Hydroponic SystemsThe apparatuses used in hydroponic growing are many and varied. There are two basic divisions between systems: media-based and water culture. Also, systems can be either active or passive. Active systems use pumps and usually timers and other electronic gadgets to run and monitor the operation. Passive systems may also incorporate any number of gadgets. However, they to not use pumps and may rely on the use of a wicking agent to draw nutrient to the roots.Media-based systems--as their name implies--use some form of growing medium. Some popular media-based systems include ebb-and-flow (also called flood-and-drain), run-to-waste, drip-feed (or top-feed), and bottom-feed.Water culture systems do not use media. Some popular water culture systems are raft (also called floating and raceway), nutrient film technique (NFT), and aeroponics.

1. "No Tech" Method Wick System1. Get two yogurt containers (cottage cheese containers, margarine tubs, and milk cartons also work). 2. Poke a hole the size of a pencil diameter in the bottom of one container and the lid of the second container. 3. Cut a piece of string about 6 inches long. Rinse the string thoroughly in water to wash off any materials with which it may have been treated. 4. Tie a knot in one end and slip the string through the top container. The knot should be against the bottom of the yogurt container to keep the string from slipping all the way through the hole. 5. Fill the top container with perlite and the bottom container with nutrient solution. 7. Poke the string through the lid of the second container. 8. Put the lid on the second container and sit the first container on top.

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The wick system (using Autopots®) is the hydroponic No Brainer! It is the only truly passive hydroponic system. It does not require pumps, timers or aerators. The nutrient is fed to the plants roots via wick action.Wick systems are best for slower growing, long-term plants like figs, African violets, patio tomatoes, and specimen houseplants (and lazy or forgetful gardeners).Disadvantage: You will not see the "super-charged" growth as with other systems that flood the plants liberally with nutrient solution. But these do make a good, dependable growing system. 

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:The plant is potted in a large pot with a wicking mat in the bottom. The nutrient solution is gravity-fed into the saucer or tray the pot sits in. No electricity required! Each Autopot module includes 2 pots and one tray with a patented "smart valve" to regulate the flow of solution. 

 HOW TO BUILD A SMALL WICK SYSTEM

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Autopot System... Free plans(* Note, there is a link at the end to a nice printable booklet of the process!)

                       

We recommend a “store-bought” module for this super-easy hydroponic project, the AutoPot®.AutoPots® are patented kits which are essentially “self-feeders”. They can be used for hydroponic setups (no soil) or can be planted with traditional potting soil. The heart of the unit is the special “Smart Valve”, which regulates the flow of nutrient solution into the holding tray. When connected to a simple gravity-fed reservoir, the Autopots® automatically provide irrigation to plants on-demand, then remain closed until the medium dries somewhat. This simulates the wet/dry cycle of natural rainfall, and makes for a very productive system.We have included this system in our free hydroponic plans not so much as a “build it yourself” project, but because we wanted to introduce you to this amazing system. Some very successful commercial greenhouses are set up with nothing but rows and rows of AutoPots®.

 

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                                      Our instructions here provide two large pots, and the total cost is about $60 (not including a lamp and food). You can easily add more modules later to make a whole “AutoPot® farm” if you would like.SUPPLY LIST:

AutoPot® basic module (comes with grommet and 1/4” tubing): http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#misc  *Please note the new generation Autopots® are square, they look different from our photos here, but it's the same product.

Extra 1/4” black irrigation tubing if a longer length is needed [Home Depot] 2 gallon bucket [Walmart] Growing medium: 50/50 Coco coir & perlite: http://www.hydroponics-

simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#mediaTOOLS NEEDED:

Power drill; 1/4” drill bit

 

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2. Germination Tray Method 1. Use a rectangular, food storage-type plastic container. 2. Cut a slit in the middle of the lid lengthwise. 3. Get two pieces of absorbent cloth material, about the height of the container (black works best to keep light away from the roots). 4. Pull one piece of material through the slit leaving about 2 cm (11/2 inches) at the top of lid. Tape that material to the top of the lid, laying it flat and away from the center slit. 5. Do this again to the other side of the slit with the second piece of material, again taping down the 2 cm of material that remain on top of the lid after you pull the bulk of the material through the slit. 6. Fill the bottom of the container with nutrient solution high enough so that the hanging material will dip into it and wick up the solution. 7. Place seeds on top of the lid, in the center of the material. Roots will grow down through the material. Seedlings can be easily transferred into other systems after germination.

