| Growing Vegetables Hydroponically
By Pat Rhoades, Sonoma County Master Gardener
Dislike weeding? Have problems with foraging deer, turkeys & gophers? Think that you don’t have enough space for a vegetable garden? Here’s a solution for you!
After listening to my complaints about all of the above, my father-in-law gifted me with a hydroponic garden. He even delivered it and helped with the initial set up. Its appearance took a bit of getting used to but when moved to the far right side of the deck it's not exactly the first thing you see.
This is my hydroponic garden consisting of twelve, 12" square pots in a 2 ft x 6 ft plastic frame. Many variations occur. The "soil" is a mixture of clay pebbles and coconut fiber. Black tubing runs from a reservoir of nutrient-rich water run by a timer set to circulate 15 minutes each morning and evening. The timing can be easily adjusted for those burning hot days. Electricity usage is minimal, as is water. I change the medium every other year.
Initially I did it "by the book", using expensive hydroponic nutrients and checking the pH daily. I came to realize that I could buy veggies at the Farmers Market for a whole lot less money so I made a few phone calls and experimented. I now use a readily available and inexpensive nutrient source – Miracle Gro! One tablespoon per gallon of water and everything ‘planted’ seems to thrive.
I've been doing this for six years and I have something growing all year round. Sugar snap peas were one of my favorites (I'm growing a batch in an earth box [see sidebar] just to see which does better). Another advantage is NO BENDING or kneeling! My aging back and knees really appreciate it!
Do the vegetables taste different? I personally don't think so and neither do several of my Master Gardener friends who are recipients of my produce bounty. A neighbor called yesterday to see if I'd be growing those "wonderful German heirloom tomatoes" this year?
I'm going to do just that, but first I have to finish harvesting the Swiss Chard, Arugula and Bok Choy, put in all the new starts waiting for transplanting, and wait for the eggplants, squash, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to start producing!
| Earthbox
An Earthbox is a contraption that is sort of a hybrid between a raised-bed vegetable garden, and a hydroponic one. It puts growing medium in a rectangular plastic box, over a grid that sits over a water basin. In the corners, soil extends down into the water basin, and wicking action draws water up into the growing area. A viewing tube allows the water basin to be monitored and filled, every week or two. Earthboxes seem to be well suited to patio or deck gardening, or small-scale close-in gardening. I saw one Sonoma gardener last summer with a deck-side Earthbox with four tomato plants that were growing 5 ft. up a lattice, and absolutely laden with tomatoes. I'm trying one this year with tomatoes on the deck--my wife gave it to me as a birthday present after seeing all those tomatoes so close to the kitchen. I'll have a report later in the year. You could easily make your own earthbox out of an old terra-cotta planter, construct it like a small raised bed, or even use a half-wine barrel. The only caveat is that the bottom must be made impermeable to hold the water reservoir, and you need a grid or mesh that can be held above the water reservoir, and retain the soil. Or you can by the kits at www.earthbox.com. -Webmaster |
