I'm trying the Kratky Method this year (pumpless hydroponics)

a reply to: tinker9917

Only thing I don't like is all the plastic.

But I don't see why I couldn't use other materials.

This is awesome.

a reply to: tinker9917

The best thing I have found is pvc dye for automotive carpet and plastic trim.
It works better than that fusion crap but still would fade with a short time, but it is expensive.

www.duplicolor.com...

a reply to: tinker9917


Tried it.

You need an oxygen pump.

Take my advice now or after your first crop grows air roots and wilts, either way you will be adding an oxygen pump.

It does work well for smallish short duration crops like lettuce (even carrots with a few modifications), but not worth trying on things like melons or tomatoes, their grow cycles are too long and the large plants will require more water and nutrients than a single bucket can provide without refilling.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

How about cement backer board?

a reply to: tinker9917

All good. Just make sure you grow lilly pads.
Anything else will drown.
All of your setup is ripe for a simple mod to grow normal plants.
A cheap harbor freight submersible fountain
pump up to a couple sprayers inside that wet the root ball.
A screen to hold roots out of water would help.
Solar heat and fresh water will be the main fight after that.
Nute levels in small containers will also jump all over the map as the water evaps over 1 week. Less if warmer.
Roots require around 50/50 oxygen to water ratio. Even/especially in dirt.
Let alone submerged. You need at minimum heavy bubblers and a weekly water change with submerged, self contained aquaponics. In aeroponics you spray the rootball 24/7. It never sits in water.
High pressure "fogging" aeroponics with a stable large reservoir is the fastest system.
You could do some solar powered bubblers if you absolutely wanted your submerged aquaponics setup and may be successful.
Sorry for the unsolicited advise...I like the designs
Good luck dude..hydro is fun.

I did self-watering rain gutter gardening with great success and had a lot of fun until the water barrel went dry when we were camping and forgot to fill it before we left.. Life happened and I never got around to setting it up again, but it sure was easy! Plant, walk away, check the water level in the 50 gallon drum once a month, then harvest. My kind of garden!
[youtu.be...]

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u
a reply to: tinker9917


Tried it.

You need an oxygen pump.

Take my advice now or after your first crop grows air roots and wilts, either way you will be adding an oxygen pump.

It does work well for smallish short duration crops like lettuce (even carrots with a few modifications), but not worth trying on things like melons or tomatoes, their grow cycles are too long and the large plants will require more water and nutrients than a single bucket can provide without refilling.

.
Why will they wilt after growing air roots? (Serious question, not trying to be a smarty pants)

Plus adding a bit more water from time to time is no problem. You just can’t fill it back up or you’ll drown the plant due to it needing the air from the air roots. Right?

originally posted by: tinker9917
a reply to: beyondknowledge
Can you paint the drums maybe?

You can paint the exterior or even wrap it in something dark or solid, you just have to eliminate the possibility of light getting through to the inside or you'll get mold and algae.

The color on the inside doesn't matter at all.

a reply to: tinker9917


Air roots are a last ditch effort by an oxygen starved plant to suck air through a straw, you don't want air roots.

The hanging roots exposed to air in the bucket are regular roots that happen to be exposed to very humid air, these are good, air roots will grow vertical to reach more oxygen, that's the plant telling you there is no more oxygen in that old water.

Small oxygen pumps are inexpensive and use very little power, and they don't need to be run 24 hours a day so you could easily connect one to a small and affordable solar panel or a battery.

One of these pumps can handle a pretty large garden, and your plants will THRIVE compared to the results you'll get without it.

Keep an eye on your roots…brown and slimy is the beginning of root rot. There are beneficial bacteria that can help, also hydrogen peroxide dosing. Try to keep your buckets cool, insulate or shade just the buckets somehow. I know you mentioned the no power aspect of the method but For an experiment try a cheap aquarium air pump and bubbler in one or two. You might be surprised in the growth difference.

a reply to: Coopertoo
Thanks for the advice.

originally posted by: Coopertoo
Keep an eye on your roots…brown and slimy is the beginning of root rot. There are beneficial bacteria that can help, also hydrogen peroxide dosing. Try to keep your buckets cool, insulate or shade just the buckets somehow. I know you mentioned the no power aspect of the method but For an experiment try a cheap aquarium air pump and bubbler in one or two. You might be surprised in the growth difference.

You bring up another excellent point, water temperature is critical at all times for this gardening method.

Most plants can take a whole lot more temperature variation above ground than they can below ground.



Example:

You can heat the room a corn plant is growing in to 120f for weeks at a time and it wont harm the plant much at all, but let the root juice reach 120f and your plant will be dead in an hour or so.

Note: Hot tubs are usually set around 105f.



Same for cold temps, your water must stay within (or very close to) what your seed provider specified as the preferred air temperature range, the roots are far more sensitive to even brief periods outside that range than the above ground bits.

Most pot systems like that use bubblers, or at least water flow/circulation. Water temp can become an issue too. Too warm and the water holds little O2. At that point, root disease is possible.

