Matt, you're not wasting your time at all! 2-4 YEARS on a Kratky container?? Wow...I want to try that. Thanks again; great video and you have vast knowledge too. Jim
Hi- I grew a Dorset naga chilli pepper in a 16 gallon barrel last season- it produced hundreds of peppers and would have carried on if the weather hadn’t turned colder - It lasted all Summer and grew so large that I had to trim the plant back because a couldn’t get in my greenhouse- I found that I had to change the EC to get flowers only by adding extra did it change from growing to producing- from EC 1.8. To 2.2 made the difference - kratky is a very good way to grow . But I’ve found an even better way to get results- by growing a plant in soil that has a wick that runs down into the barrel of water nutrients from the plant pot- the plant can grow as normal for 2weeks and as the roots find the wick the plant can draw up the water nutrients it needs . So the plant still gets the benefit of the soil at the start - my results so far are really excellent- . Keep the videos coming -🤟🇬🇧
Great details in your comment, thank you! Your grow method is more similar to William Gericke's methods from the 1940's in hydroponics than Bernie Kratky's methods. You might get his book sometime. It is very interesting. Also, the Dorset Naga is an outstanding pepper variety and can easily grow to monster sizes. Have an amazing week!
I did something similar with coco coir..perlite and vermiculite and a wicking rope into hydroponic solution..worked great..in fact I still have 4 plants growing that way
I just got into Kratky hydroponics, and I am so excited. I had a horrible year this year as everything I planted died in brand new potting mix. I had three tomatoes left that were 3 months old with one being six inches another being 4 inches and one other 2.5 to three inches. Since they weren't doing right, and after losing all my peppers and tomatoes, I decided to make a mixture (I will eventually buy some Master Blend) of my own. I removed the tallest one and the one next to it that was four inches. All of these are in 2l green soda bottles. I went to bed to wake up in the morning to a surprise as the six-inch tomato had grown a ton of air roots in just a few hours. The other wasn't doing so well, and yesterday I tossed it as it just didn't have roots (which is what killed off all my plants this year) to get the air roots from. I then grabbed the little 2.5-3 inch plant to put it into another green 2l bottle and my solution. It was a bit shocked but by day two the air roots started. It has a few more now. About three days ago I took one (they all sprouted so I have a bunch) newly planted tomato seeds from a tomato I snatched from a plant at Home Depot. I stuck it in the 2L bottle, and by day two it has really begun to take off with air roots now as well. I can only imagine if I had the MB instead of my mix. No more soil for me as this year was bad. The 2L bottles are only temporary until I feel they have outgrown them, which they may never do with my mix. What I am wondering is how to stake/trellis these as there is no ground to do it, and their lights are right above them about 3 inches away?
You really like a challenge! Smart of you to use green 2 liter bottles, as those really help reduce or eliminate algae. The small size of the containers makes it best to select a tomato variety like a micro dwarf. Those do not need any trellis supports, and stay a nice size for a 2 liter bottle. If you do want a small trellis, drilling holes in the top of the 2 liter bottle and inserting small dowel rods or plastic stakes allows soft ties for attaching branches. I've grown both dwarf and micro dwarf tomatoes indoors, and find it is so much easier to use a larger grow container. Another grower that I know is Khang Starr, who has grown tomatoes in pop bottles on his TH-cam channel. You might check that out. Experiment, learn, and enjoy!
@@MattGarver Yes, I watch him a lot lately and as to the green bottles I used them as I remembered from decades ago, when I had my aquarium setup, that algae just doesn't like green glass so I decided to do the green soda pop bottles.
@@generalawareness101 Not for a few years, but I've done many fresh and salt water aquariums also. Interesting to read your comment. By the way, the micro dwarf tomatoes are great for small containers. I have a couple growing under 10 watt LED lights in 0.5 gallon containers right now that I forgot to mention. Getting ripe tomatoes on those right now.
@@MattGarver I need to find a supplier for seeds when this takes off because locally finding seeds is rough. Either they are kept outside in the humidity, and heat (so many are not viable) or they simply don't have any but the standard fare. In other words the good varieties of any plant you will not find here in packaged seeds.
Yes, I hate losing long season plants. There are 22 more tomato plants growing in reserve right now. So, I am not in too much of a loss right now. More experiments ahead!
Amazing info! If I start from cuttings, should I start rooting separately and then move to the larger container, or can I root in the large one to begin with?
