#kratky — Public Fediverse posts

Hydroponic spinach is going well after a lot of babying.

The tatsoi, poblanos, and pumpkins are doing good too.

A single musk melon is... problematic, which is why I direct sowed about a dozen the other day. Let's hope for at least one mate.

#garden #gardening #grow #seedling #seedlings #hydroponic #hydroponics #kratky #pumpkin #tatsoi #poblanos #peppers #spinach #melon

Basement garden is in full swing.

Purple tomatillos, 5 types of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and basil.

On deck: Sugar pumpkins, poblanos, tatsoi and chives.

Bonus: hydroponic spinach kratky experiment

#garden #gardening #grow #lettuce #tomatoes #seedling #seedlings #plantstadon #growlight #hydroponic #hydroponics #kratky #kratkymethod

Basement garden is in full swing.

Purple tomatillos, 5 types of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and basil.

On deck: Sugar pumpkins, poblanos, tatsoi and chives.

Bonus: hydroponic spinach kratky experiment

#garden #gardening #grow #lettuce #tomatoes #seedling #seedlings #plantstadon #growlight #hydroponic #hydroponics #kratky #kratkymethod

I never got to this in my video because my approach radically changed since writing the script. It didn't exactly matter for the video itself, but I think it's a good advice.
Originally I thought that beginner #Kratky #hydroponics gardeners like me don't need to bother about EC, as leafy greens are tolerant (in my one-season experience, tomatoes are tolerant too). But should make effort to lower solution's pH to lettuce levels (around 5.8). Which is a struggle as I found pH meters to be drama queens, while my EC meter is more reliable.
That was before I studied recommended EC/pH tables a lot, and also ran an experiment on my surviving kale, and then learned that it applies to all brassicas: they actually _like_ higher pH, and also like much higher EC, so if you have 'a bit hard' water like mine, you can ignore pH, scale the nutrients up to reach EC 2-2.5 (using a reliable non-fussy device to check), and be a happy owner of a garden with kale, pak-choy, mizuna, mustard greens, and a number of other 'cabbages'.
I'm currently unsure why the 'hydroponic beginner default' is lettuce, while it's so much easier to grow brassicas.
This year's young mizuna and pak-choy say hello (with sorrel in the front bottle).

I never got to this in my video because my approach radically changed since writing the script. It didn't exactly matter for the video itself, but I think it's a good advice.
Originally I thought that beginner #Kratky #hydroponics gardeners like me don't need to bother about EC, as leafy greens are tolerant (in my one-season experience, tomatoes are tolerant too). But should make effort to lower solution's pH to lettuce levels (around 5.8). Which is a struggle as I found pH meters to be drama queens, while my EC meter is more reliable.
That was before I studied recommended EC/pH tables a lot, and also ran an experiment on my surviving kale, and then learned that it applies to all brassicas: they actually _like_ higher pH, and also like much higher EC, so if you have 'a bit hard' water like mine, you can ignore pH, scale the nutrients up to reach EC 2-2.5 (using a reliable non-fussy device to check), and be a happy owner of a garden with kale, pak-choy, mizuna, mustard greens, and a number of other 'cabbages'.
I'm currently unsure why the 'hydroponic beginner default' is lettuce, while it's so much easier to grow brassicas.
This year's young mizuna and pak-choy say hello (with sorrel in the front bottle).

It took longer than expected, but my #hydroponics video about Kratky bottles with 3d-printed parts is ready.
I tried other bottles but these 2l milk jugs are perfect in having wide throats, being stable against winds (I grow plants on an open balcony), and the size is good. They also pack well side-by-side since the bottom is rectangular.
The current batch of seedlings shown in the video is already bottled, mostly, with basil just about to. I'm currently out of empty bottles, and still need to sprout the seeds for the big container too.

All the models are made in FreeCAD, all the animations — in Friction2D. The milk jugs are local :)
The original inspiration by Hoocho's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ZlpEUcQ90

#kratkyMethod #Kratky #FreeCAD #Friction2D #3dPrinting

It took longer than expected, but my #hydroponics video about Kratky bottles with 3d-printed parts is ready.
I tried other bottles but these 2l milk jugs are perfect in having wide throats, being stable against winds (I grow plants on an open balcony), and the size is good. They also pack well side-by-side since the bottom is rectangular.
The current batch of seedlings shown in the video is already bottled, mostly, with basil just about to. I'm currently out of empty bottles, and still need to sprout the seeds for the big container too.

All the models are made in FreeCAD, all the animations — in Friction2D. The milk jugs are local :)
The original inspiration by Hoocho's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ZlpEUcQ90

#kratkyMethod #Kratky #FreeCAD #Friction2D #3dPrinting

Dieses Jahr mal ein kleiner Hydroponic-Testlauf... mal seh'n, wie das klappt. Die #FronteraSweet ist gestern in einen grünen 10l Eimer umgezogen. Netztopf mit Blähton gefüllt und Wasser etwas gedüngt mit Hakaphos Naranja.

