How to make hydroponic installation with your own hands - installation instructions with video

Hydroponics, or the cultivation of plants without land, is increasingly interested not only by innovative farmers, but also by ordinary urban residents who would like to diversify their menu with fresh herbs and vegetables. This technology is excellent for a limited space of an apartment or a small house, since it does not require large vases, there is no dirt from the ground, and the yield of hydroponic plants is higher than that obtained with the traditional method of cultivation. Installation, a kind of mini-garden, you can buy in specialized companies at a price of 5 thousand rubles, and you can do it yourself.

The majority of hydroponic systems work according to one of the principles:

• is tidal when the roots of the plants are immersed in water for a short period or flooded with it, and for the rest of the time they "breathe"
• capillary irrigation when the roots are immersed in a substrate impregnated with nutrient solution,
• drip irrigation, in which the solution is fed through a thin tube to the roots of the plant, and its excess drains through the drainage holes.

Materials and tools

For self-assembly of the simplest hydroponic system, you will need:

• large tank for nutrient solution. It must necessarily be opaque, so that the water does not bloom, stable and have a tightly closed flat lid. As a tank, you can use food containers, large plastic containers. The volume can be selected based on the fact that each plant should account for about 2-3 liters of circulating liquid. The optimum capacity is 30-50 liters. If the tank passes light, it can be pasted on the outside with foil or painted with dark paint.
• plant pots. Ideally fit netting tanks for growing seedlings, you can use small flower pots with a lot of holes at the bottom. Their height should be less than the height of the solution tank. More about them you can read in the article on vertical gardening.
• aquarium air two-channel pump for oxygenation of nutrient solution. Pipes from the pump should preferably be replaced with silicone. Also, a stone is needed so that the air bubbles break into smaller ones. It must necessarily be new to prevent contamination of water by foreign bacteria.
• substrate for plants. They can be a special filler "Agros" or ordinary mineral wool, for example Rockwool, coconut fiber, expanded clay or perlite.
• complex fertilizer or a set of concentrates for the preparation of nutrient solution.
• sharp stationery knife, sandpaper for edge processing, ruler or tape measure.

ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY

• In the cover of the solution tank, holes are cut through the pots with plants slightly smaller in diameter than the top of the pot. They should be completely immersed in the tank, but do not fall into it. The distance between the pots depends on the plants: 10 cm for salad and greens, 15 cm for cucumbers and strawberries.
• Holes for pump hoses are cut off the side of the cover, and stones are placed on the bottom of the container.
• The tank is filled with standing water for 2/3, the compressor is started to check. The device itself is best placed nearby on a stable stand or fixed on a tank.
• The pots are completely filled with mineral wool soaked in water and inserted into the lid. The tank closes. The bottom of the pot must be immersed in water.
• In the pots are laid seeds for 2-3 pieces or planted seedlings. To create the effect of greenhouses, they can be covered from above with suitable plastic cups in diameter.
• When seeds began to germinate, a nutrient solution of consonant instructions is added to the water. The solution periodically needs to be topped up, as it evaporates and is expended on the growth of the plant. The usual concentration solution is 10-15 times smaller than the original one.
• Compressor is switched on for the entire light day or at least 3-4 hours a day. Periodic inclusion is conveniently organized using an electromechanical timer, which is used in the aquarium.

Tips

• For the first experiments with hydroponics, it is better to choose less fastidious plants that are less demanding for care. Suitable types of salads, spicy greens( dill, parsley, basil), cucumbers, strawberries. Tomatoes, sweet peppers and zucchini require larger capacities and supports.
• To prevent the development of bacteria leading to solution blooming, it is better to take bottled or filtered water. The tank itself can be previously treated with a solution of chloramine, diluting 1 tbsp.spoon for 10 liters of water and pour it for half an hour into a closed tank.
• The system should be located away from heat and sunlight.
• The optimum solution temperature is 25-30 degrees. If the ambient temperature is lower, you can use aquarium heaters.
• Harvesting plants on hydroponics will be higher if you organize artificial lighting with a daylight dump.
• As a nutrient solution it is possible to use complex fertilizer for plants, diluted at the rate of 1-2 st.spoons for 10 liters of water. Initially, phosphoric and potassium fertilizers are poured, then - nitrogen and potash fertilizers, and at the end - phosphoric fertilizers.