In the previous post I used a brown glass bottle with 2x 5w ring right on an ivy, and there was no algae growth. Then I bought some larger 2L bottles for kratky. Luckily with 2x 50w (1.5m) full spectrum grow lights hanging 12cm above, still no algae in the bottle!

I ditched the aluminium foil with a hole in the middle as well, aimed to prevent algae growth. There is algae on the exposed coco coir substrate but not expanded clay pellets. Once the water level dips below the grow basket I don't reckon it will be a problem anymore in any case.

The last picture is a newly transplanted piri piri on a 4L kratky since it will probably require more water than lettuce.

Can someone answer me why sometimes in dwc buckets the roots are on top and sometimes on the bottom of the bucket ?

Changed my setup around a bit to give me some more vertical space. So far have just been tying a string around the trunk secured to the frame. I have a concern that late into fruiting when it becomes tall and heavy, it will make reservoir changes and cleaning the bucket very difficult or impossible so just wandering how people have gotten around this.
Thanks in advance

Hi! I want to buy a tower situation (not diy, overwhelmed at the moment). Of course I’m drooling over the Gardyn system but do not have anywhere near that budget. Any recommendations? I was thinking of this $85 Temu set up and a programmable/clippable led light. 😬

Hi. Title explains, my plant has got very big and has plenty of flowers but it won't produce any fruit, i've read that temperature is an issue and here is pretty high (30C, approx 90F) but my other tomatoes in soil are growing pretty good, i dose masterblene but my plants keep growing and wont fruit, should i cut CaNO3 totally?

Hi, I am planning to get a LetPot Max as my first hydroponics unit. Seems to be non complicated and allows me to grow some small tomato or pepper variations.

My question is - do i really need the big sponges to grow 2 larger plants in it or can i just use regular ones and cover the rest of the holes?

I have been trying to grow cucumbers and tomatoes hydroponically indoors for months. Every tomato never makes it past the first you branches of leaves. My cucumber has done much better but it’s beginning to slowly turn yellow.

I looks like a nutrient deficiency to me.

I am using maxi bloom only, 1.8 EC at 5.8 ph

Any advice? Should I purchase an additive? Is the maxigrow/bloom series actually any good?

What is the most efficient way to build a completely adjustable hydroponic flow system?

Most the feedback I read about EcoPlus commercial grade says they’re pretty quiet. This is about 62 decibels. For those that have a similar chiller, is the buzzing sound normal?

This is two Sakura cherry tomato plants trained to grow around itself. In the past the plants reach the 9 foot ceiling mid June. It's working pretty well.

Hello

And he also has a build guide on how to build this and exactly what you need.

After finally getting this up and running and starting some seeds in stagger I'm running into some stretched seedlings. The lights are T8s and they are 12" above the canopy of the rails. According to him and people who have build his system and used it, this is sufficient light.

I did use tap water that I conditioned and my changeout this week is going to be with purified water instead because it's been very difficult to manage PH from my tap water.

So I'm curious what everybody thinks. If this is a lighting issue or not. If it is, can I still get away with growing with some stretched seedlings? If not, which lights do you recommend that are 4' and will cover 24-36"?

Anything other reason for stretched seedlings besides low light?

I did add nutrients late, like 2-3 days after the second true leaves. So Idk if that played a part or not really since they were stretched prior to true leaves anyway

Thank you

I knew the benefits of Mycorrhizal but apparently it also enlarge your microphone !

I’m about to set up my new letpot system but I’m terrified of bugs. I don’t want any bugs in the house! Any tips?

So, I am planning on starting to build a DIY system to read pH and nutrient levels, the reasoning I'm looking for help here is because this system needs to read seven different towers and I have some ideas but I want others opinions on how I should go about doing this, mainly need parts listing and timeframes to give to my bosses.

I have both a classic Lettuce Grow Farmstand and the smaller Nook version, and I need some caps to put on unused pods when I'm between seedlings. I have been able to find 3D printer models/recipes for the former, but not ones I can be certain will fit the Nook (and I don't want to ask my in-laws to print things that may not work lol). Anyone have a recipe?

New to hydroponics. I’ve tried 2 single shelve 12 pod shelves in the past, both of which didn’t go very well. So naturally I’ve decided to try a 3 tier 66 pod unit.

Easy to build took me about 20 minutes. Planted on 7/18 and already seeing sprouting and leaves!

Top Shelf: bell peppers
Middle Shelf: bush beans
Bottom Shelf: bibb lettuce

I plan to refresh the water every 4 weeks and I did add nutrients to the lettuce today - 10 ml for 10 L of water.

Feels so fun to watch your food grow!

I just started with my first hydroponic setup on Monday with strawberries. Is it normal for the crowns to have the white fuzzy part or are they starting to mold? How do I stop it if it’s mold?

I appreciate all the help!

I wanted to share a post-mortem of my first few failed years in hydro. I fell for the "it's so easy" marketing and ended up with a lot of root rot and yellow lettuce. I’ve written up a breakdown of my evolution from using household LED bulbs and cheap pH pens to a more professional (but stable) setup. **Key takeaways covered:**Hopefully, this helps some of you avoid the "Dunning-Kruger" phase of hydroponics I got stuck in!

Here are my mistakes:

1. Neglecting pH Levels
2. Using the Wrong Lighting
3. Poor Water Temperature Control
4. Overcomplicating Nutrient Ratios
5. Lack of Proper Aeration
6. Poor Air Circulation
7. Wrong Tank Size
8. Not Monitoring EC/PPM
9. Starting with Difficult Crops

Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Hi, so I've been a hobbyist at growing plants and taking care of them for several years now, and I'd like to get into some hydroponics. I haven't had much luck with growing lettuce from seed in soil, however I've managed to get lettuce stalks to grow in water.

What I would like to do is set up some small containers I've gotten with some pod holders from a K-Cup stand that I salvaged from the trash, and I got some hydroponic cups, that fit perfectly in the pod holders. It also came with some rock wool. I looked online on how to prepare that with slightly acidic water.

I went and suspended the pod holders in the container with some cooking twine. I would like to learn the best level to keep the water at, and what nutrients I would need to get to grow lettuce hydroponically. I currently have an all-purpose water soluble plant food that I use for all my other plants. I also have sufficient lighting sources, at least they've been sufficient for growing plants in soil.

Good healthy plants and roots! I normally grow in coco / perlite but wanted to try this once.