For those who are upset that I mistook the colloquial term for 'cooler' as 'chilly bin' (I'm looking at you USA) The people 'across the puddle' I was referring to are the New Zealanders Who refer to, what we in 'straya call 'eskies'; ...as 'chilly bins'... Which is a ridiculous term. And we should all give them grief for. That and their inappropriate treatment of sheep.
As someone who has grown aquatic aquarium plants for many years, your PH issues are likely due to using PH up/down. These products are temporary fixes used for emergencies in the aquarium hobby and often lead to disaster because once they wear off the PH jumps drastically. What you should use are PH buffers. Buffers change the water chemistry and will maintain a steady PH level. For my planted aquariums I use SeaChem's Alkaline buffer and/or Acid buffer.
My dad is sooooo gonna give me all his empty protein containers 🤣 I have just checked how close they are to getting completely empty and now I almost have THREE in different sizes. Cool! More greens
I grew a head of lettuce on a scrap of fabric suspended over an old used 1 gallon pickle jar. I used a twist tie to hold the fabric with just about a 1/4 inch dip in the center of the opening. As you said, lettuce takes about 3-6 liters, so a 1 gallon jar is almost perfect for smaller growing varieties when directly seeded. . I placed the seeds right on the fabric, with the water level just touching the fabric. No net cup is needed at all, and I only used about 2 tablespoons of fine coco.perlite mix over the seeds to keep them moist while they sprouted. And I don't think the soil was needed. So my total cost for the seed and the nutrients was about 5 cents- US. I grew radishes the same way, and grew basil in a bottle with a 1 inch opening with a scrap of old fabric shoved in the opening to support the seed. For true low cost, eliminating the net cup, and the tote, and using old scraps of cloth and 'recycled' containers leaves only seeds and nutrients to buy. I only tried it to see if it was feasible, and it definitely is. The radishes grew especially well, with 4 planted in the7-8 cm bottle opening. The radishes din't even use a full gallon.
@@petertoth8621 I don't think I can post pic here. But I can describe more details. First, take a wide mouth container of at least one gallon. Fill with hydroponic nutrient solution mix as directed for greens. Fil to within about 1/4 inch/7 mm from the very top. Next, take an old washcloth, or other fabric and stretch it over the top and secure it in place with a rubber band or wire tie. A fabric roots can grow through easily is important- cheesecloth, or cotton sheet or towel fabric, or loose woven gauze, etc. After securing the fabric to the top, press down center of fabric over the container top, so fabric just dips about 1/4 inch into the water in the center, but edge of fabric in the opening is still above water. I like the rough surface of the washcloth for holding seeds in place. Fabric should wick up some water and most of fabric should get damp. I used 4-5 lettuce seeds around the perimeter of the fabric, just above where the fabric was touching the water. . Then, I took maybe 2 tablespoonfuls of fine sifted seed starting mix and sprinkled a dusting over the seeds just to hold them in place and help them keep moist while they sprouted. Due to a little evaporation, I had to mist the seeds about 36 hours after seeding before they sprouted, but after that, they didn't need anything until harvest. I don't think the seed starting mix was necessary, and I think a cover, maybe the original lid to the container, could be placed to help keep seeds moist while sprouting, and maybe if you germinate seeds on a paper towel, you can then place directly on the fabric. if you like. I grew 'Bibb' lettuce, and also 'Sparkler' radishes that really surprise me. The 1 gallon pickle jars have about a 4 inch/100 mm opening, and I got 4 nice radishes and one skinny one, . I thinnned the lettuce to one plant after maybe 4-5 days in one container, and 5 radish seedlings in the other. The single head of lettuce used all the water/nutrients in about 6 weeks, and the radishes used about 80% of the water. The head of lettuce was really close to the maximum size it could reach, compared to other heads I have grown. Daytime temps were in the 50-65* range for highs, getting into the upper 30* range at night in late January/early February in central California, so near ideal temps In warmer temps, bok choi, or bush beans, or really any fast growing plants can be grown without worrying about refilling I did this to see just how cheap I could be and to prove that ANYONE almost anywhere on the planet could grow healthy food for almost nothing even if they have no yard or garden space, without needing to buy containers, or net pots, etc. The pickle jar was free, the old washcloth was already faling apart and was ready for the trash. The rubber band came around some mail. I bought 800 lettuce seeds for $1.88 delivered, so 4 seeds cost about 1 cent. The 2 grams each of Masterblend and calcium nitrate were about $2 lb bought in 25lb bags, so another couple pennies, and the sifted seed starting mix was fron some used potting mix, so almost free.Because I grew them under natural light, no electricity was used, so a head of lettuce literally cost only maybe 5 cents US.
I love Kratky primarily for introducing people to hydroponics because they don't have much to lose. It's also nice to just have a couple of jars sitting in windows that you top off from time to time.
That's correct. You can even get going with your usual fertilizer and tap water for a really cheap entry. People wouldn't believe how easy it is and how easy you can move from Kratky to DWI for example.
th-cam.com/video/peD78s38cTQ/w-d-xo.html First attempt in hydroponics was amazing with Kratky. Next year I 'll go bato bucket for slightly more production. Kratky rocks!
I used some old soda and water bottles pulled from the recycling bin. I had more sprouts than space and put the extras into the single serving 20 oz bottles. The solution lasted long enough to grow a small head of Romain lettuce in each bottle. I had so many lettuce and bok choy that they are going to seed before I can eat them all. That's easy sucess.
You should try to match the container to the root zone dimensions ie. small roots = shallow container / long roots = deep container. This allows the use of all the nute solution without having to fill the container with an excessive amount of nutes just to reach the roots.
I did an experiment this year with a cloned tomato plant, not expecting much. Kratky in a 5 gal bucket. That thing was great. Took plenty of abuse, produced some great cherry tomatoes. Huge. Roots NEVER rotted even though it was blazing hot out. All I did was top it off now and then with the hose. I eventually added some more nutrients, never checking the ph or EC in the bucket.
The research papers on Kratky indicate that adding more than very small amounts of water to raise solution level, actually damages the roots. As the solution level drops, the roots actually phase-change to breath air. Raising the solution level is interpreted as an attempt to force them into a reverse phase change, which they are not happy about.
@@randallsemrau6911 Well my tomato plant was highly abused and did VERY well. I added water however I felt. In the bucket, through the top, back to full, over full. Didn't slow anything down.
@@superkillr You'd need to do a side by side comparison to actually arrive at a conclusion.What you don't know, is if your tomato plant would have done even better than it did.
I am having so much fun with the Kratky method. I have to share my produce. And herbs. With the herbs I cut it all back, stuck them in a food processor, added oil, (lemon juice for basil and sage. And lime juice for the cilantro), the poured into ice cube trays and froze them. I just pop one or two out for salad dressing, pesto, or add to sauces. I still need to practice with tomatoes and peppers in larger containers. Thanks again for another great video!
@@vicAbrogar I think better. But I've only grown lettuces, herbs, spinach, and Swiss Chard. I know when I've bought hydroponic veggies from the store they're weak in taste.
