Easy to Build Hydroponic Drip System

Because prices change from place to place, your exact cost is going to be determined by what you can get in your local area. But you should be able to acquire all the materials needed for under $100. I built this system myself for between $60 and $ 0. !ou may e"en already ha"e some of the needed materials around the house. #"en though this system is designed to grow $ plants in % gallon buc&ets, you can easily adapt it to grow more or less plants as you wish, as well as in larger or smaller containers'buc&ets.

System Parts List

$ (i"e )allon Buc&ets *for plants+ $ ,hrough -oles *also called bul&head fittings+ Blac& .inyl ,ubing *for both fill and drain lines+, also blue .inyl tubing from a hydroponic supply shop will wor& fine as well. 1 /ubmersible (ountain 0ump *found in most nursery1s+ 1 to 20 )allon /torage ,ote for reser"oir *larger is better in the long run+ Inexpensi"e 3amp ,imer *with lots of on'off cycles to turn pump on and off with+ -ydroponic )rowing 4edium *to support plants and hold moisture for the roots+ 5ne Inexpensi"e furnace (ilter *to &eep growing medium from getting in the tubing+ 6 (ew 7,8 9onnectors that (it the .inyl tubing your using *how many depends on your final configuration+ ,wo 9ans of Inexpensi"e Blac& /pray 0aint, and ,wo 9ans of Inexpensi"e :hite /pray 0aint *in order to light proof the buc&ets and reser"oir+ *5ptional+ 6 small amount of 0.9 tubing and connectors *for return line ends+

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Additional Items You'll Need to Grow the Plants

-ydroponic ;utrients *any type, as long as there designed for hydroponic plants+ p- test &it *to test p- of the nutrient solution+ p- drops by )eneral -ydroponics wor&s best and is the cheapest way to go. p- 6d<usters *p- up, and p- down+ ,hat1s to ad<ust the p- if needed once you ha"e tested it. #xcept for the hydroponic nutrients, p- testing &it, p- ad<usters and growing medium, you should be able to get the rest of the materials needed at local stores li&e -ome =epot, 3owe>s, :al?4art, ,arget, Big lots, @mart etc. I got the fi"e gallon buc&ets at -ome =epot for about $A.%0 each, and the 1 gallon storage tote at :al?4art for $2.%0. ,he blac& "inyl tubing and 7,8 connectors, I got at 3owe>s. ,he fountain pump was from 3owe>s as well. ,hat was the most expensi"e part of the whole system. ,he pump was about $$0, but for this system you don1t need a pump as large to do the <ob, but it does allow you to expand on the system in the future. Bust ma&e sure any pump you use has a remo"able filter, If not you will want to create one to &eep debris out of it. ,he ,hrough holes'Bul&head fittings come in all siCes and shapes. ,hey are used in all sorts of industry>s, but most home impro"ement stores carry them somewhere in the store, and "ery li&ely to ha"e them in more than one place. I got these in the electrical department at -ome =epot for $1.DE ea, right next to the electrical conduit.

!ou will need to ma&e sure the end of the through hole that the "inyl tubing will go on *end without the threads and nut+, will fit the

siCe tubing you are using. ,he ones in the pictures abo"e will fit %' inch inside diameter tubing. If not you can use two siCes of tubing and'or using a hose clamp to tighten it up. 5r by cutting a short piece of tubing *the siCe that fits the through hole+, and slipping it on the through hole, then slipping the smaller tube inside the larger one. If so you may want to use a small amount of waterproof glue between the two different siCes, and'or a hose clamp to ma&e sure there1s a water tight fit. 6lso you may find that a old garden hose will fit <ust fine, and can be substituted for the "inyl tubing for the return *drain+ lines. (irst step is to trace the side of the through hole with the thread and nut, on the bottom of all $ fi"e gallon buc&ets. !ou1ll want it to be close to the edge of the buc&et, but not so close you wont be able the thread the nut on in order to install it *about an inch+. ,hat1s so you will be able to set it upright on a table or bench, and most of the buc&ets weight will still be supported, and it wont tip o"er. It1s important that you don1t ma&e the holes too big, or it may lea&. It should be <ust big enough to stic& the threaded side of the through hole in without a noticeable gap. I use a rotary tool to ma&e the holes myself, li&e the one pictured on the right. If !ou don1t ha"e one you can ma&e the holes any way you want, e"en a hot metal coat hanger will be able to melt the plastic nicely, then <ust scrape any burs off with a raCor blade to ma&e the edge smooth.