#chilisaison2026 #hydroponic #kratky #Chili #gardening

Dieses Jahr mal ein kleiner Hydroponic-Testlauf... mal seh'n, wie das klappt. Die #FronteraSweet ist gestern in einen grünen 10l Eimer umgezogen. Netztopf mit Blähton gefüllt und Wasser etwas gedüngt mit Hakaphos Naranja.

#chilisaison2026 #hydroponic #kratky #Chili #gardening

My experiment of growing a Marigold in my Kratky-style hydroponic setup. I wanted it to keep away pests...but also because its nice to see such a happy flower while there's snow outside.

I also have spinach and Swiss chard, and the very start of a strawberry plant.

#Kratky #hydroponics #flowers

Made a short video about my experience growing leafy greens in bottles with 3d-printed inserts. The original idea belongs to Hoocho's Youtube channel (I modelled a similar insert myself), and was a gateway drug to #hydroponics for me :)
https://youtube.com/shorts/yeli_93LuXw
#Kratky #3dPrinting #HydroponicGarden

So langsam bereite ich meinen #Wintergrow vor.
Bei #Cannabis konnte ich mich nicht entscheiden, aber die drei Schönsten kommen dann in den Schrank.
Sorten sind alles fem. Samen.

Banana S3 x Golden Tiger S1
Afghane S2
Banana S2
Afghane x Golden Tiger S1
und
Golden Tiger S2

Außerdem gibt es noch Oregano und 3 verschiedene Sorten Chilis.
#Chili und #Oregano werde ich wohl in #Kratky anbauen und die Hanfis in Erde.
Und auf meiner Todo Liste steht noch Panelumbau und Viecher loswerden.

Dr #Kratky is back to seed us with more knowledge. In this video we learn to not disturb the root structures.

#kratkyhasaposse #hydroponics #roots #kratkymethod

https://youtu.be/Foy0xyWjvlQ?si=WOZQZ3ORFP4SbJR7

Setting up a kratky hydroponic shelf at the local library...

...filling up the five gallon tubs using the restroom sinks... ...which have very low flow to save water.

😅😅😅

I have six of these to fill up!

This will take a while 😂😭

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #library

Setting up a kratky hydroponic shelf at the local library...

...filling up the five gallon tubs using the restroom sinks... ...which have very low flow to save water.

😅😅😅

I have six of these to fill up!

This will take a while 😂😭

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #library

My hydroponic garden that was 'salad greens, oh let's try petunia and tomatoes too' turned into tomato jungle with petunia sticking out the sides. Mizuna was very strong for a while, but most plants lost their vigour, and one decided to flower and is now producing thin pods. It's also late in the season, and cold in the open balcony, so there is that.
Meanwhile with all that tomato flowering, I finally see a fruit! No idea if it manages to ripen, but I get new subjects for my #macro lens (Canon 100mm/2.8 Macro, non-USM version).
#hydroponics #Kratky

I think it's been two weeks after potting my seedlings into this #Kratky container. Harvested a few times, just performed their first refill.
I keep being amazed at how low maintenance it is compared to bottles setup. So far I needed someone else to hold the lid with plants up while I'm pouring the solution in. It's not heavy at all, so my 10y old was a good assistant in this job :)
Of course some small opening with a separate lid is an obvious if a more tech heavy solution of this problem.
#hydroponics #balconyGarden

I'm very late with my hydroponics game this year, but my husband suggested to go traditional #kratky vs my previous minimal viable version in bottles. He's got to buy new blades for his power tools, after all ;)
Compared to bottles it's incredibly low maintenance, but now that the weather got warm again, I expect them to drink more.
#hydroponics #kratky #kratkymethod

These #hydroponic #peppers better git to growing, I'm using a #kratky setup of a hoocho bucket of cococoir and cotton wick on top a 5 gal bucket of water and nutrients...but the level is getting low now the fruiting is on.

I could add back in maybe 1 gal of mix to keep it fruiting, but I really want to see how #SetAndForget I can get this.

Also adding back into a #kratky setup is a dance, too much and you drown the air roots.

And that is the new from #aptgarden for today. #lifefindsaway

I recorded a Lunch & Learn with my local library!

Introduction to Hydroponics

It covers the basics of:
- what a plant needs to grow in nature
- what a plant needs to grow in hydroponics
- an intro to various hydroponic methods
- a detailed description of the Kratky Method
- various resources for hydroponics
- an example grow-bin that you can build yourself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=typP4TLqDY4

#solarPunk #library #libraries #hydroponics #kratky #gardening

I recorded a Lunch & Learn with my local library!

Introduction to Hydroponics

It covers the basics of:
- what a plant needs to grow in nature
- what a plant needs to grow in hydroponics
- an intro to various hydroponic methods
- a detailed description of the Kratky Method
- various resources for hydroponics
- an example grow-bin that you can build yourself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=typP4TLqDY4

#solarPunk #library #libraries #hydroponics #kratky #gardening

#aptgarden update

The window gets some new #basil from seed as the old basil and rosemary keep going.

#masonjar #kratky

#aptgarden update....simplify redux

After years of playing with #hydroponics the lesson I have learned is ..simplify.