Thank you, Matt. I have rewatched this video a couple of times now and as I am fairly new to hydroponics, I pick up a little more each time. I also come away with more questions. 🤣 How do you know in advance, how many pounds of produce a plant will give in order to select a container size for the rule of 4 gallons per 1 lb of produce?
Most agricultural information is online. For example search Google for "how to estimate bell pepper yield per plant". You will get 3.6 lbs of bell peppers. Rounding up to 4 and using the 4 to 6 gallons per lb means you will need around 16 to 24 gallons per plant. I lean towards the 24 gallon estimation since hydroponic plants typically get larger and live longer growing indoors.
Makes my day to know that I'm not wasting my time making videos. Thanks! Search "food storage drums". You will find brand new is crazy expensive, but Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have some for sale. The outside of this one is painted gray granite, and the lid is painted black. Fusion spray paint is good for doing that.
@@MattGarver thanks Matt, i will do that. I have learned a great deal from you. Up here in Canada it is nice being able to harvest fresh veggies from my basement grow during the long ole winter. I have been growing indoors in soil for years ( with autopots ). I was always hesitant of hydroponics, but you opened up a whole new world with your teaching of the Kratky craft. Much appreciated.
@@TheTyphis Appreciate hearing from you. I've been to Canada twice before the world went upside down. Beautiful country and much cleaner cities than the US. Right now I grow more in my private office than my outdoor garden.
Love the videos Matt, always good stuff. One question I have is how you are able to avoid fluctuations in PH that are detrimental to the plants growth? This is my first season doing kratky and I have quite a few plants in different size and shaped reservoirs but the one constant I find is that after a period of 2-3 weeks I will test my reservoirs PH and find that they are extremely acidic (4.0-5.5). What can I do to avoid this?
Have not heard back from you yet. Here are some considerations. 1. Use a nutrient with a pH buffer 2. Know your water's natural pH 3. Expect most Kratky grows to drop a little in pH over the grow 4. Plants can self regulate a little with pH Every part of the country has different water and tweaking needed. You may have acidic ground water or be low in buffers. I have excess buffers and a starting pH of 8.2 for example.
@@MattGarver Sorry Matt i thought you'd ignored me as I never received a notification of your reply. I'm currently running dynagro 7-9-5 in all of my kratky containers.
Matt, have you ever tried yourself gravity fed Kratky system that maintains the nutrient level in the tub and kept the plant going for a year or more ? I am planning to build such a system by connecting few tubs to a larger reservoir and keep replenishing the larger reservoir to maintain the level in the tubs through some kind of a float valve. But not sure if the level in the kratky tub should be maintained at 1/2 or 1/3 or even more of the original level . Also not sure if the Ph or EC will not become a problem towards the end of the cycle requiring complete nutrient replacement . If gravity fed system keeps EC at the right state making replacement of nutrient unnecessary towards end of the cycle, this will be a ideal system for a backyard gardener like me. your guidance will be highly appreciated.
@aks20002 I've made a few such systems from simple to complex and was successful. My outdoor ones have only run spring to fall. Your pH and EC may drift over a long term grow. I think periodically bleeding off your buckets with a valve at the front and end of your buckets helps. Shut off your reservoir side and open the end valve to do so. th-cam.com/video/XqrkmVo1m94/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2sgBR9dcxS15-ic-
@@MattGarver Thanks a lot for your prompt reply. This link answered almost all of my questions and I intend to replicate the same for my build. So, it appears that approximately the last 10% of nutrient in the non circulating kratky is the marker when I should consider changing the nutrient if not earlier based on EC / Ph measurement . The challenge will be to running the kartky from that point onwards at 10% level and hence, your design of gravity fed connected system will be very helpful.
@aks20002 Try keeping a nutrient level higher up on your buckets. You will have more stable nutrients and the roots dip into the water around 3 to 6 inches.
14 gallon plastic food storage drums were being resold at a discount store. The lid was spray painted black, and the outside blue was spray painted granite gray. I drilled a 3.5" hole in the lid with a hole saw.