It's the Ronco of the Hydroponic world! For those of you who aren't familiar with Ronco or its founder Ron Popeil, he was famous for gadgets and small appliances where his catchphrase was "Just set it and forget it"
And OMG, I am so happy you want to do more Kratky videos! I've learned about this method from your channel and it was a great timing. I am from Ukraine and among other major problems we have a surge of prices. So... I was very enthusiastic about growing part of the groceries at home. So thanks, your work helps a lot!
I always use a small aquarium pump set to low bubble rate in my 5 Gallon Containers. I also top off the water at different times following what my AeroGrow System would notify me to check the water and fill it back to the water mark when I used those Growing Systems. Now I make my own System similar to what you showed here using Net-Cups, so I do the same in my Containers. Enjoyed your video...
It is very nice. I am teaching a friend about gardening and hydroponics. Kratky is very useful when you don't have a ton of money. It can help to provide healthy food in a food desert.
Thanks for the video, it's very detailed and I like that you show different container methods. . For the average or new Kratky grower I recommend using a pre-mixed liquid nutrient solution. It's just much easier to work with and is already balanced. I've taught classes for beginners and one of the big takeaways is that a good pre-mix liquid gives them an easier entry point into growing for themselves. The one for the Aerogarden is pretty good. There's also the one for TowerGardean as well as a few easy A+B solutions you can buy online or at your local hydro store. It's more expensive to do it that was, but unless you're doing large scale I think it is worth it. I've been growing successfully with several different hydroponic and aquaponic methods for aver a decade.
Omg. Glad I found you! I'll be watching many more of your videos. I've been yelling it from the roof tops lately to get people into trying kratky n such, especially now! Glad I found you thank you!!!
Another great video by Hoocho's!!! I really liked your Kratky comments at the end and acknowledgement of your bias. The special part is how we can feed the world with very little.
Just getting into this hobby and I have been lead to believe most things on the internet. You have absolutely changed my view and I now regret buying a bunch of crap from Amazon. Should have found you much sooner and started my diy for much cheaper. Love the NFT videos and hopefully I can one day move into that rather than the standing water units sold on Amazon. Love your vids! Keep it going. From Michigan
While light intensity can burn leaf tips it isn’t the only thing that can cause that. Obviously you already have dealt with ph fluctuations so you know what that looks like as well. Another thing that can cause the same symptoms is inefficient air movement which can create humid microclimates that slow transpiration which can lead to localized calcium deficiencies. I’ve seen plenty of grows where the grower thought it was too much light when it was not enough air movement, that happens more often with dense canopies. Just figured I’d throw in a few cents here.
I started growing lettuce in 5 cm deep trays filled with media, which has me wondering if your plants are expanding roots needlessly and wasting energy. I do need to water almost daily to keep the media moist, but it is very similar in thought to the kratky method but using a different type of container.. I was suprised at how little soil/media. I have been using coco/perlite/ and a pressure treated rice hull as media. I had grow green oins in about 3 cm of media, and the roots make a mat of roots, similar to what your kratky roots would be if laid flat. I had intended to transplant the bunching onions, but had way more than I needed, so left most of them in the tray. This is now my favorite way to grow lettuce and green onions. I did grow kratky method and got the same massive roots as in your videos, but in a 20 x 30 cm tray, I can plant 6-9 heads of lettuce every 1-2 weeks and have a continuous supply without any getting too old and bitter, or going to seed. For me, starting a few every week is great. I guess for those feeding more people, growing a dozen heads in a tote may make sense, especially if they don't have time to water a shallow tray every day. In cooler weather, you may be able to go 2-3 days between watering, or even longer when plants are small. Another advantage of the shallow trays is the ability to direct seed. I have been reusing the media for a couple years, and need to add a little every so often, so there is a small upfront cost, unlike growin lettuce on a scrap of fabric in a recycled container.
14:17 Very healthy. That's just one of those more satisfying things to look at in life. Like a beautiful, healthy and fit woman...or man. Whatever rocks your boat, people 👍🏻 Edit. Looks like you found those roots equally satisfying, mate 😅
My Czech wife tells me kraty means short or quick in Czech. This is a great idea, am glad I did not buy a PVC pipe setup with pump first, will try this method and see if it works for me in the long run. Thank you
Great to discover an Aussie channel doing Kratky buckets! I started experimenting with Kratky growing about 3 years ago, so I already have a good supply of netcups, and some containers too. I mostly have been using plastic drink bottles that I cut down to fit the net cups in the neck. It works - but you do have to keep topping up the solution. Yoghourt containers are more stable, and the lids can have holes cut in them for the netcups (or jiffy pots). I also have some large black tubs, with corflute placed on top as a lid, & holes cut in the corflute for the netcups. The corflute doesn't fit as neatly as a lid, but I've found that cheap plastic containers with lids sometimes have very flimsy lids (one of them disintegrated when I tried to cut a hole in it with the hole saw). Definitely better with opaque containers! I was finding the rockwool seed starting process I used is fiddly and potentially expensive - and using hydroton - those clay balls - to pack the seedlings was also a real pain (to set up and worse, to clean up at the end). To the point where I have been about ready to give up on lettuce & salad greens. (But basil does really well with Kratky growing.) So great to look at some alternatives!
Sounds like you’ve been down a similar path to me…that rockwool and clay pebbles are both pains! I’ve used seed starting potting soil to begin my lettuce and then once they have their two true leaves I gently pluck them from their soil and transfer them into my DIY NFT system that I wrap a sponge like square around and then put into a little net cup. This method has been the easiest until now but it’s far from easy and I have 54 holes in my system to fill (yes I grow 54 heads of lettuce at one time but I grow many different varieties and I remove the outer leaves every 7-10 days and wash with some water and a couple splashes of vinegar then spin dry and pop into ziploc bags and keep in the fridge and I’m amazed at how long my leaf lettuce lasts which makes me know that anything bought from stores is already soooo old and definitely is lacking much nutrition if any at all. At least with growing my own fresh leafy greens I am eating them much more often and who knew there were soooo many varieties. The one issue with my current method is every 6-8 weeks approximately it’s time to switch out the lettuce and add new 🌱 seedlings and that can be a significant amount of time and if I’m not super gentle with the stems if they break at all they won’t continue to grow. So if I had a system that I could just plop the jiffy pods into that would make life soooo much easier!! I’m definitely up to giving it a try.
@@leannekenyoung Good to hear your experiences! If nothing else, we can be sure be don't have glyphosate or other poisons on our greens, so that is a huge plus too. I have an extra problem with lettuce here in Queensland, because lettuce doesn't like warm weather - I learned that the seeds won't even germinate if the temperature is too high! I've found some joy with microgreens, however, which are healthy and delicious. I saw an idea about using slices of a pool noodle to protect the seedlings - but like your sponge squares, it is still quite fiddly. Anyway I have been inspired to order some jiffy pots, and this afternoon I set out some lettuce seeds in an egg carton filled with coconut coir (which I have found works quite well to germinate the seeds & get them properly started. One more planting before the really hot weather sets in! So we shall see how it goes. 😊
As someone who is solely an apartment grower, Kratky and a variant on the rain gutter grow system with one of those dog bowls with a three gallon reservoir have been my growing systems. I just don’t have room for an nft and lights set up. I can’t grow quite everything I want to, but my greens grow like weeds. I’d love to see your experiments with some sort of passive hydro (either the rain gutter grow set up or Kratky) with a five gallon bucket and potatoes. I haven’t quite figured those out yet, and I want to grow them for my partner ❤. And thanks for being willing to see the beauty of Kratky!