5 gal buckets, water, nutrients, container for substrate, cotton rope for wicking , seed, lights....done
l
All the #Aerogarden clones and pricey lights....for my scale and need...bye bye.

For my windows it's a scaled down version with #masonjars and net cups instead.
The results over the years are my proof. Simpler makes better.

As always, #kratky for the win.

@geco_de Dad is #Kratky 😉

Am Wochenende ist schon Ernte. Ich mach einen Eintopf und da kommen die dann rein.
Der Koriander ist tatsächlich 1 Meter hoch geworden. Der ist auch absolut tolerant was Dünger, Wassermenge angeht. Schaut euch mal die Brühe im Glas von der Pflanze an.
#Kratky #growyourown #gardening #Koriander #Basilikum

Dem #Koriander und #Basilikum geht es auch soweit gut. Basilikum wächst eh wie Unkraut und der Koriander hatte anfangs Probleme mit dem halt.
Wasser ist immer noch die Erstbefüllung. Zwischendurch gab es ein paar Tropfen Dünger aus der Spritze. Easy.
#Kratky .

BT8
Gerade den ec gemessen und korrigiert. Die hat richtig Hunger.
Gestern gab es neue NL mit einem ec von 0,75. Jetzt sind es 0,55.
Wieder auf 0,75 eingestellt. Das hab ich jetzt die ganze Woche so gemacht, also das Düngen, nicht die NL wechseln.
Ansonsten bin ich natürlich sehr zufrieden mit ihr.
#cannabis #kratky #growyourown

#aptgarden update. Some amount of reorganizing/consolidation.

#Hoocho buckets on a metal pipe frame. Sealed Hoocho buckets under each for water/nutrients. The water wicks up via cotton rope/ the coco coir medium

5 gal bucket, 4 gal water jug w/Hoocho buckets on top . Easy to maintain and great for longer term grows .

The #masonjar #kratky vessels keep going. They are some of the easiest , long lasting, low maintenance methods for short /mid term herbs/greens.

Not shown, sprouting trays

Moin.
Die #Chili kommt jetzt auch langsam. Bis jetzt hab ich ihr immer die Blüten abgemacht, damit die ihre Energie in die Triebe steckt.
Die Sorte hatte ich schon mal als #Bonsai und ist mir letztes Jahr leider an Mehltau verreckt.
Immerhin 5 Jahre ist sie geworden und die Samen sind von ihr.
Ansonsten ist die Sorte echt pflegeleicht. Heißt ja nicht umsonst Bürochili. 😁
Die Kleine macht sich auch und die werde ich einfach erstmal wachsen lassen.
#Kratky #Growyourown #gardening

Moin.
Schon wieder #cannabis aber ich
hab ne Lösung zum überprüfen des Wasserstands gefunden. Eine Taschenlampe. 👍
#Kratky

Update #Cannabis, weil da ist gerade am meisten los und ich schick die jetzt in Blüte.
Anfangs hatte ich Probleme bei der Umstellung auf Kunstlicht (mit zu viel Lumen draufgeballert.... soll ja schnell gehen....) und dadurch fast die Pflanze gekillt.
Schnee von gestern und jetzt läuft alles erstaunlich rund.
Was praktisches zum Nachfüllen für den Tank muss ich mir noch einfallen lassen und einen Wasserstandsanzeiger hätte ich auch noch gerne.
#Kratky #growyourown #Hydroponic

Moin 💋
Update #Kratky
#Cannabis
Der Umzug vom Stecki ins Kratkysystem hat soweit geklappt. Die Wurzeln kommen jetzt auch und wachsen brav in die NL. Oben sieht man schon die ersten Luftwurzeln (das feine weiße).
#Chili, #Basilikum und #Koreander
Die Chilisorte nennt sich Capsicum annuum var minimum oder auch Bürochili.
Da hab ich mir noch eine dazu gestellt.
#growyourown #microgrowery #gardening

Hallo ihr da draußen.
Hab mir heute ne Ecke im Schlafzimmer am Fenster gebaut, um da ein paar Pflanzen in #Hydroponic wachsen zu lassen.
Darf ich vorstellen:

Eine Chili.
Aus der soll mal ein Bonsai werden. Macht scharfe kleine Schoten.
Basilikum und Koriander für die Küche und
Cannabis für die Seele.
Alle Pflanzen stehen in #Kratky Systemen.
#growyourown #Gardening

Alright, let's size out a shelf for us.

Quick centering moment...

This does not and SHOULD NOT be perfect.

Don't worry about maximizing space. Don't worry about making it perfect. Don't worry about being precise. If you're really worried, start small and get a feel for it, then make something bigger the next go around.

Also, don't follow my instructions perfectly. I'm building for my space. But you build for your space. Make it cozy. Make it yours. Make it different. Or do exactly as I do and enjoy it, I don't care, it's your's! lol!

We're putting together a place to hold a bucket of water. It need not be complicated or stressful.

Okay!!! LETS DIVE IN!!! YAY!!!

