Anyone done hydroponic gardening?

[Frugalityisthenewblack]

I just bought a "turbo garden" ebb and flo system. I have the grow lamp and system in my laundry room. It is a bit of an experiment. I want to grow tomatoes, peppers and lettuce and a few herbs. Anyone with experience they want to share. I haven't started any seeds yet.

 

[eytonxav]

Are you sure this isn't a reefer growing startup kit you bought

 

[HFWR]

Are you sure this isn't a reefer growing startup kit you bought

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

 

[ERD50]

Is "turbo garden" a brand name, or a style of hydro-garden?

I'm somewhat interested in this, but I'm probably too lazy to do it. Potted herbs (herbs in pots, just to be clear....) out for the summer, and brought into our (usually) frost-free porch for winter works for us and is very little work.

A chain of local brewing supply shops is also big on hydroponics. The standing joke is that buying anything there gets you on some DEA list. I was in buying beer brewing ingredients, and I asked a bit about some of the smaller hydroponic systems. I kept saying, 'yes, I want to grow a few chives, and basil - that's all, really'.


DW got an AeroGarden as a gift. It's OK, kinda noisy (air pump), and is expensive for what you get, esp if you buy their replacement products (seed pod, fertilizer, light tube). It was 'fun', but she didn't set it up the next year, so that says something.

-ERD50

 

[njhowie]

Yes, I'm replying on a thread that is more than 4074 days old, but it seems that the thread was on the topic I was going to post, and there are no others.

So, a few weeks ago, doing a deep clean of the garage, in a once inaccessible corner, I found our 25 year old vertical hydroponic drip system. All the pieces seemed to be there. I told myself, let me plug the pump in, if it works, I'll clean it up and put it to use. I plugged the pump in and it buzzed. And so it began...

After cleaning everything up, and filling the basin with water, I plugged the pump in, it buzzed, but no water. Jokes on me!

Searching on Amazon, I couldn't find a comparable pump, so bought one which should work. Turns out it was way overkill. I needed just a drip from about 6 feet, while testing with a 5 gallon bucket and 6 foot vertical tubing, it was probably doing 2 to 3 gallons per minute! Much more than the specs indicated. Still, it was cheap. So to make do with what I had, I then purchased a valve to put on the end of the tubing to control the water flow. Works well. I also had to get new tubing for the new pump.

I've got cucumbers and watermelons in the base - totally experimental, we'll see how they do. In the upper tubs we have a variety of tomatoes - I'm certain those will all do well. After about a week, it's the cucumbers that are first to bud...or it could be the watermelons...I didn't keep track of what I put where.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Brought me back! In the late 80s my roommate was a pioneer in hydroponics. He even made the cover of High Times magazine to his profound embarrassment! No, he did not grow weed but out porch was covered with pvc and plants.

 

[wdwwildbill]

on my bucket list when i finally say enough of WORK !!!

 

[PointBreeze]

I grow lettuce hydroponically in my basement. I use the Kratky method which is dead simple and works really well for lettuce.

 

[f35phixer]

we have an aerogarden works fine, not noisy like ERD's . 6 seed pods are $10. Have 4 different basils that are growing like crazy, have to prune every day..

 

[njhowie]

we have an aerogarden works fine, not noisy like ERD's . 6 seed pods are $10. Have 4 different basils that are growing like crazy, have to prune every day..

I decided I'm going to build a DIY aeroponic system. I need another project to do. I'm excited.

 

[swakyaby]

I grow lettuce hydroponically in my basement. I use the Kratky method which is dead simple and works really well for lettuce.

I’m kinda fascinated by this.