This may be the most simple hydroponic system going. Made from a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. You can use a pre-manufactured net cup. Or make your own with a plastic cup with lots of holes drilled in it. The cup needs to be filled with clay pellets or gravel.
- Use a black 5 gallon bucket with a lid.
- Drill a proper sized hole in your lid for the net cup you are using.
- Drill a 1/4″ hole in the lid for the 1/4″ air line.
- Run air line through hole and attach air stone. Leave enough air line so that the air stone will lay flat on the bottom.
- Fill bucket to slightly above the bottom of the net cup with nutrient solution and place lid on 5 gallon bucket. (Note : After the roots have grown a few inches below the net cup, you should lower the level of nutrient solution to about 1/4″ to 1/2″ below the bottom of the net cup.)
- Hook other end of air line up to an air pump and verify that there are bubbles coming out of the air stone.
- Place your bare root plant or seedling into the net cup and cover the roots with clay pellets or gravel. It is best if you have roots that hang outside of the net cup
- This system can be easily modified. You can add a sight gauge simply with a 1/2″ rubber grommet, a 1/2″ elbow and a short piece of see-through blue vinyl tubing.
- Also, many of these systems can be linked together with a central reservoir using 1/2″ rubber grommets, 1/2″ barbed fittings, and 1/2″ vinyl tubing.