For a great light, small, check out marshydronts1000 (1-150watt dimmable) and look at quantum boards, great lights, thin, same watts as the mars. They will be able to grow anything, even bigger plants , covers about a 2x2 foot area for flowering, 3x3 for just about anything else . Happy growing
1 key askect of this fully enclosed system is that the roots are protected from Fungus and pests as long as the initial setup has good clean environment.
Happy to discover this channel, and excited to get into my own hydroponic growing! But mate nobody over here calls them chilly bins thats a cooler you got there
Dude you are awesome thank you for sharing this to the world I believe everybody has the ability to grow their own food at home and you are absolutely just showing them that it's possible
Hello a Gardner here and thanks for the share! Using other organisms for fertility is ultimately my simplistic method for food(bacteria,fungi,worms,etc). But in the past when I needed something temporary to provide structure(like a scaffolding 😉). I would often use something like a tight burlap woven net. Hemp and jute can work just as well, but these natural things had a very minimal negative effect if any at all. One might need to consider cleaning and sanitation though with hydroponics..., like I said before, me Gardner.😅
Yeah, I scrolled through the comments specifically looking to see if anyone mentioned this. No one in the US says bin at all. Except for occasionally me, but that's because I lived overseas as a kid
Love your channel! :) One thing: the pH didnt change over the grow because the nutrients dissolved.... it changed as,2 things mostly; 1) the ratio of nutrients changed as the plants used them (doesnt take up the same ratio as in the nutrients). 2) as nutes are taken up, the plant has to maintain electric charge balance. So if it takes up a nitrate (NO3-), it puts back a -'ve ion, namely, OH-, hydroxide. hydroxide is a much higher pH than Nitrate (both are basic) Way oversimplified and by no means the only things at play. But important. And not a result of solid nutes dissolving over weeks/months....they will be fully dissolved pretty quick (under a day). Cheers :)
@@goodgreen4616 And not applicable as much to kratky, but pumping air into water, even air contact at the surface can cause ph change. Chemistry is amazing. If I could ever remember anything but the basics, it would be nice. All I have is a general grasp of the basics, but do appreciate getting the real science.
Well, thank you. However, it should be clear that this method is good only when the temp is good. With high temp, you definitely need aeration and in some situation even aeration does not help much if there is no cooling technique applied. Low Temp, or moderate, is a key for this method.
Not true. I grew peppers in 32 gallon containers in temps over 40*C all summer. I think aeration may add hot air to water that has cooled overnight, aeration increases oxidation, and well aerated water with lots of nutrients may provide perfect growing conditions for some different bacteria, other thanan anaerobic bacteria. I think low temps are MORE necessary if you are going to be pumping hot air into the water.
@@dmac9150 Hi,40 centigrade works out to 104 fahrenheit here in the US ,that is amazing because right now I am trying to grow stuff on the covered patio attached to the house and it gets hot ,so I was wondering if hydroponics would work thanks for the info,I am sick of growing stuff in soil with buying soil , the bugs and down here in south Florida with wild iguana eating my stuff.
Got home from work, covered in mud. Look on TH-cam and what do I see?? BIG DOG! Bloody tops mate, nice idea with the the bamboo. Do you ever find mold or just crap in the bottom of container from the jiffy pod? I use the jiffies for starting pot plants but I use the slabs of cultivate in my hydroponic stuff.
Thats just awesome, how about a bit of a challenge for you? Ever tried root veggies like carrots or onions using Kratky, plenty of space for them to grow?? Would love to see you giving that a go.
I grew radishes kratky style. I had a 4 liter, wide mouth pickle jar, and stretched a scrap of an old shirt over the top secured with a twist tie. The center of the fabric dipped down about 1 cm to just barely touch the liquid. I placed a few seeds around the perimeter of the opening, and covered the seeds with just enough fine sifted /coco-perlite to cover them, and misted the whole top a few times until seeds sprouted. After that I did nothing further and added no more water/nutrients as roots grew down into the water. Radishes formed above the fabric. I thinned to four radishes in the small opeing, and they all ended up at just about 3 cm diameter and nearly filled the opeing. It was a small growing type- maybe 'sparkler'. the four radishes didn't use more than about 2/3 of the water. If you only want to eat one radish at a time, I imagine you could grow a single radish in a 1 liter container pretty easily with never needing to refill. I have done beets and turnips in similar ways, but not quite pure 'kratky'
Well this begs for a Kratky vs. NFT comparison for productivity! Changing you mind about a topic is a serious skill and being able to speak about it even more!
I grew 1 lb tomatoes last winter in 3 liter bottles, but as they got to be 3-4-5 feet tall, they need multiple refills per day, but you don't 'NEED' large containers. I have grown many 3-4 foot tall pepper plants in 2.5, and 3 gallon buckets dutch bucket style, and same size plants in 2 gallon kratky style.
@@dmac9150 Well, 5 feet ist pretty small for a tomato plant.. My plants had like 16 feet after a season.. I use a 40 liter reservoir with six bato buckets and had to refill every day on the hot summer days.
@@SeamusHarper1234 This was my height limit in a closet, and it was a bush type, determinate tomato plant and I stopped it at 5 feet.because it was too big for the space. I had had plenty of 16 foot tall plants, along with plants that would never grow more than a foot tall. When you start growing 16 foot tall plants, on a raised platform, in a 7 foot height closet, with hanging lights, let me know. My point was that you can grow large plants in much smaller containers than some people think.
I am just starting out in the venture and I learned so much today from you. Especially about the amount of water that is needed for the plant's life. How is that determined? Is there a chart of some sort that I missed?? All of this made sense to me. My nutrients arrive today so I can't wait to put everything together. Since I am on a fixed income I buy things when the extra funds are there. I did order a Vevo system and that will be here Thursday. Being handicapped and living in hot Las Vegas made sense to me to get one of these. It will hold 90 plants. woot woot! Thank you for your knowledge.
That is awesome, especially for someone like me as a beginner. It will be good though to have it done without a growth tent and/or growth lights as someone like me does not have this. However in saying that I really appreciate how you demonstrated how easy it is for a Kratky method.
You forgot to mention the importance aeration with your setup to prevent root rot? An aquarium air-stone and pump works well. Can hear it going in your video 🙂
My idea for the popular little all-in-one gardens to do away with expensive grow sponges is starting seedlings, then supporting them and blocking light entering the hole with aluminum foil. But still reuse the grow basket. This could be done several even less expensive ways.
Great video. Thank you for the information. Also, we call them "coolers", not "chilly-bins". They are sometimes referred to by the manufacturer's name. Example, "Could you grab the Colman and bring it over here."