Matt, you're not wasting your time at all! 2-4 YEARS on a Kratky container?? Wow...I want to try that. Thanks again; great video and you have vast knowledge too. Jim
Thanks Jim, since 2013 I've been experimenting on fill once & forget Kratky vegetables. So much more to share. 💚🌱🌱🌱
Hi- I grew a Dorset naga chilli pepper in a 16 gallon barrel last season- it produced hundreds of peppers and would have carried on if the weather hadn’t turned colder -
It lasted all Summer and grew so large that I had to trim the plant back because a couldn’t get in my greenhouse- I found that I had to change the EC to get flowers only by adding extra did it change from growing to producing- from EC 1.8. To 2.2 made the difference - kratky is a very good way to grow . But I’ve found an even better way to get results- by growing a plant in soil that has a wick that runs down into the barrel of water nutrients from the plant pot- the plant can grow as normal for 2weeks and as the roots find the wick the plant can draw up the water nutrients it needs . So the plant still gets the benefit of the soil at the start - my results so far are really excellent- . Keep the videos coming -🤟🇬🇧
Great details in your comment, thank you! Your grow method is more similar to William Gericke's methods from the 1940's in hydroponics than Bernie Kratky's methods. You might get his book sometime. It is very interesting. Also, the Dorset Naga is an outstanding pepper variety and can easily grow to monster sizes. Have an amazing week!
I did something similar with coco coir..perlite and vermiculite and a wicking rope into hydroponic solution..worked great..in fact I still have 4 plants growing that way
I just got into Kratky hydroponics, and I am so excited. I had a horrible year this year as everything I planted died in brand new potting mix. I had three tomatoes left that were 3 months old with one being six inches another being 4 inches and one other 2.5 to three inches. Since they weren't doing right, and after losing all my peppers and tomatoes, I decided to make a mixture (I will eventually buy some Master Blend) of my own. I removed the tallest one and the one next to it that was four inches. All of these are in 2l green soda bottles. I went to bed to wake up in the morning to a surprise as the six-inch tomato had grown a ton of air roots in just a few hours. The other wasn't doing so well, and yesterday I tossed it as it just didn't have roots (which is what killed off all my plants this year) to get the air roots from. I then grabbed the little 2.5-3 inch plant to put it into another green 2l bottle and my solution. It was a bit shocked but by day two the air roots started. It has a few more now. About three days ago I took one (they all sprouted so I have a bunch) newly planted tomato seeds from a tomato I snatched from a plant at Home Depot. I stuck it in the 2L bottle, and by day two it has really begun to take off with air roots now as well. I can only imagine if I had the MB instead of my mix. No more soil for me as this year was bad.
The 2L bottles are only temporary until I feel they have outgrown them, which they may never do with my mix. What I am wondering is how to stake/trellis these as there is no ground to do it, and their lights are right above them about 3 inches away?
You really like a challenge! Smart of you to use green 2 liter bottles, as those really help reduce or eliminate algae. The small size of the containers makes it best to select a tomato variety like a micro dwarf. Those do not need any trellis supports, and stay a nice size for a 2 liter bottle. If you do want a small trellis, drilling holes in the top of the 2 liter bottle and inserting small dowel rods or plastic stakes allows soft ties for attaching branches. I've grown both dwarf and micro dwarf tomatoes indoors, and find it is so much easier to use a larger grow container. Another grower that I know is Khang Starr, who has grown tomatoes in pop bottles on his TH-cam channel. You might check that out. Experiment, learn, and enjoy!
@@MattGarver Yes, I watch him a lot lately and as to the green bottles I used them as I remembered from decades ago, when I had my aquarium setup, that algae just doesn't like green glass so I decided to do the green soda pop bottles.
@@generalawareness101 Not for a few years, but I've done many fresh and salt water aquariums also. Interesting to read your comment. By the way, the micro dwarf tomatoes are great for small containers. I have a couple growing under 10 watt LED lights in 0.5 gallon containers right now that I forgot to mention. Getting ripe tomatoes on those right now.
@@MattGarver I need to find a supplier for seeds when this takes off because locally finding seeds is rough. Either they are kept outside in the humidity, and heat (so many are not viable) or they simply don't have any but the standard fare. In other words the good varieties of any plant you will not find here in packaged seeds.
@@generalawareness101 Sounds like you have a challenge ahead of you.
I have used this passive method to grow many plants with much success very good video thanks.
Thanks for your comment! It's such a simple and quiet hydroponic method.
@@MattGarver yes sir no pumps no electricity.
Quality contents, a type that when you find out about it, makes you wonder, where were all of this beauty before? How come I just knew about it?
Life is so good when there is always new discoveries and things to learn.
Very cool..its hard for me to let my larger ones die..lol..but the super micro ones I barely let fruit before starting over..lol
Yes, I hate losing long season plants. There are 22 more tomato plants growing in reserve right now. So, I am not in too much of a loss right now. More experiments ahead!
I can't wait to try this out! Thanks for the video!
Thanks for your comment, and hit me back if you have questions!