We have developed hydroponic/airoponic systems, but they require power, or barring power, at the least, daily manual maintenance.

Interesting project

originally posted by: Coopertoo
Keep an eye on your roots…brown and slimy is the beginning of root rot. There are beneficial bacteria that can help, also hydrogen peroxide dosing. Try to keep your buckets cool, insulate or shade just the buckets somehow. I know you mentioned the no power aspect of the method but For an experiment try a cheap aquarium air pump and bubbler in one or two. You might be surprised in the growth difference.

You know what the issues can be!

originally posted by: vonclod
Most pot systems like that use bubblers, or at least water flow/circulation. Water temp can become an issue too. Too warm and the water holds little O2. At that point, root disease is possible.

We have developed hydroponic/airoponic systems, but they require power, or barring power, at the least, daily manual maintenance.

Interesting project

I'm a single guy with a large unnecessary modern kitchen, i've done this with simple modifications right on the granite counters in front of a window with sometimes excellent results.

The carrot mod isn't for beginners, but damn are those things tasty when grown clean and picked at will as a snack!

I also liked butter lettuce, excellent for beginners, likes indoor temps, and extremely tasty when picked during the sandwich build. These don't even really need to be in front of a window, and the short grow cycle makes it more likely that your first attempt will be at least partially successful.

I've also done cantaloupe outdoor in Arizona springtime, but the nightly temp changes and the daily water adds were too much for me to do it again.

originally posted by: tinker9917

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u
a reply to: tinker9917


Tried it.

You need an oxygen pump.

Take my advice now or after your first crop grows air roots and wilts, either way you will be adding an oxygen pump.

It does work well for smallish short duration crops like lettuce (even carrots with a few modifications), but not worth trying on things like melons or tomatoes, their grow cycles are too long and the large plants will require more water and nutrients than a single bucket can provide without refilling.

.
Why will they wilt after growing air roots? (Serious question, not trying to be a smarty pants)

Plus adding a bit more water from time to time is no problem. You just can’t fill it back up or you’ll drown the plant due to it needing the air from the air roots. Right?

You need some circulation/airation, or the standing water becomes dead/depleted, then you will have root rot. If you swap it out frequently, you have a chance. One thing that works as good as a bubbler, is a waterfall type deal, the waterfall splashing into the existing water, drives O2 in..as long as the water is not too warm to absorb it. But, that of course will require some power. Most commercial pot systems like this, actually have temp controlled nutrient delivery..they are recirculating though.

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u

originally posted by: vonclod
Most pot systems like that use bubblers, or at least water flow/circulation. Water temp can become an issue too. Too warm and the water holds little O2. At that point, root disease is possible.

We have developed hydroponic/airoponic systems, but they require power, or barring power, at the least, daily manual maintenance.

Interesting project

I'm a single guy with a large unnecessary modern kitchen, i've done this with simple modifications right on the granite counters in front of a window with sometimes excellent results.

The carrot mod isn't for beginners, but damn are those things tasty when grown clean and picked at will as a snack!

I also liked butter lettuce, excellent for beginners, likes indoor temps, and extremely tasty when picked during the sandwich build. These don't even really need to be in front of a window, and the short grow cycle makes it more likely that your first attempt will be at least partially successful.

I've also done cantaloupe outdoor in Arizona springtime, but the nightly temp changes and the daily water adds were too much for me to do it again.

That's awesome, everyone should play around if they can, it is satisfying!

Don't let me scare anyone, things don't need to be as complicated as I describe, I just point out where one might find trouble..it just takes a bit more hands on, rather than set and forget.

a reply to: vonclod


I've never done any traditional gardening, just decided to try this one day, and you're right that it's been very satisfying.

Especially when the grandkids beg for grandpa carrots as soon as they walk in the door.

I'm a big fan of fresh melons (impossible to find unless you grow them) and could easily grow them on the patio like this 9 months a year with a fairly affordable heater/chiller and air pump feeding a dozen or so large plants here in Arizona.

Indoor is really easy with certain crops, just need to follow simple setup instructions and wait.

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u
a reply to: vonclod


I've never done any traditional gardening, just decided to try this one day, and you're right that it's been very satisfying.

I'm a big fan of fresh melons (impossible to find unless you grow them) and could easily grow them on the patio like this 9 months a year with a fairly affordable heater/chiller and air pump feeding a dozen or so large plants here in Arizona.

Indoor is really easy with certain crops, just need to follow simple setup instructions and wait.

Now is the time, if there ever was a time.

originally posted by: vonclod

originally posted by: PatriotGames4u
a reply to: vonclod


I've never done any traditional gardening, just decided to try this one day, and you're right that it's been very satisfying.

I'm a big fan of fresh melons (impossible to find unless you grow them) and could easily grow them on the patio like this 9 months a year with a fairly affordable heater/chiller and air pump feeding a dozen or so large plants here in Arizona.

Indoor is really easy with certain crops, just need to follow simple setup instructions and wait.

Now is the time, if there ever was a time.

I took mine down before a long work trip last fall, but I retire later this year and plan to expand a couple hobbies.