Hydroponics? Anyone using them?

[Omega]

Thinking to ask my family to buy me one for Christmas. However, Amazon has lots of options and not sure what I could get for £100-200. Want the following characteristics to make it easy to maintain:

• Adjustable height lights
• Timer to switch on and off the lights
• Water aeration to prevent stale water
• Easy water discharge
• Easy cleaning
• Suitable for cheap consumable materials
• Not too large, about 6 pots

Maybe I need additional requirements to have it simple? And any recommendations what I should ask for the purchase?

Thanks

 

[MashBag]

What are you planning to grow and why hydroponics?

 

[foxy]

Thinking to ask my family to buy me one for Christmas. However, Amazon has lots of options and not sure what I could get for £100-200. Want the following characteristics to make it easy to maintain:

• Adjustable height lights
• Timer to switch on and off the lights
• Water aeration to prevent stale water
• Easy water discharge
• Easy cleaning
• Suitable for cheap consumable materials
• Not too large, about 6 pots

Maybe I need additional requirements to have it simple? And any recommendations what I should ask for the purchase?

Thanks

Start small and build up. I started with a gravity fed system and 6 pots before getting a reservoir diaphragm pump damper and a home made Venturi system for administering the nutrients and increased the pots to 102 pots.
Beans in down pipe.

Cucumbers, at the top, lettuce and water cress just starting to show and shallots.

28 tomato plants I put in yesterday

This is outside growing and they don't half go.

 

[LeeH]

What are you planning to grow and why hydroponics?

Weed.

 

[Omega]

Start small and build up. I started with a gravity fed system and 6 pots before getting a reservoir diaphragm pump damper and a home made Venturi system for administering the nutrients and increased the pots to 102 pots.
Beans in down pipe.
View attachment 105695
Cucumbers, at the top, lettuce and water cress just starting to show and shallots.View attachment 105696
28 tomato plants I put in yesterday
View attachment 105697
This is outside growing and they don't half go.
View attachment 105699

No, I definitely don't want to do this kind - only one box with 6, maximum 9 different plants

 

[Omega]

What are you planning to grow and why hydroponics?

This is an extensive list, I will be happy with half as I suspect some won't grow well next to each other for some reason
1. dill,
2. coriander,
3. parsley,
4. chive,
5. tarragon,
6. rosemary,
7. thyme,
8. rocket,
9. watercress,
10. spinach,
11. marjoram,
12. hot pepper,
I need them regularly, but in small amounts, half of a small supermarket bag usually go wasted or I forget to buy them. So, having at home will solve the problem. Read that aeroponics is even better, but I want something small

 

[Clint]

First 11 grow outside in buckets. In UK,at least,No 12,you'll need a green house.

 

[MashBag]

.. Or indoors with soil free compost in a propagator.

Or outside and dry might be easier?

We pickle, dry, freeze, boil, bake and bugger about with all manner of things to ensure a 12month supply?

 

[Omega]

First 11 grow outside in buckets. In UK,at least,No 12,you'll need a green house.

I checked now, some can, a few cannot take the winter, and many need protection from bugs

 

[Clint]

Where you live?

 

[Omega]

Swindon

 

[Clint]

Do some reading up...Swindon is quite a nice area I suspect for growing stuff...how much of your list do you want to grow?

 

[Omega]

Any 6 will do though the more the better. I did a bit of reading
1. dill (cannot survive winter outside)
2. coriander (cilantro) (needs frost protection)
3. parsley (ok)
4. chive (ok)
5. tarragon (tarragon) - French cannot, Russian can
6. rosemary - ok
7. thyme (thyme) - depends, needs hardy one
8. arugula (rockets) - but needs protection from bugs
9. watercress (greenhouse)
10. spinach (spinach) - frost protection
11. marjoram (marjoram) - depends on variety
Well, I guess I need to choose what I should grow outside. Guess parsley, chive, rosemary can go outside, the rest needs to be inside

 

[Omega]

Toying with coriander - bought in a pot in Morrisons, used part and will try with the rest. Could you advice what fertiliser works well and I can buy on Amazon?
Thanks

 

[Clint]

Shop bought coriander!! To get this to survive you need to split it into individual plants and repot them.

 

[Omega]

Shop bought coriander!! To get this to survive you need to split it into individual plants and repot them.

Thank you - I have enough pots to replant it. And what should I use to feed it? I have compost, some for roses, will it work?

 

[Clint]

You can buy compost with added fertiliser but it gradually depletes. A lot of herbs will be fine without any and are short lived or will go to seed unless you crop them regularly. Adverse conditions can trigger going to seed too...like very hot conditions. Woody stemmed stuff like rosemary is quite hardy but doesn't like having it's feet wet.

 

[Clint]

I don't know if rose compost is anything specific...like acid or alkali based, some compost is. If its a general type it'll be fine.

 

[Omega]

Thanks
What about basil? It is also from Morrison, shall I plant it separately with tiny bit of compost? As I understand from internet, I should treat it the same as coriander

 

[Clint]

It won't harm it! Those supermarket herbs die coz they run out of nutrients.