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Gardening With Hydroponics

A person holding a seedling from a hydroponic garden showing the roots of the plant.

Kevin sees San Diego as a paradise for gardeners, but one major problem is a lack of rainfall. If you're growing in the soil, there are a couple of things you can do. You can add some mulch on top — it helps lock in moisture — or you can use automated watering systems and use less water more efficiently.

Kevin's alternative is to grow in a hydroponic system. You don't use any soil in a hydroponic system, and you use about 90% less water. As a bonus, the plants grow faster. In a hydroponic system you have water, nutrients, oxygen all being delivered immediately to the plant's roots so they don't have to go hunting for it. For example, kale might take nine weeks to be ready to harvest in soil but maybe only five or six weeks in a hydroponic garden — about 30% to 35% faster.

Putting together a hydroponic system might seem intimidating, but Kevin's system is really easy to assemble.

Shop Vegetable & Herb Seeds Shop Hydrogardening

Build the Hydroponic Garden Frame

The first thing we want to do is frame up a simple stand. You can use 1-by-3s to build it. Any wood will do. For the frame, you need to cut a couple of vertical elements, cross braces and some shorter pieces to create some very simple legs.

Instructions

A person using a tape measure and pen to measure and mark a 1-inch by 3-inch board at 5 feet.

Measure and cut the two vertical components for the stand. Kevin cut two 5-foot lengths of 1-inch-by-3-inch lumber.

Measure and cut the top brace to 43 inches. It'll run across the top of the verticals. Cut the middle brace to 41-1/2 inches. It's a bit shorter to allow it to run between the verticals to ensure the whole structure is supported and stable.

Tip

A square will help you quickly and accurately draw a cut line across the boards.

A person using a clamp to hold the feet of the planter frame in place before attaching with screws.

Cut four 18-inch leg bases from the 1-inch-by-3-inch lumber. This is a very simple leg design. The bases will just sandwich the verticals to create a bit of stability. You'll need the stand to be stable since you're going to be adding weight by putting plants and water on the system.

Center the end of one of the verticals between two of the 18-inch base pieces. Apply exterior wood glue to the pieces and clamp them in place. Drill pilot holes and attach the base pieces to the vertical with a couple of exterior wood screws. Repeat for the other vertical.

Measure and mark the location for the middle brace on both verticals. Clamp a vertical and the cross brace in place and drill pilot holes. Secure the end of the brace to the vertical with wood glue and screws. Attach the second vertical the same way.

Place the top cross brace across the verticals, drill pilot holes and attach the pieces with wood glue and screws through the face of the brace and into the end of the verticals.

Add the Channels to the System

Next, create the channels for the system. These act as the hydroponic planters, which are the conduits the water and nutrients run through, and they're where the plant's roots will grow.

Instructions

Several lengths of white P V C pipe cut with holes to accept plants.

Clamp lengths of 2-inch-diameter PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe to the work surface. Use a hack saw to cut five 45-inch pieces from the PVC. Mark and bore five equidistant holes across each pipe piece. To fit the plants he'll be growing, Kevin used a 1-7/8-diameter hole saw to bore the holes. You'll need to drill an additional, smaller hole at one end of the channel that'll be mounted highest on the stand. This inlet will let you pump the water up to the top of the system so it can flow back down to all of the plants. You can use a small hole saw or a large standard drill bit; the hole just needs to be big enough for the vinyl tubing that'll carry the water from the pump.

Tip

Use sandpaper to smooth the edges of your cuts in the PVC.

A person using a red Craftsman drill to secure a pipe strap to the hydroponic system frame.

You'll attach the channels to the stand with pipe straps or brackets, but you need to offset the brackets to allow the water to flow down the channels. The first bracket attaches at the highest point on the frame, supporting the top end of the first channel — the end with the water inlet you created. The other brackets need to be installed so the channels have at least an inch of downward slope for every 30 inches of length, otherwise the water won't run down and recirculate in the system. Use screws to attach the top channel to the stand with brackets at either end. Once the top channel is in place, close off the top end with a PVC end cap.

Cut and fit the return pipe to the end of the final channel just like the rest of the channels, but don't secure it to the frame yet. This pipe won't have holes to hold plants, it 'll simply run down to a 5-gallon bucket. From the bucket, the water will be pumped back up into the system. Once you have an idea of where the water will exit the return pipe, remove the pipe until after you install the pump and tubing.

A person placing a black pond pump in a blue Lowe's bucket.

The final step is to put in your water recirculation system. For this project, Kevin used a submersible pump. Attach the adapter that connects the pump to half-inch black vinyl tubing and secure the tubing to the pump. Place the pump in the bottom of the bucket and thread the power cord through the hole you drilled in the side. Thread the tubing through the smaller hole in the lid so the lid sits flat.

A close-up of a P V C channel on the hydroponic system holding cups planted with seeds.

Now you just have to add the stars of the show, the plants. Kevin used 2-inch net cups and placed rockwool cubes into the cups to hold the plant roots. Insert the cups into the holes on the channels. Finally, sprinkle a couple of seeds in each cup. You can use all sorts of plants in this system. Kevin suggests small, leafy greens or herbs because they won't grow too large or unwieldy, but they grow very fast. Stay away from plants like radishes, carrots, onions or other root vegetables because they're growing for their underground root, and they don't work that well in a hydroponic system.

Keep Your Plants Healthy and Growing

With the plants in and growing, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, you need to change the water and nutrients in the bucket about once a week to keep everything fresh. Secondly, make sure that the pump is still working. Check the pump and power periodically. If the water stops flowing, the plants will start to die. But, with everything running properly, in a few weeks the plants will be lush, full and ready for harvest.

The Harvest

Two rows of seedlings growing in the hydroponic system.

Over the course of a few weeks, Kevin made a couple of changes to the system while the plants were growing.

He moved the system to an area that gets a lot more light, so the plants grew faster and healthier.
He improved the PVC connections with PVC adhesive, making sure the water line was nice and tight.

When it came time to harvest, in addition to other plants he was growing, Kevin harvested some beautiful kale. Making a salad is one of his favorite things to do with the kale, but Kevin says you can also turn it into kale chips. Just strip the stems out, chop it up, toss it in olive oil and salt, bake and you've got a tasty snack.

Tip

Interested in learning about different types of herbs to see if they’re right for your garden? From basil to thyme, Grow Herbs in Your Garden tells you about different types and gives you tips on freezing and drying herbs.

Grow Anywhere

A close-up of a plant growing in the hydroponic system.

Hopefully this showed you just how easy it is to make a DIY hydroponic system. The system allows you to grow anywhere. Even if you don't get a lot of water in your location or have soil, it's the perfect method.

See more of our "Grow Anywhere" series for tips and ideas on growing your own food:

Grow Anywhere: High-Yield Edible Gardening in a Small Space gives you tips on maximizing your harvest, even if you don't have a lot of square footage.
Grow Anywhere: Year-Round Gardening With Cold Frames shows you how to use a cold frame to keep your vegetable garden growing even in a dry, cold environment.

Shop Edible Garden Plants Shop Vegetable Plants Shop Herb Plants

Grow Anywhere: Low-Water Edible Gardening With Hydroponics

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

Gardening With Hydroponics

Build the Hydroponic Garden Frame

Instructions

Add the Channels to the System

Instructions

Keep Your Plants Healthy and Growing

The Harvest

Grow Anywhere

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