Sprig and Quill

hydroponics

With hydroponics, you replace soil for water and liquid fertilizers.

Hydroponics are becoming more and more popular in an urban setting, because they can be grown in small spaces (such as apartment buildings), and can be built into most unused spaces. For example, in Alberta, Canada, a family converted an unused school into a hydroponic farm that provides fruits and veggies for their town all year. [1]

Setups for hydroponics can range from large factories, to just a small setup on a kitchen counter.

Hydroponics will not work for all crop types (such as trees), and fruits that require pollination may have to be hand-pollinated.

Hydroponic Benefits:

  • Can enable year-round growing.
  • Reduce water usage (compared to conventional farming).
  • No weeds.
  • They do not require soil, which drastically cuts down the chance of pests.
  • Can bring food options into food deserts
  • Can be grown in restrictive spaces (such as indoors).
  • Can avoid harsh weather by being able to be grown in doors

DIY Basic Hydroponics

Supplies:

  • Bin with a lid
  • Drill and drill bit
  • Hydroponic baskets
  • Lava stones or other filler
  • Aquarium bubbler
  • Hydroponic fertilizer solution
  • Water
  • Seedlings

Instructions:

  1. Using a drill bit slightly smaller than the rim of your baskets, drill holes in the lid. Be sure to leave gaps between holes.
  2. Drill a hole for the cable of the aquarium bubbler
  3. Fill the bin with water and add the fertilizer solution
  4. Put on the lid and place baskets into their holes.
  5. Place seedlings into the baskets with the lava stones
  6. Turn on the bubbler

Make sure the setup is in a sunny location, otherwise you will need a grow light.

DIY Window Hydroponics:

NPR and Window Farms

Do you have plastic bottles sitting around? You could consider turning them into a window food garden!

You’ll of course need plants that do not get too big (such as dwarf tomato plants instead of full-sized).

If your window does not get enough sunlight, you may also have to supplement that with grow lights and a plug timer.

Supplies:

  • used water bottles or pop bottles
  • a pump kit (with tubing and joints)
  • a bucket of water
  • growing substrate
  • a hanging anchor kit
  • silicone steel tube
  • chain (for hanging)
  • tools (electric drill, plier, hole punch)

… and convert them into a tiny food garden that hangs by your window. Here is a full tutorial on the setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igWJ8uqy4

#greenliving #farming #gardening #hydroponics #FarmingAndGardening

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