Dutch Buckets - Hydroponics

[Letsgokate]

As mentioned previously with hubby health issues and me having to take most of the load around the place I had a break from growing veggies for the year.

Just now getting back into it but his health issue made me realise I need to find easier and simpler way of doing things. Less back breaking and less turning and topping up soil in beds.

So I’ve developed an interest in hydroponics. There are several different ways to do Hydroponics, I’ve started a couple with more plans down the track, which I’ll share along the way.

Just completed my dutch bucket setup, this is a video on the process of building it. So far it’s all going really well and have seen a lot of growth.

I only have 6 plants started at the moment and will add a few more soon but with us going into our hot weather, I won’t fill the whole system up. I have tomatoes, capsicum and cucumber growing.

 

[ClissAT]

Hi Kate, welcome back. I hope all is as well as can be.

Your dutch bucket setup looks great. I'll enjoy following the progress.

For people whose browser doesn't accommodate HTML5 just tap on Kate's link "My Gardening Channel" under each of her posts.


In the very early 1990s when I was preparing to leave the army, I decided on hydroponics to grow parsley for a supermarket chain.
I had an acre of waist height grow beds filled with perlite and vermiculite, each 20m long by 1.5m wide and divided into 7sections with grow plastic tunnels over them.
Then I had a military related accident in a truck which left me unable to walk for a xouple of years so I had to let the hydroponics go.
But during the years I had it running, I learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.
Things have come a long way in the industry since then too.
I'd love to know where you got the pallets from. I tried to get similar last year but ended up with ones that have big holes in them.

 

[Letsgokate]

Wow I think you must have done just about every variant of veggie gardening there is

We were given a hydroponics setup 30 years ago but wasn’t interested at the time, young kids and all. But always found it fascinating.

Bit over shoveling dirt, not the arms but the back feels it, as we all do as we get older.

I’ve done a lot of research and hydroponics seems to use less water per plant and from my estimation cost less, once you are setup of course but time will tell.

I found the pallets on gumtree from a guy down in Ipswich. Keep your eye on Gumtree as they come up from time to time. We are using them for all sorts of things. We have termites here so didn’t want timber one.

 

[Ray Speed]

awesome stuff
I have always wanted to play with it, hmmmmmmmmmm
thing I hate about these forums is all the great stuff peeps post lol

 

[Letsgokate]

Ha ha sure is lots of great inspiring posts that make you want to have ago. Guess that is what it is all about though Have to say I grew the best tomatoes I’ve ever grown this way, perfect looking tomatoes with no flaws and extremely tasty and sweet. I’ll post some pics

 

[Letsgokate]

 

[Ray Speed]

View attachment 3860

View attachment 3861

View attachment 3862

View attachment 3863

View attachment 3864

View attachment 3865

View attachment 3866

View attachment 3867

View attachment 3868

now thats some sexy looking veg right there

 

[Letsgokate]

Thanks Ray, started it all back up again this week now the weather has cooled and we are not getting lots of rain. Soil beds up and running again as well.

Hope all is well your end.

 

[V8srfun]

How do the hydro veggies taste compared to ones grown in soil. I find hydroponic gardening interesting but never studied it.

 

[Letsgokate]

Very yummy. Good taste and flavour. Change in flavour also comes into what variety grown as well. In soil I grew Apollo tomatoes and they tasted great as well. In the Dutch Buckets I grew grosse lisse and you can see the results. New lot started now.

Much tastier than shop bought ones.

I’ve grown greens in Krakty as well and again yummy. You can read my post here, this is the simplist and cheapest way to start. https://www.selfsufficientculture.com/threads/kratky.1796/

I’ve found with Hydroponics there is less bugs, healthier plants, quicker growing, uses less water and much easier physically, I’m hooked, I have plans to set up several others hydroponic beds.