A couple things to keep in mind while we're choosing a shelving system (system used LOOSELY here):
- How much *floor* space do you have. Whats a good-ish footprint. Width and Depth.
- How tall are your walls / how high up the wall you want to build. Height.
- How much space you want between your shelves. Space for the grow bin and space for the plant to grow above it.
- (IMPORTANT!!!) Ensuring it can handle the weight of all the bins filled with water.
- With that, ensure it can handle getting wet. This should be a utility shelf.

So we're growing in doors. You have limited space.

If you have virtually NO space. Then you can do a single-unit grow bin with a footprint of 6 inches by 6 inches, right? You can find a link to that build in my bio page. But if you have a couple of feet, you can build a shelf.

I like to grow out of 5 gallon plastic (it says its food safe... I dunno...) storage containers. Think the 5 gallon "Commander" storage containers found at various chain hardware stores. The dimensions for these are 16.4" x 12.3" x 8.6". I can fit three of these side by side in a roughly 3ft wide shelf. There are many other options, but consider what you want to grow out in a roughly 3ft by 2ft footprint shelf, right? You pick your grow bins, plastic, glass, metal - but we'll use these bins as the example moving forward.

Ok. That's my footprint. Roughly 3ft wide. 2ish ft in depth. That's what I want any given shelf footprint to roughly measure.

Looking around my house. I have a section of floor space that I can push my clean clothes pile out of the way and make room for 3x2 shelf. Heck. In a corner, I can put a 3x2 shelf facing one direction and squeeze another 3x2 shelf against the other wall and it makes a 5x3 L shape thingy... Cool. I'm doing that. Gonna put my lettuce wall in the corner.

My height is roughly 9ft.... holy shit, that's a tall ceiling. Okay... Anyhow, you sort out how tall your ceiling is. You don't have to build all the way up, right. You can build out along your wall if you want more shelving. But that gives you the max amount you can play with.

Now here's the big thing. You're going to want adjustable shelving. That's key. That lets you set up the distance between shelves to tailor it to your grow bins and plants.

I've found two options (let me know if you find more!):
1) Adjustable Wireframe Utility Shelves
2) Adjustable Wooden Storage Shelves

Frankly, the wireframe utility shelves are your best option. They are generally affordable. They are adjustable. You can attach all sorts of things to it with zip ties and the like (good for setting up your lights). They can hold a LOT of weight.... this is awesome. And the BIGGEST THING!!! While they are generally affordable when bought new, more importantly you can often find these used for cheap or even free via craigslist, facebook marketplace, or dumpster diving. They hold up for a long time and people give these away all the time. Go snag some for free.

But! I live with someone else. And they have veto'd it for the lettuce wall. They're cool with a wireframe shelf in a utility closet or garage, but not next to where we are eating. But they bring about an important point. They associate wireframe utility shelves with work (they were a baker several years ago). And that specifically looks too utilitarian to them. They want more wood and nature in their lives. So! I'm going with the second option.

The adjustable wooden storage shelves.

I can stain them. I can paint them. I can make them really pretty. ( I pointed out that I could make the wireframe pretty too!!! And you can!!! But I don't have personal negative vibes associated with wireframe... I must compromise! And I do so gladly and easily. :P )

Real quick aside and to that point... Aesthetics are REALLY important. You absolutely must make these things look pretty. And you can do so very simply and without a lot of cost. Decorate the shit out these shelves. Whether you're going for hygge, or solarpunk, or cottagecore, or for psychedelic jackson pollock splatterpaint. Make it pretty for you and your's. I'm tired of minimalism... no more millenial beige. You can do that.. I don't mind. But make it to where when you look at this shelf, you smile and your heart lifts and you breathe easier. Make your space a place of beauty.

Ok, back to shelves... The one bad thing that I've found for a lot of the adjustable wooden shelves though, is they CAN NOT hold a lot of weight. Like... the one I'm looking at right now, the shelves sit on little pegs that sit in a hole in the side wood. That's shit. Absolute shit. A little bit of water weight and those pegs will pop right out and down goes the shelving.

So, I'll have to buy some metal brackets to hold these shelves up. The wood of the shelf is good wood (not particle board that can separate if it gets wet) and it can hold weight. The side beams can hold weight. Wood is good in compression. Its just the joints that suck. Alright, cool. I'll use the pegs to get the selves in the right place and then I'll bracket them down.

For me, I'm going to go with the Ikea Ivar special: (not an ad). It's what I have used on my current kitchen garden shelf. And I've liked it so far.

Lastly, how many shelf sections (the flat space to hold your bins) do you need? This depends on how high you make the shelf and how much separation you want between your shelves.

For me, with my specific grow bins, I need around 1ft 10ish inches. That leaves enough room for the height of my bins. The height of the plants I'm growing here. And a little space for my LED grow light strips. With that and my room height, I can get 5 shelves in with the top shelf holding a grow bin and me attaching grow lights to my ceiling. I think my math maths... check me if I'm wrong...

Alright! So here are the dimensions for my shelving system. This is for me. Your's will be different. I'm getting two setups with five shelves each:
Height: 89inches
Width: 35inch (shelves are 33 inches themselves)
Depth: 20inches

I'll need to buy some simple brackets for the back. I'm going to buy some pretty brackets for the front. And some stain for futher prettiness.