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3. Hydroponics in a Tub Method 1. Get a large plastic tub with a lid. 2. Collect film canisters (one for each student). 3. Cut as many holes as you can fit on the lid (using a sharp utility knife or hole saw). Each hole should be the size of a film canister. Safety Note: The teacher may need to cut the holes for younger children. 4. Drill a hole in the bottom of each film canister. 5. Put a string with a knot in one end, inside each film canister. 6. Pull the string through the hole and make it long enough to reach the nutrient solution. The knot should be tense against the bottom of the film canister to keep the string from slipping all the way through the hole. 7. Fill the tub with nutrient solution. 8. Get the lid and put one canister in each hole, then put the lid on the tub. 9. Fill each canister with perlite. 10. Put a seed or a plant in each canister.

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4. Low Tech Method 1. Get two 2 liter soda bottles. 2. Cut off the top of one soda bottle at the point where the bottle begins to narrow into a funnel shape. 3. Cut off the bottom of the second soda bottle and invert it to be used as a top for the first soda bottle. 4. Cut a medium-sized hole in the top of the set-up (approximately 2 centimeters in diameter). Cut a smaller hole near the first hole (approximately 1 centimeter in diameter). Tubing will be fitted into the second hole. 5. Run tubing from an aquarium pump into the small hole for aeration into the soda bottle. 6. Cut a piece of plastic foam (such as Styrofoam) the size of the medium hole. Make a slit into the foam half-way; this will be used to support the plant.

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5. Raft Method 1. Use an inexpensive Styrofoam cooler (one that can hold several liters of liquid). 2. Create a floating lid using a Styrofoam scrap. 3. Cut cup size holes into lid. 4. Poke holes into bottoms of cups and fill cups with perlite. 5. Place cups in lid and fill cooler with nutrient solution so that only the bottom centimeter of cup is submerged. 6. Plant seeds in the perlite. 7. Aerate nutrient solution with an aquarium pump. As the roots grow they will grow through the perlite into the nutrient solution. If the nutrient solution is not aerated there will not be enough oxygen for healthy root growth.

Deep water culture (the lettuce raft) is probably the simplest and most economical hydroponics system you could build. Although very simple to set up and operate, it is

actually superior for growing lightweight, leafy vegetables like lettuce, herbs and small peppers. They grow like wildfire in this system. A lettuce raft makes an impressive, "futuristic" display and is a favorite with school teachers and for science fair projects (use an aquarium for the reservoir so you can see the roots). 

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Raft Lettuce...

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:Plants are grown in tiny net pots that sit in a styrofoam raft. The raft floats right on a shallow pan of nutrient solution, which acts as the reservoir. The roots grow right through the net pots and into the solution pan. A small air pump and bubbler keeps the nutrient solution well aerated and delivers oxygen to the roots of the plants. A fun, easy-care and prolific system! 

 

Ready At Last!  Learn to build a large Lettuce Raft System [2X4 raft for 20 plants!] Read all about it here:  Simon's Simple Hydroponic Plans. 

Not ready for a large garden yet?, Get started below with our small lettuce raft mini-farm [6 plants] free plans! (* Note,

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there is a link at the end to a nice printable booklet of the process!) 

                   HOW TO BUILD A SMALL LETTUCE RAFT SYSTEMRaft Lettuce...This is a lettuce growing machine! If you start some new seeds every 30 days, and replace each head of lettuce as you harvest with a new baby seedling, you can have a perpetual supply of crisp, healthy salad greens. The setup we provide here can grow six heads of lettuce at a time, and the whole unit costs less than $50 in early 2009 (not including a lamp and food).Most of the materials are available from Home Depot or Walmart. A few items must come from a hydroponics supplier (but we give you a good cheap source).

SUPPLY LIST:

Shallow reservoir pan (Sterilite 34 qt Latch Box tote works well) this bin is about 23½ X 14½ X 6” deep on the inside [Walmart]

Can of cheap flat back spray paint [Walmart] Aquarium air pump, 6 feet of airline tubing, “T” connector & 5” airstone

[Walmart] Rigid styrofoam sheet, 1-1/2 to 2” thick; cut a piece to fit inside the reservoir

pan. You can buy a 4X8 foot sheet at Home Depot for about $15. It seems a shame to buy a huge sheet of it for one little piece, but you can always save it for use later when you are ready to build your big 2X4 foot lettuce raft! An alternative is to cut a slab from an old styrofoam ice chest of the right thickness.

