by johnah on October 31, 2020
Hydroponic Mason Jar Garden – Growing Hydroponic Plants In A Jar
The first thing to do when starting a new project is to choose the right equipment. You need to decide if you want to grow your own food or buy it from the store.
If you are going to grow your own food then you will have to get all the necessary supplies yourself such as seeds, soil, water, nutrients etc.
If you are going to buy your food from the store then you will need to make sure that it is fresh and safe.
You may also have some questions like how much does it cost? How long does it take? What kind of container do I use? Where can I get them? Can I mix different kinds of containers together so that they look pretty and blend in better with my décor?
These are just some of the things that you might ask yourself before making up your mind whether to go for hydroponic gardening or not.
So what is the difference between hydroponic and soil gardening?
Well, there is no real difference really. Both methods require the same basic ingredients but one method requires less effort while other involves more work.
Tomatoes are considered to be one of the best crops to grow when it comes to hydroponic gardening because they grow very fast and produce a lot of fruit.
Kratky method is one of the easiest hydroponic methods that you can try, all you will need is a clear tote, a small pump, rockwool slab, netpot, rooting hormone, clip and fertilizer. The first thing that you need to do is fill the tote about halfway with nutrient solution.
Insert the net pot halfway down into the tote. Place the rockwool slab into the netpot so that it is completely covered by the nutrient solution. Clip the root of the tomato onto the rockwool slab and make sure that it stays moist but not wet. Fertilize your tomato plant regularly with a mild nutrient solution.
If you are using the DWC (Deep Water Culture) method then you will need to make sure that you have everything ready before you start your tomato plant. All you will need is a five gallon clear tote, fabric sleeve, air pump, airline tubing, air stone and a powerhead.
The powerhead will keep the air stone bubbling which will provide enough oxygen for your plants. Cut the fabric sleeve so that it can fit neatly onto the tote. Make sure the fabric is big enough so that it can cover the tote. Drill a half-inch hole in the tote and air tube in the appropriate spot. Insert the airline tubing into the hole and run it over to the powerhead. Place the air stone into the powerhead and turn on the switch. The powerhead will start to bubble and provide oxygen for your plants. Place the fabric sleeve over the tote. Make sure that there are no holes or gaps where the solution can leak out. Fill up the tote halfway with nutrient solution and allow the top half inch to remain empty so that the plants can get enough oxygen. Place your seeds into the netpot and make sure that they are covered with at least half an inch of nutrient solution. Place the netpot in the tote and you are ready to start growing. Every couple of days you should turn on the powerhead for about a half an hour to an hour to provide ample oxygen to the plants.
In addition, when you first start growing your tomato seeds, you will need to add a chemical called sucrocide to the nutrient solution so that your plants do not get eaten by bacteria or mold. Make sure to follow the directions on the package and check up on your plants every day so you can notice any problems before they get too out of hand.
You should be able to get at least a pound of tomatoes from each of your plants.
Happy growing!
Resources:
1. How To Build A Hydroponic System For Growing Organic Food At Home
2. How to Make a Simple Hydroponic Garden
3. How to grow hydroponic tomatoes
4. How to Make a Simple Home Hydroponic System For Growing Organic Food
Other:
Kratky method
DWC (Deep Water Culture) method
Sources & references used in this article:
Hydroponic growth and the nondestructive assay for dinitrogen fixation by J Imsande, EJ Ralston – Plant Physiology, 1981 – Am Soc Plant Biol
Hydroponics: New Techniques by G Nicholas – The American Biology Teacher, 1953 – online.ucpress.edu
Effects of sulfate and sulfide on the life cycle of Zizania palustris in hydroponic and mesocosm experiments by J Pastor, B Dewey, NW Johnson… – Ecological …, 2017 – Wiley Online Library
Introduction to Hydroponics-Growing Your Plants Without Any Soil by DJ Singh, J Davidson – 2016 – books.google.com
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