That gives me five rows of six bins that grow five plants each.

So that's 150 heads of various leafy greens.

If I stagger it out with a new growth every week and if these plants mature at six weeks (first growth - four weeks second and maybe third growth), that means I can get a first growth of 25 plants each week on a continuing rotating schedule!

I can't eat all that lettuce and leafy greens.

I'm going to HAVE to give away a lot to my neighbors for free.

#solarPunk #indoorGardening #verticalFarming #hydroponics #kratky #kratkyMethod #vegetableGardening #gardening #postScarcity #foodSecurity

Alright, let's size out a shelf for us.

Quick centering moment...

This does not and SHOULD NOT be perfect.

Don't worry about maximizing space. Don't worry about making it perfect. Don't worry about being precise. If you're really worried, start small and get a feel for it, then make something bigger the next go around.

Also, don't follow my instructions perfectly. I'm building for my space. But you build for your space. Make it cozy. Make it yours. Make it different. Or do exactly as I do and enjoy it, I don't care, it's your's! lol!

We're putting together a place to hold a bucket of water. It need not be complicated or stressful.

Okay!!! LETS DIVE IN!!! YAY!!!

A couple things to keep in mind while we're choosing a shelving system (system used LOOSELY here):
- How much *floor* space do you have. Whats a good-ish footprint. Width and Depth.
- How tall are your walls / how high up the wall you want to build. Height.
- How much space you want between your shelves. Space for the grow bin and space for the plant to grow above it.
- (IMPORTANT!!!) Ensuring it can handle the weight of all the bins filled with water.
- With that, ensure it can handle getting wet. This should be a utility shelf.

So we're growing in doors. You have limited space.

If you have virtually NO space. Then you can do a single-unit grow bin with a footprint of 6 inches by 6 inches, right? You can find a link to that build in my bio page. But if you have a couple of feet, you can build a shelf.

I like to grow out of 5 gallon plastic (it says its food safe... I dunno...) storage containers. Think the 5 gallon "Commander" storage containers found at various chain hardware stores. The dimensions for these are 16.4" x 12.3" x 8.6". I can fit three of these side by side in a roughly 3ft wide shelf. There are many other options, but consider what you want to grow out in a roughly 3ft by 2ft footprint shelf, right? You pick your grow bins, plastic, glass, metal - but we'll use these bins as the example moving forward.

Ok. That's my footprint. Roughly 3ft wide. 2ish ft in depth. That's what I want any given shelf footprint to roughly measure.

Looking around my house. I have a section of floor space that I can push my clean clothes pile out of the way and make room for 3x2 shelf. Heck. In a corner, I can put a 3x2 shelf facing one direction and squeeze another 3x2 shelf against the other wall and it makes a 5x3 L shape thingy... Cool. I'm doing that. Gonna put my lettuce wall in the corner.

My height is roughly 9ft.... holy shit, that's a tall ceiling. Okay... Anyhow, you sort out how tall your ceiling is. You don't have to build all the way up, right. You can build out along your wall if you want more shelving. But that gives you the max amount you can play with.

Now here's the big thing. You're going to want adjustable shelving. That's key. That lets you set up the distance between shelves to tailor it to your grow bins and plants.

I've found two options (let me know if you find more!):
1) Adjustable Wireframe Utility Shelves
2) Adjustable Wooden Storage Shelves

Frankly, the wireframe utility shelves are your best option. They are generally affordable. They are adjustable. You can attach all sorts of things to it with zip ties and the like (good for setting up your lights). They can hold a LOT of weight.... this is awesome. And the BIGGEST THING!!! While they are generally affordable when bought new, more importantly you can often find these used for cheap or even free via craigslist, facebook marketplace, or dumpster diving. They hold up for a long time and people give these away all the time. Go snag some for free.

But! I live with someone else. And they have veto'd it for the lettuce wall. They're cool with a wireframe shelf in a utility closet or garage, but not next to where we are eating. But they bring about an important point. They associate wireframe utility shelves with work (they were a baker several years ago). And that specifically looks too utilitarian to them. They want more wood and nature in their lives. So! I'm going with the second option.

The adjustable wooden storage shelves.

I can stain them. I can paint them. I can make them really pretty. ( I pointed out that I could make the wireframe pretty too!!! And you can!!! But I don't have personal negative vibes associated with wireframe... I must compromise! And I do so gladly and easily. :P )

Real quick aside and to that point... Aesthetics are REALLY important. You absolutely must make these things look pretty. And you can do so very simply and without a lot of cost. Decorate the shit out these shelves. Whether you're going for hygge, or solarpunk, or cottagecore, or for psychedelic jackson pollock splatterpaint. Make it pretty for you and your's. I'm tired of minimalism... no more millenial beige. You can do that.. I don't mind. But make it to where when you look at this shelf, you smile and your heart lifts and you breathe easier. Make your space a place of beauty.

Ok, back to shelves... The one bad thing that I've found for a lot of the adjustable wooden shelves though, is they CAN NOT hold a lot of weight. Like... the one I'm looking at right now, the shelves sit on little pegs that sit in a hole in the side wood. That's shit. Absolute shit. A little bit of water weight and those pegs will pop right out and down goes the shelving.