Great video, i love the root system :-) I have been following your channel quite some time and i never understood, why you would not like the Kratky method. I always liked the simplicity and productivity of the Kratky method. I am happy to see that you want to do some experimenting in this field now and i am looking forward to your future Kratky videos. :-)
I’ve shared a similar bias but I’m willing to give Kratky another try! I love the idea of using wooden skewers I’m wondering if toothpicks would be strong enough to work when the pellets are very small? My other question is: in a more real world experiment wouldn’t the grower be cutting the outer leaves as the lettuce grows to ensure a more plentiful harvest in the long run and being able to use the plants to their fullest potential? I think by cutting the outer leaves when they are ready to be eaten, it allows the lettuce to continue to grow and provides nutrients to feed the new growth from the Center of the lettuce. Also by cutting the outer leaves it ensures they don’t become damaged by drying out or too much light exposure? Just my thoughts and observations to date. I love that you are revisiting this and that you specifically mentioned that calcium/magnesium has to be added to the water before anything else!! I think nutrient lockout can be a very real concern when someone is just beginning but as long as you follow the few rules around it then it’s really not the big deal. Thank you for sharing your knowledge & experience and I look forward to learning more about the kratky method and how successful you can be with the minimal amount of equipment! I found those roots absolutely fascinating and I can honestly say that’s never been my experience most times the lettuce roots turn brown and go slimy but I haven’t figured out the reason for that? Thanks again, I’m an indoor gardener in an apartment in Toronto, Ontario, Canada I have a Facebook page and refer to myself as Armchairgardener 😂❤
@@maradall that’s the strange thing I do wrap all my opaque containers in aluminum foil shiny side out, I wrap the lids and the bases. Although one thing I don’t do is change the water at all I just keep adding to it, I’m wondering if you use hydrogen peroxide in the water at all?
@@leannekenyoung I use something called "Sleepz with Fishes", which was recommended to me by my local hydroponics supply shop. They recommended I add about 15 mls to 5L of the nutrient solution. It is gentler than H2O2 but serves the same function. It doesn't stop the algae if you expose it to light, but I think it does help. Like you, I just add to the water but don't change it - lettuce is not in the pot for very long so it is probably ok. Maybe with my basil, which is a longer term plant, I will try changing the water after a few months or so.
You totally need to change the name of your channel now to Root Porn! And thanks for this video - it's the first of yours I've seen but will be watching them all now that I'm just starting indoor planting. Really great job detailing the process and giving great info for us novices. Thanks much!
Quick question: how many species of plant will this method work on? I'm really impressed that this works so well without spending electricity on a water pump.
Australia is the leaders in hydroponic equipment check out auto pot and adjusta wings. I worked at aqua gardening in Australia for 15 years. always encouraged people to build their own set ups . deep water culture is cheap and very economic but remember if one plant gets sick they all do .
Thanks for sharing. With the price of $8.39 a head of Ice Lettuce, I am consider growing myself. It is time to look into making the hydroponic solution.
I wish I could give this video TWO likes! :) I kept saying "that is so cool!" through the whole thing. 🙂 LOVED seeing that big massive root system out of the "cooler." (Yes, I'm from the USA 😂)
Can you do something like this out in the open sun in Florida, and use cycling pond water? Like put the plants on top of a waterfall and have the water cycle from the low side of the pond back into the buckets and use it as a huge filter? Have some goldfish or koi in the pond and have a whole cycle going that way to grow vegetables?
Kratky is not just for leafy greens... Try setting up a kratky system using 10 x 20 litre buckets all connected inline back to a control bucket. The control bucket has a float valve and is connected to your Resovior.. great for Capsicum and tomatoes
We learnt much here. Jiffy does work to grow big leaves. I think the cooler box is cool. Temperature is controlled more than bucket. Will adding air pump for bucket help? Yeah the light was too close perhaps don't enclose but put on open shelves. Fertiliser is ok even though feedback talked abt ph++. Will watched & learnt.
Hi, Love the video content you put out, one question though. You detail the light cycles however, it would also be nice to know the grow durations as well. It's difficult to keep track of the time lapse. Thanks
Love your videos hooch! You’re my number one inspiration on my hydroponic journey. Do you have any thoughts on the concerns around plastic leaching into our hydroponic water? I have a NFT rack system at home that is built primarily from rigid pvc with potable water-rated pvc cement. Are you at all concerned by pvc leachate?
I thought you might have been going down the devils lettuce route for a mo 🤭. Do you need to keep topping up or the amount of water in the container is enough for the term of the grow. Your looking good and healthy bro 👍👍👍👍
Mate, absolutely stoked I found your channel. Not to many Aussie channels that tackle this. Thanks so much! Hey with the esky would that work if the esky was on a deck with just natural lighting, no direct sunlight?
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For those who are upset that I mistook the colloquial term for 'cooler' as 'chilly bin' (I'm looking at you USA)
The people 'across the puddle' I was referring to are the New Zealanders
Who refer to, what we in 'straya call 'eskies';
...as 'chilly bins'...
Which is a ridiculous term.
And we should all give them grief for.
That and their inappropriate treatment of sheep.
how on earth have you managed to keep roots so white without a bubblier system was it something in the water ? please tell Im captivated
haha you should pin this :D
Hi hoocho can I ask what model ph/ex unit u r using & where to get it mate 👊🏻🙏🏻
people got upset over chilly bin? how silly, I like it.
Good one on the sheep joke. But remember, their PM was a horse so she was probably looking the other way with the sheep abuse.
As someone who has grown aquatic aquarium plants for many years, your PH issues are likely due to using PH up/down. These products are temporary fixes used for emergencies in the aquarium hobby and often lead to disaster because once they wear off the PH jumps drastically. What you should use are PH buffers. Buffers change the water chemistry and will maintain a steady PH level. For my planted aquariums I use SeaChem's Alkaline buffer and/or Acid buffer.
Holy ravioli Dave, praise, you boys certainly know your Juju.
proper nutrients should contain buffers to stop ph run away.
@emptiness That's good if true. Hoocho clearly has a bottle of "PH Rise" on the table in this video though.
Thank you 🙏🏽 I appreciate you sharing this valuable information ❤
My wife uses crushed limestone to buffer water.
One of the best things in the video is seeing what happens when things are not done perfectly right, and learning why and how to fix it.
My dad is sooooo gonna give me all his empty protein containers 🤣 I have just checked how close they are to getting completely empty and now I almost have THREE in different sizes. Cool! More greens
I grew a head of lettuce on a scrap of fabric suspended over an old used 1 gallon pickle jar. I used a twist tie to hold the fabric with just about a 1/4 inch dip in the center of the opening. As you said, lettuce takes about 3-6 liters, so a 1 gallon jar is almost perfect for smaller growing varieties when directly seeded. . I placed the seeds right on the fabric, with the water level just touching the fabric. No net cup is needed at all, and I only used about 2 tablespoons of fine coco.perlite mix over the seeds to keep them moist while they sprouted. And I don't think the soil was needed. So my total cost for the seed and the nutrients was about 5 cents- US. I grew radishes the same way, and grew basil in a bottle with a 1 inch opening with a scrap of old fabric shoved in the opening to support the seed. For true low cost, eliminating the net cup, and the tote, and using old scraps of cloth and 'recycled' containers leaves only seeds and nutrients to buy. I only tried it to see if it was feasible, and it definitely is. The radishes grew especially well, with 4 planted in the7-8 cm bottle opening. The radishes din't even use a full gallon.
Awesome post
That's brilliant!
The idea of ds is seductive.
Hi it is very interesting. Can you share some pictures about the setup for better understanding?
@@petertoth8621 I don't think I can post pic here. But I can describe more details.
