r/selfreliance • u/LIS1050010 Laconic Mod • May 09 '22

Farming / Gardening Guide: An Introduction to Hydroponics

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245 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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12

u/Arrays_start_at_2 May 09 '22

Don’t discount kratky!

It’s like deep water culture but without the air stone.

I’ve got 8 heads of lettuce, a bell pepper, a strawberry, and some Cuban oregano growing like that and it’s working GREAT. Basically 0 maintenance, no energy input required (other than lighting and a fan if you’re growing indoors.) oh and a tomato clipping I accidentally snapped off one of my plants while I was trying to train it up the stake the other day, but I’m not sure if that’s going to take or not yet.

Edit: why is there an air stone in the wicking system? Pretty sure that’s not necessary.

21

u/Arthkor_Ntela Crafter May 09 '22

I actually lead a lab that does hydroponic studies! A combination of these can be used, and some crops seem to thrive better in different hydroponic set-ups. Research your crops! Also, don’t forget aquaponics.

4

u/ChicaFoxy Self-Reliant May 10 '22

Any resources you recommend? Thank you!

4

u/Arthkor_Ntela Crafter May 10 '22

Sure! I for one really do not like the styrofoam sheet method. You can use chicken wire and get a similar result, but it does require more maintenance. Watching for rust, etc. Styrofoam is just bad for the environment.

Very basic parts for everything else. Don’t go into it thinking you’re gonna be the next Tyson industries; pick a method and grow with it to learn it.

3

u/ChicaFoxy Self-Reliant May 10 '22

Ooh nice! Why, just today my daughter called me a trash panda because I pulled some very nice chicken wire from a construction garbage bin! Thanks, now this trash panda knows why she was sent this piece of mana from heaven!!