hydroponics

[adamhartree]

hi all, im new to this so hello to you all. does anyone grow anything hydroponicly. i have just started i have got chillis, peppers & tomatos in my grow room tent, i am using a 150w cfl grow light with a 4" fan. they have been in there for 3 days now and are doing really well. if anyone has any experiance with hydroponics let me know what you grow and how you grew it. happy growing

[Nicos]

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine!

I have moved your post to another thread so more peeps will get to see it!!

[vejuzchill]

Greetings adamheartree,

I have been growing indoors with hydro for quite some years now. I have grown a lot of different plants,so to list them and describe how would take to much time.

This is my first post on this forum so i'm even newer than you are but I am in no way a newb.

This thread is pretty old I see. If you ever come back i will be watching.

[Nicos]

Hey- vejuzchill...tell us more!!!!

[vejuzchill]

Like what?

hmmmmmm.... at the moment I am growing basil in a 5gal recirculating deep water culture system. the leaves are about as big as my hand and it's STINKY. I also have a jalapeno plant and a couple different varieties of peppers started. When they get larger I will clone them and put them into the RDWC system. I have 2 600whps, a 200w blue cfl and a 23w uvb light.

[rana]

I can understand hydroponics from a hobbyist viewpoint and the possibility of growing 'out of season' but having invested in the equipment and lighting plus the energy and running costs is it economic to produce veg hydroponically. Afterall the suns energy and garden dirt is free.

[BigShot]

rana - hydroponics isn't limited to indoor growing.

I'll have to have a rummage for a link, but there are some pretty big operations growing hydroponically with natural light. I believe some even use "aquaponics" too - a different thing again combining hydroponics with ponds and fish.

It's possible to set up in hydroponics for very little money too. There's a TON of information about that on http://www.instructables.com/ .

[vejuzchill]

Hydroponics is the most efficient way to grow food. I agree dirt is free but you still have to add nutes and maintain the soil. With soil if you have a problem it will take days if not a week or more to resolve. With hydro you will see the results the next day.

I pay about 100 euros a month for my electric, that is for the entire house including the system. I would spend at least that if not triple, every month, on vegetables at the market. I know exactly what my family is eating and that, to me, is the factor that means the most. I'm not limited to a summer crop, I get fresh vegis year round. I have surplus to give away to my friends.

It's not for hobbyists anymore. I like to get a little dirt under my fingers once in awhile, but it's a lot of work. My morning routine consists of turning a faucet on to raise my water levels, sticking a couple meters in the reservoir, and adding nutes if needed. 10 minutes tops. I bet most people spend that just unwinding the hose to water the garden.