I have seen several articles here and there about this newer type of gardening. Or at least it's newer to me. I was just wondering if any on my stewers have tried it or are doing it at the moment. Are there any drawbacks on doing this type of gardening? Thanks ahead of time for your replies.
KK NG did beginning in Jan 2011. If you start at the bottom of the page at this link to his blog and work you way backwards you will see his whole project explained and photographed. He added some fish to his set up in July 2012 but hasn't posted an update since then. http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/index8051-c1-p3.html Hydroponics has been around for years and years, it was really a big thing in the early 1970's when I lived in Florida.
KK is a good source, He did an excellent, very detailed, hydroponic garden using fish poo as the nutrient for his plants. Lots of pictures and diagrams. Somewhere I have photographs taken at a hydroponic station in a small town in Nova Scotia during a vacation there. They used the town sewerage for nutrient source. I will hunt for the pictures. I also have a guide to hydroponics, more hunting. Jerry
Toni and Jerry I will have to ask him how it is going with his hydroponic adventure. Thank you for the info. I also should to an online search and see what it has to offer. I thought it would be fun to see if anymore of the Stewers had tried it.
I'm sorry but I what I did was not hydroponics, it was aquaponics. Hydroponic is the cultivation of plants in a liquid nutrient and the source of nutrients are from chemicals. Aquaponics is the symbiotic cultivation of plants and fish in a recirculating environment. The source of nutrient is from the fish poo.
Hey guys I’m kinda new here at gardenstew, I am a hydroponic expert with 10 years of experience in the indoor cultivation/hydroponic industry, and I’ll try to answer your question as best I can. Hydroponics have been around for hundreds of years, but only until recently has been optimized and perfected. Hydroponics is essentially growing plants without soil; instead the nutrients are delivered to the root system via pre-mixed water. The way the nutrient enriched water is delivered depends on the hydroponic system itself. Growing with hydroponics has countless scientific studies behind it showing that growing this way is far superior to soil based growing; Hydroponics increases growth rate, overall girth, fruit production, and the plants yield. This is mostly due to the ability to give a plant the exact amount (or more) of what nutrients it needs in the most efficient way. Also when hydroponic roots are not being “watered” in some way they are open Also when growing with hydroponics there is no need for watering manually like soil, instead you fill some type of water reservoir with nutrient enriched water, and change this water/nutrient solution periodically. Also when the roots aren`t being “watered”, which is most of the time, the roots are absorbing copious amounts of oxygen, which further enhances the plants growth. If I was you I would defiantly give hydroponics a try, trust me it is a lot less complicated then you might think and it can be a lot of fun trying something new besides soil. I actually just turned my 60 yr. old neighbor onto hydroponics for her greenhouse and she absolutely loves her new plants being grown in hydroponics. If you have any more questions on hydroponics please let me know, I`d be more than happy to help.
Welcome Amanda!!! This is good to know because I just started my hand at hydroponics this year in our apartment...lol. Stay tuned
Ok everyone....here is an update on the hydroponic project!! Yep going to have to move the cucs (bush variety/pickling) into a larger container in about a week. This is so exciting and contagious to find different containers to use...I need to order grow lights to go over the maters and other plants. Just need a bit more I think. 4-30-16 Coke bottles and Styrofoam cups with nutrients Finished product - time to wrap with paper or foil to keep the light out. 5-10-16 Cilantro having issues... Maters are well and cucs, peppers & strawberries (bareroot) are in the window for now. Those are the cucs wrapped in foil from previous photo. 4-26-16 First attempt at hydroponics...ice cream bucket lettuce 5-10-16 Success I think with the lettuce..cucs and Chinese cabbage doing well 5-10-16 A little burn on the leaves. I was watering the plants and didn't realize that the light was on the lettuce...but have bounced back. Had to raise the light. But I'm soooo excited.isn't it pretty...almost time to pick ...I assume the roots are now in the nutrients.
Hi everyone...couldn't get back soon enough...was seriously under the weather....just about over what has been lingering for about a month and a half. This is what has kept me going....just wasn't strong enough to post the pics....Daughter is sending me a larger grow light for the plants in the window...tomatoes are now over 2 1/2 ft tall... Update since 5-10-16: These are two of the maters from the window...I have a new grow light bulb over the area. Still have to move the fluorescent light. 5-21-16: Moved 2 tomato plants from the window. Experimenting with a cuc (on the bottom), kale in the tall folgers container and lettuce plant( in butter tub) in new homes in fish water only. This is the lettuce from the previously posted picture 5-10-16.On the right I used a lettuce container and styrofoam....lettuce & kale and of course it's time to eat the lettuce!! Update from 5-10-16 Cuc blossoms in the window...Small pickling variety..now what do I do? Am I supposed to hand-pollinate? 5-21-16 Finally Strawberries, Watermelon (sugar baby) in 10 gallon tote with pump, Kale in cups I'm still amazed that this is working. To see things growing again makes me smile!!!
Update: all of this crashed somehow...I believe the water change in the tub was all wrong. We did eat all of the lettuce and I'm starting a second round of lettuces and kale this week. Much learned from the first batch. By the way those tom plants are now outside....lol
Where are the hydroponic growers? Oh well I'll just keep posting what I have...lol..most are from my other threads.. UPDATE: 1/4/2017 From this ..far right corner (spinach) To this..this morn. The root system for lettuce and spinach The Chinese cabbage..from this. To this today!! Yep growing out the side of a jug!!
I am enjoying seeing these posts of yours so much, Hummer. I just have to blink my eyes and look twice at the remarkable success you are having.
