Using a soda bottle will hold 1 plant. If you want to house 10 or fewer plants in a hydroponic garden, consider using a 20 US gal (76 L) plastic tote instead.
Heat the end of the screwdriver over a candle flame to melt the plastic cap if you have trouble punching through it. If you’re using a plastic tote, use a hole saw attachment for a drill to make 3-4 holes along the middle of the lid.
If you’re using a larger reservoir, you may use a thicker piece of rope as the wick to transport more water.
Use store-bought purified water in your container if you have hard tap water. If you can’t find any nutrient mixes in store, order a bottle online.
If you’re using a plastic tote, use a plastic container that’s 3–4 in (7. 6–10. 2 cm) deep on top of the tote lid. Make sure to drill holes in the new plastic container so they line up with the holes in your tote.
Each growing medium can be purchased from your local gardening or yardcare store. Any of these growing mediums will work no matter which plants you’re using. The nutrient solution travels up the wick into the growing medium to provide food and water to your plants. Wick systems work great for new hydroponic gardeners and are hands-off, but they cannot support larger plants. Wick systems work best for herbs or lettuce.
A coffee container can hold 1 plant. If you want to make a larger hydroponic garden, use a large plastic tote instead with multiple net pots.
Make your cut like the hole where you put a straw in on a fast food drink lid.
If you have hard tap water, use store-bought purified water in your container instead.
Opt for leafy greens or herbs when planting seeds instead of larger plants. Any of the growing mediums will work regardless of the type of plant you’re growing. Seed depth while planting may change depending on the type of plant. Consult with the seed package to see if they need to be planted shallower or deeper.
The nutrient solution soaks into the growing medium in your pot, providing your plants with constant water and food so they can grow. Deep water nutrient systems are low-maintenance and easy to make at home, but they don’t work well for plants that have a long growing period. Bubblers can be purchased from your local pet or aquarium store. Bubblers need to run continuously or else your plants could die.
Air pumps and air stones can be purchased from your local pet or aquarium store.
Water pumps can be purchased from your local pet store.
Nutrient liquids can be bought from your local garden store or online.
Make sure the ends of your channel are closed so water doesn’t spill out.
Your channel should fit about 4-6 plants depending on how long it is. Hole saw attachments can be purchased at your local hardware store. Make sure to choose a hole saw made for the material you’re cutting through. The size of your hole depends on the size of the net pots you plan on using.
You can run a tube between the drain and the lid if you want, but it’s not required.
You may also make a hole in the top of your channel if you don’t want to feed in from the side. The size of the hole may depend on how thick your tubing is.
Hydroponic gardening works best for leafy greens or for fresh herbs.
The nutrient film technique constantly pumps a thin layer of water through the channel so your plants grow without drowning the roots. Nutrient film systems allow for multiple plants to grow and recirculate water to reduce waste, but the pumps need to constantly run or else your plants may die. Plug the pump into an automatic timer that runs every 2-3 hours if you don’t want the pump constantly running.
