DIY: Hydroponics Systems
A "drip" hydroponics system is one of the simplest hydroponics setups you can have, which is why it's often recommended for novice hydroponic gardeners. A drip system is easy to set up, tear down, clean and move at a moment's notice without killing your plants. And it is really easy to expand if you choose to add more plants to your garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Dutch pot hydroponic leach tray and components
- Rockwool bricks
- 1/2-inch plastic tubing
- 1/4-inch plastic tubing
- Tape
- Tubing joists
- Bucket
- Submersible pump
- Basket drips
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Place the leach tray on a windowsill or table in a room that stays sunny and warm. The tray needs to be elevated so that gravity can drain the tray into the bucket.
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2
Fold over one end of the larger tubing and secure it with tape. This will cut off water flow and allow the water to be redirected into the small tubes. Run the tube along the bottom of the tray and cut it so that the tube is long enough to run the length of the tray and go into the bucket.
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3
Place the joists along the length of the large tubing according to the number of plants you plan to have. Cut pieces of the smaller tubing and attach each to a joist. They will deliver water and food to each individual plant. Place a basket drip into the end of each small tube.
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4
Put your rockwool bricks into the tray and put one cutting or a couple of seeds into the notch of each brick. According to rockwool manufacturer Grodan, rockwool is an ideal hydroponic growing medium because it stays moist and provides the plants with minerals it would usually find in the soil. The bricks are made of necessary vitamins and minerals because it is spun from volcanic rock.
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5
Place one basket drip into each brick. Fill the bucket with water and place the remaining end of the large tube onto the pump. Place the pump in the bucket, plug it in and turn it on. Your drip system is ready.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you add liquid plant food to your water in the first week after you begin your garden. The rockwool is full of nutrients, but the water will eventually wash the nutrients out.
Watch for mold that can grow on the tops of the bricks. Rockwool bricks are wrapped in plastic on the sides, with the tops and bottoms left bare, which leaves them vulnerable to mold. Many molds may not be harmful to the plants, but it's important to keep an eye on it to make sure. You can scrape the mold off and prevent it further by adding hydroponic coco peat to the tops of the bricks.
References
- Photo Credit Clean water and water bubbles in blue image by Suto Norbert from Fotolia.com
