Author Topic: My Hydroponic Garden (Read 8632 times)

kebee · « **on:** April 07, 2015, 02:47:07 pm »

Got my garden in today, hoping to not get a freeze to kill every thing, since the weather man said warm here on out I put them in. I though if we do get a freeze I will just take the cups out and bring inside though it would be some work. I planted 4 cucumbers, 6 big boy tomato, 4 watermelon, 4 crookneck squash, 3 bush beans, 5 45 day cabbage, 3 bell peppers and 5 romaine lettuce. May regret planting so many tomatoes, but I love tomatoes and if I have to many I will just give some away.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2015, 04:08:27 pm »

Nice looking set up!!!
My wife wants to build a greenhouse.. Three walls and north roof insulated well, the South facing wall and roof made of the clear polycarbonate.. Solar panels, small wind generator and an electric heater, then do hydroponics and raise tomaters etc all year.. I was thinking.. a few meat catfish in the water supply......

kebee · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2015, 07:30:13 am »

LazyBkpr than you want the one Gypsi has the Aquaponics type where the fish supply the nutrient for the plants, don't understand how that would work but I guess it would.

Ken

Gypsi · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2015, 08:30:28 am »

works pretty well if you can keep the fish alive. I sold off my tilapia and just have channel cats and koi in the pond with the plants on it now. My heirloom tomatoes are going through the adjustment to water on their roots - they are in organic mix over trays of expanded shale (shale is submerged). what do you have in those cups to anchor the plants Kebee?

kebee · « **Reply #4 on:** April 08, 2015, 11:51:41 am »

Gypsi they are expander clay pebbles, they are around 1/4 inch in size some more and some less, I have to wash all or about all the dirt from around the plant than put in cups that I have drill in the bottom and slice the sides for the water with the nutrient in it to get to the plants root.

Ken

Gypsi · « **Reply #5 on:** April 09, 2015, 11:53:42 pm »

not too different from my expanded shale then.

kebee · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2015, 03:35:24 pm »

Well I though I would show you how my garden is doing after 2 weeks. Finally got some sun shine today after a week of rain and clouds, got 5 and half of it sure though it was more than that though. I have already got some romaine lettuce for our hambugers we had yesterday, the rest seems to be coming along great.

Ken

Gypsi · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2015, 05:42:48 pm »

Very nice and neat. Mine is much messier. I didn't plant any lettuce as I didn'tt like the romaine from the feed store taste wise and our weather gets hot too fast for the rest. If I finish taxes before dark I can maybe get a pic and post it on my aquaponics thread.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #8 on:** April 20, 2015, 08:57:20 pm »

Novel use of solo cups! pretty good idea there.

riverbee · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2015, 10:39:53 pm »

well YAH scott, red solo cups........LOL, we use them as well! (not just for drinking in, red solo cup, i fill you up, let's have a party........

) okay i digress...we do a lot of starter plants in them. great pix kebee!

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2015, 08:50:03 am »

LOL
I try to buy the fiber pots you can just bury when the time comes, but a solo cup is a good idea, it would be easy to get the plant out of and the moisture would not evaporate as fast.... Keeping that one stored away for next year.

kebee · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2015, 01:30:29 pm »

Thought I would give an update on my hydroponic garden, still have trouble with water leaks had to caulk ever red cup in and now the water is filling the cup up and running over, I put a 3/8 inch pipe in with holes ever so in it hoping to catch an over flow, not working so good will install a 1/2 inch for next year if GOD lets me stay around that long to do it.

I am getting cucumbers and romaine lettuce and about tire of salads now but have beans, tomatoes, and squash growing.

Ken

Ray4852 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 16, 2015, 03:21:45 pm »

Nice looking garden. Have you tried using hydroponic cups instead of plastic red cups. I think whats giving you the problem your cups aren’t UV protected. After a couple of months your cups start to break down from the sun and heat. I grow hydroponic also but in a different way. How do you control your PH and EC reading out in an open environment from no protection from rain. Every time it rains the rain water will change your reading. I see people around my area growing your way under high tunnels.

Gypsi · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2015, 04:12:50 pm »

Where would be the best place to get test kits for minerals in hydroponic (nitrate, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, etc) and mineral supplements?

kebee · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2015, 06:58:58 pm »

Ray4852, I have a test kit for the ph and stuff and the water is replaced by a water supply and it stays close to normal and the cups are cover by the plants and I only use them one season and not all summer at that, I had some of the cups you are talking about last year and these work just as well. Gypsi I got my test kit at a Hydroponic shop in Atlanta Ga, in fact I go there at start of year and pick up all the supplies I need for there is nothing around here to get it. I do believe you can order it off of Amazon though.

Ken

rrog13 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 16, 2015, 10:32:49 pm »

That's looking nice Ken. I had to disassemble mine for my daughters wedding and decided to just take a year off from the hydro. I've been wanting to design a smaller set up that would be for a couple tomato plants and a few cucumbers. I miss those the most out of all the other veggies. Thanks for posting the pics ....enjoyed seeing it.

Gypsi · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2015, 06:07:06 pm »

I have these long pieces of 6 inch schedule 80 pvc, would that work for one of these?

kebee · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2015, 06:46:52 pm »

Yes it would in fact better than the 4 inch I have, I had wish I went with 6 inch in the first place.

Ken

kebee · « **Reply #18 on:** April 04, 2016, 08:28:31 am »

I planted my garden about a week ago and have pictures, but see no way I can post them, has something change I don't know about? Anyway I did make a few changes to system hoping to get it to work better, such as a 1/2 pipe inside with holes in it to get it to drain better, put concrete blocks under water tank, caulked around plant cups before I put plants in, taped joints better so I hope to have lest leaks this year.

Ken

iddee · « **Reply #19 on:** April 04, 2016, 08:39:23 am »

Click on reply. Just above the typing window, click on "add image to post. Continue from there. Be sure to click on "family friendly".