new member likes hydroponics and Kratky

greetings all!
 Joined to find others who are or have been adventuring in hydroponics, particularly using the Kratsky method,  Several years ago I used a 30 gal trash can to grow cucumbers a got a bumper crop with really little maintenance, so I set it up again this week.  Also , went to walmart and bought two tomato plants, put one in Kratsky and one in soil.  Same with June bearing strawberries, only split plant into 3 and put them all in Kratsky.  Living in texas south coast, I was unable to grow most vegetables to completion because of heat.  Today (2/21/26) 1PM  temp is 77F, wont be long before its over 80 and burning sunlight.  I love it, but not an outdoor garden.  Too  costly to make greenhouse, condition it, deal with buying good soil (mine is very acidic beach sand and oyster shells) and would take a lot of amendments to grow anything.  So I set up a small system in my home office, currently building shelving and hanging lights.
Biggest expense was buying Bluelab truncheon and PH tester . Here I learned lesson 1, which was to remove any batteries in stored equipment, like my first Bluelab truncheon that wouldn't work because terminals were corroded, so had to buy a new one.  Actually know better, just messed up.  I found Folgers coffee containers to be a good way to start plants, or keep smaller crop in it, like lettuce.  The plastic covers are easy to cut with a scissors for the net pots, and airlines and they block sunlight.  Comes in 3 sizes and they are free if you drink Folgers coffee.  Started cucumber, tomato, and Bibb lettuce from seed, using paper towel method. Bought all these seeds over the internet and not one seed sprouted, so went to Home Depot and bought seeds and they ALL sprouted.  Using R/O water ($3.00 for 5 gal at local store) but setting up rainwater catchment system.  I caught some recent rain and PH was 7, so i hope to use  the rain, and adjust ph with up/down solution.  Trying to keep this as inexpensive as possible.  If this season is successful, I will set up a much larger system in a small house on my property.  I am 80 and don't want to play outside in the summer anymore.  Will submit some pics when setup is complete. All questions/comments welcome.  Is there a specific hydro forum, or where can i find similar conversations?

Hello Thomas - welcome.  Lots of good ideas to be found here.
Here's one I remembered from a while ago - similar approach to yours. . .
https://permies.com/t/280860/Growing-large-veggie-plants-sq
If you have time explore the "Growies" section down the right hand edge of the forums homepage.

Welcome to the forum!

I like the Kratky method though I have only experimented with that.

I learned about that method here on the forum so I know there are folks using that method.

Way to go Thomas! Sounds like you are well on your way.

I've dabbled with aquaponics, but am no expert. I would encourage you not to give up on your outdoor space either though. 80 degrees is not that hot for most vegetables. I grow veg in much hotter temperatures; it's just a matter of selecting varieties. If necessary, a cheap arbor to provide partial shade could be made for much less than a greenhouse. As for soil, just start composting your kitchen waste and grabbing your neighbors' bags of leaves ;-) Between the two you can have great soil.

I've often wondered if there couldn't be a garden-aquaculture hybrid system where the aquaculture makes fertilizer liquid for the garden. If, for example, a pile of leaves were mixed with a little soil and watered with water from the fist barrel every day, then you would get soil. It would be a matter of balancing the fish with the added use of nutrient. It would essentially allow for more fish. Just an idea...

Thanks for the welcome and the input.  Once I have proved myself capable of bringing this hydro project together, I do have plans to go further into Aquaponics, utilizing tilapia or preferably catfish.  Once helped a friend to build an outside catfish pond, but that's my limited "fish" experience., but if I move this experiment into the small house I mentioned, there will be room for all of this, in a true temp controlled environment.  
 As far as outside gardening, I put the 30 gal cucumber on my back porch which receives full sun all day, but has overhead roofing and unit sits so it gets a cooling breeze.  Started early enough that it should be good for one crop before temps get too high.  also have a kratsky tomato next to it, and a 5 gal bucket each of carrot and beets in soil.  Waiting on a potato to grow eyes and plant two plants in a 30 gal tote with soil.  with buckets I can move the plants to better shade or just bring them in.  Only success I've had outside in soil ( which was viable  because I put it in my wife's flower garden that has years of mulch as soil) was a tomato plant I started in a mild January.  EVERYTHING else failed no matter what.  77 degrees one day, 90 the next.  Pretty sure I will be moving the Kratsky tomato inside pretty soon.  For some reason I have wild blackberry vines growing the last few years outside, but the soil is so poor and alkaline it won't fruit, and amending/building up soil is too time consuming/difficult.  I may look at transplanting the roots to the kratsky system, ala my strawberry plants if this works out.  Salt encrusted beach sand and oyster shell mix just too difficult to overcome.  So I really need this system to work.  I will try to document this project and provide pics , as I believe people are interested in this Kratsky method, and I will tell you the problems encountered and solutions, and any errors on my part.  I live in Galveston Island TX, an island that was raised (yes, raised) about 30 ft using offshore beach sand pumped onto the island, so that is our soil, to help the group understand.  So far, everything is very happy and growing well.  

I have grown in Kratky for some time, and I follow the creator of the system on Youtube.

I highly recommend this channel on youtube, as he is very creative with Kratky combining hybrid systems with dirt / without to grow plants.




I have moved more toward the hybrid systems as I have from my own experience found that there are elements in the soil that the nutrients I have tried just don't provide for the plant.

Love Kratky, and love the results it provides.

What fertilizers do you use in your systems if I may ask?

Also,   I also do aquaponics, often use the water from my aquaponic systems in my hydroponic systems.