First, take a wide mouth container of at least one gallon. Fill with hydroponic nutrient solution mix as directed for greens. Fil to within about 1/4 inch/7 mm from the very top.
Next, take an old washcloth, or other fabric and stretch it over the top and secure it in place with a rubber band or wire tie. A fabric roots can grow through easily is important- cheesecloth, or cotton sheet or towel fabric, or loose woven gauze, etc. After securing the fabric to the top, press down center of fabric over the container top, so fabric just dips about 1/4 inch into the water in the center, but edge of fabric in the opening is still above water. I like the rough surface of the washcloth for holding seeds in place.
Fabric should wick up some water and most of fabric should get damp. I used 4-5 lettuce seeds around the perimeter of the fabric, just above where the fabric was touching the water. . Then, I took maybe 2 tablespoonfuls of fine sifted seed starting mix and sprinkled a dusting over the seeds just to hold them in place and help them keep moist while they sprouted. Due to a little evaporation, I had to mist the seeds about 36 hours after seeding before they sprouted, but after that, they didn't need anything until harvest. I don't think the seed starting mix was necessary, and I think a cover, maybe the original lid to the container, could be placed to help keep seeds moist while sprouting, and maybe if you germinate seeds on a paper towel, you can then place directly on the fabric. if you like.
I grew 'Bibb' lettuce, and also 'Sparkler' radishes that really surprise me. The 1 gallon pickle jars have about a 4 inch/100 mm opening, and I got 4 nice radishes and one skinny one, . I thinnned the lettuce to one plant after maybe 4-5 days in one container, and 5 radish seedlings in the other. The single head of lettuce used all the water/nutrients in about 6 weeks, and the radishes used about 80% of the water. The head of lettuce was really close to the maximum size it could reach, compared to other heads I have grown. Daytime temps were in the 50-65* range for highs, getting into the upper 30* range at night in late January/early February in central California, so near ideal temps
In warmer temps, bok choi, or bush beans, or really any fast growing plants can be grown without worrying about refilling
I did this to see just how cheap I could be and to prove that ANYONE almost anywhere on the planet could grow healthy food for almost nothing even if they have no yard or garden space, without needing to buy containers, or net pots, etc.
The pickle jar was free, the old washcloth was already faling apart and was ready for the trash. The rubber band came around some mail. I bought 800 lettuce seeds for $1.88 delivered, so 4 seeds cost about 1 cent. The 2 grams each of Masterblend and calcium nitrate were about $2 lb bought in 25lb bags, so another couple pennies, and the sifted seed starting mix was fron some used potting mix, so almost free.Because I grew them under natural light, no electricity was used, so a head of lettuce literally cost only maybe 5 cents US.
Huge respect for anyone who can admit they were wrong and change their mind. Good on you mate.
I love Kratky primarily for introducing people to hydroponics because they don't have much to lose. It's also nice to just have a couple of jars sitting in windows that you top off from time to time.
That's correct. You can even get going with your usual fertilizer and tap water for a really cheap entry. People wouldn't believe how easy it is and how easy you can move from Kratky to DWI for example.
th-cam.com/video/peD78s38cTQ/w-d-xo.html First attempt in hydroponics was amazing with Kratky. Next year I 'll go bato bucket for slightly more production. Kratky rocks!
I used some old soda and water bottles pulled from the recycling bin. I had more sprouts than space and put the extras into the single serving 20 oz bottles. The solution lasted long enough to grow a small head of Romain lettuce in each bottle. I had so many lettuce and bok choy that they are going to seed before I can eat them all. That's easy sucess.
You should try to match the container to the root zone dimensions ie. small roots = shallow container / long roots = deep container.
This allows the use of all the nute solution without having to fill the container with an excessive amount of nutes just to reach the roots.
the timelapse videos on your stuff is so deeply satisfying!
I did an experiment this year with a cloned tomato plant, not expecting much. Kratky in a 5 gal bucket. That thing was great. Took plenty of abuse, produced some great cherry tomatoes. Huge. Roots NEVER rotted even though it was blazing hot out. All I did was top it off now and then with the hose. I eventually added some more nutrients, never checking the ph or EC in the bucket.
The research papers on Kratky indicate that adding more than very small amounts of water to raise solution level, actually damages the roots. As the solution level drops, the roots actually phase-change to breath air. Raising the solution level is interpreted as an attempt to force them into a reverse phase change, which they are not happy about.
@@randallsemrau6911 Well my tomato plant was highly abused and did VERY well. I added water however I felt. In the bucket, through the top, back to full, over full. Didn't slow anything down.
@@superkillr You'd need to do a side by side comparison to actually arrive at a conclusion.What you don't know, is if your tomato plant would have done even better than it did.
I am having so much fun with the Kratky method. I have to share my produce. And herbs. With the herbs I cut it all back, stuck them in a food processor, added oil, (lemon juice for basil and sage. And lime juice for the cilantro), the poured into ice cube trays and froze them. I just pop one or two out for salad dressing, pesto, or add to sauces. I still need to practice with tomatoes and peppers in larger containers. Thanks again for another great video!
And what about the taste of the veggie? Is it good or did it change a bit compare to veggies or herbs that are planted on soil?
@@vicAbrogar I think better. But I've only grown lettuces, herbs, spinach, and Swiss Chard. I know when I've bought hydroponic veggies from the store they're weak in taste.
It's the Ronco of the Hydroponic world! For those of you who aren't familiar with Ronco or its founder Ron Popeil, he was famous for gadgets and small appliances where his catchphrase was "Just set it and forget it"
And OMG, I am so happy you want to do more Kratky videos! I've learned about this method from your channel and it was a great timing.
I am from Ukraine and among other major problems we have a surge of prices. So... I was very enthusiastic about growing part of the groceries at home.
So thanks, your work helps a lot!
This will make the coolest Victory Garden!!
This is honestly the best indoor grow video I have come across on YT so far - great work!
This video gave me so much hope ❤️. Keep giving us newbies these great videos. I love the time lapse. You are a blessing.
I always use a small aquarium pump set to low bubble rate in my 5 Gallon Containers. I also top off the water at different times following what my AeroGrow System would notify me to check the water and fill it back to the water mark when I used those Growing Systems. Now I make my own System similar to what you showed here using Net-Cups, so I do the same in my Containers. Enjoyed your video...
I'm glad we will see more kratky ! It's what I do because I have a small place. I even did cucumber and peppers in kratky past 2 years!
Hoocho, this is fantastic. This is great for people in warm climates. It will help to mitigate the water from heating up so much. Brilliant!!
It is very nice. I am teaching a friend about gardening and hydroponics. Kratky is very useful when you don't have a ton of money. It can help to provide healthy food in a food desert.
For about 55 years clay pot wick system hydroponics has work great for me. I also use containers much like yours plus some from dollar tree store.
Thanks for the video, it's very detailed and I like that you show different container methods. . For the average or new Kratky grower I recommend using a pre-mixed liquid nutrient solution. It's just much easier to work with and is already balanced. I've taught classes for beginners and one of the big takeaways is that a good pre-mix liquid gives them an easier entry point into growing for themselves. The one for the Aerogarden is pretty good. There's also the one for TowerGardean as well as a few easy A+B solutions you can buy online or at your local hydro store. It's more expensive to do it that was, but unless you're doing large scale I think it is worth it. I've been growing successfully with several different hydroponic and aquaponic methods for aver a decade.
