Hydroponics advice

Kelley
Kelley Posts: 140 ✭✭✭

We are trying hydroponics this year. We live on a 55 acre lake and will be using the lake water for water and nutrients. We have started our seedlings but I am unsure what size pots to use for which vegetable.

We have lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, and other basics. We also have several herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, dill, fennel, and parsley.

Thanks

Kelley

Comments

  • OhiohillsLouise
    OhiohillsLouise Posts: 120 ✭✭✭

    Kelly I hope this works out for you. I had an aquaponics greenhouse set up at my old house and loved it but was not from a lake. At my new house I have a pond and would like to try using it. But something else always takes priority.

    But your question about pot size ... I think you need to give more information, are you growing in tubes, gravel, floating beds etc. I’ve tried the floating beds with net pots and I’ve tried planting in gravel with no pots.

  • Kelley
    Kelley Posts: 140 ✭✭✭

    We got about 25 ft of 6 inch PVC and are cutting holes in it for 1 to 3 inch net pots we are growing tomatoes. Peppers, several types of beans, cucumbers and such. We are using a wick in coconut fiber medium.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    If there are fish in the lake it is more like aquaponics, that said the net pots are the same. We use the 2-3 in net pots in our floating beds for greens, but my tomatoes are grown right in my expanded clay growing media. I pull and rinse the media annually to keep the buildup of fish gunk from happening. I have been using the same media since starting my system. You may have to periodically change out or add to your coconut coir as your plants will pull some out as you remove the plants. I don’t remember 100% but my pots may even be 2.5 inches.

  • Kelley
    Kelley Posts: 140 ✭✭✭

    I can't grow directly in the lake, we have to pump water to the system. Great idea for the tomatoes. I have never used expanded clay as a growing medium. What about peppers, beans and squash?

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    @timtandme I grow all of that in my media.

  • OhiohillsLouise
    OhiohillsLouise Posts: 120 ✭✭✭

    @timtandme I had success with leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, herbs, watercress, onions, small cucumbers. I didn’t try peppers or beans. I tried zucchini and got beautiful plants but the fruit usually shriveled before maturing so I gave up on those. If you are planting in a closed greenhouse think about how your flowering plants are going to be pollinated.

  • Kelley
    Kelley Posts: 140 ✭✭✭

    Thanks @Louise. We are keeping the doors and windows open so hopefully that will be enough. With that thought, any suggestions? Lady bugs, getting a local bee farmer to sent some bees my way?

  • OhiohillsLouise
    OhiohillsLouise Posts: 120 ✭✭✭

    @timtandme hand pollinating is an option, but if your doors and windows are open that will probably do it. Remember there are native pollinators too. Here in Ohio there are close to 500 different types of bees. Who would have ever thought! Honeybees actually fly a very long distance so if you have a local beekeeper, those bees are probably already visiting.

    one more suggestion, and this depends on your setup, I was mostly planting in stone and I introduced red wiggler worms. That proved to be beneficial, Red wrigglers can tolerate more water than some other worms, they can come closer to the surface when the water rises. Mine survived the winter without supplemental heat.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    One thing to remember is that the larger plants will need to be supported in some way. As the roots in a small pot may not be enough to support tall, heavy plants. We had a small setup in our old house. We attached cords or twin to the ceiling and tied the plants off on those.