So, I'll have to buy some metal brackets to hold these shelves up. The wood of the shelf is good wood (not particle board that can separate if it gets wet) and it can hold weight. The side beams can hold weight. Wood is good in compression. Its just the joints that suck. Alright, cool. I'll use the pegs to get the selves in the right place and then I'll bracket them down.

For me, I'm going to go with the Ikea Ivar special: (not an ad). It's what I have used on my current kitchen garden shelf. And I've liked it so far.

Lastly, how many shelf sections (the flat space to hold your bins) do you need? This depends on how high you make the shelf and how much separation you want between your shelves.

For me, with my specific grow bins, I need around 1ft 10ish inches. That leaves enough room for the height of my bins. The height of the plants I'm growing here. And a little space for my LED grow light strips. With that and my room height, I can get 5 shelves in with the top shelf holding a grow bin and me attaching grow lights to my ceiling. I think my math maths... check me if I'm wrong...

Alright! So here are the dimensions for my shelving system. This is for me. Your's will be different. I'm getting two setups with five shelves each:
Height: 89inches
Width: 35inch (shelves are 33 inches themselves)
Depth: 20inches

I'll need to buy some simple brackets for the back. I'm going to buy some pretty brackets for the front. And some stain for futher prettiness.

That gives me five rows of six bins that grow five plants each.

So that's 150 heads of various leafy greens.

If I stagger it out with a new growth every week and if these plants mature at six weeks (first growth - four weeks second and maybe third growth), that means I can get a first growth of 25 plants each week on a continuing rotating schedule!

I can't eat all that lettuce and leafy greens.

I'm going to HAVE to give away a lot to my neighbors for free.

#solarPunk #indoorGardening #verticalFarming #hydroponics #kratky #kratkyMethod #vegetableGardening #gardening #postScarcity #foodSecurity

The Kratky Hydroponic Lettuce Wall will be comprised of a couple of things:

1) A utility shelf with adjustable shelving
2) Full spectrum LED "grow" light strips w/ timer
3) Grow bins

That's it.

The utility shelf can be broken down into the following requirements:
- DANGER!!! WARNING!!! IMPORTANT!!!: The shelves should be able to actually hold the weight of your grow bins. Water is heavy. Many shelves by themselves cannot support the weight of the water and will need support. So check the weight rating on the shelves you get. We'll continue to talk about this further as we built out the shelf.
- ANOTHER DANGER!!! WARNING!!! IMPORTANT!!!: You need a way to anchor your shelves to the wall SECURELY!!! You don't want this thing tipping over. You build it too high and it falls on your kid or dog or cat and they may die. Secure this to your wall. Especially the higher you build it.
- Shelves need to be adjustable to allow enough space for the bin to sit and for the plant to grow
- A way to attach the light strips to the shelf above the grow bin
- Bonus: Make it pretty

The Grow Light Strips can be broken into the following requirements:
- They should fit the length of the shelf you pick and be attachable to it in some way
- You should be able to control them with a timer (either on the light itself or set up with a wall socket timer
- Have a method of increasing the light or decreasing the light (easily add more light strips if needed, or adjust brightness, etc)
- Be full spectrum "grow" light. Note: it does not have to SAY grow light. Sometimes lights are like cakes. A regular white cake is cheap. Add the name "Wedding" to that same cake and it gets expensive. As long as the LED light strip generates enough light for a plant to eat, we're good.

The grow bins can be broken down into the following requirements:
- They should hold water.
- They should be fully opaque and not allow any light into the bin itself.
- They should hold some sort of grow medium to allow a plant to grow on top and provide access to the roots to get into the bin to access the nutrient water
- Bonus: Make them pretty

That's it.

No pumps.
No aerators.
No central reservoir.

Just a place to put a kratky bin and grow lettuce.

We'll tackle how to size and shop for a utility shelf next.

#solarPunk
#indoorGardening
#verticalFarming
#hydroponics
#kratky
#kratkyMethod
#vegetableGardening
#gardening
#postScarcity
#foodSecurity

The Kratky Hydroponic Lettuce Wall will be comprised of a couple of things:

1) A utility shelf with adjustable shelving
2) Full spectrum LED "grow" light strips w/ timer
3) Grow bins

That's it.

The utility shelf can be broken down into the following requirements:
- DANGER!!! WARNING!!! IMPORTANT!!!: The shelves should be able to actually hold the weight of your grow bins. Water is heavy. Many shelves by themselves cannot support the weight of the water and will need support. So check the weight rating on the shelves you get. We'll continue to talk about this further as we built out the shelf.
- ANOTHER DANGER!!! WARNING!!! IMPORTANT!!!: You need a way to anchor your shelves to the wall SECURELY!!! You don't want this thing tipping over. You build it too high and it falls on your kid or dog or cat and they may die. Secure this to your wall. Especially the higher you build it.
- Shelves need to be adjustable to allow enough space for the bin to sit and for the plant to grow
- A way to attach the light strips to the shelf above the grow bin
- Bonus: Make it pretty

The Grow Light Strips can be broken into the following requirements:
- They should fit the length of the shelf you pick and be attachable to it in some way
- You should be able to control them with a timer (either on the light itself or set up with a wall socket timer
- Have a method of increasing the light or decreasing the light (easily add more light strips if needed, or adjust brightness, etc)
- Be full spectrum "grow" light. Note: it does not have to SAY grow light. Sometimes lights are like cakes. A regular white cake is cheap. Add the name "Wedding" to that same cake and it gets expensive. As long as the LED light strip generates enough light for a plant to eat, we're good.

