How to Make Your Own Hydroponic Farm

Soda bottles can be turned into hydroponic growing units.

Hydroponics is a quick, reliable way of growing plants without putting them in soil. Instead, another medium is used to support the roots, such as perlite, rock wool, sand or shavings. Even simple hydroponic systems can sell for hundreds of dollars, but you don't have to spend a fortune to set up your own hydroponic farm. You can make an easy, effective setup by using recycled soda bottles for very little cost.

Things You'll Need

• 2-liter soda bottle with lid
• Scissors
• Pliers
• Large nail
• Heat source
• Perlite
• 16-inch piece of wicking, such as thick yarn or cotton rope
• Hydroponic nutrient solution
• Seedling with no dirt on the roots

Instructions

1. Cut the top off of the soda bottle. Make your cut just below the curve of the bottle, where the sides become straight.

2. Heat the nail until the end is quite hot. Grip it with the pliers while you do so, to prevent getting burned.

3. Poke a hole in the soda bottle lid with the hot nail, continuing to use the pliers to hold the hot nail. The hole doesn't need to be perfect, nor does it need to be centered. Set the nail in a safe spot to allow it to cool.

4. Feed the wicking material through the hole in the lid, once the lid has cooled. Adjust it so that half the wicking is inside the lid and half is on the outside.

5. Fill the bottom part of the bottle with nutrient solution. Leave about 3 or 4 inches of space at the top.

6. Invert the top section of the bottle and fill it with perlite. Bring the wick up into the perlite, weaving it around so that it goes through all levels and you don't end up with leftover wick on top of the perlite.

7. Plant the seedling in the perlite. Cover the roots gently. Be sure not to bury the stem of the seedling, since the plant will die if you do.

8. Moisten the perlite and wick with water or nutrient solution. Place the inverted cap into the body of the bottle, letting the wick hang down into the liquid.

Tips & Warnings

• The best types of plants to grow in a soda bottle hydroponic farm are smaller, fast-growing crops such as leafy green vegetables and herbs. Try leaf lettuce, spinach, peppermint, oregano and similar plants. Set up as many bottles as you want to create a thriving hydroponic farm.

• This system will not work for root crops such as carrots, potatoes and beets, or large plants such as tomatoes.

• When you use the hot nail, both the nail and the plastic melted from the lid will be hot. Don't touch either until they have cooled.

• Don't allow the bottle to get too low on liquid. Dump out the old solution and replace it with new, or top it off with water, to avoid getting too high of a mineral concentration in the bottle.

References

• University of Arizona: Hydroponic Gardeners of Tucson: Six Systems That You Can Build