My Journey with Hydroponics

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

I'm excited to share that I am beginning my journey into hydroponics. I have a strong desire to grow my own food and, after exploring various options, I believe that hydroponics is the best way to pursue this goal. I plan to use this thread to document my experiences, challenges, and successes as I venture into this new and fascinating field.

Cheers,
Szymon (the farmer)

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

So, when starting with Hydroponics, there is definitely a high cost involved in setting it up.

I'm aiming for 6 x 3.0m x 90mm pipes, using a Recirculating Deep Water Culture (RDWC). Additionally, I want to grow using the Kratky method.

Here are some photos of the setup in the making.

Powerpoints, almost done.



RDWC setup.



Still waiting for other parts to arrive from local and international suppliers.

Cheers,
Szymon

[wondering]

I love this! Hydroponics has always fascinated me and I look forward to following your process, Syzmon.

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here is an update. Here are some more items that are required for hydroponics.

This is a reliable, quiet, and efficient pump that operates at 45W on 240 volts. It's designed for the main solution tank. The pump will circulate the solution through the 6 x 3 metre x 90mm pipes a couple of times an hour, 18 hours a day.



The seedling propagation trays—this is where the magic happens. One tiny seed turns into a little plant.



Clay Pebbles - 45 litre bag - These are reusable clay balls; this is my growth media.





And these: When you're mixing your own fertiliser solution, you need to ensure it is balanced and has a pH around 6 to 6.5.



I will post the next lot tomorrow.

Cheers,
Szymon

[wondering]

Are the clay balls the actual nutrition for the plants, is that the same as growth media?

[Szymon]

Posted by wondering (here)
Are the clay balls the actual nutrition for the plants, is that the same as growth media?

The clay balls support the plant and its root system. They allow air and moisture to pass through without drowning the plant, and over time, the roots will find their way to the solution—the food the plant needs. These balls also block light from entering the solution, preventing algae growth. That's why everything needs to be black so light doesn't pass through.

The plant solution is the nutrition. I will post these in the next set of photos.

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here's an update. Things are gradually coming together.

Here are a few more items needed to get this underway.



Hydroponic net pots in various sizes will hold the clay balls and the plant once it's passed its seedling stage.



A reliable, affordable meter that can measure the solution's pH, ORP (Oxidation-Reduction Potential), EC (Electrical Conductivity), TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), SALT (Salinity), S.G (Specific Gravity), CF (Conductivity Factor), and Temperature.

In hydroponics, the most important measurements are pH, EC, and temperature.



These are my tubs for my solution. They're made of virgin plastic, which they say is food safe. The largest one, the bottom one, will be part of the RDWC system, while the rest are for the Kratky method.



Rockwool for the seedlings. I will swap this for cotton wool next time.

Check out my next post.

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Continued from my last post.




These are the air pumps. They are used to increase the dissolved oxygen content of your nutrient solution. I'm planning to use one for the RDWC and the other for the Kratky method.



This is the artificial light for the seedling.



This is the complete seedling setup. The lights should be on for about 18 hours a day. I have a WIFI plug-in IoT power adaptor, but the WIFI doesn't reach the garage, so I will need to find a solution.

I'm still waiting for a few more parts to complete the RDWC. For now, I can start a small batch of seedlings that I bought during the COVID era. The process should be straightforward. I'll write it up in my next post. I think, for now, I'm ready to start growing using the Kratky method.

I also need to write about the solution. This is the most important part of the whole setup.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Things are gradually coming together. Here's some more equipment I received today for this setup. I'm still waiting for a few more items to complete it.



This black pipe with a blue stripe has a diameter of 24mm and will be used to deliver the nutrients from the 70-litre solution tank to a capped manifold. Six holes will be drilled, and six 5/7mm pipes will be attached, each positioned at the end of the white 3-metre pipes. I'm still waiting for the smaller diameter feed pipes to arrive. It will make sense once everything is connected and working.



This is how the RDWC will look. End caps on both ends, with a hole on the side where the nutrition tank is. Each 3-metre pipe will hold 2cm of solution. For all 6 pipes, that’s around 20 litres of solution.




Finally received my 50kg of fertiliser A and B, totaling 100kg. This will last me ages, as it’s equivalent to 50,000 litres of solution. It took me about 3.5 hours round-trip to get these. The courier would have charged me a lot of money for a 100kg load.

I plan to use around 150 grams to start with for all my tanks. I reckon it should last about a month, maybe two.

More to come in my upcoming posts.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Ewan]

Hi mate, I admire what you are setting up but it seems to be an, initially, expensive endeavor. How long do you calculate before you would need to replace all the nutrients you are using.

It is obviously fabulous if it allows you to produce nutritious foods but, almost like anything these days, it relies on the ability to keep purchasing the needed chemicals?

