Started out with week old seedlings.
|
32 Days after
Planting |
45 Days after
Planting |
About half the first planting drowned
before I realized I had to provide support to the areas of
the styrofoam panel that were sagging too low into the
water, hence the difference in sizes, the smaller plants
having been replanted a few weeks after the initial
planting.
The system is 4' x 8' made of 2x6 boards, half inch plywood
bottom, doubled 6 mil plastic lining and a half inch
styrofoam panel. The plants are in 2" net pots filled with
coconut coir, sunk into 2" holes in the top.
After going to all the work and expense of building this
system, I found this link showing how to use cheap plastic
bins to accomplish the same thing, with better results:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Kratkys-non-circulating-hydroponics/
DOH! I could have had a much easier to manage setup for a
fraction of the price and not a single drop of sweat or
strained muscle! UPDATE
Well, hydroponics doesn't seem to be the
way to go here in Central Texas. All was well until it
rained, which diluted the mixture and overflowed the bed,
and until the leaf cutter ants found the veggies. Since we
live on 10 acres of sand, the 'cut ants' are our worst
enemy. They even got into an aquaponics bed by climbing up a
dangling strawberry plant. Glenn Harper |