Amazing info! If I start from cuttings, should I start rooting separately and then move to the larger container, or can I root in the large one to begin with?
Works either way
Thank you, Matt. I have rewatched this video a couple of times now and as I am fairly new to hydroponics, I pick up a little more each time. I also come away with more questions. 🤣 How do you know in advance, how many pounds of produce a plant will give in order to select a container size for the rule of 4 gallons per 1 lb of produce?
Most agricultural information is online. For example search Google for "how to estimate bell pepper yield per plant". You will get 3.6 lbs of bell peppers. Rounding up to 4 and using the 4 to 6 gallons per lb means you will need around 16 to 24 gallons per plant. I lean towards the 24 gallon estimation since hydroponic plants typically get larger and live longer growing indoors.
Hey Matt. I love your videos, great work. Where can I find a 14 gallon container like that.
Makes my day to know that I'm not wasting my time making videos. Thanks! Search "food storage drums". You will find brand new is crazy expensive, but Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have some for sale. The outside of this one is painted gray granite, and the lid is painted black. Fusion spray paint is good for doing that.
@@MattGarver thanks Matt, i will do that. I have learned a great deal from you. Up here in Canada it is nice being able to harvest fresh veggies from my basement grow during the long ole winter. I have been growing indoors in soil for years ( with autopots ). I was always hesitant of hydroponics, but you opened up a whole new world with your teaching of the Kratky craft. Much appreciated.
@@TheTyphis Appreciate hearing from you. I've been to Canada twice before the world went upside down. Beautiful country and much cleaner cities than the US. Right now I grow more in my private office than my outdoor garden.
Love the videos Matt, always good stuff. One question I have is how you are able to avoid fluctuations in PH that are detrimental to the plants growth? This is my first season doing kratky and I have quite a few plants in different size and shaped reservoirs but the one constant I find is that after a period of 2-3 weeks I will test my reservoirs PH and find that they are extremely acidic (4.0-5.5). What can I do to avoid this?
What nutrients are you using?
Have not heard back from you yet. Here are some considerations.
1. Use a nutrient with a pH buffer
2. Know your water's natural pH
3. Expect most Kratky grows to drop a
little in pH over the grow
4. Plants can self regulate a little
with pH
Every part of the country has different water and tweaking needed. You may have acidic ground water or be low in buffers. I have excess buffers and a starting pH of 8.2 for example.
@@MattGarver Funny the variations. I have only a couple times checked ph, and in my Kratky grows, my ph goes UP, but plants appear healthy.
@@dennismac3466 Yes plants are very resilient
@@MattGarver Sorry Matt i thought you'd ignored me as I never received a notification of your reply. I'm currently running dynagro 7-9-5 in all of my kratky containers.
Matt, have you ever tried yourself gravity fed Kratky system that maintains the nutrient level in the tub and kept the plant going for a year or more ?
I am planning to build such a system by connecting few tubs to a larger reservoir and keep replenishing the larger reservoir to maintain the level in the tubs through some kind of a float valve. But not sure if the level in the kratky tub should be maintained at 1/2 or 1/3 or even more of the original level .
Also not sure if the Ph or EC will not become a problem towards the end of the cycle requiring complete nutrient replacement .
If gravity fed system keeps EC at the right state making replacement of nutrient unnecessary towards end of the cycle, this will be a ideal system for a backyard gardener like me.
your guidance will be highly appreciated.
@aks20002 I've made a few such systems from simple to complex and was successful. My outdoor ones have only run spring to fall. Your pH and EC may drift over a long term grow. I think periodically bleeding off your buckets with a valve at the front and end of your buckets helps. Shut off your reservoir side and open the end valve to do so.
th-cam.com/video/XqrkmVo1m94/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2sgBR9dcxS15-ic-
@@MattGarver Thanks a lot for your prompt reply. This link answered almost all of my questions and I intend to replicate the same for my build. So, it appears that approximately the last 10% of nutrient in the non circulating kratky is the marker when I should consider changing the nutrient if not earlier based on EC / Ph measurement . The challenge will be to running the kartky from that point onwards at 10% level and hence, your design of gravity fed connected system will be very helpful.
@aks20002 Try keeping a nutrient level higher up on your buckets. You will have more stable nutrients and the roots dip into the water around 3 to 6 inches.
Where did you get that container?
14 gallon plastic food storage drums were being resold at a discount store. The lid was spray painted black, and the outside blue was spray painted granite gray. I drilled a 3.5" hole in the lid with a hole saw.