Save Money with Hydroponics!

I have started a hobby that, at the very least, is very fun, and it can in fact save you money. I have started growing my own vegetables in a hydroponic garden. There are some VERY complicated hydroponic systems out there, then there is the system I use, which is called a deep water culture. Basically, my plants sit in little pots full of hydroton (basically soil for hydroponic systems, it's actually clay pebbles) over water in a rubbermaid tub. Once my plants start producing, I should save TONS of money on vegetables. Peppers and tomatoes can be expensive, as can fresh herbs, so this can save you serious money in the long run.

The system I built cost me about $40-$50 to get going. However, that cost is higher because I did not price shop (please price shop) and I had to buy a separate light, instead of installing an incandescent plant light into a lamp I already owned (which I highly suggest)

The following video gives a good breakdown about how to start building a hydroponic garden

A few things that are different with my system:

• His is a larger system, I used a smaller tub, and did not have a problem with the sides bowing out (too much)
• I keep mine indoors, so I also use a plant light during the night time (this way, I get about 18 hours of "sun" on my plants per day")
• I bought my stuff at Meijer and a hydroponics store.
• I cut my top with a utility knife (a.k.a. box cutter, a.k.a. exacto knife), once you get a hole going, it is quite simple to cut the plastic with a sharp blade. (Word of warning, be careful with a sharp blade, always)
• I did not cut "slits", I simply cut holes so that I could rest the pots in the plastic
• It's not a "neti" pot, it's a "net" pot (Click here to see what a "neti" pot is)
• I eyeballed where to cut the holes. His is much more precise, mine required much less effort...you can decide how you would like to do yours

If you can find a shallow tub that allows you to build a system, I would recommend it. There is not reason to keep 12 gallons of liquid in a tub when you don't need it.

The most amazing tip about planting seeds in hydroponic gardens!

If you want/can buy plants to transplant, go for it; I could not, since I started my garden in the winter in Michigan. I bought seeds, however, and I figured out you can plant directly into your hydroton. I simply dropped 2-3 seeds (for larger plant seeds like tomatoes, peppers, and basil) or sprinkled seeds (for smaller seeds like oregano and thyme) onto the hydroton in the basket.

1. Fill basket half full with hydroton
2. Sprinkle (small seeds) or place 2-3 large seeds on the hydroton
3. Cover to about 3/4 of the way up the basket with hydroton
4. Once seeds have sprouted and are tall enough, offer more support for the stalk with hydroton filled to the top of the basket

If you cannot find a store which sells these items, I have put together a little aStore on amazon which has all the items you will need with the exception of the giant tub. Furthermore, if you want different seeds, you can either search amazon, or simply find them at a grocery store (some grocery stores will still carry them)

If any of that is unclear (and it is very likely that some of it is) or if you would like some clarification, just leave a comment and I will reply with more details.

Here are some pictures of my hydroponic garden:

The Air stone:

The pots barely touch the water:
Tomato plants:
The pepper plant: