That setup is super cool! You could also put the paving stones under each plant if you had different size/maturity plants and you wanted different water levels in each bucket.
Jeb, that is an intelligent and awesome idea. Would not expect less from a fellow Kratky method grower like yourself. Would suggest people check out your TH-cam channel, for all of your great videos too. Thanks for watching!
Not sure why this channel hasn’t blown up….every project you’re doing with hydroponics is exactly what I have been researching and wanting answers to. 👌
Mardy, thank you for taking time to offer words of encouragement. I am glad that you find my videos of interest, and would be happy to answer questions if you decide to build off one of these ideas.
You can differently see that a lot of thought was put into the setup. I will definitely be incorporating your water leveling setup and tubing to my next year grow. cant wait to see your results.
Glad you found it helpful. If you liked my 27 gallon tote system, you will really get hooked on the way this fits into your greenhouse. I like to keep the reservoir outside the greenhouse and pack the buckets inside my greenhouse. It makes the most out of my greenhouse space.
My system is exactly the same except in the Float Control Bucket I use an Airstone, on for 30 minuets every 2hrs. I have two rows of 5 buckets, controlled from their own float buckets. The Float Control Bucket with Airstone does much better than the Control bucket without the Airstone. No big deal if the power goes off, plants will still survive.
Excellent description of your system, thanks for commenting. I get better results when using aeration too. I designed this setup for use in remote parts of the yard where I don't have electricity. Some day it will be good to have a large greenhouse with electricity to run all my projects.
Matt Garver Hi Matt, seems we almost think alike, I have been using the Krakty system for 5years and tweaked it over time. In the summer here in Central BC Canada, Temperatures hit 38C (100F) so started to use the Airstone in the Control Bucket, huge difference in root system in hot summer weather.
@@MattGarver Do you think aeration in nutrient rich water could encourage some bacterial growth? Is that maybe why DWC needs to be cooler to avoid root rot?
@@dennismac3466 It has more to do with dissolved gas like oxygen. DWC can't hold much oxygen in high temperatures. Kratky roots barely dip into water where surface air exchange is highest and gas exchange roots are right above the water. That's why no air stone is needed and it works better in hot climates
Hi Matt thanks for sharing! What tomato varieties have you grown in this bucket system? Also you mentioned you remove the slabs under the large reservoir, how do you decide when to do that?
I have enjoyed more success with hybrids and not large heirloom beefsteak varieties. Patio Tomato F1, Fourth of July Hybrid, Sun Gold Hybrid, and other similar varieties have done well. I tend to drop the water level around the time of fruit set. That is not necessary, but I like to encourage fresh root tip growth. Also, I sometimes will close off the flow of nutrient from the reservoir and bleed off old nutrient in the buckets at the end of a run of buckets; then immediately allow the buckets to refill to their set level. This helps with pH and salinity issues if present.
Kerick Valve MA052 PVC Mini Float Valve, Tank Mount, Adjustable Arm, 1.5 gpm at 60 psi, 1/2" NPT Male www.amazon.com/dp/B0077RAP1I/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_RD8K00MW9V3MR9WN1H8F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hi Matt - thank you for sharing your Kratky setup! It looks as though you may have algae in your reservoir container 1 and 2. Your plants look a little yellow? Is that the video and sunlight? Or is that from algae from the reservoirs 1 and 2, or is that because they have too much sunlight. In my experience - tomatoes do not like too much direct sunlight. I am just starting out with Kratky and used the same large (black and yellow) tote that you have with 6 plants. I placed Kratky's recommended polysterene insulation board (1 inch) as the lid and cut the 6 holes as he did for six - 3 inch net cups. I literally completed set up last night and placed on the porch at about 11:00 pm! :) Curious - how much more water do you think I will need to add? I do not have the wheelhouse yet to build the fancy flow valve pump system - gravity fed. I plan to simply pour in more nutrient solution.
In this video, there is no algae growing. With my nutrients and ground water, it is normal for me to get some nutrients that sometimes float or coat the inside of the containers though. The dark green and black containers do an excellent job of blocking sunlight that forms algae. Yellow, blue, and white containers have allowed sunlight to penetrate and create algae. Where I live, I get 15.5 hours of sunlight on my tomatoes during the peak of summer. This does not seem to cause any issues in my garden. Regarding nutrient use, tomatoes are typically heavy users of nutrients. If I put a large beefsteak tomato variety in a 100 gallon container, it will use practically all the nutrient and the roots will be enormous. With 6 tomato plants, you will need to be very busy checking and topping off your nutrients. I have grown pepper plants in the same manner as you are using for your tomatoes. It can work, but takes patience.
That's an interesting idea flipping the lid on the 27 gallon tub. Those tops a really difficult to take off. But, if you connect all those buckets to a reservoir, is it still the Kratky method? Is the only difference from a DWC an air pump and air stones?
Richard's World Traveler Thanks. Yes, it qualifies as Kratky method since there is no air pumped or water circulation. The nutrient is what some call stagnant and the root structure of growing plants is radically different from DWC.
@@misha9179 At that time, I used shredded rubber mulch. Since then for food safety concerns, I use rinsed natural pebbles or zero media and just a clone collar around the base of the plant. With this method, no media is actually necessary.
Dear Matt Thanks a lot for your effort, I have the below questions and I hope from you to answer it: Will there be fungus in the solution because the solution remains stagnant for a long time? Will there be moldy roots because of the long time the plant stays in the solution? What is the best solution to use in the cucumber production? As you know the PH always change in the solution, so how can I make it stable for a long time?
@@MattGarver I know this is an old post, but I am using very similar set up but with smaller buckets, and I think that the smaller buckets means the solution is in the grow bucket less time than if I used bigger buckets. I am also trying out adding H2O2 through solution poured into the 'filler' bucket. The fill bucket idea 9even though not mine alone) is really great. And one question- do you know if the root rot diseases are aerobic or anaerobic. I read about people with DWC getting root rot, I never get it in kratky, and assume it is because the water in kratky is very low in oxygen, especially compared to DWC, where air is actully pumped in. Hopefully, you may know more about whether being low in oxygen is reall y advantage.
No fungus and no mold, plants do better with bigger containers usually since the pH varies less and more roots can develop. With this system it is better to periodically release nutrients out a valve at the end of the run.
I thought I invented this a couple weeks ago. Only thing I did different was different fittings, and more flexible tubing. I even have the same 32 gallon reservoir. I used an actual spigot directly on the reservoir, cause I had other fittings, plus I don't like grommets- I never trust them!!! And I have found that tomatoes will grow air roots above the soil if necessary. I kind of forced a few tomatoes into it by adding more water than I should have over a couple week period. I had large plants in 1 gallon bottles, So I may try tomatoes next year in two gallon containers instead of my 10 gallon and 5 gallon I have been using. I think I can keep the water level right at the bottom of the net pot from seed to harvest if the plant is growing air roots above the pot. I also use small net pots because I am cheap. 2 inch seems okay, but I snip out alternate 'struts' on the sides and make the hole in the bottom bigger. I even used a pool noodle pice to support a seedling in a 1 gallon vinegar bottle with about a 1 inch opening, and the plant went wild. It is amazing to see how many ways you can grow plants. I would never have thought I could get 4 inch tomatoes from a 1 gallon vinegar bottle, using only a pice of sponge and a seed and nutrients.
No issues since gas exchange happens above the nutrient level, there is no need to be worried about oxygen pumped into the nutrient. See this video for testing with an IR thermometer. th-cam.com/video/OcpFULoPfEo/w-d-xo.html
Magic goop..., nah it's just some nutrient binding with well water. Did not affect the grow, but not pretty. Later found adding a teaspoon per gallon of Epsom salt took care of it.
Yes, I would suggest other media. I was using it for test purposes and am unsure of it's leaching of unwanted substances. Essentially, the media holds the plant in place, giving it something to grip. All water uptake and nutrient feeding is in the nutrient water below. Materials like Hydroton, Rockwool, Coco Coir, Washed Gravel, Perlite, Grow Stones, and other media are more mainstream.
I was interested in and have been wondering if that stuff had any use for DIY hydroponic setup. I always wondered if that stuff leaches out myself. Good vid.
Hi Matt, This video is great, thank you for putting it together. It can be hard to cobble together the info for how to setup a gravity-fed multi-container kratky system. A question, if you would be so kind. With the inlets to your buckets (from your brain) they all just need to be below the water level in your brain, right? It doesn't matter if they are all at exactly the same height (level from the brain), is that correct? I'm setting this up on uneven ground and I am trying to figure out how to set the height of the intake holes. That is, if I use a laser level from the water level of the brain and just stay below that line, am I good? Does it matter if the bucket inlets are much lower than the brain outlet? My assumption here is that the water level in the brain controls the water level in the buckets, regardless of how high the bucket inlets are (assuming they are lower than the water level in the brain, of course), and this laser level line will be the water level in all buckets. Am I missing something?
Since water flows from high to low, I like to set the outlet from the controller bucket and inlets on the grow buckets around an inch from the bottom of the buckets. It will be the height of the water in the controller bucket that sets the levels in the buckets. That is determined by the float valve which I put around 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the controller bucket. So what happens is I change the water level in the buckets by raising or lowering the controller bucket, with things under it like boards or bricks until the water in the grow buckets sits at the bottom of the net pots. As the plants grow longer roots, I lower the water level to allow bigger roots to grow. Hope that helps.
@@MattGarver Just an idea in case your float valve sticks open so you don't flood out all your plants- put an overflow hole in your fill bucket maybe an inch above where you have the level. It won't save nutrient solution, but if you are away for a couple days, it might save the air roots from drowning. I have found lettuce to be sensitive to flooding the air roots more than tomatoes, for example. I've had lettuce die within what seems like a day if I have overfilled.
This looks genius! but Im having trouble understanding where the smaller black bucket is connected to the green buckets, is it connected to the green bucket to the immediate left or the center one? how far up is the exit hose from the smaller black bucket? I'd love to see a diagram if there is one.
Both the 32 gallon reservoir and 3.5 gallon controller bucket drain outward from holes near their base. The intake on the 3.5 gallon bucket is around 6" up the side of the bucket. That is where the float valve is located. This allows a few inches of water in the controller bucket at all times, which gravity feeds the buckets. Nutrient goes into the first bucket and subsequently feeds the other buckets in the series.
is there an intake and outgoing valve on green bucket 1? bc you said the two outer buckets have elbows and the middle has a T valve, but I see a T valve going into the first bucket. is that bc of the control valve? sorry, I understand the concept, but a bit confused on the execution.
The green 5 gallon buckets with plants only have one hole at the base of each bucket. First and second bucket have T-fittings and last bucket has elbow. That daisy chain allows nutrient to flow from bucket 1 to 3. I would put your largest plant in bucket 3 to "pull" more fresh nutrient through the system.
Last question I promise....How many plants do you think you could daisy chain with this system? Or is the only limiting factor the size of the nutrient bucket..
How do you keep rain water from drowning your plants and changing the nutrient chemistry. I plan on doing something similar this weekend but I’m worried about rainwater.
David, I have been running my bucket system for a few years without issue. Most rains really don't influence the buckets much. If you live in an area with more rain, and do not have a greenhouse, you have options. One, you can drill a weep hole that will allow excess water to drain off. Second, you can cut a plastic "rain coat" of sort and put around the base of the plant to allow rain water to be shed away from your plants. Hope this helps!
@@davewmck An overflow hole on the grow buckets would work, maybe right above where your water level is set. Nutrient will be a little weker until plants use enough to draw water from reservoir which will eventually bring nutrients back up Of it you don't want to wait, just empty bucket and reservoir will refill with new nutrient water. Can I suggest adding a drain valve to each bucket? I have use cheap little replacement water bottle spigots. as drains in kratky containers I am now using more as dutch buckets vs kratky, I started adding drains because trying to drain a container with a full grown plant can be hard.
Missed part of your questions. Rubber mulch or clay pebbles simply stabilize the plant. Sometimes it helps spread out roots. You could use marbles if you want.
What's all that stuff floating on the water? Also, these plants don't look all that healthy to me. An issue I see with this is nutrient depletion. If you added a small circulating pump, it would solve that issue, but then it probably wouldn't be kratky anymore. Still, a small pump would probably help.
Hello Mark R, to answer your questions: 1.) "Floating stuff" is from the nutrient that I use not mixing well with that bad well water that I use. It does not seem to matter. 2.) Plants were bought looking like this and added to the system. They snap out of it and green up nicely, with several tomatoes on each. I have ran buckets like this for 4 years. 3.) Circulating systems produce great results, but this system works well for areas without simple access to electricity. Thanks for watching!
I hate how nearly everything that comes up when I search for this is hydroponic systems that rely on electricity I just want to build this, a bunch of connected buckets, a float valve controller water reserve, and then I don't have to water the plants ever except fill up the water reservoir and they will stay constantly wet.
Happy to share Bernie Kratky's hydroponic method with you. He has a TH-cam channel called Grow Kratky as well. Let me know if I can help answer any questions.
If you want ot go 6 months without even refilling the reservoir, or adding nutrients, you just need a hose end faucet timer, a pressure reducer, and a fertilizer injector. Set the timer to come on once per week, it will go through the fertizer injector, and refill the reservoir to the level you want. I would take a little adjustment to get the nutrients right, but plants are not as sensitive to slightly lower or higher nutrients as a lot of people think. I have had one of those timers connected for two years with no leaks, but you could use irrigation valves if you wanted to come on and even an electric float switch vs a float valve to turn open the water valve.
@@dennismac3466 For setting up at a neighbor, parents, backyard, or off in the woods a timer irrigation system is not feasible. With power, it is a great idea. It is my hope people like yourself will keep modifying the concept to fit their needs.
@@FringeWizard2 No. I just used cheap tubing and fittings. Amazon sells little float valves that connect to 1/2 inch plumbing threads. and I just used barbed fittings listed as "3/8 barb x 1/2" MNPT" with a 1/2 inch threaded pvc coupling on the inside to secure the barb to the bucket. Some pvc glue seals it With the float valve, you use the same coupling, but on the outside of the bucket. I bought lots of little hose clamps for the tubing, but the tubing fits tight enough on the fittings that only one needed a clamp. None of the system is under much pressure, unless you have a really large, tall, reservoir. I use a piece of 1/2 " iron pipe heated over a gas brner to cut the perfect size hole in the bucket. Pipes are tapered at the ends of the threads, and if you melt with just barely the end, and don't try to push the whole pipe through, it makes a tight fit for threaded fittings. After you remove any burrs from the melting, a 1/2" threaded fittings or the float valve threads into the hole, and a threaded fitting on the opposite side makes a pretty tight connection even without any glue or sealing, but glue or caulk is a good idea . I used plastic or pvc fittings, but you could use iron pipe, or use grommets and slip the pipe in. I personally trust threaded sealed fitting more than bulkhead grommets with slip fittings.
@@MattGarver thanks! I have a greenhouse coming and i will do the dutch bucket process. I have plants ready to go so i need to bounce on them now. Thanks again.
firecloud77 Yes, I proved that I could take plants like this and turn them into beautiful tomato plants with hundreds of tomatoes. Thanks for watching.
Hello Jon, both the fill and forget method and float valve method were learned from Professor Kratky. Here is a video of him demonstrating the same thing. th-cam.com/video/HmH1bVyrdI4/w-d-xo.html
That setup is super cool! You could also put the paving stones under each plant if you had different size/maturity plants and you wanted different water levels in each bucket.
Jeb, that is an intelligent and awesome idea. Would not expect less from a fellow Kratky method grower like yourself. Would suggest people check out your TH-cam channel, for all of your great videos too. Thanks for watching!
Jeb Gardener big fan of your videos. I thought I was the only Gardener who colors outside the lines. give us more updates.
Not sure why this channel hasn’t blown up….every project you’re doing with hydroponics is exactly what I have been researching and wanting answers to. 👌
Thanks, I have been wondering too. Been ready to quit, but there so much more to share!
@@MattGarver keep doing what you’re doing! It will happen.
Totally doing this, this week....Thanks for putting this together. Simple, yet right on the money...
Great to hear. Have fun with it.
Keep these example & ideas coming Matt. My list of projects for this season just keeps growing ☺. Thanks for taking the time to upload your videos 👍
Mardy, thank you for taking time to offer words of encouragement. I am glad that you find my videos of interest, and would be happy to answer questions if you decide to build off one of these ideas.
Genius setup Matt. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Mike! 3 years of design, build, and test, and now it is free for anyone who wants to copy it.
You can differently see that a lot of thought was put into the setup. I will definitely be incorporating your water leveling setup and tubing to my next year grow. cant wait to see your results.
Dr. Kratky would be proud
Thanks! He is an amazing and nice guy!
I really like this setup Matt.
Glad you found it helpful. If you liked my 27 gallon tote system, you will really get hooked on the way this fits into your greenhouse. I like to keep the reservoir outside the greenhouse and pack the buckets inside my greenhouse. It makes the most out of my greenhouse space.
Yes I think it might be a good way to do the tomatoes in my GH next year. Haven't done hydro tomatoes yet, but there is always a first time!
My system is exactly the same except in the Float Control Bucket I use an Airstone, on for 30 minuets every 2hrs. I have two rows of 5 buckets, controlled from their own float buckets. The Float Control Bucket with Airstone does much better than the Control bucket without the Airstone. No big deal if the power goes off, plants will still survive.
Excellent description of your system, thanks for commenting. I get better results when using aeration too. I designed this setup for use in remote parts of the yard where I don't have electricity. Some day it will be good to have a large greenhouse with electricity to run all my projects.
Matt Garver Hi Matt, seems we almost think alike, I have been using the Krakty system for 5years and tweaked it over time. In the summer here in Central BC Canada, Temperatures hit 38C (100F) so started to use the Airstone in the Control Bucket, huge difference in root system in hot summer weather.
@@MattGarver Do you think aeration in nutrient rich water could encourage some bacterial growth? Is that maybe why DWC needs to be cooler to avoid root rot?
@@dennismac3466 It has more to do with dissolved gas like oxygen. DWC can't hold much oxygen in high temperatures. Kratky roots barely dip into water where surface air exchange is highest and gas exchange roots are right above the water. That's why no air stone is needed and it works better in hot climates
Thanks for the share.. nice vid!
Appreciate your kind words Susan!
Hi Matt thanks for sharing! What tomato varieties have you grown in this bucket system?
Also you mentioned you remove the slabs under the large reservoir, how do you decide when to do that?
I have enjoyed more success with hybrids and not large heirloom beefsteak varieties. Patio Tomato F1, Fourth of July Hybrid, Sun Gold Hybrid, and other similar varieties have done well. I tend to drop the water level around the time of fruit set. That is not necessary, but I like to encourage fresh root tip growth. Also, I sometimes will close off the flow of nutrient from the reservoir and bleed off old nutrient in the buckets at the end of a run of buckets; then immediately allow the buckets to refill to their set level. This helps with pH and salinity issues if present.
@MattGarver thanks! Does this kratky method work for peppers, winter squash etc as well? If so, which varieties?
@@pmasha84 I have all sorts of plants listed in my Kratky videos playlist
th-cam.com/play/PLQhMYAJDUCbaOSI9JaPK6hrv57iVjHuv5.html&si=iBnEpZtg68nUCWHy
Do you have any pictures of the float valve?
Kerick Valve MA052 PVC Mini Float Valve, Tank Mount, Adjustable Arm, 1.5 gpm at 60 psi, 1/2" NPT Male www.amazon.com/dp/B0077RAP1I/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_RD8K00MW9V3MR9WN1H8F?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
@@MattGarver thank you!!!
Hi Matt - thank you for sharing your Kratky setup! It looks as though you may have algae in your reservoir container 1 and 2. Your plants look a little yellow? Is that the video and sunlight? Or is that from algae from the reservoirs 1 and 2, or is that because they have too much sunlight. In my experience - tomatoes do not like too much direct sunlight. I am just starting out with Kratky and used the same large (black and yellow) tote that you have with 6 plants. I placed Kratky's recommended polysterene insulation board (1 inch) as the lid and cut the 6 holes as he did for six - 3 inch net cups. I literally completed set up last night and placed on the porch at about 11:00 pm! :)
Curious - how much more water do you think I will need to add? I do not have the wheelhouse yet to build the fancy flow valve pump system - gravity fed. I plan to simply pour in more nutrient solution.
In this video, there is no algae growing. With my nutrients and ground water, it is normal for me to get some nutrients that sometimes float or coat the inside of the containers though. The dark green and black containers do an excellent job of blocking sunlight that forms algae. Yellow, blue, and white containers have allowed sunlight to penetrate and create algae. Where I live, I get 15.5 hours of sunlight on my tomatoes during the peak of summer. This does not seem to cause any issues in my garden. Regarding nutrient use, tomatoes are typically heavy users of nutrients. If I put a large beefsteak tomato variety in a 100 gallon container, it will use practically all the nutrient and the roots will be enormous. With 6 tomato plants, you will need to be very busy checking and topping off your nutrients. I have grown pepper plants in the same manner as you are using for your tomatoes. It can work, but takes patience.
Thanks Matt! Have you tried indoor growing tomatoes using Kratky and grow lights?
That's an interesting idea flipping the lid on the 27 gallon tub. Those tops a really difficult to take off.
But, if you connect all those buckets to a reservoir, is it still the Kratky method? Is the only difference from a DWC an air pump and air stones?
Richard's World Traveler Thanks. Yes, it qualifies as Kratky method since there is no air pumped or water circulation. The nutrient is what some call stagnant and the root structure of growing plants is radically different from DWC.
Hello. What is the name and brand for the synthetic material? I am having issues locating it online.
For which part of the system?
Are you referring to the nutrients that I am using?
Thank you for responding. I was referring to the growing medium in the net cup lid. I thought you referred to that medium as synthetic in your video.
@@misha9179 At that time, I used shredded rubber mulch. Since then for food safety concerns, I use rinsed natural pebbles or zero media and just a clone collar around the base of the plant. With this method, no media is actually necessary.
@@MattGarver Gotcha. Thank you for the clarification:)
Dear Matt
Thanks a lot for your effort, I have the below questions and I hope from you to answer it:
Will there be fungus in the solution because the solution remains stagnant for a long time?
Will there be moldy roots because of the long time the plant stays in the solution?
What is the best solution to use in the cucumber production?
As you know the PH always change in the solution, so how can I make it stable for a long time?
I have none of those issues, and stable pH nutrient is gravity fed to help keep pH constant.
Have grown all veggies using Dyna Gro 7-9-5.
@@MattGarver I know this is an old post, but I am using very similar set up but with smaller buckets, and I think that the smaller buckets means the solution is in the grow bucket less time than if I used bigger buckets. I am also trying out adding H2O2 through solution poured into the 'filler' bucket. The fill bucket idea 9even though not mine alone) is really great. And one question- do you know if the root rot diseases are aerobic or anaerobic. I read about people with DWC getting root rot, I never get it in kratky, and assume it is because the water in kratky is very low in oxygen, especially compared to DWC, where air is actully pumped in. Hopefully, you may know more about whether being low in oxygen is reall y advantage.
No fungus and no mold, plants do better with bigger containers usually since the pH varies less and more roots can develop. With this system it is better to periodically release nutrients out a valve at the end of the run.
I thought I invented this a couple weeks ago. Only thing I did different was different fittings, and more flexible tubing. I even have the same 32 gallon reservoir. I used an actual spigot directly on the reservoir, cause I had other fittings, plus I don't like grommets- I never trust them!!! And I have found that tomatoes will grow air roots above the soil if necessary. I kind of forced a few tomatoes into it by adding more water than I should have over a couple week period. I had large plants in 1 gallon bottles, So I may try tomatoes next year in two gallon containers instead of my 10 gallon and 5 gallon I have been using. I think I can keep the water level right at the bottom of the net pot from seed to harvest if the plant is growing air roots above the pot. I also use small net pots because I am cheap. 2 inch seems okay, but I snip out alternate 'struts' on the sides and make the hole in the bottom bigger. I even used a pool noodle pice to support a seedling in a 1 gallon vinegar bottle with about a 1 inch opening, and the plant went wild. It is amazing to see how many ways you can grow plants. I would never have thought I could get 4 inch tomatoes from a 1 gallon vinegar bottle, using only a pice of sponge and a seed and nutrients.
Great ideas!
How do you solve mosquito problem?
There are no openings for mosquitoes to reach the water.
Very nice outdoor setup.. Do you ever have any issues when outdoor temps rise above 90F+..?
No issues since gas exchange happens above the nutrient level, there is no need to be worried about oxygen pumped into the nutrient. See this video for testing with an IR thermometer. th-cam.com/video/OcpFULoPfEo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Matt i’m new to hydro gardening, just curious as to what that stuff is floating in you’re reservoir?
Magic goop..., nah it's just some nutrient binding with well water. Did not affect the grow, but not pretty. Later found adding a teaspoon per gallon of Epsom salt took care of it.
What kind of support system do you use so that the plants don’t fall over/snap?
Snap together plastic Ultimato tomato cages
Is that shredded tire mulch that you are using as media?
Yes, I would suggest other media. I was using it for test purposes and am unsure of it's leaching of unwanted substances. Essentially, the media holds the plant in place, giving it something to grip. All water uptake and nutrient feeding is in the nutrient water below. Materials like Hydroton, Rockwool, Coco Coir, Washed Gravel, Perlite, Grow Stones, and other media are more mainstream.
I was interested in and have been wondering if that stuff had any use for DIY hydroponic setup. I always wondered if that stuff leaches out myself. Good vid.
Thanks, I like to create and do proof of concept inventions I aim to help others and am happy you found something useful in this video.
Hi Matt,
This video is great, thank you for putting it together. It can be hard to cobble together the info for how to setup a gravity-fed multi-container kratky system.
A question, if you would be so kind. With the inlets to your buckets (from your brain) they all just need to be below the water level in your brain, right? It doesn't matter if they are all at exactly the same height (level from the brain), is that correct? I'm setting this up on uneven ground and I am trying to figure out how to set the height of the intake holes.
That is, if I use a laser level from the water level of the brain and just stay below that line, am I good? Does it matter if the bucket inlets are much lower than the brain outlet?
My assumption here is that the water level in the brain controls the water level in the buckets, regardless of how high the bucket inlets are (assuming they are lower than the water level in the brain, of course), and this laser level line will be the water level in all buckets. Am I missing something?
Since water flows from high to low, I like to set the outlet from the controller bucket and inlets on the grow buckets around an inch from the bottom of the buckets. It will be the height of the water in the controller bucket that sets the levels in the buckets. That is determined by the float valve which I put around 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the controller bucket.
So what happens is I change the water level in the buckets by raising or lowering the controller bucket, with things under it like boards or bricks until the water in the grow buckets sits at the bottom of the net pots. As the plants grow longer roots, I lower the water level to allow bigger roots to grow. Hope that helps.
Awesome, thanks Matt! That's pretty much what I thought (summed up much more succinctly).
@@MattGarver Just an idea in case your float valve sticks open so you don't flood out all your plants- put an overflow hole in your fill bucket maybe an inch above where you have the level. It won't save nutrient solution, but if you are away for a couple days, it might save the air roots from drowning. I have found lettuce to be sensitive to flooding the air roots more than tomatoes, for example. I've had lettuce die within what seems like a day if I have overfilled.
@@dennismac3466 great idea thanks Dennis
U using master blend 4-18-38 fertilizer?
Thanh Good Dyna-Gro Bloom 3-12-6 complete
Matt Garver thanks
This looks genius! but Im having trouble understanding where the smaller black bucket is connected to the green buckets, is it connected to the green bucket to the immediate left or the center one? how far up is the exit hose from the smaller black bucket? I'd love to see a diagram if there is one.
Both the 32 gallon reservoir and 3.5 gallon controller bucket drain outward from holes near their base. The intake on the 3.5 gallon bucket is around 6" up the side of the bucket. That is where the float valve is located. This allows a few inches of water in the controller bucket at all times, which gravity feeds the buckets. Nutrient goes into the first bucket and subsequently feeds the other buckets in the series.
is there an intake and outgoing valve on green bucket 1? bc you said the two outer buckets have elbows and the middle has a T valve, but I see a T valve going into the first bucket. is that bc of the control valve? sorry, I understand the concept, but a bit confused on the execution.
The green 5 gallon buckets with plants only have one hole at the base of each bucket. First and second bucket have T-fittings and last bucket has elbow. That daisy chain allows nutrient to flow from bucket 1 to 3. I would put your largest plant in bucket 3 to "pull" more fresh nutrient through the system.
Thanks for the clarification! I'm going to try to implement this soon when the weather is warmer! Cheers!!
Last question I promise....How many plants do you think you could daisy chain with this system? Or is the only limiting factor the size of the nutrient bucket..
Size gallos pots for weed?
thegolden294 No answer for that. We pull weeds, and don't grow them.
@@MattGarverlol
How do you keep rain water from drowning your plants and changing the nutrient chemistry. I plan on doing something similar this weekend but I’m worried about rainwater.
David, I have been running my bucket system for a few years without issue. Most rains really don't influence the buckets much. If you live in an area with more rain, and do not have a greenhouse, you have options. One, you can drill a weep hole that will allow excess water to drain off. Second, you can cut a plastic "rain coat" of sort and put around the base of the plant to allow rain water to be shed away from your plants. Hope this helps!
@matt graver Thanks Matt. I’m in the SE USA and we do get a bit of rain. I think I will plan on making the skirts as you suggest.
@@davewmck An overflow hole on the grow buckets would work, maybe right above where your water level is set. Nutrient will be a little weker until plants use enough to draw water from reservoir which will eventually bring nutrients back up Of it you don't want to wait, just empty bucket and reservoir will refill with new nutrient water. Can I suggest adding a drain valve to each bucket? I have use cheap little replacement water bottle spigots. as drains in kratky containers I am now using more as dutch buckets vs kratky, I started adding drains because trying to drain a container with a full grown plant can be hard.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. BTW, how does that plastic mulch work out for you in the long run, as opposed to say clay pebbles
Happy to share!
Missed part of your questions. Rubber mulch or clay pebbles simply stabilize the plant. Sometimes it helps spread out roots. You could use marbles if you want.
What's all that stuff floating on the water? Also, these plants don't look all that healthy to me. An issue I see with this is nutrient depletion. If you added a small circulating pump, it would solve that issue, but then it probably wouldn't be kratky anymore. Still, a small pump would probably help.
Hello Mark R, to answer your questions: 1.) "Floating stuff" is from the nutrient that I use not mixing well with that bad well water that I use. It does not seem to matter. 2.) Plants were bought looking like this and added to the system. They snap out of it and green up nicely, with several tomatoes on each. I have ran buckets like this for 4 years. 3.) Circulating systems produce great results, but this system works well for areas without simple access to electricity. Thanks for watching!
I hate how nearly everything that comes up when I search for this is hydroponic systems that rely on electricity I just want to build this, a bunch of connected buckets, a float valve controller water reserve, and then I don't have to water the plants ever except fill up the water reservoir and they will stay constantly wet.
Happy to share Bernie Kratky's hydroponic method with you. He has a TH-cam channel called Grow Kratky as well. Let me know if I can help answer any questions.
If you want ot go 6 months without even refilling the reservoir, or adding nutrients, you just need a hose end faucet timer, a pressure reducer, and a fertilizer injector. Set the timer to come on once per week, it will go through the fertizer injector, and refill the reservoir to the level you want. I would take a little adjustment to get the nutrients right, but plants are not as sensitive to slightly lower or higher nutrients as a lot of people think. I have had one of those timers connected for two years with no leaks, but you could use irrigation valves if you wanted to come on and even an electric float switch vs a float valve to turn open the water valve.
@@dennismac3466 For setting up at a neighbor, parents, backyard, or off in the woods a timer irrigation system is not feasible. With power, it is a great idea. It is my hope people like yourself will keep modifying the concept to fit their needs.
@@dennismac3466 do you have a video showing snd explaining this?
@@FringeWizard2 No. I just used cheap tubing and fittings. Amazon sells little float valves that connect to 1/2 inch plumbing threads. and I just used barbed fittings listed as "3/8 barb x 1/2" MNPT" with a 1/2 inch threaded pvc coupling on the inside to secure the barb to the bucket. Some pvc glue seals it With the float valve, you use the same coupling, but on the outside of the bucket. I bought lots of little hose clamps for the tubing, but the tubing fits tight enough on the fittings that only one needed a clamp. None of the system is under much pressure, unless you have a really large, tall, reservoir. I use a piece of 1/2 " iron pipe heated over a gas brner to cut the perfect size hole in the bucket. Pipes are tapered at the ends of the threads, and if you melt with just barely the end, and don't try to push the whole pipe through, it makes a tight fit for threaded fittings. After you remove any burrs from the melting, a 1/2" threaded fittings or the float valve threads into the hole, and a threaded fitting on the opposite side makes a pretty tight connection even without any glue or sealing, but glue or caulk is a good idea . I used plastic or pvc fittings, but you could use iron pipe, or use grommets and slip the pipe in. I personally trust threaded sealed fitting more than bulkhead grommets with slip fittings.
Matt, can you give a shopping list of materials?
Here is a helpful post on the setup. plus.google.com/u/0/+MattGarver/posts/2ArKZQm2XUm
Why cant you just add nutrients manually ?
If you like to avoid simplicity, there is no issue with manual adds.
@@MattGarver thanks! I have a greenhouse coming and i will do the dutch bucket process. I have plants ready to go so i need to bounce on them now. Thanks again.
@@freddysart4005 Dutch Buckets are fun. Happy growing to you!
Some of the sickliest looking plants I've ever seen.
firecloud77 Yes, I proved that I could take plants like this and turn them into beautiful tomato plants with hundreds of tomatoes. Thanks for watching.
That's not Kratky, Matt
Hello Jon, both the fill and forget method and float valve method were learned from Professor Kratky. Here is a video of him demonstrating the same thing.
th-cam.com/video/HmH1bVyrdI4/w-d-xo.html