;ow that you ha"e the whole cut, insert the through hole and tighten it up. Bust ma&e sure you ha"e the rubber gas&et on the right side, in most cases *depending on the particular through holes your using+ it will most li&ely be on the outside of the buc&et, and only the nut on the inside.

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In order to &eep algae growth down you will need to light proof the buc&ets. 6lgae needs two things to grow, food and light. ,he nutrients will pro"ide plenty of food, so you need to bloc& the light. ,urn the buc&ets upside down, and put tape all around the through hole *so you don1t get paint on, or in it+. )i"e the buc&ets a couple of coats of blac& spray paint, or as many as needed to bloc& all the light. ,hen because the color blac& absorbs heat, gi"e the buc&ets a couple of coats of white spray paint. ,his will reflect light and help &eep the root Cone temperatures from getting hot. 4a&e sure you only paint the outside, you don1t want paint to come in contact with the roots or nutrient solution. )etting the buc&ets ready to put the plants in is also quite simple, but <ust a few steeps. (irst cut the filter part out of the furnace (ilter, then cut a piece off to place o"er the through holes. ,his will &eep the growing medium out of the tubing, but still allow the water to flow easily out the bottom.

urnace ilter

;ow that you ha"e the filter in place, place some roc&s on top of that. I would fill about the bottom third with roc&s. ,his holds the filter in place, as well as helps water drainage from the buc&ets. 6lso the roc&s adds weight to the buc&ets &eeping them firmly in place. #"en strong winds won1t be able mo"e them. ;oteF be sure to clean and sanitiCe the roc&s first by rinsing them off and soa&ing them in bleach water for about an hour, then rinsing again. ,his reduces the chances of any root diseases from soil born pathogens getting into the system.

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Growin! "edium
5n top of the roc&s place the hydroponic growing medium. !ou can use many materials as a growing medium li&e )row Goc& *-ydrocorn+, 0erlite, .ermiculite etc.. 6ny inert *without nutrients+ material can be used. I especially li&e, and used coco chips in this system. 9oco chips and coco fiber are Basically the same thing, but coco chips are <ust in a larger partial siCe. ,he larger partial siCe allows more air'oxygen to get to the root system. ,hese are the coco chips I used in this system, they come in a compressed bloc&. ,his bloc& equaled A cubic feet *about 1% gallons worth+ when uncompressed. ,o uncompressed it you <ust soa& it in water. I would do this a couple of times to leach out some of the color. ,he color wont hurt the plants, but I try to get out as much color as I can first anyway. ,hese coco chips also hold moisture "ery well witch is another reason I li&e using them. ,his bloc& cost me $D.D%, and was enough for all $ fi"e gallon buc&ets.

#aterin! and Drain lines

;ow ma&e a loop using the "inyl tubing and a connecting 7,8 for all $ buc&ets. ,hese will be the dripper1s that will water the buc&ets. 5nce you ha"e made them, ta&e a paperclip and heat one end up with the flame of a candle, then po&e some holes in the tubing ring with it. ;otice that I cut a notch in the side of the buc&ets <ust large enough to hold the watering line in place snugly. ,he the feed line *watering+ , as well as the drain line setup will depend on the configuration and positing of where you place your buc&ets. In the picture below you can see how I ha"e run the lines to my buc&ets on the tabletop. ,he feed line comes up through a hole in the center of the table. ,hen is split into A lines using a 7,8 connector, then each of those lines is split into two lines again using the same 7,8 connectors. #ssentially splitting one feed line into $ separate lines *one to each buc&et+.