The grow bins can be broken down into the following requirements:
- They should hold water.
- They should be fully opaque and not allow any light into the bin itself.
- They should hold some sort of grow medium to allow a plant to grow on top and provide access to the roots to get into the bin to access the nutrient water
- Bonus: Make them pretty

That's it.

No pumps.
No aerators.
No central reservoir.

Just a place to put a kratky bin and grow lettuce.

We'll tackle how to size and shop for a utility shelf next.

#solarPunk
#indoorGardening
#verticalFarming
#hydroponics
#kratky
#kratkyMethod
#vegetableGardening
#gardening
#postScarcity
#foodSecurity

Oh shit. Gonna build a lettuce wall.

Can't stop. Won't stop.

Design Goals
- Low effort / passive / automated (After initial build, only requires 30 mins of work a week to maintain)
- "Inexpensive" (measured in how quickly it pays for itself compared to shopping at grocery store)
- Small footprint for indoor spaces (uses vertical space as opposed to horizontal space)
- ADHD friendly (you dont have to keep monitoring it. Set and forget)
- Provides entire personal need of leafy greens in continuous fashion
- Provides excess of personal needs in order to continuously share freely with neighbors

(Follow this thread in the coming months to watch the buildout. I'll post design theory and application along. It'll be vendor/brand agnostic. And I'll post up methods to tailor it to your space.)

(Photo below of prototype. It works! Time to scale it.)

#solarPunk #indoorGardening #verticalFarming #hydroponics #kratky #kratkyMethod #vegetableGardening #gardening #postScarcity #foodSecurity

Oh shit. Gonna build a lettuce wall.

Can't stop. Won't stop.

Design Goals
- Low effort / passive / automated (After initial build, only requires 30 mins of work a week to maintain)
- "Inexpensive" (measured in how quickly it pays for itself compared to shopping at grocery store)
- Small footprint for indoor spaces (uses vertical space as opposed to horizontal space)
- ADHD friendly (you dont have to keep monitoring it. Set and forget)
- Provides entire personal need of leafy greens in continuous fashion
- Provides excess of personal needs in order to continuously share freely with neighbors

(Follow this thread in the coming months to watch the buildout. I'll post design theory and application along. It'll be vendor/brand agnostic. And I'll post up methods to tailor it to your space.)

(Photo below of prototype. It works! Time to scale it.)

#solarPunk #indoorGardening #verticalFarming #hydroponics #kratky #kratkyMethod #vegetableGardening #gardening #postScarcity #foodSecurity

I'm starting to dabble in hydroponics to grow veggies and fruits indoors. A friend lent me a grow tent and a spare grow lamp.

I'm really interested in trying the Kratky method for growing some leafy greens (lettuce, kale, and/or bok choy) and probably some herbs.

Any success stories, tips, tricks, or suggested veggies I should try out?

#Hydroponics
#Kratky
#KratkyMethod

My Common iceplant (#MesembryanthemumCrystallinum) has had a growth burst this week!

I *may* eventually transfer it from its current #hydroponic slot to a #Kratky set-up so I can experiment with adding saline!

Has anyone here done that (Kratky ice plant, hydroponic ice plant, and/or adding salt)?

I'd love advice about harvesting select leaves early if anyone has experience with this specific plant. 1/n

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9497535/

#IcePlant #Kratky #IndoorGardening #Hydroponics @gardening

Like... at this:

I'm searching for how much water will a tomato plant need during its lifetime.

In the article, this is the section on "water usage":

"As your tomato plant grows, it will drink up the water from the Kratky reservoir, causing the water level to drop. You'll need to keep an eye on this and top up the reservoir as needed if the plant isn't ready to harvest yet."

THAT'S WRONG!!!!

THAT WILL _KILL_ YOUR PLANT!!!

The whole point of Kratky Hydroponics is you give the plant as much water as it needs during its entire lifecycle. If you REFILL the reservoir as directed above, you will smother its air roots and DROWN the plant!

Not only is the AI wrong. It gives you advice that will destroy your project. It's giving the OPPOSITE of right.... not sure not accurate, but completely abjectly wrong.

#AI #LLM #google #DuckDuckGo #hydroponics #kratky

Had a chance to document a bit about my hydroponics setup from last year. It's on the solarcene gitea server so will be offline in an hour (but back tomorrow obviously!)

https://git.solarcene.community/smallsolar/solarcene_community_setup/src/branch/main/hydroponics

#hydroponics #basil #solar #Kratky #pesto

@ridetheory a week or so of growth.

