Homemade Hydroponics

Leafy vegetables grow easily with hydroponic gardening.

Growing a plant in nutrient-rich water is referred to as hydroponic gardening. Hydroponic gardening can be accomplished in several ways. Artificial products like peat moss or rocks may be used to support the plant and roots, or the plants can be grown without supporting structure. With hydroponic gardening, plants may be grown indoors or outdoors. Plants grown indoors by hydroponic gardening can be grown and harvested throughout the year since the temperature and climate is controlled.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Styrofoam cooler
• Drill or saw
• Net pots
• Water
• Plant fertilizer
• Sand
• Seeds
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Aquarium pump

1. Cut a hole in the lid of the Styrofoam cooler large enough to fit the pot. Use a saw or drill to easily cut through the Styrofoam layer. Cut a small hole on the other side of the lid, making the hole large enough to pour water into.

2. Fill the cooler with water and plant fertilizer, following the dilution instructions provided by the manufacturer.

3. Push the pot into the hole in the Styrofoam lid so that the bottom of the pot is in the closed cooler. Fill the pot with sand and place several seeds into the pot. Keep the sand in the pot moist until the seed has germinated and roots have developed.

4. Place the Styrofoam cooler in an area where the plants will be exposed to two fluorescent light bulbs approximately four inches above the plants. You may use a timer to ensure that the plants are exposed to light for at least 14 hours per day.

5. Install an aquarium pump in the cooler to aerate the water. Aerating the water is optional but may result in faster growing time. Turn the pump on for one-hour periods several time throughout the day.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of a Styrofoam cooler, a large plastic tub with a lid may be used. If you are using a container that allows light in, you should cover the interior with a black plastic to guard against algae growth.

• Instead of sand, you may use other growing mediums like vermiculite.

References

• University of Arizona: Hydroponics
• University of New Hampshire: Hydroponic Vegetable Gardening
• Jason's Indoor Guide to Organic and Hydroponic Gardening: Making a Homemade Hydroponics System That Works