[Szymon]

Posted by Ewan (here)
Hi mate, I admire what you are setting up but it seems to be an, initially, expensive endeavor. How long do you calculate before you would need to replace all the nutrients you are using.

It is obviously fabulous if it allows you to produce nutritious foods but, almost like anything these days, it relies on the ability to keep purchasing the needed chemicals?

Hi Evan,

I completely agree that the initial setup costs are high, but they are a one-time expense. I am undertaking this for several reasons, including survival, off-grid living, and preparation. It's a valuable skill for establishing future communities. While traditional soil methods are also effective, they require land and result in slower growth.

Here's a breakdown of that 50 kg bag. I think it should last me 2-3 years. If all goes well, I'll stock up with a few more bags.

And yes, you're correct about relying on fertilizer. I believe I can grow everything here for the next 2-3 years, no matter what is happening globally. This has bought me some extra time.

Assumptions (so you know what this is based on):

• Mix rate: 1 g/L
• 50 kg bag = 50,000 L of solution
• Typical daily water use:
  • Leafy greens (like kale): ~0.5 L/plant/day
  • Fruiting plants (like tomatoes): ~2 L/plant/day

🌱 How long a 50 kg bag lasts

🥬 Leafy greens (kale, lettuce, etc.)

Plants       Daily Use     Bag lasts (days)   Bag lasts (years)
---------------------------------------------------------------
10 plants    ~5 L/day      ~10,000 days       ~27 years
25 plants    ~12.5 L/day   ~4,000 days        ~11 years
50 plants    ~25 L/day     ~2,000 days        ~5.5 years
100 plants   ~50 L/day     ~1,000 days        ~2.7 years

🍅 Fruiting plants (tomatoes, peppers, etc.)

Plants       Daily Use     Bag lasts (days)   Bag lasts (years)
---------------------------------------------------------------
10 plants    ~20 L/day     ~2,500 days        ~6.8 years
25 plants    ~50 L/day     ~1,000 days        ~2.7 years
50 plants    ~100 L/day    ~500 days          ~1.4 years
100 plants   ~200 L/day    ~250 days          ~0.7 years

🧠 What this really means (practical insight)

• For small setups (10–25 plants):
  • A 50 kg bag lasts many years
  • You'll likely replace it due to shelf life before it runs out
• For medium setups (50–100 plants):
  • Expect 1–5 years depending on crop type
• Tomatoes use ~4× more nutrients than kale (because they drink way more water)

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here is an update with my system.



I received these the other day. This should complete my entire kit. Fingers crossed.



I decided to use nice-looking 90 mm cutout holes to hold the 6 pipes.







These are the ends of the pipes. The netcup inside is there to prevent the root system from clogging up.

[Szymon]

Here is part 2.

So the first pipe is done. I purposely left 30 cm at the end of the pipe to
prevent the root system from clogging.




There are 9 holes per pipe x 6 = 54 plant capacity.

This project is still a work in progress, and I need to cut the other pipes.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here is an update on the project underway. I still have three more pipes to complete.



I'll continue posting until it's finished.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Harmony]

It's looking good Szymon, I can almost see plants growing in my minds eye.

Posted by Szymon (here)
Hi Friends,

Here is an update on the project underway. I still have three more pipes to complete.

Attachment 56763

I'll continue posting until it's finished.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Szymon]

Posted by Szymon (here)
Hi Friends,

Here is an update on the project underway. I still have three more pipes to complete.

Attachment 56763

I'll continue posting until it's finished.

Cheers,
Szymon

Thank you, Harmony. I can too. There will be 54 plants in those, plus a few Kratky containers, so about 60-70 plants in total. Growing your vegetables this way is about 30-40% faster.

The fun part will be connecting the pump, pipes and small tubes to the pipes. I still need to paint the wood and waterproof it. I also need to check that the solution won't damage the sandstone floor. I will post my updates as I go.

Cheers,
Szymon

[Craig]

This is looking very impressive, but forgive my ignorance, isn't there fish involved? I thought the fish live off the plant runoff and the plants thrive on the fish waste? or am i on the wrong path?

[Szymon]

Posted by Craig (here)
This is looking very impressive, but forgive my ignorance, isn't there fish involved? I thought the fish live off the plant runoff and the plants thrive on the fish waste? or am i on the wrong path?

Hey Craig, the path you are thinking about is Aquaponics. I looked into it and decided to go with Hydroponics. The fish waste does work, but it is not strong enough for the plants I want to grow. So I will use soluble fertiliser. Cheers.

[Szymon]

Hi Friends,

Here is an update on the main RDWC setup. I still have some work to do. This is WIP.






Two more photos, next post.

[Szymon]

Here are the two more photos.




So what is next? Get another 6 metres of PVC pipe, cut it in half, and repeat the process with the holes. Then paint all the wood, waterproof it, clean the PVC pipes with soapy water, and drill the final holes for the small tubes.

I will post as I go along.

Cheers,
Szymon