grow hydroponics

Not every type of system lends itself well tohomemade design. For systems that use drip or spray heads, youhave many costly items to purchase before you can produce aproperly working system. Usually, you end up learning a lot fromyour first failed attemp if you choose to build your own dripsystem or aeroponics system. There is one easy and relativelyinexpensive homemade system I have found. It is thehomemade ebb and flow.

For a homemade ebb and flow system, you will needtwo cheap plastic storage totes, an aquarium air pump, anaquarium water pump, a timer, a set of flood and drain fittings,and a short length of plastic tubing. If you are not sure whatflood and drain fittings are, go to Google, click on "images",and do a quick search for "flood and drain fittings".

First, one tote will be your nutrient reservoir. Pick a darkcolor tote to keep light out of the nutrient solution...thiswill help prevent the growth of algae. The air pump should go toa couple of air stones, which will be kept bubbling in thenutrient reservoir. The water pump goes here as well. Your waterpump should be able to move at least 100 gallons/hour at aheight of 3 feet. The pump should cost you about 30 dollars.

The other tote will go on top of the nutrient reservoir and holdthe plant containers. Plant containers should be filled withexpanded clay pellets or something equal, like lecca stone orlava chips. Somewhere in the bottom of this container (out ofthe way of the plants) you will drill two 3/4 inch holes andinstall the flood and drain fitting in one, and the overflowfitting in the other.

Finish it off by running a short piece of tubing from the waterpump to the flood and drain fitting (which is the shorter of thetwo).

When the pump kicks on, the top container will fill with water(but never higher than the overflow). It takes a while for theclay pellets to really absorb the nutrient solution. When thepump kicks off, the nutrient solution will drain back down theshorter fitting, leaving the plant roots and the clay pelletswet with nutrient solution .

The flood and drain system is the homemade system Iuse most often. The function of the system is simple. Theresults are consistently very good. The system is so easy to puttogether.

Before you get started...your systme is only one piece of theindoor gardening puzzle. You must have control over theenvironment you place your garden into, and this environmentmust be to the plants liking. In addition, you will have a muchbetter chance at success once you learn the exact nutrientrequirements (and therefore the exact feeding) of your plants atevery stage of their development. In order to meet these feedingrequirements, you must learn how to properly maintain nutrientsollution in a reservoir. Learn these things and you are sure tohave a hydro-greenthumb.

For more info on growing systems, check out

http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-garde...

To learn how to maintain your nutrient solution, check out

http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-garde...