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6s the nutrient rich water is pumped up to the top of the plants, it then drips down through the buc&ets, moistening the growing medium *and roots+, then freely drains bac& down into the reser"oir through the through holes at the bottom of the buc&ets. 5nce bac& in the reser"oir, it1s able to be re? circulated through the system again. ,he bag of concrete is <ust there to help add weight to the table, we get %0H mile an hour wind gusts from time to time, but I ne"er had any problems with the table or buc&ets wanting to tip o"er with the weight of the roc&s in the buc&ets as well as the concrete bag on top of the table.

$he reser%oir
,he reser"oir part is quite simple too, <ust paint the base and lid *outside+ of the 1 to 20 gallon storage tote the same way you did the buc&ets. 0ainting it blac& to bloc& light, and then white to reflect light. 5nce painted, cut a notch in the lid for the electrical cord and hose from the pump to go through. ,hen you are ready to start setting up your hydroponic system.

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,here are so many configurations that you can do, there is no way to explain them all. ,he buc&ets can be setup on a table, bench, wall etc.. But the one thing that you need to be sure of is that the reser"oir is at least 6 inches below the buc&ets. 5therwise the nutrient solution wont be able to flow bac& into the reser"oir easily. ,he design is simple, the pump pumps the nutrient solution up to the top of the buc&ets, where it drips down through the buc&et, and out the through hole at the bottom. ,hen the return tubing drains it bac& into the reser"oir. !ou can run the return lines different ways, but it should be a gentle slope all the way bac& to the reser"oir. !ou can see that I connected the return lines from two buc&ets together with a 7,8 connecter, then bac& to the reser"oir. ,he 0.9 at the end of the line going bac& into the reser"oir is not necessary, although it does help &eep the flow draining bac& more e"en. ,he tube coming out the side of the reser"oir and looping bac& up through the center of the table is the line that pumps the nutrient solution from the pump up to water the plants from the top drip rings.

#ater &yclin!
I used a digital timer with this system *I already had it+, but I later got another one for a different system for $%.D% at @mart. It had plenty of settings and e"en a co"er o"er the dial. (or best results with the timer, ma&e sure it 1s rated for 1% amps *usually called hea"y duty+. I had one that was rated for 10 amps but it burned out in <ust a few days. ,he hea"y duty *1% amp+ timers ha"en>t burned out in o"er A years now. !ou1ll also want a timer that has pins for the on'off cycles all around the dial, not <ust a few *for analog timers+. ,hat1s because it will need to be turned on and off many times during the day *to be explained later+. =igital timers usually ha"e many on'off cycles that can be set, though if there is a power outage it will loose their memory if it doesn>t ha"e a battery bac&up.

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:hen growing outside, you will want to ma&e sure the timer and cord connections don1t get wet or they will short out. ,his can be done by placing them in a spot that wont get wet e"en if it1s windy and rains hard. In my case I warped 2 plastic bags, layered one on top of the other *in case of small holes+. ,hen tightly duct taped it to the cords. It1s not as pretty as it can be, but it &ept rain off the connections <ust fine. ,here you go, you <ust built a drip hydroponic system. -appy )ardeningIII

#aterin! ' Nutrient Solution $ips

#aterin! -ow often and how long to water is a good question, but has so many "ariables li&e air temperature, water temp, type of growing medium used, type of plants *do they mind wet feet+, how big the plants are, humidity etc. etc. etc.. ,hat there1s simply no real straight forward answer, except to say the goal is to water long enough to get the roots *and growing medium+ wet, but not so long that the roots suffocate from lac& of air'oxygen. 6lso to water often enough that they ne"er dry out. If you see sings of wilting they are either well past dry, or to wet and suffocating. Basically spea&ing, the roots <ust need enough moisture that they can absorb enough water to support the plants foliage. Bigger plants need more moisture *because they ha"e a lot more foliage to support+. 0lants growing in dry conditions use more water than those growing in more humid conditions. /ome growing medias hold moisture much better than others, thus don1t need to be watered as often etc. etc. etc.. /o <ust &eep the growing media moist'damp. =epending on the time of year *daily highs and lows+, for this system I let it water for 20 minutes on, and between one and two and a half hours off. Bust chec& the moistness of the growing medium. !ou will probably want to try setting the timer for different settings to find what wor&s best for your plants, as well as your local conditions. :atering at night *during hours of dar&ness+ is not typically necessary, because plants only suc& up water during light periods. But I typically water a couple of times during the night in any system anyway, <ust to &eep things moist.