6- 2” net cups: http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#raft

Small bag of LECA (Hydroton or clay balls), [hydroponics supply or ebay]

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Styrofoam building insulation, 2” thick

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 TOOLS NEEDED:

Power drill; 1-3/4” or 1-7/8” hole saw & a 2” hole saw(Borrow a hole saw kit or buy one, you will definitely use it again).

Jigsaw, coping saw, or table saw to cut the styrofoam

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6. Ebb and Flow System 1. Fill cup or bucket with medium (rockwool, perlite, vermiculite). 2. Make a drain outlet in each bucket (see diagram) and connect with tubing. 3. Plant seeds in rockwool cubes and place in growing medium. 4. Fill bucket with nutrient solution and raise above pot containing seeds so that solution flows in by gravity feed and fills planted pot to within 2 centimeters of top. 5. Let solution remain in planted pot for 20 minutes. 6. Place nutrient solution bucket below planted pot and allow nutrient solution to drain back into its original container. 7. Repeat this ebb and flow 4 to 5 times each day.

The ebb and flow (also called flood and drain) is the classic hydroponic system. It is easy to understand, build and maintain. It's versatile and can accommodate pots of

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any size, or even rockwool blocks. We love the ebb and flow and use it often. 

Ebb and Flow Hydroponic System...

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:Individual potted plants are arranged on a drain table or "growing bed" which can hold a few inches of water. Periodically, nutrient solution is pumped in, flooding the holding bed. The plants are watered from the bottom through the drain holes in the pots. After a few minutes of soaking, the pump cuts off, and the table drains, the nutrient returning to the reservoir below it. This flood-and-drain cycle repeats 2-4 times a day. Simple but very effective. 

 

Ready At Last!  Learn to build a large Ebb & Flow System [4X4 growing bed with 24 large pots!] Read all about it here: 

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Simon's Simple Hydroponic Plans.

  Not ready for a large garden yet?, get started below with our

small ebb & flow mini-farm [2-4 pots] free plans!(* Note, there is a link at the end to a nice printable booklet of the process!)

                     

HOW TO BUILD A SMALL EBB & FLOW SYSTEMThis is a great, dependable little unit. You can grow four- 6” to 8” pots or several smaller plants. It costs about $90 in early 2009 (not including a lamp and food). Most of the materials are available from Home Depot or Walmart. A few items must come from a hydroponics supplier (but we give you a good cheap source). SUPPLY LIST:

Rubbermaid Black Storage Tote Bin with lid- 18 gallon [Walmart] (Or similar sturdy tote bin of 16-20 gallon volume)

Rubbermaid Snaptoppers Clear Tote- 30 qt. [Lowe's or Home Depot](Or similar flat bin that will fit on top of the tote bin)

Timer, mechanical garden; 15 minute increments [Walmart] Aquarium air pump, 6 feet of airline tubing, “T” connector & 5 inch airstone

[Walmart] 4 cheap flower pots, 8” [Home Depot or Walmart] Small bag of perlite [Home Depot or garden center] Black irrigation tubing, ½ “ I.D. (inner diameter) about 18” long, [Home Depot] Small submersible pond pump- 120 gph [here's one cheap:

http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#ebb] Fill and drain fitting set with one extension [order below]

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One brick of coco coir & small bag of LECA (Hydroton or clay balls) More on this and ordering info later in the Tips 'N Techniques section.

      

                           

TOOLS NEEDED:

Power drill; 1-1/4” hole saw & 3/8” regular or spade drill bit (Borrow a hole saw kit or buy one, you will definitely use it again).

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7. Ebb and Flow Table 1. Plants are grown in a tray table top which has drainage holes. 2. A tub or tray is placed below. 3. Four to five times each day the plant tray is flooded for approximately 20 minutes, and the nutrient solution is allowed to drain away into the tray or bucket. 4. The dimensions and construction of such a system may vary, depending on the materials available.

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Top Drip Systems are probably the most common hydroponics system in the world. They are often used in large commercial greenhouses. Once the network of feeder lines is set up, operation is simple.We like to use the popular Bato® buckets for our top-drip systems, as they are very inexpensive, come with a safety reservoir in the bottom, and are easy to set up on a drainage pipe.