I've been wondering about building a no-plastic Kratky (or other hydroponic) system fueled by home-brew nutrient solutions like worm or compost tea instead of using products of far-away industry and aimed at incorporating microbes. I need to do some research.

Thanks for the video link, matt.   For cucumber I now use 8-16-36 by Greenway tech.  For a 30 gal container I use 3 oz fertilizer,3 oz calcium nitrate, and2 oz of Epson salts (mag sulfate) and the last time I didn't have to change or add anything, except provide air with an aquarium pump .    I'm using EZ-gro  part A 5-12-26 and part B 15.5-0-0,  1oz each to 1 gal water for my tomato, but will probably change to a different company/nutrient, we'll see how it goes.  Why?  Because I can't find any info from EZ-gro about the need to change formulation at flowering /fruiting time.  Does this formula cover every stage of growth or does it need to change,?  Not much info from them that I could find on the "net", so next time I'll go with a more informative company.   Strawberry uses Chem-Gro 8-12-32 (1tsp) and Cal-Mag (6 1/4oz).  This makes 5 gal.  I use R/ O water exclusively.  This formula changes at the Vegetative state and again at flowering, both stages I haven't reached yet, but so far it's all good.  I supply air to all of these.  So far, I have not kept track of expenses involved, but will put that together soon, but its been minimal to this point,  4 led lights and the nutrients so far.  Had Bluelab ph tester and truncheon from previous efforts.  

Thanks,

This is my main nutrient I use, I have also been testing vertigrow nutrient in my systems..

Yes Mart;
  I see many people use the Masterblend nutrients, and will probably go with them for nutrients in the future.  Is this your general "go to"for most veggies?

thomas mullen wrote:Yes Mart;
  I see many people use the Masterblend nutrients, and will probably go with them for nutrients in the future.  Is this your general "go to"for most veggies?

You grow far more than I do,  I have slowly started trying hydroponics with much failure due to root rot, aphids, fruit flies.    

I only have the masterblend and vertigro  fertilizers I have used so far.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I've been wondering about building a no-plastic Kratky (or other hydroponic) system fueled by home-brew nutrient solutions like worm or compost tea instead of using products of far-away industry and aimed at incorporating microbes. I need to do some research.

That is the direction I want to go...   I have noted some Korean Natural farming does hydroponics,    I think they may have already completed the testing that we want to do.

Root rot is the reason I'm adding air pump to all units.  I use "ts" to split air lines to several pots, so I don't need as many pumps, and the insect problem (among others) is the reason I want to set up inside. So far, no problems, but will be ordering some neem oil, just in case.  Maybe some fine netting over the plants would help inside or out?  I check my plants visually every day, and monitor ph and ec every other day.  Learning to "read" my plants  visually. Once I get a good setup, and can afford some monitoring equipment, hopefully a lot can be automated to help the workload.  My aim is to keep costs and maintainence as low as possible.  Lucky to have 40 years construction trades to build whatever I need from all the crap I've stored to cut costs.  First I've heard of worm castings being used, definitely will check that out, thanks.

Its been about a month since I joined and related my beginning hydro farming project.   The only real success has been growing cucumber in a 30 gal trash can.  Picked 7 and used 6 to make Ms Wages sweet pickle relish.  Now going on the second crop with at least 12 cukes in various stages of development, hoping it won't turn too hot before completion as this can is on my back porch.  Luckily temps haven't hit over mid 80's, but can happen any day now.  I have encountered powdery mildew.  Days in the 80's and cool 60's at night makes it inevitable.  Did spray with organic control. Cukes still fine and still producing.  No other pest or disease problems.  IF I can get this last crop in before frying on the vine, produce should last us (2 people) till next year.
 Here is a few things I purchased to make my hydro easier.
Endoscope- Has  front and side view lenses, illumination, waterproof and fits in 5/16 hole tightly, so no light entering.  I use the same hole for airline tubing, so just pull line and insert probe. Comes with app you download free, and connects to your phone for viewing and keeping picture.  About 20$ on Amazon  I find this extremely  useful to check water level, root development.  I have added air to every kratsky container to avoid root rot.  Also have small fan to blow air around the grow room. Gets 80 in room and needs circulation and air. Will need to put AC on any day now.
Air Pump-  About 70$ on Amazon.-Since I have about 10 Kratsky's going, I opted for a  good size air pump and I certainly got one.  Made by Vivosun ,55watt and comes with stainless steel 12 outlet (all adjustable flow) and runs on 110.volts.  Doesn't run hot to the touch but is warm.  Can run 24 hours and it  did for about a week.  Problem is, with water already at about 78 degrees, the little heat transferred through the lines did increase the temp                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       somewhat.  How much I'm unsure as PH pen needed recalibration.  So I have coming, a variable timer to reduce run time, hopefully that will cure the heat transfer situation. Controls both wall outlets so it can also time out other appliances, like water pump, lights,etc.
Strawberry--Well, wife bought June bearing plant at Walmart, not knowing that Everbearing is what we want to grow, but Kratsky'd em anyway to start, and rooted 2 runners in dirt along with mother plant and all are outside  and doing well so far.  Pretty sure heat will kill them before any berries appear, we'll see.    So I ordered Everbearing  bare root stock off internet, divided into 12 plants into Kratsky.  Not doing well.  Have 9 plants left, 4 looking like  the only survivors.   Not sure exactly why or what is going on with them.  May have PH incorrect as my Bluelab Pen needed recalculation ( did it)  or Air Pump raised water temp and cooked them.  Roots were brown, not slimy, when we got them so unsure about that.   Today refilled and changed nutrient to Masterblend 4-18-38 ,, Cal and Epson, have PH at 5.6 and 1.0 EC.  Hope they can make a comeback.