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Nutrients ,here are many different commercially manufactured nutrient solutions on the mar&et. ,hey come in two forms, liquid and dry mixes. 4ost liquid types come in either a two or three part mix, and dry nutrients usually come in one or two part mixes. But <ust about all of them are well balanced nutrient solutions. ,hey also come in different siCe containers, the larger ones cost the most but are generally the best deals in the long run *li&e buying in bul&+. ,he first hydroponic nutrient I used was the 7)eneral -ydroponics (lora /eries nutrients8 *pictured right+, it1s a 2 part nutrient solution that needs all 2 parts to wor& properly. But dry mixes li&e BG0eters *httpF''www.<rpeters.com'0roducts'-ydroponics'Buy?-ydroponics.html+ .erti? gro *httpF''"ertigro.com'products'fertiliCers.php+, and Juic&)row *httpF''quic&grownutrients.com'+ are generally much less expensi"e and <ust as good. /o weather you choose to use liquid nutrients or dry mixes, <ust ma&e sure you fallow the manufacturers directions. ,hey should ha"e directions for different types of plants, as well as the different stages of growth *seedlings, "egetati"e growth, fruiting etc.+. 6lso I ha"e learned you can generally mix them a little wea&er than the manufactures directions and still get good results. Bust ma&e sure that you use nutrients designed for hydroponics. ;utrients designed for soil lac& the essential micro nutrients that the plants need to grow healthy. 0lants that are grown in the ground *soil+ get these micro nutrients from the soil. 6s the plants grow, they use up *absorb+ the nutrient elements in the nutrient solution. 5"er time this dilutes the nutrient solution, so it1s best to do regular nutrient change1s. -ow often is the question, and as with most things in hydroponics has a many "ariables and is more a mater of experience by the grower than anything else. @eeping an eye on the daily progress of your plants. ,he plants themsel"es can tell you a lot. But some general guidelines are, you should try to do a nutrient solution change e"ery one to four wee&s, and chec& p- e"ery few days.

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,he biggest factor that affects how often you should change your nutrient solution is how big the plants are, compared to the siCe *how many gallons+ of water in the reser"oir. ,he bigger the plants, the bigger their root systems, thus absorb more water and nutrients. 6nother example, the plants wont deplete the nutrients in a A0 gallon reser"oir as fast as they will in a 10 gallon reser"oir. In other words big plants with a small reser"oir should be changed more often than small plants, or with a larger reser"oir. 6lso you will notice that the water in the reser"oir will slowly disappear, e"en though you don1t ha"e any lea&s. ,he plants drin& this water up, and transpire it out their lea"es normally e"ery day. ,he bigger they are and the hotter it is, the more they will drin& up. !ou should mar& the inside of the reser"oir with a permanent mar&er when you first fill it *then run it until the growing medium is wet+, so you &now exactly how much they ha"e used up later. 6s the plants drin& up this water *and nutrients+ from the reser"oir you will want *need+ to replace it. ,hat1s where the mar& from the permanent mar&er is important. !ou will want to <ust add fresh *plain+ water bac& up to that mar&. If you replace more water than was used, you will be diluting the nutrients in the solution, and If you don1t add enough water bac&, the nutrients in the solution will become concentrated *to strong+. ,he reason you want to add fresh water bac& instead of more nutrient solution, is plants don1t absorb water and nutrients e"enly. ,he plants only ta&e up the nutrients they need and lea"e the rest. ,hat1s also one of the reasons for doing regular nutrient solution changes, o"er time the nutrients the plants don1t use will become concentrated in the solution. But by simply doing a change you can be sure it1s balanced again. pH p- in hydroponics is important to healthy plants, but luc&ily it1s not to hard or expensi"e to ta&e care of. #"en though there are more expensi"e p- testing equipment a"ailable, with no meters to calibrate or gi"e false readings the p- drops by )eneral -ydroponics *pictured right+ is probably the easiest and cheapest. Knfortunately the p- testing equipment for pools wont be able to test the right ranges needed for hydroponics, so those wont wor&. 4ost plants fall in between a p- of %.0 to E.0, although almost all do well at about 6.0 right in the middle. It1s not necessary to get it down to the exact number li&e %.%, plants adapt well to there surroundings and ha"e adapted for thousands of years to fluctuating en"ironments. Including fluctuating p-. ,he important thing is to &eep the p- within a range *not to an exact number+.

