How to Build a Homemade Hydroponics System: 17 steps

Understanding Hydroponics This instructable will explain household hydroponics, with the intention of growing edible flora. In layman's terms, hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil-- although the plants may or may not be suspended in a solid medium such as gravel, or expanded clay balls. Soil retains minerals and nutrients, which "feed" flora, as we all know. Why eliminate the soil? Growing your own food can be a rewarding experience. That being said, there may be more efficient systems out there for the home grower. Growing With Hydroponics & Aquaponics Solar Powered Vertical Aquaponics System SOLAR POWERED VERTICAL AQUAPONICS SYSTEM: This is an original design I made to maximize the yield of a 12′x12′ foot space and use gravity to minimize the energy used for irrigation and nutrient delivery. The system is a vertical spiral aquaponics growing system powered by a single 250 watt solar panel and a small DC water pump/filter system. A single DC pump makes the whole thing work. The tower is 15′ tall at the top of the solar panel and approximately 13′ at the top spiral. The water from the tank is pumped up through a small PVC pipe to flow slowly down through the plant crops growing in the spiral growing tray. Upon harvest, water flow is increased, the harvest gate at the bottom end of the spiral is removed and the crops flow down the spiral making harvesting easy. The growing bed tray is approximately 360′ feet long by 3 feet wide, creating a grow area of approx. 1080 square feet. Cost to build this system is about $5k including tank, materials, pipe, pump, and solar power system.

Hydroponics Reader Brandon Koots is a 15-year-old student from Curacao who's been growing his own food for over 4 years. He runs a site where he talks about hydroponics and gardening, and he shared some great tips on starting a simple hydroponics system, called a "raft system." Build a simple raft system in just a few minutes Hydroponics is an easy way to grow your own food. A raft system is a hydroponics system where the plants grow in a medium and their roots hang in the water. In a hydroponic system you can plant more food than in the same area of soil. Materials: a knife or drilla plastic bin (size doesn’t matter)some plastic cupsa markera ruleran oxygen pump - choose one that comes with an airstone Here are the steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You can also use your raft system as an aquaponic system The only extra supplies you'll need are fish and fish food. reduces work that has to be done in a gardenhelps you to save more waterrequires less space. Extra tips:

DIY Hydroponics: Free PDF To make all of these Instructables, download this collection of How To’s as an ebook. Download » DIY Hydroponics gives you full step-by-step instructions for 18 projects to get your indoor harvest growing. Instructables is the most popular project-sharing community on the Internet. Sarah James Editor, Food & LivingInstructables.com Hydroponic Drip Garden DIY Here are the items you will need:1 - 27 gallon heavy duty plastic storage box with recessed plastic lid10' of 1/2" PVC pipe5 - 90 deg PVC elbows3 - PVC T connectors1 - 3/4" to 1/2" PVC reducer1 - 3/4" PCV pipe to 3/4" Male Thread connector4 - 1/2" PVC J-Hook Hangers1 - Male Quick Disconnect to male 3/4" hose thread1 - Female Quick Disconnect to female 3/4" hose thread1 - 1/2" hose barb to female 3/4" hose thread 1 - rubber washer with filter screen3' of 1/2" flexible rubber hose1 - Active Aqua PU160 water pump12' 1/4' O.D. drip line hose12 - Drip stakes or drip nozzles with tie down stakes12 - Square Plastic pots sized to fit 3 across top of tote lid1 - 24 Hr timer with 15 minute on/off timing intervals The first 11 items on the list were all purchased from Home Depot and can be picked up at most hardware stores. The remaining item were purchased from a local hydroponics store in Billerica MA [www.greenlifegardensupply.com].