give me some advice on building my first system. nothing big, just like 5 herbs and maybe 2 pepper plants. so much info on the web and here its a bit overwhelming...especially on the smaller scale!
Kratky Method is the simplest and cheapest to set up. The herbs should be fine near a window, but the peppers may need some additional lighting.
As you are in the US, I'll use the term 'mason jars' (which seem to be just preserving jars, larger jars). But for most small herbs, you can use a smaller jar. Paint it black, or put a cover around it so it does not get light into it (to stop algae growth). Buy some net cups (2" is fine for herbs, and for small pepper plants with some of the bottom opened up). Cut out a hole in your lid to put the net cup into.
Use some kind of medium to support the plant in the net cup, some use 'rock wool', I use foam, others use pebbles or clay balls.
Fill your container up to the bottom of the net cup, and just check periodically if it needs a top up (but not quite the original level).
You will need a larger container for the pepper plants, about a gallon or two (5-10 litres).
If using seedlings (easiest when starting out), remove from seedling tray, brush off as much soil as possible, then gently swish and rinse in water before placing in the net cup.
Add hydroponic nutrients to the jar/bucket!
You can make your own, but to start, use a commercially made one, with instructions of how much to use
Yep or a simple tower. I like and use both but less thought in tower imo. This one cost 100 to build and that includes pump. Simple diy videos on utube for both.
Tower for herbs and strawberries krat for peppers tomatoes etc Big roots dont work great in tower
I first would like to ask in your research that you already started, have you seen a method that interests you a lil bit ?
hi ross. sorry for the delay. i, like so many people have turner to far too many hours on youtube lol. im thinking about going DWC. ive already done some first round shopping lists for pumps, grow lights etc. since my area will be located in my basement, im thinking thats the best way to go for my setup. it will never be anything big. i just love to cook and want to keep a stash of herbs on the ready at all times. i got bit by the pepper bug last year after having about a dozen in my outdoor garden...but they were hard to manage here in Ohio. thus my thought of like maybe a 8 pot DWC bin and maybe 2 DWC 5gal buckets for peppers. thoughts?
so in the 8 cup bin, just try to keep your plants the same harvest time , would hate to put a 40 day herb in with a 60 day something and then the roots are a tangled mess when removing something harvested
Another thought on the peppers you could add a 3rd bucket you dobt grow in attached to the other 2 buckets as your controller bucket so your not lifting up the plant every day to check ph ... I got a bad back and cant keep lifting plants up
hey ross. thanks for all the info. noob alert: can you point me in a direction to research the grow spans for most herbs? so i can avoid that issue? perhaps maybe doing 2 smaller DWC's for the herbs. the air pump im looking at is a 8 port, so im not stressing there.
thanks for all the tips!
you're welcome sorry I progressed through the hydroponics categories quickly only spent 4 months in dwc