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5nce you ha"e tested your nutrient solution>s p- le"el, and ha"e determined if it1s high or low. ,hen you will want to add some p- down if it was high, and add p- up if it was low. pad<usters *p- up'p- down+, li&e nutrients come in both liquid and dry forms, and the dry ad<usters are generally the best "alue *<ust mix well before adding it to the nutrient solution+. 0- ad<usters are basically <ust acids and bases, but you will want to use ad<usters that were designed for hydroponics in order to a"oid any problems. ,he ad<usters are sold at any hydroponics shop and run about $ to $1% depending on siCe and type. 6lso generally a little goes a long way, add a little at a time then re?test. In a short time you will be able to guess <ust how much to use depending on how far off the p- was to start. Here are some plants and pH ran!es (or them) *ut you don't need to *e e+act, ruit Banana Blac& 9urrant Blueberry 4elon 0assion fruit 0aw?0aw pH %.%?6.% 6.0 $.0 ?%.0 %.%?6.0 6.% 6.% ruit 0ineapple Ged 9urrant Ghubarb /trawberries :atermelon pH %.%?6.0 6.0 %.0? 6.0 %.%?6.% %.

-e!eta*le 6mbra radicchio 6rticho&e 6sparagus Bean *9ommon+ Beans *3ima+ Beans *0ole+ Beetroot Broad Bean Broccoli Brussell /prout 9abbage 9apsicum

pH %.%?6.% 6.%?E.% 6.0?6. 6.0 6.0?6.% 6.0?6.% 6.0?6.% 6.0?6.% 6.0?6.% 6.%?E.% 6.%?E.0 6.0?6.%

-e!eta*le 4arrow 5&ra 5nions 0a&?choi 0arsnip 0ea 0eas */ugar+ 0epino 0eppers Bell peppers -ot 0eppers 0otato 0ump&in

pH 6.0 6.% 6.0?6.E E.0 6.0 6.0?E.0 6.0?6. 6.0?6.% %. ?6.2 6.0?6.% 6.0?6.% %.0?6.0 %.%?E.%

Beans *Italian bush+ 6.0?6.%

9arrots 9auliflower 9elery 9ollard greens 9ucumber #ggplant #ndi"e (odder )arlic 3ee& 3ettuce

6.2 6.0?E.0 6.% 6.%?E.% %. ?6.0 %.%?6.% %.% 6.0 6.0 6.%?E.0 %.%?6.%

Gadish /pinach /il"erbeet /weet 9orn /weet 0otato /wiss chard /quash */ummer+ /quash *:inter+ ,omato ,urnip Lucchini

6.0?E.0 %.%?6.6 6.0?E.0 6.0 %.%?6.0 6.0 6.% %.0?6.% %.0?6.% %.%?6.% 6.0?6.% 6.0

Her*s Basil 9hicory 9hi"es (ennel 3a"ender 3emon Balm 4ar<oram

pH %.%?6.% %.%?60 6.0?6.% 6.$?6. 6.$?6. %.%?6.% 6.0

Her*s 4int 4ustard 9ress 0arsley Gosemary /age ,hyme :atercress

pH %.%?6.0 6.0?6.% %.%?6.0 %.%?6.0 %.%?6.% %.%?E.0 6.%?6.

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