea but explain the details in French or some other European language or would that be too difficult for you.?

[DLec]

Kiwigold77, you don't need to be so nasty. I appreciate it when US measurements are included in instructions and recipes. I don't know what Rockwool cubes and netpots are, we probably call them something else in the states. I'll google them.
Ku5h, great idea - thank you for sharing.

[Lavoz24]

GOOGLE is best to get answers to those questions that have us lose sleep at night. ?

[EmmitS]

You could use a plastic tote. Just make sure the lid is strong enough to hold the weight of the pots and plants after the holes have been drilled. If you pick up an cheap aquarium air pump and airstone at the pet department, it will circulate and oxygenate the water to promote better root growth. If you don't have a window, or the window doesn't provide enough light, you can hang a 100 watt equivalent compact fluorescent lamp about a foot above the leaves. Look for bulbs that produce a Kelvin rating of 5000K to 6500 K. These are sold as Bright White(5000K), Daylight (6500K), or Natural Daylight (5000K). They do not cost any more than normal Warm White (2400K) or Cool White (3500K), but they do provide a lot more blue light, which promotes plant growth and photosynthesis.

[ku5h]

Thank you these are good examples for further improvements. I wanted to create a non electric Hydroponic solution, and got Inspiration on the "Kratky method". I dont have any possibility for power supply on the used spot in the kitchen, and preferred the most simple solution with an eye on the Design -> thats why I preferred the more expensive Container but with an nice wooden lid. Also I agree that an additional Air-Stone would lead to improved Growth.

[meisenbaugh]

Nice idea but... You fail to show how everything is laid out to add sense to design. Things like wick length that enters the pots or where the wicks end. Do they go into the rocks or is it water level. Just telling people how much it cost in Europe for products is not the same as a simple 2D layout of everything, showing the design.

[billbillt]

great

[Akin Yildiz]

such a simple and sleek design, great work.!!
.
you should consider adding lights to it for unlit kitchens; https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-lights-1/

[superthunder bolt]

are these the one (rock wool)

http://www.amazon.in/Grodan-Starter-Plugs-Cubes-Rockwool/dp/B00XBDN1H2?tag=googinhydr18418-21

[ku5h]

thank you! yes these are rock wool cubes