#aptgarden #kratky #hydroponics

Entertaining tonight, using some basement kale, basement cherry tomato, and basement parsley in dinner #solarpunk #hydroponics #kratky

List of plants on our small balcony 🌿🌼🪴🍓🥦🥬
- mint
- basil
- oregano
- small strawberry
- chives
- sage
- parsley
- hydroponic watercress
- Italian large-leaf basil
- komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach)
- catmint
- tagetes
- photoperiod cannabis (cookies kush)
- autoflowering cannabis (gorilla glue)
- lavender

#plants #hydroponics #kratky #cannabis #homegrown #eigenbau #weed #flowers #herbs

I think we can call the lettuce experiment a success.

#lettuce #kratky #grow

Update continued

Kitchen Window Kratky Garden...Cilantro, Thai Pepper, Green Onions x3, Pepper...all doing great in the sun.

Basil In A Bucket....a cutting of a cutting of a cutting...5 gallons of kratky juice in a big net cup with cococoir and wicks. I prune, I dry, I cook, I pesto ...it grows back.

#hydroponics  #solarpunk #growyourown #kratky #plants #peppers #basil #hashtagsalad #makefoodnotwar #aptgarden

6 week update - Single unit grow bin

Oh, okay! Sure! Just explode with growth!

Around now is when I'd start to consider harvesting or start browsing (take a leaf or leaves when you need it and let it continue growing). If I harvested it, I'd cut about an inch and a half above the baseline so that it could grow fully again (look up "cut and come again" growing).

Note: It can still grow and get bigger. If you let it grow for a couple more weeks without touching it (or just browsing), it will "bolt" and produce seeds. Great for turning one seed into hundreds! (Seed libraries anyone?)

This is a demo for my grow bin. I'm going to let it grow for four more days and show it off as the example during my library course on beginners hydroponics this weekend.

I'd say its a success. Plenty of light. Enough nutrients for two or three grows from a single seed. I placed nutrient water in it, planted the seed, set the lights for 12hrs on / 12hrs off, and ignored it! (I'd might move the lights up each week if the plant was growing and touching them).

I'll take one more picture at the library class and conclude this thread.

See thread for build instructions and info.
#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #indoorGardenjng #urbanFarming

@linux_mclinuxface - Yeah, agreed on the algae side. It's all about light. I was worried that these buckets would be too thin, but they're turning out alright... so... yay? (I never let the tap water air out. So I wonder if the little bit of chlorine or whatever is enough to kill off the algae but not enough to kill the roots of the plant. Not sure)

Concerning nutrient water left over! Cool thing!!! So at first I did a gallon per lettuce, cause thats the estimation for soil based growing. But, as you can see, each head of lettuce really will only take about a fourth to a third of a gallon.

So I thought about either having smaller containers, as you mentioned, or growing two plants, or whatever.

BUT!!! I found a cooler thing! I just do a "Cut and Come Again". So This first planting will take about 6 or 7 weeks to grow fully and consume around 1/3 of the nutrients in the bin (give or take).

When I harvest it, I cut about an inch to an inch and a half above the base line AND IT GROWS AGAIN!!!

The roots are already there, the infrastructure in place, so it takes about FOUR weeks for the second plant to grow. I cut again above the base line and GET A THIRD ONE going, lol!

So one seed and I get three crops out of a one gallon bin.

That's a passive grow system right there and I like it.

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #indoorGardening #urbanFarming

5 week update - Single unit grow bin

(Posting the pic a little late, but took the picture back on Tuesday at the right time)

A couple more weeks and this will be ready to harvest. Note, I could start browsing it right now just fine by taking leaves when I need them and letting it continuously grow.

See thread for build instructions and info.

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #indoorGardenjng #urbanFarming

The little set-up of IKEA Växer Hydroponic by the balcony door is giving me new produce almost daily.

Have cut back about half of the plants due to aphids attack and soil gnats like bugs growing in the substrate of the mesh cups.

But the 2 #tomato plants on the top unit are not only keep growing, but they are giving me tiny juicy cherry tomatoes all the time.

Decided to add some threads to help them stand up so they get more lights and make it more visible.

Already moved one out to a 20L #Kratky on the balcony, I may move one of these out as they are getting too big for indoor.

#Gardening #BalconyGarden #ContainerGarden #SouthOfFrance #Hydroponics #GrowYourOwn #Plants

4 week update - Single unit grow bin.

Notice the explosion in growth?! I still havent touched or watered or done anything with it since I planted the seed.

See thread for build instructions and info.

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #indoorGardening #urbanFarming

Picked up some food safe 5-gallon buckets for only $3 USD a piece at the local Firehouse Subs.

Gonna build a kratky-plus hydroponic setup out of them (water reservoir to buckets with a passive float valve).

Still gotta pick up some more, but I'll check back every weekend.

#solarPunk #kratky #hydroponics #degrowth #reuse #indoorGardening #urbanFarming

2 week update - Single-unit grow bin

Seedling has started to consume nutrients beyond its germination phase. Starting to consume light as well.

See thread for build instructions and info.

#solarPunk #hydroponics #kratky #indoorGardening #urbanFarming