 

Hydroponic Drip System

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:The nutrient solution is held in a reservoir. A pump comes on periodically and pushes the solution through a network of "spaghetti" tubing which trickles out at the base of each plant. The excess drainage out the bottom of the pot is collected and returned to the reservoir, where it is reused for the next "watering". The feeding cycle repeats 2-4 times daily and promotes lush growth.  

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Ready At Last!  Learn to build a large Top Drip Bucket System [4X4 growing bed with 8 or 16 pots!] Read all about it here:  Simon's Simple Hydroponic Plans. 

Not ready for a large garden yet?, Get started below with our small top drip mini-farm [3 pots] free plans! (* Note, there is a link at the end to a nice printable booklet of the process!)

                   

 

HOW TO BUILD A SMALL TOP DRIP SYSTEM USING BATO BUCKETSHydroponic Drip System

This system is by far the most ambitious of the 5 “mini-farms” we present in this series. You must follow the assembly directions carefully and pay attention to details. Why go to the trouble? We have found that our top drip systems have produced the most lush and prolific plant growth of all. Also, once it's built, it's pretty low-maintenance. We have designed here a small unit that supports 3 large growpots (Dutch Bato Buckets). We love Bato buckets because they are inexpensive and have a built-in safety feature. A small reserve of nutrient solution is always held in the bottom of each pot. In the event of a power failure, the plants will not die, but can live off the reserve for a couple days.

Top drip Batos form a great, dependable hydroponic unit. This garden cost about $135 in early 2009 (not including a lamp and food). Most of the materials are available from Home Depot or Walmart. A few items must come from a hydroponics

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supplier (but we give you a good cheap source).  

                       SUPPLY LIST:

Rubbermaid Black Storage Tote Bin with lid- 18 gallon [Walmart](Or similar sturdy tote bin of 16-20 gallon volume)

3 Bato dutch buckets [try www.bghydro.com] Small submersible pond pump- 120 gph [heres one cheap:

http://www.hydroponics-simplified.com/cheap-hydroponics-supplies.html#ebb Timer, mechanical garden; 15 minute increments [Walmart] Aquarium air pump, 6 feet of airline tubing, “T” connector & 5” airstone

[Walmart] PVC pieces: 1½” schedule 40 pvc pipe: Two 10 foot pcs of pipe; 8 elbows; 1

“t” piece; Tip: (buy 2 extra elbows and 1 extra T-piece in case of gluing mistakes [Home Depot])

One 4 oz. can of PVC cement (gold label) [Home Depot] Don't get blue glue. Small tube aquarium grade silicone sealant [Pet shop] Black irrigation tubing, ½ “ I.D. (inner diameter) about 6 feet long [Home

Depot] 1/4” irrigation “spaghetti” tubing, 10 feet (for drip lines) [Home Depot] Six 1/4” irrigation barb connectors (smallest bag) [Home Depot] Small bag of perlite [Home Depot] One brick of coco coir & small bag of LECA (Hydroton or clay balls). More on

this and ordering info later in the Tips 'N Techniques section.

                 TOOLS NEEDED:

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Power drill; 1-3/4” or 1-7/8” & 2-1/4” hole saw drills & 7/8” and 1” spade drill bits (Borrow a hole saw kit or buy one, you will definitely use it again).

Hacksaw, pvc pipe cutter or power saw to cut the PVC pipe.

Hydroponic Drip System

The heart of the Bato bucket is the built in safety “reservoir” for nutrient solution which rests at the bottom of the pot. The bucket has a “cutout”, allowing it to sit on 1-½” PVC pipe, into which you drill some drainage holes. A special port which comes with the bucket allows excess drainage to leave the pot via these drainage pipes. (This will all make more sense to you during assembly of the unit.)

                

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9. High Tech: Method Two Nutrient Film Technique 1. Get a plastic rain gutter and cut into equal sections. 2. Cover tops of rain gutters with plastic and use a knife or punch to make holes in tops the size of cups. 3. Place a bucket containing nutrient solution under table. 4. Using aquarium tubing, connect pump to one end of gutter. This should be at the highest point so that gravity can pull the nutrient solution down each gutter and into the next gutter. 5. In the last gutter, at the lowest point, connect a tube to drain back into the bucket containing nutrient solution. 6. The nutrient solution should flow continuously through the gutter at a depth of about 2 mm (just enough to bathe the roots).

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