Topic: Hydroponics

[jennym]

This may be the sort of info you are looking for:

http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/suzanne/hydroponics.html

alternatively, if you google on hydroponics, many of the equipment manufacturers have useful advice on their websites.

[Paulines7]

Wow Jennym, this all looks too complicated and expensive to me and what could be grown in those little pots?   Surely tomato and courgette roots would be too large for the small pots shown on the website!  If growing onions for example, I can't see how it would be possible to get more than one onion root in each of the pots! 

I think I will stick to traditional methods. 

[jennym]

I fancy having a go with the free mayonnaise tubs that Wardy said you can get from the bakers (or failing that Wickes's 99p buckets and cling film), cheapo pump, natural light (or I might splash out) and the muck water I use on the allotment for nutrients - who knows, could be a winner.

[HO]

Out of curiosity I once made a hydoponics set-up using two halves of a 9" plastic drain pipe, about 10 feet long with capillary matting in the base. I used an old air pump from an aquarium with a 3" funnel above it ( inverted) and connected above that to a piece of tubing. Anyway the bubbles lifted small amounts of water up the tube and into the top of the drainpipe. Crude, I know.  I made up my own solution of nutrients from some book. I grew lettuce down the pipe. The growth rate was absolutely phenomenal and the lettuce actually grew to eatable size in 21 days. This was in spring, inside with extra light. The trouble , and this is why I have'nt tried it since was that they were very bitter and completely inedible. I think it was  the combination of nutrients and light  that made them really dark green and horrible . Mind you it was worth it just to see the rate of growth. I did learn something... I am absolutely certain that most gardeners just don't feed their plants enough to get optimum growth rates.

[Andy H]

in future I want to be a vegan organic gardener which mean growing my own manures,

Curious? growing own manures, is that instead of horse poo?
Is grown manure more "vegan"

I am trying green manure this year but also lots of poo

[redimp]

If it does not involve an animal at any stage it is vegan organic:

http://www.veganorganic.net/

[Andy H]

Horses poo by default!!!
Bit cruel to make them hold it :-X

[fbgrifter]

'vegan-organic growers insist on green manures, composts made of plant-based materials, mulches made from plant-based materials'

hay goes in horse - recycled hay comes out horse.  therefore poo is plant based.

[terrace max]

Vegans try not to use any animal by-product. It's the use of the animal 'middleman' which makes manure non-vegan...as opposed to compost (the subject of the quote) which is, to all intents and purpose, animal-free.

I'd guess that vegetarians would be ok with manure though.  :)

[Andy H]

so eggs are a no go too then I guess :-\
Which leaves me starving to death! Got to admire people that can do it though

[fbgrifter]

yes i know tm....it was meant tongue in cheek

[terrace max]

yes i know tm....it was meant tongue in cheek

Doh! Sorry - noone likes a defensive vegan... :-\

so eggs are a no go too then I guess :-\
Which leaves me starving to death! Got to admire people that can do it though

I couldn't do it if it was difficult Andy...but I have to say having an allotment full of fruit & veg really helps... :)

[Andy H]

agree tm allotments are excellent things.

goes to show with all out little gardens of lawns that SO many paople are missing out on this gem of growing stuff.

Harder work than shopping(yuk) but more rewarding despite the hard work. ;)

[shirl]

I grew my lettuce like this:

An old tupperware bread bin for the base (free because mother in law throwing it out)
Teeny mesh plant pots 8p each
hydroleca as a root holding medium (approx £1.29 big bag from wilko)
Bit of polystyrene to float the plant pots in (free)

Stood the bread bin like a bowl and filled with nutrient solution, cut holes out of the polystyrene and popped in the plant pots which were filled with the hydroleca (its the tiny brown balls that hold water) this little raft was floated on the nutrient solution with a lettuce seedling in each pot.  It grew very quickly indeed and the lettuce was delicious.  No need for water pumps etc.  I know they tell you to use them to help pump the oxygen round, but the gap between the water and the main bulk of the roots gives the plant enough air and the longer roots dangle in the solution and drink what they need.

As I mentioned before, I spend a lot of time at the hospital so I dont have the luxury of nipping out to water stuff all the time so this works for me.  I only needed to top it up about once every ten days

Take a look at this mini propagator setup http://www.thehydroponicum.com/acatalog/Propagator.html
That is how I grew all my seeds, except I used empty margarine tubs and it was all diy.  My seeds grew like weeds and I didnt lose any.

Can you tell my enthusiasm for hydroponics!  ;D