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This
is the simplest method of hydroponics and is used mainly by growers who
only wish to cultivate a minimal number of plants or for the propagation
of small plants. It is a true domestic incarnation of hydroculture.
The system consists of a bucket with a lid, large net pot, clay pebbles,
large air pump, airline, and a large round air stone. The air stone is
placed at the bottom of the bucket with the airline running to the air
pump on the outside of the bucket. The bucket is filled to approximately
two thirds to three quarters full with water. The lid is placed on top
of the bucket which holds a net pot, which in turn holds the clay pebble
growing medium.
The system relies upon an air pump and an air stone to bubble air through
the nutrient solution to mix it, but also in the beginning to generate
spray, so as to get the clay pebble medium wet in order to establish the
roots through the net pot. Consequently, the water has to be high enough
to saturate the clay pebble medium by means of getting it wet or even
moist via the actions of the bursting air bubbles. Once the plant has
established a good root system, then it is advisable to lower the level
of water in the bucket so that some of the roots can be allowed to hang
in the air between the net pot and the water level. The majority of the
roots live in the aerated deep water, 24 hours a day. With 24 hours a
day in mind, as the roots are constantly submerged, it is crucial that
the air pump is on 24 hours a day. If the pump is allowed to be off for
any length of time, the roots will suffer from being waterlogged and starved
of oxygen.
This system does not operate via a reservoir, as the plants live
in the reservoir itself. As the bucket can only hold a very limited amount
of water - 5 to 10 litres, and the plants are living in this small amount
of water, the CF and pH of this water is in a state of constant flux and
therefore in need of constant attention.
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Not only that, but larger
plants can deplete 5 litres of water in a single day so you are also in
constant danger of the system literally running out of water. To emphasise
this a little better, as plants uptake water they do not necessarily uptake
nutrients at the same rate and as this occurs, the plants might be drinking
lots of water but not eating much food. The result is that in a matter
of hours, as the water is depleted, the concentration of the nutrients
in the bucket can reach toxic levels. So it is critical to always under
feed your plants in this system.
With this in mind, the pH will also fluctuate as the water is depleted
but the nutrients are not. So, you are advised to keep a constant check
on monitoring and maintaining this system. Maintenance of this system
also presents a headache because in order to change the water and check
the pH and CF, you have to physically remove the lid and the plant from
the growing
chamber. To lift the lid with a small plant in it is not so much a worry,
but to be constantly lifting the lid with a large plant located in it
will do damage to the plant and the rootball of the plant. Bear in mind
that you will have to do this on at least a daily basis, so the practicality
of this technique is very questionable. If you were to maintain several
of these buckets in one grow room, then you could be looking at a full-time
maintenance job; not really what hydroponics is about! Large plants
that are grown in this system will also need extra support due to the
fact that the plant is grown in a minimal amount of medium, which will
not support heavy yielders.
As this system¹s engine is an air pump and an air stone, then the
bigger the air pump and the bigger the air stone, the better this system
will perform.
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