Author: Dr. Christopher J. Kline

Drip hydroponics systems are easy to build and maintain and can be used to grow herbs, tomatoes, peppers or a combination of each.

Things You Need

• Inexpensive plastic pots, one 12 inch, one 10 and one 8 inch.
• Two-Three plastic 14 inch pot saucers
• Submersible hydroponics water pump (approximately 160GPS)
• Tubing to fit the pump (approximately 3 feet) and one T-connector
• Expanded clay growing medium to fill two smaller pots
• Small air pump with two feet of tubing and air stone
• 100% silicone sealer (small tube)
• Hydroponics grow and bloom nutrients solutions
• pH test kit and pH down (possibly pH up depending on home water chemistry)

Tools

• Drill with 1/8th and 3/4th bits
• Utility knife

Step 1

Seal the hole in the bottom of the largest pot that will serve as the system reservoir. To do this, turn the pot upside down and use 100% silicone sealer to glue a small piece of plastic over the hole. Cut the plastic piece about twice as large as the hole. Any flat thin plastic will do. One easy to find source is to cut these out of clear plastic plant saucers. Next, turn the pot back over and fill the hole inside completely with silicone and even a little extra for a good seal. This should dry 6-8 hours before water is added to the system.

Step 2

Install the pumps and feed tube. Connect the tubing to the submersible hydroponics pump. Generally the tubing will fit tight on the pump spout and a hose clamp is not necessary, but if needed, use a hose clamp to make sure the feed tube stays attached to the pump. Connect the air tube to the air stone. Set the air stone with a rock on top to keep it down and the submersible pump in the bottom of the reservoir.

Step 3

Use 2-3 14 inch saucers for the reservoir lid because one is not strong enough to hold the weight from the growing pots. Set the saucers on top of one another and drill a hole two inches in from the back just large enough to accommodate the feed tube and another just large enough to provide passage for the submersible pump cord and air line. Use a utility knife to cut an opening in the front of the bottom saucer 3x4 inches. This will allow for viewing the reservoir level and adding nutrient solution. Cut a hole ¼ inch smaller all around for the top saucer. Glue the pieces that were cut out of each saucer together and this may be used to cover the opening when not needed. Insert the feed tube back hole and the air tube and submersible pump cord through the back hole. Cover the reservoir pot with the saucers as a lid.

Step 4

The pots should have drain holes in them already. If not, drill drainage holes large enough to allow water to drain through, but smaller than the size of the expanded clay growing medium in both the 8 and 10 inch pots. Drill a hole in the back large enough to accommodate the feed tube, thread the tube through, and set the 10 inch pot on top of the reservoir lid.

Step 5

Fill the 10 inch pot with expanded clay growing medium to within ½ inch from the top. Thread the feed tube through the hole in the back of the 8 inch pot and set the pot on top of the growing medium in the 10 inch pot. Cut the feed tube at the top of the top pot. Hold the feed tube by one side of the pot and fill the pot with growing medium to a couple inches below the top being careful not to allow any medium to fall into the feed tube.

Step 6

Cut a piece of the water tubing to make a 6 inch circle and connect the ends together with the T connector. Lay this circular hose on a flat surface with the T-connector opening facing up. Drill 1/8th inch holes every half inch around the circle. Connect the T-connector to the feed tube in the top pot and fill the pot the rest of the way so that the drip circle sits on top with medium almost covering.

Step 7

Use a clean bucket or other container to mix nutrient solution. If possible use RO filtered water or some other source of filtered water. Check the pH of the water and adjust accordingly using pH up or down to a level of 6.5. Most often pH will need to be lowered. Add hydroponics grow formula to the water per the manufactures directions. Fill the reservoir with nutrient solution and plug in both the air and water pumps.

Planting

Seeds can be started in small peat pots, peat pellets, or various forms of soil-less seed starting cubes or plugs. The small plants can then be transferred to the unit by burying them with their seed starting medium in the expanded clay medium. With larger plants like tomatoes or peppers this system works well with one in the top growing pot and 2-3 in the lower one. For tomatoes three foot plastic poles can be inserted in the growing pot on either side of each plant for staking. The system can be placed on a covered patio in a sunny location or indoors if grow lights are used.

Maintenance

Start with a full reservoir. When the solution is down to just above the pump, add a gallon of pH adjusted water to the reservoir and run the system for five minutes. Unplug the water pump and disconnect one side of the drip tube from the T-connector and place the end in a large bucket. Plug the pump back in and drain the system until the pump just starts to suck air. Unplug the pump immediately and do not let the pump suck air. Use this water to water soil based plants. Fill the reservoir back to the top with pH adjusted nutrient solution. Use a grow solution until plants begin to flower and then switch to a bloom solution. Reconnect the drip tube to the T-connector and plug the pump back in. Every three months, or sooner if needed, change the air stone and clean the intake components of the submersible pump. After each growing season it is a good idea to rinse the growing medium and spread it out to air dry.

Building a small hydroponics system is a rewarding and productive experience and they certainly add beauty to any garden or indoor setting.

Dr. Christopher J. Kline is a master gardener and writer living in Paradise Valley Arizona. Chris is a member of the Garden Writers Association and a columnist for Garden and Greenhouse Magazine http://www.gardenandgreenhouse.net/
Contact: CKline72@Cox.net

This article was originally published in Garden & Greenhouse Magazine. Garden & Greenhouse is written for small commercial growers, hobby greenhouse owners and indoor/outdoor gardeners and is free to qualified readers. For more information visit www.GardenAndGreenhouse.net

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