Omg. Glad I found you! I'll be watching many more of your videos. I've been yelling it from the roof tops lately to get people into trying kratky n such, especially now! Glad I found you thank you!!!
Another great video by Hoocho's!!! I really liked your Kratky comments at the end and acknowledgement of your bias. The special part is how we can feed the world with very little.
Just getting into this hobby and I have been lead to believe most things on the internet. You have absolutely changed my view and I now regret buying a bunch of crap from Amazon. Should have found you much sooner and started my diy for much cheaper. Love the NFT videos and hopefully I can one day move into that rather than the standing water units sold on Amazon. Love your vids! Keep it going. From Michigan
this methood will not work for canabis just fyi
@@lucasjohnson2125 your comment is shadow banned fyi
I love a hydro video especially when they play king gizzard and the lizard wizard !! Perfect choice! Love me some polygonawondaland
While light intensity can burn leaf tips it isn’t the only thing that can cause that. Obviously you already have dealt with ph fluctuations so you know what that looks like as well.
Another thing that can cause the same symptoms is inefficient air movement which can create humid microclimates that slow transpiration which can lead to localized calcium deficiencies. I’ve seen plenty of grows where the grower thought it was too much light when it was not enough air movement, that happens more often with dense canopies. Just figured I’d throw in a few cents here.
Thanks for this insight! Can you throw light on 'air movement'
You are absolutely right. I did some research and I have finally discovered why I had some leaves' problems due to the absence of air movement !!!!
I started growing lettuce in 5 cm deep trays filled with media, which has me wondering if your plants are expanding roots needlessly and wasting energy. I do need to water almost daily to keep the media moist, but it is very similar in thought to the kratky method but using a different type of container.. I was suprised at how little soil/media. I have been using coco/perlite/ and a pressure treated rice hull as media. I had grow green oins in about 3 cm of media, and the roots make a mat of roots, similar to what your kratky roots would be if laid flat. I had intended to transplant the bunching onions, but had way more than I needed, so left most of them in the tray. This is now my favorite way to grow lettuce and green onions. I did grow kratky method and got the same massive roots as in your videos, but in a 20 x 30 cm tray, I can plant 6-9 heads of lettuce every 1-2 weeks and have a continuous supply without any getting too old and bitter, or going to seed. For me, starting a few every week is great. I guess for those feeding more people, growing a dozen heads in a tote may make sense, especially if they don't have time to water a shallow tray every day. In cooler weather, you may be able to go 2-3 days between watering, or even longer when plants are small. Another advantage of the shallow trays is the ability to direct seed. I have been reusing the media for a couple years, and need to add a little every so often, so there is a small upfront cost, unlike growin lettuce on a scrap of fabric in a recycled container.
16:23 takes a strong person to admit their faults publicly. Well done!
14:17 Very healthy. That's just one of those more satisfying things to look at in life. Like a beautiful, healthy and fit woman...or man. Whatever rocks your boat, people 👍🏻
Edit. Looks like you found those roots equally satisfying, mate 😅
Yay! I’m looking forward to more Kratky investigations!
Wow, now you have given me an idea of turning an esky into a mini greenhouse to grow crops outdoors.
Thanks mate!
My Czech wife tells me kraty means short or quick in Czech. This is a great idea, am glad I did not buy a PVC pipe setup with pump first, will try this method and see if it works for me in the long run. Thank you
The time lapse is awesome!,,
100% True
Can’t wait for you to show how you did that! I enjoy growing with the Kratky method- have never had roots like that.
i love the diea of the skewers i allso love mike's pool noodle idea.
One of the best videos I’ve seen in a very long time ‼️😎 🌱
Now I have a use for the cooler the bear ruined by biting a hole in the lid! Great ideas thanks ❤️
Great to discover an Aussie channel doing Kratky buckets!
I started experimenting with Kratky growing about 3 years ago, so I already have a good supply of netcups, and some containers too.
I mostly have been using plastic drink bottles that I cut down to fit the net cups in the neck. It works - but you do have to keep topping up the solution. Yoghourt containers are more stable, and the lids can have holes cut in them for the netcups (or jiffy pots). I also have some large black tubs, with corflute placed on top as a lid, & holes cut in the corflute for the netcups. The corflute doesn't fit as neatly as a lid, but I've found that cheap plastic containers with lids sometimes have very flimsy lids (one of them disintegrated when I tried to cut a hole in it with the hole saw).
Definitely better with opaque containers!
I was finding the rockwool seed starting process I used is fiddly and potentially expensive - and using hydroton - those clay balls - to pack the seedlings was also a real pain (to set up and worse, to clean up at the end). To the point where I have been about ready to give up on lettuce & salad greens. (But basil does really well with Kratky growing.)
So great to look at some alternatives!
Sounds like you’ve been down a similar path to me…that rockwool and clay pebbles are both pains! I’ve used seed starting potting soil to begin my lettuce and then once they have their two true leaves I gently pluck them from their soil and transfer them into my DIY NFT system that I wrap a sponge like square around and then put into a little net cup. This method has been the easiest until now but it’s far from easy and I have 54 holes in my system to fill (yes I grow 54 heads of lettuce at one time but I grow many different varieties and I remove the outer leaves every 7-10 days and wash with some water and a couple splashes of vinegar then spin dry and pop into ziploc bags and keep in the fridge and I’m amazed at how long my leaf lettuce lasts which makes me know that anything bought from stores is already soooo old and definitely is lacking much nutrition if any at all. At least with growing my own fresh leafy greens I am eating them much more often and who knew there were soooo many varieties. The one issue with my current method is every 6-8 weeks approximately it’s time to switch out the lettuce and add new 🌱 seedlings and that can be a significant amount of time and if I’m not super gentle with the stems if they break at all they won’t continue to grow. So if I had a system that I could just plop the jiffy pods into that would make life soooo much easier!! I’m definitely up to giving it a try.
@@leannekenyoung Good to hear your experiences! If nothing else, we can be sure be don't have glyphosate or other poisons on our greens, so that is a huge plus too. I have an extra problem with lettuce here in Queensland, because lettuce doesn't like warm weather - I learned that the seeds won't even germinate if the temperature is too high! I've found some joy with microgreens, however, which are healthy and delicious.
I saw an idea about using slices of a pool noodle to protect the seedlings - but like your sponge squares, it is still quite fiddly. Anyway I have been inspired to order some jiffy pots, and this afternoon I set out some lettuce seeds in an egg carton filled with coconut coir (which I have found works quite well to germinate the seeds & get them properly started. One more planting before the really hot weather sets in! So we shall see how it goes. 😊
Hoocho -- Cool. I have decided that once I get my own place I will be doing hydroponics instead of a sunroom.
As someone who is solely an apartment grower, Kratky and a variant on the rain gutter grow system with one of those dog bowls with a three gallon reservoir have been my growing systems. I just don’t have room for an nft and lights set up. I can’t grow quite everything I want to, but my greens grow like weeds. I’d love to see your experiments with some sort of passive hydro (either the rain gutter grow set up or Kratky) with a five gallon bucket and potatoes. I haven’t quite figured those out yet, and I want to grow them for my partner ❤. And thanks for being willing to see the beauty of Kratky!
For a great light, small, check out marshydronts1000 (1-150watt dimmable) and look at quantum boards, great lights, thin, same watts as the mars. They will be able to grow anything, even bigger plants , covers about a 2x2 foot area for flowering, 3x3 for just about anything else . Happy growing
1 key askect of this fully enclosed system is that the roots are protected from Fungus and pests as long as the initial setup has good clean environment.
Happy to discover this channel, and excited to get into my own hydroponic growing!
But mate nobody over here calls them chilly bins thats a cooler you got there
New Zealanders call them chilly bins 😂
@@Hoocho Im american so i assumed you meant me ofc
So glad you've come around to the Kratky Side!😁
Dude you are awesome thank you for sharing this to the world I believe everybody has the ability to grow their own food at home and you are absolutely just showing them that it's possible
I'm not sure if we can truly comprehend how amazing it is that we can grow plants anywhere we want this is wasted technology
I like the fact you used a cooler makes it easier to regulate water temperatures
Hello a Gardner here and thanks for the share! Using other organisms for fertility is ultimately my simplistic method for food(bacteria,fungi,worms,etc). But in the past when I needed something temporary to provide structure(like a scaffolding 😉). I would often use something like a tight burlap woven net. Hemp and jute can work just as well, but these natural things had a very minimal negative effect if any at all. One might need to consider cleaning and sanitation though with hydroponics..., like I said before, me Gardner.😅
We call em coolers in the states. Chilly Bins made me laugh pretty good. Great video
Yeah, I scrolled through the comments specifically looking to see if anyone mentioned this. No one in the US says bin at all. Except for occasionally me, but that's because I lived overseas as a kid
Love your channel! :)
One thing: the pH didnt change over the grow because the nutrients dissolved.... it changed as,2 things mostly;
1) the ratio of nutrients changed as the plants used them (doesnt take up the same ratio as in the nutrients).
2) as nutes are taken up, the plant has to maintain electric charge balance. So if it takes up a nitrate (NO3-), it puts back a -'ve ion, namely, OH-, hydroxide. hydroxide is a much higher pH than Nitrate (both are basic)
Way oversimplified and by no means the only things at play. But important.
And not a result of solid nutes dissolving over weeks/months....they will be fully dissolved pretty quick (under a day).
Cheers :)
Temps also will change ph
@@goodgreen4616 And not applicable as much to kratky, but pumping air into water, even air contact at the surface can cause ph change. Chemistry is amazing. If I could ever remember anything but the basics, it would be nice. All I have is a general grasp of the basics, but do appreciate getting the real science.
Well, thank you. However, it should be clear that this method is good only when the temp is good. With high temp, you definitely need aeration and in some situation even aeration does not help much if there is no cooling technique applied. Low Temp, or moderate, is a key for this method.
Not true. I grew peppers in 32 gallon containers in temps over 40*C all summer. I think aeration may add hot air to water that has cooled overnight, aeration increases oxidation, and well aerated water with lots of nutrients may provide perfect growing conditions for some different bacteria, other thanan anaerobic bacteria. I think low temps are MORE necessary if you are going to be pumping hot air into the water.
@@dmac9150 Hi,40 centigrade works out to 104 fahrenheit here in the US ,that is amazing because right now I am trying to grow stuff on the covered patio attached to the house and it gets hot ,so I was wondering if hydroponics would work thanks for the info,I am sick of growing stuff in soil with buying soil , the bugs and down here in south Florida with wild iguana eating my stuff.
5gallon kratky buckets in 90*F -100*F (full sun) and never had one temp issue.🤷🏾♂️
Got home from work, covered in mud. Look on TH-cam and what do I see?? BIG DOG! Bloody tops mate, nice idea with the the bamboo. Do you ever find mold or just crap in the bottom of container from the jiffy pod?
I use the jiffies for starting pot plants but I use the slabs of cultivate in my hydroponic stuff.
How lovely your honest statement. I've learned a lot from your channel, blessings to you🇨🇦
You have some awesome 💡
Your visions for the future of food growing is out of this world.
Thats just awesome, how about a bit of a challenge for you? Ever tried root veggies like carrots or onions using Kratky, plenty of space for them to grow?? Would love to see you giving that a go.
Seconded!! I love that idea! I would love to see hoochoo give this a fair chance!
I grew radishes kratky style. I had a 4 liter, wide mouth pickle jar, and stretched a scrap of an old shirt over the top secured with a twist tie. The center of the fabric dipped down about 1 cm to just barely touch the liquid. I placed a few seeds around the perimeter of the opening, and covered the seeds with just enough fine sifted /coco-perlite to cover them, and misted the whole top a few times until seeds sprouted. After that I did nothing further and added no more water/nutrients as roots grew down into the water. Radishes formed above the fabric. I thinned to four radishes in the small opeing, and they all ended up at just about 3 cm diameter and nearly filled the opeing. It was a small growing type- maybe 'sparkler'. the four radishes didn't use more than about 2/3 of the water. If you only want to eat one radish at a time, I imagine you could grow a single radish in a 1 liter container pretty easily with never needing to refill. I have done beets and turnips in similar ways, but not quite pure 'kratky'
Well this begs for a Kratky vs. NFT comparison for productivity! Changing you mind about a topic is a serious skill and being able to speak about it even more!
I grew 1 lb tomatoes last winter in 3 liter bottles, but as they got to be 3-4-5 feet tall, they need multiple refills per day, but you don't 'NEED' large containers. I have grown many 3-4 foot tall pepper plants in 2.5, and 3 gallon buckets dutch bucket style, and same size plants in 2 gallon kratky style.
@@dmac9150 Well, 5 feet ist pretty small for a tomato plant.. My plants had like 16 feet after a season.. I use a 40 liter reservoir with six bato buckets and had to refill every day on the hot summer days.
@@SeamusHarper1234 This was my height limit in a closet, and it was a bush type, determinate tomato plant and I stopped it at 5 feet.because it was too big for the space. I had had plenty of 16 foot tall plants, along with plants that would never grow more than a foot tall. When you start growing 16 foot tall plants, on a raised platform, in a 7 foot height closet, with hanging lights, let me know. My point was that you can grow large plants in much smaller containers than some people think.
I am just starting out in the venture and I learned so much today from you. Especially about the amount of water that is needed for the plant's life. How is that determined? Is there a chart of some sort that I missed?? All of this made sense to me. My nutrients arrive today so I can't wait to put everything together. Since I am on a fixed income I buy things when the extra funds are there. I did order a Vevo system and that will be here Thursday. Being handicapped and living in hot Las Vegas made sense to me to get one of these. It will hold 90 plants. woot woot! Thank you for your knowledge.
Love this .Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge . We're so blessed to have the opportunity to learn from your timely experimentation.
Super excited to see your future Kratky experiments!! Kratky is what got me into hydroponics! Excellent video
Amazing! Thank you once again for an affordable and well though through design!
That is awesome, especially for someone like me as a beginner. It will be good though to have it done without a growth tent and/or growth lights as someone like me does not have this. However in saying that I really appreciate how you demonstrated how easy it is for a Kratky method.
You forgot to mention the importance aeration with your setup to prevent root rot? An aquarium air-stone and pump works well. Can hear it going in your video 🙂
With the “Kratky Method” you don’t use any air, the roots grow air roots that supply the plant oxygen. What you are talking about is DWC
Guess I found my weekend project! thanks for the inspiration!
You are my first channel to earn hydroponic growing. I subscribed and am looking to learn more about it.
My idea for the popular little all-in-one gardens to do away with expensive grow sponges is starting seedlings, then supporting them and blocking light entering the hole with aluminum foil. But still reuse the grow basket. This could be done several even less expensive ways.
A scrap of fabric tied over the opening of a jar, just slighting sagging in the center, with nutrient level just touching the fabric is free
Great video. Thank you for the information. Also, we call them "coolers", not "chilly-bins". They are sometimes referred to by the manufacturer's name. Example, "Could you grab the Colman and bring it over here."
Great video, i love the root system :-)
I have been following your channel quite some time and i never understood, why you would not like the Kratky method. I always liked the simplicity and productivity of the Kratky method. I am happy to see that you want to do some experimenting in this field now and i am looking forward to your future Kratky videos. :-)
You r a hero. …..hey not just salad , u forgot stir-fried ! Garlic in hot oil, stir fry lettuce ! Yum
I’ve shared a similar bias but I’m willing to give Kratky another try! I love the idea of using wooden skewers I’m wondering if toothpicks would be strong enough to work when the pellets are very small? My other question is: in a more real world experiment wouldn’t the grower be cutting the outer leaves as the lettuce grows to ensure a more plentiful harvest in the long run and being able to use the plants to their fullest potential? I think by cutting the outer leaves when they are ready to be eaten, it allows the lettuce to continue to grow and provides nutrients to feed the new growth from the Center of the lettuce. Also by cutting the outer leaves it ensures they don’t become damaged by drying out or too much light exposure? Just my thoughts and observations to date. I love that you are revisiting this and that you specifically mentioned that calcium/magnesium has to be added to the water before anything else!! I think nutrient lockout can be a very real concern when someone is just beginning but as long as you follow the few rules around it then it’s really not the big deal. Thank you for sharing your knowledge & experience and I look forward to learning more about the kratky method and how successful you can be with the minimal amount of equipment! I found those roots absolutely fascinating and I can honestly say that’s never been my experience most times the lettuce roots turn brown and go slimy but I haven’t figured out the reason for that? Thanks again, I’m an indoor gardener in an apartment in Toronto, Ontario, Canada I have a Facebook page and refer to myself as Armchairgardener 😂❤
I think the sliminess is because of exposure to light - if you use an opaque container (or wrap it in aluminium foil) it will prevent that.
@@maradall that’s the strange thing I do wrap all my opaque containers in aluminum foil shiny side out, I wrap the lids and the bases. Although one thing I don’t do is change the water at all I just keep adding to it, I’m wondering if you use hydrogen peroxide in the water at all?
@@leannekenyoung I use something called "Sleepz with Fishes", which was recommended to me by my local hydroponics supply shop. They recommended I add about 15 mls to 5L of the nutrient solution. It is gentler than H2O2 but serves the same function. It doesn't stop the algae if you expose it to light, but I think it does help.
Like you, I just add to the water but don't change it - lettuce is not in the pot for very long so it is probably ok.
Maybe with my basil, which is a longer term plant, I will try changing the water after a few months or so.
Great video❣️ I LOVE your learning process and honesty. It keeps me inspired to try new things.
great video, great soundtrack... I just realised I'm tired of romantic acoustic guitar songs on plant videos!
You totally need to change the name of your channel now to Root Porn! And thanks for this video - it's the first of yours I've seen but will be watching them all now that I'm just starting indoor planting. Really great job detailing the process and giving great info for us novices. Thanks much!
Quick question: how many species of plant will this method work on? I'm really impressed that this works so well without spending electricity on a water pump.
Adapting and growing at it's finest! 🙏
Going in the right direction Hoocho all the best wishes 👍👍👍
nice work bro 👍lettuce loves the red light too
Australia is the leaders in hydroponic equipment check out auto pot and adjusta wings. I worked at aqua gardening in Australia for 15 years. always encouraged people to build their own set ups . deep water culture is cheap and very economic but remember if one plant gets sick they all do .
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. With the price of $8.39 a head of Ice Lettuce, I am consider growing myself. It is time to look into making the hydroponic solution.
I wish I could give this video TWO likes! :) I kept saying "that is so cool!" through the whole thing. 🙂 LOVED seeing that big massive root system out of the "cooler." (Yes, I'm from the USA 😂)
Can you do something like this out in the open sun in Florida, and use cycling pond water? Like put the plants on top of a waterfall and have the water cycle from the low side of the pond back into the buckets and use it as a huge filter? Have some goldfish or koi in the pond and have a whole cycle going that way to grow vegetables?
Kratky is not just for leafy greens... Try setting up a kratky system using 10 x 20 litre buckets all connected inline back to a control bucket. The control bucket has a float valve and is connected to your Resovior.. great for Capsicum and tomatoes
The jiffy pellet/skewers seem ideal for propagating cuttings in a diy root misting system.
We learnt much here. Jiffy does work to grow big leaves.
I think the cooler box is cool. Temperature is controlled more than bucket.
Will adding air pump for bucket help?
Yeah the light was too close perhaps don't enclose but put on open shelves.
Fertiliser is ok even though feedback talked abt ph++.
Will watched & learnt.
Instead of skewers you can use washers or rubber bands (as long as its not too tight).
Thanks again for the valuable trial and error 👍 information!
Also, if you could come up with an auto topping method and some way to keep an eye on Ph and EC values easier than lifting lids that would be awesome.
Maybe utilize one of those DIY vacation plant watering drip bottles set off to the side? I've made a few.
Thank you good work with the no net cup solution
Midwest I have seen them called Coolers and Ice Chests.
Ah Hoocho, nice shot at the kiwis with the chilly bin, way to speak their language ;)
Are you supposed to change water or just keep adding water?
If you’re suppose to change the water how often do you have to?
Hi, Love the video content you put out, one question though. You detail the light cycles however, it would also be nice to know the grow durations as well. It's difficult to keep track of the time lapse. Thanks
Awesome video. Loved it.
I learned a lot about P-Haitch
Well, what can I say? To quote your own words, "That's pretty bloody cool!"😎
Love your videos hooch! You’re my number one inspiration on my hydroponic journey. Do you have any thoughts on the concerns around plastic leaching into our hydroponic water? I have a NFT rack system at home that is built primarily from rigid pvc with potable water-rated pvc cement. Are you at all concerned by pvc leachate?
Top bloke fronting and admitting bias etc. If only society could do that more.
From now on, on this channel, we will be exploring Kratky in a lot more depth...
I see what you did there.
Neighbor left a Rubbermaid Cooler out by the trash. Someone spilled fabric softener inside so they threw it out. Mine now!
Excellent taste in music my friend
I thought you might have been going down the devils lettuce route for a mo 🤭. Do you need to keep topping up or the amount of water in the container is enough for the term of the grow. Your looking good and healthy bro 👍👍👍👍
Mate, absolutely stoked I found your channel. Not to many Aussie channels that tackle this. Thanks so much!
Hey with the esky would that work if the esky was on a deck with just natural lighting, no direct sunlight?